Not all good guys wear capes. Not all bad guys wear a mask. 
Heroes is about good vs. evil, from the Bad Guy's POV.

"My patience wasted every time I see that sign above.
It’s getting tired, uninspired, and I’ve had enough.
Isn’t it a crime that the good guy always wins
F-d me up and not a scratch on him."

Heroes

‘Will we be fools again’ 
Written in September 2023 after standing in a queue in Starbucks, looking out at a wet, dirty and declining High Street.  I had been been watching the people in town, including one particular couple locked into an intense conversation under an umbrella. They prompted the story in the song. 

I wanted the backing to be sparser and more guitar led to give it an edge. I also wanted the instrumental in the middle to have a woozy, emotional feel to it. 

It’s a song about everyday people ‘stuff’ against a backdrop of a slowly deteriorating townscape. It couldn’t be slick (and I couldn’t be no matter how hard I try!) I hope you enjoy the song. Best with headphones! 

Take care

James (lyrics below) 

Will we be fools again? 

The chewing gum looks like leopard spots on the pavements in the rain
And litter blocks the drains again

Recklessly, we agreed to meet, after these silent years
Now there’s excitement and fear!

Behind the wall, by the social club, an old sanctuary for lovers 

We’ll talk, we’ll laugh 
and then I’ll start to think 
will we be fools again?
Will we be fools again? 

Graffiti on the empty shops, can our town survive?
And meanwhile we destabilise our lives! 

What fools we’d be, to lift the lid and let those lies escape 
Just think of all the hearts we’d break 

But we’re in your car, the radio’s on, as we unwrap the past! 

That smile! Those eyes!
Make me start to think
Will we be fools again?
Will we be fools again?

I’m aware, yeah I’m aware, 
I know where my fault lines are
And you’re spread right across them!  
Right across them.. yeah!

Instrumental 

Yes, we’ll talk, we’ll laugh
You know I’ll start to think
Let us be fools again
Please let us be fools again

Yes, we’ll touch, we’ll kiss
And then the path is clear
For us fools again
Let us be fools again….please, please..

James Whiteman September 2023

Will we be fools again?

Written, performed and recorded by Neli CoKo, 2024, all rights reserved. 
Thank you for listening :)

Lyrics:
You go your way the best you can
No one was there to guide you
You did not get protection and
You tried to get your way through
Little phoenix, little phoenix, little phoenix, do it again.

You had to look for shelter
You had to teach yourself
You stumbled and you fell
You always were rising as well
Little phoenix, little phoenix, little phoenix, do it again.

Your willpower is unbreakable
You try and try again
Your courage is unshakable
although you know the pain
Little phoenix, little phoenix, little phoenix, do it again.

Little Phoenix

This Life Is Short (G. Di Nunno)

Wasting life and know the cost is steep
A slave to habits, sinking deep
Dust collected, dreams and plans were made
Forgot the spots they last were laid.

This life is short
Catch the solid blow
Throwing time away
Soon you come to know.
This life is short
Littered landscapes swell
What you can't get back
Drips inside a well.

Seems things are the same every day
The boring routine, all are alike
What would you do if you had your way?
Could you name them or apply them?

Sit in traffic on your way to work
Dinner, clean-up, television, sleep
Weekend catch-up, then the Sunday blues
Asking yourself is this all there is?

Spoken part:
Seneca said: "it's not that we have a short time to live,
but that we waste a lot of it."
Am I going through an existential crisis?
I feel I'm wasting time
Wasting
Life is so short
Only so much time
A crisis I must defeat
I want to go on.

Want to sit and watch the world unfold
And to do all those things that we used to do
Want to do much more before we're old
A different outlook, better view. 

This life is short
Grabbing all that's left
Sending off the stress
Clean the mental mess.
This life is short
Pull the joy from past
Place it on the now
Living all that's left.

All lyrics, composition, and performance by Gino Di Nunno
Copyright 2024.

#6. This Life Is Short

Taking a trip in the park when night descends .......

[2nd part of a quartet series featuring 2 soprano saxes, bass-pedal flute and clarinet. Other sounds, bass and beats c/o Garageband.]

Echoes of the Dark Park (QXii)

UnBoxed October 2024
Original song, vocal performance and recording by the wonderful Hanaa @hanaamusic
Reimagined and embellished by Out of the Box
Image : Hanaa

[ d o w n l o a d a b l e ]

OUT OF THE BOX / HANAA - Trippy Mermaid

Another mix with the impressive voice of Emily Coy @stemstore.
Original Version: https://soundcloud.com/stemstore/doctor-acapella-135bpm-cm

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/_NAtJmvGX6g

Lyrics & Vocals: Emily Coy  
Music & Arrangement: OMCB

Cover Picture & Heartbeat Audio: pixabay.com


Lyrics

Eyes are getting heavy.
The breathing's getting slow.
The veil is slowly lifting.
It's time for.
It's time for the show.

Are you all right?
Do you need a doctor?
Can you tell me is it all night
you've been feeling dizzy?
How's your hearing and your eyesight facing your
face, has your head feeling so light?
Tell me, are you alright?

