This week’s podcast consists of 2 similar songs — “Alone,” from my Triad album (which is one of my favorite songs lyrically because it reads like a poem), and “Love Song,” a cover of the song by my friend Phil Taylor.
Direct link (Alone): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHL3MfPilXo
Direct link (Love Song): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYK8KCRhKY4
Well the challenge worked.
For those who don’t know the back story, my friend Phil Taylor and I, having been somewhat lacking in the new material, challenged one another to write and record a new album before and to be released on January 1, 2010. This was in approximately November (2009 of course).
Knowing my own lack of spare time, I knew I would not be able to do full studio productions, but I felt confident I could write the songs. After all, I had made a 2009 resolution to write new material, and I needed some catalyst (kick-in-the-butt).
I had originally intended to do 13 songs, but I ran shorter on time than even I anticipated, so I settled on 10. I would release the album as my podcast on January 1 (how convenient that it fell on a Friday). I figured that would would be perfect, because in my business I had missed 2 weeks of podcasts already. Unfortunately, even at that, due to the New Year’s gig I did with Town Crier, I lost my voice, so I even missed the January 1 podcast.
At any rate, I finally got the songs recorded (once again on my trusty Sony ICD-SX700), and here they are.
Unlike usual, I did do minimal editing, but only to do some equalization correction. The recordings were not perfect anyway (they include the occasional flub and some cameos of my son screaming), but I wanted them to be as “tolerable” as possible.
My goal is to do full productions of this album by March of this year (2010), but I admit this is highly ambitious. 🙂
So take a listen, enjoy, and feel free to impart your reactions here!
My site has been down for about a week, so this is posting late, but here is this week’s podcast.
I chose to play “Alone” off my album “Triad,” and my friend Phil Taylor talked me into covering one of his songs. I chose “Love Song” from his album “Tales of Love or the Lack Thereof” (recorded both by Phil and his former band Unborn).
I had a few moments of hitting the mic / other background noise on this. I’m not sure why, but just in case you hear it and wonder. 😉
podcast.0015.Jeremy Tharp-Alone
podcast.0016.Phil Taylor-Love Song
As usual, it’s me on my acoustic — no editing, recorded on a Sony ICD-SX700 voice recorder.
After what has been, even for me, a long hiatus with no new music, hope may be alive for the small but dedicated constituency that follows my music. 🙂
As I have slowly worked myself back into playing music, forcing a regular schedule of it into my life with my band and with my podcasts, I’m trying to do a little more. One of my goals for 2009 was to write and record a new album.
Seeing as how 2009 (and my 10th year playing guitar) is coming to a close, I have little time to do that album, and I had given up any realistic odds of it’s happening — until today. Phil Taylor contacted me with a kind of “motivate each other” proposition, where we would simultaneously produce albums — kind of keep each other accountable.
Since this works right into my goal for the year, I told him our deadline would be January 1, 2010.
Now, there’s no way I will have time for full productions with drums and whatnot, so I am only pushing myself to write at least a dozen songs, and record them with me singing along with the guitar. I may do more if I get motivated, but since I would prefer to master the album once it is complete, it’s unlikely.
Anyway, I’ve set up the project page on my website, and you can keep tabs on it here: http://tharp.me/8
I was unable to record last week’s podcast, so I did two this week: Mr. Jones by the Counting Crows, and Bedroom of the Sun — an original of mine. We (Town Crier) are playing Mr. Jones in one of our sets, and Phil Taylor suggested that I recorded Bedroom of the Sun. Turns out, I think it’s the first recording I’ve made of Bedroom of the Sun since I first wrote it — it was a great trip back to my history, and I think it turned out fabulously.
I am recovering from a cold this week, so the vocals are even less perfect than usual, but I think they still have a great vibe.
Files: podcast.0005.Counting Crows-Mr. Jones podcast.0006.Jeremy Tharp-Bedroom Of The Sun
As usual, this is just me on my acoustic, in my studio, recorded on my Sony ICD-SX700 digital voice recorder, no modifications other than trimming at the beginning and end.