We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

What Is Even Happening Right Now?

by Extra Arms

/
  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    First press limited to 300 copies on white vinyl pressed in Chicago at Smashed Plastic. Jackets, inserts, and hype stickers all printed by Music Graphics Chicago. Lacquers cut by Carl Saff.

    Includes unlimited streaming of What Is Even Happening Right Now? via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days
    edition of 300 
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 74 Forge Again Records releases available on Bandcamp and save 70%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of This Christmas Eve, Got It, Triple Fast Action, Summerleague, What Is Even Happening Right Now?, Saves, Golden Parachute, Give Them Color, and 66 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $87 USD or more (70% OFF)

     

  • Black Vinyl Test Pressing
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Only a handful of these are made, this is the only one that will be for sale. Black vinyl test press from Extra Arms.

    Includes unlimited streaming of What Is Even Happening Right Now? via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
Fun Guy 02:30
Hello it’s me and I’m kicking down the door It’s a better version of the one who came before I’ve been working hard on my mental health to forgive the past and try and love myself I could quit not even try But that’s not me it’s not my style So I’m here to tell you why I could be a real fun guy Wanna be someone you don’t recognize At a costume party not wearing a disguise Put away my fangs and shed all my skin And do my best to find myself again I could quit not even try But that’s not me it’s not my style So I’m here to tell you why That I can be a real fun guy I could quit Yeah I could die I could hang my head and cry So I’m here to tell you why I can be a real fun guy
2.
Big Dogs 02:55
Feeling so frustrated Cuz you can’t say a word But you know what I’m sayin Even tho it sounds absurd But you’re just out there playing With no fucks to give You spend the whole day layin’ Yeah that’s the way you live You don’t have the cry all the time I’ll do my best to read your mind So glad I found you Yeah it must be a sign Run with you as we cross the finish line I didn’t think I’d like you Cos of the sharpness of your teeth But there’s nothing you can’t bite through To see what’s underneath I needed some healing Someone to lick my wounds To find that finer feeling To improve all my moods “Alright, where all my big dogs at?” I’ve got you you’ve got me and I think we can all agree There’s no place rather be in this space made for you and me
3.
I had to put myself to bed So I can wake and rise again Resurrected from the dead I knew I always would I had to put my past to bed And focus on today instead Got to get right in the head And now it’s understood I used to justify all my bad moves And now I modify and feel the groove Instead of falling on my face I’ll be dancing as I’m falling into place I had to put myself on blast Couldn’t let myself get away with that Instead of acting like an ass Like I knew I sometimes would It’s time to clean up my act And find my way to the right track And there’s no way I’m going back even if I could No regrets Can’t forget It’s part of me now No disguise And No surprise That I can’t allow
4.
When you’re stuck in a maze When you’re a rat in a cage Are you feeling alright? When all you do is complain If you’re hit by a train Are you feeling alright? Feeling alright When you feel inside out When you scream and you shout Are you feeling alright? When you rattle your brain If you’re a crashing plane Are you feeling alright Feeling alright At any moment you feel like you can come unglued You gotta try changing up your attitude When the heat is on and your brain starts to bubble You gotta make a change to get out of trouble So yr feeling alright
5.
Click Wars 02:30
You got lotta theories about how things should be With a click of a button you share the latest meme But you spend a lot of time just staring at a screen Instead of getting off your ass and saying what you mean You go around talking to all of your friends You’re telling everybody how the world is gonna end But you won’t lift a finger, no you can’t even bend It’s easier to bitch than just pitch in You see another headline but you don’t wanna wait So you hit the share button cos you always take the bait But you don’t wanna get into another debate Cuz you never listen and now it’s too late You’ll see it another way
6.
I was trying to find that missing piece of mind But this whole time it was right in front of me If I’m jealous and unkind or not properly aligned Blame it on my insecurity Don’t wanna hide but I need to think I’d rather cry than have a drink It’s ok to go get some therapy I’ve gotta look inside myself Not inside someone else Now everybody sees my vulnerabilities The ship is down please send some help I was trying to find myself But it seems as if I am lost at sea So I’ll put it on a shelf in the name of mental health Cuz you don’t deserve all my energy There’s no way around it Can’t go under too The only way is to go right through
7.
In Control 02:42
All I wanted to have was some control All I want is the time back that you stole It was a wrong that was right under my nose All I wanted to have was some control Wanna be in control From the bottom of my soul Make a diamond out of coal And get out of this hole Want some authority All I want is to be me Maybe I could pull some strings Maybe I could find the key All I wanted to have was words to say That I don’t wanna live in a monopoly Don’t wanna feel like a record that’s been sold All I wanted to have was some control Hey! You hear what I say? Are you listening to me?
8.
Living in a cube Four walls and not much room The air is heavy And I can’t breath We all try hard to care While we’re living in a square To stay steady Until it’s time to leave Keep on pushing Keep on pushing through Life in a cube Feeling so boxed in without a clue There’s no use trying to fight Or we’’ll be stuck in here all night That’s life in a cube We just sit and stare surrounded by the squares Procrastinating in our newsfeed Now you’re part of the machine And you need more caffeine To just hold steady Until it’s time to leave
9.
Denial 02:15
You build a wall around you with 100 dollar bills Everybody’s gotta pay to get through Your kids are spoiled rotten while your wife is popping pills And your TV set is tuned to Fox News You think it’s all a joke yeah you think it isn’t real But you know that you’re just lying to yourself When it all goes up in smoke and now you gotta steal To keep up the illusion of your wealth You Are In Denial When you’re scrolling through the ‘gram and liking all the pics To see how you compare to all your friends You bought into the scam of the all exercise chicks And you’re bound to do it all over again If it doesn’t affect you then it doesn’t exist At least that’s the lie that you believe I’m here to tell you man that you’re on my shit list How the hell did you get so naive? You’re in a bubble Where nobody tells you no You’ll be in trouble when it’s time to go
10.
There’s gonna come a time When the clock stops on a dime And you vanish Without a trace So what will you leave behind? What will they remember you by Besides a picture Of your face I don’t wanna die I’ve gotta stay alive For you There’s gonna come a day Where you ain’t gonna get more cake No more birthdays For you So what will you leave behind? What will the young ones find? That ain’t hearsay But that’s true I don’t wanna die I’ve gotta stay alive For you Time to survive At least I gotta try For you

