February Album Writing Month - FAWM.ORG

toms (@toms)

progress: 30

winner!
joined: July 10 2009
location: Michigan, USA
website: cookiefinger.bandcamp.com
influences: This section is being revised to meet with current Federal Standards for accuracy in reporting.

Bio

A copy of the first record I ever made, a single, 30 years ago, just sold on Ebay for 28 USA dollars. Finally, success!

2012 Songs

1	Find a Way	26 comments // 3 months ago
2	A Clockwork Man for Thomas Hobbes	21 comments // 3 months ago
3	Apologies to Mr. Floyd	31 comments // 3 months ago
4	I Should Have Known	17 comments // 3 months ago
5	Sly Song	19 comments // 3 months ago
6	Chop Chop	18 comments // 3 months ago
7	Sci Fi for ZheeZhee	5 comments // 3 months ago
8	My Apology to Mr. Thomas Waits	17 comments // 3 months ago
9	This Song is Over Now	11 comments // 3 months ago
10	FAWM is not Everything	14 comments // 3 months ago
11	Ostinato a la Ravel	7 comments // 3 months ago
12	Miss the Hiss (with airbagtester)	10 comments // 3 months ago
13	A Trifling Abbe, Why Murmur Not? (hint; it's an anagram) (with johncrossman)	7 comments // 3 months ago
14	What Do You Sing	13 comments // 3 months ago
15	It's Easy	8 comments // 3 months ago
16	Watertowers All Are Falling	8 comments // 3 months ago
17	Foreign to Me	12 comments // 3 months ago
18	FAWM Slump Blues	9 comments // 3 months ago
19	Every Song Must Be Posted	5 comments // 3 months ago
20	Shut It! (Cult Of The Diamond Geezer) (with mattblick)	11 comments // 3 months ago
21	Publius Thinks This is Ridiculous	8 comments // 2 months ago
22	skniht suilbup	7 comments // 2 months ago
23	Dystopia	7 comments // 2 months ago
24	Your Own Soul Brother	5 comments // 2 months ago
25	Space Monkey Mafia Theme Tune (with mattblick)	12 comments // 2 months ago
26	Every Foolish Man Has an Empty Brain	6 comments // 2 months ago
27	Michael Stipe Imitation	6 comments // 2 months ago
28	I Wish I Could Have Been There	5 comments // 2 months ago
29	Space Monkey Mafia Theme Tune (Closing Credits) (with mattblick)	9 comments // 2 months ago
30	When Everything Is Cold	12 comments // 2 months ago

Soundboard

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sherrycanary 1 month ago

Tom...Thanks for the links. Way cool!
Listening to some of the songs makes me realise that we are affected by by time period in which we live. There is a vibe and vocal style from that period that is unique to that time period. I had no idea of the treasure trove in the links you sent!
sherrycanary 1 month ago

Hey...any of those Fox Trots have vocals?
sherrycanary 1 month ago

OOh....I envy your collection of 78s.I'll bet you have some vintage gems. i am always on the lookout for obsure and tasty songs!
sherrycanary 1 month ago

Hi
Thanks for all your great comments on my songs. Yes, I am steeped in the 30s and 40s. I play in a Gypsy Jazz band....and I do a lot of jazz standards at sessions( vocals).
The guitar is a Gitane(albeit a cheap knockoff on the original Selmer guitar). It is bult to have a percussive sound, and uses different strings called Argentine.
mattblick 2 months ago

50/90 is where I discovered you! (You didn't think you needed discovering did you?) One of the few positives from that - I had a bit of a crappy time with 50/90 various reasons but mostly the wrong time of year and the wrong shape. FAWM fits much better
mattblick 2 months ago

Hey my friend - if I turned the ordinary into something cool with Space Monkey Mafia you definitely did that with Shut It. I tried and failed with those lyrics several times - you did great. PS downloading your back cataloge - really enjoying Herbert Said album and the solo on Under The Guise Of Finding Out is pretty darn nifty!

