Share Your Music (it probably sucks but that’s not why we do it)

[G650 14,273]

16 minutes ago, Goredho said:

I dig that That Misty Mountain Hopish riff

 

Ha, so funny story about that. So back in like 1995, before I was actually in this band I believe, the other guitarist was like hey check out this song. And I'm like dude its Misty Mountain Hop. And he is like yeah it does kinda sound like that. And I'm like no, dude, it is Misty Mountain Hop. It was like a direct rip off lol. Anyway part of it lived on in this song.

My drummer and I were actually racking our brains last week trying to remember the MMH ripoff songs name ironically enough.

[G650 14,273]

Next one is a song called These Woods, about a place we used to get high AF and generally party and be delinquent. This is one of the songs that sounds very 90s to me.

 

 

 

More bonus material, my rig that day, 300 watts of fury.

 

 

 

[Goredho 17,413]

2 hours ago, G650 said:

Next one is a song called These Woods, about a place we used to get high AF and generally party and be delinquent. This is one of the songs that sounds very 90s to me.

 

 

 

More bonus material, my rig that day, 300 watts of fury.

 

 

 

You need to call up the guys and get the band back together again.

[G650 14,273]

1 hour ago, Goredho said:

You need to call up the guys and get the band back together again.

Ha. The drummer and I actually play to this day. It's his green kit in the drum pron thread. The bassist is nominally with us, though life has been getting in the way. The singer and other guitarist is up in NY.

[sidis 9,832]

been a busy few months and haven't had a lot of time for music unfortunately.  however, a few things i have done.  

first, i did a cover of isbell's "if we were vampires."  i wanted to lay down a cello line to test how some new recording gear (neumann mt48 audio interface) and a new mic would sound in my office.  vampires is my wife's favorite tune by JI so decided to play in some piano and cello.  violin was added afterwards with midi.

 

second is a new guitar/drum based track i'm working on.  trying to do something a bit more traditional.  started with a sketch on the chorus that sounded a bit alice in chains-y to me so i built off that. i'm actually intending to write some verse, bridge, and chorus lyrics for it...then maybe i can pay the girls in jimmy's daughter's band to come and scream them in and make it work.  haven't started conceiving of them yet but have placeholders for lyrics in the song throughout.

 

finally is a string quartet track i have been working on for a long time.  i think it is finished but still don't know if i like the jarring ending or not.

 

[jimmyjazz 46,093]

Haven't listened to them all, but I think that cello recording on the Isbell tune is fine.  Well done.

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

3 hours ago, sidis said:

been a busy few months and haven't had a lot of time for music unfortunately.  however, a few things i have done.  

first, i did a cover of isbell's "if we were vampires."  i wanted to lay down a cello line to test how some new recording gear (neumann mt48 audio interface) and a new mic would sound in my office.  vampires is my wife's favorite tune by JI so decided to play in some piano and cello.  violin was added afterwards with midi.

 

second is a new guitar/drum based track i'm working on.  trying to do something a bit more traditional.  started with a sketch on the chorus that sounded a bit alice in chains-y to me so i built off that. i'm actually intending to write some verse, bridge, and chorus lyrics for it...then maybe i can pay the girls in jimmy's daughter's band to come and scream them in and make it work.  haven't started conceiving of them yet but have placeholders for lyrics in the song throughout.

 

finally is a string quartet track i have been working on for a long time.  i think it is finished but still don't know if i like the jarring ending or not.

 

Awesome that you are writing and composing in such contrasting genres.

[sidis 9,832]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Haven't listened to them all, but I think that cello recording on the Isbell tune is fine.  Well done.

thanks dude.  obviously it isn't a difficult line but i can't play much beyond that in terms of current ability.  double tracked it with a royer ribbon and a u87 through my neve pre and a touch of color added with an 1176 prior to mt48 interface.  used valhalla room for some reverb and a modeled ssl channel strip for some eq on it.

even took a pic:

Edited July 20, 2023 by sidis

[jimmyjazz 46,093]

I had a Royer ribbon mic for a while until I shut everything down and sold off most my stuff.  I used to use it with a Microtech Gefell M300 in a mid/side array out front of drum kits.  In my room, that was the tits as far as "overheads" go.  Really captured the whole kit well, and it was so easy to dial in the right "width" of the kit for the song.  (That's not to say one can't convert X/Y to M/S, but with M/S it's right there in front of you.)

[sidis 9,832]

3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I had a Royer ribbon mic for a while until I shut everything down and sold off most my stuff.  I used to use it with a Microtech Gefell M300 in a mid/side array out front of drum kits.  In my room, that was the tits as far as "overheads" go.  Really captured the whole kit well, and it was so easy to dial in the right "width" of the kit for the song.  (That's not to say one can't convert X/Y to M/S, but with M/S it's right there in front of you.)

i love my r-121.  i'm basically dual tracking every single thing i do with it now except vox.  i find that whatever i feel is missing from anything i mic whether it's an sm57 to a u87, the 121 brings a certain breathy colorfulness to it that blends nicely with everything else and provides organic thickness.  sometimes, it may only contribute 10% of the final sound and sometimes, all of it...but it is basically ever present on everything i do now.

paul and i did a shootout with a bunch of mics at the studio a few months back and we agreed that it won virtually every sound we put in front of it.

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

Cross-posting from the guitar thread, just in case there are interested people who have a different primary instrument, or who make electronic music completely in the box.

I am trying to move forward with the idea of organizing a songwriter group that will hold one another accountable for the rest of 2023.  

Here's an abbreviated version of that post:

 

-----------------------------

Here's what I'm imagining:

1.  Every month, you get a three or four prompts to pick from.  A couple of them can be specific (tempo or key or style) and a couple can be broad (topics or a short lyrical phrase that you have to use).  Everyone can throw one out or email me suggestions and I'll come up with them.  There are a shit ton of "songwriting prompt" websites to steal from.

2.  An iPhone recording is probably going to be the default format.  If y'all want to do zoom or in-person, we could do that too.  So don't feel like you'll need professionally polished versions of your songs.  I imagine people (maybe including me) would be more comfortable sharing things on a zoom call or an email chain.  

3.  Something due on the first of the month from now through Jan 1.  That's a fairly self-limited commitment, and seems both ambitious and achievable.  I would LOVE to have five songs done or semi-formed by New Year's

By comparison, the Mraz/Schneider song game - which I was never part of - had a song due every Friday, and you were kicked out of the group if you didn't submit something.  

https://www.npr.org/2013/11/24/246755925/for-a-few-musicians-beating-songwriters-block-is-all-in-the-game

One song a month is a WAY lower bar, though maybe we still have to use the threat of an Amish shunning in order to hold everyone accountable.

I'm open to suggestions for a format that is most inclusive and most helpful.

Tell you what, if you want "in," then "like" this post with the Gritty Fuck Around and Find Out icon (no need to Gritty again here if you already Grittied on the other thread).  I don't know what's a reasonable quorum (maybe eight people minimum?).  If we get a quorum after a few days, I'll PM everyone, and I imagine it will probably be easier to operate offline, like we'll start a new email chain for each month.

edit:  We can make at least one of the prompts pertinent for people who write instrumentals (i.e. it won't just be a vocal phrase like other songwriting groups have used).  

I have an idea for the first prompt, and I'll send that one (and others) on the 15th.  Everyone will have 15 days to write the first one, 30+ days to write the others.  And then it's over, just in time for your New Year's resolutions (which always work out perfectly).

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by Paul Wesley

[sidis 9,832]

i would definitely be in.  seeking clarification though, this is something that everyone would take the prompt and then go work on it independently, correct?  Not something collaborative.

