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New Special Premieres May 22!

We have a date!

My new comedy music video special The American Songbook: Redacted will be premiering on YouTube May 22! At 9pm eastern the new special that’s part Schoolhouse Rock, part The Daily Show, and part Friday Night Videos, will premiere on YouTube with an online watch party kicking off an hour earlier.

The night before, Tuesday, May 21, there will be an in-person premiere party where we’ll watch the special, have a few beverages, and enjoy some swag at Crystal Lake in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The party starts at 7pm and we’ll start the screening at 8.

I’m really excited to present this project in this form, it’s the culmination of the work on the album, the live shows, and a few of the individual lyric videos from the album. I think this video and format is the best way to experience these songs and stories, and it’s the perfect distillation of two years of work. I can’t wait for you to see it!

In fact, here are a couple of trailers I made to give you a feel for what’s on the way:

Catching Rays (on the Fire Escape) Quarantine Music Video!

Closed beaches and social distancing will not keep me from getting some sun! And to celebrate I did a 60s beach pop style song about the only place I can responsibly sunbathe: the fire escape of my Brooklyn apartment. Enjoy!

 

Well, the beach is closed
and I need some sun
but when I go out
I can’t avoid everyoneI wanna get some sunbeams on my face
But I gotta give everybody their space
So that means I can only go to one place…

I’m catching rays (rays, rays, catching rays)
On the fire escape (scape, scape, fire escape)
It’s been too many days (days, days, too many days)
How much more can I take (take, take, what can I take?)
I’m going out of my mind
I need some sunshine
That’s why I’m catching rays on the fire escape

I got a beer and a shot (shot, shot, a beer and a shot)
And the wind in my hair (… “shut up!”)
I always get a spot (spot, spot, get a spot)
Cuz no one’s ever there (I’m so alone)
Oh, here are no ocean sounds
But it’s the best place that I’ve found
To avoid people cuz it’s 12 feet off the ground

I’m catching rays (rays, rays, catching rays)
On the fire escape (scape, scape, fire escape)
I hope it’s just a phase (phase, phase, just a phase)
It’s really not that great (it’s not that great)
It’s not sexy at all
And there’s a chance that I could fall
When I’m catching rays on the fire escape

I can’t play any frisbee, I can’t lie in the sand
I can do two whole things, I can sit or I can stand
I smile at people far away as they walk by my place
But I don’t know f they’re smiling back cuz they’re covering their face

I’m catching rays (rays, rays, catching rays)
On the fire escape (scape, scape, fire escape)
Can’t catch any waves (waves, waves, catch any waves)
I’ll never get in shape (I’m getting fat)
It’s not a perfect plan
But at least I’ll get a tan
When I’m catching rays on the fire escape
I’m catching rays on the fire escape
I’m tired of catching rays on the fire escape

There’s a Party Going On!—Live Album Lyric Video

This is my favorite song musically on the new live album so I had to make sure to get a lyric video together for it!

I even dabbled in calligraphy to make some of the props for the beginning of the video because I figured there had to be something hand-written in a song about impersonal invitations 😛

Check out the other lyric videos from the live album too, there a lot of fun and a nice way to enjoy tracks from Rob P. Rocks a Jazz Club while you’re poking around on YouTube. And you can always buy the album on iTunes, bandcamp, Amazon, etc. or stream it on Spotify. It’s everywhere! But the only place you get all the lyric videos is right here at the HQ.

Buffet, Oh Yeah!

Pop Songwriters

Driving With Grandpa

Armenians in Media

The song of the (or maybe just my) summer

Summer Song Featured Image

Humbly submitted for consideration as your song of the summer: my new song One Plus One.

Many thanks to Steve Rosenthal and Peggy O’Brien who helped me shoot the video at legendary Coney Island here in Brooklyn.

Here are the lyrics:

Songs of the summer share a common trait
The music’s catchy but the lyrics aren’t so great
They sing of simple crushes, partying, and such
Something that’s so easy you don’t have to think too much

One plus one, baby
How do you spell “car”
What day is it, honey
Tell me how old you are
One plus one, One plus One

Driving with the windows down
makes a lot of noise
So you need lyrics that
are easy to enjoy
Nothing that’s too heavy
that could cause a big discussion
Treat the people like they just
suffered a concussion

One plus one, how many
fingers do you see?
Follow the light, baby
Tell me the day of the week

Turn up your radio,
your smartphone or whatever
I’d make a joke but
but it doesn’t pay to be clever

One plus one
One plus one, baby
Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?
Don’t think too much
Just hum along to the tune
One plus one, baby
When’s the Fourth of July?
Tell me Oprah’s first name
What color is the sky?
One plus one, one plus one

© Paravonian