223. Pick Me Up (Phase 1)

SONG 223

This morning was hot.  Hot mornings are a warning sign of stranger things to come in my life…and I decided to paint the rest of my bathroom in non-paint clothes, and guess what?  They are now the color of my bathroom.

I have moved.  My new neighborhood is Loud-Quiet: the kind of quiet that is usually loud, but sometimes it’s quieter than it is loud; hence, Loud-Quiet.  Yesterday was no exception to this general rule, however, among the rap that often blares from open home doors or cars, I heard a sample of Amelie soundtrack (one of my favorites) mixed among yet another rap song.  My curiosity was piqued.  I ran out the door and across the street to the group of guys (and one girl) sitting in their front porch.  “Hello,” I said.  They looked surprised.   I wondered if they thought I was going to ask them to turn their music off or something.  “My name is Emily.  Do you know who this is?”  They were friendly and informative: Kid Cuti was their answer.

“We saw you moving in.  Where did you come from?”

“I moved here from Washington Heights.”

“You moved here from Washington Heights?”, they sounded surprised.  (Wow… how do I answer that?!)

“Yes. I like it here.”

“Well, you’re welcome over any time.”

And now I have some new friends.  Thanks, Kid Cuti.

(Of Note: A lady from the 4th floor of her building was just arguing with a guy on the sidewalk and threw a couple of bottles at his car right before he shouted some threats at her and drove off… home sweet home.)

Started it in the wee hours of the morning today (during the quiet part of the day).  This is in its first phase: I thought I could clean it up, move stuff around, add some more stuff, make it longer, add some vocals…but I may not end up finishing it as I’m ho-hum about it generally.  I had all my recording equipment boxed away, so I used my ear buds to record the voice and bells.  Ear buds.  Never a solid way of capturing sound.  I slowed everything down once it was recorded.  Garageband samples filled up the rest of it.

Also, The 80s. You may not know that I love the 80s.

Pick Me Up

222. Between Two Trees – Lady Lamb the Beekeeper Cover

SONG TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO

So, my 365 project turned into more of a song project.  I keep telling people, “I’m going to finish it! I will!”  Well, the words slipped out of my mouth and into the air, and after a while I didn’t believe it anymore.  Months and months would pass, and I always find an excuse.

No more. I’m sitting here at this computer dreading even logging into my wordpress account, feeling my own damning inner disappointment.  I talked to Brian Speaker, the friend who inspired the 365 Project through his own (totally completed) 365 Project called Spiral Notebook.  His advice? “The 365 Project is what you want it to be.  If you’re done at day 200, you’re done.  You set the rules, and no one can say any different.”

I started the 365 with an All-Or-Nothing mentality.  I did just fine, with only a few missed days, until 214.  I remind myself that that number is huge, and I’m not a disappointment even though I didn’t finish by January 4.  I remember when that day came and went.  I was rushing to finish the movie score I had picked up months earlier, and now, I have 214 songs and an entire soundtrack behind me.  Not so bad, and now I’m telling myself: finish.  I miss the 365.  And really, even though I’m not sure exactly how many are listening out there – I miss you.

Between Two Trees – Lady Lamb the Beekeeper Cover

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper has been heard at least twice here at the 365.  Her voice is unmistakable and unforgettable.  I recently saw her open for Beruit  in a magical-only-Aly-Spaltro-could-command-that-big-of-an-audience-all-by-herself kind of performance.  She played this song that night, and I recalled when I first heard it.  Pearl and the Beard was in Maine doing a show in Portland on a mini-tour.  The evening consisted of Dylan Metrano from Tiger Saw and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper.

I am posting a video of my cover of this song as shot by incredible photographer Josh Maready in a subway tunnel in New York City.  It was almost 2 am by the time we finished.  Trains were about 5-10 minutes apart and the song is somewhere in between there in length, so we had a hard time finding a quiet spell.  This take was the only one not interrupted by an arriving subway train, until, serendipitously, one arrived right at the end of it like a period on a sentence, taking the sound away and out.  I suspect Rick Gribenas might be a little pleased, wherever he is.  It worked great, but it was the only take where I forgot lyrics…sacrifice for the greater good I suppose.

