2018-02-01 @ 12:00pm
tags: synthpop songfight
A quick bit of synthpop to get things rolling. Not sure I've ended this story as well as I could have, but those kinds of thoughts are for other months, right?
I am locked in a place with no food and no water
in a disputed base on the Mexican border
every day I hear a pair of feet walk
up and ask if I might be ready to talk
well they starve me and freeze me, tip over my bed
they don’t let me sleep to get into my head
and when the door opens at the flick of a switch
I keep my mouth shut, I refuse to snitch
I just say…
is that all you’ve got?
and we stare at each other
dot dot dot…
each morning they wake me with pills in a cup
but I still pledge allegiance to “shut the hell up”
I stare at the walls and I find a release
inside of my head I can still be at peace
they won’t get the answers from me that they seek
I don’t understand them; to me they’re all greek
if I have one regret that makes me feel like a jerk
it’s that I claimed to understand how magnets work
and they say…
they will leave me to rot
but I know that they’re bluffing
dot dot… dot?
Nice! Someone's had a productive morning! Keep it up! ;)
This is awesome - really Grandaddy-esque. I really like the ghost synth at the end
Awesome. Loving the sounds. Solid work.
I really enjoyed the listen. Love the line "Dot dot dot.." You convey so much with it when you sing it. Really strong lyrics - Great song!
Great synth-pop. Very 80's Interesting choice of music and suits the lyrics very well
Woohoo . Great start ! And so fast to complete such a catchy synth ditty. Especially like the squelch in the chorus .
The first thing that came to mind was the old Castlevania soundtracks on the NES :) The style and modes are very much in that vein. Sounds good!
Getting Grandaddy vibes too on that chorus, love the wobbly portamento synth line that comes after the chorus as well. Off to a good start!
Oh, this is fantastic! Very New Order / Communards! :) Though that synth riff's going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day now. xD
Like dancing through the maze of an ancient 2D video game. Bop bop bop...
Kraftwerk and Nintendo had a love child... Catchy as hell man. Dig the song.
Some awesome synth tones all over this, literally every one or them. The solos especially. I assume this is fully analogue? Love the ellipsis cleverness. Oh you want some constructive criticism eh?! Verses a tiny bid muddy with the delay, could come down s touch. All in all though, whaddastart
Haha neat song to start it off. I love the sounds here, especially how it changes for the verse. There is a neat progression to the end of the vocal line as well. That sound into the chorus is cool as well. Good stuff.
Tasty. Among others, the pledge allegiance line is great, like a short sharp punch to the kidneys. You're on your way!
This song is super catchy in the most perfect way. The melody has an awesome bouncy feel which does a great job adding levity to such a dark subject matter.
@godsmonkey has already echoed my own impressions. This does indeed sound like a cross between Kraftwerk and Gamecore or whatever the genre term is these days. I like the simple percussion and the arrangement is spot on. Catchy and fun synthy goodness
I feel like I should drop you off my watchlist just to add you again. Just goddamn perfect. This is beautiful.
YES YES YES
Great first track, cool production and it's also really catchy.
Nice thereminy sound there! And I enjoy the Depeche Mode / Erasure / Martha & Muffins style hooks and feel.
Reading the title I had Stephen Colberts Trump impression in mind. Though the song is about something completely different. Great storytelling, love how you used "dot dot dot" to hint at an uncertain situation.
Woohoo, great start sir. Those synth sounds are so warm and beautifully retro. Lyrics a highlight of course though that’s to be expected from you! Cool.
What a cheerful little ditty about literal imprisonment. The cyclical music makes me think the narrator has gotten a little loopy and may be reaching the end of their sanity.
Loving the wonky Gameboy-style synths you've got going on here and the juxtaposition between the jaunty, bouncy music and depressing subject matter. A good start, sir.
Excellent. I like the variation. The song stays interesting the whole time. Really catchy sounds going on. So cool!
Super cool!
The "dot dot dot" line is amazing. It has just the right delivery and its a sweet spot in your song. I've heard a few really great songs so far in this FAWM but as of now, this has to be my favorite one so far. Its just so cheeky and full of attitude but in a humble yet sarcastic way. The beat is very 8 bit and video game'ish (which blows me away) and sounds great! Its so masterfully assembled! I feel like this would be a HIT! A HIT I TELL YOU! Plus, I love the message that you won't be a snitch! Because as we all know lol...... Snitches get stitches, yo :D
Loved it, really good start. Great story telling but I would expect that of you. All the synths you have used work really well together. Very cool and you can't beat a bit of synthpop especially with a bit of the Vom magic :)
So clever and elating. I can't decide which is catchier : the bouncing melodies, or your inimitable vocal delivery. I love your voice - you know it, don't you?
From the comments I see I'm not the only one getting 8-bit computer game vibes from the sounds in this. Nice bouncy sound and catchy melodies. Who would've thought 'dot dot dot' could be a hook?
This song is great entertainment and put a smile on my face. Super clever lyrics and concept. Makes a good detained anarchist anthem
Glad you're back, and what a great start to the season! Love your vocals and synth sounds, and these lyrics make for a tight, clever story with that "dot dot dot" providing great punctuation (no pun intended) for the chorus.
You are a master of sonic cinema! Suspenseful and hilarious, and I love that he feels guilty about the magnet thing. Your songs always leave me better off than they found me. And big smiles all around. It's a testament to your ingenuity that a song about torture and detainment can make me feel so happy.
I love this so very, very much.
Ha, the contrast between jaunty space-pop and lyrics that sound like they're from Sicario or something is amazing. Why is a song about torture so entertaining? The line about magnets made me chuckle. I will treat it as an amusing non-sequitur but I'm also worried I might have missed something.
coooool! that line about magnets ... buwhahaa... I laughed so hard.. great lyrics as only you can write them, and man what a catchy song... Vomtastic!
the opening line rhymes (border/food and water) was/is brilliant. love this electronic beauty. love the sounds!! man, i need to get my sweet 80s synth collection going asap. even that soft melody line that happened before the first verse was just so cool.
Love this! I got totally swept up in the rhythm of it. The lyrics are brill, especially the magnets line.
Oh, this is wonderful! It's such a toe-tapper, and so damn CHEERFUL :D
The embedded music player is not working for me for some reason! :( I love the lyrics though--great cinematic storytelling, and a cool take on the Songfight prompt.
The most upbeat imprisoned and tortured hero song I have ever heard. Well done. I have, for years, wanted to write a song called, ". . . ". You beat me to it. No, wait, I'll take it as inspiration. . . .
I feel so illicit hearing this before the fight goes up. I also wrote a Dot Dot Dot which, while bearing some similarities, is not as fun as yours
well done! lyrics are interesting, but it's the tones/timbres of the various parts which really intrigue these ears over here...
LOVE THIS! As I host an 80's alt/new wave radio show, this style is near and dear to me. Great retro vibe!
I don't know how people tell great stories like this in a song. I just add words until the song is full, meaning be damned. It's amazing that you've created something so happy-sounding and yet so dark. That 'dot dot dot' line is just perfect for conveying unnamed menace--and I love how you deliver it. The theramin thingy after that is delicious. Great tune
I'm left wondering where you are. San Diego? Guatemala? Chiapas? Texas, probably
Ohhhh, I love this pop sounds :) It reminds me of early 90s Nintendo games!
One of my absolute favourite genres is 80s synth pop and this song for me echoes the style of giants such as Vinc Clarke and OMD brilliantly. Also, the lyrics are superb. Great wee story, succinctly told. Really god job, sir.
Well that was fun- cool title to go with it too.
Super production ! Love the music. We can really feel the 80's vibe in here !
Some really pleasant synth sounds going on that in a way are comforting. Especially cool in the company of that 'singing saw' at 0.47, that's a very cool marriage, a menacing one too. This pop goes well with story telling like you do. I like this sort of synth pop!
Oh my... this is fantastic! You cheered me up, thanks so much! I never expected this story when I read dot dot dot. Great production, I can see what you mean with your comment on my song, that you got spoiled by software, haha, it works so cool though!
Thanks for the compliment on my song ("I Wish I Could Speak In Technicolor"), I had to come and check what kind of sick person does something like that :) And immediately I notice that the mood of this song - both on sounds/melodies and lyrics - are incredible! I need to listen to your other songs when I get behind a better Internet than this train's Internet connection..
Really digging the energetic rising synth waves, great work!!!
I love the upbeat energy of this. I'm a big fan of anything sequency so I especially like the ascending arpeggio pattern throughout. Also, you've got a great voice for this style of music; very 80's feel!
The music on this is awesome! I love the chiptuney beep in there, as well as the other keyboards, and that wonderful rhythm! The lyrics tell a good story, and your vocal adds magic. Great job Tom! 👍
I simply had to listen to this because - well it's a little bit of a long story. I used to work with a guy who talked with lots of slightly pregnant pauses between the clauses of his sentences; not unlike Tom Brokaw. The funny thing is, he would type out his e-mails with the pauses he would normally not vocalize, with ... in between the clauses. It was genius actually. Everyone who read his e-mails heard his voice in their heads as they read them. So, this was nostalgic to me in many ways, the clean chip-tune as well as the topic. Thanks for sharing!
nice playful juxtaposition between fun melody and heavy lyrics.
This has just made me realise something fundamental -- I tend to not like writing electronic music because of its mechanical exactness, and so seek out organic sounding synths (loving Podolski btw -- sound like there is some on here?) -- but I'm forgetting the key organic part, the voice. Once a voice is on it all makes sense. And so it is here. In fact, I would say your voice is too low in the mix; it should be the main thing. And perhaps a harmony on the chorus, or a female BV, etc. That would set a nice balance between man and machine, organic and digital, for me anyway ...
Fantastic synth sounds and a great story. I love how you sing it too. Great phrasing and a super fun (if depressing) song. Really great start to your FAWM! :)
2018-02-05 @ 05:58pm
tags: electronic fawmtronica moody synthpop
I spent the first long weekend of February away with family for my sister's birthday, and hoped I'd find the time to come up with a few ideas for songs so that I could launch right back into FAWM as soon as I got back. Well, I came back with half an idea inspired by feeling miserably hungover early on Saturday morning, and what feels like the start of a horrible cold. So... erm... hooray?
he blinks, half-past four
no time to be awake
but there’s no chance of sleep
with a splitting headache
and he thinks to himself
“can I just skip this part?”
he closes his eyes
and steadies his heart…
and hits fast forward in his head
to wake up at a better time instead
and he won’t miss those hours
spent staring into space
in an uncomfortable bed
flushed with success
he sits at his desk
but the deadlines pile up
and so does the stress
so he makes his escape
takes an unscheduled break
thinks he might have a way
to keep things in shape
he hits fast forward in his brain
and speeds through the misery and pain
and the very next day
faced with the same choice
he takes the easy way again
he waits in his room
nobody but him in it
and he thinks “ninety years
and I barely lived a minute”
if he could do it all again
(he contemplates the notion)
“a little less fast forward
a little more slow motion”
This had me hooked from the start with them phat beatzzzz. Great synth sounds in this, the chorus with the overdriven guitar under it sounds so meaty (does that make sense?). Love these lyrics, the last four lines particularly. Great work!
I love the synth riff, it really grabbed me. The guitars really add a nice depth to the song.
I got the player working!!! Ugh i'm sorry to hear you aren't feeling well :( At least you got some productivity in! I really like the textures in this song, the instruments feel satisfyingly crunchy and your voice fits in really well in the mix. The closing lines are EPIC--love the outro.
Some super cool synth work in this one. So envious of your lyrical skills - they’re great here again. You’ve nailed the moody vibe. Enjoyed this one - nice job!
Great groove,love the synth. Nice writing
Fine song! I like how you developed your lyrics here. Sometimes it's not so good to get what you want.
Well, that got deep! A great - if somewhat unsettling - story. The groove you've built here is awesome and makes me wish I knew what to do with synths. Are you available for lessons? Here's hoping the horrid cold either doesn't materialise, or else decides to go easy on you...
Great beats and synths backdrop for the compelling lyrics. Awesome sound!
Firing on all cylinders here. That chorus is darkly Bowie-esque. This works for me in every respect. I guess you have to suffer for art.
The mix of synth and guitar, oh yes, and the vocals, really work well here, keep it up, I want to hear more!
Love that gated synth in the intro/verses, that's a fucking awesome sound. Love the chorus, the power chords are a delight, and love the melody. Proper chorus! It's like you looked at week one's challenge and decided the fuck that right off.
Mew eew aew maow! [Mantra loves this! It's vivid and soulful, compelling from beginning to end. Who knew feeling miserably hungover could inspire such awesomeness? Going to grab catnip right away.]
Lyrics are spot-on. We've all lived a version of this, eh?
Wow, this is really good and convincing. Put me in the mind of Seal's 'Crazy'; those synth noises 'hanging above' the song are really impressive and they stay impressie throughout the whole song. Cool attitude in the vocals too. Big tune and great lyrics (my favorite lines being the last two).
Love the production on this, dude. It's got a bit of a britpop feel to it (more the Mansun end than Oasis, obviously!). Some really brilliant lyrics as well, very clever. Can't wait to hear what you've got next in your bag of tricks!
Neat track here, the dynamics are on point. Well produced, the guitars sit well, enjoyable listen!
Awesome production, all those layers in and out. As for the lyrics...owch, alas too familiar! Killer ending lines.
Yeah, when the guitar kicks in it's sick. I like the contrast of grit and the rhythmic arp driving this forward. I totally agree with the lyrical sentiment as well - I like to live like this is the second chance your character has been given (he types as he sits in the office of an insurance company...not working though! :) )
I liked the melody, and I liked the guitar parts.
Nice smooth going. I like the steady bass and the little bits of synths. In the chorus, I might add a full-blown string swell kinda thing. Something huge.
Another good one. The main chord backing is excellent and the sentiment in the lyric - I tell you, man, the older you get the harder that hits home.
What a great ending... You have a way of telling stories with these amazing arrangements, I'm blown away. The last two lines, ha, isn't that the truth...
Have you seen the Adam Sandler movie, Click? It's a very similar premise. It's fairly dreadful though so feel free to skip (ha) it. Your take on it is much better. I really like the moody gothy 80s sort of feel to this. The synthwork is great and in particular I liked the stuttering verse one
I was inspired by your song to think about whether something like this could actually happen with future cybernetic technology - ie pay somebody else to hop inside your head and live your life for a while. I came to the conclusion that it might happen, but probably not in my lifetime... In any case, this is a great, energetic, moody track!
Nice. I like the guitars at the end too. My imagination of the person FF-ing through the morning goes well with that lead synth and drum part. Like he's just lying there twitching in fast motion and -bam- the sun comes up. Hope you get well soon!
Damn, love your beats on this! I'm sensing a theme with your songs here and I like it!
Nice idea for a song! Love the synth sounds :-) I guess sometimes a fast forward would be helpful (and a rewind button or slow-motion button would be ideal).