BTW I didn't get those messages on other people's boards - don't know why. Do we only get notified about being mentioned in the forum???
ianuarius 2 months ago

That's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!
rickamorphis 2 months ago

Thanks very much Tom, for your generous comment on my song about WHHarrison. I like to work a presidential song in there each election year, and his number came up this time around. Congrats on your awesome month.
downburst 2 months ago

Yeah, I get that a lot.
downburst 2 months ago

Well, maybe I just mean phenomenal as opposed to noumenal. Don't get a big head.

Edit: there are just not many people I can jokingly drop Kant references with.
downburst 2 months ago

False modesty, bud. You are extraordinary.
mattblick 2 months ago

Never got to write the 'other' Space Monkey Mafia but really enjoyed our collabs and thrilled with the results - thanks a lot. And we made the recommended thread!
mattblick 2 months ago

Made a couple of edits to the Space Monkey track and put it up. Quality not great, maybe post FAWM I could mail you all the vox/FX and you can fly them into the real track? Still want to work on a second song to this track if I have time. Great track BTW - is that an occarina? I love those little touches you do. Did you play the harmonica on Shut it?
ange 2 months ago

you gotta hear this... @byron http://fawm.org/songs/29852/
downburst 2 months ago

Beware wombats hurling mints.
mattblick 2 months ago

OK I got it - you can lock it again if you want
johncrossman 2 months ago

Yeah, I consent. Although talking trash in chat seems like a too-easy way to get a cowrite, so I think I deserve no credit.
evelbist 2 months ago

hi tom - i see there's a bubble that hasnt popped yet, your songwriting! amazed that you found time to comment on a couple of mine. mucho appreciado - or however its said.
leslie 2 months ago

This is the best thing I've written all FAWM, or maybe ever: *29870
ange 2 months ago

I can love what ever I like thank you very much ;p
mattblick 2 months ago

I can't download it - I don't even get that option - maybe cos it's locked or cos you need to rename you files (not the songs) with no spaces...

UPDATE - I download diamond geezer - it's cos I hadn't made it available for download!! Doh!
mattblick 2 months ago

Hey I got it now and I like it - but I can't download it - how do I do that?
songsville 2 months ago

Ha ha I knew I was poking a bear with a stick there ... good job non-brained people are empty then ...
mattblick 2 months ago

Ah it's awesome.
mattblick 2 months ago

Wow - that is brilliant Tom. I'm happy to call that done - unless you think there's anything I can add...

I did make a mistake on the lyrics 'we got song' instead of 'we got SONGS'

- and you sang propheSIZING instead of SIGH - ing (but I think that's kind of cute!).

I'll rejig the lyrics on the page to match your order

Is the locked track the same song? Are you going to take it down.

Awesome work Sir. Feel like you did all the heavy lifting on this...
headfirstonly 2 months ago

Thanks for your very kind comment - wow, you've had a busy month! Working my way through them right now...
gman 2 months ago

@toms - is there any other kind of punk than 70's hard crashing punk?
mattblick 2 months ago

can you email me the song - i can't download or listen - it may be because there are spaces in the url?
matt AT matt blick DOT com (no spaces)
$Elyon\'s mitten - anonymouse$ anonymouse 2 months ago

that is a very un-strat like guitar, which is what i thought you were playing
mattblick 2 months ago

...they might have...if I knew what intertextuality meant...

I wuldn't bother with the accent but here's a primer if you're interested!
http://youtu.be/bQJrBSXSs6o
mattblick 2 months ago

translation up - will try to put a phonetic thing up tomorrow
mattblick 3 months ago

hey Tom - as I thought about playing to strengths I thought you would be great writing a song celebrating cockney (south london) culture in the 60's and 70's. As I don't have your email I thought I'd just post it as a locked song. Let me know if you can't access it.

Feel free to alter as you see fit - I can add some lead guitar + whatever, or work on something fiendish you want to challenge me with. OR feel free to send me a more sensible proposition if you want!

Translation and phonetic spelling can be provided.

http://fawm.org/songs/28664/
randyxpher 3 months ago

Hey, your dance card may be full at this point, but my moving nightmare has finally settled down, and I feel like it would be a shame if the Binary Amish didn't manifest itself in some way or other before all is said and done. Any thoughts?
tinam 3 months ago

tom you are so wonderfuly diplomatic!
mattblick 3 months ago

Bwah hah hah - I accept your challenge! I'll see your dastardly and raise you something... fiendish!
artslut 3 months ago

Dude, you are crazy! 17 songs already- haven't listened to all of them but quite a few and everyone is so well done. Really great stuff! Well done!
mattblick 3 months ago

send each other? as in collab on two songs? OK! If you want to do that - just send me whatever you want! And I'll do the same!
mattblick 3 months ago

What do you want me to send you lyrics/music/money? - or do you want to send me something to play/work on?
mattblick 3 months ago

Hey Tom how about a collab if you're in a slump (not that 17 songs could be considered a dry period!) How about if I provide you with whatever will most kick start you (lyrics, a riff, a title....)
downburst 3 months ago

Um, it's the 18th, an you only have 17 songs. C'mon, you slacker.
downburst 3 months ago

C'mon Tom--I don't think I've ever heard a bad song from you. (Maybe that should be a challenge!) Thanks for the kind words.
tsperrazzo 3 months ago

Thanks for the nice comments on my work...I use Band in a Box/RealBand for my accompaniaments.
madthesinger 3 months ago

Thank you for all your comments! (:
lara 3 months ago

heh. I'm not entirely sure I want to work on the slump song further, but hijacking nick's electronica might just be the motivation to get me there!

Thanks for the comment.
wolfkier 3 months ago

Thanks, your wins pretty killer too.
Kudos on lots of hard work this February - the good kind.
wolf.
robs 3 months ago

Thank you for your *big smile*. And you've won, well done!
cts 3 months ago

Congrats on the win!
ange 3 months ago

Hope you get a chance soon. I find it's the recording, not the writing that's too time consuming for me right now, I'm suffering for staying up late todo the last two... Not sure they were worth
Loosing this much sleep over. Kinda addictive though ain't it???
airbagtester 3 months ago

Thanks for including my part on your song I do think I overdid it a bit, and maybe it takes away some of the space that @attim mentioned, but I was really digging the vibe and just got into it. It's a great song!
airbagtester 3 months ago

You don't have to include it with your song if you don't want to. I'm not sure it adds anything to your song really; I just happened to be listening to "Miss the Hiss" while I had my keyboard controller plugged in with some Lazysnake VSTI setting. Then I was up late drink... er, working on songs, and decided to post a link to it

Plus it probably steps on other parts of your song... my critical ears weren't on at the time.
ange 3 months ago

Come on then...I'm catching you up!

ps: You gotta go check out @musicbykatie Lovely
axl 3 months ago

Thank you. Now my nights won't be haunted anymore by thoughts of you having mistagged one of your songs and I will finally be able to write a damn rock song this year
lyrratic 3 months ago

Thank you so much for the comments and suggestions! I definitely plan to fully orchestrate the songs I like at some point.
randyxpher 3 months ago

It's Raining Mennonites?
randyxpher 3 months ago

I think fate requires that The Binary Amish happens.
ange 3 months ago

yeh, something new today...I had a day off is what's new ;P well, kinda! We spent the day working on our new house/garden Loving your new songs, kinda sad you're near your 14 though cause I don't want you to stop my MrT drip feed
kenpo4life 3 months ago

Hey, you wanted me to let you know when I got the demo up for "Soar"... I changed the lyrics up a bit, and I can't sing, but it's up anyway... LOL.. Check it out.. Thanks
airbagtester 3 months ago

Thanks for the guitar recording explanation; I think I need to just try out some different microphones. I still think your type of sound is something I usually tend to gravitate to tone-wise
candle 3 months ago

Thanks for your great comment on Enchanté… I'm still not sold on its success… but I look at it this way: it's ultimately an experiment & not all experiments turn out the way you think they will. As long as one can learn from the experiænce, one has accomplished something.

See You In The Shadows…
elainedimasi 3 months ago

Same to you - I was starved for the Ramones-ish! And sure, I could spit out a midi file from that figure. I'm hoping the next few things I post will be more like real songs though!
uvejeff 3 months ago

Hey, we're both on the same volume of the 2011 fawmpilation!
randyxpher 3 months ago

Lying about my age? If I was lying, I'd have gone a lot lower. Although I suppose it's possible that I'm actually an 87 year old Alzheimer's patient. If that's the case, please don't correct me. I don't want to know.

Tim's?? In these parts, the only decent use we've found for Tim Horton's "doughnuts" is to huck 'em at passing semis on I-75. I do find their muffins fairly tasty, though.
timmyriordan 3 months ago

Sadly you can only be reminded of the places you've been.
gonzosombrero 3 months ago

Thanks for the comment on "Now and forever". You're asking about my setup. It goes like this: Partcaster -> Thor -overdrive -> Ampmaker 18 wat amp -> Weber Mass lite attenuator -> Isocab -> T-bone 57 mic -> M-audio interface -> Reaper.

OD-pedal, amp and the isocab are all homemade.

-Ari
randyxpher 3 months ago

What, no lemon filled? C'mon, even Krispy Freakin' Kreme has lemon filled. I shudder to think what delicacies are popular up there; turnip-filled? horseradish filled?

At any rate, I shall let you off the hook - just send that Orange Squeezer down Ohio way, and all will be forgiven.

PS - I won't be 54 for 5 weeks or so. Then and only then, I will be old. Old*er*, anyway.
randyxpher 3 months ago

Lemon filled, please.
bmullany 3 months ago

It's like a marathoner hittting the "wall". Psych yourself up by thinking you''re halfway through the race with a pace twice as fast as needed tot meet your goal.

Write a song about running out of ideas for songs
aquamunkee 3 months ago

Brilliant album title, and cover art!
leslie 3 months ago

Yes, thanks for getting that particular ball rolling. Errol needs no encouragement! Next time.. shhh....
$Elyon\'s mitten - anonymouse$ anonymouse 3 months ago

i'm not actually criticising your compare', just sharing my bemusement
$Elyon\'s mitten - anonymouse$ anonymouse 3 months ago

you with the comparisons again! Dear God.
I don't like comparisons myself, but I've been throwing them at other people on here quite a bit - hehe (jerk).

I signed up to last.fm recently to try discover new music; but I was infuriated that it broke everything into simple category, and was recommending things to me on the basis of genre (I think??).
I'd be much happier if comparisons were done on the basis of the less tangible 'spirit'.
bong 3 months ago

A really nerdy project: a Japanese-Danish dictionary.
bong 3 months ago

I love that story about your first recording. I once wrote a book, and I remember my reaction the first time I found it in a second hand book store. It's far too valuable to just throw away. Success.
axl 3 months ago

Thanks a lot for your generous comments. The guitar in I've changed a lot since you've been gone is a standard acoustic with a capo on the fifth fret. And yes, the point of the song is that you can never know if a person is really going to reform. Fortunately, the example I chose, doesn't come from my own experience.