Watch Lady Lamb the Beekeeper’s video of her song shot by the always amazing photographer Shervin Lainez.

221. Worm (Murder Ballads)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE

My hero: Edward Gorey

Good-evening my dear friend…

Oh Boy… I am once again tour-ridden, but this time, I am completely without computer to post or record, though I tried before I left to track down means of doing it more remotely, I settled on simply waiting to post and record when I can.  LIFE!

This is a song I did with Guy Capecelatro for yet another one of his great RPM projects like I did with him last year.  (RPM is a yearly project that many musicians take part in all over the world.  You must write and record all new material through the month of February.  You can submit it online where people can hear it.)  The subject was Murder Ballads, and this was my personal contribution to the 10-track album we did together.  I have been so busy getting ready for tour and finishing up more last minute movie stuff, that I ended up finishing 8 arrangements for 8 different murder songs the night before I left for tour.  I will post those songs up soon…

Today, I’m treating you to a very demo-like version of Worm.  I wanted to write a murder ballad from the point of view of a worm living inside of a corpse who had been murdered…. and so you will hear the story unfold.  You will hear the cello part sounds a bit like The Easy Way from last winter in the 365 – completely unintentional.  I recorded the cello and vocals at Anna Vogelzang’s house while in Madison. The vocals, I would like to say, came out surprisingly well – I’m very happy with them!

I sent the cello track and the main vocal to Guy in Portsmouth, Maine, who worked his weird magics with them, adding some sound samples and beautiful harmony vocals.  This is unmixed, but you get the dirty, gruesome, murderous idea… right?

Worm

 

I will crawl inside this brain on fire

Until her heart will beat no longer

A careful host a bride to be, a willing soul, a home for me

I saw his hand a massive thing

Arrange her hair with gold and string

Her body limp but still with grace

He raised her up to meet his face

 

I will see you in my sleep

This secret buried deep

Stained my shoes with kind relief

Take this my love, my bride, my sweet

 

Buried deep within a tomb

Her pretty face he did exhume

And here I am upon my host

She loves me best, she loves me whole

I’ve cared for her much more than he

For years and years he’s lost at sea

His secret slaughter cracked and blistered

With body gone, the mind has festered

 

I will see you in sleep

This secret buried deep

Stained my shoes with kind relief

Take this my love, my bride, my sweet

 

Returned from freedoms’s choking grasp

The memory relived at last

But here am I, she waits with me

She is my love, my bride to be

 

I will see you in sleep

This secret buried deep

Stained my shoes with kind relief

Take this my love, my bride, my sweet

220. Tearsumina’s Entrance (Sketch)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY

Have you SEEN some of the pictures google brings up under "Succubus"?! I opted for this version...

So, this was NOT a reject! (WHAT?!) YES! Not a reject from the movie… however, this isn’t exactly how it sounds in the film, either.  James Frazee is a magician when it comes to making things sound INCREDIBLE.  So, what you’ll actually hear in the film is cleaner, bigger and tougher.  This is a cue for the entrance of a succubus (the PG version of a succubus).  Do you really need any more lead-in than that?!  I didn’t think so.

In getting ideas for a PG-rated succubus, I played around in garageband with some of the midi samples and loops.  This is what came out of my experimentation. James Frazee worked his magic, made me a basic percussion line from his fancy-shmancy pro-tools to which I added, cello, violin, chopsticks on banjo (true! try it some time), some midi percussion and vocals.

Tearsumina: Succubus

Tearsumina’s Entrance (Sketch)

219. I Got The Celt Kicked Out Of Me The Other Day (REJECT!)

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

Good morning: this is Tuesday’s song… TUESDAY! (Even though it’s Thursday)

Badass Rhubarb

Yet another reject from the pile from Unicorn City. This was a hard scene.  It kind of goes like this: A cast of characters who dress up as other characters (see: LARPING) are in the woods. Everyone has shown up except one.  This is the entrance of one of the most elaborate and impressive character costumes.  He’s badass, tough, and has some serious machismo.  A bunch of ideas were submitted for this scene.  What we ended up using was a totally sweet composition from a good friend and composer G. Scott Newbold.  The movie people loved it, it kicks ass, and totally rocks the scene.