about

“What is even happening right now?”

Good lord! How many times have you said that to yourself in the last 2…3…4…10 years? Bat-shit presidents, natural disasters, a global pandemic, murder hornets, you name it - something fucked up is always happening.

Detroit power pop band Extra Arms knows this. They understand it. But instead of accepting it and moving on, they do something about it - they turn up the volume, and channel their confusion, frustration and rage into catchy-as-hell bangers that make you want to punch a hole in the sky.

If you’re reading this, perhaps you’ve been here before. It’s possible that you have cranked their first full band album - 2018’s Headacher - on a run through your neighborhood. Maybe you laughed and cried while speeding down the highway listening to 2019’s concept/break-up album for the ages, Up From Here. There’s even a chance you’ve been down since day one, and know some of singer/guitarist/songwriter Ryan Allen’s solo albums by heart.

But what is even happening RIGHT NOW? Well, Extra Arms has another record to blast into your ear holes. And this time, the guys just wanna have fun. Sure there’s some existential dread sewn into these ten cranked up rockers, but there’s also a sense of joy, positivity and self-reflection that picks up where “Up From Here” (the album and the song) left off.

An 80s video game sample ushers in the relentless, Superchunk-y “Fun Guy” - a redemption song with a title swiped from the nickname of basketball player Kawhi Leonard - and from there it’s pretty much ON. “Big Dogs” mixes Allen’s choppy delayed guitar with drummer Dan Stover’s propulsive beat and a hooky, sing-along bridge, all while being a heartfelt ode to man’s best friend. “Falling Into Place” is a minor key ripper with a stand-out Randy Rhodes-esq lead from guitarist Michael Gallacher. “Feeling Alright” bubbles and scrapes with Cars-esq synth, Ryan Marshall’s driving bass and Allen’s hiccupy vocals. “Click Wars” calls out the conspiracy theorists, boasting the best Vox organ sound this side of Elvis Costello’s “This Year’s Model”. “Vulnerabilities” big ups the benefits of self-care, while pushing the riffs and rhythm to epic heights. “In Control” grinds with a stop-start dynamic, referencing the dark tones of Jawbreaker’s “Dear You”. “Life In A Cube” wonders what would happen if Foo Fighters covered Stereloab while soundtracking the movie Office Space. “Denial” goes hard after Fox News devotees, musically throwing a party where everybody from Rocket From the Crypt to the Go-Gos to the Ohio Players are invited. The album wraps with “I Don’t Wanna Die”, a go-for-broke jam that throws all of the band’s influences into the melting pot, reminding the listener that even in these dark times, there’s always something to live for. By the time it’s over you’ll be asking yourself what just happened. And then you’ll hit play again.

Now, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention a few details: The album was created in the era of social distance. Demos were made. Files were shared. Zoom calls were had. Masked-up band members convened in small numbers at engineer Chuck Huber’s Drifting Sun Studios. Tracks were captured there or flown in from home. Experiments were conducted. Bass parts were recorded in comfy pants. Oh, and we can’t forget the guests: Matthew Caws from Nada Surf, Bob Nanna from Braid/Hey Mercedes, Gregory Macdonald from Sloan, Lily Paul from the Plastic Beach, Scott Allen from Thunderbirds Are Now!, Chris Hatfield from Love Axe and saxophonist Matt Jones can all be found in the fibers of this album. All that was left was for Paul Miner (New Found Glory, Thrice, Touche Amore) to mix, master, and stick a fork in it.

So the only question left is: What is even happening…next? Well, only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: You’ll have a killer new Extra Arms album for the soundtrack.

credits

released June 3, 2022

Engineered by Charles Huber at Drifting Sun Sound in Ferndale, MI
Mixed and mastered by Paul Miner at Buzzbomb Studios in Orange, CA
Additional recording by Ryan Allen at Elgin House Studios, in Oak Park, MI, Brad Allen at Our Leisure Studios in Livonia, MI, Paul Miner at Buzzbomb Studios in Orange, CA and at the guest contributor’s home studios

Ryan Allen - vocals, guitar, keyboard, percussion
Michael Gallacher - guitar
Ryan Marshall - bass
Daniel Stover - drums

Produced by Ryan Allen, Michael Gallacher and Paul Miner
All songs written by Extra Arms © Can’t Stop Writing Songs
Band photography by Jodi Lynn Burton and Emitt Allen
Art and design by Ryan Cady

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Forge Again Records Chicago, Illinois

Chicago DIY label established in 2000.

contact / help

Contact Forge Again Records

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like What Is Even Happening Right Now?, you may also like: