Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
the humble memorial
by now, most know that i have a little home studio here in defy and record from time-to-time, usually with my housemate, alex vandersluijs, who i believe to be a very talented pianist (self-taught, can't really read music...raw).
he and i will be sending friends and family an "album" we've been working on over the past calendar year (called 'all about the idea'), hopefully before Christmas. in the same vein, i've been recording my own songs for quite some time now, sharing them only with a few people here and there. i started making songs using $20 software (Magix 11) in the basement of a friends apartment while living in colorado during the summer of '07 and have since slowly (very slowly) expanded to better (but still generic) software and finally, a cheap weighted piano as well.
this new software has allowed my tracks to become a bit more "polished" than they had been previously. i'm looking forward to sharing them with those who i know soon (when ready, i'll probably just write another note, ask for addresses of those who would care to listen to my junk, burn cd-r's and ship them the old-fashioned way...snail mailed).
tonight, the rain has dictated a new mood in me. rarely are mark and alex both out of the house when i'm in (the three of us tend to congregate nightly after afternoons in the office, or recruiting calls, class, etc.), but tonight, just that occurred, and it gave me the opportunity to create for a solid 10-20 minutes. ahhh...alone time. during that span i thought up a little tune, began humming it, wrote a short little story (loosely based on a real life experience) and made a recording. after listening to it, i have to laugh. i can hear a bit of cliff edwards, circa 1940, or oldtime radio, in the thing. not to say that my voice could ever match that of jiminy cricket's. blasphemy!
after such a long period of worrying about my songs being 'polished' enough - as airtight as i can make them - i found it refreshing to be able to hear the space of our little house in this track. our ceiling fan. the hum of the radiator in alex's room, just a few feet away. the cap of a pen i kept popping on and off as i sang. even a faint sound of television voices coming from the living room.
i don't think i'm going to change a thing or re-record it. there's a live feel to it, which, i suppose, is exactly what it was. and besides gently pawing alex's guitar (i can't play the damn thing), it might as well be acapela. i'm proud of it, and would suggest listening to it just before nodding off sometime, when you're in an incredibly relaxed/sedated state (i'm guessing listens at any other point in time will repulse you).
at any rate, no more explanations.
'ere it tis.
i stole my fathers keys and his car
but i didn't drive far
i spun her around
i spun her all around the town
before i drove her into the ground
don't lay me down
don't lay me down on my heart (x2)
the park observers would always know
her humble memorial all for show
they put her stone right under a tree
and etched thereon: 2003
*****
11.19.09
he and i will be sending friends and family an "album" we've been working on over the past calendar year (called 'all about the idea'), hopefully before Christmas. in the same vein, i've been recording my own songs for quite some time now, sharing them only with a few people here and there. i started making songs using $20 software (Magix 11) in the basement of a friends apartment while living in colorado during the summer of '07 and have since slowly (very slowly) expanded to better (but still generic) software and finally, a cheap weighted piano as well.
this new software has allowed my tracks to become a bit more "polished" than they had been previously. i'm looking forward to sharing them with those who i know soon (when ready, i'll probably just write another note, ask for addresses of those who would care to listen to my junk, burn cd-r's and ship them the old-fashioned way...snail mailed).
tonight, the rain has dictated a new mood in me. rarely are mark and alex both out of the house when i'm in (the three of us tend to congregate nightly after afternoons in the office, or recruiting calls, class, etc.), but tonight, just that occurred, and it gave me the opportunity to create for a solid 10-20 minutes. ahhh...alone time. during that span i thought up a little tune, began humming it, wrote a short little story (loosely based on a real life experience) and made a recording. after listening to it, i have to laugh. i can hear a bit of cliff edwards, circa 1940, or oldtime radio, in the thing. not to say that my voice could ever match that of jiminy cricket's. blasphemy!
after such a long period of worrying about my songs being 'polished' enough - as airtight as i can make them - i found it refreshing to be able to hear the space of our little house in this track. our ceiling fan. the hum of the radiator in alex's room, just a few feet away. the cap of a pen i kept popping on and off as i sang. even a faint sound of television voices coming from the living room.
i don't think i'm going to change a thing or re-record it. there's a live feel to it, which, i suppose, is exactly what it was. and besides gently pawing alex's guitar (i can't play the damn thing), it might as well be acapela. i'm proud of it, and would suggest listening to it just before nodding off sometime, when you're in an incredibly relaxed/sedated state (i'm guessing listens at any other point in time will repulse you).
at any rate, no more explanations.
'ere it tis.
i stole my fathers keys and his car
but i didn't drive far
i spun her around
i spun her all around the town
before i drove her into the ground
don't lay me down
don't lay me down on my heart (x2)
the park observers would always know
her humble memorial all for show
they put her stone right under a tree
and etched thereon: 2003
*****
11.19.09
Friday, April 9, 2010
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