Walter Ehresman

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. Another experimental instrumental for the upcoming album "From The Fog Of Human Postscript." The concept of the album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quieter, reflective emotions. It will be almost entirely instrumental, and have an improvisational feel. It is a companion album to the one about to be released now--"Adentro del Volcan! (Into the Volcano!....a concept album"). The concept of that album is that an alien crashes into the swamps of Louisiana and cannot get home, and proceeds to have a Dante-esque tour of the US and beyond as late-stage capitalism (and human nature.....) works strenuously to wipe out all humanity and the entire planetary ecology. All Guitars Are Ghosts Now (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman--electric guitar. For official solo and band releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. Another experimental instrumental for the upcoming album "From The Fog Of Human Postscript." The concept of the album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quieter, reflective emotions. It will be almost entirely instrumental, and have an improvisational feel. It is a companion album to the one about to be released now--"Adentro del Volcan! (Into the Volcano!....a concept album"). The concept of that album is that an alien crashes into the swamps of Louisiana and cannot get home, and proceeds to have a Dante-esque tour of the US and beyond as late-stage capitalism (and human nature.....) works strenuously to wipe out all humanity and the entire planetary ecology. Dance of the Curupira (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) --a “curupira” is an Amazonian jungle elf that leads lost travelers to their doom because its feet point backwards and so you aren’t really following it out of the jungle. It is a guardian of the rainforest that punishes humans for destroying the jungle. Walter Ehresman--classical guitars; rainstick For official solo and band releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. Another experimental instrumental for the upcoming album "From The Fog Of Human Postscript." The concept of the album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quieter, reflective emotions. It is a companion album to the one about to be released now--"Adentro del Volcan! (Into the Volcano!....a concept album"). The concept of that album is that an alien crashes into the swamps of Louisiana and cannot get home, and proceeds to have a Dante-esque tour of the US and beyond as late-stage capitalism (and human nature.....) works strenuously to wipe out all humanity and the entire planetary ecology. Idea Thefts of the Creatively Bankrupt (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman--keyboards. For official solo and band releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. Another experimental instrumental for the upcoming album "From The Fog Of Human Postscript." The concept of that album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quieter, reflective emotions. Gaslighting for Fun and Profit (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman--electric mandola; keyboards. For official solo and band releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. Another experimental instrumental for the upcoming album "From The Fog Of Human Postscript." The concept of that album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quiet, reflective emotions. Mistaking Wealth For Merit (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman--keyboards. For official solo and band releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. While I'm waiting for my upcoming album, "Adentro del Volcan!" , to be mastered, I've started recording some tracks for the album that will follow it, which will be called "From the Fog of Human Postscript." The concept of that album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quiet, reflective emotions. This song title comes from a quote from Francois Duc De La Rochefoucauld in his “Reflections or Sentences and Moral Maxims” (1678). Seems apt...... Hypocrisy Is A Tribute That Vice Pays To Virtue (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman--electric guitar (real-time processing). For official solo and band releases from Walter Ehresman, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. While I'm waiting for my upcoming album, "Adentro del Volcan!" , to be mastered, I've started recording some tracks for the album that will follow it, which will be called "From the Fog of Human Postscript." The concept of that album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quiet, reflective emotions. This song title comes from a piece of dialogue in the ‘90s TV show “Newsradio.” In the show, the boss does a public reading from a new pressing of his autobiography that has just hit big in Japan. He has it translated from Japanese back to English without checking it first before the reading. Hilarity ensues. Watch the video snippet here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD5Hgzayhj8 Jimmy Has Fancy Plans (And Pants To Match) (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman--keyboards, key p;ercussion, AirFx, sequencing. Hoping to release this album by the end of 2026. Stay tuned!

