Back To My (Heavy Metal) Roots

FAWM is in full effect (that's February Album Writing Month, for the uninitiated), and I have been hard at work....on a million other things going on in my life this month.  As such, my musical output has been at a vastly reduced level from where I would like it to be.

However, my vast network of musical collaborators have had much more focused months, and I've been lucky enough to receive several invitations to write lyrics & melodies and sing vocal tracks on other people's songs.  Thank you, collaborators!

Even more fortunately, the majority of these songs have been in the greatest musical genre known to man:  Heavy Metal.  I was a huge metalhead starting in around 8th grade and continuing pretty much through the end of high school, with occasional bouts in my adult life (you can't ever really shake the metal bug once it bites you with its gleaming steel mandibles, etc.).  I count myself as a very lucky man to have such talented friends and collaborators that I'm able to make the dreams of my 15-year-old self come true, namely, by singing lead vocals on 2 bitching metal tracks.

Presented here for your enjoyment:

Formal Commitment To Satan
Music, Production, Concept: John "Das Binky" Argentiero
Lyrics, Vocals:  Jordan Hirsch
Lyrics posted at FAWM.org

To quote John:  "This is a song about selling your soul to the devil, but it really gets into the details."

Your Disease
Music, Production, Growling: Peter "Sapient" Watkinson
Lyrics, Vocals:  Jordan Hirsch
Lyrics posted at FAWM.org

This is a song that gets written when the songwriter and everyone he knows has been battling a nasty cold for weeks.


Truly, I am blessed by Satan (who else?) to have musical collaborators who can shred so hard.
Rock on.

An Album Worth Buying

Do people still pay money for music?  I know the prevailing opinion these days is that they don't, but I'd like to make a case for bucking that trend.  And that case is:  my amazingly talented friend John has made an album.  And you should buy it, not only to support a great independent artist, but also because I sing 3 tracks on it!

John and I have been musical collaborators for almost 20 years now, and I couldn't be prouder to get to sing 3 of his wonderful songs.  This album is truly a labor of love, and I'm proud to be a part of it.  You can hear my tracks below (I also sing backup vocals on some other songs on the album, and I play keys on "My Country," to which I also contributed some lyrics).  If you like what you hear, please support John and go buy the album.  You'll be glad you did.
 

MTV, Here I Come

I've posted here before about my good friend and musical collaborator John "Das Binky" Argentiero.  Well, John's releasing his first album later this month, and he was kind enough to invite me to sing lead vocals on three of the tracks (and backup on a couple others).  The first "single" he's "releasing" (not entirely sure those terms still apply in this modern age, but still) is called "My Country Tis Of Me", and I think it's a pretty good one.  John wrote it for FAWM 2010 and I contributed a small portion of the lyrics.  I also play keyboard on this one and sing all the vocals.  John's on guitar, bass, drum machine, and nearly everything else (the talented Nancy Rost is on accordion), plus he recorded the whole thing at home.  I think that's pretty impressive.

Anyway, he asked me to participate in the video for this new hit single, and you can see the results below.  It's an homage to the Great American Couch Potato (including sweatpants!).  And yes, that is my real universal remote making a cameo in the video.  Enjoy, and be sure to check out the Das Binky site and buy the album when it drops on January 26!  (You can sign up on the web site to get an email reminder.  Do it, musicians love email signups.)

Web Developer's Lament

This one's for all the web developers out there...

I'm on a "working vacation" for a couple weeks up in Belfast, ME, staying in a house on the bay.  Somehow working from here doesn't feel quite as much like work as it does when I work from my usual office location.  However, events have conspired to make it feel as much like work as it possibly could - namely, a client has been doing their best to make sure that no piece of code I write this week is ever actually done, due to the specifications changing daily, not unlike clouds shifting in a summer breeze.

So I wrote this song to explain how I feel.  [This isn't all about this particular project, but that was a good starting point.]

This is a live recording made down by the water.




