I suck (June 22, 2008)

[fretnoize]

Why do I do stupid things like start writing songs for song fight after they are due?
I usually decide to write a song if the title inspires me. There are been a few times earlier this year where I'd feel inspired by the title, but didn't get around to writing/recording the song. Then there have been a few times I actually start working on a song pretty late in the game and I end up not finishing it in time. Tonight I started working on Walk the Border, and idea came and I was inspired. I had something good going and thought that I might be able to get something in by tomorrow... Then I saw later tonight the new title was posted. Oh well, it's my own fault for starting it after it was due...

Lately I've been out of the song fight game, I was just starting to get into it more often than a couple times a year, then I got my job... it wouldn't be so bad if i didn't spend 3 and 1/2 hours on the road commuting each day. If traffic is bad it gets up to 4 hours but that's rare. Most of the time when I get home I don't want to do anything since I know if i start working on music or any kind of project, I'll get too involved and not go to sleep. So yea, I have no time anymore.

One thing I like about song fight is that being given a title can nudge your inspiration enough to have it start snowballing. A title is a limitation, a certain boundary you need to work with in. I've always found limitations can help push creativity and motivation. I guess kinda like the whole less is more bit. Granted a title usually isn't too limiting, but can get you to approach things in different ways.

End of my 3AM rant.

[jack]

and what is your question today?

[fretnoize]

I didn't know I need to ask one. Forum description: "Complain about your schedule. Apparently people like that sort of thing. "
I guess I like that sort of thing.... Don't make me do a 6AM rant, no one would like that!

[rone rivendale]

*Rone hijacks the thread*

DRC: Day 3 of my 4 day weekend. Different day, same shiznit. Which is pure 100% grade A American awesome! lol

QotD: Who else thinks Melvin should get his lazy ass signed by a record company already?

He's won a ton of fights here and he has songs in a major motion picture. It's about time he makes some coin so we can ride his coattails!

[Billy's Little Trip]

Just being the Devils advocate here. But until Melvin comes up with an original style and sound, he'll never make it. He's good to us because we know and like him. He makes music that is easy to relate to because we've heard it before. If he was doing this 20 years from now, he'd be hitting a whole new generation long after Weezer was gone. But the problem is, Weezer's still making records, so it kind of screws Melvin out of a record deal.
This doesn't mean he can't be his own label and keep doing what he's been doing. But there are slim chances of getting regular air play on a major station.

Melvin needs a gimmick. Too bad he's not blind, or missing his arms. I could totally promote him.
.....hey Melvin, you wouldn't happen to walk with a limp or have a heroin addiction, would you? You could sing about not going to rehab and we'd go platinum.

[JonPorobil]

Eh, there are plenty of legitimate reasons for a good unsigned artist to not pursue a major record deal - or even to turn one down if it's somehow offered to him.

An indie label, on the other hand...

I think Melvin has his own sound. He's never done anything that's made me cringe the way a lot of Weezer songs do. He's pretty middle-of-the-road, but that's not always a bad thing.

[melvin]

Okay, here's what Melvin thinks:

1. I already spent years of my life trying to score a record deal, between about the ages of 19 and 26. Now I'm turning 35 in two weeks, and I have a good career doing something else. Honestly, a record deal (and the scuzzy, filthy, and often thankless realities of touring) don't really interest me anymore. However, if I could succeed at placing songs in film and TV, that would be cool, and I am sort of half-assedly pursuing that.

2. I understand why I'm constantly compared to Weezer, but please give me a break. 95% of music fits into SOME kind of preexisting genre (blues, soul, southern rock, nu metal, country, glam, indie, etc), and most of it follows similar conventions, right down to chord patterns and guitar tones. I don't deny my Weezer influence, but I reject the idea that all music based on poppy harmonies and crunchy power chords is an imitation of them. They may have popularized the sound, but MANY bands have followed it, and I happen to be doing it a lot better than Weezer themselves these days, if I do say so myself.

So yeah, that's what Melvin thinks.

[JonPorobil]

Here here, and power to ya.

[Caravan Ray]

Who else thinks Rone Rivendale should get his lazy ass signed by a record company already?

[JonPorobil]

Who else thinks Caravan Ray should get off his lazy ass and upgrade his account?

[Billy's Little Trip]

I already spent years of my life trying to score a record deal, between about the ages of 19 and 26

I wonder if there was never a Weezer and you were the original, if you would have gotten signed?
But yes, we stand on the shoulders of giants, so all music is just a continuation or advancement of our heroes.
My early career was main stream punk, then the Seattle thing took off and made it look like we were copying the grunge thing. I can't count how often the Nirvana reference came up. Before Nirvana was ever heard of, a friend called me up one day and said, DUDE, turn on MTV, these guys stole one of your songs. The song he was referring to was Teen Spirit. It was very close to a song we had with my band Circle Of Influence. Not lyrically, just the melody and sound. But no one could understand what I was singing anyway. We played a lot of the L.A. clubs and we were influenced by the L.A. punk sound back then. Bands like Black Flag, The Pixies, X, Adolescents, Minutemen, DOA, etc.

So I can relate Mel. Luckily I had enough sense to pursue a career to fall back on. And I'm with you on the whole touring thing. I'm not so sure I would want to live on the road and deal with all the crap. But it would be great to get a song or two in some movies, TV, etc. That way I can die and not feel like a total musical failure.



I'm telling you Rone, all you need is a gimmick. Would you mind getting out of the car without panties on under your skirt for the paparazzi? Come on, sing with me....
.....they’re tryin to make me go to rehab, I said no, no, no....

[drë]

is funny how we are talking about Melvin.
just this past week, a friend of mine who has seen my youtube videos, and specially liked Melvin's Sugar Shaker,
was telling me how he was watching Tv and then this car commercial came on playing Melvin's sugar shaker.
i was like dude you must of been dreaming, even tho i know the the guy has sold some right for this songs..mmm..
and he was like yeah, i remember the song in the commercial specially the "... TONIGHT ..." part.
we both just dropped the discussion after 2 minutes of trying to figuer out if it was a dream or not..

so who knows ?? maybe a sign of things to come ?????

[Paco Del Stinko]

Interesting that in a recent review I thought "man. Melvin must be sick of those Weezer comparisons" I've only heard a few Weezer songs, and while good tunes, I think of Melvin songs as sounding like...Melvin songs. Is it true about the car commercial? I think that's pretty cool, if so. Also: didn't J$ once say that Melvin was the death of all music, or something?

[rone rivendale]

Who else thinks Rone Rivendale should get his lazy ass signed by a record company already?

I got a CD for digital download on soundclick and I have my 2nd one upcoming on the 1st of July. ^_^ I'm doing fine.

[melvin]

Dre - This car commercial thing is intriguing, because someone on these boards who I believe worked for an ad agency asked people to submit songs for a Cadillac commercial several months ago, and I submitted Sugar Shaker. Since then, I've seen a Cadillac commercial with the song Stars by Hum in it, and for some reason I assumed that must have been the ad he was talking about. But maybe not! Although somehow I doubt my song has been used without my knowledge. And yet I harbor this faint hope! That would definitely be cool. (And thanks for making that video - it still makes me smile every day, I mean, every time I watch it).

BLT - I think we're in the same boat. Actually, the reason I was so happy to discover Songfight! in the first place was so that I could continue to make music without it just being weird, since I no longer have a band, play gigs, or know many people who want to listen to yet another CD by me. Thank god for this place.

Paco - Believe me, I've thought about complaining about the Weezer comparisons in the past, but then I'm like, "complaining on the Internet is the lamest thing in the world," and stop myself. And yes, J$ did indeed dub me The Death of Music many moons ago. Whatever happened to that talentless loser?

[fluffy]

I don't think Melvin sounds anything like Weezer.

drc; I spent this weekend drawing comics. I had a dream Friday morning which gave me an idea for yet another comic series. Hooray. So, I have a few drawn already and they're scheduled to go up on Saturdays, at http://beesbuzz.biz/d/ (right now the current one is the description of the dream).

[Caravan Ray]

Who else thinks Caravan Ray should get off his lazy ass and upgrade his account?

Wow! This is the coolest avatar I've ever had! Somebody didn't like me linking to their picture of a kiwi.

But speaking of upgrading accounts - I have just moved into my new house. Hooray!!

But the downside - I have to wait 3 weeks for broadband to be connected. I am now on dial-up. I had forgotten how much that sucked. Weird hearing that buzzzzzz...boing boing boing sound again.

Another upside though - my dogs arrived from Australia - I haven't seen them for over a month. We have a huge backyard in the house we are renting. The doggies are v. happy. Hooray!!! Chief, my 10 y.o maremma sheepdog is running around like a puppy. He is a cold climate dog, and I don't think the heat of Brisbane ever really agreed with him - especially since we sold our farm and moved to suburbia. He is loving the NZ weather. And since there are no native mammals here, and those awkward protected species laws - he is pretty much allowed to kill whatever he likes without getting a "bad dog" for his troubles. The protected possums he used to eat back home, are actually an introduced pest here. He can have as many as he can get! (not that he ever really got many - he is a particularly lazy, unathletic dog)

EDIT
While typing this, my dial-up line dropped out and I had to re-dial. Ahhh - that brings back memories

[drë]

(not that he ever really got many - he is a particularly lazy, unathletic dog)

you know what they say about dogs; they are just like their owners.

[Reist]

I don't deny my Weezer influence, but I reject the idea that all music based on poppy harmonies and crunchy power chords is an imitation of them.

Yeah, dude - I know how you feel. Some of the stuff I've been writing lately has had a bit of a weezer vibe (with the crunchy power chords and 'strolling' melodies ... can't think of another word other than strolling), but that doesn't mean I rip them off.

This was the shortest weekend of my life. Dang guys ... I have no time to do anything anymore. I guess that's part of growing up.

[drë]

This was the shortest weekend of my life. Dang guys ... I have no time to do anything anymore. I guess that's part of growing up.

this is such a classic Reist quote, that it belongs in MY LIFE thread. so like that you can come back to it 2,5,10 years from now, and read about the growing up part.

[Ross]

Teenage Fanclub is better than Wheezer any day of the week.

Why does everybody love wheezer so much anyway?

I like Melvin.

By the way - and maybe it's been said - been curious for along time if that is his real name or not.

That's all - hopefully he and his cohorts don't wipe the Ein! all over with me tomorrow.

[Spud]

It is not his real name. Or maybe the name with which he signs his emails is not his real name. I cannot be sure.