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. While I'm waiting for my upcoming album, "Adentro del Volcan!" , to be mastered, I've started recording some tracks for the album that will follow it, which will be called "From the Fog of Human Postscript." The concept of that album is that humanity has wiped itself out.....there are no people left, and the only music that remains is the echoes of the excuses people made to let things get to that point, and the cries of those who tried to warn the world. Musically, this album will avoid conventional song structures, and will evoke quiet, reflective emotions. The title to this song references a phenomenon in pre-history that scientists call The Carnian Pluvial Event, where it rained continually for 2 million years. In the future my album deals with, the Earth is experiencing an inverse of that phenomenon........ The Inverse Neo-Carnian Pluvial Event (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) Hoping to release this album by the end of 2026. Stay tuned!

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. While I'm sitting here in mid-April 2026, waiting for my just-completed album "Adentro del Volcan!" to be mastered, I've started working on the next album which will be a bit experimental and will touch on dark ambient and atmospheric textures. The album will be titled "From the Fog of Human Postscript," and will be more about evoking quiet feelings rather than "raging against the dying of the light" (as it were....). This statement, which will be in the CD art package, summarizes the album's theme: "And in the end, all that remained were the excuses humanity made as everything was sacrificed at the altar of convenience, aggression and selfish desire. Now the people are gone, and the planet is left to heal as best it can…..the music a mere echo." Should be an interesting musical adventure for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes me. Reason Does Not Penetrate (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) I cannot reach you, and I cannot break through; Reason does not penetrate --and it’s too late. Everything…..everything is in motion; Culminates from all this selfish devotion; The fuse is lit, and it cannot be snuffed out. --There is no doubt. Why?.....There’s no reason to ask “why?” It’s what we are…..always what we are; What we’ve always been. Walter Ehresman: vocals; keyboard. For official Walter Ehresman solo and band releases, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL HAVE TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. Here in mid-April 2026, while I'm waiting for my new album "Adentro del Volcan!" to be mastered, I've started working on the next album, which will be a bit experimental and will touch on dark ambient and atmospheric textures. The album will be titled "From the Fog of Human Postscript," and will be more about evoking quiet feelings rather than "raging against the dying of the light" (as it were....). Should be an interesting musical adventure for me, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes me. Memory Rewrites History to Fit the Pre-Determined Narrative (c. 2026 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman: keyboards; key loop triggering. For official solo and band albums from Walter Ehresman, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. This is the last song I've written and recorded for my upcoming concept album, Adentro del Volcan! The album now goes off for mastering, here in San Miguel de Allende. Here's the concept: An alien crashes on Earth, with no chance to get home. Using his powers to blend in, he sets about exploring his new surroundings in a country called the USA. He encounters baffling and alarming chaos and duplicity, with the few humans who are trying to be better than their instincts and programming feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned at the behavior of others around them. Some leave their home country, conflicted, in search of a more altruistic community to live in. Traveling farther afield, our alien observers the desperate search for love amidst the crumbling world civilization. He is stunned by those who refuse to see their situation for what it is, hiding away in churches or in meaningless virtual games. Infiltrating the gatherings of the parasitic rich, our alien meets image consultants, agents and PR specialists who bray and boast of their exploitations--regaling him with tales of manufactured outrage on behalf of their “artist” clients to generate something called “clicks” and “buzz.” Caught up in this whirlwind, our alien finds himself leading a punk band with a giant PR machine behind it, but soon enough recoils from his handlers and breaks free. As the societal collapse approaches terminal velocity, our alien feels a planetary consciousness stir, as the Earth attempts to intervene