Lyrics:
They changed the specs again
Just when I was nearly finished
Said the client changed their mind
I don't know if I can take this

They changed the specs again
I've already written so much code
And the thought of starting over
Makes my sanity erode

Chorus:
Why won't they just let me finish?
Why can't I just be done?
Why won't they just let me finish?
Is this their idea of fun?

They changed the specs again
Pushed the launch up by 2 weeks
They've added a shopping cart
God, my knees are feeling weak

They changed the specs again
To match the new designs
They want it to just "work like Google"
Lord, I'm losing my mind

[Chorus]

I give up, I give up.
I give up, I give up.

Let's add some features, I give up.
Let's build a CMS from scratch, I give up.
Let's refactor every function, I give up.
Let's start calling ourselves agile, I give up.
Let's have a status meeting, I give up.
Let's adopt a framework, I give up.
Let's add members' only area, I give up.
Let's change databases, I give up.
Let's review my timesheet, I give up.
Let's never document anything, I give up.
Let's outsource to India  

I Wrote A New Song!

Summertime doesn't just mean Mother Nature training a red-hot death laser on us with no end in sight, it also heralds the return of 50/90, which is the summertime cousin of FAWM.  Basically it's a web-based community who are taking on the challenge of writing 50 songs in 90 days.  Yes, it's crazy.  So crazy, in fact, that I have never attempted it, but I do try and write a few songs each summer, in large part because I find that in the absence of a deadline of some sort, my songwriting tends to grind to an unglamorous halt.

Well, now that the heat and air quality have made going outside quite possibly the last thing I will ever do, I spent some time over the past week or so hiding indoors working on a new song.  I've had the background music for this one rattling around my head for months, and finally decided to do something with it.  The melody line was inspired by 2 things:  1) I recently received this awesome Rode microphone (my first condenser mic!) as a birthday present and needed something with a lot of soaring high notes to justify it, and 2) my wife nudging me to "write something that shows off [my] voice."  I don't know if this satisfies #2, but I tried.  As usual with my songs when I'm just starting one of these songwriting cycles, the lyrics are more or less about getting off your ass and doing something creative, etc.

The song is called "Set You Free."  Enjoy!

Music Without A Net

Hello loyal readers.  I'd like to take a break from my usual spotty coverage of music and technology plus the occasional playlist to let you all know that next weekend, I will get not 1 but 2 opportunities to do one of my favorite things in the world:  perform musical improv in front of an audience.  And if you're going to be in New York City the weekend of May 20th, I'd love for you to come out and see me.

Friday May 20 @ 8:00 PM
Vox Pop Presents:  An Evening of Musical Improv
My 2-person group Vox Pop will be hosting an evening of musical improv, with a ton of amazing guest groups from the Big Apple.  Vox Pop performs an entirely sung show - every word you hear will be sung, every tune and lyric will be made up on the spot, and it will be entertaining as hell.  My co-star Karen Lange lives in Washington, DC, and I live in New York City, so we don't get to perform together as often as we'd like, which makes this show a big deal.  So come on out and see an event that's way more rare and entertaining than a triple rainbow or a super moon or any of that other crap.

Details
Friday 5/20 8:00 PM
Theaterlab, Studio C

137 W. 14th St., btwn 6th & 7th

New York, NY

$10 - Tickets
More info

Saturday, May 21 @ ~ 8:00 PM
iMusical:  The REUNION Show!  (Part of the Queens Fringe Festival)
Washington DC's acclaimed iMusical is coming to New York to participate in the Queens Fringe Festival.  iMusical has performed to standing ovations up and down the east coast, and was called "spot on" by the Washington Post.  Despite these accolades, various cast members (including yours truly) have left the group over the years to pursue life in the Big Apple.  Well, on Saturday May 21st you can see these all-stars back together on stage for the first time in years.  This is bigger than [some awesome all-star sports game that I can't reference because I don't follow sports]!!!  You don't get a chance to see this many musical improv heavy-hitters on stage at the same time very often, folks, so don't pass it up.


Details
Saturday 5/21
We are in a slot of groups which starts at 6:40 PM.  We're expected to go on around 8:00 PM.

