FAWM : "What's Your Gateway Song?" (by @terroratspacecamp)

@terroratspacecamp 8w

Are you like me and are flummoxed by the concept of so many new bands to try out when FAWM starts? If so, I have an idea!

What is your gateway song?

Post here a song from your discography that would give listeners a sense of what kind of stuff you do.

@terroratspacecamp 8w

Here's mine. Most people call this song "City". All the songs from my FAWM last year were untitled so call it whatever you desire. It's got some alt-rock grungy aspects, some weirdness with the omnichords, vocals that aren't me. I think this is a good starting point. Sure, I do lots of other sounds (that album for instance ends with a soul crushing barebones piano ballad) but this does set the tone.

https://niveous.bandcamp.com/track/city

@kathrynhoss 8w

This was originally a FAWM song-- "Do It Anyway!!" I just released it on my new EP "Rough Draft." It's not a perfect introduction to my style because I plan to get into more looping and electronic sounds this FAWM, but simple ukulele songs are also a lot of what I do.

Warning for swears. 😎

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/43VSSPDQyPmYZe4P5pxrBh?si=x4OBdUiEQmakbCEBvEGmhA&utm_source=copy-link

YouTube: https://youtu.be/9f5oa4BIGnk

@brisk 8w

@terroratspacecamp - love City, for what it's worth. Has a brooding, PJ Harvey quality to it, but with dreamy synthyness (omnichord? I don't even know what that is) in place of spiky guitars. I like everything about it, to be honest. The extended chorus is great, and the vocalist really sells it, bringing a lovely build to the whole thing.

Here's one I posted up three weeks ago: https://yeslessness.bandcamp.com/track/callin-for-you

@frozenlonesome 8w

Nice idea @terroratspacecamp - All of my previous FAWM’S have been themed around mangled audio clips from public domain films. Mr. Jones Part One is from my 2021 FAWM album, Voices From Tomorrow’s Yesterday.
https://frozen-lonesome.bandcamp.com/track/mr-jones-part-one

My other releases are mostly instrumental in my self-defined genre of “ambient string-fuzz, astral funk, and generally pleasing electronic noise”.

@brisk 8w

@johnstaples- love the idea behind No One Knows Their Names, and its a great song too. I love the contrast between the immediacy of the perky, jangly strings and the vastness of the timescales we are dealing in here. On the topic of the degree to which prehistoric humans could live fulfilling lives - have you read Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind? I think Harari's of the opinion that things were just dandy (well, you know what I mean) during the hunter gatherer era - it was just agriculture that screwed everything up...

@mdavisto 8w

@terroratspacecamp that vibe takes me right back to the 90s alt scene.

@stuartbenbow Spotify is being a bitch, but it's probably because I'm on my Linux laptop rn. Imma get back to you.

@dragondreams wut is happening with those drum rolls? Fantastic.

@sunnymae that is funky AF

@newukenewyork that's intimate and beautiful. And, please take this as a compliment, your stank face is fantastic. Every musician does their stank face when they do a good bit.

@vomvorton you sound nothing like them, but, your vibe puts me in mind of Crowded House and their ilk.

@scubed you best watch out, that opening riff is begging to be sampled. I feel you. I need that open country too.

@philkmills I have an unhealthy appreciation for filk. I wish I'd read this book. I still have time.

@fatboyjamz loving the vocoder. Yes.

@ianuarius Holy shit you wrote a 28 minute song ARE YOU INSANE that is cool. For real, I skipped around, but that's amazing. I salute you.

@tcelliott That's baddass. I like your articulate self-awareness.

@deadhead I'm feeling your vocal layers man. You're strong there.

@ltunes Ooooo I'm hearing a double bass and a trashy drum kit behind there. Nice one.

@aeye YES FAWMTRONICAAAAAAA Imma keep my eye on you.

@opossum You already know I fucking love you man.

@auditasum You had me at the opening fuckup. That the song was amazing was just a bonus at that point. You're cool, you can stay.

@atitlan How can I not love square waves? Your choice of waves is superb.

@tseaver Comrade! I'm feeling your blues, man. I'm not sure I've heard you do blues before. Do more blues!

Anyway, I haven't made much in a while, but this is the last thing I made - it's a thingy based on mangling Star Trek Voyager samples. The scene moved me, is all.

https://soundcloud.com/mdavisto/the-child-who-never-had-a-chance

Have a great FAWM everybody.

@yam655 8w

For this year, at least, my gateway song can be "Lemon Strudel" from 50/90 2017: https://yam655.com/j/2017-09/04_r1515/

Lo-fi improvised lyrical acapella with a kishotenketsu song structure.

