Becky pictured here with random co-worker
Click here to listen to all the songs in the holiday edition of Masters Of Song Fu! There is no voting this time around. Everyone is a winner when it's this time of year. Enjoy!
So, a few (okay, more than a few) people have been e-mailing and commenting that it would be nice to know a little more about my songs. Lyrics, subject, etc. So I've decided to do some posts that elaborate on the history and inspiration behind each of my songs.
For this post, I'll start with "Song For Lucy"
I was inspired to write this song when I discovered that Lucy, the little girl my wife and I were adopting (see pic above) wasn't coming home as soon as we thought, due to some red tape. We were pretty devastated. So I turned to the one outlet that I have been using for years... song writing. Only this time my wife convinced me to actually let other people hear it. "It's time to stop hiding behind your "hobby" and express yourself so that others might feel what you are going through." She said. So I put it up on itunes and started this blog. That was 9 months ago and I haven't looked back. Now, I'm recording my first album and things are going quite well. And yes, Lucy is home with us now.
There is no parade
dinners getting cold
your empty bed untouched
nothing to take hold
sitting in the dark
sitting without you
just one question mark
do you miss us too?
And how could I miss someone
I've never known before
And why are you not with us
playing, sleeping, dreaming
And what are you thinking
And do you think of us
And where are you headed
I'm worried, I confess
And when will I see you
And do you even care
And who do you love
Who do you love
Pictures that I have
don't really say a thing
don't really tell a story
just keep us on a string
My tears have all gone dry
just like an empty well
and I just wanna know
is there a way to tell
why it's taking so long
to see your precious face
and why are not with us
God just say I'm dreaming
And what are you thinking
And do you think of us
And where are you headed
I'm worried, I confess
And when will I see you
And do you even care
And who do you love
Lucy where are you
help us to know
Lucy we love you
please come home
Pictures that I have
don't really say a thing
don't really tell a story
just keep us on a string
sitting in the dark
sitting without you
there's just one question mark
What are you thinking
And do you think of us
And where are you headed
I'm worried, I confess
And when will I see you
And do you even care
And who do you look like
And how long is your hair
And where is my baby
And how do I go on
And why can't I see you
My hope is almost gone
And baby I love you
But do you even care
And who do you love
Who do you love
_
...to write Christmas music. And what better way to celebrate the holidays than to compete in a songwriting competition. This special holiday edition of Masters of Song Fu is a one off. One song to win it all. Wish me luck... i'm gonna need it.
Six years ago today, I married my best friend. At the reception, I borrowed the bands acoustic guitar and played a song for my wife. Here is the original song written and performed by Jim Boggia. Happy anniversary baby. I love you.
That, For me, Is You
Apparently my music ability (or lack thereof) runs in the family. I thought people would enjoy my four year old's rendition of "Mandy". I sure did...
Another long commute in the car with nothing but a FourTrack recorder in my hand and the upcoming holiday on my mind. The following is what I did today while driving and thinking about how thankful I am for my muse (my wife) and about how distressful our economic situation is here in the U.S.A.
Enjoy!
You know, people often ask, "Jeff? What's it like to be a songwriter?"
It's a difficult question to answer. Luckily, I found a video that pretty much sums it up. I hope this helps give you some insight into what we songwriters go through. Enjoy.
So this morning I went to the Apps Store on my iphone, downloaded an app called FourTrack and proceeded to test it. The following mp3 is what I created... Did I forget to mention that I did all this on my drive to work! It took me about 15 minutes from download to final mp3. This application is awesome. I suggest anyone who is into audio or songwriting to pick up this little gem. It's a really great find.
For everyone imagining that I was swerving from lane to lane trying to type on my smart phone... It should be noted that I didn't do this in moving traffic. Most of it was done sitting still in bumper to bumper traffic on an LA freeway. Safety first.
FourTrack
Want to hear more songs from "The FourTrack Sessions"? Then head over here.