[Celery Man 20,996]

i'm out if I have to work with sidis

[sidis 9,832]

1 minute ago, Celery Man said:

i'm out if I have to work with sidis

now there's a man that's heard me practicing the drums at my house for the last two weeks.  less hurtful than my wife researching attorneys.

[Goredho 17,413]

5 minutes ago, sidis said:

now there's a man that's heard me practicing the drums at my house for the last two weeks.  less hurtful than my wife researching attorneys.

Buying a set of drums is a real 4D chess gambit to getting the ok to build/buy your own pro studio

[sidis 9,832]

1 minute ago, Goredho said:

Buying a set of drums is a real 4D chess gambit to getting the ok to build/buy your own pro studio

true, but i think it also automatically triggers a special provision precluding the possibility of no fault divorce under texas law.

[Goredho 17,413]

54 minutes ago, sidis said:

true, but i think it also automatically triggers a special provision precluding the possibility of no fault divorce under texas law.

I think under Texas law your wife can be legally stoned to death for opposing her husband's desire to drum.

[ajax 2,620]

Not my music. My friend's daughter made a song that's getting a couple of million views on youtube and a million on Spotify, which I think is pretty good?

Sounds like a mix of MBV with White Pony era Deftones. 

 

[ajax 2,620]

Correction. She has nearly 10 million streams on Spotify. Still no idea if that's good.

[Celery Man 20,996]

this feels like probably the most appropriate thread for songwriting discussion

 

I've never been a lyrics guy. Polish lyrics, workshop lyrics, sure. Write lyrics out of whole cloth?

Every night I'm cranking out a few little guitar hooks and yeah it's a lot of G C D Em Bm etc but it's some stuff and I like some of it. I've got a general idea of a thing to write about based on the prompt (and actually some discussion on this board) and one line for the chorus but....

how's it going for y'all?

or is this a fight club scenario?

Edited August 18, 2023 by Celery Man

[G650 14,273]

I lol'd.

 

I've been everything from non contributing to the sole songwriter and anything in between. In my last group I was responsible for all the songwriting, which to be honest isn't my favorite. I guess some people would like to be in that position, but to me I really enjoy the inspiration of multiple peoples input, and the result of that collaboration. It kind of led to burn out and a lack of motivation on my part. So one thing about this that excites me is at least hearing other ideas. We are each doing our own bit but just hearing other stuff is motivating for me.

 

I haven't been able to work on much yet, this weekend should give me some time. I have a partial chord and melody already laying around I think will fit pretty good so I plan on fleshing that out. I had another one called Lost in the Sky too, but I am reticent to sacrifice it as it's kind of going somewhere else as is. But you never know.

 

 

[jimmyjazz 46,093]

I have the chorus written.  It has almost nothing to do with the meat of the prompt.  Hey, Paul said . . .

[rungeflash 322]

Wow…first time I’ve opened this thread….big time props to all of you! Especially the drum pron thread posters! Lol.
Impressive work…..I will keep reading and learning

 

[Celery Man 20,996]

Noodling with a fun little Am hook last night and then I woke up this morning with King of Oklahoma stuck in my head. oh…..

[G650 14,273]

53 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

Noodling with a fun little Am hook last night and then I woke up this morning with King of Oklahoma stuck in my head. oh…..

 

Songwriting Law #1 - Every good idea you have someone already did.

[Celery Man 20,996]

i went on a tear of reading business books last year, and one of the Adam Grant ones (feels like probably "Originals") he discusses the power of procrastinating or leaving stuff until the last minute. Chiefly the thing I am remembering is the idea that, the brain doesn't just stop working on something in the period between when you set it down and you pick it up again, and that is often a negative for "getting the assignment done early" - you missed a big window for your brain to be chewing on the thing in the background.

I don't think that month 1 is going to be anything much for me - it'll probably pretty cookie cutter and uninteresting. That said, I'm enjoying the rediscovery of hammering on something for a while and being frustrated, walking away, picking it back up the next day and getting the version you were trying to find on the first try.

