NORWEGIAN BLACK/DEATH METAL?

A Norwegian Black/Death Metal song? Sure. Why not? This was going to be in response to a challenge, but I haven’t seen the challenge announced yet; in the meantime, a heavy-metal band whose bass player I know has expressed interest in recording the song once it’s finished (a nice compliment) and wants me to play electric banjo on the recording (another nice compliment). So the project has gone forward.

The song has lyrics now (the result of another long drive in the car), and I’ve sent them to the bass player for his review. I’ve also posted them on Songstuff, the British writers’ site I subscribe to, and have gotten some constructive feedback there. The song is a sort of synthesis between death metal and country, really. Hight “Evil Dead Fairies in My Mobile Home.” It’s got a dog (missing and presumed dead), and a truck (not working), but also a graveyard; no vampires per se, but there’s an ex-wife (and that’s close). Three chords, which is one more than most Norwegian Black/Death Metal songs seem to have.

It’s probably characterizable as satire, much like the rap “Alphabet Without U” was. Not really expecting this one to go anywhere—just a fun, different thing to do. If John’s band wants to add it to their repertoire, great. I’ll have raised the bar a little bit for the quality of NBDM music (and that bar has been pretty low).

It has been a pretty productive summer, despite living alone most of the time: most of the songs have been “keepers,” and they’ve been coming faster than the one-a-month-on-average I say I’m comfortable with. Starting with the most recent, in (I think) 4-1/2 months time there’s been six that are not only good “performables,” but potentially album material:

Dead Fishes
When They Die, I Put Them in the Cookies
21 Steamer Drive
Something’s Missing
Electronic Love
Twenty Saddles for My Chicken

Not playable in public, but still characterizable as “keepers,” are the two Southern Pigfish songs, “For Their Own Ends” and “Bedpans for Brains,” and the rap, “Alphabet Without U”—plus I did music for another Beth Williams song, “Bad Sock, Good Sock.” Creatively, we’re doing okay. At this rate, I could end up with enough material for another album before the last one gets finished.

And now that I’m back with the recording equipment, I’ve got two more songs to do music for. I love being busy at this stuff.

Nine days until the Labor Day Weekend concert; I have a setlist, but it may change (I should include “When They Die, I Put Them in the Cookies” for the little kids). I’ll plan on being at the Wild Goose (and they’ll get three of the sleazier new songs) the night after.

What else? There will probably only be other opportunities to play in southern Oregon if I arrange them—they’re not going to happen automatically. (That’s probably the lesson this week.) To that end, I’ve contacted the city manager in Central Point (at one point, he’’d said there might be a slot available in their Labor Day festivities). The Ashland Beanery (small, intimate coffee shop) still has that weekend available (I’d want Friday night)—and that would be a 2-hour solo performance, a good opportunity to test out all the new material. What I’d still want to fit in somehow, if it could be arranged, is more work on the album, if Wayne the sound engineer is available.

ON OTHER FRONTS, no word from the Goodnight Kiss Music contest; it may simply be too early, but there’s nothing to worry about—everything that could be done has been done, and there’s nothing to do but wait. I haven’t seen the liner notes from the Philippine Christmas album—I got sent a file, but can’t open it. Reportedly, the album will be issued not on CD, but on a thumb drive—cutting-edge technology, but they say the market is ready for it over there. (I’m not sure it is in the United States.)

Joe