_
Some of you may have noticed that things have been a bit quiet around here lately. I just thought I would do a quick post to let everyone know that I am still here and that things are going to get "not so quiet" very soon. Over the last month I have adopted a beautiful little girl, started a new day job, and have been wrestling with my computer, which decided it was done. I am happy to say that I just got my computer back (after a few weeks of being cut off from the online world) and now it is a very happy machine, ready to do my bidding. So... stay tuned as I take over the world get back on track with more music.
_
... okay, don't really call me. But hear me when someone else calls by getting your own ringtones!
You can find the link to my ringtones over on the right. Enjoy!
-
The Good News:
I am currently in Taiwan waiting to meet my new daughter, Lucy. In less than 24 hours we will pick her up and start the final steps of the adoption process. And by Friday, we will be on our way home with our new little girl! I can't really explain in words just how exciting this is. Those of you who have adopted or had children know what I mean. You can read more about our journey to Lucy here.
The Bad News:
I was hoping that before I got on a plane to Taiwan, the next challenge of the Masters of Song Fu would have been posted and I could knock something out. Alas, I got off a plane half way around the world to discover the new challenge and it's due date... (the day I get home). I have no musical instruments with me, no recording equipment, and no time. And frankly, even if I did happen to have a guitar and a mic, there is no way I would lock myself away to record music during the first days of meeting my new little girl. So... I must withdraw myself from the latest installment of MoSF.
I plan to enter MoSF #3 when the time comes and I also have some other projects in the works, so please keep checking back. Good luck to the remaining challengers (and masters). May the best Fu win!
It's that time again. I have entered the Masters Of Song Fu #2 competition and the first round has begun. Please take a second to go and listen to some new music and cast your vote. Thanks for listening!
The second installment of Masters Of Song Fu has begun and once again, I am attempting to earn the title of "Master". If victorious, I would join the ranks of other masters including Jonathan Coulton. This first challenge is really a simple one: Write a song about the moon. That's it. The song must be delivered by Wednesday the 20th so I better get to work.
So, today I got an e-mail from a vendor telling me that I need to get my stuff on Napster. That if I didn't, it was like throwing money away. Needless to say, I'm a little skeptical. I was wondering what everyone else thought. I haven't even glanced at Napster since it was a legitimate, illegitimate service. What about you? Do you or anyone you know use Napster to buy your music?
_
... I am starting to go through my closet and dig out some old demos. This one is something I wrote trying to capture that retro vibe (ala "That Thing You Do"). My buddy, Craig (Mazin) had just put a recording studio into his house and we were breaking it in. Craig handled all the drums and percussion, I played the rest and Scott (Tomlinson) sang the lead. C and myself sang the backups. Sick and Tired was recorded around '99-2000. It's over on the right. Enjoy!
_
So, a lot has gone on since my last post. I've lost in the finals of the Masters Of Song Fu competition. Although, I got 44% of the vote (which is really more than I expected going up against Jonathan Coulton), I'm definitely happy with the outcome and I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote for me. Turns out, the Masters of Song Fu #2 starts on August 5th--I am going to take another run at the title, so keep on listening!
In other news, I am currently working on several songs... some for an EP I will be releasing soon. Also (after being inspired by the Song Fu contest) I'm toying with the idea of having fans (all three) enter to be the subject and inspiration of a new song...the song would be dedicated to the winner (and of course get a free copy of whichever album it ends up on) It would be something I would do on a regular basis (ala JoCo's Thing A Week) and all ideas are absolutely welcome.
Regarding my Almost Live Request Thursdays... I've had to put that on hold as trying to learn new cover songs just takes up time that I could be recording new material. I will, however, be shooting videos of live versions of some of my new songs, so check back soon!
_
It's the moment you've all been waiting for! The two songs for the final round have been posted and it is time to vote. Here's the thing... I'm not going to ask you to vote for me. I want you to go and vote for your favorite. Jonathan Coulton did an amazing song and if you like that one better then you should vote for it. The point is to go and enjoy some new music. You won't be disappointed. And thanks again for listening!
