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Through a complex and all-but-inscrutable series of formulae and calculations, I have arrived at song assignments for the July Metafilter Music Challenge, which, as you probably all know, is to cover songs from
The Velvet Underground & Nico. There were 35* interested participants from the
original thread. With 11 songs comprising the album, we have 3 musicians for each tune, plus 2 extras, so two of the songs will get four cover treatments, if everyone comes through with their submission.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 11:30 PM on June 29, 2009
(68 comments)
This song is a direct result of a Flickr comment. I took a photograph, titled Chain and Shadow, and
posted it to Flickr in March. A contact there, who knows my music, commented:
"chain & shadow" is sweet. get out your strumstick and write a song.... And I thought, yeah, he's right, there's a song there for sure. I wrote one, and recorded it yesterday. I also discovered that "chain and shadow" (or some close variant) is a
popular photographic theme indeed at Flickr. Hope y'all enjoy the tune. And/or the photograph(s).
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 9:20 PM on June 24, 2009
(10 comments)
Forgive the double post, but I want to be sure that as many musicians as possible see the MetaTalk thread I just started. Also, with this post to Music Talk, I'm only knocking the "won't upload" thread off the front page here, so I think it's a pardonable sin.
Here's the MeTa thread.
I hope all of you with an opinion on my proposal will take the time to express it over there at MetaTalk. Thanks.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:42 AM on June 22, 2009
(35 comments)
Two days ago I shot some video: a reflection of a man riding a Tokyo train, watching another moving train (a shinkansen) pass by on a parallel track. I made this music today, to serve as accompaniment for the 58-second film. I uploaded the video earlier this evening to YouTube
here.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:51 AM on June 21, 2009
(12 comments)
Hey, times are tough, money is tight, and posting
Hallelujah to Mefi Music sure ain't gonna pay no bills. So, lately I've been putting together a demo, with an eye toward getting a little voiceover work. Here's an outtake...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:10 AM on June 20, 2009
(9 comments)
Here's my version of the esteemed Mr. Cohen's paean to the religion of love. I dropped the rhythm and chord changes, and made a new melody. The very minimal accompaniment consists of three tracks from my trusty old JUNO 60 analog synth. That's it! Video version (photos by yours truly) at
Vimeo and
YouTube.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 4:37 PM on June 16, 2009
(12 comments)
Thanks to everyone who submitted a tune for the May Challenge! Thirteen submissions came in, which ain't bad. If you have any thoughts, opinions, or points you'd like to make about last month's or this month's Challenges, please do so here. Also welcome in this thread (or directly as MeMail to yours truly): ideas for future Challenges. More ideas needed!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:27 PM on June 1, 2009
(26 comments)
Those of you who think doing TV commercial jingle music might not drive you insane... THINK AGAIN!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:15 AM on May 23, 2009
(23 comments)
I had an idea for a Challenge, but I wanted to ask for some help, and also to see if anyone else thinks it's a decent idea... I was thinking, how about a MeFiMu Challenge where we cover a song that's been covered a LOT? I mean, let's take one of the handful of songs that's just been covered in and out and up and down, around and about, by everybody and his sister. One that there just can't
possibly be anything new any of us could do with it. Then, of course, we HAVE to do something new with it!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 11:26 PM on May 22, 2009
(62 comments)
For this month's MeFiMu Challenge, here's a song first written in 1986 and first recorded and
released in 1991. This version was recorded earlier today. Rewrote the last verse. The old is new again...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 6:23 AM on May 19, 2009
(10 comments)
One track of face-slapping, three tracks of voice. That's it!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 12:08 AM on May 16, 2009
(15 comments)
From my duo
SKIST's
(previously ) 2nd release,
Taking Something Somewhere. I've posted this here for you "logged in members" to download if you so desire, but I highly recommend listening to it the first time with the
accompanying video, cause the video
looks like the song sounds, and I'm proud of the video, and most of all cause I think the visual reference will help to decipher and delineate the somewhat obscure
structure of the song.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 3:43 AM on May 2, 2009
(13 comments)
Thanks to everyone who submitted a tune for the April Challenge! If you have any thoughts on it, points you'd like to make, whatever, feel free. Also welcome here: ideas for future Challenges. Also, I'll go ahead and post the May Challenges (two this month) here, and they'll also be in the usual spot very soon. Looking forward to hearing what everyone comes up with for this next round. Fire up the recorders!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 6:15 AM on May 1, 2009
(19 comments)
