Firstly, check out yesterday’s blog for information on the upcoming Acoustic Music Showcase I am playing in, Thursday October 27th at Ballydoyle’s Irish Pub in Downer’s Grove, IL.

Now that I’ve done my shameless plugs for the day (until I post about this blog’s existence on every social network I have subscribed to)…

Recording vocals can be a bit of a bitch. And not for the really obvious reasons. I thought I would have to hassle a lot with ambient noise, like the high-pitched screaming of my sub-par wireless router, the people loudly dialing apartment numbers outside my door (I’m apartment 101 – I can’t escape the other tenants). Turns out I just have to deal with singing too well.

*disclaimer* I am not a good singer

What I mean is that I’m trying too hard to sing well. There are obvious things that I am trying to hit right on – mostly intonation – but my voice lacks a bit of individual style or identity because I’m trying to sing vowels well and have good diction. But after I record a vocal take and listen back to it (so I know how to sing it better on the next take. It would be nice if I was one of those professional and consistent singers who can at least sing it well each time, they just need more takes to get a melisma just the way they want it), my main comments consist of “protracted”, “breathy”, “flat”…I’m not convinced that my voice has any consistent style or sound, and its definitely difficult for me to get lost in the moment and sing my heart out (Did I mention living on the ground floor, right off the ‘foyer’?). I’m singing into a microphone with the song playing in my headphones…All the passer-bys can hear is some dude trying to put some attitude, or stank as I like to call it, behind the line “don’t announce you’re coming by to ask if I can move the couch you just bought”.

I don’t know how rock stars don’t feel stupid whenever they sing their songs. That’s why I write so many slower, contemplative songs. Rock songs just don’t seem to mean anything.

And with that, I give you a meaningless rock song, making fun of a meaningless rock song that someone out there probably takes seriously…(NSFW)