If not for MeFi Challenge deadlines, I might never actually finish a song. This one has only two chords (D and G). Instruments used, in order of appearance: Autoharp, marimba, marxophone, triangle, glockenspiel, and accordion. [more inside]

posted by Karlos the Jackal at 6:41 PM PST - 8 comments

Sloppy simplistic cheerful beat from way back, with some recycled sounds (2:06).

posted by jchgf at 4:08 PM PST - 6 comments

An love letter to the letter "U" [more inside]

posted by raisindebt at 3:24 PM PST - 8 comments

Like a dry drunk Down at the mall

posted by Jawbones at 11:14 AM PST - 6 comments

For the April two chords challenge: As usual, a repetitive song. This time written in a slightly confusing time signature. [more inside]

posted by azarbayejani at 11:09 AM PST - 1 comments

I made some power-pop. It's crunchy. [more inside]

posted by Jon_Evil at 10:43 PM PST - 8 comments

Languid and lingual. [more inside]

posted by doubtfulpalace at 10:10 PM PST - 3 comments

Making Sure Technology Fails [more inside]

posted by speicus at 9:59 PM PST - 5 comments

I want to get perspective from anyone who's recorded and produced an album with local artists. [more inside] posted by jake at 6:32 PM PST - 8 comments

A hypothetical j-rock anime theme song using a simulated choir, simulated singer, simulated orchestra, simulated drums, but very real guitar and bass -- it is at least somewhat rooted in reality, as is the well-known passage that serves as the lyrics. [more inside]

posted by jake at 1:12 PM PST - 13 comments

For the April "two chords" Challenge. The two 3-note chords even share a note in common, so we're talking a total of five notes serving as harmonic accompaniment for this song. Played on the strumstick. There's a hoop drum, too, of indeterminate pitch. I posted a lo-fi, live version of this song to YouTube as well, direct from my 6-mat tatami room at home. You can see it here.

posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:23 AM PST - 12 comments

Acoustic guitar instrumental cover of a very popular song, I won't mention the artist, perhaps a commenter can spill the beans :) Recorded in two parts.

posted by Admira at 2:03 AM PST - 3 comments

A song mostly written on a Friday. [more inside]

posted by azarbayejani at 8:20 PM PST - 3 comments

Bluesy, down-home saga of rebellion. [more inside]

posted by Liv Pooleside at 8:00 PM PST - 5 comments

On man.. the first line and the rhythm were written while walking to class three or four years ago in a wisdom tooth Vicodin sunshine. A couple of days before April this year I woke up early some Sunday morning and just started playing the same two 'chords' over and over again (A7#9sus4 (just bar the 5th) and Amaj .. although it probably was closer to Amin/E to Amaj/E). Combine that with a corrupted version of the 'Why don't you move back to Massachusetts!' line from Do the Right Thing and you've got something sounding like early tired Sunday mornings. [more inside]

posted by xorry at 4:14 PM PST - 1 comments

The final track on our four-track demo EP. I posted a very early version of this a while back, but since then it's gone through quite a transformation. [more inside]

posted by jhighmore at 3:32 AM PST - 2 comments

Albert Ayler wrote music about ghosts, witches, devils, demons, and angels. The levels on this range widely. If you use a compressor, you get a declawed piece, but not the one I wrote. [more inside]

posted by idiopath at 12:13 AM PST - 6 comments

There are times I wish I had an electric guitar . . . [more inside]

posted by quadog at 12:06 AM PST - 4 comments

A fast boppy instrumental guitar piece, recorded in one take and as the title suggests, its a little rough around the edges. A little rocky in sections, would be interesting with distorted electric guitar with bass and drums behind it. Hope everyone enjoys it!

posted by Admira at 7:30 PM PST - 1 comments

A curious alien has snatched one of our spacecraft from orbit and sent back a very strange signal...

posted by wastelands at 4:05 PM PST - 3 comments

'Ataraxia' is Greek for 'tranquility', which is what I was trying to convey with this piece. [more inside]

posted by semblance at 3:27 PM PST - 3 comments

MeFiMu stalwart micayetoca asked me if there was anything else from the Japonisme project, so I dug up this other one that I'd done a while back. It's just a simple little ditty that uses an a cappella vocal (slowed down a bit) from a 7" record I picked up at a flea market, to which I've added a rhythm track and some bamboo jaw harp. I put it to some video footage I shot here in Tokyo, too, and uploaded it to YT earlier today. If you'd like to see it...

posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:14 AM PST - 9 comments

Tips for recording handclaps [more inside] posted by umbú at 8:59 PM PST - 13 comments

Demo of the first track from a dumbass pop concept album I'm working on.

posted by frenetic at 6:17 PM PST - 8 comments

Last night I was trying to find some inspiration for the bluegrass I'm working on and the first thing that came on youtube was THIS. It's a pretty slow version of Home Sweet Home. [more inside] posted by snsranch at 4:21 PM PST - 10 comments

An older recording that I just dug up. One of my friend Hawk Coleman's best vocal performances. A bit of a folky melodramatic march that builds pretty big towards the end. [more inside]

posted by dagosto at 12:19 PM PST - 2 comments

Here's another Oscillendulum, once again performed only on my beloved old Roland JUNO 60. About an hour ago I also posted this to YouTube, as a soundtrack for a raft of ducks swimming around in Ueno pond. Yet another Oscillendulum went up on YT a few hours before that, as a soundtrack for a revolving restaurant display. Be the first on your block to see 'em!

posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:07 AM PST - 12 comments

Subtle ode to the mamaries. [more inside]

posted by ba at 8:30 PM PST - 4 comments

When a spoken-word performance goes wrong, improvise. [more inside]

posted by man vs sun at 6:58 PM PST - 0 comments

Track 3 on our four-track demo EP. This one was written, recorded and produced entirely by yours truly, at about six in the morning, with lots of coffee and other various enhancers. [more inside]

posted by jhighmore at 8:01 AM PST - 2 comments

No the most imaginitive title, I wrote this for a friend who was meant to put lyrics onto it and never got around to it - its lengthy at about 4 and a half minutes, the second guitar melody kicks in half way through. Slow, relaxing and as always, hope its enjoyed by all who listen to it.

posted by Admira at 7:30 PM PST - 0 comments

After being a total dick in one of idiopath's recent postings, I realize that I need to understand what I am not appreciating. [more inside] posted by dobie at 11:49 AM PST - 24 comments

This is a piece I've composed to express or represent emotion. Please let me know what you think it expresses. If you really want to be serious, then copy and paste the questionnaire posted inside (without reading the comments!) and send your answers to me by email. [more inside]

posted by leibniz at 6:33 AM PST - 3 comments

A song written for the very specific occasion of riding home on a bicycle in a light drizzle. [more inside]

posted by dagosto at 11:57 PM PST - 2 comments

the safeguard of apathy... [more inside]

posted by god particle at 10:28 PM PST - 0 comments

Can cover, E7 and A7. Response to two challenges. [more inside]

posted by arcanecrowbar at 10:13 PM PST - 4 comments

A simple country song about how life sucks until you realize it ain't so bad.

posted by markulus at 9:28 PM PST - 3 comments

My version of Florida, by the Butthole Surfers, off of the Rembrandt Pussyhorse album. [more inside]

posted by idiopath at 7:20 PM PST - 6 comments

Easy, nostalgic, cinematic electronica. The challenging part was getting the robots to sing - not too mechanically, but not too uncannily either.

posted by gmm at 10:38 AM PST - 20 comments

Track 2 of our four-track demo EP. [more inside]

posted by jhighmore at 6:19 AM PST - 3 comments

Folksie fun-times with my band, Borachio. (I'm on drums.) We did this in my guest room, separately, so it's only so decent, but hopefully you'll see what we're going for.

posted by disillusioned at 10:24 PM PST - 5 comments

I just listened to the man's Live in London album tonight, and decided to spend the rest of the evening hammering this out. [more inside]

posted by Saellys at 9:41 PM PST - 2 comments

So, what was it, November when the MeFi Challenge was unofficially "requests for covers from other MeFites"? But this goes even further back... sometime last summer, Jessamyn said she wanted to do a cover--with me!--of Guided By Voices' "Everywhere With Helicopter." "OK," I said, "but you have to sing and make jangly noises with things around your apartment." [more inside]

posted by not_on_display at 8:28 PM PST - 3 comments

Since I recently started learning alto sax, I've been trying to learn the well known Paul Desmond standard Take Five, but don't have a playalong for it. So tonight I made one. This is it. [more inside]

posted by motty at 8:27 PM PST - 2 comments

I don't have a description.

