The Sneaky Mister

JOYCE is Here.

2011-06-11T14:01:00.001-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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Joyce by The Sneaky Mister

Song of the Day #48: "Sexy"

2011-06-09T21:26:00.000-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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For once, a song about liking yourself.

Please Do Not Climb on the Tree

2011-05-07T17:51:00.002-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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Working in an office, I'm very familiar with websites like The Customer Is Not Always Right and PassiveAggressiveNotes.com. I saw this gem on the latter, and as the poster suggested it, obviously I needed to write this song.

I then sent it to PassiveAggressiveNotes.com, and they happily put it under the original post. Thank god.

Song of the Day #47: "Wasted"

2011-05-01T10:32:00.001-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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Was not actually wasted. Am not actually this sad.

Easter Is for Covers!

2011-04-24T22:42:00.003-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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Of awesome songs that remind me of spring, of course.

Modest Mouse:

The Shins:

Magnetic Fields:

Iron & Wine:

Poe:

Song of the Day #46: Carey

2011-04-23T12:27:00.001-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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Another one.

Lyrics:
My world is round on the outside
But your world is round on the inside
And my world has trains and buildings and people
And your world has blood worms and glass

I go to parties and concerts
And restaurants and bars and the ocean
And earn myself money and learn things but you
Don't go to work and you don't go to class

Carey, I can't tell if you like me

Song of the Day #45: Bullshit

2011-04-23T09:57:00.002-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
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Hey guys. Hey. Hey. I think this is gonna start happening again, starting today.

Lyrics:
You're not the first to do me once
Then only wanna be my friend
And every time, I feel like crap
And have to start from scratch again
So then I try to problem-solve
And find and fix what's wrong with me
There's awful lots that I can see
It might be every part of me

So next I try pretending to
Be into doing people who
I wouldn't want to talk much to
And don't like the same things I do
But I'd be lying if I said
That bullshit doesn't make me sad
It doesn't matter who I do 'cause
In the end I'll end up feeling bad

General News

2011-04-22T14:27:00.002-04:00

Go here for gigs and music.
::

Joyce, Part 2 of the new release, is half done and should be about three-quarters done by the end of this weekend.

Also, I have a boyfriend. He's a Betta fish. His name is Carey. He's pink. He loves me. Some time there'll be pictures.

Weird (EP) Is Here

2011-03-13T21:19:00.004-04:00

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The EP Weird, which is Part 1 of a two-part project (Part 2 to be released a little later this spring), is here.

Gig Calendar -- POSTDATED

2011-02-15T11:05:00.003-05:00

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The gig calendar is now on Bandcamp. Take a look.

Non-Live Videos: NSFW

2011-01-02T09:36:00.003-05:00

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And here are some more videos. Careful, these are NOT safe for work--especially #2.

Live Videos!

2011-01-02T09:33:00.003-05:00

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Hi guys, sorry sorry sorry sorry, I stepped out for some fresh air and got abducted and went on this three-month adventure, and it's a long story. Anyway, here are some videos!

Official Kickstarter Launch: PRETTY

2010-12-01T11:43:00.000-05:00

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Well I got off my butt and did it: I applied for a Kickstarter project page to help release upcoming album PRETTY. 'Cause I've been promising an album for forever and haven't been able to afford to make a nice one.

The pledge system is set up as a preorder. So if you want to preorder just the vinyl album, you can pledge $15. IF (this is a big "if") I make enough to actually press it, the $15 transaction happens on December 1st. If I DON'T, it never happens; the $15 stays in yer pocky. There is no way money can come to me without you getting something in return. It's a pretty neat system for everybody.

Song of the Day #44: "Sickie"

2010-08-09T16:25:00.007-04:00

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Today was my third day with this horrendous cold, so I stayed home from work and caught up on sleep lost being unable to breathe, and once I was able to get out of bed I wrote a new song, and then made a ton of videos.

44. Sickie
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
When I stay home sick
With a cold I
Drink soup like my
Mother told me
To and even
Though I'm older
Now I put a
Record on and
Lie pretending
I am in the
Sky and that my
Bed is like a
Cloud and when I
Play pretend I'm
Louder than I
Ought to be 'cause
Now I'm all grown
Up you see and
Also have a cold

The Sneaky Mister: "Sickie"

The Sneaky Mister: "Sleep"

The Sneaky Mister: "Pavilion"

The Sneaky Mister: "Dog"

The Sneaky Mister: "Friend"

Goings-On

2010-07-28T07:15:00.007-04:00

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I'm writing this sitting on the train.

So a couple weeks back you may remember the video for "Time," which was mysteriously getting a lot of views on YouTube, and I finally figured out it was 'cause some lovely person had embedded it on this blog (second video down). The blog by the way, Ukulele Hunt, is freaking awesome.

In life, right now, I commute every day and like my job, live with approximately three people in a sweet old house, and have a lot. Of shit. Going on. Recently finished filming a short in which I play the uke, and getting paid a little bit for the use of a couple songs in that; painting a window for a consignment shop on Cabot called Elite Design & Consign; swimming in the ocean. You know. More to come.

Covers Week!

2010-07-22T18:58:00.003-04:00

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I love doing pop covers. Don't judge. (The Pinback one isn't a pop cover, anyway; they're, like, some kind of awesome indie rock band.)

"Umbrella" by Rihanna

"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga

"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga

"June" by Pinback

These were videotaped in my living room. The background tiger's name is Ethan Berry, after one of my old professors.

Song of the Day #43: "Mom"

2010-07-03T22:40:00.004-04:00

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My mom is awesome. I'm one of the few people I know who really enjoyed living with my parents after graduation. Now that's all over, and I'm back in Beverly where I belong, and I'm not ashamed to say I miss my mom.

43. Mom
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Lyrics
Mom, I owe you so much money
And you still like me, that's so funny
Other mothers get so angry
But you understand me better than anybody

Song of the Day #42: "Time"

2010-06-26T15:43:00.003-04:00

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Here is a video of a song called "Time." It's about 3 or 4 different people, some of whom are girls. Pronouns are stupid.

42. Time
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Lyrics
My friend sings to me
When it's wake-up time
And I sing to him
When we make up time, time

How many songs do we
Sing so desperately
Trying hard to mend our friendship
He and I are loathe to end it

White Room with Fast Molasses

2010-03-29T02:17:00.002-04:00

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I've been going over to my neighbor Christopher's house to play cello a lot lately. A couple nights ago his buddy S.wee came over from ...Pittsburgh? and I brought the cello, and we played some sweet shit, and recorded it, and here it is.

We were in a completely white room in the attic with a really lovely window. The house is pretty old.

Guess you could tag this as Fast Molasses and the Flavored Blacks featuring The Sneaky Mister, or the other way around, as you see fit.

1. Spring (Song of the Day #40)
Vox and cello: me
Guitars: Christopher and S.wee

2. Wayfarin' Stranger -- actual song doesn't start 'til almost halfway through
Vox and cello: me
Guitars: Christopher and S.wee

3. Unknown (Savannah)
Vox and guitar: S.wee
Cello and vox: me
Guitar: Christopher

4. Helplessly Hoping (Crosby, Stills and Nash)
Vox and guitar: me
Awesome harmonica: Christopher
Guitar: S.wee

About Song a Day Hiatus

2010-03-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

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Hi, maybe you noticed that Song a Day kicked back up and then stopped--I have legit reasons for this. I'm working on all three albums (details in last post), getting ready for a veritable wave of shows with the Sneaky Mister Friends, slowly preparing the new website, and trying to stay sane while working full-time. I love Song a Day, though, and plan on starting it up again as soon as I have a moment to breathe. This will likely be when the new site is done.

