Compound Shapes
by United Shapes
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Record/Vinyl + Digital AlbumThe album as it was meant to be heard. Only 200 pressed. 180-gram vinyl.
Includes unlimited streaming of Compound Shapes via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 1 dayedition of 200$20 USD or more
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Compact Disc (CD) + Digital AlbumIncludes unlimited streaming of Compound Shapes via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 1 dayedition of 100
$7 USD or more
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T-Shirt/Apparelships out within 1 day
$25 USD or more
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Digital Album
Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Purchasable with gift card -
Compound Shapes Limited Edition USB Cassette
USB Flash DriveIf you don't have a CD player in your car, this is for you. It looks like a tape - it sounds like a CD. Plug it right into the USB hole in your newer-model car. Welcome to the retro future.Sold Out
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1. |
Fractalvision
02:32
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Now get moving
Now get moving still
When you’re stationary
You can almost feel
Your brain getting larger but
Your head getting smaller what
The hell’s goin’ on here?
Brain fulla blades
Gotta brain fulla razor blades
Is Fractalvision what it isn’t
Isn’t it what Fractalvision is?
Was that what always never Fractalvision
Never always what that was?
I dig the tension and suspense in
Buzzing past the shapes and numbers of
This Fractalvision but I’m wishing
For a mission with a softer buzz
Will my bothering brain ever bother to death?
“Good luck stopping that thought, sucker”
That’s what he says
Razor glint in my eye for the infinith time
Did just I see you there in Fractalvision
Therein you see I just did
Your brain gets bigger but your head gets smaller
And for all that brain it is
Impossible to make it dull
Impractical to finish sentences
The razor’s edge inside your head
Will cut you open like a sardine lid
Will my bothering brain ever bother to death?
“Good luck stopping that thought, sucker”
That’s what he says
Razor glint in my eye for the infinith time
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2. |
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The block was crawling with cops the night Ms. Lollipop
went out for butterscotch and got her head cut off
You’ll find whodunnit slides down licorice alleyways
leaving a trail of Icee slush
and we all know what they all say
When he jellyrolls on the scene
all the gumdrops scream “Peppermint!”
but cops don’t talk to gumdrops when they buy witnesses
“Thank you for your assistance miss now let us handle this”
Your honor
this snowman is guilty of first-degree murder
or I’ll outrun the gingerbread man
Ladies and gentlemen of Candyland
I think we’ve got our man
The fudge fuzz in their sugar coats
they work the scene
“We’ll lick this sucker” they grunt
through Sweet-Tart rotten teeth
Then from the back of the crowd a little gumdrop stood
and waved her fist around and yelled as loud as she could
“We know your man when he rolls by the gumdrops scream
his name and run away
he is a monster mister mercy make him pay!”
When he jellyrolls on the scene
all the gumdrops scream “Peppermint!”
but cops don’t talk to gumdrops when they buy witnesses
Oh how smart he is
icicles leave no fingerprints
Your honor
this snowman is guilty of first-degree murder
or I’ll outrun the gingerbread man
Ladies and gentlemen of Candyland
I think we’ve got our man
When he jellyrolls on the scene
all the gumdrops scream “Peppermint!”
but cops don’t talk to gumdrops when they buy witnesses
There must’ve been some malice in that old silk hat they found I guess
Your honor
this snowman is guilty of first-degree murder
or I’ll outrun the gingerbread man
Ladies and gentlemen of Candyland
I think we’ve got our man
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3. |
Buttercup
03:59
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Remember when each snowflake matched
Each pair of shoes each dot and dash
They came for me took my right brain
To them I leave sincere complaints
But to my Buttercup
I leave the other stuff
Just remember that your left brain is enough
Meticulous
You are so
A buttercup to brighten every broken button hole
Meticulous
Your are so
A fingertip to darken every mitten in the snow
Careful planning carefully mismanaged
To Buttercup I leave my soul
The mockingbirds mock me today
They grind their teeth as if to say
"Huff as you puff meticulous
Your science will not be enough"
Being of a sound mind
I'll leave this world behind
And to buttercup I leave my winking eye
Meticulous
You are so
A handkerchief to soften every winter wonder blow
Meticulous
You are so
A buttercup to leave my handkerchief to when I go
Careful planning carefully mismanaged
To Buttercup my very soul
Undone unglued a plan in ruin
My favorite hemisphere removed
What's left of me my Buttercup
You won't remember any of
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4. |
Pushbutton
02:53
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I wish it was my job
to crank a crank or knob a knob
See them vanish in smoke puffs
They say I'm a joke but
It doesn't seem they're laughing that hard
Unluckily, slobs, that is exactly my job
I push a button and someone's gone
I wave a wand with one tiny finger
I can play God
I wish that I got paid
to pull the pullies on the engine of hate
And when the cherry trees blossomed
I burn and I'd chop 'em
blow the ashes in a baby's face
Unluckily fate has really had it that way
I push a button let me demonstrate
the way I play
With one tiny finger I dig a grave
Hey little girl
you want some candy?
