This episode’s song is influenced by the Icelandic band, Sigur Ros. I saw them play a several years ago and again more recently and they put on one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen. Such power and emotion with such a unique sound. Here is one of my favorite tracks of theirs.
And here’s another song that I have found inspiration from:
My song borrows some elements from Sigur Ros’ sound. First, the repetitive piano lines and the sound of a guitar harmonic layered with some echoy effects (so it almost sounds like drops of water). Sigur Ros use a violin bow on the guitar to get their sound but I used an ebow, which is a pretty close approximation. I added bass and kick drum but it still felt like it needed something to I threw in a sparse electric guitar part to help ground the busy piano.
Since I can’t sing like Jonsi, I went a different direction with the vocals and layered them. Take a listen.
Lyrics: Underneath the surface
Struggling for air
Stone tied to your ankle
Skin is turning pale
If I could reach you
I would set you free
Something keeps you down
Help is reaching out
Trapped beneath the surface
Of a crystal clear sea
Fell asleep with the fishes
Motionless as can be
If I could see you
I would set you free
For today’s episode, I’m sharing with you a instrumental piano piece I starting writing back when I was about 14. It’s actually one of my first pieces of music. Over the years, I’ve modified it a bit and added parts to make it longer but the main theme has stayed about the same.
About a year ago, I decided it would be a good idea to record it in case any film makers wanted to use it for a scene. I kind of imagine it being a used for an introspective sequence like if one of the characters were laying in bed about to fall asleep or someone has a relative pass away and they are trying to cope with the loss.
I recorded it with the upright piano in our living room. I added some string and ethereal sounding parts with the keyboard along with melodica part to add some texture (which sounds a bit like an accordion).
I’m pleased with the way it turned out. Hopefully one day, I’ll be able to get it into a movie!
This song is actually the very first song that I wrote with words! I wrote a few songs on the piano before then but hey were all instrumentals. Accordingly to my notes, it dates back to July of 1997 almost 20 years ago when I had just turned 14. It took me about 15 years to actually get around to recording it.
At the time I wrote it, the song was much slower. I thought of it as a ballad patterned after the Beatles “In My Life” (where I not-so-subtly lifted the line from). The lyrics are also very lovey-dovey like the early Beatles. Later on when my high school band was taking a break, I jammed with may buddy, Jeff, on sax and picked up the tempo, giving it the Jack Johnson meets Dave Matthews feel. Unfortunately, my friend was available to play sax when I recorded, so I decided to whistle the solo parts. I also added jembe, snaps, maracas, and bass guitar to fill it out. I think it works. It’s not the best lyrics I’ve written but it’s a snappy, catchy tune that I’m still proud of it.
Lyrics: I was a lost little child until
I found you then I knew
You are the only one for me
You are the only one I see
In my life have I loved you
If it’s right I will love you
How can I what I’m feeling now
I don’t know how
The moment you looked this way
I knew I was the only one to say
In my life have I loved you
If it’s right I will love you
You’re like an angel from heaven
Descending from the sky
I’ve you since the day we meet
Til the day we said goodbye
How I can what you want me to be
I guess we’ll see and I know
You are the only one for me
You are the only one I see
In my life have I loved you
If it’s right I will love you
In my life have I loved you
If it’s right I will love you
For this episode, I’m doing something a little different. I play is a duo that covers Beatles songs called “The Fab Folk” (along with my friend, Matt Weidauer) and earlier this year, in honor of it’s 50th anniversary, we performed the Beatles’ album “Revolver” in it’s entirety. This lead to the idea of recording a full album of these songs. So now for this listening party, I’m going to play each song and give you some commentary to go with it.
Taxman – During the live show, we had our friend, John-Ross Boyce sing and so we invited him to come in and sing again for the studio version. You’ll hear him later on in a few other songs as well. For the instruments, I played acoustic guitar, bass, and sang harmonies while Matt played cajon, tambourine and sang harmonies.
Eleanor Rigby – For this arrangement, we knew doing a string quartet arrangement like the Beatles wasn’t going to work so we reinterpreted it with a bluegrass, cowboy feel. We invited my wife, Melissa so sing on this one. I played acoustic guitar, cajon, tambourine, organ, bass and sang while Matt played the mandolin.
I’m Only Sleeping – For this one, I sang, played acoustic guitar, bass, and brushes on a cajon and ride cymbal. Matt provided the mandolin and sang harmonies.
