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Keep Afloat

by A Class Act

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD comes sealed in a jewel case with full artwork and lyric booklet.
    ships out within 7 days
    edition of 1000  12 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $1 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Immediate download of 13-track album in the digital format of your choice—(includes a bonus track and some art)
    Purchasable with gift card

     

1.
Keep Afloat 00:43
2.
Why does everything I make just always turn out so depressing? I can’t stand to fail at this It doesn’t matter if I try If I try with all my heart Everything will still always just fall apart And if I just set my mind to Making a difference Maybe one day I’ll discover How ignorant I’ve been in all of this So if you’re gonna start a fight (So if you’re gonna start a fight) x3 So if you’re gonna start a fight Well then let’s get it started It’s So bad I forgot you try And I forgot that you thought That you were good Forgot that you still had some pride I know There’s always someone better So it’s second place IT’S ALWAYS NEXT TIME I hear They say That silver is the new gold And plan B was always pretty much plan A So I might as well give up right now And hope I’m saved by grace Quiet, don’t move You’ve set the stage and everything is right where You want it to be, start the tape turn off the lights But wait, cameras are out of focus, actors out of place THE MICROPHONES AREN’T LIVE And here lies a pitiful existence Of my work in the business Of making something that’s not horrible And you can just forget persistence Because I’m gonna distance Myself from all of this and blame it on a Headache can’t think straight I’ve hit a wall and I’ll be here All night stuck awake Maybe this idea was a mistake ’Cause my coffee has gotten cold And all-nighters are overrated In a few minutes I’ll be sedated And I’ll forget about all of this And maybe one day I’ll accept Everything I’ve got coming to me A bitter manifestation And when I see what I have done And when I’ve come to despise it all I won’t shake I won’t break I won’t fall So if you’re ever coming back (So if you’re ever coming back) (x3) So if you’re ever coming back Well then I’ll take you on
3.
This night This fight will never bring me down ’Cause I’ve got friends who I know have my back And they live on every single block And so I’m sending up the signal Calling every single car To let go of conventions And try to throw them as far As physically possible In hopes to save ourselves before We all crash and burn in a heap of flames onto Hell’s front door bridge: And I’ve seen some pain in this young life Seen pushed ’round held back chewed up let down To the point where you would rather pretty much just die And we might not get out with the shirts on our backs But I promise I’ll try To make sure not a single day goes by chorus: ’Cause I know that we’ll live for better days Ignore the times that we all fell behind And all of our past mistakes But I’ll never live to see those days If we all just can’t realize That things have got to start today And now we’re right back where we started Sitting eye level with the ground I’m digging deep for reinvention But it’s nowhere to be found Some might say this game is over But I’m waiting for the next round And if it cuts me up at least I’m familiar with the place where I fall down [bridge]/[chorus] One for all Hold strong or we all will fall Unified stand side by side Right now is our time And by nightfall We’ll have the upper hand overall All for one It’s just begun We must press on [chorus] (x2)
4.
You try to make things different But everything is the same We can’t just sit here discontent We’ve got to make a change Got to make a change And it’s gotta start right now So step back and take a side ’Cause right now you’re avoiding conflict Indecision’s your right hand man And everyone’s got their own revelation for revolution But there’s just one problem: there’s no plan of action chorus: You try to make things different (you try to make things different) But everything is the same Everything is the same We can’t just sit here discontent (we can’t just sit here) We’ve got to make a change Got to make a change And it’s gotta start right now [chorus]
5.
Running through my head And then right out again You used to be my friend But then you turned your back and We used to dance on the floor with the homies But now I could swear that you don’t know me And I coulda swore that you were Really there (didn’t I touch you) But now I think I’m just going crazy (now I think I’m just going crazy) Leave me be I’m wondering chorus: Take the time To write these down I’m learning how To cope with my problems Find myself Somehow I must Start to live In reality AND I’LL STAND UP Every day I’ll still stand up Even through all the lies and the bullshit And even though it got real bad I never thought it would come to this Didn’t I tell you that we are playing tomorrow (You must be crazy) No idea of where I’m going Look me in the eye And hide me from myself I’ve lost again [chorus] [chorus]
6.
Well I hate when you come around I just can’t stand the sound of your voice And everything that you do and say Doppelgänger—want to dismember you right now So I’ll fight fight fight to open up your eyes Maybe you’ll see that no one’s trying to Bring you down, it’s in your head I can’t tell you what I want I apologized But that only made me realize That you’re no good chorus: Brick walls with roses Behind painted windows Blocking my view Sparking obscured discourse Nothing ahead yet I Manage to fall behind It’s amazing how I just can’t secure what’s mine What does it matter what you see in me You’re that little boy in the corner Buying sympathy I can’t tell you what I want But I know that this is not it [chorus] chorus 2: I just fall further from what I believe in Forgiving my dreams and ignoring what I have seen and My only hope is that everyone is as blind as me Because I just can’t secure what’s mine [chorus]/[chorus 2]
7.
