(woman) "Prairie Musicians" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota, and by the members of Prairie Public.

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[playing in bright folk-rock rhythm] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ On a cheap flight to MSP got a little anxiety ♪ ♪ Thinkin' about Bernoulli I had to land ♪ ♪ The Marshall said to me ♪ ♪ "There's no need to cause a scene" ♪ ♪ Just sit back down and read your magazine ♪ ♪ Man I should get some sleep ♪ ♪ But I'm so far from my dreams ♪ ♪ On this regression towards the mean ♪ [harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Wheels up they roll the cart ♪ ♪ It's not exactly Michelin-starred ♪ ♪ But hey I'll eat it anyway ♪ ♪ Now you're the one that's on a roll ♪ ♪ Zipping off to another code and I'm just making my way home ♪ ♪ Man I should get some rest ♪ ♪ Before this heart bursts through my chest ♪ ♪ Oh yeah just like the Kool-Aid man ♪ [harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ In the final stage of flight ♪ ♪ Armrests down and seats upright ♪ ♪ The captain came upon the mic ♪ ♪ "Hey there frequent flier man ♪ ♪ Welcome back to Flyoverland ♪ ♪ Where everything it just comes to pass" ♪ ♪ Man I should call grandma ♪ ♪ It's time to pick me up ♪ ♪ What a ringer humdinger your zinger ♪ ♪ Songwriter is here ♪ [harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar & harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm Aaron Tinjum with Aaron Tinjum and the Tangents, and we are a Twin Cities folk-rock band, I'm so excited to be here to play our music for Prairie Public.

[harmonica solo] ♪ ♪ Aaron Tinjum and the Tangents, so I am Aaron Tinjum.

I write the songs, I sing them, and I play guitar, harmonica, and even piano depending on the song.

On bass, we have my father, Paul Tinjum, a Fargo-Moorhead native, really excited to be back to his hometown area to play the songs.

One of his best friends growing up, Pat Wheeler on electric guitar, also a Fargo-Moorhead native.

Jim Sorboro on keys, and then we have my cousin, also a Fargo-Moorhead native, plays in a number of bands up here in Fargo, Matthew Tinjum.

So when I finally decided I wanted to record my debut album, I'd been writing songs for the better part of a decade and finally felt like I was getting to a point where I would be decent enough to record, so we launched a Facebook poll to decide what the band name should be.

There were a range of options like Aaron Tinjum and the Tousentacs, but what eventually stuck, and what the voters elected was the Tangents.

So it's been the Tangents, and I feel that's really fitting for a number of reasons, but one being that my songs are always changing, the band's lineup has changed over the years, we've changed which cities we're performing in.

So it feels like the music is always going off on a tangent.

So that's how we are Aaron Tinjum and the Tangents, and I've been stickin' with it ever since.

[playing in folk-rock rhythm] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I drove down to Searchlight for the night ♪ ♪ To try and make things light ♪ ♪ I couldn't make you smile ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I did the same in Truth or Consequences ♪ ♪ But regardless of events ♪ ♪ I couldn't make you smile ♪ ♪ Well you tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you don't really need my love ♪ ♪ You tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you're tired and you want to stop ♪ ♪ Tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you don't really dig my stuff ♪ ♪ You'd tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ At least you would if you had the guts ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I pulled in to Houston to play pretend ♪ ♪ Play the part for all your friends ♪ ♪ I couldn't make them laugh ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I did the same in Austin and Oklahome ♪ ♪ In Albuquerque New Mexico I couldn't make you laugh ♪ ♪ Well you tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you don't really need my love ♪ ♪ Well you tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you're tired and you want to stop ♪ ♪ Tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you don't really dig my stuff ♪ ♪ You tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ At least you would if you had the guts ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Two can play at this game for a bit ♪ ♪ Until it's finally up it splits ♪ ♪ And you walk away ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Really what did you expect me to say?

♪ ♪ How was I to react?

♪ ♪ Just take back ♪ ♪ Everything I said and everything I felt ♪ ♪ On every single day oh come on get in ♪ ♪ You can tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ How you don't really need this now ♪ ♪ You can tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you're tired and you want to stop ♪ ♪ Tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ That you don't really dig my stuff ♪ ♪ You tell me on the way down ♪ ♪ At least you would if you had the guts ♪ ♪ If you had the guts ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ "A Dark Take on a Good Friend's Life."

It's a little bit more of an upbeat song, it's off of my most recent album which came out during the pandemic called Zinger.