and rid itself of some of the most destructive monkeys infesting its skin. And as the alien Earth environment wears him down, our involuntary visitor feels a profound loneliness as all that he has seen and experienced weighs heavily upon him. In his final moments, he dreams of how it might have been if the planet’s human inhabitants had only felt some sense of connection and common purpose between each other. The Worst Monkey (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) I bring an interstellar view to your humanity, and from the place that I now stand, it’s hard for me to see a way toward your survival that’s worth living here at all….. a way toward a community to catch you when you fall. I see the traits that you brought down from living in the trees— a brain that got too big without concurrent empathy….. a brain that somehow doesn’t hold the biggest skill of all— to understand mortality is not negotiable (oh no). [chorus] You can fantasize about a system you can buy to somehow worm your way out of the time that you must die, while never realizing that your only legacy is how you treat your fellow man up to the point you leave….. instead of always chasing the worst monkey you can be (oh no). It breaks my hearts to see your evolutionary flaw, and watch as you all squander this idyllic blue-green ball. Walter Ehresman: alien vocals; acoustic guitar; electric 5-string bass; keyboards & key percussion; congas; key loop triggering. For official Walter Ehresman solo and band releases, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. What's up with the photo I've posted here with the new song? (you well may ask). Well, here's the explanation: I've decided to make my upcoming release a "concept album," despite the fact that I've never really liked concept albums in the past and am suspicious of the whole concept, artistically speaking. But since this will be my 24th solo album, and I try never to repeat myself, I guess it's time to try out the format to see if I can do something with it that I actually like. Here's the concept: An alien crashes on Earth, with no chance to get home. Using his powers to blend in, he sets about exploring his new surroundings in a country called the USA. He encounters baffling and alarming chaos and duplicity, with the few humans who are trying to be better than their instincts and programming feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned at the behavior of others around them. Some leave their home country, conflicted, in search of a more altruistic community to live in. Traveling farther afield, our alien observers the desperate search for love amidst the crumbling world civilization. He is stunned by those who refuse to see their situation for what it is, hiding away in churches or in meaningless virtual games. Infiltrating the gatherings of the parasitic rich, our alien meets image consultants, agents and PR specialists who bray and boast of their exploitations--regaling him with tales of manufactured outrage on behalf of their “artist” clients to generate something called “clicks” and “buzz.” Caught up in this whirlwind, our alien finds himself leading a punk band with a giant PR machine behind it, but soon enough recoils from his handlers and breaks free. As the societal collapse approaches terminal velocity, our alien feels a planetary consciousness stir, as the Earth attempts to intervene and rid itself of some of the most destructive monkeys infesting its skin. And as the alien Earth environment wears him down, our involuntary visitor feels a profound loneliness as all that he has seen and experienced weighs heavily upon him. In his final moments, he dreams of how it might have been if the planet’s human inhabitants had only felt some sense of connection and common purpose between each other. This new song, "These Threads," wil be the last song on the album and will represent the alien's final dream. This song, musically and production-wise, had a difficult birthing process and after listening to so many versions of the mixes with just small variations between them, I'm not sure I've kept my perspective throughout the process. You be the judge :-) These Threads (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) I saw one thread— impossibly long and slender; Rising up to verdant green; A natural miracle I’ve seen. I saw two threads— divergent but near; Both climbing, eyes ahead; Unchecked by mortal dread. [chorus] Only visible in the sun; Walk heedless, you’ll bring them down; And so you have to look around…… intention in this shared system. I saw three threads— (such myriad are spun); Connected is the only way— no one will stand alone today. Walter Ehresman: vocals, keyboards and key percussion, electric 12-string guitar. For official Walter Ehresman solo and band releases, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved.

