A cover I recently made of an obscure Stevie Wonder song. 
The original is an excellent and unusual track off his 1972 album Music of my Mind. I decided to do a Latin/funk/rock take on it.
I'm playing all guitars,, keys, and vocals (the bass is my guitar pitch-shifted down) and programmed drums. Made using GarageBand iOS.

Girl Blue (cover)

This was my favorite piece of music to work on. It underscores the beginning of the run. It just kept evolving, and took a few turns. Enjoy! It's on the long side, but it's a fun one.

Link to Original Video (PREMIERS TOMORROW, 7/25, AT NOON):
https://youtu.be/E1XegPuzeas 

I'm playing all instruments: guitars, rhodes, synth, synth bass, programmed drums and percussion. Produced and mixed in GarageBand for iPad

herbs

Keep Running

This track coincides with the final enderdragon fight. I had Herbie send me the audio for the fight and I lined it up to a grid and wrote around it. Not my most comfortable genre, but i tried my best. 

Link to the original vid (PREMIERES TOMORROW, 7/25, AT NOON): 
https://youtu.be/E1XegPuzeas 

I'm playing all guitars, rhodes/synth, keybass, programmed drums. Sound fx by Minecraft and Illumina. Mixed and produced by me in GarageBand on an iPad.

BOSSFIGHT

This one's the chill music for when Herbs is explaining the many interesting mechanics used in the speedrun. I will admit the beginning riff is rather monotonous, but I happen to like the wurlitzer solo at the end. Enjoy! 


Link to the original vid (PREMIERES TOMORROW, 7/25, AT NOON): 
https://youtu.be/E1XegPuzeas 

I played or programmed all synths, synth bass, drums/perc. Produced and mixed by me in GarageBand for iPad.

Explain This

This track underscores a bit of the speedrun where some mistakes were made, hence the title. It goes from fake-dramatic to real(-fake)-dramatic to apathetic to groove. Had fun with it. 

Link to the original vid (PREMIERES TOMORROW, 7/25, AT NOON): 
https://youtu.be/E1XegPuzeas 

As usual, I'm playing all piano/wurlitzer, guitar, synth, keybass, programmed all drums/percussion. Produced and mixed in GarageBand for iPad.

Mistakes Made

Suuuuuurprise surprise!! One extra track for you lucky SoundCloud listeners! This was a song also connected to what we were reading in school, in this case the Odyssey. I wanted to take the scene of the lotus eaters, in which Odysseus and his men are nearly dragged off by a band of drug-addicted natives, and put it in a modern context, using an all-too-familiar premise: procrastination. Our main character grapples with distraction as he writes an essay, overcoming the spellbinding call of the Internet. In the end, the instrumental bridge serves to narrate his execution of the task. 
In a rather method-acting compositional move, I banged it all out in two nights in the wee hours. That’s why it’s a bonus track: it’s good and I like it, but the recording quality isn’t quite up there with the original stuff.


LYRICS: 

One weekend left, got ten pages due
But imma hunker down and work on through
Gotta lock my door, shut myself in
It’s gonna be a hard fight but I know I can win
 
I look over to my phone, it’s calling my name
Gotta get that high score on the newest mobile game
Notifications coming in left and right
Gotta see what’s happening, what I’m missing tonight
and I think I might check and see
‘Cause it’s almost speaking to me
 
[Chorus:]
Why don’t you take just a little more time, a little more time here
Stay for a little while longer and forget what looms near
All your worries, dissolved,
All your troubles, resolved
Whatever you have to do
Why it can wait for you if you spend time, just a little more time, a little more time here
If life is getting stormy, we can make it disappear
You’re like a host, though you’re our guest
So let us delightfully infest
And occupy the rest
Rest of your time
(Keep on scrollin’, keep on clickin’, rest of your time, as time passes by…)
 
I look up, three hours gone by
Grazing through my phone, how time can fly
Still staring at a blank doc, don’t know what to write
But I know I’m gonna be here all damn night
Parents knock on my door, come crashin’ in, screamin’
“Get back on task!” phone brought out, my tears streamin’
I sobered up, gave myself a command
There’s no time to lose do the task at hand
 
 
I open up a new tab, pull up Reddit
Haven’t even started drafting, let alone an edit
I feel no joy, but no remorse
Even though I’m being driven way off-course
And going ‘long these stormy seas
The Web, it’s calling to me
 
[Chorus]
Why don’t you take just a little more time, a little more time here
Stay for a little while longer and forget what looms near
All your worries, dissolved,
All your troubles, resolved
Whatever you have to do
Why it can wait for you if you spend time, just a little more time, a little more time here
If life is getting stormy, we can make it disappear
You’re like a host, though you’re our guest
So let us delightfully infest
And occupy the rest
Rest of your time
 
