February Album Writing Month - FAWM.ORG

mike skliar (@mikeskliar)

progress: 23

winner!
joined: February 2 2006
location: New York, USA
website: www.mikeskliar.com
influences: bob dylan, loudon wainwright, lennon & mccartney, george harrison, richard thompson, grateful dead/jerry garcia, frank sinatra (and all the jazz standards he sang by gershwin, cole porter, rogers & hart, harold arlen, etc etc), john prine, dan bern, hank williams, tom lehrer, allen sherman, rufus wainwright, & more

Bio

Getting to be one of the old timers here- been doing this since 2006! In internet years that's a few thousand years, right?

I'm a singer songwriter in new york city (not my day job, tho!).

I play acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bass, harmonica, and dobro (resonator guitar, played lap-style). Also recently picked up a baritone tricone resonator as well (thats the instrument in the picture) And very lately I've been trying to play the harmonica a bit as well.

I've been playing guitar for a while, tho only in the last 12 years or so have I started writing. The writing process can be incredibly fun or incredibly frustrating, as many of you know, of course. I tend to write a mix of more serious and more comic things, sometimes with a few topical or political songs thrown in. Most of my stuff is probably rooted musically in some sorts of rock, blues, folk or bluegrass influence. Lately, however, I've been playing more jazz and trying to use those kinds of chord changes from time to time.

I have two cds out- the first one released about six years ago, and it can be found at cd baby here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/skliar

In 2009 my new cd "Ship of State" was released, and I'm still excited about it. It's got 20 songs including many songs originally written during the fawm and 50/90 writing challenges, and there are seven or eight other fawmers whose musical talents appear on it. http://cdbaby.com/cd/skliar2

Both cds are available on iTunes, and amazon.com as well as a few other places (check iTunes or amazon under the name "Mike Skliar")

I've also played a bunch of acoustic original music gigs in the last few years with fellow fawmer Ken Ficara. Some of my more topical and/or political songs are regularly featured on WBAI-FM once a month. Additionally last year I was the guitarist with blues & oldies band Saboteur Tiger- playing out about once a month here in New York City. I was honored to have a song on one of the FAWM compilations (the song "Ship of State") and my songs have been on several other compilations as well.

This is the 7th year I'm doing fawm- its a great thing, and I'm very glad that I was able to get some others turned on to the idea as well- its truly a great project for everyone who participates. Did some collaboration the last few years as well, which was unexpected and really alot of fun...

One of the other great things here has been getting various musical friends of mine involved in this site as well. There are several (the aforementioned @kenficara being one) but let me give shout-outs also to the incredibly talented @angelinapowersuit as well as my nephew @ericmiller and also, from the 'younger generation' here, the wonderful and talented guitarist @ckl29 (who just did some great collabs with me as guitar (him) and mandolin (me) duets- check out all their stuff, ya can't go wrong!

last, I should mention that this year (2012) I did a quick promo video for fawm.. its at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8m2Z76X69o&context=C310a973ADOEgsToPDskI06j4QhCU2ZXCX5LRovdTk

2012 Songs

1	Winter did not come this year	36 comments // 3 months ago
2	Mitt Romney's a Zombie	31 comments // 3 months ago
3	Crazy like a Newt	20 comments // 3 months ago
4	Midnight in Paris	23 comments // 3 months ago
5	Olive Oil and Worchestershire (explore the core challenge)	14 comments // 3 months ago
6	The Ron Paul is off the wall Talking Blues #12 & 35	15 comments // 3 months ago
7	Stand Tall	17 comments // 3 months ago
8	Best of Times (with pixo)	15 comments // 3 months ago
9	Headaches and handshakes (songskirmish)	4 comments // 3 months ago
10	Google Santorum	9 comments // 3 months ago
11	Dude, It's Brooklyn (with kenficara)	5 comments // 3 months ago
12	Jeremy Lin (video version)	10 comments // 3 months ago
13	Jeremy Lin (audio version)	7 comments // 3 months ago
14	Did you hear the news? (with kenficara)	3 comments // 3 months ago
15	what is life?	5 comments // 2 months ago
16	Best of Times (with styopquoons)	6 comments // 2 months ago
17	behind the door (songskirmish)	4 comments // 2 months ago
18	In the Bubble	4 comments // 2 months ago
19	Don't be the tree, just be the seed	7 comments // 2 months ago
20	What was FAWM 2012 like for me?	2 comments // 2 months ago
21	song for MP	zong // 2 months ago
22	Best of Times (my version)	2 comments // 2 months ago
23	[GUITAR] Poster (with errol)	10 comments // 2 months ago

Soundboard

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blindkiwi 2 months ago

Thanks Mike, I've got a Donmo Steel bodied tricone but got absolutely nothing recorded (and very little written) through Feb. Hoping I'll be back in business come 5090.
nancyrost 2 months ago