_
Here it is. The final challenge in the Song Fu Songwriting Contest. I am both excited and terrified by this challenge and once you read this, you may understand why. Wish me luck. (i'm gonna need it)
The Challenge:
THE REIMAGINING (aka THE RECKONING): For this final duel between Master and Challenger, we’re going to combine a little bit of all the previous challenges. For this ultimate show of skill, adaptability, and personality, you will be given a preexisting song. Your task is to completely reimagine that song with your own lyrics and music - while retaining the same basic story and at least some sonic “cue” or “quote” from the original tune (a short phrase or series of chord changes; the key word here is “brief”). THIS IS NOT A COVER - you are crafting something more akin to an homage, but with your own creative voice. Here is the song you’ll be reimagining:
You will be judged on how closely your reimagining hits the basic “story points” - spaceman goes up, spaceman talks with control, spaceman goes for a walk, spaceman disappears - but beyond that, anything goes.
The song must be at least 1min 45sec, and must be an original creation.
The deadline for delivery of the song is 11:59pm EST on THURSDAY, JULY 24th.
So there you go. I will have my nose to the fretboard soon. Thanks for listening!
_
I just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone that went and voted for me in the Song Fu songwriting contest. I couldn't have made it through without you. I'm in the finals! Which basically means I'm going up against Jonathan Coulton, head to head. I don't know what the final challenge will be but I will update everyone once I know. Thanks again and wish me luck.
_
...for me! The songs have been submitted and the voting has begun for round two of the Song Fu Songwriting Contest. You can go here to listen and vote for your favorite song. Thanks again to everyone who voted for me last round. Lets hope I can make it through this one. The winner of this round goes head to head with a "Master". Either Jonathon Coulton or Paul and Storm, depending on who wins the masters challenge. VOTE! (please) Thanks!
So, here are the rules for the second challenge in the Song Fu songwriting contest:
Here’s where we step things up a notch. Your challenge is to write a song that utilizes a repeating syllable (ex: la, na, doo, etc.). The syllable must repeat at least 5 times in a row (ex: la la la la la). The resulting “repeated syllable” phrase can appear anywhere in your song, but must be repeated in full at least 3 times within the song. Also, this challenge includes a thematic element. Your song must feature a conflict between two (2) elements, provided below. You must choose one (1) element from COLUMN A and one (1) element from COLUMN B.
COLUMN A
—————
Santa Claus
Miami Dolphins
Stephen Hawking
A Beach Towel
High School Physics
Albania
The Color Orange
A Toothpick Factory
Marc Singer
Hydroponics
———————————————————————–
COLUMN B
—————
Dracula
Linux
Pudding
Coupons
Scabies
Cosplayers
Your Kindergarten Teacher (must be named)
Albert Camus
Non-Alcoholic Lager
Doc Hammer
Your song must be at least 1m45s in length. Finally, your song must be an ORIGINAL CREATION, both music and lyrics, and can not utilize or sample a preexisting work. All songs are due no later than 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, July 1st. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding details of the challenge, please drop us a line and ask.
I think I have figured out what I'm going to do. Let's hope it sounds as good recorded as it does in my head. Gonna start trying to work it out tonight. Wish me luck!
_So, some of you have been asking - what's up? where did you go?
I'm still here. Last week I had some equipment problems and dental issues. This week, I have a bad head cold and when I sing it sounds like I have a balloon over my head. Next thursday I will be back with two (thats right, two) songs for A.L.R.T.
In the meantime, please enjoy this old post of a Kinks cover.
_
First off, I want to thank everyone who went and voted for me. I couldn't have made it to round two without you. Really. I couldn't.
There was a lot of talk about how certain contestants weren't playing fair. Did parodies instead of wrote songs from scratch and that maybe they shouldn't be aloud to continue. I was one of those mentioned. Here's the thing...
I agree.
Don't get me wrong. I am very happy to be continuing on this adventure and eager to put up some serious mojo to prove that I'm not a Weird Al clone. But after reflecting on the whole thing, I wish I had gone a different route. I was feeling guilty about (potentially) knocking out a great song (Cloakie, I'm looking at you). To the credit of the Judges, they have come up with a very fair solution. Click here to read more about that.
