Those who believed the Smile Syndicate’s now-legendary “Near Budokan” Tokyo concert in 2008 marked the end of band were forced to eat their cowardly words by the release of Lovestorm in 2013.  Syndicate guitarist Jason Medwid stepped forward to assume leadership of the band and was joined by fellow Syndicators August “Gus” Rayne, Benjamin Britain and Gert Orbison, with new keyboardist Jeremy Foote replacing the retiring keyboardist and band leader Cal Wriglus. Fans who had doubts about a Wriglus-less Syndicate were relieved when Wriglus himself not only gave this incarnation of the group his blessing but also played keyboards on one of the tracks. The Lovestorm has hit and it’s only just the beginning: there’s more music to come!

Jason Medwid: guitar and vocals
Gert Orbison: harp
Jeremy “Fingers” Foote: keyboards
August Rayne: bass
Benjamin Britain: drums

Special Guests:
Cal Wriglus: keyboards on “Shall We Rock?”
Wah Wah Watts: guitar on “Shall We Rock?”
Elizabeth Medwid: backing vocals

Produced and Mixed by Hans Gemini and Jason Medwid
Engineered by Fritz Wirr and Ralf Untergehen
Mastered by Chris Bauer at Audio Mastering Service
Recorded at Chateau Barbarossa, Lügegesicht, Switzerland and Sounds Fine, St. Albert, Canada

Artwork and graphic design by Elizabeth Medwid

Thanks to Elizabeth, Daniel and Alexandra

Released October 15, 2013.

Lovestorm FAST FACTS!

  • Germany’s most famous industrialist and music producer Hans Gemini became the band’s manager during the recording sessions
  • First Smile Syndicate album to feature female vocals since 1985’s Top Side Of The Sun
  • The album was originally intended to be an epic 60-track song cycle entitled LoveEntity7. Album scaled back after band’s collective near nervous breakdown.
  •  “The Sun Is A Jukebox” was used as the theme song for a short-lived television show entitled Smile Again, Jasper Jackson: a comedy about an elderly bachelor living in a mansion haunted by the ghosts of his ex-girlfriends.
  • A 13th track, “TSS vs. NSB”, a collaboration with Canadian noise music legends Nihilist Spasm Band, was recorded but left off the album.
  • Cal Wriglus’ improvised keyboard performance on “Shall We Rock?” was completed in a single take.
  • The solo in “World War IX” was originally performed on a banjo.

Lyrics

Lovestorm

It’s suddenly dark out
And here comes the flood
You’re caught with your pants down
And covered in mud

Lovestorm
Brace yourself
Lovestorm
Sky is black
Lovestorm
Shutters bang
Lovestorm
Get to the basement

The barn has gone missing
The coop is knocked down
This is what happens
When love comes to town

Shout If You Want To Get Louder

You know what it’s like on the streets today
Uptight prudes say “Turn it down!”
The fight of your life is upon you now
Liberate this awful town

The time is done for cutting slack
No more quiet at the back
The things they say are just not true
There’s just one thing you’ve got to do

Shout if you want to get louder

You yell, scream and curse like the roof’s on fire
Party people in the crowd
We won’t hear a thing when the morning comes
Brother, crank the volume loud

Louder than an H-bomb in surround sound
The noise will free your soul
Throw away the earplugs and boogie down
Go deaf for rock’n’roll

The Burgled

Where is my stuff?
It was right here before
I wasn’t gone long
It’s not here anymore
This is too weird
Did anyone see?
I can’t believe
This has happened to me

Gone in a flash
Up into thin air

You’ve just become…………. the burgled 

This is not cool
I’m feeling sick
Hopin’ it’s just
A friend’s stupid trick
That would be great
But it’s not true
My stuff is gone
What will I do

Rumpus room ghost town, c’mon

Where will I sleep?
They took the bed
The hammock, too
Sleep when I’m dead
My den’s cleaned out
Stripped to the bone
I’d call the cops but
They’ve stolen the phone

The Sun Is A Jukebox

Bigger than a radio
Louder than an LP
Radiating music
Just for you and me
Songs streaming down
We’ve got it made
Toss away the big hat
And get out of the shade

The sun is a jukebox
Look up to the sky and listen
The sun is a jukebox
Now you’ll hear what you’ve been missin’

You don’t need an aeroplane
You don’t need a balloon
The music gently lifts you
Higher than the moon
No clouds around
Sun shining bright
See the people dancing
They’re outta sight

A nickel isn’t what you need
To make the music play
A fiery fusion furnace
Plays the hits all day
Sunset is here
No need for fright
We’ll still hear the music
All through the night

 

 

Wheel Of Summer

When you first leapt on,  you were ready for fun
Summer time in  the summer sun
The wheel starts turning, it’s moving fast.
Hold on tight or you won’t last
Wheel of summer turns
Wheel of summer learns

 You’re bunched up close, and you’re ready to ride
Butterflies mixed up inside
The blank-faced man will now begin
Smiles fade and fear sets in
Wheel of summer lies
Wheel of summer cries

Now the world flies away
For the first time today

Spinning under the sun
And the ride’s just begun

One by one see your friends fly past
Sprawled in mud or broken in grass
The paper man sees but won’t tell a soul
See the Circle’s lost control
Wheel of summer takes
Wheel of summer breaks

Weak on your feet as you fall back to earth
Breaking through the Circle Of Mirth
Faces are green and weep as they pass
Laughing mother, framed in glass
Wheel of summer sees
Wheel of summer frees

Dinosaur God

Sages screaming at the sky
What’s it all about?
One hundred billion years B.C.
Time is running out
Crashing through the jungle
Smashing down the wall
Sixty tons of darkness
The maker of us all

Go get your clubs
Gather ye stones
Can we save the world?
Shake in your sandals
Soil your loincloth
Screaming like a girl

DINOSAUR GOD

Though his coming was foretold
The scoffers gave no ear
Now the fools are babbling
And paralyzed with fear
Let us try to reason with him
He’ll listen to our pleas
Put aside such foolishness
And get up off your knees

Built him an altar
Offered a virgin
Sung a hymn of praise
Nothing appeases
His shadow’s upon us
It’s the End of Days

Volcanoes spewing fiery goo
Turn us all to stone
Cold blood, pea-brained, vengeful god
Laughing on his throne
Squashing all the faithful
Squishing infidels
Peaceful jungle village
Thrown straight into hell

Lizard of thunder
Alpha omega
World out of control
Because he eats plants
You think you are safe?
Fool! He’ll have your soul

World War IX

World War VIII solved nothing
Phentor’s Treaty smashed
New Brazil cries vengeance
Hopes for peace are dashed
Should we find a shelter?
Maybe horde some food?
I could take you dancing
If you’re in the mood

Rosie the Riveter
Build me a saucer
Fly me through the skies
Silently hover
Above the cloud cover
When World War IX arrives 

Listen for the triplanes
Our boys laugh at fear
Surely with the death ray
Victory is near
North Pole, South Pole, West Pole
Total looney tunes
Dine with me this evening
Under the cookoo moon

Canadica now frozen
Europa is ablaze
Australio is sinking
Deep beneath the waves
Japina and the Moon Men
A fragile peace renewed
World War X will bring us
Another rendezvous

 

Infinity Machine

It tells you things that you don’t know
Goes to places you can’t go
No one knows from whence it came
Just plug it straight into your brain

Spinning tapes and vacuum tubes
Punchcards stacked by helpless rubes
Cab’nets reaching to the sky
Make sure not to ask it “WHY?”

Put in the data
Look at the readout
See: the word is MADNESS

0s, 1s, God help us all
Can’t unplug it from the wall
Who created this obscene
Mammoth, eight-ton hell machine?

Time Of The Great Apes

City running out of time
Drowning in a wave of crime
Who’s behind this thieving hell?
What’s with the banana smell?
Playing possum all this time
Masterminding all the crime
See him with your mouth agape
Our furry former friend the Ape

Out of the zoo, onto the streets
Time of the Great Apes

Round them up? You know we can’t
They’ve got top hats but no pants
You won’t think that they are cute
When they make off with all the loot
Fingers cracks safes, Lefty plans
Jojo drives the minivan
Dollar signs are in their eyes
Gold bananas are the prize 

Human cops are on the run
Great Apes laughing, having fun
Can’t keep up with all their tricks
Beat the cops with their own sticks
Mayor’s back’s against the wall
Must be someone he can call
Get Jane Goodall on the phone
Christ, there is no dial tone

Shall We Rock?

Lovely lady
What do you say?
Grab that guitar
And let us play
I’ll make rock to you
So good and loud
All in front of
A massive crowd

Tune it up
Crank the fuzz
Something awesome this way comes
Shall we rock?

The lights are hot
We’re in the groove
Big fat bass line
Nothing to lose
Time to solo
See my cape?
Just sit and watch
As the crowd goes ape

Up and down
Learn your scales
Make sure you trim your nails
Shall we rock?

Show is over
It’s hard to stand
Aren’t you glad that
You saw this band
Your voice is hoarse
Your eyes are crossed
Consider yourself fully rocked

Smashed guitars
Broken drums
Watch out when the music comes
Shall we rock?

Oh, Bermuda!

Cross the ocean on an airplane
Can you believe your eyes?
A blinding flash on the horizon
Is blowing up the sky
Mists obscure your vision
Space is twisted round
Hurtle through a portal
What is this place you’ve found?

A mystical land of fevered dreams
Called the Bermuda Triangle

A place where nothing’s as it seems
Called the Bermuda Triangle
Marilyn Monroe, Shakespeare, Newton
And many more besides
Yes, it’s them
Go say hello
To the Bermuda Triangle

Freighter steaming through the darkness
By daybreak they’ll make land
Now the waves are getting angry
Stirred by unknown hand
Captured by a whirlpool
The boat is spinning round
Then like a giant bathtub
It makes a gurgling sound

Fear has gripped the locomotive
The brakeman wonders why
The tracks are bent and pointing upward
Straight into the sky
Crossing on a cloud bridge
A mighty tunnel looms
Is this the final station
Where we will meet our doom?

Everybody Smile Now

Jump out of your bunk bed
Let’s greet the day, it’s time to move
Everything’s changing
It’s happy time, get in the groove

Everybody smile now
The sun is up and laughin’ too

Everybody smile now
There is so much love to do

Step out on the sidewalk
You’re smilin’ big and singing proud
Let’s get it working
Don’t worry if your song’s too loud

Don’t fret if it’s cloudy
The sun’s in you, on with the show
Keep movin’ and groovin’
Cause that’s the way the happy grows

All songs © 2013 by Jason Medwid