New microphone...

I love Christmas - the boys conjured up a new room mic so I put it to use yesterday afternoon. A buddy was going to come over and record a track as a present for a friend but the session got cancelled - so I thought I'd record one instead.

I worked as a writer on a Country gig a few years back; there are several songs from those sessions that I'm very happy with and thought I'd bring them out for a spin. When I listen to this I imagine Kelli or Patsy Cline singing it - I suggest you do the same - my vocals aren't exactly my A game!

It's a super loose recording - everything was done in a couple of hours yesterday afternoon - so - with all those caveats aside - here is:

What Am I To Do?

co-written with Kelli Lidell

Dumbass 2011

So the mix is dialed in - files are up on Amazon, Topspin and Youtube - I'm writing liner notes and listening to Dumbass. Without Dumbass - Coyote doesn't exist.

[audio:dumbass.mp3| titles= Dumbass!|artists=music2work2 ]

(yeah - I had big plans for the middle 8 )

http://kelli.com

Lord, I'm Discouraged - The Hold Steady

I have fallen horribly in love with this song - it happens - the last time was with Handlebars by Flobots and yes I can ride my bike without them – thank you Ms. Balchen! There’s so much to love about this track – the presence of the initial guitar tone, the arrival of the keys but I guess most of all – it’s the Lyric.

[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaynekaye/3201389499/[/flickr] From Shayne Kaye on Flickr.

Kelli and I used to comment that a good song needs great music but a great song needs great lyric too. It was a roundabout way of saying that not everybody is a musician – not everybody thinks in melody or can manipulate sound to create a platform - but pretty much everyone can speak, can write, and can string words together. Everyone’s a songwriter and if you ain't got something to say - then best not say anything at all.

It is typically the music of a song that grabs my attention, but it is the lyric that allows me to fall in love. And it’s not necessarily the semantic – the meaning of the lyric – it’s how the whole thing fits together. Listen to Rihanna’s Dream written Umbrella – it won’t win a Nobel for literature but that whole “Ella, Ella” lick just feels so damn good in the track.

Finally there is the guitar solo – and it’s perfect - I suspect that God always had the electric guitar in mind when he was developing anguish.

You can:

Listen to Lord I'm Discouraged on youtube

Visit The Hold Steady's Website

Buy The Album - Stay Positive Other recommended cuts: Magazines and One For The Cutters – good stories all!