My first character was a Dwarven Cleric. The game didn’t last that long, maybe a few months at most. But my first foray into Dungeons and Dragons was, apparently, a pretty common choice. It was 4th Edition, and was interesting, but was not to be for too long before the group lost interest. Then 5th Edition came out. One friend who played in the previous group encouraged all of our mutual friends (a different, and far cooler group) to drop money on the handbooks, and encouraged me to be a Game Master for half of the group. A new game meant a new character. I waited to see what everyone else had picked, and took a combination that was left: a Dragonborn Bard. That character ultimately led me to this song …

The Song(s)
Song: Going For The Bronze
Artist: Joey Cape’s Bad Loud
Album: Volume One - 2013 - The Crank Lab
Method of discovery: Searching ‘Bronze’ on Spotify

Theory: Joey only throws weird chords at the beginning and the end, the main brunt chugging through vi-I-V-III. At the beginnning of the cong there is, instead of the III, a II. I find this substitution interesting, because he’s ‘going for the bronze’ (represented by the III), but initially it’s missing, and when it arrives the song is set into it’s main groove. The end of the song is similarly ‘bronzed’, but this time is repeating three chords: VI-IV-V. This passage is all major, which makes it sounds more victorious, like the Bronze has finally been reached.

Research: Joey Cape has been in many bands and projects, and is usually cited for being the frontman for Lagwagon. My favourite has to be Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, though. Something about hearing ‘A Chorus Line’s ‘What I did for Love’ blasted out with accompanying electric guitars is simply envigorating. But I digress. ‘Going for the Bronze’ was released in January 2010, it was recorded acoustically and put on YouTube to a video of Joey’s daughter, Violet Cape, Hula-Hooping. This kicked off his album ‘Doesn’t play well with others’ for which he released a new song every month in 2010. He then re-produced some of his songs, older and newer, with a band to creaete Joey Cape’s Bad Loud in 2011. The album info above is from Spotify’s version of this song.

Personal thoughts: I discovered this song searching for ‘Bronze’ on Spotify, mainly because I expected to find some classical or instrumental music to suit my Dragonborn Bard D&D Character. So the choices for colours of dragons in D&D breaks down like this: If you are a metallic colour you are generally good, if you are a basic colour (chromatic) you are generally evil. I wanted to play a Blue Dragonborn because it could breathe lightning, but I didn’t want to spend every game convincing people i was good, so I looked at what other colours could breathe lightning. Bronze. I was struck by an idea: my tribe was turning away from their evil heritage, and the more good they did the more Bronze scales they would grow. So my character, Weaver, set out into the world to do good deeds and to spread word of his people. He was going for the bronze.

Give it a go: If you don’t need the gold

Give it a miss: If bronze is never good enough

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Going for the Bronze by Joey Cape’s Bad Loud
Joey Cape: Website, Acoustic Version on YouTube
Wikipedia: Doesn’t Play Well With Others
Other: D&D, Lagwagon, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

“A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep…” I’m pretty big into Podcasts these days. Having gotten into them only a few years ago, I had many years to catch up on. So much good music that is in my ears on the regular is because of this podcast, or that one, or that other one. But everybody remembers their first.
“… Welcome, to Nightvale.”

The Song(s)
Song: The Ballad of Fiedler and Mundt
Artist: Disparition
Album: Neukrk - 2011 - Disparition
Method of discovery: Podcast - Welcome to Nightvale

Theory: This song is spooky. The drone doesn’t help it … be less spooky. But I think that’s the point. My best guess at the chords in the background is a slow pattern of vi-(V-)IV-ii. The V chord being more of a transition through to the IV. The haunting piano melody twinkling above the atmosphere would be supported by these chords, but I could easily be wrong.

Research: This was the original opening to the podcast Welcome to Nightvale, it was later replaced by a different ballad (The Ballad of Haydon and Prideaux) for two years before returning as the main opening theme. Disparition created all of the music for Welcome to Nightvale, but Disparition is really Jon Bernstein who released the album this track comes from in early 2011. The podcast itself started as the brainchild of Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor in 2012, and in 2013 it was already on ‘best podcast’ lists, this idea of a town “… where all the conspiracy theories were real”.

Personal thoughts: It will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first podcast I was really into. Soon I moved on to others, and like most podcasts I listen to, I’m not up to date, at all. But there is something to be said for Cecil’s dulcet tones, reading out news that the mayor objected to questions from the townsfolk, then skittered across the ceiling and into the ventilation shaft. It’s just my type of weird. In fact, the person who introduced me to Nightvale (as something to fall asleep to) was in a D&D session I ran where I based a town off of Nightvale. I used this ballad as the intro music to the town. You should have seen her face.

Give it a go: If you like spooky things

Give it a miss: If you no like spooky things

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, The Ballad of Feidler and Mundt by Disparition
Disparition: Website, Bandcamp
Welcome to Nightvale: Podcast on Spotify, Website, Wikipedia

While studying music was where I first heard it. Less is more. It was when we were covering the Reggae Unit, once everyone had settled into their various cliques. Analysing the sparse, staccato guitar and keyboard parts of Bob Marley songs versus the wall of sound that the previous Pop unit had inspired. Contrasting Evanescence or Linkin Park with Katchafire. Sometimes all you need is to hit your instrument once or twice every bar, and that’s okay. While I don’t agree that less is always more, and sometimes more is more. There’s a strange middle-ground that employs both of these strategies, and that middle ground is Punk.

The Song(s)
Song: She’s Nubs
Artist: NOFX
Album: War on Errorism - 2003 - Fat Wreck Records
Method of discovery: Friend sharing an album in 2003

Theory: Part of the Less is that Punk typically doesn’t stray to far from the standard chords set, Part of the More is that they change chords often enough for that not to be too noticeable. It embraces both Quantity (More) and Quality(Less), in that, Quality: our songs will be short and to the point, and Quantity: we’re going to fit an awful lot into that short time. The Main chords are IV-I-IV-I-IV-I-V, and the bridge section only strays to vi-IV-I-V, with both sections alternating the last two chords the second time around to create a resolution.

Research: NOFX have been around since the 80s, with this album released in 2003. She’s Nubs was written after the lead singer, Fat Mike, met the song’s inspiration, Talli Osborne. Osborne was born without ‘arms above the elbows and no femurs or knees’, a quote direct from her website linked below. She had a successful corporate career, and has since turned her talents to motivational speaking. She’s an embodiment of all that is good in punk. The song’s good too.

