Artist Bio
Influences: P J Harvey, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Father John Misty, Björk, Mica Levi, Leonard Cohen, Motörhead, The Cardigans, Bee Gees, The Beatles, MC Chris, assorted silliness, well-placed fury... and my sole guilty pleasure, Kiss (love the music, but there's SO MUCH misogyny)
He/him/his; they/theirs
2020
46 attempted songs
minus 4 failures
= 42 posts
Of 42 posts, 41 are completed; 1 remains as-yet in-process (my fault).
The 42 break down as 32 collabs, 10 all-originals.
Of the collabs,
- 1 was a collaborative challenge (Tan Van),
- 1 was the contribution of a guitar part (Empathetic Interferences),
- 1 was music written for a public domain poem (The Fishermen Three), and
- 1 was a translation (Ums Haus, the in-process song).
Of the originals
- 3 were based on nursery rhymes (they're tagged),
- 1 was lyrics-only (a troll of a most-likely-fake account)
- 3 were challenges (a 10x10, a Morph, and an Anti-Syn).
Of the 4 failures,
- 2 would have been collabs,
- 1 would have been a straight-up original, and
- 1 would have been an original for the Sign Challenge.
My gratitude goes to my songwriting partners this year:
7 collabs - @kahlo2013,
4 - @cindyrella,
4 - @ductapeguy,
4 - @stephenwordsmith,
3 - @arthurrossi,
2 - @crisp1,
2 - @jorh,
1 - @acousticmaddie,
1 - @hummingbear,
1 - @metalfoot
1 - @momentegalerie (in-process)
1 - @visiblydistorted
1 - @wacha
I think we did some good work.
This was my third FAWM. Since I'm always totally cool with other songwriters making parallel songs from great lyrics, I had promised to apply the same ethic to my own songs; if I had a lyric that someone wanted to set to their own music, that'd've been fine. Next year, I plan to post original lyrics separate from my accompanying music, in order to further encourage the cross-pollination of ideas.
= = = = =
2019
- I fawmed 34 songs, officially. Technically only 31; one was an unsatisfactory collaboration (Hope Beyond Hope) that I repurposed with original lyrics; one was a 10x10 with nonsense cut-up method lyrics that were partly rewritten into reasonable vignettes; and one would've been a Feb 28th offering that I was still fooling with when sleep overtook me.
- Of those, 18 were solo works (includes the Easy Shed non-collab collab; excludes the supplied lyrics of the Fake It Challenge).
- 9 were challenges (counting the Easy Shed trolling)
= = = = =
2018
- I fawmed 23 songs, officially. Technically only 21; two were posted as instrumentals, then again with lyrics+vocals.
- Of those, 3 were solo works.
= = = = =
ABOUT ME:
Spent my wee years with AM radio, and my teens with thrash metal and glam rock.
Served time in an industrial metal band in the early aughts, with whom I played 2004 Canadian Music Week.
Worked labour till I retired relatively young due to mental health issues, then I cartooned and wrote short stories for a decade.
Now it's just me and a handful of instruments, mics, and a Zoom H1n. Like last FAWM, I'll strum for whatever lyrics capture my imagination (with permission, of course), with an amazing partner, one annoying cat (Beatrice; Veronika passed), a remarkable absence of sugar (probably), and much nostalgia for the musically aggressive days.