Thoughts are getting vivid, the colors getting blur.
The curtain slowly parting and
consciousness divides.

Music Video

Doctor - Emily Coy & OMCB [Music Video]

Cast of Characters:

J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- organ, electric piano, and seed idea
Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – electric guitar, production, and mix
TexMex Shaman– @texmex-shaman –Stephen– electric guitar
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – 4-string fretless bass
The Eclectic Collective -- composition
 
This song started with JJ during one of his late Saturday night composition sessions, where he came up with the idea on his synth. He laid down some great organ and electric piano for the rest of us to play with. Ken was first up with his lively, raucous drums. He and I did our back and forth with the rhythm section until it was solid, though. Then Stephen laid in his dirty, rawkin' rhythm guitar to give it an extra foundation. Finally, Tez put the icing on the cake with his monster soloing throughout. 
  Of course, every great song needs a great producer. In this case, Tez did the honors in a very expert manner. We wanted Stephen (Texmex Shaman) on this, too, of course, but he is just now getting settled into his new abode, and was in flux while we were making this one. He'll be back with The Eclectic Collective next week, though. 
  This is an example of Eclectic Collective teamwork. It came together relatively quickly, which means we were all having fun doing it. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

Avalanche (Eclectic Collective)

A second cup of coffee				T + M Otto Scharbau Dez 2020
The world is crazy. I’m also crazy sometimes. People destroy others and themselves. 
A few people decide to make war to kill thousands, millions, soon perhaps the whole world with the power of modern weapons 
What can I do? Becoming depressive? Be paralyzed?

No, I drink my second cup of coffee and look, what is to do in that nice world with nice people, most of them are.


Intro  E A E E B E 


E..............A.......................E................................A.......................E
I drink a second cup of coffee and I drink a second cup of love
   
E.......................A.......................E................................A.......................E
Yes I drink a second cup of coffee and I drink a second cup of love

E..........................A...................E........................   B..................................E
And when the world is going to the end  I`ll drink a second cup of coffee

 E........................A....................E............................B......................A...........E
And when the world is going to the end   I`ll drink a second cup of love

E..........................A....................E........................B...................................E
And when the world is going to the end  I`ll drink a second cup of coffee

 E........................A....................E............................B......................A........E
And when the world is going to the end   I`ll drink a second cup of love

 1x repeat		


> instrumentals , above repeat > fine    
    
 
fine:
E.....B.........C		
I`ll drink a second cup of

B............C		
drink a second cup, Yes I`ll 

B............C.......................A......E		
drink a second cup of love

2nd cup of coffee

Cast of Characters:

David Marconi — @david-marconi-917184705 — electric guitar, bass, foundation synth plus midi percussion and assorted traditional voices, production, mix, and composition
Elpiverse — @elpiverse — Elpi -- vocals, vocal composition and production
Ron Lewis — @ron-lewis-779503933 — synth
TexMex Shaman -- @texmex-shaman –Stephen– sitar and mastering
Llanpsych-- @llanpsych -- Tez – electric guitar
J.J. Terrell-- @j-j-terrell—JJ-- synth flute and ambient synth
Mistermark – @user-432503709 – Mark – talking drum, jaw harp
K2 and the Three [and the Four]--@k2andthe3, @k2-kara –Ken–drums and percussion
Entheogenic Psychonaught (Josh Clary)– @josh-clary-1 –Josh – 5-string fretless bass
AliasZen (Elpi's husband) — artwork (created with the help of AI)

This song began with David, who wrote it on the guitar, synth, and bass over a programmed beat he created. He and Josh met more than two months ago and decided to do a collaboration, based on mutual enjoyment of and respect for each other's music. Dave had this song pretty much fleshed out, although it was still a skeleton when he offered it to Josh, who, of course, got the rest of the Eclectic Collective involved.

Dave asked us all to compose our own parts for the song, so we all got to work right away doing that. We all realized that the first order of business would be to get a real beat on this, so Ken accomplished that task with some dynamic, Eastern inspired drums and percussion, which he plays throughout the song. JJ then stepped in and added his best eastern flute magic. Stephen was next with the perfect-vibe sitar you hear in the first two sections.

Josh came next to add his five-string fretless bass to the mix, augmenting David's high, staccato bass with his deep, low tone bass. Then, for the third section, where David's Gilmore-esque guitar solo resides, Josh drops out, allowing for Dave's awesome bass playing in that section. However, Josh does come in again towards the end, in the final section, too. Also, in that section, Tez dropped an augmented, harmonic, electric fire, complementary guitar part. Then, David's frequent collaborator and friend Ron added some well blended, ethereal synth to the first section, too.

Once we had the instrumental parts pretty much laid down, we began to discuss getting a woman to sing on this, as David was inspired by The Great Gig in the Sky, by Pink Floyd, and we all agreed. Who we found to do it actually blew all of our minds. JJ, being familiar with her music, contacted Elpi first, and we were all lucky enough that she agreed to do it. Having heard Mediterranean music all her life in Greece, she tapped into what her husband said were her "ancient Greek roots," for her spectacular vocal performance. She finds all the modal notes and places them perfectly throughout her sections.

