About BAND BIO/
BROOK LEE WHO?!
Brook Lee 1 Though Brook's musical influence
started in junior high as a marching band
drummer, his professional career began in
high school when he penned his first
record deal with an Orange County indie
start-up label as part of a hip-hop act.
Though this band would eventually
dissolve before the record was released, it
set the stage for the grass roots ethic that permeates his early recordings. It also fostered a love for the power of the lyric and its ability to stand alone. His first year post high school found him playing in a praise band while studying to be a minister at a Canadian Baptist Seminary (where he would soon opt to leave prematurely). Upon departure he spent a year busking in the streets of Dublin, Ireland where admittedly he says he drank more than he made and eventualyl came home to California. From such varied life and musical experience you would expect a storyteller reminiscent of those before who have longed to search out questions in life and answer in song.
The next several years found Brook relentlessly pursuing his newfound mission- building a body of confessional alt-folk songs that he performed as a solo act. Just a man, his acoustic guitar, and the search for truth. Over the course of three solo albums, Brook refined his musicianship and expanded his reach. His signature rapid-fire delivery on early tracks gave way to a more nuanced vocal style, and he started drawing from a wider range of songwriting influences.
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Brook Lee 2 In 2003, as he was beginning to lay the groundwork for a fourth solo album, Brook became acquainted with Long Beach violinist Paul Mitchell. Eager to stretch the boundaries of his sound, Brook embarked with Paul on what would become a two-year collaboration, recording over 30 songs in Mitchell's tiny apartment. More than twenty local musicians ultimately contributed to the sessions, including Paul's father, Mazzy Star drummer Keith Mitchell. By the time they completed work on the album entitled, Mistakes Pt. 1 (2005), the collaboration had coalesced around a core group including bassist Ryan Nakata, guitarist George Madrid, and drummer Mike Duncan. Thus was born The Brook Lee Catastrophe. (Photo by: Ellen Butler)
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- The Brook Lee Catastrophe: House Of Blues 3/1/08 "Hey Joe"
Brook Lee- lead vocal, acoustic & electric guitar, banjoPaul Mitchell- violin, keyboards, backing vocalsGeorge Madrid- lead electric guitar, backing vocalsRyan Nakata- bass, saxophone, backing vocalsMike Duncan- drums, backing vocals Over the past six years, The Brook Lee Catastrophe has built a growing base of friends and fans one show at a time through touring and good old fashioned word of mouth. With a sound steeped in American tradition but uniquely its own, the band weaves strands of folk, rock, pop, and country through a lush sonic backdrop bound together by singer-songwriter Brook Lee's insightful lyrics. Though rooted in folk and crafted with a troubadour's ear for storytelling, the band will often counterpunch Lee's wicked wit with a wall of sound response. This approach was first captured on, The Weight Of Waiting (2007), when the guys turned to veteran producer Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Dandy Warhols) for a restless five day recording session. After a successful launch party at The Troubadour in Hollywood, The Brook Lee Catastrophe hit the road again this time incorporating a six week national tour hitting distinctly different landscapes such as Seattle, Boston, Nashville, and Austin to name just a few. In late 2008, they returned to the studio armed with nearly three dozen new songs. With Rick Parker again handling the lion's share of the production duties, these sessions produced a set of songs that cover the full breadth of The Catastrophe's formidable arsenal; everything from sweeping rockers to intimate sketches. The result is The Brook Lee Catastrophe's most ambitious offering to date. Two companion piece albums encompassing different sides of the band's musical personality which are linked by common themes. Released in the summer of 2010, the first album, American Hotel features the Catastrophe at full throttle embracing a rock sound that takes advantage of it's thick rhythm section and infectious guitar hooks. It's a whirlwind ride full of sing-along choruses and foot stomping beats, though still anchored by the sharp lyricism that is one of the band's trademarks. If American Hotel is designed to keep the intensity burning all the way to last call, Motel Americana (fall 2011) is the hair of the dog; the cold comfort of the morning after; the soundtrack of the battered and the bruised. Squarely rooted in the folk tradition, the album also incorporates textures of country, bluegrass, and gospel in service of a song cycle that is at once melancholy and celebratory-the perfect antidote to a cold and cynical world. Backed by the power and passion of world class musicianship, Motel Americana is a reflection of a family that's just getting started.