Love You To – The Beatles version of this one is heavily influenced by Indian music but for our arrangement, we stripped it down to something really basic and direct. Matt sang lead vocals and played acoustic guitar while I played cajon, organ and sand harmonies.
Here, There And Everywhere – We kept this one fairly sparse like the original but instead of the oh and ahs, I played melodica. I also sang and played acoustic guitar while Matt played the cajon.
Yellow Submarine – Like Eleanor Rigby, we sped this one up and gave it a bluegrass cowboy feel. John-Ross sang lead vocals. I played guitar, cajon, tambourine, organ and sang harmonies while Matt played mandolin and sang harmonies.
She Said She Said – We kept this arrangement fairly true to the original. Matt sang and played acoustic guitar. I played cajon and sang harmonies.
Good Day Sunshine – Like the last song, we also stayed fairly true to the original version. Instead of piano, Matt play acoustic guitar and sang lead while I played cajon, the piano solo in the middle and sang harmonies. We added a little delay effect at the end to imitate the Beatles recording.
And Your Bird Can Sing – For this one, we resurrected an old recording we started a couple years ago but never finished. Matt sang, played acoustic and electric guitars while I played cajon, shaker and sang harmonies.
For No One – The Beatles version of this features piano and a french horn solo. Like the Beatles, we kept it sparse but instead used acoustic guitar (which I played) and mandolin (which Matt played) and I sang the lead vocal part.
Doctor Robert – This one was actually recorded at the Revolver tribute show I mentioned earlier. Matt sang lead and played acoustic guitar while I played cajon and harmonized. Not everything picked up very strongly in the live recording so I overdubbed another cajon track and added bass, tambourine and melodica along with some additional harmonies.
I Want To Tell You – This one is pretty basic. Matt sang and played acoustic while I sang harmonies and played cajon and a tambourine.
Got To Get You Into My Life – This is another track we took from the live recording of our show. John-Ross sang lead vocals. I played acoustic guitar and sang harmonies while Matt played cajon and sang harmonies. To fill it out a bit more, I had John-Ross some to the studio and overdub another vocal track and I added bass, tambourine, an additional cajon track, more harmonies and several tracks of melodica to imitate the Beatles’ brass arrangement.
Tomorrow Never Knows – This last song was also taken from the live recording of our show. Pretty much all of our arrangements have an acoustic guitar but for this one, we had a hard time coming up with something that sounded right. So, instead, we invited our friend and music producer, Eric Robertson to play keyboards while John-Ross sang lead vocals and Matt and I both played cajon. To fill it out a bit more, I went back and overdubbed bass, shakers, and two electric guitar tracks: one played with an ebow and the other plucking the notes from the chords, then put in reverse (to imitate the reverse sounds the Beatles used on the original). I also faded the song out and increased to reverb as it faded, as if the song were evaporating into thin air.
This week’s song is called “I Get By.” I started writing it back in 2005 and it stayed half written until seven years later when I finished it for my the 50 songs in 50 weeks project. This one is influenced by John Vanderslice, particularly his fourth album “Cellar Door.” I tried to copy the same sort of beat and feel of his song, “White Plains.”
I began recording this song with the guitar riff. In my head, I had a beat figured out but since I didn’t have a drum set at the time, I had to use programming to create the beat. Then I added a bass guitar to give it a little groove.
After adding those parts and the vocals, I had the core of the song down but I felt like it needed some different textures to make it interesting. I added three different guitar parts played by an ebow. They mostly act as a drone staying on the same note and filling things in a little. While those guitar ebow drones sound something like a synthesizer, I went ahead and added another part that actually IS a synthesizer on top of the ebow part for additional texture.
Once we got to the solo section, I wanted to step up the chaos and noise a bit so I added a few buzzy synth parts, then a synth with a delay (which kind of sounds like something from a video game), plus a really crazy noise pad played on my iPad.
For the arpeggiated keyboard line I took some inspiration from the band, What Made Milwaukee Famous. Here’s their song, “idecide.”
I wanted that same sort of sound with their synth line and I especially liked the way it co-exists with the guitar part. So I came up with my own arpeggiated solo, which I played as two separate parts so I could have it bounce back and forth from the left to the right speaker.
To top it all off, I needed one more element. And that element was beat boxing. Yes, I actually beat boxed on this song! Hey, there’s first for everything, right.
I think this is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever recorded. I hope you like it.