Personal thoughts: I don’t know how many times I hit rewind to start Whoa on the whoas over again. I got into a musical after they asked me to sing something I hadn’t prepared, and all I could think of was NOFX, most of which is not safe for work. There is a distinctly punk phase to my high school life that i’ll never forget, and every NOFX song is a little bit of nostalgia just waiting to hit me again. Punk is often seen as dangerous by those further away from it, and I think it’s sad that a few raucous dorks can ruin any good thing. But to me, Punks are people who can not keep their passion to themselves, so they wear it on their sleeves, in their hair, on their skin. They are fierce in their beliefs, and do not suffer fools. But they are generally more like Talli, than not.

Give it a go: If you feel like wearing your passion outward

Give it a miss: If you can’t even handle two minutes of the pop sort of punk.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, She’s Nubs by NOFX
NOFX: Website
Talli Osborne: Website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook
Other: VICE Article, Reddit Thread

It’s the common luxury of the modern world. People enjoy complaining of the little inconveniences involved, but I think that’s just a sign that being able to catch a flight has become as commonplace as grabbing a taxi, although usually more expensive. My tiny complaint is the amount that my feet swell in the air: I end up having to tie my shoes very loose beforehand, and usually end up doing some weird clown walk to board the plane. With the advance of time and technology, I can’t wait to see what new modes of transportation catch on …

The Song(s)
Song: Big Machine
Artist: Mark Duplass
Composer: Ryan Miller of Guster
Album: Safety Not Guaranteed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - 2012- ABKCO Music & Records Inc.
Method of discovery: Safety Not Guaranteed

Theory: Big Machine goes through a couple of verses consisting of I6-I-I6-I-vi-IV-I6-I. The I is played higher on the neck with a lower drone note, which is nice because it sounds fancy, and because that sounds fancy. The Pre-chorus has a sense of building pressure, helped along by the melody of course, the chords below progressing through IV-I7sus4/IV-IV-V6-V7-V6-V. The Chorus is where those extended chords take a break for a more familiar sound until the Major III and the Sharp v diminished 7 (IV-V-I, IV-V-III-vi, VI-V-#vdim7-vi, IV-V-IV). The Outro is simply I-II-IV-iv repeated over the ‘nah nah nah hey’.

Research: The song is from a 2012 movie based on a fictitious Personal Ad run in a 1997 publication. The ad asks for someone to travel back in time with, including the passage:

“… Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. …”

It had appeared in one form or another for several years before being used as a springboard for the film, but it was originally used as a ‘filler’ in Backwoods Home Magazine when publisher Dave Duffy asked his friend for something to fill some empty space. John Silveira wrote the ad, which was an opening line to a never published book, and expected nothing of it. The consequences were more than he had anticipated. I recommend listening to a podcast named Reply All, which is about internet related things. Episode 17 delves into this story in more detail than I can do justice. Link below.

Personal thoughts: When I first saw this movie I was on a plane. I read the description and thought, ‘heh … sounds interesting’. Much like John Silveira when he wrote the original ad, I did not expect the impact that decision was about to have. I’m not saying I’ve re-written my life based on that movie, but I was struck by it. In particular, the scene where an excerpt of the song is played by Mark Duplass, in character. Apparently it only took two takes, and Aubrey Plaza’s reaction is real. If interested, I urge you to watch the movie in it’s entirety, because watching the scene out of place on YouTube would be like hearing the middle of a story.

Give it a go: If you can bring your own weapons

Give it a miss: If you need your safety to be guaranteed

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Big Machine from Safety Not Guaranteed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Movie: IMDB, HuffPost Article about it
Backwoods Home Magazine: The Time-Travel Ad (2010), on Wikipedia
Other: Guster on Wikipedia, The Reply All Episode

Trigger Warning - The ‘Research ADDENDUM’ portion of this post contains potentially disturbing content.

Except for Star Wars, I tend to hang on the edge of fandoms. But on the odd occasion I find myself staring down the maw of a similar Sarlacc Pit (a term which I spelled correctly without looking, but still checked to make sure I was correct). These other science fiction and fantasy crowds that i could fall into I somehow avoid for a really long time. I’ve haven’t seen all the Star Treks, recent or otherwise, I’ve only seen an episode or two of Babylon 5, I missed comics entirely. I only played Dungeons and Dragons for the first time in just before fifth edition came out. But every so often, like with D&D, I fall into another fandom …

The Song(s)
Song: Blink
Artist: Chameleon Circuit
Album: Chameleon Circuit - 2009 - DFTBA Records
Method of discovery: Recommended by a Whovian

Theory: The song plays the chords I-bIII-bVII-IV, on repeat. The amount of time each chord is held varies, but it’s the same pattern. What I want to focus on - and I’m not sure I’ve discussed - is lyrical placement. There’s this line of thought stressed syllables of words belong on top of stressed musical beats, and that this ‘preserves’ the natural shape of language i.e. it makes it easy to hear the words. A great example of this happens in this song, and it’s a bit of a weird one.

Have a listen to the song once before reading the rest of this.

I can forgive you if there’s a line you didn’t understand. In fact, I bet you it’s the one with ‘Easter Egg’ in it. The reason you may not hear it as intended is that when we say this in everyday speech most people tend to emphasise ‘Easter’, where the song instead places ‘Egg’ on top of the beat (or near enough to count). This confuses the ear because it doesn’t preserve the shape of the phrase.

Research: Chameleon Circuit began life as a conglomerate of YouTubers began to write songs about the the Doctor Who series that had re-started in 2005 (The original show ran from 1963 to 1989). The band is named for the broken component of The Doctor’s time machine, which means the machine always appears as a British Police Box. Fans of Doctor Who call themselves ‘Whovians”, and this band of Whovians made two full albums out of their fandom, this one penned by Charlie McDonnell.

Research ADDENDUM: So, there is something I nearly missed. I never followed YouTube Drama, so it’s out of my sphere of awareness. And it’s easy when you know a subject, like I know Dr Who, to skim the surface for some additional facts to flesh out a blog, and leave it at that. I was very nearly going to hit publish before scrolling to the bottom of the Wikipedia page. Then I found old blogs detailing that some of the band-members and associated people had manipulated, or ignored, consent.

That kind of behaviour is not OK.

I still feel like sharing my fandom for Dr Who. But I’m only happy directing you to the original version of the song uploaded to YouTube by Charlie McDonnell, the original writer. As far as I can find, Charlie is an upstanding member of society, and has not done or been accused of anything dastardly. So this song won’t be on the Spotify Playlist, as only the band’s version exists on there.

Personal thoughts: I really like Doctor Who as a series, and this song is about one of my favourite episodes (along with Midnight). More than that - it’s the episode that I use to convince other people to watch Doctor Who. In my experience, being a fan of one thing means I am on the edge of several other things I may enjoy. “Blink” (Season 3 - Episode 10) features one of the coolest stories and is a great introduction to the series as a whole, and may just be that thing that tips you into a new fandom.

