hello.music — The Imitators

hello.music

Okay the EP is coming soon. Here is a quick preview of my almost completed song. Still need to fill in the chorus vocals here…but otherwise its all there…cracking vocals and all. I’ve grown to embrace some of those imperfections of my voice and sometimes a really raw first take has more working for it than that 7th take where your voice is tired and you’re bored with the song.

Anyway… take a listen and stay tuned for the EP coming sooner than later.

The Imitators v3b.

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/TheImitators_v3b.mp3]

hello.music — following payment

hello.music
Umm… Can you believe this is the most productive thing I’ve produced in a month?

Following Payment

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_greg/following payment.mp3]

UPDATE 07/31/07: Here’s roughly what I’m thinking for a melody. I plan to add back in the general textures and sounds from the first version, but I wanted to strip it down to develop a melody. I did this without a metronome or anything, so this is just a scratch track… Any thoughts?

Following Payment v2

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_greg/following_payment_melody.mp3]

NPR Song Of The Day: Bowerbirds, ‘In Our Talons’

Bowerbirds' Hymns for a Dark Horse is out now.
Bowerbirds’ Hymns for a Dark Horse is out now.

Here’s a piece about Bowerbirds’ song “In Our Talons” from its album Hymns for a Dark Horse for NPR’s Song of the Day. Check out the song here.

Continue reading NPR Song Of The Day: Bowerbirds, ‘In Our Talons’

Recommended Readings

The Simpsons Movie

It’s been awhile since anyone did one of these so here are a few things we deem worthy of reading to catch up on from the last week or two:

Big news today is the release of The Simpsons Movie. Has anyone heard of this? I’m surprised its recieved NO press or publicity or promotion whatsoever. Strange. I wonder if the concept has any longevity…

ALSO…

– Slates discovers why Disney’s direct to video line might be better than we think.

– New York Times profiles the enigmatic and ever-changing Prince.

– AV Club live-blogged the last Harry Potter book.

– Wired sifts through the confusion with iPhone’s service contract.

– Filmmaker Michael Moore chats with NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

– The trailer for Wes Anderson’s latest film The Darjeeling Express looks amazing… Already listening to the Kinks’ song ‘This Time Tomorrow’ over and over until this movie comes out.

– Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (stars of the film Once) perform at 930 Club.

– The revolution of the map.

– Lastly, a correctional facility in the Phillipines re-enacts the choreography of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video:

[youtube]hMnk7lh9M3o[/youtube]

NPR Song Of The Day: Imperial Teen, ‘Do It Better’

Imperial Teen's The Hair, the TV, the Baby and the Band is out now.
Imperial Teen’s The Hair, the TV, the Baby and the Band is out now.

Here’s another piece for NPR’s Song of the Day about Imperial Teen’s song “Do It Better,” from The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band. Check out the song here.

Continue reading NPR Song Of The Day: Imperial Teen, ‘Do It Better’

hello.music — The Imitators

hello.musicI too have not had much to show for my month of July…so the story goes. But I’ve certainly been stockpiling and tossing around some ideas for a few months. One such tune is this first attempt at recording a REALLY rough version of The Imitators. No words to speak of yet, but as you will hear by the occassional vocal utterance, I have snippets of a melody in mind. Its just a matter of writing some lyrics.

Pretty much everything you hear will need to be retracked, mixed etc but I just needed to get something down before I forgot. Hopefully Greg or Aryn can play some bass and drums or both on this to fill it out (and so I can do away with that horrible click track).

The Imitators v1

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/TheImitators_v1.mp3]

As a bonus, I decided to release that painful writer’s block by clearing my head a bit and just slamming out a pretty terrible rendition of Brian Eno’s classic ‘Needle In The Camel’s Eye.’ This is one of my favourite songs and despite being written in 1974, sounds like it could have been done in the last few years.

If I were to finish this up, I would definitely lay some real drums, some bass, retrack a bit of the vocals to sound tighter and do a fancy studio fade out instead of the ending I have here. One thing I do like here is the sound of that biting bright guitar.

Needle In the Camel’s Eye

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/NeedleCamel_v1.mp3]

So, one original song for you two to play with or make suggestions…thoughts?

UPDATE 7\22: Did some retracking and some cleaning up of The Imitators today and began work on the lyrics for this number. This version is sans any vocals, but I think its starting to come together a bit better… certainly less sloppy.

The Imitators v2

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/TheImitators_v2.mp3]

hello.music – Sequel Pending

hello.music

Well it July is here and almost over, and I don’t have much to show for it yet. Here is my first attempt at a chord structure I have been throwing around. Sorry for the shitty synth lines, but I thought it needed something in there. Anyway, this one’s is called “Sequel Pending” and I assume that it will someday have a sequel added to it .. which at this point in time is in “pending” status. This is version .5:

Sequel Pending

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_aryn/Sequel_Pending.mp3]

UPDATE: 7/22

Ok, so I sat down and actually tracked out this whole thing.. complete with chorus, verses and sans drum loops. Now to fill in the rest…

Sequel Pending v2

[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_aryn/Sequel_Pending_v2.mp3]

Dig It! Those 1960s Sure Were Colorful…

Hippiefest?  REALLY?!?!

I can hear the snarkiness bubbling right now at Pitchfork as we speak, but really, the promoters of this festival aren’t really helping themselves here.

The lineup for the 2nd Annual Hippiefest (yes, HIPPIEFEST…sigh) was announced, which has stops in Wichita and near DC at Wolftrap in Virginia. There are actually few classic groups here — The Turtles, The Zombies, Mountain, Iron Butterfly, Mitch Ryder, Badfinger, Country Joe McDonald — but I cannot imagine any of these groups really being anything beyond a squeeze for a little late career cash flow.

Reminds me of a good Crosstalk AV Club had recently about whether or not Reunion Tours were a good thing. Check that here.

But jeez, the name for said festival is so poorly conceived. No wonder people hate hippies… the image of the Sixties has been completely Disney-fied into lame complacency.

Recommended Readings 7\13

Mellotron

Looking for something to check out in those downtimes this weekend? Here are a few choice readings…

New York Times looks at new flavor profiles to hit the dining mainstream.

— A very detailed chronology of the evolution of electronic instruments.

— AV Club talks to the comedian of comedy, Patton Oswalt.

— Stereogum tells new folkers Bowerbirds to quit their day jobs.

— Slate looks at the second most unpopular president ever.

— NPR webcasts AfroBeat heir Femi Kuti.

NPR Song Of The Day: Jesse Harris, ‘You And Me’

Jesse Harris' Feel is out now.
Jesse Harris’ Feel is out now.

Most may recognize Jesse Harris’ name as one of the songwriters who co-wrote for Norah Jones’ runaway smash debut, but he’s also a fantastic songwriter in his own right. Harris also wrote all the songs for the the upcoming film “The Hottest State” based on a novel by Ethan Hawke. Many of his songs on the soundtrack are performed by the likes of Cat Power, M. Ward, Feist, Willie Nelson and so on.

Here’s my short piece on Jesse Harris’ song “You And Me” from his album Feel, for NPR’s Song of the Day. Check out the song here.

Continue reading NPR Song Of The Day: Jesse Harris, ‘You And Me’