2025, May

Pa pa pa

Давай поговорим

Tony's Lyrics

Colter Valentine

Marie

Michele Ansani

Teenage Dreams

Songs with a twinge of humor (and some a bit more serious).

Joe Stroffolino - Joe on the Edge

Crazy Little Thing Called Love Cover

Copyright 2024 Joe Stroffolino

Lots of people moving to the state of AZ
The desert seems like a nice a nice place to be
The only problem is there’s not enough H20
One day you’ll turn the tap and it’s not gonna flow
The climate keeps getting drier every single year
I guess we’ll have to take fewer showers and drink more beer

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you.
The sun up in the sky is 93 million miles away
But it feels a lot closer on a hot Arizona day

There’s not enough snowpack on the mountains up high
They say the Colorado river’s running dry
They’re ripping up lawns, replacing them with rocks
Instead of going barefoot, you walk around in crocs
The polar glaciers are melting in to the sea
I wish that they could scoop up an iceberg and drop it down on me

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you

Most of the rain falls in the summer
Monsoon season can be a real bummer
You get a big dust storm, they call it a haboob
You can watch scary videos on You Tube
You’ll be driving and suddenly you can’t see
You gotta make sure you don’t crash into a cactus or a tree

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you

A long time a ago, it must have been tough without air conditioning
People just had to sit around all day moaning and bitching 
Now the biggest thing we complain about is our high electric bill
As we lie on the couch watching Netflix enjoying the comfortable chill

If you can’t stand the heat maybe you should get out of the kitchen
Maybe this isn’t the right place for you
The sun up in the sky is 93 million miles away
But it feels a lot closer on a hot Arizona day

Can't Stand the Heat

THE HARBOUR from Echoes from a distant Past

"feel" is a smooth and soulful track that blends lush melodies with a laid-back rhythm, creating a deeply emotive and immersive listening experience. Rooted in neo-soul and R&B influences, the song incorporates ambient textures and intricate electronic beats to craft a soundscape that feels both intimate and expansive. Its flowing structure and groovy undertones evoke a sense of reflection and tranquility, making it perfect for a late-night drive, relaxing moments, or simply vibing to its rich atmosphere.

feel

Cast of Characters:
Joe Stroffolino-- @joseph-stroffolino -- Taylor 114ce acoustic guitar, main vocals, harmony vocals, lyrics, composition
Llanpsych -- @llanpsych -- Tez – Fender HSS Telecaster electric guitar
TexMex Shaman–@texmex-shaman –Stephen– Tom Anderson Custom T electric guitar, mix, mastering, and production
Mistermark-- @user-432503709 -- Mark – piano
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara -–Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)–@josh-clary-1 –- four string Fender Precision Bass with a plectrum

This song began as one of Joe's catchy, lyrically centered songs, which he wrote on his acoustic guitar, and filled in with VST instruments. He came up with the lyrics by sharing ideas with fellow SoundCloud musician Michele Ansani, who began the thought process of a song about becoming a musician.
Knowing that Josh is a fan of his work, Joe offered this song to him in hopes that he'd share it with the rest of the band. Of course, Josh jumped at the opportunity to work on his song, and immediately shared it with the rest of the group.
Ken went to work first, adding his driving, excting drums. Josh was having a hard time coming up with a good bass line for it, until Ken suggested that he use the power of the 1/8 note to propel it. Tez was up next with his clever fills you hear throughout the first half of the song. Stephen came along right after and matched Tez's energy for the guitar fills in the second half of the song.
It was still missing a solo in the designated spot, though, so Mark stepped up with his innovative piano solo you hear in the middle. If it sounds a little mechanical, that's because he's using an arpeggiator to achieve the effect. We thought it sounded good in a song about AI, though.
Once all the parts were dialed in, and Joe had gotten all his vocals tuned up, we asked one of our resident pros, Stephen, to mix it for us. He did that and mastered it, too, expertly, as always.
This is the first song we've ever done with Joe, and don't expect it to be the last. We all really enjoyed putting together, in no small part because Joe is such a competent, receptive, and gracious collaborator. We all hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Lyrics by Michele Ansani and Joe Stroffolino
Music by Joe Stroffolino (@joseph-stroffolino)

When I was thirteen I picked up my first guitar
it was my mother's, it only had one nylon string
I tried to play it like a rock star
I learned to play the Coca-Cola jingle
So I could teach the world to sing
When I was fourteen, I put on six new strings
I learned to play Beatles, I learned a Bob Dylan song
I sounded out of tune but I tried to carry on
At fifteen I wrote my first original tune
So bad it sounded like it might have been written by a baboon
When I was sixteen, I got a new guitar for my birthday
The metal strings sawed through my fingers
But I continued to play
And the calluses formed and every day I learned a brand new chord
I was obsessed with that guitar and I never grew bored.
I wrote songs every day and most of them were a mess
But I believed that through hard work, I could achieve success
Malcom Gladwell wrote a book that said it takes ten thousand hours
To become and expert at your craft
But now all it takes is two commands and an enter
And in two minutes you have ten versions of the same damn new song,
You just have to choose the type
folk, rock, rap, pop, metal, jazz, trap or blues.
You don't even need to write the lyrics,
your push a few buttons let the AI choose.

