Just a quick hit after a long hiatus.  My lovely wife Liz has once again come through with an awesome addition to my eclectic collection of musical implements – a Stylophone, “The Original Pocket Synthesizer” (quoted from the box).  Stylus-operated and, according to the box’s back, played by artists ranging from David Bowie to Belle & Sebastian.

I added it, with its original sound & vibrato settings, as some color to my song sketch, My Logic. Listen, via the link below, if you wish 🙂

-Edtronic

I wanted to further “All the Ice Cream You Want” last Sunday, but a horrific car accident across the street from our house changed the mood of the day from the playful tone needed.

This morning I decide to re-strum the uke & see what I could do with the vocal phrasing.

I unearthed the concertina which belonged to my late Uncle Ferd (short for Ferdinand)  and attempted to figure out a little part to go along, with only a bit of success. I need to do a lot more work to figure out that instrument.

Here is the full sketch followed by a snippet with some concertina noises 🙂

Concertina Mix Bit

It’s not Hawaii, but the Outer Banks of North Carolina is a pretty fine place to be strumming a little ukulele. Got an idea for a little song while watching the Seinfeld episode in which George regrows his tonsils. Do they still promise “All the Ice Cream You Want?”

This is the 1st time I’m writing a song on uke & I figured this song could either be a happy ditty (a la Michael Franti’s “Sound of Sunshine” type stuff) or, as it currently sits, about a snarky one about empty promises.

Was able to get a bit figured out on the upper deck before it started raining. Did a quick “capture” on my phone. (It can be heard via the link below).

-Island Ed

A pre-concious state seems to have determined that “My Logic” is next up & will be more of a dance track (Scissor Sisters?) than the punk-pop/new-waves track I 1st imagined.

This could present the greatest challenge for me yet to get from concept contained in my head to end recording.

Worked an initial sketch which is minimalist electronic with a Brian  Ferry impersonator on vocals.

I posted a remixed/trimmed version of the “Can We Talk” demo to Soundcloud earlier in the week (link below). The best sounding one I’ve done so far? I like it most on headphones & in the car. On the home stereo, some of the vocal imperfections seem highlighted.

Can We Talk (Demo – Talk 2)

I have a couple of ideas for the 13th and , I think, final demo for this project.

Working titles are
1. Absent Mind
2. My Logic

“My Logic” is the lighter, in lyrical tone/theme, and the one towards which I’m leaning. I’ve included the initial lyric below. Current thought for feel is a punky/new wave feel. This one came to mind:

We’ll see.

-Punky “Brewster” Eddows

https://m.facebook.com/punkymeadowsofficial/

My Logic

I’ve accounted for all the variables

If I value your input
Then we’re equals
Maybe you’re greater
Or I’m the lesser of evils

While You have class
Do I/we

I got here in error
This endless loop
A bit of you
Takes a bite out of me

Instantiate

(Un)Eventful

Compile the data
Compute the odds

Ran into the 8 track limit issue with my “lite” version. I recorded an acoustic guitar track which I ended up recording background vocals over and I really wanted to record another track of background vocals, but that will need to wait for the finished product.

I know I could have mixed it down, but I wanted to get it “in the can” at this point.

12 down, one more to go.

-Record Ed

I tried to incorporate some of the thoughtful suggestions my previous post generated, but am not quite ready to call this a demo.

I put in a guide instrument for my vocal “reachings” which didn’t quite do the trick – IMHO.

I also added bass and another little synth part. I’m liking the instrumental ideas, but I fear, with the thinking about the singing, that I may have lost some of the track’s energy.

If I can get more comfortable with the vocals (and have another go at ’em) and add some background vocals I am fairly confident I can get this one shaped into a demo next session.

Hear the experiment here:

Throughout the week I’ve been thinking of a beat and sound of a Bob Dylan or John Wesley Harding (aka Wesley Stace) track, but when I created the simple beat, with bass drum & snare, and added some piano, I heard a more CeeLo Green, soulful sound bubbling to the surface. I’m not sure that I have the vocal chops to pull off what I’m hearing in my head, but that didn’t stop me from trying 🙂

I also added some cymbal and tom on a separate track. Not sure that it adds much, but it’s all part of the process.

Here’s the second sketch. Let me know how ridiculous my “high-reaching” attempts sound.

-BeeHi

I remember talking with a friend a few years back about art being about communication. While I hesitate to call what I create “art,” I’m definitely trying to communicate &, perhaps ideally (or even idealistically?), promote a social bond.

The idea and flourish of lyrics for “Can We Talk?” came pretty quickly. The following songs came to mind: War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”, XTC’s “No Language in Our Lungs,” and even Triumph’s “Lay It on the Line.” It could make an interesting mashup. (Others  came to mind, but some in title only: King Crimson’s “Elephant Talk” (I remembered Adrian Belew’s vocalizing of “Talk”), Tears for Fears’ “Shout,” & Spandau Ballet’s “Communication”).

Those of you who know me will not be surprised with the XTC reference, but I don’t think that I’ve ever written a song that sounded anything like them. Mostly I guess I’m trying to sound like me – with the hope that someone else might get something out of these selfish acts of indulgence.

Let’s start the conversation. (I’ve posted the initial lyrical ideas below & an initial taste of the musical idea which seemed to come out Jethro Tull-ish or even a might like Cat Stevens).

-UndebatEd

—————————
Can We Talk?

While I might not sing beautifully
Will you listen anyway?

Is across the aisle
Out of reach?

If we can’t be friends
Perhaps we can at least negotiate

I’ll lay it right there on the line
While trying not to cross it

Why do you cry out for war?
Peace shout

With me
Not just to me
More than one-way

The air is hot
Even blustering

Speech
Debate
Argument/Argue

Language(s) is/are dying (extinction)

Off topic
About

I’ve gone to eleven. With a flurry of activity this morning, I’ve proclaimed the resulting output “Pop Start (Demo).”

I started with only the drum beat I created previously. My sense from the last go ’round was that the bass & drum were the strength of this one, so I simplified what I was playing on bass and made sure it would “line up” with what I expected to sing – I almost achieved that. 🙂

With a bit of improvisation on the amount of times I repeated certain phrases, I recorded the main vocal twice (panned one track left, the other right) as per a previous suggestion I received.

I then recorded some box drum and let it just percolate in the background for color. I recorded two tracks of background vocals – also panning as with the lead and for additional color.

I’m still really finding my way with the compression & reverb settings. I used compression & equalization on the bass track, compression only on the box drum and compression plus reverb on the vocal. Results on SoundCloud via link below.

There is a little “noise” in there. I’ll need to track it down and be more careful going forward.

-Ed