Hey, is Cookiefinger a proper band? I have a brother who lives in Saginaw, Mi, and I would tell him to come to a show sometime.
shay 3 months ago

Hi Toms, I don't actually have a melody in mind for 'Sittin in the Backseat'; I never have a melody.
Thank you for the comments though : )
johncrossman 3 months ago

Not that it matters, but I should have mentioned that my amp-building buddy is the soldering iron-welding garage laborer (not the owner, who is spending his retirement savings on that lifelong dream). It's a labor of love (for both of them) and he tells me he puts them together at home using really good parts and then sends them over to the guy to send out. For my friend's sake, I hope he gets paid in amps! Anyway, rock on!
downburst 3 months ago

I didn't really, Duane just listed me with four collabs...
$Elyon\'s mitten - anonymouse$ anonymouse 3 months ago

you outed yourself in a comment many years ago. I just couldn't be sure it was you.
chop chop, I meant "hurry up!"
debrandio 3 months ago

Thank for the kind comment. Lampshade? It's what I'm calling what I'm trying to do this year. I don't know why, just seemed right at the time.
downburst 3 months ago

I talk you to death.
ange 3 months ago

Thought so...it's a great effect. Really sounds good on your voice, I did it on a few songs on the album, forgot how much i liked it
ange 3 months ago

I think the word missing may have been "double" do you double track your vocal? I.e. do you do more than one take of the vocal melody and layer it to achieve a stereo effect?
downburst 3 months ago

*cries*

I'm starting to have a big pile of needs-lyrics songs though, so watch out if the verbal part of my brain comes back on line suddenly.
grenzgaengerin 3 months ago

thanks for your comment...i translate my lyrics now it´s my first time i sang in public.....and i´m very shy to sing up
but this song is deep in me come deep out of me....and it´s a little bit intentional
jessem131 3 months ago

Thanks, may have to give EZDrummer a try someday.
$Elyon\'s mitten - anonymouse$ anonymouse 3 months ago

never expected to find myself in one of those rec threads.
I *think* you are an academic, which may explain something.
big star thing has me confused.
frenchcricket 3 months ago

Saw them at Ally Pally (Alexandria Palace in London) last year. Truly wonderful!
frenchcricket 3 months ago

Yep it was - thanks dude that's really kind, and for recommending also
philkmills 3 months ago

Thanks for the guitar info. I've never played electric, so I don't really know what's possible with different types, amps, effects...I've just formed a mental association between particular tones and what I've seen guitarists play when I hear those.
fourzeroes 3 months ago

Well JFK is the one you're most likely to learn about in history... I should have been more specific maybe!
ange 3 months ago

Can't believe another year has passed, it's so good to have your FWAM page back so I get lots of your fab new music to keep me going through the cold month of feb. You're an inspiration. x
jessem131 3 months ago

I think I may have asked you this in 50/90 but what are you using for your drums? They sound about as good as I've heard for software drums.
tonyr 3 months ago

Good to see you up to speed, Tom. Re' Bio; Sell-out;-)
andybalham 3 months ago

Thanks for the nice comment. The title for the track was indeed inspired by what you mentioned. Someone paraphrased it and it became a challenge for the FAWM Ukulele Club (http://fawm.org/forums/thread/2519/#c52090).
leslie 3 months ago

Aspies have the power and vision to change the course of the world. We just get sidetracked sometimes expending too much energy trying to explain the whys and wherefores to people who can't see the big picture, which is all we see. Two kids in the same family?! Raw potential. Your house must buzz with mindpowered electricity!
thomasclark 3 months ago

And so it begins!
candle 3 months ago

The "drop" at 4:10 of Ghia is my looper turning off (intentionally). The remaining sounds that continue on are from the ElotTronix XL. You're right, it is rather effective (so sorry, I had to go back & listen to the track to hear what "drop" you were talking about).

See You In The Shadows…
candle 3 months ago

Thanks for the great comment on Ghia Is Churning!

See You In The Shadows…
michaelepic 3 months ago

It really is man...and I'm super appreciative of the comments I've gotten on "Low Lights" lol I spent all day long listening to and reading and hunting out the top 40 best I could find plus people I watch to leave comments on....comments are like crack haha wanna give 'em wanna get 'em and "Low Lights" is the only song I've ever written I feel like I nailed it 100% and needs absolutely NO improvement.
attim 3 months ago

Hi there ... congrats on your awesome success!