2024-02-01
Trying to embrace the "demo" side of FAWM more this year because I'm unusually busy. My deepest apologies to fans of "second takes" etc.
#indie_rock
I was gonna be on display
so I hid all the joy in my life away
to avoid the sin of mixing business with pleasure
chuckling to myself
at the barren walls and the desolate shelves
just out of frame, cupboards filled with treasure
yeah I’m keeping my love inside
even though I have nothing to hide
I’m still keeping my love inside
anyway
under extreme duress
I was forced to admit I have interests
and immediately asked if I’d managed to use them for profit
making a series of faces
I am caught between rocks and the hardest of places
to open my heart, or turn and make fun of it
I am keeping my love inside
though I know that it’s wrong and I don’t want to hide
I’m still keeping my love inside
anyway
Great vibe to this one. I feel like I'm cruising in my car with the top down on a summer's evening. Love it.
So solid and satisfying! Your demos are top notch, if this is a first take! Loving that shift into a higher gear on that chorus, without the song racing away from you.
This is great, feels like such an immersive song that I want to go for longer - immediate buy in while listening to this. the "chuckling to myself" line is great
I have always enjoyed your grooves and this one stands out. The jangly guitars, tight rhythm section and ever so literate lyrics put me in mind of Nick Lowe, which is mighty fine company.
Love the little catchy riff, and the line "I was forced to admit I have interests and immediately asked if I’d managed to use them for profit" properly made me smile. I've definitely had conversations with people baffled that I would do something purely for FUN
Great drumming on his one, very tight and keeps things skipping along in a very satisfying way that reminds me a little of 'take the skinheads bowling'. The rock and hardest of places line is great too.
Oh lordy... this reminds me of me, on the rare occasions that I need to let a repair worker of some kind into my bedroom, trying to put away as many of my toys and collectibles as I can, in an effort to look less like some bizarre amalgam of 50-year-old man and 12-year-old girl LOL. Ah, to be comfortable enough with ourselves to just not give a flying fig. Anyway, this sounds plenty good for a 'demo', so don't worry yourself over that. Nice start.
There's a great story within this song and that guitar riff is insanely catchy!
This is great. I love this kind of breezy indie pop. Solid lyrics and that main riff is a terrific hook
Fun song. Your rough demos are more polished than my polished ones! Quirky, catchy.... always enjoy your songs.
Ace lead guitar riffs, they seem to drag the progressions along in a very cool way without taking over. Love the chorus hook with the harmonies. Glorious.
This is great! It's got a great progression and melody and I love the guitar work on it. I appreciate your efforts to embrace the demo side of FAWM because I often struggle with trying not to mess with stuff too much. I also really liked your lyrics. Especially "under extreme duress I was forced to admit I have interests and immediately asked if I’d managed to use them for profit". The percentage of people that think we should be monetizing every waking moment of our lives often seems to far outweigh the percentage who are willing to let us live our lives seeking some fun instead of some cash. Well done!
So glad to start of out Fawm with something to dance to! And a feeling i think a lot of us can relate to—at least my take away from it—of hiding the fun parts of ourselves from others. I always frame any zoom meetings so no one can see any instruments. Or cupboards filled with treasures. And chefs kiss to those Tasty guitar licks!!
Super fun tune (like every single other comment has noted so far, it’s very catchy!) and the “managed to use them for profit” line is so relatable! The idea is clever, love that you can turn house stress to inspiration.
Catchy af, dread the day when i have to move and style the apartment, especially the second verse is so good
Toe tappingly catchy! Some lovely little guitar flourishes - that lead hook is very cool. Great start 😊
This is great - I got house selling vibes out the gate, morphing into something angsty and lovelorn. I mean, that's a lovely juxtaposition in my head, and I'm not sure I want to know if I'm wrong. Catchy as heck either way.
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This is cute and bouncy, it ended just as I’d found a suitable dance so I double billed it 😁 Awesome
I read your liner note about embracing the demo, and then my mind decided to forget what "mixing business with pleasure" meant, and I thought it was a meta lyrics about the business of mixing this very song and it being pleasurable. ANYWAY. You've always been a master of catchy choruses but you've outdone yourself here. That lead guitar line is ace as well
I know it is early, but this is going to be the running for 'catchiest chorus' of FAWM 2024.
when I grow up (sadly I'm already 46) I want to be @vomvorton! there I've said it, this is my first entry into the best of 2024 list!
Brilliant! Can't wait to hear this at gigs. Love the angular guitar intro. I would say it requires a female backing vocalist though. 🙋♀️
Fine guitar work throughout. Fun, catchy, sweet song.
ooh, bouncy!
Love! These lyrics are wonderful. "just out of frame, cupboards filled with treasure" yesss.
bruh, no apologies, this is so good! That main riff is fun as hell, and the chorus is pop perfection. Great, witty lyrics as always, but especially like the "making a series of faces I am caught between rocks and the hardest of places to open my heart, or turn and make fun of it" rhythmically and rhyme-ically (shhhhh, yess), it's extra good, and hard-relate to the sentiment.
clever lyrics and clever take on the problem of an artists representation (that's my take). Nice to hear the human side of vom in this demo. Catchy tune.
that is a great main riff, very very catchy. Really like your vocal on this too. Off to a good start!
Blimey, that chorus is one to have on repeat all day. Amazing riffs. Love it!
This is instantly fun and has me moving in my studio chair. And I love the line "I was forced to admit I have interests" and how you made that rhyme work. Catchy chorus too. What is the guitar sound/distortion you're using for the rhythm guitar(s)? Love it.
This is terrific. The mix is a bit wrong but it still sounds fantastic. You're putting us to shame again. Needs an oddddd guitar solo that's not over the existing chords, a final chorus and then it's straight up the charts.
What a cool song! The little touches are top class. Very nice strong lyric. I love the way you sing through the lines it really moves the song along! worth more plays. great first up in this Fawm!
2024-02-02
Finding it quite refreshing not obsessing over mix stuff. Expecting my February to collapse into a mess of house-stress at any minute but at least I've gotten a couple on the board! And I actually played drums on this one too.
This was inspired by an in-joke with some discord friends but hopefully it has some universal appeal, haha.
#indie_punk #fuzz
your old man, he’s behind the times
I gotta ask his permission to make you mine
gotta send him a message to make my case
include a little picture of my face
but he’s not on the email, he’s not on the boards
he stopped paying attention in ninety-four
I’ve got something special planned
cos there’s only one message that he’ll understand
thinks he’s on the bleeding edge of communication
I’m gonna fax your dad and ask him if you’re taken
it’s a little ridiculous, a little absurd
he‘s got two phone lines but prefers the written word
and it’s not the only older technology he’s into
loves the intimacy of a dot-matrix printer
he won’t take my calls, he’s a bit overcautious
and it’s also fucking noisy in his little home office
but he wants the best, and I want the same thing
I’m just hoping that he’s accepting
he thinks he’s on the bleeding edge of communication
I’m gonna fax your dad and tell him that you’re taken
he must understand the pressure I’m under
I’m just hoping that I have his number
And if that doesn't work... send up the smoke signals. 😆 This is so fun. I love the sound of the guitar in the first 10 seconds (it's great after that, too). Really like the change from "ask him if" to "tell him that" in the second chorus. Great work, Vom.
this is so cool and fuzzy and catchy, and a classic vom lyrical conceit. That I'm gonna fax your dad vocal melody is hooky as fuck. Love when the drums switch from live to programmed in the second verse. Cool stuff
Jeez, you're singing to me here! "he stopped paying attention in 94", hey!! Tjhis whole thing is bouncy and catchy as hell (wouldn't be out of place in 94, would it??). Love the live drums and programmed bouncing back and forth too
Ah, this is so fun, but then, as soon as I saw the title, I had a suspicion I'd love it. The change in the beat at the pre-chorus is neat, and I *love* how punky that chorus is -- I don't know that I've ever heard you so sneery? But it's fun, your sneery punk voice is great on "communicay-shyun!" This is so flipping catchy and fun, the lyrics are clever and funny, peak VV. Also agree with @owl about how great the drums sound and not believing that you haven't been practicing.
I can well imagine yelling "fax your Dad" along to the chorus of this at a gig 🤘
Everything up to the vocal is giving me real Pixies vibes, but then you make it pure VV. The half-time pre-chorus is very cool, and just helps elevate the chorus (even though it's back to normal time before it comes). The chorus itself is another belter, the smashing drums (in both senses of the word) punctuating each word is very cool.
Always a fan of the Sonic Youth spelling of 'your'. Into/printer is your rhyme to beat this year. I look forward to you topping that humdinger. As you know I'm also a fan of music that sounds like it came from the fax age so this is all up my alley.
Add me to the list of admirers of this wonderful song. And title.
it's gonna be hard to top this one in terms of "song titles that made me laugh". i actually also have a old dad. weird right always a bit jealous of how you make everything sound so clear and yet retain the fuzz. super catchy, great melodically, dynamics are on point with all the drum bits prodding and stabbing at all the right times. bangs
Ah, the things we do for love. I love this, and for what it's worth I find the mix quite pleasing to the ear. Well done!
Great scruffy guitars and drums and a very catchy track. Lots of fun and energy in this. Perfectly mixed. Reminds me of Television Personalities a bit.
Super fun. So many great, unexpected twists thrown in.
love the mixing on this, perfectly done. Ace vocals. Catchy riffs. Glad to see you back.
I hope you don't mind compliments by way of comparison, but I'm loving the Belle & Sebastian cheekiness here. I also like imaging the conversation the two lovers here had when one explained, "Well, there's one thing you should know about my dad..."
This sounds great, the vocals are spot on, and the lyrics are awesome. This is a fun one.
What a great lyric and melody. It made me chuckle. Creative inspiration, and so well performed too. Love this!
hell yes! this is so catchy and fun. i love the “gonna fax your dad and ask him…” vs “gonna fax your dad and tell him…” lines. nice way to tie it all together
oof that third chord agaisnt the 'pedal' chord part is crunchy and awesome - I love the contrast in the guitar parts between sections where you go a bit heavier with the "thinks he’s on the bleeding edge of communication" - love the drums for that bit too!
i love the beat and i really laughed at the "overcautious/home office" part. loads of fun!
I love this! Everything about it, right down to the bass tone. Especially the lyrics - brilliant.
