Crushing Krisis

The Newest Oldest Blog In New Zealand

SongOfTheDay

Held My Tongue (2009 Demos) – 1/30

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This is post 1 of 30 featuring live, single-take demos of each of the 30 songs I’m considering for my upcoming studio album. Each potential album tune is accompanied by a B-Side, to make each post a virtual 45 single (remember those?).

Song #222: Small & Lonely (live demo)
Never previously recorded

I wrote “Small & Lonely” in May and June of 2008, largely while in-transit in Philly. Elise helped me with the melody of the chorus one day on the Broad Street Line.

Song #20: Sweet Nothing (live demo)
Last recorded sometime in 1999

I wrote “Sweet Nothing” in spring of 1998, in my childhood home. It’s heavily influenced by PJ Harvey’s “Ecstasy.” Note that in my youth I didn’t care so much about what key I was in.

If you dig one (or both) of these songs, please leave a comment – your feedback will have a big effect on the songs I ultimately choose for the album.

Song of the Day: Madonna – “Dress You Up” (includes chords/lyrics)

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I’m sorry, with all that talk about expensive clothing I just couldn’t resist.

Madonna – “Dress You Up”

For the record, it started out with less reverb, and then Elise came in and insisted that a properly faithful early-Madonna cover would require more.

Since I literally threw this together in about twenty minutes it’s not as precious as my Trio stuff, and as I was finished it up I thought, Hey, since it’s not in Trio a little harmony is fair game. And, of course, the 12 seconds of harmony is now my favorite part of the entire song.

(I swear I have a Trio completely done and ready to deploy as soon as I mix it down and convert it to MP3s. Seriously. This did not interrupt Trioing any more than going to the bathroom or bathing. (And, yes, you can safely assume from that that I prioritize anything related to Madonna higher than personal hygiene.))

Chords and lyrics below. [Read more…] about Song of the Day: Madonna – “Dress You Up” (includes chords/lyrics)

Sorry, no Trio; have some Kelly instead. (SOTD #7)

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I spent the last four hours setting up for and recording a Trio, but the more I listen to it the more it sounds like a full dress rehearsal rather than an actual show.

Positives:
– Good setup; very clean sound
– Great performance of my new song
– Articulate between-song talks
– Bonus: Made it through a really hard cover for the first time, ever

Negatives:
– Brief audio skips from my FirePod (as many as three per song?)
– Blew my voice attempting a different (easier) cover; lead to lack of dynamics on (harder) cover
– Questionable rhythms on my old song; bad final note
– Bonus: Audio sync on my camera didn’t work

I’m trying to get away from being a crazy perfection freak, because that doesn’t lead to a high quantity of Trios. However, given the clarity of the audio the skipping is driving me crazy, and that’s enough of a reason to compound the other negatives into a redo. Freak or not, I want to be able to listen to Trio months from now without wincing (which was generally the bar I set for myself in Season 5, and it worked out nicely).

Also, I really wanted to do a video podcast of some portion of Trio in video, but my camera doesn’t seem to be up to the job. I can use Elise’s video camera, but that means waiting until she returns to the country, plus a few days (at least) to learn what to do.

So, sadly, I bring you no Trio. We’ll see how long it takes me to trouble-shoot the audio skips and work from there.

In the meantime, have a random recording from over the summer – “Chivas” (aka “Shivers”), by Kelly Clarkson, on baritone guitar. At the moment I have no idea what key I’ve transposed it to, but the chords in standard are A, F#m, C#m, E.

2007 Song of the Day #6 – Independence Day (Ani DiFranco)

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In some prior July, possibly as many as nine years ago, I resolved to record Ani DiFranco’s “Independence Day” and post it on my website on the Fourth of July. Not on any other day, mind you – then it wouldn’t count.

Think about that – I’ve been procrastinating on this since I was a teenager … maybe since I’ve been in high school!

I’m happy to finally present you with my cover of Ani DiFranco’s “Independence Day,” from Little Plastic Castle.

If you want chords, performance notes, and lyrics, keep reading. [Read more…] about 2007 Song of the Day #6 – Independence Day (Ani DiFranco)

2007 Song of the Day #5 – Love Me, Love Me Not

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I don’t typically let my songs incubate for very long. If I don’t finish writing a song within a few days, or don’t record it within the next month or two, chances are I won’t wind up playing it very often.

My first new song of 2007 turned that whole philosophy on its ear.

Much like “Standing,” it woke me up from sleep to jot it down. Only this one was much more stubborn – the lyrics didn’t have a consistent meter, and I could hear only a few pieces of the music. It seemed unremarkable, especially for something thar had dragged me out of bed.

It didn’t feel unremarkable, though. It felt like something real and solid. A song that said something, because I had something to say to myself.

I refused to give up on it. Every day I came home to tinker. After a few weeks the chorus made its way up the neck from open chords to the 14th fret. A month later I was still tinkering with the lyrics, and the first day of spring found me changing up the rhythms and transitions.

I’m happy to say that the song survived that whole ordeal, and I debuted it at my Melange Theatre performance last Friday. And now I am debuting it to the world at large with its first proper demo recording. It’s far from perfection, but it’s already a long way from where it began.

“Love Me, Love Me Not” is the song of the day.

2007 Song of the Day #4 – I Know It (Madonna)

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This whole Song of the Day insanity began percolating a few weeks ago as a highly covert Madonna Cover Songs project.

Madge isn’t really known for being widely covered, but as I acquired more and more of her sheet music books I discovered just how many of her tunes made for compelling, fun guitar-based cover songs.

Perhaps 2007’s CK theme would be recording every Madonna song? No – that would get boring after a while. I might love her, but I don’t always love her every day.

The idea was briefly shelved and speedily resuscitated (unwittingly) by Glenn Case, an internet songwriter (and Songfighter) who is endeavoring to list his 10,000 favorite songs one day at a time. He’s currently on day 114.

The Madonna Cover Songs project and Glenn’s project fought in my head like dogs in a cage, and out came Song of the Day.

The upshot is that a vast quantity of songs of the day are going to be Madonna songs. Including this one – “I Know It” – a never-repeated obscurity from her debut. (By the way, this isn’t the song I skipped yesterday – that’s still en route.)

If you know this one you are a true Madonna fan. If you want chords, performance notes, and lyrics for “I Know It,” keep reading. [Read more…] about 2007 Song of the Day #4 – I Know It (Madonna)