Help Wanted

Ted Quinn is a singer, songwriter and cultural activist in joshua tree, California. Recorded entirely in analog at the rancho de la luna studio in joshua tree, in which quinn is a partner, 'help wanted' looks at the state of love and war at the turn of the millenium with healthy trepidation and, ultimately, hard-won faith. Challeging the super power status of his native America, quinn starts with a minimalist, dream-laced meditation - with musique concrete production by tony mason - on his home town, 'la porte, Indiana,' his family's move to California and the resulting change in course of a young life. Declaring the 'death of cool,' quinn employs a rich, spector-esque wall of sound and gentle singing style to denounce the cruelty of modern society, while keeping an eye out for a sign of redemption. Fred drake recorded and mixed 'tar beach' as per quinn's wishes to make it sound like a motown ballad played over a transistor radio, which has been left out on the beach overnight, from which the battery acid has mixed with salt water. '29 palms' was written for a marine widow in the small town near joshua tree, home of the world's largest military base. The tell-tale signs of impending war include the sound of helicopters moving out, as young wives are left behind to shop and wait. 'don't/shoot' (or 'don't let nothing shoot you down') was recorded with bill bizeau on a sunday afternoon in the spring. Had it been recorded on a saturday night, it would have sounded completely different. Hamilton camp's classic anti-war song, 'pride of man,' was an fm hit for quicksilver messenger service in the Vietnam era. The lyrics refer to 'babylon, that mighty city,' but could easily have said Washington, instead. Written on fourth of july, 2001, 'billions & billions' is not a post-9/11 song. It has more to do with a dubiously won election and it's aftermath. It contains the first known rhyming of oprah and deepak chopra. Quinn performed the song as part of the lysistrata international day of theatre against war in Iraq at the wilshire ebell in Los Angeles. 'apocalypse no' is one of two songs for the mad prophet of the street, dave, who prayed for the marine convoys driving by, even as he fought visions of airpalnes crashing into skyscrapers, years befor it actually happened. Tony mason wrote the extremely catchy hook and jeremy gilien provided the post-techno keyboards. Fred drake plays the drums and elia arce is heard laughing at the very end. 'if u do' is a song of the riddle of love and impending loss. If you listen closely, you can hear the object of quinn's affections making a quick run for it. Okay, 'sky cathedral' is post-9/11. ^#^it's title comes from a piece of art by louise nevelson, which was destroyed in the world trade center. It had been made the year of quinn's birth (in la porte, Indiana) and, coincidentally, the year of miles davis' 'birth of cool.' the song draws a parallel between the sculpture and the giant buddhas destroyed in Afghanistan. 'dave's song (if that's what you wanted)' was written after the suicide of the mad prophet of 'apocalypse no (the mighty cubellis).' 'orange sunshine' is a song quinn woke up to on what would have been fred drake's birthday, had he not flown out of his body the previous spring. It was as if drake was telling quinn which chords to play, which words to sing. The title refers to the glowing light of sunrise pouring in through orange colored curtains and not necessarily to a favorite past-time quinn