Infinite Devil Machine - Full of Messages From The Wayside

Movin' Out

2010-04-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

So I just joined "tumblr" on a whim. As it turns out, they host MP3 files on-site. That means no fiddling with google pages, and with links arbitrarily breaking. Granted, you can only post one song a day, but that's never really been a problem with me. You can view it here:

http://hypno-sis.tumblr.com/

AutoTune Is Harder Than It Sounds (3/13/10)

2010-03-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

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[Get ready…1-2-3-4]
Dance until the break of dawn / Move it ‘til your body’s raw
Even when the drugs are gone / Keep on groovin’ to this song (chorus)
I’ve got this girl that I love / She’s called the sun
Though I’m already burnin’ for her / Our love has just begun
I don’t need no sunscreen / I’ll just get a tan
If you’ll be my woman, baby / Then I’ll be your man (verse 1)
Slow down time / Control your mind
Then you’ll find there’s room / For everyone
Our dance is pure / But I’m sure
We won’t get any / Radio time (“slow section” 1)
[Boost my track!]
(Chorus)
It’s hard to see her / So far away
Up in that big blue sky / Just burnin’ all day
Put me on a spaceship, baby / Set course for the stars
We’re never comin’ back / Now here’s the guitar (verse 2)
[Guitar Solo]
All must end / As we ascend
Our eyes are set / Upon the sun
Though we’ll burn / At least we’ve learned
Never point your ship / At a flaming ball of gas (“slow section” 2)
[Outro]

What I wanted to do musically:

In my revised write-up, I mentioned how I wanted my track to be a combination of T-Pain and Bob Dylan. Now that I have the finished product, I don’t think this is the case. Personally, I think it’s closer to “T-Pain meets Lonely Island” (the comedy rap group with Andy Sandburg featured on SNL). Granted, T-Pain and Lonely Island have already collaborated for the song, “I’m On A Boat,” but that’s a different story.

My initial plans for this piece were to merge ukulele and various synths to produce an interesting, novel sound. This process was mired by the fact that I couldn’t get the two to mesh in the way I wanted, or a way that seemed cohesive. I think it can be done, but in this instance, I took my project in a different direction. My first step was to re-record the Am-F-C-G chord progression using a bass synth. This provided the underpinnings of the rest of the song. After that, I improvised a quick line on top of the initial chord progression (first heard when the vocals come in). I decided to make this my hook. After that, I set myself to writing lyrics that were both interesting, and funny. When I was studying Dylan’s writing style, at least some of the magic seemed to come from ambiguity. When the listener is left to their own devices, they can come up with narratives that are extremely rich. For that reason, I tried to leave some ambiguity in my lyrics. I acknowledge that this is not a particularly deep song, but I think it is worlds better than the first set of lyrics I was writing (much better flow, much less sappy) for the ukulele / synth combo song. Ultimately, if listeners get a laugh out of the lyrics of this song, I would consider the song a lyrical success.

Instrumentally speaking, I’m reasonably satisfied with the synth and guitar parts. The beat is okay as well, driving enough to keep the song moving without being overbearing. In the future, I will vary the beat more, but in this case, I think it gives the song an aesthetic of, “sameness” that makes it cohesive. I am not as satisfied with the vocals. T-Pain I am not! If nothing else, I’ve learned that if I have the chance to collaborate with other musicians, I should take it! I’d be willing to bet my song would have been more polished with more skilled musicians performing the individual parts.

What I wanted to do technically:

Initially, I wanted to combine ukulele and synth. This was not to be. Instead, I settled on having a catchy, if somewhat simple synth-driven pop song. One of the first things I hope people will notice is the use of AutoTune. I’ve heard over and over again how Autotune is, “dead,” but I enjoyed tooling around for it. I think the song is better for it too, but that’s probably more as a result of corrections being needed to my own poor singing. I did have some trouble controlling the notes AutoTune chose; there are some little snippets of singing that briefly touch on notes that just sound wrong. I am again inclined to attribute this to my singing, but further experimentation is in order for me. I was very happy I managed to have several different sections within the piece. The chorus, verse, slow section, and intros/solos/outros flow into each other reasonably well. I’m a little bit disappointed I didn’t write in a bridge section that changed key, but I feel that the song works well enough without it. You may also notice the track titled, “AutoGuitar.” I wanted to use AutoTune to get a cool new guitar sound, but I couldn’t manipulate it to produce the sort of novel pitch changes that easily come out when recording vocals. It did seem to come out more on a heavily distorted guitar, but even then I just could not produce a satisfactory effect.

I had a heck of a time changing the volume, panning, and effects on each track. For example, there was a weird little click in the recording of the first verse. I tried to use the volume levels to cut it out of the song, and I think I did an okay job. If I had more time, I would have simply re-recorded it, but I’m glad my work around wasn’t a total flop. I’m disappointed there isn’t more control over the panning in GarageBand. I really appreciate the accuracy of the pencil tool in ProTools; it’s great to be able to draw in exactly what you want instead of having to grapple with a bunch of little dots. All things considered though, that was only a minor inconvenience. I really like the convenience of GarageBand, and it’s becoming more full-featured all the time. For what I want to do as an amateur musician, it works pretty well. I’m not sold on the need to purchase ProTools or Reason, but I’m the owner of a professional recording studio. Also, I have access to the AMC. In any case, this project has turned me on to AutoTune. In general, this class has helped me to better understand how to record a higher quality song using my preferred software (GarageBand). I plan on putting this knowledge to good use, especially while I still have access to the AMC and mics (and other equipment) that cost more than $20.

Finally, An Update! Yay!

2009-12-22T00:51:00.000-08:00

First Song - Ingrid Michaelson's, "The Way I Am," multi-track version. The tracks in question include bongos, Brazilian drums, bass, ukulele, and vocals. I don't think it's as good as the original, but as I practice and record, my skills are increasing!

Second song - Green Day's, "Good Riddance." This was also multi-tracked in GarageBand. It was a pretty fun song to record, especially the intro and middle bit. I know it's not perfectly in line with the record, but as they say in the business, it's, "close enough for government work."

Third Song - Final mixdown of my 2nd assignment in Music 51. I'm not entirely satisfied with how the final product turned out, but I really like the samples. The samples are easily 5-10 times better than the ones taken for my first project. I'm trying my best to get this one to load, but because it is an .aiff file and not an .mp3, I might be out of luck. I'm just glad it wasn't as big as a turd as my last one (though, admittedly, it did suffer from being strictly written to the guide posts for a grade rather than to what I really wanted to write; that is water under the bridge at this point).

EDIT - After converting the song to .mp3 format, it seems to load without issues. It may also be worth noting that the samples for this project were recorded in GarageBand, but the song itself was assembled in MULab. MULab is a free sequencing tool (though you can pay for the full version and get more features, like additional tracks) that is similar to GarageBand. It has some features I like (EXs: "sampla," a tool that allows you to sample and actively manipulate pre-made audio samples, or the ability to assemble your own synthesizer based on specific parameters). It also has features I don't like (EX: the user interface is often counter-intuitive; I found the save system to be particularly frustrating. Also, I had trouble getting my external MIDI controller to work properly (it only worked approximately 2 times out of three)). All in all, for free software there is a fair amount of things to like. I don't think I will be using it extensively in the future, but if I ever need to do a "remix," this is probably the software that I will turn to.

I'll have more coming soon, including more videos to my YouTube channel (lancer327). See you soon!

The Long Lost Music 51 Project

2009-11-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

There are a few people who read this blog who I know in the, "real world." These people probably have a vague recollection of the fact that I am taking a music class at school this quarter...Music and Computers. It's an interesting class, with an especially interesting professor (who is strangely similar to Chairman Kaga of "Iron Chef" fame). I was looking forward to the assignment, until the day it was due. That was mostly due to the fact that I had not yet started it. I admit that all of this was entirely my fault...but trying to record a multi-tracked ANYTHING (let alone a 1 minute song) in lab an hour before it was due was a mistake. The project resulted in what experts are calling a, "tremendously awful, steaming pile of manure." It was so bad, I was ashamed to turn it in. If I get full credit, it will undoubtedly be due to the fact that I met all the stated requirements of the piece, not because it was worth listening to, or even the time I spent working on it.

In short, I will not be posting my turd of a project. There is one more assignment due before the end of the quarter, though. After learning my lesson from assignment one (that lesson being to NOT start the day of, and to not take new software for granted), I should have something much more polished for assignment 2. I hope so, anyway.

If nothing else, I'll probably have a new video or two on YouTube of me playing uke. Hot damn I love the uke.

That is all for now.

From The Wayside

2009-10-20T22:52:00.001-07:00

I'm back for a quick update. I'm too frustrated that none of my songs seem to be loading, but unfortunately I'll have to leave that for another day. Today, I'm going to post song lyrics for a song I just wrote. The song was inspired by a question, that question being: "Which side is the wayside these days?" I thought about the question, and decided to offer this in response...

[C] I come from a long lost land
[F] Where the scenes and the skies are grand
[Dm] Maybe you have been there too
[F] Maybe we can save a spot for you
[C] On the wayside

Chorus: [F-C7-F] On The Wayside... (x3)

[C] Walkin' down this road again
[F] Has got me wonderin'
[Dm] "Will I ever see my home
[F] Again?"
[C] On the wayside

Chorus

[C] When your car has broken down
[F] 100 miles from town
[Dm] Let your eyes hang
[Fm] Down
[Fm-C7-G7-C]
[C] On the wayside

Chorus

[C] And as you start to dream
[F] It's doesn't matter where you've been
[Dm] Or - where you're
[F] Going
[C] On the wayside

Chorus

[Csus4-C-Outro]

What Makes A Well-written Song?

2009-09-10T23:33:00.002-07:00

So I'm back, and a lot sooner than even I expected. I was tooling around in GarageBand after hearing a friend of mine got a synth, just to see what I could do / come up with, and this was the result. It was all played using a MIDI controller; the goal was to create a mash-up of sorts between more "electronic," style music and, "classical," music. I can't say the results were stellar...but the song did allow me to experiment in a few ways, and to bring a few questions into the front of my mind.

The most obvious experiment was the combination of sounds. I feel my results were somewhat limited by the types of sounds available in GarageBand, as well as my lack of experimentation. I'd be willing to bet many more sounds could be produced with a little tinkering...but I'll save that for later. Another experiment was using instruments that played in different ranges: oboe in the highest range, harpsichord in the middle range, and tuba in the lowest range, plus a smattering of electronic sounds. This produced some satisfying interplay, and I look forward to further testing the water in future songs. The last little experiment was my implementation of a few chromatic runs, and my key shift in the middle of the song. While the chromatic runs seem a little on the long side, they were fun to play. I would consider the middle section to be akin to the "bridge," section in popular music. All of this experimentation would have been for naught if I hadn't come up with a few questions and new ideas to pursue.

If the song taught me one thing about harmonies, its that I still don't really understand them. It also showed me I'm not really very good at writing a, "normal," pop song. My mind just doesn't seem to bend that way (though, to be fair, I didn't really have my heart set on composing a pop song with this one). Maybe, "normal," alone is a better way to describe what I cannot write - if nothing else, the song doesn't sound like anything I've heard on the radio. This brings my to my big question of this post: "what makes a well-written song?"

