From Video
Song #19 – Hi5
So, life happens. We cannot predict the occurrences in our lives, and though we may have realistic plans, it’s doubtless that things will interrupt these plans once in a while. This week’s song is not part of the #100songs project because I’ve had personal stuff to deal with, the main thing being that my 8 year old daughter has been suffering from a couple different ailments, and I’ve had to keep her home from school a few days this week. Family first, as they say. I’m blessed to have her in my life, and she’s a great kid. She was very understanding and even helped me a bit this week, but I still haven’t gotten anywhere near done with the song which I had set out to complete this week, “Garbage Night.” A lot of people at recent concerts have loved that song, so I really wanted to get it done so those people could listen to it. Alas! It will have to wait till next week. In searching for something to replace it, so I could at least make good on my song a week release promise, I discovered a handful of old 23 Psaegz songs which have not had their rightful release yet… They’re so old that we seldom play any of them, so I’m putting this one out. It’s called “Hi5”. It came from a misunderstanding between I and a friend that led to some negativity and turbulence (which is an unusual thing in my life. I try to get along with people and remain kind through all circumstances, which most times works fine.) I’m happy to say that this friend and I are getting along fine now! This song has a special place in my heart. I hope you will enjoy it! It was mixed by Matt Broadstone and performed by 23 Psaegz including Payton Marovich, Laura Lee Jones, Brett Gobe, Carla Bartow, Joyce Britton, Shaun Jones, Regina Huynh, Neeti Fidurko, and Shannon Scally in 2011.
High Five – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Opened the vent
An event for composing
Oh no, the anger, I’m sorry
It’s hard to see you as a real person
Oh no, not anger, I’m sorry
It’s hard to see you as a real person
This broken high five
You’re in there
I know you’re alive
Each broken high five
You’re in there
I know you’re alive
Get some wood glue
To clump the crack up
Glue together this broken five
We’ll slap our hands together
When it’s all over
Yeah it’s alright
Yeah it’s alright
You’re alive
You’ve just fallen down
Take some time
It will work it out
All in time
It will work it out
This broken high five
You’re in there
I know you’re alive
We’ll slap our hands together
When it’s all over
Yeah it’s alright
Yeah it’s alright
1-2-3-4-5…
(Improvised song part “Cloun Drip”)
A silly, blurry pic of the band that performed this song.
Song #17 – Hot Sh!t 4eva
Splendiferously bubbling heart goobers! It’s a great delight to finish this one. This started at a 23 Psaegz rehearsal sometime late last year. We were once a very large band, but in recent months we’ve been going through changes, sometimes smaller rehearsals have led to strange collaborations like this one. There were four of us, I think, Laura Lee Jones, Joseph Schmidlin, Brett Gobe, Reilly Cook and myself (though my memory imagines one more person there). We made this funny waltz in 7. If that weren’t strange enough, my friend Dan Sieradski of the Self Agency (without whom, this website would not exist) and I were having a conversation regarding the nature of hip hop. He said to me hip hop must be in 4/4 time. I challenged him and said that hip hop simply hasn’t had much stuff in odd time signatures, but it doesn’t HAVE to be in 4/4. He disagreed vehemently. I had to meet the challenge, and how better than with a waltz in 7?? This one is kind of a 7/4 waltz, well actually it’s in 7/8 at 78bpm, haha. I think I’ve risen to the challenge. Hopefully you all will agree. I think it’s worked out amazingly. Supreme inspiration comes from visiting unknown worlds. I hope you’ll enjoy it! There’s reference to a tape I made about 30 years ago with a friend, my first recorded compositions under the title, “Masters of the Universe.” I probably have the only surviving copy of that stuff (thankfully). I hope this one will put a smile on your face. My thoughts and prayers go out to the folks struggling in Baltimore and Nepal this week.
Hot Sh!t 4eva – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Hot Shit, foreva
Hot shit, oh! Alright
Hot Shit Foreva!
Woowoowoo
Hot Shit, yeah! Foreva!
Yeah yeah yeah
This is not hip-hop
Who let that beat drop?
Who dropped the beat?