For the April "two chords" Challenge. The two 3-note chords even share a note in common, so we're talking a total of five notes serving as harmonic accompaniment for this song. Played on the strumstick. There's a hoop drum, too, of indeterminate pitch. I posted a lo-fi, live version of this song to YouTube as well, direct from my 6-mat tatami room at home. You can see it
here.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 3:23 AM on April 29, 2009
(12 comments)
MeFiMu stalwart
micayetoca asked me if there was anything else from the
Japonisme project, so I dug up this other one that I'd done a while back. It's just a simple little ditty that uses an a cappella vocal (slowed down a bit) from a 7" record I picked up at a flea market, to which I've added a rhythm track and some bamboo jaw harp. I put it to some video footage I shot here in Tokyo, too, and uploaded it to YT earlier today. If you'd like to
see it...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 3:14 AM on April 25, 2009
(9 comments)
Here's
another Oscillendulum, once again performed only on my beloved old Roland JUNO 60. About an hour ago I also posted this to YouTube, as a soundtrack for a
raft of ducks swimming around in Ueno pond. Yet another Oscillendulum went up on YT a few hours before that, as a soundtrack for a
revolving restaurant display. Be the first on your block to see 'em!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 2:07 AM on April 24, 2009
(12 comments)
I know how it is: you've got the music all together for your upcoming CD, everything sounds great, but... what about the
jacket? You need inspiration, you need an idea, that perfect design that screams "buy this record!" Well, friends, look no further, for inspiration abounds at the
Life's Railway to Heaven - Wholesome Gospel Family Record Covers flicker pool.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:49 PM on April 15, 2009
(12 comments)
The "amnesty month" idea (for March MeFiMu Challenge) got a pretty good reception, and there's been a fair number of submissions. But I'm thinking another month extension might be a good idea. I have a feeling some of y'all might go for that, and there's a hella lotta good Challenges from past months that are still crying out for some love.
But, I'd like to put it to a vote. All in favor, say "aye". All against, say "enormous flaming marsupials".
And please note that your humble MeFiMu Challenge coordinator will be in the woods, waaaaay offline, between March 29 and April 1 (and that's Japan time). When I'm back on the nets, I'll check in here, tally the results, and April will either be another amnesty month (which is, er,
my vote) or we'll have some new Challenges. Okay? Let the voting begin.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 11:33 PM on March 25, 2009
(47 comments)
This month's Challenge is a one-parter:
Amnesty Month - submit songs based on any previous music challenge that you may have missed. It was suggested by
AppleSeed.
I though it was big enough to stand on its own, so I decided to forgo the usual 3-part (Lyric / Music / Wildcard) format. Anyone displeased with this month's Challenge please feel free to vent here!
The last two months have seen pitifully little in the way of contributions to the Challenges. Precisely 2 submissions for January, and 2 for February. The Christmas theme for December, however, had a whole buncha takers, so I guess it's just ebb and flow. I hope this month sees a little more interest in the Challenge. We shall see!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 4:55 PM on March 3, 2009
(22 comments)
Actually,
Karlos the Jackal has a thought, that he sent me in some MeMail. I think it's a GREAT idea, and I thought I'd reprint it here for everyone to read and kick around. Here's his letter:
What do you think about starting a thread in Music Talk about the current challenges at the beginnning of every month? People can share reactions to the new challenges, discuss what did and didn't work for them with the old ones, share ideas about possibilities for future challenges, etc. More good ideas might come up when people are kicking them around rather than trying to come up with stuff in a vacuum.
Added benefits: MeFiMu Talk would be more "active," and the thread would call more attention to the challenges.
Just thinkin'.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:56 AM on February 5, 2009
(16 comments)
This tune is straight off my new release,
Roomful of Ghosts, available now from
CD Baby. It's a total reworking of
the same song that I posted here at MeFiMu a while back. Have fun listening to both versions! And see the [more inside] for my Official Sales Pitch.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 11:03 AM on January 27, 2009
(6 comments)
Theme song for an imaginary TV series called "That Guy In That Room".
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 12:17 AM on November 9, 2008
(13 comments)
I've received an interesting suggestion for the Challenges that I think warrants a thread of its own, as it's something that is a little more involved, and we might want to figure out how to put into place. I think it's a pretty cool idea. The suggestion is from
micayetoca, and I'll reprint the relevant portions of his mail here, cause I think this is something that could and should be discussed among all interested parties here at MeFiMu. He writes:
"How about opening a "requests" challenge, where any MefiMusician can sign up and say "I'm willing to take requests this month", collect people's requests for a month and then each musician that gets requests chooses which one he'll do? I know it has different levels and it requires a more active participation, but perhaps it could work. Whaddaya think?"
So, indeed, MeFi Musicians, whaddaya think?
