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by Tavo Carbone

/
1.
2.
annot seem to change In the arms of a river or In the arms of a woman Or the moon I won't behave Why can't the channel change? In my heart lay a parenting flower that will bloom My belly's yellow You don't look up but make it up You make it up You make it up until you know there's nothing left to make up I cannot seem to breathe In this hallway near a river or Up late alone You make it up
3.
Tuesday without her has not been bad A blue fish swims into the glass and he won't let up even if he can Tar and feather my dreams in ice and keep them safe from me. If your plane sees a white ukulele Won't you wave to me and have a good time in Hawaii Sleep will blossom singing bears That will shed in rhythm everywhere On the roof of a hat you'll find me out In the cold confetti, falling down All these thoughts I have of you Must be written down and used when you go to Hawaii Summer will rescue winter this time The trees will go crying petals again And we'll both know how they'll land And then sleep will blossom singing bears That will shed in rhythm everywhere All these thoughts I have of you Must be written down and used in some way or another When you go to Hawaii
4.
Give Em the Bird Give Em the Bird Forget what you've heard Give Em the Bird Predicting the lightening The cosmic soup has been stirred Don't swallow your words Give Em the Bird Why live a life keeping it light When all you say is what's preferred Put down your weaponized words You've gotta Give Em the Bird Deep ocean blue horizons for me and you It gets brighter everyday Yet somehow darker too When it's occurred After all we've endured Revolutions don't need to be assured Put down your weaponized words And Give Em the Bird Give Em the Bird Give Em the Bird Give Em the Bird
5.
Love in the time of Corona is a wicked rotten way to go For all those times I was saying yes Now I'm saying No no no My heart's gone delirious since the clock hands slowed So I sit around and bitch and moan Of a Corona love tale to be told I'm stuck, I can't escape I'm in no shape For a date In this apocalyptic global state She's f-ing really great but I'm afraid that for me it's too late It snuck up on me like a curse It's gotten better but I think it's getting worse The fascination's unrehearsed Think I'll go die in the desert of thirst Quarantine's fun when you know someone To talk to Young or old Don't just sit around and bitch and moan Of your Corona love tale to be told I won't sit around and bitch and moan Of a Corona love tale to be told
6.
You have the key to a dimensional gateway That appears from thin air In the forest or the mountaintops Teleportation molecules separating apart Particles reconstituting Everywhere Floating through the air And whaddaya know people they're all mostly there Enjoy the dimensional gateway I'll be taking the long way today, I say
7.
You get up in the morning and you shave your face Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah Dress up prim and proper to a particular place Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah Must've been saying something Before I stopped saying it before Whatever it was that something I won't be saying it no more The downside's up if you stare straight ahead Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah "What would a self respecting person do?" is what She said Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah I work so hard to expect nothing It's the kind of life I can live with The only thing the sun can do Is cook my dreams into a puddle of cosmic myth Money don't matter if there's contentment to scatter Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah You exercise daily but you keep getting fatter Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah I don't mean the physical weight I'm talking about the glutton hamster-wheel'd rat race A good soldier knows their place But the best of all can save their face A working class hero is not something to be Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah Leave yourself more to give what is free Yeah yeah yeah, Yeah yeah yeah No no yeah, Yeah no no Yeah no yeah no yeahhhh No no no no no no no Please noooo Yeah, yeah, yeah
8.
I almost I thought I knew you when But that was before we were friends The dream erodes my retinas, I wished them well Should they be stuck in that dream? I can't tell Living in a virtual reality Is what I've been up to Seems to me Whenever the real reality turns its wheel again I'll still have my hand open to extend I don't want to change you or possess you Don't wish to take away what makes you You You are you as I am me so well I don't think that loving someone is wrong But I'm living in a virtual reality Ask your pardon if I don't know what's real really When so-called reality turns the heads again I may not want to realize I'm playing pretend Communication breakdown is always a waste If you open up an oven you might get fire in your face My head is ringing like a church tower bell The clock has the time but hasn't much to tell We're all living in a virtual reality In a land of foolish martyrs, fancy free Has the real reality played a cosmic joke on me? There's nothing so convenient as the sea Such an exceptional fascinating person to me
9.
10.

about

Less recent by the day, latest recording Give em the Bird (21) can be found on this page for limited streaming and digital download. Please email for CD or cassette orders. Spotify etc plus website back up in the interstellar sphere soon.
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BIO

