Calvin Hairstyle

I've abandoned my blog!

But the good news is that it's because I'm actually finishing songs in the "studio."  I will post a few of them as soon as they're done.  Right now I'm about 90% done with the first 15 songs, but I'm 100% done with none. 

It is time.

Calvin Hairstyle--Live and Alive

That's my latest live album title.  Like it?  No?  Yeah, me neither.

Here's a quick vid from the first show (and if the other vid gets restored to youtube, somebody holler if you happen to notice):

Here's me playing a solo as if my right shoe were nailed to the floor:

"Customer Service"

The pop gem is finally complete.  I coulda had it done sooner, but there are two things that I'm not very good at that stood in my way:

1.  not procrastinating
2.  playing the drums

Just to catch you up to speed--a little over two weeks ago, I asked my audience to give me a subject for Calvin's pop gem.  All I had in mind was that it was going to be about a girl.  I was going to think up a bunch of questions to try and get a picture of what I should write it about.  Thankfully, Alex had a plot in mind that was complete the way it was. 

• "The girl works at the coffee shop, and the narrator nurses the idea that the girl loves him because she is always nice to him and knows his order, even though in his heart he realizes that it is her job to be nice to him and know his order because that's how coffee shops get schleps like himself to come in every day and spend that much on coffee.

  The middle section could be when he encounters her at a bar or some public place and tries to strike up a conversation and she doesn't know who he is (being out of context) and even when she does, she kinda blows him off to talk to her friends. needless to say, his heart is broken

  ending: he goes into the coffee shop after staying away a week and she says, I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you the other night yadda yadda and the spell is once again cast"

So whoomp here it is.  It's called "Customer Service".  It's in the key of A.  There's a key change during the bridge.  There are backup vocals.  Length--3:30.  Pop. Gem. 

Download Customer Service

(if you listen closely, in the background you can hear Chris Paul tear his groin, and the Hornets blow a 17 pt. lead to the Blazers)

Lyrics after the jump

Frozen Bears album listed as 115th best of '08. Suck it, Vampire Weekend.

I apologize to my online buddies who've seen me use that joke (pretty much Tina Fey's joke) at least thrice now.

And I have nothing against The Vampires on Weekend, who clocked in on this list at 125, just like to joke about the hard and fast validity of these things.

But check it out--Chuck Eddy, Actual Rock Critic and former music editor at Village Voice (in better times), gave us props on his blog on Rhapsody:

110. Noekk – The Minstrel’s Curse (Prophecy) reviewed here

111. Toby Keith – That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy (Show Dog Nashville) reviewed here

112. Dornenreich – In Luft Geritzt (Prophecy)

113. Early Man – Beware The Circling Fin (The End EP)

114. Rebecca Lynn Howard – No Rules (Saguaro Road) reviewed here

115. Frozen Bears – Hey, That’s a Good Looking Sportcoat! (Frozen Bears EP) reviewed here

116. The Reds – Fugitives From The Laughing House (Tarock) reviewed here

117. Matana Roberts – The Chicago Project (Central Control)

118. Amaseffer – Exodus: Slaves For Life (Inside Out/SPV) reviewed here

119. Keith Anderson – C’Mon! (Columbia)

120. Solange Knowles – Sol-Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams (Geffen) reviewed here 

121. Ayreon – 01011001 (Inside Out/SPV) reviewed here

122. The Boxmasters – The Boxmasters (Vanguard) reviewed here

123. Alan Jackson – Good Time (Arista Nashville) reviewed here

124. Opeth – Watershed (Roadrunner) reviewed here

125. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend (XL)

You can snag this critically acclaimed disc on CDBaby real cheap and worth every bitter tasting penny.  

To celebrate, I will subject you to this video, which my cohort Adam Waller just put together.  It's the leadoff track of the album, and one of my favorite songs to ever be involved with.  Check it:

The Pop Gem

Alright.  I'll be doing a post game analysis of song #2 at some point, but let's just move on for now. 

The next thing we've got to do is write Calvin's pop gem.  I want the PG to be based on something very specific.  I may only vaguely allude to it in the song, but I need to sing it with the conviction that it is based on a detailed backstory. 

I also want this one to be about a girl in some way.  I will definitely be writing more pop gems in the future, and these may be more topical, but right now, I want this one to start off being about a girl. 

Some questions to get the ball rolling.  What are some specifics about this girl?  Where does she work?  Why does Calv like her so much?   What's one defining characteristic about her? 

Then there's the event--what event involving this girl would inspire Calvin to write a song about it?  Is there some action this girl took that upset Calvin?  Confused him?  Inspired him?   What did this girl DO that Calv needs to write about?  I want to eventually work towards something very specific here. 

More questions to come, but let's see if we can get the ball rolling with that. 

Coming to Swallow Our Souls (Beautiful Blood)

Well, hold the phone and pass the horseradish--Calvin finished song number 2, everybody! 

Just to take you back to this song's roots, here's a link to the Rorshach blots and brainstorming session that inspired this one.

Download Calvin Hairstyle -- Coming To Swallow Our Souls (Beautiful Blood)

Analysis coming soon.  Thanks for helping and listening, gang.

"Calvin Hairstyle Presents: 'Calvin's Anthem'"

Oh, happy day!  Sweet Jesus, I finished a song!  Actually it shouldn't have taken so long, I just have to get back into the groove as a producer, mixer, singer, etc.  So, thanks, everyone!  You wrote it, you listen to it.  This will probably be the first track on the Calvin Hairstyle album that you all help me write.  Unless I do an "intro", hmmm...

Be warned--I am not a drummer.  I've had a drum set in my house for about a month, and I practice here and there.  It's not my instrument, but that will be a fun progression to listen for as I put more songs up on the blog.  I also haven't sung on tape in a while---I could go on and on, but why not just listen for yourselves:

Download Calvin Hairstyle Presents--Calvin's Anthem

Mundae

I'm Garfielding out over here about being at work on a Monday morning.  Even the dessert spelling doesn't help matters any. 

So I'm thinking of a game we can play to help me write my next song.  I'm already working on the anthem, based on the info y'all already gave me, and hopefully I'll have it up soon.  Thanks for the input--that's what this blog is all about!

For today's game, tell me what each of these pictures is.  Don't worry, this isn't for psychoanalytic purposes--it's for psychorockaliscious purposes.  (you can see why I need help today). 

Okay, tell me what each of these things "is":

Tunesday

Thanks, readers, for sticking with me as I get this sucker off the ground.  Once I get my computer set up in the music room (any day now!), I would like to do more "real time" recording, and do stuff that's based on discussions of the day/blog interaction funtime.

Both of these songs are from the "Boy's Life Soundtrack"--a collection of songs I did when my friend Matt directed a production of Boy's Life in L.A., and asked me to throw him some instrumentals as pre-show/between set filler.  This may or may not have made it to him in time to be used in the show, but both he and his girlfriend said they really liked it.  (If I ever put out of CD of these songs, I'm going to put that as a blurb on the front cover). 

So enjoy, everyone!  The first one is my first foray into IDM (Idiotic Dance Music), entitled "Ergonomics Poster".  The second one is some loop based stuff that I really like playing with, called "Thorpedo".  I think that was an Olympian's nickname at the time ('06?  It's all pretty hazy). 

Hey maybe you guys can help---should I throw vocals on top of this one? 

Download Calvin Hairstyle--Ergonomics Poster

Download Calvin Hairstyle--Thorpedo