Its a good song if it was about anything! Very catchy pop song . The concept is hilarious i am an alien with a lot of my generation being pretty technological. Ive met many of the dad clones! excellent
Cracking little song, love the lyrics 😂
I actually have a fax machine...maybe in the basement. And I know my Dad has one. This is super catchy. The whole thing is so damned craftily put together. You take us on a perfect powerpop journey in 2.5 minutes. Just how I like it
I’m going to guess it’s an illuminati hotties joke from the title? This is so goofy and infectious! The flow of the dot matrix printer verse is so fun. Drums sound great, are you sure you haven’t been practicing? I love the fuzzy guitars!
Energetic and fun track, love the lyrics great punchline
Great guitar work again! Liking how the little minipops style beat breaks up the full kit. Top lyrics as ever. That picked bass sounds great too.
haha I love it! This song is hilarious and super fun.
Haha. A really clever story. Excellently executed - lyrics, vocals and the pinky vibe. Nice.
Hilarious concept!! Love the punky groove.
And he plays drums too! 👏 That was so good.
Brilliant. I love a good angsty power pop song, and they are completely in your wheelhouse.
Lack of obsessiveness is not detracting here - cracking little song, great lyrics, and it pumps along in a manner that my ears found pleasing. Particularly liked the rhyme of 'into' and 'printer' and that guitar that's stays on the same chord through the intro, and later post-chorus (possibly pre-chorus too), that's great that is. I love songs where there's a static element and stuff shifts around them creating interesting harmonic relationships.
Hahahaha this is totally lolsome, love that idea you had , works perfectly in song 😁 Knocking the bangers out double time dude!
This song is great. Love the halftime prechorus. Love the lyrics and the fun-loving vibe!
ooo this is a tidy little ditty isn't it. top work as always.
2024-02-11
Finally in with a third song. As expected, my house hunt is taking up a lot of the time and energy I would usually use for FAWM, and I've had a mild cold the last week too. Also the lyric writing for this one was a bit... drawn out, although while puzzling over that, I added some synths. Anyway it's here now! Sticking with the "don't overthink it" arrangement / mix stuff, this could probably use a bridge section and not end so abruptly but I'll address that if and when I decide it's worth revisiting.
There's a more obvious title in the lyrics, I will admit. But the Beatles already stole it.
#jangly #emo-pop
circling my wrist to hear the bones that never healed
from that drunken collision on a makeshift football field
it would have been forgotten if it hadn’t left a mark
but every time I feel that crunch, I’m right back at the park
that was then, this is later
I’m barely the same person
light fades, time passes
everyone looks hotter in glasses
and we carry that weight
on our bodies and embedded in our hearts
and we lean into our fate
a working machine made out of broken parts
putting my guitar down to give my back a break
though I don’t think that it’s broken - it definitely aches
there are many possibilities for why I need repairs:
the frisbee miscalculation, or falling down the stairs
dog bites, cat scratches
outlive the pets that gave them
do I remember? you bet!
the universe won’t let me me forget
A bridge? Fuck that! This tugs at the heartstrings for sure. There are no broken parts here, and they whole is better. The instrumental opening is great. Then it gets better, and better, and the part the Beatles stole is just sublime. Just under three minutes? The perfect length for a gem of a song.
Hard relate to the first verse! My wrist still doesn’t work properly after I broke my arm last year and I can fiddle with it and make everything go out of alignment, which is excruciatingly painful. Makes me wonder I do it. That synth that comes in on what I’m going to call the pre-chorus is superb, really big lift. Lovely melodies. I quite liked the ending too. A perfect template for a song too - get in, say what you need to say in a tuneful and pleasing way, get out again. Lovely.
What an accurate description of injuries that never quite heal and how they accumulate as we age! Gee, you had some fierce pets. Top-notch match of music and lyrics.
Top drawer. I like the synths a lot, I like the lyrics a lot. And Beatles shmeatles. A flash in the pan.
*Somebody* definitely looks better in glasses (wink). The line about cat scratches is so sad! Most of the other lyrics here, perhaps intentionally, seem to induce a bit of schadenfreude. I am sorry you have a broken wrist but I wish you'd caught the accident on video. Your turns of phrase rarely miss an opportunity to induce a little mirth. Very nice chords and janglism abound here. I think I'd place this at the Fountains of Wayne end of the emo spectrum.
really great song! love the lyrics. I relate.. for I am a working machine made of broken parts as well. love the sound too
Favorite line: "a working machine made out of broken parts" A fun interpretation of the foibles of aging.
Great phrasing and superb lyrics. I especially like " a working machine made out of broken parts"
This is so lovely! You do sweet and poignant so well. Love the urgent synth line, and the way the melody and feel open up on the "we carry that weight" chorus. Lots of great lines, but I especially love "it would have been forgotten if it hadn’t left a mark" and "do I remember? you bet!/the universe won’t let me me forget."
Yum synths! I love these lyrics, they hit the sweet spot of poignant but understated, and your delivery is great. The lift of energy in the chorus with those seesawing synths is excellent so I’m glad you took the time to add the extra layers. Love this!
This is lovely! Feels complete to me. Love the chorus especially.
There's a very wistful feel to this song and those synths are absolutely cracking. My old football injury is my ankle which occasionally goes, so I know how you feel. Also, didn't know The Beatles had a song called I Feel That Crunch.
The chorus is both hooky but also lyrically awesome. I'm very pleased the time it took you to write it led to synths. Everything is hotter with synths.
I can definitely relate to this one. Love the synths. Everything is killer. Great pre-chorus & chorus. Catchy and awesome.
Ooo, some lovely Grandaddy vibes at play here. I've praised your choruses, but the pre-choruses are absolutely killer. "do I remember? you bet! / the universe won’t let me me forget" - what have I told you about going on Matthew Kelly's wikipedia page every day?
lol at the glasses line, truth bombs! This is sooo much fun, my vom fave for sure! Very glad you found the time to put it out into the world ❤️
This feels worth the time spent on it. It's got heft. I can feel that weight your struggling with. Great tune x
Really good jangly pop with the nice addition of a little synth sweetening. Really like the everyday nature of the lyrics and how easy they are to identify with.
An anthem for our times. Or at least my times. As another working machine made out of broken parts, hard relate. Loving the synth sounds and the arpeggios in the chorus reaaally lift it to a new level. And you know what? Everyone *does* look hotter in glasses.
That guitar comes in all fresh and whimsical and dreamy. Perfect for the nostalgic vibe. Nice little synth “bwoww” at the end to cap it off. You just reminded me how much my feet hurt.
This was a blast. Great lyrics, really well done, conveys the poignancy of the accumulation of injuries that accompany aging. I love the sound of this, with the synth and the jangle and the pop feel. And I think your title is great. I think it's better to have an uncommon title than an obvious one. You could search every streaming service there is, I doubt you're going to find any other songs called "The Frisbee Miscalculation" out there. Meanwhile, how many "Carry That Weight"s are there going to be?
This music is wonderful! I love the movement and the wonderful interplay of instrumental layers. The details in the lyrics are great - from the details of of a past injury to the big picture insightful perspective! Wonderful build into the chorus. Great melody and vocals!
Cool tune, this sounds like a cross between the Cure and Pulp! Love the soaring synth lines and jangly guitar vibe.👌 I think I could do with a few repairs myself, I’ve got an aching back today. That’ll teach me for joining the gym! 😅
I like the relaxed feel of the verse, it’s almost like we’re having a conversation. It makes the uplift in the chorus that much sweeter. Thought provoking lyrics too.
Ouch... Believe me, the older you get, the more you will be reminded of those youthful injuries. But there's lovely humour in this, a wry maturity that brought you lines like "everyone looks hotter in glasses". And the arrangement is a cracker! (And just so you know how much this is absolutely my sort of song, even in my sixties I'll still chuck a Frisbee around whenever I'm given the opportunity to do so...)
2024-02-11
I had the opening line of this song in my "snippets" doc where I save promising lyrics (and some that I look back at and cannot see the promise at all, naturally) and after reading it again at the start of the month I kept getting it stuck in my head. I'm not sure there's really enough there to spin a whole song off but I did it anyway. Two songs in a day, hell yeah. First-take drums, hell yeah.
#fuzz #punk #garage_punk #lofi #distortion_on_everything
You know me, I keep it real
that's why I won't be contributing
to your crowdfunding appeal
or listening to your podcast
Yeah you know me, I’ve got a positive vibe
but ask too many questions
and I unsubscribe
you should know
I established this in the past.
thanks for your heartfelt recommendation
but I’m taking a break from every station
wake me in six months when it all blows over
You know me, I’m a sensitive cat
send a video link and I’ll leave the group chat
I need to spend some time alone
staring at a wall
The modern world sank its teeth into me
so I’m off to read a book about a million BC
where nothing ever fucking happened at all
thanks for your heartfelt recommendation
but I’m taking a break from every station
wake me in six months when it all blows over
thanks for your concern and your attention
but I’m spending some time in my own dimension
wrapped up in a blanket, going supernova
The first person to describe themself as a cat since 1952. I feel like the lyrical angle took a bit of a left turn after the first verse, I think I'm probably misunderstanding the protagonists perspective, but it matters little. This is a coiled spring of a track. Great punk energy, woos and hooks galore. I love the dynamics and fist pumping drum beat.
I was about to post this on your profile, makes. more sense here: "Hey, saw you mention Letterboxd, if you are interested, I'm Spazsquatch there too." This is a great track! Perfect lyrics.
Excellent poppy and punky song and the vocals just take it to a new level. I adore the vibe of this, even though I won’t say it out loud…..hahaha. I’ll just listen to your song instead! Great song
1m32s of punk pop perfection. Lovely drums (again) and lyrically hits my favourite spot of unforced conversational words that work in song form. Love the BVs too - the high oohs and especially the deep spoken ones. Packs a lot into into its 92 seconds!
Definitely enough to spin a whole song off - the lyrics are great! I’m actually getting more of a mid-nineties Britpop vibe (Sleeper kind of thing) than a punk vibe. Anyhow, I really liked this one 😊
when i saw the genre tags i literally out loud did a "he-HEY". now here's a fawmer who knows what's up you say there wasn't enough to spin a song out of, but idk. the million BC book got a good laugh out of me, the blows over/supernova rhyme was fucking cool and the blown out guitars almost drowning the ooh oohs... probably in the top 50% of songs i've ever heard really when i think about it
As someone who makes internet art for a living and is highly involved in internet creative spaces, the feeling of artistic overload is very real. Cool tune.
