When "Break Fix Anniversary," a retrospective of my first 10 albums, was released in 2001, I promised a retrospective of albums 11 through 20, and here it is. "Nature Films" is collection of cool tracks, unreleased tracks, and rarities, making up a 20-song hodgepodge that's probably for die-hards only. I love it, but it's really all over the map for styles. As both Travel and Teenage Blackout have "best of" albums coming in the next 18 months, I tried to avoid those "hit" tracks. And, unlike "Break Fix Anniversary," I made a conscious effort to just choose tracks I liked rather than singles. Below is a little song by song, if you're interested...

"THEME2" by TELEGRAPH (2002)
from the album "Stellar Lovers, Vol. 2"
Callahan

This sad little coda from Stellar Lovers felt right to start the set. No clue why.

"JOHN THE BOMBER" by DARREN CALLAHAN (2005)
previously unreleased
Callahan

I play all the instruments on this one. For better or worse.

"...THE HYDRANTS" by TRAVEL (2005)
from the album "B^Sides"
Appleby / Hart / Morelock / Callahan

Though I made up the chord progression, I don't think I'm actually playing on this one. I'm just behind the board. This was the soundcheck for the session and I kind of liked it. The original title was "Cantaloupe, The Hydrants Are Hydrant Again." You can see why we shortened it.

"NEW YORK" by TEENAGE BLACKOUT (2003)
from the EP "The Globe Hotel"
Callahan

This is a layered with effects song within a song. Most of the interesting stuff is in the background, so maybe best when played loud.

"FLASHLIGHT PROPAGANDA" by TRAVEL (2002)
from the album "A Sleep + A Wake"
Appleby / Hart / Morelock / Callahan

A track made on custom instruments with the band lying flat on the floor / bed / couch. It reminds me of Tom Verlaine "Warm & Cool."

"NICK & LOIS" by TELEGRAPH (2002)
from the album "Stellar Lovers, Vol. 2"
Callahan

My Burt Bacharach tune, and maybe one of the best songs I have ever written.

"ALARM CLOCK" by TEENAGE BLACKOUT (2003)
from the album "Alarm Clock World"
Callahan

This song is the first on this sleepy ambient album "Alarm Clock World." It actually was supposed to come last, as a "wake up," or, duh, alarm clock sound, to rouse those who fell asleep. In the last minute, I thought it cruel and put it first.

"THANK YOU FOR NOTICING" by TRAVEL (2002)
from the album "Me & My Friend Noise"
Appleby / Hart / Morelock / Callahan

This track is actually a combination of several cuts, cut & paste to match. Great atmosphere. Love the ending. Eric Appleby did the mixing work on this one, so big kudos to him. Aside from playing guitar, this track is really all him.

"BATTLE FOR PLANET OF THE POWDA" by DJ POWDA (2003)
from the album "Fight The Powda"
DJ Powda / MC Was-P / MC Jew-C / Callahan

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Love The Bolshoi sample in the bridge.

"PR11TY7" by TEENAGE BLACKOUT (2005)
from the album "Kidmodule1"
Callahan

Pretty, just like the title says.

"JACKET WEATHER" by TELEGRAPH (2002)
from the album "Stellar Lovers, Vol. 2"
Callahan

Me, trying to write a song like Paul Weller. Aside from the ghostly chorus, kinda close. I think. Maybe. "A Town Called Malice" is tough to beat, but my organ riff in the second verse I stand by. That's my wife's handclaps, by the way.

"ABSOLUTE POWDA" by DJ POWDA (2003)
from the album "Fight The Powda"
DJ Powda / MC Was-P / MC Jew-C / Callahan

Ridiculous. Again. Love the David & David sample that gives it the groove.

"7THSLUK3" by TEENAGE BLACKOUT (2005)
from the album "Kidmodule2"
Callahan

Simple stuff, but affecting.

"DUMBSHOW" by DARREN CALLAHAN (2005)
previously unreleased
Callahan

Sped up and somehow works. Demo that had been recorded at the wrong speed, which I found when sifting through a box of tapes.

"BEAUTIFUL BURNS" by TRAVEL (2005)
from the album "B^Sides"
Appleby / Hart / Morelock / Callahan

Love, love, love, those shattered piano notes. They make no sense whatsoever.

"BEE DEES" by DARREN CALLAHAN (2005)
previously unreleased
Callahan

Juke joint stuff, found at the end of a tape reel for Stellar Lovers.

"THE FIVE" by DARREN CALLAHAN (2005)
previously unreleased
Callahan

Full of mistakes, I debated on putting this one on, but ultimately liked it enough to go ahead and throw it on there. The title was stenciled on the 4-track cassette box. Probably recorded around 1997.

"DESTINATION TOKYO" by DARREN CALLAHAN (2005)
previously unreleased
Callahan

In 1996, I was asked to produce some demos for an R & B singer named Tasha. She was no American Idol, but very sexy and had a good sense of melody (though not of pitch.) I always liked the music I wrote for her. We did only 2 songs. I might post the other one someday. That morphed into "Geneva Labs" on Teenage Blackout's "Theories of Jet Propulsion" (in a very different arrangement.) This one, though, was kinda fun in a Todd Rundgren way. I stripped out her unfinished vocal tracks and decided to throw it on for a laugh. Not a great cut, but decent as an instrumental.

"SOPHORPHOLINE" by DARREN CALLAHAN (2005)
previously unreleased
Callahan

On Telegraph's "Experiment Farm Road," there was a cut called Sophorphonline. It's original germ came from this rough demo. There was something about the demo I was never able to capture in the more middle Eastern cut, though I like that one quite a bit.

"CRACKED ACTOR" by OO OO WA (2005)
previously unreleased
Bowie

OO OO WA covered "Cracked Actor" on the "Rock & Roll Valhalla" tour. One version of it appears on "Fadeout 1994" (released 2003). I found this one from a show in Indianapolis in 1994 and liked it better, so decided to just throw it on here to preserve it. Love the Bowie original, but gotta say...this one's pretty fab, too.

NOTE: This release doesn't include the 3 Italian Aviation albums, since not technically mine.

Thanks, everyone, for the support through another 10 albums. We'll see you at album 30!