Tag Archives: harmonica

Listen, New Song

New Song: The train I ride

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Clapping is hard work.

But no hands were harmed in the recording of this tune. My vocal chords were, though. I just haven’t played mouth harp for, oh, about 4 months and it’s not a good thing to jump back into. Especially the reckless way that I play. But it’s my favorite instrument to play, so I don’t give a damn.

Now…how about this song? I think you should listen to it with headphones. Or, at the very least, something other than your laptop speakers. If you must, though, turn it up loud.

It’s a simple tune. I used a bunch of other train songs to write this one. They are, in no particular order:

  • 900 miles (from my home)
  • Wabash Cannonball
  • The Cannonball Blues
  • Hobo’s Lullaby
  • Little Black Train
  • T is for Texas (that’s not a train song, necessarily, but it’s part of this one)

So there you have it. This new song is a make up for the week of February 4th, in which I did not write a single word. I think this is a good way to fill that void.

I’ve got another tune working too. Don’t know if I’ll get to it for tomorrow or not. It’s something I need to think about a lot. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot. But something I don’t want to have to think about at all. Something that hopefully I’ll just be able to pull right out of the air.

Anyway…good night.

Listen, New Song

New Song: Just Like Everything Else

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I never wrote a song about a chicken before. But I’ve heard a lot of chicken songs. And I never quite knew exactly what they were about. Or understood them very much. Except that they were maybe about chicken.

But now I think I get them a little better. I think I understand chicken a little better. If you understand me at all.

So, this song is about chicken. I wrote it on Sunday night and just got around to recording it Tuesday night. It’s a pretty easy song to understand. If you know anything at all about chicken.

I’ll also post the fresh, updated, re-recorded tune from 2011 tomorrow morning, but be sure to check out a few of the other new songs and re-recordings I’ve done the past couple weeks here, here, and here.

And then go grab your coat and hat. See ya.

Vinyl Records

Random Record Pick: Sonny Terry with Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Cisco Houston, Pete Seeger, Brownie McGee; Get Together

Vinyl record of Sonny Terry with Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Cisco Houston, Pete Seeger, Brownie McGee; Get Together.For more photos, connect to @afrancisb on Instagram.

Random Record Pick is a way to organize and archive an always-growing collection of vinyl records. Each record is randomly picked from a shelf or crate or dusty corner of my house, a photo is taken of the cover, and then the entire record is played all the way through, even if it’s terrible. 

Listen, New Song

New Song: Sitting down to say a tune

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It’s been a whole lot of time since I posted a new song.

It’s been a whole lot of time since I wrote a new song.

But, I figured today was a good day to do both.

It’s my daughter’s first birthday. This song is for her. Only she would be able to understand it, I think.

To everyone else it makes no sense. It hardly makes sense to me.

So that’s that.

Happy Birthday, Della. Shake that pineapple can.

Listen, Talkin' Headline Blues

The Talkin’ Headline Blues #60

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Here’s the last Talkin’ Headline of 2011. Did you listen to all 52 this year? How did they make you feel? I really hope this was the only place you got all your news.

I’m planning to keep going with the Talkin’ Headline Blues all throughout 2012. We’ll see if it grows and changes at all, I guess. Or if I get tired of doing them.

I’m still working on the final new song and 2010 re-record, so look for those probably tomorrow, or later this week.