This song rules! Instantly hooked on the classic power pop era vibes. Very melodic chord progressions and propulsive vocal delivery that keeps me hanging on. Love the playful lyrics. Modern day strifes like pressure to contribute to crowdfunding, group chat influence and listening to that recommended podcast- real shit here! hehe
That crunch though. I'm getting Ash '1977' vibes, an album I was obsesssssssed with for a while. That chorus, not sure I've heard you belt out in that register before, but it sounds ace - the energy is great. Excellent drumming skills for a one-take!
Love the way you jump right in with "you know me." This just kicks ass. The distorted vocal is killer. I mean, it all hits for me. But you know me, I can barely keep it plausible
This. Is. Incredible. Love the grunge vibe with that blown-out speaker vocal. The lyrics are so clever and the guitar is killer!
This is so true. There's maybe too much stuff online to properly process these days.
Fun tune - nice job!
Yessss! Love the punky/Jam-meets-Ramones vibe to this! The way the verses unfold, with the tight first lines, and big chords at the end of the second lines, and how it goes full throttle after that. Love hearing your voice stretch on that chorus and are those....meggay fuzzy "oohs" I'm hearing in the background? V relatable, clever and funny lyrics as per usual, except they're more aspirational for me, as I, too, would like to escape, but end up being constantly influenced and doomscrolling anyway 🥲
Yessss so crunchy, super catchy and lovely! (I would say relatable but I also subscribe to every dang thing I see and never unsubscribe and that’s why I have 5,453 unread emails in my Gmail inbox right now. So I’m not sure I can say that about myself in good faith. But the sentiment, yes.)
So many great lines in the lyrics. You capture that introvert energy really well.
You're a punk! Love the way this style pushes your voice. Great! I want to hear all of these at gigs. 😀
Slaps. It slaps. The kids lead me to believe this is a complimentary thing to say. I like this song. It is power. Et-cetera
I sometimes start writing a lyric that starts sounding like this - I look at it and think, no, it's too wrapped up in modern parlance and refers to too many specific mundane slices of online life that it wouldn't mean a thing to anyone listening before the new tens. There's no way it could ever be a song you could play straight or have any kind of broad appeal. But you've now disabused me of this silly notion. I don't even think it's the garage punk delivery, great as that is. It's the control and the conviction, both of which are present in spades. What a great song. I almost cheered at the line 'where nothing ever fucking happened at all'. Catharsis.
yup, cranking the volume on this one. totally relate 100%
The little "ooo ooo oo" backup vocals are adorable! This is fantastic! Love the lyrcs, energy, and how relatable it is.
I think that might be the best opening line I've heard yet this FAWM. Nailing the drums like a boss too! You should do a 12" mix that's three minutes long.
I forget if comparisons are cool, are feck it, total Graham Coxon feels to the guitar-y-goodness here. Love the vocal treatment, and the backing oohs on the chorus are amazeballs. YES.
Great little tune - glad to know I'm not the only one struggling with writing melodies with notes at the very edge of what we're capable of :)
That was fucking awesome. So many things that I identify with here and in such a kick as package. Especially dig the distorted harmonies/oohs.
Lovely stuff. One of my favourites in FAWM so far. Everything works so well together, the delivery, the instrumentation, and the finely-crafted lyrics. You really made me smile. Great job.
Oh I LOVE this. Might be my favorite opening to a FAWM song so far. This is a super fun listen. I love the “a million BC” line!
oh such a window into the modern psyche! everything you want in a punk tune - im off to wrap myself in a blanket to go supernova!
Great work! You really nailed the punk style and your lyrics had me smiling from the very beginning. Thanks for sharing!
Badass Track! and I completely agree with the sentiment! I am so resistant to technology and social media (outside of Fawm, of course) that it pains me!
With • @owl
2024-02-21
VV: Very pleased to have managed a Vowl Sound despite my much-reduced time for FAWM stuff this year! @owl asked if I had anything we could work on together and I'd been figuring out this piano part, it came back with gorgeously melancholy vocals (as usual) and some wobbly synth, I thought the bridge section needed some more stuff so I wrote some extra lyrics and turned it into a duet.
If you haven't already, you should buy our album! https://vowlsounds.bandcamp.com/album/message-received
#duet #dreampop #sadcore
have I just been wasting my time all these years?
(all these years)
if I want to make up for the difference
what should I do differently?
can you tell me how to be happy?
how to be happy again?
woke up in the forest one wet winter morning
leaves in my hair
as I crawled through the moss I tried to recall
just how I got there
can you tell me how to be happy?
I know that I won't
cover myself in glory
but I couldn't stay awake
so I never heard the end of the story
it's bad, after everything I did
but all of these tears
put a strain on the eyelids
I know that it crumbled
but I want to go home
were we better together?
or am I just worse on my own
how to be happy again?
It seems like you both try to bring your a-game whenever you collab together. I love those collabs where each person feels they need to raise their standard to get up to the level of the other member(s), I don't know if that's how you feel at all, but if I was writing a song with either of you that's definitely how I would feel. Nothing is out of place, and the melodies lift and swoop at moments that hit the feelies. Much has been made of the synth work here, and rightly so. An exceptional addition to the VS cannon.
Hello Owl and VomVorton: Mr. McGaughey's grade 3 class listened. Here are their comments. M: I liked the beat and the melody. A: I liked the beat and I liked how it was kind of a calm song. R:+M+C+B+J+B: We like the beat. M: I liked the people singing. M: The same thing happened to my parents twice. E: I liked your singing voice.
really nice and easy to listen to. love the keys in this a lot. love the filtered "how to be happy" repeated after the bridge. it's a really nice touch.
Wow! This is such a great melody, and @owl your vocal is gorgeous. @vomvorton 's is pretty great too. The music with this is soo good too. What a great song!
Listening to this makes me happy The music is so beautiful. Loving the duet. The lyrics are bittersweet, but interesting enough that it was far from a cliche Great work
What a beautiful song and duet. Your voices and playing are superb. Inspirational lyrics and music. Love your choice of instruments and the balance between the vocals and the instruments. Your song is uplifting and gorgeous 🎵🎶✨️
Wake up, baby, new Vowl Sounds just dropped! [4 days ago...I am way behind in commenting!] Owl's always impeccable vocals sound especially lovely here, especially when she slips in and out of the slightly breathier higher register, like on "forest." Love VV's low vocal underneath Owl's on the "how to be happy" and then the switch with VV on the bridge and the distant effect on Owl's voice for those following "how to be happy's" work so well. The wobbly synth is great and the whole vibe is so lovely and melancholy. Beautifully succinct lyrics with wonderful images, especially the verse about crawling through the moss. The "or am I just worse on my own" is a wonderful oomph right in the feels.
I love the delivery of "happy again." That one synth almost has a pedal steel sound, so it briefly puts an almost country music sheen on this.
This line, off: "were we better together? / or am I just worse on my own" That wobbly synth is the crying in the song, I feel
Hooray, Vowl Sounds are BACK. Lovely bit of dreamy pop here, both of you. It's so damn wistful from top to bottom. Your vocals sound so great together, and the choice of the Tom-led bridge was a really great choice. Sorrrrrry Tom, but I'm getting slight The Bends vibes from it - (nice dream) or something
You make such a cool sound. That ‘how to be happy’ melody is so good, really pulls you in. Felt kinda unexpected after the more melancholy verse melody. In a good way obviously. Your voices sound great together. New album please!
Gorgeous vocals. I'll tell you how to be happy - listen to this!
the lack of a question mark in the title led me to think this would be some kind of guide. I'm disappointed. I also want to know! The sparse drums and synth combo sound great for this kind of confessional (?) song. I also love that wobbly warbly synth!
Stunning luscious misery in a shimmering song, I’ve been such a fangirl for Vowl Sounds since the first collaboration I heard (Squid Linguistics, I think). Thank you both! 😍
oh, these vocals are just lovely. i love the choruses.
Ahhh. So good. "Leaves in my hair" -- the vocal there is lovely. Big fan of the wobbly synth.
Another beautiful Vowl Sounds song. Verse 2 hints at some bizarre story like the Ouija-verse from years ago.
Yes full sound and delightfully all blended together. Top layering. Powerful synths! this will get a few plays for sure
I have been missing out on VowlSounds! This is sooooo good. Both vocals, instrumentation, lyrical ingenuity: it's the whole package. So good.
Lushly mellow vibe, and that wobbly lead synth is quirkily appropriate. Those lines "but all of these tears / put a strain on the eyelids" are slap-bang at the top of the "damn, I wish I'd written that" league. Great collab, folks; from the liner notes it sounds like it was a process of discovery for both of you. Those are the best sort...
I’m loving the vocal layerings in this!
Oohing and aahing! Great listen, the two of you form a powerful duo.
"were we better together? or am I just worse on my own" now that is a couplet every one who gets dumped should memorize. this is a gorgeous song, the melody is sweet yet a bit melancholic. colas voice makes me remember all the fine things sarah cracknell used to do. adding a bridge for a male vocal was a brilliant stroke.
Vowl sounds are one of my absolute FAWM highlights. I think this is one of your best, it works brilliantly as a duet. And the two of you singing How to be happy again at the end. Perfection.
I am VERY patiently waiting for the Vowlsounds sequel. That first one is so incredibly good. I love this song. It is simple in the surface but you’ve both added so many lovely bits, from the awesome piano part to the lyrics. Top to bottom this is solid. Nice!!
Woo-hoo, you've given us some new Vowl Sounds! And what lovely sounds they are too! So many nice little bits in this track. Love those harmonised parts leading into the choruses and the sad lyrics from both of you are great. Fingers crossed you're both happier now you've finished the song.
Lovely duet. great collab!
So pretty! Release it immediately. 😄
Nice melody and great use of harmonies. And you both sang. This is a great collab.
2024-02-22
🤷♂️
#lofi #tapehiss #melodica
I was woken by the rain
and I couldn’t stop thinking about you
visions fizzing in my brain
because I couldn’t stop thinking about you
it feels so shiny and new
and I can’t help wonder whether
you think of me too
and the things that we could do together
I can’t stop thinking of you
you are a building
I kept veering off the road
because I couldn’t stop thinking about you
had to lighten my workload
because I couldn’t stop thinking about you
and I don’t really care
if you’re a hand-me-down
those other guys died
or they moved out of town
I can’t stop thinking of you
you are a building
More songs about buildings (not food). I enjoyed this, it's a chirpy tune and the melodica adds a fun feel to it. There are shades of melancholy in it but it always feels light.
Shade of Whippin' Piccadilly in that insistent guitar strum and those harmonies sound really nice. I really like the abstractness (is that a word?) of the title.