I find this question very difficult to answer, for several reasons. First, is that there is no explicit formula or rules that guarantee success. For example, it would be silly to suggest that all well-written songs must contain a G7 chord, or some other arbitrary figure, form, or riff. Secondly, it seems the question can be roundly answered by one word: musicianship. Shouldn't any song, regardless of style / statement / etc. be judged based on the craft that is put into it; the time, thought, and consideration put into the piece? I feel the answer to this question is, "yes." This, however, does not always guarantee commercial success. That point raises a different question, "what must a song contain to be commercially viable?"

I will not seek to answer that question, as it seems to have too many variable and factors to consider. Should the song be up-beat? Down-tempo? Should it have a conscious? What if the lyrics are, "political?" Perhaps, instead of thinking about hypothetical situations I will instead consider what I want to do in writing music. Since my goal is not to make money, to write a hit, or to, "make it," in the music industry, I think it would be worthwhile to make a list of things I would like to do with my musical ventures.

1) Hone my craft / musicianship / ability, whether it be through lyrics or any particular musical instrument.
2) Express a message - whether it be political, social, or just my own hopes, dreams and fears. I feel like music should always have a point, even if it is as simple as, "let's dance!"
3) Invoke emotions - This one is a little trickier. It's something that cannot be parsed out, made into a formula, or otherwise homogenized. It's not something technique alone can produce, in my opinion. It's something I've struggled with...but more and more I'm finding that listening back, I mean really listening in to the music is a good way to see what sort of feeling is being established.

It's all just a journey, I guess. I dunno where it'll lead, but I'm not really worried. The following song is really little more than me tooling around on a keyboard and producing some bleeps and bloops by ear. It's not great, but it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. The way I see it, this will only help me improve, and produce better songs in the future. With that said, I think I've said quite enough. It's time to get to the song!

PS - The song is called, "Synth Disaster." It seems worthy of that title.

A New Beginning, Sort Of.

2009-09-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've been away for awhile.

I've been pursuing interests outside song-writing, and as a result, it seems things have become a little bit of a mess here. Apparently, the site that previously hosted my songs (mp3tube.net) has been all but eliminated. It has been replaced by what I can only guess is a free flash-based games site (the site is in Spanish). I've been spending the better part of this morning trying to find a solution to this problem, and I've yet to be fully satisfied by any of the solutions. Here are just a handful of the sites:

filefactory.com
opendrive.com
youshare.com
esnips.com

...and the list goes on. After finally stumbling on a useful guide on how to do it in GooglePages (http://tinyurl.com/nht4zc), the day was more or less saved. One other blog (http://tinyurl.com/mf6wcg) set me up with the player you'll see later in the post, so a big thanks to them (or he / she / it) as well. Of course, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have some new music to share, so here it is:

The song is called, "Burned," though the file name is called "Quickie, 2." The reason for this is that the song started life as a way to get out some musical ideas. Really, I just wanted to get my "juices flowing," again. In that regard, I think it turned out pretty well. I just used the line of reasoning that nothing is too silly, stupid, or dumb. To me, censorship would be a greater failure than putting out a song that was, "less than perfect." I've also been doing a little reading about song-writing, a nd I'd like to think I've improved, if only a little bit. The song has more structure than some of my past works (ABAABA), and it tells a story from beginning to end. I think my voice has improved (or at least my control over it), and the fact that I have a bass guitar again has really bolstered my confidence (truth be told, this all started as a 12-bar blues based ("bassed," lol) rock riff). All in all...I'm looking forward tow improving my skills, and writing more songs!

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The Lyrics -

Stan was a real corporate man
Working for his company
They were keen on puttin' out fires
And so was he
Then one day he caught a flame
And things were never the same

Burn it down...

Flint and tinder, sticks and matches
All were brought to work, you see
All had a place within his cabinet -
He smiled with glee.
Then one day his bosses came
And things were never the same.

He wouldn't wear his suits to work
Or finish his cover sheets
Then they found his fire-starters
He started to weep
That was the day he took the blame
And things were never the same

[mini-solo]

Burn it down...

His eyes grew wide and his hands grew sweaty
He was canned, simply un-hired
The job was his life, and how it was over
He was fired
That was the day the firemen came
And ended in insurance claims...

[outro]

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Side Note 1 - I seem to have a thing about writing songs about people slowly coming off their rocker...lol.

Side Note 2 - I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the older posts. I'm not going to delete them, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to try and find all those tracks again. I may set up a jukebox of "oldies" on a separate site; if I do, I'll make note of it in one of my upcoming posts.

Sound Collage

2009-04-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

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This is actually the second piece I've made called sound collage, but it was the one that was actually turned in for credit (for my music class). I'm not entirely satisfied with the way that it turned out, but I have no doubts I will receive full credit on the assignment. (Full disclosure: it's a pass / no pass assignment that is graded on two criteria - 1) does it have sound over time, and 2) does it last 1-2 minutes.) I would have liked it to sound more "spacey." Also, though I think it has a weird, somewhat intense atmosphere, this is more a novel occurrence than anything I directly created. If I had more knowledge of musical theory (and honestly if I had put more time and effort into this project), I feel I could could have made a song that wasn't just weird...it was weird and it made some semblance of musical sense.

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Here are my notes about the song that were turned in as a part of the project:

This song is composed of 5 tracks. There are two guitar tracks, and three “vocal,” tracks. The main vocal track is an extended poem. It is distinct from the other vocal tracks because it uses several voice modifications (male to female transformer, transposition down a fourth, and a touch of reverb and echo). The “bottom-end” track is supposed to be a mumble to keep the beat. It was also highly modified from the original source sound (tuning down, echo, and heavy treble reduction). The final vocal track is distinct because it uses phaser and echo, and is the only track out of the three that isn’t voice modified. It is meant both to emphasize and play off the main vocal track. Both the guitar tracks are meant to add color to the track as a whole, and use a few chromatic lines to do so. I also tried to harmonize the guitar tracks in a few places to add emphasis to what was being said, and to the emotion the track was meant to convey. In closing, the two primary influences this song drew (or tried to draw) upon were, “Ray Bradbury,” (the musical entity, not the author), and Saul Williams.

Here are the lyrics (the /'s are placed arbitrarily, each section is divided by the "feeling" and rhythm I was trying to create):

The universe is a lonely place / full of stars, planets, and hearts, / Each trying to look past themselves / To find peace of mind, / Or at least someone to share the emptiness with.

For what is light but a star’s fleeting message / its call for company, for a companion? / What is gravity but a planet’s embrace, it’s humble greeting to arriving guests? / What is a heart of not a beacon, a target / for both slings and arrows, and fate’s gentle caress?

Fate will whisper in our ears: let the emptiness come. / Let it fill our souls with inaudible sound / may it make us question / who we are, and what we want of this world.

What we need to survive in this place / Is the ability to wait. / Patience can overcome time itself, can overcome / the pain lying dormant in our minds / crying, screaming to see the light of day / but left to rot just below the surface.

Below the streets, below the sweeps / lives a man with just one dream / to be accepted as himself, his arms / outstretched toward the noisy roads above / falling short because he was to weird / for anyone to let him call this world home.

So he left, disappeared to build a new life. / He’s built a house, with cupboards for his things / He’s built a bed, to rest his weary bones.

So ask yourself the next lonesome night / when your skin shivers in the frozen air / after all others have turned you away / will you share his home, / or will your body be left to press against the door?

Recent Round-Up

2009-04-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. Here are a few instrumental pieces I've done recently.

Rhythm In Motion -

Hypno-sis - Rhythm In Motion (Working)

Note - This song ended up being a giant backing track for me to solo over. I don't think it turned out as well as some of the ideas in, "Sound Collage 1," but I still had fun with this work. I tried to make sure that each section lead into the next somewhat fluidly, but listening in again (and a bit closer) shows me I have a lot I still need to improve on.

"Sound Collage 1" -

Hypno-sis - Sound Collage 1 (Tentative)

Note - The one started life as a small piano riff. After I settled in with a two handed riff, I transposed it into a few different keys, and tried to improvise a meaningful guitar part over everything. I think I was more successful in some sections than others. If nothing else, I'm happy with the fact that at least the four sections sound reasonably distinct.

"Voices In Motion" -

Hypno-sis - Voices In Motion

Note - This one was inspired by the Music class that I'm taking right now. The initial concept was to play off 3/4 and 4/4 beats off one another, but in the end it ended up more like an exercise in looping certain sounds and trying for specific audial effects. For the record, the lead guitar part's tone is done with a pedal called a "bronzer," and I know that it sounds somewhat like the "Dramatic Chipmunk." This was not done intentionally.

"Hello, Madness."

Hypno-sis - Hello Madness.

Note - The title came from two places. One was the front of a torrent site, "Demonoid." The other was from the fact that this was basically a mash-up created by a few new plug-ins I have for Garageband. My two favorite parts are the bass and the little bit of talking at the end. There are lyrics, so listen carefully (or just turn it up).

Hey Lover

2008-12-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

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The Lyrics:

I heart you babe
But I just can't see
Why you won't
Stop poking me

I know you babe
You've got the scoop
You joined an awesome
Protest group

Together we'll be
Until the end
Because I'm one of
Your top friends

Yeah.

Nothing shows
How much you care
Like sending some
Underwear

You can look
But never touch
Who knew you
Could care so much?

I'll tell you now
I'll tell you true
I think that I'm
In love with you

Hey lover.

On Facebook (repeat)

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The Story:

I wanted to do a couple of different things with this song. First, I wanted to keep it short. That was relatively easy to do, given that I didn't have many lyrics to start with. I know I could have added solos or instrumental breaks, but I figured I would forgo that this time, in the hopes of getting my message across more poignantly. Second, I wanted to mix up the rhythm, and perhaps give things a bit more of a "pop-y" feel. The drums didn't hurt in this endeavor, but some of the fills are really, really cheesy. (I tried really hard to listen to each track and play more like a live band though; I think that's part of the reason my sound is improving.) Finally, I wanted to write about something topical. What's more pertinent than Facebook? I know the lyrics are a little hard to hear (cursed $20 cheap-o mic and/or my own bad voice), but I think they're audible enough that the song doesn't suffer tremendously. It's worth noting that the bass parts are always really fun to write...I miss my bass, but I doubt I'll be buying another one any time soon. A keyboard will do for now.

As always, input and/or feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy.

This Ship

2008-11-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

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Lyrics:

Soft voice of the sea
Singing gently - just to me
She said:
Come to my shore
Forget the land
I will love you
Like no one can.
In the driftwood
You will find your plans
Can you be
Your own island?

[Instrumental Break]

Lost soul of the sea
Drifting slowly - never free
She said:
The sun has taken your sight
The rain has taken your skin
Where is the love
That should have been?
The food is gone,
No water for your thirst.
Your love your final hearse.

You're so happy, aren't you?
You're so beautiful.
You're happy, aren't you?
Aren't you?

[Instrumental Break]

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I think this one came out fairly intense, which is what I was going for. The levels seem alright, but I know the song is far from perfect. I think the "riffs" could be better, but it's good to have at least a little bit of creative juice flowing.

