Song184_Fast As You Can

Today's song is unique (for me) in a few ways. One, most songs that I write don't have vocals that start on the first beat of the song. Two, the layout of this song is not traditional. The 'chorus' section (which is typically a high-point) is the slower part of the progression. Some of these things are purposeful, and some are welcomed accidents. (Example: I had trouble fitting lyrics to the 'chorus' section, so I pulled the drums out hoping to make the 'verses' more intense.) This song doesn't have any guitar strumming, which was purposeful. This week I'm trying to focus less on guitar strumming and more on the song's rhythm, bass, and vocals. The lyrics were pieced together quicker than I'd like...during a 20-30 minute break, but I'm happy with the outcome. Brandon came over early today, so he was able to help with ideas. The original thought stems from an odd philosophy that I adapted during my early days of training for running races..."run as fast as you can to the half-way point, then try to run a little faster on the way back."

LYRICS: "Gunfire ended the daydream. Runners started running from nothing. Fast as you can to the finish line. Fast as you can, don't get left behind. Action ended the atrophy. Muscles now twitching and cramping. Fast as you can through the night. Fast as you can 'till you reach the prize. Lost sense of sensibility. All bets on relativity. Fast as you can, though you're winning. Fast as you can to the ending."

Today is New Year's Eve, which means that tomorrow begins a full month of FREE MUSIC to everyone on the Mailing List. Sign up at www.anewsongeveryday.com.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song183_Luck's Ballistics

This song begins a new album, Week27_Last Minute Driver. The FREE month of music begins in a few days, but I will be including today's song and tomorrow's song too (since they are part of the newest album). The guitar progression used in this song was written years ago, but I never found anything practical to do with it. (Opening= D-G-Bm-A, then A#-D-F#-G-A#, then A-C#-D). I've used sections of this song before, but this is the closest I've come to using the entire idea. I wanted this week to have a 'techno feel,' and although I used some 'techno' elements it still comes across much differently than previous attempts (such as: Week15_Reverent Awe). I recorded the strumming electric guitar first, then the other electric guitar (picking various melodies), and then I added bass guitar. The rhythm section is a few separate loops combined with cymbals and tambourine. Additionally, there are about 5-6 tracks of synth sounds.

LYRICS: "Take a breath. Make it slow. Simmer down, then wait for more. Sullen. Caught unprepared. Fast like a missile from surface to air. Shaken. Lost in a stare. Luck's odd ballistics put a part in your hair."

Today, being the first day of the second half of this project, feels like New Year's Day. It's only December 30th, so a few days from now the New Year will probably seem 'old hat.' My internal clock was more accurate before the surgery. I guess my prosthetic head has a mind of its own.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song182_Reservoir (6 MONTHS COMPLETE!)

Today's instrumental completes another album and another week of recording. As of today, I have successfully completed 6 months of consecutive recording! I'm counting the first half of this project as warm-up, and I'm hoping (and planning) for an even more productive second half. I recently narrowed down some of the best album titles, weekly concepts, etc, and I've made a broad map of what I'd like to accomplish from here. Also, I'm hoping to push the limits during January (since all music will be FREE to everyone on the Mailing List). I had a few weeks that felt like this project would never end. Now I'm realizing that it will end someday (sadly), so I'd better stay focused, make the most of each song, and finish the year strong.

Brandon Steach came over to help with today's song. We went for a run, discussed ideas, then started this session with an electric guitar picking a simple progression. Brandon recorded this track, I added bass guitar, and then I added the other electric (picking) guitars. We wanted to keep this song simple, so we added a few additional synth sounds, and that was all it needed.

I was able to add a new MP3 player to the website last night, and it really helps. http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/FREE/Free.html

The newest album will be posted within a few hours at http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song181_Open Ended

Today's instrumental was written on the electric guitar. There are three main sections that I blended together...keeping a few of them rhythm-free. The layout and structure of this song is fairly simple, and I used: one drum track, cymbals, tambourine, a violin, bass guitar, and 3 additional electric guitars.

I've found a new Flash player that I plan on integrating into the website later tonight. This will allow me to update the "FREE music section" more often, and it will make previewing music much easier for you.

After I type this sentence I will begin working on designs for this week's album cover (Week26_Outlaw Brothers). I have 1-2 (vague) ideas, so we'll see what happens.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song180_Kite

Brandon came over around 1400 today, and he brought a hard drive with a few ideas. The song we chose already had 4-5 keyboards, 2 drum loops and a bass guitar, but we altered the structure, re-recorded a new bass track, and continued from there. Brandon recorded all of the guitars in today's song.

I'm coming up on 6 months of recording. This is the final week of 2009, so I've been re-evaluating certain aspects of this project, and I've been making preparations for the next 6 months. I have about 6-10 hours worth of web updates that I plan on making before the new year. I'm also creating lists to hone in on the best: album titles, genres to focus on, lyrical themes, etc. All of the music in January will be free, so I'm going to focus and work hard to be ahead of the game each day.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song179_These Times

I got hung up on ideas about 2 hours into a recording session, deleted everything, and started over. I chose not to worry about lyrics or vocals on the second try, and somehow this odd little ska instrumental came out. This song has: drums, tambourine, cymbals, 3 guitars, a violin, and a flute.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song178_In Near Silence

Simple, reverent, beatless...Song178_In Near Silence.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song177_Blindfolded

I barely got this song completed...it's 23:35 on Christmas eve. This one turned out differently than anticipated, but I saw it coming and chose not to turn back. I wrote this song by layering and sequencing various percussion sounds, and these beats inspired the rhythm guitar that appears in the second half of the song. The rhythms are upbeat and electronic, so the bass guitar was fun to create. With a solid foundation in place it was all about editing and layering. I added a tambourine, an organ, a vocal choir, a violin, 3 electric guitars, and a few other instruments. Once again, today's lyrics were sent to me by Jason Houp. I ran short on time today, so his full page of lyrics got condensed into a few lines.

LYRICS: "Well the rains came down and the wind blew in. I'm wishin' that I wasn't here again."

PS: I had an idea last night that I might pursue: record one song...7 days in a row...in 7 completely different ways. I'll use the same chords and lyrics, but I'll vary the tempo, instruments, and genre. That could be interesting.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song176_Outlaw Brothers

Today's recording begins a new album (Week26_Outlaw Brothers), and I've decided to try something new. Last week I asked my friend, Jason Houp, if he'd let me use some of his (un-used) lyrics. He emailed about 15 sets of lyrics to me a few days ago, and I'll be using these song premises as my starting-point each day. He's given me free reign to adjust the lyrics as needed, and he also said I could put these words to any music I'd like to write. This is a very generous offer, and it gives me a unique new approach to songwriting for this week.

I structured the lyrics for today's song late last night. I ended up shaving off a lot of words, and I added a few verses of my own, but I wasn't exactly sure what chords and melody would fit at the time. I liked the theme of these lyrics, and his original idea created a domino effect on today's creativity. I wrote, recorded, mixed, mastered, and published this tune in just under 4 hours.

LYRICS: "I've got no money in my wallet. I've got no change in my pockets. Now that I'm clean I see the world is downright mean. I got no friends on the streets. I got no family to meet. I'm clean and free with nowhere to be. We're outlaw brothers through thick and thin. Sure to make it out, but we're not sure when. They kept coming at us from all around, and now my outlaw brother lies dead on the ground. I got no job for support. No woman to court. Now that I'm finally clean I see the world is downright mean. There's no sense in us stickin' around this circle of friends from the lost-and-found. Now that I'm clean I see the world is downright mean. We're outlaw brothers through thick and thin. Sure to make it out, but not sure when. They kept coming at us from all around, and now my outlaw brother lies dead on the ground."