@loveonamixtape is right - the tape hiss = rain is a very cool move. at first i thought the hiss was way too loud, but it gradually became an indispensable part of the song. i've learned a lot during FAWM 2024 about song layers that are not "traditional" instruments. thank you for the lesson - i'm going to be using this idea, i think!!
I love the instrumentation of this! Wow that melodica is so nice with the acoustic and vocals. Snappy and so pleasant! Very well done!
This was like a shot of serotonin straight into the main vein. Love the tape hiss that sounds like rain in the background. The melodica motif is a delight, as are the lyrics. Agree with @adforperu about the Magnetic Fields-y feel to this, while still being unmistakably @vomvorton. Love the slight ambiguity of the You are a Building line, especially as the song goes on. Is this a metaphor? Or is it literally a very nice building you just noticed and saw for the first time and can't stop thinking about, as a great appreciator of architecture? Works either way!
I was sitting here listening when I noticed that I was grinning so hard it nearly hurt my face. This is just a blast of happiness. That melodica riff is infectious and the vocals a delight. You are a building--that sounds like something I would say, though I have no idea what it means. Which is to say, I love it
This is a fun, quick blast of power pop, just like I like.
Yes, @owl, that's it! Charming is the word I was looking fun. I've just used the word vignette on the very last comment I made, but I'm using it here again. I reckon you could sneak this onto 69 Love Songs and if no one counted, you'd probably get away with it.
I love the bass line in the chorus and how it plays off the other instruments. Gives me The Shins vibes but with more electronica and maybe even some polka (in a good way).
A super cool ode to a house you’re about to move into? Is this how news is broken in February? I mean, I’m here for it if it is, especially if there’s melodica. This has real charm to it and I love the wondering if the building thinks of you and the reference to previous owners dying - that’s really dark when you get into it, but also reality. That’s what happened to us with our house. I look forward to more breaking news!
"I kept veering off the road" - intense. But I think calling an object of desire a "hand-me-down" won't win them over, haha. Nice throwback sound to this one.
the vocal harmonies are really sweet!
Super charming and bouncy! I really love the song idea, and the poetic strangeness of the chorus/title hook. The bassline has such an excellent groove, and I love the melodica (can see iveg’s Beatles comment, it reminds me of “Please please me” a bit?). Great song!
Yay! Love it.
Love it. I get a strong early 90's Sarah Records vibe, great, jangly pop goodness. I like the word "building" in songs, the chorus here is really catchy, I'm instantly humming it.
That was a cool, if brief song. Someone (you?)mentioned that you were moving, so I'm guessing this is about your new house? The opening melodica brought me strongly to early Beatles.
With • @loveonamixtape
2024-02-22
VV: I had a rough indie-rock idea that I quickly recorded last week and wasn't sure what to do with, so I figured it was collaboration time - I always love it when @loveonamixtape gets to really rock out and I'm very happy she was able to take this on and elevate it MASSIVELY! I barely had to do anything when the vocal came back, but I did add MORE guitar in an attempt to match Ashley's energy level a bit better, haha.
LOAMT: Love getting to collab with @vomvorton, which I've been fortunate enough to do a couple times over the last few FAWMs! So I was *majorly* stoked when he sent me this rocking gem. It was also extra great timing, because I feel like I'm finally out of the fog of my concept album headspace enough to actually write about something else or at least not directly related (though it helped that I was able to make heavy use of existing fragments from my ideas notebook), so I appreciated getting that chance (especially since I've got a few more concept album songs to post.) Love what he did with this. Thanks again, @vomvorton!
#indie_rock #rock #hell_yeah
Is this where the cool kids sit?
Because I've always wanted to sit
With the cool kids
Cafeteria echoes
Echoing echoing in my head
Tray heavy in my hand
Standing, scanning for an opening
Every disappointment
Every disaster
Every time I've had to dig down deep
Is a portal back through time
To a 12 year old who's asking
"Is it ever going to be me?"
Well, baby you're not gonna like the answer
Because the thing you're gonna have to realize
Is that you're never gonna like anything you ever try
If you're only ever looking at it through other people's eyes
Is this how the cool kids fuck?
Because I've always wanted to fuck
One of the cool kids
Lying on my back
Counting the tiles on the ceiling
Trying to remember the last time
I was asked how I was feeling,
Whether I was feeling it
Every disappointment
Every disaster
Every time I've asked, "is it my own fault?"
Is a portal back through time
To a 20 year old who's asking
"Will this at least make a good song?"
Well, baby you're not gonna like the answer
Because the thing you're gonna have to get clear
Is that the only thing you can control in the end
Is whether it's something you'd like or'd need to hear
And who are the cool kids anyway?
Who cares what they have to say
Because I've read the reviews
And I simply don't agree
Who gave them the authority?
Well, baby, you already know the answer
Now the thing you've got to understand
Is you're never gonna like anything you ever make
If you've always gotta run it through some else's fucking hot take
That path leads to nothing but heartbreak
So fuck em, too, baby who are you kidding?
Anywhere I sit is where the cool kids are sitting
Anywhere I sit is where the cool kids are sitting
Goddamn this sounds great and absolutely love the lyrics to this. Loveonamixtape is absolutely wailing and crushing it for them choruses too!
I’m in the middle of a @loveonamixtape binge. Meant to listen to the whole album before I commented, but this one just grabbed me hard. That talking to your(my) adolescent(extended dance mix) self about the crazy-making habit of looking for yourself in the cool kids or the boyfriends or the outside world. It feels like the statement of purpose for the whole album.
This is awesome. Nice use of dynamics, especially when it goes up an extra notch for the outro. The delivery of "Is this how the cool kids fuck?" sounds so f**king cool that one could argue that you yourself are the real cool kid. Meta!
Nice song. You sound like the cool kids to me. 😄 Great ending and interesting throughout.
This is great. Sounds like The Pretenders. I don't know about being the cool kids but this is cool music in my book
I didn't want to like this because you two are so obviously cool kids, but it sounds bloody amazing. Content, style, and an immense amount of cool.
...powerful song - very well performed - great vocals - I like it...
Blessings abound! I came for some VV and found some bonus LOMT. This is such a great tune. I don't know, it's Smashing Pumpkins meets VV and LOMT. That verse about a portal back to the 20 y/o you, who, that's a knife to my own heart. Love the defiant closing lines. Hell yeah...that's how I feel...now...but not then
this is a winner right from the start. Like swaying in the breeze to then change into the straight beat. Vocal delivery and lyrics are top. Great tune you two put together!
Love the progression in the lyrics. The music is fantastic. Love that chord progression in the verses. Great song
That opening is so good - the angular riff is so cool, and "Is this where the cool kids sit?" opening has such a playful edge. Ashley's vocal is great, like always, BORED OF SAYING IT NOW, but fuckkkkk that energy, especially in the chrouses. And then bridge! And that chest voice into head voice right at the end. Superb. All the guitar and drum work is A* as well - a great match.
Love this collab. Fantastic lyrics that can are so well conveyed with those amazing vocals! Wow!
Wow! The delivery of the vocals riding over those guitars is awesome. So many great lyrical lines here, too. And the answer to the question is - Yes, it made a great song. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Impressive collab. This guitar line is insanely interesting and the playful lyric over it seals the deal, held down by that bass. Great work.
@loveonamixtape always has splendid vocals but these are especially great! Definite Chrissie Hynde vibes at moment. "Will this at least make a good song?" —love this lyric so much! Wonderful arrangement, love the drive and energy of those guitars and the stuttery verse drums! Great collab!
You are both so much cooler than the"cool kids". 😄💗
Whoa, vocals reminds me of Chrissie Hynde, what a cool timbre!! This is really ambitious with the rhythm and the story lyrics. Amazing work!
This is so good - right from the delicious rhythm of the guitar, and that vocal is terrific, got a great edge to it. Particularly like the lyric about the 20yr old asking if some disaster would make a good song. Real drums? They're very good. Enjoyed this one a lot!
With • @fourtracktape • @jimdgreen • @moggzy • @oddbod
2024-02-25
From the information provided I *think* the lineup is as follows - other four trackers please correct if necessary!
oddbod: fancy tape art wasn't me, so must be either moggzy or jim
@oddbod - acoustic guitar
@moggzy - bass
@jimdgreen - piano
@vomvorton - synth and vocals, mix
https://vomvorton.co.uk/music/fawm/fawm24/tape10.jpg
edit: just for fun, here's a bonus "If I'd had a fifth track..." version where I added some drums: https://vomvorton.co.uk/music/fawm/fawm24/oddbod_moggzy_jimdgreen_vomvorton_Tape10_NightToRemember_DRUMS.mp3
#four_track #lofi #pop #indie
you caught me in the mood for dancing,
barely glancing at the door
you weren't in the mood to wallow
so you followed me to the floor
and we cast aside
the past tonight
because we never want to feel that way again
we never want to feel that bad
we were looking for the love we used to have
the happiness that we had
in a second we'd forgotten
just how rotten things had been
heads might be sore tomorrow
but for now, the slate is clean
it was paradise
lightning struck twice
and we never want to feel that way again
we never want to feel that bad
we were looking for the love we used to have
the happiness that we had
it was a hell of a bender
I feel a little ill
it was a night to remember
but I'm not sure that we will
we never want to feel that way again
we never want to feel that bad
we were looking for the love we used to have
the happiness that we had
Yeah, this one is just beautiful! What a fantastic song!
Definitely sounds like you're all in the same room for this one, nailed it! Love that wiley synth, really bumps everything up a notch. The acoustic guitar and bass are super solid, a driving force. It's all quite hypnotic.
That this could come from just mailing a cassette tape? The magic of FAWM. I always wanted a 4-track back in the day, and now I think I'll keep my eye out for one. Wonderful work.
This is so cool - sounds cohesive and well put together. Acoustic guitar sounds great - really propels the song along, bass is super solid and the piano gives lovely texture. Synth, vocals and lyrics are ace. Which instrument is doing the da-da-da-da-da two notes bit? Is that the piano or a synth? I loved that part - really anchors and lifts the song, which shouldn't be possible as they should be opposite things, but that's what it sounded like to me. Loved the drum version too - a remix for the b-side. Great artwork too!
This came together nicely. That periodic synth brings it to the next level in my opinion. Favorite line: "it was a night to remember / but I'm not sure that we will"
Thankyou gents was a pleasure! Well done to the rest of you on the track! Yeah, I'm guilty for the tape art, wanted to print the pack too but too many prying eyes at work 😂
Mmmm, that tape warmth. Weirdly it took me a while to realise there's no beat (in a no-bass-in-When-Doves-Cry kinda way), such is the way this drives along nicely. There's a really nice melancholy seeping through in everyone's parts here (not an intentional euphemism there, but it stays).
