Tasha

Tasha's full name was Natasha Von Baddenof. A rottwieler that I raised from puppyhood til death. I was going to sing on this but it's better without it. Enjoy.

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posted by snsranch (7 comments total)

I really love the korg strings on this. There's a very large part of my heart that is tangled in synth strings (it comes from growing up in the 80s). What a beautiful tribute.
posted by sleepy pete at 6:16 PM on April 13, 2007

Aw. It's amazing how much a person can connect with a dog. I never used to get it, but then you just meet that special pup...
posted by buriednexttoyou at 9:14 PM on April 13, 2007

Natasha Von Baddenof, huh? was she part of the Baddenofs from Austria or Russia?

And yeah, the song has a spell of its own. It's so well defined that I imagine it wouldn't be hard to find a vocal melody for it. When the first guitars strums started I imagined a Bowiesque kinda voice line. Then a little bit ahead I thought a Tom Waitsy kind of voice, like what he does in Strange Weather would be nice. What kept you from singing in it?

Don't tell me it's because you don't like your own voice, because no one here seems to like their own voice. Some unexplainably, like chococat, and some others with all reason, like me, but don't let that keep you from singing. I mean, if you've had the kindness of enduring my singing, you shouldn't feel the smallest remorse to post your own.
posted by micayetoca at 9:54 AM on April 14, 2007

mica, no man, I just like it's simplicity so much that I didn't want to mess it up.

A funny side note, I learned alot about my voice from watching American Idol. I don't if you get that down there but it's pretty funny. what I learned was that regardless of voice quality, the folks who really belt it out make me want to buy into their artistry as opposed to those who kinda whisper/sing into the mic.

And no, I don't like my voice, but I'll be jumping in the pool soon! Thanks for the good words folks!
posted by snsranch at 2:53 PM on April 14, 2007

Yup, it's easy to get awfully attached to a dog you've bonded with. Sorry for your loss. I'm glad to at least hear that Boris finally made an honest dog of her.

As for the belting out vs. singing into the mic... you're forgetting something. Onstage, it's about projecting. That's a WHOLE different thing than recording. Onstage I am often trying to perform for many people across a big room. If I whisper into a mic onstage it doesn't project out to the audience, not unless I'm using it as an accent. By "accent" I mean if I belt out certain lyrics and then use a softer voice to emphasize others... that kind of contrast can really draw people into the story when done right. Same way a bass/vocal duet intro can quiet a room, and then when you suddenly burst into a tempo change with a full band jumping into the song people go crazy.

When I'm recording, if I sing the way I do onstage it loses a lot of the intimacy and texture. I don't need to get people's attention from across a room and the microphone will pick up subtleties that would be totally lost in the background when sung live. So it turns out FAR better if I'm far more subtle & rein my voice in. For example, on If I Had You... that would've sounded AWFUL if I'd belted it out. I definitely have a voice that can belt, but you have to know when to use that power and when to hold back. Belting If I Had You would've been overperforming & would've been a disservice to the song. It would have overpowered the guitar and wouldn't have been appropriate for the softness of the lyrics at all.

That's the difference between a new singer and an experienced one. A lot of the kids on American Idol? Well, to use that phrase that is going around too much... they will oversing a plate of beans. And just because you can? Doesn't mean it's a good solution.
posted by miss lynnster at 4:34 PM on April 14, 2007

Thanks for the second time tonight miss lynnster! You are absolutely right.

Much like micayetoca was saying, there is a level of confidence and commitment that is needed. Maybe it's the confidence more than the throw. I'll work on it, and thanks to you folks!
posted by snsranch at 7:32 PM on April 14, 2007

This is lovely.

My recent song (Shake your head if yes) actually had some lyrics at first but I took 'em out and was damn glad I did. It can be very freeing to realize you don't always gotta sing.
posted by ORthey at 5:29 PM on April 17, 2007