Give it a go: if you’ve never been into Dr Who

Give it a miss: If you think nothing got better after Pertwee

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes
YouTube: Blink by Charlie McDonnell
Wikipedia: Chameleon Circuit (Band),

It’s rare that I get too ill. So it certainly took my by surprise to be knocked on my posterior by a virus, from which I only just recovered in time for my gig yesterday. That’s why I’ve not posted a blog in a couple of weeks. But whatever doesn’t kill etc. I spent the majority of my couch-bound hours playing a Batman game. I’ve always been a fan of superheroes, and I can remember playing Robin to compliment my mates’ Batman when I was very young. Part of the Batman appeal, at least for me, is that he’s very focused and really knows who he is …

The Song(s)
Song: I Am Steve
Artist: STEVE
Album: Single - 2019 - Self Published(?)
Method of discovery: Spotify Discover

Theory: The song repeats a really strong I-vi-III-V progression throughout, and apart from the arpeggiated chords on the guitar, it’s that Major III that lends a strange quality to the sonic background. The lyrics are cleverly simplistic, and half of them are ‘Steve’. The great thing about the repetition of ‘Steve’ is that it emphasizes every other rhyming ‘e’ sound, particularly when a lot of them are placed on the stronger beats of the bar through the verses.

Research: STEVE is a re-branding of New-Wave-Punk band Republican Hair, even their old web address re-routes to a new Steve-y website. The associated social accounts are all now Steve. Steve really knows who he is, after all, they … is … Steve. One of the brains behind STEVE, and previously Republican Hair, is Luke Dick. Luke is the definition of a creative individual, having written music professionally for artists, for commercials, and even directing a documentary ‘Red Dog’ about the topless bar where he was raised.

Personal thoughts: This suits me right down to the ground. It’s quirky, musically busy without being overpowering, and it’s a damned ear-worm if I ever heard one. I prescribe to Luke’s thoughts that music stemming only from a ‘muse’ is pretentious, as I look at songwriting more as a muscle to be exercised and toned, and I feel like this sensibility trickles through STEVE. With the release of ‘I Am Steve’ only a couple of weeks ago (at time of posting) it’s yet to become certain whether the Steve-ening of everything is a permanent move, or simply a publicity stunt to coincide with the song. I, for one, hope that it sticks. Much like Batman, they really know who they are, because they are STEVE.

Give it a go: If you’d like to get to know a new Steve

Give it a miss: If there is no room for another Steve in your life

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, I Am Steve by STEVE
Social: Website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook
Other: Luke Dick’s Website, Article about Luke by the Oklahoman

I used to sing while stacking bananas. It wasn’t some sort of weird cult thing, although I could totally see that happening. My first proper after-school job was in the produce section of a supermarket. The music over the speaker system was just one CD - reportedly made by head office - on repeat, ad nauseam. I have no real idea how often the CD’s were switched out, but I seem to recall hearing Christmas songs from late October into early March, which partially explains my intense dislike for songs out of season. So, to make my own fun, I used to sing to myself while stacking the fruits and vegetables and working out the back cutting up pumpkin. Without accompaniment, much like today’s song …

The Song(s)
Song: Thin Rowan (Acapella)
Artist: Zapevaika
Album: Songs With Accordian and Acapellas Part 3 - 2013 - GMC
Method of discovery: via Reddit

Theory: Many terms used in modern western music notation are based in the Italian language, although my favourite (anacrusis) comes from Greek. The word “Acapella” in the song title is a contraction of ‘a cappella’, which is Italian for ‘in the manner of the chapel’; the term was meant to differentiate the music of worship from the music of entertainment. In time it’s come to be known simply as unaccompanied vocal music.

Research: You can find many different versions of this traditional Russian folk song online, under many names too: “A Thin Mountain Ash”, “Slender Rowan”, “Rowan”, plus all the ones in actual Russian Text. The two female vocals are reminiscent of the Flower Duet from Lakme (trust me, you’ll know it). I can’t find much on Zapevaika except this collection of songs again and again, which makes me think this was a record company putting out a collection of Public Domain works. But I can’t find much to verify it, as GMC is the name of a heavy metal record label in Korea, a music school in Hong Kong, a Record label in Rwanda, and many things unrelated to music. I chose this version because I feel like it embodies the lyrics the best …

Personal thoughts: The Rowan is singing, gazing over a river at an Oak that she loves, but ultimately knowing she can never move to be beside him. It’s an extremely familiar tale of unattainable, or even forbidden love. In some versions the river is a road. In others the Oak loves her back. But just like the song, they can never be together, and it’s heartbreaking.

Give it a go: if you like trees

Give it a miss: Если ты провалил русский класс.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Thin Rowan by Zapevaika
Research: A Capella on Wikipedia, English Lyrics by John Woodsmith
Other: Flower Duet - Anna Netrebko & Elina Garanca (Lakme De Delibes)

The Internet is not playing ball. I received a request to delete my opinion, someone tried to steal one of my online accounts, and I’m being scam called from a number that originates in North Macedonia. If these are entirely unrelated, then coincidence is a hell of a thing. I’m not being driven to paranoia, but there’s something fishy going on. I can only conclude that someone wants to remove my presence from the internet, a la De Nomolous from Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. It is therefore imperative that I continue to publish this blog so that we may one day reach universal harmony.

The Song(s)
Song: Better Days
Artist: Tadpole
Album: The Buddhafinger - 2000 - EMI Music New Zealand, Antenna Recordings
Method of discovery: Channel Z radio station circa 2000/2001

Theory: The tempo of a song can do a lot to it’s feel, it’s groove. 60 beats per minute (bpm) is at the lower end of the ‘normal’ resting heart rate, and music around this speed tends to make people feel relaxed. 128 bpm, which is where this song sits, is more lively and persistent. If you measured it against a watch, the beat would overtake the second hand, which adds to the urgent mood. The only semi-relief is the pre-chorus, where the title lives, and where the song takes a quick breather - like a struggling swimmer gasping above the surface.

Research: This was Tadpole’s first album, and one of three that they released in their twelve year span (The Medusa isn’t on Spotify). Since their split in 2006, the member have well and truly gone their separate ways, from other bands, to radio host, to politician. The Buddhafinger spent eight weeks short of a year in the New Zealand Charts, and topped out at number 2.

Personal thoughts: Tadpole has a very soft spot in my heart, they were a support act when I went to my first concert. But better than that, they were supporting an international band. You never really forget your first concert. I wasn’t old enough to drink, and it was an all ages gig anyway. I tried crowd-surfing - it didn’t work and they dropped me at the back of the crowd. But I didn’t care. My parents picked me up afterwards and I just sat and stared out the window at the stars above the motorway, wondering in giddy excitement if all concerts were this good. They weren’t.