Awesome.

About Upcoming Albums

2010-03-20T23:04:00.002-04:00

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Yes, albumS.

Is This a Thing? has a tentative release schedule of June. All of the songs are mostly recorded; I have to redo some parts, and get them to Pete to mix and master, then send them out for pressing and get super-cool custom CD sleeves done before they arrive so I can stuff them.

Small Strange World is an EP and has a tentative release schedule of July. I'm working on it almost simultaneously. It is highly spring/summer themed. It may or may not be a physical release.

Pretty doesn't even have a tentative release schedule, but it has a very strong concept, and some songs already. More on that later.

Song of the Day #41: "Weird"

2010-03-13T16:13:00.002-05:00

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Last weekend after our second show, I had nowhere to stay and was just gonna drive back to Akron at about 2 in the morning (which means I'd get there at 4, and I had work the next day), and then this kid Isaac made friends with me and I ended up sleeping on his buddy Charles's floor.

This happens to me a lot. I have a bad habit of not finding places to stay when I'm traveling, and then ending up meeting people who offer to let me sleep on their floor/couch/in their bed. That was how we got along in Scotland.

So I wrote this song.

41. Weird
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Life is weird
And it's a small, strange world

When I travel, I don't know where I'll sleep at night
And so far I haven't been stranded under a streetlight
I love people, and making brand-new friends at 2 a.m.
What, me worry, when I found mutual friends with them

Song of the Day #40: "Spring"

2010-03-08T12:47:00.003-05:00

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Man, you don't know how ecstatic I am. It's not like I have seasonal depression or anything; but when spring comes, MAN.

Okay, so this song uses a form that's very common. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but there are a ton of popular songs that use this progression/similar melody. I use it here because it gets the job done. It's an ecstatic melody.

40. Spring
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Spring reminds me of when I was sixteen
And I didn't worry about anything
And I had these friends, we'd go to the park
And swing in the day, and catch frogs after dark

So I'm scared to die because it's clear to me
There's no point to anything that I can see
But spring has a point that I just can't define
Besides: lying outside, I know everything's fine

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-07T14:17:00.003-05:00

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...The grass is riz, I wonder where the boidies is?

Friday, yesterday and today have been totally gorgeous, and my friends Noah and Noah and I had a picnic in Whetstone Park of Roses, and I was going to write a song and make a video in the park, but I was too jumpy so didn't.

Anyway, here is a picture:

It was drawn by a graphic designer dude named Ron Horsley at our second show this weekend, for "Fox," which is about The Little Prince (inspired by the awful music in the '70s movie version, with Gene Wilder as the fox and Bob Fosse as the snake).

I forgot my video camera and so didn't get anybody to record the show. Bummer. But we have another one in Columbus on April 10th, at Cafe Bourbon Street, with possible TWO CELLOS, and that time I won't forget.

Demo and Shows!

2010-03-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

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Shows:

2 April -- FULL BAND
The Overlook: 2351 N. 4th St. (house show), Columbus Ohio
9 p.m. $5 (goes towards Afghanistan Relief Organization)
with Johnny Workman, Trains Across the Sea and Saintseneca

10 April -- FULL BAND
Cafe Bourbon Street: 2216 Summit St. Columbus Ohio
9 p.m. cover TBA
with The Metagame and Black Love

7 May -- FULL BAND PROBABLY?
The Treehouse: 887 Chambers Rd. Columbus Ohio
9ish. cover TBA
with Jonathan Hape

15 May -- SOLO
Goodbye Blue Monday: 1087 Broadway, Brooklyn NY
8 p.m. FREE
with Deborah Says Play, Liana Stillman, Land of Dreams

DEMO:

1. Stupid
2. Ocean (not official track)
3. Gone
4. Again

RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS!

...And Video of "Plain" with Casio Beat

2010-03-02T00:46:00.000-05:00

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Lo.

Video of "Friend" with Casio beat

2010-03-01T14:59:00.001-05:00

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La!

Videos of "Rule," Both Versions

2010-02-27T13:02:00.006-05:00

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Hey, so there are actually two versions of "Rule": the ukulele version, which is in a minor; and the piano version, which is in a-flat minor and has a huge modulation to c minor in the chorus. The chords throughout are somewhat different as well.

Since I got the Casio I've been practicing it mostly on ukulele with the Casio rock beat in the background--a 4/4 beat, and then the 3/4 ukulele part over it (there'll be video of that too, soon).

P.S. I just re-inherited a Fender practice amp I bought with Forest, which makes the solo live arrangement complete for larger spaces. And in under an hour I'm practicing for the two shows next weekend with an awesome group of old buddies: Chris Caputo on drums, Noah Davis on guitar, and a crazy combination of Bo Riley and Kris Oprisch on bass (actually, they're just each playing one of the shows, not that interesting). Bo also may be sitting in with baritone ukulele on "Plain," which will be an adventure.

ALSO, for those of you who live in the New York area, I'm playing solo at Goodbye Blue Monday in Brooklyn on May 15th with Liana Stillman, Land of Dreams (Ben Richter), and Deborah Says Play from the Netherlands. Check it outz0r.

Song of the Day #39: "Things"

2010-02-26T01:21:00.003-05:00

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We have a song called "Thing," but it used to be called "Same," until there was another song called "Same," but that song was written by Forest so now "Thing" is going back to being "Same" and this song is called "Things."

I guess it would help if I didn't insist on giving all my songs one-word names, but I hate naming things--songs, paintings, everything, I'm just bad at it--and picking words out of the lyrics is just easier. Plus I've been doing it for months, I can't stop now.

39. Things
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I have things in my room
That I bought with my money
That I want you to see
And you'll laugh, 'cause I'm funny
And I'll show what they do
And be saucy and sexy
And you'll like me so bad
Because I've got the prettiest things
And we'll do it on the carpet
Surrounded by all of my things

Substitute for Song a Day

2010-02-24T13:45:00.002-05:00

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Today will be my day off from songwriting. Instead, I'm gonna go political on everyone's ass (everyone, like the 2 people who read this).

Today I saw this, writ by an old buddy, in my news feed on Facebook:

let me make this simple for you: if I can see your ribs, you are too fucking skinny. If you take up two seats at a plane, you are too fucking fat. Find a goddamn medium you are happy with, and you've found healthy. Jesus tap-dancing christ, is it REALLY that difficult to understand?

Now, being a person whose ribs have been pretty clearly visible my entire life, this person was obviously telling me as well as anyone else with my body type that I am unhealthy.

I also happened to read this almost immediately after eating an egg sandwich with cheese and ketchup, with a good handful of Whoppers for dessert (left over from my stay-at-home movie night). And in fact, not two days ago, a woman in the break room at work watched me eat my lunch and commented, "How can you eat all that and still have that figure?"

Well, because as my personal experience not to mention years of medical studies have indicated, it's not so much what you eat that makes you fat or thin, or even the amount or type of exercise you get, necessarily. It's Who You Are.

I can't stand skinny-hating because it applies to me; and I can't stand fat-hating because although I've never been fat, I eat what I like and don't see why I should be allowed and other people shouldn't because when they eat what they like, they happen to get fat. Not to mention that I've known countless fat people who did NOT eat what they liked, but were constantly dieting, and were still fat. Because it's Who They Are.

