We here at Quick Stop Entertainment are true lovers of music, in all its forms. We’re also quite keen on the spirit of competition, and of spurring creativity through said competition.
To that end, we launched a brand new form of creative combat here at the Stop.
In this age of manufactured and painfully earnest talent contests, we’ve decided to instead shine a light on the quirky, quixotic underworld of musicians that don’t get nearly the attention they deserve.
Ah, but I did mention that there was a competition involved…
A week back, we sent out the call for challengers. Many of you heard the call and fought for a slot. You’ll find information about them below.
Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, these challengers will be presented with a very specific songwriting challenge. They’ll be given one week to complete their songs – however they see fit, within the parameters set forth – after which time the entries will be uploaded to Quick Stop.
Some of our challengers had to drop out due to various and sundry technology issues, but you’ll find the submissions of those left standing below. So what exactly was their challenge?
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE
Tis the season and all that, right? Well, your challenge is to create a brand new character for this holiday season, and write a holiday song for him/her/it. Think Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman, etc. Now you can add your own musical contribution to the festivities.
That’s it. The only other directive is that your song must run no shorter than 1 minute 45 seconds.
MASTERS OF SONG FU
For this edition of Song Fu, we brought in a single (well, 2, technically) Master who our Challengers went up against. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu…
PAUL & STORM
Paul and Storm are a comedy music duo, and they have been performing as a duo since 2004. Before that, they were one half of a cappella band Da Vinci’s Notebook for about 12 years. A Paul and Storm show is part music concert and part standup/improv comedy”“just enough of both to fit neatly in neither category. They like to engage the audience, and are known to award snack cakes and/or other prizes for good (and sometimes bad) behavior. Their show would be PERFECT as a cable special, and would make lots of money for whichever brave channel decides to air them first.
Official Website: www.paulandstorm.com
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Dexter, The Credit Debt Badger (Demo)”
- NOTES: This arrangement was supposed to be all tricked out, with strings, lush vocals, glockenspiel, horns and crap. We discovered, as suspected, though, that nothing sounds crappier than fakey synth strings and horns; and without strings and horns, the glockenspiel and lush vocals were out of place. So in the end, we reverted to the original, stripped-down, raggedy demo we had made to start off with. That, and we’re lazy.
And now, the list of challengers and their songs:
THE CHALLENGERS
JEFF MacDOUGALL
Jeff MacDougall 2: Electric Boogaloo – You may know Jeff from his short-lived stint as reigning challenger in MoSF#1 – ultimately losing to master Jonathan Coulton. He’s back and ready to make the holidays his bitch. Because really, nothing says Christmas music like the sweet sounds of Jeff MacDougall.
Official Website: www.jeffmacdougall.com
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Becky, The Office Party Drunk“
JASON MORRIS
I suppose I am what you could call a “Multi-Instrumentalist”. That is a nice way of saying “Jack-of-all-trades, Master-of-none”. I began playing drums as a teenager and spent a great deal of energy during my 20’s trying to “make it” in the music biz. As a drummer, I have had the opportunity to play with some pretty incredible musicians, garnering literally DOZENS of fans over the years. In 2004 I joined the band Celestial Static, and spent several years melting some face with good friends Jeremy and Julie Elzerman. Once that ran its course, I decided to spend more time locked away in my studio, writing my own songs and learning to play guitar, bass and sing. It doesn’t pay the bills, but I have a good time doing it.
Official Website: www.jason-morris.com
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Twangles, The Christmas Squid“
JOE “COVENANT” LAMB
My name is Joe Lamb, I’ve been known online as JoeCovenant, or JoeCov, Or just Cov for the last decade or so. I’m 45 and have been performing for 40 of those years. Up until 2005 I was solely a professional actor/singer, but I am now also a Civil Servant and work for Her Majesty. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 10, but still think Bar Chords are things played in pubs. (I can’t do ’em!) I’m not too bad on the Bhodran and can pick out a tune on a keyboard when pushed… really hard. I’ve always been frustrated that my ideas outdistance my abilities, so my output is always rather simplistic… But I like to think that, occasionally, synergy does it’s job well! My last album, a passel of LARP songs written ‘in character’, was recorded in the same way the songs for this contest will be recorded… Analogue, in my living room, through a quickshot stick-mic (Yes, really!) Hearing some of the songs that have been created through this contest I feel privileged to be involved! I’ll do the best I can!
Official Website: None
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Mr. Jones, The Advertising Man“
“BUCKETHAT” BOBBY MATHESON
“BucketHat” Bobby Matheson is an awkward teenage accordionist and multi-instrumentalist who specializes in superhero-themed and “Comedy” music, and who works for minimum wage in the fast food industry. With his style varying from polka to folk, punk to pop, and then again from rock to bluegrass, we’re left unsure what to expect. One thing for certain is that Bobby doesn’t like talking about himself in the third person, and therefore will stop this silliness right now.