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:13 AM on October 30, 2008
(30 comments)
For the current MeFiMu Challenge, here's a song in a language I don't speak. This bit of Portuguese proto-rap is a longtime standard in Brazil.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:04 AM on October 6, 2008
(8 comments)
There were zero, yes, ZERO submissions for last month's Music Challenge. Why, heck, even yours truly didn't turn nuthin' in, and I generally don't miss a month. So... the current October Challenge is a little different: the NEW part is simply this: make something scary. A Halloween song of some sort, perhaps, like maybe a children-type scary song. Or just something incredibly frightening, like, say, a Carpenter's cover. And the OTHER part of the October Challenge is to choose one of the tragically neglected Challenge themes from LAST month. Cause, really, those weren't bad! I mean, cover a song in a language you don't speak? Man, I thought MeFiMusicians would be on that like white on rice! Not to mention the mashup Challenge, which should be fun and interesting, no?
Anyway, here's hoping that a few more Challenge tunes roll in over the course of this month. As always, don't forget to tag your submissions appropriately, and remember, keep your tape heads clean.
OK, that's all!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 12:08 AM on October 3, 2008
(31 comments)
I took an old 45rpm of a Japanese folk song and started dropping the needle. Took those bits, sliced 'em up and moved 'em around a little, then added some synth and electric piano, some udu and guiro. Et voila! Le Japonisme!
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 4:47 AM on September 29, 2008
(14 comments)
There have been some comments in
this MeTa thread suggesting that we offer some MeFi-related phrases and such to lyricist Jean Grae, for possible inclusion in the MeFiMu/Jean Grae project. I'm personally on the fence about whether we should do that at all, but there seems to be some amount of urgency in getting this whole thing together in a speedy fashion, so I thought it might be useful to make a "sub-thread" here at Music Talk to collect likely MeFi-phraseology candidates. Whether they're ultimately sent to her as something suggested for use is another matter. I can see pro and con on that, but, anyway... for reference, here's the
MeFi wiki page on in jokes.
I also thought that, aside from collecting candidates for submission, this thread might serve as a point of discussion among us MeFi musicians concerning whether we should go with this MeFicentric thing at all. I thought that might be useful to do here, rather than the MeTa thread, since it's a more specific discussion and also since MeTa threads are usually off the front page after a day or two. Thoughts? Suggestions?
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 10:55 PM on September 20, 2008
(28 comments)
I was thinking about something one of our MeFiMu musicians said the other day, in a description of a song post here, about "hating" music. He didn't elaborate, so I don't know if he meant hating music in general, or hating his own music, or hating his life as a musician, or whatever, but it got me to thinking about those inevitable moments when we, as musicians, somehow or other lose confidence, or, well, whatever one can lose. I've never *hated* music
per se, but I've certainly felt pretty down, on many an occasion. over the years: for example, those times when it really hits home, like a slug in the jaw, that what you're putting in time and energy-wise is not commensurate with what you're getting back dollar-wise, or interest-from-your-fellow-human-beings-wise. Those are the times when I've felt that being a musician is a raw fucking deal, and I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak and disappointment.
So, I wonder, what are the times that you "hate" music, or grow tired of music, somehow, or think of giving it all up and going into the retread tire business with your dad?
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 6:45 AM on September 3, 2008
(33 comments)
Hand clap, face slap, jaw harp and voice. For the August LYRIC Challenge (thanks for the inspiration, loquacious).
NOTE: This is a pretty bare bones arrangement, so anyone wanting to add a track, please feel free to download and monkey with it. Could use some low end, for example...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 12:20 AM on August 31, 2008
(8 comments)
I just got some email this morning from Mike Watt, informing of this HUGE heist: virtually all of Iggy and the Stooge's gear was just stolen in Canada. I know it's a long shot that anyone would might know anything about this, or be able to help, but, hey, putting myself in these musician's shoes, I couldn't help but post this here. Watt's bass, for example, is the one he's been playing for years and years. Now, I know this is an unusual post for Music Talk, and if the mods see fit to delete it, so be it.
Here's a link to a complete list of everything stolen.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 6:31 PM on August 4, 2008
(13 comments)
For this month's LYRIC Challenge. It has a very simple backing track, consisting of three elements: a drone (from my trusty Juno 60 analog synth), little wooden bells (from the 100 yen shop!), and my daughter's plastic ukulele, which has a picture of Maisy Mouse on it.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:58 AM on July 6, 2008
(9 comments)
Howdy y'all, and welcome to the new Music Talk page! The mods have come through big time for us here, and I'm just pleased as goddam PUNCH! Big thanks to all!