Lyrics: Lit the fuse and blow it up
It’s out of the ashes that we begin to pick things up
You broke your leg, I lost my job
It’s gonna take everything to get back how it was
I Get By
I Get By
When I get back to your place To your place
It doesn’t take anytime to find any empty space
Was it love that caused this pain?
And I don’t need anything to have my mind erased
I Get By
I Get By
I Get By
And it goes on and on and on and on and on
I was wrong and you were right
Time has a way of making the outcome turn out fine
With better luck we’ll find a way
To get at the heart of our problems and make them go away
But I Get By
I Get By
I Get By
And it goes on and on and on and on and on
The beat goes on and on and on and on and on
A few week’s ago on Episode 24, I shared some of the favorite Christmas songs my wife and I have recorded over the years. I promised there were more songs on the way coming this year and so now, here they are.
This first one is folky/bluegrass take on Angels We Have Heard On High. I sang and played all the instruments and my wife, Melissa, sung harmony.
Next, we changed things up and did a slow, serious version of Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel sung by Melissa. The instruments include acoustic guitar, organ, a ride cymbal played with brushes and a cajon, which we altered to sound extra deep, echoey and distorted, sort of like a low, rumbly explosion. In fact, I recommend listening to this with either headphones and a system with a fair amount of bass.
I’ve been a fan of Radiohead since OK Computer came out. I’ve eagerly followed along over the years as their sound has morphed and changed with each album and enjoyed watching and listening to the twists and turns. I must admit I was a bit disappointed with 2011’s King of Limbs but this year, they’ve redeemed themselves by once again reinventing their sound. It’s a great, soft listen with some beautiful moments incorporating Johnny Greenwood’s strengths as an orchestral composer with the string arrangements. Essential Songs: Burn the Witches, Daydreaming, True Love Waits
I first heard about Chris Staples back in 2014 when American Soft came out. It was a breezy, mellow, relaxing album and Golden Age is no different, continuing with a sound cut from the same cloth. It’s so pleasant to listen to and filled with so many great melodies and lyrics. He’s a great songwriter but also very tasteful and understated in his arrangements. Occasionally, the production is a bit more elaborate than his last album, such as a the string on “Park Bench” but on the whole he tends to stay pretty sparse and let the songs stand on their own. Essential Songs: Golden Age, Park Bench, Hepburn in Summertime
On their second album, the Lumineers go for a bit of a sparser sound and fortunately, they’ve written a very solid set of songs that stand on their own and don’t require a very elaborate production. I love the echo-y sound on most of the vocals and instruments. Essential Songs: Ophelia, Sleep On The Floor, My Eyes
I first heard Parker Millsap perform on Conan earlier this year. He’s got a powerful, soulful voice, especially for only being 21 years old. He’s a great songwriter who creates interesting melodies and arrangements. He’s put together a very solid and enjoyable album. Essential Songs: Pining, The Very Last Day
Blind Pilot knows how to make relaxing music. I first saw this band a few years ago when they opened for the Shins. The singer has such a smooth voice. I love it. Essential Songs: Seeing is Believing, Umpqua Rushing
On their 10th album, Wilco takes yet again another twist in their evolution and goes for a more sparse and immediate sound. The songs are very raw and it seems there was a conscious effort to keep them that way. I kind of think of it as the acoustic counterpart to last year’s album, Star Wars. Essential Songs: If I Ever Was Child, Cry All Day, Just Say Goodbye
On Kishi Bashi’s third album, he takes the intricate arrangements from his debut and adds dancey, retro elements from the 70s, at times recalling Electric Light Orchestra. Essential Songs: M’Lover, Key Big Star
This is American Football’s first album in 17 years and they sound like they are continuing right where they left off; with the same intricate guitar lines, drumming patterns and a unique sense of melancholy. It’s a welcome sound to return to with the state of popular music today. Essential Songs: Where Are We Now?, I’ve Benn So Lost for So Long
On Childish Gambino’s third album, he ditches rapping for an entirely new sound, incorporating retro R&B and funk with cosmic flavor. It’s a bold direction and I’m loving it. Essential Songs: Me and Your Mama, Redbone
They are back with another set of solid folk rock tunes. Although they take something of a traditional approach, it’s a very pleasant and welcome sound, especially the harmonies. Essential Songs: Rhythm and Blues, City of Angels
This one is yet another oldie from the high school days; one of my first. Although this is far from reggae, I’m going to go ahead and site Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” as inspiration.
