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.

Hello there. Since January, because I have an unhealthy fascination with mathematics, I've been writing and recording a song each and every day. This has allowed fooling friends and family into thinking I'm doing something important with my life, and also to remember that's exactly how I felt all throughout college. 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, August 15th - all u can eat

One thing that's odd about living in NYC, as opposed to any other city in this grand country of ours, is the lack of buffets. Sure, they have lots of "pay by the pound" buffets, but virtually none of the unlimited "eat until you get sick" variety. As a kid, my cousin and his friends had this tradition to go to a country buffet on the day after Christmas in order to have a food battle. Whoever ate the most plates won. Later on, in college, some of my friends did the same thing at CiCi's. Also, my grandmother used to stuff whatever dessert cakes the buffet had into her purse, for later. All three of these things seem quintessentially American to me. Anyways, I sort of miss the big galoots. I don't miss the post-buffet death feeling though.

Now, I'm not sure why this is even relevant other than I had been thinking of that in the days prior to this song being born. It's not a particularly great song but something about it works. The way I strain on certain parts of the vocals makes it sound like a little kid made it or something. I always like that. Otherwise it's a bit of paint by numbers yarn.

Older song it reminds me of: retired radicals

Sunday, August 16th - zelda whistle

This could have been one of those songs that sounds like it's about something inconsequential but actually touches on the mysteries of the universe – but, nope. It really is about obtaining that damned whistle on the fifth dungeon of the first Legend of Zelda. It was really, really hard! I stayed up all night (which is actually what the song is about) to get it and nearly missed my ride to school the next day. But, I got it. I secured that damn ed whistle and was able to blow all around Hyrule like a true champion.

That's probably one of the hardest things about this project. I never run out of melodies. That's playing to my strength. I could make up melodies all day and never stress out too much. But, words, figuring out something to say. Sometimes I just don't feel like it. I'm definitely in that zone now. We'll see when it passes.

Subject matter withstanding, this song is a jam. It came out really well to me. It's just a fun summer pop jam. The beat is fun. The guitars are airy. I kind of wish the harmony during the second chorus wasn't as loud but that's just me being nitpicky. Good track. Maybe I'll do a song about getting the Master Sword. Those woods were confusing.

Older song it reminds me of: totally martyred (and totally loving it)

Monday, August 17th - highway 20 toast

Another song ostensibly about something stupid - this time, it's the toast given on the side at "Tiny's BBQ" on Blountstown road near Tallahassee, FL. At this place, Tiny (Who is anything but his namesake, obviously) serves up something called the "chicken snack." This "snack" is an entire half of a chicken with accompanying sides and that titular toast. Tiny is a man of irony.

Actually, this song is really about being a teenager and trying to talk to girls. You know, one of the oldest subjects in the pop music canon - if not the absolute oldest subject. I was trying to get it to sound like that one Zombies song on "Odyssey and Oracle." You know, the one where he's kind of screaming, "My hands can't stop shakinggggg" over the dissonant organ sound. Great and harrowing little song.” So I tweaked the synth out a bit and made the vocals sound a bit distorted and in the background. It doesn't capture it exactly, but it does give it a fucked up quality that I like. It could have been a longer, more involved song, though. I just had a lot to do and not enough time. Ah, life.

Older song it reminds me of: the ballad of a former budbugger

Tuesday, August 18th - the westside bummer

This is an "interlude" calling to mind a song from a few months back, called "the westside drummer." It has pretty much the same chords and works as a sort of companion piece/ending. It's simple but kind of cool. It'd be nice to have it come in at the end of the original song, then fade out as it does here. I would have liked to add more layers, in retrospect. But what am I gonna do? What's done is done. I didn't feel like singing that day. Scratchy voice. So I made something where I didn't have to. Although I did end up singing some "aahs" by the time I was done. Still, those are easy.

Older song it reminds me of: the westside drummer

Wednesday, August 19th - "still makin' tones of money (but not as much as before) bluez

This is just a lofi, dirty blues song. It sort of reminds me of Meat Puppets. The solo at the end could be a bit better, but otherwise it's pretty cool. I think the song is sung from the perspective of a health insurance or bank CEO, thus the title. Hey, look at me now, doing political songs, like a member of the Guthrie clan. Wouldn't mama be proud...

I don't do straight blues too often. It's real easy to make it trite and ridiculous and real hard to make it the opposite. I'm not sure where I ended up with this one - probably somewhere in the middle.

Older song it reminds me of: what my mama said

Thursday, August 20th - i was a man before i began

There's something about this song I don't like. Maybe it's the way the vocals are slightly out of tune, or maybe it's the guitar or the organ. Maybe it's all three. In any event, it's an ok melody that makes me wince when I hear it – a total chalkboard wince. I slapped it together really fast, though. Some days I have to venture out into the world (gross, I know) and try to make some money. Today was one such day. People always ask me, "Just how do you do it? How do you survive?" The answer is, barely. I do freelance writing whenever anyone gives me the chance. I also put together computers at the UN. Yes, that UN. Somehow I barely squeak by. And by barely, I mean I've eaten spaghetti for every meal this week. Ah, the glamorous life of a starving artist! Where's my upper west side sugar momma who thinks my lifestyle is quaint and charming?

Older song it reminds me of: way down, in a well

Friday, August 21st - the same black powers

I think I'm in somewhat of a slump. It's not on purpose. Well, are slumps ever on purpose? It's just that. I've been really low on money lately (see the previous post) so I find myself in the world trying to make some, and that leads me to spending less time on these songs. It will come around again in a week or so, but for now. I have nothing but bad things to say. Every song has potential. I really feel that about just about any song. Give me a Nickelback song and I can envision how it could be produced to sound cool. So with that said, I think every song I write could be good. So when I don't get there. When I can't spend enough time on the production to make myself happy, I just get really disappointed. I feel like I let the little bugger down. That's probably unhealthy to potentially feel every single day. Also unhealthy, to anthropomorphize songs. Don't do it! Songs are not Disney animals.

Still, gimme a few days. I've been in these slumps before. Jesus, you should have seen April's. Well, actually, you can see April's. The songs are all posted.

Older song it reminds me of: chilly ride

Ok that's it for now. In my most awkward and embarrassing Aunt voice, "C ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya!

Posted by Lawrence Bonk on Aug 25, 2009 @ 11:00 am