NOTE: THIS TRACK HASN'T BEEN MASTERED YET, AND SO YOU'LL NEED TO TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP A BIT. I've decided to make my upcoming release a "concept album," despite the fact that I've never really liked concept albums in the past and am suspicious of the whole concept, artistically speaking. But since this will be my 24th solo album, and I try never to repeat myself, I guess it's time to try out the format to see if I can do something with it that I actually like. Here's the concept: An alien crashes on Earth, with no chance to get home. Using his powers to blend in, he sets about exploring his new surroundings in a country called the USA. He encounters baffling and alarming chaos and duplicity, with the few humans who are trying to be better than their instincts and programming feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned at the behavior of others around them. Some leave their home country, conflicted, in search of a more altruistic community to live in. Traveling farther afield, our alien observers the desperate search for love amidst the crumbling world civilization. He is stunned by those who refuse to see their situation for what it is, hiding away in churches or in meaningless virtual games. Infiltrating the gatherings of the parasitic rich, our alien meets image consultants, agents and PR specialists who bray and boast of their exploitations--regaling him with tales of manufactured outrage on behalf of their “artist” clients to generate something called “clicks” and “buzz.” Caught up in this whirlwind, our alien finds himself leading a punk band with a giant PR machine behind it, but soon enough recoils from his handlers and breaks free. As the societal collapse approaches terminal velocity, our alien feels a planetary consciousness stir, as the Earth attempts to intervene and rid itself of some of the most destructive monkeys infesting its skin. And as the alien Earth environment wears him down, our involuntary visitor feels a profound loneliness as all that he has seen and experienced weighs heavily upon him. In his final moments, he dreams of how it might have been if the planet’s human inhabitants had only felt some sense of connection and common purpose between each other. This new song, "That Missionary Heart" will be the opening song (preceded only by a short instrumental that represents the spacecraft crashing into the Earth). I think the influence of '80s Lou Reed records is pretty evident here :-) That Missionary Heart (© 2026 Walter Ehresman) That missionary heart steps on what it finds; Sews the seeds of propaganda in the bedrock of your mind. Makes you doubt the things you know; Tries to make you hate your past; Hammers out there’s just one path— “you better drop your memories fast.” And loyalty just goes one way; Look beneath that golden sheen; You meekly give and give again; Adopt the dogma as routine. [chorus] Conquistadors hit your shores with viral tooth and claw; Steal most of what they saw; Burn the rest to show who’s boss; Look for chances to do more— ……to drive you down. That missionary heart in the chest of parasites; Pumps the blood of selfish anger; Attack everything in sight. You gotta learn to spot ‘em comin’; You gotta learn to shut it down; Paint your soul in purest Teflon; Aim your vote straight at the crown. Walter Ehresman: vocals, guitars, 4-string ac./el. fretless bass, keyboard percussion, drum machine programming. For official Walter Ehresman releases, please click here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2026 Walter Ehresman. All Rights Reserved.

From Walter's 23rd solo album, "Collapse, Cha Cha Cha," released on August 13, 2025. Written, perfomed and produced by Walter Ehresman, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Click here to purchase downloads/unlimited streaming of the song/album: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/collapse-cha-cha-cha c., p. 2025 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records

This track features powerful lead vocals from Spain's Esther Asulito, with Ehresman providing the growl vocals in a beauty-and-the-beast metal exchange. The dynamic shifts are really effective in this song, and Ehresman pulls off some cool Jimmy Page-type licks amidst all the guitar overdubs. The two adjacent guitar solos nicely contrast the dark energy of the cruel male in the song versus the now more self-realized woman. Ehresman remembers "This new piece was my first attempt at writing a song from scratch in Spanish (albeit with a couple of translator programs online)......I dreamed the story of the song, along with the general feel, then spent a couple of hours the next morning getting the lyrics together.......I knew it was going to be in the 'beauty and the beast' style of metal.....with beautiful, strong female vocals in the lead, with some male 'growl' vocals in there as well in a sort of conversation.....The lead female vocals here are from the wonderfully talented Spanish singer Esther Asulito, now living here where I do in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico." "This song is about a woman who, in her youth, loved the bad boys and spurned the nice ones, only to find herself years later still in a relationship with a man she now knows as simply