[Instrumental]
 
The past hours were a struggle, but I think I succeeded
I wrote a whole paper, now I just gotta read it
The effort was long and I barely made it
‘Gainst the worst distraction ever created
(I took just a little more time, a little more time)
Feeling at ease without the need for a screen
(I made just a little more time, a little more time)
It feels right, being done for the night
(I saved just a little more time, a little more time
And in good time, I’ll have more time)

Odyssey / Little More Time (Bonus Track)

Batting cleanup on this EP, I’ve got a song from March of 2019 (you know, the last normal March). I wrote it in a time of my life where it really felt like I was on the eve of something, figurin’ stuff out, and until then, I was just fine. Some of this recording is from then, including the drums, backing vocals, and guitar plucks which permeate the whole track. I returned to it a few months ago and outfitted it with better piano, keybass, and a new lead vocal. 

Cover Art by Gaia Di Mitri

LYRICS:

Sometimes I feel like I’m going round and round in a circle
Then I realize I couldn’t draw a circle even if I tried
 
Feels like I’m going through life doing the same old thing
I’m not really on stage, I’m still waiting in the wings
And till the winter becomes the spring
You know I’m doing just fine
 
I walked a mile in someone else’s shoes but then I got cold feet
They were gonna drive me crazy, but I missed the turn cause I couldn’t read the sign
 
Well it’s a vicious cycle, just rinse and repeat
Life ain’t no highway to hell, but it ain’t no easy street
But as soon as I find the beat
 
I’ve got to keep on going, gonna find my own way
I’ve got my guitar here, but I’m not sure what to play
And I don’t know where I’m headed, don’t wanna be led astray
And I’ve got to pass the time
Gonna keep on doing just fine
 
Now life can sometimes feel like such a bore
So you find what makes the rest of life worth living for
And you gotta keep excited for what’s in store
Between point A and point B
Gotta make some time for me
 
So no matter what I do in life, imma keep doing what I love
Cause if I do what I love I will always be on cloud nine
 
I think I found the beat, but I gotta make it swing
No matter what I’m doing, I’ll be doing my own thing
And the winter has become the spring
 
I’ve got to keep on going, gonna find my own way
I’ve got my guitar here, but I’m not sure what to play
And I don’t know where I’m headed, but I’m gonna get there one day
And soon it will be my time
Gonna be doing more than just fine

Yeah
More than just fine
Yeah

Just Fine

Music and Lyrics by Ryder Lippman 
Guitars, Keyboards, Synth Bass, drum programming and vocals by Ryder Lippman

I wrote this song in conjunction with our reading of Othello in school. We had to reimagine the story of Othello in a modern context. I decided to focus on my interpretation of his relationship to Desdemona, namely that he doesn’t truly love her, and loves only the idea of her. For me, it ended up being an exercise in storytelling; I tried to convey a lot of emotion within simple pop conventions and while using very few words, using instead my vocal delivery and instrumentation. Here it is. 

Cover Art by Gaia Di Mitri

LYRICS:

You fell in love with me for the stories that I told
You were young and pure, and I was brash and bold
You were a comfort to me, a loving hand to hold
But did I really know you?

He said he knew the truth, convinced that I was blind
So I let him get to me, and slowly lost my mind
But the reason that it happened was that you were undefined
And I didn’t really know you

Ooh (x2)

After I shut you out, the days were all the same
I go to sleep at night, I’m sounding out your name
But love is more than trifles, and it’s more than just some game
But I’m in love with the idea of you

I’m in love with the idea of you
I’m in love with the idea of you
I’m in love with the idea of you
I’m in love with the idea of you

Desdemona

Music and Lyrics by Ryder Lippman
Guitars, Keyboards, percussion, Drum/bass programming and vocals by Ryder Lippman

I wrote this one way back in September of 2018. (Hence it features some 2018-skill-level solos and lyrics….cringe) It was about, well, the fact that I didn’t write anything for a lengthy period, and I was finally ready to write a song again. Well, I didn’t write another song, not for a long time, so I had months to play around with this one, and overdub it to all hell. I worked to make it as crazy as I could within the confines of GarageBand, and I was quite pleased with the result. Two years later, it somehow still holds up, so onto the album it goes. 