Give it a go: If you’ve had better days

Give it a miss: If your days are just fine, thank you very much.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Better Days by Tadpole
Wikipedia: Tadpole, The Buddhafinger
Other: De Nomolous

It’s rare that I see the word ‘Evocative’ these days. The closest I get is a spell classification in my D&D books. But I feel the world is trending toward individualism; everything can be imbued with your personality and specification. Everything can be made unique. But I definitely think that we could be looking for the similarities in one another more often, and similarity is strong in reference-based jokes and humour. References and Puns are hilarious (no disagreement will be tolerated) because they take the familiar and, to some degree, add their own twist. Today’s tune goes a long way to evoke bangers from the past …

The Song(s)
Song: Stay the Night
Artist: Jukebox The ghost
Album: Single - 2017 - WAX LTD
Method of discovery: Spotify Release Radar

Theory: The song evokes two great piano-pop anthems - Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. The verses change over I & IV, but listen to the octave bass cutting through the static right hand, which alternates the chords’ tonics in quick succession. The next sections lay over an ascending foundation: I/iii-IV-#Vdim-vi, that ends in a II, and occasionally a V before heading back into itself, or another verse. If Queen wouldn’t have liked the song so far, the bridge (IV-#Vdim-I-V-iv-II-v) almost channels Freddy.

Research: ‘Stay the Night’ was the first single released after a long break between albums and touring. They band played a regular gig for Halloween where they would play two sets, the first as themselves and the second as Queen, as the song supposedly came from there. This particular song was featured on the second (to date, final) season of the Rob Schneider Netflix series, Real Rob. The Three men that make up the Jukebox the Ghost met while at Washington State University.

Personal thoughts: The simplicity behind the lyrics of this song is what really gets me. It’s easy: Stay the Night. The desire to seize the opportunity to do so, and the yearn to make it soon, because life is temporary. Even the number is a temporary thing, written on a napkin like this. The words and the music combine into this feeling of the familiar, Journey being referenced quite directly in the second verse. But it’s mixed with that upward motion of the music, that gradual building in your chest of a new relationship that only seems to climb higher. Maybe you should give in to desire, and just, stay the night?

Give it a go: If you’ve like your familiar with your new.

Give it a miss: If you think nothing can sound quite like the past.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Stay the Night by Jukebox the Ghost
Social: Website (includes Twitter and the like)
Other: Wikipedia, WAX LTD, Billboard, AXS

I enjoy funny things. One of the funniest things I’ve seen is Dara O’Briain alienate half his audience by talking about video games, the routine is hilarious if you are into it but potential gibberish if you’re not. While the subject matter of today’s song has become more commonly popular than twenty, or even ten years ago, I’m certain that some people will have trouble understanding it. So it’s a good thing that it’s set to a familiar backing track …

The Song(s)
Song: Dm Road
Artist: Yahzick
Album: Single - 2019 - Mann Shorts Productions
Method of discovery: Friend Recommended

Theory: Copyright for a song (in general) is for the melody and the lyrics. This means that someone can’t reproduce or play a song, legally, without paying for it in some fashion. But there is a provision of law called Fair Use that means you can reasonably use enough of a song for analysis, commentary, education or similar. Another thing that falls under Fair Use is Parody, because Parody relies on reproduction of the original, and this is why it’s fine for someone like Weird Al Yankovic to make works of parody. (If you are interested in Copyright, then I suggest watching the movie ‘RiP: A Remix Manifesto’)

Research: Charles ‘Yahzick’ Bates’ earliest outing that I could find is The Tongue Tape. It’s still Hip-Hop/Rap, but is less concentrated toward a particular nerd-dom than his latest album Attack of Opportunity, which has more Dungeons & Dragons themed titles. Yahzick, the word, means tongue and is part of the English/Russian hybrid lexicon in ‘A Clockwork Orange’. Yahzick, the man, plays the Dungeon Master (DM) on the YouTube Channel of the Website of the Production Company, Mann Shorts.

Personal thoughts: I fear that this one might lose some people, much like O’Briain alienating his audience with a specific routine. But you know what, it’s been a weird weekend, and I need something funny. The purpose of this blog, in general, is to expose people to music that they might not hear normally. If you are interested in understanding the song in it’s entirety, then I think you need to be exposed to Dungeons and Dragons.

Give it a go: If like me five years ago, you’ve never played D&D, but have been interested.

Give it a miss: If you would rather stay in the tavern while your friends go adventuring.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Dm Road by Yahzick
Yahzick: The Tongue Tape, Twitter
Mann Shorts: Dm Road Video, Website
Other: Weird Al, Dara O’Briain routine, Rip: A Remix Manifesto

I like when things are complete. By that I mean that I enjoy consuming a thing all at once. I waited until Breaking Bad was in it’s final episodes before I binged the entire series. I’ve waited for more than twenty years for winter to come in printed form. So I prefer these days, more often than not, to wait for a whole season to be out, or even for a series to completely end before jumping in. There’s a similar sort of phenomenon that makes me feel the same way about musicians …

The Song(s)
Song: Over You
Artist: Cashew Chemists
Album: Cashew Chemists - 2013 - Self Published
Method of discovery: Spotify Discover circa 2018

Theory: In pop music, chords tend to stick to their function, e.g. Fours and Fives tend to be Major, threes and sixes tend to be minor. That’s why in Roman Numerals chords theory they are written in capitals for Major and in lower case for minors. This song pulls a couple of interesting chords, the Verses cycle around I-iii-vi-V-IV-iv-I, and the Chorus cycles through ii-V-iii-VI-ii-V. See what they did there? They changed the Major IV to a minor iv, and pulled the reverse on the usually minor vi. This is what makes the chorus stand out to the ear, whether you notice it or not.

Research: Cashew Chemists draw heavily on the Beatles for influence on this album, which was unsurprising given the groove of this song. But what did surprise me was to find out they hail from Singapore. The band was named after Cashew Road, where most of the members grew up and where they made their music. The band split around 2017 and started pursuing their own interests.

Personal thoughts: I’m not suggesting that these guys will never jam together, but I’d bet that if they did it would be as something new. Cashew Chemists, for all intents and purposes, has finished. I really don’t mean this in a bad way, either. I love it. There are so many artists in the world that keep creating, and dear god I don’t want that to stop, but I like happening upon these little self contained bubbles that will likely just stay there, undisturbed, ready to be happened upon by new fans who were too late to be part of the crowd. I like going through their whole catalog (which you should also listen to) and I enjoy the idea of these little bubbles, not being perfect, but being pristine in capturing something that was, and will likely never again be.