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song175_The One

I wrote today's song on the piano, which isn't typical. I chose a simple progression, recorded it to the 'click' (134bpm), and then I added bass guitar. I chose a simple/upbeat rhythm (67bpm), and the rest fell into place quickly: cymbals, bells, an electric guitar, a string section, a flute, and a violin.

Today's instrumental completes another album and another week of recording. I'm glad today's song went smoothly because I still have 2-3 hrs of tasks to wrap up this week (complete the album artwork, add a new "Albums" page to the website, upload files to Payloadz, create new links, upload free MP3's, create and send email to Mailing List, backup hard drives, etc). The newest album should be available online by 8pm.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song174_Hope Arrives

Thiago Silva joined me in the studio today. He came over about 9:30, and we agreed to start the song by recording him picking a few chord progressions on the classical guitar. Thiago's a gifted guitarist, so after we decided on a style and tempo he didn't need much direction from me. In fact, I spent most of the day playing 'Producer' (which I also enjoy). After only 3-4 takes we felt like we had enough of the initial part, so I did some quick editing, structured the song (created markers, documented the chord structure, etc), and then I recorded the bass guitar. I kept the bass simple since there are plenty of notes already being played on the guitar. Next, Thiago added another classical guitar track...this one filled with sporadic solos that compliment the original track nicely. I added a string section, recorded some cymbal swells, and then Thiago added the final track...an electric guitar that plays a melody (in the center section) using an E-bow.

I think this instrumental fits nicely with the other songs in this week's collection. We were able to complete this song before Thiago had to leave for the airport (to pick up holiday guests), which means that this entire song was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered in about 4 hours. Thanks, Thiago!

PS: I added a few new photos to the Gallery page: http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/Gallery/index.htm

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song173_Morning

Today's instrumental was written on the electric guitar (intro: E-B, then A-E-B, and bridge: A-C-B). Next, I added (in this order): drums, bass guitar, additional electric guitars (x3), cymbals, bells, tambourine, a choir, a flute, and an echoing synth sound. This recording session was spread out over the entire day, but it probably totaled 4 hours.

Thiago Silva, a guitarist that has recorded with me before (Song019_Keeper of My Heart), will be joining me again tomorrow. We're meeting at 9am, and we haven't discussed any specific plans for the song yet, but I know that he's bringing his classical guitar.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song172_Following A Star

I finally got started on today's song around 7pm, but I had a plan...sort of. The plan was to record an electric guitar picking a few simple chord progressions, record the bass guitar, then record two additional guitars picking separate melodies that accompany those chords, and then delete the original guitar. (Chords: G-Bm-C-D, then Em-C-D) This formula was a quick and effective way to achieve the sound that I wanted. I added 4 additional tracks: a string section, a choir section, a violin, and a flute. This entire song came together in just over an hour.

I was always intrigued by the Bible story of the 3 wise men traveling to see Jesus. Their directions were vague, and they were given just enough information to test their desire. Or, maybe their directions (i.e. "follow the star") were given in case one of them became a traitor and tried to sell the information to Herod. (Even with the title "Wise Man" no one would've believed those directions were real, right?) But, once those men gathered their gifts and set out walking in the right direction I doubt they ever got discouraged or lost. If I had a time machine, then I'm not sure I could choose only one event to go back and witness, but this one would be high on the list.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song171_December

Brandon came over around noon, and we talked about ideas for today's song. He worked out the main structure on acoustic guitar, I added the bass, and then we had a nice surprise. Jason Houp stopped by to loan me his mandolin...great timing. I learned a few chords years ago, but it's been a long time since I've gotten to play a mandolin. As a fan of bluegrass music, I have always enjoyed the sound of this instrument. We added additional electric guitars, percussion (tambourine, bells, cymbals), a flute, a violin...then Brandon went home (around 4pm). We had talked about a few topical ideas for today's lyrics, but I had trouble coming up with something that I liked as much as the music. The lyrics ended up being really sappy, and the melodies were average, so I quickly convinced myself that this song was destined to be an instrumental.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song170_Christmas is Near

