I likee.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 1:52 AM on November 7, 2009

Cover of a cover. Cool.

Lead vocal sounds just fine to me. That ain't weak. If that's just horsin' around, well, hell, that's a nice pony you got there.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 1:50 AM on November 7, 2009

This kind of pop-rock setting seems particularly appropriate for your voice, cortex. Nice job on those vox!

Mix is a mess, everything recorded not-particularly-closely-miked in my big bare basement so there's a whole lot of room in everything and I couldn't figure out how to make it behave.

Hey, fuck making it behave! This is genuine lo-fi, not lo-fi from a band who recorded with great mics... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:23 PM on November 6, 2009

ocherdraco, my first idea was that I'd not just bring those vocals out front a bit more, but that I'd also add some little sonic bits, here and there. Thing is, though, it just didn't need anything else! Any additions would've been superfluous, I think.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 2:32 PM on November 5, 2009

mikepop, great job on these lyrics. If I can make the time, I'm gonna try to carve out a version of this that'll be in the folk spirit, but with something other than finger-picking banjo accompaniment. I've always loved Darling Corey, and I'm pretty sweet on her cousin Pretty Polly too.

As for Darling Corey, I'm real partial to Roscoe Holcomb's more rough-hewn version. All props to Pete Seeger for turning people on to American folk song throughout his long career, but... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:28 PM on November 4, 2009

This has a ragged and triumphant glory, like a battered soldier staggering off the still-smoldering battlefield, shaken and wounded, but ALIVE, dammit, and proud to yell it to the world. A damaged exultation that sounds cathartic for you.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 10:31 PM on October 23, 2009

cortex writes: it's more acting-by-identifying-with-fiction here than anything like me getting something out that was needing to get out.

Leonard Cohen said something in an interview once that perhaps relates to all this. When asked to what extent his songs are "autobiographical", he said something to the effect that they are all very autobiographical, but with the understanding that the imagination, the world of imagined ideas, is a big part... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:47 AM on November 4, 2009

Home Taping Is Killing Music
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:57 PM on November 3, 2009

ocherdraco, this is the most enjoyable 'Mefi in-joke piece' to show up here at Music in many a moon, IMHO. Fun! And good on ya for making it!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 12:55 AM on November 3, 2009

My username popped into my head one day for no discernible reason. However, your guess as to its origins sounds damn plausible to me, and might just be the story I go with from now on.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:49 AM on November 3, 2009

is it kosher to upload a new version as a new post?

I think that'd be not only kosher, but halal as well.

(Presumably a new post would have to have more significant changes than just the mix.)

Not necessarily. A tune's mix is a big thing.

Here's another idea for you, though, ocherdraco. Send me the tracks (you could upload 'em to YouSendit or the like) and... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:05 PM on November 3, 2009

ocherdraco, WAV is fine, or AIFF.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:14 PM on November 3, 2009

Thank you so much, eritrain, I'm most gratified.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:15 AM on August 21, 2009

Just posted a live version of this to YouTube, hot off the presses, from a gig just last night here in Tokyo.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:23 AM on November 2, 2009

Wonderful! You've outdone yourself. This is most impressive, really. Excellent use of the dannyelfman tag, too!

I have but one critique: vocals (here and there) could be a bit hotter. But, again, this is very well done, and you've every right to be proud of it!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:15 AM on October 31, 2009

Take it to the bridge! On a subway train!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 10:21 PM on October 23, 2009

Nice to hear something in 6/8, it's a groove that doesn't get enough love.

I like the way you ended the song, too. Nice touch. Oh, and, great singing!

Your "bgm" tag... here in Japan that means "background music". Is that the meaning here? If so, I reckon you're being tongue-in-cheek?
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 10:17 PM on October 23, 2009

Thanks for the exhaustive collection of links, tvhc!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:40 AM on October 19, 2009

Hey, hey, sorry folks! I got the October Challenge in to cortex (he's the one who posts it to the Challenge page) a few days ago, but as I understand it, he's out there meeting America, and lord knows, there's a lot of America to meet, so it looks like there's been a little delay.*

BUT... Karlos, you read my mind, cause the October Challenge is, this year like last year... give us something SCARY. I'll reprint here what will read in the box on the Challenge page as soon... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 1:07 AM on October 5, 2009

LOOM, I think covers/adaptations would be fine.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:56 PM on October 5, 2009

Oh right, that hard drive blew up.

Hey, there's your scary song inspiration, right there.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:49 PM on October 6, 2009

Etherwaves at dawn!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:59 AM on October 8, 2009

Etherwaves you look at it you lose.

-Paul Simon
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:00 AM on October 8, 2009

What I've found over time is that really good ideas will eventually come back, even if you think you've forgotten them. If they don't, they probably weren't that great anyway.

I think this is true much of the time. There are no doubt some great ideas that don't ever come back, but I'd wager those are relatively few.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:18 PM on September 29, 2009

Yeah, rangefinder, I used a microcassette recorder as a portable music idea notebook for several years, in the 90s. I still have a little box full of those tapes, about 25 or 30 of 'em...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:42 AM on October 1, 2009

Gotta say I'm scratching my head just a little here, guys... I mean, in what universe can Isaac Hayes be considered uncool? No freakin' WAY, loom! Also, I can only guess that Oasis and Coldplay are deemed cool by Bona Fide Hip People in England... surely not in America? But, anyway, this is a fun thread, thanks for posting, Dundee. I've got a small few that come to mind right away, so lemme get my two-cents-worth in... but keep in mind that I've been in Japan for 15 years now,... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 11:41 PM on September 19, 2009

Cool dislikes? I'm not a big Beatles fan.