Tavo is from West Village / Brooklyn NYC, songwriting & recording since 2001 (earlier, but the work really sucked before then). Lives in 32 yr old Toyota Motorhome and toured perpetually from Jan 19 til covid thru 43 states a few ocd times. This migratory song-bird Tour cycle will begin again with new release Give Em the Bird.
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TOUR

CONSCIOUS WHIRL Tour
Nov 19 - Mar 20

11/08 - MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE, Middlebury VT w. David L
11/12 - RADIO BEAN, Burlington VT
11/14 - BIG HEAVY WORLD, Burlington VT
11/16 - CHASE LANE, Burlington VT w. Heavy Gaze, Comrade Nixon, Marxist Jargon
11/23 - JOHNNY BRENDA's, Philadelphia PA w. Grandchildren, The Extraordinaires
11/29 - HALYARD's, Brooklyn NY w. Damian Weber
11/30 - PETE's CANDY STORE, Brooklyn NY
12/03 - TEA BAZAAR, Charlottesville VA w. Night Kid, Chloe Ester
12/06 - PURGATORY PLACE, Greenville NC w. New Aquarian, JT Ackerman
12/06 - CHRYSTY's EURO PUB, Greenville NC w. Nu Clear Twins
12/07 - THE MERIDIAN, Williamsburg VA w. Blush Face,
12/08 - TUA LINGUA, Charleston SC w. Bad Hotel Coffee, Adam McLean, Soot
12/13 - NICK's ICE HOUSE, Hattiesburg MS
12/18 - SIDNEY's, New Orleans LA w. Ponch Bueller
1/24 - CACTUS HOUSE, Odessa TX
03/01 - GREATER GOODS, Ojai CA

*Shows CANCELLED due to RV breaking down in Orange TX for 32 days:
12/19 - SUPER HAPPY FUN LAND!, Houston TX w. Paul Yoon, Cullah, Claude Imanuel, Clare Noell
12/20 - HOSTELLING INT., Austin TX
12/22 - MUSTARD ZONE, Denton TX
12/23 - House Show, Levellin TX*
01/01 - BOOBIE TRAP, Los Angeles CA
01/03 - LYRIC HYPERION THEATER, Los Angeles CA
01/04 - GREATER GOODS, Ojai CA

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NARCISSYPHUS TOUR
Jan - Aug 19

