In the halcyon early days of Decade Zero, after the Moron Error took over America, Jeff
Obser and Leslie Gore turned a nasty habit of writing new words for other people's songs
around a kitchen table in an Oakland, Calif. ghetto, into an internationally acclaimed
songwriting enterprise.
Jeff learned how to do Pro Tools
and make a keyboard sound like
most anything, and Leslie wrote
the songs that made the whole
world wanna overthrow itself.
Together, they made history.
Song Noir and The Ripoffs, released in the fall of 2005, were recorded in a basement in
San Francisco and a bedroom in Alameda. Instruments included a Roland RD-700
synthesizer, Martin acoustic and Godin electric guitars, Turkish oud, toy trumpet,
recorder, water bottles, and a purple kazoo.
Leaving No Traces took shape in late 2007, in a sometimes pet-besieged corner of
Oakland, with updated equipment but fewer chances to relive the bohemian squalor of La
Califusa's ealier digs. So we laughed less and cried more, and got a little more savage
politically and guitarically.
Some have called La Califusa balls-to-the-wall, off the hook, hard-hitting social
commentary masquerading as groovy comedy. Others have kicked us out of their
kitchens for offending their values. Few have left their encounter with our work in any
spiritual shape to forget it fast.
Any way you look at it, La Califusa's international acclaim and astonishing financial
success has proved that all of a sudden, in California, there's something big a couple a
freaks can do with a guitar and the back of a bank envelope these days, what with all this
technology fueling our dreams.
And don't forget we're looking for kitchen tables at which to perform for food.
Each song is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons or notions living or dead is purely
coincidental. No sentiment expressed, mocked or heralded has any logical connection to the
thoughts, intentions, or worst nightmares of the artists, their sponsors, muses, printers,
producers, parents, spouses or children, real or imaginary.
The background art was done by, of course, Mapa Jeff. (Visit Jeff's web site for more art.)
The Ripoffs are free of all copyright protection, in the spirit of honoring the folk traditions
that have made America great and fended off many a lawsuit with the word "parody"
plastered over everything. Thanks to Utah Phillips for spiritual protection.
We will be adding more as inspiration laps up on our fetid shores.
To post your own La Califusa-style parody, click Here
| © 2009 La Califusa |
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THE STORY OF LA CALIFUSA