I may do some other stuff, but this is the sort of thing I'm aiming for this year.

Realistically, though, people should be aware that I've released an album like:
https://mrbeany.bandcamp.com/album/putting-the-crap-back-in-crapcapella

If I'm being honest, I sing about poop a lot. It is quite possible that one or more songs will turn toward that matter before the end. After all, even a song titled, "If I Fail, I'll Need Your Help" ended on a brown note. (Though the "twist" in that song is that I'm actually asking to help the listener eat their sweet treat.)

@nancycunning 8w

That's a great question. @jeff9 and I did a bunch of collaborating during the 5090. I'm a sucker for a tender song sung by a tough guy, and Jeff does such a great job of bringing those characters and emotions to life...Here's one called "Honey, You Already Are" It can count for the #response_song challenge, because it's the parent's response to a song that was posted at FAWM 2022 called Somewhere, East of Nashville - that told the story of a singer giving up and going home. Jeff did one version, and other people did others, and it was great. https://soundcloud.com/jeff-walker-4/honey-you-already-are?in=nancy-cunningham-2/sets/songs-created-for-fawm-5090&si=945a4d1575d3405db188cbe60c19a167&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

@paul_pedersen 8w

This is my first kick at the FAWM can. I have no idea whether I'll have enough inspirations to write the target number of songs. Time will tell (or not!)

No matter what I try to do, everything comes out as a ballad, so I may as well use that as today's calling card, This was the outcome of a one-hour songwriting challenge based on a four chord sequence. The one hour time span produced the first verse and chorus and the next day it got fleshed out to what you'll find at this link: https://paulpedersen.bandcamp.com/track/all-my-life

@fatboyjamz 8w

Here are a few random responses from the gateway songs here.

@terroratspacecamp - Love the music and vocals. The lyrics are awesome!

@dragondreams - I like this. Raw, creative, great!

@ltunes - I love the acoustic. Folk! Good stuff.

@tseaver - Excellent vocals and lyrics! I love the delivery of this song.

This is more in the spirit of what I do nowadays, if anyone would like to have a listen.

https://soundcloud.com/fatboyjamz/peace

@thinkalto 8w

@spikedirection What a high-octane romp! And the album title is apropos. 😀

@downburst Every year I forget how much I love your production sensibilities, and then the first time I hear one of your tunes I'm back in sonic heaven. My FAWMnesia grants me the joy of hearing you for the first time many times over!

@tseaver You've transported me. LOVE the backing vocals on it.

As for me... I don't know that I've actually found "me" yet. I used to have a Jekyll-and-Hyde routine, either writing complicated classical-prog numbers beyond my resources and abilities to produce (which never see the light of FAWM), or else completely stripped-down three chord numbers anybody could write (these often do). Lately I've very much erred simpler, but I guess this song probably best shows the way in which I'll lightly evoke another style within a simple acoustic-pop structure: https://open.spotify.com/track/7nVgAi9EqfeUdMa2nyCUcP?si=1ecb55102b4c4061

Honestly, my best work wouldn't be possible without my @lavishdude compatriot @deadhead livening up the skeleton structures I create. At this point, my default plan is to write two or three tunes per FAWM as only a lead sheet, giving him minimal prompting about the vibe of the song, and letting him take it places!

@candle 8w

This one is probably one of my most personal songs. Wrote it ages ago & it's stayed pretty much the same throughout the years, though every performance of it is different in its own way (as it should be). I get requests to play it when I play live - so somehow it's become a crowd favourite. Probably because of the raw emotion I put into it when I perform. Anyway, it's a simple song (by my usual standards), without any loops or my usual fare, but it really hits the sort of things I've always wanted to express in my music.

Ecstasy - https://candle.bandcamp.com/track/ecstasy-fawm-2017-demo

@mdavisto 8w

Christ on a bike there's a lot of you. OK here we go.

@meapsie MMmmmmmmmmmm that bass is so lovely and deep and bendy! And the guitar so warm!

@johnstaples Dude your texture and the way you emote is so cool. You remind me a of a lot of people, and yet you're none of them. Thanks for the listen.

@spikedirection Fuck yeah! This is late nights in smokey bars in my youth. Many a worthy hangover was crafted to music like this.

@brisk you're a man out of time. This could be a Beatles track.

@kim_otcj I dig how you commit to it, you know? Like, song like this, you can't half-ass it. You whole-assed it, man.

@frozenlonesome Oooooooh you sexy, sexy thing. You had me expecting a fat Portishead beat on it, but then you went somewhere entirely more funky.

