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Let It Goddam Be

by The Van Allen Belt

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  • T-Shirt/Apparel + Digital Album

    Full color direct to garment print on American Apparel cotton soft style black tri-blend t-shirts. Includes an immediate download of "Let It Goddam Be" in the file format of your choice.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Let It Goddam Be via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    edition of 22 
    Purchasable with gift card

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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      $7 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 7 The Van Allen Belt releases available on Bandcamp and save 25%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Let It Goddam Be, Heaven On A Branch, Songs, Superpowerfragilis: Or How I Learned To Stop Caring And Love The Drug, Vancouver And All The Reasons Why, Solar Crosses Stolen From The Cemetery, and Meal Ticket To Purgatory. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $36 USD or more (25% OFF)

     

  • Limited Edition Blackbird Flashdrive

    USB enabled Flashdive with 4 GB storage capacity includes:

    Meal Ticket To Purgatory (LP)
    Superpowerfragilis: Or How I Learned To Stop Caring And Love The Drug (LP)
    Vancouver And All The Reasons Why (EP)
    Songs (EP)
    Heaven On A Branch (LP)
    Let It Goddam Be (LP)

    Audio files come in high quality .aiff compression with all album artwork, bonus images, lyrics,
    also includes flac and mp3 format files.

    Shipping is listed at the flat Priority Rate with insurance. If you would like to use a different shipping option, please contact us first and we can calculate based on your location.
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1.
Peace don’t stand a chance Take this warning in advance Peace don’t stand a chance A new epidemic of pride This time we must choose a side Do you want to improve on the past? Are you in this century or the last? Peace don’t stand a chance When hated is your stance Peace don’t stand a chance When the tiki torches are lit and they’re spouting off ignorant shit Then they’re mowing us down with their cars Sorry it just ain’t in the fucking stars Peace don’t stand a chance A towering inferno of pants Peace don’t stand a chance With media making us numb And the electorate has grown so dumb And the emperor is scum And you’re still living in a slum Peace don’t stand a chance Someone let all the worms out And everyone learned how to shout And what were we shouting about Have we gone crazy? We’ll meet again, Don’t know where I don’t know when And now for your moment of zen counting in 10, 9, 8, whoops! Peace don’t stand a chance
2.
I was a frame I thought I had died but something's going on inside Tonight my great work will begin losing the flesh to make a skin and bone dries contrary skies, garden of lies judged by desire It looks as if you were to take her hand she would disintegrate You wonder just what doors she had to open up to immigrate My productive salivation is the mode of transportation This warm room it's stimulation will make for a hot bed after dark By night by night, night by night by night Necessary steps to take sale persevering consuming my tail I plan to leave no paper trail invisibility is key Weave twist climb, make the enzyme, who's the host of this carcass of time Her words have spun into a ball of yarn you have no groundwork to forewarn your hands are tied her tail is torn trial by fire in the dark By night by night, night by night by night Here inside this place I can stay ocelli hell-bound to seek my prey Change of awareness in the mind I must be guilty to be kind New midline exit outline advanced design breaking the spine Now the time has come to break the seal I feel the light remove the peal My raised appendages reveal aerodynamic wings of steel A carapace is formed you can't avert your gaze you're hypnotized Your handle on reality has absolutely vaporized Her shadow grows into a flower branching in the twilight hour this reflection now your witness she will stand before you after dark.
3.
4.
We're back in the USSSR You see how lucky we are? You see how lucky we are? With all the fools on the hill The lives and dreams that they kill How do we swallow this pill? How do we sit there so still? Let it goddamn be unless it affects you If you long for yesterday Then you're not dark-skinned or gay Or female in any way Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na We drew the back-breaking straw And for the lowest of wages And now they're putting children in cages Let it goddamn be unless it affects you Eggmen with the poisonous yolks The cops are just killing folks And always walk away clean Most of us don't find that obscene Human conscience, hello, goodbye Be keep the pridefulness high And first world arrogance is on parade Popping wheelies in their motorcade Let it goddamn be unless it affects you Out of sight, out of mind Let it goddamn be unless it affects you
5.
I wake up in the morning kicking myself for yesterday The universe is all in balance so it must be ok There is no tolerance for tolerating me anymore Now my heartbreak is sleeping on the hardest cutting room floor Are you still glad you have me to blame Can’t change your mind ‘cause to you it’s all the same All the same So I’m a hurricane, batty insane yet I still mean well I rock the party so damn hard I’m not invited to hell When you reach your hand out to me I always share you the fall I cannot understand why you’ve been good to me after all. I’m never here too long I’m never gone that short Never found the truth to be my favorite first resort Catch me on the right day I can make you gay and by that I mean happy You only see me this way but I don’t know what to say My home life was crappy. Are you still glad you have me to blame Can’t change your mind ‘cause to you it’s all the same All the same Lies It’s the same old lies to you It’s the same old lies to you You’ve heard it all now It’s the same old lies to you Oh yeah Lies to you
6.
143 05:15

