Tag Archives: songwriting

Listen, Talkin' Headline Blues

The Talkin’ Headline Blues #62

Audio

Listen up! Read all about it! Or…Hear all about it! There’s some important stuff in this song today, I think. I don’t know. I only look at the headlines at CNN.com. So, I’m probably not the most informed person. Probably just ask your neighbor about any of the topics discussed in this song. Go ahead. Lean over and nudge them.

Did you also realize that Poor Elvis has a show this coming Friday? Did you also realize that this coming Friday is Friday the 13th? Since it’s the first Friday the 13th of the New Year, did you know that whatever you do on that day dictates your luck for the rest of the year? Did you know that if you come to our show (see the facebook event for info) then you’ll have good luck all year? If you don’t, well, you probably don’t wanna risk what’ll happen.

Best show up.

Listen, Rewritten Song

Rewritten Song: All the Answers of Old (version 2)

Audio

Here’s the new version of the song I wrote this week, last year. The original was a pretty standard folk tune…or, at least, sounded like one to me. Go listen to it here and compare to the new one.

Different?

What do you think?

Listen, Talkin' Headline Blues

The Talkin’ Headline Blues #61

Audio

So, some people say that the way you spend the first day of the year is how you’ll spend the rest of the year. I don’t know if I buy that. I wonder, though, if it could be the same for headlines. For news. That whatever news is in the headlines now, at the beginning of the year, will be there throughout the rest of the year in some way or another.

I kinda hope not, though, cause based on the headlines I used for this version of the Talkin’ Headline Blues, we’re in for a pretty bleak and confusing year.

Here’s a recap:

Politicians, death, signs of the Apocalypse, elections, Al Qaeda, the moon, fires, videos, shootouts, murder.

That’s just a little summary, though.

I think the funniest part of this song, or, the funniest headlines that were both in the same “Living & Eatocracy” section on CNN.com were:

Why make resolutions? Failure inspires

and

Making realistic New Year’s resolutions

Which am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to just fail? How can I fail without first attempting something new? Am I supposed to fail at what I’m already doing? Or, is CNN saying that I’m already a failure? Should I make a resolution, but make one that I can realistically fail at? Who is inspired by these failures?

Anyone have some clarity on this?

Anyway…that’s the first Talkin’ Headline for this year.

Listen, New Song

40 Days and 40 Nights

Audio 3 Comments

Well, here’s the first new song of the new year, 40 Days and 40 Nights. Didn’t think I’d quite be able to get this one out. Was having a lot of trouble coming up with any ideas for anything at all.

Then I got this…

I really don’t think this one’s completely done. Maybe it needs another part that’s different, or two more verses. Something. There’s lots that I do like about it, though. I really like the chorus. I’ll admit that I’ve had the idea of using “mmm’s” in a song for a while. I’m just glad they fit in pretty well to this one.

So, I guess that’s it.

So now, on into 2012. Lots more new songs coming. Talkin’ Headlines (one tomorrow for sure) and re-recorded versions of 2011 songs every week. And also maybe some videos of some sort (I still gotta work out what exactly those may be, though).

So, see ya around soon.

Listen, Rewritten Song

Rewritten Song: If I was a woman and you was a man (version 2)

Audio

Well, here’s the last re-record for 2011 of a song from 2010. I think I’ll definitely keep doing this throughout 2012. Not only is it a good way to revisit old songs that I may have forgotten about, but it helps me figure out news sounds and different directions to take the new songs I’m writing.

So, be on the lookout…

For this re-record, I used 3/4 time and condensed the song a little bit. I think that’s always the problem I had with it…a little too much repetition of the chorus. This version works fairly well. Don’t know if it’s as successful as the original, though. Listen to that here for a comparison.

Also, the song that I wrote back in August called “I guess that’s just the way things go” is sorta a re-write of this song too, I supposed. I used that same cat and dog line, maybe cause I think that’s the most successful of all the lines in this tune. Or, maybe cause it’s the first one that I wrote for it. Or, maybe, for another reason. It’s any of those, really.

Anyway. I’m playing a show tonight at the Cicero Public Library. Come check it out, if you can. Should be an interesting show. Starts at 7pm and goes until 8:30. I plan on being really loud.