Lyrics
100 Behind 100 BehindOur days they are numbered out one at a timeIt's no secret that I live 100 behindHoled up in the past or some dream that I had in my sleepThough my legs they will catch up as fast as they canThey cannot control who I hold in my handsSo I letter and song to a drum thats offbeat with my feetAll the things well never say boiling up inside of meNeed a place to stretch their legsRun around if just pretendLess their be conceived a doubtGiving birth to eager mouthsHold it fast or let it fade as she slowly walks awayI know what time it isThere's a timing I'm sure for a start and an endSometimes we dont notice sometimes we pretendAnd busy ourselves with the dishes the dancing the drinkBut emptiness speaks and the clock never liesAnd you cant hear her voice from 100 behindHoled up in the past or some dream that you had in your sleepAll the things well never say boiling up inside of meNeed a place to stretch their legsRun around if just pretendLess their be conceived a doubtGiving birth to eager mouthsHold it fast or let it fade as she slowly walks awayI know what time it isOur days they are numbered out one at a timeIt's no secret that I live 100 behindHoled up in the past or some dream that I had in my sleepThough my legs they will catch up as fast as they canThey cannot control who I hold in my handsSo I letter and song to a drum thats offbeat with my feetAll the things well never say boiling up inside of meNeed a place to stretch their legsRun around if just pretendLess their be conceived a doubtGiving birth to eager mouthsHold it fast or let it fade as she slowly walks awayI know what time it is
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A Mountain A Mountain Of Little ThingsSometimes you missWhat should be obviousThe truth can come up on you slowCigarettes on the nightstandAnd not the kind that you or I smokeIn the end it is never something bigBut a mountain of all those little thingsComes tumbling downThe best excuseAlmost resembles truthTurns the facts around in a danceSo turn the music onIf you hear me humYoull know that I dont believe youIn the end it is never something bigBut a mountain of all those little thingsComes tumbling downYou said be loyal in my absenceFor I know that the day is longYoull see a million faces before the time that I returnSuch one sided requestsWill be the death of meA sour noteGets stuck in your throatWhen I ask you where youve beenA good excuse that almost resembles truthComing back around againIn the end it is never something bigBut a mountain of all those little thingsComes tumbling down
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Its A Sin It's A SinIt's a sin to be sincereA lightning bolt in a sky that's clearIn a bedroom dark with a synapse sparkWhile you toil away in the loudest partOf the breaking sound that you're making nowSo you push it, you pull it, you fool it back undergroundYou learn to strum in a way that's numbTrading space for the vacant hum Of a body close with a shallow bondOf a time and place to a random songThat she won't sing now as you lay her downSo you push it, you pull it, you fool it back undergroundI don't care anymoreShe says, I don't care anymoreWhere you goWhat you doWho's doing it with you if I am notAnd it's a curse to come acrossSo self assured when your boat is lostAnd the tide is high, the waves are denseA turn both of phrase and eventsThat you won't change now as youre breaking downSo you push it, you pull it, you fool it back undergroundI don't care anymoreShe says, I don't care anymoreWhere you goWhat you doWho's doing it with you if I am notOn a friday night in my only suitOn a drunken whim with no coat to bootOn a midnight flight in a time-zone fightThe bare despair that's there despite Her absent frown when the plane touched downSo you push it, you pull it, you fool it back underground
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A Devils Truth A Devil's TruthBy the time you read this letter You'll be old enough to knowI was six months your mothers senior When I turned 15 years oldIt's been so long, so longShe hitchhiked up from OceansideFound her way to my front doorWe were kids making a messOf making love down on the floorFrom the moment we first met We had belonged to other peopleAnd she didn't have the heart to start the partOf asking me to be faithfulShe was so wrong, so wrongWhen she told me about youI quit high school and joined the corpsI was a kid making a mess of making plansFor love and warAnd lies, lies, lies, lies, lies are the devil's truthsAnd life, life, life, life, life is an angel's proof That's how you became my sonWith or without my bloodYou are the spitting image of a lieI fell for once
