YouTube – Misty Aeons and Friends – Dntel – The Distance Live Cover.
Cancer (6.8.10)
“Are you slipping into one of those moods in which you feel like a fraud? Are you starting to worry that maybe you’re not who you say you are? If so, I want to remind you of what happened the last time these feelings got stirred up: You became super motivated to prove that you are indeed who you say you are. And that had a most wonderful effect, didn’t it? It led you to locate and call on resources you hadn’t known you could have access to; it spurred you to purge some self-deception from your system; and it roused you to intensify your commitment to rigorous authenticity. How about an encore?”
Rainbow Explosions (5.11.10)
From 7 until 8 PM:
“Title Track” by Death Cab for Cutie from We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
“The Employment Pages” by Death Cab for Cutie from We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
“405” by Death Cab for Cutie from We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
“No Joy in Mudville” by Death Cab for Cutie from We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
“Scientist Studies” by Death Cab for Cutie from We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes
“Osaka Loop Line” by Discovery from LP
“Swing Tree” by Discovery from LP
“Carby” by Discovery from LP
“Slang Tang” by Discovery from LP
“Naked As We Came” by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days
“Teeth In The Grass” by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days
“Radio War” by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days
“Fever Dream” by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days
“Passing Afternoon” by Iron & Wine from Our Endless Numbered Days
Total music run-time: 50:27
Rainbow Explosions (4.20.10)
From 7 until 8 PM:
“No Man’s Land” by Sufjan Stevens from Little Miss Sunshine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
“Once Upon a Time” by Stan Getz from The Definitive Stan Getz
“Karma Police” by Radiohead from OK Computer
“Go Do“ by Jónsi from Go
“Animal Arithmetic“ by Jónsi from Go
“Tornado“ by Jónsi from Go
“Boy Lilikoi“ by Jónsi from Go
“Sinking Friendships“ by Jónsi from Go
“Kolniður“ by Jónsi from Go
“Around Us“ by Jónsi from Go
“Grow Till Tall“ by Jónsi from Go
“Hengilás“ by Jónsi from Go
Total music run-time: 54:13
Rainbow Explosions (4.13.10)
From 7 until 8 PM:
“Gamma Ray” by Beck from Modern Guilt
“In the Style of a Tight Rope Walker” by Analog Rebellion from Ancient Electrons
“Sundial” by Dntel from Echo Expansion
“We Laugh Indoors” by Death Cab For Cutie from The Photo Album
“Home Epic” by Golden Hits from On Tour
“Wait It Out” by Imogen Heap from Ellipse
“I’ll Try Anything Once (Live)” by Julian Casablancas from Live from Electric Lady Studios, WRXP New York – EP
“Lords” by Nosaj Thing from Drift
“Art Snob Solutions” by of Montreal from The Sunlandic Twins
“Grow Old With Me” by The Postal Service from Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
“Permalight” by Rogue Wave from Permalight
“La dispute” by Yann Tiersen from Amelie from Montmartre (Bande originale du film)
“Ottoman” by Vampire Weekend from The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance – Single
“Arc Of Time (Time Code)” by Bright Eyes from Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan from Biograph
Total music run-time: 53:39
Misty Aeons: “Dark Earth” (3.26.10)
Anyone who followed my “progress” during the month of February as I attempted RPM 2010 knows that I was fairly unsuccessful at writing, recording, and completing an album in the 28 days of the challenge. I went from an optimistic musician to a reality-checked college student in a matter of weeks, which was not only very disappointing to me, but also somewhat embarrassing, in terms of how I’d publicly announced my goal, and publicly failed at achieving that goal.
Fortunately, I am not completely empty-handed when it comes to looking back on those four weeks; I have a dozen song starts, and one finished instrumental, which I am happy to finally present, if somewhat quietly. (There were other benefits, mostly in terms of songwriting strategies, that I am choosing not to delve into right now.)
The song “Dark Earth” came out of a renewed interest in African marimba music, which I became fascinated with when I was working on my songs. I really can’t elaborate on the history or other information about such music, besides that the local (and possibly-broken up) Hearing Voices marimba band was an important part of my early childhood live music experience, and that I possibly felt a longing for those times spent watching them play on lawns and in downtown Bend—a longing only quenched by trying to make my own original marimba music.
Now, if you’ve listened to “Under This Endless Curtain” or “Genre Chameleons,” you’ll notice that marimbas (or at least artificial ones) are already a vital part of my Misty Aeons palette, so I wasn’t as much a stranger to arranging the parts as one might believe. However, in “Dark Earth” there is much more of an emphasis on making it sound closer to an actual live band, at least until the Hip Hop drum beat threatens any sense of African vibes (pun intended) near the end of the song.
(You’ll also notice that the beginning of the song uses a sample from the identical-sounding ending of “Genre Chameleons,” and if you’re really clever you’ll understand why the song is called “Dark Earth.”*)
I hope you enjoy the happy little tune. To listen, head over to the Misty Aeons Facebook page (and “Become a Fan” if you’re into that sort of thing).
Best,
Caleb
*It was halfway through the making of the song that I realized that the fourth marimba part to emerge (at 1:05) is the exact same melody as the bass part in Vampire Weekend’s song “White Sky” from Contra. This also makes the entire song using the same chord progression as the Vampy Weekend tune. So, I took the name of their song, opposite-ized it, and came up with “Dark Earth.” Yeah, I’m pretty clever.
Rainbow Explosions (3.9.10)
From 7 until 8 PM:
“Colombiana” by Alfredo Rolando Ortiz from South American Suite for Harp and Orchestra
“M79” by Vampire Weekend from Vampire Weekend
“Jigsaw Falling Into Place” by Radiohead from In Rainbows
“Gronlandic Edit” by of Montreal from Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
“Are You On My Side” by Rogue Wave from Descended Like Vultures
“All The Way To China” by James Figurine from Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake
“I Must Belong Somewhere” by Bright Eyes from Cassadaga
“Stable Song” by Death Cab For Cutie from Plans
“Six Days At the Bottom of the Ocean” by Explosions in the Sky from The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
“Light#1” by Nosaj Thing from Drift
“The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!” by Sufjan Stevens from Come On Feel The Illinoise!
“42” by Coldplay from Viva La Vida
Total music run-time: 57:35
Rainbow Explosions (3.2.10)
From 7 until 8 PM:
“Serenada Schizophrana: II. Blue Strings” by Hollywood Studio Symphony & John Mauceri from Elfman: Serenada Schizophrana
“Tidal” by Imogen Heap from Ellipse
“Tombstone Blues (Bob Dylan Cover)” by Richie Havens from I’m Not There (Original Soundtrack)
“Go Do” by Jónsi from Go
“Simeon’s Dilemma” by WHY? from Alopecia
“Illusions” by Kylan from [Unreleased]
“Only For The Heartstrings” by Daedelus from Love To Make Music To
“Excuses” by The Morning Benders from Big Echo
“Coney Island” by Death Cab For Cutie from The Photo Album
“Decipher Reflections From Reality (Original Version)” by PlayRadioPlay! from Besides (2009-2006)
“Good Morning (The Future)” by Rogue Wave from Permalight
Total music run-time: 50:24
Haiku (lonelyhaiku, 2.28.10)
In Times New Roman
the character-count creeps
towards its quota
Haiku (lonelyhaiku, 2.24.10)
0°
A bright Sun is tricking
the budding trees
