Sophia Lamontagne
This track really rings true with me. Fuck you, and fuck the way this whole world works. Trying to make it on my art, and failing, and grappling with people's expectations of me, and my life. They told me I could become anything, so I became a failure. God, this hits me right in the tits.
Favorite track: Chapter 2. Broke Artist.
Jeremy / HI54LOFI
Imagine a Sun Kil Moon record pressing pause on 'Inherent Vice' to grab another sixer out of the fridge and roll a joint on the back cover of a Bukowski novel.
Favorite track: Chapter 2. Broke Artist.
Sonny Smith (Sonny & the Sunsets) has written a monologue, an hour long story, called SEES ALL KNOWS ALL. A tale of LOVE, SEX, DRUGS, SPACESHIPS, ROMANCE, HALLUCINATIONS, BITTER TEARS and CHAMPAGNE. A story set in a fast-disappearing San Francisco. A bohemian quarter-life crisis (in six parts) told by a man who never had anything to gamble with, but his life. As Sonny put it "Sort of a Spalding Gray typa thing if Spalding Gray had a band and wasn’t himself but was me."
Sonny premiered SEES ALL KNOWS ALL live with a band at The Lost Church in San Francisco. The run lasted five nights and each night featured a different musical guest: Kelley Stoltz, Tim Cohen (Fresh & Onlys / Magic Trick), Kyle Field (Little Wings), Alexi Glickman (Sandy's), & Sun Foot (Chris Johanson). It was very much a San Francisco thing. A nod, perhaps, to both Eggers and Ferlinghetti. Indeed, excerpts from this story have been published in San Francisco's reknown literature, arts, and culture magazine, The Believer.
Narrated by Smith, this audio recording of SEES ALL KNOWS ALL features sounds made by a talented group of local musicians including Kelley Stoltz, Shayde Sartin, Rusty Miller, James Finch, German Carracosca, Jordi Llobet, and Sonny himself. The result is a Joe Frank meets Michael Hurley meets R. Crumb production: a dry, witty, autobiographical look at the meaning(s) of life from an underdog with deep nostalgia for America's lost folk culture and a strong sense kinship with the marginalized. Perhaps you saw one of the live performances; or maybe you are familiar with Sonny's stories via the tiny comic books stashed in his early vinyl releases... but you probably have never heard him try to pronounce "Panaderia". So, light a fire/joint, get comfortable and lose yourself in a man's attempt to find himself; or at least, exert a shred of control over his own destiny..
SEES ALL KNOWS ALL is limited to 300 blue powder (the stuff of the universe) splattered LPs via Empty Cellar Records. Each LP is packaged in a deluxe old-style linen jacket and features artwork by Bay Area greats: Chris Johanson, Shayde Sartin, and Shannon Shaw (Shannon & The Clams).
credits
released January 15, 2016
FIRST PERFORMED LIVE
THE LOST CHURCH THEATER
SAN FRANCISCO 2012
MUSICIANS:
JAMES FINCH JR.
RUSTY MILLER
GERMÁN CARRACOSCA
KELLEY STOLTZ
JORDI LLOBET
SHAYDE SARTIN
SONNY SMITH
MIXED BY SONNY SMITH
COVER ART CHRIS JOHANSON
BACK COVER SHAYDE SARTIN
INSIDE ART SHANNON SHAW
supported by 27 fans who also own “Sees All Knows All”
This album is freakishly good. I mean, I'm used to good stuff from Sonny Smith / Sonny & the Sunsets, but damn... so real and tuneful and full of treats of sound. As for my favorite track, it's a tough call between at least five of them (including "Waiting," "City Life," "Pink Cake," "How to Make a Ceramic Dog," and "Androids"), but I'll pick "Sit-ups" for now. dianasenechal
supported by 23 fans who also own “Sees All Knows All”
goddam I love this record. just picked up the vinyl after listening online since its release and these tracks are much deeper and more expansive than I originally thought. is there a better opening track than "a bigger picture"? and the title track which opens the second side? perfection. keep em coming, sonny! rhw1978
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