I wish that I could do
what Mr. Jetson did on that old cartoon
Except I'd push a nice suit
I'd push the media mute
and then I'd push to death the rest of youse too
Unluckily, fools, that is exactly your due
because it's me who pushes buttons
through and through it's true
And there's nothing, nothing that you can do
Ain't there something that you can do?
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5. |
Moonlighting
04:16
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Moonlighting is exciting carefully
your radiating skin displayed for me
Moonlighting is dividing endlessly
the paradox of our dichotomy
Take my hand to the hay of this abandoned barn
Sink your teeth like the snakes at the reptile farm
Blink your eyes on my eyes
The butterflies warned us of
Moonlighting is ghostwriting us dirty notes
and signing our names as if we don't know
Moonlighting is deciding our horoscopes
and rubbing its hands together when we're close
Let your fingers peel the stoking as we stare right back
at the voyeuristic lunar aphrodisiac
Blink your eyes on my eyes
The butterflies warned us that
Moonlighting wants our hearts
tied in knots 'til they rot and we can't say "no"
Moonlighting wants our parts
tied in knots 'til they rot and everybody knows
Moonlighting wants to watch
our sweaty bodies have a party in its dreamy glow
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6. |
Roundtable
03:00
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If you were a flying wizard
you could take me by the hand
Circumnavigate in seconds
through the CG wonderland
But you are not a flying wizard
and that's all the proof I need
to make the world a roundtable
but nobody asked me
You might end up at the radius
or the side where the roots are trees
if you were a flying wizard
so go to wizard school please
One day you'll be a flying wizard
and that's all the proof I'll need
to make the world a roundtable
but nobody asked me
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7. |
Nightlife
03:52
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GOIN’ OUT GOIN’ DOWNTOWN THE NIGHTLIFE GONNA CUT EVERY RUG IN
YOUR SIGHTS MIGHT THROW YOUR FITS WITH THE KIDS DOWN AT BARFLY’S
MEET A GIRL MEET A GUY GRAB GREASY NIGHT BITE GONNA TOSS EVERY RING
TAKE THAT PANDA HOME WITH YOU ONE’LL DO JUST THE RIGHT SIZE NOW
YOU’RE LOST TO THE NIGHTLIFE NOW AND A PAIR OF LIGHTS TRAILING YOU
MUST BE MINE ON A FOLLOW WE CAN SLEEPWALK IN PERFECT SYNCHRONICITY
ON A FOLLOW ONLY ONE OF US KNOWS ON A FOLLOW ONE OF US LEADS
THE DANCE AND THE OTHER DOESN’T KNOW I ONLY GO WHERE YOU GO I
DON’T KNOW GOIN’ DOWN GOIN’ RIGHT OUTTA TOWN TONITE-NITE PACK A
BAG HAVE A DRAG DON’T MIS YOUR FLIGHT RIGHT THEN A LEFT SWING YOUR
PARTNER IN DARKER MORNING THAN COFFEE BLACK TAG I’M IT ALRIGHT HOT
THE TRAIL WAG THE TAIL IN YOUR REARVIEW DON’T YOU KNOW I ONLY GO
WHERE YOU GO SHUTTER SNAPS IT’S A GAS BEING NEAR YOU DON’T YOU
KNOW I’M PAID TO BE YOUR GHOST? ON A FOLLOW YELLOW BLINKER LIGHTS
MOONLIT GLOW DESERT DARKNESS HOLDING HANDS ME AND YOU ON A
FOLLOW WE ARE EQUAL THE NIGHT MAKES IT TRUE ONLY YOU KNOW WHERE
YOU’RE GOIN ONLY I KNOW I’M GOING TOO GOIN’ OUT GOIN’ DOWNTOWN
THE NIGHTLIFE GONNA CUT EVERY RUG IN YOUR SIGHTS MIGHT CHEW THE
FAT WITH THE CATS DOWN AT BARFLY’S SOMEONE WINKS OVER DRINKS STARTS
A BAR FIGHT GONNA SPIN EVERY PLATE DON’T BE LATE WAIT FOR THE START
HOPE MY MARK DON’T GET WISE
COULD I PLEASE? WOULD I
PLEASE BE YOUR NEIGHBOR? IT’S
THE TASTE OF THE CHASE
THAT I LIKE
