When a Song is a Movie

I haven't heard a new song for a while that has affected me as much as "Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967".  Putting aside being a parochial John Mayer fan for a moment, if you are a student of music and songwriting this song should be in your textbook.  Its from the latest John Mayer album "Born and Raised".  There are many great tracks on this album and tomorrow I may just as easily have a new favourite. Today it is 'Walt Grace' especially because to listen closely and study this song you can learn so much about good songwriting. Walt Grace is home-made submarine pilot. He's a fictional character Mayer created who against the odds and mocking of his friends and family, designs and builds a submarine in his basement to travel under the sea to Japan.

Victorious Danni Stefanetti

Danni Stefanetti's work writing and recording over the past year or so has recognised and rewarded with her winning a 2012 Musicoz award for her song "Victory". While I'm not a fan of pay to enter song or band-battle competitions, previous Musicoz winners have gone on to bigger things. Musicoz are at least putting focus on new independent unsigned artists. Which is sadly lacking today with the "popularity" of reality TV shows as the source for our new music (I won't get side tracked with the tragedy that this has become). 

Danni has been working with The Novacaine's producer Alan Brey to record 6 new songs for a new EP. I've listened to these new songs and a few others following Danni as she develops, maybe searching a little with Alan to define her sound and style.

The Greatest Love Song?

I received a message from someone who follows this blog asking me what I thought was the best "love song" of all time?  Wow that's a really subjective question and as with everything to do with music also a question of taste. But when I thought about it, something still worth looking into.  So how do you evaluate what makes a great love song and let alone even pick which is the greatest love song?  Where do I start. Should it be based on popularity, sales? I can pretty much tell you straight out what a shit love song is.  If its been on Grey's Anatomy that's a dead give away!  Then what about music genre or decade even. Importantly, should a love song generate mostly  "happy" or mostly a "sad" feelings to make it great?  Something glowingly happy like Stevie Wonder's "You are the Sunshine of My Life"  Or sad and heartbroken leading to the point of anger and destruction in "Somebody Kill Me" from 'The Wedding Singer' movie?  

Songwriting Gone Wrong

Yepp W is for "wanker"

Now there are plenty of songs and "artists" out there these days which contribute to my raving lunacy. You'll find most of them polluting the airways excreted from your local "top 40" radio stations. Today's example of exalted mediocrity is "Just the Way You Are" by current teeny heart throb Bruno Mars (is that in fact his real name?  who cares I ain't googling him).  Anyway, I'll tell you why this song is shite.. not only because it sounds shite and because his pubescent whiny girl-boy voice pains me to listen to  - but also because of how fundamentally flawed this song is.

Review: Moon Looks Pretty Tonight

 

Danni Stefanetti's new single "Moon Looks Pretty Tonight" has been also released with a video clip. Directed and produced by Duane Orris it is also from what I understand Danni's first music video.

Mullane's Train

Andrew Mullane performs his solo piano arrangement of John Mayer's song "Stop This Train".

Diesel @ the Fly By Night Club

Mark Lizotte is the greatest singer-songwriter-guitarist of our time!  Yes that's a big statement, but I defy anybody to propose someone who is better?  Someone who is more the complete musician - who can sing, play and write with equal brilliance. As a front man and vocalist his soaring voice could stand on its own.  As a guitarist, effortless and innovative matching it with any "legendary" blues player I've ever seen and listened to. Apart from having hit songs, his writing is melodic, diverse and always interesting.  Who else can put these three elements together?

Girls Can't Sing?

"Please don't hurt me!! ... yes just take what ever you want!!!!" Never have I been more afraid listening to someone sing or baffled as to what is considered "good singing" or music. Where have all the good chick singers gone?? In this instance I'm talking about "The Gossip" (theres no way I’m embedding that video). Seriously who the fark is buying this shit?? In this two chord masterpiece and for that matter all the music I've unfortunately been ambushed to listen to (on the radio) from these chumps, I feel like I'm being smashed about the head with a trashcan lid. This ghastly "vocal" excretes from my speakers like napalm infused projectile vomit.