The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Konichiwa Songfighters, Roll Call.

I just spent my lunch hour checking out my new Rosetta Stone software. And of course, what language did I check out? Japanese. I also took a look at Mandarin Chinese. Holy crap did Mandarin seem hard. With practice I think I'll be able to get the hang of Japanese. But which I study will come down to the benefits. Chinese, I would use for my job. But Japanese would be for outside work (since I listen to J-Rock, watch Puroresu, etc.). Hmmm, choices.

QotD:
Is there a song in your back catalog that you wished more people would have listened to when it was originally released?

Tell me folks. Is there a forgotten gem in your musical library?

1:10 weird

QOTD:
Most definitely "The Shelton With Sunspots". It's a song about suicide.
I was being told that a lot of my music at the time was coming off sounding like Nirvana. I was really into other things during the Nirvana craze, and I realized how little I knew about them and Kurt Cobain. So I started Googling, and became extremely absorbed in everything I read. So absorbed, that I spent a week reading about his life and death. But I was also learning about Georgia O'Keeffe, whom at the time I've never heard of, and it was interesting how their sometimes torturous live styles intermingled. But Georgia O'Keeffe was able to find tranquility and live out her life, where Cobain couldn't, assuming he took his own life. I'm still not so sure Geffen wasn't behind it. But that's another song I need to write. The song ended up being about Kurt Cobain's suicide and using the art of Georgia O'Keeffe's cow skull painting in the sky as a catalyst.

Anyway, that's my song that got swept under the rug. I thought for sure someone would ask about the metaphorical meanings in the song. Such as the line "abstract cranial painting". It means exactly what it says, except the abstract cranial painting is Kurt's last and final work of art on the wall behind him after he put the shotgun in his mouth and pulled the fucking trigger.

qotd: every single one

erik wrote:qotd: every single one

Any song more than the others? (Preferably with a link to a convenient mp3)

Roll call: The shoulder is better today. At this rate I should be fine for Friday's show. But I'm not allowing myself to play at the open mic downtown tonight.

QotD: I Don't Want To Be Your Friend. This fight only had 44 votes total, so I think it was pretty overlooked in general. My song got three, landing in the middle of the pack. The winner got seven votes. I thought this one came out pretty close to what I was hearing in my head, which is a rarity. A slightly reworked (and better mastered) version of this song appears on my CD.

just finished turning this:

http://www.cfsi-online.com/

into this:

http://www.tampabaydsl.com/development/index.asp

in between phone calls for the last couple'a weeks

QOTD: I'm with erik. All of my songs are overlooked. Actually, there are a few that I'm thankful for their overlooked status. heh.

I feel like pretty much all of my album Squirrel Tattoo was overlooked. I think it's the best music I ever made. I think it best captures what I did when I recorded as his name is dan.

I don't think it's online anymore.

I don't think any of my music is online anymore except for what's on myspace.

Niveous wrote:

erik wrote:qotd: every single one

Any song more than the others? (Preferably with a link to a convenient mp3)

Honestly, no. But dishonestly, here is a song that was recorded about 14 years ago, and 1 person got to hear it when it was finished:

http://www.15-16puzzle.com/songs/15-16puzzle_9-1-1.mp3

Jim and Erik, both very cool songs. It's so cool hearing different minds at work. Also being that these are the songs you picked for this QOTD, they must mean something more to you than we would ever know, which makes it even cooler.

Hmm...I like this dueling roll call idea.

I thought of two songs for myself.

The first one was a hit with the few that heard it. It was recorded a long time ago and with poor equipment. It's basically a short satirical essay on punk rock, that I had decided to call Middle School Blues. Some of you may find it funny, some may just find it annoying. Either way, I think it's got a good ending.

After many failed attempts, I had finally created a piece of instrumental dance music that I was mostly satisfied with...only the structure is complicated in the wrong sort of way for that style. I guess it's kind of proggy...maybe. I don't know. Some of you might have heard it on Myspace. It wasn't up there for long. Having gotten a decent piece of this accomplished, I moved on to vocal songs shortly thereafter. Instrumentals are hard as hell to construct, and even if you do a good job, a lot of people aren't going to care. In any case, here is The Acolyte. The name was actually pulled from a bank of song titles I keep after the piece was completed. I might have done better with the title, but it's kind of got some dark, epic journey feel to it, so that it probably works out. Can anybody else follow the storyline without words? I get a pretty decent picture of the things that happen to my character herein.

Hey Load of Orts, "The Acolyte" is pretty cool. I found myself making up German words and singing along, even though I don't spanka the douche. I'm hoping it's just a quick passing interest, but I think i want to add lyrics to it.

Hey, how's this alternate universe?

QotD: A long time ago (I'm thinking 1990) I wrote a song about my childhood scene. I Don't Think You Can See Me

And here - what is this? Second period?

QOTD: Someone above reminded me that I wish more folks had listened to my AAW/WTF I felt very good about it, especially as an album that flows. Link in my signature file.

Otherwise...not sure - I remember feeling like folks didn't dig into my "You Get the Wiser" but was really pleased that Glennnie seemed to dig it at the Culver City live show last year.

