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Happiness Hours

by The Sidekicks

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1.
driving past the stadium humming 'Elegy for Tim' I saw 10 dozen caps and gowns peasants disguised in crowns I felt like a king when I saw an end as a start or his death as just a bit part a quick hello I might forget I can say hello to other people and other people's pets Merideth at dawn would sit and let me talk away Merideth at dawn I'll pet her as I talk away talk away
2.
every mixtape hit serving as gifts to the goons that got away couldn't have played em in your new car anyway there was something off 'Sister's Lovers' and 'Sister Ray' should've put those picks on 'Mix for Rainy Day' instead committed as a Valentine's display and potentially thrown away letting it lock into your cranium to hiss and hum letting it lock into your cranium, your cranium if we shutup I swear we'll hear the songs of our years when you get headaches just envision it the tape exposed wrapping around your frontal lobe kissing that crush but then what if it just falls flat like a hope to swing for fences but forgot the bat or you don't even play sports at that well an expectation is an extension of your id to want and just wonder if you did well I wanna sit on your roof again not talk about people or friends listen to ice cubes clicking and planes amazed how without touching we touch each other's brains it's insane letting it lock into my cranium I'll keep that one letting it lock into my cranium, my cranium if I shutup I swear I'll hear the ringing of ears when I get headaches I should just sit down try to relax two tylenol and a water glass
3.
Twin's Twist 03:53
cow-skin cowboy boots donned but you aren't from Texas strawberry lemonade made but you're not a child so you saved it and you made it into an adult beverage and you called it 'twin's twist' cause it's the simple tricks that help you seem wild sure, it's the sugar surfacing on the sour masking a moment with a happiness hour the lemon rind can reek in the summer heat but then seem so sweet later on you've got that 'Chronic 2000' high school state of mind burning mom's gas smashed and it's fueling your rhymes about the 2 liter hits that you get with a little help from gravity the high keeps you on the ground when your favorite one in town isn't around kissing other people and trying not to fall in love dancing in the darkness but in the daytime it's just a shrug the lemon rind can reek in the summer heat but then seem so sweet later on finding fruit to eat in February dreams of losing teeth later on so sleep off that one good morning boring town buy your disguise for a dollar down we're putting on your crown and singing you happy birthday and force feeding you meringue
4.
I felt insane on Lover's Lane wanted a cry on my daily drive to the Park of Roses I opposed every petal picking nice guy in the grass I felt absurd as a lovebird wanted to die on my morning fly to your apartment window where I would show my muscle and my melody off but no on likes a chatterbox I cannot win I cannot win I cannot win affection win affection I started parting my hair like his, that's what i did to subconsciously draw your attention to the arbitrary aspect of attraction and when at my teenage worst what i do is think of all the people in the world that aren't you oh there's plenty, I usually only count to twenty less dog with tail between its legs more like my guts are on display food out on a tray but I can't eat it doesn't that sound defeated I cannot win I cannot win I cannot win affection win affection
5.
6.
in a city named for a man with some awful choices in life it makes sense I met a couple dozen Christophers tonight business boys backlit by a founding father bar-light and I just don't feel like dancing without you no I just don't feel like dancing without you criticizing the jukebox and making fun of the dudes no I just don't feel like dancing without you but it's not like dancing could undo a time I had with you undo can't undo dances I had with you I saw a black and yellow bird on a black and yellow flower I thought about Pittsburgh I thought about you for an hour how come I rarely let my nostalgia have power and I just don't feel like dancing without you no I just don't feel like dancing without you making excuses like 'I forgot my wallet' or '...my shoes' no I just don't feel like dancing without you but it's not like dancing could undo a time I had with you it's not like not dancing would make a memory more true undo can't undo dances I had with you kept commenting 'it's crowded here, it's quite a heavy crowd' mimosas tasted medical, chemicals felt like clouds Kathy came and talked me down, calling me a clown for faking my face as a frown, calling me a clown so I juggled my nostalgia and I started to stilt around
7.
Weed Tent 05:10
looking at you on a glossy screen as one could guess I see the hazy reflective me like an expectation of angels or Santa Clause on Christmas eve incense halo and us on a screen Saint Stephen was stoned when he went and I'd gladly crystallize in this moment but I gave up thinking about you too much for lent Saint Stephen was stoned when he went how could I be like a martyr when I don't really wanna die missing you would be much harder but it's easy for us not to try to ever meet eyes Joshua tree mountain near our campsite at first I thought the cactus was a needled cross so I climbed atop to try to talk to jesus believed my eyes and cut off both its arms Saint Stephen was stoned when he went and I'd spend eternity in our weed tent but I gave up thinking about you too much for lent Saint Stephen was stoned when he went how could I be like a martyr when I don't really wanna die missing you would be much harder but it's easy for us not to try to ever meet eyes blind by our separate skies a screen in the light I saw your face in mine and I felt fine your picture, I kissed you mirror makeout your picture and my picture engage in a monogamous relationship independent of us so how could I be like a martyr how could I be like a martyr how could I be like a martyr when I don't wanna die
8.