I love everything about this song, but I’ve got to say that musically, in my opinion, the guitar really pushes this up a notch or four! The guitar is a great extra bit of magic in there! Another good job!
well done! i love the feel.
Ha ha, great concept. Let's have a rewind button too for the good bits. Or a counterpart song, RRWD ... Love the crunchy guitar, it's almost synth like as well ... Again, more prominent vox would be cool. I like the easy way again line. And the plaintive mini-solo after that is just spot on. The pause before 'a little more slow motion' is also well judged. Top stuff!
Really cool song and a wonderful lyrical concept. Really well done. Great sounds and I love the transition from synths to guitars in the verse-chorus switch. Awesome ending too. This was a fantastic song, so congrats on getting this out of your misery, lol. :)
Love the moody synthrock feel to a meditation on mortality and how life is to be lived.
2018-02-09 @ 06:55pm
tags: ill indiepop
As a (perhaps overly complacent!) ten-year FAWM veteran and ten-time "winner" I didn't expect to be so far off the pace at this point, but I've been struggling with a cold that has sapped my energy and motivation this week. What else to do but to turn that negative into a positive and write a song about it? And sing it even though my voice is "a bit fucked"?
Very basic mix, gotta save my energy, hopefully catch up a bit this weekend... might revisit this one at a later date and add some keyboard and backing vocals, but we'll see.
some days I wake, inspect the ceiling
just waiting for the energy to rise
half an hour to come up with a reason
why another half hour would not be wise
drag myself to work as if it matters
try to stop myself becoming bored
seeing how long I can avoid blinking
then trying to break my own record
I’m sorry I’m late
it just took so long
driving with the handbrake on
I was asleep at the wheel
I got the pedals wrong
I was driving with the handbrake on
some days I feel the world has settings
and they’ve turned up the gravity
or we’re players in the world of someone
who is tiring of the fantasy
all the birds are slightly muffled
and the world’s in black and white
(but not the beautiful kind from old movies
as that would actually be alright)
My tyres are wearing thin
All my fuel is gone
I am driving with the handbrake on
I will ruin your day
I will sabotage this song
I am driving with the handbrake on
I've been the same way this year! Way off pace because of a terrible cold/flu going around. This sums up those frustrated feelings rather well. Nice lyrics! I love the line about the world being black and white.
I am in same shit cold and screwed throat club! This is a great way to get the energy out. I can hear this full already. Has loads of energy and drive. Big up to all the sick boys
Listening to this with a big grin on my face. Love your style, love your 'fucked' voice, love everything about this song. Had it been written in 1979 the 7" would have been a wanted collectors item today me thinks.
Sounds great, rest up!
This is lots of fun, and has tons of energy which I find exceptional with you having a cold. The guitar riff is mad catchy.
Don't we all feel this way sometimes... I'm absolutely not sorry for you, or else this never existed! Love everything about it, that bass, the sliding guitar chords, hell yeah. Please try to ruin more days...
Oh, yes, we all have our moments! Some of us...daily... (me) lol Love the driving energy and well-written lyric. Fantastic performance! A++!
Like that vintage electric sound. The bouncy bass line is pretty cool too. Cracking lyrics as per usual. Getting Belle & Sebastian vibes from this one.
Is that how you fight illness, with songs that require such a fast delivery? Oo It feels like a fawm opener, with vivid eagerness and overflowing energy. And your voice is great. Always.
Nice one, I like the driving with the handbrake on refrain, I can definitely relate to that right now! Chorus is pretty catchy...and I also like that you rhymed 'bored' with 'record'...for some reason that made me smile!
Ha! Brilliant metaphor. Your cold has given you a David Gedge-esque quality, which is fun. The whole song is an unlikely sunny fun time.
Bouncy and fun! There are some really great lines in here too. I think this is a little gem. Well worth revisiting if you have time/energy later.
Cracking job to say you're ill! Awesome lyrics as always, and there are a lot of them! Reckon a full band thrashing at this one would sound wicked.
What a cool concept Well written and performed...cold or not. So catchy I have often felt like this...but you make it seem like fun
I liked the contrast of the fuzz guitar with the clean guitar in the chorus. I hope you get well soon! It sucks being sick!!
This is great! Such a catchy chorus, such amazing lyrics. 'drag myself to work as if it matters' might be my favourite line but there's loads. Really like this one, can relate to the sentiment!
I love this one. That guitar/bass groove is awesome: a rocking driving tune. Ain't no handbrake on here. More like Vom was a racecar driver. I kind of expect Dick Dale to cleave this thing with guitar solo. Super lyric, too: half an hour...etc...ha!
I just bought a copy of X's "Los Angeles" over the weekend and that's what the guitar part reminded me of right away--that high energy rush right into it. Loved this--it's a keeper! So catchy and the lyrics are wonderful, I loved the 2nd verse in particular--captures that feeling perfectly. I think it would have been easy to just make the whole song a pile of car metaphors (phone autocorrected to "cat" which isn't wrong either) but that seems a bit lazy, so I'm glad you didn't go that direction--every part has its own mood and feel, lyrically.
Great and creative lyrics! The guitar is awesome and nice singing! Such a lovely and entertaining song!
Must be a Monday song. Catchy tune and interesting if not quirky lyrics. Cool stuff.
Love the driving as a metaphor for existential horror ,or maybe I just need to go to bed. Great lyrics, loved the chorus!
Really love this. The chorus is so catchy. Like the second to last," I am driving with the handbrake on" the vocals are great and build in intensity.
Love the upbeat surf pop sound! Definitely got me dancing along with the song. I thought your voice held up really well. The second verse is ace. Love the idea of turning up the gravity, the birds being muffled, and all.
This is really good. I hear a 80's power pop, Nick Lowe kind of vibe that is perfect for the quirky, bit off center lyrics. Super catchy. I really love this tune.
Brilliant upbeat song, full of energy. Loving it. Nadia
Best ill indie pop song I've ever heard. :) seriously, as the others have said, really wonderfully upbeat.
catchy title - love the energy - funny counterpoint to the subject matter :) the chorus is definitely a keeper!
That bass! Such a fun, classic indie-pop sound here. Your lyrics are fantastic as well. Love all the detail and metaphor, especially your title line and "some days I feel the world has settings" bit. I only wished it were longer!
Hah, inspect the ceiling! I know all the little cracks in mine by heart .. :-) Good cute brit-lyrics. Nice bit of amp buzz to finish. Could perhaps do with more contrast between verse and chorus. Otherwise, rocking good bread-and-butter stuff.
Don't worry, I'm not finished around here by a damn sight! and I'm please to be able to push this nugget over the 30 comments threshold. I find the contrast between the bouncy music and the lyrics about feeling like crap - something that we can all relate to mixed with something that we (mostly) all like. A surefire path to success! The line about breaking your no-blinking record is my favourite. I've never played that particular game but it sounds like a good way to get eye-crust https://goo.gl/images/JKJJR6
Bass reminds me of Graham Maby, in both style/sound and the fact that the guitar is playing second fiddle to the bass part. Love it! Your voice certainly works fine with this song to my ear, and the guitars/instrumentation are awesome. I love your lyrics - every time. Once again, you created a super catchy, head bobbing, thought provoking winner. :)
Fun high energy track here; definitely know the feeling of trying to wait another half hour to gather that energy to get out of bed somedays. Great metaphor of driving with the handbrake on. As a sufferer of perpetual lateness I can identify with this.
Good positive vibe. Lyrics are great.
2018-02-10 @ 01:01pm
tags: fawmtronica orchestral odd
Just a little experiment while I wait for my cold-addled voice to return, but I kinda really like this? Just messing with arpeggiators but with orchestral / classical instruments...
This is such an interesting sound, it’s like listening to a new genre. I like the almost jazzy chord choice and arpegiators. Sounds like it was really fun to make
Yeah - sounds just like the orchestra I heard yesterday. Ok, they had no drums.
Awesome! Irresistibly quirky. Sounds in parts like one of the instruments you used was a swarm of mildly-narked bees? Very cool.
That's fun. The rhythm is really what makes it work for me. It sounds kind of edgy and menacing. I think you could take this over the top with some gangster rap and a banjo solo. On a technical note, where do you find all this arpeggiator stuff? The selection on GB for iPad is sadly lacking. I've always harbored a fantasy that somewhere there's a plug-in that would let me lay down some awesome tracks with my index finger. Say I wanted to record a song that sounded like the Pet Shop Boys version of Always on My Mind--is there an app for that?
Ha, this is great fun... the delay on the beat is really cool around the middle. Quite the like the idea of treating orchestral instruments as synths and sequencing them, nice.
Think this would be great with rap verses, and a big chorus with a choir! Has a little of everything, modern whilst having traditional roots, and a strong earthy beat.
I think you have the making of an athletic type fire up song here!!! I could see me getting fired up before a game listening to this ....umm.....well.... 40 years ago I'd a got fired up!!
This is mad good! Reminded me of Anna Meredith at times. The delayed drums are really fun too
I love nothing more than a dirty drum beat! am i in a dempsey and makepiece chase?? really interesting use of the some unique chords here. Works a treat!! yeah second Mr French! Delay drums rule
This is odd in a great way. I love how the trumpets bounce all around my head with all these lovely elements pinging in between.
Nothing sounds odd to me anymore, I dig arpeggiators . I used to have a Korg PolySix that's arpeggiator was so much fun. This make me miss that old synth. Of course it didn't have stereo like this.
I definitely listened to this the other day and for some reason didn't comment, this was probably what gave me the idea to chuck arpeggios and pizzicato strings together. Anyway, this is great - the horns particularly are really interesting in arps and the beat is fantastic.
This is really cool. They let a DJ loose at the symphony. Nicely done, and I like the ebb and flow throughout, almost as if there are movements.
I also like the horn parts... something about the way they are layered and woven together like a synth, only without sounding like a synth. It's neat to hear samples that don't have a fast attack time flung into an arp like that.
That's a pretty cool concept! I remember using arpeggiators on drums a few FAWMs ago to get unpredictable drum patterns. Might have to try that one again at some point. It's crackers is this... crackers and highly enjoyable :)
I don't know why, but I feel like this song needs to be the background to some sort of experimental film reel containing splices of old cartoons from the 40s. Really great energy in this track.
What a cool experiment! I really like the combination of the orchestra instruments and that beat. Kind of reminds me of electro swing music, if that's not an insulting thing to say.
Oh yeah! That trumpet thing at around :45 is ace! Love it. I was hypnotized by the initial sounds and then the layers just kept getting more interesting (and trippy). :) Way to take advantage of your voice loss. :)
Ooh this is a lot of fun. Pictured a little toy orchestra animation while listening. Those arpeggiators wail.
This is really fun. Head bopping fun! There are a lot of cool things going on. Like how the horns dance with one another in a funky jive!
Wow. Extremely unique. I was blown away when the beat kicked in. I like so much about this, I don’t even know where to begin. I like the crazy trumpet sounds. I Also love the high synth notes that are all kind of slammed together. Don’t really know how else to describe it. Great stuff.
This is a lot of fun. I'd almost expect it was a remix of some old tracks you found on vinyl. Nice contrast!
using arp with orchestral sounds .. such a great idea! It works wonders too... its strange and quirky and not sure there is anything on the planet even remotely someting simiar to this... maybe you just made a new genre? The drums work like glue
This is great, it's making me laugh (in a good way). That main horn sounds like a dog so I'm imagining barking dogs as I listen. Very fun and entertaining song.
nice beat (and I like the drum sample) beginning reminds me of Debussy a bit. like the shift at 35 secs, it's a clock ticking kinda vibe The texture towards the end is rather fly like!
Wow, quite unexpected this one. A funny little thing that I find most pleasurable. Sounds a little catcore like. :)
Genius! No need for vox here. Good bit of minimalism in a Nyman or Zappa Yellow Shark vibe. I'd listen to a version that had no drums, though that would probably need another part to fill in the gaps. Or perhaps the odd bit of kettle drum and other trad orchestral perc ...
Back-handed compliment time! You know how some electronic artists seem to be able to make sounds that don't exist on any synth because they're such bloody sound-sculpting virtuousos? I love that by contrast you've chosen one of the worst sounds ever to exist on an electronic instrument - that of the fake brass family, not good enough to sound like an actual trumpet, not rubbish enough for fart sfx - and actually made an enjoyable track out of it. It's the way this one revels in the shitty sounds that's great. That and the fact the beat is cool, and with good drums it stops mattering so much what's over the top. I do like the urgency of it and the different phrases that are layered over each other.
Super cool stop/starts, and it just sounds like you had a blast composing this one. Love the double 'horns' on either ear. That's just a joy to listen to. So many sonic presents in this one, and very unexpected sounds throughout. Loved it.
This is a lot of fun, it kind of sounds a like crazy carnival music meets drum and bass.
Really liked that, when it started I thought "Austin Powers", but it doesn't really stay there, it did have a carnival sound (not copying, I actually thought that myself) and that rhythm was great, gave me a smile thank you...
2018-02-13 @ 02:27pm
tags: indiepop bart avocado-toast joy compassion guilt
VV: I'm still suffering from a cold, but cleverly I've been sneakily sending off instrumental tracks to @owl who is unafflicted by Vocal Woe and therefore I am proud to present the return of Vowl Sounds! This was tricky to mix, and potentially needs revisiting once my head isn't full of germs... but I love it.
owl: yessss I also love how this one came out! (How freakin' great is that main synth riff btw?!)
Sunny Sunday, my laundry's in limbo, I ignore it for now and take the subway to the city, yeah
Montgomery Station, I step out of the train, take the escalator up and go walking in the city, yeah
Street preachers shouting, the pigeons are shitting, the crust punks' pit bulls are fighting with each other, yeah
The city's so pretty and the streets are so chilly, everything's dirty, I'm in love with everything, yeah
It's hard to see
when we're fixated on our own mutations
The way everything
Shines in the light of imperfect kindness
It's hard to say
How much I love her when I hardly call her
Sister, we are the same,
Two planets orbiting the same bright star
The same bright star
I'm counting the miles as I walk through the city, I'm counting the blocks now, one, two, three, four!
A twenty-dollar bill wears a hole in my pocket so I buy myself some coffee and an avocado toast, yeah
Should have given it to somebody who needs it but predictably I'm thinking of my own self, yeah
Someday I might find my coat made of feathers, put it on and transform into a bodhisattva, yeah
Do as much good for the world as I ought to, but for now, I'm just putting on my oxygen mask, yeah
It's hard to see
when we're fixated on our own mutations
The way everything
Shines in the light of imperfect kindness
It's hard to say
That things will get better when I know she's hurting
Sister, we are the same,
Two children lost in the same bright world
The same bright world
I'm counting the miles as I walk through the city, I'm counting the blocks now, one, two, three, four!
Feels like a radio hit. I Lovely collab. Great flow very well produced
Love the story in the lyrics. Fun, relatable, but with depth. Love, love the line about putting on a feathered coat and achieving enlightenment. The catchy mix is perfect, especially like that synth hook.
