:: anne in the attic ::

Create Your Own Countdown

:: Saturday, January 21, 2006 ::

I'm really loving Freckle's (the Martin DM guitar's) bass response lately. As I break him in from his newness-- yeah, it's taken over a year-- his tone has become so warm and sweet; I can only imagine him getting better year after year. Tonight I learned a Sam Beam (of Iron & Wine) song, "Naked As We Came." It has a picking style totally new to me (1-3-2-4) and at first, I took it on as a challenge, thinking I wouldn't be able to do it... but something clicked and now I can do the whole damn thing, singing and all, after about two hours. That's the surprise of the week. Other songs I've learned recently are:

"Cathedrals" by Jump, Little Children
"If I Were a Carpenter," by Tim Hardin
"Wild Horses" by The Stones (this one I'm working on recording all the parts in the studio-- great learning experience, especially with a new style of lead guitar in addition to the usual rhythm).

There have been others in passing, but these are my favorites lately, partly because each one has tested my ear for deciphering them or my skills to actually play them, and each one has taught me something new.

Things are progressing and I am learning a lot about recording and mixing, some from my friends on MySpace, some through trial by fire. At any rate, I have a day off tomorrow and will no doubt do some work in the studio, as well as play for fun, hopefully with other people for a change.

:: Anne 11:55 PM [smartass remarks] ::
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So on the first day of my three-day weekend, I wrote and recorded another demo. This time I sucked it up and stuck it on the MySpace page because I hadn't posted anything new there in a while. I have all of these works in progress-- fully-written, but half-recorded songs that I need to get to.... But I just can't resist a new creative urge, I guess. Anyway, the new song is called "Without You" and can be found here.

:: Anne 1:07 AM [smartass remarks] ::
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When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: most likely, it's you who have turned your back on the world.

:: Anne 11:31 PM [smartass remarks] ::
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Two words: Sufjan Stevens.

Though I often fall in love with a song, it has been a while (Elliott Smith was the last, I think) since I have fallen in love with an artist's entire body of work so deeply as I have his of late. And though I have heard perhaps only a quarter or less of his existing recordings (and he is quite prolific-- a boon!), it is with 99% certainty of enjoyment that I listen to each new piece. Sure, there is always at least that 1% of doubt with everyone, but most of my favorites rank around 10% doubt-- and nine out of ten is not bad, really. Even Elton John, Billy Joel, The BJM, Cat Stevens, and Sarah McLachlan miss for me every once in a great, great while; it's to be expected. Elliott Smith was the last great wonder and inspiration who did everything himself and yet, managed to avoid sounding like just a lot of himselves in an unremarkable way. And Sufjan Stevens does it all, too-- plays everything, writes it all, is a font of beautiful and original work-- but his sheer versatility sets him apart for having such a complex and beautiful mind... and sharing it with the likes of us.

And sometimes his music is so excruciatingly beautiful that I can't even move when I hear it.

:: Anne 11:29 PM [smartass remarks] ::
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