Thanks for the comments, everyone!

This is very much only a demo that I simply wanted to record as soon as possible after writing it in order to remember it (also 'cuz my H2 is new, and I wanted to use it!). Afterwards, I was quite taken with the song, if I do say so myself, and since I won't have the opportunity to perform or record it more thoroughly for some time, I decided to post it. Also, as micayetoca intimates, I've been a little absent from these parts lately,... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 9:20 PM on July 14, 2008

Arrigato, f@m. I've been writing alot, actually, for my band and my next record - I'll post those once they've been properly recorded. In the meantime, I've rediscovered a bunch of stuff that I had been meaning to post all along, so stay tuned!
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 8:24 AM on November 4, 2007

Thanks for all the kind words, micayetoca! I wasn't able to tour for my last record, unfortunately. I "released" it (ie, made it available, here and elsewhere) around late December '06. I gave myself through June to do everything I could to promote it - this included getting it on various radio stations (terrestrial and online), in podcasts, reviewed, etc. You can see a list of my progress at my website, www.alecberlin.com. It was an amazing experience - I learned SO much about radio... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 10:51 AM on November 4, 2007

Thanks for listening, everybody - for those NYCers, I have a gig on Monday, 3/19 - email is in profile or click on the "Site" link for details.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 6:43 PM on March 18, 2007

Well done, mexican - sounds fantastic!
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 10:59 PM on March 5, 2007

Good move speeding it up - sounds great!
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 9:32 AM on February 28, 2007

Terrific, cortex. I hear Wilco all over it.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 9:29 AM on February 28, 2007

Nice, flapjax. Very focused lyric.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 6:56 AM on February 27, 2007

Um, cortex - you couldn't have found a nicer thing to say. Bottomless gratitude.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 1:32 PM on February 26, 2007

sparkletone - didn't mean to pass judgement with the "weird" classification. I was trying out some different harmonies - mostly unrelated chords - as well as strange melody notes - and apparently feeling a little self-concious about it ;-).

nonmyopicdave - I was going for contrast between the verses and the choruses - in the different drum grooves and in the fact that the bass plays a particular line during the verse but just chugs along with eighth notes on... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 5:31 PM on February 26, 2007

Thanks alot, micayetoca. The songs I've posted here so far have all come from a record that I obsessed over for a long time - I finally finished it last fall. I've been posting a song a week since I began (two more left after this one!), and it has been an invaluable experience - it's so great to get feedback. I reckon that once I'm done I'll resort to posting things that are less complete, as I begin to assemble music for another recording.

In the meantime, if y'all... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 9:17 PM on February 26, 2007

I had a nice synesthesia-groove going while listening to this - domo arrigato, f@m.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 10:35 PM on February 24, 2007

note to flapjax - if you are going to post to music.mefi, try to contribute music that is at least somewhat rhythmically interesting, lyrically well-thought out, and melodically interesting.

Sheesh - some people just don't get it.



posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 7:39 AM on February 24, 2007

OK, for some reason my /sarcasm tag didn't show up - but you got the point right?

Great tune.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 10:31 AM on February 24, 2007

absolutely perfect, cortex. Thanks for starting my day off so nicely.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 8:10 AM on February 6, 2007

I can dig it, most certainly, ageispolis. Great drum programming. What software did you use?
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 8:06 AM on February 6, 2007

nice track, micayetoca - it's got a really cool analog vibe. I also dig the singing. More, please!
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 7:30 AM on February 6, 2007

Thanks, snsranch. I've just finished a record, and I'm a long-time mefi-obsessive, so I just decided to post a song a week until I ran out, in the spirit of community and all. I'll spare y'all a self-link promo, but hopefully you'll forgive me for mentioning that I'm doing a gig in NYC on 2/1, and those interested in more info ought to seek out my email address in my profile...
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 7:10 PM on January 30, 2007

Thanks, TWR! This was actually the first song I recorded on my album, so I was a little green. The acoustic guitar is my Taylor actually recorded direct (gasp!) - double tracked, if I recall correctly.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 7:04 AM on January 23, 2007

Thanks for the notes, everybody. It's not me, I'm sad to say, playing pedal steel - it's Gerald Menke. This tune had the most tracks on my recent album - I don't remember the exact count, but it was in the 30s. I'm playing 5 tracks of guitar and singing 4 tracks of vox. There are drums and bass, of course. There's a Rhodes (that's a REAL Rhodes, too, I'm proud to say!). There's pedal steel. And then there are about 12 horn tracks - if memory serves, I had one guy play 3 tracks each of trumpet 1,... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 6:45 AM on January 17, 2007

PS - wish I could take credit for the site design, but a friend did that. I coded it, though...
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 6:45 AM on January 17, 2007

Damn, f@m - what's in the water in Tokyo? That's some FINE music. Are those software synths? It didn't do what I expected it to do - which, of course, is a good thing and a bad thing all at once.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 8:18 AM on January 12, 2007

thanks for the kind words, folks. That is indeed yours truly singing, just thought it was time to stop avoiding the subject and do it... after all, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Anyway, flapjax, I don't know TOO much about the recording process. I mean, it was recorded and mixed in ProTools, mixing involved analog summing, I think we used Avalon mic pre's... does any of this mean anything?
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 8:09 AM on January 12, 2007

sounds terrific, f@m. GREAT sounds.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 7:17 AM on January 11, 2007

I totally love odd-meter tunes, when they sound natural, not forced. This sounds natural - nice writing!
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 10:08 AM on January 10, 2007

nice work
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 7:25 AM on January 4, 2007

Awesome guitar tone - all of 'em. I also really like your vocals.
posted to MeFi Music by fingers_of_fire at 9:20 PM on January 2, 2007