And people will think your songs are great even though you didn’t write or play a single note.
When I was 20, I did my first concert, it was time
it occurred in a village square
there were four cats all friends of mine
I was still using the plectrum and sometimes I got the chords wrong
at thirty I finally wrote what I thought was a decent song
It had a very well thought out structure

AI Sucks - Eclectic Collective

Music and Lyrics Copyright 2025 Joe Stroffolino
Vocals Joe Stroffolino
Guitar's: Fender Squire picking track  and Taylor 114ce strumming track Joe Stroffolino
Violin and Bass PG Music real tracks
Drums EZ drummer 3
Piano Logic Pro Session Player track 

All these people who claim they were abducted by alien UFO’s
They say they took them up onto the spaceship and examined them from head to toe.
Most people think those stories are made up, but what if they’re actually true
It kind of makes you wonder what motivates those aliens to do the things they do
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
People who believe we couldn’t have built the pyramids without alien assistance
There’s days when I can’t find my car keys without lots of searching and persistence. 
Maybe we’re just 2 legged creatures and the earth’s an exotic alien zoo. 
And they come here on safari to see what we’re up to
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
Even if they don’t consider me to be much better than a trained monkey
I could play my guitar to cheer them up whenever they feel grumpy.
They say the speed of light is as fast as you can possibly go
Maybe those aliens have access to information we don’t know
Maybe they just look at us in the same way scientists study bugs
They read the work of our most brilliant minds and they just shrug
Maybe someday if we start World War three, they’ll stop the missiles from firing
Or maybe they’ll just let us blow ourselves up because they find our behavior so tiring
Maybe someday if they think we’re ready, they’ll land a spaceship in times square
And although they’re usually naked, they’ll put on some underwear
If I ever get abducted by aliens from outer space, I think I might ask if I could hitch a ride off this crazy place. 
Even if they don’t consider me to be much better than a trained monkey
I could play my guitar to cheer them up whenever they feel grumpy.
There's days on earth when it feels like it might be kind of nice to get away
And getting abducted by aliens just might be okay.

If I Ever Get Abducted

Timeline
(Verse 1)
Timeline
Can I solve the puzzle? Does the answer even exist?
Is it abstract in the making 
options, choices taken 
where’s the voices?
It’s a cruel game we’re playing, 
did we ever have a choice?
never had a choice is what I’m saying
I know, the question as well, as the answer 
in time we’ll all understand the meaning as well, 

(Chorus)
the only answer is, 
the truth is infinity, infinity is the truth, 
the answer is the question, 
and the question is the root
why so absolute 
not to mention a reason to be, 
existence is infinity, and the truth will set you free, 
never before, never before 
infinite, choices…The answer is …more!

(Verse 2)
What was done in the past
Effecting us now,
 we walk different timelines,  But they’re way ahead …how?
Time vibrates, like tectonic plates!
Given shape to our lifelines, final fate
What’s the cause of it all?
The crisis of it all,    The axis, recall
We exist,   one in all, One and all
Everything and everyone…

(Verse 3)
🎵In a constant state of time,
Doesn’t matter when or where, 
you’ve traveled the timeline, 
existence is existence,
And who are we to say,
What will happen in the future,
If we didn’t exist—- today 
…..in this timeline🎵

(Chorus)
(interlude)
(Chorus)

Timeline

Desperado (cover / Eagles)

Writer : Gerry Goffin \ Composer : Michael Masser
ISWC : T-802.082.764-0 
Publisher : Prince Street Music - Lauren Wesey Music
Universal Music Publishing
Released : August 13 1985
___________________________________________

While waiting for my next cover...
I found this cover from 30 years ago
at the bottom of my drawers...
I had the voice and the breath!...😊
But that was before! 😄
Now you have to lower it at least a tone or even two.
___________________________________________

I love this song (I'm a Whitney Houston fan)
it's thanks to this song that made her famous worldwide.
She had a unique tone, a crystal clear voice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Arrangement : Phong
Vocal : Anh
Album : 1995
__________________________________________

