Look At Miss Ohio – Gillian Welch (Cover)

May 21, 2013 By


 
‘Look at Miss Ohio’ is the first track of Gillian Welch’s fifth studio album Soul Journey, released in 2013.

It’s currently my favourite Gillian Welch tune, combining fantastic subject matter, economic use of words, a beautiful melody and a simple but interesting chord progression.

To me it perfectly encapsulates the youthful pursuit of fun and freedom. And it features my favourite Gillian Welch lyric, ‘I want to do right but not right now’.

What a line!

Unfortunately my guitar skills are by no means anywhere near as accomplished as Gillian Welch’s long time collaborator David Rawlings, who quite deservedly recently won the Americana Music Association’s Intrumentalist Of The Year award.

I borrowed a little from his killer first solo in the following video for the beginning of my solo. Unfortunately, I then had to resort to my limited singular mode improv. Rawlings is one of those guitarist who applies a jazz sensibility to his playing, shifting modes with each chord change and using dissonance with incredibly pleasing results – to me anyway – while all the while not getting lost in the technicality of it all and losing the feel.

If you enjoyed this cover, it would be great if you could ‘like’ it and my facebook page in the sidebar, and better still if you could take the time to listen to my original tune (also in the sidebar). If you like it, sign up to my mailing list for 4 free songs and updates on my gigs and activities.

 

Filed Under: Videos

Dave Grohl Performs With The Stones

May 20, 2013 By

Dave Grohl - Foo FightersLast night, Dave Grohl joined an expanding list of stars to perform with The Stones on their 50 & Counting tour.

The Rolling Stones as a band may be 50 and counting, but there definitely not failing to be relevant in 2013. That’s probably because they’ve spent 50 years making ridiculously good music.

But the success of their current 50 and Counting tour may be due in some part to the quality of their social media marketing and well, the fact that everywhere they go they seem to be pulling up on stage some of the biggest names in the music industry.

And Dave Growl now joins the list, last night joining the living legends on stage in Anaheim to perform ‘Bitch’ with his usual unquenchable enthusiasm.

Stars to join the Stones on the tour so far include Tom Waits, Eddie Vedder, Gwen Stephanie, Keith Urban, Katy Perry and John Mayer

Tom Waits, of course, was my favourite:

If you enjoyed this post, it would be great if you could ‘like’ it and my facebook page in the sidebar, and better still if you could take the time to listen to my song (also in the sidebar). If you like it, sign up to my mailing list for 4 free songs and updates on my gigs and activities.

Filed Under: News

Even Rock Stars Make Silly Sounds

May 14, 2013 By

Mick JaggerUp until two weeks ago I hadn’t had a singing lesson in my life. I guess I kind of felt it was just a case of practice makes perfect. You open your mouth, sound comes out and you try and make it sound good.

And over the years simply relaxing my body and mind before recording and singing has seemed to do the trick.

But my range has always been limited.

So it was with a desire to soar like a sonic eagle that I recently signed up to Per Bristow’s ‘Sing with Freedom’ course with the promise of broadening my range.

Low and behold, good old Per is all about relaxing body and mind to produce quality sound. But, he’s also about becoming conscious of all the muscles that play a part or get in the way.

So… he, like most singing teachers it would seem, has a lot of voice practice techniques that require you to make silly sounds.

So everyday I’ve been doing silly sounding vocal techniques that help me to become aware of what my vocal cords, tongue, neck muscles and jaw are doing.

It’s been really good, but I feel like a complete ninny and no doubt my neighbours (engineering students) and flatmates find my activities quite laughable.

The other night, however, I watched ‘The Rolling Stones: Tip of the Tongue” doco and to my delight I discovered that Mick Jagger makes silly sounds too.

Check him out at 8 minutes and 20 seconds

And Keith Richards saying the stuff that my neighbours and flatmates are thinking at 2 minutes and 35 seconds.

If you haven’t watched this doco before, I highly recommend it.

One thing that is really refreshing about it is that the Rolling Stones seem like really nice guys. I’ve watched too many music docos only to find that my indie folk or blues rock idol is a self-obsessed asshole or whinging fool.

Although no doubt these guys have mellowed out from their early years.

If you enjoyed this post, it would be great if you could ‘like’ it and my facebook page in the sidebar, and better still if you could take the time to listen to my song (also in the sidebar). If you like it, sign up to my mailing list for 4 free songs and updates on my gigs and activities.

photo by: mrhash
Filed Under: Songwriting Journal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Bowie Creates A Stir

May 13, 2013 By

7085740_f8a8f41a65David Bowie’s new film clip ‘The Next Day’ offends the church and is temporarily banned from YouTube.

Catholicism features as an underground brothel / S&M club populated by a caste of disturbing Christian figures in David Bowie’s recently released film clip, ‘The Next Day’.