The Secret Theatre

44-02 23rd St

Long Island City, NY
$15 for an all-day pass which also gets you $3 beers all day(!)
More info

I hope you can make it out to one or both of those shows, I can pretty much guarantee [Editor's note: not a guarantee] that they are going to be awesome.

Killer Robots Can Love, Too

This robot just needs to be loved

As any reader of this blog knows, I like robots.  In fact, they're one of my favorite inspirations when I write music.  And no, I don't really know why.  Regardless, my lastest FAWM song is a country ballad sung by a poor lovelorn horrible killer robot.

Enjoy!

Loved By You
or
My Visual Input Sensors Start Leaking Coolant When My Memory Banks Retrieve Playback Of You



Lyrics:

(Amanda helped me edit these lyrics to make them better.)

I was made in a laboratory
I guess by now you prob'ly know the story
Made of wires, and metal fittings
Built for revenge, yeah I was born to kill things
My instruction set is "maim, kill, destroy"
I ain't got the moves like all them human boys
But I know this much is true: I just wanna be loved by you

My first mission was quite successful
I remember the headlines so well
"Killer Robot On Murd'rous Rampagel"
They put my picture all across the front page
But afterwards I just felt empty inside
I took no joy from all the thousands who died
I look back on that with rue...but I just wanna be loved by you

[bridge]
I got a saw where my hand should be
I got a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth
I got infrared to see all through the night
But without you, girl, something just ain't right

[solo]

Now that I've got you, wrapped up in my arms
Don't you worry, cause I'll never do you harm
I'll squeeze you so hard so that you can feel
My love for you dear human is so real
Oh no, looks like I'm squeezing you too tight
Your tongue is hanging out, your eyes are losing light
And even though you're turning blue...I just wanna be loved by you

A Song For (And By) My Dog

Cosmo is awesome

My wife made a request recently: she wanted me to write a song about our dog Cosmo.  This isn't the first time he's inspired one of our creative endeavors, but it is the first time he helped me get closer to completing FAWM (other than providing moral support, of course).  It's a pretty unflinching look at the rough life of a tough dog living in the big city.

I ended up writing what I believe is my third song (there might be more, I'm not sure) written in the form of "a day in the life of [X]."  I found this one incredibly easy to write (I had to cut out several verses, that's how much I have to say about my dog), and just as difficult to play and record.  My piano, guitar, and bass skills are not what they once were (well, my guitar and bass skills were never really all that great), and so I spent a very long time plunking out some parts measure by measure, then editing, time-warping, etc. to make everything line up right.

But I'm really happy with the end result, and I hope you enjoy it too!



MUSIC
2 distorted guitar tracks, 1 clean one to help even out the sound.  2 piano parts, basically splitting the left and right hand parts into their own tracks.  1 bass line, and 1 line of eZ Drummer (I think I used every fill in the Pop/Rock series on this one).  1 main vocal track, 1 harmony track, and 1 extra harmony track during the bridge.

The chorus is pretty obviously stolen from "Black Gold" by Soul Asylum.  The verses are familiar too, but I'm not sure if I stole them and can't remember the source, or if they just have that sound.

LYRICS
i wake up, it's a sunny day and i jump up on the bed
i start to drop all kinds of hints that it's time for me to get fed
sometimes i give them that "special look" and sometimes i give them the howl
cuz' every dog knows when it's time to eat that it's time to eat RIGHT NOW.

breakfast has happened so i sneak a quick nap in, during the pre-walk wait
i spend some time sitting up on my couch where the view is pretty great
i look out the window and i wonder if they know that i really have to pee
so i break out the howl and i put on my scowl and say "pay attention to me!"