Saving All My Love For You - Cover (Whitney Houston)

Link to video where I tell the story behind the song : https://youtu.be/cilXaNM0IoI?si=IbBwc2wlxYTwoADH 


In Catholic school, whenever I misbehaved, the nuns used to pull my hair.
If I could go back in time and do it all again, I’d gab some clippers and shave my head bare.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic school
I was never the kid who was considered cool
Eight straight years of Catholic School and somehow, I survived
Eight straight years of Catholic School.  Thank God I’m still alive  
My first-grade teacher was a nun, who if you’re penmanship was sloppy
She’d make you take all your books and stand there holding them in the back of the room.
She was like a witch except instead of a pointy hat she wore a habit
She carried a crucifix instead of broom.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic School
I was never the kid who was considered cool
The cafeteria food tasted horrible, but I had to eat it
I had to wash it down with milk that was warm and sour
I’d try to fold my plate in half and throw it away, but the nuns would catch me and make me eat it
It’s like they had this secret food wasting detection superpower
Every year your birthday, it was customary for the kids in the recess yard,
To grab you and kick you and punch you for every year of your age.
I still have flashbacks of a girl with pointy hard black shoes kicking me really hard in my rib cage.
My fifth-grade teacher Sister Margaret she’d been teaching for way too long
It was time for her to retire but they let her teach another year and that was wrong
She had long grey whiskers growing out of her chin
She’d sit at her desk and trim them with of scissors and you sure as hell better not grin
She’d tell cautionary tales about innocent kids who got into cars strangers
She seemed to enjoy describing all the bloody graphic details of the danger.
I did eight years of hard time in Catholic school
I was never the kid who was considered cool
Eight straight years of Catholic School and somehow, I survived
Eight straight years of Catholic School.  Thank God I’m still alive

Catholic School

LYRIC VIDEO :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKSOBiLlcYI
This is a Song I wrote a bit ago & finally recorded~~
& it's the First Song off my New Project !
To All Things Love, Light, Energy, Universal Forces & Special Beings ~
Hope Everyone Enjoys It  ~ It was Really Fun to Play !!!
© 2025 Donna Dior

LIKE THE SUN

Soul Cruisin'(E.P.Beats&Tot.)
Dope Cool Beat Maker: E.P.Beats https://soundcloud.com/lala-land-361191160
All Stuff :E.P.Beats&Tot.masa
Thank U 4 listening from us both🙏🙏

SOUL CRUISIN'(FEAT. E.P. BEATS)


YOU COULD BE MY SONG, YOU COULD BE MY SAVIOUR
YOU COULD BE THE ONE THAT DEFINES WHAT BECOMES LATER
OF ME… POOR LONESOME ME

I COULD BE THE SON, I COULD BE THE FATHER
I COULD BE WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PUSH THIS FURTHER
WITH YOU… POOR LONESOME YOU

THIS COULD BE THE END OF THE BEGINNING
THE START OF SOMETHING NEW FOR US TO JOIN IN
A NEW SONG FOR US TO SING ALONG TO
A NEW TUNE … TO DANCE TO

I FEEL IT EXPANDING…   GOING THROUGH IT ALL
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THIS HAPPENING
TO YOU AND ME, TO YOU AND ME

THIS COULD BE THE END OF THE BEGINNING
THE START OF SOMETHING NEW FOR US TO JOIN IN
A NEW SONG FOR US TO SING ALONG TO
A NEW TUNE … TO DANCE TO
A NEW TUNE … FOR US TO DANCE TO
YOU COULD BE MY SONG, YOU COULD BE MY SAVIOUR
YOU COULD BE THE ONE THAT DEFINES WHAT COMES LATER



This Could Be It

Ray and I improvised this song together, only not at the same time and not on the same continent. Go figure.

You can visit Ray here: https://soundcloud.com/user-364196783-552705040

Steady

I thought it was time for a happier song, so I dug this little 2 minute song out I wrote around 2018-2019 timeframe. Inspired by a wonderful friend oversees, that has always been such a supporter of my music. Maybe one day I will actually get that one way ticket! Life can be crazy!

