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Hymns for the Dreadful Night

by Piñataland

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1.
When the blue light of dusk gives way to the black And the forces of night prepare their attack Will we hold fast together in the guttering light Or disappear this dreadful night When bitter old memories drop by for a drink Then follow the good ones that swirl down the sink Will we swim through this darkness and into the light Or disappear this dreadful night
2.
Island of Godless Men (free) 03:31
Listen my dear don't shed your tears like the rain o'er this new Netherlands For tonight I'll dream of you here in my arms On this island of godless men Yeah tonight I'll dream of you here in my arms On this island of godless men I look to the sky for a trace of our Lord To ask him "Oh where have you been?" Which vice won't they try? Which lust won t they dare On this island of godless men Yeah nothing is sacred and all is allowed On this island of godless men In the wild and dark when the fireflies arc O'er this profane country of sin Lights from taverns and bars They blot out all the stars All we hear are the jeers from within One day seas will rise One day fire will come One day life will be at an end And when that blessed day comes this land will be cleansed This island of godless men And when that great day comes I'll be standing alone On this island of godless men
3.
Bring the shovels and the torches too Bring a box to put him into And bring the conscience of this Resurrection Man I'm off to find an American Man Twigs are snappin' and the foxes are a-howlin' The moon is lost and the dark is all around in This forest as we dig as quiet as we can And uncover the bones of an American Man Poor Tom Paine Here he lies Nobody cries Where he's gone How he fares Nobody cares At the Custom House in Liverpool, I'll explain The mortal remains of the immortal Thomas Paine And I'll recall the way it all began The dream of a home for this American Man In a superstitious country ruled by priests and kings Where reason's driven out by flapping angel's wings Did you think we'd see the end of your master plan Breaking the chains of the American Poor Tom Paine Here he lies Nobody cries Where he's gone How he fares Nobody cares
4.
This ship is westbound And I'm going home I listen to the waves and I am alone My name has been slandered My garden deranged My stomach's churning and I'm feeling strange But is it that thunder above that makes my head spin Or did someone I know slip a poison pill under my skin In that hopeless revolution I shook all the hands I didn't speak the language of the land I knocked on every marquis' door I prowled every street But damn me if I did not save the receipts So let the jackals howl for blood As the traitor stands accused Their lies all whisper to me now They tell me that I've been used I'm going down where a darkness awaits It drags me close with pulleys and weights Into a bleak little town where all the lanterns have died There's noise all around but it's quiet inside So let the jackals howl for blood As the traitor stands accused Their lies all whisper to me now They tell me that I've been used So let the jackals howl for blood As the traitor takes the stand Let my reputation crawl through the mud Of this unforgiving land I'm going down where a darkness awaits It drags me close with pulleys and weights Into a bleak little town where all the lanterns have died There's noise all around but it's quiet inside
5.
Way up in the valley where nothing ever grows We made our camp and lit our lamps That sway when the cold wind blows Oppie rolled in with the gadget And it shined so bright and true He said, "My desire is to summon a fire And a small one will not do." When I came out from Princeton I was Albuquerque bound I took that train through seas of grain to a tiny desert town Oppie he raised up a pencil Drew a circle on a spire Will we open a cage to a heavenly age Or set the night on fire And we'll all fall to our knees when the thunder cracks far and wide Like the calling of the master from the other side Four o'clock in the morning and the rain came pouring down The wind rolled in and it stung like sin And our hearts began to pound Oppie he raised up a finger Said "It's time to strike the match." A blooming flower at the top of the tower A rattling of the latch And the mountains came alive Purple and green and white And we saw that white whale in the morning light What's that in the distance A song like a long farewell The humming white of the radiation light The tolling of a bell You can hear it when the crickets die away in the early morn An angel in the east, a New Mexican beast on its way to be reborn And we'll all fall to our knees when the thunder cracks far and wide Like the calling of the master from the other side
6.
Hungry Angel 03:44
Did you miss the taste of sugar on your tongue All of the times that you refused it No you were thinking of a starving soldier boy With a life so small that he might lose it And were you ever even kissed Or would that fruit upon your lip bruise it You said you knew the difference between a stomach and a soul But you confused it For a hungry angel I know a story 'bout a girl who was tied to a stake And then they burned it You know that you were just like her Except you lit that match yourself when you should have spurned it And did you know that you deserved All the love in the cruel world Oh how you earned it You couldn't stand the thought of someone else's pain And so you took it and turned it Into a hungry angel If apathy is a crime You'd have been arrested for the way you treated yourself And as for that bloody boy up on the cross What does he really care for us He should of told you that you could have loved yourself As much as those you cared about As much as those who took the place of a hungry angel
7.
Keep all your money and bring me some wood for the fire And please don't you tarry I'm freezing inside though my skin holds the heat of desire And I'll watch you go I'll watch you go as you walk through the door Coins in your hand I'll watch you go And I'll watch you walk down the Bowery and pray for your soul The coins that you carry might lead you astray To some dark as disreputable hole And I'll watch you go I'll watch you go as you drink down a fifth of absinthe and gin I'll watch you go And I'll watch you go as they carry you off towards the pier Down near the ferry Your pockets are empty Your head and your feet are both bare And I'll watch you go I'll watch you go as you sink in the dark Senseless and drunk I'll watch you go Now the oldest band in town is marching down the street
8.
Hiawatha 07:10
9.
Border Guard 04:01
And when your luggage breaks And everything you thought you owned comes crashing to the floor Well you thought you locked it well But don’t you know that these days things don’t stay locked anymore Ooooo, I love it here And when your passwords fail And everything you need to know is laying just off screen Well you thought you wrote it down But don’t you know that these days things are never what they seem Ooooo, I love it here What candles did you burn to speed your way? How many drops of rum? What fierce demanding gods we have today Just pick a door and see if you have won And now the tide rolls out. It’s 3am and you have had too much to drink And you want to bring her home with you But your keys are in the sand somewhere you think Imagine a large field and in the middle stands a doorway You will find me there Well sure you could walk around... Oooo, I love it here
10.
Down in a ribcage in the dry leaves of a heart That’s where you’ll find me Where it’s cool and where it’s dark Underneath this country there’s a labyrinth of dirt A hundred highways connecting all this murk Found an ivory smile carved from hippopotamus Held together with springs of gold and rust This man was in pain. I could tell by his twisted hands But I heard him sing as I took off through the soil and the sand I’m a cemetery mink, my friend I’m a cemetery mink and I’ll burrow on And I lay down beneath Chicago with a fightin’ man The imprints of a dozen jaws on the knuckles of his peaceful hands I leaned in close and he gave his advice for free “Eat cold eels and think those distant thoughts for me” ‘Cuz you're a cemetery mink, my friend You're a cemetery mink and you'll burrow on Through the cool and dark below my friends Through the dark below you'll burrow on Well there's a million names above me that I'll never read Like the poisoned actress's warning that I'll never heed And I can hear her sweet song fading through this city of debris And all I want to ask her is to save a place for you and for me 'Cuz we are cemetery minks, my friends. We are cemetery minks and we’ll burrow on With lighted candles in our mouths my friends With lighted candles in our mouths we'll burrow on

about

In the press

"4 1/2 stars (out of 5) Tremendous." Jeffrey Sisk, IN TUNE, Daily News, PA

"First of all, let me say that it takes some real right-side brain activity to think of a concept like this, but then to actually write lyrics and arrange music around this concept takes pure genius. That is what this record is, pure genius." 'Rebel Rod" From Under The Basement

"So this is what it sounds like when The Decemberists, The Pogues and Gogol Bordello are put in a blender.,,,this is a rare and exceptional record which, from conception to execution, is nothing less than total perfection." -- Scott Baxter, Americana UK

Modern day orchestral Americana with a Celtic twist. Stone and Wechsler are superb wordsmiths and the music is mostly joyous with just a hint of danger lurking underneath, more often than with a jubilant violin riding on top." -- Hans Werksman, Here Come The Flood

"Their new album Hymns for the Dreadful Night...their hardest-rocking effort to date, their least opaque and by far their best...the driving rhythm section of Ross Bonadonna on bass and Bill Gerstel on drums give the louder songs here a mighty majesty – there are plenty of warmly inviting string-driven pop bands out there, nobody who attacks those songs with as much verve as Piñataland. Violinist Deni Bonet is a one-woman orchestra, showing off sizzling Balkan, country and classical chops, frequently contrasting with Dave Wechsler’s pensive, rain-drenched piano and organ. Robin Aigner, who lights up many of these songs with her harmonies, knocks one out of the park with her lead vocal on the lush countrypolitan shuffle Border Guard...." Lucid Culture

"The music is a fascinating mixture that serves the lyric well, and it is a tribute to the band’s talent that it all holds together and makes a powerful impression." -- Oliver di Place

"I have no idea what they are on about but I like the way it sounds." 27 Leggies

"The curiously named Piñataland excel in a style of music as curious as its name, though that style is not entirely uncommon. Their penchant for telling myth and story via folk music make them something like a less eccentric version of The Decemberists....After the last tale comes to its conclusion, Hymns for the Dreadful Night reveals these raconteurs to be incredibly gifted at their craft... the band crafts a record that’s quite accessible but also uncompromising in its peculiar style. " Brice Ezell, popmatters.com

" ..Hymns For A Dreadful Night is compelling whether you’re a student of history, or just love a good tale." Wildy's World

"Piñataland defies musical categorization, so I won't try. Their sound shifts from rock to klezmer, folk, blues, pop, orchestral, celtic, and country, often in the same song, and sometimes simultaneous styles trod a measure in your ear that at first looks like an ungainly pairing, but proves absolutely irresistible. If you like The Pogues or Gogol Bordello, you'll likely find Piñataland worth a listen or five." The Adventures of Tony

credits

released August 16, 2011

Bill Gerstel – Drums
Robin Aigner & Doug Stone – Vocals
David Wechsler – Vocals, Piano, Accordion
Ross Bonadonna – Pump Organ, Bass, Guitar, Organ, Bass Clarinet, Baritone Sax
Deni Bonet – Violins
Gerald Menke – Pedal Steel Guitar, Dobro
Dave Hofstra – Tuba
Dan Nosheny – Tuba on "Hiawatha"

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Piñataland Brooklyn, New York

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