01/31 - Hi LO, Catskill NY w. Katie Mullins
02/02 - PETE’s CANDY STORE, Brooklyn NY
02/06_- PHILAMOCA, Philadelphia PA
02/08 - THE SNARE, Silver Spring MD w. Chumpus Kahn, Taciturn
02/09 - PALE FIRE BREWING, Harrisonburg VA w. Orange Folder
02/10 - MAGNOLIA HOUSE, Charlottesville VA w. Kate Bollinger, Naomi Alligator
02/12 - NIGHT RIDER, Raleigh NC
02/14 - TROLLINGWOOD TAPROOM, Greenville NC w. Niboowin, Nu Clear Twins
02/16 - TUA LINGUA, Charleston SC w. Fisher King, Bong Girl, Nathan Leigh
02/17 - CABBAGE SCHOOL, Asheville NC w. Sprouse
02/18 - FLICKER THEATRE, Athens GA w. Daniel Markham, Emileigh Ireland
02/20 - NICK’s ICE HOUSE, Hattiesburg MS
02/21 - SUPER HAPPY FUN LAND, Houston TX
02/26 - RABBIT HOLE, Tulsa OK w. Noun Verb Adjective, Space Horse
02/27 - GASLIGHT, Lawrence KS w. Chrim
02/28 - WHITTIER BOOKS, Tulsa OK w. Jon Arlie, Contra
03/02 - RAiR ARTS, Roswell NM w. Tamara Zibners, Damian Weber
03/05 - YOUR MOM’s HOUSE, Denver CO
03/08 - OXYGEN BAR, Santa Fe NM
03/10 - LIZARD TAIL, Albuquerque NM
03/12 - MACY’S EUROPEAN COFFEEHOUSE, Flagstaff AZ
04/17 - GREATER GOODS, Ojai CA
04/26 - THE QUESTION MARK, Oakland CA w. Adam Balbo
04/27 - THE SILVER ORANGE, Sacramento CA w. Blue Friction, Orange Peel, Stohler Peace
04/28 - ARMADILLO MUSIC, Davis CA
04/29 - SHANACHIE PUB, Willits CA
05/01 - BANDIT CAFE, Eureka CA
05/03 - SIREN’S SONG TAVERN, Eureka CA
05/05 - ARTS FIRST, Eureka CA
05/10 - GREATER GOODS, Ojai CA w. Weeed, Bart Davenport
05/15 - BOOBIETRAP, Los Angeles CA
05/18 - GREATER GOODS, Ojai CA w. Don Cheddy
06/01 - PECAN GROVE PARK BASEBALL FIELD, Los Angeles CA
06/02 - GREATER GOODS, Ojai CA w. Oliver Ray, Zeb Zaitz
06/04 - HOUSE SHOW, Fresno CA w. Adam Balbao
06/05 - HOUSE SHOW, San Francisco CA
06/07 - ARMADILLO MUSIC, Davis CA
06/08 - SHINE, Sacramento CA w. Red Leaf, Dive Bar Bombers
06/12 - WHIRLED PIES, Eugene OR
06/15 - HOUSE SHOW, Portland OR w. Caspar Sonnet, AB Corduroy
06/16 - SPACE CONCERT CLUB, Salem OR
06/17 - TURN! TURN! TURN!, Portland OR w. Half Shadow, Twin Shadow
06/18 - LE VOYEUR, Olympia WA
06/20 - THE GOLDEN OCTOPUS, Seattle WA w. Gabriel Mintz
06/27 - CAVE COLLECTIVE, Rapid City SD w. Origami Ghosts, Purple Honey
06/28 - TOTAL DRAG, Sioux Falls SD
06/29 - MEADOWLARK, Lincoln NE
06/30 - KIRBY’S BEER STORE, Wichita KS w. Jon Eaton
07/05 - WHITTIER BOOKS, Tulsa OK w. Space Horse, Jhohn Arlie
07/06 - THE DREAM FIRE, Lawrence KS
07/12 - MONTROSE SALOON, Chicago IL
07/14 - BE HERE NOW, Muncie IN
07/18 - FLICKER THEATRE, Athens GA w. Mr. Blank, Emileigh Ireland
07/20 - TUA LINGUA, Charleston SC w. Fisher King, New Grounds Death Rugby, WWIDC
07/23 - PURGATORY PLACE, Greenville NC w. Nu Clear Twins
07/25 - MAGNOLIA HOUSE, Charlottesville VA w. Good Dog Nigel, Kate Bollinger
07/27 - THE SNARE, Silver Spring MD w. Chumpus Kahn
07/30 - PIANOS, NYC, NY w. The Biggest Stars
08/03 - AS220, Providence RI w. Good Question
08/07 - HOUSE SHOW, N. Bennington VT
08/08 - PETE’s CANDY STORE, Brooklyn NY
08/10 - PHILAMOCA, Philadelphia PA
08/27 - RADIO BEAN, Burlington VT

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PRESS

"NARCISSYPHUS is a nightmarish collection of beautiful orchestration and playful weirdness...His unique brand of lyrical poetry will catch you off guard and is at times laugh-out-loud funny -- His voice is striking, often sounding like a downtrodden Disney character from the 1930’s. The depths he’s discovered in these recordings (especially fun in over-ear headphones) are a perfect compliment to the Trump-era hellscape" - Jay Purdy, (Philadelphia PA)

"2/3 SKELETON demonstrates Carbone's ability to abandon the self absorbent path of the typical singer/songwriter and, like Leonard Cohen or Bill Callahan, take his listeners to another place altogether- allowing them to interpret the music in a way that is personally relevant to each individual." - Bart Ford, Under the Mooch Records (Tulsa OK)

"It's sometimes nice to hear whimsy carry the day...just another day in the world of experimental folk music, I guess". - Jim Macnie The Phoenix (Providence RI) / The Village Voice (New York City NY)

"Tavo Carbone is an exceptional songwriter, somewhere loosely in the vein of Tom Waits and Frank Zappa and other oddball geniuses. His arrangements are lush and orchestral and sound as if they were filtered through a gramophone." - Nailgun Media (VA)

"Carbone himself is quite the performer, thrashing around, making funny faces, and tonguing each syllable dramatically" - Phrequency (Philadelphia PA)

"Playing with a long list of rotating musicians, Carbone makes the type of subtle glockenspiel-laden old-timey pop that simultaneously makes you feel like you are both in the past and the future." - Lawrence.com (Lawrence KS)

"There's an off-kilter charm to Tavo Carbone's oddball, old-timey pop...Essentially a solo act, Carbone's been known to employ orchestral flourishes to flesh out his skeletal acoustics including, at one point, a 17-piece backing band." - City Paper (Philadelphia PA)

