As I write this, about 53 years ago, a funny thing happened
on the radio.
In mid-December of 1963, Carroll James of WWDC in
Washington, D.C. played a single by a then-unknown overseas band which blew up
the phone lines and started a cultural sensation which has never subsided in
the annals of music history.
That record, of course, was “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, by
the Beatles.
The timing of the single’s airplay, and the joyful frenzy
which followed, came literally just weeks after the assassination of President
Kennedy. Just before the shooting, news outlets like the Huntley-Brinkley
Report and the Washington Post were just getting wind of the Fab Four’s frenzied
following in England and innocuously reporting on the soon-to-be described
Beatlemania. But when the Beatles finally gave their gift of music to American radio
listeners, the country was in deep and desperate depression, and in need of
something to lift their spirits again and distract it from the doom and gloom
which the JFK killing had embedded into the national psyche. The Beatles
provided that panacea to the nation’s grief.
I write to you in the same time of year under similar circumstances.
It is currently approaching December and the country has withstood a November of
epic tragedy and insecurity. So much of America is swerving and reeling in a state
of depression and resentment, mumbling to itself, “What the fuck went wrong? It
just doesn’t feel like the same country as even just a few weeks ago!” Or,
something like that. Yes, let’s all admit it. People need their lift. They need
that little motivation to make them feel the joie de vie of everyday existence
again.
I put forth that I have found that solution, and their name
is Giuseppe Santa Sauce.
In a similar fashion, Giuseppe Santa Sauce has a following
outside of the USA but not in it, because they already have a solid fan base on
the Internet which, as we all know, is technically outside of the country
because the Internet is not the real world.
It was correspondence from a single teenage music fan to WWDC
that got the Beatles not their first USA airplay, but their first USA airplay that made a difference. All Giuseppe Santa Sauce needs,
at this point, is a similar kind of one time break. If only a station like,
say, 103.5 here in my current home base of Sacramento would break from their
usual format, just like WWDC did that chilly December day, and play the song “Your
Day Day Job” during the morning commute hour, all of those state workers
driving in are sure to go completely insane. This, you can be sure. And
besides, after 103.5 recently took the brave decision to boycott Kanye’s music,
they are going to need to fill in that playlist somehow, right?
But I digress. I guess that I haven’t even touched upon the
subject of the actual music of Giuseppe Santa Sauce, have I, now? Well, as
those who have met me personally already know, I don’t have much of a musical
background, so comparisons and descriptions of up and coming artists can be
hard for me to break down, but I’ll try, so here goes.
It’s as if Thom Yorke and Jandek randomly met up in the
elevator of the Union Square Hilton, went to Lefty O’Doul’s for breakfast and
then, right afterwards, took the Muni to the Golden Gate Bridge and jumped over
the railing, holding hands. It’s that good.
And on top of the music, I just admire the drive and desire
these guys have in getting the public to accept their message. Like the small
time dealers on Fulton Avenue that sold me a used car a few years back, these
folks present the impression of just some hard working guys who have a dream to
make an honest living from doing something they love with people. Oh, sure,
like my car, Giuseppe Santa Sauce’s music might have a dead AC and a fucked up
water pump and no brake system to speak of, but they will still sell it to you because
in the end, they make it quick and easy for you to buy from them, and you still
need what they sold you to get through the day. And unlike my car, I’m not fed
up with them yet, and besides, I can’t just donate their music to charity,
which makes them even more genius in their mission.
But don’t just take my word for it. Get over to Bandcamp
right now and be one of the reportedly thousands of satisfied listeners who downloaded
the music of Giuseppe Santa Sauce with unashamed abandon. I have a page on
Bandcamp as well with about 11 album releases at this point, but you know what?
I only charge a dollar for my downloads and Giuseppe Santa Sauce charges two
bucks, so fuck me, and just go buy their downloads. Consider it a way of supporting
the mission we both have; to Make America Distracted Again.
Let’s get to it America. Help Giuseppe Santa Sauce in their mission
to heal a hurting nation. We need this.
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