I can't play piano, never tried before, but when the tape came I just felt that was the right thing to add . . . think I got away with it
Ooh that synth is so cool, really ties it all together! Everything fits together so nicely, love the sound of the guitar giving this a solid foundation and the details of the little slides and runs on bass and piano texture. Lovely poignant lyric, simple but perfectly expressive.
I mean this in a positive way. It sounds like the decade the 4-track was big. Sound quality is excellent - top marks to the producer, and all involved.
@vomvorton I like the drums. Must be tough adding them last though with no click track. The opening sounds a bit like a low budget Heroes 😁 What is that synth? It sounds like a cross between a kazoo and Orville 😂
"we were looking for the love we used to have" is such a good line. It has a slightly pulp feel here, in a totally great way. Love the layering of the key/synths with the insistent acoustic strumming. The vocals are lovely and deep here!
Oh this is fab. That lead synth is *perfect*. For me there's an ambiguity in the lyrics; was it the act of dancing that helped the characters to move on from something awful that they were never going to do again, or was it the dancing itself that needs to be expunged from memory? Love the logo on the cassette box. I understood that reference. Rik, the vocalist in a band I was a some-time keyboard player for, was the producer at the time...
Awesome indie vibe which sounds all the better for being recorded on tape! The partying, drinking, hangover and regret theme works a treat and the instrumentation is well balanced and everything has its on space. Great move to include that catchy synth line along with the vocal recording too, that’s some good 4 tracking! Love the artwork and wish I’d done that for my tapes now. 😅👌
Yeah! Such a band feel to it, as others have said. I love the lyrics. You know i like 'em sad!
Ah, this is so lovely and melancholy and sweet and is SUCH a great mix, has that perfect nostalgic indie quality. Great lyrics and vocal from vom, LOVE the bass in this and how it's nicely up front in the mix, the wonderfully rhythmic guitar playing and that lovely piano in the background is so sweet. And that synth line is inspired. This would have definitely been on one of my car mixtapes in college!
It's fun to listen to the 4 track tapes, cause you never know about the song and mood happening. This song sounds very consistent. This synthesizer brings some oldschool fun. Guitar and bass definitely give that indie pop vibe. The vocal melody is great. The only thing I'm missing is a subtle drum beat, but yeah it's 4 track. Maybe someday? Really great song! P.S. Whoever did the fancy tape gets an extra point. Oh dang, how to watched this show in the 90s and 00s ;-)))
Love the saturation here! Such a fun indie vibe. I like the bittersweet lyrics and the surprising texture of synth here.
What a cool sound - I love this mix of instruments and you have all created a super memorable song. I completely dig the vibe here, which is offbeat and offkilter, but totally works - a good match for the scene in the lyric as well. I enjoyed this one a ton - cheers!!!
…very nice song - as if you played together for years already…
With • @fourtracktape • @slowworm • @thenyloncurtain • @thedutchwidows
2024-02-26
An esoteric little number featuring @vomvorton on guitar (and starting the tape), @slowworm on bass, @thenyloncurtain on vocals and words, and @thedutchwidows on shaker and one-handed melodica.
I (DW) decided to keep the drum guide track, so added the shaker and melodica live on import into Logic (though it took more than several takes and the melodica part got shorter and shorter as I lost patience with the idea). Effectively adding an extra track on mix down, which is possibly a little cheat, I guess. Added some compression here and there and some echo on the drums.
Vocals recorded on a double-speed machine instead of normal speed, which gives them the cool, space-y sound!
When the wind is blowing at your face
And you wish you were in another town
One that didn’t make you frown
One that didn’t leave you outside in
One that didn’t leave you wishing
For three more wishes
And someone to do the dishes
And someone to do the laundry
While you wile away the morning
Ha I just love the contrast of the super upbeat music with the slowed down vocals! The tape sounds excellent and adds to each track something that’s hard to describe. It just sounds good and everyone added just the right parts. Excellent song collaboration and another successful cassette 4 track!
Ooh this is so weird and good! The guitar is so sunny and nice, the bass is solid and groovy, and love the melodica and the choice to keep in the drum track along with the shaker really works. The lyrics are so compact, but so perfect and complete. I always aspire to be able to tell such a complete story in so few words! The sped up/slowed down vocals are a nice, weird choice. The whole thing works really well -- great job, all!
I love this idea and wish we were more organised to take part, maybe one day... The varispeed vocals give the song a real spacey feel and add a lot of character to the small amount of instruments available. It's a strange mix of super clear shaker and guitar while the vocal is up front wailing away like a lost ghost. I think the one-handed melodica was well worth it and I enjoy the what the guitar is playing. It would be interesting to see what would happen to this song if it had another go around. A good listen indeed!
This is simultaneously poppy and weird! It chugs along and makes me want to shake my butt. The lyrics and melodica made me smile too.
@thenyloncurtain - I will see what I can do! I tried messing with the speed/pitch in Logic, but the outcomes weren't worth sharing. I did think later I could have just imported it at a higher speed, possibly at double-speed, but I'd packed the 4-track away by the time I thought of it. If I get time, I'll give it a go...
Pleasure to be part of this, all the parts are so intricate and interesting! I was really frustrated when I realised that my machine doesn't record at 2x speed :/ I am kindly requesting an additional 1.5x speed mix please @thedutchwidows :)
Very fun song you all have created. Those half speed vocals. The melodic line on guitar adds a ton. Bass totally anchors this. And who doesn’t love melodica. Great job on the shaker too. Listening back again and I realize I almost forgot to mention the awesome whistling. 👍🏻
I forgot to add: I like the tune (a lot). I think I liked the lyric, I couldn't make it all out. The experiment with the vocal (and the delay on the drums) was for me a distraction from the song rather than an enhancement. I'd love to hear a version with an up-to-speed vocal and harmonies.
Interesting on the slooooooww tape. Reminds me of when I was a kid listening to my portable cassette player and the batteries were running out. Cool whistling. The percussion and groove really came together here well with the bass and the guitar. Glad the melodica persisted. Reminder that we always need to do the laundry and dishes.
the rhythmic guitar and the lovely finger picking is awesome, and the whistling is a great addition. I think the percussion works really well here, that shaker drives on, and the melodica works so perfectly! Love that descending bass line.
Nice springtime feeling tune. I imagine the vocals are about wishing the mournful sounding singer was wishing to be as happy as every one else is on a happy spring day. The melodica was an unexpected and fun touch.
Pretty cool how you can get these effects purely through analog trickery! Reminds me of those old Les and Mary Paul tracks where they played around with stuff like that. I love the warm sound of the instruments together with the otherworldly vocal.
Dang, this is otherworldly, especially the half speed whistling. It’s pretty damn catchy!
ok - umm - this works, but I'm not sure why . . . . I feel it shouldn't but boy does it. the vocals feel like they've leaked in from another universe, but that they are singing to the tune . . . I think that the best way to describe them
Whoa! Really fun, strange sound - very much enjoyed how this ended up sounding! Half-speed vox, the drum bleed at the start and the final track added during mixdown, so many little tape-specific touches. Excellent work everyone!
This is just scary as hell with those 2x (half time??) vocals, sounds like the Beast is crashing the dinner partty looking for his beauty. But that melodica!!
Oh my God. Don't spring a song like this on me when I'm not sober.
Fun to have a 2x to 1x experiment on a vocal here, as we've seen it a few times with the music end. It really adds to the whimsy, which this song has in spades from all sides. It is so bouncy and wonderful. Fun song!!! I love how you added and produced too. :)
I really like the treatment of the vocals, it sounds positively weird! Great playing by everyone, the instruments sound really clear and they all have their space in the mix. Love it! (Depending on your 4-track you can bounce 3 tracks down to 1 or 2, in order to free 1-2 tracks. It's a scary irreversible process, so I only did it once. Doing it in the box is completely valid in my book, all that matters is the song and having fun.)
…nice - sped up the tape* for the vocals i guess - really nice vibe - well done!… *it says so in the liner notes - ref. the cheat: breaking the rules is almost a requirement in this challenge from what i understand…
With • @chinacat • @fourtracktape • @tobermory • @guatecoop
2024-02-28
#four_track #bluesy #international
guatecoop: I got this tape and I really had no idea what to do with it! I'm typically the drummer at least, but that was taken. I also play guitar or bass, but those were also very well represented....Hmmmm. Keyboards? BUT, no vocals. I don't usually do vocals on anything. Well, I had written some lyrics this year--SO I just decided to sing those, but had to bounce down to open up tracks for 2 vocals and the synth. Nerve wracking bouncing tracks that aren’t yours! I used guitar pedals for vocal effects. I really love the vibe of this song. It is chilled out, but also a jam. An international cassette tape! Awesome job everyone and thank you!
I played a Minilogue and sang my lyrics.
Tape 7 UK->US
T1: @tobermory - Drums
T2: @vomvorton - Bass
T3: @chinacat - Guitar
T4: @guatecoop - Minilogue, lyrics/vocal, production
You say you like a challenge and some adventure
I’m just making sure it’s not just conjecture
I’ve got this special opportunity
So bring your wit, grit, and sanity
They’ve got a mom, but been taken from her
Dad’s locked up–DV and dealer
Pervasive instability
Since infancy
(For immediate placement–indefinitely)
We’re all looking for a standout stand-in
Because the parents are gone and no next of kin
You’ll need a heart of steel and a real thick skin
And at the story’s end– no one wins
Ah, that guitar! Has some serious Beatles vibes, I love it! Love the wobble of the tape, and it's always nice to hear Rob singing. I listen to these 4-track cassette tapes, and it's like listening to songs by bands that exist in an alternate universe!
This one is fun! that synth sound is pretty wavy! I like the lo-fi bounce quality.
I'm getting a distinct chili peppers vibe here. The rhythm section so tight and the vocals and synths float airily above. Nice work crew.
Love the sound of real drums on tape! Mellow bass and guitar make a great frame for the storytelling lyric. So glad Rob decided to sing. The synth adds personality and flavor.
Sounds awesome! The guitar has some fun noodling and gives it a really nice atmosphere. @guatecoop should sing more often, voice sounds great! I love the portamento synth too. The way the bass steadily guides everything forward works perfectly. Excellent feel to the drums, nice solid foundation for it all. Lovely collab, nice work everyone!