That wasn’t me.
I been making music since I was 3
Writing rhymes since I’s a teen
Day of LL, Fatboys, Run DMC
Later Public Enemy
Recorded my first demo, “Masters of the Universe” in a karaoke mall booth
Hadn’t even got me last adult tooth yet
But that’s youth, Brett
They grab ahold and do without a clue.
Hot Shit, foreva
Hot shit, oh! Alright
Hot Shit Foreva!
Woowoowoo
Hot Shit, yeah! Foreva!
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah Yeah
When I get an A for thinking
It’s not like I did anything
I was like, “Kafoolduboppylee duffle, Kafoolduboppylee duffle!”
I said, “Kafoolduboppylee duffle”
They said, “Hot Shit, Yeah”
I was like, “not hot yet”
I was just getting started
Building this mechanized heart of gold
Just wait till I’m old
That shit will unfold
Splendiferously bubbling with butterfly shoulders
and trousers of cloud unfurling
Like they plowed the sky with giant horse drawn jacuzzis on maximum spin
You win, my twin, let it begin, ain’t no sin, just dive in, let it begin
You win, my friend, let it begin, ain’t no sin, just dive in, let it begin, my friend
Hot Shit, foreva
Hot shit, oh! Alright
Hot Shit Foreva!
Woowoowoo
Hot Shit, yeah! Foreva!
Yeah yeah yeah
I’m seeing double
Troubled inside
Thoughts collide
a husband and bride
Full of narcissistic pride
how far is this ride?
I wanta get off
I hack and cough
I’m actin’ rough
I puff my chest and raise my shoulders up
I ain’t no pup, I am a dog
I poop a log
The Bane of Paul Bunyan
The rain that made you run in
The pain that put your thumb in
Your mouth is always running
But not a word of it is cunning
It’s like drool from a fool
Forming a pool atop the Bunyan Stool
I sometimes think it sounds like a muppet singing,
“Kafoolduboppylee duffle, Kafoolduboppylee duffle!”
Hot Shit, foreva
Hot shit, oh! Alright
Hot Shit Foreva!
Woowoowoo
Hot Shit, yeah! Foreva!
Yeah yeah yeah
Song #16 – I Want It Easy
I’m in the middle of organizing over 40 people for 3 different projects. I’m starting a choir, a wind/horn section for my band 23 Psaegz, and a crew of people to make and operate puppets for my rock opera performance this summer. A ton of work… so, I’m cheating a little this week and giving you guys a previously unreleased song, but it’s not part of the #100songs I wrote in the end of last year. I hope you will forgive me! I’m overwhelmed, but I still want to make good on my promise of a new song each week. This is one I recorded as part of my solo album, Doubting Won’t Do. I had to cut one song to make that album the right length… Here it is, complete with a piece of art by Adam Green, my good friend who generously donated some of his artwork to the album cover.
Song #15 – High Diver
Collaboration! So in the process of writing #100songs I took all sorts of routes to a finished work each day. This one was a collaboration of sorts. Laura Lee Jones offered me a packet of poems she had written as fodder for my process, and I accepted. I’ve always had trouble reading poetry even though I write quite a bit. I’m more of a fantasy / sci fi novel sorta guy… This process has helped me to dig pretty deeply into a poem that wasn’t my own. Laura is a great artist, whatever she sets her mind to. These lyrics inspired what I believe to be an awesome song… and it’s interesting that I did more vocal affectation with this one, I think because I didn’t have to focus on the personal meaning I was putting into it. I kept it simple with the production because the voices seemed enough. I hope you’ll enjoy this one as much as I do!