Give it a go: If you enjoy the Beatles, or bubbles

Give it a miss: If you don’t even like Cashews

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Over You by Cashew Chemists
Other: Facebook, Soundcloud, Interview, Singapore Government Website

I can’t remember when I had my first Pavlova. Surely it was at Christmas, but I can’ t be sure. As a kiwi I’ve been surrounded by the Dessert all my life, so it’s completely unclear when it actually entered my lexicon, awareness, or mouth. But for as long as i’ve known about Pavlova, I’ve also known about the ‘friendly’ rivalry between Australia and New Zealand about which country invented it (here the countries are listed alphabetically, but this should not suggest significance or opinion). Even the Wikipedia page details the dispute, and researchers have not been able to reach a conclusion as satisfying as the cream-covered construction. The same sort of dispute abound with this week’s song.

On a side note, the new place is relatively set up so that I can continue to blog, so thanks for sticking through this brief hiatus.

The Song(s)
Song: Misirlou
Artist: Yiannis Kotsiras
Album: I Smirni Tou Erota - 2012 - Minos EMI
Method of discovery: Trawling through several different versions of the song, though, originally ‘Pulp Fiction’

Research: Most people, in my experience, know this song from it’s inclusion in Pulp Fiction. It was the instrumental surf-rock version by Dick Dale and his Del-Tones that is featured in the movie. Many covers on Spotify if you search for Misirlou (or Miserlou) say ‘ - From Pulp Fiction’ afterward. But just like Pavlova, it has its first records in the early 20th Century, and many claim it as their own. It is traditionally a folk song touting admiration for an Egyptian woman of beauty, and it’s modern name has linguistic roots in Greek, Turkish, and Arabic. The version I’ve chosen was far down the list, but has connection to Ancient Greek. Yiannis Kotsiras is a greek musician, so I can’t help but feel this is closer to a traditional rendition. During the 2004 Greece Olympics (which Yiannis released a song for called ‘Pass the Flame’), the song was declared one of the most influenceial Greek songs of all time.

Theory: Misirlou utilises the double harmonic major scale, which probably doesn’t mean much to most people. If you want to have a good starting point, ‘Do Re Mi’ from The Sound of Music utilises the major scale (and solfege; Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do). Now imagine you de-tune the ‘Re’, that lowers the note of the scale and creates a jump between the lowered ‘Re’ (‘Ra’) and the ‘Mi’. Repeat this for the sixth note (‘La’ into ‘Le’) and you now have the Double Harmonic Major. Its got two big jumps in it that give the scale, and the song it’s middle-eastern sound.

Personal thoughts: I love the movie, but I do prefer versions of Misirlou with words. Maybe it’s just my own affinity for language that gets in the way, but I really feel that the guitar heavy versions saturate the search results to a point where the original is almost lost. When the melody is slowed down and given more than a persitent drum beat to play off, it feels more expressive, and less like a challenge to be played as fast as possible.

Give it a go: If you only know it as ‘that one song from Pulp Fiction that the Black Eyed Peas sampled’

Give it a miss: If you prefer Jan August’s Piano version of the song anyway.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Misirlou by Yiannis Kotsiras, Dick Dale and his Del-Tones
Wikipedia: Misirlou, Pavlova, Solfege
Other: Yiannis Kotsiras Website

Hey Team,

I like to spend time doing ‘Tuesday Tunes’ so that it’s something I’m proud of, rather than pump out regardless of quality. I’m also packing this week to prepare for moving this weekend. Splitting my attention between the blog and the move could mean I mess up one, or both. So I’m choosing to take a short break from the Blog while I’m packing and unpacking, plus, it gives me time for the Internet to be sorted at the new place.

Thanks for being cool about it.

I shall commune tunes soon.

~Geoff

I’m building a guitar, and logging the progress on the 7th of each month. Here are Months: One, Two , Three, Four and Five.

Trevor told me it would take seven to nine months to build a guitar. I sit here, six months after first walking into his build-shop, with my new guitar firmly in it’s brand new case. It’s done. Finished. I am beyond excited to share it with you.

Session Twenty-Three
Having routed a path for it last time, today was all about securing on the Edging to the Body. This meant the return of the side-bending apparatus so that I could roughly match the contour of the sides again. It was a little more particular this time around, having a small amount of material to bend and a very hot pipe to bend on. Once all the sides were bent, we ran glue along the edge and taped the edging into place. This took the whole night.

Session Twenty-Four
After removing the tape, the edges were grubby with glue and burns from the bending. So this session was all about removing those marks and sanding the edging flush with the body. I was late from work, so I was rushing to get things done tonight. I did manage to grab some before and after shots below. Again it goes to show not to rush. I was using an orbital sander (which i’d never used before) and in not trying to hit the body, I took too much off of the edging where the Neck will meet the body. you can see that it’s the light diagonal bit in the last picture.

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Session Twenty-Five
Back in session Eight, we routed a dovetail in the Neck. Today we routed the gap for it to fit into. The gap is a littel deeper than the joint on the Neck, so that if future maintenance is needed a Luthier can drill through the 15th Fret and use steam to soften the glue around the joint. The rest of the session was spent fining up the headstock again after my mathematical mistake. In the picture below you can see the mahogany dowels we used to plug the holes, you can’t see them from the front. Trevor was unsure which terrible film would be selected tonight for his regular movie night: I recommended ‘Black Dynamite’.

Session Twenty-Six
’Black Dynamite’ was a hit. Everyone enjoyed watching it, and I’m sure you will too (if you enjoy a little sillyness, of course). This session was largely about me watching Trevor finish the fretwork on the neck. First I drilled the holes for the Tuners (properly this time) and free-handed a curve at the end. Then Trevor explained every step as he used more and more specialised tools to equalize, curve down, and put softer edges on the frets along the entire neck. He exaplined that this is the one part of the process that he always does, as it has a massive affect on playability and sound. The last picture is all of the metal dust over the neck. We finished the session by gluing the neck to the body.

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Session Twenty-Seven
By the time I arrived, Trevor had done some pre-math and figured out exactly where to place the Ebony Bridge, but it was still flat when I arrived. My job was to put the appropriate curve into the Bridge. This was achieved by sticking a piece of sandpaper to the already curved Top and sanding the Bridge against the curve itself. It took a long time. We then created a small cap to glue onto the base on the neck and make it look uniform with the Edging. The Session finished by glueing both of these on.

Session Twenty-Eight
This is the moment that most people had been asking me about for weeks: '“When do you get to oil the guitar?”. The answer is, today. We laid a couple of coats of clear on the headstock, and then I donned gloves and used a small soft metal scrubbing pad to apply the oil. I’ve put a couple of shots below so you can see the contrast of with vs without oil. Trevor said we should be able to finish the project within the next couple of sessions.