Official Website: www.myspace.com/buckethatbobby
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Donnie, The Disowned Christmas Tree“
CHARLIE WOLF
Charlie Wolf has always been much better at writing songs than at writing third-person biographies about himself. While still a teenager, Charlie Wolf is already an accomplished ‘multi-instrumentalist’, playing guitar, bass, accordion, and keyboards. In the past year or so, Charlie has began playing private parties and coffee-house gigs in the Los Angeles area, which sounds way more interesting than it actually is. His music ranges from hilarious comedy songs to tender ballads, and more often than not, somewhere in between. He would like to thank the academy, but cannot, because he does not know where the academy is or how they would like to be thanked.
Official Website: www.gypsypunk.net/cw/
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Latke Levi“
RUSTY’S ROCKING JAMBOREE
“Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree” is a one-man, music and comedy show for family audiences, starring Russ Rogers. While in college, twenty-some years ago, Russ Rogers was in a band called, “Buc Blaster and His Ukulele Rangers.” There are several noteworthy alumni of “The Ukulele Rangers,” including Song Fu Master Michael J. Nelson. Later, Rogers and Andy LaCasse (also a Ukulele Ranger) partnered to form the almost near famous, children’s music and comedy duo, “Kit and Kaboodle.” After ten years and three albums (still available on iTunes and CDBaby.com), “Kit and Kaboodle” broke up over musical differences. LaCasse was musical … an d Rogers was just different. Now, “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree” has been entertaining family audiences around Minnesota for the past five years.
Official Website: www.rockingjamboree.com
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Little Electric Jesus“
THE MASKED STRANGER
The Masked Stranger (a.k.a Neal John Mac Rae), is a self proclaimed noise/folk artist from Nova Scotia, Canada. Although his work has gone completely unnoticed on an official level, he has still managed to garner several fans from Australia and amoungst his close friends. The Masked Stranger project started in 2004 when Neal John recorded “The River Song”, a simple panflute tune he furiously augmented and destroyed on his computer. Since then he has created roughly 30 other distinctly more destroyed and demented tracks under the moniker of The Masked Stranger. His music has been described as “a total disregard for musical theory”, “aaaaaaaah!”, “raw and grating”, “annoying”, “Twisting is a word I want to use to describe it… Very natural and earthly”, and “disturbing and yet… strangely enjoyable”. His most well liked and most consistant piece “Rue The Red” was described by Cape Breton goregrind artist Devin Meaney as “a posessed man jigging out on the strings of his creator. Like a puppet, devouring the flesh of god. And this is exactly what it reminds me of, no joke.”. This awkward and soil laiden musician’s journeys into the abrassive and the tribal only threaten to continue.
Official Website: www.myspace.com/themaskedstranger777
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: ““Gryylgidalgabralte Killed Santa Claus“
HEATHER HENDERSON
Heather Henderson has been entertaining America since she was seven years old. She got her start as a mini dancing superstar and co-host on Dance Party USA. Her career then made the natural progression towards Sesame Street and most recently a principal role in the Disney film Annapolis. Striving constantly to develop as an artist, The Big H sings with the bad-ass 60’s retro soul group SOULAMITE!, performs with the Revival Burlesque troupe in philadelphia, makes short films, writes funny songs, and is always looking for the next good audition. She hopes to have her own totally crappy and misquoted Wikipedia entry one day.
Official Website: www.HHenderson.com
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Puffington Proper Paws, The Cat Who Loved Christmas“
SCOTT WOLFSON
Scott Wolfson has been performing and recording since he was 13 years old. For more than half of his life he’s been a part of the New York City music scene – most notably, as the guitarist and songwriter for the “freak pop” band The Right Bastards, and most recently as the front man for The Buzzkill All-Stars. A graduate of NYU, he majored in musical performance and minored in music theory and composition. His songwriting strives to combine the wit and wisdom of Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, and Tom Waits with the pop sensibilites of Squeeze, XTC, and Crowded House. His unique voice and stylings add another dimension to the already strong songwriting.
Official Website: www.bc2music.com
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “Kevin, The Christmas Cat“
BRYCE JENSEN
Bryce Jensen has been writing songs off and on for over twenty years, but he has rarely shared any of them beyond his friends and family. His styles range from a capella to heavy metal with a lot of wimpy finger picking stuff in between. As most of his songs are horrible, Bryce has agreed to enter this contest as a service to the other contestants, making them appear even more talented by comparison.
Official Website: None
HOLIDAY CHALLENGE SONG: “The Mistletoe Ho Ho Ho“
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THE WINNER
So where’s the voting? Well, there is no voting in this Holiday Special. I figure everyone who participated is a winner, so we’ll be contacting them to send each and every one a little something special. Most of all, though, it’s important that artists like these get some attention and support in the new year from you, the audience, so feel free to discuss the tunes in the comments below, and visit their sites. Support them, won’t you? Oh, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
–Ken Plume, The Fu Bringer
Song Fu returns on January 12th, 2009.
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