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Known To Be Unknown

by Mickelson

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    “Known To Be Unknown” is the new Mickelson record (4.15.22). Nine new recordings written and produced by Mickelson.
    Includes “UNarmed American” and “A Murder Of Crows”. The vinyl will be shipped in June but if you pre-order it now you will get $5 off the retail price.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Known To Be Unknown via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 60 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $25 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    “Known To Be Unknown” is the new Mickelson record (4.15.22). Nine new recordings written and produced by Mickelson.
    Includes “UNarmed American” and “A Murder Of Crows”.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Known To Be Unknown via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • T-Shirt/Shirt + Digital Album

    100% cotton Navy Blue T-shirt. It relates to a lyric on the forthcoming record “The knockout of the century landing on your toes.”

    Includes unlimited streaming of Known To Be Unknown via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $25 USD or more 

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Limited Edition 12' vinyl. Eight tracks including the smaaaaash hit “Jagged Tooth”. Released in 2020. Limited supply.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Known To Be Unknown via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 3 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $30 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

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    5
    releases

    Get all 5 Mickelson releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Jump Off The Earth, Only Grey Matter Boiling In My Head, Known To Be Unknown, Drowning In An Inflatable Pool, and A Wondrous Life. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $17.55 USD or more (35% OFF)

     

1.
UNarmed American 03:06
lyrics
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UNarmed American I've got an itchy trigger finger but I only Kill with kindness I'm the greatest gunslinger because I see Through the blindness My hand is on the handle but you've Got the tighter grip I'm aiming at a target that we may never hit I am unarmed American There's pictures in my wallet Of the kids I bring to school I never need to flaunt it or use it like a tool Teachers should be teaching Not reaching for a drawer Or silently screaming when the devil's at the door Yes I am unarmed American You and I we share a high capacity Yours is on your shoulder and mine's a sensibility You're clutching a ghost in your hand Invisible and alarming Can someone help me understand How this is disarming Yes I am unarmed American
2.
Go To Bed Hungry 04:17
lyrics
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Go To Bed Hungry Got a head like granite I fly into a panic I can take a punch but not by you I'm too weak to cover up It's the same storm but a different boat Sailing and sinking Bailing and drinking We get washed away In our sea of stew We can't serve or be served Without spilling the soup What was lovely get's ugly If only we ladled one more scoop We go to bed hungry And we wake up hungrier It's a carousel conversation I ride the prancer, you ride the sleigh We are held together by centrifugal force Spinning faster until I'm thrown from the horse Now it's tasting like a yellow jacket's Flown into the food It's time to eat from a different basket We go to bed hungry And we wake up hungrier I am maintained but only dusted Self sustained until I'm busted Even in retreat this hero's got to eat And when the bedroom get's cold and damp Better set the bed on fire It'll light the room just enough to see We go to bed hungry and we wake up hungrier
3.
A Murder Of Crows 03:41
lyrics
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A Murder Of Crows It's not where you stand It's where you choose to sit And under whose command Will you benefit It's a blur in the memory It's hiding in the shadows Wrap me and comfort me But don't get too close Because we're giving up our freedom For temporary safety A conspiracy of ravens A murder of crows Two is company Three's a crowd Four's a riot But you and me We came for poetry Hoping to buy it It's a blur in the memory A game of dominos Toppling down in front of me Steady as she goes Because we're giving up our freedom For temporary safety A conspiracy of ravens A murder of crows Children playing among heroes Better buckle up We can frame this any way we want But that won't make it art It's a blur in the memory A punch on the nose The knockout of the century Landing on your toes Because we're giving up our freedom For temporary safety A conspiracy of ravens A parliament of magpies A tyranny of kingbirds A murder of crows
4.
Ithaca 05:08
lyrics
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Ithaca My sarcasm did not take So I waited for the words to come We were divided in our goals Hoping for the same outcome I'm just a handmaid hammer in an old toolbox Living in a blind bubble While you're shooting holes in my story I'm guessing there's no time for rebuttal We drove into Ithaca The signs in the East say we're under attack Way up North in Ithaca You can't blame a man for fighting back. It's not the years it's the miles It's not the weathered roof of your Subaru It's just everything around here either bites or stings So I guess I won't mention you know who (trump) And you don't need to live by the slaughterhouse To know what's cooking You don't need to be the first to announce We're more than a couple of hundred miles from Brooklyn We drove into Ithaca Way up where the air is thin We got in to Ithaca How can you win when the enemies within You wear those pants better than me I'm barely a half mowed lawn The other half is my ideology Jumping from the window And moving on
5.
Only Ugly When You Cry 03:58
lyrics
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Only Ugly When You Cry Time to clear the gutters Before those sparks start to fly Grab a hammer and nail the shutters Before we’re both trapped inside I’d like to smooth out your rough waters I’d like to take you past the breakers But I’m caught in the tide You’re only ugly when you cry You’re only ugly when I make you cry I’d like to kill you with kindness I’ve got an itch trigger finger If I could find you in this darkness I’d be the greatest gunslinger I’d like to run through your sprinklers I want to get my two feet wet And I’ll meet you on the other side You’re inly ugly when you cry So kick me under the table Hang me out to dry Spin me off your turntable You’re only ugly when you cry
6.
Chicago Transit Authority 03:12
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7.
Die Trying 04:04
lyrics
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I remember six inches for Jesus At the School of the Sacred Heart We got so close we could taste it If we got too close they tore us apart I’ve been dancing that way ever since What we learn young we hold forever So when fortune smiles I’ll be miles ways That grin will see the back of me Looks like I’m going to die trying any way Looks like I’m going to die trying any way Still I’m searching for an upside Something I can sink my teeth into Sometimes love is only a point of pride Sometimes love is what we lose Looks like I’m going to die trying any way Looks like I’m going to die trying any way Looks like I’ll laugh it off, laugh it off One more day So call me by my family name Look me up on your cellular phone I’ve got pictures and words you’ve never heard I am known to be unknown
8.
A Blur In The Memory 01:12
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9.
UNarmed American (acoustic) 03:00
lyrics
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UNarmed American (solo) I've got an itchy trigger finger but I only Kill with kindness I'm the greatest gunslinger because I see Through the blindness My hand is on the handle but you've Got the tighter grip I'm aiming at a target that we may never hit I am unarmed American There's pictures in my wallet Of the kids I bring to school I never need to flaunt it or use it like a tool Teachers should be teaching Not reaching for a drawer Or silently screaming when the devil's at the door Yes I am unarmed American You and I we share a high capacity Yours is on your shoulder and mine's a sensibility You're clutching a ghost in your hand Invisible and alarming Can someone help me understand How this is disarming Yes I am unarmed American