Thank you again for your votes and for listening. I'm looking forward to making you a proud supporter of me for the next round.
Okay, maybe I should just make it "Almost Live Request Fridays" since I can't seem to get my act together and actually post on Thursdays... but then I would probably start posting on Saturdays, so I guess I should just try a little harder.
This week I got a lot more requests. I even got two of songs I had never heard before. One of which is a Richard Thompson song. Beautiful. Still trying to get that one on it's feet so look for it in the coming weeks.
This week I went for a Crowded House request, Four Seasons In One Day. Enjoy.
(as much as I don't mind e-mails for requests, it's simpler for me if you request in the comments section. Thanks!)
I know, I know. It was Thursday yesterday. Life's bin a bit crazy and I let the day get past me.
This week I got a few requests for Radiohead, but no specific titles. So, I just thought I would play one of my favorites. Enjoy!
(and don't forget to request in the comments section)
Here is my submission to "Song Fu" for week one. Let's hope I make it to week two. Wanna know more? Click here.
Listen to it here:
Here it is... the first video for a requested song. I will do this every Thursday until I can't take it anymore (or people beg me to stop because they are just too embarrassed for me).
The first request comes from my beautiful wife, Jackie. A live version of Song For Lucy. Thanks for watching and remember to put in a request for next Thursday in the comments section.
I have been selected to compete in a new song writing competition! Masters Of Song Fu! Myself and 19 other "challengers" have been selected to go head to head with JoCo and some others in a series of songwriting challenges (if you know who Jonathan Coulton is without having to consult Google or Wikipedia, then welcome to my site fellow music nerd). I will keep everyone updated on my progress (or lack thereof). You can click here for more details. Bring it!
So here's the deal...
In an effort to A) blog more often, and B) play music so that people can listen to more than just the one song that I put out (so far), I have decided to take requests. Every Thursday I will choose a song and play it "almost live" and post the video on the blog for everyone to enjoy (and/or make fun of). Just make a request via the comments section or e-mail me. No request is too obscure or crazy. So what are you waiting for? Let me know what you want to hear!
I have been so busy recording that I haven't posted anything... so here I am... posting.
And you? How have you been?
oh my... look at the time. Gotta get back to making some music.
Bye!
My new obsession is trolling Youtube for artists I like singing in the bathroom (or some other intimate setting).
Here are some examples:
Mike Viola (voice of "That Thing You Do")
Bare Naked Ladies
Sometimes this kind of thing is more amazing and inspiring than a concert or a really well produced recording. What do you think? Do you enjoy this sort of thing as much as I do? or are you just thinking about how "germy" everything is.
So....
There's a lot going on right now. My wife is planning a trip to Taiwan to visit our daughter. The adoption is taking forever and we simply can't wait any longer to see her. You can read more about that here.
On the music front, I am writing and recording an EP which should be available soon. I am debating whether to include "Song For Lucy" on it. It's already on itunes as a single. Anyone have any thoughts?
Who knew there was so much work in just attempting to do music for a living. I feel like I am opening a Subway franchise.
Anyway... I will keep everyone updated as things unfold.
Thanks for listening!
Here's a little video I did a while back while testing my new webcam. My attempt to rock out an old Kinks classic, Waterloo Sunset.
For more on Lucy's adoption from Taiwan, click here.
Welcome to my music page. Here you can listen to all of my music. Want to buy a CD, download or t-shirt? Then head over to The Store. Thanks for listening!
Albums:
New album coming soon!
Singles:
Song For Lucy
Quickstopentertainment.com's Masters of Song Fu:
Jeff MacDougall Dot Com - FREE!
A Brief History Of Pudding
High
At The Moon
Becky The Office Party Drunk Girl - FREE!
The Bop Bop Song
Free Love
Nerdy Cougar
It All Makes Sense At The End
Demos:
Sick and Tired
The FourTrack Sessions: ALWAYS FREE!
4Track
Happier
Want to purchase downloads, CD's or Merchandise? Click here to go to my store!
 |
All work by Jeff MacDougall is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Based on work at www.jeffmacdougall.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.jeffmacdougall.com.