This melody came to me while the computer was warming-up, I worked out the chords on the acoustic guitar (E-A-E-B...then F#m-G#m-A-B), and I had the majority of the song recorded within a few hours. This is simple, cheery Christmas tune with a repetitious melody. Includes: bass guitar, acoustic guitar, 2 electric guitars (picking single notes), a string section (during the interludes only), a choir section, cymbals, tambourine, sleigh bells, and 3 vocal harmonies.

I'm in the process of making updates to the website (www.anewsongeveryday.com). The Home page now has a daily counter, I'm adding new songs to the FREE page, and I hope to add a few new videos soon.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song169_BC

Today begins a new week of recording. This next album, Week25_Round Yon Virgin, will be a collection of (OTTO-style) Christmas songs. These songs will have some standard 'Christmas elements" (such as the sleigh bells that begin the album), but I will incorporate many non-traditional sounds and themes as well. (Example: one of the songs this week will be about the failed assassination attempts on Jesus right before and after his birth....which would've been a much more exciting and action-packed movie than Valkyrie, which was about the failed assassination attempts on Hitler).

Today's song, Song169_BC, was written earlier today on the electric guitar. I recorded this distorted guitar first ('click' set at 82bpm), and then I structured the drums and bass. The picking guitars were fun to play because the song was already developed. There were a few sections that I recorded more times than needed...mostly because it felt like playing along with a full band. I edited a few versions of this song, and the structure changed many times. I added the (drum-less) intro right before the final mix, and I have to admit that I didn't even think of using the sleigh bells until I made this edit. I had a rhythm and style in mind today, but this song (like most of the others) became a song track-by-track.

This instrumental represents the period of time that Earth experienced before Christ visited. I believe that things got better for us as people after Christ's life on earth, but there are some very intriguing aspects about life during the time before he arrived. I wanted this song to have an energy of anticipation and newness (created by the instruments I chose, the rhythm, the edits, etc), but I also wanted it to have an element of uneasiness and a sense of disconnection (which I tried to create using abrupt pauses and unpredictable chord progressions...A-D-E, then F#-G, then B-C).

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song168_Simple Days of Jousting

Today's instrumental completes another week of recording! This song had percussion (drums, tambourines, cymbals, etc) until right before the final mix...glad I 'muted' those tracks because this song didn't need them. I wrote this song on electric guitar...recorded the first track of picking to 80bpm (C-Em-F-G), and then I built around that part: bass guitar, then strings, then additional electric guitars, a flute, and then a few extra synth/choir sounds.

This week's album design is a pencil drawing that I did yesterday. I had the idea in my mind before I started drawing, but it still took about 3 hours. I don't use erasers, but I did clean it up slightly after scanning it. I gave the cropped and edited JPEG to Carly and she added some great final effects (color, etc).

Available soon: Week24_Simple Days of Jousting (www.anewsongeveryday.com)

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song167_This Is The Time

I started today's song with a drum rhythm and a simple (synth) bass part. The lyrics for this song came to me last night, so I recorded a 'scratch' version of the melody before adding the remaining instruments. I had an idea of what instruments I'd use, but having the vocals in place helped with these decisions. I figured this single statement stood on its own...no need to elaborate on this thought, and then I purposefully chose simple melodies on the guitar and keys (so the vocals wouldn't get lost in the music). The final version of this song has about 12-14 tracks.

LYRICS: "This is the time to live in the moment. You'll never get this time back again. Never again."

