Here's a short list of artists I've been listening to over the last week or so. Click for additional stats on what else I like lately.

On the upstairs porch, at the Mansion on Judges Hill, Austin, TX, 11/9/07. Lonestar beer is the local swill, and is comparable to a Pabst, Stroh's, etc.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Instrumental: "Bob Ed"

Here's a tune I was working on a while back, and , well, I basically forgot how to play it. That means its finished unless I sit down and try to figure it out again. The song was untitled, but I've decided to call it "Bob Ed".

The story with that name stems from a conversation about bad two-name names -- someone mentioned they had once met a fellow named Bob Ed. This was recently, but I can't place the story in any additional context (sorry). Maybe Megan can remember.



You have your standard computer-generated beat that loops throughout. I add a little synth riffing, some piano and harmonica. There's also a meaningless little vocal thing at the end. That's about it, but I still like it. I'd really like to do more with this one if I could just remember which sounds I used... and of course, the notes.

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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Kevin Drew: "Age of Consent" cover

One of my favorite New Order songs gets covered by Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew. It's up on PF today. Its pretty in that soft, sparse, Tori-ish kind of way. Check it out.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Old Song: "I'm Awake"

More shit alert -- coming 2-fast, 2-furious. Here's a track I recorded using a the programs Reason and Sony Acid. The keys, drums and bass are all synth sounds, but the rest is real stuff. Ideally, it would be great if I had the patience to flesh out every song to this degree, but what you hear here probably took a good 4-5 hrs to cut, so it's tough.

Anyway, this song is about lying awake and realizing the person next to you is clearly going through an "out there" dream. You know this because they're mumbling incoherently, and just kind of lie there and wonder. We'll be fascinated by dreaming forever, and I'll bet mankind never figures out the science behind it.



More coming soon. I'll post something more rockin' next time.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Original Music, Written by Mike Hicks (!!!)

So by now you've probably figured out that this blog isn't exactly updated regularly. It will probably stay that way for a while.

The good news: no more bullshit. I've decided to try'n get serious about songwriting (again). Therefore, I'll occasionally post a song that I've recorded for you fine people to listen to and hopefully (1) appreciate, or (2) ridicule the shit out of. I'm a half-assed lyricist -- this will be apparent to you soon. Feedback, however negative, is encouraged.

Anyway, here's the first of what will, hopefully, be many more. This was cut tonight, but the song is probably about 9 months old. Its about my girlfriend (surprise!), Megan, who is a little firecracker. Listen at your own risk.

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Thursday, November 01, 2007

Phospherescent: Pride



I don't know where to begin with this one. Phosphorescent is one guy, Mathew Houck, and I think the best word to use to describe his music is sweeping. It's slow, it pleads, and it cascades left and right with rich vocal harmony and slow, plodding guitar strums. It has a lot of space. It's an expiremental approach to folk music, but there are still rich melodies at the surface that keep the songs sounding familiar, but just a little out of reach.

Listen to this one at night, when you're sitting at your computer by yourself. This stuff is like lotion-music. It's a little cold at first, but its thick and creazy, and it feels good once it soaks in.

As for the equation, I'm thinking: Mazzy Star x (Crosby, Stills & Nash + + Will Oldham + a pinch Band of Horses)

LINK: Phospherescent: Pride

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This blog hosts original music and recordings by Mike Hicks.
Click here to access all of the the songs that have been posted thus far. Please feel free to comment, or email me.

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