Super fun and catchy!
Omg! Pop song loveliness! ❤️
Yay! Best FAWM band is back. This is such a cute big ball of bubblegum pop! Really 80s and yet not dated at all, due to the wry, smart nature of the lyrics. I really like the overlap vocals, the harmonies, and the synth work is great - especially the main riff.
Oh yeah. I love the contrast between grimy, imperfect reality and the shiny light it can be seen in. "Imperfect kindness," yeah. I also love the bodhisattva line. The... what is the opposite of cynicism? Panglossian quality of this warms me right up. Having @owl's bright voice helps too.
As someone who lives on an avocado farm, I'd just like to thank you very much, you have excellent taste. This jam is tight as hell. Love how compact and crisp it is, that guitar is so clean, and the harmonies are a delight. You guys must do more together. The world needs this.
I enjoy the 80s pop vibe in this one. Owl has some really smooth harmonies as well. Fantastic work, the both of you!
This is the one I heard you recording vocals to in the back room at MAKE TIME! It's amazing to hear it fully realized. I love the bright pop feeling of motion -- I can feel that rapid walk through the city while personal and philosophical thoughts go jostling through our minds. Love that notion of the light of imperfect kindness.
Yes! So much Yes! Vowl Sounds for president? Hmm.. world leader? No... more like the dynamic duo to throw catchy synth pop at the world and stop world bad-music-taste-a-sidus from spreading!
Oh I love that there is right and left owls singing to me! Love the cheerful feel. Great collab!
The light of imperfect kindness - now that's poetry! I love these everyday observations served in a bed of 80s joyfulness.
Wow, this is infectious! Couldn't imagine it more perfect. One of my favorites of FAWM so far. Great collab!
This is totally awesome! There is a wonderful energy and a gorgeous slice of humanity. Wonderfully descriptive lyrics. Love the creative approach to the sentiment.
The feelings of joy are overwhelming my nervous system. I'm sick to my stomach, but I want to vomit butterflies. That's what I told the doctor anyway. He recommended a few more listens.
Totally digging the electric vibe. So jealous of your production. Great pop song with cool lyrics.
Not safe for work? Did I miss something?
Great collab guys! That chorus is well catchy. Once again I’m getting B&S vibes! Some nice little vocal harmonies. And yes, that main synth riff is indeed very cool :)
Well this one I can listen to since it's not on Bandcamp....I get a "Sparks" vibe with this. Great feel good pop m/ Cool ending!
Aaahhh. now I see what you mean @owl. Damn devil sign just doesn't want to come out. Oh well...you guys get a "Hail Satan!" instead.
Ah greatest collab you two . This is more "up" than my Sunday tune! Love the indie pop feel to this and it is topped off by the brilliant synth Riff . This is a keeper guys
Really Cure vibes in that intro, the synth line against the strummed guitar is a treat for the ears. Chorus is indeed very catchy, and love the subtle harmonies in there. LOVE the second verse with the (nearly) overlapping vocals and the little backing vocals that appear here and there. So catchy. Great collab guys
Right away that guitar riff pulls you in. Great track! Love how vocals come in from different directions every time in the verse. Avocado-yum!!
Oh my, new wavey powerpop ear candy piled on more of the same! The opening keyboard/guitar riff is awesome. But what isn't awesome here? You just need some indie filmmaker to put this in her surprise hit film of the year and--two, three, four--you'll be able to afford avocado toast AND a house
This has so much good stuff in it! A lot of neat tricks like clever vocal panning and ... great songwriting! and energy! This one has a lot of polish and I appreciate the work put in, because it definitely pays off!!
eff yeah, Vowl Sounds! This is so great, you guys! That synth riff is delicious and the whole production from @vomvorton is so bright and warm. Wonderful lyrics from @owl as usual -- some really great imagery, creates a great little portrait and gave me major, complicated San Francisco nostalgia feels. The chorus is so satisfying, from the way the melody starts off with shift to minor and the "It's hard to see/when we're fixated on our own mutations/The way everything/Shines in the light of imperfect kindness" lines. Great stuff as usual!
So many great little vignettes ‘laundry’s in limbo’ ‘coat of feathers’ ‘fixed on our own mutations’ I love this kind of lyric writing and the sunny musical backdrop is perfection.
Yeah, Vowl Sounds!! Total ear candy from start to finish. Love the dense lyrics (my favourite line is probably the one about the coat of feathers/bodhisattva). And yes - that synth riff is a thing of beauty!
Oh that first verse really put me there, and I absolutely love the chorus, the unexpected use of the word mutation, the concept of “imperfect kindness,” and the idea of being two planets orbiting the same star, makes me think of being fundamentally and inextricably connected, but also hopelessly remote
First time commenter, long time Vowl Sounds listener and fan. This makes me feel so good I'm not going to talk about it, just listen. And smile inside my inside smiley places. And then listen again!
Love the bass, it is all such a fab arrangement with interest at every turn, sounds like something we would hear on the radio, great vocal combinations, great lyric, well done both.
A great collaboration between you two! I always enjoy your tracks. Love the layering of the vocals, and the beautiful and absolutely perfect harmonies. This is one of the best examples of a great upbeat pop song one could hope to find!
Woah I love this!! Such a great sound, and great song, sounds like a classic after one listen. Great energy in the playing and live the rythem in the vocals. Great stuff!!
"everything's dirty and I'm in love with everything" - yeah! awesome lyrics and the tune is a pop gem. I love the overlapping vocals in the verses and the lovely synth riff.
Love the oxygen mask line ... genius to finish on the one two three four. Love owl's spoken-ish voice there. It's just great pop. You two seem to drive each other to even greater heights of pop perfection ...
Great collab I really feel like I am walking and seeing these images. Fun pop-py music The vocals have a wonderful quirky feel
Avocado toast? I'm in! You both really play to each other's strengths (as far as I know, you probably have hidden strengths I am not aware of) of Vom's insatiable poppery and Owl's always intriguing and panoramic lyrics. They both make the other more colourful. When I say the lyrics are intriguing, there seems to be this mix of joy mixed with doubt and concern, like a person who's not totally comfortable with their place in the world. It makes me want to know more, so my imagination fills in the things that are unsaid. One of the signs of a good lyric in my book. One of the signs of a good pop tune is a MASSIVE HOOK. This has both! Hi5s all round.
what a great and perky intro and the vocal really kicks up. Good panning and overall arrangement. Cool lyrics just describing a slice of life of someone on the go. Excellent pop tune, a super fun read and listen.
Wonderfully driving music with the insistent synth and guitar mix. It is overflowing with energy but the energy is somehow bumped up even further by the manic breathless vocal. Instantly hooky melody, fitting a ridiculous amount of lyrics in. What a fantastic collab! 😀❤️😀
2018-02-17 @ 02:27pm
tags: hip-hop rap fawmtronica
VV: Proof positive that if you spend enough time whinging about how you can't shake off your cold then somebody WILL ask you to provide a beat for their latest rap track, in this case the brilliantly wordy @frenchcricket - she wrote and rapped, I made all the musical noises that go underneath.
Lo, a moron doth approach to reproach the OP. You see he, and it's always a he, has a missive all ready to go: 'It's the Eve not the Steve of Destruction.’ Like it's a compulsion to liberate the consummate illiterate. Bakhtin with the masses in remedial classes for the casual placids. Semiotics warm me. This movie on the side of the bus is a dud and will never make the syllabus: 'A celebration of white male ego: ergo, the caucasian was never a low blow (The Hellenistic Age cannot take a non-white face) or, How a woman director has no authority on Hector.’
Imminent death is inherently more tellable; spitting rhymes just to hype up the terrible. A beat's locus of control is limited to a Ford Focus, when my patronus is a likeness of Herodotus. I've got more citations than 45's litigations. Kurosawa can't write women. Is it so hard to think hard? Synthwave done got jacked by the Nazis, who got off to that scene in Drive when that guy stomped on that other guy's face in a lift. Maybe someone should say, ‘You are not supposed to empathise with O'Brien in 1984, guys.’
I'm walking to town, solo (some mofo stole my Ofo). Contactless chip sits under skin on the inside wrist. Commodification of the erogenous zones, 1-6: Off-peak, paired with a mobile phone. There's no place like home. I can talk, I'm a hypocrite; I wrote this shit on Notes. Terrified of criticism, forestall with a witticism and a fake shade of altruism.
I drive diesel and hate myself. Repeat it - I drive diesel and hate myself. But that's a lie too; it's only a weak construction of self. A schema for another dreamer. Self-expression is onanism and will lead to cataclysm. Mark me
Oh my gosh...that is great. This actually made me laugh out loud: A beat's locus of control is limited to a Ford Focus, when my patronus is a likeness of Herodotus. I could listen to that all day, and might need to in order to take it all in. I wanted to be an academic once. I spent a number of years not writing my dissertation on Derrida. I'm a happier person now, but I can't spit out any nasty rap like this one
Fuck. Fucking hell! Wow. Those rhymes...and that beat...every second of this is absolutely killer. I don't even know which bits to pick out. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!!!
wow, this is impressive! some of the references went past me a little bit, but in a way that I want to chase them down and figure it all out- great work!.. the beat is (insert new hip word for 'really great') and the lyric and rapping performance are excellent!
Very cool groove going on in this one. Some of those lyrics are an absolute delight. ‘Some mofo stole my Ofo’ - brilliant! Nice collab :)
Well... This is a dense net of rhyme, wit, and erudite references backed by groove and attitude. Yet self aware and slightly meta- . ? . Really, really cool you two!
Great beat, and as a Steve, I think I'm excited about this song. :) There are SO MANY great lines in this song. One of my personal faves "when my patronus is a likeness of Herodotus. "
Damn. This. Rich cinematic sound with some nice touches (though it ain't that obvious, even the bass sound is delicious.) Great flow from French Cricket, and even though the references are weighty, I get what she's on about.
Christ, you got a bigger vocabulary than Aesop Rock! This is wicked, the beat is awesome but not too crazy so let's the vocals do the talking. Love the variety of rap styles in this, sort of flows in and out of rhythmic and witty spoken word bits. Very cool. So many good one liners, especially "It's the Eve not the Steve of Destruction."
This is pretty fookin amazing... lots and loads of cool rrhymnes...@frenchcricket and the way you deliver them is wicked ...
I don't hear nearly enough hip-hop on FAWM! Enjoyed these @frenchcricket rhymes immensely over @vomvorton's catchy but not distracting beat. So dense with great references and cutting condemnations ("I've got more citations than 45's litigations" made me laugh).
Great stuff, I bet Bakhtin will approve that adam of deconstrucion
These lyrics are amazing. I love how it has this British politeness and this cutting, merciless hip hop tone all at the same time. Favorite line: "A beat's locus of control is limited to a Ford Focus, when my patronus is a likeness of Herodotus." Great beat too. Driving, subtle, and dynamic.
I have nothing useful to add but this is poss my fav fawm song to date.
“A beats locus of control is limited to a Ford Focus when my patronus is a likeness of Herodotus” Wow. So many awesome lines here I could easily use up my 2000 characters posting them all. But I will give a special shoutout to “I'm walking to town, solo (some mofo stole my Ofo)”. Perfect. Fantastic work from the two of you 💫
This is a great collaboration, I love this beat it immediately drew me in. the delivery of the lyrics is flawless. The lyrics are so clever, "when my patronus is a likeness of Herodotus" is amazing, I'm a sucker for a patronous reference. And "I drive diesel and hate myself. Repeat it - I drive diesel and hate myself. But that's a lie too" is equally brilliant.
This is most excellent. Chilled but edgy beat to match that bitingly witty rant. Great stuff, both
"Self-expression is onanism and will lead to cataclysm" Daaaaaaaaamn.
Interesting, I really enjoyed the rap style over those synths Vom laid down. The words are fascinating, far too clever for the likes of a simpleton like me. Really like where you went with this.
love the groove and the beat on this SO much -- so groovy and dreamy. Great lyrical stylings and delivery. There are some sick af lines in here. I was going to try and highlight a few, but there are so many, and whole story you tell is done in such a clever, cutting way (okay, I will highlight "Maybe someone should say, ‘You are not supposed to empathise with O'Brien in 1984, guys.’" because it made me lol) This track blew me the heck away -- great job! Awesome collab!
Great title. Totally not a genre I normally listen to but this is great. Enjoyed this one a lot.
great groove, and great lines here - the name dropping, I drive diesel (repeated), ego ergo, Herodotus patronus, to name but a few great write!
Good ol' Herodotus: "If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it." I enjoyed the clever writing and the crunchy beats and the vocal delivery. Personally, I could've done with a few more bpm
Being a norwegian, there were some fancy words here that were a tad too british for me :D But that didn't make me love this any less; it's one of those tunes that is just pure awesomeness to me... well impressed
I listened to this one pretty much as soon as it was posted but I was in the middle of some intensive knob-twiddling, and also there's more references than I can absorb in one sitting so I needed to Wikipedia a whole bunch of stuff. I saw Anya was asking for hints on rapping before, I don't know what advice you were given or took but you've absolutely bossed this. You've avoided the easy couplets, there's so many internal rhymes and rhyming words that I've never heard anyone use before and I love all the inflections and tonal left turns, like where you add "in a lift" - It's unexpected in terms of meter. You've completely got your own style in a genre where it's so easy to pastiche (or almost expected). Please make more like this! I want to comment on the content as well but my mind's a bit too blown, and frankly I'm not intelligent enough. Moving on, the music is bloody awesome. I dunno if that's some backwards piano or something but it sounds fantastic. Great beat + bass. Victory!
2018-02-17 @ 04:52pm
tags: odd-folk acoustic insomnia unplugged
Somehow this is my second song this month (after FFWD) inspired by being awake at half-past four in the morning.
Also inspired by John Cage's infamous avant-garde composition 4'33": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4%E2%80%B233%E2%80%B3
To add extra atmosphere to my weirdo acoustic song I have sampled two performances of 4'33" - in the left channel we have my favourite version, performed by a cat named Nola; in the right channel we have the Sinfónica Conservatorio Nacional Quito-Ecuador. Ideally my song would have been four minutes and thirty-three seconds long but adding another two minutes to this would have been excessive, I think. Let's just be happy that I got all the way through it without coughing!
the birds they are not singing
the cars they are at rest
my footsteps they are swallowed
my breath stalls in my chest
it's four thirty-three
and john cage was right
this is the quietest
part of the night
the clocks they remain silent
though their hands move ever on
no rain falls, and the wind
waits patiently for the sun
Very interesting. Has a Leonard Cohen kind of vibe, good thing in my book. The beat drives the song in a very cool way. I love the slightly droning quality. Adds to the moodiness of the piece. As a charter, dues paying member of the insomnia club this really connected with me. Good work.