Back in 2020 my little sister asked that I sing this at her wedding, as she was walking down the aisle which was a great memory. I slowed it down and changed some lyrics up in verse to make it more fitting. I hope ya'll enjoy this live take I did late last night on my old Baldwin piano. Thanks for listening!:) I hope someone is making you smile today!:)

You Make Me Smile

You're in the moonlight
I'm in the sunlight
You're by an ocean
I'm by a river
I'm on the next flight
Crazy but feels right 
Life will be golden 
Cause I'm a believer 

You make me smile
You make me smile
Morning noon and night 
You make me smile 
You make me smile
Nothing's felt so right 

Walking with you now 
God shining down now 
Feels like a movie 
With you by my side
My one way ticket
I'll never forget it
I'll be yours truly 
I've nothing to hide

You make me smile
You make me smile
Morning noon and night 
You make me smile 
You make me smile
Nothing's felt so right 

You make...
You make...
Me smile 

All music written and recorded by 
©Daniel Colter Valentine 
The word "Cause" - Credit to my sweet Mom;)

You Make Me Smile (Original song live)

“Butterflies are nature's angels. They remind us what a gift it is to be alive.” 
- Robyn Nola

Chasing Butterflies

Number three of Roger Quilter's "Five Shakespeare Songs" Op. 23, first published in 1921.

Piano by Helen Roberts

It's springtime, be fruitful and multiply ;). We hope you'll enjoy!

Lyrics ( by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), in "As You Like It", Act V, Scene 3)

It was a lover and his lass,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino
That o'er the green corn-field did pass.
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country folks would lie,
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

This carol they began that hour,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that a life was but a flower
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

And therefore take the present time
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crownéd with the prime
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.



It was a Lover and his Lass (Roger Quilter - with Helen Roberts)

The axolotl named Julio Cortázar watches Julio Cortázar observing the axolotls swimming in the aquarium.
The sister tracks here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/this-is-them-last-version and https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/this-is-us

Here the short background story:https://ambystoma.uky.edu/teachers_materials/axolitbook/AxolotlByJulioCortazar.html
Picture is from Pietro Corrao.

------

Composed by Michele Ansani (2025)
Posted on SoundCloud: 2025, May 1

Is this you? *

URBAN SOULS. is a mix of genres,Jazz and ambient, a walk through the maze of streets where each one reveals its soul....

URBAN SOULS. 🎧

I always try to make each song unique, and this one is one that has always stood out to me. An upbeat elaborate melody, and I just took a deep breath counted in four and went with it, fighting a stupid stuck key on my 60's Baldwin too lol, but I just kept going! I still love you little stuck key. The joy in all of this...is in those few minutes of a song...I'm gone from it all!

I started writing this song back in 2014-2015 timeframe when I was livin in an old garage apartment in Taylor, TX. Ever met someone where they just made everything in life so easy? I hope you enjoy this live take I did tonight, it was fun! 

The picture is a thowback from 2009 while playing at Fuel Coffee House back home in Llano, Texas.  I miss that ol Kurzweil PC88. 

Thanks for listening!!:) 

Life is Easy

Always those longing eyes
Spark the night like fireflies
Black and white dreams are done
Now we're running in the yellow sun

Ooo I've never met anyone quite like you Ooo Oo
Standing on the edge of a cloud beside you Ooo Oo 
Life is easy with you 
Life is easy with you 
Oh yeah

Nights with you are the best
You really put my past to rest
Morning light loves so fast
I think that this is gonna last

Ooo I've never met anyone quite like you Ooo Oo 
Standing on the edge of a cloud beside you Ooo Oo 
Life is easy with you 
Life is easy with you 
Oh yeah

Instrumental 

Ooo I've never met anyone quite like you Ooo Oo
Standing on the edge of a cloud beside you Ooo Oo 
Life is easy with you 
Life is easy with you 
Oh yeah

Life is easy with you 
Oh yeah

All music written and recorded by 
©Daniel Colter Valentine

Life is Easy (Original song live)

Born Again

Lyrics:

Open your mind
See what you've done
Brand new sun
Clear those eyes

Do not
Stay too tame
Leave thine shame
Harmonise

Now
Plan is set
Won't forget
Phoenix rise!

**************

This song is a personal one about the companionship I feel with my friends when I play music with them. Using the phoenix theme of death and rebirth in the fire. The inspirations for this song include the progressive songwriting of Yes, and the lyrical playing of Mei Semones. I guess you could say I'm blending an old style with a new one. I have been enjoying writing shorter songs recently. Something about the attention span of everyone these days demands quick playback. Hope you enjoy!

Written, recorded, performed and mixed by Matt Norsa/Naïve Composer.

Phoenix Rise!

Indefatigable

I wrote this song 15 years ago for close friend and guitarist Elmer Stone. Elmer and I have collaborated on three songs on Soundcloud but this one is purely a tribute to him and the friendship we have shared for the past thirty-plus years.  It is also a memorial for his wife Bonnie who he lost two years ago. She was a core contributor to his music, life partner, and his best friend.
I am indebted to Mike Fox and Axel Meningen for taking my rough demo of the song and making it a broadcast quality production.  Thank you gentlemen for your time, talents, and belief that the song could be more than I could ever make it on my own.  Hear more of their amazing music @michael-fox-925325997 and @axel-m-501052973  
Good Ol' Boy
Lyrics:
He's a good ol' boy with his good ol' toys,
He likes a beer now and then.
He picks a guitar and dreams of going far,
Don't know the how, or the where, or the when.
The boys in the band play as hard as they can.
And they hitch their wagon to the star,
Of this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.

