Get all 13 mushkat releases available on Bandcamp and save 40%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of MUSHKAT (S/T) - teasers!, RAINY DAY RECORD (EP), A TIME IN PLACE: Home Recordings, 2020-2021, STILL LIFE LESSONS, HALF GUN, JUVENILE GYMNASTICS, TOURIST CURIOUS, HARDWAY LEARNER, and 5 more.
1. |
Look at Yourself
02:58
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People spend far too much time looking at themselves.
You spend too much time looking at yourself (Look at yourself!)
Now, I'll admit that it takes time to shift from looking at yourself to looking outwards from yourself. The world is great and has a lot to offer you, but not if you're looking at yourself.
People spend too much time looking at reflections of themselves,
in the mirror, in shop windows, and in stainless steel elevators.
Until there are no mirrors, not even in elevators, until there are no windows left to shop will the narcissism stop.
People spend to much time taking pictures of their lives instead of living their lives. You spend too much time looking at yourself (Look at yourself!).
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2. |
Don't Tell Me
01:10
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Don't tell me you're lonely. All I've got is myself to offer, and I don't know what else I can do for you.
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3. |
Slow, Slow Period
02:04
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Slow, slow period, winding down to a crawl; be careful not to stall, during a
Slow, slow period, shifting down to 2nd gear; all you have to fear is procrastination.
Slow, slow period, winding down to a crawl; be careful not to stall, during a
Slow, slow period; you're bound to grind to a halt, unless you're worth your salt and can keep yourself going...
through a slow, slow, slow, slow period.
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4. |
Sing About the Rain
00:51
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Don't sing about the weather when it's fine.
Don't sing about the weather when it's dry.
Don't sing about the sunny days; sing about the rain,
especially if you want to make 'em cry.
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5. |
Smoke Alarms
02:33
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How do I, can I start again, after losing so much time?
Am I resilient enough, or will I lose my mind?
It's like being woken up by smoke alarms at 3:45 in the morning, breaking your slumber for a time.
It just doesn't seem right to be up so early.
It just doesn't seem right to go back to bed
with so little time left. There's so little time left.
Depression didn't get me 'til my 30s, and a decade long battle ensued,
but when I parted the grey clouds and got to see the world out loud again, suffice to say, it sullied my mood,
like being woken up by smoke alarms while people keep sleeping around me - it just confounds the mind.
It just doesn't seem right to give up so early.
It just doesn't seem right to stay in bed
with so little time left. There's so little time left.
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6. |
Land Road to Livingston
01:51
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I overheard lately about a land road to Livingston.
If it's true and there is a brand new land road to Livingston, I might just have to go back down to Livingston, Guatemala one day.
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7. |
Princess of the Province
03:10
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With a neck as regal as any princess, and atop sits a face with such perfect and unblemished skin, it's easy to miss the fact that within lies a brilliant and critical mind, as complex I find as a world traveled skeptic, having escaped all churches and sects.
She's the princess of the province of my heart.
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8. |
Kiss us on the Cheek
05:01
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A sunny winter's day on Summer Street. It's sweater warm but colder in the shade. I'm afraid it's just a hot freak current from the gulf of Mexico, that's traveled up the coast to kiss us on the cheek, then kiss off and leave us in the rain.
A rainy, windy summer's day, and I accept that I may never feel your
your gentle, warm caress again, but then...
Another hot freak current from the gulf of Mexico travels up the coast to kiss us on the cheek.
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9. |
The Weather
03:28
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Let the rain fall down and freeze on the ground.
Let the icicles hang from the eaves
'cause you're home and I'm home and the heater is on.
We've got all we need.
Let's just sit here and cede our plans to the weather.
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10. |
Dear Life
01:28
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She said she had a dream that she was on an escalator, going up, somehow getting stepper as she climbed, to the point she felt like she would fall if she didn't hold on with both hands for dear life.
Dear Life!
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11. |
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The wife of a serial killer doesn't necessarily know she's in love with a masked murderer.
Whenever he goes out at night, he's always got a story or an alibi; there doesn't seem to be any foul play, at least not to her. And if there's been a body in the car, he's gone and covered it up with lavender; if there were a home inspection now, they wouldn't find anything.
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12. |
Good Americans
02:08
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I feel bad for the good Americans.
I know they're out there, I swear there are good Americans.
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13. |
Reconnaissance Man
03:49
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If there's a corner ahead, and we can't see around it, I want to be the one that we send to run up ahead, take a look at what's there, and come back to share.
I'm a reconnaissance man at heat, don't rely on assumptions. It's not a skill or an art; it's a compulsion.
Driven by a desire to know where every path allows me to go. Isn't that a natural human drive? …just another part of being alive?
But what if what's around the corner, if revealed, would threaten order, could I keep it to myself? Is it tragic to be a reconnaissance man at heart?
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14. |
A Perfect World
01:24
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If there's a perfect world, I'm not in it. I'm not perfect, not even close.
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15. |
Waiting for the Truth
04:10
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Waiting for the truth to come to me, as if in a day dream. I've got a pen and paper on my bedside table, in case it comes in the night....
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16. |
Still Life
02:37
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I lead a still life, but it's still life. Every day, I count my blessings:
I've got my health, I've got my work day, I've got my lover and time to play.
In this still life, it's still life, and in life there is but one guarantee:
I'll always be there, through all changes, so I'd best be happy with who I've come to be.
So I'll try harder to be patient with other people. I'll try to be less judgemental and kind when I can, 'cause my reactions define my destiny.
In this still life, it's still life. I remind myself every day.
To keep going, I have this mantra: In the mirror, I stare myself down and say....
"I lead a still life, but it's still life. Every day, I count my blessings:
I've got my health, I've got my work day, I've got my lover and time to play."
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mushkat Halifax, Nova Scotia
Mushkat is William (Bill) Travis from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He sings his indie folk songs in a voice that's been compared to Paul Simon and Ben Lee, often with the support of Chris Brown (drums), Mark Merrimen (bass), and sometimes Theo MacIntosh (guitar, piano). He has shared stages with Erin Costelo, Al Tuck, Christina Martin, Bend The River, The Mahones, and many more. ... more
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