cruel.........This song has her find her self-respect, the will to speak out, and the strength to get out......Special thanks my friend Edgar for reality-checking my Spanish in the lyrics.....turns out he only had to change two words, which was a nice surprise" Tu Amor de Espinas (Your Love of Thorns) (© 2024 Walter Ehresman) [voz de mujer/woman’s voice] Lo que parecía fuerte de niña, ahora (What seemed strong as a girl, now) se desenmascara como crueldad; (is unmasked as cruelty) Envié a los chicos buenos lejos cada vez (I sent the nice boys away every time) y sonreí para mis adentros, a sabiendas (and smiled to myself, knowingly) Pero nadie diría que merezco esto— (but no one would say I deserve this) frutos oscuros de mi locura juvenil; (dark fruits of my youthful folly) Como mujer, reclamo mi propio respeto, (As a woman, I reclaim my own respect) y camino orgullosa hacia una luz femenil. (and walk proudly toward a feminine light). [voz de hombre/man’s voice] Hiciste un juramento, y eres mía! (You took an oath; you are mine!) No hay nada más que discutir. (There is nothing else to discuss) [voz de mujer] Tus propias palabras demuestran la verdad; (Your own words prove the truth) y ahora, seguramente debo volar; (and now, I must surely fly) [las dos voces juntas/both voices together] Las cosas no pueden seguir así. (Things cannot continue this way) [las dos voces juntas] Qué son estas cadenas que nos encierran (What are these chains that lock us) durante generaciones en estos ciclos? (for generations in these cycles?) ¿No hay forma de salir de verdad? (Is there no way to truly step outside?) [voz de mujer] Con un velo cubriendo nuestros ojos, (With a veil covering our eyes) Caemos en el furioso torrente de la vida, (we fall into the raging life torrent) y desperdiciar años finitos, todo se ha ido; (and waste finite years, all gone) Debemos reclamar los años que nos quedan. (We must reclaim the years that remain) [voz de mujer] ¡Me corta con tu amor de espinas! (You cut me with your love of thorns!) Walter Ehresman--vocals; guitars; 5-string electric bass; keyboards & key percussion; drum machine programming; sequencing. Special guest: Esther Asulito--vocals. Purchase download/unlimited streaming of the track here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/track/tu-amor-de-espinas-your-love-of-thorns For Ehresman's other group and solo releases, please click here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com p. 2025 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records

Purchase download/unlimited streaming here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/cassandra-cursed This song was influenced by latter-day Utopia, which is unsurprising given Ehresman's lifelong love of Todd Rungren. Aside from the obvious power pop element, and the extensive use of synths, you can hear the Utopia influence in Ehresman stepping out to try new and more complex vocal arrangements. He tells us: "This song is about something that I think we all face, to some degree--trying to have our reactions to people and situations be in the "now" as opposed to being controlled by traumas from our past." These Strings (© 2023 Walter Ehresman) We all want personal autonomy --control our actions in the “now’; Holding fast in each calamity --looking forward still somehow. No one perched above the stage --slyly pulling on our strings; No one writing on our page --trying to tell us when to sing. And so we go and flow, although tempo is slow as we bestow these changes--on ourselves; And try to hide the scars inside, as we deride the glorified outrages --that we tell. [chorus] What to do with these strings? I’m so vigilant to keep them off of my back; Now I can’t see a thing, but I feel them stretching backwards into my past; What to do with these strings? What to do with these strings? What to do with these strings? Just play. I tell you that I will always be --here with you in the “now”; And I’ll never stop my work on me --‘cause you deserve no lesser vow. Walter Ehresman: vocals; keyboards & key percussion; electric rhythm & slide guitar; 5-string electric bass; talking drum; drum machine manipulations. Produced & engineered by Walter Ehresman at Snipe Bog Studios, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. p. 2023 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records

Purchase download/unlimited streaming here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/cassandra-cursed This album closer is one of the most ambitous pieces Ehresman has ever attempted, and one of the most succesfull. It shines a light of hope and peace, after some of the darker themes in the preceding songs, and features what may be the most emotional guitar playing of his career. Ehresman tells us: "I've been talking about how this new album is unique in that all the songs on it came to me in dreams.....Whereas, in the past I've just had a few dreamed songs sporadically here and there...... This particular dream was about a scenario where the consciousness of all the people who die on a certain day on the planet come together and host an ecstatic meeting with their loved ones, having one last opportunity for the departed to communicate their deep feelings before their essences dissapites forever. I'm a lifelong atheist, but I thought this