@yam655 You know what? It's ballsy as fuck to go acapella. You're the real deal, man. Respect.

@downburst Spotify still hates me, sorry, I'll circle back

@nancycunning Sjoe! That's deep, a mother writing to her son. Props for the vulnerability.

@pfaffbrill Oh shiiiit the triplets! You got my head bouncing. Tonally you remind me of Type O Negative, but this is entirely your own vibe. Nice reminder of why you're on my Watchlist.

@musicsongwriter Yo is that recorded live? It sounds like it's in a space. That was all kinds of purty, you play wonderfully.

@mattwdunn Wowwww you have a very polished sound, that's lush. That chorus is hooky as fuck, man. Great song, you can go even bigger oohhhhhh shiiiiiiiiiit I just hit the guitars hahaaaaaaaaaa

@coolparadiso You put me in the mind of Dire Straights. That's super mellow, man.

@paul_pedersen god DAMN you throw vox with passion, man. You better have gotten a hook up out of this.

@hspromking Dude. You own this genre. What can I even say? Imma gonna go put some skate pants on.

@candle your link is broken for me.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I don't have time, I'll carry on later. What a talented bunch you are.

@nadine 8w

I really enjoy listening to your songs as a FAWM warm up! So much interesting music :) Sorry that I had to skip everything that's been on Spotify and Deezer, cause I don't have streaming services.

@terroratspacecamp
Reminds me of the music played in the batcave. I like the weirdness, especially the sarcastic tone in her voice.

@dragondreams
That's quite a fusion. Like the piano parts!

@sunnymae
Oh, I seemed to have missed this one. The trumpets are cool!

@newukenewyork
Lovely song, I love the storytelling. Don't forget to join the #fuc (FAWM ukulele club)

@vomvorton
Your song gives me some easy vibes of good old indie rock.

@scubed
I've never been to New Mexico, but I can really feel the healining and happiness.

@philkmills
Oh, some filk! I didn't read this series, but I like the storytelling in the lyrics.

@fatboyjamz
Chill and dark electronica vibes. Nice groove

@ianarius
I didn't know you write SO MANY genre (too). I'm a sucker for prog, but I will listen to your song when I have more time (and comment on YouTube). But the first 2 minutes sounded great!

@tcelliot
You're also a very versatile artist! Your song is so deep and catchy. Great one!

@deadhead
Another super versatile artist. I knew you from last year's jazz and rock, and this one is funky and a bit progressive. Cool progression!

@ltunes
Gives me some Coldplay vibes though played with a uke. I also like the chord progression

@aeye
Yeah, you're also all over the genres, but I enjoyed your track. Like a fusion of dnb and dark wave.

@opossom
Foul mouthed with some humour, that's how we know you ;-)

@kathrynhoss
I really liked that you left the swear word in that recording. Do it anyway! Great spirit!

@atitlan
Oh some 80s vibes, nice synth textures and a lot of references.

@tseaver
Such blues fun! You made me smile, thank you!

@meapsie
It's been such a long time I listened to trap influenced electronica. Such a nice chill vibe.

@nadine 8w

@johnstaples
Yes, I remember that one. The storytelling is awesome.

@spikedirection
Bring on the fuzz. I like that it's so rough and rocking. This garage blues could go wild live.

@brisk
Oh, this has some oldschool vibes, I enjoy.

@kim_otcj
Such a cool idea to write a theme song. Strong blues vibe!

@frozenlonesome
This style of electronic music is completely new to me. A bit expermental, a bit deep, and sampling swing? Interesting combo.

... more later.

@loveonamixtape 8w

I love this question, though it's always a tough one. As a solo artist I always feel limited by my technical constraints, and tend to "like" my collabs more, so I'm VERY tempted to post one of those, but I'm trying to embrace my more minimal stuff as the "me, distilled" that it kind of is (also, being real that anyone who chooses to follow me will get 50% (at best) well-recorded things (mostly collabs) and 50% very lo-fi stuff during FAWM.) The actual recording of this song is pretty aggressively lo-fi even by my standards (especially now that I've got a better recording set up) and WAY more mumblecore than I ever really do (this was a late-night recording so I was trying to be quiety), but lyrically and melodically, I'm really proud of this one, and it's at the top of my list for re-recording.

https://ashleybrewer.bandcamp.com/track/36-years-dumb

@nadine 8w

@yam655
Your lyrics are always something special. Fully inspired!

@nancycunning
I remember that one! You and @jeff9 do such great country collabs, and the lyrics are very strong.

@pfaffbrill
I remember listening to this one on Facebook. First time I listened to synthpop on FAWM. Nice.