a sign that reads 'let's fix what's broke' how about that line of thought's a cruel joke why don't we both just line our coats with all we cherish most and haggle cause if you're always looking for the fix you'll never see the current trips colors of the horses and saddles addled with the constant chore of getting better but I can't find it no I can't find it what I should to be good Summer found a magic trick where the same thing that fixes makes you sick but ginger ale and a saltine isn't quite the kind that Summer means sick of the nothing that you do, sick of staring at the tube at marathons of food and dancing stars I wish we had one last waltz to heal our hungry hearts but I can't find it no I can't find it what I should to be it's hard to heal when you can't really feel what's wrong and feeling good doesn't make for feel-good songs but Summer sang a sad one and it felt good singing along Summer sang a sad one but it felt good to sing along
9.
put out the china set that you got on your wedding day leave all the candles lit let em burn 'til election day the dog can rip the napkins all to smitherenes golden hair pouncing up when no one's listening cause their stations are locked on slow songs about lovey things and the weather you never yelled when you needed help you'd just wait it out like serpents in a sun drought cause serpents in a sun drought wait it out Mary and me were 3 deep in some desert jamboree guy sporting howling wolves asks about scoring LSD even the wolf on his tee could see I'm slipping it's nice to know I'm obviously tripping I guess I'm dripping with these slow songs about lovey things quick choruses that are too high to sing, and too clever I never yelled when I needed help I'll just wait it out like serpents in a sun drought cause serpents in the sun don't yell when they needed help I'll just wait it out like serpents in a sun drought cause serpents in a sun drought wait it out sweatpants, I don't cares heard holidays downstairs ate ice cream in your chair all afternoon but didn't yell when you needed help you'll just wait it out like serpents in a sun drought cause serpents in the sun don't yell when they needed help you'll just wait it out like serpents in a sun drought cause serpents in a sun drought wait it out
10.
letting it lock into my cranium, claw at my brim letting it lock into my cranium, my cranium if I shutup I swear I'll hear the twitch of your ear when I get headaches I'll envision you with right eye crossed wrestling there with my thoughts
11.
in the silver awning's symphonic repeats I heard a silver fox's Saturday cig speech I heard aluminum litter concrete stoops I heard 'Hotline Bling' on constant loop I saw a heart shaped as our state tattoo the silver fox said he should move there's nothing new to bite into feeling medium in the middle feeling of an average state feeling like a rock stuck skipping on a great lake providing poppers to the party passing em out like its cake I almost did a spit take of my cornflakes no thanks, no it's not late, I'm not straight edge just already have a headache so no thanks, i'm straight feeling medium in the middle feeling of an average state feeling like a rock stuck skipping on a great lake feeling so medium now in the middle not quite west but still a little the karaoke crests at two or so i'll sing a song that you would know it's 'Carolina in My Mind' cause it's there we thought we might find a couple days of satisfaction a couple dazed and lacking passion our brains would wade inside a dish with soft-shell crab and grouper fish a drink of choice could not explain we avoid avenues of rain avoiding outside altogether a void is fine if we're together so maybe you could pass the time with me in an Econoline with me in an Econoline with me in Carolina
12.
tried to get to know that guy Steven couldn't really access any of those thoughts it starts out as a childhood familiar feeling but then it all just gets lost in the wash of thoughts like 'every gigantic white cross is made by the same gigantic white cross company' and I think about that because I'm from the midwest and I have a vague interest in the art of market cornering or 'hey, maybe someday you'll have a baby' the same way we were babies well isn't that shit crazy how I think in these terms lately happiness comes in hours distraction is a daze lovers deserve flowers love is just a phrase that I invented somewhere around Summit Avenue I'm in love with the idea of you I started searching for my story mythologizing that man who's at the center of all those plot twists oh hey, there's your character again but if I rearrange the story or magnify what I see or execute a freeze-frame moments can just be so if happiness comes in hours well it looks like it's that time again for me gravestones deserve flowers lovers deserve poetry that I crafted cleverly to be sung in key of G to give a moment some clarity (well a poet would say a moment's like) they'd say it's like a picture in a frame or the clouds before the rain the rumbling of a train before the tracks abruptly end it's the car before it quits on the way to your first day of work or the last day of school still feeling the cool of the air through your patented moon-roof hearing the blown subwoofer mumbling some sung truth it was your daily rock-block of Jimmy Eat, Joni, and The Jam it's the calming 'California' chorus just before the engine slam ...'California, I'm coming home'

credits

released May 18, 2018

Steve Ciolek - Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Matt Climer - Drums, Vocals
Toby Reif - Guitar, Vocals, Trombone, Keys
Ryan Starinsky - Bass, Vocals, Keys
Kyle Kerley - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (track 4,12)
Emily Rittenhouse - Piano
Chap Sanders - Tambourine, Shaker
John Agnello - Wall of Shit
Lyrics by Steve Ciolek


Produced, Engineered, and Mixed by John Agnello
Assistant Engineer: Emily Rittenhouse
Recorded and Mixed at Water Music in Hoboken, NJ
Additional tracking at Russell Street Recording in Brooklyn, NY
Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, NY
Assisted by Steve Fallone

Artwork by Tess Pugsley
Lettering and Layout by Zac Little
Screen Printed by Pat Crann at Shout Out Loud Prints
Album layout by Jason Link

Thanks to Blair Dickerson, Brett Gurewitz and Epitaph Records, John Agnello, Rob Grenoble, Emily Rittenhouse, Carlos Hernandez, Alex Lipsen, Danielle DuBois, Pat Crann, and the kind humans who have inspired and encouraged us to make music.

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The Sidekicks Columbus, Ohio

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