05 March 2004 (Friday)
mhopper
[04:30PM CST]
FAWM Self-Anaylsis
FAWM was amazing in that it cause myself and the other songwriters to really kick out the jams. It's so easy to start working on a song idea and either give up or just not explore it enough. Like working out or running, the beginning stages were a little rough. You had to sit down and get up an hour or two later with something to show for it. Some of the songs turned out subpar because they were rushed and not well thought out...others turned out like absolute gems that will become stapes of my live set and hopefully future recordings.
I have been listeing to my own demos alot though the past month, trying to figure out which ones I like, hate, etc.
I am now going to post my thoughts on each song in alphabetical order (along with where the song fits: MH=Matt Hopper solo, TRC=A song to be performed and recorded with a full rock band, and TRC/D=A song I might consider for the dark TRC project...
It's A Good Day For Some Attitude TRC
I like this song. It would sound good with really gritty guitars, a fuzzed out bassline and pounding drums. I love the key change on the chorus. And the lead guitar line...maybe doubled with a synth...or maybe, to be really quirky...with a woodwind section...might sound really cool. Gang vocals on the end.
Black Anniversary TRC/D
Defintely a dark album song. This one is really raw. I am going to take it and work with it and see what happens. At this point everything is up for grabs, but I do like the guitar lines in it. I don't like the weak harmonies I did on it so I probably won't have any...I will most likely make this much darker than it sounds. It will be hard to pull the Interpol influence off the top of this one. I'll be careful of that.
Bombs Away TRC
This one has gotten kind of annoying to me with time...I'm going to try a few things. First off, I'm going to use electric guitars for a more rocking sound...and Dan Coleron played piano on this once and it sounded fresh. I might let someone else sing the higher parts. The chorus will be very dynamic which will sound good as opposed to this demo that sounds very anti-climactic. And finally, with drums this one will probably sound a lot better.
Brown Pinstripe Suit MH
I like the agony in this song. It plods along nicely. It's a pretty down and out song. I like the chorus. I think is a pretty solid song. Not excellent, but not bad.
Drag Queen MH
I like how my voice sounds in this song...nice and low where it belongs most of the time. My favorite part though is the last part of the song about the black eyes from all the elbows in the darkness. I love that part. I think this is a pretty solid tune.
Getting Older TRC
Of course this would be a band song and it has a lot of potential at this point. I like how short it is. I like the chorus...reminds me of Buddy Holly a little bit. Can't wait to see how this sounds with a band.
Girdwood, Alaska MH
This one almost sounds like a lullaby to me. I like playing it, singing it, and I like how the chorus sort of takes you out of that lullaby for a moment. I'm gonna try messing around on the piano with this one...and perhaps try doing this song in loops. Might add some electric guitar as well. I've got some good ideas for more vocal harmonies as well. I love the line "Why does it hurt so bad to fall in and out of love again?" This one goes out to those bitter people...get back on the horse.
Give Way To The Moon MH
I can't wait to work on this one in depth a little more in a studio. It has the potential to be alot of different things. I want to add lots of ambient noises to it but then have everything drop out during the "watching the sunset give way to the moon" part. The chorus is going to be epic when I get done with this in a studio. I don't like "knotty pine" cause it sounds like "naughty pine" which throws me, you, and everyone else off I'm sure...I'll probably change that lyric.
Grandpa Louie MH
This one is gonna be a tear jerker live I bet. ha ha. I want to get some pedal steel in on this badboy...some B3 as well kind of swelling in the distance. Some light drums/percussion like mainly brushes...who knows...this song could sound alot different with instruments. I'll be playing it solo though. I think the hook in this song is subtle but effective "he said he'd be there if he could so just play ball". It might be a little cheesy but it's also very relateable. Everyone has a Grandpa Louie if you think about it...well, I hope everyone does.