(I’m showing you my skivvies here, friends…)  This was a demo of a totally different direction we went in at one point.  After a few submissions were first approved and then pulled out, we tried a more punk/celtic direction.  The intention was a kind of Dropkick Murphy’s vibe: badass but more punk, less rock.  (True artistic confessions: We “borrowed” the opening of their song I’m Shipping Up To Boston as a jumping off point, but, in its entirety, the piece was a little less than successful.)  Jeff Young, a violinist and roommate of mine, and I recorded this after trying a bunch of other ideas.  He came up with the main melody.  This was a demo submitted to be re-recorded.  It was mainly a submission of a basic idea, but, in the end, it was way too weak.  Not badass enough.

You will hear a great violin and mandolin played by Jeffrey Young (it pays to live with musicians sometimes) and electric guitar by G. Scott Newbold.  There’s some accordion and cello in there too.

It was a sincere effort, but I’m so grateful G. Scott Newbold showed up and blew us all away.  I’m really happy with what we ended up using in the film.  RIP – Celtic Punk Demo. RIP.

I Got The Celt Kicked Out Of Me The Other Day

218. Happy Valentine’s Day!

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN

Decided to do something different for the 365 project today.  Instead of a song, why not a Valentine’s Day movie? I’m the throes of several projects before I leave on a 5 week tour with Pearl and the Beard, one of which involves the ever musical Guy Capecelatro (who is absolutely out-writing me for sure). So, instead of writing just a song, Jonathan, as a kind of Valentine’s Day present to me, suggested we do a a movie for Valentine’s Day.  It might not sound like much to the average Valentine’s Day recipient, but we really have fun doing it – NERD ALERT.  We have previously done a small scene from Star Wars with PUPPETS (which I may post later), but for V-Day we decided on, what else, The Notebook starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.  Here’s what the scene from the movie looks like:

If you haven’t seen it – this is what you’ve been missing.  If you have seen it, you’ll know exactly where this falls in the movie, and if you don’t remember, well – then you obviously didn’t need to rewind it over and over again, memorizing every slur and pout that came out of Ryan Gosling’s mouth.

The music from the first half of the scene is from a piece I wrote called Odiorne and the Sea and put on a collaboration for Burst and Bloom Records called Seasonal Disorder – Winter.  It’s a gathering of several artists who have all submitted tracks about Winter.  The outtakes half of the scene is a a brand new piece you’ll hear later in an undisclosed location…hmm…

So, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY to you!

217. Cops (Humming)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN

Well, yet another rejection from the pile of rejects and acceptances I did for the movie, Unicorn City. I have a feeling these first few days of getting the 365 off its feet will be platforms for little children who will never see the light of day except for the 365. Onward, ho!

This is a theme I came up with for a scene with some dopey cops driving around in their car eating nachos and talking about passing exams.  There were about 4 or 5 versions of this theme created: one with only voice, one with voice and cello melody together, one with cellos only taking over all original vocal melodies, one with cello and only one voice humming, one with a little of both and a final mix of something sort of like everything with less of the stuff that wasn’t wanted (did you get all that?).  What did we settle on? Well, you’ll just have to see.

This is the ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL version: in all its dopey glory.

Cops (Humming)

216. Cursive

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN

Good evening!

Getting right to it: This was recorded by James Frazee some weeks ago as a demo.  It’s actually an old song, but, in an attempt to recommend a song for the movie – which once again didn’t make it in – we adjusted some tiny, tiny little spots and re recorded it.  This is that recording.  True, true: it technically doesn’t pass 365 rules, but I’d really like to finally get it in here before it’s too late…I have attempted several “officially recorded” versions of this song, but it just seems to fail.  So, I’m just going to have you hear the most recent demo of it, because that’s just what I want to do.

This is one of those songs that came very quickly but took forever to finesse.  Bashfully I will tell you that when I finished it and performed it for myself for the first time, I cried…I felt so silly, but they just came rolling out from the little holes in our head that we call eyes.  I figure it’s because it comes from a very personal place that existed a very long time ago. (James kindly chimes in at the end… and then I reference another 365 song: You Don’t Know What You’re Doing)

Until tomorrow! More, more, more to come!