The lyrics speak to me! This feels very Gen X and it's come out very 90s slacker. I could never have expected this from just laying down some drums
Yeah, the subject matter is a bit hard to take in, but this collab did indeed turn out very well; a nice balance of each one's contribution. I am amazed and very much glad I ran into this one. Nice work everyone.
This turned out really well - fun vibe, er, regardless of the actual lyrical topic, which was really strong in both lyric and vocal. Good god tackling the tape and making room for what was needed. Love hearing tapes like this!
This has a kind of cool The Shins sort of feel to it, and I dig that. Vocals suit this so good, love the line "looking for a standout stand-in", and there are some crazy cool guitar riffs there. ..the British people did good too.
(guitar player here) Love it, great lyrics and great singing. Was a pleasure to be in position 3 and actually get to record guitar for once :). Glad it made everyone happy to have guatecoop sing, you sound great! Always love how these come together in unexpected way.
Wow. Love it that you got boxed into doing lyrics and vocals. A Standout Standin is an incredible way to describe foster parents. This whole song is heartbreaking and the feel good music keep me from tuning out all the trauma. Great work.
It makes me really happy to hear you singing, and that the powerful lyrics had the chance to come to life! Your vocal is great and really matched this warm and cozy track. The guitar lines are really fun, the drums are great, the timing of everything is well done. To everyone involved, excellent collaboration!
Rob needs to sing more often! And @vomvorton its right. Cool bass
wow, this is amazing. fantastic (and sadly, probably very true to life more times then we'd want to know) and emotional. Love the way the whole track builds and its amazing how much focus there is for this kind of project- amazing work by everyone!!
(disclaimer: I played the bass) damn, cool bass on this Really like the vibe this ended up with, that guitar adds some real attitude to the solid British rhythm section and I love the synth and vocal to finish it off! Privileged to get a rare guatecoop lyric / vocal!
I agree, love the vibe and feel of this! The mellow, affected vocals work so well! Love the Minilogue, too! This feels like a lost 90s indie classic, but with a 70s jammy flavor. Love when the guitar gets really bluesy/jammy/rootsy at around 2 minutes and gets to vibe. Solid bass and drums, too, love those light fills and the great up-and-down on the bass under the guitar jam, especially (and the wobbly bass intro is awesome.) The vocals along with the lead line on the way out is great. It's giving Sparklehorse meets Allman Brothers Band! I really dug this!
With • @adforperu • @judypie • @owl • @tobermory • @thelowestbitter
2024-02-28
I came up with a chorus I really liked and asked a load of pals to sing on it... and then realised I had to somehow write a song around that chorus. And I didn't really have any ideas for the verses because the chorus had already covered everything I wanted to say pretty damn well. So this stayed untouched for a fortnight while I tried to work out what I was doing, and is sneaking in just before the deadline with a bit of a will-this-do feel to the verses, which is a shame because the chorus is GREAT! Thanks to my singers @adforperu @judypie @owl @tobermory and @vomvorton.
Anyway, it's about schadenfreude, or as I put it in the song being a petty bitch. I wanted to keep the lyrics fairly vague and universal, so it can be a general anthem for the haters, dedicated to your dickhead exes, former friends, or anyone who has wronged you. But it's specifically about my old boss, who was a bully and misogynist and made all my coworkers lives hell for years. A couple months ago he left for what he thought would be a dream job, working for a friends company, and we could all tell that the job wasn't what he thought it was going to be but kept quiet because honestly we wanted rid of him. And from what we've heard on the grapevine it turns out he fucking hates his new job! He even called the big boss to try and beg for his old job back after it had been readvertised and interviews had been held, and obviously got told to get to fuck. Anyway, genuinely the happiest I've been the year has been imagining him phoning up to beg for his job back. After years of making our lives misery, fuck turning the other cheek, I spent all day laughing.
So this song is about that.
#collab #pop #synthpop #electronic #haterpop #pettypop
well it makes me happy,
to see you unhappy
I don't care that it's petty
I heard you're hating your new job
well I smile the whole day long
does that make me a petty bitch?
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
I heard you're fucking miserable
and I laugh the whole day long
I'm sorry I'm a petty bitch
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
I'm not one to forgive and forget,
no I won't move on, I won't get over it
everyone who's ever wronged me
will get what's coming to them surely
and I don't need to be the bigger man - I already am
and I don't need to try to be the better person
well there's no way that I could ever be the worse one
you get what you deserve hun
I heard you're hating your new job
well I smile the whole day long
does that make me a petty bitch?
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
I heard you're fucking miserable
and I laugh the whole day long
I'm sorry I'm a petty bitch
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
well it makes me happy,
to see you unhappy
I don't care that it's petty
I heard you're hating your new job
well I smile the whole day long
does that make me a petty bitch?
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
I heard you're fucking miserable
and I laugh the whole day long
I'm sorry I'm a petty bitch
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
if you're full of regret, it wasn't what you expected
well the grass it wasn't greener after all
well I can be a petty bitch
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
yeah I'm doing incredible,
well I smile the whole day long
does that make me a petty bitch?
I just love to see someone get what they deserve
I heard you're fucking miserable
and I laugh the whole day long
I'm sorry I'm a petty bitch
I just love to see someone get their comeuppance
Schadenfreude, a catchy melody and the 80's revisited ... all in one song. It's more than enough. Nice one!
So good! Such a fun groove which definitely mirrors the laughter and joy you've experienced since ridding of the boss from hell. Particularly love the use of all the chopped up vocal lines for that bridge section, and of course the all in chorus' are awesome, I'm imagining that's all of your co-workers singing by your side!
this is great! love the synths. very bouncy and fun. "does that make me a petty bitch" is a wonderful line. love this so much.
Hard to imagine how that line up could put out anything that would not be good. I was right on this! love that hold line synth and so many cool vox here over the steady beat and bell sounds
Oh man, the feeling of getting rid of the draconian/arseh*le boss put to this melodic bubbly pop has to make you smile...unless your the draconian/arseh*le boss of course. The multiple vocals together make this song great.
Being a petty bitch has never sounded so delightful! Excellent interplay between everyone, and the chorus feels like the whole company behind you gleefully scorning that guy, haha. I so love seeing the multi-collaborator feature being put to such good use!
MW chorus vocals that I wasn't involved in?! Is this what I get for being a permamuter? Or was I excluded because then I wouldn't be able to make up my own harmonies and then demand royalties repeatedly lol. I wouldn't feel so left out except this is brilliant. Even as a solo track the tune is so danceable and catchy, with the exact right amount of spikiness in the lyrics. But with the trading words between all the guests is a stroke of genius. So good I may have to steal that idea and do it for an entire song, because I want more of it.
Wow! This came out so bloody good - doesn't feel unnecessarily extended at all, even though I was pretty sure you could have easily just posted the one-minute all-chorus version and I would have loved it. So cathartic to be honest about those people who desparately need timely karma. Obviously all the vocals are superb, natch, but the drone keys and twinkly glocks set off the pettiness perfectly, the passive-aggressive comment delivered with an innocent smile. I do hope this guy learns something from his crappy behaviour though.
Ha! Excellent. The group vocals are awesome and the lyrics are superb. Glorying in the pettiness and why not? Sometimes karma delivers and it's great!
@thelowestbitter @adforperu @judypie @owl @tobermory @vomvorton i had to check this out because #haterpop is such a great tag. i love the three way tension between the twee music, the glassy production and the screw you lyrics. cool panning on the excellent vocals, too. good one.
aah it all paid up. Your vocals sound really good on this, and I love the brutal honesty of the lyrics. The music is my favourite kind of twinkly.
Hey, the final mix came out great! I love the way the vocals are all swapped in and out. Super catchy—I just love the petty bitch chorus.
Great tune! I particularly liked these line: "and I don't need to be the bigger man - I already am / and I don't need to try to be the better person / well there's no way that I could ever be the worse one" The group vocals really bring it home.
Despite writing the vast majority of this song, I think I should be allowed to comment. This is such a pop, giving me real Charli XCX vibes, maybe has that playful edge of 'Boys' or something. The choruses have been constantly in my head since hearing it, and you've done a cracking job with the verses too. Brilliant. EDIT: ok @judypie just asked if I really wrote it, so for the benefit of doubt... this is aaaaaall Jed's work!
Cheerful spite is my jam. Oh yeah! I love the modulation of the line that ends "petty bitch", it adds such a great counterpoint. I will be thinking about this song for a while!
HAHA, if I didn’t read the liner notes, I would’ve expected that this was a @judypie song! 🤣😂. Fabulous lyrics and it is so nice to see someone get what’s coming to them. Rare, but satisfying when you’ve lived through all of that garbage. What an all star group! This song is so great. I’m sure many people will relate, even if privately. Great song!
[ignore until March] this is cool
Oh my fucking GAWD, I love this. The big choral treatment of the "petty bitch" lines are so brilliant. The whole song is like a brilliant affirmation of being a hater -- which I, personally, deeply appreciate, because, well -- some people are terrible! love when the many different vocals get chopped up, it's a very cool effect. The repetition in the song works really well, too, like repeating an affirmation. I DO love to see people get their comeuppance! Lots of great lines, but especially loved this bit: "and I don't need to be the bigger man - I already am/and I don't need to try to be the better person/well there's no way that I could ever be the worse one/you get what you deserve hun."
This is just delicious, and oh so human. The petty bitch hook is one for the ages. There is so much to appreciate here, but I just love all of it. Definitely one to play on repeat. And what an all-star chorus on bvox. It gives me chills when the whole crew chimes in. Wow, just great
How fun! I adore the lyric and the whole production. The gang vocals on "petty bitch" are perfect. I feel better after the listen. Standing ovation. [ignore until March] I think you could try slowing the natural phrasing cadence of "comeuppance" to "come - up - pence" with the beat and it would slant rhyme with bitch.
2024-02-29
Told myself I wasn't going to obsess about hitting the 14 songs target this year because I have so much else going on, but I'm getting some last-minute remorse and it has manifested in at least one more! Would have liked to do more of a production but since I'm busy this evening and with one eye on the possibility of maybe coming up with two more before then... here's a quick voice-memo recording.
#indiepop #acoustic
I can picture you still waiting for me outside the café
thinking “maybe he’s just late” and “I hope that he’s okay”
I imagine you, checking your phone, trying another call
but mine slipped from my pocket as I tripped over a wall
and I swear I haven’t ghosted you
I’m still under your spell
I love you, but I’ve fallen down a well
I’m yelling and I’m screaming but so far, no good
I guess I shouldn’t use that shortcut through the dark and spooky woods
or perhaps I should be carrying a torch to light the way
maybe we should meet up in the middle of the day?