I love this! The combo of instrument sounds, the slightly hushed-quality to your vocal, the lyrics, the chord choices - aargh, I love it all! Nice use of the 4’33 concept too, the title is what drew me to it!
Love that guitar works, sounds really lovely. That bit-crushed kick is a real nice touch; shouldn't work, but it does! Gives it a bit of an impending doom feel. Love the chorus, very clever. This is really quite lovely, man!
This is superb - although I'm sorry you had to go through a bout of insomnia to inspire it. The feel of the song, from the plodding rhythm to the off kilter guitar manages to evoke both a frustrated walk around the block and the ponderous ticking of a clock. So good. Well done.
Agree with @jkolb about the wonderful, slightly droning quality of the song, which I think comes from the wistful, tired, chant-like quality of your delivery. And it’s very catchy—needle in a vinyl groove way. Plus, any song with the line, “It’s 4’33” and John Cage was right/this is the quietest part of the night”, is fine with me!
Really nice guitar sound. Impressed with your versatility, very different from Dot dot dot!
Yes i saw the title and thought i have already heard this surely. But ooo no i ain't! A completely different take on 4.30 awakeness from previous. I love the unique chord sounds you get in the verse . A real original special piece of work. Great to hear that vocal back
Illness has disguised your vocals in a lovely way! Congrats on not coughing with such a fragile voice. Seriously, it's really beautiful. I love everything about it.
This is so cool, I love the ticking clock feeling and the notes you chose in the instrumentation. Simple, moody, really effective. Also the concept is fantastic (and your samples--well chosen, I think they add a lot.) Really loved this one, I think it's one of my favorites of all your songs actually. Your voice sounds good, too, glad you felt well enough to record this!
love the plucking work here - songs like this make me want to pick up the guitar again, but I'm continually certain it's not the right time yet for me to add another focus to my life. the noise in the channels is perfectly lo-fi.
Hope you begin feeling better soon.
Really good tune.i was awake at half four but just had bowl of cereal and back to bed.it's got bit of Decemberists feel to it.no bad thing.
This is great! It reminds me of two of my very favourite artists - Fredrik (for the arrangement, especially the beat) and Obidiah Strange (for the theme and vocal + guitar melodies). To me, there's a really sweet spot in between the two, where the genre "odd-folk" lies. You've nailed here - I really like this!
Oh, I really like this! That vocal delivery is Jarvis Cocker-esque. It's really inventive is this. Like it lots :)
Gorgeous and wistful. Nice how it steps along . Acoustic guitar sounds spectacular with those synths. I'm listening again so I can get to 4:33. I really love the quiet melody and the little buh duh duh pulses. I thought that was a synth think but I must be off my rocker--that's clearly more guitar. I love this, but 4:33 is my favorite time of day
It's really interesting to me that there are "versions" of Cage's piece! (I guess different ambient noise as the musicians don't play, right?) What a lovely song you've created - amazing lyrics in the spirit and intent of Cage, and a lullaby to insomnia in musical delivery. Good one!
i really like the tone of your instruments - the bell like tone. just a guitar with some reverb? sounds great. Again, reminds me of a clock. I think this has something also to do with your rhythm. [oh yes and you're singing about time] Tick tock. Have to find out if all your songs remind me of clocks! do you collect Cookoos?
Is this song in lydian mode? I liked chords you used for the song to give it this odd atmosphere. Reminds me of The Simpsons theme at one point of the song. I liked this line, "the clocks they remain silent though their hands move ever on no rain falls, and the wind waits patiently for the sun".
Then footsteps swallowed line is really evocative. I enjoyed this one a lot, really atmospheric.
Picking a part of the day that's like that for a song is actually a very good idea. I can hear the ease and calmness (and the almost slower than normal passing of time). That guitar sounds fab and so does your vocals (nice reverb too). Great, enjoyed this lots!
It doesn't sound that weird to me, wonderful song, great groove. I'm glad your insomnia resulted in this.
I like the JCagey unpredictability of this. Beautiful tune and beautiful rhyming, i especially like 'swallowed/breath stalls' My hats off for you at turning the misery of insomnia into something so pretty. I hope you got some sleep eventually.
Beautiful, exposed, atmospheric. I like the waiting wind, not sure why the clocks remain silent (not ticking? why not?) I think I heard Nola give a little meaow at one point (naughty kit!)
The guitars in this are great, it's such a distinctive riff in the verse. That chorus is so cool. As far as your best insomnia ballads goes this is right up there :)
What an interesting song. And I don’t mean that as a back handed compliment. That pounding rhythmic percussion, the hushed sometimes minor key (?) vocal delivery, the acoustic guitar sounds, the dramatic pauses... it’s just really interesting and satisfying to listen to.
This is great. Love the dah-dah-dahs and the little 'morse code' breaks between stanzas. Interesting chords too, with those guitar embellishments pushing at the edge of the key. Top stuff. Something about the weary, tick-tock mood puts me in mind of 'Clockwork' by Augie March, but that may just be because I never pass up a chance to recommend Augie March.
2018-02-18 @ 12:17pm
tags: songfight indie-rock pop-punk protest
Trying to sound like Superchunk, basically.
Quite a rough recording, one-take vocals for now and it's probably a bit over-compressed, might come back and tidy this one up a bit post-FAWM but it does have a good energy so I might not.
we crossed the lines, never expected
that when all life became connected
the links made across social media
would become a foul encyclopedia
of how not to treat each other
how to stifle, how to smother
this catalogue of folks I met
was less address book, more skynet
and you…
you don’t have the answers, do you?
I don’t need x-ray specs to see right through you
and it’s all an opportunity to you
I don’t need x-ray specs to see right through you
we put all of our eggs into one basket
and when they hatched into writhing snakes
we made sure every one had a platform
for all their words to sell as if hot cakes
the money now funds classes
to hotwire the robot masses
hit the power, free the slaves
“just what do you think you’re doing dave”
and you…
you don’t care what happens, do you?
I don’t need x-ray specs to see right through you
every garbage fire is good to you
I don’t need x-ray specs to see right through you
You're right this has great energy! And I totally relate to that dilemma of do I try and make it 'better' late but then risk losing the energy and vibe of a raw take. Personally I think this sounds great. And 'I don't need X Ray specs to see right through you' is a great line!
My goodness, this song really announces itself with that drum intro! Yeah, this has great energy, you're practically spitting those lyrics out into the mic. I want to play this loud in my car!
Haa love that chorus!! Clever lines ^-^
You just may have written THE punk anthem for 2018. The rhymes are so clever and spot on. social media- foul encyclopedia other-smother. The chorus is amazing. The guitars blister but could be just a tad more prominent in the mix, particularly during the solos.
vomvorton ft. HAL 9000. Love it!
That rough quality really helps add attitude to the song, and my ears aren't having a problem with the compression at all. The result is a song that has left me grinning. Douglas Rain! And THOSE DRUMS!
You are right. THis has amazing energy. It straight out of the BLAST, TURN IT UP LOUD, dictionary of how to listen to tunes. Love your vocals with this mate. How have you done those drums??? And of course you could fiddle with the mixing but i like the rawness of it. Suits the song mate
I've never heard Superchunk! Actually getting Libertines vibes from this one would you believe ('Don't Look Back Into The Sun' kinda thing)? Love all the guitar work in this one particularly. Lyrics are great too!
Fabulous. I love the sound. Chorus is totally hooky. Fabulous.
Damn, you're flying on this one. Great energy. Ah, our lyric is similar on the chorus. Only yours is better... (I just sent mine in so I thought I'd check out any on this site as well.) I like your lyric, it's interesting and humorous and works really well. Love your chorus melody.
Top notch Chorus. Yes, this whole tune drives along quite well.
Oof, this is fast and raucous. The chorus is a total blast, and those lead guitars are well cool, especially after the chorus. Love the little 2001 sample! Recording is slightly rough, but maybe that's why it works so well?
Great energy is right! It's got that punk attitude and a pop nature. Great message and I think a fun reckless approach. Nice one I had tried to listen a few times but your won't play in my player, at least on the phone. But I figured out an alternate so yay team!
This has a 00s ska-punk vibe (an era of music that very much influenced my formidable years). Reminds me especially of early Goldfinger. Great energy, tons of great lines. Especially liked the skynet lyric. And of course the X-ray specs hook is catchy as hell.
I really like those guitar parts in the intro and this does have an awesome infectious energy--unfairly catchy chorus! "less address book, more skynet" is great, and I loved the 2001 sample.
Quite an anthemic wallop you pack here - I love that intense, buoyant power-pop sound. Great song, great attitude!
Rock! More indie bands should try to sound like Superchunk these days, at least for a while, though I did have an argument with someone once because I said I preferred Archers of Loaf. Though they're basically the same right? I thought you said "heads into one basket" and I imagined a guillotine. Must be the result of spending the weekend in Paris. Great chorus, I love the shouty backing vocals.
Man, this is effing infectious. Great lyric: foul encyclopedia...eggs...etc. Guitar is great, as usual. I especially love the guitar line behind "how not to treat each other" etc. This is what Superchunk sounds like. Seems like something I would like...if I ever bothered to use my Spotify account. On the plus side, everything is new and fresh for me, as if every album were released today. While I'm rambling, have you seen Babylon Berlin? It's set in some jazzy new wave Berlin, circa 1929. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFdrQcrjTU
I liked the song, it's catchy. I liked the nice blend of acoustic guitar and electric guitar. I also liked the guitar overdub at the end of the chorus. Reminds me of The Cure and other British post-punk acts. I liked the word pairing in these lines, "and it's all an opportunity/every garbage fire is good -to you", clever and powerful!
Great pace, powerful intro. 'I don’t need x-ray specs to see right through you' is a great line!
Catchy, great rhythm; nice story flow, visual and enjoyed everything about this. Awesome tune!!!
Love that drumming! Great energy, yes, Love the counterpoint solo too. A duet with Hal! Nice X-Ray Spex meta reference perhaps too, though a bit of Only Ones in there too. Very VV
I LOVE Superchunk. I don't think that you achieved sounded like them, but that is a good thing in my book. I never go along with a song that I think that sounds like something that I have heard before and you don't here. I see how you could say that this is influenced by them, especially the lead guitar, but you have created your own song. This is so catchy, and I mean that in the best way. If a song doesn't stick in my head, I figure that I have not accomplished anything worthwhile. You have!!! Well done....Very well done.
2018-02-23 @ 08:50pm
tags: analog cassette 4-track 4track fourtrack tape
This is an actual cassette that was mailed around to four different FAWMers via snail mail. Each person added one track and mailed it to the next person. The song is a mystery to the participants until it is transferred to computer and mixed.
The players on this tape are listed below in the order in which they recorded their parts:
Tape 16
Track 1: @zecoop - GEM Sprinter combo organ
Track 2: @marvsmooth - electric guitar
Track 3: @wobbiewobbit - Double bass
Track 4: @vomvorton - vocals and fuzz guitar
I have to ask, do you remember me?
two week arrival, manual assembly
you lost your cat, you don’t like dogs
you ordered me from a catalogue
please don’t spoil me
but you can oil me
please don’t flatter me
just charge my battery
I don’t want to spend my life alone
I am your automatic friend
and now I wait, have you forgotten me?
two weeks of love was all you offered me
shut me away, you blamed your family
they wouldn’t understand the way you looked at me
(chorus)
now in the dark I sit and wait for you
this regret must not turn into hate for you
sooner or later you will return for me
I have to hope that your heart still burns for me
(chorus x 2)
@vomvorton
Good gravy that's a bold mix! I suppose that's the nature of the beast. It does make for a really quirky, direct brand of pop. And I enjoyed that
OMG, this is amazing! Like the 'other side'of Dresden Doll's "Coin Operated Boy." Great fun and awesome collab. Well done, 4-Trackers - the bar is high!!!
Big grins :D having lived with the previous tracks and really loving them i love what you have done with this @vomvorton. top playing @marvsmooth and @zecoop I loved getting into my double bass on a cassette role, (btw since we are old school that bass is about 200 years old ) 2nd listen through love the lyrics, and that fuzz guitar really sets it off. suits it perfectly nicely done everyone involved, loved being part of it. :D :D :D
This is a seriously good song, whether it was part of a four-track challenge or not! I actually wasn’t sure about my guitar on this when recording it, but realise that the quirkiness of it really works. I loved John’s organ playing straight away, Wobbie’s bass is really nice, and Tom’s vocal, lyrics, and fuzz guitar are inspired! Fantastic job everyone. :-)
Such a cool idea. Love how it came together. Nice work everyone!
Oh my!! What a great Collab peeps!
That chorus cracks me up! This is so fun and playful and well-done. Seriously great layers every one.
This is just a great song. That it's a four-track collab makes it amazing!
!!!
I can't quite get me head round how you did this. Buy by crikey it's turned out well! There's a vibe of you all having actually been in the same room and recorded this in one take. Great work! :D
Ooh - that chorus! Ooh - those instruments! I'm still fascinated as to how all of this manages to come together so well. Nice job, everyone. This is a great recording.
I felt a little starstruck when this tape arrived because the first three tracks sounded so great together! It didn't take long for the lyric to form in my brain and I hope I did the song justice. Not sure when the last time I recorded vocal and guitar at the same time was but I didn't need that many takes to successfully get through this (with the lyrics taped to the mic stand!). Really pleased with how this ended up 😀
So cool! what a great concept. Love all the vintage sounds, the casio organs and the guitar too. Super kooky lyrics, love them. Great track everyone!
Nice work all! First double bass I’ve heard this FAWM too. Properly quirky and thoroughly enjoyable :)
Oh yeah, it is that organ that Brings out the Vintage feel of it. 1960s fear that "AI" will take over the world... Not so Kooky in 2018 Great combo you guys. Great tune that fits so well with these great lyrics Russ :)
Ooo yah! This has a great groove. That bass really holds things together, and the organ is driving it along. Perfect accents on the guitar, and the vocals and fuzz seal the deal. The lyrics are great - so funny :)
I love the perspective of the automaton bought on a whim and left to subsist in a closet. We don't know the nature of this "friendship" but I assume this is a sex robot....
Damnation!!! This one hits it outta the park in so many ways.. Of course “the gem” is the star in this track The lyrics , sing guitar bass everything rocks hard solid and oh so 60s
Wicked work all of ya! Typically quirky Vom lyrics that pair with the music perfectly. Hey, whose is the beat?? 😀
Nice work together! More and more,of these robot pets are coming out - and who knows what they feel?
This sounds so good and has a unique vibe. Maybe next FAWM we should dump our DAW's and only do 4-tracks, because all of them sound like something special and unique.
Picture @vomvorton smoking a long cigarette in a smoky bar shimmying his shoulders with a ragtag group of musicians in slouchy hats are backing up. Half drunken glasses of alcohol scattered about the stage. All the while the sense of tension is building up at the tables. Will this person walk in through the door? What the eff is going on with these tapes? So good.
wow! What a great collab. I love the kind of 60's spy-movie riffs happening on the organ and the nice rhythmic interplay with the guitars and bass. The lyric fits into the music perfectly, and I love the title/chorus hook.