Heavy D MH/TRC/TRC-D
Who knows where this one will end up. Maybe as a B-side like Burr said. ha ha. I might just rewrite the lyrics and take out the annoying bridge. Well, the cool part about the bridge is the lead guitar which is sort of buried. I think with a band, it could be really rocking...but solo acoustic it sounds lame. Who knows where this will end up...I like it but it needs some work.
He's a Prophet TRC
I'm totally bored with this one. I don't think it works well as a solo song...but as a band song this one could really rock. I'm gonna save this one for when I get a band back together and see what happens. The only part I really like about it at this point is the ending...I love the ending.
Hold On To Me TRC-D
I want produce this song like Kevin Shields would. A wall of interesting noise, lots of harmonies mixed in very densely. I love how "on a wire" it sounds at first but then lays into a very smooth, easy going chorus. I might speed it up a little. I like the ending alot, how it totally changes the heaviness of the song.
One Foot In The Grave MH + TRC
I love this song. I want to try to play it with a band and also solo. I was jamming on it last night and it's a pleasure to play. It's fun. It's dark as well. With drums this little guy might take off into quite a little 3 minute ditty.
Ping Pong MH
This song is really soothing to play...its suprisingly easy to play as well. I wasn't trying to get too philosophical with it, but it came out pretty close to where I want it, I just need to fine tune some of the lyrics a little. I'm gonna add some humming and some light instrumentation...maybe some harmonica or something.
Poor Madeline MH
Willis really liked this song and I haven't really grown tired of it either. I think I'll be playing it alot. Last night I was playing it and it's just fun to play. I love the chorus.
Skipping Winter MH + TRC
This one sounds good lazy, but I'm gonna try to do this one with a band and see what happens. The ending on the demo is pretty messy, but I think when I record I'm gonna try to be as precise as possible. I think this is a good song.
Soma Holiday MH + TRC
This is gonna be with me forever. I adore this song. I can play it over and over again. It's a boucy and has what I believe to be a great bridge. I think I will play this one at every show for the rest of my life. I will put this one on my first solo outing and it will be fully produced. Probably pretty rocking.
SOS MH + TRC
I like the tension in this song. I hear some lead guitar lines that I didn't add to the demo that will be nice. This one has got to be done with a band...it would rock. I think this would be a nice show opener. Only time will tell.
Success MH + TRC
This is another that is in my favorites pile. I like the falsetto parts. This will be done full band style with a buildup right before "I don't wish this curse on anyone..."
The Desert Loses Touch MH + TRC
I hear this one as a pretty rocking band tune. Kind of laid back but still got a lot of class. I'd like to mess around with a few ideas I have for this one with a band. The bridge/chorus thing needs work...I plan on nailing my singing parts...this demo version it sounds pretty lame really but there are parts of it that sound good. I'm gonna take those good parts and run with them. I'm gonna be real dramatic.
This Is the Sound (of My Heart Breaking) MH + TRC
This one is fun to sing and hopefully fun to sing along with. I loved doing the ending. I will be very careful to sing perfectly at the end when I'm in the studio and will probably bring in a female voice to sing the "my heart breaking" line to give it some contrast.
Wayward Prince MH + TRC
I've never tried to write a song like this before...I think it turned out alright. I like to play it. The chorus is ...ha ha ...a little embarassing...it's almost out of my range. I might try singing a little lower...or maybe I was sick when I recorded it...who knows...maybe I need voice lessons. I might try singing it in a more natural voice and see what happens. But yeah, I think I'm gonna play this one on my tour...I think it's fun.
That's it. 22 songs. Whew. Imagine if I did this EVERY month! FAWM was cool. I look forward to next February.
FAWM was amazing in that it cause myself and the other songwriters to really kick out the jams. It's so easy to start working on a song idea and either give up or just not explore it enough. Like working out or running, the beginning stages were a little rough. You had to sit down and get up an hour or two later with something to show for it. Some of the songs turned out subpar because they were rushed and not well thought out...others turned out like absolute gems that will become stapes of my live set and hopefully future recordings.