I swear I didn’t stand you up
I still think that you’re swell
I love you, but I’ve fallen down a well
if there’s anybody out there
please run and fetch a ladder
if I can’t get out tonight
then I guess it doesn’t matter
because if she thinks I abandoned her
then this is where I’ll dwell
I loved her, but now I’ve fallen for a well
To be honest, I would almost think that too much production / extra recorded tracks would kill the charm and directness of this song. One vocal/one guitar really drives home the heartfeltness of the lyrics and overall this sounds really great as is!
It's lucky you had your guitar with you when you fell down the well or you wouldn't have been able to write this whimsical lament. +5 kudos points for using one of my favourite words, "swell". And thank you for mentioning the dark and spooky woods, which implicitly explains why there isn't a friendly bush kangaroo around to help you with your predicament.
Jeffrey Lewis vibes aplenty on this one! For such a amusing concept, this is actually a really sweet song. I love a funny song that, if you aren't paying attention to the lyrics, you wouldn't even realise how silly it is.
Too many comedy songs wink or victory lap a bit early. This one works because it's a good song first and a punchline second. Plus, it's not even about the reveal since the punchline is right there in the title. Great tune.
This really did make me laugh. Your poor protagonist!
A simple one take that definitely has tons of merit and value. This is an excellent write that comes through as high quality. Good is just good! Well done
Ha, this is brill. The goofy lyrics are beautifully put together and the earnest delivery and melody/strumming work so well. There's a slight GBV feel to this which is really cool. The ending is perfect, too -- works as a sincere metaphor, which adds a nice weight to the cleverness of the lyrics.
Nice use of the descending chords to underscore the descending motion (down a well)
I fall down wells all the time, metaphorically speaking... I'm not the best at getting back to people in good time. Now I can just say I love you, but I've fallen down a well. It would make a good automatic reply email too! With more production I'm imagining a bridge of vast reverb and echos, gradually descending into sloshy water sounds.... and getting clunked on the head by a dropping bucket. Memorable :-)
Lovely. And I applaud the “I think you’re swell” line. Not enough people think things are swell these days. The world’s gone to the dogs etc. Lovely story telling, lovely song. The voice memo approach works perfectly too. Wouldn’t change it. Might suggest you use the torch on your phone, but other than that, nothing else.
Haha this is amazing! I love the straight and earnest delivery with the goofy lyrics. I think it works great as just an acoustic voice memo recording, honestly, but a full production would be cool to hear! Great song, one of my favorites you’ve done this year.
What a great track! Droll and funny as heck, with the sincere-sounding guitar and vocals playing off the absolutely hilarious lyrics. I'll say it again: what a great, great track!
Very clever stuff.
when I grow up, i want to be @vomvorton.
Oh no! This feels like something that could happen to me… I love all the details and the insight you bring to this. Your delivery works well. Sounds great!
This made me laugh. What an absurd idea! Ha ha. Very clever lyric, and I really like this melody too. Great song!
The great thing about that title is that we can see where this is going from the beginning, which made chuckle darkly. This is catchy and fun and deeply sad. I guess it can be taken literally or metaphorically. Classic VV brand of story
Brilliant. The course of love can sometimes be a difficult one, but this really feels like the protagonist ought to have thought things through a little more, given that they are clearly living in an episode of a children's television programme. Maybe a passing marsupial will be able to summon help. ("What's that, Skippy? Timmy's fallen down a well?")
I did a physical, audible LOL reading the lyrics, I do love how the music and delivery is still very earnest which defininately enhances the whole thing.
With • @thelowestbitter
2024-02-29
This song is about asbestos - I've been working with geology collections the past couple of years and encountered my fair share of the nasty stuff if you're wondering why I was inspired to write about it. It was originally referred to/marketed as the "miracle mineral", because despite all the nasty stuff it's pretty incredible and there's a reason it was used in everything. But when I looked up miracle mineral I found something else called "Miracle Mineral Supplement" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_Mineral_Supplement, which is some kind of snake oil, bleach based "medicine" which its inventor claims cures cancer and HIV and the like. And I think it's a bold move to try to market this toxic thing that will probably kill you by using the EXACT SAME name as was previously used for another, quite famous toxic thing that will probably kill you.
So that got kind of incorporated into the song too, the chorus is a mixture of various uses of asbestos - toothpaste, oven mitts, cosmetics, cigarette filters (oh yeah, Americans, the F-word as I use it in the song refers to cigarettes, in Britain it's only quite recently become used as a slur - when I was growing up it would always mean a cigarette and is still mostly used in that way) and some lines about bleach and vomit, usual TLB stuff. It was meant to be a metaphor I think, but I abandoned the song for a week and couldn't remember what I was trying to do. So I asked @vomvorton to come up with a verse, and he wrote something sort of from the perspective of asbestos lurking in the home, and I wrote some words that were kinda like a twisted love song to asbestos? Sort of inspired by the ANOHNI song Drone Bomb Me where she's singing about her desire to be blown to smithereens. Basically this is lyrically all over the place
So it's ended up quite a weird jumble of ideas that maybe don't entirely coalesce, but I quite like it regardless.
Vom says: I LIKE IT TOO
#synth #synthpop #pop #asbestopop #collab
I want you to wreck me
oh I know you promise so much
tear apart my body
I think I'm in love
it's the whitest teeth
it's the purest snow
it's industrial bleach
it's the cure you know
it's the miracle mineral
it gets its hooks into you
do you believe in miracles?
it's the softest skin
it's in the walls of your house
it's got you vomiting
it eats your insides out
it's the miracle mineral
they get their hooks into you
there's no such thing as miracles
if you can't handle the heat
you should flee from the attic (I want you to wreck me)
lest the dust in the walls
leave you grey and asthmatic (oh I know you promise so much)
I'm not being dramatic
it can't be overstated (tear apart my body)
you should make your escape before
you turn symptomatic (I think I'm in love)
can you hear me breathing?
I will never stop believing in you
oh how I crave that harm you do,
I'm hooked it's true
it's your oven mitts
it's the fag in your mouth
it's the perpetual wick
it's your burial shroud
it's the softest skin
it's in the walls of your house
it's got you vomiting
it eats your insides out
it's the miracle mineral
it gets its hooks into you
do you believe in miracles?
it's the whitest teeth
it's the purest snow
it's industrial bleach
it's the cure you know
it's the miracle mineral
they get their hooks into you
there's no such thing as miracles
You guys knocked this out of the park making this a synthpop track; I wanna hear this blast in da club! These lyrics are so good and clever and the inclusion of the back and forth contrasting vocals later on is the perfect icing (or do i mean asbestos?🤔😂) on the cake!
Nice collab! Great bass. Soft, but in the front. Tag team vocals works great here. The listing bit creates more questions than answers, but that kept me leaning in.
Frick yesss, love this collab! The big dancey synth chords are so yummy, and love the rhythm of the chorus with the long list of it's's. I always love @vomvorton vocals, but I'm a sucker for when he pulls out his low, sinister, sexy voice like this (but, you know, in a non awkward and non creepy way!!!!) Your voices sound great together, too -- love the overlapping bits.
Oopsie, I missed one and it was a bloody MW collab! That filter fade in gives me a nice Daft Punk real, though it ends there and we get synthpop in its purest form. Should a low-key banger, especially those choruses, those bright synth pads are lovely. Vom's deep voiced verse gives a really cool antidote to the bright happy vibes, and the overlapping vocals work really well.
Such a shame how asbestos turned out. Surely the biggest milkshake duck of the textile world. But I enjoyed the kind of almost club banger feel of this over the Stereolab style beat. Always fun to hear Vom slipping in there too, I'm digging the ABCBBDEB rhyme-scheme in his verse.
I'm really being spoiled with these list songs. Like the most persuasive arguments that keep getting added to, but on Team Debunking instead of marketing snake oil. Your voices work together really well, the two of you onstage would do the dual vocalists thing to a tee. Because I'm so chronically looped-in to the media, I'm hearing strains of the Trump Hydroxychloroquine thing and echoes of Radium Girls. Today I learned.
hey, i recognize the bass preset in this! this is a good synthpop song, i dig the lyrics a lot - with the melody, it's got hooks so good i get rushes off 'em (esp. when the other chorus comes in at the end). stuff rocks yo! - Rose
This made me laugh.... like Asbestos made a dating tape for itself..... what a personality! It must be the very upbeat arrangement complete with handclapping which made me think of Asbestos as a sassy go-getter, with just enough intensity such as eating your insides out to make things interesting.... you go girl! Work your miracle!!!! Now I want a dating site for other miracle minerals.....
Super catchy, love the 3 line hook at the end of the chorus. @vomvorton getting a special appearance as a rapper makes perfect sense. Do like when you strip the chorus back briefly, and then the lush keys come back in. OK, the song has worked, I now wish to procure some Asbestos.
2024-02-29
I needed one more song, and this is what my brain wrote. I'm sorry. It's quite unpleasant. I didn't expect to "win" this year though so that's nice!
Also shout-out @thelowestbitter for throwing me a guest verse for my 13th song and also putting the doomsday clock idea in my head, although I'm not sure anyone would actually want to be credited as even a partial inspiration for this song.
#apocalypse #rock #arockalypse #fuck_it #quite_thoughtful_actually
they say we’re in trouble
they say it’s the end
say goodbye to your family
hook up with a friend
throw a brick through a window
and take what’s inside
climb a tall building
and take one last ride
steal a car or a bike
go as fast as you can
walk out of the office
stick it to the man
get drunk in the daytime
do drugs in the street
complete your bucket list
then delete your spreadsheet
we’ve spent too much time running away
(I'm prolonging the life of the human species)
fuck routine, it’s time to play
(By buying plant based bags for my animal faeces)
here comes disaster
here comes destruction
time to throw up
on the means of production
let all of the animals
out of the zoos
I swear I saw a tiger
fucking a moose
let’s blow up the cities
and burn down the trees
dam up the rivers
and dry up the seas
flicking the switches
at the power station
taking control
of our own annihilation
we’ve spent too much time running away
(trying to switch to a plant based diet)
fuck routine, it’s time to play
(cannibalism in the thick of a riot)
(fuck it fuck it fuck it fuck it)
it’s time to loot
it’s time to plunder
divert the world’s sewage
into nuclear bunkers
let’s put down our weapons
give up the fight
a stopped doomsday clock
is finally right
we’ve spent too much time running away
(gluing my genitals to a lightning rod)
fuck routine, it’s time to play
(an erupting volcano is the only true god)
(fuck it fuck it fuck it fuck it)
Imagine hearing this track blast through the sweaty bar, Vomvorton snarling these clever one liners through a zombied twoface Costello/Dylan mask, and trying to survive the sweaty moshpit of boppers adderalled to the gills going "fuckitfuckitfuckitfuckit!🤩🤟💯" Anyways, when you're ready to do the live music video for this track hit me up because this is a banger!😂
The headlines: Vom swears now, cos he's cool. The pitch shifted "fuck it"'s made me lol. The first impression of this is that it's a fuzzy mess, which of course it is, and who doesn't love a fuzzy mess, but there's a super catchy and bouncy tune hiding underneath the swampy juggernaut. I particularly like the pounding chugs at the intro, and the ghostly wibble synth weaving it's way throughout this.