I got an early start on writting today's song, so it's nice to be done before lunch. I have an idea for this week's album artwork, so I'll work on that drawing for 1-2 hours, then I have other work to do (the kind that pays). Another busy, rewarding day.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song166_Medieval Gangsters

Today's song is your typical Reggae-style song about Medieval hoodlums. This song evolved (from scratch) in a unique way, so the final product was somewhat of a surprise to me. I recorded the drum rhythms and the bass before taking a lunch break (Joe's Pizza in Euless), then I added a few guitars and keyboards before taking another long break. The guitars (both electric, one distorted and one clean) completely changed the overall style and sound of the song. The clean guitar plays the down-beats during the 'verse' sections, and then it switches to a syncopated, reggae-style rhythm during the 'chorus' sections. There are two additional electric guitars that pick single notes during the 'verse.' They fit in a dissonant and eerie way...I like how it seems to start on the wrong note, but it resolves as it goes on. The 'Bridge' section is unique in that it continues the 'chorus' only 1/2 step higher.

During the second long break in recording I played guitar for a gospel quartet. Brandon's mom has been singing in groups her entire life, and tonight they performed at her church's Christmas event. It was a casual, no-pressure situation where Brandon and I both played guitar while the 4-piece vocal section did their thing (and they do it well). For the final song that we played ("Walking In a Winter Wonderland") they passed out bells to all the kids, and the played along in perfect rhythm...sort of. It was fun.

I had written down some lyrics after lunch, but I didn't finalize the vocals until I got back from the performance. There are a few quality lines...the rest is ridiculous.

LYRICS: "The dangers these days are getting harder and harder to detect. The enemy, it seems, keeps changing outfits. Medieval gangsta-itis, oh yes. Targeting the village youngsters, oh yes. Life used to fit like a glove. Now fitting-in feels like a toothache. And the enemy, it seems, keeps changing outfits. Medieval gangsta-itis, oh yes. Targeting the village youngsters, oh yes. Keeping cool in times like these is harder than you might suspect. The enemy, it seems, keeps changing outfits. Medieval gangsta-itis, oh yes. Targeting the village youngsters, oh yes."

The reference to "the enemy changing outfits" reminds me of a few things. One, evil and deception can take on many forms. Our emotional, spiritual, and mental wars aren't as simplistic as the US Civil War (where the only two groups participating wore a particular color to identify themselves). Two, it reminds me of an episode of "The Family Guy" where Peter, dressed like a clown, is standing in the Vietnam jungle next to US soldiers in full camo gear. He turns to the other soldiers and says, "You guys are stupid, they'll be looking for people dressed as soldiers."

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song165_Pinwheel

I got a late start on life today, went running around 10, and ate a large omelet around 1pm. Brandon came over around 2pm, and we dove into a keyboard idea that he brought with him (on a separate hard drive). His idea was a solid foundation that sparked lots of ideas for additional structuring, additional instruments, and vocals. We thought the song was complete after about 3 hours of additional work (and we even did a final mix), but there were lulls without vocals that made the song sound incomplete...so, back to work. I re-worked the vocal section, re-mixed, and finally completed this song around 8pm.

LYRICS: "Without excuse, without cause. In the middle of a war the past is gone, and we fight on. We fight on. Anticipation has its own intent, but I can't help wondering what could've been. I wouldn't be here with someone else's past, but I can't help wondering what could've been. Each land defeated is new land found. We get to choose what goes around. Anticipation has its own intent, but I can't help wondering what could've been. I wouldn't be here with someone else's past, but I can't help wondering what could've been."

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song164_Mine-Filled Hills

This song was written earlier today on the acoustic guitar, so I started the recording session with that instrument (played with a metronome set to 150bpm). The percussion sections are pretty different on each of the main sections, but they're tied together with some live cymbal swells. The bass guitar progression is simple and solid, and I tried to vary the rhythm (and octave) on each section. I also added a few electric guitars, two vocals, and a violin synth sound...bringing the track-count to 18 or 20. The lyrics are just a fictional statement made by an eager, fearless soldier.

LYRICS: "I'm shipping off to the mine-filled hills where the enemies hide. If I don't make it back when it's over, tell everybody goodbye."