So, let me start with a question for you MeFi Musicians (and non-musicians, should there actually be one or two that stop by here). It's a 2-part
invention question, actually: What do you think, so far, has been the BEST thing about MeFi Music, and what, up to now, has been the WORST thing about it? And, as a coda, feel free to add your suggestions about how to make it better and better from here on out.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:56 AM on July 2, 2008
(79 comments)
I loved
baby_balrog and his band's
rollicking original of this tune. For this cover, I figured I'd take the train down another track: slowed
way down (down on the ground),
stripped way down (just vocal and strumstick), and with a little different shade of blue for the engineer's hat.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 7:49 PM on June 29, 2008
(4 comments)
For this month's LYRIC Challenge. Jessamyn's
comment was the spark that got this song going. This was also a chance to do a little strummin' on my new Strumstick. I've been having fun with it.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 6:29 PM on June 13, 2008
(8 comments)
For this month's WILDCARD Challenge, all sounds made using only my body: cheek tapping, belly slapping, finger snapping and vocal utterances. Clocks in at a crisp 1:29, and takes its inspiration in roughly equal parts from
eefing and
katajjaq.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 10:31 PM on June 4, 2008
(9 comments)
... you strive to be elsewhere, but you already are, you know ...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:32 AM on May 28, 2008
(10 comments)
This is my little ode to that most
absurdly beautiful and unlikely of Italian cities. This tune, once again, features the mouth bow (otherwise known as the poor man's wah-wah) plus lots of percussion and whatnot. The mix could probably use a bit of tweaking here and there, but I think it's basically presentable...
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 9:32 PM on May 9, 2008
(13 comments)
Here's a peppy little number that goes out to all you fine folks out there in MetaFilterland. Instruments in use (in order of appearance!) are mouthbow, talking drum, bamboo rattle, scraper, bass drum, pitchpipe, little bell, and ukulele.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 10:51 PM on March 15, 2008
(16 comments)
About twice a year I'm charged with the task of making music for a Japanese design house's fashion shows. One of this season's pieces, for Tokyo Fashion Week, needed to be "airy and pretty and happy", which is not exactly a vein of musical expression that I normally fall into naturally, but, hey, gotta give the bossman what he wants, right? Anyway, this instrumental piece (5:42) is what I came up with.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 8:32 AM on March 11, 2008
(20 comments)
This month's themes (cupcake, brisk, interstitials) didn't exactly turn the inspiration amplifier up to 11, but, goddammit, I ain't one to run away from a challenge, no sirree. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. So this one goes out to you, my little cupcake. You know who you are.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 10:40 PM on December 15, 2007
(8 comments)
Well, it's a few days late for the November '07 MeFi Music Challenge, but my on-the-fritz computer spent most of the month in the repair shop, plus the dog ate my homework, but better late than never, I reckon. So this one's going under the
veryfewwords tag, as if the song title didn't give that away.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 4:03 AM on December 4, 2007
(13 comments)
Took a look at this month's challenge themes and thought: Tom Waits does a
much better Tom Waits impersonation than I could ever muster, and I'm just not a 'lots of notes' kinda guy. But, "spooky"...
there you go! Submitted for your listening pleasure, my version of this
Daniel Johnston song. With lines like
"I saw my own heart laying, black with blood", I guess you could say it's pretty damn spooky. Here's a very powerful clip of
Johnston performing the song on organ.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 9:03 AM on October 14, 2007
(7 comments)
For the MeFi Music Challenge. This one uses mouthbow, bodhran (but it sounds like a bass drum), a little bell, shakers, some little woodblock rattley things, a drone, and voice.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 11:52 PM on September 13, 2007
(11 comments)
On this 2nd anniversary of hurricane Katrina, I thought I'd post this song, which I wrote and recorded in the days following the disaster. In 2005, when I first posted it to my own web site, I received some comments from folks who were pretty incensed by it. I'd never had such visceral negative reactions to a song. Should you be interested, you can read some of those comments and my replies
here. I also just posted a live version (from a gig earlier this month) to
YouTube. [lyrics inside]
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 5:57 PM on August 28, 2007
(5 comments)
Fellow wants to cross a bridge, but it floats up into the sky. Woman comes along but she turns into smoke. Fellow throws a fistfull of dirt in the air, gets a new idea, goes and does some other stuff. Then there's a happy ending. Written for the "bridge" challenge, but I reckon you knew that already. Guitar by Ken Kawashima, who can also be heard
here and
here. Lyrics inside.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 3:15 AM on August 26, 2007
(6 comments)
For the past several years I've been regularly composing music for a fashion design company here in Tokyo, for use in their fashion shows. Here's something recent, a relatively short piece at 3:45, done for one of their upcoming shows.
posted to MeFi Music by flapjax at midnite
at 2:33 AM on August 20, 2007
(4 comments)
