This week's mp3 is from December 10th, 2002. It is a very rare (and the only) live performance of a song called "Posters (Tear Them Down)."
This song, along with several others, was written as a kind of fake "punk" song, when me and my friend Daniel were set to perform at a punk show and needed some tunes. Daniel described the songs we wrote as "songs for teenagers." Other songs written that week include TV Girl, I Want My CDs back, and Movie Set Girl. These will most likely pop up on this blog soon enough!
So this song was about wanting to tear down the posters in your wall as an obvious metaphor for hating yourself and wanting to change your identity. I actually really like this song. It's in another confusing subdivision of songs that aren't exactly sincere attempts at writing a song but still come out to my liking, magically turning into a real song in the process. Here are the lyrics:
I'm sick of being used to all the posters in my room but i'm just too lazy to take them down
All the posters on four walls with their colors loud and all sing me a sad song in stereo sound
I'll tear them down Let the scotchtape rip off the wallpaper Then put up some more To cover up the scars
There goes the one with the cartoon face Smiling at me, taking up space Now I'm Glad it's in the trash bag, buried alive
There goes the picture from the magazine Years ago it wad added to the scene Now I can finally see what's on the other side
chorus
These posters from the past have been up for way too long I'd rather not stare at the squares that desecrate my wall I'd rather stare at nothing at all.
All these posters in my room seems like they've been up for a century or two Now I know exactly what I have to do
This week's mp3 is a fancy sounding demo for a song called "Never, Ever." I worked hard on this demo, especially the drums, which were sampled actual drums that I PIECE BY PIECE placed into the song BY HAND. It was insane and stupid but I was experimenting. Every little drum hit or hi hat hit or bass drum hit...all placed by hand as I desperately tried to keep the timing in line.
Upon listening to this now, I'm pretty happy with how this sounds. The guitar is really nice, the arrangement is interesting, with the acoustic guitar also doing a bass line...the harmonies are nice. Nice job, me.
Anyway, I'm not sure I want to say specifically what the song is about, but it's one of those epiphany type character studies I do enjoy ever so much. Also, I was trying to write a Morrissey type line for the end of the song. Here are the lyrics:
Things move so slow They never go In the window She waves hello
Never, ever
The grass is cold Between my toes My big new home My silk bathrobe
Never, ever, never, ever, never
Dirt in a hole A boy grown old The more I know The worse it goes
This week's mp3 is from one of my many "side projects", Proceed To Small Talk.
Proceed To Small Talk is an experimental recording project with my friend (and bass player) Dave Fox. We both do everything on the songs -- write, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, vocals, etc. You can learn more about us on our myspace: Http://www.myspace.com/proceedtosmalltalk
This track is a favorite among our friends, titled "Is It Free?"
The legend goes, we ordered a pizza, and were waiting for a very long time for it to arrive. While we waited, we created this song.
As I can recall, it's Dave on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. I'm on synths, and banjo. Possibly backwards guitar too.
This week's mp3 is a live cover of "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins. Me and my band (Dave Fox on bass, Daniel Matz on drums) performed this at Pete's Candy Store in April, 2006.
We wanted to play a cover that people knew (for once), that was kind of a funny and odd choice, but that we were sincere about. Despite not even being Pumpkins fans, Daniel and I admitted that "1979" did mean a lot to us back in the day, and it still affects us (Dave not so much.)
I was really happy with how this came out, and the audience seemed to dig it. I definitely wanted people to be kind of confused about why we were even covering this song that everybody has heard 1000 times, but won over at the same time.