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Session Twenty-Nine
This was a busy one. We could sense the home stretch, and acted accordingly. I sanded back the headstock and lay down the symbol I had chosen (The Seed of Life). It’s purely black on the Rosewood Headstock, and shines underneath another couple coats of Clear. On the Bridge I drilled and reamed the holes for the Pegs to fit into comfortably. Then Trevor super-glued the electronics for the pickup to my fingers. It was a hard job to position these little golden pads correctly, so difficult that I did it once, then Trevor did it twice. We took a little off an interior brace in order to fit the controller for the pickup, and finished by drilling a big hole in the Bass of the guitar to enable it to plug in, and a matching button near the neck to support a strap. One session to go.

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Session Thirty
The Final Session. The birth of my guitar. Trevor was wearing a shirt that I gifted him last week, it has my face on it. This session was all about details. I made a little plate to cover the truss-rod hole in the Head, using a specific drill piece so that the screw used to secure it was more flush with the plate itself. Next was fixing in the Tuners. Using a ruler to make sure they were level, I drilled and screwed them into place. This next bit was super fun, Trevor had glued into place the Nut previously to figure out where the bridge goes, and he had marked the top and bottom string. My job was to find the right spacing between the strings using a specialised ruler, then to file into those marks using specialised files. After I was finished, Trevor took over and worked magic in performing the rest of the initial setup and testing the sound: video below.

While this was going on I watched another student sawing fret-holes. It was surreal to think that six motnhs ago I was doing the same, then I look to the right and Trevor is playing the final product. He’s confident with the sound and hands it to me. I sit and play a newer song, and it’s like a first piece of perfectly cooked steak, the feeling of warm laundry, fresh sheets, a cool water in the summer heat, and a warm mug in the middle of winter. It’s more than all of these things. I’m literally giddy. This is one of my life’s dream and it’s coming true in my hands.

We take a few pictures, and I zip it into a carry case (I pick up a hard travel-case the next day). It’s bittersweet to know that I won’t be coming back next week, but that doesn’t stop me from laughing maniacally all the way home.

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My favourite was always Donatello. If your mind, like mine, jumps immediately to Ninja Turtle instead of renowned artist, then perhaps you grew up with the cartoon. But these days you just as easily could have grown up with the movies, which in my opinion, will always play second fiddle. But there was no real second fiddle in the Ninja Turtles. Sure, there was Leonardo who was the leader, but without the other turtles playing their roles, who would he be? Only a freakishly mutated and trained-to-be-deadly pizza loving Turtle with swords.

Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines
Raphael is cool but crude, Michelangelo is a party dude

The point is; certain things feel good as a set of four. Superheroes (Ninja Turtles, Fantastic Four), Elements (Earth, Water, Fire and Air), Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Beatles, Ghostbusters. Four feels balanced. But what happens when you mess with that balance …

The Song
Song: What You Do To My Soul
Artist: Air Traffic Controller
Album: Black Box - 2016 - Self Published (I think)
Method of discovery: Spotify Discover

Theory: The song, like so many older and newer than it, is in 4/4. Our ears are used to this typical beat, so much it’s called ‘Common Time’. What is the same, but less obvious is the fact that we like to hear four Bars of music, regardless of whether a song is in Common, or some other time Signature. Treating the first line as ‘before the start of the song’ (or if you want to be fancy, an Anacrusis) I would start counting when the music comes in after the word TIME. If you count every fourth beat, by the end of the verse you’ve got to Ten. Ten is not divisible by four. Mind = Blown. My theory is that ATC started with twelve bars, but simply cut out an empty space after ‘ease my mind’ and ‘to my soul’ each, resulting in this ten bar phrase. What it does musically is build a sense of urgency, like these thoughts are bursting out of the singer in a stream-of-consciousness, like a teenager confessing love. And when we get to the chorus you’ll find the even amounts of bars give the main message more stability, speaking of stability, the chords in this song are only I, IV and V. Very happy and stable chords, there is no room for minor chords in this song.

Research: Air Traffic Controller got their name from Dave Munro, who used to do that very thing for the US Navy. They are out of Boston and have won many awards. But perhaps what’s more impressive is the fact that one of their music videos was featured on the homepage of Funny Or Die. It was another track from the same album Black Box, which is their third. You’ve probably already heard their music, given that it’s been licensed for more than seven brands that I recognise.

Personal thoughts: The first time I heard this song it made me want to dance. I didn’t, because dancing does not spark joy in my life. But the fact that it made ME want to dance is incredible. It’s boppy, hoppity, pop. It’s a very well written song that dilutes itself only to the necessary and doesn’t waste space with nothing. Instead, it brims out over the top and announces itself. It makes me feel good.

Give it a go: If you’d like to feel good.

Give it a miss: If you’d prefer to remain morose.

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, What You Do To My Soul, Air Traffic Controller
Social: Website, Twitter, Bandcamp
Other: Wikipedia, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lyric analysis on Genius.com

There are no rules in song-writing. Still, most songs follow a conventional format. First, a verse. Then a chorus. Another of each preceding a bridge. Final chorus and repetition chorus to end. Fade out if you are fancy. Most songs follow a small variation of this format: Insert a Pre-Chorus, start with a chorus before the first verse, second verse same as the first. Without actual rules, most people think its a good idea to keep the chorus the same throughout the song.

The Song
Song: Sun in an Empty Room
Artist: The Weakerthans
Album: Reunion Tour - 2007 - Epitaph, (ANTI-)
Method of discovery: Spotify Discover

Research: Another Canadian band (I swear Spotify is trying to get me to move to Canadia), The Weakerthans derive their name from a couple of movie quotes at least, while the song takes it’s name from a painting by Edward Hopper. You probably have a sense of Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’, though, like me, you might not know whose it was. Many others have written on ‘Sun in an Empty Room’, both painting and song. Dan Ozzi even wrote a eulogy for the band when they seemingly broke up in 2015 (as of publishing - wikipedia states they are on hiatus since 2014). One thing I haven’t found to be talked about is the chorus.

Theory: The chords are IV-I-V-ii throughout. It’s the minor ii that makes the song sound less like your typical pop hit, substituting out the usual minor vi. The Real trick comes in the chorus, as an attentive reader might now suspect. ‘Sun..’ reverses it’s emphasis. In a typical chorus you might expect the title to be highlighted, maybe even repeated. The title does that, but only as backup vocals, not lead. When you have this type of ‘Call and Response’ technique, it’s usual to have the spotlights on the Call, instead the lyrics of the choruses simply continue to build on the themes established through the verses. There’s a flow to the song enforced by the expected emphasis taking a backseat, which things kind of do when you move house for one reason or another.

Personal thoughts: I like how art is connected. That may not be very philosophical or world changing, but I like it. The song connected to the painting, and now I’ve found it’s used as the end credits song to a Podcast Series called ‘Heavyweight’ (which I will start listening to immediately). The song is essentially about the process of moving, though the reason for the move is never fully established by the lyrics. I think of places I have enjoyed living, in which I’ve made memories. Though I need to move on, it’s that one last look through the place before shutting all of the doors on the way out into the world. Possibly never to return. But at least you’ve got those memories.