about

"It’s the Wild West and these Cowboys and Cowgirl have swaggered into town demanding to know whose side you are on, the goodies or the baddies?
The Van Allen Belt’s new album ‘Let It Goddam Be’ starts with a match being struck, something is set alight , and as it burns , the ghost of Link Wray strikes a chord , echoing the opening scene and credits of an early Tarantino movie. This comparison is no mistake. The VAB are almost the musical equivalent of Tarantino, deconstructing the past to create something, as previous albums have proved, which is uniquely their own. Certainly, there is pastiche and parody, both lyrically and musically in this new offering, but it would be churlish to say they were just a retro band (though a musicologist would have a field day listening to this album).
To help spread their message, the VAB have deployed a number of guests into their posse, making Benjamin Ferris’ compositions sound even meatier and more layered than before, most noticeably the driving, crunchy, funky rhythm guitar of Hugo Mind’s and unequivocal bass style of Frédéric Choudin on centre piece ‘Let It Goddam Be’ and the tasteful sax of Bruno Spoerri, hauntingly beautiful on instrumental ‘Christine Variations.’
Tamar Kamin is one of the most authoritative and charismatic singers around, natural and jazzy at the same time, though clearly trained, her voice is an instrument in itself. Her talents as a lyricist are also on display here in the feverish Motownesque ‘Lucky After Dark’, an unsettling, juxtaposed, myriad of words, which evoke rather than explain. Benjamin Ferris and Scott Taylor continue their experimentation with sound which requires at least one listen to the album on headphones to really appreciate what is going on and Scott also proves himself a great percussionist all through the record, relentless and hard, but always musical and tight.
‘Let It Goddam Be’ is another infectious modern wall of sound from the VAB. It’s street smart, humorous, nightmarish, inventive and coolly ironic, but more importantly, it has integrity. From day one the band’s intention has always been a serious one, but thankfully, they manage to communicate their social commentary in a joyful and soulful way.
‘Art’ Picasso said ‘is a lie that makes us realise truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies’
I think this is very apt for these punks from Pittsburgh."
-Bill Rivers

credits

released December 23, 2019

Tamar Kamin: vocals
Benjamin Ferris: keyboard, guitar, background vocals
Scott Taylor: percussion, turntables

Bruno Spoerri: saxophone, synthophone, lyricon (I and III)
Kirk Salopek: guitar (I)
Hugo Minds: guitar (IV)
Frederic Choudin: guitar, bass (IV)
James King: alto saxophone (V)
Tom Altes: bass (V)
Chris Fazio: violin (III)
Cheyenne Swearingen: violin (I)
Trefor Goronwy: Appalachian dulcimer (IV)

All songs written and produced by Benjamin Ferris with exception to song II with lyrics written by Tamar Kamin.

Album cover artwork by Eric Alleman

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The Van Allen Belt Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Van Allen Belt is impossible to categorize, luscious to listen to. This isn't your typical trippy, psychedelic music ― this is unique.

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