The old man (Bowie is now 66) stills knows how to get attention. If writing great songs should fail, creating controversy is the next best thing. And Bowie has done just that with the church now in uproar over the video’s sacrilegious content and a ban placed on it by YouTube – although it has since been reinstated.

Featuring the great Gary Oldman as a sleazy fist-fighting priest who beats up a beggar and calls upon the services of prostitutes, the beautiful Oscar winning Marion Cotillard as Mary Magdalene with blood spurting stigmata, Saint Lucy’s eyes on a platter, a self-flagellating acolyte, a hard-drinking pope, a bare-breasted Bride of Christ, David Bowie as a Christ-like prophet fronting the establishments band and more, it’s quite the video.

In response, Bill Donohue of America’s Catholic League has referred to Bowie as a “switch-hitting, bisexual, senior citizen” and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has called the video ‘juvenile’ before adding, “I doubt that Bowie would have the courage to use Islamic imagery – I very much doubt it.”

I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest song the man has ever written, but the video certainly entertains.

Check it out below:

If you enjoyed this post, it would be great if you could ‘like’ it and my facebook page in the sidebar, and better still if you could take the time to listen to my song (also in the sidebar). If you like it, sign up to my mailing list for 4 free songs and updates on my gigs and activities.

photo by: jlacpo

Filed Under: News

Sophisticated Basics in ‘Desperado’ by The Eagles

May 7, 2013 By

Farewell

Over the past few weeks I’ve been working through ‘Chord Progressions for Songwriters’, a book by Richard J. Scott*. Despite the rather dull title, it’s a fantastic book that has been dishing out inspiration inducing revelations on every page.

This week, the I-IV (1st and 4th chords of the chord scale) progression, known as the basic progression, which makes its appearance in the choruses and verses of literally thousands of hit songs, has revealed itself as being so much more than just two chords.

(Note: if you think this post isn’t for you, listen to ‘Desperado’ below and ask yourself if you wanna know a little bit about why its so beautiful)

Just to familiarise you with the material, if your wanting a basic example of the I-IV progression, think of the verse progression of U2’s ‘Angel of Harlem’, or if you don’t know that song, the opening progression of your standard 12-bar blues.

Now everyone with a basic understanding of music is aware of the simple appeal of the I-IV progression.

BUT… not everyone, if every one is anything like me, has taken the time to listen to the various substitutions, or chord permutations, that can be applied, and are applied, to these two chords to produce all manner of possible combinations of sugar and spice.

You can go from C to Fmaj7 (think of the verse of that sickly sweet 80’s hit ‘In the Living Years’ by Mike & The Mechanics ), for example. Or C to F6, C to F9, C to Fmaj9, C to F13 and so on. Then you can do the same variations to the C chord too. And… you can apply two or three permutations to each chord before moving to the next.

Playing each of these changes and listening to the different sounds and feels they generate is revelatory.

Now for my favourite I-IV chord permutation combination in a song: ‘Desperado’ by The Eagles.

Now, ‘Desperado’ is actually not only an I-IV progression with chord permutations. One of those permutations happens to be a variation on what I refer to as the Louise Armstrong Twist – the F chord changes from F to Fminor6, a parallel minor/major chord scale substitution*.

The chord progression is this: C (notes 1, 3, 5) C9 (notes 1, 3, b7, 9) F (notes 1, 3, 5) Fm6 (notes 1, b3, 6). The flattened 7th in the C9 is also borrowed from the C minor scale.

Anyways, I think it’s bloody beautiful:

Of course, this song also has a killer melody, some well-chosen words of wisdom and moves…

Press the page numbers below/right to continue…

photo by: h.koppdelaney

Pages: 1 2

Filed Under: Pagination, Songwriting Journal Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Filling the Void – The Newtown Social Club is here

May 6, 2013 By

By Newtown grafittiFollowing the sad loss of Sydney’s iconic music venue, the Sandringham Hotel, due in no small part to the questionable conduct of Aussie banks, The Newtown Social Club has arrived to take its place.

The club not only occupies the physical building that was the ‘Sando’, it will also, it is hoped, fill the void the ‘Sando’ left in Sydney’s music scene.

Opening its doors to the public last Friday, after an industry launch party on Wednesday and bands and artists party on Thursday, the sister venue to Melbourne’s popular Corner Hotel and Northcote Social Club, has just completed its first weekend of trading – as a bar.

The upstairs music venue is still under construction with no specific time given as to when it will open.

The following statement from the venues website is all we have to go with:

We want seeing local, national and international touring acts to be a great experience for all involved: punters, artists, the merch person, even the roadies, so we are taking the time to rebuild the band room to achieve the best possible use of the space. Unfortunately this takes time and is a little while away from being ready, but please be patient and sign up to receive our newsletter and follow us on Facebook.

Fingers crossed, the Newtown Social Club will, in the tradition of the ‘Sando’, continue to showcase great local, national and international acts while providing good times for all.

Photo By Newtown grafitti

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts