Another version on Good Damn Night. Took a step back. Sourced some night time road sounds to help me get a better bead on the tempo.  Enhanced (least I hope I did), solo acoustic banjo track with orchestral percussion and a dyna-verb electric guitar tracks. Now I just need to get to scratching out some lyrics. Stay tuned.

Sunnyland

Good Damn Night New Rough Instrumental

Okay so another rough here. Added a vocal take. As with any of these numbers as the story develops lyrics and all are gonna change. Just listening back to this mix there's already words and phrases I'm keen to tweak. This number is sung by Gibson our main character. Left the small town and the small minds behind. He's on a over night bus ride to the big city.

Good Damn Night New Rough with Vocal Take

End of Rory's opening monologue we have what they tell me is called the "inciting incident." Gibson's arch nemeses the Jones Boys run him off the road yet again. Gibson drags his busted bike home. He's made up his mind and as he is packing to leave for the Big City he brings us into his story.

Too Small New Vocal Takes And Lyrics

Okay. Haven't had dinner yet. Tired of trying to set the end mark so you're getting almost of minute of nothing on the back end of this track #FFS 

Fourth number here. Rough and ready. Really basic. Just guitars, drums and a vocal take. Number is called 'You're Gonna Love It'. Thought originally that it was gonna be a laundry list of every thing that Tasha and Dickie thought that Gibbie should see in the Big City ie. NYC but that changed.

Ended up wanting to be more about the exchange between the three. Starting when Tasha and Dickie come to meet(rescue) Gibbie from the Big City / Narrator who is giving Gibbie what for to the three of em rushing off to make the scene at the open mic.

Things that influence this number is me thinking of Tasha and Dickie as Heckle and Jeckle the cartoon birds and The Ramones specifically Sheena Is A Punk Rocker and that one line from the song, 'New York City really has it all'.

Okay. Number next.

You're Gonna Love It Rough Sketch

This here is the fifth number from my Rick Banjo Opera, Sunnyland. A bit of a love song for and a lampoon of many of the open mics I've ever been to. 

Action in this song has Sasha and Dickie dragging Gibbie fresh off the bus and still reeling from his encounter with the Big City, to the open mic that Dickie hosts. 

In Part 1 here Dickie introduces himself and lays out the ground rules for his open mic. Musically I was going for a too cool for school, NYC, Velvet Underground sort of feel.  I imagine Dickie's vocal being somewhere in the ballpark of Gilbert Gottfried doing his worst Lou Reed.  Something close to the vocalist for Dead Milkmen could work as well. Maybe got close with this take but yeah that's the idea I was going for.

Right so broke this out into parts just to make it easier for me to get the ideas down. Part two will feature the open mic performers that had lower numbers then Gibbie.

Part 3 will be Gibbie's open mic performance. Once I get all three parts done I'll tweak the transitions and tie em all together. Hope is that it'll be pretty epic. Or at least really fun.

Oh and if you're wondering the title comes from something I've heard a few open mic hosts say. Intention is of course to in a mildly humorous way get folks to tune their instruments cause well, when an instrument is tuned properly, it kinda sounds better : )

Oh and yet again I couldn't get Garage Band to not make he track longer then I wanted it to be. Frustrating ; (

Tuning Is Not A Town In China Part 1 I Am Your Host

Okay so here's part 2 of the fifth number from Sunnyland, 'Tuning Is Not A Town In China'. Burned the track to CD and listened to it in the car while I ran errands this afternoon. Lot I'm happy with. Lot I wanna work on. Good start though. As I mentioned in description for Part 1 this is a love song / lampoon of and for the open mic scenes I've been a part of. Think it needs to be tight. Not too sprawling. Figure to feature just three sort of iconic and typical open mic performers. Have written and rewritten all three segments several times over. And what is on this recording prolly won't be what eventually makes it to the stage or recording or whatever this ends ups being but it'll hopefully give you a sense of what I'm going for. Number next is Part 3, Gibbie's Debut. Stay Tuned.

Tuning Is Not A Town In China  Part 2 Dime A Dozen

This number comes after the bar has closed down after the open mic scene. Writing it has been a struggle. Song it started out as is not the song it wanted to be. 

Hit a dead end as far as how it might wanna finish yesterday. Slept on it and then today hashed it out. Found something i thought I really dug and then as so often happens, now I'm hating it. Or at least not feeling like it's worth a crap. 

Regardless gonna share it. Really rough. Just guitar and vocals. 
Uhm can't remember if I'm posting lyrics with these. Have to go back and check. If I hadn't before perhaps I'll go and add em to the descriptions. 

Disclaimer I may have already made some edits to the lyrics after recording. Second disclaimer. Odds are it'll change several times over again between here and there anyhow : P

‘Not A Lot Of Time’

Why try?
You can’t deny
Come on girl
Gotta realize 

That few are the times 
Don’t you walk away
Your heart is not your mind
This time you better say

Exactly what you’re feeling

Okay, here I go
Angel, where the hell you been?
You rolled up in the frame
And when I focused in

On your eyes
I realized 
That what we get 
Is not a lot of time

Jumping in the deep end
And I like it
Feet can’t find the bottom
I don’t care
First time in my life
Would you believe
I’m not scared 
Now that you’re here 

So hey, whadya say
Wanna grab a slice?
A slice of what? Pizza silly 
Yeah, that sounds real nice

Lemme see
No, it’s on me
Now I know your name
Me, I’m Cassidy

Hey kids
Whadya having?
Two slices 
Can I get a Coke?
No Coke, only Pepsi
Is that a joke?
That’s gotta be a joke

Wow, ain’t that something?
Hardly a better slice
Actually was thinking
How it is that life

Can turn
Right on a dime

Yeah you never know
I almost didn’t bring
My camera to the show
Had I never focused in

On your eyes
And realized
That what we get
Is not a lot of time

Jumping in the deep end
And I like it
Feet can’t find the bottom
I don’t care
First time in my life
Would you believe
I’m…what?
I gotta go
But I thought
Sasha is waiting
I gotta go
See you tomorrow
Angel please
Wish ya wouldn’t go.

Not A Lot Of Time

Part 3 of 'Tuning Is Not A Town In China' Gibson's Debut. Gibson hasn't even had a chance to unpack and Sasha and Dickie have dragged him off to the open mic that Dickie hosts. Gibson performs last and amazes everyone. He gets the attention of Richard "Tricky Ricky" Drake the hot shot, Big City manager and catches the eye of Cassidy.

Tuning Is Not A Town In China Part 3 Gibson's Debut

Closing time is an interstitial bit. Gets us from the open mic to Not A Lot Of Time which is Cassidy's number. Did a little studying on counter point. Used verse chords from Cassidy's number and added the Doorman's lament and Rory's play by play & appeal for last call. Thing is Cassidy's number is doing good job of showing me that it wants to be a different song than I thought it was supposed to be so this'll for sure change a bit. Stay tuned!

Closing Time Interstitial Bit

Like the number before this one has taken some time. Reasonably pleased with this latest arrangement. Musically I think it hits the mark. So no lyrics, just a solo scratch guitar direct. 

Won't tell ya much more other then I had read somewhere that Jim Steinman when writing for Bat Out Of Hell, nicked a riff or two from older works. Figured if it was good enough for Jim, well then. 

Okay so really curious to know what you all hear or see in your musical minds eye. Drop a comment if'n ya would. 

Cheers big ears xo

SUNNYLAND

Good Damn Day For The Next Big Thing

Charmed, I'm Sure is the third number in. Character has arrived in the big city. He rode all night on the bus from Sunnyland, Tired and overwhelmed by all the hustle and bustle he is picked up by the crowd and pushed towards the exist. Thrust through the doors he tumbles head over heels over ruck snack over banjo landing face first in the street. A pile of rags and old papers from across the way rustles. A figure arises swinging off its cape of trash and debris. It doesn't walk so much as it slithers. As it approaches the prone figure of the boy it addresses the audience and then it reaches out it's hand....

Charmed, I’m Sure 

Well, well, well. Whada we got here?
Looks like fresh meat
He don’t know what he’s in for does he?
Just watch this

Charmed, I’m sure 
Lemme help you up
Oh I love that smell
Straight off the bus
What’s your hurry, where’s the fire, let’s chew the cud

Charmed, I’m sure
Now lemme guess
Wanna be a star?
Get in line with the rest

Seen a million like you and crushed their dreams
Doused the pile real good with gasoline
Then I lit me up a match and let it fly
Laughing while the sparks fill up the sky

Now ain’t that pretty?
The way it just lights up the sky
Kinda just like the 4th of July ain’t it

(laughter begins to build into next verse)

Ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha
Ha, ha, ha, ha

Seen a million like you and crushed their dreams
Doused the pile real good with gasoline
Then I lit me up a match and let it fly
What’s a matter can’t you look me in the eye?

That’s right boy your momma she aint’ here.
Don’t be loking around for her cause well she ain’t here
Best put on your big boy pants
Ya ready to dance?

Charmed, I’m sure
And so are you
Cause now you know
What I wanna do

Gonna take a big bite and chew and chew
Gonna take a big bite and chew and chew
Gonna take a big bite
Take a big bite
Take a big bite and chew and chew

Charmed, I'm Sure

Breadfoot’s fourth full-length album Salvatella, his most adventurous effort to date. From the opening solo acoustic salve of the title track to the final cymbal crash of the Dixieland inspired Still Can’t (Find My Heart) that closes out the side, Salvatella is a reminder of how rich, varied and whimsical the heartworn Americana musical landscape can truly be.

Salvatella was funded via Kickstarter. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered at On Pop Of The World Studios in Greensboro, NC and features some truly exceptional local musicians from bands like Vaughn Aed, Tommy Flake, Damn Frank, Sarah Shook and The Disarmers, Corporate Fandango, Ameriglow, Holy Ghost Tent Revival and Lost In The Trees. 

At home on the porch as it is in the parlour is what many say about Breadfoot’s music and true to this fact he has proved well suited for many a stage. He has shared the lights state side with The Avett Brothers, Regina Spektor, Kimya Dawson, and Langhorne Slim and in the UK with such acts as The Decemberists, Richard Buckner, and The Larry Love Show Band (the acoustic branch of Alabama 3). He has written and recorded albums with both Anti-folk icon and Ramseur Records recording artist, Paleface and Anna Phoebe, a former Trans Siberian Orchestra String Mistress and Soloist, who has performed with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music.

The music Breadfoot has been featured in several episodes of Roadtrip Nation (www.roadtripnation.com) on PBS.  You can also find his music in the feature length documentary 10 MPH (www.10mph.com) and the feature length comedy The Karaoke Brothers, (www.thekaraokebrothers.com). In addition, Breadfoot contributed music to a work in progress reel for the locally produced original documentary film Bringing It Home (www.bringingithomemovie.com).

Breadfoot has written and recorded music for Long Beach, CA based Blight Productions’ (www.blightproductions.com) Award Winning Online Series ‘A Fool’s Idea’ and has filmed and written music for several of his own video shorts including one to promote the Chatham Arts Councils’ childrens festival ClydeFEST and another called ‘Curbside’ showcasing Artcars from the 2012 Artscape Artcar Parade in Baltimore, MD. 

His new video for Room In Her Heart from his latest album Salvatella, inspired by the tale of Don Quixote and the film Paris, Texas is the sweet and slightly absurd story of a fella searching for a love long lost.


Breadfoot

Popular tracks