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Ambulance AmbulanceWhen you said you wanted to leaveI must admit I didn't know what you meantTil I saw the ambulanceThere were signs that I should've seenSome endless refrain that made you screamOut in the night it's no accidentYou're overworked and underpaidYou haven't slept for days You who would not wait for a sign from godTo tell us that we're wrongNow some man who never knew you at allHe's quoting clichés inside a hallSo I stand loudly and sayHow you never felt loved and they're all fakeAnd a jump is no accident You're overworked and underpaidYou haven't slept for days You who would not wait for a sign from godTo tell us that we're wrongA minor moves a major thing when you've hardly slept for daysYou who would not wait for the son of godTo tell us that we're wrong
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Come On Strong Come On StrongI come on strong, so strong sometimesCome on strong sometimes but I don't mean itI come on strong, too strong sometimesCome on strong sometimes but I don't mean itBut I weighed the other side, and it's not what I neededI come off sure so sure sometimesCome off sure sometimes like a freight train comingI come off sure so sure sometimes and there's so much to be saidLike a freight train comingBut I weighed the other side and I just can't say nothingI come off soft so soft sometimesCome off soft sometimes and I don't like itI come off soft so soft sometimescome off sometimes and I don't like itBut I weighed the other side and you won't see me hide it
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Buried Like A Dream Buried, Like A DreamWhat if it weren't too lateFor running cross golden gatesPlanning through Castro streetsof falling upon my kneesWhat if these crowded sheetsBuried the past up neatWashing away when cleanMe falling upon my kneesWhat if you changed your mindJust in the nick of timeBuried it like a dreamMe falling upon my kneesAnd what if your sun won't shine
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Jump In Jump InStill, I want you to knowIt doesn't have to beSo sad for me to goStill, I wanted to sayIt doesn't have to beDecided that you'll stayYou could jump in heart first, head lastHold on with both handsDecide; don't just wait for a signAnd we won't be who we have beenOnly to see it endDecide; don't just wait for a signStill, I wanted to changeBut I cannot pretendI wouldn't feel constrainedSo still, though I move onNo matter where you goYou'll never quite be goneIf you jump in heart first, head lastHold on with both handsDecide; don't just wait for a signAnd we won't be who we have beenOnly to see it endDecide; don't just wait for a signJump in heart first, head lastHold on with both handsDecide; don't just wait for a signAnd we won't be who we have beenOnly to see it endDecide; don't just wait for a sign
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Walking Backwards Walking BackwardsOh, sometimes we burn over and overOnly to return over and overSlowly do we learn we should just stay goneYou've got it allYou've got it allBut it's not what you wantedIn between wars and out of barsWith a heart that's still haunted byWords roll out like fog over the city lightsEach bulky void absent of meaningI won't say such bitter thingsThat walking backwards tends to bringSuch dredged up dirt such aftermathThat all points to those same few factsYou've got it allYou've got it allBut it's not what you wantedIn between wars and out of barsWith a heart that's still haunted byYou've got it allYou've got it allBut it's not what you wantedIn between wars and out of barsWith a heart that's still haunted by
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Saved SavedSomebody save me from myselfMy whole world is going southI've been living hand to mouthGonna have to do withoutSomebody save me from myselfSomebody save me from my friendsWe drink all night and day thenWhere it starts is where it endsGet up and do it all againSomebody save me from my friendsSomebody save me from my jobSpend every day being what I'm notKissing asses of my bossRespect is just an afterthoughtSomebody save me from my jobSomebody save me from my girlSpends every day messing up my worldI try to fix to no avail but everything I touch I failSomebody save me from that girlSomebody save me from my lifeI would do myself if I only triedWhen I said I did I lied and it's a sin to be aliveSomebody save me from this life
