Web Sheldon

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Famous Blue Raincoat (covering Leonard Cohen)

Covering Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat"

It's been a difficult few months since I left Athlone back in September last year... I moved to London into a job I wasn't suited to and into a shared house that I couldn't make into a home and then had a lot of money stolen from me there... So you live, and you learn. But I got some good songs written from the experience, some of which I'll be going into a studio to record later in the year :-)

I've started a new contract job in Manchester for a few months, I've got my own own apartment living in the city centre (2 mins walk from Piccadilly station :-D ) and I finally feel settled for the first time since I was in Athlone (even though I won't be here that long!). I have time to sing, to write, to exercise and to cook too (cooking is like my alternative therapy to music...lol)

So this was recorded on Friday night in my new pad, had a nice evening of drinking red wine, eating chillies and recording this favourite Leonard Cohen track.

Friday, March 16, 2012

New Songs for Stream / Download

Here's my favourite tracks I recorded from the February Album Writing Month! All were written and recorded on my iPhone in Istanbul apart from Sheepskin Lullaby which was written on a Mac and in Sheffield.

Left click to stream or right click to open in a new window or download the mp3 version.

Or you can download the whole load in a super tidy ZIP file here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?c1t6g2elx8dllrd

Web Sheldon - True Story.mp3
What makes a good woman?
What makes a good man?
With every day I live on this planet
There’s more I understand

Now some people fake so much of themselves
To get through the day
They don’t know the truth from the lies
Of all the stuff they say

I am one who leaves myself open to life
To be used and hurt and bruised
They always get greedy and reveal themselves in time
And they leave behind those who are true

Now I don’t claim to know
Any better or worse
Than any other average man
Living on this earth

But some people you just know
You see their soul right through their eyes
Through thick and thin, through right and wrong
They’d have your back every time

Whoever you are thinking of right now
Find a way to show them your love
There’s so many crooks and thieves out there
So keep close and treat well the ones you love

We don’t need to worship idols or Gods to find our way
It’s only ın each other we need faith
And then the courage to stay open after every tıme we’re hurt
Leaving behind the cruel

And find those who are true
And keep those who are true
And love those who are true

Web Sheldon - Lie Detector.mp3
You seen that strange forced smile
Another careless embrace
Sincerity’s out of style
In the city of disgrace

D’you know they see through the scenes?
But they still stick around
To see the day when a queen
Pawns her own crown

Sometimes good people change
Sometimes the bad stay the same
Sometimes a smile’s faked so well
A lie detector could never tell

Who’d you steal from today?
What you take this time?
Do you think you’ll get away?
One day you’ll pay for your crime

Take what the hell you want?
A morality so surreal
D’you teach your kids to play along?
D’you teach your minions to heel?

Sometimes good people change
Sometimes the bad stay the same
Sometimes a smile’s faked so well
A lie detector could never tell

Web Sheldon - Approximately Infinite Respect.mp3
A tribute song for Yoko Ono for her birthday this year.
(Sample from Ana Matronic interview)

Choose

Choose your time well
Do the extraordinary
Could be you
Could be the moon
Could just be your place in time

Choose
Choose your mood well
For the charge you are taking
Enjoy, absorb
And feel it from inside

Where’s the energy you need?
A cafe, a busy street?
In the middle of an ocean blue?
Where’s the energy you need?
From the lover you greet?
Or travelling far to a place wild and new?

(Sample from Yoko Ono interview)

Choose your companions well
For every journey
You are centre
You are the median
Of all that surrounds you

Web Sheldon - Little 3 Oh.mp3
It's just another day
But its a strange one
Its just another number
Slightly larger than the last one

And I don’t feel any more found
Than I did 10 years ago
But I know that, i’ve learnt more
Than I ever give myself credıt for

I’m tired of licking my wounds by the fireside
There’s such a bright and beautiful sun in the sky

I need the sea
I need some air
I need to focus
And take some care
I’m just on my way to some strange magical somewhere

I need to stand
Even if I lose
I'll go crazy if I don't move
Could be wrong but I’m inclined
To say any way that’s forward is just fine

There’ll be more time for fun
And losing the days again
But l’ve lost so much time through liquor ‘n’ labour
I’ll only find it in these songs again

It's so easy to drift
And let the world control you
Everyone else decides your fate
If you believe everything they tell you

I’m so tired of being pleasing and polite
I’ve never asked for anything that wasn’t my right

Web Sheldon - Social Climbers
Concentrate
Don’t look up
Check your phone
Read your book

Concentrate
Smile warm
But come back strong
Strike like a storm

They’re so loud
Talking over one another
Sometimes they’re all speaking at once
And no-one is listening at all to anyone

Listening patiently
To what’s being said
They like to hear
Their voices above the rest
Because what they say is the most important thing you’ll hear all day

When they meet new prey

They strike, they fight
Lock their eyes take a bite
And feed and fill themselves
From the other’s heart

Expect to leave the others high and dry
Expect to reason with a few glazed eyes
Expect to be adored and up till 5
But prepare to be skinned and sold and eaten alive

Expect a greeting that’s less than warm
Expect a change in yourself to conform
Expect to bask and blaze and perform
But prepare to call it a night and go home