And instead of yelling at fat/skinny people to Be More Like "Us" and Find a Medium, why don't people just shut up and stop paying more attention to other people's bodies than they do to fucking anything else in the world? IT'S NOT YOUR BODY. It's not your BUSINESS. You have no RIGHT to judge people, no matter why they are fat or thin.

Song of the Day #38: "Wrong"

2010-02-24T00:29:00.004-05:00

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And another judgmental song, because who doesn't love judgmental songs? This one's secretly political, though; it has less to do with taste and more to do with how I don't understand why people (including women) enjoy entertainment that degrades women. See: all reality TV show.

Meanwhile my mom gave me a typewriter today. It's old and really dusty and a friend of hers had it lying around, but it works, and now it's mine.

Another thing: since I got that amazing Casiotone CT-102 (whom I named Elvis), I've been working on my portable solo performance, which so far includes the Casio rock-and-roll beat, the organ sound, and my ukulele. I'm going to make a case for the keyboard, with a strap, and then I'll be able to take it on the bus, which means playing shows in places that don't have pianos.

38. Wrong
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
How can you enjoy those movies
How can you enjoy that song
Can't you see you're watching garbage
It's wrong
You're doing it wrong

Song of the Day #37: "Go"

2010-02-22T15:04:00.002-05:00

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I don't even know what this is about, I just know that I had to leave for work in 45 minutes when I started writing it...and now I have to leave for work in 25 minutes.

37. Go
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Baby, I've got to be somewhere at
Seven o'clock but you don't care
What's doing?

I couldn't say how many times you've
Broken the screen door, hit the wind chimes
Darling

I've got to go

Song of the Day #36: "Swing"

2010-02-21T15:15:00.002-05:00

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I just bought this '80s Casiotone CT-102 from a couple who'd advertised it on Craigslist. Casiochord is amazing.

36. Swing
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
With easy swings, my toes touch your back pockets and you turn and grab my heel
You skinned my knee, I sit and lick the blood that's dripping down my shin
I feel like holding your shoulders and kissing your nose

Song of the Day #35: "Winter"

2010-02-20T12:43:00.002-05:00

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I have cabin fever. But it's almost March! And March is usually when we get our first day of 60-or-above weather, and after four or five months of frigid tundra-like conditions I usually celebrate by running around barefoot in a long, flowy skirt and eating picnics all over the place. Can't wait.

35. Winter
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Lyrics
Fuck winter
Got a longing for springtime
Gotta get to the ocean
Sun, sky, sand
And a folk band

Fuck snowstorms
Precipitation needs thunder
And a porch to get under
Mint sun tea
Come on, make me
Smile

Also note, I finally bought the domain sneakymister.com and am working on a new WordPress site so this blog'll be migrating over there pretty soon. Also, I fixed all the Song a Day links, so everything is downloadable again.

Song of the Day #34: "Try"

2010-02-19T23:35:00.004-05:00

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This song is selfish and judgmental as shit; but you know you feel the same about some folks, don't lie. I've had a few different jobs that have made me feel this way. The first was when I was canvassing for mandatory paid sick leave in Columbus. I can't count the number of upper-middle-class white polo-shirted folks who whined, "Well if we give them sick days they'll just take advantage," because of course low-wage workers are all slackers, but you, you with your salary and therefore technically unlimited sick leave, who wouldn't trust you?

And the second is my current job, where I have to listen hour after hour, day after day, to more upper-middle-class white polo-shirted folks (these ones from Orange County, even better) who believe that if you yell loud enough, you will get what you want, even if what you want is literally impossible.

Anyway...

34. Try
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Lyrics
Weddings are stupid
Your children are stupid
I can't try

Private schools -- stupid
Social skills -- stupid
I can't try to like you

Growing old -- stupid
Staying young -- stupid
I can't try to like you

Song of the Day #33: "Happy"

2010-02-19T18:28:00.004-05:00

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Other people must feel like this. Also, I'm going to do another song for today really quick soon.

33. Happy
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I shouldn't feel happy at all, but I do
Well how can I help myself at all when I do

Pre-Song a Day Gibberish

2010-02-18T17:40:00.003-05:00

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I was working on a song for today called "Happy," and pretty much finished it before deciding the vocals sucked, so I'm gonna have to redo it tomorrow, but promise I'll put up two to make up for it. This is, obviously, very important, but only to me.

Meanwhile as I'm at work I want to brag about my computer.

The computer's temporary name is Mac. I think I've felt too awed lately to give it a real name. Suggestions are very welcome. It's a 13" Macbook Pro with 4G of RAM, and I put Final Cut Pro and Ableton Live on it, and also this really cute handy software for keeping track of my bills, and a dashboard widget that shows you going down a rollercoaster, and--

Anyway what this means is that Song a Day is going to generally get less lo-fi, and also I'm going to start making videos for everything.

My goal since I got re-employed has been building my studio, which is an exciting continuous task and should be done in just another month or two. And it's SO exciting that I'm going to share.

Stuff I need:

serger (a heavy-duty sewing machine, which does that multi-thread work you see on clothes you buy at the store)

dynamic and condenser microphones

shelves...holy god, I need shelves

speakers, because I seriously don't have and never have had speakers, just headphones

block press (super easy lo-tech press for making prints with soft linoleum blocks)

Polaroid film for the Polaroid camera I got for $3 at a secondhand store

a typewriter

Stuff I've managed to acquire:

mixer/DI box, mostly for live use; and I just ordered a tiny Behringer mixer for studio use

this MIDI keyboard, which I haven't used to its full capabilities at all, yet

a pretty cheap commercial HD camera and tripod

a typewriter...yeah, that's on the above list too 'cause the one I got from the thrift store didn't work. And I spent $50 to learn it was a lost cause

a dressform, red, named Miss Blossom (bonus points if you get the literary reference)

Which is all very lovely, and I'm definitely looking forward to moving it all to Boston in the fall. Which is sarcasm. But also not, because I love having the stuff I need to do the stuff I love, and I'm also going to love being in Boston. So.

Song of the Day #32: "Fan"

2010-02-17T13:51:00.003-05:00

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Inspired by the magic of Facebook, and all the bands I've loved 'til they made me throw up.

32. Fan
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I became a fan of you
I bought everything you made
And I listened to your songs over and over until I hated them
Then I played them on piano
And I played them on guitar
'Til I couldn't write any songs of my own anymore
Anymore

Big Changes

2010-02-17T00:52:00.006-05:00

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Hi everybody who don't read this, sorry, for awhile The Sneaky Mister got kinda hijacked by the band The Alphabet, which recently dissolved. Now thankfully Tha Mister is back in business, re-bequeathed with all its original songs, about to do its first live performances and release its first album, Is This a Thing? by June (hopefully; it's practically all recorded, but you should SEE my to-do list; it's in outline format, with sub-lists and everything).

"Song-a-Day" shall recommence beginning tomorrow. It's almost 1 a.m. and I can't play the pianee when everybody is a-sleeping.

If you're in the Columbus, Ohio area at the beginning of March, check me out on the 5th at Circus on High Street with Couch Forts (you can't not love a band called Couch Forts) for $5, and on the 6th with Jonathan Hape at Carabar for free.