What happened to the folks How we used to laugh and joke Outside life was the breeze No direction no worries But we’ve been falling like the rain Swamped by tears of pain Stop and contemplate Or is it too late chorus: Hey I say Why can’t we find anything positive to talk about these days I’m so sick of seeing friends in pain It’s about time for a change I can’t stand anymore tears They’re tearing at my insides I know that my friends should cry I just don’t know why I’m jealous of the naive Who haven’t been hit by suffering I know it sounds cold But how it makes one grow [chorus] [chorus]
8.
Czech It Out 03:01
Well in the back of my mind These words find resting place Not quite so important Bettin’ five bucks says that I could put this off For just one more day And never been so unaware And never quite so unprepared And consequently This is how I see what happens When in the end I just can’t seem to care chorus (x2): Goodbye Good luck You’re gonna need it (You’re gonna need it) So let’s, let’s not take this for granted [everything again] [chorus] (x4)
9.
Daybreak Another reason to stay asleep Another reason to let Monday wash all over me But I’m waiting For something to believe in To help me sing these songs again bridge: This is something They tell you not to believe in They say is never promising But how will you know chorus: I can’t I can’t I can’t decide Should I leave all this behind And sell it off so I’ll survive Or will or will I just starve Not pay my bills but play guitar And make my mark While there’s still time You couldn’t say enough to keep me from this And now I can’t find the words to cast aside The cynic living inside of me Is this permanent So marvelously in cement Now matter how loud it gets we can’t break free [bridge]/[chorus] [chorus] And so here I stand two choices at hand Live in a house or out of a van And if I don’t decide I’ll chase these dreams for the rest of my life Hello cruel world It’s good to know you’re still alive
10.
So you fight oh you fight, you fight each day to save face, you fight to keep your place, you fight to keep from being replaced Why don’t we try to have some peace Instead we try to stay guilt-free So you try, no reply, and there’s no victory We’ll never make it out alive and this whole place will be history And I’ve got to take this patiently And I’ve got to do this carefully bridge: And in the end You got nothin’ Name or recognition And you can ask yourself Just what it is you hoped that you would be getting chorus: We’ll take our time this time We’ll take our time (it’s make or break this time, okay) We’ll take our time this time Don’t mess this up, please can’t mess this up So catch up, hurry up And deal with what is at hand ’cause you’ve been slacking And I don’t think that you quite understand And in that time you realize WE MIGHT NOT GET THROUGH THIS ALIVE This is it, don’t forget, the character that you picked The names you drop, the friends you’ve got, and how everything that you’re not Was supposed to get you so far And make you become a big star [bridge]/[chorus] [chorus] Or else it’s 5-4-3-2-1 the bomb goes off, that’s affirmative, yeah, yeah we’re all fucked And with your last few seconds of life, you watch the world turn off the lights This wasn’t how it should have gone down, you think to yourself as you look around And through one good eye you watch the dust, cover everyone you thought was safe to trust
11.
Well I’m tired of trying For things that always come easy To everyone except for me When I work real hard And work towards nothing I get nowhere I’ve got to cheat And if there’s a spot by a smart kid then I’ll fill the seat And if cheaters never win Well it’s time for me to give up And time for me to start giving in chorus: Did I hear someone say purpose And did I hear direction Because if I did I’ll have one little correction The word would be nervous And it would be infection I’ve got no more walls for protection But you say that everything will work out great And I feel the pulse from every explosion From every requirement that I’ve come to hate So where is the easy way out (where is the easy way out) Someone forgot to install the self-destruct button And they’d better be losing their job Because all I ever wanted was a little break And I’ll decide to waste away my life I’ll never make money And the roof on my house will be sky And I’ll bum food off all of my friends Who would rather that I had some other friends [chorus] [chorus]
12.
Wake up Do you even listen when I talk Or is everything you hear just Adadadadada Hello Can you please pick up the phone There’s no more time to postpone We’ll have to do this on our own And I know that we’re going Down with the ship, sink or swim, and I’m pretty sure we’ll drown And with every passing breath I realize now I’ve really hit bottom this time around As I begin to drink the salt water down Seems like I’m just digging deeper Scrounging for anything that I can only barely hold onto It’s always just out of my reach and Another day another night Another 24 hours gone by Of doing nothing but wasting my time So go make sure, tell all your friends It’s getting worse They’re falling fast This is the end bridge: I can’t find time To do all the things that I thought I liked I don’t know why I’m jealous of what I’ve always despised No matter how hard I try seems like I guess that’s just my luck I guess that’s life chorus: And every time that I get up I ask myself just this one question Is that all that I have amounted to Built up to fall down And I ask myself just this one question When things don’t work out the way that they’re s’posed to I can’t deny that I’m starting to drink the saltwater down [verse 2]/[bridge] [chorus] You wanna taste of what it’s like to lose, well Here take a sample You wanna know just how to fail, well We lead by example And I could spend all my time looking for better A grass that’s much greener, a water that’s wetter And maybe if I feel like it, but probably won’t ’Cause I guess these notes they are good enough I guess these rhymes rhyme good enough And honestly, baby soon enough I’ll be worth my body weight (x2) But I still won’t be able to lift it above my head

