Song of the Week #4 9/06/10 "These Times"

Still working the lyrics on this one. I'm hearing it much harder and Clash-like than it may sound. A protest song trying hard not to sound like a protest song.


These Times

Song List

These are titles of songs I have yet to write, except the ones I have (denoted by a *).  It's an interesting way to work, and so far it's going pretty good. Working from a title definitely saves time and effort, 'cause otherwise you can spend hours humming and noodling and not really getting anywhere (and believe me, I oughta know). Some of the scratched-out titles might end up getting used after all, and what is there now may end up being trashed. It's an interesting process, this.

I even know how I want some of the songs to sound, even if I haven't yet written a single note. For instance, I hear "Red Rat Snake" as a scorching hot, heavily Fenderized rockabilly-flavored number that sounds like it was recorded in an a gas station in the desert in the middle of the night. Those of you who like that sort of thing will understand what I mean.

"Abandoned and Heartbroke" will be the album's title track, of course. I posted the main part of the music for it a few months back, so if you're inclined you can back-click and scroll down a number of entries and give it a listen. It's gonna be a big, epic studio-based piece, if I do it right.

Song of the Week #3 9/02/10 "When You Go Down"

I started school again tonight -- I'm getting my BFA in Graphic Design online, wish me luck -- so I felt it was important to make sure I made time to carry through on my commitment to my Song of the Week. I missed last week because I was sick as a dog, and I missed the week before because... well, no excuses, just onward and upward.

The point of this exercise is not to write songs that are keepers, necessarily, so I'm not too concerned at how ragged this one might be.

When You Go Down (rough)