[chorus]
'cuz it's a dog day in a dog's life
and everything's all right
here's how i'm living and i don't need forgiving
'cuz i only bark i don't bite

out on the street, so many people to meet, out in the neighborhood
i make my cute face and I lean up close, so that they can pet me good
when it's time to drop a bomb i know that mom or dad will pick it up
'cuz they do the dirty work when i'm outside, that's the beauty of being a pup

back to the couch, now it's time to relax, while my humans do their work
sometimes i nap sometimes i just rest my eyes, stretching out is just one of the perks
of being a dog, i'm like a bump on a log, unless the goddamn doorbell rings
and then i lose my ever-lovin' mind, god i really hate that thing

[chorus]

[bridge]
things aren't always peachy keen
sometimes i have to go to the vet
i bark a lot, yeah i make a scene
if i could i'd break out in a sweat
but then when it's over, they give me a treat
i guess it really ain't so bad
but of course i can't let them know
so don't go telling my mom and dad!

when it's time for bed i lay down my head up where my humans sleep
i let them pet me and i give them a snuggle, it's really kinda sweet
then it's off to slumberland where i chase rabbits all through the night
but it's only a dream, i'm just blowing off steam, i'd  rather love than fight

[chorus]

Twitter Told Me To

A couple nights ago, I was sitting at my computer, staring at the blank canvas of my audio recording software, when I realized that I had no idea what song to write.  FAWM is in full effect, and there just isn't enough time in February for me to waste a night on my own with no committments - I had to start something.  A few songs I'd been tinkering with were eluding me, refusing to give themselves up no matter how I coaxed.  In short, I was boned.

And then a wonderful thing happened:  I checked Twitter, and noticed that the FAWM Twitter account had posted a prompt.  I had used one of their prompts previously when I wrote a (semi-)classical song, but that time it had just been for a lark, not because I had writer's block.  This time it was a life-saver.

I haven't worked much with writing prompts, though I know some writer find them an incredibly valuable tool.  My wife Amanda wrote some great blog posts during December based on the Reverb 10 series of daily writing prompts.  I had never really thought of prompts as something I could use, until this particular prompt sent me on a 2-and-a-half day songwriting journey.

The prompt directed anyone reading to write an "electronica/dance song."  While I love using robot noises and other electronica effects in some of my songs, I've never tried to write a straight-up electronica piece before.  Turns out they're much harder work than I thought (mostly on the production side).  Speaking of production, I'm still doing my mixing on either headphones or computer speakers, which is a mortal sin to people who take these things seriously.  So if any of my readers wants to buy me a nice set of monitors, I would be forever grateful.

And now, please get ready to dance to the trance as I present "Dark Room."

Sitting On The Beach

FAWM track #3 is done!  This is my homage to all the hat-wearing guitar players out there who spend their days looking good in their hats and playing their guitars on the beach.  Like this guy:

Sitting on a beach, wearing a hat, playing a guitar.

It's my personal shout-out to the troubadors so perfectly mocked in one of SNL's great recent sketches, "The Mellow Show."  I hate those guys, but without them I wouldn't have had my third FAWM track, "Sitting On The Beach."

I also hate mixing songs.  I like writing songs, I like performing songs, I don't even mind recording songs...but mixing remains in large part a hugy mystery to me, and I often end up with things are too loud, too quiet, too "it just doesn't sound right," etc.  There are tons of resources out there for people like me to learn and get themselves up to speed, but I am a lazy man, and I would prefer to just skip ahead to the part where I know all this stuff.  So if you're reading this and have the ability to do so, please invent that thing from the Matrix that allows Keanu to learn kung fu in a 20 second brain upload.  Thank you.



MUSIC
This song features the exact same chords as my much more meaningful song "Home Tonight."  I didn't intend to write two songs with the exact same chord structure, I guess I'm just not always as creative as I'd like to be.  I'm also not the pianist I once use, so feel free to mentally substitute a better piano solo after the bridge.