Cursive

Someday I’ll write you
Someday I’ll write you in cursive, that day’s today
One day I’ll wrong you
One day I’ll wrong you and that day is today
Don’t have to keep it, just have to read it I wrote it with you in mind
For all that I know
For all that I know
You could be bleeding at the side of the road
You kept me waiting
You kept me waiting i don’t blame you I would, too
She sure was pretty you sure were lucky, it’s a memory I’d love to
I sent out my soul, a way to occupy your mind
I hope you’re kind, I hope you’re kind, please be kind
The stars are so bright, they’ve nearly occupied these pair of eyes
Before this lady dies
Just want to say, just had to say, you’ve been on my mind
Wish I was pretty you always thought so, I guess it must be true
How could you break me I came in pieces I’m in 10 more now that you’re gone
I was so silent how could you stand it your absence speaks more than truth
With arms open wide come back to me my soul
The starts are so bright they’ve nearly occupied these pair of eyes
Before this lady dies
Just want to say, just had to say, you’ve been on my mind

215. Weakness (Happy Birthday, Headache for a Heartache!)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN

WELCOME BACK, 365!

Weird! I just checked the 365 today in start-up mode, and, in curiosity, checked what I wrote one year ago today, and it was Headache for a Heartache.  What a surprise.  The day I posted this song, it got over 650 visits.  In one day.  And here we are, one year later!

You may also remember that I have a beautiful video of a live performance I did of this song for Sleepover Shows:

Last night, James Frazee, producer and engineer extraordinaire for the movie (and a whole bunch of other awesome projects), and I just did first review of the movie in its entirety with final music.  As these things go, we will need to tweak a few things as we are requested to do so, but we are DONE!

James Frazee and Emily Hope Price basking in the done-ness.

In celebration, I am going to post a rough draft of a song I wrote that DID NOT make it into the movie.  I wrote and recorded this while on tour with Pearl and the Beard in Madison, Wisconsin last November.  What a perfect use for the restart of the 365! It was intended for the opening credits then moved to the end credits, and eventually tossed completely.  In very 365 style, this was written and recorded in the morning over a few hours at Anna Vogelzang‘s house.  I used her “studio” (which, in truth, is a very small and somewhat friendly-cluttered office.  She had several helpful instruments and a whole bunch of very inspiring pictures pasted onto her walls.)

The song that actually ended up in the opening credits for the movie almost didn’t make it as well, but, at the last minute, it was requested to be used by the director and executive producer.  Suspense can function as a type of motivator at times, so I will only tell you that the person involved in its creation just might have been Sam McCormally (Day 10: A Thousand Thousands, Ugly Purple Sweater). More to be revealed…

I kept saying I would restart the 365 in a few weeks and, every time I said it, I meant it thinking the work would be done… but completion of projects like this is too hard to predict, and, even now, I know a tiny bit more still has to be done.  But overall, it’s finished: composing, editing, mixing…sigh.  It was an awesome experience.  I feel 10 years older but wiser, nonetheless.  The 365 will resume! FINALLY!

Weakness

Oh how it works

Is that it’s you and this is me upon a mountain

The highest mountain

Oh how it works

Is that I say that you are small and terrifying

So terrifying

So I’ve been cursed

Oh I’ve been wounded on my heel, my heart is bleeding

Oh, boy it’s bleeding

And only you

Yeah, only you can heal the damage that I’m feeling

Oh, yeah, I’m feeling

Five, four, three, two, one and I say

Weakness, you are my weakness

Savory and sweetness

You are my weakness

Weakness, you are my weakness

And I am so compelled right this moment

I’m comin’ home.

It’s how it is

Oh how I just can’t stand to see you suffer

Oh how you suffer

So I will seize

I will seize you by wrist, and we will conquer

Oh, how we’ll conquer

Come willingly,

Come willingly and be accomplice to my devising

Oh be my shill

And we will break the banks of all who’s worth

Five four three two one

Weakness, you are my weakness

Savory and sweetness

You are my weakness

Weakness, you are my weakness

I’m so compelled right this moment

I’m comin’ home.