All attitude
And one-liners
Desperate wannabees
And social climbers

Web Sheldon - Yatma Zamanı.mp3
i know the apartment is looking after me
i know the apartment is looking after me
there’s three locks on the door, i know i’m safe
there’s three locks on the door, i know i’m safe

i know these walls are thick and wide and strong
i know these walls are thick and wide and strong
i’m on the fourth floor high, i know i’m safe
i’m on the fourth floor high, i know i’m safe

keep the blinds down they don’t know i’m home
keep the blinds down they don’t know i’m home
i sleep sound every night, i know i’m safe
i sleep sound every night, i know i’m safe

bir, iki, uç, dört, beş, altı, yedi, sekiz, dokuz, on
bır, iki, uç, dört, beş...

strange sounds from the walls but i’m ok
strange sounds from the walls but i’m ok
there’s a hole in the window but i’m fine
there’s a hole in the window but i’m fine

so warm in the blistering heat, i’m safe
so warm in the blistering heat, i’m safe
sink into the bed but i’m ok
sink into the bed but i’m ok

Web Sheldon - Wild Applause.mp3
Did you leave it too long?
Did you expect to just bring it home?
Did you drink whilst others worked?
Did you snivel to your worst?

Did you crash for the thrill?
Did you know the medics waiting still?
Did you flash for wild applause?
Could you shine for a pure cause?

No wild applause
No wild applause

Did you strain your wired eyes?
Did you stone out the muffled cries?
Did you steal time that you lost?
Will the money replace the cost?

No wild applause
No wild applause

Web Sheldon - Sheepskin Lullaby.mp3

This one is a bit different to the others - it's electro/house. Lyrics taken from an excerpt of "Daisy's Song" by John Keats.

I look where no one dares
I stare where no one stares
And when the night is nigh
Lambs bleat my lullaby

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

FAWM Starts Tomorrowwww!!! :-p

That is all.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

February Album Writing Month

I saw this last year but didn't get involved... I saw it this year too but didn't rise to the challenge...until Geez (I used to be in a band with him in Mothership where he played Lead guitar) posted on my Facebook wall that I should do it... So I thought it was the perfect time to do it!

I'm finding more enjoyment covering other people's songs at the moment, learning new chord structures and patterns etc and consequently I haven't been writing much original stuff, so this is the perfect excuse to get me writing again! I remember when I was about 19/20 years old, I'd be writing several songs a week, and it's been a while now since I finished off a new song! Right now is a good time to write though... There's a lot of change in my life, leaving Ireland and then London, PwC, going back to live at my parents and also being about to turn 30 is probably going to hit me soon! lol

So any songwriters reading this, come and join me in February Album Writing Month!

As far as I know, you simply upload the songs to your profile as and when you record them... I was reading Geez's page and he seems to have a plan for what he wants to do - mainly stripped back music, vocal and guitar... I have no idea for mine in terms of that... but I guess its ok not to have a plan... well I'd like to experiment a bit if anything...

My Web Sheldon FAWM page: http://fawm.org/fawmers/websheldon/

Here are 3 FAWM pages of mates who are also doing it:

Geez's FAWM Page: http://fawm.org/fawmers/degausser/

Allan's (Ankara) FAWM page: http://fawm.org/fawmers/ankara/

Ad's FAWM page: http://fawm.org/fawmers/adforperu/

Farewell Camden

I have to say goodbye to Camden tomorrow as I move the last things out of Murray Street and into storage and then I'm off up to my parent's for a week before going to Istanbul for 2 weeks!

I did well in the audition, I got through to the second stage, but they wanted money off me to put towards the recording costs and management for 18 months and since I'm jobless at the moment, I've decided not to go any further with it... Great boost though to know I did well though.

I did start recording an old song in more jazz kind of style, its a really old one called Kate Bush (used to be called In Need at one point too!) - its very chilled and laid back thus far!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Audition & Mini Sheffield Visit

So it's been a rather busy week... in between half moving out of my current house, leaving my job at PwC and rehearsing for an audition ready for today... I've never had an audition before (apart from when I was a teenager playing violin in orchestras) and I was pretty nervous but it was an exhilarating experience and I got some positive feedback at the time which is a big boost to come from a professional :) I'll find out next week whether yay or nay...

Spent the rest of the day basking in the glory of le Megabus up to Sheffield and then drinking red wine at my parent's and starting to learn an Ella Fitzgerald song (It's Only a Paper Moon). Also I was having a chat with a new fan on my Facebook page the other day (Matthew Hyde) and he asked me to cover a Tegan and Sara song called 'Walking With a Ghost', so that's my plan for tomorrow!

One question that took me by surprise at the audition (although it really shouldn't have done!) is what direction I see my music as taking... I guess that has always been a good question with me cos I just love too many styles of music but most predominantly I really love singing jazz and I like the electronic style songs I've written on my iMac such as "Spirit Like You" and "Theories From Von Krahl" with the latter being a bit more experimental.

Perhaps I need to write a new song (or rework an old one as I love doing atm) and see how I can use my jazz vocals with an electronic arrangement & acoustic guitar... could be NICEPIES!

Challenge Accepted! :-p