SongSmithing Free Trial (for one)
So I’d like to invite you all to join me in a new (business?) venture: Songs For Hire. I’ve yet to come up with a snappy name (maybe SongSmithing or something like that). But here’s the pitch:
- You commission me to write a song for you (or someone you love).
- I write and record an original song, based off of your suggestions and information, and send it off to you.
- You can then enjoy for yourself, give as a present, or use to mark a special occasion or event.
What do you get? A one-of-a-kind, unique-to-you original song to enjoy and/or gift.
What do I get? A free song idea, a puzzle to figure out, and, eventually, a cool collection of original songs about people I, quite possibly, hardly know.
I would collect a small fee for my time—we’ll figure that out later—and would retain all rights to the song, of course. I may also offer more boutique-y offers—EPs, album artwork, etc.—for any special negotiated requests.
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To begin, I’d like to hold a contest. I want to offer my first song-for-hire for free to an interested party who replies to this email.
In your email, pitch me the idea for your song—tell me about the person you want it to be about, or the event you want to commemorate, or whatever idea you have. I will pick one request to complete for free to get this project underway.
If you’re interested in a chance to receive a free, original song, please respond to
I will pick one winner and contact you about the particulars.
I couldn’t resist. I guess everybody’s got a ukulele now. You’ve got Eddie Vedder and his “Ukulele Songs,” Jeff Magnum-inspired Neutral Uke Hotel, and Huffinton Post articles that warn: “Brooklynites Crazy For Ukeleles.” Not to mention Zooey Daschenal quirking everything up. (Can’t she start hanging around with M. Night Shyamalan and give M. Ward a break already?)
Either way, I prefer my ukulele-ing behind a Stephen Merritt song (or Stephen Foster for that matter.) I saw Tiny Tim open up for The Flaming Lips in Boston—or was it a Bentmen show?—and he and his uke lasted through a 25-minute patriotic-song medley.
Lately I’ve been buying old sheet music from antique stores. (God: lately I’m going to antique stores.) At first I was just buying them because of their beautiful art-deco covers and terrific titles, but I’m loving the tunes too. (I’ve really taken to Rudy Vallee’s “I’m Just a Vagabond Lover.”) I’d like to do a cover record of songs from the 20s and 30s from these finds. Many of them have ukulele tabs—most with great little augmented turns and lilting melodies, and wonderful lyrics.
The ukulele forces simplicity and that’s a great restriction for songwriting. It’s hard to overwrite lyrically too—though I manage to work in the word “consigned” somehow. That line, “consigned to flames of woe” is just a translation I know from the Latin in Mozart’s Requiem. Happier to include the phrase “ship to shore” which I’ve been wanting to work into a song for years. Osgood calls “Daphne” ship to shore in Some Like it Hot.
Hope you enjoy this trifle, this modest demo: “I’m Prepared to Go”
Source: SoundCloud / bensmithsongs
Old Man Winter, Vol. 1
First in the Old Man Winter collection, Volume 1 features “I Got a New Tattoo for Christmas” and b-side “Same Old New Year’s” and is available for free at my Bandcamp site. Merry Christmas, friends.
Kristen Solecki, who provided the cover art for Crooked Earth, just finished this great illustration for my upcoming original Christmas single “I Got a New Tattoo for Christmas” (b/w “Same Old New Year’s”). I’m combining the two songs and calling them Old Man Winter, Volume 1 because I’ve got lots of other ideas for holiday songs that I hope to come back to every year.
WXPN has chosen the song to be a part of their Philly Local holiday music 12 Days of Christmas. Between December 8th and 23rd, the station will feature one holiday song from a local artist—both during the 9am morning hour and Helen Leicht’s mid-day show. More details about which day will follow.
Both songs will be available soon—for free on my Bandcamp site.
Soundmen Fight Back!
Back in 2007, Missing Palmer West had just released our first EP and it featured an old Wise and Foolish Builders song called “Kill the Soudman.” The song imagines a sad sack soundman, unhappy with his job, and frustrated with nights filled with open mics and chili fries. The video features photos of soundmen culled from Google images. I always thought of it as ode, but the soundmen on the internet, understandably, never much cared for it. (Everyone knows bands are often made up of self-important jerks; it hardly seems necessary to write that song.)
The video has gotten over 31,000 views, certainly a lot more attention than anything else I’ve ever done. Soundmen from around the world continue to take issue with the song’s story. Their comments on the video are all very funny—and, of course, mostly true. They roll in monthly, mostly diatribes on the egotistical musician, his ridiculous demands, and their thankless job. And to be honest, ever since I wrote the song, I’ve worked almost exclusively with really great, helpful soundmen.
It was just a song.
Check out the video at the attached link—but mostly just to read the comments.
Please download and enjoy our cover of The Smiths’ “There is a Light that Never Goes Out” from our Key Studio Session at XPN. They were not able to offer the song as a download on their site, but here it is for your enjoyment. Thanks to John Vettese for engineering the recording and inviting us to come down there to play. The track features Krista Umile and Dana Weiderhold on cello and violin, Matt Magarahan on drums, and Tim Celfo on upright.