Your thoughts?

6 AM

2008-10-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

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Lyrics

6 AM is callin' me
Shouting out my name
Mining for that golden ore
They call a brand new day

6 AM is callin' me
In will roll the tide
1000 plans are changin' hands
And I don't even mind

Mind [x4]

I gave my love to a stone
Which I've thrown
Away from me

As it fell
From the sky
In reply
It's goodbye
Was a kiss of dirt
To my eye

I cried out in pain in vain
What a shame
To tame
My heart, aflame.
Trust is a confidence game.

[guitar solo]

Love me
Thrill me
Kiss me
Kill me

6 AM is callin' me
Words will fall away
Smile friend, the earth is yours
We've lived another
Another day.

[outro]

---

Story

This was a really fun off-the-cuff (read - made up as I went along) song to write and perform. I have a lot of "favorite," parts, but there are two things that I am most proud of. The first is the way that the song flows. I think this song is definitely a step in the right direction for me as a song writer. Even if I am still not satisfied with my vocal performance or guitar/bass/keyboard prowess, I think things come together really well. The other thing that I really liked about doing this song was the little "breakdown," section in the middle. I haven't heard many (non-rap) songs that have a flow like that. I am disappointed to report that the final bit of guitar solo / slide-flutter was lost when the song was converted into MP3. It was one of my favorite bits, but the song is still very whole without it. Aside from that, some of my favorite parts are the initial slide + keyboard riff in the solo (so raunchy!), the majority of the bass part (especially the intro to the breakdown section), and the outro. It was great - I heard the tune that I wanted to play in my head, and it came out on guitar. I really haven't been writing as many songs lately (a lot of that has to do with time issues), but I think this one shows I still have that spark in me. I hope everyone enjoys listening to this song as much as I enjoyed writing it.

PS - I didn't write the drum part. You can thank GarageBand for that one.

PSS - Emerson once said, "It is a luxury to be understood." This song adheres to that philosophy.

Strolling Down Memory Lane, Part 3

2008-09-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

So in case you missed the first 2 posts, the idea of these posts is to put some of my older work on the internet for posterity. Some are good. Some are bad. All are unedited. How cool is that?

Untitled Haikus, Undated

The seasons fly by
Like a flickering flower
Eternal beauty
Dancing gracefully about
The infinite dance of time

The sun of fall sets
Giving rise to skys of white
As the snow falls down
Watch the snow fall lovingly
In white there is purity

Crisp and clean the leaves
Fall freely from the tall trees
In my eye, beauty
Touch not this place, viceful man
Turn away your hate and destruction

I like to eat cheese
Yellow, white, holey, stinky
Cheese and ham tastes good

Fast, faster, go, go!
Fly as fast as the wind blows
Fly home to the sun

Day dream with me dear
Walk the land of the sleeping
Be free, as the wolf

Retrospective Notes - Again, I think these are hit or miss. I'd also like to point out that "viceful," is not a word. At the very least, I had a laugh at the cheese haiku. Comedy gold, that one.

Footsteps To Hell, Undated

I need my words most
Just as they escape my tongue
And as the air escapes my lungs
I propose a modest toast.

To the lives I couldn't lead
To the mouths I couldn't feed
To all the souls in need
And to all the men that bleed

Your words are lost to tides of hate
Bundled up and tossed away
But they still ask you to stay
And continue a 1-sided debate

Left and right, the locks start
Lick up your door, lock up your child
Lock up your car, lock up your smile
Close your eyes and lock up your heart

I tell myself there's more to life
But the war-path of a nation
Has lead to the realization
The people are under the knife

I am not my leader
And I am not afraid
Of the price to pay
For the mistakes he's made

As history records with unblinking eye
A simple truth is revealed
Though our differences conceal
After famine, war, and zeal
After death by flesh and steel
After downing your last meal

remember

we are all human.

Retrospective Comments - I might have been a little bit frustrated with the administration of "W" at the time of writing this. I don't think the title really matches the product of the poem, but I still agree with the message. As I've said about previous works, I think some of the passages are better than others. This might be a concept worth revisiting.

(The) Hell In Me, Undated

I found my secret place
I've found my way home
No one else is welcome
When I crawl back to my hole

With chain around my heart
Barbed wired around my mind
All guns at the ready
Held by the ties that bind

A man called "disgrace"
The one who walks alone
If an angel stole your prayers
A demon commands your soul

Flung into the fire
No one wishes you well
God smiles and says
"Welcome, friends, to hell"

Light encroaches on the dark
When there's bones to grind
Even in eternal mercy
His is till a light that blinds

Spread out your black wings
Sound the demon's horn
With fang and claw we smile
Earning even Satan's scorn

At some point we all give in
At some point we all sin
At some point the mask falls off
Revealing a hell within

Retrospective Notes - This one also plays with the idea of good versus evil, light versus dark. If I were to write this poem again, I would be much more careful about word choice. I think the biggest problem with this work is that it seems very inconsistent. It doesn't seem to have any logical flow. I couldn't really reconnect with this one, but I think comparing this work against some of the others shows my growth as a poet.

Trouble In Paradise, Undated (but probably more recent than anything else I've put down so far).

Hold me like a newborn
And (Cuz) I'll be gone tomorrow
The sands of time slip away -
How many have I borrowed?

I'm waiting for a sun
That will not rise
Watching for the ground
From the sky

Retrospective Comments - It's hard to be too retrospective on this one, because it was written so recently, but I can say that I really do like the last bit, "watching for the ground..." I like the sense of flight I get from that line.

---

This officially concludes, "strolling down memory lane." I hope you enjoyed the trip. Don't expect to get anything more like this though...I think I've pretty thoroughly cleaned out my old stuff (minus things that were honestly not worth posting). I actually had a lot of fun with these. It was really refreshing to go back and see what I was thinking and writing about over the years. I even feel inspired to write more, new works. Wish me luck.

Strolling Down Memory Lane, Part 2

2008-09-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, this entry will consist of old work I found in various boxes, bins, and closets. Some of the work could not be posted because of format (EX: drawings), and some of it was just too bad to see the light of day. Everything you do see, though, is completely unedited. You've been warned.

3 Small Poems From A Paper Table Cloth, Undated

The movement of time is but a stream
Ebbing forward at its own steady pace
Leaving mankind to his own lucid dreams
Lovingly sewn by the creator's lace

---

Live is a web in which all men are caught
For who can refute the passing of time?
The soul, and mind, and body are pulled taught (should be taut);
As all sing alone with the watcher's rhyme.

---

On the long path, you can never go back
An inward glance is all you can afford
Before you are swept away by your track
And each memory is carefully stored.

Retrospective Comments - These are interesting because they were done at dinner a few years ago. There was a paper table cloth, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to write something interesting. I don't remember if it devolved into a "poetry contest," with my dad, but I suppose these are interesting enough to merit posting them.

Angels And Demons, Undated

Angels and demons waltz their petty dance
Waving the black banner of destruction
For as the sword and shield they romance
In love and power, there is seduction.

Beware the demon, cursed wings of black
Cloaked in darkness and tattooes of red ink
Your misconceptions happily attacked -
Even if from the shinning truth you slink.

Hark! The angel from the heavens descends
A glistening star to outshine the sun
How much on the demon does he depend?
One without the other is simply none

Who can discern darkness without the light?
Who's hand will you take in marriage tonight?

Retrospective Comments - I didn't count the syllables, but this appears to have the form of a sonnet. I seems consistent with a theme I've been fond of over the years: a question of who is good, who is evil, and who you can trust. If I were to write this sonnet again, I probably wouldn't use the word marriage at the end. I'd like to think my writing style has evolved and matured over the years. (Failing that, I think it's become a little more conscientious of word choice.)

From Sunrise To Sunset, Undated

It is a new day; the sun is reborn
Yawning, pusing away the sleepy stars
The watcher blows the celestial horn
Resonating even to lands afar

But soon the morning gives way to mid-day
And in the heat of the sun we toil
For every little bill we must pay
The sun presses on, forever loyal

Pray for absolution as the sun sets
And the coming judgement of the twilight
Forget not your sins, for get not your debts
As the sun fights setting with failing might

For now the light must give into the night
And over this world the sun looses (should be loses) sight

Retrospective Commentary - I see what I was trying to do with this one. I was trying to portray the human "experience," as passing times of day. After re-reading this one, I think the imagery and language was a little inconsistent. I had a good laugh at the fact that I was still having trouble telling the difference between, "looses" and "loses" at this point in my life. I know the difference now, but it's just one of those little quirks I had back then.

Untitled Three Part Poem, Undated

Soon comes the time of reckoning
Sun lost under a cloud of ash
And with the apocalypse beckoning
Man, woman, child: dawn your mask

Some smile under the demon's gaze
Grandeur reduced to dust
Eyes deceived by a hellish haze
Caught in a web of distrust

Arise, erect the monolith of the foul
Sanguine eyes to mesmerize
Upon each face a tormented scowl
And false words to hpnotize

Lash the lands with thirsty fires
A prophet's glare upon us all
And upon a crux of dam'ned liars
Soon, soon we all shall fall

A plain once golden, soiled
A blood-soaked premonition
The fate over which we toiled
Send down the path of perdition

---

But what of the end
Of the storm of souls?
As we, our purity rend
And the reaper takes his toll

When fire be quenched
And the dust made rise
In ash, still drenched
Come forth inhuman cries

Demons under moonlight
Find unwilling prey
There is no chance to fight
In the Scarlet Plays

Limbs, eyes, hearts be free
To dance among the air
Pleasure is as pleasure be
Easily ensnared

And as the souls are collected
Cursed, craven, consumed
From safe-haven rejected
Can we never be exhumed?

---

Let them sing our ill-fated dirge
For we yet have the light
In passion and purity's surge
Cast off the endless night!

Angels' song and angels' steel
Descending from the sky
Bet even as the demons reel
Angels too must die

In time the world is purified
Wounded angels' work complete
Hell on earth rectified
So humanity may repeat

Retrospective Comments - I'm not sure exactly what to say about this one. I think there are some interesting ideas and images, but on the whole I didn't reconnect with it after a re-read. All in all, I think this is a concept worth revisiting. I'm not sure, however, that this poem is worth revising.

After looking at the preview of this post, it would seem as though it is a little bit on the long side. That, of course, can only mean one thing - time for a part 3!

Strolling Down Memory Lane

2008-09-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

So I was cleaning out some of the papers clogging up my drawers, and I've come across a few interesting things. I will post them here, with small prefaces to give an idea of context. Laugh, cry, and be amazed at these...works...in all their uncut glory.

Excerpt From A Letter Written To Myself For English 2 (Sophomore in HS), 9-3-2003

My dream career is as a lead in a popular rock band. Really, I don't want the money or the women, but simply to be able to get messages of hope to the youth.

My ideal mate would be a little *cough* *wink* *nudge* foxy. She'd have a strong will and sense of justice. She'd stick by me even if I was a jerk, but always love me tenderly. We could go anywhere or do anything together, with our hearts as one. Embracing change and the open future set before us. We'd be in love; true love. Even if we were dying, one look in each other's eyes would bring us all the comfort we needed.