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8. |
Brainwash
02:24
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My brain is so clean now
'cause I gave it a power wash
those folds can be hard to
hard to
hard to
hard to clean out
I gotta good clean scream
it used to be such a nasty rattle
It's a good scream
you can barely hear it
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9. |
Somewhere
02:48
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WHERE DO DOGS AND CATS
HOLD HANDS AND SIP WINE IN
PAJAMA PANTS? WHERE CAN I
PLAY BACH WITH ONE HAND? SOMEWHERE WHERE DOES CHOCOLATE FALL LIKE RAIN AND WHERE DOES IT RAIN EVERY DAY? WHERE DO FATCATS HAVE TO PAY? SOMEWHERE WHERE DO SHARKS APOLOGIZE AND SNAKES PLAY RUMMIKUB WITH MICE? WHERE DO LADIES HAVE THE RIGHT? SOMEWHERE WHERE IS WALDO? WHERE’S THE BEEF? AND WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CAR KEYS? WHERE’S OUR ORWELLIAN HELL RELIEVED? SOMEWHERE SOMEWHERE SOMETHING CAN BE SUGAR SWEET AND SMELL LIKE CANDY TWICE THE STORAGE HALF THE SPACE HALF THE FAT WITH TWICE THE TASTE SOMEWHERE THEY ARE THANKFUL MODERN PROBLEMS ARE AS PAINFUL AS A COOL BREEZE THROUGH THEIR HAIR SOMEWHERE WHERE DO ALL THE SLOTS PAY OUT WHOLE CINNABONS FIT IN MY MOUTH AND FAMILIES AREN’T THEIR KIDS WITHOUT? SOMEWHERE WHERE DOES SMOKING CURE DISEASE CAUSE CHISSELED ABS AND WHITER TEETH AND WHERE DOES GLACIAL ICE STILL FREEZE? SOMEWHERE WHERE DO SKUNKS LAY LEMONDROPS AND GIVE BACKRUBS THAT NEVER STOP? WHERE DOESN’T
STAYING HEALTHY COST? SOMEWHERE WHERE DOES SHERBET AND CHAMPAGNE GET MAINLINED STRAIGHT INTO MY VEINS? WHERE’D NO ONE GET SHOT TODAY?
SOMEWHERE
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10. |
Masterpiece
03:50
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I GOT LOUSY ON THE CREATURE AND STOOD IN FRONT OF THE PIANO AND SLAMMED MY HANDS DOWN ON THE KEYS UNTIL I FELL ASLEEP AND IN MY DREAM I SAW AN ANGEL OR IT MIGHT’VE BEEN THE DOORMAN OF THE BUILDING I WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF SLAMMING MY HANDS ON THE BUZZERS “LET ME IN LET ME IN” WERE THE LYRICS I PENNED I PLAYED A SCALE UP THE WALL WHERE THE MARQUEE HAD BEEN AND WHEN THEY HEARD MY SONG THEY SAID I’D WRITTEN IT WRONG BUT WHEN IT’S COMPLETE THEY’LL THROW DIAMONDS AT MY FEET AW JEEZ WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? PLEASE! AND THEN I PICKED UP A GUITAR HAVING REACQUAINTED WITH THE CREATURE AND I SLAPPED MY HANDS DOWN ON THE FRETBOARD UNTIL I FELL ASLEEP AND IN MY DREAM I SAW THE DEVIL SIX-PIECE SUIT AND EATING MONEY OR IT MIGHT’VE BEEN THE DOORMAN TRYING NOT TO GET SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY ME “LET ME OUT LET ME OUT” WERE THE LYRICS I SHOUTED AT THE A&R MAN AS HE THREW ME IN THE VAN I’D PLANNED A DOUBLE CHORUS BUT THEY LAUGHED IN MY FACE NOW I’M STUCK BETWEEN A DOC AND A PADDED PLACE HEY WAIT WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? PLEASE! THIS IS MY MASTERPIECE! I GOT IN THE CAB AND HAD THE DRIVER DRIVE ME TO THE BUILDING WHERE I GLUED MY POSTER ON THE WALL UNTIL I FEL ASLEEP AND IN MY DREAM I SAW YOURS TRULY GLUEING HIS POSTER ON THE DOORMAN OR I MIGHT’VE BEEN AT HOME LYING FACE DOW IN THE CREATURE YOU BETTER TAKE IT FROM ME THIS IS THE BEST IT CAN BE I AM A CERTIFIED GENIUS SO WHY DON’T YOU AGREE? WHY DON’T YOU WANT TO BELIEVE IN MY RIDICULOUS DREAM? WHY CAN’T YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? WHY DON’T YOU HAVE MY DISEASE? WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING? PLEASE! THIS IS MY MATERPIECE!