was a nice idea." "I think the seeds were planted for the song when I listened to a Todd Rundgren interview on YouTube before I went to bed that night......He was talking about how, as a kid, he was obsessed with fireworks and got to know the men in his town who did the annual big shows on the 4th of July, etc.......They showed him a piece of equipment called 'the finale rack,' which was the special rack of fireworks used for the big finish of each show." There is a strong Pink Floyd influence here, but the song is not derivative. Rather, it takes the approach and turns it into something new and uniquely Ehresman's own. If you know his past work, you can't see how anyone else would have written something like this. A very emotional, uplifting and satifying end to the new album. The Finale Rack (© 2023 Walter Ehresman) With a blaze of light, we bring down the curtain; Leaving all that we have, leaving nothing unsaid; Sharing all of the love, so you can be certain of the place that you hold in the depths of our souls, and to help ease you into new sightlines that lie ahead. Please don’t cry, and please raise up your eyes; Reach up into this light, as it folds back the night; We could only be here with the ones we hold dear— merging hearts one last time in explosion of brilliant insight. Be joyful for us as we lay all these burdens down. Walter Ehresman: vocals; electric, acoustic, slide & Ebow guitars; 5-string electric bass; keybaords & key percussion; electronic percussion pads; drum machine programming; sequencing. Produced & engineered by Walter Ehresman at Snipe Bog Studios, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. p. 2023 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records

There are a couple of stories to tell about this one. I wrote these lyrics last November, right after the election was called for Biden but with Orange Head refusing to acknowledge it. I've felt compelled throughout my life to study politics and human behavior (the former just being one manifestation of the latter), and at this point, as I project what is likely to happen to American society, I fear it will not be pretty. But I still need to allow myself to enjoy moments of good news, like Trump being un-assed out of the White House, and the Dems somehow taking the Senate. And that's what the lyrics of this song try to express. Around that same time, I watched a documentary on Joni Mitchell. I had only had a passing familiarity with her and her work prior to seeing it, and I was struck by how (among other things) her use of alternate guitar tunings really breaks her material out of standard song forms and makes it sound fresh and harmonically interesting. And so I resolved that I would take my first real stab at writing a song in an open tuning, and "Pinhole of Light" is the result. It's in open 'G' tuning, capoed to the 3rd fret. I had no idea, when I started putting the music together, that: a) the song would be almost 9 minutes long; and b) that I was going to have to create maps to match all these guitar chords I was making up......a keyboard map for those chords, bass note map for the bass guitar, etc. Since I don't read or write music, this was certainly an adventure and definitely not like anything I've done before. It took a week to get it all mapped and recorded, but I'm glad I went down this particular rabbit-hole......Like Joni says it does for her, it sure knocked me out of my own musical patterns and personal cliches, and I was able to get something that is harmonically dense and a bit abstract (at least, by the standards of what I've done before), while still being fairly sparse overall. Purchase streaming/download of the track or the whole album here: walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/songs…om-the-crux Pinhole of Light (© 2020 Walter Ehresman) My mind whirls in endless contingencies --I think I know why it does; We all deal with our childhood vagaries --find ways to cope beyond the cause. But in between charts and the diagrams --demanding all my precious time; Sense to notice when a light breaks in --Sense to let that moment shine. Not looking for Zen repositioning --with neurons all wired anew; And can’t live with blinder conditioning --my heart only beats for what’s true. But there has to be time to see forests --while studying bark of the tree; And there has to be time to hear promise --of letting our hope out to feed. That pinhole of light deserves attention; Just a pinhole of light deserves my time; Got to program my sight to scan my horizons --tune perspective tonight. It may not change our projection of our arc in the fullness of time; But our happiness rests in these moments stolen from ominous signs. Just yesterday, I heard conditional news --it was good, for as far as it goes; And I had to look up from contextual views --to appreciate when bad men go; So sad at the lack of capacity --for change in the name of us all; But at least I could widen acuity --spot that thin shaft of light when it falls. Walter Ehresman: vocals, guitars, 4-string fretless acoustic/electric bass, keyboards, Irish bouzouki. Produced and engineered by Walter Ehresman at Snipe Bog Studios, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Snipe Bog Records. p. 2021 Walter Ehresman