Retrospective comments - Note that this was originally in paragraph form, but Blogger apparently doesn't believe in indenting. For the record, those *'d words are actually in the letter. It's kind of interesting. I still remember what I was thinking when I wrote that, which is funny to me. There are a couple of parts that run on, and at least one incomplete sentence...but I guess that can be forgiven. I think it's worth noting that I used the word, "mate," instead of girlfriend, or companion, or what-have-you. Interesting times. There's more to the letter, but I'm not going to include it, because it seems boring and short-sighted.

The Old Man Rap, Undated

We're old men and we can't rap
We fee like our bones will snap
Our hips don't work, and that's not funny
But we'll still pwn your *** there sonny.
We can't even begin to rhyme
We don't know how to stay in time
But get us mad and then you'll see
This foot up your *** there sonny!

GAH! Get off my lawn!
GAH! I'll get my gun!
GAH! Get off my lawn!
GAH! You'd better run!

Retrospective comments - I remember back when I wrote this. It's still terrible. It's the kind of thing that you look back on and just go, "Really? What was I thinking?" If I remember correctly, this is actually the second version of this rap...heaven knows if I'll ever find the original.

Historical CD Project - "WOW! That's What I Call Socialism!" for AP European History. (Sophomore Year, HS)

Featured Artists:
01. - The Fouriers - (The Seas Will Turn To A) Pink Lemonade Serenade
02. - Never Blanc Out - Social Workshop, Never Gonna Stop
03. - Own'en You - Happy Worker = Happy Wallet
04. - PrOuD Ho[R]n - AnArChy 4 the Ma$sEs
05. - Mill-ing About - On Liberty
06. - Etieme Cabaret - Put Your Hands Together (For Communism)
07. - Twistin' Tristan - Financial R-E-S-P-E-C-T
08. - Henri Simon and the Federation of Saints - The Celebration of Industrialization (Hymnal)
09. - The Belgian Boxers Feat. Zoe Gatti - Trance Equality ~Feminist Mix~
10. - Proper Us, Harmony - I Am Woman, Here Me Roar

From the inside cover:
"While there were many utopian socialist bands, each with their own individual ideas, they were united by an intense need to reform the "Status Quo," of European Society, especially in favor of the working class. ... However, socialist music was largely ignored until Marx."

Retrospective Comments - 17 / 20 for lack of historical graphics? BS! I would TOTALLY buy this CD, if CD's weren't a dying medium. All in all, pretty good for having finished it the night before. That's responsibility for you.

Fortune Cookie I Found, Undated

Personal achievement will be your key to happiness.

Retrospective Notes - I didn't write it, so I can't comment. It does have a ring of truth to it, though.

Untitled, Unfinished Poem, Undated.

Heaven's here
To treat you well -
Never mind
The holding cell

Run or scream or
Slip away,
It doesn't matter
Anyway

Light will hold you
Oh so tight and
Drag you out
Of the night

Retrospective Notes - I think the concept is interesting (heaven as hell), but I think the middle section isn't my best work. Interestingly, the piece of paper I found this on also includes early lyrics for the "Force Jansen" song. Go figure!

A Cellophane World, Undated

In our perfect, cellophane world
We are all waiting to be unfurled
From our precisely perfect packagings
And out unsubtle trappings

In our world coated in cellophane
There is simply no room for pain
Man is much too exquisitely packed
To see who he is or what he lacks.

Not a breath of air, just smiles to deceive
Gleefully applied, but never really received
In a world where man's simply lost his head
There is no worry for the dead.

If they are old and tired, send them away
And in a month, a week, no, a day
You'll be blessed with smiles anew
And in time, someone to replace you too.

Retrospective Comments - I'm not sure when I wrote this. I found it in a tub of old papers with some of my late High School (senior) and early college (first quarter) work. I think it has a few interesting observations, and the ending seems reasonably good. It's kind of interesting that this isn't in sonnet form. I was very fond of writing sonnets around that time. Sure, it's a little dark, but so's our world.

I have more material to go through, but since I want to keep my posts from getting too long, I'll stop this one here. Look for part 2...later tonight.

Free Verse Poem Without A Title

2008-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

The Poem (I didn't bother to record this one, and I probably won't get around to it):

How may a man
Show his love
When the moon
Is so much brighter?

Glittering stars
Point the way
To Far-flung
Paradise.

How may a man
Hold his love
When the sea
Is so much deeper?

Waters beckon
As treasures shine,
Eyes of the deep
The only guide

How may a man
Save his love
While mountains
Stand still in time?

A rocky face
To scorn
All who yet
May wander.

But…

How may a man
Hide his love
When his heart
Stands beside him?

A gentle hand
To hold
That which makes
Two, one.

How may a man
Contain his love
When his passion
Softly calls his name?

The sight of
Two paths merging,
All is laid
Before him.

Why should a man
Lose his love
Thought it may
Travel from him?

From my lips
To the wind,
A message sings:
I’m with you.

---

The Story:

This poem is dedicated to (and in fact written for)someone very special to me. I wanted her to know, unequivocally, that I love her. On a more technical note, I'm happy that I was able to write the whole poem without inserting the phrase, "I love you." Those three words mean a lot to both of us, but I wanted to express myself without resorting to the obvious or the over-played. I would say the message was delivered successfully. It's written in free verse because...that's the way it came out. I don't normally use free verse, but since this was a special (if not extraordinary) occasion, I figured it was worth a shot. I'm not happy about having to use "but..." as a hinge to change the poem's tone on, but I couldn't think of anything else at the time, so it stuck. I might look to write more poetry in the near future, but we'll have to see. It all sort of depends on how I feel, and how much time I have.

To any visitors - Comments are certainly appreciated. Thanks.

Cold Comfort

2008-09-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

---

The Lyrics -

Cold Comfort
Now that I'm gone
I found my stuff
Out on the lawn

No place to go
No place to see
Oh Baby -
This can't be

I lost my faith
In humanity
Baby...

I look behind me
Nothing to see
No lights
Are following me

Lost is
The worst place to be
Ain't got no maps
Ain't got no streets

Lord no,
Lord no, it's cold comfort again.

[Instrumental 1]

I hear 'em laughin'
Across the way,
Here I'm thinking
It's my lucky day

I cross the ridge
And what do I see?
There's the devil
Waitin' for me

I smile
One last time
Here it is
The end of the line

[Instrumental 2]

We share a smile
We share a tear
I wonder lord
Why am I still here?

Turns out,
He ain't that bad
A story to be told
A truth to be had

He's got a bad rap
Just like me
Another excuse
For human beings.
Oh no.

Oh lord, oh no. (repeat)

That's cold comfort, baby.

[Instrumental 3, Outro]

---

The Story

First, I know that my voice is terrible in this song. It's too low, and alternates between a poor impersonation of the delta blues and Elvis. It even cracks and sounds weird in some places. As much as I wish I were I better singer, I have good news. The good news is that my voice is not the point of the song. The point is found in the lyrics. From the beginning, this entire song was conceived as a quick and dirty improv over a basic 12 bar blues. Musical and technical perfection were NOT what I was after by a long shot. I tried to be clever by using a minor pentatonic for the first instrumental and a major pentatonic for the second (look over the lyrics to see why that might be clever), but other than that...this was just song was just an excuse for me to write, a chance for me to vent some of my frustrations, and perhaps get a little closer to finding my own feelings on human nature and the human condition. I don't want to launch too much into this philosophical discussion with myself without telling why I wrote this song in the first place...

So it's no secret I've been trying to sell my Jackson RR3 guitar (the blue V for those not initiated) for quite some time. I've put it on CraigsList, Ultimate Guitar, and so forth. I've never had the heart to put it on eBay (shipping would be a bitch), so it's sat for a while, essentially in mint condition, waiting for a home and a guitarist more worthy and patient then myself. Recently, I got an email from a potential buyer. As it turned out, he was the manager of a guitar store down the street. This was going to be great, I thought. So, flash forward to about noon time today. I'm driving around, and I stumble on a guitar store in the city I'm supposed to find this place. As it turns out, it's another guitar store I've been hearing about recently. I look around, but don't find anything to my taste. I get some directions, and eventually wander off to find the place I was originally looking for.

I arrive, to find out the "guitar" store is really more of a pawn shop moonlighting as a guitar store. I suppose that there is nothing inherently good or bad about this, but it makes me a little suspicious. I've heard some horror stories about pawn shops over the net, and I am certainly not looking to be the next "victim." I wander around a bit, though the service was non-existent...I had to get a guitar from the top shelf myself, find cables and picks with no assistance...I find this odd, but just sort of brush it off. I came for a guitar, not the service, after all. So, I actually spot one or two guitars that I like, a Washburn and a few Schecters. I'm still not sold on the Schecter neck, but it's definitely interesting to feel up the guitar a little bit. Since the manager (the guy I'm trying to trade with) is busy selling a customer an amp, I am again left to my own devices. I plug in a try out a few of the guitars. To my dismay, the Washburn (my chief candidate) had weird pick-up fuzz. I find this troubling, especially considering that there a plenty of scratches and dinks on the guitar that don't exactly scream "new."

At this point, I am left to play the waiting game. To make matters worse, there is no public restroom to be found. When I finally get a chance to talk to the manager again, he has me bring in my guitar. He seems to have postitive feelings about it, and seems interested in the trade. He shows the guitar off to one of his employees, and we're off. I start talking to him about the guitar, and eventually we get back to the Washburn. We get to a bartering phase (something that is certainly not uncommon when purchasing a new guitar), and I point out a lot of the flaws and such. He says that the scratches can be rubbed out. (I personally doubt this, and found a dink on the back I knew I couldn't "buff out.") At this point, things start to get hairy.

Though it sounds blunt, I would say I made two mistakes in orchestrating this trade. First, I was not clear what I wanted. I'm confident that if I had said, "I'll trade you my guitar for this guitar and a set up," (i.e. been much more direct), things might have turned out differently. Secondly, I see how it was a little bit on the unfair side of me to expect him to clean the guitar. I probably wouldn't have even asked that if he was just a "private seller." Sure, he has the tools, the capacity, and the man-power, and it wouldn't even have been that expensive...(he quoted me less than $30 for a set up...I know a few places closer to myself that charge over $75)...but he made it clear that it was either "this guitar for that guitar, or nothing." I was certainly put off when he asked me, "can't you clean it (the guitar) yourself?" and said "I'd never clean another dude's guitar," in a patronizing / condescending way, and when he called me a terrible business-person. When he started swearing at me and telling me to get the f*** out of his store, however, I bid him a good day and took my leave. I did ask him, in all honesty, what I could do to be a better business-man, but he seemed more interested in throwing me out. I was not interested in an escalating situation, and it was obvious he was not going to trade.