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11. |
Tractorbeam
03:52
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Juicy pics, mister
Money's no problem
No thanks, my nose runs
where it don't belong
"Futile" gets thrown around
a lot these days but
really we're the ones
getting thrown away
It's neither quick nor sand
but it does the trick so
Do as little as you can
Quick! Don't do something, quick!
I'm a one-piece puzzle
but these uneasy pieces
can't be counted on one hand
Who made you like this
If I ever catch the monster
If I ever but I never can
But light is tricky like that
and your brain has to fill the gaps with whatever it can
Comes back with a bloody stump
but it's doomed to try again
I like getting pulled but not my nose or legs
and when I say "when" that's what I mean
I know I throw my safeword around but not now
I'm not screaming "futile" 'cause I like to scream
As little flashing lights pull
gnash your teeth
as little as possible
Tractorbeam
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12. |
Clockwise
03:43
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Didn't I just kiss you goodbye?
and didn't I go home?
Didn't I just row through the night
on the river of time alone?
how can you be two places at once
when you're really nowheres at all
everybody asks me when I've been
everybody asks me if I'm gone
I feel my time is marching on
an indecisive mind
a river's flowing price
clockwise
I feel my time is running out
commodities unwind
a spectre stopping by
clockwise
I could've sworn
these forking paths weren't here before
I'm not touching you
but I want to and when I do
my hand just passes through
how can you be two places at once
when you're really nowheres at all
Everybody asks me when I've been
everybody asks me if I'm gone
I never know which way it is
it's all the same to my
redundancy spacetime
clockwise
I never want to leave you
but when I have, have I?
a mirror breaking twice
clockwise
a different world in each eye
can't walk a single line
too many arrows fly
clockwise
I will be in my arms again
and yours for the same dime
unstuck in time now I'm
clockwise
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about
Compound Shapes is United Shapes' first album to be professionally recorded, mixed, mastered, and released physically. A concept album all about compound words and the fussbudgets who love them.
credits
released October 16, 2020
Drew Cave - guitars, trombone, vocals, programming
Joseph Devens - keyboards, bass, vocals, programming
mixed by Michael Crow
mastered by Disc Makers Soundlab
produced by Joseph Devens
"Roundtable" produced by Drew Cave
guitars designed and manufactured by Drew Cave
album design by Joseph Devens
recorded and mixed in Austin, TX
Drew Cave - guitars, trombone, vocals, programming
Joseph Devens - keyboards, bass, vocals, programming
mixed by Michael Crow
mastered by Disc Makers Soundlab
produced by Joseph Devens
"Roundtable" produced by Drew Cave
guitars designed and manufactured by Drew Cave
album design by Joseph Devens
recorded and mixed in Austin, TX
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
United Shapes Austin, Texas
United Shapes are an alternative pop/rock duo formed in 2004 in Austin, TX by Joseph Devens and Drew Cave. New studio album Confuseograph available 2/10/23 on Flim Flam Records.
discography
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Feb 2023 -
Oct 2022 -
Jul 2022 -
Oct 2020