[G650 14,273]

1 hour ago, Celery Man said:

 

I don't think that month 1 is going to be anything much for me - it'll probably pretty cookie cutter and uninteresting. That said, I'm enjoying the rediscovery of hammering on something for a while and being frustrated, walking away, picking it back up the next day and getting the version you were trying to find on the first try.

 

It's interesting, that phenomenon happens when I'm learning someone else's songs as well. And a surprisingly short break does wonders. Like walk away for 5 minutes then come back and it's magically a lot easier.

 

I wouldn't worry much about being uninteresting, I'm sure you guys will be like nice 7th grade song bro when you hear what I came up with.

[Chips O'Toole 1,327]

I read something similar a while back, or maybe heard it on a podcast, specifically relating to music. It was about a summer in a band or session drummer who was confounded by a complicated rhythm or something and they did take after take and just couldn't get it. They called it and went to bed, then the very first take the next day the drummer nailed the take perfectly. 

I'm the type that processes things slowly over time, so I like to put some time into a song or recording, then move on and come back to it a few days later. I'm interested to see how I do with deadlines. This prompt fired off a lot of ideas for me, so it shouldn't be tough to complete, but I am sure i will find some future prompts more frustrating. 

 

[Celery Man 20,996]

Part of my problem with this one (upon hearing the pronunciation of “Rust”) is my deep need to not just recognize potential puns, but say them out loud.

[G650 14,273]

I'm pretty sure I just fucked up my right ear drum. I hope I cannhear what I'm doing from here out

[Celery Man 20,996]

8 minutes ago, G650 said:

I'm pretty sure I just fucked up my right ear drum. I hope I cannhear what I'm doing from here out

 

[jimmyjazz 46,093]

I overthink things, especially lyrically.  Pop lyrics do not need to be poetry.  Most great pop songs don't really read well as poetry.  Doesn't stop me from trying to write poetry and wasting a shit ton of time.

One of the best lyrics I ever wrote was scribbled during rehearsal in 10 minutes.  An entire song, total stream of consciousness.  Bandmates were like "damn, dude, where did THAT come from?"  Turns out if you don't preciously edit yourself, sometimes good (and different) things can happen.

[ohchaucer 1,443]

Part of my problem with this one (upon hearing the pronunciation of “Rust”) is my deep need to not just recognize potential puns, but say them out loud.

Wait, wait wait… how does he pronounce his last name?! Not like it’s spelled? Do over!

(Just kidding, his name has nothing to do with any of my ideas).

[G650 14,273]

I will forewarn everyone that my lyrics will only have the tangential connection to our lunatic German kamikaze. The emotional impression of the vastness of the sky is kind of my muse.

 

My plan B though is to call the CIA and ask for the dude who wrote Winds of Change and see if he will ghostwrite it for me.

[Celery Man 20,996]

7 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I overthink things, especially lyrically.  Pop lyrics do not need to be poetry.  Most great pop songs don't really read well as poetry.  Doesn't stop me from trying to write poetry and wasting a shit ton of time.

One of the best lyrics I ever wrote was scribbled during rehearsal in 10 minutes.  An entire song, total stream of consciousness.  Bandmates were like "damn, dude, where did THAT come from?"  Turns out if you don't preciously edit yourself, sometimes good (and different) things can happen.

 

I wrote a verse off my chorus, and I like the verse but now the chorus sucks and I can't get off the progression. Feeling like this is going to be one of those simple loud soft things that tries to cram 2 verses and a bridge in before you notice that there's only one and a half parts.

[Celery Man 20,996]

boom, fuck y'all. i got my weekly 2 hours of actual uninterrupted time so I wrote another verse and knocked it out, 2 minutes of chart topping magic (that needs a complete rework to make an actual chorus happen and fix the bridge)

maybe i'll put down a lead guitar or some sprinkles. NOW THAT I'VE GOT TIME.