Slightly perturbed, I went back to the original store I mentioned. I was curious what they would give me for the guitar...and as it turned out, peanuts. Again, I am not really in the business of getting ripped off, so I took my leave again. I was slightly soothed by the clerk. Though he was rather nonchalant and seemingly busy with business other than myself, he had a much softer and calmer tone of voice (a nice change of pace from being sworn at). With my afternoon wasted, and my perfect picture of a "civil, just, and reasonable," human kind slightly cracked, I went home. Don't get me wrong. I know I made mistakes on the deal. I could have examined the guitar more (or perhaps less) thoroughly. I could have facilitated the trade by being more direct with my needs. I also could have been more effective at showing that more money was not the only thing that would have sealed the deal for me. (This is why I was thrown out - the manager was convinced I wouldn't complete the trade without some additional cash given to me. This was not the case.) That doesn't entirely account for the fact that I was treated rather poorly, ignored for the better part of an hour, and thrown out of the store. There's a kicker to all of this, but I'm going to talk about what inspired the song first.

The song was inspired partly by my "weird travels," today. It was inspired by my misgivings and poor experience. It was also inspired by the fact that I have not been a very good writer lately, and I just really wanted to get something on paper (remember when I said above about this being a "quick and dirty" recording?). I wanted a way to sort out my feelings and put up a tent, or a least an umbrella, for the emotions I was feeling. There's a lot going on in my life right now, and honestly I can't let one silly little event lead to anything greater. I'm more or less happy with the way I reacted. At its worst, this situation inspired a bit of melancholy. Still, it did lead me to two (or maybe three or four) important realizations.

First, is that I want to be a strong person. I don't want to let things like that get to me, even a little. I guess in the end I can be happy it sparked a creative urge, but I'm going to have to deal with a lot more stressful things in my life, so I really want to be in control of myself and my words, particularly in how I express myself. Second is that business is not my forte. As a caveat to this point, business men (and women) are not your friend. They, like so many in this world, are looking out for their own interests and pocket books. Third is that not all situations can be viewed as a "win-lose" scenario. There was more to today than simply, "I didn't get a guitar," and "he didn't guitar." Technically, I didn't get a guitar I was leery of, but I certainly didn't make any friends. All in all it seems like a wash, and I'm fine with that. As I said before, not every situation (in fact very few) seems to lend itself well to that sort of thinking...it almost seems confrontational and counter-productive to do so.

The final thing that I should mention is that...when I heard the guy talking to the other customers he was busy with, he was saying how he had been in the pawn business since he was 9. He seemed to be in his early to mid forties, so that is a considerable amount of time. I don't know what kind of man he is, and I don't know what sort of opportunities he had, but I am not looking to fill his shoes (or become the man I perceive him to be). For all I know, he could have a PhD in business, and he could be the scholar of scholars. He could be a great philanthrope, destined to change the world. All I know for certain is that whatever he experiences, and wherever his life leads him next, I won't be thinking about him. I'll be drawing satisfaction from being myself, and achieving what I want to achieve. I'll be happy to forget this incident, because I have too many big things, to many promises of happiness and success to leave it in there for too long. Am I saying I'm a better, bigger man? No. Am I trying to be the best I can? Most definitely.

Okay, one block of text later, here's the kicker. When I got home, I relisted the guitar on CraigsList. I did this so it would appear high up on the listings, and more people would be likely to see it. From the time I had dinner to now, I've had two more possible inquiries about the guitar. One of them includes a guitar I was looking at (and hoping to find) at the shops I mentioned before. I dunno if I would call this good luck (I'm inclined to, because I'm in a better mood), but it is certainly a change of pace to go from "thrown out of store," to "offered one of your top choices of guitar for trade." In the end, I've realized that I certainly have a lot to smile about. (Generic ending, I know, but it's late and I can't come up with anything better. So sue me.)

Collab - I Will Follow You Into The Dark (Cover)

2008-08-23T14:03:00.001-07:00

---

The Story -

Main Vocals - Ray
Main Guitar - Ray
Intro Guitar - Chris
Backing Vocals - Chris
Strings - Chris

This cover of Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," was a pleasure to work on. As you might have guessed from the credits above, it was work done by Ray and myself. It's far from perfect, but I think it's an okay interpretation of the original song. I like how it sounds full and thick because of the combination of vocals and strings, without being too heavy (in my opinion).

As usual, any thoughts on the matter are certainly appreciated.

---

Some technical bits:

The backing vocals were created by a combination of singing fairly high, compression, and chorus. Wewt. The strings were composed using my midi controller. All the levels and such were managed in Garage Band. If the song sounds too quiet...TURN IT UP!

Random Side Note - I was randomly coming up with band names, and "RC Magnificent" just sort of came to me. That's probably why I shouldn't come up with band names: that's terrible (and it sounds like a low-grade rap group that addresses issues of remote controlled vehicles. lol.)

The Great "Paul" Debate

2008-08-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have something to confess. I've got GAS. I don't mean the smelly kind, I mean Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. I've learned a lot about my own likes, dislikes, and tastes (as far as guitar is concerned) in the last year, and I'm ready to move on to a guitar that is more, "practical." For example, I'm more than a little fed up with the V-shape of my current guitar. Not only that, but the bridge (a Floyd Rose tremolo) is not something I want in my next guitar. My musical tastes have definitely changed (not into metal quite so much), and this has left me in an interesting position. I've recently become enamored with the "Les Paul" body shape, and while aesthetics alone are NOT justification for purchasing a guitar (read: learned that one the hard way), there are so many choices on the market to compare and contrast, I'm bound to end up a winner if I do my research. What follows will be an unadulterated look into what I plan to purchase, a gigantic "compare and contrast." Enjoy.

---

The Obvious (and boring) Choice: Epiphone Les Paul Standard

Pros - It comes in a lot of colors.

Cons - Quality control seems spotty. It's an "over-played" guitar, 22 frets.

Price - $549, from Musiciansfriend.com

The Sadly Discontinued Choice: Yamaha AES 620

Pros - Great features, highly reviewed, all-around good guitar.

Cons - Only available second hand, purchasing price and quality might vary greatly. 22 frets.

Price - Variable.

The "Swede-ish" Choice: Hagstrom Ultra Swede

Pros - Good feature list, seemingly high reviews

Cons - I've NEVER seen one in a store, and I've never had the chance to play test one. 22 frets.

Price - $370

The Curvy Choice: Dean Cadillac

Pros - Interesting shape, Dean has a seemingly good reputation

Cons - 22 frets, Dean also has a lot of "rabid fanboys." Reviews on MF seemed to smack of quality control issues. This is another guitar I've NEVER seen in stores.

Price - $600

The "art-sy" Choice /rimshot - Ibanez ART300

Pros - I've been able to find this one in stores. I liked the unique top on this one.

Cons - 22 frets. Not sure about the Ibanez active pick-ups. Also, Ibanez is another one of those companies with a fairly rabid fan-base.

Price - $380

The One That I Was Seriously Considering: Washburn WI64

Pros - This guitar has enjoyed very high reviews, and has great features considering the price. Buzz-Feiten tuning (something no other guitar in this price range has), and good upper-fret access (from what I've seen).

Cons - 22 frets, I'm not sure about the VCC (Voice Contour Control), it's basically Washburn's proprietary coil-tap technology (to allow a guitar to achieve single-coil and humbucking sounds), but I want to test it. Never seen this guitar in a store. I don't like the shape as much as the others.

Price - $370

The Obviously Imported Choice - Agile Al-300/3500

Pros - This guitar is listed as a lot of "bang for your buck" on several websites, and it looks downright sexy in black with gold hardware. Ebony fretboard (a feature not normally found on guitars in this price range).

Cons - Looks VERY similar to the Epiphone, 22 frets. Has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, but you can only import then from Korea. The 3000 line seems to have been discontinued, meaning you can now only buy it second-hand.

Price - Variable.

Another Dark Horse - Michael Kelly Patriot

Pros - Supposedly very well-made Korean guitars. Many models have ebony fret-boards, coil-taps, and other cool features.

Cons - Quality control may be spotty, the higher end models are only available with EMGs, 22 frets, I have never seen one in a store.

Price - $400-650, depending on model.

The Most Expensive One So Far - ESP/LTD EC-1000

Pros - It is a very good looking guitar (especially in vintage black), 24 frets, can get ebony fretboard, can get Seymour Duncan pick-ups

Cons - Easily the most expensive of the bunch (so far, dun-dun-dun), what's the point of having 24 frets if you can't reach past 17? Can only get EMGs and ebony fret board, not SD's and an ebony fret board. LTD brands each guitar at the 12th fret with the model name (that REALLY irks me)

Price - $840-880 (!)

The One I Didn't Even Notice Until Recently - Schecter Tempest Custom

Pros - Looks very good in black, some good features (TonePros bridge, Grover tuners), most "different" looking

Cons - Pick-ups are only "Duncan Designed," seems a little pricey for the features, I think someone in Maroon 5 plays this guitar.

Price - $600

I'm Not Sure Why I'm Even Listing This One - PRS SE Single Cut

Pros - Good resale value? Name recognition? Heel isn't as HUGE as it is on the double-cuts? A few of the finishes look nice.

Cons - It seems too expensive for the price. It seems to be a brand people flock to for the name, even though better-made, less expensive instruments are available.

Price - $600

EDIT EDIT EDIT

The Guitar I Forgot - Fernades Ravelle

Pros - Distinctive body shape (in this case, a good thing), several different models with various prices, cool colors (at the "Elite" level, anyway), Fernandes sustainer and Seymour Duncan pick-up.

Cons - The Elite model is expensive, there are no dealers in the immediate area (meaning no try-before-you-buy), there are not as many reviews available, and the features do not seem to match up with the price.

Price - ~$750-950 (Elite Model...why it pays to shop around)

The Truly Imported Model - Edwards LP Standard

No Image Available. (Just imagine a Les Paul that says "Edwards" on the headstock; see above.)

What is it? - It's basically a Les Paul copy made by a Japanese arm of the guitar company ESP.

Pros - It's a Les Paul without being a generic Les Paul. It is supposed to have that "magic" Japanese craftsmanship.

Cons - Since it was meant for the Japanese market, shipping will be ridiculous. There is absolutely NO try-before-you-buy with this guitar.

Price - Variable

One More For Good Measure - Ibanez Iceman ICT700

Pros - It's another looker of a guitar. I mistakenly thought that this guitar had a tremolo, when in fact it is a fixed bridge design. 24 frets (you can actually reach).

Cons - Kind of expensive. More of a "metal" guitar. Reverse headstock (I find them irritating, honestly). Have yet to see one in a store to try.

Price - $700

---

Did anyone else find it odd how there are so many "Les Paul" style guitars on the market? This little comparison only scratched the surface...I didn't touch on high or lower end models. I wonder why the shape has endured for as long as it has?

Ramblin' Man

2008-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Note - I didn't find this out until after the song, but apparently the Allman Brothers' Band has a song called "Ramblin' Man." It's apparently pretty famous too...but this song is of no relation.

---

Chorus -

Ramblin' Man
Ramblin' Man
I will wonder this earth
For as long as I can

The Lyrics -

Please don't come a lookin'
'Cuz I promise you won't find
Me beneath the covers
Of my worn and weary mind
I've been searchin' high and low
Waste away the time
Spent it all on promises
I just can't leave behind

[chorus]

No man on this earth
Can turn away the tide
For every one that's walked this land
A thousand more have died
If the wind starts callin' you
Don't reach your hands up high
For no matter what you do
You'll never hold the sky

[chorus]

I'm wonderin' on
Catch me if you can.