But before we were done, Mark came through with some really striking talking drum parts in the first two sections, too. Once we had everything in the can, David took over, both with some masterful editing and production, and with the balanced, dynamic mix. The mix was a formidable task, but he did it with considerable skill, also taking everyone's opinions into account, which is a talent in and of itself. When he was done with the mix, he turned it over to Stephen for the mastering, which the latter did to everyone's satisfaction, as always.

This is the first song the Eclectic Collective has done with David, Elpi, and Ron, and we all hope it's the first of many, as we welcome them into the EC family. They all have some wonderful music on their pages, too, so do yourself a favor and check out all of them, as well. We hope you enjoy listening to this song as much as we enjoyed creating it.

The Siege (by David Marconi, featuring Elpiverse, Ron Lewis & The Eclectic Collective)

Whirl (2024)

"Magic is what we do. Music is how we do it." -- Jerry Garcia

Welcome to my page, my peers, associates, friends, and musical family. I'm a lifelong, multi-instrumentalist musician who records prolifically and joyfully. You'll hear me play guitar, bass (regular four string, and four and five string fretless), mandolin, banjo, keys (piano, organ, synth), lap slide, sitar, and sing on my recordings here. I've been in a few dozen bands in my life, playing everything from bluegrass, jazz, rock, jam band, reggae, funk, afrobeat, Middle Eastern, traditional Irish, singer/songwriter, pop/covers, to experimental/avant garde. 
  Since I found SoundCloud a couple years ago, I've found many talented, creative people with whom to create music. However, in the summer of '23 I formed a band called The Eclectic Collective with some of my favorite musicians I've met through here. It started as a loose collective of musicians and coalesced into a core group of musicians who find other musicians with whom we'd like to make music, then run their songs through our process, and in effect add a full band. That core of The Eclectic Collective includes Tez (Llanpsych), J.J. Terrel, Ken (K2 and the Three), Stephen (Texmex Shaman), Chris (cgmaness), and Mark (mistermark). A couple of other musicians are frequent collaborators, as well, including Artur of Surfers Like Us, and Steve Vervaet of Steve's World. More recently, we've been joined by Carl of The Beautiful Dark fame. 
  The magic of music is amplified exponentially by each person adding to it. So, we really try to add our sorcery all kinds of music from all kinds of artists. Sometimes, we keep it within the group, but a lot of what we do is collaboration with other artists. Therefore these days, 100% of what I do is collaboration, within the group or with other artists on the side.
  I, and we, are also available for hire if you have a song or lyrics and you really want to add bigger instrumentation or a band and good production to it. 
  A small sampling of the artists whom I consider primary influences, and whom you will hear coming through my fingers include Phish, The Flaming Lips, The Grateful Dead, Radiohead, Rye Cooder, Steve Earle, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, Arcade Fire, Mikey Dread, Yellowman, Purpleman, The Meditations, Michigan and Smiley, Lee Perry, Dillinger, Django Reinhardt, Impossible Recording Machine, The Allman Bros Band, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Bela Fleck, Les Claypool, Sam Bush, David Grissman, John Prine, Talking Heads, Beastie Boys, MMW, Moe., Morphine, Ween, Steve Lukather, Michael McDonald, John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, John Scofield, Victor Wooten,  Cannonball Adderly, Thelonious Monk, Flea, Parliament Funkadelic,  Frank Zappa, Prince Paul, Pete Rock, Thievery Corporation, Amon Tobin, Chet Baker, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz, Astrud Gilberto, Carol Kaye, Tame Impala, Mumford and Sons, Japanese Breakfast, LCD Soundsystem, Beach House, Sean Lennon, and Billy Strings, but of course there are many more. I also really like and am influenced by traditional Iranian, Palestinian, Indian, Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Mauritian, Somalian, Egyptian, West African, and Syrian music. I welcome anyone who plays non-western music to contact me for a collaboration, too.
 I'm overjoyed to have found my community on SoundCloud. This is a truly unique forum where everyone is sincerely trying to build each other up. The profoundly supportive and positive SoundCloud community has really opened up an exciting new world of collaboration for me. That is the main reason I'm in the Cloud, actually, to connect with other musicians and make music that I enjoy listening to, and hopefully others do, as well. I am ALWAYS looking to collaborate with interesting musicians, mostly though BandLab, which is where I record almost exclusively. It's a solid, free digital audio workstation hub where you can share recording projects, even if it's not where you make your recordings.
  Everything I do is live instrumental, not programmed, and using no computer beyond my phone. That's not to say that I would be opposed to using that kind of tool, it's just not my preferred medium with which to paint. If you like my music, please share it. If you want to collaborate, my BandLab handle is @bingo_pajama. Feel free to contact me at cornbreadband@hotmail.com, as well, even if you aren't on BandLab.
  If your music is primarily AI, please don't come around my page, as I'm not at all interested in complimenting a machine.
  Here's a link to music I've recorded live with a group of musicians here in Pittsburgh called The Northumberland Street Ramblers.
Check out The Northumberland Street Ramblers on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/fU4Me