Thick Red Wine

the gist

chances are you are already one of my dearest friends but if you’re finding your way to this page and you don’t know much about me, hello! i am the mysterious folk songwriting entity known as thick red wine. 90% of the proceeds for my first EP “Come at Me Bro Pt. 1″ will go to planned parenthood (bandcamp.com takes the other %10). i thought i’d do this because: it’s christmas, i have an intense and passionate appreciation for the work that planned parenthood does on a daily basis around the U.S. and they could use the help. so i hope you can offer your support.

i know a lot of people have been rallying against the NDAA bill in the last few weeks and i wholeheartedly support that. but i do still wish there was more support for reproductive health, awareness, education, and access. i’m mostly referring to the plan b fiasco where our president put his politics before science like an out of touch patriarch

anyway i hope you enjoy the songs, donate lots and support the depoliticization of science and the fight for reproductive rights. read on for more about the EP’s title, the songs, etc.

to those of you who enjoy reading…

i wrote the first of these songs last year and it was called “what i really want for xmas.” the other two tracks just seemed like they fit into a song cycle i’ve been privately classifying as “come at me bro” songs. yes, the expression made famous by ronnie of the jersey shore. i do find the “come at me bro” phrase awful and stupid and the product of an awful and stupid (and crazy) world.

but i was thinking about how it’s also a random and perfect chance to directly confront hypermasculinity in a way that isn’t related to sports or militaries. opportunities like that are rare but important. with the popularity of the jersey shore, all kinds of people have had a chance to react to the embarrassing display of “manhood” espoused by the show’s male characters (stoic, homophobic, sex-obsessed, strength/power/violence hungry)

these recordings might not be polished and recorded real nice but the songs strive toward an alternative masculinity that is unspoken but very much real. these are songs to promote respect, patience, humility, expressiveness, open mindedness and cooperation. too many men settle on a stereotype that’s grounded on being emotionless, strong, and stubborn. there are more honorable ways to define an identity.

song descriptions as found on the bandcamp pages

“meeting girls” – don’t fuel insecurities, whether they are grounded in the physical or the psychological. don’t be afraid to take a risk and offer love. lots and lots of love. and be a good listener! understand the value of comforting others when they are trying to be someone who they think you or other people want them to be.

“regulate” – first off listen to lots of nate dogg and dj screw. but also realize there are women out there who deal with pain and suffering by putting up strong, seemingly emotionless fronts as defense mechanisms. venture into their hearts! perhaps you are familiar with the strong/macho/tough-guy/emotionless quality that is lumped in with the traditional masculine stereotype. find your way to the conclusion that everyone needs comfort. letting your guard down doesn’t have to be related to sex, and it can still be a really wonderful thing.

“hold you” – strive to provide an environment where the girls in your life never feel pressured to wear uncomfortable heels. it is a minor detail in the grand scheme of things but why not work toward making someone feel comfortable in every way you can? it seems like a worthwhile use of your time! and take off from work sometimes to lie in bed all day while squeezing someone tight and making them feel loved. life is fleeting but love is eternal.

so #comeatmebro i will fight for these messages even if you feel like knocking my teeth out. i hope my feeble two minute folk songs get the right sentiments across. masculinity and femininity could be defined by much more than their limitations if we all encouraged positive gender discussions. and donate to planned parenthood every month or go volunteer! i appreciate you listening, reading, and helping out a good cause. and i hope if you’re new here you’ll sign up for the mailing list or like me on Facebook or follow me on twitter or send me an email (contact@thickredwine.com) introducing yourself so we can be friends : )

much love and stay based this holiday season,
Mike/Thick Red Wine

yeah changes to how i run this place are coming but more on that soon. (instead of taking the time to explain to you why/how these changes will occur, i really just want to put on some max roach and buddy rich)

but one of the changes is more music. these are 2 songs i covered last night for my friend kayla. perhaps you recognize her name from the million times i’ve tried to scream at you about how she’s an amazing songwriter. they’re recorded w/ 2 mono inputs so sorry if your headphones are broke or you’re sharing earbuds.

thick red wine - untitled (kayla cover)
thick red wine - happy birthday pt. 2 (scott mcmicken/ dr. dog

hola friends & fans & people who wound up here trying to buy red wine on the internet,

by all counts, the teach us album has come to a halt. i have no idea when it will be done or if it will ever be done. time shall tell.

in the meantime, i’m going to focus these next few winter months on recording stuff and putting together some stuff to release. there are 2-3 singles and 2-3 eps i’d really like to put out. there’s also another 2 albums of material nearing completion so maybe i’ll even release one of those before teach us.

i hope y’all dig the radio thing, it’s been fun. i’m going to start mixing things up a bit more and getting progressively weirder i guess. story of my life a bit.

but yeah i’ll write to you all again soon i promise

xo