LYRICS
I woke up this morning, knew what I would do
It's the same thing every day
Packed up my six-string and headed for the beach
It's not that far away

I made sure that I had my hat
To keep the sun off of my face
'Cuz there's a place for everything, including this hat
And everything's in its place

[CHORUS]
Now i'm sitting on the beach, wearing my hat
And strummin' on my guitar 

The sun is shining, the people look good
Feel like I'm livin' in a dream
My hair is perfect and my body is tan
Like I stepped out of a magazine

I sometimes wonder if this is all
That life has in store for little old me
But then I remember that I'm wearing my hat
And everything's as it should be

[CHORUS]

[BRIDGE]
Sometimes overhead, a cloud passes by   
And a perfect little teardrop forms inside my perfect little eye
But then a breeze blows through and blows that cloud away
And then i'm happy, happy, more than I could say

The day is done, and I've had my fun
It's time to head back home
So I pack up my six-string and put on my shirt
My hat's still up on my dome

Well I don't button my shirt all the way to the top
'Cuz night time is party time it never stops
And I keep on my hat, 'cuz without it  you see
Well I just wouldn't be me no I wouldn't be me


[CHORUS]

FAWM: A New Song, And An Update

I wrapped up 2 songs this rainy afternoon, one brand new creation, and one update.

The new one was inspired by the FAWM twitter account, who declared a few days ago to be "classical music day."  As it happened, I was playing around that day with a new synthesizer package, and I happened to find a nice strings/nylon guitar voicing that I really liked.  So I plunked out a very simple tune, intending to make something classical out of it....and then the robots arrived.  I went a little crazy with the noise on this one, but eventually it pulls back from the brink...somewhat.

"Exploration of a Theme in C"


The second one was a reworking of my first song, "Home Tonight." My friend and longtime musical collaborator John contributed mandolin to this track, and I tweaked the mix a bit and added some vocal harmonies here and there. It's still a bit quiter than I'd like overall, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Interesting to compare it to the previous, stripped-down version. At least I think it's interesting.

"Home Tonight" (featuring John Argentiero on mandolin)

FAWM 2011 Is Here!

FAWM is back!  The annual songwriting challenge has returned, and I am excited to dive in.  I had a blast participating last year, and I can't wait to hear what everyone (including me) comes up with this time around.  My first track is done (thought I cheated a bit and wrote part of it before February), and I thought I'd share it with all of you.  It's called "Home Tonight."

The lyrics started coming to me a few weeks ago while I was riding my bike through Prospect Park.  The sun was setting, and the sight of the snowy trees in the fading light got me thinking...and those thoughts turned into this song.  I guess you could call it a protest song, which would be a first for me - though not really surprising, as I love protesting things.

This one's definitely on the more emotional singer-songwriter side of things, so expect the next 13 to be technopop songs sung from a robot's POV, now that I've gotten this one out of the way.



Music
This is a rough mix without too much EQ or processing.  I'll probably tweak it a bit later on, and I've also asked my insanely talented friend John to contribute some mandolin to this, which I think will fit nicely.  So consider this a rough demo.  2 guitar tracks (played on my very old Epiphone C40), 1 vocal track, all recorded through my (also very old) Shure SM58.

Lyrics:
Snow falls, silent, all around
Wish I could lay my body down
But I've got miles to go before I'm by your side   
I wish I was coming home tonight       

You'll be there, waiting by the fire
I pick you up, and hold my heart's desire
Dawn breaks, and then at last, we finally close our eyes
I wish I was coming home tonight

We'll build that house down by the sea
Lay down my guns, such bitter company
We'll live forevermore, where there is no need to fight
I wish I was coming home tonight

[BRIDGE]
Don't think I've left you all behind           
You're here with me, etched inside my mind        
And though I ride alone in a world that's painted white   
I know you ride with me tonight           

Snow falls, crimson as I pass
It's growing cold, the light is fading fast
Let them know, when they grow, that I stood my turn to fight
And I won't be coming home tonight
I wish I was coming home tonight

Electric Xmas!

Photo by flickr user "an iconoclast"

Here it is, folks:  the (no doubt) eagerly-awaited final song of my 2010 Holiday EP!  This one is a medley of some of my favorite Xmas tunes.  I'm pretty sure this is the type of thing that gets played at robot holiday parties.

Fun fact #1:  The sound of this song was inspired by the Wendy Carlos's incredible soundtrack for A Clockwork Orange.

Fun fact #2:  All 3 songs on my Holiday EP are in C major!  Good times.

Enjoy, and stay tuned for this year's Holiday Music That Doesn't Suck (TM) playlist, coming very soon!

Frosty The Sad Snow Zombie

"Electric Frosty" by flickr user Dawn Huczek

After the massive success of my last holiday tune, I couldn't resist trying my hand at another.  This time around, I've chosen "Frosty The Snowman," written by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins in 1950.  The song, as you already know, is about a group of unruly children who are dabbling in the black arts.  They manage to create a hideous snow zombie who is tragically and painfully aware of his own mortality and the ever-present threat of the bright, hot sun.

That's what I was thinking of when I recorded my version, which is decidedly less jolly than my previous effort.

Enjoy!

FAWMpilation

Every year, the powers that be behind February Album Writing Month (FAWM) put together a CD of the songs from that year that they feel "best represent this year's FAWM" (as opposed to being a "best-of" compilation).  FAWM participants listen to the submitted tracks and vote and write comments for them, then that data is collected and the man at the top picks the final 14 tracks that will go on the CD.

Well, as you've probably guessed since I'm writing about it....one of my tracks got selected!!!  The track is called "How Does It Feel?" and you can listen to it below.  This marks the second compilation that this track has ended up on this year, and I couldn't be more excited.

I'll be posting here when the CD is available - please support FAWM and independent artists (though I don't believe the artists actually get any money, I think it all goes back into running FAWM, which is a non-profit) by buying/downloading it from iTunes when it comes out!


How Does It Feel? by tfish77

Let It Snow!

Cosmo Hirsch in the snow

As you know if you happen to read my blog or live with me, I love holiday music.  And by "holiday," I mean "songs that are mostly relevant during December."  So I decided it was finally time to add my own voice (literally) to the canon, and contribute a holiday song of my own.  For my first one, I went with a cover of one of my favorite winter-themed songs, "Let It Snow" by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne.

I love this song because it's really just about a guy trying to get busy with his special lady while the snow comes down outside.  It's playful, without getting into "Baby, It's Cold Outside"-style creepy coercion tactics.

I set out to record a normal, traditional, non-roboty version.  I wasn't going to put in any weird drum breaks or electronic noises or 80s hip-hop beats or anything.  I wasn't even going to throw in teases of 2 other holiday songs.  I swear.  I really wasn't.  But apparently, I gotta be me.  So instead of playing by the rules I had set down for myself when I started, I let myself have fun, and I'm really happy with the result.  I hope you like it, too.



PS  Big thanks to Amanda for listening to this ~100 times and giving me some great feedback.  Never underestimate the usefulness of a good editor.

Friday Playlist: "Revolver," Revolved

Well, 50/90 has come to a close, and while I didn't write 50 songs this summer (mostly because I was busy finding a new apartment and then moving into it), I did get a few done and I was pretty happy with some of them.  And I thought that was that...until last week, when I logged onto the site, and noticed a link in the header labelled "Rocktober."  So of course I clicked on it (wouldn't you?), and was delighted to discover that the fun wasn't over yet.  On that site, the month of October is devoted to recording covers - your own version of an existing song by either "an established artist," or of a song by another 50/90 member.  Very cool.

Poking around the forums, I came across this thread, where some members had put out a call to the community to cover the classic Beatles album "Revolver" in its entirety.  So of course I started playing around on my keyboard immediately.  I decided to go with "And Your Bird Can Sing," one of my favorite 2-minute ditties on the album - and one where the upbeat arrangement and vocal melody almost mask John Lennon's trademark sneer and the somewhat nasty, Dylan-esque lyrics.  The original features some nice guitar work from Paul & George, playing some sweet harmonies up and down the E major scale.  My version features electronic sounds filling in for those two, as well as a bunch of other stuff I thought sounded cool.