These 4-track collabs amaze me so much! I love it!
This is as cool as it gets!
This song should be an episode of Black Mirror! The organ is eerie, the bass is organic, the guitars accent everything very well. Brilliant... the android/robot character's lines are written in a way that makes me feel like it deserves more empathy from me than the human (presumably?) who ordered it from the catalog, and maybe even that the whole song is a metaphor on some level. Maybe chalk that up to @vomvorton's knack for writing different points of view.
Love that bass! Heh, I thought this was about a car at first ...
So much groove existing in the four-track world, really. It tempts me to shun the fancy DAW and focus on the groove. The whole thing is nicely in the pocket.
Hunting for the one on which to comment!!! Excellent and no sign of multiple inputs. It, Robot! Can you license it to Tesla, do you think? Enjoyed! Love the basic groove. Who did the bass?
This is like Jed the Humanoid (by Grandaddy) done in a lounge style, awesome! Even though there's nothing sexy in the lyrics there seems to be some kind of seedy undertone here, is that just my brain perceiving that? Love the organ playing and the lyrics. Some fantastic couplets in there. Congratulations on matching dog with catalogue, and flatter me with battery.
This has a gloriously cheesy vibe to it, thrown into dramatic contrast by the stabby fuzz guitar. Love the breakdown at the end. Nicely done, folks.
This song has an incredible groove to it that is great to listen to over and over again.
Fantastic feel - every body borought wonderful music together that works so well! The groove really moves snd provides such as great platform for the delivery of the Insightful well crafted lyrics. Nice works on the guitar!
Damn...I need to dust off my TASCAM 4 track next year and join the party. The lyrics are genius for starters. Double bass really held it down. Organ and your fuzzy guitar, along with your deadpan vocals just rocked it. This so retro, funky cool. I love the loose and lanky "kitchen sink" arrangement. Soup to nuts jammin' good!
2018-02-24 @ 05:06pm
tags: indie-rock nostalgia
I feel like this one deserves some Extensive Liner Notes!
I've had this title on my song-ideas document for ages and I'm glad I've finally managed to use it - and as a bonus I'm REALLY happy with how it turned out. The lyrics here are based on my first year of university, back in 2000-1, when I hadn't yet found people with similar interests to me, and instead kept getting dragged to bad nightclubs by my flatmates. After a couple of abortive attempts to go out in a t-shirt, I found that all Terrible Nightclubs had a dress code and required a shirt and shoes - I had some shoes but no shirt, and wasn't really willing to buy one just to get into places I would probably hate. I WAS willing, however, to wear the garish Hawaiian shirt that somebody found on the floor in our halls (after washing it, I'm not an animal) and, despite this being probably a far worse look than a nice t-shirt would have been, I suddenly unlocked the ability to drink three bottles of WKD Blue for the price of one and "dance" to terrible trance music.
As soon as I met people who I had anything in common with, I stopped going to those places - but I inexplicably kept the floorshirt and to this day I sometimes drag it out of the wardrobe when I want something to wear when sitting in the garden in the summer etc.
The 'dancing in the moonlight' line is a specific memory of just leaving one of those terrible nightclubs without telling anyone when they played the Toploader song - a strong contender for the worst bit of recorded music ever to exist.
Musicwise, I started this by sampling my various Real Drums (something I've been meaning to do for ages) because I love the sound of lo-fi drums but I can't actually stay in time when playing them properly. So my snare, ride and hi-hat make up the kit, along with a kick drum I downloaded from freesound.org. I wrote the rest of the song on bass and then built up layers until it was done.
I hope that one day you all find your own floorshirt.
http://vomvorton.co.uk/music/fawm18/floorshirt.jpg
no shirt!
no shoes!
no room for you
what’s an idiot with no style supposed to do?
no way to fit in
if I can’t even get in
to a place I don’t really want to be… it’s true
the bouncers indicate the sign politely
I found a loophole on the floor
that cleaned up nicely
at first being turned away hurt
til I found my floorshirt
now those on the door salute me
don’t care if it even suits me
no iron and the buttons are undone
turns out this place is shite
and ‘dancing in the moonlight’
acts as a perfect sign to run
the bouncers indicate the sign politely
I found a loophole on the floor
that cleaned up nicely
and though I took the first chance to run
my floorshirt followed me into the sun
Haha, I love the story behind this. It's the backing vocals that make this one for me. "Found my floorshiiiiiiiirt!" I'm glad you marked this one as a favourite, I really like it too. That is one wicked shirt you have.
Well this is all sorts of wonderful. Love the back story (who among us hasn't been turned away from a terrible nightclub because of their basic-dick-dresscode), congrats on subverting the shirtocracy with such awesome attire! Beats in this sound really good, in fact the entire production is fantastic - the guitars and keys are great and I love the chorus backing vocals and the repeated "found my floorshirt" part. The "leave without telling anyone because the music is shite" move was a favourite of mine back at uni too. I'd feel a *little* bit bad about abandoning people, but more often I felt like Jeremy in this Peep Show scene where he leaves the bad play early. "I've MADE time! I could do anything! I'm golden!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9GCHxJ3FWM
This is such smart pop writing. I love what you are doing with long delays and overlapping vocals.
I love this so much. The story behind it is lovely, too. Production is really great, lots of ear grabbing subtleties littered throughout. Nice.
Firstly, Nice shirt! Suites you. Love the mix on this it is really really full and the words are brilliant. I, like you, didn't really fit in but by then I had discovered video games and just stayed in all day every day. Unfortunately, now I have to go to work and have a family. This is a keeper, really enjoyed the listen.
Great story! And man, what a beautiful floorshirt. This is great anyway, can hear the amount of work you've put in with the instrumentation that comes and goes, and the assured melody and backing vocals. Alas, this is far and away my favourite of yours this year. It's reminding me of things, but nothing that I can put my finger on... isn't the best music like that? Actually, it reminds me a little of fellow-Derbyshirians (?) Mountain Schmountain
So cool, I love the line 'I found a loophole on the floor that cleaned up nicely', ha! I love songs where something changes partway through, which happens here. Nice drum sound from those sampled drums too!
I very intentionally did not read the extensive liner notes before listening, and it was fun trying to piece together the story from the lyrics alone. Love how you made a song out of such a random, specific experience... but I still feel like you're somehow conveying something much more complex here. If nothing else, you've just perfectly captured that surreal feeling of being in a social situation where everyone seems to be playing a game that you don't quite understand the rules of. Also, I'm glad you included the picture. :)
Great success with the drum approach! (unlike @cnidaria I DID start with the notes, which are almost as entertaining as the song). I love the whole arrangement actually and the vocals are fab.
That is a great floorshirt! A good loophole and an earwormy hook too. I'm not sure if I've ever been to a nightclub that requires a dress code, although maybe that's just because I'm such a snappy dresser at all times that it's never even come up. [I am currently wearing a mermaid tail snuggie and a men's 3XL t-shirt from Wal-Mart] I love the shouty vocals in particular, although all of the vocals came out great here. The combination of the guitar and electric piano sound is really mellow and pleasing, and the sampled drums sound excellent.
I love the melody and the production on here -- the bouncy piano bit, the bass-line, and the harmonies are all great. Got a great, mellow, groove, with those fun details in your backing vocals and the clever lyrics. I read the liner notes *after* and enjoyed the quirky lyrics on their own, but loved reading the real life story! I love how the lyrics/story kind of subvert the "I'm a creep" storyline in a fun way. I feel like my entire college experience was a collection of a floorshirts, quite frankly, for good and for ill.
Last PILOSA recording session we recorded one shots of our drummer's kit. I use them all the time! So much nicer in all its imperfection than any of the other 'real' drum racks I've got available in Ableton. Anyhow, was worth the effort as the percussion sounds great here :) I love the idea of the floorshirt! Reminds me of the old Yates's Wine Bars back in the day. Had to have shiny shows and a collar to get in. Er, no thanks! I really like this one - the melody's lovely. The vocal work is particularly strong on this one too. Ace!
Great groove and I'm totally digging the sampled real drums. Very relaxed and chill, which is likely the opposite of your feelings about going to those places, but hey... a good found shirt is a plus in my book! I once was rejected when I went to a golf course with some friends because you had to have a button shirt and I didn't have any. I declined to go golfing rather than wear the one spare they had. I am pretty certain we'd get along just fine. :)
digging the goofy lyrics the keys and the other layers are nice too pleasantly mystified by the loophole on the floor :) loved the first verse - no way to fit in... right on!
Who would so readily give up such an eye catching shirt?! The drums sound great, so definitely worth the extra effort. I love the story and the lyrics are, as always, very witty. Regarding the aberration that was Toploader - I once bought my uncle tickets to see Paul Weller and had to sit through them when they supported. They were, if you can imagine it, even worse live. Fun fact - Finlay Quaye also played that day and both opened and closed his set with a cover of Hendrix's Voodoo Chile. It was a strange day.
an incredible creative piece of work.. clever and witty and charming yet with mild under current of anger...
I listened a long time ago but didn't have time to comment. Many, this shuffles along so sweetly. It's a melodic tour de force, really. I LOVE all the vocals. It sounds like a love song to me. You guys look happy together. (Anecdotally, I went to a friend's bachelor party at a 'classy' strip club some years back. The club required a shirt with a collar, so we raided my friend's dad's closetful of 70s era shirts. I fell asleep at the bar and the stripper ripped the shirt open, popping off all the buttons. Well within her rights, I say.) I really love this song
How much fun is this?! Great story, catchy melody, just ultra-listenable overall. Love it.
Opening is nicely bass-led (ah I see now written on bass, good stuff). Great choice for the 4th chord in the chorus, not predictable not to odd. It does need the explanation to understand the loophole on the floor line. It's a perfect line for a chorus but perhaps something in an early verse an tell the interesting story of the shirt on the corridor floor ... And yes, the drums do sound more real. Worth the effort.
I enjoyed reading the liner notes. The song makes way more sense with them. It's cool to listen to anyway. I like the arrangement with all the vocal tracks, the cool bass line and the well chosen keyboard sounds on top.
What a great story, and what a great shirt, too! I love all the layers of vocals. Drums, bass, and guitar are all solid, and I like the synth or piano bits that add some emphasis.
This sounds so happy. And I would be too, if I had found my floorshirt and then my integrity. I dig the gentle bounce and understated vocal.
When reading the liner notes I thought to myself "I had a Hawaiian-style shirt stolen (okay, borrowed and not returned) from an awful nightclub in Derby in 2001 and I suddenly got really excited that you had found it, but your photo confirms it was a different shirt so now my decades-old quest to retrieve my Topshop bargain bin atrocity must continue. I would also wear a Roses-style fishing hat back then purely for the purpose of being refused entry to shitty clubs. What was the name of that club in Derby with the fake palm trees outside? Zanzibar or something? I got called a racist by one of the bouncers there because I queried why they let the guy with a turban in but not me in my hat. I should have worn a colander. Sorry for writing so much shit that doesn't mention your song. Let me try again...
So yeah, immediately PandAz spring to mind. I'm sure that must have been at least partly intentional right? I hope so, because it's definitely meant as a compliment and this has Mallard the Wonderdog all over it. I really like this, and it takes me back...(misty eyed reverie break)...Good work with the drums. Lovely chords and jangling. I like the cheeky little keyboard stabs. This story is brilliant though, not least because it's true. I don't know why it took you so long to write this but it was worth the wait. A+++
Reading the story and hearing the song made this a wonderful experience! :) It has a great groove too! It's amazing how a great groove can happen when piecing together drums from so many different sources.
VOMFLIP! http://www.gocarpetburn.com/images/vom.png
I listened through once through having not read the liner notes and loved it. You tell a great story throughout the song and it's very catchy. going back and reading the liner notes gave me an even better appreciation of the song when I listened to it a second time. Nice job on this song.
Firstly GREAT PIC!! Secondly, you have a real drum kit at your disposal? Man i would love to hear how you record you kit. How many mics etc? You got a real nice impacted sound with this kit. Thirdly, I love the linear notes and the way you have created a kind of lofi melodic beauty of a song interspersed with those varied chord progressions is an utter winner. Dude you are one talented floor shirted monster ;-)
Great groove! Interesting story - both funny and poignant. Cool picture! Awesome shirt! I can totally relate to your first year experience! Glad you found others with more similar interests! Glad you got a great song out of that expeirnce!
2018-02-25 @ 12:41pm
tags: instrumental post-rock indiepop
an excerpt from my autobiography, "layering guitars and copying loops around until it sounds vaguely pretty: the vom vorton story"
that dreamy synth noise is actually the humble casio pt-30! never underestimate a casio.
This is wonderful and reflective. The synth is indeed airy and dreamy.
Ah.. relaxing, mellow, a bit hypnotic... There's a sort of brightness, hopefulness that is accentuated by the harmonic moves --- those closely related keys you move to --- I enjoyed listening, thanks!
Too bad that you used the title for your autobiography - I thought I could use it for some chapters of mine. Nice listen, has a fine uplifting mood. The bass glues the different parts.
Fact of the day, played this thinking it was @oddbod. Ha! Anyway, this is really quite beautiful... real Múm vibes, or some of that mid-2000s post-rock. Skills in getting the Casio sounding so great! It's funny, I often copy and paste loops around and worry that it's obvious, but had you not said anything I totally wouldn't have noticed. I guess if you're going to do that, you have to be good at arranging, and the proof is in the pudding here (i.e. it's good.)
Such a pretty song for a rainy Sunday afternoon. I love the toy instrument sounds, too. That dreamy synth is positively uplifting. This is a song I want to say thank for, because it just hit me at the right time and in the right spot. Thank you! ❤️
I just read your autobiography! Great story, sounds like a grand future, too! Really, i enjoyed this track a lot; the layers, the textural and sound effects choices; great stuff!
This is woozy and lovely but not helping me get out of bed AT ALL
Really nice is this. Love when that high synth kicks in at 1:09. Guitar work is super cool throughout. Some lovely twinkly goodness later on too! This feels like a bit of a change of pace from most of your other stuff this year and as such is perfect for sandwiching somewhere in the middle of your FAWM album :)
Super gorgeous track! This is so good. I love that little ringing bell sound. Really wonderful textures and dreamy floaty sounds all around. I'm getting Múm vibes too.
Dig it! All hail your The CASIO and your mastery of it. I love the percussion and the pulsing bells, alarm bells? This is good waking up music (or staying awake music). And I wanna get on the pre-order list for your Biography when it comes out. Let's make it a best seller!
A classic Vom indie track! I really enjoyed the percussion, especially the little ringing sound. It sounds awesome when it kicks in after a minute or so too. I'm looking forward to some juicy revelations in that autobiography!