---

The Story -

There's been more than a few times in my life that I've wanted to be someone else. There've been times when I wanted to wander, and not look back. There've been times when I knew, without a doubt, that I could leave everything I've had behind. This song, then, is two things. It's a musical manifestation of that feeling, and in some sense, it's my attempt to exorcise that feeling.

I've been focusing on keeping my songs short (or at least on the short side), interesting, and emotionally packed. I dunno if this means my sound is more "main-stream" or what-have-you, but at the very least, I can say that I'm relatively satisfied with how this song came out. I pushed the song through production, and I think the levels are pretty bad, but that's something I might go back and look at later (i.e. remaster the song).

Recently I've had this really bad habit of coming up with a riff, or the start of a song, or an intro, and not following through on the idea. Part of that has to do with my class schedule, and part of it has to do with a slight lack of motivation on my part. All I can say is this - I'm working on it. Once school lets out for a few days between Summer Sessions, I'll see if I can pump out another song or two (or three, or whatever).

Interesting quote of the moment -

"God made me atheist. Who are you to judge his wisdom?"

Wayfaring Stranger (Cover)

2008-07-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

---

The Lyrics

I'M JUST A POOR
WAYFARING STRANGER
TRAVELING THROUGH
HIS WORLD BELOW
THERE IS NO SICKNESS
NO TOIL, NOR DANGER
IN THAT BRIGHT LAND
TO WHICH I GO

I'M GOING THERE
TO SEE MY FATHER
AND ALL MY LOVED ONES
WHO'VE GONE ON
I'M JUST GOING OVER JORDAN
I'M JUST GOING OVER HOME

I KNOW DARK CLOUDS
WILL GATHER ROUND ME
I KNOW MY WAY
IS HARD AND STEEP
BUT BEAUTEOUS FIELDS
ARISE BEFORE ME
WHERE GOD REDEEMS
THEIR VIGALS KEEP

I'M GOING BACK
TO SEE MY MOTHER
SHE SAID SHE'D MEET ME
WHEN I COME
SO I'M JUST GOING OVER JORDAN
I'M JUST GOING OVER HOME
I'M JUST GOING OVER JORDAN

(I didn't mean for the lyrics to be in all caps - the website I copied and pasted from sort of exploded.)

---

Some Thoughts -

This is a cover version of "Wayfaring Stranger," by Johnny Cash. Though this is actually an American folk song, I attribute it to Johnny Cash because his version was the one that inspired me to do this in the first place. I try to match his phrasing and vocal styles to some degree, but I know I don't compare.

There are a lot of reasons to do cover songs - but the reasons that I chose to cover this song is are pretty straight-forward. First, it can be a simple song, meaning it was within my abilities to play. Second, I really liked the melody and the overall message of the song. I have strong feelings that coincide fairly well with the song, and that proved to be a very strong motivation to perform it.

I'd like to think that the song is haunting, but I'm not really holding my breath. The stripped-down nature of the performance is due more to my musical (in)abilities than anything else. Sometimes covers really improve on an original song, but I was more interested in manifesting my emotions.

One final note: the song is sung almost word for word from the Johnny Cash version. There were one or two changes. Some of them were significant, some of them were not. I'm just left to wonder what genre of music I should call this...probably country.

Streetlight Serenade

2008-06-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

1000 eyes, 1000 stars
Watch from above
Watch from afar

Forced outside my ring
The shadows slowly dance
As the street-light softly sings

Time slips away with a feeble yawn
No one the wiser
As he rouses the dawn.

I wait, impatiently, for signs of the light
Twisted and hungry
With only dreams and eyelids to fight

Then a flash, a firefly's haze
Shadows torn open
By a headlight's gaze

Stunned, I smile and reach out a hand
Quivering, but happy,
Wind at my feet, ground in my hair, and -

The headlights roll on.
I am left waiting
For morning to come.

---

(Low-Down, Up-Town) Leavin' Blues

2008-06-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

"Final Version"

"Rough Version"

The Story:

This is a bit of an interesting one, because as you may have noticed, there are two audio files to chose from. I'm doing something I normally wouldn't with this post by including a "rough draft," of sorts to what I am considering the final work. There are a bunch of reasons to consider it a rough draft. 1) It was done when I had a cold. 2) It was done without a pop filter. 3) Some parts of it just sound bad. 4) The lyrics have been somewhat revised in the final version. I hope to show that there is a difference between the rough draft (kind of like the "demo" of the song) and the final product. I've generally spent more time writing and performing than balancing the levels of my tunes, butu even in the short time I spent on these two versions, I feel there is a noticeable difference in quality.

The other thing that I'd like to point out is that it contains a chorus, verse, middle solo, and end solo. Normally I wouldn't jump right into the lyrics, but I think it worked out alright for this song. There are still definitely points where I am unhappy either with the guitar or the vocals, and the drum track is completely one-dimensional (it is literally just one loop), but I think this is an improvement on my previous works and ideas. It seems to me the best way to improve as a singer, song-writer, or guitarist is to try things to see what does and does not work...or get lessons. Whatever comes first, right?

The Lyrics: (Chord Progression: C-F-G)

Chorus:

Low-down up-town leavin' blues
Tell me mama, what can I do?
I don't need no post-man
To tell me the news, I got the
Low-down, up-town leavin' blues

---

Once was a girl
I used to know
She said she loved me but
She had a funny way of showin' it
We'd been together three months
'Til she took a train and a plane
To sip margaritas
In the Spanish rain
I never saw her again
But at least I still have
My money

[Chorus]

Once met a girl from
Foreign lands
With the sweetest smile and
The biggest plans
But when I asked her to take my hand
She up and ran off with a
China man
But at least I still have
My dignity

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]

Once met a girl with
Her mind all wrong
She would bark like a seagull
And flap like a frog
But when I took her to the farm
To set her free, some one was committed
And hell, it was me

Life sure is hard
Can't get my way
It seems these blues
Are here to stay
But if I save them
For a rainy day
Maybe my ladies will come back
Without delay

(That'll happen.)

[Outro]

---

Edit - I was quite happy receive some feedback on my work today. It was mentioned that I still suffer from vocal inconsistencies, and after listening more closely, I definitely agree. Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in the moment of song-writing, and not realize a certain section should be revised. In light of these comments, I have produced yet ANOTHER version of the song. I actually recorded it very quickly, so...enjoy!

Mountain

2008-04-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

---

This one is interesting. It started life as a random keyboard riff, and somehow flourished into a full song. My mom ended up liking the beat enough to put it on her iPod as one of her workout songs, and what's more...it has a DRUM SOLO. I've been meaning to put one of those in one of my songs for some time, but I finally did it. Playing a drum solo on a keyboard is actually a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'll definitely take this into account for my next keyboard drum solo. Before I go any further, let me give a few of my "inspirations" for writing this song.

- Jimi Hendrix, "Voodoo Chile"

I had the chorus stuck in my head when I wrote part of the lyrics, even if the melody and the words ended up being (I hope) reasonably different.

- The Theme To Batman (campy 60's version)

There's really no excuse for a horn section that raunchy, but I put it in because it made me smile. It still does...the horns in this song rawk.

- Blue Oyster Cult, "Cities Aflame With Rock and Roll"

This one inspired parts of the solo more than anything. I tried to get a really cool, fast, face-melting guitar solo, but ultimately I fell short of that goal. I'm still fighting on, though.

- The Theme to about any campy cop show ever.

Can't you hear it, lol?

I hope the lyrics were easier to hear this time, but just in case you need them, here they are:

---

1-2-3-4

I was standin' next to a mountain
'Til I tore him down
I was standin' next to a mountain
'Til he went and turned around
Can't stop me now baby
Devil can't drive me down

---

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - this song is proof that I shouldn't quit my day job to become a blues singer.

Whatever Happened to Audrey Lane?

2008-04-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

---

The Lyrics -

Audrey Lane
She lived on
Audrey Lane
She lives on
Audrey Lane
Lane

Audrey was an actress
Such a pretty little actress
Dancing out her heart
On the stage

But Then no one
No one could find her
Just a letter
And her wage

Where have you gone my dear?

Letter waiting
Anticipation
Was this all a
Hallucination?

Open the letter
Do not delay
Reading the words
What do they say?

I'm sorry if
I'm sorry if I scared you
But it's time for me to go

This can be
Our little secret
No one else needs to know

I won't need this skin any more...

Audrey Lane
She lived on
Audrey Lane
She lives on
Audrey Lane
Lane

The Story -

I suppose I am going to be a little bit mysterious on this one, and not provide an explicit explanation. Any interested parties can feel free to e-mail me about what I had in mind when I was writing this song. What I would like to talk about here was the production and composition aspect of this song. It's been a roller-coaster thrill ride, for certain. For the first time ever, I composed EVERY track, including the drum beat. To be fair, it is basically just a bass hit, but it is definitely great to have control over more than just pre-made beats. I also consider this song a pretty big step forward in the quality of production for my songs. I've recorded almost everything in stereo, and the new box that I'm using has been good for the most past. Let me give you a few details.

Line 6 KB73 Computer Interface and MIDI Controller

Pros:

- MIDI control
- Line and Mic in
- Cool input dials that move in real-time
- Access to new tones through included software

Cons:

- No firewire support
- No 1.8 (standard) headphone support
- Not plug and play with my Mac
- Some buttons are useless unless they are programmed with additional software
- Some buttons are tempermental and only work some of the time (for me, the "pitch" and "mod" wheels)
- Somewhat unimpressive plastic construction

I bought this device to give me new creative freedom with GarageBand, and I think it has. It has replaced my ailing M-Audio box nicely. For me, the pros outweigh the cons. The lack of firewire support has not been a problem, and a headphone jack converter was acquired at RadioShack for a cool $3. The MIDI is limited by the quality of the loops, but for what I do, it has come together nicely. Though GearBox (the software you have to use to get everything connected, and to access tones) has not blown me away, but the interface has been easy enough to work around. The keys are small and plastic, but I'm not primarily a keyboard player, so this has not been an issue with me.

All in all, if you just want MIDI support, pay the $40 for a MIDI conversion cable, and grab one of the RadioShack keyboards that seem pervasive in closets, attics, and garages (depending on your location). However, if you want MIDI support, a decent way to record, and access to some reasonably good guitar and vocal tones, this is a good "all-in-one" to consider.

Score: 8.7 / 10.

---

Sound Check...

2008-03-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

PART 2 - The Video

The Lyrics:

None.

The Story:

EDIT - Here's the link to the eBay auction:

http://tinyurl.com/yppmuo

Okay, this one is a little bit different. I recently bought a guitar, more specifically a Washburn Dime 333. Since the people who frequent this blog probably have access to my Facebook (marketplace), you can see a picture of it there. For the uninitiated, here's a picture (click for the full sized picture):

Now that my initial plans for this guitar have basically been shot to hell, I'm trying to resell it on Facebook, Craigslist, Ebay, and any other service that I can get my hands on. There guitar is a little dinged up cosmetically, but everything else is in order. It's a good player with some nice features (I particularly like the neck joint - it's a very nice change of pace from irritating low-end Squier necks), but it's just not the guitar for me.

