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Day 20: A song with a fade out ending
Steely Dan - Deacon Blues
One of my favorite Steely Dan tunes, which is saying something because I don’t think they put out a single bad song in their original run.
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Day 19: A song that gives you chills
Ichiko Aoba - IMPERIAL SMOKE TOWN
A hauntingly beautiful work. Ichiko Aoba’s music is so incredibly lush, unique, unpredictable, and downright magical.
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Day 18: A song that feels relaxed
Masayoshi Takanaka - Oh! Tengo Suerte
Throw this record on, lay back, and close your eyes. It’s a one way ticket to chilling on the beach.
#IsmuasMonthofMusic
#MusicChallenge
Day 17: A song that feels bouncy
The Band - Up On Cripple Creek
Gotta love that clavinet + wah peddle tone.
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Day 16: A song with a voice leading focus
Vulfpeck - Wait for the Moment
The keyboard line on this song makes great use of inversions and extensions to keep the chordal movement subtle and oh-so-smooth.
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Day 15: A song with heavy brass presence
Shibusashirazu - Images
The first time I heard this band, my jaw literally dropped. If you ever hear someone claim jazz is “boring” play them this. This isn’t just heavy, it’s apocalyptic.
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Day 14: A song with a lo-fi sound
The Mountain Goats - The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton
Like many other early Mountain Goats records, All Hail West Texas was recorded on a boombox, proving that you do not need expensive equipment to make a masterpiece.
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Day 13: A song with reverb-heavy production
Mr. Bungle - Sweet Charity
Mr. Bungle is an acquired taste, but once you have it, there’s a musical itch only they can scratch. The reverb on this track contributes to its nightmarish, David Lynch-esque atmosphere
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Day 12: A song with a distinctive instrument
Eric Dolphy - Hat and Beard
This one has Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone and Dolphy himself on bass clarinet. Whenever I listen to this album I feel like I’ve been transported to the Twilight Zone.
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Day 11 - A song from your favorite genre
Yes - Close to the Edge
One of the crown jewels of my favorite genre, progressive rock. I could write an essay about how much I love Close to the Edge, it just might be the single best rock song ever recorded, imo.
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Day 10: A song with triplets
Jeff Rosenstock - 80’s Through the 50’s
A tearjerker about nostalgia with a 12/8 meter and vintage doo-wop sound woven into the fabric of punk rock. Jeff’s music is so honest, unique, and brilliant, he is my favorite songwriter.
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#MusicChallenge
Day 9: A song with a call and response melody
AFI - Totalimmortal
This rage I cannot let
GOOOOOOO
I feel them calling my name
WHOOOOAAAAA
I feel them gnawing out holes
WHOOOOOAAA
AFI’s gang vocal game is top tier.
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Day 8: A song with a circle of fifths progression
John Coltrane - Giant Steps
Coltrane builds off of the classic II V I jazz progression and utilizes the circle of fifths to constantly and rapidly change the song’s key between distant major thirds.
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Day 7: A song with a clear chord change between verse and chorus
David Bowie - Life On Mars?
That key change to Bb on “SAILors” gets me every time. I can’t grasp most of the wild theory concepts at work in this song, but what I do know is that change SOARS
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Day 6: A song in multiple languages
GING NANG BOYZ - あいどんわなだい (I Don’t Wanna Die)
I first found this band through Jeff Rosenstock’s excellent cover of this song. Mostly in Japanese with a little bit of English, this catchy tune explodes with punk energy.
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Day 5: A song with a vocal intro
Gentle Giant - Knots
A top contender for most underrated band of all time, Gentle Giant were insanely skilled musicians who made brilliantly complex prog masterpieces, broke numerous musical boundaries, and got WEIRD with it.
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Day 4: A song with a swing feel
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers - Free For All
Not only does this swing, it swings VIOLENTLY. A storm of the century that pushes bop to its limits. Quite possibly my favorite piece of jazz. Blakey is the GOAT of drumming.
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Day 3: A song with a strong backbeat
Smashing Pumpkins - Geek USA
My favorite Jimmy Chamberlain performance. Chock full of mind-bending jazzy fills but still built on a driving rock rhythm that makes the song barrel forth like a freight train from hell.
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Day 2: A song with a strong downbeat
Dead Kennedys - Let’s Lynch the Landlord
A hard-hitting punk tune with a surf rock flavor and a timeless, universal message. The guitar solo gives off 60’s beach party vibes, but the heavy accent on the 1 keeps it aggressive
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Day 1: A song that changes tempo
The Arrogant Sons of Bitches - 1-800-ALARM-ME
A breakneck speed manic rage that collapses into the doldrums of depression in the bridge. Wild how tight this track is, especially the BLISTERING syncopation in the verses.
Integrity of this caliber is increasingly rare these days. Very proud to be a Cheek Freak.
The really muddled messaging in this film finally makes sense given PTA’s acceptance speeches: He actually didn’t have anything important to say with it.
And the Oscar goes to Baby’s First Political Movie.
We are going to open up a fucking pit right in the middle of a comedy club. High energy DIY punk meets top tier improv when Leonardo DiVorcio plays Songs N Scenes at The Second City MainStage in Brooklyn. Get ready to rage and then subsequently laugh your ass off.
One night only! Tonight!
Come to the punk rock show. Come to the improv show. Come to the combination punk rock improv show.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2025)
I don’t care if this is a normie opinion, the original Final Fantasy VII is absolutely my favorite game in the series and a top contender for my favorite game of all time.
The audacity of this administration of known pedophiles to call ANYTHING the "Stop the Sexualization of Children Act" other than a bill that impeaches and punishes every child rapist in office is off the charts... especially with a bill like this that will actively harm trans youth. Fuck this place.
Hugely proud of the response my show Songs N Scenes is getting from our audiences. Next show is 3/6, 7 PM at Second City NYC! Here’s the tix link: www.secondcity.com/shows/new-yo...
Printing up a few CD’s for my band’s upcoming show and doing handwritten liner notes for them only to discover that my handwriting is atrocious.
Jackass should be an Olympic sport.