I love the sound of the organ in that song so I tried to maintain a little of that feel. Also, the jembe (which is sort of like a congo drum) adds to the “island ambiance”. The lyrics are a little bit of a downer so hopefully the production elements help balance it out.
Lyrics: Out walking on a lonely day
Ain’t never gonna go my way
Cause the moment has come and passed
And there’s nothing but delays
I don’t mind
I don’t mind
It’s gonna be lonely day
So tell me it’s okay
But I don’t know
It’s raining on a cloudy day
There’s water on the window pane
And I can’t see through this mess
Cause I’ve lost the clarity
But I don’t mind
I don’t mind
It’s never gonna be today
When is it gonna go my way?
I don’t know
Well maybe it’s all pretend
And maybe I don’t know where I am for you
And I can’t see what you need
I don’t know what you need
I don’t know what you need
It’s never gonna be today
When is it gonna go my way?
I don’t know
Well maybe it’s all pretend
And maybe I don’t know where I am for you
There’s no one left to blame for all of my mistakes
All of my mistakes
It’s gonna be lonely day
So tell me it’s okay
But I don’t know
Today’s episode is focused on Christmas music. Ever since my wife and I married, we’ve had a tradition of recording Christmas Songs every year. We haven’t recorded this year’s songs yet but I wanted to share with you some of the songs we’ve recorded in past years.
So, I’ll start things off with “O Holy Night,” which we recorded in 2012. As you’ll hear, this arrangement is sort of a rock doo-wop version. My wife, Melissa, sang lead vocals and I played all the instruments.
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was recorded in 2011. We lived in an apartment at the time so we needed to record something a little quieter that year. We added our own little interlude to change the song up a bit.
“Still Still Still” was recorded back in 2009 at Muse Recording Studio, which we owned at the time. I’ve always loved the melody and feel of this one.
“The Christmas Song” also known as (Chestnuts Roasting) and is one of the first Christmas Songs we recorded back in 2007. We were going for an old-fashioned, jazzy feel. We recorded the vocals on an older microphone to get a warm, bassy tone. We even recorded some record crackle sounds to get even more of the vintage sound.
“I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day” was also record in 2007, the first year we started recording Christmas songs. I’ve always been struck by the story behind this one. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the words on Christmas Day back in 1864. A few years before, his wife had died from a tragic fire caused by a strong gust of wind blowing their window open and knocking a candle over onto her dress. His son was later crippled in an injury while fighting in the Civil War. After a very rough couple years and with the war coming to a close, Longfellow was inspired to write the words that became this beloved song, that through despair, the Christmas season brings a feeling of hope for peace among men.
This last song, “Blue Christmas,” was recorded in 2013. This was originally made famous by Elvis when we recorded it back in 1957. We tried to keep some of that vintage, old-timey feel in our version.
I wrote and recorded a song about being a Dad, which I’ve appropriately titled, “Dad.” I first posted it online 4 years ago on Father’s Day .
It’s influenced by the style of my friend, Drew Danburry. One of my favorite songs of his is called “Memorial Day.” There’s a line where he talks about his mother so I tried to capture some of that same sentiment.
For the arrangement, I decided to I kept it super sparse: just one guitar, one vocal, no effects.
Lyrics: I got one eye open while I’m trying to sleep
The baby keeps crying I can’t get a wink
So I’m waiting for you, love
It’s your turn to get up
Rocking this boy past quarter to three
The kid won’t rest he’s got somewhere to be
So I’m I’m rocking the night away
I can sleep it off in the day
At least I think so
Well if the chance I would do it again
Cause I ain’t gonna spend my life complainin’
Yes I won’t
It takes a lot work to let the children play
But I guess it’s just the price that you gotta pay to be a dad
The kid keeps crawling around the house
And has an accident on the wife’ favorite blouse
But it’s gonna be okay
I didn’t like that one anyway.
Keep wanting to go to the park
And won’t come home until it’s after dark
Well I’m calling out your name
I love you all the same but you’re still grounded
Well if the chance I would do it again
Are you really sure you wanna have another kid
Well I do
It takes a lot work to have the bills get paid
But I guess it’s just the price that you gotta pay to be a dad
Even though you’re cranky I still love you, dad
Your clothes are out of style and you aren’t half bad
well I need some advice to get me through this life
Your kids will get older before you know
Your skin will get wrinkly and your hair will show it
You’re approaching the grave
I’ll take of you just the same
I love you, dad.