You may be asking yourself - well what the heck is this post about? Part of it is a blatant advertisement for the guitar, but the other part is a "sound check." The song happily situated at the top of this post was played entirely on the Washburn (with the exception of the drum track). It consists of a "60s" texture (the backing track), 2 lead guitars, and one clean guitar. I tried to show what this guitar is capable of as well as what it sounds like, but there are two limits to this. First is the fact that I am not exactly the most proficient guitar player in the world. Second is that the sound of the guitar depends a lot on the effects / pre-amp that you use on it...but I still think the overall product turned out pretty well. Even if it doesn't sell anyone on the guitar it was still fun to play and come up with riffs that were a bit speedier than the ones I normally seem to play.

In any case, for more pictures or for a purchasing price, feel free to send me an email at...

fromthewayside [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com.

Atypical Love Song

2008-03-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

The Lyrics:

Blue eyes
Pull me closer
Clear skies
Shining full of stars
Lost hearts
Find your rest now
Soon I'll
Find my way home

---

If the wind called my name
Would you kiss the sky?
If heaven gave you wings
Would you fly to me?

---

I'm coming home.

The Story:

Let me talk about the music to this one a little bit before I start delving into meaning. I'm happy to report that I am more satisfied with my singing and my vocal tone on this track, but I can definitely hear places where I need improvement. There are certain points where I wanted to do a really cool vocal scream (a la Chris Cornell), but it was for naught. I still need more time / practice refining my tone before I start working on new styles. I think the guitar part is reasonably well put together, though there doesn't seem to be anything outwardly complex about it. I wanted to make it more complicated, more complex, more intricate, but ultimately I decided that a sort of "slow flow" was the best route for this particular song. I'd like to point out that I am happy with the sounds of everything, considering that my recording box managed to get dropped again...I'll probably be replacing the little bugger soon, even after all that years of work he's put in. Now, about the meaning of the song...

The title is "Atypical Love Song," for several reasons. First, there's no explicit "I love you" mentioned in the song. Second, there is no chorus to speak of. I'm not troubled by this; I have no complaints about a more free-form approach. Third, the song is very sparse with regards to the lyrics. This was done deliberately, to (hopefully) give the song a more open and free atmosphere. As usual, I'm not going to offer an interpretation of the lyrics here. If you want to talk about them please feel free to email me. Let me point out one more thing before I go. I was watching M*A*S*H yesterday (don't ask me why, it just happened to be on the TV), and something really profound was said. A doctor was speaking to a wounded soldier who a lso happened to be a very gifted pianist. He had recently lost the use of his right arm, and had fallen into a sort of depression about his inability to play. During the course of their conversation, the doctor said, "I can play the notes, but I can't make music. The song in your heart is what makes the piano sing, not your hands." That really inspired me...I always hope to be making music, not simply playing notes.

Force Jansen

2008-03-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

EDIT - Now available in blog.

For some reason the typical place where I upload songs is not cooperating with me...until it decides to work, the song will be available at two separate locations:

http://hypnosis.dmusic.com/

and

http://www.myspace.com/projecthypnotize

Sorry about the inconvenience!

---

This is a song dedicated to Mr. Jansen, my 11th and 12th grade physics teacher. The major goals I had for this song were...

- Short
- Minimal Lyrics
- Shred / Tapping Solo

I'm not 100 percent satisfied with the solo, but it's passable for what it needed to be. I think this song taught me some valuable lessons about technique, which I will definitely apply the next time I need the tapping technique.

They Lyrics:

We were hit
By a Force Jansen
Everybody
Started dancin'
Lasers went
Pew-pew
Everybody
Started to
Mo-o-ooove...

3-2-1 Blast-off!

Note: If the song is too quiet...TURN IT UP!

Fan Works - Piso Mojado

2008-02-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

The Story -

Well, I wasn't aware of this until recently, but apparently, the site is now cool enough to garner songs in response to songs that have been posted. This particular work is some kind of response to "Rebel Bell Yell," so...enjoy. If I remember the details correctly, this was done as a project for a music class...a friend of the site had to make a song, but couldn't use any instruments. All things considered, it turned out pretty well...I hope you got an A, John. I do have to agree with your mom though...at first it is kind of hard to tell that it is you talking. It almost doesn't sound like you at parts. (Random observation of the day.)

The Lyrics -

Honestly, just listen to the song...and be amazed.

EDIT -

I just got word from John and...he got an A!

Hurray for John!

Commission Me!

2008-02-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

As of today (2/18/08), I have decided to open my doors to commissions. This means if you want me to write a completely personalized and customizable song just for you, now's your chance!

I've set up the following F.A.Q. / Contract for anyone is interested.

Question - How should I get in contact with you?

Answer- The best way to reach me is through my email, at fromthewayside AT gmail DOT com.

Question: How much will it cost?

Answer: Song will cost $5 a pop. There will be $2 down payment for me to start work, and an additional $3 for me to release the final song to you.

Question: How long will it take?

Answer: At this point songs are estimated to take about two weeks to complete. If it takes longer, you will receive a dollar off your total purchase price for each additional week the song takes to complete*. A maximum of two dollars will be taken off your purchase.

*There are two exceptions to this - First, if the song is being composed in a peak period (EX: Valentine's Day), or I encounter extreme circumstances (Death in the family, Finals, Midterms, Etc), I reserve the right to extend the production period a reasonable amount (depending on the event) to finish the song.

Question: What if I am dissatisfied with the song?

Answer: If you are dissatisfied or want revisions to your song, it can be adjusted or re-written for $2-3 depending on the amount of work that goes into the revision. (EX: Rewriting some of the lyrics)

Question: Will you write any song? What about cover songs?

Answer: I reserve the right to refuse any song, but most topics will be accepted. I normally will NOT do cover songs, because I have no way of getting in touch with the original artist. I'm not here to infringe on copyright law.

Question: Will you write using any musical style?

Answer: The short answer is yes. The long answer is that I excel at certain styles over others. I will rarely turn down a song because of the style, but I may offer my own "artistic interpretation" of the style requested.

Question: Can I provide my own lyrics?

Answer: Yes. I will accept any lyrics, riffs, etc, as long as they are not pulled straight from someone else's song (see my thoughts on doing cover songs above), and they don't bother / offend me (a very hard thing to do). Lyrics and riffs may be tinkered with to make the song work.

Question - I don't like your voice / want a female singer / etc. Will you still do a song for me?

Answer - Yes. I will do everything in my power to arrange for the right person to perform your song for you. Be aware though, that I have limited resources to make this happen, so it may not always be possible.

Question - Can I give a copy of the song to my friends?

Answer - Of course! You are completely free to distribute as many copies as you like, as long as you are not selling the song for a profit.

NOTE: I will retain sole copyright / licensing to the song.

Question: How will I receive my song when it is finished?

Answer: I can send it to you in one of several ways. Normal costs include an mp3 of your song, sent to you over the internet. If you prefer to have the song burned on a CD (jewel case optional but recommended) and sent to you, there will be an additional charge. I will not pay shipping fees.

Question - Will you post every song you write on the site?

Answer - No. If you don't want me to post a song on the site, I won't. I will always try to wait for your permission to post, but if I don't receive a yes or no within one month of completion, I may post it on the site (though none of the commissioner's information will be included).

Question - What method of payment do you prefer?

Answer - I prefer cash when possible (local deals), and will accept pay pal and certified check payments. If none of the above work for you, contact me and we can discuss payment.

Question - I have a question that hasn't been answered here!

Answer - Email me at the address listed above and below.

Question - How should I get in contact with you?

Answer- The best way to reach me is through my email, at fromthewayside AT gmail DOT com. (I know I included this information twice; I just want to make sure no one missed it.)

I hope this little FAQ has sparked your interest and answered any questions you might have had! Feel free to drop me a line at my email address. I look forward to hearing from you!

Love In D'd

2008-02-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

The Story -

This is a little something I came up with for Sam's birthday. It is dedicated completely and entirely to her. I should note that I did try a few things in this song that turned out better than expected. First, in the initial hum, I double-tracked the vocals. This isn't the first time I've used two vocal tracks, but it is the first time I've used it to record the same track over itself. I heard about this particular technique when watching a program about "Dark Side of the Moon," and "Machine Head," (by Pink Floyd and Deep Purple, respectively), so I figured I would give it a try. I'm dissatisfied at best with the vocals, but at least they're in tune. I should at least get a few pity points for that. I actually like both the guitar and bass in this one. I think that the bass is often too quiet (for some reason my bass records very quietly), but I jacked the volume up pretty high so hopefully it will balance out. The last two things I want to mention are the mood shift and the surprise ending. I really like the riff at the mood shift; the driving guitar is a little jangly, but all bad-ass. As for the surprise ending...well - have a listen and we'll see what's what. Let me just say this - when you first think the song is over, it may well not be over.

I know it doesn't all gel together at times, but I'm working on it. I just need to listen and let my fingers do the talking.

The Lyrics -

Let our love
Be the story
Of the mountain
And the sea
Let us fade
Into each other
I am you and
You are me

---

I pray
The day
We go our separate ways
Doesn't come.

Concept Album

2008-02-10T20:36:00.001-08:00

Ccheck this out for a premise (perhaps of a poem, book, or album) -

"Kurtzbleckistan" is a recently formed state (country) in the Middle East. It consists primarily of revolutionary separatists. Though they are not necessarily associated with any "real-world" country or religion, there are certainly "religious" overtones at work within its borders. It is ruled by a seemingly benevolent dictator who allows for a puppet democracy, so as to promote a "good feeling" in his support base (virtually all of the country). Citizens that vote are given, "government subsidized medicine," or what boils down to drugs for votes. Citizens that don't vote are rounded up and imprisoned. Some are shot for the amusement of the dictator, but mostly they are just left to rot in cells. There is a mild, but ultimately futile resistance movement in Kurtzbleckistan. Oil revenue is a major boon for Kurtzbleckistan, so much so that "Universal Healthcare" is offered. As it turns out, Kurtzbleckistan is actually populated by a lot of very fair skinned citizens. This proves to be a major burden on the healthcare system. Hilarity ensues when, instead of revising or discarding the system, the dictator simply decides to detonate the sun, thereby negating any healthcare issues. The work itself would discuss Kurtzbleckistan, from its inception to its peak and ultimate collapse.

Track Titles (Perhaps In Order):

- Welcome To Kurtzbleckistan
- One Man Revolution
- Power Is My Religion
- The Mind of a Dictator
- "Mommy?"
- The Birth of a "Star;" the Death of a Star
- Epilogue

Any thoughts?

Think

2008-01-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

The Story:

I basically had one major goal with this song - to make my voice more dynamic and less "whiny." I think I did a pretty good job at that goal. Hopefully, this song will make you do as the title suggests. If not, at least it's catchy, right?

The Lyrics (Disclaimer - I may not have written down the lyrics exactly):

Chorus:

Sha-la-la
If I love you today
Sha-na-na
You'll be leavin' tomorrow

Walk out That door and
Save me
The Sorrow

---

Yeah (x2)

[Chorus]

So much more to cry about
My tears are running dry
Does it really matter
If you date another guy?