about

•A Class Act’s only full-length
•pressed CD—1,000 copies

The original CD version was released on 2/23/2008 at a PYC show
flic.kr/p/a5QhtE/lightbox

It was released onto Bandcamp on 12/5/2010

credits

released February 23, 2008

•Andrew Wilke—organ, synthesizer, trumpet, flugelhorn, backup vocals (lead on “Hey! Stop That. Right Now!” and “We’ll Always Have Paris”)
•Brad Dollar—electric guitar, backup vocals
•Brian Noland—tenor saxophone
•Cris Sanchez—drum kit
•Devin Croda—lead vocals, tenor trombone
•James Baker—electric bass guitar

•gang vocals—Brad Dollar, Cris Sanchez, Danny Stark, Devin Croda, Dylan Greengard, James Baker, Zach Glanz

•written and performed by A Class Act
•drums recorded by Nick Shively @ Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, California
•guitars recorded by Nick Shively @ Earhythmic Studios in Hercules, California
•horns and vox recorded by Andy and Brad @ Krebstar Studios in Pinole, California
•mixed by Andy and Brad @ The Classroom in Richmond, California and Krebstar Studios in Pinole, California
•additional mixing by Andy, Brad, and Devin @ Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, California
•mastered/finalized by Brad @ Krebstar Studios in Pinole, California

•CD layout/art by Devin

•thanks:
“We give the most serious mad ups to: The Wilke family for letting us invade their house and eat their foods among other things, Anna and Danny Stark, Helen Reinhardt, all our parents and awesome families for their support, Mario Capitelli, Kimmi Simon, Penelope Jayne Wilson, Karyn Massey, Mac Esposito, Mark Gee, Mimi Simon, Wryan J. Castleberry III, Marztek, Gary Thorn, Dylan Greengard, Twaek, George, Charles, Grayson, Cody, Scotty, Zach, Waffle, Joel, and all the Pinole kids, Amy Wooldridge, Matt Walker, NUTS, Alison Calais, Ako Nakamura, Jack Anderson, Aleksandr Milewski, Claire Ladner, Andrew Kutsenda and PinUp Productions, Stacy Pilleggi and all the Merch House staff, Gary from KGE, Starcia, Mike Park, Mitchell Dubey, Mike Lane, Downtown, Peter and Scooter, all the San Jose kids, Andrew Freid, Rae and the Cal Berkeley Student Union, Brian Matheson, Nate Stephens, Jeremy Rosenblum, Dan Snyder, everyone who ever let us borrow gear, Greg Duncan, the Simon family, all the Berkeley and Oakland homies, and to anyone we’ve missed, thank you.

Also, to all our loving brothers in: The Flaming Tsunamis, The Fad, Stop the Malarky, Chotto Ghetto, Minus Vince (RIP), Suburbs Vs. Cities (RIP), The 29s, Lifelike Figures, CHT, Tensegrity 9, Weslester, The Pinole Ramblers (RIP), No Personal Attachment, Chris Murray, Chase Long Beach, The Rage, Bonegun (RIP).”

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