I have been listeing to my own demos alot though the past month, trying to figure out which ones I like, hate, etc.
I am now going to post my thoughts on each song in alphabetical order (along with where the song fits: MH=Matt Hopper solo, TRC=A song to be performed and recorded with a full rock band, and TRC/D=A song I might consider for the dark TRC project...
It's A Good Day For Some Attitude TRC
I like this song. It would sound good with really gritty guitars, a fuzzed out bassline and pounding drums. I love the key change on the chorus. And the lead guitar line...maybe doubled with a synth...or maybe, to be really quirky...with a woodwind section...might sound really cool. Gang vocals on the end.
Black Anniversary TRC/D
Defintely a dark album song. This one is really raw. I am going to take it and work with it and see what happens. At this point everything is up for grabs, but I do like the guitar lines in it. I don't like the weak harmonies I did on it so I probably won't have any...I will most likely make this much darker than it sounds. It will be hard to pull the Interpol influence off the top of this one. I'll be careful of that.
Bombs Away TRC
This one has gotten kind of annoying to me with time...I'm going to try a few things. First off, I'm going to use electric guitars for a more rocking sound...and Dan Coleron played piano on this once and it sounded fresh. I might let someone else sing the higher parts. The chorus will be very dynamic which will sound good as opposed to this demo that sounds very anti-climactic. And finally, with drums this one will probably sound a lot better.
Brown Pinstripe Suit MH
I like the agony in this song. It plods along nicely. It's a pretty down and out song. I like the chorus. I think is a pretty solid song. Not excellent, but not bad.
Drag Queen MH
I like how my voice sounds in this song...nice and low where it belongs most of the time. My favorite part though is the last part of the song about the black eyes from all the elbows in the darkness. I love that part. I think this is a pretty solid tune.
Getting Older TRC
Of course this would be a band song and it has a lot of potential at this point. I like how short it is. I like the chorus...reminds me of Buddy Holly a little bit. Can't wait to see how this sounds with a band.
Girdwood, Alaska MH
This one almost sounds like a lullaby to me. I like playing it, singing it, and I like how the chorus sort of takes you out of that lullaby for a moment. I'm gonna try messing around on the piano with this one...and perhaps try doing this song in loops. Might add some electric guitar as well. I've got some good ideas for more vocal harmonies as well. I love the line "Why does it hurt so bad to fall in and out of love again?" This one goes out to those bitter people...get back on the horse.
Give Way To The Moon MH
I can't wait to work on this one in depth a little more in a studio. It has the potential to be alot of different things. I want to add lots of ambient noises to it but then have everything drop out during the "watching the sunset give way to the moon" part. The chorus is going to be epic when I get done with this in a studio. I don't like "knotty pine" cause it sounds like "naughty pine" which throws me, you, and everyone else off I'm sure...I'll probably change that lyric.
Grandpa Louie MH
This one is gonna be a tear jerker live I bet. ha ha. I want to get some pedal steel in on this badboy...some B3 as well kind of swelling in the distance. Some light drums/percussion like mainly brushes...who knows...this song could sound alot different with instruments. I'll be playing it solo though. I think the hook in this song is subtle but effective "he said he'd be there if he could so just play ball". It might be a little cheesy but it's also very relateable. Everyone has a Grandpa Louie if you think about it...well, I hope everyone does.
Heavy D MH/TRC/TRC-D
Who knows where this one will end up. Maybe as a B-side like Burr said. ha ha. I might just rewrite the lyrics and take out the annoying bridge. Well, the cool part about the bridge is the lead guitar which is sort of buried. I think with a band, it could be really rocking...but solo acoustic it sounds lame. Who knows where this will end up...I like it but it needs some work.
He's a Prophet TRC
I'm totally bored with this one. I don't think it works well as a solo song...but as a band song this one could really rock. I'm gonna save this one for when I get a band back together and see what happens. The only part I really like about it at this point is the ending...I love the ending.
