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Song 32: It’s 9 o’clock in Fairbanks, AK

August 13, 2011 //
1

Here’s a dark little ditty with a sprinkling of hope in its bouquet. As Saturday is meant to be rainy, this could perchance be an appropriate soundtrack… the mingling of raindrops could complement the percussion nicely. Swagger last week, this week might just be the opposite! Have we set you up for tears? Hopefully less of that and more of introspection. In less than 40 minutes from posting this, it will be 9 o’clock in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Song

 It's 9 o'clock in Fairbanks,AK: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Discussion

STEVE: If you have been following along, you will have noticed that our champion Chris has heroically been single-handing the project for several weeks now: no mean feat. I have been on the road with my summer work, though Chris has arguably… nay, certainly been more busy. I am finally back home and starting a short breath of summer holidays. My recording gear seems to be working and last evening’s internet connectivity issues with my local network appear to be resolved, and so, even if it is several hours late, I give you song 32.

I am not going to do a lot of ‘splainin’. I feel as though this is one of those songs that you can let your mind wander into and take your own meaning out of it. Having been over much of the Canadian East these past few weeks, thousands of kilometers of road can surprisingly be inspiring as far as song writing. I have some songs to catch up on pitching in for 52sp, but I have plenty of fodder. In short, I wrote this last night with my mind in Halifax and contemplating just how far away Fairbanks, Alaska is.

Enjoy.

Lyrics

Jaded on the corner of Barrington and nowhere once again
That last glass of sangria, that last bridge caught on fire to my friends
The sun’s been down for hours but it’s 9 o’clock on the other side of town

Hold on to me
I know there’s good
I know it’s good
I know I should, I will 

What once I thought was forward, it appears I’m walking backward through the streets
All the cars and people do their best to make their way around me
And the things I thought were closer are now disappearing

Hold on to me
I know there’s good
I know it’s good
I know I should, I will 

Suddenly I see that we’re not meant to be looking for a cure
If there are no questions there are no more answers to look for
While you wrap your heart around that I will wrap my arms around you

Hold on to me
I know there’s good
I know it’s good
I know I should, I will 

Credits

Words and music: Steve Salt
Steve Salt: Vocals, guitars, programmed bass, drums, piano, organs
Chris Tindal: Extremely tolerant of his friend’s absence
Claire Salloum: Future illustration

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Categories chilled, songs, written by steve

Song 31: Once more, with feeling

August 5, 2011 //
2

If we were all to get together and decide on one thing that 52 song project has not had enough of, I’m pretty sure we would all simultaneously blurt out “cocky swagger.” Cocky swagger is what makes music groove, makes it fun to dance to, and is also one of the leading causes of teen pregnancy. So here, in the rushed and rough fashion that has become our custom over these past few weeks, is an attempt to remedy that situation. (And if you’re here looking for information about the Buffy episode of the same name, I’m sorry, all they have in common is music.) Read the rest of this entry »

 Once more, with feeling [2:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, upbeat, written by chris

Song 30: Bravery bell

July 29, 2011 //
1

Every week we try to put a clever short blurb about the song here without giving away too much that we want to talk about in the “discussion” part below. The problem is, I don’t have a lot to say about this. I don’t know what this sounds like or is influenced by (aside from an obvious lyrical proximity to Bob Dylan), so I’ll let you work that out on your own. Heck, the real point of this text is just to fill space beside the illustration anyway. (Look! It’s a bell!) Read the rest of this entry »

 Bravery bell [3:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, upbeat, written by chris

Song 29: Soundcheck

July 22, 2011 //
0

Hi! Chris here. I don’t know what you’ll think of this one. I’ve been working on it for a few years, actually using it to soundcheck at the start of shows, but I’ve never recorded it. I spent the last few days in Montreal on business, just returning last night, so I needed to crank this out quickly on Tuesday night. I think it’s kinda cool that it doesn’t really sound like anything else we’ve done. When recording it, I pictured myself standing on a large outdoor stage looking out into a huge, empty field. Maybe that’ll be the music video. Read the rest of this entry »

 Soundcheck [3:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, written by chris

Song 27: Twist

July 8, 2011 //
0

Jetlag + missing friends overseas + Bulgaria + experiential education + true love + dancing at weddings + thinking about how we treat our health + pizza + memories that are so good they hurt + the ability to travel long distances in short periods of time + people that, even though you might see them once every few years, fit right back into your life + memories that are so bad they hurt + staying up too late when you should be keeping someone warm + lack of oxygen but abundance of radiation on airplanes + songwriting + 2 hours = Twist.
Read the rest of this entry »

 Twist: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, upbeat, written by steve

Song 26: Halfway there

July 1, 2011 //
0

Today is Canada Day! Yay! Happy Canada Day, everybody! On this special occasion, we’re very happy to present a song about… ourselves! Because we forgot it was Canada Day when we were working on the song this week! And instead we remembered that this week is actually the halfway mark in our 52 song project! And we got excited about it and wanted to use a lot of exclamation marks! Like MAD Magazine! We’ll stop doing that if you keep reading after the song, we promise! Also, Claire heard our song was called Halfway there, and she decided to draw a Halfway pear! Because she’s so punny! Read the rest of this entry »

 Halfway there [2:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
Categories songs, upbeat, written by steve and chris

Song 25: Honestly

June 24, 2011 //
2

There are some songs you would expect to sound great around a campfire. For us, they include What a Good Boy, Every Rose Has its Thorn, and Father and Son. And then there are songs you know so well yet dismiss until they’re sung by one unfiltered voice playing an acoustic guitar with friends gathered around flames. In that context, Joan Osborne’s One Of Us might surprise you, as would Eagle-Eye Cherry’s Save Tonight. Or, at least, that was our experience. We’ve been thinking about that. Read the rest of this entry »

 Honestly [3:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories chilled, songs, written by chris

Song 24: Palin drone

June 17, 2011 //
2

When read both backwards and forwards, the verse in this song says exactly the same thing same the exactly says song this in verse the, forwards and backwards both read when. Only, the song makes sense. While authoring this post, the song is in pieces, like a shattered vase. I’m off to try to put it together – it is really quite beautiful in my head.  Read the rest of this entry »

 Palin drone [3:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, written by steve

Song 23: I didn’t need that, Pete Sheldon

June 10, 2011 //
0

After several weeks of working independently, we are proud, this week, to present a collaboration. Across both space and time, our two heroes have managed to throw together a poppy chorus with Canadian indy-rock influenced verses and record it for presentation here as the twenty third song out of fifty two. Just think, if songs were years, our little project would already be legally drinking throughout North America, and would be just two years off from being able to rent a car everywhere. What a magical time. Bah dap Bow! Read the rest of this entry »

 I didn't need that, Pete Sheldon: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, upbeat, written by steve and chris

Song 22: Here’s looking at you, my dear

June 3, 2011 //
0

When one writes a song that one wants people to be able to dance to, but when one does not profess to possess any expertise in that domain, one might procure a song like this week’s Here’s looking at you, my dear. Do the added beats sound like mistakes? Does one feel compelled to dance upon hearing this song? (If you are bobbing your head by the chorus, we’ll take that as a yes). Is there a hint of modern country seeping through the bassline and drums? All these questions, and more, will be answered in just under 4 minutes. Read the rest of this entry »

 Here's looking at you, my dear [4:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
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Categories songs, upbeat, written by steve
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