about

KNOWN TO BE UNKNOWN was written and recorded while I was in lockdown. I performed all the instruments with exception to drums, cello and horns. “It was depressing having to cancel my tours in support of Drowning In An Inflatable Pool (2020). Everyone suffered in the lockdown. Then I heard the McCartney III album I told myself to stop whining and get busy again. I soon wrote and recorded the song “Go To Bed Hungry” and never stopped. I am a full time recoding artist, there is no day job. My work as a producer finances my touring and promotion. So when the pandemic hit, there was only really one option and that was to make another record.

Once again I can’t help but focus on cultural and political issues in the U.S. I am definitely a news junky. In “UNarmed American” I deal with the epidemic of gun violence and the lack of political will to fix it. “UNarmed American” gives a voice to the majority of Americans, including responsible gun owners, who believe we can have reasonable gun control laws and still exercise our freedom. It's not one or the other. We can do both! I knew plenty of other folks that shared my view so I invited other local artists to add their voices. I was really happy with the track and I decided to also make the video. Then while touring, I began playing “Unarmed American” solo. It was really well received so I recorded it again as the closing track.

In “A Murder Of Crows” I focused on the heavily divided responses to Covid. This song was written in the first weeks of Covid. As the pandemic unfolded it became painfully clear that there were two opposing views on how, as a nation, we could contain it. It is now science and reason vs. misinformation and cultural beliefs. In “A Murder Of Crows” I playfully display both sides.

“Because we're giving up our freedom
For temporary safety
A conspiracy of ravens
We're a murder of crows”

In the song “Ithaca”, I describe an encounter in a very liberal town where I made a comment that triggered an unpleasant response. I made the mistake of assuming I was with like-minded people and opened my big mouth. Ithaca also turns into an extended, rocking, jam which is a highlight of the record.

KNOWN TO BE UNKNOWN also includes an instrumental called “Chicago Transit Authority”. I said to my daughter that I think my new record is done. She asked which song had horns on it and I realized there weren’t any. All of my records include horns. I love working with horn players, so I wrote it. The title is a nod to the first album by the band Chicago which is a classic. This is also the first time I wrote the horn arrangements with actual charts.”

Regarding the album cover, Sometimes my lyrics kick up a hornet’s nest. As far as the album title goes, I’ve been recording my songs since the 1970s. I’ve never had a big hit but I just keep going. Looks like I’m gonna die trying.

credits

released April 15, 2022

“Known To Be Unknown” was written/performed/engineered/produced by Scott Mickelson except drums/Frank Reina, cello/Sadie Mickelson, trombone/tuba Luke Kirley, trumpet/Cayce Carnahan

Group vocals on “UNarmed American” Ben Morrison, Sam Chase, Josh Windmiller, Brad Brooks, Ken Newman, Mick Shaffer, Jesse Brewster, Shannon Koehler, David Luning

Mastered by Bob Weston/Chicago Mastering
Artwork/Design by SM
Photography by Jayms Ramirez

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about

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Mickelson San Francisco, California

Scott Mickelson is an artist/producer from San Francisco. His debut release FLICKERING was on the Grammy ballot for Best Folk Album and Best Roots Music Performance. His follow up A WONDROUS LIFE received great reviews and led to his first European tour in 2019. Mickelson appears in NPR Radio, Huffington Post, No Depression, Glide Magazine, Paste Magazine, PopMatters, Alternative Press Magazine... ... more

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