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Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down

by NEWSKI

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    How do you feel when someone starts playing on their phone while you’re talking to them? It’s a dark moment. It’s a seemingly small, yet significant moment when we realize we’ve got work to do as both individuals, and as a species.

    BRETT NEWSKI’s fourth studio album Don’t Let the Bastards Get you Down is a call to arms against whatever destructive forces we may find ourselves battling, from our individual struggles with toxic relationships, low self esteem, loneliness, and apathy to the more global challenges facing us in 2020: The erosion of face-to-face human connection, the breakdown of the proverbial village, the destruction of the planet, and the myriad ways in which our social media addictions amplify these problems. Depression and anxiety are at all time highs, with many, if not most of us, struggling to preserve our optimism.

    So how do we regain control and stay hopeful in the face of these challenges? Perhaps it’s less screen time. Perhaps it’s changing the way we approach our tiny pocket TVs. Perhaps it’s discovering or recommitting to our passions. Perhaps it’s getting our hands dirty in pursuit of real solutions to our problems (instead of just complaining online). Perhaps Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down can shed some positive insight.

    In Last Dance (cowritten with Grammy nominated songwriter Pat Macdonald, ‘Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades’), Newski lays bare the highly relatable challenge of trying to stay informed and engaged while simultaneously staying afloat psychologically: “I ain’t trying to build the ark, I just really wanna learn how to swim / Thru a sea of plastic bottles, all the refuse, the mess we are in.” In Grow Your Garden, Newski issues a wake-up call from the hypnotic, numbing effects of living with our eyes glued to our screens: “If I was the dirt beneath the sneakers on your soulless feet / I’d nudge you far from the mirage so you could see the water”.

    In Lousy T-Shirt, Newski describes the traps of social comparison in these “tiny TV times”, in which we so often compare ourselves to the “greatest hits” of others’ lives. (“I ain’t making any headlines / It’s a failures parade / I drove all the way to Hollywood and all I got’s this lousy t-shirt.”) He doubles down on this theme in Buy Me a Soul, singing “Step out from behind these little screens that rule our lives / I’m sick of highlights / Cause we’re an empty shell and we’re on earth but we’re in hell / Can anybody hear me? / Is this a permanent bad dream? Or is it too much reality?”

    What could topically threaten to amount to “too much reality” for the listener is buoyed by Newski and collaborator Spatola’s signature blend of largely up-tempo, guitar-driven alternative with splashes of what they describe as “Geek Rock”, “Happy Punk”, and “Diet Grunge”. The band has had a busy few years, playing alongside acts like PIXIES, Courtney Barnett, Violent Femmes, Better than Ezra and Manchester Orchestra, and will be touring extensively in support of this release. 

    “Newski's live shows are part rock n' roll, part stand up, and part therapy. In the end, the room is won over,” says Jim McGuinn of The Current in Minneapolis.

    2020 tour dates can be found here: www.brettnewski.com/tour

    Includes unlimited streaming of Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days

      $12 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $9 USD  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    How do you feel when someone starts playing on their phone while you’re talking to them? It’s a dark moment. It’s a seemingly small, yet significant moment when we realize we’ve got work to do as both individuals, and as a species.

    BRETT NEWSKI’s fourth studio album Don’t Let the Bastards Get you Down is a call to arms against whatever destructive forces we may find ourselves battling, from our individual struggles with toxic relationships, low self esteem, loneliness, and apathy to the more global challenges facing us in 2020: The erosion of face-to-face human connection, the breakdown of the proverbial village, the destruction of the planet, and the myriad ways in which our social media addictions amplify these problems. Depression and anxiety are at all time highs, with many, if not most of us, struggling to preserve our optimism.

    So how do we regain control and stay hopeful in the face of these challenges? Perhaps it’s less screen time. Perhaps it’s changing the way we approach our tiny pocket TVs. Perhaps it’s discovering or recommitting to our passions. Perhaps it’s getting our hands dirty in pursuit of real solutions to our problems (instead of just complaining online). Perhaps Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down can shed some positive insight.

    In Last Dance (cowritten with Grammy nominated songwriter Pat Macdonald, ‘Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades’), Newski lays bare the highly relatable challenge of trying to stay informed and engaged while simultaneously staying afloat psychologically: “I ain’t trying to build the ark, I just really wanna learn how to swim / Thru a sea of plastic bottles, all the refuse, the mess we are in.” In Grow Your Garden, Newski issues a wake-up call from the hypnotic, numbing effects of living with our eyes glued to our screens: “If I was the dirt beneath the sneakers on your soulless feet / I’d nudge you far from the mirage so you could see the water”.