Hold On To Me TRC-D
I want produce this song like Kevin Shields would. A wall of interesting noise, lots of harmonies mixed in very densely. I love how "on a wire" it sounds at first but then lays into a very smooth, easy going chorus. I might speed it up a little. I like the ending alot, how it totally changes the heaviness of the song.
One Foot In The Grave MH + TRC
I love this song. I want to try to play it with a band and also solo. I was jamming on it last night and it's a pleasure to play. It's fun. It's dark as well. With drums this little guy might take off into quite a little 3 minute ditty.
Ping Pong MH
This song is really soothing to play...its suprisingly easy to play as well. I wasn't trying to get too philosophical with it, but it came out pretty close to where I want it, I just need to fine tune some of the lyrics a little. I'm gonna add some humming and some light instrumentation...maybe some harmonica or something.
Poor Madeline MH
Willis really liked this song and I haven't really grown tired of it either. I think I'll be playing it alot. Last night I was playing it and it's just fun to play. I love the chorus.
Skipping Winter MH + TRC
This one sounds good lazy, but I'm gonna try to do this one with a band and see what happens. The ending on the demo is pretty messy, but I think when I record I'm gonna try to be as precise as possible. I think this is a good song.
Soma Holiday MH + TRC
This is gonna be with me forever. I adore this song. I can play it over and over again. It's a boucy and has what I believe to be a great bridge. I think I will play this one at every show for the rest of my life. I will put this one on my first solo outing and it will be fully produced. Probably pretty rocking.
SOS MH + TRC
I like the tension in this song. I hear some lead guitar lines that I didn't add to the demo that will be nice. This one has got to be done with a band...it would rock. I think this would be a nice show opener. Only time will tell.
Success MH + TRC
This is another that is in my favorites pile. I like the falsetto parts. This will be done full band style with a buildup right before "I don't wish this curse on anyone..."
The Desert Loses Touch MH + TRC
I hear this one as a pretty rocking band tune. Kind of laid back but still got a lot of class. I'd like to mess around with a few ideas I have for this one with a band. The bridge/chorus thing needs work...I plan on nailing my singing parts...this demo version it sounds pretty lame really but there are parts of it that sound good. I'm gonna take those good parts and run with them. I'm gonna be real dramatic.
This Is the Sound (of My Heart Breaking) MH + TRC
This one is fun to sing and hopefully fun to sing along with. I loved doing the ending. I will be very careful to sing perfectly at the end when I'm in the studio and will probably bring in a female voice to sing the "my heart breaking" line to give it some contrast.
Wayward Prince MH + TRC
I've never tried to write a song like this before...I think it turned out alright. I like to play it. The chorus is ...ha ha ...a little embarassing...it's almost out of my range. I might try singing a little lower...or maybe I was sick when I recorded it...who knows...maybe I need voice lessons. I might try singing it in a more natural voice and see what happens. But yeah, I think I'm gonna play this one on my tour...I think it's fun.
That's it. 22 songs. Whew. Imagine if I did this EVERY month! FAWM was cool. I look forward to next February.
Comments: 2
hey hopper. i noticed that you got some other song comments at your site. that's pretty cool. and i wondered if the "dan" who posted a comment on this site was dan coleron. i saw a few HARA shows in talkeetna long ago... i think i even have a tape of one of them... you're gonna play with ryan sollee in portland? you'll have to push "nasty little heart" on him. i play some of his solo songs on occasion. shaleesha ferrari told me last night that he'd be in austin for SXSW...
i've been indulging myself listening to my demos, but i plan to listen to all the other FAWM songs and comment before the end of march
willis [04:55PM CST 05-Mar-2004]
Yes, same Dan from HARA...he is in Boston now. Yes, I'm playing RS in Portland, I'll tell him about NLH. Indulging in your demos is fun. I did it.
hopper [06:49PM CST 05-Mar-2004]