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song163_Necessary

This song was constructed in a unique way. It began with a guitar (strumming) part, but it got re-arranged many times. Some parts were deleted altogether, some parts were developed further, and I seemed to constantly be adding new tracks...until it finally started taking a shape (and sound) that I liked. The structure is not standard: a long intro, then a long 'verse' (that was originally just a 4-measure 'bridge' section), then a 1-minute interlude, followed by a repeat of the 'verse.' Make sense? Well, I felt like it achieved my goal of creating a platform for imagery. I like music that takes you places when you close your eyes and give it the chance. Radio pop-songs change too quickly to be effective in that sense, but movie soundtracks usually have too many lulls to be enjoyed without the intended imagery (i.e. the movie it was made for). Lots of bands have found this middle-ground, so I'm trying to figure out what elements (and writing approach) produces that end result. Anyway, in addition to the unique layout, there's also a unique collection of instruments in this song: flutes, trumpets, trombones, violins, distorted guitars, tambourine, etc.

This is another song that I would love to have the opportunity to re-create with a full band. Ideally, I would like to choose 30 of the best songs from this project and perform them at the Myerson Symphony Hall in Dallas. We'll see if that works out.

LYRICS: "This action seems natural. This moment seems necessary."

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song162_Young and Old

This instrumental begins a new album, Week24_Simple Days of Jousting. I'm still writing from scratch each day, but I'm also still trying to write collections of songs by taking various (and mostly strategic) approaches to songwriting. This week the formula won't involve only using specific instruments, or following the same songwriting formula each day. Instead, I'll try to tie the entire album together in other ways. I want this album to have a 'storytelling' overtone, so each day might have its own unique sound. I can't make any guarantees, but I have a few ideas that might help you hear what I can't seem to explain.

Anyway, today's song was written by choosing guitar tones and effects that fit the mood I had in mind. The main strumming (electric) guitar is a simple progression (A-Dm) that resolves in the 'chorus' section (D-A). The foundation of this song is simple and solid. The percussion is consistent, but the tambourine and shaker add lots of character. Also, I enjoyed creating the bass guitar part. Additionally, there are a few other (picking) electric guitar parts, as well as a violin. I think this song was less than 10 tracks.

By the way, SnoCap (provider of the jukebox I've been using to upload the daily songs) appears to have gone out-of-business? How could that be when I alone am making them millions of dollars in music sales? (not true) Anyway, I'll be searching (quickly) for a solution to this problem. Any suggestions?

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song161_Remind Me

Wow, new strings can make a huge difference in how a guitar sounds, how well it plays, and how well it stays in tune. This isn't a new revelation, but I hadn't realized just how bad the old ones were until I changed them. I've been changing the strings on every guitar once/month, but I'm a few weeks behind, and keeping them in-the-open (i.e. out on stands) takes a toll.

Anyway, the new strings inspired some random strumming patterns and unique chord changes. In fact, the foundational guitar track was all recorded spontaneously in one take (which was originally about 5 minutes...edited down to 3). I highlighted certain sections and arranged them in an unpredictable way, with one of the sections only appearing once.

This song completes another album...available soon at www.anewsongeveryday.com. I like that the "Meet Myselves" album doesn't have any words in it...all 7 songs are instrumentals.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song160_Undertow

This song is slightly different from the others this week. I started with similar elements (synth bass, upbeat rhythms, etc), but I wasn't getting the sounds that I wanted. I cut the tempo of the drum rhythm in half, added a bass guitar (in addition to the synth part I had already completed), and a few electric guitars. I like the mix of styles and moods. The beginning is pretty dramatic and melancholy, but it's interrupted by a triumphant, low-fidelity rock sound (only to revisit the melancholy section later). I think the construction, the sound, and the style of this song are reminiscent of my early 4-track recordings.

Tomorrow will complete another album (Week23_Meet Myselves)!