Meanwhile here is a video I made:

Song of the Day #31: "Change"

2009-11-09T01:36:00.004-05:00

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About this song: sometimes you meet up with someone from 10th grade and realize you are now completely incompatible. Also sometimes you don't see someone for a mere six months and you've transformed into totally different people.

31. Change
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Lyrics
In January I was full of it
I couldn't start to tell you what went on between then and July
We passed each other down the Quartermile
I don't know what went on while I was gone between then and July
Gone from my body, gone from my mind

We've changed, we've changed
So how can we be friends anymore?

In January you were insecure
I couldn't start to tell you what went on between then and July
We passed each other by the One-Stop store
I don't know what went on while I was gone between then and July
Gone from my body, gone from my mind

We've changed, we've changed
So how can we be friends anymore?

Song of the Day #30: "Gone v2"

2009-10-03T00:19:00.004-04:00

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I wrote a second verse and wanted to rerecord this, but my parents are sleeping and even if they weren't, there just aren't any instruments in the house that would make the sounds I wanted them to make. So I used my voice, and it was pretty cool.

I've been practicing the cello a lot. There's a pizzicato cello part now for "Friend," which means once I get my license renewed and can drive the cello to Columbus, there could be an all-string version of said song.

30. Gone v2
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I like movies and I like parties
When I do stuff around you I get happy
But I don't wanna ask you over
And I don't wanna show up 'cause you might be
Gone
Or with your girlfriend

When I'm lonely I get frustrated
Why do things have to be so complicated
'Cause I do wanna ask you over
And I just wanna show up but you might be
Gone
Or with your girlfriend

Song of the Day #29: "Pixie"

2009-09-10T21:19:00.003-04:00

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And to top it off, an actual brand-new song from scratch.

29. Pixie
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I'm not your manic
I'm not your manic pixie lover
You're not my brooding stubbly boy
I cannot save you from your sadness
I'm sad too, sometimes, like now, because
I'm not you're muse, I am a person
I've had a name since I was born
Yes I am having fun, but remember that I'm
Leaving in the morning

I'm not your manic pixie lover

Will you believe me when I tell you
I think you're cutest when you smile
So keep on smiling through tomorrow
When I'm no longer there to hold your head
I'm not your manic pixie lover
You're not my brooding stubbly boy
I'm having lots of fun, but remember
That I'm leaving in the morning

I'm not your manic pixie lover
I'm not your manic

Songs of the Day #25-28: 3 Rewrites and a Cover

2009-09-10T11:08:00.003-04:00

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I haven't recorded a cover in forEVER. I was listening to a lot of Bjork on the train. Just got Homogenic and it's seriously blowing my mind. So.

25. Unravel by Bjork
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics (at times deviate moderately from her originals, mostly because I wasn't paying attention)
When you are away,
My heart comes undone
Slowly unraveled
In a ball of yarn
The devil collects it
With a grin
Our love,
In a ball of yarn
He'll never return it,
And when you come back,
We'll have to make new love

26. Worried v2
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Lyrics
What'll I do without friends who have cars, or a phone, or a job, or a deadline
What'll I do without you and your dinners, and homework, and your house, and mine
What if I lose all my money, and somebody steals all my stuff and I'm starving
Will you come get me and let me freeload on your couch and support me and feed me
And find me a job
'Cause I'm sort of scared
I'm a little bit worried
I'll die before I've seen anything

If I could live on the sand by the sea, I would do it, I'd live there forever
If I could live in a house in a tree, I'd live there forever and ever
But somebody owns all the treetops, and somebody owns all the sand and the ocean
So if you come get me and let me freeload on your couch and support me and feed me
And find me a job
'Cause I'm sort of scared
I'm a little bit worried
I'll die before I've seen anything
Anything

27. Pavilion v2
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Lyrics
We were up in that pavilion
When the rain came
Raging down, sweeping under

Dusting toes and soaking benches
Filling swing seats
Pooling at the bottom of the slide

We had hot dogs
Chips and Pepsi
In a bag by the pond

28. Rule v2
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Lyrics
I'm testing you
To find how you do
The things that you feel,
The ones I don't understand
It's hard, being around you
Watching you think
What do you think about? What do you think about?
When I
Start to believe
That I understand
Why you behave in ways that punish me
And punish me beautifully
Have I uncovered
The rule of the law of the way that you are?

The rule of the law,
The rule of the law,
The rule of the law,
Of the way that you are

Big Changes Once Again

2009-09-09T22:26:00.006-04:00

::

So I got back from Scotland last week. I miss my friends there. The post-graduation blues settled in for the long term back in June; still waiting for those to dissipate. As it's time to become a responsible adult, I'm now trying to find a full-time job in Akron, where I'll be living with my parents in order to start paying my loans off more quickly, for the foreseeable future.

There are several positives to this arrangement, beyond the financial: I'm only 2 hours away from the Alphaboys now, rather than an ocean apart, or 13 hours as for the last three years. Also, my unbelievably lovely parents are letting me use not one but two rooms, so I have plenty of space to make things.

Part of the making things involves building my studio. This will include a modest recording station, with a computer I hope to build myself, which will dual boot Ubuntu Studio and Windows (blech). Since I sold my keyboard this spring I'll need another one of those. Probably an 88-key M-Audio MIDI keyboard first since they are cheap, then a stage piano with MIDI, or, if I suddenly get rich or decide to put myself into even more debt for awhile, an 88-key Nord synth. This music store on the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, Red Dog Music, had a line of Nords which I shamelessly tested up to twice a week all summer. I still can't decide if it's worth the expense to get something compact, that doesn't need a separate computer, and comes with a zillion incredible voices, rather than the cheaper but unwieldy and cableful MIDI-keyboard/laptop/synth-software combo. We'll see.

Other planned studio elements include a decent commercial-grade flash camcorder, for, among other things, music videos. I've been unimpressed so far with Linux open-source video editing software, and do eventually want to get a Mac, so I can use Final Cut Pro and also because I just won't feel nerdy enough with fewer than three operating systems.

Another, longer-term part of building my studio involves collecting more instruments. Right now I have a cello named Dominique Lucas who needs an A string; Geoffrey the ukulele; Adolphus Accordion, who has a couple of broken reeds; half of Jackie O the electric guitar, whom I share with Forest; Hermione Ernestine the Wurlitzer upright piano; and Melody Melodica. I hope to eventually add to this collection (some time in the distant future when I have not only money but ample space) a harpsichord, harp, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, air organ, Optigan, singing saw, Theremin, vocoder synth, toy piano, and about sixty other instruments I can't remember.

If you haven't noticed, Sneaky songs have been unusually pessimistic this summer. I apologize for that. They've been quite personal as well. I promise I'm usually a much cheerier person, and will be again as soon as I can afford to be, and make some new friends. The personal nature of the songs is something I've maybe decided I like. This is all very new and strange.

The parent-living situation should last until Forest graduates in the spring, at which point the band will come to some consensus regarding where we will all live. It won't necessarily be in the same city but god willing it'll be closer to each other than previous arrangements. I still have my eye set on Boston.

Song of the Day #24: "Rule"

2009-09-09T20:44:00.003-04:00

::

Here is another song. It's called "Rule." The chorus was a drunken phrase warbling around in my brain one night this past weekend. I wrote it down. When I read it later it was actually pretty good. I'm not sure what a rule of a law is...maybe it's sort of redundant...but it fits so nicely in my mouth, I don't care much.