There's blood in the streets
And weapons at hand
To take up the cause
Of killing a fellow man

Even at our doorstep
People burn just for their skin
One death is far too many
But the crude always seem to win

Count your blessing baby
Or they'll take you away
Blind eyes open wide
As rifles have their say

If we knew how good we had it
If we forced ourselves to see
Maybe then we'd realize
There's more than just you and me

[Chorus]

Rebel Yell Bell

2008-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I don't really even know what the words are. Just listen to it and know that it makes no sense whatsoever.

To be fair, this is technically a collaboration between the Magnificent Mr. Ho, Bowlin' Dolan, and myself. It just sort of happened. For those who are about to ask...yes, I suppose it is supposed to sound like that.

Edit - This one will not be available for download until my other site at DMusic decides to work again...so...yeah.

A Modest Endeavor (Part 1 and 2)

2007-12-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

Today is mildly monumental; it marks the completion of my first 2 part song set, "A Modest Endeavor." I've tried to combine a lot of different ideas I've had floating around in my head for some time now, and I think some of them came out quite well. Others, unfortunately, did not. Now, a little bit of an explanation is in order. First, however, have a listen.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Now, on to business.

Part one is meant to be an instrumental introduction to part two. Part one is a little bit of a strange beast because it uses both classical guitar (Spanish style) and electrical guitar. The slow (60bpm) intro is actually played on said guitar, and was recorded using a mic (which might explain some of the weird spots). I think my soloing skills are becoming a little less random and a little more directed, which is a good thing, though I realize that I have a lot more work to do. Basically, the entire point of this intro was to create an atmosphere of isolation and loneliness. If that's how you feel after listening to the intro, then it's done it's job. If that's not what you feel, well...I'll try harder next time. One last note about part one: the entire inspiration for this intro was a single phrase, strummed on the classical with a capo (a device that holds down all 6 strings in a specific place on the fingerboard of the guitar) at position 5. If I ever feel a little less lazy, I might cut a very short track consisting only of that inspirational lick.

Lyrics: A Modest Endeavor, Part 2.

[guitar / bass intro]

Long after the last day had past
Long after the seasons had died
Long after all hope was lost
Stood a single man, shake, but alive

Greeted by the naked sun
In the western sky
Painting with its tattered brush
Crimson hues and dies

[muted guitar solo]

Words had long since
Lost their way
Besides, who had
Something to say?
Let the birds be his voice
The breeze be his ears
With the death of culture
Gives the birth of frontier

[bass solo!]

In the warmth of winter
In the life of night
He forgot his feet
And the ground took flight
He kissed the wind
And he touched the sun
Only pieces were left
And the deed was
Done.

The Story:

I'm going to leave this one in particular up to interpretation (at least for a little while). My goal in creating this song was to use a lot of strange metaphors, but not simply for the sake of being weird. I've recently been listening to a lot of classic rock, and many of the lyrics are influenced by drug use. I wanted to create that sort of vibe without being on drugs. I think I've had a mildly successful effort, but I have plenty of ideas for improvement. Hopefully you can hear how my voice is more consistent, but I still need to work on volume control / tone / transitioning between phrases. It's kind of a running gag around my house about how bad my voice is, but at least this is a step in the right direction. Also, I think the bass solo could have been a little more fleshed out, and the guitar was off rhythm in certain parts, but I chose to overlook some of those flaws (for now), for the sake of finally publishing the songs. I'm still trying to find my voice (in the literal sense), but I'm happy just to be able to practice and get my ideas out there.

As always, the song is available for download at:

hypnosis.dmusic.com

I'd love to hear some feedback on this one, so feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email at:

fromthewayside (at) gmail (dot) com.

As far as future songs / projects are concerned, look for more collaborations / blues music / holiday themed music in the (hopefully) near future.

(Unofficial) Theme Rap

2007-11-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

Copyright DJ Funky White Boy Fresh

The Story:

My good friends over at AllAboutTheHamiltons.com produce a podcast called Knights of the Round. I saw a need - a need for a theme rap so face-meltingly amazing it would cause people to run from miles around just to hear it. Though the end result may very well cause children to drop a deuce in their pants, and grown men to cry like they've never cried before...behold: The All About The Hamilton's Rap!

The Lyrics:

We start with Josh
The main perpetrator
Credited As
The podcast's creator

Better watch out
I'm tellin' you cuz
He'll serve you up
Some nice hot fuzz

Yeah.
Instrumental solo.
Raise the roof.

Josh is cool
He's got the power
He's bad ass
Just like Jack Bauer

CIA
If you need a spy
Hit Josh up
He's your guy

Now let me tell you
'Bout a boy named Danny
With my rap skills
So uncanny

He shot a man in Reno
Just to watch him die
The boy's a pimp
He's a superfly

Shut your mouth!
Hey ladies.

If you like your news
If you like this sound
You'd better check out
Knights of the Round

They're on the mic
With looks to thrill
If they like this song
Wait 'til they get the bill

...uh...

"Brother, it's
allaboutthehamiltons.com"

War

2007-11-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Copyright Hypnosis 2007.

The Story:

The story behind this one is actually pretty simple. It's not meant to be a criticism of the Iraq War or the "War On Terror," it's a criticism of war. I am ashamed to admit that when I first heard of the war in Iraq, I was indifferent. It seemed so unreal. It was confusing, but more than anything it wasn't a concern of mine; it wasn't a part of me. Now, as time has passed, and truths have been revealed (namely the absence of weapons of mass destruction, the lack of links to Al-Queda (except the ones that forged after the US entered...a terrible self-fulfilling prophecy), the utter incompetence and frustrating misappropriations of Bush administration, among other things) the war has become a part of me. I am not a soldier. I pray to God that I may never have to full such a terrible duty, but the war weighs on me. As this war continues, it seems more and more plain that behind the politics, behind the fear, and racism, and hate, behind the lack of understanding, behind the weapons, behind the corpses - there are human beings. There are innocents, and there are dirty, despicable, poor excuses for human beings on both sides of the war.

Let me speak as plainly as possible: no war is justified.

I want to make things clear. I've have not come to this conclusion because the Iraq War is an unpopular war. I have not come to this conclusion because of the Bush Administration, or Al-Queda, or Osama Bin Laden, or Sadam Hussein, or Dick Cheney. I've come to this conclusion because I believe, to the very fiber of my being, we are all human. Everyone has a story, everyone has hopes, and everyone has dreams. This will never explain away or validate the choices people make, good or bad, but at the very least, it must constitute a basis of understanding. It is a reason to care. It is a reason to believe, that through everything this world will suffer through, man will one day hold hands and say, "we may have our differences, and we all have our faults, but we can make due with each other. We can walk the path of peace. We can forgive the past, we can find a way to co-exist in the future." Some men and women would die for the country, for their religion, for their beliefs. To this day, and far into the future, they will continue to do so. Still, I am left to wonder - why die for your country when you can live for it? A country is only as beautiful as its people; a belief is only as powerful as its followers. Instead of closing your heart to the world, why not open your arms to it?

---

To speak a little bit about the song itself - it allowed me to experiment with song-writing. I know the vocals are terribly inconsistent (if you were wondering, that is all me singing), but there are some definitely some cool things in this song that were absent in "Metal 2." First, though the intro could be tightened up in a lot of places, there actually IS an intro. Secondly, I was able to layer the "chorus" with laughs (if you notice, they become more frantic...and yes, that was done on purpose). I think the whammy bar trick at the end is also a cool idea, even if I could have done a little better with it. In the end, I think my song-writing is improving, even if there is still a lot more room for growth.

The Lyrics:

Under to blood red moon
I hear the cry for war
We are born in blood
And yet we lust for more

War Breeds Hypocrites
War Breeds Hypocrites

I bought a gun today
Just to see it shine
And as I pull the trigger
I know your heart is mine

War Feeds Hypocrites
War Feeds Hypocrites

You may hate my methods
But you love my style
Delivered to your doorstep
That's service with a smile

War Bleeds Hypocrites
War Bleeds Hypocrites

You may call me rancid
You may call me swell
But either way you choose
You've all served me well

War Needs Hypocrites
War Needs Hypocrites

The Button (aka Metal 2)

2007-11-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Copyright Hypnosis 2007.

The Story:

This is my first attempt at a "metal," song. It has its share of problems, to be sure (it's not fast enough, there is no underlying / backing track, etc), but I was surprised with how well it seemed to work, given my skill at the time. I don't think it's long enough or specific enough to provide an in-depth political critique, but at the very least I hope it offers up some interesting metaphors and groovy moments. Interestingly I never actually came up with a name for this song until just moments ago. I don't think "The Button" adequately describes this song, but at least it makes sense and is more informative than "Metal 2." If you are wondering what happened to Metal 1...it's still in production. Really it's just a bunch of random ideas I recorded (IE me trying to sound cool on guitar), so it may never exist as a full song, like Metal 2 does. Fear not though - I have more music (and more metal music) on the way. It'll only be a matter of time.

Lyrics:

Let me introduce myself
Though I'm sure you know my name
I'm dropping the bomb now
As the righteous are slain
Some call me Lucifer -
But you can call me Kane

I laugh at your cries for truth
And accountability
I could care less about
My responsibility

Give me the money
Give me my sins
I'll take it all
My pocketbook still wins

Ghosts rule this land now
Everything is ash
Man may have had the button
But he was not up for the task

What's one more way to die?
What's one more fear?
Go ahead and kiss your ass goodbye
Until the next election year.

[/end solo]

Smokin' Pot In The Parking Lot

2007-11-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

Copyright Hypnosis 2007.

The Story:

There isn't too much of a story to this one. An old friend of mine (as referenced in the song as "Rollin' Dolan) and I used to have ambitions of being the best band...ever. Our band was called "Squad Car," to which my mother jokingly added "And the Patty Wagons." Our band never actually contained any Patties, but I always get a good chuckle when I think of that name. Anyway - the culmination of our efforts was a Youth Group performance including, but not limited to "Eye of the Tiger," and, "Everlong (by the Foo Fighters)." Since then we have had no practices, no meetings, and absolutely no band related activity. Recently when Rollin' Dolan was in town, we were visiting a Wal-Mart (a entirely epic story in its own right), and we decided that "Smokin' Pot In The Parking Lot," was to be our smash-hit reunion tour single to end all singles. We would undoubtedly conquer the Youth Group market with such an amazing song. I was tasked with writing, performing, and producing...everything you hear on the track. At some points it lacks polish, and I know my vocals (and the layers) could use some work, but for the most part I am fairly happy with a song that started as a joke. You can download this song (for free, I might add) at hypnosis.dmusic.com

The Lyrcis:

[intro]

Smokin' pot in the parking lot
Not pretendin' to be
Something we're not

Asphalt under feet
Stars in the sky
Who's to say what counts as alive?

That's the way I
Spend my days
Eyes closed,
Mind in a haze

We stopped carin'
A long time ago
Who's dumb
And who's in the know

Oh no...(x2)

[guitar solo]

Take me away
Take me off to the stars
We can fly
Away to Mars
Take me away
I can't bare to see
Man in the mirror
The man that is me

[outro]

Enjoy.