214. One Year Ago Today

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN…(but still on sabbatical)

Harvey Robinson Took This Picture! http://www.monkeywhale.com

I thought that in honor of today being the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the 365 Project, despite there being some unavoidable road blocks, I would post a song.  I mean, why the heck not?!

Happy New Year, my friends!  I actually feel one year older… wow. I don’t think it’s ever felt this marked before.  My body, my mind: I’m ready for a vacation.

I made this sketch a few days ago. One of over a hundred sketches, drafts and finals I’ve completed in the past few months.  Some have made the cut into the film, many have not.  This one made it into the movie, and I wanted to give you a sneak peek of it here in honor of the year mark.  This cue marks a very Hollywood-type scene where the hero sends his love away to safety… bring on the cheese!  It’s a short one, but I assure you, its coming about was no easy task… sigh…

For those who don’t know: my dad sent me a BANJO.  I cannot tell you how handy it has become in a time of need! Wow!  What a fantastic instrument, and I’ve had a great time teaching myself how to play this monster.

One Year Ago Today

Love to you… The project will be back to finish the rest of the 145 songs in a few weeks – I have yet to calculate a decent starting period, but when I do, YOU WILL KNOW.

Love,

EHP

Happy Holidays! (And A Surprise Collaboration)

It’s that time of year, so here we go! Holy Schamboly!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Fffffffrrrreeeezzzziiinnnnggggg...

Well, I got some very cool news yesterday:

Holy Crappola: There has been an unknown collaboration between myself and a fellow 365’er.  I have been informed that James Laurie, also known as Jonny 5, used one of my 365 songs in one of his Rhyme of the Day posts!  This guy has been doing a rhyme a day for an entire year, and he’s almost done!  I’m honored to be included in one of his remaining few days.  He used Day 202: Bells and Cello in an Empty Room to accompany some wickedly inspired rhymes.  Check it out and many of his awesome past posts, too.  Thank you, James!

The Holiday Update from Me to Yooou!:

There’s been a lot going on… movies! albums! studios! no sugar! laughter! friendship! Hooray!

That’s right: No Sugar. I am done with it for good… sigh. It’s was a difficult relationship filled with good times and bad.  I mean, he was good to me at times, but I had to cut the cord.  I have replaced him with fruit, though not as satisfying as biting into a perfectly iced, fluffy sugar cookie with sprinkles in the shape of a Mermaid (do they have those? YES!) or a nice chew from a sour gummy bear.  I digress.  Stevia, organic peanut butter, and the occasional piece of 90% Dark Chocolate get me through it. I have beaten the Sugar Monster, and I am still QUEEN!!!

In other, possibly more interesting, news Pearl and the Beard just wrapped up on recording for our second full length album last night! Phew! It was a doozy, but I really think we got some magical stuff goin’ on.  I can’t wait for you to hear it.  The movie score James Frazee and I have been working on is steadily coming to a close in a few weeks, and the 365 Project will resume for completion before Pearl and the Beard heads out on a lengthy tour in February/March… phew! I’m jet lagged already!  BRING IT ON, 2011!

And may you all have a very, very Happy Holiday.  Get your 365 on!

Love,

ehp

365 Songs on New Release: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

Shervin Lainez? Did you take this amazing picture?! http://www.shervinfoto.com

Good morn to you!

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper from

Day 15: Ghosts In My Teeth

Day 125: Apple

has just released a 15-track album of previously unreleased and live material which include these two songs from the 365. Even more, Lady Lamb was just voted Best Folk in Boston at the Boston Music Awards, so jump on this while it’s here and available.  You’ll absolutely be the talk of the town.

GET IT HERE:

http://ladylambthebeekeeper.bandcamp.com/

May your day be filled with sugarless sunshine (as I have taken it away [sugar] from mine, and I’m doing just fine).

-ehp

EHP Sleepover Shows

Well, here they are, as promised!  Kelly, Rob and Aviv from The Sleepover Shows have captured set of three beautifully shot performances of Black Hole of Calcutta, Headache for a Heartache, and Gloria.  I absolutely love them, and I really hope you love them, too.

Update from the 365 Sabbatical!