"Tavo Carbone was quite the opposite, a songwriter that repopulated early blues tunes and country waltzes with unsavory characters and sang with a voice that owed as much to Bessie Smith as Bobcat Goldthwait. Following one song, an audience member turned to me and asked, “Isn’t that what Tiny Tim sounds like?” Yet beneath a voice that might’ve seemed repellent were endearing lyrics about uncomfortable people" - C-Ville (Charlottesville VA)

"Brooklyn's Tavo Carbone, a singer/songwriter and backing band combo who should probably be commended for not being hipsters, if nothing else. Carbone writes these cutesy, Library of Congress sounding folk-pop songs that could easily be much much worse than they are. Not my thing, but certainly not bad". - We Shot JR (Fort Worth, TX)
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Tavo has performed at Greater Goods, Tua Lingua, PhilaMOCA, Turn!Turn!Turn!, AS220, RAiR Arts, The Snare, Magnolia House, HiLO, Flicker Theater & Bar, Whirled Pies, BoobieTrap, The Shrine, Cave Collective, Total Drag Records, Be Here Now, The Silver Orange, Armadillo Music, Rabbit Hole, Whitty Books, The Question Mark, Siren's Song, Kirby's, Nick's, Trollingwood Brewery, Meadowlark, Pale Fire, The Night Rider, Montrose Saloon, Red Eyes, Daiquiri Factory, Lizard Tail,
Union Pool, The Silent Barn, Pete’s Candy Store, Pianos, Trash Bar, PhilaMOCA, Rockwood Music Hall, DangerDanger Gallery, Public Assembly, Johnny Brenda’s, The Double Door, Rock Shop, Whittier Books, Glasslands Gallery, The Blue Plate Special, HiLO, Magnolia House, Cake Shop, Super Happy Fun Land, Krankie’s Coffee, The Bell House, Death by Audio, The Snare, Tua Lingua, Firehouse XIII, The Eclipse, Under the Mooch, Flicker Theatre + Bar, The Night Light, Springwater, Pale Fire Brewing, The Night Rider, The Cavern, The Soundpony, Natrix Natrix Records, 1919 Hemphill, Brooklyn Lyceum, Freddie’s, Sidewalk Cafe, Pine Box Rock Shop, Tea Bazaar, The Hook, Padlock Gallery, John Rivers Communications Museum, New Street Gallery, Jackrabbit Lounge, Gaslight Tavern, The Firehouse, The Tinderbox, Radio Bean, Palindrome, Lazy Eye Warehouse, Spazzatorium, Trollingwood, Spazzhouse, Jackpot Saloon, Kings Tavern, Green Line Cafe, Grog & Tankard, Speakertree Records, The Taphouse, The Rabbit Hole, Lit Lounge, Spike Hill, The Hook, Cafe Bourbon Street, Goodbye Blue Monday, Preservation Pub, Tipsy Teapot, Outer Space, Cameo Gallery, Bruar Falls, Monster Island, Kung Fu Necktie, Little Field, Your Mom’s House, Lizard Tail Brewing, Oxygen Bar, VAE Masonic Hall, Nick’s Ice House & elsewhere.

Musical/artistic influences: Tom Waits, Michael Hurley, Lord Buckley, Charles Ives, Mister Rogers, Charlie Christian, T-Bone Walker, Bob Dylan, Gabby Pahinui, Muddy Waters, Randy Newman, Roy Buchanan, Sonnyboy Williamson II, Howlin' Wolf, Al Bowlly & Ray Noble Orchestra, Captain Beefheart, Debussy, The Fugs, The Beatles, Thelonious Monk, Radiohead, Schoenberg, Bartok, Olivier Messiaen, Albert Collins, Danny Gatton, Harry Partch, Frank Zappa, Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sun Ra, Nirvana, Liberace, L7, Mudhoney, Smashing Pumpkins, Stravinsky, Barry White, Lonnie Johnson, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollack, Giotto, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, The Village People, John Lennon, etc

Artists/Bands shared bills: Pattern is Movement, The Extraordinaires, The Spinto Band, Helado Negro, Real Estate, The Books, Will Stratton, Jonny Fritz, Dinosaur Feathers, Blast Off!, MiniBoone, Manners, The Armchairs, Lonnie Walker, Frances, Wailing Wall, Marc Benevento, Ross Goldstein, Grandchildren, Wighead, Cameron Hull, The Viennagram, Paper Bird, Invisible Hand -- and many many others to be added soon.
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All Music and Words © Tavo Carbone

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released May 1, 2021

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Tavo Carbone

Experimental Folk Distopic Songs sung on voice/gtr/pno. Tape+CD orders or booking: email or Insta-DM
Will tour again before the next Presidential transfer of power.

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