posted by scottMontgomery at 7:22 PM PST - 1 comments

Instrumental guitar cover of The Rose by Bette Middler. Done in one take, as its recorded with just one guitar line theres been a few compromises with the melody. Also a few dud notes but every time I tried to re record it the cats kept getting in the way! Perfect for Mothers Day which is coming up here in Australia.

posted by Admira at 6:21 PM PST - 2 comments

In case you thought I went soft, here's some butt rock for you to blast in your Trans Am. [more inside]

posted by uncleozzy at 5:59 PM PST - 7 comments

A resurrected ditty from more than a decade ago -- finally retooled it and recorded it properly. Another Geese tune. I originally wrote it for my then-infant son Mikey (who was heard on other recent tunes I've submitted to MeFi Music). I think it has an old-school flavor (with a pinch of the Monkees and ABBA). Enjoy. [more inside]

posted by grubi at 12:17 PM PST - 4 comments

There are many hot dance jams about the lifestyles of the hot, rich, and fabulous. There are comparatively few about administrative professionals. And perhaps even less about their oft-overlooked holiday (this Wednesday, April 22).

posted by blapst at 9:47 AM PST - 5 comments

Follow along on the map... [more inside]

posted by doubtfulpalace at 1:49 AM PST - 0 comments

Another instrumental guitar piece, lively, fun, and a bit of an exercise in tonicization. Hope everyone enjoys it.

posted by Admira at 5:46 PM PST - 1 comments

An old Portuguese song.

posted by micayetoca at 1:56 PM PST - 11 comments

A birthday present for my girlfriend a year or two ago. [more inside]

posted by nthdegx at 12:25 PM PST - 0 comments

Part 2 of the drunken covers story rampage (part 1 was pretty angsty), in which our hero borrows from the Flaming Lips as he muses on how to incorporate violence into his law-breaking.

posted by COBRA! at 9:53 AM PST - 0 comments

Fluidsynth with the Yamaha piano soundfont from http://zenvoid.org/audio.html. My mouth. A zoom H2 personal recorder. [more inside]

posted by idiopath at 6:38 PM PST - 4 comments

Yes, I already contributed something to the two-chord challenge, but that doesn't mean it's the only song I've done with only two chords. This track uses Fm and G.

posted by NemesisVex at 6:32 PM PST - 4 comments

A song recorded with Synthesizer and guitar. My submission for the two chords competition [more inside]

posted by orville sash at 2:39 PM PST - 1 comments

2 guys drink more than they should while listening to Merle Haggard, decide to assault Judas Priest. [more inside]

posted by COBRA! at 7:21 AM PST - 3 comments

Track 1 of our four-track demo EP. I shall be posting more in the future if this gets any kind of reception... [more inside]

posted by jhighmore at 4:02 AM PST - 2 comments

A little two-chord reverie that shuffles around for a bit and then disappears. [more inside]

posted by uncleozzy at 6:39 PM PST - 10 comments

A loud composition, in 7/4 time, 120 BPM. [more inside]

posted by idiopath at 5:48 PM PST - 30 comments

Just a simple little guitar ditty. [more inside]

posted by metagnathous at 10:39 AM PST - 3 comments

There's a way in at the back. It sounds better inside.

posted by nthdegx at 8:47 AM PST - 5 comments

Please listen to, think about, and heavily critique this song! I'm working on mixing it and finishing up the recording, and would hugely appreciate any constructive criticism! Thx!

posted by tmcw at 7:46 AM PST - 13 comments

Performed by a vegetarian.

posted by man vs sun at 9:42 PM PST - 6 comments

My 19-month-old son has just recorded his first piece. [more inside]

posted by ba at 9:19 PM PST - 2 comments

I know how it is: you've got the music all together for your upcoming CD, everything sounds great, but... what about the jacket? You need inspiration, you need an idea, that perfect design that screams "buy this record!" Well, friends, look no further, for inspiration abounds at the Life's Railway to Heaven - Wholesome Gospel Family Record Covers flicker pool. [more inside] posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:49 PM PST - 12 comments

This is an old song, but it only uses two chords (well, okay, so there's a third, brief chord, but still), and it's taken me four years to get around to the massive amount of hiss reduction the song required to make it postable. Because I'm lazy.