He keeps house with his wife, the love of his life,
The kids are all grown and gone.
By the gray in his hair you can tell he still cares
'bout the things that are right and wrong.
And the question comes does it get better than this,
A hard days work and a goodnight kiss,
For this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.

Bridge:
Well it hasn't been easy, no it's never been easy
But he keeps on keepin' on.
And what hasn't killed him he finds a way
To put into a song, 'bout this good ol' boy
This good ol' boy.

Instrumental break, repeat bridge.

He's a good ol' boy with his share of joys,
And his share of the cares of this world.
When it's all said and done, and his race has been run,
And he rests in the arms of the Lord
Of this good ol' boy, this good ol' boy.
Instrumental to the end.

Good Ol' Boy (Mike, Axel, David)

When the railway runs along the coast, right beside the sea, there are many tunnels. Sometimes they’re so narrow that two tracks must draw near to one another to pass through. That’s how a strange love story begins between them.
This is a song I wrote around the year 2000, one of my last. I think it has a good mood. I’ve remixed and partially rearranged it.
You can still hear the warm tone of the Washburn, along with the old Yamaha’s sounds (including the flute). The sax — reworked by me  — is kindly provided by Dropgun Samples.
Still, as always, everything is very handcrafted.

Below is the English translation of the lyrics.

They converged at the tunnel’s mouth,
suddenly parallel —
twins of the railway.
They looked at each other, studied each other,
just enough
to not quite grasp
how much the one beside you knows of you.
They hesitated, thinking of the road behind:
companions in adventure,
but now unsure why.
And then they stared at the night gaping inside the tunnel:
a magnificent promise
to be traveled on the thread of fantasy.

“Inside this darkness, maybe we will never part,
under this shadow, maybe you’ll finally know me,
after this night, who knows where you’ll fall asleep —
perhaps closer to the sea…”

They parted at the tunnel’s edge,
but a narrow wall concealed a silence
charged with jealousy,
shaped like fear — fear of that strange kind of courtesy,
fear of the light,
fear of the end of the tunnel.
“Parallel track,
mirror born of the railway,
traitorous twin,
lover made of parody.
Don’t tell me that
after this darkness we’ll never part,
that under this shadow you’ll finally touch me,
that after this night, who knows where you’ll take me —
perhaps down by the sea…”

And at the end of that masterpiece of engineering,
only one of them
came rushing out of the tunnel;
on instinct, he turned and saw
that the sea was beside him,
and under the sea, the sky,
and beneath the sky — who knows what lies...

“After this darkness, surely we will never part,
inside this shadow, surely you’ll let go,
after this night, I cannot say where you’ll fall asleep —
perhaps closer to the sea…”

----

Confluirono all'ingresso della galleria
improvvisamente paralleli 
gemelli della ferrovia.
Si guardarono, si studiarono quel tanto che
non basta a misurare sino in fondo
quello che hai di fianco cosa sa di te.
Indugiarono, pensarono alla strada dietro di sé:
compagni di avventura,
ma ora non capivano perché.
E poi guardarono la notte spalancata nella galleria:
magnifica promessa
da viaggiare sul filo della fantasia

"dentro questo buio forse noi non ci separeremo mai,
sotto questo scuro tu finalmente mi conoscerai,
dopo questa notte poi non so dire dove ti addormenterai,
forse più vicino al mare ..."

Si congedarono sulla bocca della galleria,
ma parete stretta nasconde silenzio
fatto a carica di gelosia,
fatto a forma di paura di quella stranissima cortesia,
paura della luce
paura della fine della galleria.
"Binario parallelo,
specchio generato dalla ferrovia,
gemello traditore,
amante da parodia.
Non dirmi che 
dopo questo buio noi non ci separaremo mai,
che sotto questo scuro tu finalmente mi toccherai,
che dopo questa notte poi chissà dove mi accompagnerai,
forse giù vicino al mare ..."

E alla fine di quel capolavoro di ingegneria,
di loro uno solo
usciva di corsa dalla galleria;
d'istinto si voltò e vide che
c'era il mare di fianco a sé,
e sotto il mare il cielo,
e sotto il cielo chissa cosa c'è ...