Zinger, the album as a whole is about kind of expectations and coming of a certain age.

For a lot of those songs I had passed the milestone of 30 years old, so with turning 30 you feel like it's supposed to be this culminating age of you're getting married, you're considering to have kids, your career should be taking off, and it doesn't always go as the way you planned it.

So "A Dark Take on a Good Friend's Life," I was watching a show called Mater of None on Netflix and got the idea of kind of writing a song about those expectations and whether you're meeting those expectations in the eyes of others, so that's what that song is about.

[playing a blues/rock intro] [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So tell me how are your wife and kids ♪ ♪ Oh I thought you had some I could've swore you did ♪ ♪ You know it's getting pretty late in the game ♪ ♪ Don't you think it's high time to make a change ♪ ♪ Man If I wanted your unsolicited advice ♪ ♪ If I want to do things and pay for them twice ♪ ♪ If I need a dark take on my life ♪ ♪ I'll come to you ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah we used to dance and we used to scheme ♪ ♪ 12 years later you're still doing the same ♪ ♪ You could've made a 30 under 30 list by now ♪ ♪ I think I've got a guy who can help you out ♪ ♪ Man if I wanted your unsolicited advice ♪ ♪ If I want to do things and pay for them twice ♪ ♪ If I need a dark take on my life ♪ ♪ I'll come to you ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You're the jack of all trades and a master of none ♪ ♪ Those millennial critiques are a bit overdone ♪ ♪ Maybe we'll buy up some stock in the next generation ♪ ♪ Cuz if the Tide Pod challenge is any indication ♪ ♪ You got a little older and now it seems ♪ ♪ You no longer dream you just fall asleep ♪ ♪ Oh and ambition sank so long ago ♪ ♪ Passions are numb desire's burning low ♪ ♪ Man if I wanted your unsolicited advice ♪ ♪ If I want to finally take things under the knife ♪ ♪ If I need a hot take if I need a think piece ♪ ♪ If I need a remake of every movie now ♪ ♪ If I ever want a single thing that you've got ♪ ♪ If I'm ever lost in that old school of thought ♪ ♪ If I ever find myself quite so distraught ♪ ♪ I'll come to you ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ [playing in country rhythm] ♪ ♪ ♪ Did you think you'd ever recover ♪ ♪ From the storms you brewed and tides you turned ♪ ♪ On all of your friends ♪ ♪ Just to come back and make amends ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Unhappiness is your part-time lover ♪ ♪ You threw up your walls so you never discovered ♪ ♪ The life you could leave ♪ ♪ Apart from the buffoons you've entertained ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Still this stupid city skyline ♪ ♪ Ain't the same without your smile ♪ ♪ Silhouetted by the sunset ♪ ♪ Of some ever-changing style ♪ ♪ We turned on Grand ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I said I will love you ♪ ♪ I will love you I will love you ♪ ♪ Like I always have ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You came and went and nothing happened ♪ ♪ Questions were asked and my answers were at risk ♪ ♪ Of showing my hand ♪ ♪ Woe be the willful ignorance of some gamblin' man ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Still the Fargo city skyline ♪ ♪ Ain't the same without your smile ♪ ♪ Silhouetted by the sunset ♪ ♪ Of some ever-changing style ♪ ♪ I took your hand ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I said I will love you ♪ ♪ I will love you I will love you ♪ ♪ Like I always have ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I said I will love you ♪ ♪ I will love you I will love you ♪ ♪ Like I always have ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I said I will love you ♪ ♪ I will love you I will love you ♪ ♪ Like I always have ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mrs. Ramil (Balkan Carnival) that's a song off my debut EP, "Mirrors in the Dark."

I recorded that down in Austin, Texas, and it's a winding backstory.

Basically, I went to Oslo, Norway for a summer, and I had grand visions that as a Norwegian American that I would meet all these Norwegian friends, and that did not happen at all.

What I did meet was a lot of friends from the Balkans area, so that's Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, and one of those people was the person who inspired the character of Mrs. Ramil.

She had fallen in love with someone that summer, so I was writing this song to urge her to pursue that relationship.