The Beatles occupy an enormous place that encompasses both cool and uncool, and at the same time they are essentially beyond these classifications. They're like the Bible or something: they're just THERE. Now, in the context of this conversation, and what is considered cool/uncool, I think it's safe to say that the Beatles are not really considered *cool*. Again, they're sort of beyond that. I don't imagine... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:33 AM on September 20, 2009

Uncool like: Joseph Spence, which I always gotta watch out for when creating party shuffles.

I like Joseph Spence, too, but isn't he, well, more than a little outside the cool/uncool loop? I mean, how many people even know who Spence is? Surely "unknown" would be a more apt descriptor.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:55 AM on September 22, 2009

Miles Davis was served far better by the guitar playing of John McLaughlin than he ever would have been in any collaboration with Hendrix.

I dunno, TWF... "than he ever would have been", those are some pretty big words. We simply can't know what a collaboration between the two would have resulted in. Musical meetings are unpredictable, all the more so when you're talking about musical meetings between giants, as would've been the case in a... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 8:22 PM on September 22, 2009

askmeaboutHENDRIX
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 11:56 PM on September 23, 2009

...huh?

I was just riffing and fooling around, LOOM. It don't mean a thing, brother! ;)
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:27 PM on September 24, 2009

Ah, hell, that was s'posed to be a smile - :)
not a wink - ;)

Can't even get my little smiley guys right...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:29 PM on September 24, 2009

Emotifail

That rings a bell... weren't they one of those sadcore bands that later went emo? No, wait... screamo. Yeah, screamo.

They're definitely one of my cool dislikes. Or... uncool dislikes. Can't remember which.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:15 PM on September 24, 2009

(the destination after clarksville, tn was vietnam)

Wasn't aware of that connection, pt. Thanks for that tidbit. That was always my favorite Monkees song by far, yet I never really paid much attention to the lyrics. Interesting entry on the song at Wikipedia.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:51 AM on September 26, 2009

Heh heh! Yeah, the "short, descriptive title" bit always seemed a little odd to me, too. I had a song on one of my records from the 90s called "Underwater Still Life in Motion with Ritual Dagger and Cloud". A descriptive title, but not short. Maybe I'll post it sometime just to see if it's automatically rejected!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:48 AM on September 22, 2009

...of all things...

Hey, seems entirely appropriate to me. Is there a video link to the commercial anywhere online? I'd like to see it.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 8:13 PM on September 4, 2009

Yup, you need a password to view the vid. Any help with that, ORthey? The Magic Word?
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:44 PM on September 5, 2009

As I recall, it was a technical issue that made the play-counter go away.

Gotta say, I'm kinda glad the counter is gone. It's a feature at MySpace Music players, YouTube, Vimeo... just about everywhere, and I think it's refreshing and kind of healthy to have a little bit of mystery here. It kind of puts all the submissions on an equal footing, takes away some of that popularity contest vibe. Sometimes not counting every little thing is a good thing.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:31 PM on September 2, 2009

...it would be cool if artist/user names were associated with the lists that live on the right hand side of the page.

Agreed. Good idea.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:13 PM on September 2, 2009

Although, there might be a space issue. Some usernames are really long...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:14 PM on September 2, 2009

It kicks ASS!

Wait a minute.. no, it dousn't kick ass, it punches dick. Right?
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:41 PM on September 4, 2009

Nice work everybody! Sorry I couldn't join in the fun, n_o_d, same reason as I couldn't contribute to last month's Mefi Music Challenge: just didn't have the time.

Happy Birthday, Jessamyn!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:34 PM on September 4, 2009

Gaht-dang, that Eye-talian feller kin PLAY that ol' geetar! Woooo!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:20 AM on August 30, 2009

How many of you Mefi musicians have flickr pages? Any of you have collections there of your stuff? Or anywhere else on the web? It'd be cool to see some of that. Our Own Karlos the Jackal has a fine collection of mostly acoustic instruments. Check 'em out.

I've been meaning to do the same with my collection of percussion, gadgets and such, but haven't gotten around to it yet...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 5:04 AM on August 15, 2009

Started photo-documenting my collection today. Made a reasonable dent in the percussion collection (especially drums). I'll be adding a lot more to this flickr set over the next few days, hopefully, but here it is for now.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 3:42 AM on August 20, 2009

Yeah, tatami rules. I love it.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 7:16 AM on August 20, 2009

Just added a whole pile of new photos to my instruments set at flickr, bringing the total up to 130 photographs.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 4:40 AM on August 29, 2009

Melodically very interesting, indeed, but doesn't strike me as especially "eastern"... actually the ever-modulating melody is, by definition, very "western". But it's a very pretty and unique little piece. Well done!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 6:39 AM on August 25, 2009

Actually, edlundart, I am uneducated in the realm of music theory, so, unfortunately, I can't pick this apart and tell you precisely what I mean from a purely scientific point of view. But what I mean by "modulating melody" here is that the melody employs intervallic relationships that imply a chord structure and key changes, and that sounds inherently "western" to my ears. Pretty much all "eastern" (and that's a really big, vague word, actually) music pieces will... [more]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 9:10 PM on August 25, 2009

I realize this is possibly foolish...

Not one bit.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite at 11:00 PM on August 27, 2009