Heave Media

You're Only As Good As Your Latest Song

Another Day On Earth writes and records a new song every day – and HEAVE gets a weekly update on this adventerous project.

Hey! Since January, because a girl broke up with me, I've been writing and recording a song each and every day. This has forced me to write some real jammers, and also to develop a strange rash from sitting on this fucking chair all day. Anyways, I post the tunes on a "blog," http://anotherdayonearth.net. I'm using this space to review the week's songs. I promise to be scathing when necessary, after all, like any of us loathsome "creative types," I am my own worst critic:

Saturday, July 18th - "now that's a pizza!" 

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/144924388/saturday-july-18th-now-thats-a-pizza

I have company in town this week, and I'm trying to be more positive about NYC. So I'm going to show them cool stuff and all of that jive, so for the next few days the songs may suffer a bit. I am in need of a vacation, though, so this couldn't have come at a better time. 

Case in point: A song about pizza consisting mostly of gibberish. I don't know. I was hungry. The song actually sounds pretty cool at times. It has a Yo La Tengo B-side feel that I like. But come on, ultimately it's some crazy nonsense about pizza. I did it in like ninety minutes. 

One important issue I want to address here: You know that old saying, "Sex is like pizza, even when it's bad it's pretty good"? This horribly inaccurate statement has been allowed to go on for far too long without challenge. I've had some pizzas that were one step above nuclear waste, and I've had some sex that was about as hot as swimming through a vat of chum. It's this kind of blatant PR spin that has let the worlds of pizza and sex rest on their collective laurels. I mean, it's been years since something as innovative as Pizza Hut's "Stuft Crust" pizza. I could note the same thing about sexual positions. Get with it guys! 

older song it reminds me of: "totally martyred(and totally loving it)" http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/117588585/tuesday-june-2nd-totally-martyred-and-totally

Sunday, July 19th - "melon perez" 

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/145714166/sunday-july-19th-melon-perez-this-song-is

My grandfather was a lover of tall tales that didn't really make any sense, and didn't really try to. One such tale spoke of a mysterious man, a spy of sorts, named Melon Perez. This man followed you wherever you went and was taking notes on you at all times. He strongly alluded that each person had their own Melon. It was sort of like a guardian angel, except guardian angels probably don't stare at you through binoculars as you use the bathroom. In any event, that story stuck with me. I needed to think of something quick because of my vacationing visitors so I decided to write a little homage to one of his stories, something I've never done before. I think it turned out ok, all things considered. It's a sweet little tune. I slapped together the production on the quick so it's not overly showy but, after all, it is a folk song. Sometimes too much going on can ruin folk songs. All of my favorite versions of songs by my favorite bands are the simple crappy demos. 

So, yeah, this one was for my grandfather. I owe him. I was skipping school to hang around a girl the day he died. My parents couldn't find me and I missed the funeral. That sucked.  

Older song it reminds me of: "yet here we are again" http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/94714884/wednesday-april-8th-yet-here-we-are-again-if

Monday, July 13th - "saint city" 

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/146463091/monday-july-20th-saint-city-otherwise-known

I know I have visitors in town, but seriously, this song is stupid. This begs the question, am I allowed to have a life? I've actually been working lately(Odd, I know) and that mixed with hanging out with friends has really taken a toll on me. Maybe I should have gone for the more manageable "song once every three days" blog. That just doesn't have the same ring to it, though. I'm a sucker for poetic leaps of logic. This also begs the more existential and much stupider question, what is a life?

I don't know. I did this song quickly, maybe faster than any song up until this point. It's not as bad as Nickelback, I guess. It rests squarely at Hoobastank level.

older song it reminds me of: "don't tip the cup" http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/103981909/monday-may-4th-dont-tip-the-cup-i-was

Tuesday, july 21st - "follow the bells"

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/147162640/tuesday-july-21st-follow-the-bells-arent-we

I love the beat of this song. I love the melody. I love the way the guitar sounds. I just wish, in retrospect, I had structured it differently. For instance, I hate how the first chorus pops up after just one measure of the verse. It throws me off a bit. Also, of all the songs I've made for this thing, this is the one that I listen to now and curse myself for not doing something or another. I literally hear fifty things that I could have done, from guitar leads to bizarre noises in the background. It could be a great song, one of the best ones I've done. Instead, it's just okay.

This is something that happens a lot. I only have one day to write, record and post the song. Often times I think of great ideas after the fact and it's just too late. If I was recording an album or just demoing, it would never be too late to add something. I don't necessarily have any rules about going back and tweaking, but I don't necessarily have any time for it either. This leads me back to one of the main reasons I started this thing in the first place:

A few years ago, I was working on an album with some friends. I spent untold amounts of time and money on it. We built a real studio with a 24 track reel to reel. Hell, we even had a mixing console once owned by Michael McDonald. I had expensive mics, compressors, preamps, you name it. None of it was ever enough. I'd always put off recording, so I could gather up money for that "next great thing." Buying up equipment became an addiction, sort of. Not to mention, when I did record I was the worst kind of perfectionist and nothing turned out how I wanted it. Or it did, but it still needed one last $2,000 microphone to make it complete. If home recordists made up enough of the population, I'm sure therapists would have a name for what I was doing.

Long story short, we had a ton of absolutely huge and dramatic set backs. I trashed most of the reels. I never want to hear those songs again, and now I do this. The exact opposite approach. So, I could have added cool guitar leads to this song but also, whatever. It's still an ok song.

older song it reminds me of: “ridin’ that sweet, sweet wave through that great and unknown sunset” http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/89945438/wednesday-march-25th-ridin-that-sweet-sweet

Wednesday, July 22nd - "angina"

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/147899089/wednesday-july-22nd-angina-the-other-day

This is my favorite song this week. It kind of reminds me of an acoustic version of a Jason Loewenstein Sebadoh song. My guests left. I am finally left to my own devices. And what do I do? Write a song about heart disease. Well, technically, angina isn't heart disease. It's just a symptom of heart disease. But I'm going to go ahead and say that it's a double entendre for love sickness. Us song writers and our double entendres. A few of the sicker songwriters have been known to even use the dreaded triple entendre. These people should be avoided at all costs.

older song it reminds me of: "wait for it now" http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/113047281/sunday-may-24th-wait-for-it-now-sometimes

Thursday, July 16th - "my brain gets in the way"

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/148081457/thursday-july-23rd-my-brain-gets-in-the-way

Lo and behold, I like this one too! It sounds like a little kid who doesn't exactly know what he is doing. Besides, the whole song is only two chords. I love that.

Speaking of therapists, once I had one for a few months. He wasn't overly astute. He'd say things like "Well, anxiety sometimes occurs when you are anxious about something." He also had a Sigmund Freud action figure. Those exist. But, all in all he seemed like a nice guy. Flash forward several years. You know that thing on Facebook where it suggests people you may know so you can join with them in the holy matrimony of internet connectivity? Well, my old therapist showed up! I went to his page, and he had only three other friends, none of whom I knew. I have no idea how Facebook HQ knew that I'd know him. Freaky. Here is the clincher: His status update read "Enjoying my life." Jesus. I'd never feel comfortable enough to state a simple, happy emotion unironically like that in a public forum. I guess that's why he's the therapist and I'm the, um, therapee.

older song it reminds me of: "elephants" http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/100909665/sunday-april-26th-elephants-last-night-i

Friday, July 17th - "southside jenny"

http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/149178014/friday-july-24th-southside-jenny-thanks-to

Not to beat a dead story horse, but here goes nothing: When this thing started, I began allowing myself one "freebie" a week. A freebie wasn't a day I totally skipped, rather it was a day I allowed myself to post an old song/demo I had laying around. You know, to keep me sane. Right around March, however, my hard drive went kablooie and along with it, a ton of freebies. Two months ago I ran out entirely. I thought I'd never again know the gentle brilliance of a day spent in bed with no worries.

Well, as it turns out, my friend had an old tape of mine that I used to sell at shows a long, long time ago. Circa 1999-2000. One crappy tape player and adapter cord later, I was in business. Four songs. Four weeks of vacation days. Too good to be true. 2 good 2 B true.

This is the first one. Even in 1999, you'll be happy to know, I was into stupid music puns. I've always imagined Jenny as Johnny's even more wayward younger sister. The song was recorded on my trusty Tascam 388 reel to reel machine in my bedroom. If you are in the market for an old tape machine that is easier to use than most, you should find one on Craigslist. They go for around $400 and they are worth every penny. They are a mixing unit and tape machine in one and even though they use only 1/8th inch tape, they sound fantastic. Even better, is it's about as close to plug and play as you can get with an analog machine. They are getting harder to find though since the last one was made in 1988 or something.

But, I think this song sounds ok. I even like the song. I think the my vocals and lyrics are cheesy as can be but everything else sorta works. I usually can only make it through a minute or two of an old song before I start wincing uncontrollably and have to shut it off, but this one I made it through the whole thing. So that says something.

older song it reminds me of: "love during an earthquake" http://anotherdayonearth.tumblr.com/post/98351504/sunday-april-19th-love-during-an-earthquake

Ok that's it. I'll see you next week. Keep eating pizza.

Posted by Lawrence Bonk on Jul 27, 2009 @ 8:30 am