From the 2021 Walter Ehresman album, Songs From the Crux. The day after watching the yahoo riot/coup attempt on January 6, 2021, I was still so angry about it that I felt I had to write something, and so this is it.......Wrote it that Thursday, spent Friday and Saturday recording it, then mixed it down Sunday.........I can't say the process made me feel any less angry about the whole ugly situation (and the attitudes that led to it), but I did feel some sense of release in letting those feelings out. I've done quite a bit of spoken word pieces backed by music over the years, and have been a big Gil-Scott Heron fan since first coming across his work back in the late '80s. And I dig a lot of electric-Miles Davis, too, and am a huge fan of Norwegian cutting-edge trumpeter and sound designer Nils Petter Molvær. And there's no doubt that these influences can be heard in "Behold the American Yahoo." Purchase streaming/download of the track or the whole album here: https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-crux Behold the American Yahoo (pondering Trumpian thugs sacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021) (© 2021 Walter Ehresman) Walter Ehresman: narration, keyboards & key percussion, guitar, groove box manipulations. Produced and engineered by Walter Ehresman at Snipe Bog Studios, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Snipe Bog Records. p. 2021 Walter Ehresman

--from the 2020 Walter Ehresman album "Global Search Party." https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/global-search-party Another song featuring nylon-string Spanish guitar, this melancholy acoustic ballad has a late night Mexican feel to it. Sparse and haunting. Ehresman recalls: "One night last year, I dreamed the lyrics and music to the chorus of this song, and when I woke up I finished writing it and started recording.......My friend Rolando tells me is has a bolero feel.......It's a song about trying to scrape together a romantic connection amidst the losing global battle against the robber barons." For the Sense of No Sense at All (© 2019 Walter Ehresman) The message said we were overrun; Falling back on all sides; The Barons’ men have us out-gunned; Leaflets fall from the sky. Communications are compromised— official lies on TV; All reserves have been mobilized— but will they answer our plea? We know we cannot surrender; We know some lines should not fall; But hold me tight, and we’ll dance through the night for the sense of no sense at all. A soldier cries that it’s no use, as they wheel him away; Another says they’ll be no truce, ‘cause money must get its way. But still we fight every morning; And we fight through the day; But deep in the night lies the warning of human nature’s true face. Walter Ehresman: vocals, classical guitar, acoustic/electric fretless bass, chimes. Produced by Walter Ehresman at Snipe Bog Studios, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. p. 2020 Walter Ehresman. Snipe Bog Records. all rights reserved

--from the 2020 Walter Ehresman album "Global Search Party": https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/global-search-party The title of this song is fairly self-explanatory. But while the subject matter might be serious, the groove is infectious.......this is party funk, all the way. Regarding the lyrics, Ehresman tells us: "I lived in Austin for 34 years, watching the real estate vampires strip it and kill it, and now after living in San Miguel de Allende for over 5 years, I'm really seeing the same mentality here.....Bulldozing every open space to build 'luxury condos' that block out the sun.......And after seeing one too many of those rapacious projects started here, it induced this funk song in me." "I am particularly dazzled to have been able to cajole San Miguel's hottest underground singing group, The Green Space Boys, to join me for background vocals on this one.......their sublime contribution hearkens back to wonderful, subversive vocal groups that joined me on past albums over the years, like The Hip-Waders, and The Wobbly Choir......such great talent........such a wild, dark energy." The Money People Ruin Everything (© 2019 Walter Ehresman) Searchin’ for that chillin’ place to lay your head in righteous space; Soak it in—the price is right, the people nice—it’s paradise. Then one morning—what’s that sound? The spoilers have all come town! The money people ruin everything --Gonna rip up all the natural green; The money people ruin everything --Luxury condos for a gentry scene. Seems our life is chasing down these pockets greedheads haven’t found; But you sleep with one eye open, waiting for that shoe to drop; You could bust your gut from hopin’; developers—they will not stop! The money people ruin everything --Real estate vampires wall-to-wall; The money people ruin everything --Time to grease up another city hall. The money people ruin everything --Come on, brothers, let me hear you sing; The money people ruin everything --Swarm of locusts with their lame-ass bling. Walter Ehresman: lead, background & Levi Stubbs vocals; guitars, keyboards & key percussion, synth bass, sampling, sequencing, drum machine programming. Special guests: The Green Space Boys (Mike Duncan/Rob Ramsey/Ron Van Dyke)--background vocals. p. 2020 Walter Ehresman. Snipe Bog Records. All rights reserved.