Just thought I'd let you know, by the way, that I've presented a number of Song of the Day material to the Alphaboys for Alphabet material. It was inevitable. We are thinking about a new album. Shh.

24. Rule
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I'm testing you,
To find how you do the things that you feel,
The ones I don't understand
It's hard, being around you,
Watching you think
What do you think about? What do you think about?
When I start to believe that I understand
How you behave in ways that punish me
And punish me beautifully,
Have I uncovered
The rule of the law of the way that you are?

The rule of the law,
The rule of the law,
The rule of the law,
Of the way that you are.

Song of the Day #23: "Plain"

2009-08-27T07:16:00.006-04:00

::

A song.

23. Plain
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Every time I sleep with someone, I feel less ugly
Every time I sleep with someone, I feel less ugly
Every time I sleep with someone, I feel less ugly
But only for a day or two, then I go back to feeling gross and plain
'Til I go out and fuck again

Song of the Day #22: "Friend [acoustic]"

2009-08-01T12:20:00.004-04:00

::

Since I figured it out on ukulele I've been all giddy about "Friend" which has been around now since March or so. I think it's gonna become an Alphabet song but in the meantime, I did a bathtub version.

Meanwhile, I finally had someone explain to me what anti-folk is, and why people have been calling me it; although I still don't exactly understand why it's called anti-folk, I have at least accepted it as a sensible description of the songs I make by myself. So that's okay.

22. Friend [acoustic]
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I want you to be my friend because you're pretty
Not only are you pretty, but you're pretty funny, too
I want you to be my friend so I'll feel pretty
And I'll tell funny stories like you do

I want you to be my friend because you're silly
But clever-silly, witty, and cutesy-silly too
I want you to be my friend so I'll feel silly
And tell silly stories like you do

But all I can say is stuff that you've said
But stupid instead, and awkward and bad
And all I can feel is that you are real
And I am unreal and stupid and sad

I need you to be my friend because you're pretty
Not only are you pretty, but you're pretty funny, too
I want you to be my friend so I'll feel pretty
And I'll tell funny stories like you do
Yes I'll tell funny stories like you do

Song of the Day #20: "Gone"

2009-07-28T10:11:00.003-04:00

::

Okay, maybe not EVERY day this week. In my defense, I've actually been super busy. It's a good thing.

21. Gone
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I like movies and I like parties
When I do stuff around you I get happy
But I don't wanna ask you over
And I don't wanna show up 'cause you might be gone
Or with your girlfriend

Songs of the day #19 and #20

2009-07-25T11:06:00.006-04:00

::

This morning I had a spurt of motivation and decreed that there will in fact be a song a day for the next week. Nothing's holding me back, man.

19. Columbus v2
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Hey, Columbus
Every time I miss you and come running
You just disappoint me once again
Whetstone Park is great, but not the suburbs
And those keep getting bigger every time I come around

The cap over 670* is made of styrofoam
And I wonder when I drive around what happened to my home

Hey, Columbus
What's up with those skyscrapers on campus**
Oh; that's where the hipsters go to play
The Coffee Table*** has become a restaurant
I mean, ComFest**** is still great, but can't you keep the Short North***** real

The yuppies in their jogging outfits look all skin and bone
And I wonder when I drive around what happened to my home

[Notes:
* I-670, which runs through downtown. A few years ago they built a fancy cap over the bridge, modeled after the old Union Station, with arches and pillars and trendy coffee shops, only it seriously looks like it's made of beige polystyrene
** Shortly thereafter they built a skyscraper-inspired shopping complex and movie theater at the base of the Ohio State University Campus.
*** A fun friendly cafe in the Short North with cool mismatched furniture and a couple of slightly weird Elvis statues. Now a sit-down restaurant with a grand piano
**** Community Festival, last weekend in June at Goodale Park in the Short North/Victorian Village, many music stages, face painting, hippie clothes, food, pot smoking, all-volunteer-run
***** Area of High Street just north of downtown, home of monthly Gallery Hop. Once home of gay bookstores, head shops, local coffee shops and burger joints, and sweet galleries. Now home of posh restaurants, condos, and shitty galleries. Gallery Hop in turn has shed most of its worthwhile street acts, including the stilts walkers and breakdancers, and seems mostly to be a couple of brave music students who are completely ignored by the now white, middle-aged, polo-shirt-wearing crowd.]

20. Stop
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I don't wanna take any of your money
So stop buying me things all the time
I like walking so please do not offer
To drive me around in your stupid-ass car

You're pretty stupid if you think I think you're just nice
You never listen you just spout your witty insights
As MC Chris said you just wanna get all up in my tights

Song of the Day #18: "Ocean_v2"

2009-07-14T13:35:00.003-04:00

::

I did a bathtub ukulele and acoustic bass version of "Ocean." By bathtub, I mean I recorded in the bathtub. Here it is.

18. Ocean v2
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Let's go to the ocean
I can see a mist
The plankton will be glowing blue
The oysters will be pissed
We'll run along the sandbar with them
Spitting at our toes
The waves will lap our ankles
And soggy all our clothes

Let's bring a tub of pesto
And eat it on the sand
And play a little footsie
And I will hold your hand
Yes I will hold your hand

Song of the Day #17: "Tired"

2009-07-05T10:25:00.004-04:00

::

I just got a ukulele! It's mustard yellow and its name is Geoffrey. Chords on the ukulele, I've discovered, are really really easy. It's definitely an instant instrument favorite.

Sorry there have been so few songs of the day lately. They should really start to pick back up when I can find regular piano access. Things have been kind of a bummer on and off lately, too; it's difficult being in a strange country and things back home seem really far away and it's difficult to get ahold of people sometimes, and I'm trying to do band stuff and the enthusiasm of new listeners and award nominations (we got an award nomination! Look at The Alphabet website!) is a bit dampened by harsh words from old listeners who I sometimes wish would just listen to something else and keep quiet, since we are clearly not the band for them, and that's fine by me.

Anyway.

17. Tired
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
It's July
And I'm so tired
And I'm so tired
When I try
I get so tired
I feel so tired

Millions of eyes avert each other fixing on a void so they keep themselves alone
Millions of feet and arms skirt each other and I know that our bodies feel alone
Millions of people talk on the telephone and wonder why we have to feel alone
And I try to adjust but it changes around me and I'm alone

Song of the Day #16: "Blue" AND SCARLET STARLET RELEASE

2009-06-16T09:01:00.003-04:00

::

Hi,

My band finally released our new EP, Scarlet Starlet. Look!

Also Song of the Day. Also, my cheap-ass mp3 player crapped out. Both of the headphone jacks (it had two) are broken.

16. Blue
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
When I'm blue
There's nothing I can do
Sometimes I talk it through
But I don't talk to you
Because I know
I'll only make you sad
And I'll feel really bad
And you'll feel really bad

When I'm sad
There's nothing you can say
To make me feel okay
I usually talk
When no one's there
It makes me feel insane
And soggy in the brain
But I feel right again

Song of the Day #15: "Hate"

2009-06-14T08:39:00.005-04:00

::

My new flat in Edinburgh has an awful, awful piano that's almost entirely out of tune and half the keys don't play at all. This was done on the few that still work. To distract from the horribly ill tuning, I recorded it on tape and then jiggled the tape recorder for vibrato. It sort of worked.

15. Hate
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Lyrics
I'm scared of you
You have sharp teeth
You're unbearable
I hate you

Your father is
A piece of flesh
An open sore
I hate you

Your body is
Bacterial
It smells like poo
I hate you

Your father is
A headless dog
A bleeding toe
I hate you

What About Song a Day?

