WEEK 93: Not Gonna Stop You (Demo)

Hello. This "week's" MP3 is an old demo of an old song called "Not Gonna Stop You."

Keep in mind this was January 2002, before I really played guitar very smoothly (I am really HITTING the strings hard) and my throat had yet to be removed of some very large tonsils that made my voice fairly congested sounding.

But the point is to put up an old rough demo, cause I feel like doing that.

This song has somewhat simple lyrics, but I've always thought there was a lot of complicated denial and unreliable narrator stuff going on. This was written before I was ever in any relationships, so it's basically a fictional character kind of song, which most of them were at the time. The guy in the song doesn't want to quite admit that his girlfriend (wife?) is leaving him, so he's acting like it was his idea and that he couldn't care less. He even thinks that SHE thinks he's going to be chasing after her at the airport, but he's too lazy to even do that.

Mostly the narrator is not trying to stop the breakup out of spite. "Oh you think I'll beg you to stay, well fuck that, I won't."

I love writing songs about self centered and hugely flawed people, and having the lyrics be warped by that mentality, with only a few hints at the "reality" going on for people to discover. This song is the ultimate example of that.

This song is so easy and thus really fun to play live. It's all about those last few high notes. You know songs that have a really satisfying ending, it's all worth it just to get to the last 10 seconds? That's how I feel about this one.

Lyrics:

You oughtta know
Before you go
I'm really really slow
I'm really, really slow

If you should run
And not for fun
You'd be the only one
You'd be the only one

And if you want to leave
Then you can go and leave
And you want me to let you
So I'm not gonna stop you
I'm not gonna stop you

And on the plane
You don't have to wait
For me to show up late
I won't be late

I'll be inside
While you ride
I will be inside
I won't be at your side

And if you want to leave
Then you can go to leave
And you say I won't let you
But look I'm not gonna stop you
I'm not gonna stop you

You may have left
But there's something that you did forget
I think you did forget
Your thoughts remain
With me over here
Not inside your brain
There's no thoughts in your brain

And if you want to leave 
Then you can go and leave
And you think I won't let you
But I'm not gonna stop you
I'm not gonna stop you

---

That last line is another favorite, he's trying to say a sweet thing like "I will always think of you" but it comes out as an insult. Wordplay, words all mixed up, the meaning getting confused, I love that stuff.

Download the song by clicking here

Or simply preview it, I'm not gonna stop you:





Thanks for listening, come back soon. I'm in the mood to put more old rare demos up.

-Jordan

WEEK 92: A Toast To Friends

Hey!

I made this MP3 last weekend, once again as part of a score for a film submitted to the 48 Hour Film Festival. This was the end credits song. You can check out the entire multiple-award-winning film, "Platonic Parts", here:



For the end credits, they wanted an upbeat friendship song, with allusions to bread or toast. Well, voila. Here are the lyrics:

Friends till the end
Friends on the mend
I want you to be my friend
I want you to be my friend

WoooOOOOHHHH YEAH

Friends on a bed
Friends making bread
I want you to be my friend
I want you to be my friend

WooooOOOOOOHHHHH YEAH


This song is basically a mix of The Smiths (the bassline and chorus guitars), Ween (the vocals), and...??? I used a new guitar fx pedal board for the guitar sounds and I think it's some of the best sounding guitars I've recorded. I also used a new drum program which I think worked perfectly for the song. 


Download the song by right-clicking here!

Or preview it here:

 


-Jordan

WEEK 91: Bouncy TV Theme

Hi guys!

This week's MP3 is one of my favorite instrumentals. It's actually a remake of an old instrumental called "Banjordian," which I made with a banjo. But while this one lacks banjo, it sounds a lot better.

This was made as a possible TV Theme for a real tv show, though I pretty much knew as I was making it that this didn't fit the tone of the show at all. So I ended up really just making it for myself. 

This instrumental features a fake accordion, and also a real accordion. WOW!

Download it by right-clicking here

or preview it:




Thanks for stopping by!

-Jordan

WEEK 90: Puddle Struggle

Hey! 

I'm going to try to update this more regularly.

