Discography
The Sugar Police – 2008
The Sugar Police is an album composed of music never before recorded by Joseph Karsner. Each song seems to derive from a different place, a different scene, and sometimes, a different genre.
Much of “The Sugar Police” was written while Joseph was working with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans, Louisiana. Joseph spent the days rebuilding and the nights discovering the history and culture of American blues. He was incredibly inspired by the deep life within the city, despite the horrible trials and tribulations they had been put through. There’s a strange force where nature and humanity collide; though decimated by the strongest storms and the Mother herself, you can hear the melodies of the grass, water and soil sing through the music made in New Orleans.
All of the art created for The Sugar Police was jointly produced by Joseph and his two pet rats, Joe II and Warhol. Joseph used a mixture of found materials, lithograph, woodcut and plain ink to create the works, many of which simply expose the basic elements of the album through line and shape.
Track List:
Give A Hoot
Detective Clarinet
Acid Rain
There’s no Fire in Flames
Passive Aggressive
I Heard a Small Person Speak
All songs written by Joseph Karsner
JOSEPH KARSNER: Vocals, programming, instrumentation.
JAMES BELFRY: Percussion
ANA MOREAU: Backing vocals
Final Straws and Sinking Limbs EP– 2007
Joseph’s 2007 EP was named Final Straws and Sinking Limbs after a summer spent working with the Coast Guard. Though the name might sound fairly generic, it came to him somewhere between California and Hawaii, during a storm in which his outfit worked through the night to save a smaller fishing boat that had developed an inoperable leak. That night, the team was able to save all but one of the ship’s crew; the fatality occurred when a large wave swept the crew member, grinding his head against a tool chest and tossing him in to the unforgiving waves of the Pacific. Because of his unconsciousness, rescuers were unable to reach him before he became one with the sea.
The EP is short and versed simply on that fateful night. Each of the three songs symbolizes a different point in the rescue and return. Listen for traditional sea song influence as well as themes of loss and triumph.
Track List:
Or’ the Landing Comes
Voiceless
A Marriage of Life and Death
All songs written by Joseph Karsner
JOSEPH KARSNER: Vocals, programming, instrumentation
JAMES BELFRY: Percussion, backing vocals
ANA MOREAU: Backing vocals
The Halfway Scarce – 2006
Have you ever moved quite far from your hometown, only to return against your will? In 2006, Joseph Karsner was faced with a very intrusive financial situation that forced him to move back in with his parents in Salt Lake City. Being away from his old stomping grounds had given him a sense of freedom that seemed to be stripped away the minute his plane touched the ground.
In the weeks before he found work, Joseph wrote music with his father’s old acoustic guitar and nothing else – he’d never played the instrument before, and all of the resulting songs are somewhat strange because of that. Though he generally uses normal chords, often you’ll hear strange fingerings and muted strings you wouldn’t hear with a trained guitarist.
Upon his arrival to Salt Lake City, Joseph found an old friend of his was also in town. Jack McCardellguest stars on one of the album’s tracks, “Vast Space is Blinding”.
Track List:
Poor Olive
Stand Closter to the Edge of the Mountain
Vast Space is Blinding
Zion
All songs written by Joseph Karsner
JOSEPH KARSNER: Vocals, programming, instrumentation
JACK MCCARDELL: Percussion
Detox EP – 2003
Detoxis Joseph Karsner’s first solo EP. There’s little to say in the way of descriptions for the songs, which vary in time and place, other than they are stories of a young man beginning his life in the world of the adults he so feared.
All three pieces were recorded in one day, though written in the years previous. Joseph bought a used desktop computer in order to lay the tracks down, in hopes that he’d find a proper studio in the area for an actual session. When things got incredibly busy for him, Joseph decided these versions were suitable for his first EP.
The album art is by Joseph Karsner and produced using watercolor.
Track List:
Green Dress
Goldenrod
A Terrible Shame
All songs written by Joseph Karsner
JOSEPH KARSNER: Vocals, programming, instrumentation
RACHEL GIBBONS: Backing vocals