@musicsongwriter
Oh, a new song - So beautiful and tragic. Like the harmonies here!

@coolparadiso
Nice album title, fits the spirit of the song well. I like the guitar solo

@paul_pedersen
Wonderful romantic duet, so full of emotion!

@mattwdunn
Guess I missed the demo last year. The final turned out wonderful. I especially like the heavy rock elements close to the end.

@hspromking
I remember your punk influenced style from last year, and this is into your face again. Nice spirit of late 90s and early 2000s

@jamkar
Yes, I remember the demo for this one. Interesting lyrics!

@candle
Your link to your song "ecstasy" doesn't work :(

@eringoblog
I like the energy in this song, especially the build. Great idea to sing as a duo!

@steptide
Yes, that's very 80s. Interesting synth textures.

@jacobeverettwallace
Super neat arrangement and production. Something to sink in.

@stevonnie
Exactly my humour! You can pull of the blues quite well. The happy ukulele blues.

@sheslin
I'm a great fan of your fingerpicking, as it's so soothing. Didn't know you play the piano too! Lovely songs and harmonies.

@wallista
Yes, this power ballad sound very big and could work in a movie. Nice production!

@gubna
I love the chord progression. So desperate and 90s grunge influenced.

@frenchcricket
Great way to describe your songs. I am impressed by the beats and sounds your music offers!

@jeff9
I listened to this song some days ago and I liked it! You do some great country.

@metalfoot
Yes, I remember this one too! You're one of the super productive people with a great sense of humour.

@nadine 8w

@helenseviltwin
Such a fun experiment! This must have been a lot of work, and you're so versatile. I like your punk attitude.

@headfirstonly
Master of prog and ironic lyrics. Eventhough you meander through the genres, I will always find that hfo vibe!

@thelowestbitter
Interesting and unique style. Like the answer response

@loveonamixtape
Lofi, but with lots of emotion and spirit. Yes, the lyrics are great!

I'm through for today 😵. Thank you for the music!

@frozenlonesome 8w

@helenseviltwin
“For my 14th FAWM in 2020, I did 14 songs of 14 seconds”. I love this idea. I imagine it’s way harder to make a 14 second song than a much longer one. I especially liked the 3rd and 4th song.
—
In the Wayback Days (1980), this fantastic compilation of 51 - one minute songs was released. Some real gems on this album.
https://www.discogs.com/release/347586-Various-Miniatures-A-Sequence-Of-Fifty-One-Tiny-Masterpieces-Edited-By-Morgan-Fisher

@tawny249 8w

It's hard for me to know precisely what a finished product would sound like (i.e., vocals + instrumental parts, not just vocals), but in terms of melodies and lyrics I think this one from last year is pretty representative. I tend towards minor key songs, with roughly 85% of them being folk-ish melodies.

https://soundcloud.com/tawny249/a-song-of-ages-woven-fawm-2

That said, I'm somehow known among a fair chunk of filkers for a cheerful song about the British cheese rolling competition, soooo take this with a grain of salt.

@mdavisto 8w

Ok here we go again.

@frenchcricket Yo I know this one! Good to hear it again.

@jeff9 I feel you, and I feel them bendy guitars.

@metalfoot I'm a middle-aged man too, bru. I also write songs for kicks, and as a farmer, I live out in the sticks. You're my people.

@helenseviltwin That was a fucken trip, not gonna lie. Your mind is a playground.

@headfirstonly The bugger of it is that they *do* live in your head. Makes them no less real.

@thelowestbitter Dude I have loved watching you progress; I totally get what you mean about production, but man, for real, you have also got so much better at songwriting. Love checking in on you.

@nadine I see you commenting on everything too, just want to say, you're cool AF

@loveonamixtape Feeling that chorus, that is seriously hummable.

@robynmackenzie Like, I wasn't sure at first, and then you hit the first chorus, and I was like, ah, right, I get the hype.

@billwhite51 Wait, Darkest Peru, in Lima? You must know my aunt Lucy. But in seriousness, your jam has such melancholy vibe to me. And melancholy songs are good.

@gm7 I feel like this wouldn't be out of place on a early 80s TV action show. But that's me. I dig that you shared an instrumental as your calling card.

@b3nut Hey, that is some self-aware and introspective lyric writing, my guy. Respect.

@davidbreslin101 Ah man, you remind me a little of one of my favourite fawmers, @paulhenry: stripped back, super competent, lyrically playful. You're cool.

@russkeys "to see what mischief I was up to, and if it's allowed". You seem like a man who is most mischievious, and does not care if it's allowed.