HIGH DIVER – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
LYRICS BY LAURA LEE JONES
first perched and stretched:
long arcs of the limbs extended
the the sudden jump
body folds into itself
into the shape
of an arrow head
into a fetal pose
toes pointed
spiraling plunging replacing air water
body eliminated
from its first version
somehow lost in a moment of weightless
space — released
becomes a polished stone
armed with the substance
of speed or the moving waves
somehow the proclivity of a dive
the long plummet somehow a bird and fish at once
Song #14 – Running Blood
This week’s song is a quiet and calming one. I’m happy when I’m able to write something like this; it brings me the same calm, and life has been hectic for me lately so it comes in handy! The instrument I’ve used came right after Christmas 2014. Laura’s mother had given her this chime thing for the holiday and Laura suggested I try writing something on it. Since I was about 90 songs into the 100songs project I was quite open to the idea of doing anything new. New instrument can sometimes mean a different sort of inspiration. This beaut came out of that effort. It’s always nice to spend time on a new instrument. You learn things about music in general. I try not to spread myself too thin with tons of different instruments, but it sure is nice to see what I can do with something unfamiliar. I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I do!
RUNNING BLOOD – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Running blood, across generations
How our love crosses generations
Transcends time, pass from life to life
Family line, bloods entwine
Bloods entwine, mix from race to race
Bloods combine, blend from face to face
Every line is a joy to trace
Back over time, Bloods entwine
Combine with every race
Combine with every face
form from every face into one
If we can keep it in our heads
Then we can keep it in our hearts
And our mind will combine to one
We will return back to one
Don’t hurt your brother
He may one day help you out
Don’t harm your sister
She knows what your life’s about
Treat him kind, treat her kind
Treat them well, they’re your blood
Running blood
Song #12 – Bobble People
This one was a doozy. It actually still is a doozy, but in a different way. I’m starting to get into the material I haven’t gotten to work on previous to the recording project, so what I’m doing each week is to learn the song from the original sketch recording, getting it to performance level, then recording it in my studio. This one was different though; it had so many parts that to memorize it all in a matter of days was impossible so I recorded it section by section then edited it all together in the studio. A bit of cheating, but I really had no choice in the situation. This song is still a doozy because it is a part of my humor that not many people get to see (because, believe it or not, I am a bit shy until I get really comfortable around someone). I’m a little scared to release this one because of its irreverence and ridiculous stance, but I think it’s important because part of this project of writing #100songs involved writing whatever I felt at any moment then seeing it through to the end. I love this song, don’t get me wrong; I just worry that I might lose some subscribers because of the content! haha. That being said, have a listen and enjoy! Please commment and tell me what you think this story is about.
BOBBLE PEOPLE – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
My bowels just emptied completely, testicle
And when the world doesn’t care, oo, how does this affect me?
Bawk Bukawk
If I don’t care about the world it won’t attack again
I’m broke, it won’t attack
I’ve grown, I’m good to go, don’tcha know?
Headed to the Poconos for a swim in the snow
Feel the wind blow, Glowing from a trim to my fro
Oh no! Don’t throw that mohawk down
This town ain’t big enough for another shortly shorn bro with a frown
Don’t throw that mohawk down, don’t cut it down, no, bro
Wiccans are headed my way, the Wiccans are headed my way
Don’t know what I done but they after me!
Not really sure what I’ll say when they come up to me
Probably be like, “Hey, nice day, what’dya say?
Is it time that I pay? or am I craycray?”
Thinking this is the day that they came for me
My body will spray uncontrollably all over the place
Like a lawn blazer, a lawnblazer, now there’s a nice idea!
Believe it or not, Wiccans aren’t really evil like you think
They just wanna coexist and subsist on nuts and berries like the rest of us
If you put one of them next to a Christian or a Buddhist
And stripped them of their external layers
You’d find they were players, fucking players like the rest of us
If you get right down to it sharks just want to be loved
They didn’t choose the teeth they were given to chew
There was no choice in the chew
They didn’t choose those sharp fucking teeth to rip flesh with
There was no choice in the chew
So next time you go and judge a book by its cover
Just give it a hug and hope you don’t see blood
It’s always important to never remember
There was no choice in the chew
There was no choice in the chew, uh!
