Album Notes

This album is the game changer for 3 feet up. Chris & Victoria changed many things about this one: first off, the songs and the sound are somewhat grittier and jaded than their previous sparkly and positive releases. The sound is partially due to the recording method used: analog tape! Yes, instead of a sterile digital reproduction, 3 feet up opted for a nice thick beefy analog sound.

Another difference is the instrumentation used. While Victoria is still playing her standup drumkit, Chris has all but abandoned his Rainsong acoustic guitar (it only appears on one song on this disc) in favor of his Steinberger piccolo bass guitar. A piccolo bass is just a bass guitar with thinner strings and tuned up an octave into the guitar's range. Why would he do such a drastic thing? Chris says "it's all about the technique used - I was a bass player for many years before 3 feet up, so when we started the band I thought I had to play guitar for some reason and I never felt comfortable using a pick. Then in 2009 I discovered that I could use my much-neglected bass technique using my fingers and still play the songs the way they need to be played. No more pick!"

The songs on this CD are mostly pointing the listener's attention to bits of reality they may not have noticed. For example, the song "one thought fits all" illustrates how the simple act of watching TV can affect you in very subtle ways - they call it "programming" for a reason! Then there's the heaviest 3 feet up song ever: "false owl". It tries to show the listener that the things we fear the most are usually just an illusion - like a wooden owl atop a building that scares away rodents and other birds.

Previously, 3 feet up music has been compared to Sting, Steely Dan and REM, but on this album they're approaching comparisons to artists like Beck, Morphine, John Lennon and a little bit of The White Stripes.