@beechcraftbonanza Computer says no to Spotify at the minute, sorry

Fuck me, I made it to the bottom of the thread! Thanks for the ear sauce.

@candle 8w

Seems my Ecstasy link doesn't work (it is a Private Album on Bandcamp, so I guess that makes sense…). So, in it's place, try listening to a live version of Delicate Shame, a song from my first FAWM album, Chromatics. The pre-amble talks about my songwriting process & mentions FAWM:

https://candle.bandcamp.com/track/delicate-shame-live-beatty-2012

And if you'd still like to hear Esctasy, here's a Live version of it as well:

https://candle.bandcamp.com/track/ecstasy-refrain-in-the-rain-live

See You In The Shadows…

@gm7 8w

I have ben picking away at some of these great tunes. I appreciate you sharing your gateway songs.
@atitlanatitlan
Love the melody and that driving kick drum....

@sunnymae Music for Media
stand up bass and an finger snaps...love it. Too many great things going on in this song to list.

@scubed These Wide Open Spaces
great video..love those open space and the desert scenery. Great singing and a catch melody.

@tcelliott
Nice story..and a great recording and i like those vox doubling tracking sections

@ltune
very smooth vocals and great uke playing

@opossum
One word for this song...CLASSIC!!

@tseaver
Great Americana song. Great musicianship and all the instruments .FUNNY TOO!

@Yam655
great story. Now I am hungary !

@coolparadiso
great sentiment and message

@jamjar
DARK..But i like it. It could be an opening song for a musical.

@gubna
I heard ya...great lyrics!

@@jeff9
Always a great smooth tone to your vocals...wonderful!

@brisk 8w

@pfaffbrill - like the heavy feel, really nice production. Nice choices with the melody too (the downwards "finally ... fades."). Stately.

@paul_pedersen - that's such a delicate, lush, direct song. Love it.

@tawny249 - A Song of Ages Woven is a stellar title, and love the melody and words. Sombre and reflective, the words and music really locked in together.

@davidbreslin101 - Silverfish, so pretty. And the lyric is really nice. It doesn't come of as silly, more gently whimsical, wistful. Whenever there's genuine empathy, or something that sounds like it, it can sell almost any theme.

@nadine 7w

@robynmackenzie:
Nice 60s psychedelic vibe with jangling guitars. Yes!

@billwhite51
I like the pace of your storytelling. It's calm but still you want to follow all words.

@gm7
Yeah, I remember this song from the album. Very funky and experimental. Like a mix of all you do!

@b3nut
Your song brings me back to 70s prog, but with a 90s drum machine. What a interesting combination. Great build up.

@davidbreslin101
What a cool idea! If only silverfish were so jazzy, I would let them live.

@russkeys
Groovy bassline on a playful instrumentation. Interesting use of samples here.

@tawny249
I hear some medieval lute picking and flutes. Kudos that you create such vivid imagination just by a vocal demo!

@equal24
I remember listening to this song last year and it's awesome!

@candle
Thanks for your new links! Yes, I hear the emotion in your performance of "Ecstasy"

@mannon
Wow, I didn't hear any rnb the past years, and this is so smooth! Both singing and rap.

@stephenwordsmith 7w

I'm a lyricist, and my style and approach is all over the place. Also, I'm only ever half of the equation (at best); more often than not a catalyst to let the brilliance of the composer and performer shine.

I do like this one, and so does the community - it attracted the equal-highest number of comments of anything I've been a part of in my 15-year history here:

https://stephenwordsmith.bandcamp.com/track/theresa-johnson-art-by-chance

It's also a pretty good introduction to @theresaj, although, of course, she will have her own favourite.

@daveescoffery 7w

I tend to write songs that are a bit punk and a bit folk with influences like Frank Turner, Camper Van Beethoven, and The Decemberists. People have told me that a lot of my songs remind them of The Dead Milkmen. I love writing songs that are funny but also make some kind of a point, and if they have a bit of a twist thrown in somewhere, so much the better. This one's a good example. It's about accepting people, no matter what gender they're attracted to, and it's called "Flaming."

https://soundcloud.com/dave-escoffery/flaming?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

@amandaroseriley 7w

Wow, it'll take a really long time to get through all of these! But I'll share mine anyway, "Sins": https://youtu.be/zQsgnWkWeAg?list=PL0CPXoiusM7l3oatNPbDnNQeeaz4_0lBz

It's kind of hard because my lyrical themes and arrangements have been all over the place, but I would say this is the kind of direction I primarily intend to go in, but maybe with more instruments for a more punky feel. Very honest, raw, and heavy.

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