posted by The Great Big Mulp at 4:01 PM PST - 14 comments

Very short and perhaps sweet. I've been working on this kind of music for a while and this is a good example of where I'm at with it right now. Two Chord Challenge!!! ENJOY! [more inside]

posted by snsranch at 6:51 PM PST - 9 comments

A very dirty ode to Easter. [more inside]

posted by millipede at 6:33 PM PST - 2 comments

Insomnia is a terrible thing to waste.

posted by doubtfulpalace at 12:58 AM PST - 17 comments

For the two chord challenge, though a bit of a cheat because it's more like two notes... [more inside]

posted by freya_lamb at 1:51 PM PST - 4 comments

This is one of seven tracks off my friend Brian Rozendal's updcoming debut EP, Lean. I'm on piano. A whole bunch of details within. [more inside]

posted by cortex at 8:20 AM PST - 10 comments

At home one Saturday night in about 1984, I got interested in just how hard it was to say words backwards, flip the tape, & have them come out intelligible. It took hours, and was much harder than I thought. [more inside]

posted by Devils Rancher at 12:49 PM PST - 2 comments

A little over a minute. 174 bpm freestyle joint. Still better than his offered doggerel.

posted by ShawnStruck at 11:39 AM PST - 2 comments

This is an upbeat guitar instrumental idea with a rock/tropical feel. [more inside]

posted by brickmachine at 6:08 AM PST - 1 comments

If you like New Jersey, don't hit play. [more inside]

posted by man vs sun at 6:02 PM PST - 2 comments

Finally -- a MeFiMusic Challenge I can do! Or rather have done. I actually posted this song before, but I've since gone back and cleaned up the EQ and gated some of the noise from the vocal. The two chords used are D and E.

posted by NemesisVex at 11:44 AM PST - 3 comments

Am7 + Gm7. My submission to the two chord challenge.

posted by micayetoca at 10:48 AM PST - 14 comments

My contribution to the two-chord challenge. A sleepy little song with fingerpickin' guitar, piano, and some three part "harmony." I experiment a little more with my voice on this one. [more inside]

posted by ORthey at 11:35 PM PST - 15 comments

Ok, so I was playing around with the two-chord song idea, struck on something that sounded nice, and this is the end result. Brought to you by the letters G and D7. [more inside]

posted by kaibutsu at 11:52 AM PST - 8 comments

The first finished recording for my band's new album. [more inside]

posted by dobie at 5:31 PM PST - 21 comments

High dynamic range and distortion wrapped in a a heartbeat-like 73 BPM.

posted by wastelands at 1:44 PM PST - 1 comments

A two chord challenge song that EXPLODES! [more inside]

posted by Corduroy at 2:47 PM PST - 11 comments

My first song post. An existential (yet musically simple) electronic/acoustic pop, sorta trip-hoppy, song.

posted by lovermont at 8:42 PM PST - 23 comments

For the April "write a song with only two chords" Music Challenge. Brought to you by the chords E and A. [more inside]

posted by chococat at 2:52 PM PST - 14 comments

Principles for Artist Compensation in New Business Models [more inside] posted by dobie at 11:05 AM PST - 6 comments

On April 21st, my band Tangemeenie is issuing a small limited CD release of "The Gilded Age," our first full-length since our only previous full-length debuted way back in 2002 on the tiny but mighty indie label Animal World Recordings. Since the MeFi music community played such a key role in helping me to complete this project (by providing feedback on rough mixes and helpful advice on the nuts and bolts of different stages of the production process), I'd like to invite everyone here to help themselves to free downloads of the final, mixed, mastered and officially-certified finished product over here before we release it in the usual way. [more inside] posted by saulgoodman at 10:59 AM PST - 4 comments

Inspired by the Metatalk thread. [more inside]

posted by kaibutsu at 8:08 PM PST - 8 comments

Taken from Stephen King's short story collection, Skeleton Crew.

posted by man vs sun at 6:20 PM PST - 2 comments

This is a swingin' number my band recorded last year and finally have finished mixing. It features guitars, drums (including a piccolo snare), bass, and a stalker. The title is not a spelling mistake. Enjoy!

posted by awfurby at 12:41 AM PST - 1 comments

Another old one. It's a little rough, but enjoyable. Contains guitar, didgeridoo, part of some commercial, and small flammable animals. Bits were inspired by bagpipes and Albert Ayler.

posted by xorry at 8:18 PM PST - 0 comments

Something for the Choral challenge, although, it ain't quite choral. [more inside]

posted by snsranch at 6:12 PM PST - 5 comments