Thanks for the suggestions, Mike. Too busy/lazy to try them right now, but will keep them in mind for later!
nancyrost 2 months ago

Yeah, I couldn't fix those clicky things while mixing - I think they're due to having recorded the percussion wrong. Much to learn about that yet ...
wolfkier 2 months ago

Thanks Mike, I appreciate your comment / listen.
wolf
ellenpliss 2 months ago

hi there mike -- wanted to let you know that @codex did an amazing job on http://fawm.org/songs/25082/ -- thought you might like to check it out, since you were kind enough to comment on the lyrics. Thanks!!
$Bob \$ bobskyyoung 2 months ago

FYI, I finally put a demo up of Remotely True. Enjoy.
kenficara 2 months ago

That's funny. Should have subtitled the Ash Wednesday references for the non-Catholics.
honeybadgerfolk 2 months ago

you're welcome, it's a wonderful tune
johnnycashpoint 3 months ago

Thanks for the comment - yes "witter" is a word - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/witter in retrospect of that song, there's an obvious rhyme through line to Twitter that I absolutely missed until just now! Argh! I will NEVER finish that song to my satisfaction
aaronnathans 3 months ago

Thanks, Mike!
hbusse 3 months ago

Hey there, thanks so much for the comment on my version of Olive Oil and Worcestershire! I appreciate the listen.
johnearl 3 months ago

Thanks for your comments on my Cowboy song! I'll listen to yours in a bit.
robs 3 months ago

Thank you for your nice comments! You're nearly at the finish, you can do it, just write about something that bugs you. Or pick one of the challenges (that's how I do it). You've got a great talent to write about political issues
axl 3 months ago

Thanks for the clarification. I've used this technique before, but only to widen sounds by panning sharp left and right. The close panning you used sounds cool. Meanwhile I've also found the plugin again:

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/adt_by_vacuumsound

Unfortunately, it doesn't work in ProTools, though. I thought I posted it anyway, just in case
monty 3 months ago

Thanks for the comments on The Misemployed. But I try to keep my vocals understated so as to not completely destroy the listener's ability to concentrate.
avidfanman 3 months ago

Hi Mike - thanks for the kind words about my version of "Olive Oil..." and my very silly "...Higgs Boson" song
johnnycashpoint 3 months ago

Thanks for the comment, yes I cheated a bit on the palindromes - all the riffs (bar the chorus piano and the guitar noodling) are 2 bar palindromes. The song itself isn't a palindrome mind.
gordon 3 months ago

Hi Mike, thanks for the kind words. My last offering seems to have the same problem. I don't know if anything has changed since yesterday, but it just doesn't seem to be working today.
echovoodoo 3 months ago

Thanks for calling in to the FAWMcast today, Mike!
ellenpliss 3 months ago

thank you for the valued feedback on my lyrics, Mike...I was a little nervous posting something not-very-fun, so you helped me take a deep breath. If it was still a zong, I would be wondering. Now I'm going to go listen to your Ron Paul song because I have a feeling it will make me smile...
kylegreer 3 months ago

thank you, kind sir for the welcome and the wonderful compliments! don't worry, words are on their way! the three songs i posted today were all improvs, and i was just been lazy and wanted to get them up in a hurry ...i'll definitely go back and listen to them and scribe down the lyrics ...can't wait to hear your stuff!
kenjku 3 months ago

That does sound fun!
mattpierce 3 months ago

Thanks for commenting Mike!
It means a lot coming from someone as talented as you!
lomedae 3 months ago

Thanks for listening and commenting, glad you liked it I agree the song itself isn't very Dylan (though, who's to tell what Dylan is after all those years and albums ) but the way I sung it was pretty Dylanesque, in my head at least
wille 3 months ago

@mikeskliar delivers a basic GWAG set of tracks to both @styopquoons and @pixo, who then both work them independently to see what happens.
kenficara 3 months ago

Heya -- I couldn't take that demo of the Dickens song, so I updated it today and rewrote the lyrics a bit. It's still not perfect but you can at least understand the words! Let's figure out a collaboration -- definitely the year for it.
errol 3 months ago

ALLLLOOOO MIchael Skliar!

