Album Notes

YOU ARE HERE* introduces us to four young people struggling to hold onto what's real in their lives. As these characters wrestle with various personal obstacles and career choices (or lack there of), fittingly their story unfolds in NYC's Lower East Side, one of the nations more musically rich and diverse neighborhoods.In order to give the film authenticity on the sonic frontier there was a need to represent what might be discovered on just a short walk down avenue A. At the onset, Jeff's original thoughts were to round up as much local talent as possible, avoiding music that would be familiar from the radio and major labels. He put the word out and waited for the onslaught of self-produced CDs, only a few arrived.Without the resources to pursue this further, he wound up marketing the film with an abundance of major label, needle drop music. None of which appears on this soundtrack. When the movie sold, for copyright reasons nearly every track needed to be replaced. Jeff visited local performance venues, Arlene's Grocery and The Living Room, and solicited the booking agents to pass on any demo CDs received. He went through over 1000 tunes to identify only 13 tracks. Every act on this soundtrack, with the exception of the altruistic Rocket From the Crypt (elementary school chum of Todd Peters), was unsigned at the time. The sort of connected diversity of this particular soundtrack, from the tenacious zeal of Custom to the bruised emotional center provided by Mark Geary and Byron Estep, made editing the CD a great pleasure. Locally grown music brings the film making into perfect relationship with the bars, coffee shops, people and struggle characteristic of this part of town.

Daniel Vespa, Soundtrack Editor

To hear Vered, check out her CD at www.cdbaby.com/cd/vered

Broken Eye -Damage, solitude, reckless regret, rising out of the ashes of mutual mistakes. It's quite the fun romp.

Drama Queen -Love it. It's fun, unreasonable, and has a cool, defiant, female out lash Eye on You -Yah... I like it 'cause it's me drunk in almost every bar I hang out in.

Faster Grace -Love it. It's got cool everything. Lyrics are great with the words and sentiment. If you're this guy you get your penis touched. It's a masterpiece.

Funeral Music -Yup. This piece is dripping with passage and dealing.

We're gonna be just fine -Yup. If this isn't on the CD, I'm not your friend any more. I mean that.

Ginger Man -Yup. It's the "Lower East Side Blues." Very cool. You live here long enough and this is how you feel.It's all more about the coffee than the oxygen.

Can't get his eyes -Yup. It's a very nice piece of music. The production is very clean and it just sits well on the ears. Byron's the shit.

If I let You -Yah, I like it. It's a brighter tambered contemplative groove about trusting yourself to love. People in NYC sing this song more than most folks I'm guessing

It Beats Me -Love it. The feel of it is great and very true to the film. You hear this tune and it whispers in your ear for the rest of your life.

Jalopy -Met these guys after a gig (which we didn't see). They're cool guys, they tour in a beaten up ambulance, and the lead singer's beard is a braided 8" spike. How can you go wrong there?

Sanjay -It's awesome. Sanjay is so real, and we get to see Jason do his little, endearing weirdo thing.

Let's Get Busy -Pretty good texture here. 'Gritty little serenade to a nubile village club brat. You say no to this guy and he beats you up.

Lift These Stains -Very fun little east village kind a' thing. Aren't we all stained? Maybe we just need to fess up to our stains. The band's from LA.

New Man -This is a great piece of work. Wish more guys wrote like this dude.

Out There -This guy is THE shit. I love this tune. Get's you somewhere and then it takes you somewhere. This is the way music is supposed to be.

Tiger -Can't get enough. This is my favorite tune on the soundtrack. Why isn't she signed yet? I require a good reason. (to hear tracks from Vered go to www.cdbaby.com/cd/vered)

Water Under the Bridge -Dig it. Close with this one; it's just the most beautiful mess we could possibly hope for. Grungin' bar grove, screeeching sax, and, that's right folks, no pseudo bar room brawler would be complete without a little banjo.

These comments from Daniel Vespa, the CD Editor.

*This CD is for promotional use only.

The payment covers CD Baby's costs, plus costs of designing, dublications & handling.

For more info about the movie go to www.johnnypictures.com