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Not Your Pharmacy Not Your PharmacyI heard you talking about walking a mile above the rest of uswhere you ought to be with some autonomythinking we're weak and you're gonna speak on some truth that eludes the rest of uswhere you ought to be there's no diplomacyif you want it you gotta get it better believe it or not I cant save you if you want it you gotta get it better become it or don'tAll your excuses are useless against the few that would listen to what you want to be but it's a comedy long as you talk more than do but can you get any numb from me low-probability I'm not your pharmacy if you want it you gotta get it better believe it or not I can't save you if you want it you gotta get it better become it or don'tYou always play some variant of the contrarianthinking there's some anomaly to live in harmony thinking we're broke and we're gonna choke on some truth that eludes the rest of us where you ought to be I'm not your pharmacyif you want it you gotta get it better believe it or not I can't save you if you want it you gotta get it better become it or don't
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Shades Of Grey Shades Of GreyRight and wrong drawn like lines in the sandWhere all is determined by the place where you standBlack and white is not so cut and dryYou live in shades of grey and so do IMama, I could really cryCan't you see we're born to dieGreater love has no man than thisThat he lay his life down for his friends
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The Seasick Sailor The Seasick SailorThe seasick sailor sails away although he is unsureIf it's the motion of the ocean or the notion of a cureFor the sound of her voice in the wind off the coastOr the feeling that what's gone will not be permanently lostIf I lie, in the seaEvery port town has a brothel where the crew finds some releaseHe takes measures to deny himself the pleasures that he seeksDrinks whiskey as communion, routine is an homageInk is a rebellion through a needle in his armsWith an "X" for every failed attempt to join that watered graveBut it's only getting harder here and he's running out of space'Til he'll lie, in the seaThen one day upon the water with a fair wind at his backHe heard a resolution in the ocean's salty breathAnd he vowed to live a day for her for every one time stoleWhen the wind it swept the ocean leapt and she gently called him homeNow he lies, in the sea
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A Perfect Parrot A Perfect ParrotBecome the beauty horse camouflage your flaws7:30 New York City modern fucks the classic beautyBeware those magazines that tell you what to thinkWhat to wear, how to wear it, to become a perfect parrotI am not so blind as to thinkThat you and I might live as I would likeBut if that ship has sailed completelyThen you and I we might as well go sing ourselves unto the graveI cannot reach you now in your parents housePrivate cars and cocktail parties youre not saying but your departingBecome some other thing you never meant to meanIn the time that it takes to sing these words the world could fall apart Ive seen itBut I am not so blind as to thinkThat you and I might live as I would likeBut if that ship has sailed completelyThen you and I we might as well go sing ourselves unto the grave
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The Roughest Starts The Roughest StartsHere's to the kids with the roughest startsBecoming the boys who can't pronounce their hearts Crash into girls who think that loving starts When the body becomes exposedShould they crack like leaves underneath the weight Of each memories steps as she walks awayThe body's gone but the imprint stays don't you knowBut when you're young you think you know it allEveryone will tell you this and you will always shrug it offI know I didI look for you in skies of blueI dont know the reason whyI guess I figured we both might turn out differentBut you can't go kill yourself and lately you wont even tryThe only thing worse than pain is your indifferenceBut when you're young you think you know it allEveryone will tell you this and you will always shrug it offI know I didAll that you've been putting off Arrived Thursday night in the form of a coughYou said as for me I've never felt betterLike you'd of chose it anywaysEven with all the ups and downs we've facedEven if it had all been written down to the letterBut when you're young you think you know it allEveryone will tell you this and you will always shrug it offI know I did
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LYRICS/
100 BehindA Devil's TruthAmbulanceA Mountain Of Little ThingsAny Old CowardA Pendulum SwingsA Perfect ParrotBeware The MirrorBig NothingBuried, Like A DreamBuy The WayCome On StrongCompressed Black Carbon & A Digital DivideConstellations (I,II)DetailsDown (The Weight Of Waiting VS. The Heavy Of Being Unsure)Everybody's AskingExpensive ThoughtsIt's A SinJump InLMNOPLover Come, Lover GoMistakes Pt. 1Not Your PharmacyRing Beneath The PillowSavedScene From A BarShades Of GreyShe's An AnchorSidelinesStone WallsSouthern ScarThe Long HaulThe Roughest StartsThe RunnerThe Seasick SailorThe Truth UntiesTomorrow's A SicknessWalking BackwardsYou Shine A LightAll lyrics written by Brook Lee
