Ornament and Crime (album)

Ornament and Crime
Studio album by Self
Released	August 25, 2017
Recorded	2001 – November 10, 2003
Studio	Royaltone, North Hollywood Crackertracks, Studio City Larrabee, Los Angeles
Genre	Rock
Length	37:56
Label	El Camino Media
Self chronology
Super Fake Nice (2014) Ornament and Crime (2017)
Alternate cover
Cover commonly associated with the album prior to its official release in 2017

Ornament and Crime is the fifth studio album by American rock band Self, released on August 25, 2017, by El Camino Media.

History

Following Self's fourth studio album, Gizmodgery (2000), lead member Matt Mahaffey began working on the band's next album, planning a rock approach harkening back to their debut album Subliminal Plastic Motives. He prominently used Pro Tools in the recording process, only recording analog for drums and some guitars.[1] The album was originally intended for release in August 2003, but was delayed by a year to accommodate newer material.

Ornament and Crime was completed on November 10, 2003,[2] but the sale of DreamWorks Records to Universal Music Group and eventual dissolution of the label left the album indefinitely unreleased. After releasing the album's scrapped songs as the compilation Porno, Mint & Grime (2005), the band went on hiatus.[3]

On August 25, 2017, the album was officially released through independent label El Camino Media.[3] Prior to this, Ornament and Crime was only legally available via streaming on Self's Myspace and YouTube channels.

The album's penultimate song "Out With A Bang" was first heard in the 2001 Sci-fi comedy film Evolution.[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Matt Mahaffey, except where noted

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Hellbent"	3:09
2.	"Emotional"	3:27
3.	"Insecure Sober" (Matt Mahaffey, Mac Burrus)	2:23
4.	"Pathetic Song"	3:21
5.	"How Can I Make You Happy"	3:13
6.	"Can't Go On"	4:05
7.	"Coming Over"	4:03
8.	"No One Knows You"	2:43
9.	"Grow Up"	3:22
10.	"The Pounding Truth"	3:18
11.	"Out With A Bang"	3:32
12.	"L.A. Radio" (Matt Mahaffey, Mac Burrus, Mike Mahaffey, Gary Welsh)	2:27
Total length:		37:56

Personnel

• Matt Mahaffey - vocals, guitar, drums, piano
• Jason Rawlings - drums
• Mac Burrus - bass
• Mike Mahaffey - guitar, vocals
• Chris James - piano
• Geoff Gallegos - Strings/Horns
• Other (Various instruments) - Matt Mahaffey

Production

• Producer - Mario Caldato Jr. (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 11), Mickey Petralia (tracks: 4, 5, 6, 7, 10), Matt Mahaffey (tracks: 12)
• Engineer - Robert Carranza
• Engineer (Assistant) - Mario Caldato Jr., Mickey Petralia, Chris James, Matt Mahaffey
• Mixing - Rich Costey, Dan Leffler
• Artwork - Andy Suriano (2017 vinyl re-issue)

Notes

1. Harkey, Scott (September 11, 2000). "Self / Interviews". Silent Uproar. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
2. Heisel, Scott (August 27, 2014). ""We never broke up, but we got burned out"—Matt Mahaffey on the return of Self". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
3. Besecker, Gabe (December 11, 2023). "sElf-Indulgent: A Retrospective on the Band That Started Matt Mahaffey's Career". Woof Magazine. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
4. Go Electronica (2001). "Once again, Self is making some noise". Go Electronica. Archived from the original on July 21, 2001. Retrieved December 24, 2024.