    In Lousy T-Shirt, Newski describes the traps of social comparison in these “tiny TV times”, in which we so often compare ourselves to the “greatest hits” of others’ lives. (“I ain’t making any headlines / It’s a failures parade / I drove all the way to Hollywood and all I got’s this lousy t-shirt.”) He doubles down on this theme in Buy Me a Soul, singing “Step out from behind these little screens that rule our lives / I’m sick of highlights / Cause we’re an empty shell and we’re on earth but we’re in hell / Can anybody hear me? / Is this a permanent bad dream? Or is it too much reality?”

    What could topically threaten to amount to “too much reality” for the listener is buoyed by Newski and collaborator Spatola’s signature blend of largely up-tempo, guitar-driven alternative with splashes of what they describe as “Geek Rock”, “Happy Punk”, and “Diet Grunge”. The band has had a busy few years, playing alongside acts like PIXIES, Courtney Barnett, Violent Femmes, Better than Ezra and Manchester Orchestra, and will be touring extensively in support of this release. 

    “Newski's live shows are part rock n' roll, part stand up, and part therapy. In the end, the room is won over,” says Jim McGuinn of The Current in Minneapolis.
    
2020 tour dates can be found here: www.brettnewski.com/tour

    Includes unlimited streaming of Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days

      $20 USD or more 

     

  • T-Shirt/Apparel + Digital Album

    Proudly rep your failure to hipsterdom & support arts n culture with this fine Bella Canvas shirt.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days

      $20 USD or more 

     

  • Poster/Print + Digital Album

    Get a drawing of you or a buddy. Primo for gifts or ego-boosting. Delivered to you digitally via email with multiple color versions so you can pick. Any specific requests can be sent to: hello (at) brettnewski.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days

      $100 USD

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 61 NEWSKI releases available on Bandcamp and save 10%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of This Love is a Fluke, FRIEND ROCK, Airplane (feat Ryan Miller of Guster), Chemicals (feat Matthew Caws), Sweat the Small Talk, Theoretical Soul EP, Why Even Bother? (analog tape demo), Why Even Bother? (feat The Verve Pipe), and 53 more. , and , .

    Excludes supporter-only releases.

    Purchasable with gift card

      $129.13 USD or more (10% OFF)

     

1.
Grow Your Garden If I was inside the door Of some payphone that don’t work no more I’d disconnect the dialtone That soundtrack of being alone Because wandering don’t keep you strong It works in spurts but not for long Your roots they need some lovin’ on The soul can be a desert  Only you can grow your garden If I was a lightning strike I’d climb down every key and Kite Until I found some solid ground To plant a brand new life around If I was the dirt beneath The sneakers on your Souless feet I’d nudge you far from the Mirage So you could see the water Only you can grow your garden We can do so much better than this If I was a raging tied  I’d have nothing to hide inside And that don’t get me anywhere But bludgeoned by the air up there But if I was the safety raft That pulled you from the aftermath I’d give your sleepy cheek a smack So you could see the future 
2.
WHAT’D YA GOT TO LOSE? Meet me at high noon I’ll try to  Tell you how I feel If I got the guts Cause what do I got to lose? ...When I’m finite  Like limelight  You stand in all the time  Give me just one try What’d ya got to lose? You left me at midnight  It’s alright  Now I’m stronger than I was  I learn straight from the pain Cause what do I got to lose? Now, the fear is a punchline  I’m setting up to kill ‘Cause life is but a joke So what do I got to lose? We got to find a compromise Why you baggin’ on me? It’s time that we enjoy this life  Before it’s dark infinity  So tell me… What do we got to lose?
3.
Do It Again 02:54
DO IT AGAIN LYRICS Yeah you know it’s just a feeling It’s a feeling that you learn to protect But you feel yourself falling for her again Instead you just dive right in Your heart back thru the ringer and… You do it again You do it again Your heart’s an idiot and you follow it It’s a place that you’ve been before And you swear you wouldn’t go there anymore But you feel yourself falling for her again And you feel your car pullin' Back into her driveway and… You do it again You do it again Your heart’s in idiot and you follow it It wouldn’t be so bad At least you keep telling yourself that That little voice in your head… Can’t be trusted but you listen and…
4.
NO SELF CONTROL I got no self-control Traffic in my head Exhaust in my throat I gotta relax I gotta let go The more I think, the less I know I often wish I could store my mind offsite Or trade it for one that operates right It’s constantly jonesing for targets Where it can scream some garbage The light in the attic’s a racket And Miss Cerebellum tells me that she knows But she don't I got no self-control Traffic in my head Exhaust in my throat I gotta relax I gotta let go The more I think, the less I know The most cliche lyric of all time Is “Save me from myself” And it’s hard to listen to But that don't mean that it ain’t true Perhaps I should invest in easy listening to mellow out my soul So that it’s safe to be alone But you know I won’t
5.
Last Dance 02:30
LAST DANCE It’s pretty hard to not look out of the eyeballs From the back of my head And I try and try and try to forget the angry hearts But that’s just how it is I ain’t trying to build new Amsterdam I’m just looking for a reason to exist In a world where everybody feels so small, so insignificant Cleaning up the mess from the battle is a waste When the war goes on forever Man, nothing’s gonna change A man who fights with desperation never stands a chance ‘Cause a dance with desperation is the last dance Anyone can tell you I’m an animal but i’ll never be your dog So I walk around the world without an accomplice, without a God I ain’t trying to build the ark I just really wanna learn how to swim Thru a sea of plastic bottles, all the refuse, the mess we are in
6.
Pure Garbage 02:42
PURE GARBAGE Been owned by you way too long Ten years and some change This can’t be healthy It don't make sense staying around you I play checkers you play chess Same boat, different lake This can’t be healthy It don't make sense staying around you I know there’s still a long way to go I love you cause you’re crazy But we both need our sanity So let’s be crazy separately I’ve been deafened by your old ways Like trucks on garbage day This can’t be healthy It don’t make sense being around you I know there’s still a long way to go I love you cause you’re crazy But we both need our sanity So let’s be crazy, separately I’m going solo Which is so much better than being alone
7.
LOUSY T-SHIRT Choking down American breakfast so that I can stomach All the BS that comes next In these tiny TV times I’m in the backseat of a TAXI Feeling naked and afraid I’m not making any headlines It’s a failures parade I drove all the way to Hollywood And all I got’s this lousy t-shirt Passed a hobo down on Pico He was looking so much cooler than me As he danced in the backstreets, on the backbeat Feeling groovy and composed I’m not making any headlines It’s a failures parade I drove all the way to Hollywood And all I got’s this lousy t-shirt Everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame But don't spend it all too quickly Or you’ll never be the same
8.
BUY ME A SOUL I never ever read the news Dog food God Knew This is what people would do They’ll bleed for identity C’mon and buy me a soul C’mon and buy me a soul C’mon and buy me a soul I don’t want to be broke no more I wanna kick in the TV Bitch please Sell me something that I truly need You agree? I want to be worth something But I got nothin’ Step out from behind These little screens that rule our lives I’m sick of highlights Cause we’re an empty shell And we’re on earth but we’re in hell Can anybody hear me? Is this a permanent bad dream? Or is it too much reality?
9.
Effervescent 03:45
EFFERVESCENT Woke up on High Street Feeling as low as I could be Are we a memory? Is there a prayer for you and me? Effervescent   You’re my only When will you believe? There’s no other To discover If not you than nobody Walked down the avenue Desperate for somewhere I could sleep Found me a lonely room A catalyst for some real bad dreams of you and me Used to be different, used to be fun Used to feel like there was no one but us How did it go so far off track? I’m begging for you to take me back
10.
Fight Song 02:23
FIGHT SONG Please take the reins away from me Why can't I ever let it go? I can't ever let it be Sing a song before you leave Because sitting in silence is one of the worst ways to fall asleep One more sleep One more dream One more time One more night And after this I swear I'll stick up for myself  No more playing dead while I’m alive If you want to be my friend, I'll be good to you You will need somebody by your side Yeah there is still a fight song left to write The a.m. hits me in the face It's freezing in my room But they tell me what to do so I obey  The bell ringing in my ear Like some kind of prison yard I swear next year will be my year   One more day One more haze One last time No more pain

credits

released April 17, 2020

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NEWSKI Milwaukee, Wisconsin

FESTIVAL APPEARANCES: Rolling Stone Festival, Iceland Airwaves, Reeperbahn Germany, SXSW official

BRETT NEWSKI supports and tours: 
Courtney Barnett, Pixies, Violent Femmes, Manchester Orchestra, New Pornographers, Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato, Ezra Furman, Better than Ezra
... more

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