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The Joke of Life

by Spencer Thomas

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  • Streaming + Download

    Pre-order of The Joke of Life. You get 2 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.
    Purchasable with gift card
    releases May 17, 2024

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    - SIGNED
    - 12", 1-LP Sunrise Yellow

    Includes digital pre-order of The Joke of Life. You get 2 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.
    shipping out on or around May 17, 2024

      $24.99 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    - SIGNED
    - Wallet

    Includes digital pre-order of The Joke of Life. You get 2 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.
    shipping out on or around May 17, 2024

      $14.99 USD or more 

     

1.
The Joke of Life
2.
Little Gold 03:52
I see her walking down Cahuenga I see her out in Silver Lake Does she ever feel tired of hustling Does she ever want to pump her brakes Sold most of her furniture Drove straight from one coast to the other Does she always keep it light and loose To go wherever she will choose Looking for a little gold Looking for a little gold Never cared if her fortune’s told She’s looking for a little gold She’s thinking purely in logistics Don’t take it like it’s personal While you wonder if she’ll ever stay with you She’s easing her way down the road Looking for a little gold Looking for a little gold Never cared if her fortune’s told She’s looking for a little gold It’s only where she’s going It’s never where she’s been Her homes are temporary Her lovers only friends I see her driving after dark In the traffic of echo park Did she ever find a place to rest Did she find someone to suit her best Looking for a little gold Looking for a little gold Never cared if her fortune’s told She’s looking for a little gold
3.
Always Never You
4.
Desperate Man
5.
Woman Who Smokes Cigars
6.
Unwanted Son
7.
Dream Lilac
8.
When I wish on some old burnt out star While I drive to the moon in a classic car Just then my destination fades from sight How come heartbreak has to come at night I hear your voice throughout the day And the words back then we chose to say Pounding louder as I close my eyes How come heartbreak has to come at night I hear a whisper telling me mister You got a lover that you can’t get back I said I know it but the feeling’s growing Every time the sky goes black When I dream the same worn fantasy Behind the disguise lies a tragedy In the dark they share the same thin line How come heartbreak has to come at night
9.
Fake Rain
10.
Misty Eyes

about

The songs on Spencer Thomas’ new LP, much like a good joke, are many-layered. His talent is immediately obvious, with sleek composition and production throughout. There’s a nostalgic, everyman flair to his music that doesn’t hang on the influences of the past, but uses them as a guiding light to elevate his voice.

Songwriting reminiscent of Warren Zevon’s later work takes the helm as Thomas examines the gap that can be left between the expectations of life and the sometimes tenuous reality. Songs like “Misty Eyes”, “Fake Rain” and the album’s title track “The Joke of Life” present light-hearted, even laughable, acceptance of the often undesirable cards we’re dealt. The album chronicles a period of change and rebirth for Spencer, who is no stranger to the open road. Beneath the album’s more obvious virtues is a wit and longing borne from the experiences and struggles of a working-class musician.

The Joke of Life, was recorded over the last three years with the help of a veritable “who’s who” of the Athens-GA music scene and beyond, including members of My Morning Jacket, Drive-By Truckers, Reptar, Heffner and Futurebirds, for which he is the band's keyboard player.

The Joke of Life, out May 17 2024, is now available for pre-order on SIGNED vinyl and CD.

credits

releases May 17, 2024

Spencer Thomas- Vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, Wurlitzer, electric guitar, background vocals, auxiliary percussion, organ, synthesizer

Lars Hefner- electric guitar
Will Hefner- drums
Taylor Cotton- electric guitar, bass, auxiliary percussion, background vocals, 12 string acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar
Andrew McFarland- drums, auxiliary percussion
Ryan Engelberger- bass, background vocals
Kiffy Myers- pedal steel
Tom Myers- congas
Carl Broemel - saxophone
Jay Gonzalez - mellotron
David Barbe- acoustic guitar
Ben Hackett - bass
Annie Leeth- violin, background vocals
Thomas Johnson - background vocals
Schaefer Llana - background vocals
Ben Yarbrough - background vocals

Produced by Spencer Thomas & Ryan Engelberger

Recorded by Thomas Johnson & Ryan Engelberger at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA
Mixed by Nate Nelson at Tweed Recording in Athens, GA
Mastered by Charlie Chastain at Tweed Recording in Athens, GA

Vinyl Cut by Jeff Powell

Photography by Garrett Cardoso

Album design and layout by Cody Rogers

Management by Drew Beskin of Super Canoe & Incubate Talent Group

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Spencer Thomas Athens, Georgia

“The songs of Spencer Thomas make you think about listening to your dad’s records. They’re familiar yet unique. Some hear hints of Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town in the cadence of Thomas’s melodies. Others hear tones of Jackson Browne’s For Everyman with a similar lyrical attention to detail." ... more

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