This MP3 is an instrumental from April 9th, 2007. It's a dark somber piece and based on the title I kind of imagine someone falling in a puddle and thrashing around in slow motion melodramatically, trying to get back up.

I really, really love the music swell that happens starting at around 15 seconds. I think if this was a real orchestra and real cellos it would be quite beautiful.

Hope you enjoy!

DOWNLOAD IT BY CLICKING HERE


Or PREVIEW it:




-Jordan

WEEK 89: Kristen (I Love You)

Happy Valentine etc!

This MP3 is taken from the same show as Week 77, which was a Trouble's Afoot duo show at Goodbye Blue Monday, with regular Sally drummer Will Kastner. I can imagine a lot of people have no idea what that sentence says.

Anyway, this was a little song I wrote for my girlfriend Kristen. In the spirit of the Valentine I'm posting it here today. The lyrics are self explanatory, I love Kristen (our 2 year anniversary is this weekend, and we now live together with our dog Penny and every day is the best day ever) and anyone who thinks I don't love her is dumb.

You can hear the surprise in the audience and from Kristen and her friends as I start this song. Not for those sensitive to intensely personal awkward things. Please enjoy.

Download the MP3 by clicking here

or preview it:

See you soon!

-Jordan

WEEK 88: And I'm Gone ALBUM PREVIEW!

Hey everyone!

This is an insanely special MP3 OF THE "WEEK", a preview of my first ever album!

My band Trouble's Afoot disintegrated a while back but we had started work on two (!) albums, doing the drums and bass. For the past year (or more...it's been a long time) I have been working in a studio on the first collection of songs. I have no idea when the album will be done (I am out of money and lack time), but for now I am enjoying the results.

There are lots of great things to share, but I am particularly happy with "And I'm Gone", one of my stranger and harder-to-classify songs. It came out as interesting and strange as I wanted, but I still consider it very catchy and accessible all the same.

I don't exactly want to talk about what the song "means", because this is one of the rare tracks where I DON'T quite know what it means, in a literal sense, though I certainly know the feelings it's based on. I'd rather talk about the production, since that's what I spent the big bucks on:

I love the super stereo mixing of the drums and bass. Drums on the right, bass on the left. Another Beatles-esque touch is the plodding piano that comes in at the end section of the song, my favorite thing on here. I love the heartbeat-like bass line that my buddy Dave Fox is playing during the choruses (uh, I think they're choruses?), and Chris Roberts on drums really gave the song a surprising danceable groove, something I had never intended, but makes complete sense.

The best thing? FOOT STOMPS. The foot stomps during the choruses was thought of in the studio and track after track of stomping (ow my feet) on a wooden floor really adds to the heft of the beat. Love it love it love it.

I am also proud of the production idea to have a subtle ambient noise hiss fade in on the verses and fade out before the chorus. It gives the chorus a clarity of sound that is almost subconscious.

Anyway, enough of that, check it out!

Download it by clicking here!


Or preview it!




See ya whenever!

-Jordan

WEEK 87: Sexy Low Self Esteem Song (live)

Hello! 

I know this blog hasn't been "weekly" at all, but at least I'm managing to put something up this month!

This is another MP3 from my last solo show at Gizzi's Cafe where I debuted a ton of new songs. This song doesn't have a title yet, so I can only refer to it by it's content -- The Sexy Low Self Esteem Song.

That's what it's about. Me playing a kind of funky ("kind of" because this isn't my typical guitar style and I AIN'T-A SO GOOD AT IT) riff while singing painfully honest lyrics about how much I disgust and hate myself. It's meant to be funny.

Ha...ha?

I'm not even sure I want to type up the lyrics, actually. Also, the song is sung veeeery low, I may need to either belt it out or change the key. Hmmm.

One cool thing this song does, is after the bridge it is lowered a key. I did this because normally songs that change keys go HIGHER, to give a feeling of triumph and power, but I thought subconsciously going down one step would give a feeling of defeat and sadness.

At the end of the MP3 you can hear an astonishing two people clapping, and I say "thanks, no one!", which may give you a hint of why I haven't played a solo show in a long time.