Give it a go: If you’ve ever been sad to leave a place

Give it a miss: If you don’t want to be sad again now

[links and sources]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Sun In An Empty Room, The Weakerthans
Wikipedia: The Weakerthans, Reunion Tour
Articles: Faceintheblue, The Eulogy
Other: The Painting, Heavyweight

My family is huge, and it’s all my parent’s fault. I grew up the youngest child of four brothers. But my parents had a penchant for adopting many more people all the time. My mother would frequently pick up tourists hitching from the side of the road, and after talking to them for a time, would invite them home for a nice home cooked meal. To date, the closest she’s come to an axe murderer is probably a tourist’s body spray. My father, working for the local school, would always volunteer our home for hosting students from overseas. They called it ‘billeting’, as they are from the before time, in the long long ago. So my already sizeable family has gained several more members over the years, from mad Welshmen to Winconsin women. I first heard today’s entries on a mix CD belonging to Lukas, my Austrian brother-from-another-mother.

Blanket Apology: Please forgive my lack of umlauts, slashes, graves, cedillas, macrons or any various missing diacritics. Currently, they elude me.

The Song(s)
Songs: I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From / (and the Royksopp Remix)
Artists: Kings of Convenience / (and Royksopp)
Albums: Quiet is the New Loud/Versus - 2001 - Astralwerks
Methods of discovery: Mix CD imported from Austria / Years later searching for the song

Theory: I knew the Remix first, so that’s where I’ll start. The beginning is a series of simple chord hits, quickening into a sharp pitch shift and then calming again. If nothing else, it forces you to listen to what’s coming next. Next is the rythym and bass, strong and stable. Next is the strong musical hook that links both versions of the song: the arpeggiated chords I9-vi2-iii7-IV, followed each time by a repeating, then descending high melody played on guitar. The song continues through two verses until fading out after a piano piece, in the original it’s a cello piece and some harmonised repetition of the title. The original is closer to the folk I’m into today, and I only found it years later googling the lyrics in an effort to find the remix. Theoretically it’s largely the same, except for the occasional V in the later verse.

Harmonically there is a moment missing from the remix that made me fall in love with the original version. On the line ‘You were at my door’ in the second verse, there lies the only line of harmony in the verses. The relationship between the notes held here is simple and beautiful, just like the song. When the line ends, the vocalists are singing a ‘happy’ Major Third interval. But the interval colours the chord it’s sitting over, and the notes are the 5th and Major 7th of the IV chord sitting below. That Major 7th introduces a discordant note into the line, which to me, tells the listener that not all is comfortable or ‘happy’ about this person showing up.

Research: Both groups are from Norway, but from almost opposite ends; Royksopp is from Tromso and Kings is from Bergen. Quiet is the New Loud became the name for both a movement of songwriters and a book about the album and band. The focus is on softer soundscapes and gliding melodies, like low clouds lazily spilling over the tops of high hills. They are Norwegian successors to Simon and Garfunkel. Royksopp, which is the name of a type of puffball mushroom, is another duo outing. Both bands were involved in the Bergen Wave, which was a turn of the century emergence of newer artists in the Norwegian music scene.

Personal thoughts: There are few songs in the world where I’ll like both the original and the remix/cover. The only other example that comes to mind immediately is Hurt by Nine Inch Nails/Johnny Cash. Heading into winter, I find the Original the type of music that I could snuggle into a blanket with, and read a good book, a video of a real fireplace crackling in HD on the TV. The Remix is something I needed to get some housework done: busy, but calming. I think that the Original is beautiful, and the remix is a testament to how to add a new coat of paint to a song without compromising the message.

Give it a go: If you like folk or electronica or folk/electronica

Give it a miss: If you’re looking for something to get you active

[links]
Spotify: Tuesday Tunes, Kings of Convenience, Royksopp
Wikipedia: Kings of Convenience, Royksopp, Bergen Wave, Diacritic
Other: Kings Website, Royksopp Website, Quiet is the New Loud: Book

It was in high school that we were made to read John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’. We were made to read the book, of course. But the novel (pun fully intended) part of the excercise for our class was when we demonstrated our understanding of the text by putting on a mock trial of George Milton. As a class we all played different roles of the characters in the book. Myself and the two other members of the debating team were the Lawyers and Judge. It was an interesting experience, and made the book stick in my head far longer than many other books I was forced to read. I was reminded of it when it came to doing this week’s blog, because I had a plan of which song and artist I was going to choose, but then I noticed that another artist I enjoy had recently released a song that needs much more love. Best laid plans …

The Song
Song: She so Fine (2019 Mix)
Artist: Rob J Madin
Album: She so Fine (2019 Mix)- 2019 - Self Published (as far as I can tell)
Method of discovery: YouTube rabbit hole

Theory: ‘She so Fine’ unapologetically slaps you in the face and doesn’t really stop hitting you. The song seems to be in Gm (Intro: Bb-F-C then Dm and D, Verse: Vamp over Gm centric Bass, I think, Chorus: Gm-Cm-D, Breakdown: Cm-Gm-D-Cm-Bb-Gm-D. Theres a keychange up a tone at the end, too). Sorry about that anlysis, I kind of phoned that one in. Mainly because I wanted to talk about the real key of the piece (Pun fully intended): space. The song has guitars, bass, drums, a plethora of percussive sounds, keys, and a few vocal tracks. It would be easy to make this cluttered, but like Lisa Simpson, I’m listening to the parts he’s not playing. Madin’s use of space, particularly to hone in on the lyrics entering the first and second verse, and in every chorus, is masterful to the point of distilling the song to it’s core message: unrequited passion. Below are the unaccompanied words:

First Verse: She got a look that can’t be touched
Second Verse: She got no idea just what she do to me
Choruses: She so Fine - She doesn’t wanna know, so she gotta go, where she gonna go?

The space is created when there is a sudden lack of music, forcing your ear to zero in on the only thing to hear - the words. By creating a busy soundscape, and then riping it out from under you, you grab onto the only thing left, which forces you to continue the listening experience. Or at least me.

Research: Rob J Madin, born in Sheffield, UK, is more popularly known as Brett Domino. Brett Domino has been making YouTube videos since 2008, has gained (as of writing) 192,738 Subscribers and over 28 million views. Rob J Madin joined YouTube in 2006, has 5690 Subscribers and almost 600 thousand views. There is certainly something to be said about presentation. But to say that his success is represented by only those figures would be completely incorrect. Madin has acted in several UK TV Series, composed music for the BBC and Comic Relief, and even written and directed adverts for brands like Kinder.