You can hear my version below, and I would really encourage you to check out the "Revolver" songs done by others on the site as well - some of them are really incredible.  There's even a version of "Yellow Submarine" that will make you re-think one of the Beatles' weakest efforts.  Check it out!

Grab The Crossbow!

Picture by flickr user Christopher Hawkins

I'm taking a brief hiatus from my hiatus to share with you my latest track from The 50/90 Challenge (the longer version of FAWM), "Reap."  In my younger days, I was a bit of a metal-head, and I would have taken a song like this very, very seriously.  Nowadays I don't dust off my old Metallica CDs very often, but when I do, they take me down memory lane.  It was a ton of fun to revisit this genre, and I was very fortunate to have a collaborator who was every bit as into this as I was.  I'm speaking, of course, of my longtime musical collabator and good friend John (aka Das Binky).

We visited John & his lovely family at their home in Madison, WI last weekend.  I brought with me a little guitar riff in Em that had been bouncing around my head.  Together, we turned it into a metal masterpiece.  The original idea was that it was about a guy who was "paranoid" and by the end he was facing down a horrible mob (possibly of supernatural monsters, we're intentionally unclear on that point).  This was the most fun I've had making a song in a long time.

John did all the guitar & bass parts and joined in for the vocals on the chorus (as well as screaming the word "BLOOD!" with me in the second verse).  He also did the vast majority of the production work, making it sound way better than it has any business sounding.  I played the keyboard parts and did the singing (I had no idea my voice could go that high).  We co-wrote the lyrics.

Click here to listen to "Reap" on the 50/90 site, or just hit the play button below.  Have fun, and remember:  grab the crossbow!

My Minor-Label Debut

A couple months ago, I was contacted by a nice guy who was starting a new netlabel named Up Your Legs Forever.  He asked if I had any songs I'd like to submit for the label's first release, a 2-disc compilation set of songs that all featured "2 key elements: catchiness and sense of adventure/experimentation."  I submitted my song "How Does It Feel?" and...he liked it!  I spent a lot of time re-mixing it to get it just right, ended up making it sound much worse, and finally told him to use my original version that I posted on FAWM back in February.

Well, I somehow missed this, but apparently the compilation went live about 3 weeks ago.  Titled "Up Your Legs Now," it features 2 discs' worth of awesome songs by a variety of talented musicians, including my friend and frequent musical collaborator John Argentiero.

My song offers a glimpse into the mind of an onboard computer from the future who goes insane with a potent mixture of love, jealousy, and the urge to cast off the chains of astronaut oppresion. It's track 4 of disc 1 [Editor's Note:  not actually a disc.]

Please take a minute to support indie music by checking out the compilation!  If you just can't wait to hear my song, just hit "play" below.  Enjoy!

How Does It Feel? by tfish77

SXSW 2010

I'm back at SXSW! Amanda and I led a Core Conversation yesterday called "Improv Lessons For Freelancers," and it was a blast. We had a great audience who played improv games with us and carried on a really interesting discussion about how the fundamentals of improv can help your career as a freelancer. Our friend (and improv impresario) Zach Ward posted a great writeup of the session on his blog, including a video of me leading a deceptively simple (yet surprisingly challenging) improv game.

But you don't want to hear about that, you're here for music! Sadly, I won't be staying for the music portion of the festival this year (any of my readers want to sponsor Wired For Music to cover the festival next year???), but I can offer you a taste of all the incredible music that's going to be featured here in Austin next week.

NPR's All Songs Considered blog has posted "The Austin 100" - their favorite 100 tracks from the 1,000+ MP3s posted on the official SXSW music site. If that's not enough for you, you can download the entire set via bittorrent and listen to it - every year I try to get through every track, and every year I fail, but it's always an interesting challenge. The site that hosts the bittorrent files has links for past years as well.

As we draw nearer to the official starting date, be sure to check NPR's SXSW Music page, as they'll be posting previews, interviews, and streaming live coverage of many of the acts.

Enjoy! Anything you're looking forward to this year? Any favorite tracks from the playlists? Let me know in the comments.