From the new (2018) Walter Ehresman album "South of the Wall": https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/south-of-the-wall A song I wrote and recorded that's dedicated to Walter Becker who, as you know, was one half of Steely Dan and who died last year. I think the pretty jazz melodies came from Fagen, and the grit and lyrics about faded hipsters came from Becker. I knew I wanted to do a tribute song for him. On the "Two Against Nature" DVD, he and Fagen are in the back of a limo, driving around the streets of New York City, talking about (among other things) the difference between a schmuck and a schmendrick. So that gave me the hook into this little ditty about.....you guessed it......faded hipsters, who despair at their loss of cool in a scene where they may well never have been cool to begin with. See the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZtxshMHMM It’s Schmendrick Time (And That’s OK) (© 2018 Walter Ehresman) Down on the boulevard, it’s seen a better day, but the price is copacetic so we moved in Saturday; A case of Shaefer for the friends who took the call, and a measure of mood lighting for the writing on the wall. The games we’re playing are all lacking in cache’— the retro insufficient to appeal to kids today; We walk the nightlife in a demographic haze, and we wreck the cool of places while we dream of yesterday. [chorus] Well, it doesn’t bear thinking, and it’s best to look away; And we’ll never make 5th Street if we carry on this way. Indulge in introspection, and we can’t go out to play— ‘cause it’s schmendrick time (and that’s OK). [break] There was a time (at least we’ll say there was) we set the latest fashion, and left a trail of buzz; In the chronicle of lifestyle—No. #1; What fun! Our sun Will never Set. Don’t get out much, now the tide is on the turn; With endless shut-in options, and potato chips to burn; The signals that we get—impossible to spurn; Our rejection from the in-crowd is a savage thing to learn. Walter Ehresman: all vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, keyboards & key percussion, vocoder, electric sitar, chimes, groove box programming, sequencing. For past releases, see here: www.walterehresman.bandcamp.com; www.cdbaby.com/all/snipe p. 2018 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records.

From the new (2018) Walter Ehresman album "South of the Wall": https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/album/south-of-the-wall See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZimaWzYfgkY This one was inspired by early/mid-80s era Lou Reed, whose music has been a big influence on me for decades. I tried to take a Robert Quine approach to the lead guitar, and to do a Fernando Saunders thing on the fretless bass. As for my drumming on the electric kit, I can only apologize, Lou..... It Just Happens That Way (© 2018 Walter Ehresman)--dedicated to Lou Reed The existential reality of mortality is too heavy of a fact for most; They sacrifice all their time chasing phantoms around— tryin’ to bargain with a holy ghost. ‘Cause, after all, they are far too special to die— unique and perfect in every way; No just and righteous universe could ever allow such a wonderful being to return to the clay. [chorus] It just happens that way. The financial reality of demagoguery is too heavy of a fact for most. Just because they cater to your roiling bigotries doesn’t mean that your pension ain’t toast. ‘Cause, after all—who are you to them? Just a cracker in a trailer somewhere; Your usefulness ends when the voting is done, except they know that you’ll do it again and again and again and again. [chorus] [break] Oh, babe, did you imagine it would all come to this? Fighting for the scraps while the nobles stand above us and piss. Snarling to avoid it while the truth is so hard to miss. The toxicity of your masculinity is too heavy of a fact for most. You sacrifice all your time waving weapons around— peacocking displays as a violent joke. ‘Cause, after all, we claim to be conscious men— self-aware beyond our animal past; But, from where I’m standing, I think it’s a line….. oh, a line that we never grew past. Walter Ehresman: vocals, guitars, acoustic/electric fretless bass, electric drum kit, keyboards and key percussion. https://walterehresman.bandcamp.com/ p. 2018 Walter Ehresman. All rights reserved. Snipe Bog Records.