 

thanks @Paul Wesley for starting this, I'm having fun. I had to install garageband on my ipad and macbook, I've never even used it.

Edited August 27, 2023 by Celery Man

[G650 14,273]

2 hours of uninterrupted time, what is this fantasy that you speak of

[Celery Man 20,996]

2 hours ago, G650 said:

2 hours of uninterrupted time, what is this fantasy that you speak of

If I get the grocery shopping done on Saturday, I have a brief Sunday window.

of course kid #2 on the way…

[G650 14,273]

12 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

If I get the grocery shopping done on Saturday, I have a brief Sunday window.

of course kid #2 on the way…

Shit homie, whatchu you mean might

 

Congrats though man, didn't know you had a new bundle coming!

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

On 8/26/2023 at 9:38 AM, G650 said:

My plan B though is to call the CIA and ask for the dude who wrote Winds of Change and see if he will ghostwrite it for me.

That was a pretty good podcast, right?

[sidis 9,832]

i had to wrap this up a little early due to restraints on time this week.  i did not do a songwriter submission on this one but instead, "scored the scene" per my typical style of composition.  i will take a swing a songwriting in next month's prompt. i effectively envisioned the last half hour or so of rust's effort...descending through the thick clouds over moscow with a sense of peacefulness building up to a dramatic climax touching down despite expectations. but instead of it being from rust's perspective, it is from some unsuspecting person on the ground's.  the early chords are intended and choir are supposed to connote a very eastern european feel...someone minding their business being miserable in the ussr.  then the tremolo violin starts to build, representing the flutter of the engine and plane piercing through the cloud deck and catching the attention of our bystander's perspective...all the way down to the triumphant landing...with a small epilogue of "oh shit, we are still in russia after all the excitement."  this was obviously done in logic...primarily with spitfire audio's bbc symphony orchestra.  anyway, paul said we could do inside the box and this story just screamed dramatic scoring sound to me.  i'll put my bob dylan hat on next month.  regardless, here it is...

looking forward to hearing everyone else's submissions next week.

[sidis 9,832]

as for suggesting prompts, no particular story jumps to mind but i would love it if we could do one at some point through this that requires a non-4/4 time signature.  maybe 5/4 or something to force me to do it.

[Paul Wesley 3,289]

2 hours ago, sidis said:

 

looking forward to hearing everyone else's submissions next week.

This is fantastic, sidis.  Just listened to it a few times.  You may have missed your calling scoring cinema.  

[jimmyjazz 46,093]

I'm pretty sure it's because I can't disconnect the prompt from the music, and I don't mean to be lazy, but I get a big Dunkirk vibe from that.  Believe me, that's a compliment, I felt like the audio in Dunkirk was as important to the film as any soundtrack I can recall in recent memory.

[G650 14,273]

Fabulous stuff as always, Paul is right, you could have been a film scorer, still could be really.

[G650 14,273]

10 hours ago, sidis said:

as for suggesting prompts, no particular story jumps to mind but i would love it if we could do one at some point through this that requires a non-4/4 time signature.  maybe 5/4 or something to force me to do it.

[ohchaucer 1,443]

I’ll see you’re 3/4 and raise you 2/3.

Also that is badass, sidis. Drum team representing! (My month one contribution will be decidedly non-public).

[G650 14,273]

We could get all fucked up like the Foo Fighters and do 7/4 such as Times Like These, one measure 4/4, one measure 3/4.

 

On second though please forget I said anything.

[Celery Man 20,996]

23 hours ago, sidis said:

as for suggesting prompts, no particular story jumps to mind but i would love it if we could do one at some point through this that requires a non-4/4 time signature.  maybe 5/4 or something to force me to do it.

[sidis 9,832]

12 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

I tried that…didn’t go so well. ohchaucer already scolded me for it.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by sidis