2009-06-10T10:45:00.002-04:00

::

It's been on a brief hiatus, admittedly not because I've been wicked busy, but because I've wanted to relax between graduation and travel. It shall recommence Saturday when I'm moderately settled.

I realize that I promised a release of Milk and Cookies for last month and didn't. I did the album inserts and got the discs and everything, but I never finished it up and put them all together. So I guess it'll remain the free downloads for now. I have a couple later versions of songs on a hard drive which I formatted incorrectly and refuses to mount in Linux, but today I'm seeing if it'll mount in Windows and maybe I can get those off there and post them up here.

Oh yeah, and for those of you who follow The Alphabet, "Friend" is being initiated into the band. I have to find a sufficient organ sound before we can play it live, though.

We had an awesome show in Pittsburgh last night. I expected it to suck 'cause there was a hockey game on and there were TVs in the bar, but the audience was very attentive and appreciative and bought lots of CDs, and Pittsburgh won just as "Mind Is a Box" was ending so we got extra tumultuous applause and everyone was in a good mood. I hope they remember us as the band that was playing when Pittsburgh beat Detroit's ass.

Songs of the Day #13 & 14: "Mind_v2" and "City"

2009-06-04T01:19:00.004-04:00

::

Hi, I'm at my parents' house for a week before Scotland (so soon! Oh my gosh..) and my piano is here, but more importantly their baby grand, so I've been enjoying that.

I rearranged and recorded "Mind" which was Song of the Day #6. I decided rerecordings are okay as long as there's some kind of rewriting or rearrangement going on. I wrote a couple extra verses to "Columbus" recently and Forest and I bought an electric guitar named Jackie O so there'll be a new recording of that probably over the weekend, too.

"City" is about Akron, where my parents moved right before I went to college. I've never spent any longer than two or three weeks here, but that first chunk of three weeks happened to be a super-pivotal point, complete with geographical, educational, employment and romantic upheaval, so just about everything stuck with me hard and now it gives me this weird distant-memory ghost impression every time I come to visit.

13. Mind_v2
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics:
I don't mind cleaning up people's messes
If it means that I can pay my rent tomorrow
I don't mind getting on my knees
On the floor if it means that I eat tomorrow
I don't mind singing on the street
With a cap at my feet
And a megaphone at my lips
If it means I can pay the bills with my tips
Or maybe have a little bit left over for a drink
Before I scrub another sink
I don't mind

14. City
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Lyrics:
This city reminds me of
Memories I never made
But they all got the smells with them

I think I saw only one
Movie at Highland Theatre
But it's got that look to it

And Market Street sounds like
An album I listened to twice
And it sticks in my head so fast

I don't even know where I'm
Going but it's so familiar
I think I belong here despite myself

Song of the Day #12: "Good"

2009-05-31T14:34:00.003-04:00

::

I see a lot of people who have great lives: nice, financially supportive parents; educations; friends; their health. And they're grumpy all the time. Positivity is key to having a good life. Start today for only $19.99.

12. Good
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
There are good days
And there are good days
There are good days when bad things happen

There are good dreams
And there are good dreams
There are good dreams when bad things happen

There's a good life
And there's a good life
There's a good life when bad things happen
And there's a bad life, too

But yours is good
And mine is good
So let's go help some others

Song of the Day #11: "Columbus"

2009-05-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

::

This song is about my love/hate relationship with my hometown: I miss it, I miss my awesome high school with its sweet 1860s campus, there are a few good places to get bubble tea, every June there's ComFest, there are definitely things in Columbus worth missing. But I also often feel like it's this cluster of oases in a desert of suburbia, and the desert is surrounded by the flat void of soybean farms that is Ohio.

11. Columbus
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Hey, Columbus
Every time I miss you and come running
You just disappoint me once again
Whetstone Park
Is great, but not the suburbs
And those keep getting bigger
Every time I come around

The cap over 670
Is made of styrofoam
And I wonder when I drive around
What happened to my home

2nd Worst Show Ever

2009-05-28T13:14:00.002-04:00

::

Some folks are under the mistaken impression that my band, The Alphabet, is famous. To disprove this misconception, consider the following:

Last night, we, The Alphabet, played a concert in Pasadena, Maryland, at a restaurant called Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was, in fact, a weekly Wednesday night Battle of the Bands.

We got this show because I am our manager, and for a number of reasons, not least of which is procrastination, I didn't start booking our tour 'til a month before we were supposed to play it, and this Battle of the Bands at Cheeseburger in Paradise was what we could get.

The other two bands were called Harmsway and Less than Zero. Harmsway was a metal cover band. Less than Zero was a classic rock cover band. They were both local.

We played last, after Less than Zero's set. We noticed as they were tearing down that they were taking the PA with them. This worried us, as we don't have a PA. Even if we did we couldn't fit it in the station wagon.

Upon frantically questioning the woman who had been announcing the bands, we learned that the venue DID have its own PA, but that it had no microphones or mic stands.

Parker unearthed one microphone from his bass case.

Forest taped it to the cymbal stand.

We then remembered that we didn't have an extra 1/4" cable for the keyboard, and furthermore that when we'd tried to use a borrowed one at our show the previous night, it kept cutting out and we ended up mic'ing the piano speakers, which worked just fine.

Except this venue didn't have any more microphones.

One of the members of Less than Zero kindly loaned us a microphone and mic stand.

We began to sound check and discovered that both the PA speakers were blown.

We had no way to amplify either the piano or my voice, other than the built-in piano speakers.

We turned the piano up all the way, and I shouted, and Forest and Parker played very quietly.

So. The end. We made $20 in CD sales. Eight people had come exclusively to see us, which was actually quite impressive. In conclusion, we are not yet rockstars. But we will be soon.

[P.S. The worst show ever was in Kent, Ohio. The only audience members were the other band.]

Songs of the Day #8, 9 and 10

2009-05-26T09:26:00.005-04:00

::

Hi, so I was a bit late with these. On the bright side, I went steadily for a whole week! I wasn't sure I could keep it up even that long.

Just as a heads up, there will very likely be a bit of a break for a week or so as my band The Alphabet goes on mini-tour but I'll be back shortly. Unless of course I write and record songs in the car, which might happen, you never know. I may even enlist the boys' help in singing.

