Thing a Week 4 – Shop Vac
This is me doing Fountains of Wayne – you know, funny tragic suburban angst power pop ennui, etc. I started recording this one before it was written, which is something I never do. But I knew I was going to do hand claps in the chorus and I couldn’t wait. I came up with the chorus when I was actually using a shop vac (which is awesome by the way, it sucks up everything).
You may notice that there is no guitar solo after the bridge. I was going to go through the whole process of cutting together snippets of decent playing, beating myself up about not being a better guitarist and cursing my useless sausage fingers, but forget that. I leave it to you, dear minions. Anyone who wants to should record a solo and email it to me or post a link here. I’ll mix them in and post clips and we can all decide together which one works best. The song is in the key of E major and it’s 150 bpm. You’ll want to target the 8 bars right after the bridge, starting at about 2:20 and ending somewhere before the third verse. It can be shreddy or pleasant or noisy or whatever – it doesn’t even need to be that musical as long as it’s interesting, and as long as the recording is just the isolated solo (if you record yourself playing your bongos in front of your speakers I won’t really be able to use that – you will want some kind of multitrack situation so you can hear the song but record only your solo). And any instrument is fine – come on clarinetists, make your voice heard! Once a winner is chosen I’ll change the link to the new mp3 and give the player credit in the notes. Here’s the song:
Also, if you’re in the Philly area and you’d like to hear John Hodgman read from his book and me play some backup music, we’ll be at the Philadelphia Museum of Art tonight in between sets of the band Beau Django. Details on the Areas of My Expertise site.
Comments
Edminster says
Okay, I've listened to the song a couple of times now, and I have one question:
What the hell is the newscast saying in the background starting around 2:20 and continuing till around 3:00?
I'm catching something about a guy going berserk, and something that is just "silly".
Glenn says
I'm impressed you can do this stuff this quickly on a regular basis, keep it up!
Dan says
"OMG DUDE! I'm gonna record the most bossest riff evar, and leik, its gonna rock so much, that JC is going to change the name of the song to THE DAN SONG, and I'm gonna be all famous and stuff!"
But seriously, I think asking for sample submissions is a pretty awesome idea. Very revolutionary. Viva!
Lee says
I love the suburban angst. There is not enough of that in music. I have found myself sitting and waiting for you next thing a week. I know this is blatant kissing up, but you are the man.
Brooklyn Bluesman says
Dude,
Cool song , but where's the part when Stacy's mom uses the shop vac in novel manner? Look forward to final version.
Glenn says
Heyyyyy. That's the guy that did that bit on the Secrets of the Mall of America! I thought I recognize "food, drink and cheese (a type of food)" from somewhere. Cool.
Incidentally, I can't find the text from See You All in Hell online -- am I a dope for looking?
rohit507 says
Edminister, its much eaiser to hear the news cast if you listen through a headphones, and remove 1 of the earbugs , for me i had to remove the right one to hear it.
Ahsirakh says
Anyone armed with a Shop Vac and willing to try interspersing its sounds with whatever instrumental solo you might be planning? (Unfortunately, I have zilch musical prowess and live in a traditional household with brooms as our primary cleaning implement, so I'm throwing this to y'all here.)
Brian P says
Another great song! Thanks, Jonathan!
brian
http://candyaddict.com
http://myvogonpoetry.com
Dan Lurie says
Ahsrakh. That's a brilliant idea! I bet it would even be possible to just record like 30 seconds of the vac, and modify the tone in GarageBand or logic to make some sort of solo! I'll have to try and see if it works.
Aman says
Jonathan,
This is completely off topic, but remember that robot you built that can feed, soothe, and put babies to sleep? You know, that thing that will prevent me from going completely insane?
Can you e-mail me the instructions so I can build one?
Thanks,
Aman
Travis Braud says
I just became a zombie and let me tell yah human brain is delicious
JoCo says
Sorry I haven't responded to anything here guys, I was in Philly this weekend and the only available computer was a spyware zoo with something called "Dial Up" for internet. First things first:
The newscast is a segment about ads above urinals, and then another about a guy going nuts with a shotgun. It felt a little goofy to drop that in there, but it also gave me chills, so I kept it.
The See You in Hell text came to me through an email and I haven't been posting lyrics for any of the weekly things, so you won't find it out there. I'll see if I can get it together to make a thing a week page or something.
And finally: where's my solo, people?!
Dave Kinsella says
I love this song, I've been singing it all weekend since I heard it and annoying my wife (who asked me if I was hinting that I wanted a Shop Vac for christmas)
Chris Robison says
This is a really fantastic song, at least as I understand it. Trouble is, I'm not sure I do, entirely. Through most of the song, it sounds like a funny (and if you can identify with it personally, perhaps somewhat poignant) comment on the typical unsatisfying yuppie suburban existance.
But toward the end, starting with the line "I’m floating up above the house and looking down" I kinda get lost. Is there a hidden meaning here, with "headlights rolling across the sky"?
Brandy says
My husband thinks so too. According to him, Shop Vac is not just about suburban blahs, but the guy dies on a trip back to the city and his ghost comes back to haunt the wife - by turning the shop vac on in the basement - which is why she is crying. Which may not be the case, but makes the song kinda spooky.
Liam says
Someone pointed me to your "Code Monkey" song a few weeks back, and I've been enjoying discovering all of your other music. I really love this one. It's catchy and fun and full of angst.
It reminds me a lot of the quirkiness of early They Might Be Giants or Barenaked Ladies.
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Liam.
Wilbur Tillinghast says
Scariest song in the world; if your relationship starts in a small college room and eventually moves to three levels of suburban home, drifting apart as a physical reality that becomes an emotional one is entirely too possible.
Similarly, the cats we got in this house are less well-socilaised than the mones that spent a good chunk of their time in the one room that was their mutual home territory; these fight less, but are also less friendly.
Am I alone in wanting to hear this performed not by "Fountains of Wayne" but rather by Elvis Costello and band c. 1979?
KFW says
Am I alone in wanting to hear this performed not by “Fountains of Wayne” but rather by Elvis Costello and band c. 1979?
Not at all, but then I think that Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, and John Fogerty all need to record a "shut up and play yer guitar" album before they die, so what do I know?
Ted says
Shop Vac - what an awesome song. I discovered it via Pandora and the Fountains of Wayne channel. Do you know how you ended up on Pandora?
Eileen Robinson says
Todays fresh passes. 4/11-09, Barely Legal Pass! Link/Download (http://sharembit.com/386/bar-legal.zip.html)