Crushing Krisis

Comic Books, Drag Race, & Life in New Zealand

Creative

Whoever’s Listening

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Two years ago this week we were just about settled in this house, and I was packing up my gear from the third annual Lyndzapalooza. I had only written two songs in the previous year, and I hadn’t played anywhere other than Lyndzapalooza in just about that long. I had no new recordings to speak of.

A year ago this week I had just finished my yearly engagement at Lyndzapalooza, and otherwise hadn’t played anywhere other than the Shubin X-Mas Revue since… well, since the last Lyndzapalooza.

However, I had also just written and demoed two new songs that seemed not to suck, and I was arranging for and singing in an a cappella group (the latter for the first time ever).

Minor changes. Little earthquakes.

This year I am not quite packed up from Lyndzapalooza. Gina and I practiced weekly for several months to prepare for our evening set, which featured harmony on every song. I’ve written several new songs, and have played a few monthly engagements at Melange Theatre. Though I haven’t recorded much lately, I tracked 30 new recordings in 30 days of November.

I’m finally re-enrolled in voice lessons, with an awesome young PhD candidate at Penn. Also, I was hired (hired!) to co-write two songs, which I just finished recording (and received payment for!).

And, just to keep myself limber, I’m throwing a dinner/concert for my mother where I’ll be playing two dozen of her favorite songs, and I’m arranging the entirety of Tori Amos’s new album for guitar.

Still not quite a rock star, yet – considering I let my musical life grind to a halt in 2005 – I’m gratifying by my acceleration back to musical relevance.

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)

2007 Song of the Day #3 – Tangled

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Today’s song was supposed to be another Madonna song.

It would come complete with a funny anecdote about how I didn’t think the chorus sounded right but couldn’t quite figure it out, and then I happened to be watching Madonna on YouTube, and she was playing it on guitar, and I was like, “Oh, look, Madonna’s playing the right chords,” and then I thought to myself:

Wow, how strange and vaguely post-modern that 24 years after it was originally released I’m figuring out how to play one of my favorite pop songs by watching a video of Madonna performing it on guitar streaming via the internet.

True story.

However, no matter how many times I tried to record the song in question I couldn’t make it to the end of a single take. It was struggling against being captured. Eventually my voice was too blown to try it anymore.

Shit, I thought, I only have an hour to choose and record another song.

As it turns out, I only needed four minutes and ten seconds, during which I recorded one of the most crystalline versions of any of my original songs ever. And, the song in question happens to be one of my favorites, which I have never before successfully recorded in hi-fi through my mixer.

The Madonna song can wait – Tangled is clearly the song of the day.

2007 Song of the Day #2 – Supervixen (Garbage)

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If there’s an album I have hopes of covering fully by the end of the year (by someone other than Madonna) it’s definitely Garbage’s debut, so the the first song on it seemed like a good place to start.

“Supervixen” is by far my favorite song by my favorite band, which might give the impression that it’s my favorite song of all time, but not quite.

It’s one of those songs I play a hundred times a year but never quite nail when recording. Tonight’s isn’t perfect, but I think any song this loosely translated from the original will always have an air of the unexpected surrounding it.

(It’s also one of those songs whose title has only a implied relationship with its lyrics, something I do with my own songs more often than I intend.)

It took me a long (long) time to figure out a way to emulate the crazy multi-layered intro on one acoustic guitar. Tonight i was having trouble counting myself into it, so i skip the first pass at it altogether. This gives the song a much more ponderous start rather than the usual guns-blazing approach, which was fine by me, since I don’t know if my vocals were up to “blazing” tonight.

Incidentally, my extra vocals on the bridge and at the end of the last chorus were originally ad-libbed during Blogathon 2002, and ever since then I’ve done it that way every time.

If you want chords, performance notes, and lyrics for “Supervixen,” read below… [Read more…] about 2007 Song of the Day #2 – Supervixen (Garbage)

2007 Song of the Day #1 – Holiday (Madonna)

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In the midst of all of my NaBloPoMoing in November I was reminded of how fun it can be to turn on my mixer and record a song – especially something I’ve never played before. In fact, my favorite results of the month were all songs I barely rehearsed and slammed through in a single take (Other Plans, Under My Skin, & Dilate).

In the spirit of that, in 2007 I’m going to slam through as many songs as I can, posting the results as Songs of the Day for your listening pleasure.

In keeping with my last post, I make no promises that this will occur every day, or even once a week. I’d just like to fill out my catalog of recordings, and to offer you more of me to hear. I plan to focus on some specific artists and albums, but past that I have no idea where this is headed. Some songs might be recognizable hits, while others will be b-sides or originals. Many could be forgettable, but a few could be gems.

My first effort is a cover of Madonna’s “Holiday.” You can read some background about “Holiday” at Mad Eyes, which is the only Madonna site I found with a complete itemized list of every one of her songs (both published and unreleased). It’s pretty awesome.

If you want chords, performance notes, and lyrics for “Holiday, keep reading. [Read more…] about 2007 Song of the Day #1 – Holiday (Madonna)