8. Room
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Where'd my room go
Where'd my room go
Where will I sleep now
Well, the weather's
Pretty good but
I'm not tough at all
I'm not brave
Enough to handle
What might swim my way
Maybe I'll go
Sleeping on the
Beach some other day

9. Swine
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics: [NOTE lyrics were co-written with Forest Christenson and Michael Vance, on the occasion of Forest contracting the stomach flu, which we briefly speculated was the infamous swine flu]
Forest took a shower
In early afternoon
He felt a little icky
And sticky in the poon

He soaped his chest all over
And soaped his furry ass
Wrestled with this pinky toes
And passed a little gas

He stood under the water
And stood and stood and stood
And tried in vain to conquer
His raging morning wood

When all a very sudden
A swine crashed through the door
And sneezed, and Forest toppled
In pain onto the floor

He died that day in agony
So far away from home
They flushed him down the toilet
He was whisked away to Rome

10. Ocean
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
Let's go to the ocean
I can see a mist
The plankton will be glowing blue
The oysters will be pissed
We'll run along the sandbar with them
Spitting at our toes
The waves will lap our ankles
And soggy all our clothes
Let's bring a tub of hummus
And eat it on the sand
And play a little footsie
And I will hold your hand

Also, might as well mention friendlily that I'm a professional artist and musician (I just got my BFA on Friday, actually, so really an artist) which are jobs without paychecks or health benefits or anything like that; and I choose to give music away for free because a) nobody would listen to it otherwise and b) I love when people give me music for free and why not spread the happiness? On the other hand I do have to eat, so I really appreciate donations:

Song of the Day #7: "Pavilion"

2009-05-22T13:56:00.001-04:00

::

7. Pavilion
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
We were up in
That pavilion
When the rain came

Raging down
Sweeping under

Dusting toes and
Soaking benches
Filling swing seats

Pooling at the
Bottom of the
Slide

We had hot dogs
Chips and Pepsi
In a bag by
The pond

Song of the Day #6: "Mind"

2009-05-21T12:22:00.002-04:00

::

6. Mind
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
I don't mind cleaning up people's messes
If it means that I can pay my rent tomorrow
I don't mind getting on my knees on the
Floor with a brush if I eat tomorrow
I don't mind singing on the street
With a cap at my feet and a megaphone at my
Lips if it means I can pay the bills with my tips
And maybe have a little bit
Left over for a drink
Before I scrub another sink
I don't mind

Song of the Day #5: "Worried"

2009-05-20T01:43:00.004-04:00

::

Fifth Song of the Day! Holy crap, this is working.

5. Worried
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
What'll I do without
Friends who have cars or a
Phone or a job or a
Deadline

What'll I do without
You and your dinners and
Homework and your house and
Mine

What if I lose all my
Money and somebody
Steals all my stuff and I'm
Starving

Will you come get me and
Let me freeload on your
Couch and support me and
Feed me and find me a

Job
'Cause I'm sort of scared
I'm a little bit worried

[I'm gonna stop linking to every Song of the Day now 'cause it's really time-consuming.]

About Recording on Thorpe with the Yamaha

2009-05-19T18:23:00.004-04:00

::

Just for curiosity's sake:

Thorpe, my Asus EeePC 901 with Eeebuntu Jaunty Jackalope OS, came with a cute little stereo microphone built right in below the monitor. Xandros, the GNU/Linux distro it shipped with, had only the simplest audio recording software, and so did Eeebuntu, so I installed Audacity, which I've been using for three or four years now. I find it frequently buggy but capable. I'm especially pleased because the latest release, 1.2.6, has an .mp3 encoder that actually works. I could never export as .mp3 before and always had to export as .wav and convert to .mp3 in iTunes if I was on a Mac, or with a script I downloaded for Nautilus on Linux.

Since I record instrumentals and vocals at the same time, using the same microphone, it took the first four songs to find a good balance of vocals and instrumentals using the volume on the keyboard and the placement of the laptop. My biggest problem now is that the left channel of the stereo microphone is a lot quieter than the right channel. Since I don't think you can edit channels separately in Audacity (I don't know how, anyway), I have to just mix them down to mono. Which is okay, but stereo is very pretty to listen to. I'll have to check that out.

Another problem is that Thorpe's audio output is much weaker than a full-size laptop's. At full volume, it's quieter than 1/4 volume on an iMac--both the speakers and the headphone jack. So if it sounds kinda quiet in the recording, it's bound to be loud as hell in real life, and I can't check it without sticking it on my mp3 player. At least that's the opposite of the problem I usually have, which is super-quiet recordings that just distort when I try to get them any louder.

The Yamaha keyboard is adorable. It has phat beets.

Song of the day #4: "Same"

2009-05-19T07:56:00.004-04:00

::

Fourth Song of the Day! I'll admit that--out of curiosity, and not desperation, I swear--this chord progression came about by taking a two-year-old song that went nowhere, playing it backwards and clipping out the chorus.

And I know it wasn't desperation 'cause I went ahead and wrote a couple more in advance. From scratch. ;) Anyway...

4. Same
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
The same thing happened
The last time I said

[More Songs of the Day: 3 2 1]

Song of the Day #3: "Packing"

2009-05-18T12:04:00.007-04:00

::

Third Song of the Day! This one is because I'm sitting here surrounded by boxes and junk I didn't even know I had, trying to sort it into piles like "Parents' Attic," "Hiking Backpack" and "Why Do I Even Have This, Nobody Would Want This Ever."

3. Packing
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
The trouble with packing
Isn't so much that you're packing
And more that you're leaving

It's good to complain
About boxes and car rentals
Just to forget that you're leaving

By now you have done it
So often and still you forget
'Til the end that you're leaving

You're leaving

[More Songs of the Day: 2 1]

Song of the Day #2: "Cold"

2009-05-17T14:33:00.007-04:00

::

Second Song of the Day!

2. Cold
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS

Lyrics
It's too cold for May
It's summer in a week
And I'm still wearing hoodies or a sweater
I've closed all the windows
I've put on some tea
I can't get the hang of Boston weather

I don't like the desert
It's good near the sea
I'm not into palm trees
Or humidity
I don't need to fry
My eggs in the street
I just want a picnic
So how 'bout some heat?

[More Songs of the Day: 1]

Song of the Day: "Suspenders"

2009-05-16T22:19:00.003-04:00

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I'm starting a new project. Since I'll be unemployed and overseas for six months starting June 11th, I figured a few regular projects wouldn't be a bad idea, you know, to keep the creative juices flowing and provide some deadlines.

So I'm going to write a song a day, starting today (theoretically; I don't actually expect myself not to miss a single day, but I'm gonna try) and I'm gonna record each one by any means necessary, which for the next week will be with this adorable little Yamaha keyboard belonging to my roommate, and put it up here for free download. Each song will be available for one month.

And to kick it off...........

1. Suspenders
RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS.

Lyrics
My suspenders hang down on my butt
'Cause they don't really help when they're up on my shoulders
A redheaded kid let me have them
I helped him move out; they were under some folders
I helped his stepdad take the dresser
Down two flights of stairs, then I carried the bedding
I'd been trying to sell him my bed
Which I got for ten bucks from a couple in Reading

And I named the suspenders Muffin
Yes I named the suspenders Muffin

The Alphabet -- "Prosthetic Face"

2009-04-18T20:44:00.001-04:00

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Aaand here it is...

I like directing. Maybe I'll do it more often.

The Alphabet -- Upcoming Music Video

2009-04-17T16:31:00.003-04:00

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So my band, recently renamed The Alphabet (from Pretty Balanced), is almost finished with our first-ever official music video and because it's an absolutely gorgeous day, I thought I'd share some stills.

Thorpe the Eee

2009-04-08T16:35:00.006-04:00

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It came. My Asus EeePC 901 came, and I replaced Xandros with Eeebuntu, which is a thousand times better. Here's a screenshot:

Also, I'm writing this from the MBTA commuter rail. Because it has wireless. Crappy wireless, but STILL.

Milk and Cookies Release Information

2009-04-01T09:38:00.003-04:00

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The Sneaky Mister's Milk and Cookies will be officially released on Thursday, 21 May 2009. The album will be available five different places and formats:

here, as a free download, in a .zip archive of .mp3s, for three months

on Last.fm, as free individual track downloads, indefinitely

on CDbaby.com as an extremely limited run of 50 copies for $20 apiece. The limited run will be duplicated on Memorex CD-Rs, the CD faces and inserts will be hand-screenprinted, drawn, signed, and stuffed in standard clear jewel cases with a tray card -- not slimline cases.

also on CDbaby.com as a $3 download, permanently

on iTunes for their usual $9 download or whatever, permanently

So yeah, people'll have their pick, and you can totes get it for free, at least for a long while.