So many cracking lines in this track. Love the idea that you equate all those "the world's over, do what thy will" things with deleting a spreadsheet (I agree). Also, not enough songs talk about animal faeces. This is like one of the quick, punky songs Blur used to put on an album, like Bank Holiday or Chinese Bombs.
This is just great. All of it. And I laughed like an 8-yr old during the "fuck it" sections.
Hahaha! This is excellent and I’m so jealous of your ability to create this at the 11th hour. Wow. Cannibalism in the thick of a riot?!?! Love it. So good
Okay, I would like to know why you're sorry, but this fucking slaps (in, you know, a very depressing (but also funny! ha! ha...ha...) way!) Too many good lines to call out any, honestly, every couplet/verse/line is honestly so biting and good. Okay, but never mind, I'm going to call out a couple faves anyway -- the bucket list/delete your spreadsheet couplet, throwing up on the means of production, taking control of our own annihilation, the hyper sped up fuck its, cannibalism in the thick of a riot.
great lyrics, and the guitars are crushed under the vocals, making me think fondly of mark e smith and the fall. good one.
"climb a tall building / and take one last ride" Boy howdy that's dark. "I swear I saw a tiger / fucking a moose" Hilarious. Overall, a rollicking tune. Into it.
No apologies needed!!! Thanks for making me smile. This is great!
Haha oh god yeah I love a list song you can yell back at the band. Is it time to get more gigs in? Why am I listening to your backing lyrics thinking 'Damn I wish I'd thought of that'? The unplanned encore song every band wishes they had in their back pocket
It's a keeper! Not even kidding. So glad you pushed yourself, this is great.
A freaking manifesto! I just about lost it when you mentioned the tiger fucking the moose. I guess the social and natural orders have completely broken down. I'm a weirdo, I guess, but I found this to be highly pleasant. See you in the office on Monday? Assuming there isn't a lightning strike over the weekend
It’s a little cracker. Love the guitar tone and the general sense of urgency. It’s a weird world when your brain goes to ‘gluing my genitals to a lightning rod’ in times of lyrical emergency. Inspired. Or disturbed. One of them. Congrats on your unexpected win!
love the guitar riff in the background, plant based bags for my animal faeces made me chuckle. Fuck it.
hey i don't think i told you this but i used to take february off the internet (and no wonder it took me so long to find FAWM, har har) so i'm well overdue for keeping it real with some nonfiction books and perhaps a jillion x-files reruns. thanks for making me feel so seen. till next year -- or perhaps 5090?
Funny how one's mind works in a pinch. I think referring to yourself as a sensitive twat would be a quite a lot of a Mallard move, but on the other hand calling yourself a cat would require you to wear a leather biker jacket and slick your hair back. Life is so full of choices
No, we've not discussed edrumming. I only got mine in December, so I'm still proper rubbish. Might go for the a Bobby Gillespie in Jesus and the Mary Chain standing up style instead!
Man! I thought you were going light this year!! NOPE! Time for some listening
Ahhh I can't thank you enough for listening and the feedback Vom, thanks a ton! I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I'm excited to sit down and listen through all your stuff this week too!
Good luck with the house move - hope it all goes swimmingly! I'll keep a look out for updates in song form submitted as official entries or shadows through SpinTunes and/or NurEin, depending on progress!
Thank you for that lovely comment on "Going Home". It warms my heart. This piece was inspired by a Patty Griffin song I love that Melissa Etheridge sang with her. At first I thought I was plagiarizing it, a fear I often have, but I listened closely and discovered I hadn't. It's just those repeated 8th notes in the bass that makes it feel so similar. Here's the link to Patty Griffin's "When it Don't Come Easy". I think you'll like it. The song starts at 2:05 on the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a20fi2853Bo
Jeez, now I need some calamine lotion for that sick buuuuuuurrrrn!
Thanks so much! Hopefully the dust will settle and we can participate more next year! 🙌
No, that is a fake trumpet. The melodica is pitched down playing the riff. I've amended the liner notes for clarity/to make it look like you didn't read them before commenting.
I was thinking that we don't here so much synth stuff from you recently. I still give "Study of Time/Space Displacements" semi-regular spins.
Thanks! I’m not sure if there’s been an 8 track cassette challenge before but it was cool getting 2 whole tracks to play with😅! Do you have one too as would be great to do another collab next year if possible? 4 track would be fine too if not though. 👍
Congrats - I shall keep all things crossed for you! That sounds like the right two out of three things as well. I'm sure someone told me once that if you're buying a house, you should buy one you can only just afford, as in time the payments become easier as hopefully salaries go up and you get the most value. Can't remember who said it though. Might have been an estate agent! Or possibly someone that bought in the 80s, raked it in and thinks they're a property genius. Good luck with surveys etc. May they show strong foundations, an impermeable dpc, and a bat-free attic!
Thank you so much! Oh yes the drums really make a difference. Thats the downside of the 4 track collab. Some songs need 5 members. It's a great practise but nothing wrong about an alternative mix later :)
The housing market is a bitch. The highs and lows etc. It’s been years since I bought a house, and I seem to remember consciously not getting invested in anything because almost always something went wrong. My son recently had to find a new flat at the start of the year and the rental market is brutal now too. Being gazumped on a rental and open house group viewings to stir up the competitiveness didn’t happen when I last rented. On the market for £800 pm, sure we’ll offer £1,200, all up front. Ah, still not enough? Don’t know if that’s a city thing or a Manchester thing, but it’s borderline unethical.
Thanks for giving "Friendly Alien" a listen and for giving such a kind comment.
Thanks for listening, and I’m glad you enjoyed "Can't Go Out And Play Today" - it was a fun challenge
Ha, though I am impressed at your apparent willingness to go for it without any obvious Melodyne 😂
Thanks for the kind words about Buttonball Tree. I appreciate it!
Your songs are fantastic! good luck with the house hunt. When I was in that situation, I couldn't even get a single Fawm track out!
Is this the eleventh anniversary of CHEVRONS?
Your song reviews are as good as your movie reviews. You're very clever! I think I'm losing a bit of steam. I'm looking forward to March, when I can just watch you do gigs! 😄👍
Thanks for your inspiration on “Maybe!” Listening back, I hope I can count the traffic sound from the street outside as another exciting noise at the end. 😂
Vom, thank you for your kind comment on my song "Sometimes." And, as far as "not obsessing over mix stuff," your mix sounds pretty great on both of your songs. Very nice, catchy songs and great performances.
"young and vital" sounds like a splendidly accurate autocorrect
Well, I mean, we can't let Limp Bizkit win, now can we!
Thanks for the nice comments on The Lake…., I thought it was a throwaway track tbh, but since it got so much positive feedback, I plan to revisit it later during FAWM and elaborate and refine it a bit.
Hi, that’s quick! I could easily come round to get it from you maybe after work, if around six or so any night was good for you…I wonder if it’s the first tape hand delivered for this thing. I’ll send you an email - don’t want you to be put out, as you are the one who has gone to the trouble of getting the tape going.
<3 to Jens 4ever. It's funny, though, because I just re-listened to that Jens song (which I love) and I definitely *was* thinking of it, but definitely *also* was misremembering some aspects of the production on it; I think I was mashing it up with "Maple Leaves" or something else from that era, too.
I want to go on a pilgrimage to the Chicago Rat Hole—I hope it’s still there by April when I have tickets to go see the Magnetic Fields in Chicago for my birthday!
re: that 2nd x-files movie, I keep forgetting it exists! sort of like those sequels to the Matrix!
The Zoom recorder is an experiment. I have never done DAWless recording. Let’s see how it goes.
Happy 2024 to you, too, Internet Friend that I am mostly not mad at anymore! 😊 😉 Just don't forget that you owe me a song -- something about being the worst person in history, or something to that effect, if I recall correctly?
Good luck with the viewing - take a guitar with, in case inspiration strikes!
So this is possibly an intrusive question, but as you linked to the details of your house in the forums (and obviously I had a look because I'm nosey), I'm hoping it's not too intrusive! In the photos of the bathroom - there looks like a full width mirror at the far end from the door. If that's right, why can't you see whoever's taking the photo? Has someone gone to the effort of photoshopping themselves out? Full respect if they have. That's above and beyond estate agenting. It looks lovely btw - very similar to my old house in Birmingham, although more stone and less brick. Same shape etc. They knew how to build houses to last in those days. Not like today etc etc.
Good luck with the house sale! And good luck with FAWM - a lot go juggling with both.
I do believe this needs to be addressed, and since three moderators are heavy cassette users, I think there is a good chance it can be rectified.
Hey there!!! Looking forward to tapes and digital alike from you. You make magic here at FAWM. (Even when you are crazy busy). 😃
Hi Tom, hope you have a great FAWM, hope you’ll find time to make some tunes, but been nice to see you’ve started to play live again
Exciting times!
Hey Vom - hope you're well! Good luck with the move - hope you manage to get some tunes in too!
Rhyme those couplets!
Have a great FAWM, low expectations and all.
(witty greeting pending)
Hope you can squeeze some FAWMing in!!
Here we go again! Have yourself a great FAWM.
Oh. It's you. 😑
I'm here!
"if you come through here, this is can be used as a 3rd bedroom... I'm currently using it as a studio... in fact, would you mind just singing this chorus line while you're here?"
Merry FAWM!
Hope you have a FAWMtastic 2024! ♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ
Hey hey Mr VV, how many years is this? How many songs can you make before the house sells hmmm
Love to see the Fenne Lilly love! I think that was my favorite album of the year as well. I was kind of shocked to see that it didn't make it to any of the best of the year lists that I read!
Vom vom vommmmmm!! (I hope you heard that as I intended it)
Hello again!
Hello Vomas Vorton. I like the music you make.