1:08! And I was going to throw out my old Casio MT-68 as I never got on with it. Any use to you? It's a bit grimy and missing a couple of knobs. Email me your address, if you want it it's yours. http://biothinking.com/casio/
In spite of being well aware of your abilities and tastes I somehow never expect you to produce stuff like this, but I'm glad you did. Even after all these years I'm still a total sucker for some nice jangly guitars laid over each other and this hits that button so much on the nose. The Casio is amazing too! I want one of them now because clearly I don't have enough old keyboards lying around. Awesome tune, well up there amongst my favourites of yours this year.
This is beautiful piece of music, there is a lot going on but nothing gets in the way of another part.
Gorgeous! Don't underestimate this song, is another thing to remember. Amazing layers, each distinct and perfectly matched. Love love love this song! 😀❤️😀
I think you misspelt 'very' as 'vaguely' up there. Beautiful hazy mood. Particularly like the brief key change sections. Nice bass work holding it together too. Feels like something Morr Music would publish. Lazy saturday afternoon me wonders if you should lower some of the louder percussion in the mix, but other mes would probably disagree.
2018-02-25 @ 01:56pm
tags: 4-track cassette collab
This is an actual cassette that was mailed around to four different FAWMers via snail mail. Each person added one track and mailed it to the next person. The song is a mystery to the participants until it is transferred to computer and mixed.
The players on this tape are listed below in the order in which they recorded their parts:
Tape 2
@Alboe - Bass guitar
@vomvorton - Synths
@fourzeroes - Lyrics/vocals
@wobbiewobbit - Guitar
Please do not comment on this page, please comment on the original song page. ( http://fawm.org/songs/85495/ )
de-zong comment. please comment on original song page. thanks :)
2018-02-26 @ 04:31pm
tags: synthpop
VV: I got a "facebook memory" this morning informing me that it has been three years to the day since the first Vowl Sounds collaboration was finished and posted to FAWM. What better way to celebrate than with our second track of the month? @owl's lyrics are superb as ever, really happy with this!
owl: yay, happy collabiversary! I've had the first two lines of this song hanging out in my "ideas" file for at least a year but was not sure what to do with them as I only had some kind of vague, complicated conceptual idea that I was finding hard to translate into lyrics for a whole song's worth of music. But I found they scanned nicely with the lovely music VV sent over and so I wrote the rest of the song from there. I love the contrast between the sweet clear music in the verses and the darker, urgent choruses; it was fun trying to figure out an appropriate narrative to match the musical progression.
Leftover light from a painting
Leftover notes from a song
You never like letting things go to waste
It feels sad, it feels wrong
You were holding a doggie bag
When you said you wanted to paint my picture
So we picked at your leftover fries
While you got out a pencil and began to sketch me
Your eyes were on me
As you said you were drawing the negative space
Between my knees
Along the nape of my neck, around the shape of my waist
You said I was perfect
And you painted a perfect portrait
I wanted to be as perfect
As the version of me that you created
You kissed my cheek
I closed my eyes
You said I was your muse
Adored, enchanted, immortalized
"So much beauty
Just goes to waste"
I heard you saying
As you touched her face
"I have a new project
It's a conceptual piece
About hidden sensuality
Perhaps you'd pose for me?"
You love leftovers
And I guess you had love to spare
Negative space in the bed at 3 AM
When I woke and found you weren't there
Reeling in the underdogs
You find abandoned in the rain
You can find a use for everything except
All this useless pain
All my useless pain
Man - these are some of my favorite lyrics this FAWM - too many great things to single out, but the overall story arc is immaculate. And the production's gorgeous - I love those delayed guitars and synth things that come in on the second verse, and the more saturated guitar chords and *other* synth things pinging off of each other in the last verse. Meanwhile, the vocal delivery is totally captivating. I love this!
Reading the title and the first lines of the liner notes I was expecting a sort of "blooper reel". Very nice lyrics, I especially like the "negative space" passages, capturing the phrases of a photographer/painter and the brilliant use of it in the last verse. Soundwise I second @hamiltonpoolhall 's opinion
Gorgeous on every level... The music is amazing, the lyrics are outstanding, and you two are such an amazing team. You both have such a talent for weaving together the elements. So much is conveyed in both the lyrics and the music. It's a wonderful song.
Absolutely beautiful track! I love the intimacy of the vocals up front with very little reverb. The whole production is top-notch. Great words, too!
Ah man, this is so good! Best synthpop track I've heard all FAWM. In love with just about every sound in this but if I'm picking, that bass synth is glorious. Owl's vocal sounds like it took years to come up with, such a perfect fit and so many quirks in the melody.
Very cool! Very well mixed song. Awesome synth sounds and awesome singing.
This is really coooooollllll. Love how the music builds and stays mostly bright and major, until it moves into the more urgent, minor, darker bits in the chorus. The wonderful lyrics take on a really sinister quality in the choruses, which adds extra weight to the last verse. Love the revisiting of the "negative space" in the new context in the end. Another really great Vowl Sounds song, you guys! Maybe my favorite...? (but I feel like I maybe say that on almost every new one I hear....?)
@owl's voice brings a lightness to this that is belied by the really pretty dark lyrics. The harmonies are especially duplicitously chirpy. :D Really nice work.
That ending section is amazig with the ripple guitar(?) Sound. Reminds me all a bit of postal service, which is only a great thing.
This is wonderful. I love the harmonies and the synths are beautifully understated yet still crescendo in the right places.
This song has such a great sound to it, the beats are great and the synth part is really smooth. i love the softness to the vocals and how most of the song has a laid back feeling but then there is a sense of urgency in a few places.
Another top collab guys! More B&S vibes from this one actually. A lovely melody and great vocal work all the way through (the subtle harmonies are a nice touch too). Really nice synth arrangement (I like the Gary Numan style high string sound with all the attack). Great lyrics as well.
That opening line is one for the ages. This is so perfect, the kind of song that makes me want to shut up and listen. That little glitchy guitar after 'the shape of my waist' is great. I could sit here a long time listening to this and pondering the negative space between the knees and the waist. Top notch all around
That bass is such a blast! So fun! Really such an amazing mix. @owl 's vocals and lyrics are always spectacular. And everything gels so well. Great collab!
Is this like the coolest song on FAWM?!? Fabulous lyrics Fabulous singing Fabulous production Fabulous music A++++
Amazing process - I'm impressed when lyricists can fit words to existing music, let alone create a story with that. Great details - I especially like the use of the fries and the negative space ... and the kicker at the end. I've loved the sound of every Vowl Sounds song I've listened to, including this one.
Wow! What great lyrics. Love them. You have such a lovely smooth voice too.
Oh, not to spoil the party here but this is perhaps a bit of the wrong key for owl, a bit low? It's also not led by the vocal melody, it seems to follow the backing track a bit too much. And finally the vox are too low in the mix here, the track is dominated by the (lovely!) synths etc. Oh and it's a bit slow and gloomy. Yes, I know that is prosodic for the lyric (or vice versa) but c'mon this is Vowl 😀
These are incredible, compelling lyrics - I read all the way through as the song was starting. What fantastic rhymes, near rhymes, and phrasing. And the breezy yet melancholy music and wistful vocal - such a brilliant way to bring these words to life. Excellent collab!
There's something almost Lynch-ian about these lyrics. The situation it describes has this feel of being in a permanently nighttime kind of world. It's a lovely tune though. The way the synths swell and then drop away is cool. I really like this one.
Love how this lyric turns around into the betrayal. (I don't love betrayal of course...but I sure can understand it). :) You two's collabiversary can't come soon enough again.
This is awesome! The lyrical style/tone reminds me of a Jens Lekman track (I'm a fan) - conversational but full of strong imagery and strong emotions, and almost...darkly comedic? I also love the instrumentation and production - it's playful and melodic and pleasing, and I think the juxtaposition of sad lyrics and upbeat accompaniment just amplifies the foreboding-and-then-heartbreaking narrative.
Lovely collab. Inspired touches in the arrangement, like those little stabs of delayed guitar. Great lyrics - bonus points for the 'negative space' callback in the final verse. Great understated delivery on those focus-flipping final lines. How is this the first time I've heard of Vowl Sounds? FAWM's too big.
2018-02-26 @ 06:07pm
tags: country-folk acoustic puns
I've been trying to figure out some lyrics for this big synth-rock song that I recorded yesterday but coming up totally blank, so I thought I'd try something else. Then my girlfriend got home from work and started talking about DIY and this happened.
With apologies to @tsunamidaily, who wrote a superb lyric called something like "I'm home getting hammered (while she's out getting nailed)" that I remember loving - I'm not sure how many DIY puns I'm accidentally borrowing here but it's probably more than none.
One take guitar and vocals with overdubbed harmonies and solo. Pretty rough but it felt right for the song. You can tell from some of the high notes that I still haven't totally shaken this cold yet! Dammit.
I don’t want to get angry
I don’t want to be crude
but do you ever get the feeling
everything just might be screwed?
I’ve tried getting hammered
but it only hurts my brain
there must be something in my toolkit
that can patch up all this pain?
there’s a hole in my heart so big I can’t stop crying
it’s gotten so bad I feel like DIYing
now the wine hasn’t stopped my whining
the beer has all been drank
I’ve said my piece to everyone
I still feel like a plank
I can’t get back together
there’s not enough nails or glue
is there anything to stop me
feeling oh so very blue?
there’s a hole in my heart so big I can’t stop crying
it’s gotten so bad I feel like DIYing
I find myself wondering
as I cry out in my shed
why when I turned to DIY
you acted like I was dead
is this just a misunderstanding
or were you looking for an excuse?
I won’t drill you for the answers
you must have a screw loose
there’s a hole in my heart so big I can’t stop crying
it’s gotten so bad I feel like DIYing
Nice folk song, with good harmonies. I Like the DIYing it is great there. Good campfire song, Catchy , everyone can join in. Thanks for sharing.
Impressive one take. Nice sing along tune. My only critique is one too many verses. It felt great with the two verses. No biggie, still a good sing along.
Very catchy melody! It feels like it could be a lost country-style track off 69 Love Songs. I very much enjoyed all the puns/wordplay. I think my favorite lines are "I’ve tried getting hammered/ but it only hurts my brain / there must be something in my toolkit / that can patch up all this pain?" --the right combo of funny and kinda sad.
Mwahaha! You have such a knack with those metaphors. And i love DIYin rhyming with Cry-in (and Dying). I've been there, man. When the wine doesn't stop the whining. And nice work with the harmonies. Catchy and dare I say poignant.
And here's another fawm song on the DIY theme...http://fawm.org/songs/80901/
You've been mugged by that cold, but I don't think it comes across in your singing, you still sound good. Very catchy and I'm always impressed how you can turn out fully fleshed out lyrics and catchy melodies so quickly
"Feel like a plank" LoL. Poor guy. Clever words
Great lyrics (love the puns!), catchy melody. I can't really detect that cold in your voice either - sounds good to me! :)
reminds me of something Ray Davies would write... your voice even sounds like him in parts... super cool and creative song
Got images of your partner saying "are you going to put up those shelves yet or whaa..". And you're gone. To the studio. Strumming away. :D This is pretty cool - love the solo, it could almost be a different song. Vom puns are always the best puns
Soooooo many puns! Some really witty lyrics here and I'm loving the alt-folk vibe you've got going on. Not bad for a quicky, sir.
Oh, man. There were so many lines in this song that made me laugh out loud ("I still feel like a plank"), but then I also felt sort of bad because I genuinely had empathy for the narrator. A lot of fun, and very well done.
Hah, DIY as the last resort, the worst thing imaginable, yup with you on that one. Yet I still do vast amounts of it, so I can tell you you've just scratched the surface with this one, though it's true that if you picked up a screwfix catalogue you'd find endless wordplay potential but most people would have no idea what you're talking about. Now I've got to go and scrim my stopends.
This song is catchy and a lot of fun, nice job! I love the pun "I feel like DIYing".
Ah, this is great! That chorus is clever and catchy as hell! The whole thing is clever and catchy as hell. I agree with the Ray Davies reminiscence and also the 69 Love Songs lost track feels. The whole DIY/makin' stuff metaphor running throughout is really great -- not overdone or overwrought, just enough to be really charming and clever.
Let’s see, I love the melody, especially where it goes up on “y-ing” - superb picking solo, great energy & vocals- and as a DIY person, I appreciate the puns. I’m pretty sure there is nothing I dislike about this one.
Wonderful, top to bottom! Fantastic melody, beautiful guitar playing, clever lyrics and fun energy. Completely enjoyed this song!
Love everything about this song! Cool guitar and fun lyrics. Great hook!
2018-02-27 @ 06:33pm
tags: acoustic folk beautiful important but-quite-short
I've got a couple of Real Songs to finish off but my brain keeps insisting that now is the time for jokes.
do you remember when the main administrator
was called the lion tamer?
do you remember when the visual consultant
was called the picture framer?
do you remember when the head of sales
was the captain of the yacht?
because I’m very old
and I do not
do you remember when the quantity surveyor
just counted grains of rice?
do you remember when the vice chairman
made chairs, using a vice?
do you remember when the commercial director
called the shots on ads?
it’s political correctness
gone quite mad
I laughed out loud at the vice chairman line. Thank you for sharing this beautiful and important tune with us. The world needed this.
Haha, I mean - where dafuq do you get these ideas from? Amazing.
I really like your imagination. Some great images here, especially the vice,
I got all the jokes except the quantity surveyor one which means your jokes are good as I am a bit dim. I think this has potential to be a full VV song actually, adding a chorus and third verse. It's your kind of scene.
Simple and to the point but very effective. Nice job saying what you wanted to and wrapping the song up.
Ha! It looks like this is the first time visiting your page this fawm -- hard to believe (I think I did listen to a couple of the 4-track tunes, though). ... and I end up picking probably the shortest tune, so I listened to it twice. Nice guitar and vocal and the write was super interesting and well done. Thanks for the early morning fun tune.
"do you remember when the vice chairman made chairs, using a vice?" is definitely my favourite line here. If this wasn't a skirmish I'd expect you to launch into a punky full-band chorus complete with wibbly synth solo. That is how this song exists in my head, but this version with the pretty, twinkly guitar will do nicely.
I agree that the vice chairman line...totally made me smile. You've packed a lot of really thoughtful, inquisitive lines in here. Super use of phrasing and the way you pounced them in a percussive attack over the pretty floating guitar line was quite lovely. I'm glad you took time for jokes. This is great!
Great playing, singing , and recording! This is a really nice song....and again, it will stick in my head. Well done!
Fun puns. Nice track.
2018-02-27 @ 08:14pm
tags: space-rock songfight
Hmm. Struggled with this one a bit. Not really sure how it turned out.
a day like any other
that's the way it seemed
until the earth was caught
directly in a cosmic beam
what was once green and red
soon turned grey, cold and dead
the cause of this sensation?
intense distant radiation
it can't last
this world, you know
what remains in
the afterglow?
nobody saw it coming
no-one was prepared
maybe that was a good thing?
at least nobody was scared
we really thought we mattered
now our molecules are scattered
the earth, the moon, the sun
destroyed by a cosmic ray gun
the deadliest thing
in the universe?
could be the
gamma ray burst...