Meanwhile I'll keep uploading Milk and Cookies beta tracks for general enjoyment.

Upcoming Album Name Change

2009-03-30T16:41:00.002-04:00

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Yeah, I decided that I prefer Milk and Cookies to Milk and Cookies Room--even though the reason I picked that in the first place is it was this big, kind of creepy room in the basement of the synagogue I grew up going to, with big white pillars and a white tile floor, and the kindergarten rooms were off of it, and long before I was a kindergartner they used to serve milk and cookies in there. I was always struck by what a cheerful name had such a cheerless room. I especially remember it with the lights out. It echoed and I wouldn't go in there alone.

Anyway, tags have been duly altered.

Friend v1 Video

2009-03-30T16:37:00.004-04:00

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This was made with a couple videos I had lying around from over the summer. With a new version of the song will come a new, cleaner, more professional video, in which I'll be megaphoning in my buddy's ear some.

Milk and Cookies Room Beta

2009-03-29T12:33:00.007-04:00

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Hi folks, these are the tracks I'm so far considering for Milk and Cookies Room. They will all probably go through numerous other versions before the release of the album in mid-May.

RIGHT (OR CTRL) CLICK SAVE AS, PLZ!

Again v2.5
Box v1
Child v2
Dog v2.5
Fox v1
Friend v1
Stranger v1
Stupid v1

I think some of these are labeled, but if not I'd label Artist: The Sneaky Mister and Album: Milk and Cookies Room BETA.

(A little more about donations: while I'm in Scotland, I won't have a work visa and will be making most of my income through music sales on the Internet. To pay my rent without draining my savings I'd have to make five pounds a day, which is, depending on when you ask, somewhere between $7.50-$10. Which is really very little, when you think about it, so small donations will truly be a big help.)

New Laptop = New-Sounding Music

2009-03-28T17:16:00.005-04:00

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Sneaky Studios Inc. is a-changing! I just ordered myself an Asus EeePC 901 (the littler one, look how cute and tiny it is! It isn't even the smallest EeePC, that one's only 7") because my four-year-old hand-me-down Gateway fried a few weeks ago. I saved the hard drive so wasn't too sad about it and figured it would be nice to go traveling without the Internet to burden me down, and then I remembered that without a cell phone, I won't be able to call my parents (or friends or anybody, but my parents would be worried). And I've heard wonderful things about the EeePC, and was especially impressed that it comes with a GNU/Linux option since I've been an Ubuntu user for almost two years and can't stand Windows (not that I couldn't replace Windows with my favorite operating system, but it's nice to think they did it for me). I'm excited to try out a new Linux OS.

Of course, this means recording will be a little different, since I've been using Garage Band on the iMac at school. I'm a great DIY advocate and don't demand much by way of a recording studio. The 901 comes with a built-in microphone which I'm anxious to test out but I won't be able to play software instruments anymore--I tried out LMMS for awhile and didn't like it. I'll have my melodica and mini-megaphone with me and plan on picking up a handsaw, so, looks like that's what The Sneaky Mister will become. If I can get my hands on an acoustic guitar that would help me out some on the busking circuit so maybe it'll sneak into the recordings as well.

SNEAK SNEAK SNEAK...

Some other relevant facts about the Asus EeePC 901 (since I love making lists, and using parentheses):

1GB of RAM, which is twice as much as my dead laptop so I can't complain

a webcam! Never had a webcam before

20GB storage, all memory, no hard drive, which means it should be quieter and more resistant to bumps than a normal laptop (I have a little 20GB external to supplement and will probably get a much bigger one eventually, nobody can believe I only own 8GB of music)

weighs less than 2.5 pounds, or approximately one bunch of bananas

measures 7" x 9" making it officially small enough to fit in the top pouch of my hiking pack, with my toothbrush and sketchbook and stuff

Skype!! Obviously if it didn't come with Skype I could install it, but this is important to me because it's the main reason I'm getting it now in the first place.

I was intensely tempted by a range of $13 sticker decals on Amazon.com that fit on the back and palm rest of the EeePC 901, but resisted. I can make my own goddamn decals, and they will probably own those other decals's asses.

"Fox" (version 2.5)

2009-03-27T18:07:00.008-04:00

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Hi guys, here is a download for your enjoyment, off the upcoming Milk and Cookies Room:

Fox (version 2.5)

Please right-click (or ctrl+click for Mac) and Save As, instead of listening online. Bandwidth!

Oh yeah, and although all the downloads from this blog are and will always be free, here's a little Donate button in case you really like it and are feeling generous.

(Because some people like to know, I will likely use donations to press an album, pay my rent, get drunk, or feed myself--much the same way most people spend their income.)

Who Wants a Piano? EDIT: SOLD!

2009-03-27T11:39:00.006-04:00

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I'm going to Scotland for awhile and must unload my trusty Yamaha P80, whom I love very much (her name is Guinevere Digita Westinhouse) but I need to upgrade to a lightweight MIDI keyboard soon anyway so, it's time to say goodbye.

Anyone in the greater Boston area want her? I'm asking $300.

She's got:

88 fully-weighted keys

MIDI output

1/4" stereo output

1/4" stereo headphone jacks (so if you have standard 1/8" headphones you'd need an adapter, but those are like three bucks)

a ton of extra sounds, pipe organ, harpsichord, electric piano, strings, which you can layer (like piano + double-harpsichord which I use for "Station Waggin")

a nice sustain pedal (not those flat plastic ones)

external speakers, though you'd probably want to use a keyboard amp

On the downside, she also has:

a ton of stickers on her

a slightly sticky middle-d#. I used to get keys replaced regularly from banging her around on tour and it was usually $20-50 for a handful of keys

some duct tape. Somewhere in the frequent maintenance I lost the screws to the little piece of plastic on the end over where the cables go, so I taped it on

So yeah, she's showing signs of love, but still plays like a pro. I got her for a grand in 2004.

If you're interested, email me at judith @ prettybalanced . com and we'll talk about it. I can't ship and I don't have a car so you'd have to be close enough to pick her up.

Welcome to My Audible Lair

2009-03-26T18:03:00.002-04:00

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The Sneaky Mister facts and figures:

The Sneaky Mister is my musical side project.

From 2007 to 2008, I did a couple little things, it was just sort of silly really.

From fall 2008 to May 2009, it was strictly Garage Band pop songs made on an iMac in the Senior Studios building at my college, usually while people were trying to paint.

Starting on 16 May 2009, it became a one-song-a-day project using Audacity on Thorpe, my Asus EeePC 901 running Eeebuntu, basically intended to keep me occupied and generate material for my band, The Alphabet, which later dissolved.

This is a blog because the project is a continuous work in progress and I'd rather let people in on the various song versions and videos and stories and lyrics changes as they happen than release an album all of a sudden and say nothing about it and get no feedback.

The name is purposefully misleading because I'm a woman but I am also a master.

Deep down, we are all women.

And some stuff about me, in paragraph format: I just graduated from art school near Boston, come from Ohio, run around Scotland when I can, and love adding to my extensive list of inane hobbies.