[playing in syncopated folk rhythm] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mrs. Ramil ♪ ♪ She's in love ♪ ♪ With the receptionist ♪ ♪ Looking fine and acting tough she's got a crush ♪ ♪ But she keeps it way too hushed yes, she will blush ♪ ♪ But her silence is not enough ♪ ♪ She's a Balkan speaking Serbian ♪ ♪ And I know she knows her English too ♪ ♪ So I wish she'd just tell him God please tell him ♪ ♪ Give him a good talkin' to but she won't budge ♪ ♪ She will not break missing out on love is her mistake ♪ ♪ It's a piece of cake just go on take it ♪ ♪ If it's love you've got to make it ♪ ♪ Oo da diddy oo la diddy oo love ♪ ♪ Um da diddy oo la diddy um da da diddy um da la da da ♪ ♪ Um da diddy oo la diddy oo love ♪ ♪ Um da diddy oo la diddy um da da diddy um da la da da um ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Mrs. Ramil ♪ ♪ She is so shy ♪ ♪ By lighted charcoal ♪ ♪ There's that sparkle in her eye ♪ ♪ Lights up the sky ♪ ♪ At three a.m. at night ♪ ♪ The nights are white ♪ ♪ I think it is a sign ♪ ♪ But she's a Balkan speaking Serbian ♪ ♪ And I know she knows her English too ♪ ♪ So I wish she'd just tell him God please tell him ♪ ♪ Give him a good talkin' to ♪ ♪ But she won't budge she will not break ♪ ♪ Missing out on love is her mistake ♪ ♪ It's a piece of cake just go on take it ♪ ♪ If it's love you've got to make it ♪ ♪ Oo da diddy oo la diddy oo love ♪ ♪ Um da diddy oo la diddy um da da diddy um da la da da ♪ ♪ Oo da diddy oo la diddy oo luv ♪ ♪ Um da diddy oo la diddy um da da diddy um da la da da ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And if you really want love ♪ ♪ You've got to chase it from the start ♪ ♪ But you cannot be greedy ♪ ♪ You've got to take it part by part ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's a gradual process ♪ ♪ It's a flick of your wrist ♪ ♪ It's a ring on your finger or it's your first kiss ♪ ♪ It's what you want only if you will ♪ ♪ Mrs. Ramil ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's what you want only if you will ♪ ♪ Mrs. Ramil ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's what you want only if you will ♪ ♪ Mrs. Ramil ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing folk-rock] [harmonica intro] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh when I light a cigarette ♪ ♪ To choke on the smoke ♪ ♪ My cough laughs so loudly ♪ ♪ But I'm broke like a joke ♪ ♪ The man in the tie ♪ ♪ Keeps his dress pants clean ♪ ♪ But his wife doesn't know ♪ ♪ Of the women he has seen ♪ ♪ He says now "True love It rarely shows ♪ ♪ But you ain't never been on American Road" ♪ ♪ Well I keep on clappin' ♪ ♪ But I'm not quite sure what for ♪ ♪ I wipe and drag my feet only to find dirt on the floor ♪ ♪ Susie plays a waitress bottom wage at the bar ♪ ♪ She claims she's an actress and that dreams don't get you far ♪ ♪ She says "Life yeah it's pretty cold ♪ ♪ But you can find meaning on American Road" ♪ ♪ And I square dance down the street ♪ ♪ To the singing of some mime ♪ ♪ He's stuck in some French ice box ♪ ♪ And frozen for all time ♪ ♪ There's some hipsters hating hobos and beatniks blaming bums ♪ ♪ Until the NRA comes waltzing down Waving all the guns ♪ ♪ And Charlton Heston he says "Hello!

♪ ♪ Welcome son to American Road!"

♪ [piano solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And there's a presidential fool ♪ ♪ Preaching at the crowd ♪ ♪ But the congregation's deaf ♪ ♪ Because his ego's much too loud ♪ ♪ I walk a fine line ♪ ♪ And the gypsies love to dance ♪ ♪ I read the Bible ♪ ♪ And the abide to Kerouac ♪ ♪ They say, "The rhetoric, it's getting bold!

♪ ♪ But the truth lies on American Road!"

♪ ♪ Well the smoke begins to rise ♪ ♪ As my cigarette subsides ♪ ♪ It's the changing of the guard ♪ ♪ Or the rising of the tide ♪ ♪ It's some lazy revolution ♪ ♪ That'll probably never be ♪ ♪ They claim it's evolution or the creation story ♪ ♪ "Yeah whatever it is it fits the mould ♪ ♪ But I'll keep on riding this American Road!"

♪ One more time!

[piano solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [drum solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [piano solo] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (woman) "Prairie Musicians"is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the citizens of Minnesota, and by the members of Prairie Public.