Ah dang I was thinking about whether I could somehow shoehorn lyrics for this song into Vowl Idea 3 but fortunately I hadn't gotten very far. I love the intro, it feels very 90's in a good way, spacious and epic. The synth adds some cool sci-fi texture in the verses and you have some interesting phrasing/rhythms in your vocal delivery in the first verse especially. The guitar sounds awesome throughout!
Ooh, I love that progression and melody! Very cool. Some great instrumentation too (particularly the guitars). The bass line really stands out for me too. Really like this one :) And weren’t you worried about not even hitting 14 at one point? Ha!
It turned out well enough. You're FAWM-ing and it's almost over. Nice British song. My only recommendation would be to switch the two choruses. Other that that. . . good one!
This is so damn cool.. I love its quirky vocals and mad chords and progressions... so creative ... that minor riff is so cool...
I like the textures through out this - some nice synth sounds introduced at just the right places to retain the interest. Nice pace too. And who doesn't love a song about the apocalypse?
Jeez, this is huge! You have a distinct skill of doing a huge sounding production, and then something lo-fi and stripped back. There's a tiny bit of timing issues in here early on, but tidyable outside FAWM if you wish. Love the chorus a lot, such an earworm and that guitar has such a lovely tone. That bit saw-y synth in the second verse is wicked.
What an intro! Brilliant guitar riff, that and the space rock sound felt really reminiscent of The Bends era Radiohead. Actually this sounds just like it could have been a minor 90s alternative rock hit for someone like them, or even Feeder, which the chorus reminded me of. I also really liked the buzzy fuzzy synth that comes in about half way through
This is really cool. I love the jangly guitar and the moving bassline paired with the weird background sounds. It really does set the spacey stage for your lyrics. Vocal melodies are fresh and the background vocals work well, especially with the effects on them. The dirty synth sounds are a nice touch. Well done all around.
I really dug this. Nice big guitar tone, and the moving bass line, synths used sparingly. I like how dense parts of it are, and then how well they drop down sparsely - I need to do more of that! And I'm always fascinated by apocalyptic themes.
The guitar grabs you, then the vocal takes it a little sideways. This sounds solid to me, seems it turned out all right. the buzzsaw synth(?) coming in at the beginning of v2 is supper cool.
Everything on this is competent and well judged and tasty but I have to agree it's a bit generic and dareisay forgettable. Sorry.
I love that bass, it works nicely with your vocals and the drums. The guitar an synth really elevates the song to great place. These are great sci-fi lyrics and your arrangement works so well with them.
Ooh, I really like the minor turn in the chords structure and the major turn in the second half. Got a great 90s feel to it, yet the whole vibe of the song has a bit of a Bowie's-in-space bent. Holy sh*t, it's totally Bowie meets Guided By Voices! (which isn't to say it's derivative at all, sometimes it's easier for me to think in terms of other artists to describe things I like about...things...) Anyway, I think this is totally groovy! The lyrics are really great. In particular liked: it can't last this world, you know what remains in the afterglow? and: we really thought we mattered now our molecules are scattered the earth, the moon, the sun destroyed by a cosmic ray gun
Is your doubt over the quality of this song down to the lack of puns? I suppose one issue with using SF titles is that it makes it harder to fit inspirational ideas that fit with the title, or you have to crowbar a lyric. I really like that opening riff, particularly when you use that sticks-on-sticks hi-hat type sound (not sure what the proper description is). The cymbals have got this super-compressed shiny wash quality like Broken Social Scene use.
Ok back in the glorious spring of the peak district with mega hot wifi, i have a lot of you to catch up on matey. And don't worry this turned out to be a unique treat. Reminds me of super furrys in many ways with a bit of grandaddy thrown in. Mate this is great as i cant define it into any rock genre. That synth sound buzzing over the verse is perfection. Great melody and vocals as usual
Well, I can tell you that my initial impressions are really good. I love the panning! I would love to put some acoustic drums on this. Your vocals are so cool. I love it. I'm not sure why I haven't heard this one before.....It seems like someone would have done this song. The guitar leads are great! The subtle keys really make a difference here and I really like how you have thought this out. Well done!!
2018-02-28 @ 05:05am
tags:
For details and to comment, please go here - http://fawm.org/songs/87472/
Please comment here - http://fawm.org/songs/87472/
2018-02-28 @ 09:05am
tags: four-track
2018-02-28 @ 09:07am
tags: four-track
2018-02-28 @ 06:36pm
tags: four-track
2018-02-28 @ 08:13pm
tags: indie-rock apocalypse nsolms2
VV: Check us out! Three Vowl Sounds songs in one month!
owl: Last weekend I went up to a cabin in Northern Wisconsin with a bunch of friends. While we were there, one of my friends got a flat tire and we ended up calling AAA to help put the tire on... it ended up somehow being the wrong size for his car, and then the AAA guy stripped one of the bolts so we couldn't remove it anymore, and he had to have his car towed an hour away to have it fixed. So I started writing from there, then saw @siebass's last-minute skirmish prompt "What would you do with the last minute on the planet? Where would you want to be, what would you want to be doing?" http://fawm.org/forums/topic/8372/
and decided to make it about the end of the world instead, in a dry, wordy, Courtney Barnett kind of way. (It was not done in a skirmish timeframe, but I did get inspiration from the prompt.) I love the backing vocals and extra percussion/synths/etc. that VV added after I sent it over.
An extra tire in my trunk, but I'm not even sure if in times of crisis, the tire will fit
But I've got a charger cable and a battery pack so I can always take advantage of my AAA membership
I'm always prepared
So go ahead and take a swing, hit me with your best shot
I'm never scared
I've got $10 copays until I reach my max out of pocket
A smiley face umbrella to protect myself from unexpected rain or unexpected sorrow
I pack myself some chocolate in my lunch box so that I'll always have something to look forward to tomorrow
A Cracker Jack box full of candy hearts, so in case mine breaks, I'll still have a spare
A change of clothes hidden in my office desk, so in case of a spill, I'll still have something to wear
I'm always prepared
So go ahead and take a swing, hit me with your best shot
I'm never scared
I've got $10 copays until I reach my max out of pocket
But I've got to admit
The news this morning took me by surprise
I didn't believe it
I had to go out on the porch to see the burning light in the sky
We thought we would know
But somehow the comet swung around into our blind spot
Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go
Didn't think the shot would be so good when I said hit me with it
So what do I do now?
What do I do?
I made my bucket list,
Of course, years ago, like everybody else does
But there's not enough time
And I'm not even sure if there ever even really was
I go out for a walk around the block in my pajamas and my socks and I don't even bring my purse along
The next door neighbors who are always fighting are as naked as two jaybirds and having sex right there on the front lawn
Down at the cafe
The old men are out there smoking in their chairs just like every day
The owner's out front
She gives me a scoop of ice cream and says I don't even have to pay
They broke the glass
Of the jewelry shop display and the register at Kwik Trip
Leaving a trail of cash
Whatcha gonna do, buy a ride on a rocket ship?
I guess it feels good
To hold onto something that you never got to have
I never knew that I could
Savor the feeling of not having a plan
So I look into the sky and hold the hand of a stranger who I guess is now a brand new friend
We talk about our lives and confess regrets and cry just a little bit, waiting for the world to end
My faves! Love those fat handclaps, and this is a damn catchy tune. Love the two of you singing together on the hook, that slightly reverby guitar sounds wonderful and I love the synth part that comes in for the chorus. Lyrics are amazing as always from you two, the line "A smiley face umbrella to protect myself from unexpected rain or unexpected sorrow" is a work of art. What a way to end the month! :)
excellent lyrics! Love the "I said hit me with it" ending and how it builds up to that bit.... wicked song you two; vowl songs is where its at!
Super catchy! Those handclaps are great, well, it's all great! Really like the narrative, such imagery, ridiculously funny and clever. Love when you both sing, and again that bass! You two are incredible!
What an excellent write. The flow of the story kept me in there with you. Loved the way things came to an end, watching as everybody realizes at once what's important.
Love the energy here and when the background vocals come in it's super awesome!
Catchy bassline and claps to start this. I laughed at the 10 dollar copays until I hit the max out of pocket. Rapid fire lyrics and the pushing hi hats keep this moving. The harmonies are really solid; a great story time of the last day on earth.
An Offbeat classic! This has a wonderful Jonathan Richman drive and energy to it. I love the story and the delivery, and the little synth and BV touches work so well.
A mini-cornucopia (if that's not an oxymoron) of vowel sounds this year. I dig CB-style wordiness, and you nail it here. I love the way this charges straight ahead as that torrent of words comes out. The arrangement is fantastic, so many sweet little things going on. What a great thought experiment, and you guys pulled it off perfectly. Here's the song I want: Someone CONVINCES you that you will live forever. What do you do right now? That thought scares me much more than the thought of death, actually
OMGOMG! I love this. Not just the clever lyrics, but the vocal performances, the music... Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing!
I'm sorry, you have a car recovery service the AAA in American? When we have the AA? You always have to go bigger and better don't you?! Anyway, glad we got another collab from you guys.. you're so perfectly paired! This is such an indie-pop gem. So hard to pick a favourite Vowl song this year!
YEAH Y'ALL THIS IS SO EFFING GOOD! I love @owl gettin' so punky with her delivery on some of these lines. I always love @owl's voice, but your delivery all over this song is really extra stellar, with the talky bits and your alternately forceful, wry and apathetic delivery in bits and pieces throughout. Awesome production -- that bass line is dank af. Love how @vomvorton and @owl voices sound together, but especially on this. The Ramones callout is so fun and works so well in the middle. @owl's lyrics are always great, but these are some holy shit quality. What a crazy poignant portrait you paint. I've listened to this a couple times now, you two, and I think about dying a lot (because I'm crazy?) and I keep thinking about this big hearted, sad, lovely song y'all wrote.
Fantastic in every way. Just truely unbelievable lyric and delivery. Aside from the the sheer amazing words, musically there are so many wonderful touches. Truely great.
Excellent guitar riffing and vocals! The synth coming in for the bridge (?) was unexpected and very cool. I found the delivery of the vocals to be really unpredictable in a really great way. Confident and full of attitude and swagger
Loving this one too! Some more B&S vibes (I’ve made that comparison a few times this year haven’t I @vomvorton!). All the vocal work is great as ever but I’m especially fond of the moments where you’re both singing. You’ve definitely channeled Courtney Barnett at times too @owl! Anyhow, another good ‘un right here. Great work again guys :)
This is just a great all rounder - top notch production, excellent lyrics, cracking vocals - love it! I especially like the sudden ending. I can definitely imagine getting my groove on to this at the indie disco!
This is great. Love the chorus in particular and the energy in this song. Very clever lyrics too.The harmonies are great too. Very cool. I like everything about this one, in fact. My favourite line is "I never knew that I could savor the feeling of not having a plan." Wonderful song.
This is amazing!! so many things that I like about it.. lyrics clever production @vomvorton incredible kick assniss vocal delivery wow...and then wow again..
One of the great things about FAWM is when people can collaborate like this and make something really freakin cool. I've always been a fan of Mr. Vorton from fawm's and 50/90's long ago, So I was so excited when I saw that OWL (from madtown, yo) and mr. vom were doing these collabs. Love it.
love the playfulness of the phrasing/rhythm. great sound , your voices sound really good together. wow love the concept too, what a fully loaded up song. really lovely collab.
When the Vowl,Sounds album comes out, this needs to,be on it.
This one is very fun, love the swagger -- great vocal delivery, this confident narrator who's hit with the big one. I love the candy spare heart. The bucket list and there was never enough time anyway. And this pop/rock upbeat arrangment is great. Outstanding bass sound. I like the Ramones reference, of course. And the scenes of people preparing, and the last verse confessing regrets to a stranger. Reminds me of the stories I read about the false alarm nuclear attack on Hawaii, how people decided to spend their possible last moments. The sound, for me, is super catchy and lands somewhere between Blondie and Belle & Sebastian.
This is a great song, the lyrics are delivered in an effective matter of fact way on the verses which really allows the chorus to soar. The bass coupled with the clap to keep the beat makes the song catchy right from the start.
In a way this is two songs. If the title was 'In My Socks' and started at 'The news this morning' it would be quite complete, concise, clear, and cool. Perhaps recycle the emergency preparedness bit into another song? Or just be ruthless and condense it into almost nothing a line or two: 'I always planned to more prepared than this' Oh yeah great vox,instr,blahblah you guys are just great, you know that already :-)
I liked the guitar and the effects with it. Nice job on the collab!
I love and hate the 10 dollar copays line. I have a big family and every year we dance with the max out of pocket threshold. If we hit it it’s like free money but it means we blew a huge pile of money that year. Very Cortney Barnett but you sing much better than she does.
I really like the sunny surf feel to this song. There's loads of cool little inflections in the tone of the singing that are really cool too. The lyrics are brilliant. When taken without explanation I just hear these isolated lines which on their own lend so much colour and detail which for some reason brings to mind Deltron3030 just in terms of the smorgasbord of ideas. When I actually read them I like the narrative of the final day on earth, and the observations mixed with your own thoughts.
Who knew the end of the world could be so entertaining? Owl's vocals are dynamite and the backing track bounces along nicely. The last stanza - vocals, bass and percussion - really stands out. Great collaboration. This reminds me of a story my friends tell. During 9/11 a Korean airliner was ordered by the US Air Force to land in Whitehorse, in northern Canada. There was suspicion it had been hijacked, and no one knew if it would land on the runway or in the middle of downtown, which was evacuated. Mass panic, parents rushing to get their kids from school and daycare and get out of town. My friend was serving espresso in a cafe and kept trying to lock up, but a bothersome customer wanted his cappuccino just right. By the time she finished serving him it was too late to leave. Another customer had been watching her and admired how she didn't lose her cool. He stuck around and the two of them sat on the deck sipping coffee and waiting for the possible end of the world.
(continued) In the end the jet landed at the airport. End of the world averted. 16 years later they are happily married.
OOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!! I love your voices together!! My first time hearing @owl singing! I freakin' love FAWM! And I really like how this song has a happy upbeat feel with such a sad topic (or not, I guess, depending on one's viewpoint). :) The instrumentation, lyrics, and vocals on this song are just aces!
Totally quirky and awesome! Love that chorus and the stories in the verses are fantastic like the pajama one. Really catchy groove! Love the music! Vocals and backing vocals! Great last stanza!
Wow, that Richard Dawson really is up my street -- only a few doors down in fact ... very nice to hear someone else with shakey timing and rough-but-somehow still ok sounding guitars and harmonies etc, and defiantly English ... So thanks a lot for the link.