"dopo questo buio certo noi non ci separeremo mai,
dentro questo scuro tu sicuramente ti abbandonerai,
dopo questa notte poi non so dire dove ti addormenterai,
forse più vicino al mare ..."

----

Composed by Michele Ansani (1999)
Posted on SoundCloud: 2025, May 16

Down by the sea [Viaggio di nozze] *

written by jeff gardiner

There's a Wrinkle  in the Moment 
the Muse is missing in the War Zone
Beauty has a different definition
in the loaming of the elder days

My Alcoholic friend came busting through the treeline
stone cold sober, when the quarter moon was rising
and the surf was crashing
crying like a child

Said he saw the future in a puddle in his driveway
after eating mushrooms from Hawaii-

That's when i started laughing
That's when i started crying
trying and deciding to give it all away-
beginning with Cessation
embracing the rejected
replacing the infected with absolutely nothing but Compassion-

Forgiveness out of order
being highly overrated
since the bad behaviors
are in the very natures of the perpetrators

Recalibration,  however is an option
in the aftermath's Duration
and the possiblity of Passion 
still lingers in the fingers on the fretboards
and the singers sing songs they've written
while smitten with emotion of the joyful
and broken hearted lovers and covers
and collections of recollections of Moments--

Wrinkle in the Moment ( from the Half-Life collection on Bandcamp)

(Written by Terry Reeves)
Terry Reeves: Vocal
Gary Reeves: Toms
Hans Albers: All other instruments, Arrangement & Production

Photo of Max from The Albers' Archive

What to say about Maximilian?
There are so many things to be told: a lifetime of 24 years, full of special moments, joys, fears, sorrows, worries, hopes, dreams, ups, downs, progress, regress, searching, finding, winning, losing, restlessness, peace...
His life had begun with an extremely difficult birth, almost as if the world didn’t want him. They told us he had a life-threatening infection, there were probably holes in his lungs and he obviously had no kidneys. In total, his chances of surviving were exceedingly slim. However, after endless weeks of both despair and hope, he overcame the infection, the diagnosis of holes in his lungs turned out to be totally wrong and they even discovered a kidney.  Just one maybe but at least it worked perfectly.  His journey into existence had begun.
As he grew, so did the never-ending nightmare of problems, challenges and battles, until we began to wonder what could possibly happen next.  Through it all, Max took every opportunity to accumulate extreme experiences - never hiding, always   seeking.  For that, we loved him even more…and even more it broke our hearts that we couldn’t help him find what he was looking for.
But suddenly, as the Summer of 2011 dawned, his troubles seemed to merely fade away.  Was he just arriving in life, coming of age, finding his place in society?  To be honest, we hadn’t the faintest idea.  But it was abundantly clear that, having always been an underdog, that same unwelcoming world had simply started to like and respect him.  He began to realise his many talents, enjoying his job as never before, finally becoming something he had never been - happy.
Fast forward to the gorgeous Summer evening of June 28th, the eve of a 4-week vacation to which he had been looking forward so very much.  A smile on his face, he said he was in the mood to go jogging, something he loved. Sometimes, he ran and ran for ages.  He’d been gone about 3 hours, quite a long time even for him, so Carina called his phone and he answered, cheerfully telling her not to worry and assuring her he’d be home very soon.  Seconds after the call, out of the blue, he collapsed.  A pulmonary embolism.  They told us he died instantly. 
Max, we have no words for what happened, nor for the eternal gratitude we feel for every single second of your life.  We do know we will never stop loving you.”
(Hans & Carina Albers)

Small chance of survival, words from the first day
Stretching all emotions not a single which way
Asking whys and reasons, a chance to breathe long
Heartbreaking moments, hopes remained strong

Such a short distance, but a life running miles
Bring every sensation, fear to a million smiles
Experience not forgotten, continuous hug of care      
Born with fighting spirit, giving back more to share

24 years of love, no single regret
24 years of love, never to forget

Every challenge building, inner muscles to be felt
Secret ways to be happy, never question hand dealt         
Complication of thinking to find a new sentence 
Pathways to friendships, dreams of acceptance

24 years of love, no single regret
24 years of love, never to forget

A vision full of truth with strength to admire
Finding a hidden talent, past helping to aspire 
No journey of distance could prevent direction
A phone call assurance became last connection

It’s hard to find words, express feelings remaining 
Deep down inside shell, empty, sad, self-complaining 
But we will never forget our boy hero from birth
Brought love and kindness, past and future unblurred

24 years of love, no single regret
24 years of love, will never forget
24 years of love…

MAXIMILIAN - CRIPPLE CLUB  (Please Read Description)

Cover art: Publicity photo of American television host, Chuck Barris promoting the June 14, 1976 premiere of the NBC reality talent show The Gong Show.