Yes, I have no songs.
ernie 3 months ago

Thanks for commenting on my tune Hear You Calling. I'm enjoying your political commentary.
jnatiw 3 months ago

Thanks for giving the little mandolin instrumental a listen, Mike. Hope to hear some mando from you this FAWM!
kenficara 3 months ago

thanks for the comments! the funny thing is that I did a very clear vocal on the first song and someone said it should have been more distorted. go figure.
jessicagraae 3 months ago

Hi Mike-thanks for the welcome!
magloken 3 months ago

Thanks for the welcome Mike! I'm looking forward to hearing your tunes this year.
mikecreeth 3 months ago

Hey Mike. Yep, another New Yorker here. Im currently in switzerland on assignment for work, but I'll be back at the end of March. I would definitely be interested in a songwriters gathering if theres one going on.
nicksypniewski 3 months ago

Mike, thanks for the comment on Feeling Down. It's much appreciated. I'm not sure of the specific reason the demo is cutting out, but I was so late in getting it together that I basically cut and pasted the verse section and the chorus sections and might have bumped something over top of something else.

I agree that it needs a proper redo. Not sure if that'll happen in Feb. but hopefully not soon after. Thanks again.
gslade 3 months ago

I'm guessin you win the award for longest bio.
brzan 3 months ago

Thanks Mike for the kind feedback for Munich!
stevenwesleyguiles 3 months ago

Hey, Mike. No diss meant to New York in my song.
In my mind it was about how here in California we'll celebrate New Year's early instead of staying up until midnight. When you have little kids, you want to have your cake and eat it too, so New York New Years is a great tradition for us.
musicsongwriter 3 months ago

Hi Mike. Looking forward to your songs.
michaelepic 3 months ago

I totally forgot to stop by and wish you a happy FAWM 2012 man.....glad to see you back and excited to see what you come up with this year!!

p.s. I just slapped down $0.99 via ITunes for "Murder Ink" bc it feels so 1940's NOIRE to me...I love it, I can't get enough of it
bking 3 months ago

Hi Mike. Are we ready for some new tuneage?
rickamorphis 3 months ago

'Ship of State' came on my iPod last week as I was boarding the shuttle at Grand Central...I thought that was fitting. Have a fulfilling month!
boyatheart 3 months ago

Looking forward to your offerings this year Mike!
fendertele71 3 months ago

JonnieGrunge and I posted your YouTube FAWM intro on our blog instead of drafting a long and wordy "What Is" post.

http://thereallygoodpotroast.tumblr.com/post/16474148889/mark-i-will-soon-embark-on-fawm-what-is-fawm
dickclark 3 months ago

Happy New FAWM, my friend.
erikdidriksen 4 months ago

I know you've probably seen this already, but I can't run the risk of you not seeing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-hDt2E8MoE
taylortay 4 months ago

Looking through Rocktober stuff (catching up on time I spent studying) and heard your cover of Hey Bulldog. Excellent one-guitar arrangement, especially on the solo. Perfect for a 'pub guitarist'. Love it!
deafsteever 4 months ago

Hi, Mike! Good to see you again. Looking forward to whatever you come up with next month. Have fun!
cloudboy 4 months ago

Mike! Thanks for being a motivator. See you on the 28th. Happy FAWM!
fendertele71 4 months ago

Hey Mike! Looking forward to listening to some new stuff as well as getting my FAWM-feet wet. EDIT: Just my luck, I work a 24 hour shift on Feb 28th.
chipwithrow 4 months ago

Hi, Mike! I got good and weird last night at an open mic, did an acoustic "China Cat Sunflower." You're one of the few FAWMers who might appreciate that.
phylo 4 months ago

Hey Mike. Looking forward to your offerings this year.
johncrossman 4 months ago

I don't care if you don't know how many continents there are, I'm still glad to see you're back for more!
elainedimasi 4 months ago

You win bio-longer-than-mine!
corinnecurcio 4 months ago

Hiya Mike - Would love to see you on the 28th
valeriecox 4 months ago

Hi Mike. This being an election year, I can't imagine what you might write about. Looking forward to your songs.
jonniegrunge 4 months ago

Hi Mike! Yes, I believe FenderTele71 will be signing up. We're trying to write material for a new album, and thought we'd see what all this FAWM hubbub was a about. Looking forward to hearing new music from you!
erikdidriksen 4 months ago

Embark, oddly enough. Two words I'd never used until I started describing politicians getting on and off planes as part of my job.
dustymason 4 months ago

Rock the MONTH, Mike. Best to you and the rock island crew.
orinoco 4 months ago

Hi Mike - nice to see you back, looking forward to hearing your songs.
erikdidriksen 4 months ago

I've only got one burnin' desire -- let me stand next to your Skliar...
errol 4 months ago

Hey man, I like collabing with you. You give me instrumental tracks.

...

Uh... don't ask me to write a song like the beatles again though, that was hard. *LAUGH*
dennisjernberg 4 months ago

Glad you're back. Glad I'm back too (I was somewhat less than here last year). I'll be doing more acoustic stuff myself.

BTW, I thought your FAWM promo was pretty cool.
taylortay 4 months ago

FAWM number 6, gee! Welcome back
nancyrost 4 months ago

Yeah, go us!