Personal thoughts: Brett Domino tickles my funny bone (humerus), but Rob J Madin tickles my musical bone (the brain). He has complete albums, and they are well worth the listen. All of the YouTube videos are worth a watch. As The Brett Domino Trio, he and Steven Peavis (and formerly Mitch Hutchinson) are among my favourite guests on ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. He has studied music formally and holds a degree in Music Production. But his more personal stuff is dwarfed by his success as his Alter-Ego. I can’t help but feel the same, when I write a new song I’m really proud of, and all anybody wants to hear is the funny songs I wrote years ago. Ah well, best laid plans and all that…

Give it a go: if you want to hear something that slaps

Give it a miss: if you’re not a fan of reading into literary parallels (pun fully intended)

[links]
Spotify: She so Fine (2019), Rob J Madin, Tuesday Tunes
Madin/Domino: Website, Wikipedia, IMDB, YouTube (Madin), YouTube (Domino), Twitter
Other: Of Mice and Men (Wikipedia)

I’m building a guitar, and logging the progress on the 7th of each month. Here are Months: One, Two , Three, and Four.

So I may have gone a little crazy this month. After coming back from holiday I was itching to get back into Luthiery, and Trevor had more availability, with some students finishing their guitars, and others starting later in the year. So to keep things brief, I’ll combine these sessions into Weekly groups.

Sessions Fourteen, Fifteen and Sixteen
This week was all about the Face and the Neck. We found two short supports for the Face had been positioned badly, and when correctly mirroring the other short supports, they were now too short. Really they had always been too short, but now we had discovered it. Measure, Cut, and Dish the replacement supports, then glue them all into place. Below the X Brace needed a bridge plate to strengthen where the strings will eventually be pulling the top of the guitar, and finally we popped in three small braces to strenthen the sound hole.

We also started marking the Neck to be trimmed down and carved. The main cuts were made on the bandsaw, finishing everything else we could reach with the drum sander. This next part, Trevor said, is his favourite part of guitar building. We put some oil on the Fretboard to bring out it’s natural beauty, before cutting some special wire strips to size and banging them into the neck to create Frets.

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Sessions Seventeen and Eighteen
A lot of these sessions went into Carving the Neck. Using a couple of rasps, Trevor would show me how to get the right curve, carve an example patch, and then have me match the curve on the rest of the neck. I was nervous to go too far, and slow to get the hang of this one. I certainly felt better after Trevor confessed he had made seven practice necks before being allowed to touch a real one.

This next part, Trevor said, is his favourite part of guitar building. I used a chisel to pare down the supports under the Face, turning them into real treble-braces and Tone Bars. Trevor showed me how to get very close to the Face without carving into it. During this time I met a couple of other students. Jim was changing professions after a long time serving in the NZ Air Force, so was in Auckland temporarily to learn the craft. He made the beautiful blue electric that you see below. I also met Daniel who was working on a gorgeous Bass, but I neglected to get photos.

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Sessions Nineteen and Twenty
This next part, Trevor said, is his favourite part of guitar building. Now that evrything was pared down and sized for the Face and Back, it was time to mark out facets in the Kerfing along the sides. It reminded me of Japanese woodwork, small and intricate. I’m certain that if a Japanese woodmaster saw my work he would call me a barbarian. Neverthe less, we managed to dry-fit the Back onto the sides and were happy with the fit. Before gluing it on, we had to do the same for the top. That way it’s easier to see if which parts needed to be brought in. At the end of session Twenty, we glued the Back onto the sides.

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Sessions Twenty-One and Twenty-Two
The first order of business? Glue on the Face. So we did. And it was glorious. Things were going well … a little too well. Next order of business, calculate, mark, and drill the holes for where the Machine Heads, or tuning pegs, would sit in the headstock.

Now I must have been tired that day, because I’m usually good at math.

I added 45 on to 42 and ended up with 97.

It made sense in my head. It looked fine when me marked the placements. It looked fine when we drilled the first hole. The second hole looked great. The third hole was too close. Nope, both the second and third were out by ten millimetres. Solution: Plug the holes with dowels, sand off the face-plate, make a new one. To repeat this work was painful, but a good learning experience to not just measure twice, but to check the math.

This next part, Trevor said, is his favourite part of guitar building. The final session of the month was sanding down the Face and Back until they were flush with the Sides, then routing around the edges to create a track for some lining to be laid on, and strengthen the edges of the body.

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I wanted to go with something Whale themed. Not for some random reason, but for many random reasons. There’s an old story about Jonah spending three days and nights inside a Whale after rejecting his destiny. I knew it from the Bible growing up, but it’s the same (or similar) in other religious texts, and might even borrow from the Epic of Gilgamesh. Anyway … I was writing a song about numbers and referenced Jonah’s time spent in the Whale. Then when I went to play at the Bunker last week, Caitlin Smith brought up a term I’d not heard before: Jonah Complex. Turns out Jonah Complex is the same (or similar) to Imposter Syndrome, which I’ve been looking into during my day-job. So everthing recently has been bringing me back to the story of Jonah, and thoughts of Whales …

The Song(s)
Song: On The Ropes
Artist: Said The Whale
Album: hawaiii - 2017 - Hidden Pony Records
Method of discovery: Investigating previously favourited artists on Spotify

Theory: Harmonically, the song stays around I-IV-V, and occasionally throws a bVI in there. If you listen along with a guitar, you can hear the changes. I’m also intrerested in the Drumming pattern here, it’s reminiscent of early rock drum beats, although certainly sounds thicker. In fact the whole thing feels very rock-a-billy influenced to me. The lyrics paint a picture of two characters who I think grew up together, but never had the right timing.

Research: Said the Whale are from Vancouver, Cananda, and have had a slew of members over the years, but retain the core trio. And they haven’t let their early Juno Award go to their heads, their instagram showcasing the event they put on for schools, and the money they help raise for said schools. There really is nothing like a picture of a lady wailing into a mic. Not only that, but they even advertise for young musicians to be their opening act. This is a band that gives back. Nice work, Said The Whale.

Personal thoughts: When I had the idea for this post, I put Whale into the serach field for all of my favourited songs on Spotify, Said The Whale represented 14/23rds of the results. I may like this band a little bit. By contrast, there was only one Jonah. I like them for the same reason I like Regurgitator; they keep it fresh by varying their style, not just from each album, but even to each song within albums. They do this while retaining the Core of the band so that my reaction whenever I realise it’s Said The Whale that’s come over my ears my reaction is “Oh cool, I love this band!” and instantly save it. Also I just love the naming convention making it seem like a Whale says a whole lot of stuff.

Give it a go: If you’d like to give back to a band who gives to others

Give it a miss: If you have extreme Cetaphobia

[links]
Spotify: On The Ropes, Said The Whale, Tuesday Tunes
Said The Whale: Website, Instagram
Wikipedia: Said The Whale, Jonah, Jonah Complex