I may think about this question more.

Oh - "The Ballad of James Byrd" -

http://www.garageband.com/song?|pe1|S8LTM0LdsaSnZlG1a24

Today is the first day of my 'banishment'. I have taken on a mainly web upkeep based role, which allows me to work three days a week. This I am fine with, except I have been moved from the production area to a corner somewhere. And I have been gifted with a slightly less impressive computer. Being a scape goat is fun!

QOTD: Songfight related, I always thought my Angry All Over entry was really good. Ok, I admit the solo is long and wanky, but I am still taken by the idea of writing songs about the Russian Revolution.

Billy's Little Trip wrote:Hey Load of Orts, "The Acolyte" is pretty cool. I found myself making up German words and singing along, even though I don't spanka the douche. I'm hoping it's just a quick passing interest, but I think i want to add lyrics to it.

If you want to take my track and add vocals to it, I hereby waive the portion of my copyright that doesn't allow you to do that, i.e., go ahead. Stick it in the multi-track and have fun. I'm pretty curious about what it would sound like with totally fake German, or whatever else you want to add, over it.

erik wrote:

Niveous wrote:

erik wrote:qotd: every single one

Any song more than the others? (Preferably with a link to a convenient mp3)

Honestly, no. But dishonestly, here is a song that was recorded about 14 years ago, and 1 person got to hear it when it was finished:

http://www.15-16puzzle.com/songs/15-16puzzle_9-1-1.mp3

I like this. I really like the sound of the guitar. It doesn't sound like a guitar, but it does enough that I can tell what it is...at least, I think that's what it is. It's a guitar, right? Is it a nylon? What kind of microphone? 14 years ago, eh? Will you even remember these details. The ostinato is cool, too. They're a good match, the tone and the figure you're playing. I'm not clear on the plot, but I'm really bad at understanding lyrics, and I'm not going to repeat it like eight times to figure out all the words.

erik wrote:Honestly, no. But dishonestly, here is a song that was recorded about 14 years ago, and 1 person got to hear it when it was finished:
http://www.15-16puzzle.com/songs/15-16puzzle_9-1-1.mp3

Crap, that's fun!

I was in Florida, near Sarasota, driving with my wife to meet her parents for dinner. It was raining, so the steel bridge was slick. Some jack in a 4x4 goes all macho to pass someone right in front of us on the bridge, and starts fish tailing. Then REALLY wailing back and forth, until he's perpendicular to the road (there's a tie-in to your song here...hold on) and goes SMASH!!! into the barrier and almost flips head-on over the railing and into the river! But I guess enough of the truck caught to cause him to BOUNCE up, back, roll over 3 or 4 times and land on the side of the truck in the middle of the road. Right in front of us. So I hand my cell phone to my wife and say "call 9-1-1" as I'm exiting the car to see if anyone is alive, and she yells "what number do I dial?" I had to repeat it three times. 9-1-1. Under the circumstances I couldn't laugh but later over a few drinks we couldn't stop laughing for the longest time. Never made it across the bridge, so we had dinner at the bar.

roymond wrote: I was in Florida, near Sarasota...

Hey, that's where I live!

QotD: I think the Hell Yeahs' Say the Word was under appreciated. Those lyrics are from the heart. It's a song about the band Phil and I and Len used to be in together. There's the parts that shout out the song titles - that was an actual set list from one of our shows, including Love Potion No. 9 for the encore.

The line about "call Len and find the time" is my favorite. Len, being a drummer, was always late to practice and shows. I also liked the lines "Mc Red's on a Tuesday" and "Room D at Sound Arena" because they are real places. Mc Red's is a total dive bar on Victory Blvd. in Van Nuys, CA. We would play there sometimes on any night of the week. We also used to practice at Sound Arena right off Sherman Way and Reseda Blvd. in Reseda. I sure don't miss living in that part of the Valley!

Anyway, that song is close to my heart. It's out of "character" but it's real.

Roll Call: Here

I stayed up way too late last night learning a bit about my Scottish heritage and my mom's side of the family's branch of the old tree. It made me understand how some people can get totally caught up in genealogy research. It's really interesting stuff. I read all about this one guy's research into his relation to the name Henderson. It went pretty far back - to the early 18th century.

Tonight Phil and I are gonna watch Kid Nation and eat Ben & Jerry's.

QOTD: I think Convalescence was overlooked because of its rough mix. It's still one of my favorites, but not many people could appreciate it.

Another 55 Minute Frenzy has come and gone. I'm really enjoying running this. You can hear this frenzy's songs here.

Lord of Oats wrote:

Billy's Little Trip wrote:Hey Load of Orts, "The Acolyte" is pretty cool. I found myself making up German words and singing along, even though I don't spanka the douche. I'm hoping it's just a quick passing interest, but I think i want to add lyrics to it.

If you want to take my track and add vocals to it, I hereby waive the portion of my copyright that doesn't allow you to do that, i.e., go ahead. Stick it in the multi-track and have fun. I'm pretty curious about what it would sound like with totally fake German, or whatever else you want to add, over it.

Please, much to dancing at now: LOAD OF ORTS - ACOLYTE