The world can be an unpredictable dog eat dog kind of place full of all sorts of all sorts of people who can get under your skin
Sometimes you just have to smile and nod and keep your feelings to yourself and try your best just to just to take it on the chin
And there’s people who seem friendly, but they’ve got a knife in their hand behind their back
And they’re waiting for the right moment to attack
There used to be a TV show, where you could dance or sing a song
and if the judges didn’t like your performance, they would strike a gong
It sure would be nice if you could walk around with a mallet in your hand every day
And you had access to a gong you that you could strike and make annoying people go away
It sure would be nice to have that kind of power
Amateur performers of dubious talent, trying to win a small prize
Five hundred sixteen dollars and 32 cents, You could see the hunger in their eyes
Chuck Barris hosting on that Burbank stage, he knew the people competing were toast
But he smiled and tried to encourage them and be a good friendly host
The dinosaurs ruled the earth for millions of years until the asteroid struck
it was like a giant cosmic gong
Mammals arose from the rubble and now humans rule the earth, but we haven’t been around for nearly so long
We’re all just making it up as we go along hoping somebody doesn’t strike that gong
It sure would be nice if real life was more like that old Gong Show
And you could get a large gong attach it to wheels and take it wherever you go
You could follow in the footsteps of Chuck Barris and be your own gong show emcee
And whenever people start to annoy you -you could strike that gong and make them flee
He wrote a book called Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Chuck Barris was one of a kind.

The Gong Show

Music: Little Man & Janne Hennie
Lyrics & Vocals: Janne Hennie
Instruments & Mix: Little Man

Lyrics:

1
On a saturday night I feel a little restless, a need for something
And after a few glasses of wine, I think:
Rest can wait until another time
Don't want to be alone 
(So I call you)
Pick up the phone

Du du-dudu-dudu..
Hello?

Chorus:
Will you come and have some fun with me?
The night is young, the wine is strong
Will you come and say hello to my crazy side?
It's pretty wild!

Dudu-dudu-dudu..
Hello?

2
On a sunday night i feel anything but tired, can't sleep
And after twisting my mind, I think:
Sleep can wait until another time
Don't want to be alone
(So I call you)
Pick up the phone

Dudu-dudu-dudu..
Hello?

Chorus:
Will you come and have some fun with me?
The night is young, the wine is strong
Will you come and say hello to my crazy side?
Its pretty wild!

Dudu-dudu-dudu..
Hello?

Pick Up The Phone

Hey everyone!
This track, Asteroids (The Original Was Better), started when I heard Beating Edge’s chiptune tune RND and got inspired to write some lyrics about the classic arcade game Asteroids. I added my acoustic guitar and vocals on top and sent it over to the band.
They liked it so much they decided to jump in and make a second part with a more rock vibe using the same musical base. We put both parts together into one track, starting with a fun spoken intro, a little vocal line to bridge the two sections, and finishing off with a hilarious outro.
It was a really cool collab and I’m stoked for you all to hear it!

Music by: Beating Edge
Lyrics by: Tom (Beating Edge) and Joe Stroffolino
Performed by: Beating Edge and Joe Stroffolino
Acoustic guitar (Taylor 114ce) by: Joe Stroffolino
Vocals performed by: Joe Stroffolino and Tom (Beating Edge)
At the moment, this track is exclusively available on SoundCloud.
Released on June 6, 2025.
©2025 Beating Edge and Joe Stroffolino

Lyrics:

[Spoken Intro]
Joe: Wow! This is a really cool Arcade!
Tom: Yeah!
Joe: Hey, check it out! Is that an Asteroids game over there?
Tom: Oh, wow!
Joe: I haven't seen that in like that forever!
Tom: That's definitely Asteroids! Let's play a game!
Mary (with a sore throat 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣): Oh yeah! Let's play Asteroids!

-->Joe

I used to play asteroids in the 1980’s
I liked to blow up rocks in outer space
The flying saucers would attack me
At an ever-increasing pace

I stumbled across an old vintage arcade the other day
I hadn’t played Asteroids in a long time
I popped a quarter into that old machine
And I watched my score start to climb

I watched my score start to climb
I watched my score start to climb
I watched my score start to climb

Time goes by so quickly
and playing that game really took me back
To those days when my future was unwritten
And I hadn’t gone so far down my current track

Pushing those buttons so fast and furiously
Standing in front of that arcade machine
Blowing up all those asteroids
On that black and white video screen

Blowing up all those asteroids
On that video screen
Blowing up all those asteroids
On that video screen

For a couple of minutes, I forgot about the present
I was back floating in outer space
Breaking big rocks into small rocks
I had a a big smile on my face