Reminder: All music recorded during January 2010 will be free to those that are on the Mailing List.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song159_In Perfect Circles

I have been experimenting with rhythms from a new software package this week. I layered about 2-3 tracks for a foundation, and then I recorded the fuzzy (synth) bass. From there, I recorded the primary electric guitar (that plays consistently throughout the song). The remaining tracks were for the sake of variety, texture, and desired fullness (for each section). Also, these final tracks helped smooth the transitions.

I made another video last night, and it will be posted to http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/ later today (check the "Videos" page).

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song158_Daring Surfmen

This song was written spontaneously and without any expectations. It's the product of starting with one rhythm and then layering sounds and melodies, track by track, until each part had the desired fullness. This song is fairly simple (about 8 tracks), but it has a solid combination of elements: a consistent drum rhythm, a rugged synth bass sound, spacious noises for atmosphere, etc. You might've noticed that I haven't used any guitars for a few days. All of my strings are old and unable to hold tune, so I'll be changing strings later tonight.

Also, I've added a new video to the website...

http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/Videos/Videos.html

This was a first-time experiment with reverse time-lapse video. The original drawing took about 20-minutes, then I filmed the 15-minute destructive process, reversed the video, changed the speed to about 450%, and the results are what you see.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song157_Face Off

Today's song is very simple...just a slow, steady layering of about 5 separate rhythms and sequences. This song was more about achieving a mood...not writing a hit song for the radio. It's not very formulaic or predictable, but it's over before you realize either of those things.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song156_Meet Myselves

Once again, I layered a group of rhythms into the session before experimenting with ideas on the electric guitar. I found a few rhythms and chords that worked with the beat, so I recorded these parts before adding the synth bass. There are a variety of samples, synths, and sequences that were easy to add, and I like all of the unique sounds. The challenging part was fitting these sounds into the right places, editing them for dramatic effect, panning them creatively so your ears are entertained separately (at the same time), etc. I like the movement, energy, evolution, and repetition of this style of music.

I started working on a new video idea today, but it won't be posted until tomorrow. This is the first time I have experimented with reverse time-lapse.

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song155_Tastes Like Bomb

I layered a series of drum rhythms before working out the rest of today's song on the electric guitar. The drums set the beat and the mood, and they also dictated the style of strumming as well as the other synth sounds that I used. For the bass guitar track I opted to use a synth bass (played on the keyboard). There are two main sections to this song (both repeat once). The first one is just variations of a 'B' chord, and the second progression is F#-A-G#.

I'm going to keep this new week of music upbeat, rhythmic, electronic, etc. I didn't sing today because my throat is still healing, but there will be vocals again in a few days. This week (Week 23) will be titled, Meet Myselves.

ODD MATTHEW FACT: I have been cutting my own hair for almost 15 years. After tonight's trim I estimate a savings of $4,400 ($25/mo x 12/mo=$300/yr)($300/yr x 15/yr=$4,500)($4,500-$100 for 2 sets of clippers=$4,400).

-Matthew
www.anewsongeveryday.com
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com

Song154_So Close

I like the way this instrumental ends the newest album, Week22_Personal Space Invader. It's introspective, peaceful, and hopeful. I wrote this song on the electric guitar. It's two sets of progressions, each with odd chord formations involving: C#-C (repeated), and then F-B-C (repeated). The effects on this guitar make the progression (reverb, delay, compression, etc). I found a very simple drum rhythm that I looped, and then I found a very simple bass line to enforce the foundation. I faded a string section into the background and let the solo guitar take center stage. This is a pretty simplistic song, but it's filling.

I'm already feeling much better today. I'm thankful for steroids (not the 'baseball' kind of steroids) and antibiotics.

Today is December 1st, which means that I've completed 5 months of this project...154 consecutive (original) songs! Thanks for your support so far!

The new album will be available at http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/ within a few hours.

-Matthew
http://www.anewsongeveryday.com/
matthew@anewsongeveryday.com