What a low self esteem post! Perfect for this song. Besides all that, I actually do love this song, I think it's one of my best new ones. I really hope to have a version with a band (or simulation of one) soon, because this would really really work with a full band.

Please enjoy!


Download it by clicking here!



Or merely preview it!





See you soon!


-Jordan

WEEK 86: Party Guy (Live)

Hey everyone!

PARTY TIME! This is a new, somewhat unfinished song called "Party Time" that I debuted at my last solo show in December 2011, at Gizzi's Cafe.

This song is kind of simple, but I think it has potential. I imagine a big party production with thumping drums and techno sounds and lots of rocking. 

I don't need to explain what it's about, but it's based on...every single time I have ever gone to a party. Especially parties in suburban areas, which is why I used the "fictional" (even though hundreds of them exist) town of "Woodlawn", which is as subarbany sounding as it gets.

Here are the lyrics!

Everybody's at the party, come along
Everybody's dancing and going strong
You're gonna come out to Woodlawn and have a good time

You're gonna come out to Woodlawn and have a good time

You're a party guy

Party guy

Park your car into the drive

Bring some snacks and then say "hi"

You're gonna say hi to that guy by the TV over there

Gonna kiss the cheek of that girl by the stairs

You're a party guy

Party guy

Everyone can tell you're not having fun

Why did you even bother to come at all?

You're gonna leave sad and angry and hating yourself

Gonna leave sad and angry and hating yourself

You're a party guy

Party guy

You're a party guy

Party guy

---

Download the song by right clicking here!


Or merely preview it:




Thanks!


-Jordan

WEEK 85: Bombinate

Hey guys!

This week's/month's/year's MP3 is a really wacky song from 2005 that I made for my friend Matt Koff's old comedy blog, Word Du Jour (sadly no longer existing on the internet.)

On the blog he taught you a new word every day and then used them in funny sentences. I offered to do some musical word lessons for him. I ended up doing 3 in total. Here's one of them!

I think I shocked him because he thought he was going to get a 10 second thing and this is basically a complete song, with a full band arrangement and even singing back up girls (which are all me.)

"Bombinate" means to hum, so knowing that, here are the surprisingly dark lyrics:


BOMBINATE, BABY!

I bombinate on the way to work (ooh, I bombinate)
I bombinate in the bathroom stall (ooh, I bombinate)
I bombinate in the journey home (ooh, I bombinate)
THEN I BOMBINATE ALL NIGHT LONG! (wow!)

(humming)

I bombinate in the dentist chair (ooh, I bombinate)
I bombinate on the garage floor (ooh, I bombinate)
I bombinate inside a plastic bag (ooh, I bombinate)
LET ME BOMBINATE JUST ONCE MORE! (WOW!!!)

(humming)


Download the song by right clicking here!


Or preview it here:




See you soon!


-Jordan

WEEK 84: Undo (Sally)

Hello everyone!

A super special exciting MP3 this week!

A NEW song from my band Sally. And...

A NEW singer! The wonderful Kristen Gudsnuk! (Special eternal thanks to Meghan O'Neill for being lead singer for the first year of the band!)

This recording is from a practice we had 2 days ago! Will Kastner nailing the drums after only playing the song like twice before ever. FUNKY STUFF!

We are really excited about this song and see it as some sort of future "single." It's currently my favorite song of ours.

This song is about how excited you get when you start dating someone you like, and how crushing it is when they reject you, especially after you've already imagined the entire relationship you two were supposed to have.

Here are the lyrics:

We went to every park in New York City
We visited your relatives in south New Jersey
On the bus we traded headphones
Played each other our favorite songs

These things didn't happen yet
but now I've got to undo
I've got to undo 
the things I imagined doing with you

Remember when you met my friends?
You liked them all, except for one
Then we went and met your friends
They all liked me, except for one

I shouldn't have talked about you so much
That was my first mistake
I shouldn't have talked to you so much
I should have given you a break

I planned the way I'd say "I love you"
The time and place, and weather and clothes
I planned the way that I'd react
To your reaction, however it goes


Download it by right clicking here!

Or preview it first!







See ya!

-Jordan