And then it was time for me to go
Cause I had errands that I needed to run
But that old video game
I sure had a lot of fun

It's not over yet

-->Tom

Just a single screen, all black and white
The whole room's dark except the TV's light
Rotate and thrust, it wasn't much
No one had seen a thing like this before

Now there's a 3D holographic thing
That no one plays, 'cause nobody can afford
With a visor on, your body's gone
It's kinda fun, but the original was better

We used to play all day, late at night
For the high score, it was do or die
No one knew what a quarter was worth
No one knew what the future had in store

Now there's a 3D holographic thing
That no one plays, 'cause nobody can afford
With a visor on, your body's gone
It's kinda fun, but the original was better

The original was better
The original was better
The original was better
The original was better

Now there's a 3D holographic thing
That no one plays, 'cause nobody can afford
With a visor on, your body's gone
It's kinda fun, but the original was better

[Spoken Outro]
Someone who wants to stay anonymous 😂: That was a lot of fun!

Asteroids (The Original Was Better) - Beating Edge & Joe Stroffolino

Special thanks to Ashesndreams for her acappella

Lyrics :
Baby no me pidas que me aparte
Yo ya te he buscado en todas partes
Solamente vengo a recordarte que estoy
Imaginandote
Una y otra vez
Que tu estas aqui conmigo
Acariciandome
No seas timido
Dejate querer
Que si dudas te prometo
Que vas a volver

No tengo miedo
Soy un kamikaze
Mi imaginacion se prende con lo que me haces
Diario yo te pienso
Te tengo en mis suenos
Eres el motor para escribir todos mis versos
No te voy a mentir te quiero todo pa mi

IMAGINANDOTE. 🎧.  feat  Ashesndreams

My second time to try covering my favorite John Denver song.

Country Roads - Cover by Tony

Deleted scenes, momentary gods, dreamless sleep
I don’t believe what’s true 
I don’t know what’s true
I just believe what I hear most often
It’s the storm that clears the noise
It’s the storm that clears the noise
But I’m not the storm 
I am the sky
No, I’m not the storm 
I am the sky
Whispers shape worlds
Whispers shape minds
Whispers shape worlds
As the future unwinds
Lonely nights, weary world, hear the cities symphony, 
The more I walk a path the more visible it becomes
But If I don’t change direction, I may end up where I’m going
It’s the storm that clears the noise
But I’m not the storm 
I am the sky
No, I’m not the storm 
I am the sky
It’s the storm that clears the noise
But I’m not the storm 
I am the sky

It's the Storm that Clears the Noise

I had posted a year ago the row version of this track recorded back in 2015 (https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/bosque-redondo)
I thought that, after all these years, it was time to remake it, without altering the melody or the atmosphere.
Regarding the context evoked, see for example here: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/navajo/long-walk/long-walk.cshtml

Composed by Michele Ansani (2015-2025).
Bansuri is courtesy by Aahro.
Cover photo: Navajo girls at Fort Sumner, Bosque Redondo era, New Mexico, 1864-1868(?). Palace of the Governors Photo Archives, negative number 038208.

RePosted on SoundCloud: 2025, June 16

Bosque Redondo (final version)*

What was that man dreaming of, the one who played the saxophone the other night? When he finally wakes up, we’ll ask him – though it’s unlikely he’ll ever reply. And if by any chance he were willing to answer, he might say: "Nothing that I can remember, because nothing ever happens in my dreams."

This is the second in a series of eight easy, acoustic, rather short, and deliberately inconclusive tracks, assembled by combining new ideas with reworked older material, adding parts and sounds along the way. 

Part 1 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-1-night
Part 3 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-3-noon
Part 4 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-4-late-afternoon
Part 5 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-5-night-again
Part 6 here: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/in-case-nothing-happens-part-6-dawn-again

Composed by Michele Ansani (2025) (a partial remake of this: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani/johans-aceleration-check-the-description).
Female vocals courtesy of Function Loops.
Ambient and radio sound effects sourced from Pixabay.
Posted on SoundCloud: August 2, 2025.

In case nothing happens - part 2 (dawn)*

Songs with a twinge of humor (and some a bit more serious).  
I do not use AI to create my songs. 
https://linktr.ee/joe.stroffolino
Recently I have had the urge to pick up my guitars (Taylor 114ce and Fender Squire) and I have been trying to use more guitar in my songs.  
My go to .vst plug ins are  EZkeys 2, EZ Bass and  EZ drummer 3) and my DAW is Logic Pro 11. 
I welcome your comments and enjoy listening to all the great music on SoundCloud. 
All songs are originals and copyrighted.