Sunday, July 12, 2009

New Song Didn't Pass the Girlfriend Test

i don't update this blog often enough. i'm going to try and change that by posting regular updates on what i'm working on, whether it's good or bad. today i'm sharing a recent failure of mine. sometimes you write a song, and after it's all recorded you sit back and listen to it and think, "wow, this sucks." this is one of those songs.

so the other day the idea for this track popped into my head while i was riding home from work on my scooter. the main melody came to me and kept repeating in my head. for some reason or another i thought it would be fun to make the song all about my favorite bands. if you are my Facebook friend, you may have seen my status update about working on this song. i suppose i thought it would be a good way to connect with listeners. if just one of these bands happened to also be a favorite of yours, maybe our bond would strengthen.

so i recorded the song as soon as i arrived home. didn't take too long -- a couple hours in all. the lyrics are nothing more than a list of my favorite bands, and the chorus merely repeats "these are a few of my favorite bands." easy, right? i tried to make it a light hearted, fun pop/rock song in the style of The Dandy Warhols, which i've been listening to a lot of lately.

but when i listened to the finished product, it didn't move me. sometimes i feel too close to a song to know if it's any good and seek a second opinion. so i played it for my girlfriend. "meh," she said. it is not a good sign when even your girlfriend doesn't like your song. turns out a list of my favorite bands does not necessarily make a compelling listen. she thought the melody was catchy, but needed a little more effort in the lyrical content.

so here is the song as it stands right now:



here's what i think went right:
- i've got a catchy melody and a solid chorus
- i like the crunchy, buzzy guitar tone
- i like the bridge that occurs at 1:52 (although i need to do more with it)
- i like the "whoo hoos!"

here's what went wrong:
- lyrics don't cut it
- guitar solo is weak sauce
- guitar part is inconsistent
- drums could use more personality

so there you have it. i'll probably scrap the vocals and write something with a little substance, then figure out exactly what the guitar should be doing. if i get another decent version going i'll post the update.

daemon

3 comments:

Unknown said...

wasnt bad. your shameless self promotion made me come to the site and check out your stuff. SCOOP!!! I do like your style(s) but yeah, listing fav bands doesnt make for the best song!! will be checking out more in the morning through itunes!

TIM said...

Hey, I sorta like it. It's catchy anyways..

Paul Waltz said...

I'm getting a HUGE Dandy's vibe from it. Rework the lyrics to be more "Portland-ish" and fix the solo and you've got a great one.