Bobble People
When you bobble too many people
Song #11 – Cowgirl
This one was pretty fun to write and has become a fan favorite even without the recording. People come up to me after shows quite often saying they loved that song Cowgirl. Haha. If they only knew. I actually just made this one up while driving around in the car with my daughter and Laura. I was joking around. My daughter kept on saying, “Cowboy!” but I insisted that I was a cowgirl, not a cowboy. I just recorded it onto my phone for the memory, but it stuck in my head so when I arrived home I started developing it. All the songs this month are loop songs, meaning I wrote them using a loop pedal. I have also kept to a “voice only” rule system, meaning I am only singing, but I’m using some effects and the loop pedal. The outcome is choral, a capella insanity! Once in a while there’s a song I don’t really care about at the start that through development becomes one of my favorites. This is one of those. It was just me goofing off, but it grew. I also have a nifty dance to this one. I’m hoping I can get together with some videographer friends of mine to make a dance video to this. I was thinking it’s about time I write my first line dance 😉
COWGIRL – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
I am a cowgirl staying out late
I am a cowgirl feeling really great
I am a cowgirl dressed so fine
I stay out til nine!
I am a cowgirl riding my steed
I am a cowgirl ride it with speed
I can do anything I want
Cowgirl, cowgirl, cowgirl
I am a cowgirl riding with a cowboy
Ride that steed till the setting sun
dig our heels in and get the colt to run
I am a cowgirl, wear a nice vest
I am a cowgirl, never take a rest
Ride across the plains right into the wild west
I ride into the sunset, what I do best.
Cowgirl, cowgirl, cowgirl
I am a cowgirl, feeling really cool
I am a cowgirl, it’s what I like to do
I am a cowgirl, really really great
I am a cowgirl, super super late
Clippitty cloppitty clippity cloo, rollin’ down a horse on a road, yo!
I am a cowgirl feeling really great
I am a cowgirl staying out late
I am a cowgirl dressed so fine
I stay out till nine!
Loop #2 – Booma
I’m beginning to have quite a bit of improvised material to give to the higher level subscribers. I hope you all enjoy this stuff. It’s made up on the spot and then mixed simply so that I can put an extra out every once in a while. I’ve got a whole pile of these things! Enjoy!
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Song #10 – Row, Row, Row (aka Singing Through My Nose)
Recording and mixing live vocal looping is harder than one might think! Creating the sound of a live performance; it’s off the page…
One fifth through the project for this year! I’ve made good on my promise of a new recording every week. I hope you folks will spread the word. I’d like to keep this independent of other large money making subscription sites etc, but I need exposure. Here’s the video link if you’d like to help out by sharing: https://youtu.be/72Blw9SnU18
To the song! I’ve had an interesting time getting the sounds I want out of the loop pedal. From live to studio is no easy feat! I’m glad to say Row, Row, Row (aka Singing Through My Nose) feels good enough to put up this week. It’s taken on a slightly different life since, in the studio, I can easily add things. I did stay within the borders of “voice only” which means everything on this track is my voice, though there are effects on parts of it.
I’d like to especially thank Laura Lee Jones this week. She has been incredibly supportive through this process, which has not been easy.
I’m trying out Soundcloud this week for the project. Please let me know if it works ok for you. You can download the track up at the right hand corner of the player.
Row, Row, Row (aka Singing Through My Nose) – © ⓟ 2014 Seth Faergolzia ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
You name the date, I’ll name the place
You wear a hat, I’ll wear the face
And when you’re rowing, I’ll do the yelling
Row, Row, Row, Row
And when you’re yelling, I’ll do the rowing
Singing through my nose, you know how it goes
Wading through water and lillypads are tickling my toes
Never mind you what I said
Soon your eyes be turning red
from the books I told you
Thought you woulda knowed you
But I had to scold you for the hold you had around my neck
had your fingers wrapped around my neck
And there’s no excuse for what you did
But it is in my nature as a friend to forgive and forget
Forgive and forget
Just let it go, let it go, let it go
We all make mistakes, we are human made out of mistake
Just let it go, let it go and give ’em a break
Forgive and forget, just let it go
Loops for the General Public #1
This is a little extra recording for my higher paying subscribers. During the process of recording my loop songs, I spend a bunch of time improvising and hashing out different ideas. This is one of those improvised shorts. There will probably be a whole bunch of these released over the course of the year… Enjoy!
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