Songs (42)
| #1 | In the Silence @kahlo2013 |
14 Feb 3 |
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| #2 | I'm the Tan Van Man, Man (TANVAN challenge) |
14 Feb 4 |
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| #3 | We're Going Underground @crisp1 |
8 Feb 4 |
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| #4 | The Most Beautiful Lights (aka A Northern Lights Noel) @kahlo2013 |
9 Feb 7 |
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| #5 |  Hungry Hungry Caterpillars |
15 Feb 8 |
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| #6 | Little House Beside the Sea @hummingbear
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22 Feb 8 |
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| #7 | Saint Nic Cage @nicolascage |
7 Feb 10 |
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| #8 | Good Time to Leave @crisp1 |
10 Feb 11 |
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| #9 | Sleptomaniac @stephenwordsmith |
13 Feb 11 |
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| #10 | Still Life (aka Still Life Photo) @cindyrella
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16 Feb 12 |
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| #11 | The Condoms Breaking (One by One) - Valentine's nursery rhyme  |
8 Feb 14 |
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| #12 | Bitter Valentine (aka Bitter Cold Brutal) @kahlo2013 |
6 Feb 15 |
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| #13 | Silently Tapping Upon the Glass @stephenwordsmith
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10 Feb 17 |
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| #14 | Master of the Sky (aka Master of the Skies) @ductapeguy
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12 Feb 18 |
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| #15 | By Working Out I Change My Fate @kahlo2013 |
10 Feb 18 |
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| #16 | To Return (aka "He Will Return") @jorh |
3 Feb 18 |
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| #17 | (We Don't Need) Another Silent Night @kahlo2013 |
6 Feb 19 |
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| #18 | The Greatest Teachers (aka "A Stormy Night") @ductapeguy
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5 Feb 19 |
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| #19 | Cat Got Your Tongue? @cindyrella |
9 Feb 21 |
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| #20 | Row, Row a Cellar Do' |
3 Feb 21 |
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| #21 | I Am Jack's Pulled-up Pant, or The Man Who Slaughs |
2 Feb 21 |
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| #22 | The Fishermen Three (aka Wynken, Blynken, and Nod) |
2 Feb 22 |
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| #23 | Lies @arthurrossi |
8 Feb 23 |
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| #24 | The Rope @wacha
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7 Feb 25 |
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| #25 | A Pillow on the Foothpath Lay @stephenwordsmith |
4 Feb 25 |
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| #26 | Where Are Your Socks? @cindyrella
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10 Feb 25 |
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| #27 | The Wasted Hours @acousticmaddie |
7 Feb 25 |
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| #28 | Propaganda to Enhance the Experience of Life (10x10) |
4 Feb 26 |
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| #29 | Tough (morph #4, song 3) |
1 Feb 26 |
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| #30 | Plain Sight @jorh |
2 Feb 27 |
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| #31 | Empathetic Interferences (with guitar) @visiblydistorted |
2 Feb 27 |
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| #32 | Go Nowhere Boldly (ANTI-SYN 3.6) |
3 Feb 28 |
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| #33 | Abel @stephenwordsmith
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6 Feb 28 |
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| #34 | Gimme More Wine (aka Give Me Some More Wine) @arthurrossi |
4 Feb 28 |
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| #35 | Come Death @kahlo2013
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2 Feb 29 |
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| #36 | She Floats, She Haunts |
4 Feb 29 |
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| #37 | My Heroes Don't Wear Riot Gear @ductapeguy
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5 Mar 1 |
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| #38 | The Fine Line (post-FAWM recording) @ductapeguy |
5 Mar 1 |
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| #39 | LUV YOU @kahlo2013 |
4 Mar 1 |
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| #40 | Patterns @cindyrella |
6 Mar 1 |
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| #41 | Unreliable (post-FAWM recording) |
2 Mar 1 |
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| #42 | Around the House (translation and duet of "Ums Haus") @momentegalerie |
2 Mar 1 |
Soundboard
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@ductapeguy Mar 14
Thanks for all your amazing support and collaboration this FAWM. It was an extraordinary season.
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@robynmackenzie Mar 7
Thanks so much for your comment on Tan Van man! The cough in the background was my wife who had to put up with me all month, lol.
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@audrey Mar 5
Thank you for the kind words on my song Jealousy.
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@bjunker Mar 2
Thanks for the nice comments on Star Light! It was fun to figure out how to make the guitar and voice move together.
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@rayboneor Mar 1
And thanks for the tip about learning to rake. I missed it when you first offered it in the comment to Master of the Sky. Thanks again, I will indeed try to do that now that FAWM is over
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@rayboneor Mar 1
I'm genuinely sorry! I really did not see that as trolling, but as loving homage. Sorry again, I appreciate what you do! And I'm the biggest FAWM booster there is--so I definitely don't want to bring any negative energy here. Sometimes my dumbass sense of humor comes across wrong.
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@spunky4455 Mar 1
Haha thanks, I’m impressed that people are still listening to the Tan Van songs on the last day!
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@arthurrossi Mar 1
Hey! Thanks so much for the awesome song that you made for "Gimme more wine", great catchy tune and lovely guitar play as well as vocal delivery. I enjoy to keep listening to it so much.
I would also like to apologise regarding "Blackmoore Hill", my other life came in between, preventing me from taking part in FAWM last week more intensely or working on lyrical improvements, but I am happy there have been two collaborations of us two this time.
Once again, thanks a lot for all... -
@janeg Feb 29
Thank so much for all your comments this FAWM! I really appreciate your feedback, and look forward hearing your songs live.
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@roblincoln Feb 29
Thank you for your comments on The Kraken (my Sea Chantey collab with @Arthurrossi )
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@berni1954 Feb 29
Glad you liked my take on Abel. The instrument I used was an eight string Tenor Ukulele (it's the 12 string equivalent for Ukuleles). Cool things they are too.
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@kahlo2013 Feb 28
Awesome I would love that!
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@colgoo Feb 28
Thanks for the catch. It’s fixed now!
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@colgoo Feb 28
I have the music up for “Bold Partner” now.
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@stephenwordsmith Feb 28
Hello, friend. I am drunk at an after work function. And I wish to let you know that I am flattered and appreciative in equal measure at your repeated efforts to bring out the music in my lyrics. Your efforts merit my attention - but I will save it for when I am a little more compus mentus, as they say in the Latin. I remain your affectionate friendz the Moon Dumpster.
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@jorh Feb 27
Really really love what you did with “plain sight” - the lyrics you have added expanded the story beautifully and sparked new emotion. I think my favourite line was “My eyes are coning and the world’s remote in plain sight.” The transition between the pre-chorus and chorus worked wonderfully as well that sense of urgency leading into a more despondent character. The plain sight part was extra catchy which a choir of your vocals - it reminded me of someone been trapped in their own head and thoughts!! Nice job 😀
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@cindyrella Feb 26
Yes, if you have enough time
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@cindyrella Feb 26
Yes we did do good thanks for it!
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@acousticmaddie Feb 26
Thank you for The collab and everything around.
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@spunky4455 Feb 24
Thanks a lot for your kind comments on our collab. I'm happy you liked it, I usually know in a line or two whether I want to put lyrics to music, and Maddie's words struck me immediately.
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@metalfoot Feb 24
I don't know if speedfolk is a thing but I liked it better than 'acoustic punk' which isn't really my thing. 😁
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@thedutchwidows Feb 23
Sorry!
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@acousticmaddie Feb 23
Its yours
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@beautyspot Feb 23
I was in Nanaimo in 2004. The Devine sounds familair.
The El Mo? Sound like a bar for washed up muppets -
@metalfoot Feb 22
Didn't find Donne that hard to sing on the whole. The trick is remembering where the stresses fall. Thanks for the comment!
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@kembole Feb 22
Thanks for the comment. Actually the lyrics aren't from Meena at all. Just inspired by the consept.
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@beautyspot Feb 22
Thanks, for the comments on Beer. I rarely use the sustain pedal on the piano because I suck at that part! But this "song" was never really planned, I was testing out if I had fixed a problem with my condenser microphones and viola! I like happenstance songs, they have a raw and unpolished innocence.
Being a fellow Canadian from the West Coast, I am curious to know what was the band you played with on Canadian Music Week? -
@aesthetic72 Feb 22
Thanks so much for your kind comments!
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@cindyrella Feb 21
Yes that would be better
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@ductapeguy Feb 21
So long to sharing FAWM comments with my students. NSFW indeed.
🙄 -
@stephenwordsmith Feb 21
Ah, well, in any event, you are welcome to it.
I must say, you're raiding me so often for lyrical fuel I'm considering changing my name to @moondumpster. -
@stephenwordsmith Feb 21
Could I stop you if I tried?
😝 -
@cindyrella Feb 20
Hey. Wanted to tell you that I am going to be gone from tommorow morning until late Sunday. So, if you finish with a song, go ahead and post it
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@acousticmaddie Feb 20
The poker game is all yours
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@arthurrossi Feb 19
Hey! Thanks for your comment on "Give me some more wine". I am looking very forward to it! And regarding "Blackmoore Hill", I hope to have one or two lyrical suggestions until Sunday...
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@melissamccarthy20 Feb 19
Thank you for taking a listen to “Miss Diagnosed” and your comments! Much appreciated! Keep writing!!
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@jorh Feb 19
Hey,
Thanks for collabing with me on ‘to return’. I really really love how you’ve played with and blender the melodies in the song. I was not expecting it to be slowed down like this but it works so well!! It’s a really thoughtful and direct like you are speaking to the love interest and capturing the different emotion of anger, love and hope. I would be delighted if you had a crack at ‘Plain Sight’ - can’t wait to hear it 😀 -
@kahlo2013 Feb 18
Wow! Love that song! Thank you so much for the wonderful energy and life you brought to my working out lyrics! I will definitely be working out to that! Love the chorus and how you bop down the list of the verses! So grateful! Thank you!!!!!!
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@wacha Feb 18
Thank you for the feedback on "Red Lights at Night", I'm definitely switching those lines around.
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@ductapeguy Feb 18
Congrats on crossing your 14. Thank you so much for working together with me (and the eaglet chorus) on Master of the Sky.
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@bjunker Feb 18
Thanks for those kind words on Star Light! That broken chord fingerpicking style is fun to play!
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@acousticmaddie Feb 17
Thank you for The kind Word on mine and Johns collab and for continous support.
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@cindyrella Feb 17
Sure!
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@w1n Feb 17
Not that you also need my permission when Stephen says it's ok, but I don't have any problems with "sharing" the lyrics, looking forward to hearing your version 😀
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@stephenwordsmith Feb 17
Help yourself to the pillow! I suspect this one will require less lyrical twisting.
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@momentegalerie Feb 17
Hey there! Thanks for your comment on "ums Haus" where you have been "very tickled" by my story!
If you are interested we could collaborate and release an english version of the song together?! That might be a lot of fun! Looking forward to the project 😀! -
@kadmad202 Feb 17
Thanks Moonraccoon!
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@tamsnumber4 Feb 17
Thanks for commenting on my song "Insecure", I appreciate the listen!
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@deadhead Feb 16
Just listened to a lot of your songs. There's lots of creativity here, in everything from the guitar licks to how the songs are put together. Thanks for sharing your work!
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@deadhead Feb 16
Thanks for the comment! I didn't have any conscious thoughts of Danny Elfman while playing that solo, but he has such a breadth of compositions that it wouldn't surprise me if parts of his style have slipped into my subconscious over the years and come out during improv!
I've got just a drum machine on this track. Got that apartment life going for me... -
@wacha Feb 15
Thank you for the kind words on "The Rope". I'd love to hear your take on it.
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@judypie Feb 15
😁
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@moonraccoon Feb 14
Ah, yes, I hear it. That kind of tension is supposed to release, but it takes an entire bar, with a not-as-dissonant maj7 chord for him to get to a clean major. It's like a slow decompression of tension. Hm. I wonder if that was intentional, as he describes the futility of human understanding of universal kinship. Could bad music also be great art?
FTR, my question to @billwhite51 was "I know what you mean about judicious use of dissonance; love to utilize it. And I agree that the dissonance in Still Life propels. But I've never thought of dissonance in terms of propulsion vs trap door. Could you talk about the trap door?" -
@kahlo2013 Feb 14
I would love that! Thanks!
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@billwhite51 Feb 14
ill give an example. when george harrison goes to the diminished chord in isnt it a pity, the while melody sinks. had he used that chord in a run to the next change, it might have propelled the melody. but using it in place of a simple major chord stops it cold. your use of dissonant notes comes within runs that propel the melody.
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@billwhite51 Feb 14
thank you for your comments on a tylenol valentine....encouraging to see that someone picked up on the historical subtext of tylenol, catching the ambiguity of what will occur at the end of the day.
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@joefahey Feb 13
Hey, thanks for the great feedback on Day Drinking with Dracula, and you’re right, I should have gone with “spectacular”, lol. Glad you dug the guitar, I rarely crank up the reverb like that but it seemed to fit good, sounded a bit Neil Young/Crazy Horse.
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@acousticmaddie Feb 13
Thank you for the kind words on my wordplay-lyrics
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@ceilidh Feb 13
Thanks for all the feedback on By Candlelight! I was trying to mix the 2nd and third parts of the round back behind the guitar and lead so the words could still be understood. There was a small one-line gap between the verses, but I think it gets lost since the other two parts are still going...
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@cindyrella Feb 12
Thank you 😊
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@dragondreams Feb 12
Finished demo is up for Uncertainty Machine.
https://fawm.org/songs/103718/ -
@hummingbear Feb 12
Thanks for commenting on "I Live in a Box." Brian did a nice job!
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@bjunker Feb 12
Thanks for the comments on 'box'! As you know, @hummingbear 's lyrics are really fun to set to music!
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@cindyrella Feb 12
Thanks so much for your Still Life!
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@hummingbear Feb 12
Thanks for your enthusiasm on my Tan Van Operetta!
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@stephenwordsmith Feb 12
If it's any consolation, I find myself similarly afflicted; take my praise as that of someone who's still not sure he should be here 😀
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@cindyrella Feb 11
No, go right ahead!
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@arthurrossi Feb 11
Thanks a lot for your kind comment on "Lies"! I would be delighted at you giving it a try! 😀
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@ayehahmur Feb 11
Ah, I don't mind you commenting at all. It's all good info. This one was mixed in even more of a hurry than usual, so I'm making A List for things to fix. Thanks again, though.
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@ustaknow Feb 11
Hahhh, that's great, funny, -- thank you for saying so. I'm fortunate you like it, my kind of music.
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@ustaknow Feb 10
I love a good KISS and misog.
Happy FAWM2020! 😀 -
@momentegalerie Feb 10
Hey, thanks for the comment on "Ums Haus". To answer your google-translate-question (I checked it) - yeah it is quite that content. But in english sounds even more irrevantly as intended.
Thanks for the "Very nice vibe and melody" I apreciate it!
How accurately does Google translate this into English? Because I'm delighted that a very pleasant-sounding song, seemingly innocent on a bright summer day, is the police inviting the narrator to the station for questioning 😀 -
@tunecat Feb 10
Just popped by in case you’d fancy a listen to my track 1 - now with ( suitable wierd) backing track!
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@cindyrella Feb 10
Okay great! Thanks
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@kahlo2013 Feb 9
That would be great! Thanks!
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@jorh Feb 9
Hey,
I forgot to say as well - if you need to change any lyrics for flow / you want to personalise the story to better suit you - feel free 😀 -
@seemanski Feb 9
Thanks for your comment, I must admit when I was listening I thought I could here a tinge of Marilyn Manson in my vocal treatment. Big fan of his so it is very much a compliment.
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@kahlo2013 Feb 9
Listening for about the tenth time and really enjoying it! Loving that Christmas music you did for the Northern Lights song!!! We are supposed to have a snow storm tomorrow so it feels so perfect!
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@jorh Feb 9
Not at all it would be a pleasure ... I really loved what you did with the ‘little house by the sea’ collab
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@rangermike Feb 8
Soon, I promise. When it refills I hope. I'm glad you're checking it out. This is probably the fastest I've become un-zonked, thank you. I keep getting tongue-tied and I could sure use your guitar skills.
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@acousticmaddie Feb 7
I look forward to hear you version . Saw your comments now
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@acousticmaddie Feb 7
Thank you for continous kind comments and support
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@arthurrossi Feb 7
I would like to thank you very much for your kind words...
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@andybalham Feb 7
Hey there. I have no problem at all with people doing multiple interpretations of the same lyrics. Personally, I always find it interesting to hear the different takes. I don't know if you were referring to lyrics I have used or my lyrics. Either way, go for it!
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@cindyrella Feb 7
She's fine with it too. Have a listen to her version. Wow
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@cindyrella Feb 7
I am fine with it but since Maddie is doing it too, I am messaging her. Will get back to you.
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@dutch1967 Feb 7
Hi! Thanks for stopping by Day Seven. I’ll post lyrics for the songs today.
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@hummingbear Feb 6
Looking forward to hearing it!
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@hummingbear Feb 6
Thanks for your comments and yes, I'd love it if you'd put "Little House by the Sea" to music. If you need me to change some lyrics, let me know. As you said, the music sometimes has its own needs.
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@kadmad202 Feb 6
Thanks for your nice words on Kindness. I'm fairly new to collaborating - so far it's been a wonderful experience!
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@acousticmaddie Feb 6
Thank you for your continous support on my songs. I really hope we get a chanche to collab
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@visiblydistorted Feb 6
A simple guitar track accompaniment in the mix sounds absolutely splendid. If you are up for it, I am happy to oblige. What format do you need to tinker with?
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@crisp1 Feb 6
Good Time to Leave is yours!
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@stephenwordsmith Feb 6
Go for it, Tiger (or, raccoon, whatever, you're both stripey)!
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@seemanski Feb 5
Totally the same. Tonnes of Netflix, FAWM came along and bang, it's all guitars guitars guitars.
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@ayehahmur Feb 5
Yes! I'm a total post-FAWM failure. But this year, this year is going to be the year. For both of us! No pressure!
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@seemanski Feb 5
I am always happy to try new things and I think wandering around the house randomly hitting things to get drum sounds is not a bad plan.
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@kahlo2013 Feb 5
I would LOVE that!!!!
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@seemanski Feb 5
Thanks for your feedback. The reason I use the drum machine is because I am not a drummer and don't have a drumkit to hand (and wouldn't know what to do with it), however, you have given me some ideas. I wondering if there are things around the house I can use to mimic the sounds. I could try and find a hollow box (maybe whack my acoustic guitar) to try and get some kind of bass kick sound or slap my leg or just clap for the snare. I agree a more organic sound could improve the sound and I am intrigued to give it a go.
Like it, thank you very much 😀 -
@visiblydistorted Feb 5
I was up late... thanks for asking? lol.
I have it recorded now, you can give it a listen if you are super curious about the near-rhyme.
Happy FAWMing