Cover Art by Gaia di Mitri

LYRICS: 

For the past few years I been bluffin’
Y’all think I been terrific, y’all think I been prolific
But let’s be real I got nothing
Thought that nothing’s stickin’, but I’m my own worst critic

Now I don’t care if the rhythm is a little wonky
I’m here to assure you that it’s gonna be funky
I’m just a classical piano flunky
So it’s about time for something that’s just me

I’m gonna write a song again
Don’t care if it’s right or wrong again
You know it’s for a change of pace, and I finally got the space
I’m gonna write a song again
So people can sing along agin
Not really sure what it’s about
But at least I’ve figured out
That it goes like this

For the past few years I been chillin’
Sayin’ “Hey I ain’t Bob Dylan, don’t wanna write about my feelings”
I guess the path I been choosin’
Was gonna be easy cruisin’, but there was something I was losin’

Some of these lyrics might be a bit clunky
But you can be sure that it’s hella funky
Don’t expect nothing to lovely
Cuz you can be sure that I am rusty

I’m gonna write a song again
Don’t care if it’s right or wrong again
You know it’s for a change of pace, and I finally got the space
I’m gonna write a song again
So people can sing along agin
Not really sure what it’s about
But I know I’ve figured out
That it goes like this

[break, solos]

Making mixes, taping covers, doing work like any other
Ignoring all my inspiration, blaming it on procrastination
Making mixes, taping covers, doing work like any other
Ignoring all my inspiration, blaming it on procrastination

I’m gonna write a song again
Don’t care if it’s right or wrong again
You know it’s not a change of pace, and I finally got the space
I’m gonna write a song again
So everybody sing along agin
Not really sure what it’s about
But I know I’ve figured out
That it goes like this

And it goes like this
And it goes like this
and it goes like this
You know it goes like this
It goes like this, yeah
You know that it goes like this

Goes Like This

Music and Lyrics by Ryder Lippman
Guitars, Drum programming, Rhodes, and vocals - Ryder Lippman
Bass - Joey Farber
Piano - Abe Gold

This song was written in May, in the heart of the lockdown, when we were all really feeling it. I was tired of staying at home and wanted to hug my friends. (Little has changed…..) I ended up recording it for a virtual gala done in June by Urban Garage, a local open mic/jam session for teens. Joey Farber and Abe Gold play on this tune,  and absolutely KILL it. Urban garage has been an amazing opportunity for me and other city kids to make music and hang out, and I’m truly indebted to them. https://www.instagram.com/urbangaragenyc/ 

LINK TO MUSIC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-295FWkl-M 

Cover Art by Gaia Di Mitri

LYRICS: 

I was walkin’
Down the street
Then I woke up from that impossible dream
I was talkin’
To my friend
Hah, psych! that’ll never happen till this ends
I know that it’s all for the best you could say I’m immature
I guess I’m just impatient, that’s for sure

Cuz the days all blend together, don’t know how long it’s been
And they say that we’ll reopen but we never know when
And it’s crazy to imagine that it’s ever gone end but
I’ll never ever ever take people for granted again

Now I’m not one
To complain
But all this shit is driving me insane
When I can’t look
At the news
It all just leaves me frightened and confused
Can’t believe there was a time when I just wanted to be alone
Now everything around me is unknown

Cuz the days all blend together, don’t know how long it’s been
And they say that we’ll reopen but we never know when
And it’s crazy to imagine that it’s ever gone end but
I’ll never ever ever take people for granted again

You know you just gotta just gotta power through
You know you just gotta just gotta power through
You know you just gotta just gotta power through
You know you just gotta just gotta power through

You know you just gotta just gotta power through
You know you just gotta just gotta power through
You know you just gotta just gotta power through
You know you just gotta just gotta power through

You know you just gotta just gotta power through
Though it seems like it’s nothing, there’s nothing you can do
While everything’s closing I thought I’d rather be dozing
But this time’s making me question all I thought I knew
And it’s true that we don’t all have to be best of friends
But I hope we can get closer when all this ends
And it’s all getting to me and I cannot pretend 
I don’t miss you aaaaahhhh

Lord I miss ya
More than fresh air
And if the subway’s off the table, oh I’ll walk anywhere
Just to see your
Smilin’ face
Can take me out of all of this dark place (Come on! Come on! Take it out!)

Well the days all blend together, don’t know how long it’s been
And they say that we’ll reopen but we never know when
And it’s crazy to imagine that it’s ever gone end, that it’s ever gone end, that it’s ever gone end, that it’s ever gone end, BUT
I’ll never ever ever take people for granted again

Power through, yeah
You know you just got to power through, yeah yeah
I’ll never ever ever (come on!)
Never ever ever (sing!)
Never ever ever take people for granted again

For Granted

Singer-songwriter-producer-instrumentalist-human from New York City. 

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fgpInBFzbPH2YNUi58ckS?si=Mlgc-FfsStaRJgjC-Z3AdQ 
YouTube channel for other fun things: 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDV-eY6Rr_TZQCDVleXde4g

Ryder Lippman

Popular tracks