Yeah, the melodies are like a mix between early prog a la Gentle Giant and modern phrasing like Everything Everything --- very intriguing to me of course ... Oh and I tried out Podolski based on your 100sof0s recommendation -- it sounds fab, and even runs on my creaky old PC, so more indebtedness to you, thanks again ...
I've looked at Richard Dawson's 'Ogre' and the melody seems to be in mixo (ie major scale with a flat 7th -- jolly but not .too. jolly) and it often starts phrases with the 2nd and also likes to bounce up to the 6th (both of which are lesser-used notes in the scale of course). It also bungs in a flat 5th as a phrase-starting note which sounds almost like a key change but the other notes in the phrase remain in the same (mixolydian) key as before. Very instructive for me, thanks again!
Man!
Hey Vomit! I've recently got right into What Have I Done To Deserve this by the Pet Shop Boys. What's your favourite?
Howdy! Hi! Woop!
If you type "vom" in the "search Fawmers" box, you get four hits. :)
Behold! I stand at your door and knock! *taps door lightly* Do the thing, man...do the thing.
FYI I read your HIYA! as Wavy Davy. Anyway, HIYA BACK!
Loved the album... and (as always), I'm really looking forward to hearing your FAWMing. :)
Looking forward to what you'll come up with this year!
Welcome back, Vom! My ears are waiting for your FAWM songs...until then I shall content myself with your synthpop album. Sweet!
*waves*
Hi Tom, looking forward to hearing new songs from you. Lot of cool tunes and sounds on your latest effort Hundred of Zeroes btw.
Hi Tom, happy fawming! Loved your album!
Peekaboo!
Good to see you about, Mr Vorton!
Alright there fellow peak districter. I am firmly back on peak ground this year , although may be not involved fully due to life sorting needs. Loooking forward to your matlock produce though
Hi Mate! I wish for you a happy fawm/M
Hey Tom! Have a productive and lovely FAWM!
Have a good FAWM, Vom Vorton.
Hey there. Fun is good. And as a synthpop fan (and a fan of your music), I'm downloading your Hundreds of Zeroes album right now to listen to on my next weekend walk.
Hello it is almost February!!!! (I'm not ready!!!!!!) But if we don't manage at least one collab this FAWM I will be sorely disappointed!
Hi Vommy. Nice to see you.
Hello! Good to see you back for another year :D
Vom: EXQUISITE avatar young man x
Of course it is, I remember this album! Yeah, a couple of songs??? If I moved house like a regular human I'd be able to make noise
Vom! Thank you for the listen, as always. Love and appreciate your feedback...I'm a sucker for 80s alternative sounding stuff so it's nice to break out some fun synth sounds again. It's been too long since I have!
Hey, glad to be back. Got a little recording space now in my loft 😀. How have you been keeping? It's been far too long. You still at balfours?
Oh dear, I think you could do it. Although I would expect you to change the name to Valfour Vetty ;)
VV! So happy to see you rocking in this free world. Best of Luck Magic to you. Not that you need it.
Hi, thanks for your kind comment on "Half a Dream." Hope your week is off to a great start!
Thanks for checking out "Start Again", I'm glad my intentions were able to come through on the song.
Cheers Mr Vom for your comments. Yeah had lots of exhausting fun with "everything"
Thank you <3 Going to come back and listen to your songs tomorrow because I've been meaning to and my head is late-night mush.
Thanks for listening! The wonderful sound of that octave mandolin has a lot more to do with the maker than the player, in this case. It helps to have beautiful-sounding instruments.
Thanks for zongbusting "Bitch in The Middle" :) I hope you can get some inspiration from Titular as well. Just keep clicking reload until something jumps out!
Many thanks, man, Much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm uplifted by it ;)
Thanks for checking out my songs!
Thank you! It's very exciting / terrifying. Ha!
Hey ya, yes that's what I mean, very analogue, tick-tack, for 6 minutes! Drives you nuts I can tell! And the first time I was a little too drunk, so I had to do it over the next day. Pfff, patience is a virtue right?
Whoa! That's so cool you saw that Quietus review....ha! Maybe next year they will review my cassette release of my Fawm songs from 2018....
Forgot to ask, you still hit the charity shops at lunch? I have moved onto music streaming services, still miss those days of buying a CD from charity shop, ripping it, then giving it to another one.
Ooooo no, how have the charity shops managed to stay in business. :P
Would you be up for me remixing and performing lyrics on top of Arporchestra? I have some cool ideas in the pipe.
Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging comments—I do have a minimal style and it’s really validating that you can see those qualities in my music. 😊
Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging comments—I do have a minimal style and it’s really validating that you can see those qualities in my music. 😊
Thanks so much for your comments and encouragement!
Oh that's funny! Good idea :)
I'll be your rock hands if you be my incredible melting man!
Thanks! I added some Lowest Bitter esque context notes in the liners
Thank you and thanks for the comparison to Casiokids. They do some cool stuff!
Thanks for your listen/comment on "Broken Down In Fargo" last week. Sorry it's taken so long to say so - life got away from me for a bit there. ;) Need to get back to FAWM commenting AND songwriting. I'm glad you liked the guitar/synth combo - there should definitely be a bit more of that coming from me. Cheers!
Do I remember you saying in a past FAWM that you've got an Omnichord? I'm just eyeing one up on eBay at the moment! They go for quite a price these days if they work.
It's an OM27 that I'm watching too ( http://r.ebay.com/HVSvpO ). Can't see me getting any change from £250.00. Wouldn't be so bad but I don't think there's any guarantee it's fully functioning. If it was Sheffield and not Leeds I'd go and see if I could have a look first! It's in a BHF charity shop by the looks of it.
I've been watching them for a good while now - that seems a standard kind of sale price these days. Yours was probably a very good investment by the sounds of it!
Thanks for the comment vom :) It's not exaggeration, I am really having a terrible time recording :P
Thanks Vom, maybe I should have pointed out that "all those little things..." comes directly from Always on My Mind :)
Thanks for the comment on Vocoder Homer, Vom :-). The truth is I just picked the poem because I had another track with a poem set to music (much better one I think) but I can't upload it because the poem's still in copyright. So I just remember one line of this one from school, and googled it to find the rest. Some nice words though, I think.
Thanks for your comments! Yes I thought about adding the badassriff song but when I was in that thread I didn't know if it was badass enough after hearing all the rest of them - I may try this again and see if I can get something badasser.
Thanks for the comment! Went over to songfight and listened back on your tracks. Really good stuff. Hope you win this week!
Thanks for listening to Straight Back to Bed. I hope you had part of your soul in a horcrux. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to make that song substantially better than the version that you heard. It turns out that it helps to listen to what you're playing and give it some thought. Maybe there's hope for me. Thanks again
That's a pain. Hope you recover soon But sometimes cold-vocs are good - extra expressive of a sort!
Thanks for your kind comment on 'fruit' - yeah I didn't intend to go for that band intro thing but it just seemed to happen as I jammed it out!
Thanks for the comment on "Reheating Tea" I liked what you said about the kazoo :D I was trying to do a horn-jazzy-type thing, actually
Thanks so much for the listen--totally above and beyond. Cigarettes After Sex was totally the inspiration for that lyric. I was listening to a beautiful song of theirs, I can't recall the name, and I thought, why not cigarettes before sex and there isn't any sex? That was enough for me. Thanks again for the encouraging words. You're keeping to your always high standards this year
Haha, nothing like a good old indecipherable lyric. I thought about calling it "the hours we fill" but decided against it.
Oh my god I wish I had witnessed the rap battle versus a small child, that is amazing!!! Is it too late to somehow incorporate a freestyle rap battle into my sad little folk song?! I will have to think about it, I'm sure it's an idea worth pursuing. No stylophone on any songs this year YET! I have to find where I put it (also gating factor for a lot of recordings this year has been having to stop making noise because it's late at night and that thing doesn't help). All the synths on the jellyfish song were virtual ones from Arturia Analog Lab 2.
Both the new Daphne & Celeste singles are fantastic! I’m this close 👌 to preordering the vinyl. Who am I kidding I’m getting it as soon as I post this comment. What’s interesting about this time around is they’ve been embraced by the indie/DIY lot. Alcopop are putting on their London show and the gig they’re playing in Leicester has Colour Me Wednesday and Sunshine Frisbee Laserbeam supporting, which is some 🔥 lineup. Good to see they’re not just hitting the Freshers Weeks as a novelty act!
i'm guessing its the acoustic guitar that does the dah-da-da tolling (@2osecs)? or bass? Uke sounds great.
Thank you so much for listening and for your comments! : )
Hey man, I appreciate you giving BirdFeeder a really good listen! Comments were so positive and have spurred me on. Yeah, a glitchy beat was next on my to-do list with that track, I tried it and it didn't come together as well as I'd like - shame, cause glitchy beats are my favourite!
Thanks for your comment on my uke overture song...actually was very validating because I had the same exact thought when I listened back to it. Of course I played it on uke because that's all I have with me at the moment, but then hearing it I like the vibe of it through the first part and thought maybe it could start like that and then have more come in later. So, thanks!
Hey, thank you for commenting on "Clouds" :)
Hey...I appreciate the comments, as always. I checked out a few Superchunk tunes and I like them okay. It's totally my kind of thing, but I think the songs would be more interesting melodically if VV were in the band. Those guys must be my age, so I'm astonished I've never heard their stuff before. They're playing a club in Portland tomorrow. I bet they would be great live
Oh shoot, don't know how I missed that! Sorry @frenchcricket for not clearly attributing proper credit on the rap! I edited my comment on the song. But @vomvorton I'd be all about some chip-hop, though.
I didn't even deserve a response after writing "who's is", urgh.
Hey! Haha, yeah, it's all me, but there is one section I really, really struggled with, but I only needed to record me getting it right once! Haha, the rest was just glueing the repeats up together. If I was a higher-level Digital mage I'd have known a way to hide the rest of the mistakes littered across the track haha - I tend to cram lots of instrumentation atop those parts to cover em up! I may revisit that track and once it has Vocals I may rearrange the track a bit?
Ha... I didn't way WHERE they were going in that black camaro. Could be to a heist! Shhhhhhh. Don't tell anyone. ;-)
Thanks for your comment Vom. I'd never heard of a flugle-bone either until I got one recently!
Hey look... another watchlister that dropped off my watchlist! Added back. FAWM... gotta watch it all the time. ;-) Congrats on the win!
Oh yeahhhh..... :) http://fawm.org/songs/87378/
Thanks for the comment, man. Love the lighter. Looks like lighter gifs are now a thing on this track ... let's see ...
Fixed the liner notes... 😀
Unfortunately, the cat died too we think :(
People misinterpret sounds in my songs sometimes and it's fine, I let it pass. However it is my duty to tell you that it was a bass solo. A BASS SOLO. (Also, congrats on the massive win, I have some listening catching up to do after yesterday's vom influx)
Dude, arranging postal admin mid-FAWM is worthy, don't worry. And oh splendid, vowl collabs are my favourite :)
Hi, thanks a lot for your comments! I'll make sure to return the favour soon. I really laughed at you comparing Am I Still Dreaming to The Radio Dept., because I absolutely had them in mind when I was coming up with the chord progression and I realised that I sort of nicked the chords from their song The Video Dept. Good ear!
Thank you so much for listening to Dream Machine! Much appreciated!
Thanks for your comments! You said Twin Peaks someone recently on SoundCloud said I reminded them of Julee Cruise. Funny thing is I’ve never actually watched Twin Peaks. I know, I know I’m more music/yoga girl so I don’t watch a lot of tv and movies. Still think it’s a very cool comparison. I actually was going for PJ Harvey and Nancy Sinatra but I’ll take Twin Peaks :)
thanks vom :) I found out what the song is that I meant.. my chemical romance - black parade, I don't know if mine is different "enough" I know overall as a song it is and they do go elsewhere with their melody. ?
Thanks for listening to my guitar duo tune. I have to admit that the idea existed for quite some time but only now got recorded. Should have used another guitar for either the melody or the chords because this way the two channels sound much too similar
Woah! Never mind ultraFAWMing, I've just been ultra-commented! I am very touched by your generous and insightful comments, thanks a million ... I was a bit disenchanted but you have perked me up again and I have been writing some new stuff today ...
Thank you for your kind words on "Quilted Heart".
Thanks so much Vom (is that your name, i don't know)! Such a lovely comment to read :)
Thank you for the kind words about “Tape Two Song 1” :-)
I really liked, and really appreciated your comment and listen on our song. I thought the chord change to Fm to C was the only way to resolve the Dm and G progression. I'm glad it went well and was effective for the lyric line. I'm also glad we were able to turnout that retro vibe for the song as well.
Hey, I gotta hear "Oh Boy!" And you should check out "Kid From St. Louis" on my page, it's a jazz song about a certain actor we're both a big fan of! ;)
Thanks for such thoughtful comments on two of my songs. I appreciate you taking the time to check them out!
Thanks for your comment about the synth sound on "Can I Play With U?". I've had the MS20 for a year now - it can do so much, it's a bit overwhelming. But really fun, too!
Ah yes, Destiny, that was where I lost my shirt, at one of their "ironic" beach parties. And you're welcome! I still have a buttload of reciprocating and listening to do so I think I'll be around here for a while yet. Then I can head over to SongFight to tell people what I *really* think :)
@piney is going to have a go at "Joyous"... I have to redo the acoustics for timing but I really like how it turned out. I have a ton to catch up on with you! 😀
Thanks for your listens. I don't know anything really about musix theory so no worries ;)
RE: just intonation album: oh yeah I'm absolutely interested! thanks for the link! and thanks for taking the time to comment on my tunes!
Thanks for your feedback on outdoor cats. I played it live for the first time Tuesday night and had a friend come up onstage and play the cat keyboard solo. Then one of the bartenders gave me this hella creepy child’s toy that makes weird sound effects that you can play music thru (aux input) themed after some doctor cartoon. It’s the weirdest thing, so so far playing the song live generates more creepy children’s instruments...it’s a very weird manifestation power ;)
Thank you so much for listening and for your kind words! I'll have to check out Low. :)
This is what happens when @girlsinuniform gets drunk and I let him use my computer. At 2am that pretty much seemed like the funniest thing that ever existed. The things that boy can do with the MS Paint.
Hi! Thanks for all your comments, especially the last one. I sometimes am not that confident about what I'm doing and wonder if anybody will really like or get it, so I really appreciate it. I'll make sure to look out for you next year!
Hey there.... Thank you for your comments! I am just getting around to commenting on what I want to comment on....I'm looking forward to hearing what you have created this year.
So, how about a collab next year? I am really into what you do. Your perspective seems to be complementary to mine...I really like what you do.
Thank you for your comments on ”Beam Subway Rider”.
Thanks for the listen and kind words on backwards curling! :)
Hey Vom Thanks for listening to my tune Breathe and calling it one take gold! That is the nicest compliment. Wishing you happy rewrites and new writes until we meet again...
you are very kind to indulge my shameless scrounge for a comment x