Good evening, my dear friend, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The evening I got back from tour. Love-of-my-life Jonathan makes me tea, and I try on my new specs (a gift from Kevin in Holy Ghost Tent Revival...Oh, HGTR...sigh...)

Well, it’s been weeks and weeks, and I have a few things to tell you before I get back to work on the film score tonight:

1. Pearl and the Beard just got back on Sunday afternoon from an amazing tour to the mid-west.  We are planning our biggest tour yet for 2011 at the end of February to the beginning of April, stopping at the True/False Film Festival in Missouri and South By Southwest in Austin, TX… which leads me to number 2…

2. We are currently in the pre-productions stages of recording our new LP to be released in February before our big tour.  Franz Nicolay and Dan Brennen of Uncle Monsterface will be spear-heading the project.  We could not be more grateful or happy they will be joining us to make this project a reality for us.  (And a bit of a secret which I will reveal to you: maybe, just maybe, a 365 song has made it onto the new Pearl and the Beard LP.  I’m not promising anything, but it’s looking good…)

3. And last, but certainly not least:

The Movie Score

Well, here it is.  Wonderful producer, engineer and friend James Frazee is assisting me on this film score: helping me place and work around the depths of a Protools rig.  When the production team for the movie sent us the trailer and requested music for it in a very short time frame, where else could I turn for awesome music to fit into the trailer but Jeremy James Styles of Pearl and the Beard (“I Heart NY” from The Black Vessel EP) and DC lovelies (and dearest friends) Ugly Purple Sweater (“Jumbo Slice” from You Are Alone But You Are Not Alone). We optioned these songs to the team who came back to us with ecstatic approval.  We fit it quickly to the trailer, molded cuts and cues carefully, and it was finished in a few hours.  For my first official trailer ever, it’s not that bad, if I do say so myself!

So, for your viewing pleasure, I introduce to the trailer for Unicorn City:

It’s an exciting project for me and has proven very challenging in ways I had not expected, but I’m having a great time finding the right direction for each scene, character and camera angle.  Being on tour for two weeks and having a due date for the music approach very soon meant that I composed whenever I could while we were traveling.  It wasn’t easy at all, and I much prefer working from the confines of my little New York apartment.  Regardless of a tough schedule, this project is a true pleasure, and I’m honored to have been asked to do it.

As far as the 365 goes, doing this score feels a lot like the 365 has been (fate!), so I’m not really on sabbatical.  In any case, I’m so excited to get back to the 365 after this is all written and locked in to see it through to the finish: 365 songs in (a now theoretical) 365 days (and I’m totally okay with that…)

I’ll be dropping by to update you very soon once again!

Happy Holidays!

The 365 On Sabbatical

Good morning dear friends… well, it’s been fairly obvious I’ve been away from the 365, but it’s in good form, I think.

Though accompanied by a little sadness for the 365 on my part, my posting today comes with some wonderful news that I’ve been waiting to share with you for quite a long time.

There has been a break in the 365 because (holy crappo)…

I am SCORING A FULL-LENGTH FEATURE FILM

(more info on this in a bit)

I was approached by the director some months ago and, after a looong wait with getting all the initial stuff settled, I’ve begun to weave a world that will hopefully be loved by the filmmakers and fans alike.  I didn’t see this coming when I started the project either, but, in any case, I am swamped and have decided to break away from posting every day for the project.  I plan on picking it up as soon as scoring is done, and that has to be within the next little while.  I will not let the 365 go unfinished!

Pearl and the Beard is still touring and performing during this time, however, so I’m going back to writing on the road like I did early on in the project…. this time, it will be for a movie (and you know how much I love movies).   We depart on November 4th!

See Pearl and the Beard’s touring schedule

Pearl and the Beard performs their 3rd of 5 shows at CMJ. Phew! Photo: Jon Barker

So I will say to you: Keep safe and happy until I speak to you again in a few weeks.

Until then, I will leave you with a little news from the 365:

Franz Nicolay put Z for Zachariah on his new album!  We re-recorded it, and  I really love it and hope you do, too.

Check out the Z for Zachariah and whole album here. (itunes)

Buy it here (Team Science)

Or here (amazon)

We’ll see you soon!

Love,

EHP