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 unique 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…

Like a songwriting version of Iron Chef, the competitors 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 to be voted on by you, the audience.

Oh, and what do we call this competition?

MASTERS OF SONG FU

Let us not forget the very special Masters of MASTERS OF SONG FU. Think of them as the iron chefs of Song Fu – one of which will be revealed as your ultimate challenger in THE FINAL CHALLENGE. Past Masters have included Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm, Neil Innes, The RiffTones, and Garfunkel & Oates. Any one of them could be your final Challenge – or perhaps it could be a brand new Master. Only the Challenger who garners the most cumulative votes in all of the Challenges will move on to the Final and face that Master, mano a mano.

So what was the first Challenge?

ROUND 1 CHALLENGE

This is a bit of a fun one. Your first task is based upon the work of Friend-of-the-Stop John Hodgman – specifically, the “700 MOLE MEN” listed in his second book, More Information Than You Require. You’ll find the full list of “700 Mole Men” – and their descriptions – HERE. Your task is to choose one (1) and write a song about that Mole Man, based on the description provided by Hodgman. The title of your song will be the name of the Mole Man you’ve chosen, and its corresponding number on the list. You are free to write your song in any style that you choose.

That’s it. The only other directive is that your song must run no shorter than 1 minute.

You’ll find the Round 1 songs from each of our Challengers below, as well as the results of the Round 1 voting (As some competitors did not make their Round 2 submission in time, you’ll find those missing songs in the ROUND 1 ZIP FILE, which you can download below).

So what was the 2nd Challenge?

ROUND 2 CHALLENGE

Write a song about a number.

That’s right – a song about a number. It can be any number, and it can be describing or representing anything. The number you choose will be the title of your song. The song can be in any style you’d like. Your song must run no shorter than 1 minute.

If you want some inspiration, here’s a number song from Harry Nilsson…
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/harry_nilsson-one.mp3]

You’ll find the Round 2 songs from each of our Challengers below, followed by the Round 2 voting form…

THE CHALLENGERS

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.net
Twitter: twitter.com/JasonLMorris

ROUND 1 SONG: “#019 Thomas Ashley Innersun”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/jason_morris-019-thomas_ashley_innersun.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Natural 18”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/jason_morris-natural_18.mp3]

EDRIC HALEEN

Edric is a returning veteran of the Masters of Song Fu competition. He has been writing music (off and on) since the early nineties. He wrote and directed a musical, The Pushcart War, based on Jean Merrill’s wonderful novel. He has written and/or arranged a number of songs for various friends – some commissioned, some as surprises. He loves acting in community theatre, and is inspired by the music of Stephen Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Also – feel free to check out (and add to!) the “Happiness Board” on his web pages!

Official Website: happinessboard.com/Edric_Haleen.html

ROUND 1 SONG: “#138 Sir Isaac Quickmud”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/edric_haleen-138-sir_isaac_quickmud.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Zero Point Nine (Ad Infinitum)”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/edric_haleen-zero_point_nine.mp3]

“BUCKETHAT” BOBBY MATHESON

I’m “BucketHat” Bobby Matheson. I used to make cartoons for the internet, and sometimes still do, but mostly focus on my music right now. I write and record my songs solo, in my little make-shift studio, and when I play live, I often get some help from friends. Some of my music is funny, and some isn’t. More often than not, the humour is unintentional. My Influences range from Klezmer to folk, to punk and back again, which ends up sounding more like Zydeco than anything else (who’d have guessed?). I’ve been described as a “Cajun Buddy Holly” and an “Optimistic Elvis Costello”. It’s been said that I sound like “That guy from the Barenaked Ladies” and a “Nasaly Bob Dylan”. One of these days, I hope to have a description that is accurate.

Official Website: www.buckethatbobby.randomsociety.com
Twitter: twitter.com/BucketHatBobby

ROUND 1 SONG: “#139 Mr. Genuine Hissfurther”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/buckethat_bobby_matheson-139-mr_genuine_hissfurther.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “300”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/buckethat_bobby_matheson-300.mp3]

GODZ POODLZ

Legends foretell of a mighty duo, born in the frozen North. Two neighbors and friends will unite to form “Godz Poodlz” and battle the Mazters or Song Fu for glory and bragging rights! Godz Poodlz are Rüss Rogers and Rod Durre. Russ Rogers was once a member of “Kit and Kaboodle” (still available on iTunes) and currently performs in “Rusty’s Rocking Jamboree!” Rhod Durre was in the Goth Rock Band, “Sear!” Beware the Godz Poodlz Ear Worm! Godz Poodlz songs are bright, funny and tenaciously catchy. Come join Godz Poodlz Legionz of Fanz!

Official Website: www.myspace.com/godzpoodlz

ROUND 1 SONG: “#381 Captain Dane Frostline”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/godz_poodlz-381-captain_dane_frostline.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “3455316008”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/godz_poodlz-3455316008.mp3]

BRAM TANT

Bram Tant is a Belgian coputer science student with a distinct love for music. Ever since going to music school as a kid, he’s enjoyed singing and playing the guitar, and has been writing songs for some years now. While he’s still learning to play the guitar, sing and write songs better, he improves with each attempt, and he makes up for it (and the lack of proper recording equipment) with his passion and enthusiasm. He would like to become a professional musician someday, but for now he’s satisfied with writing and performing for friends, family, and strangers on the internet.

Official Website: studwww.ugent.be/~btant/

Twitter: twitter.com/dantesxx

ROUND 1 SONG: “#666 Tommy Dickfish”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/bram_tant-666-tommy_dickfish.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Five”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/bram_tant-five.mp3]

MANTICESS

Manitcess are Susanne Wolff (Lupa) on vocals and Johannes Schult (Jutze) on guitar. The duo plays melodic song somewhere between pop, folk and rock. Melodies are more important than trends. The band has already played various gigs in Germany and Switzerland and is eager to entertain – or better to enchant their audience with their musical tales.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/manticess
Twitter: twitter.com/schult

ROUND 1 SONG: “#423 Red”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/manticess-423-red.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “1998”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/manticess-1998.mp3]

JALAPENO HABANEROS

In the far off land of Chandler, Arizona, where the rivers flow with sand and cacti, our leader and master, the Lord of Our Lady Gwynyth, guitar and microphone in hand, called for the greatest musicians in the land to assemble a rock and roll group like none other. Unfortunately, they were cut off on the road, and the Jalapeño Habañeros made it there first. With The Rogue Bohemian on saxophone and The Boxcar Bassist on bass and keyboards, the Lord was pleased. Now, they roam the streets of Chandler, playing epic songs and rocking faces, much like Bon Jovi. Unfortunately they are paid in change, and often get thrown into the street, also like Bon Jovi. Their lives have intertwined, and the era of the Jalapeño Habañeros has begun. Be prepared.

Official Website: jalapenojabaneros.blogspot.com

ROUND 1 SONG: “#604 Suction-Cupped Jonny”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/jalapeno_habaneros-604-suction-cupped_jonny.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Pi”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/jalapeno_habaneros-pi.mp3]

TIMOTHY RUSH

Hi, my name is Timothy. I like me. I like my school, I like my friends. I like to play the music. I very much enjoy the peoples. Thank you.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/tweed234
Twitter: twitter.com/TimmyVendetta

ROUND 1 SONG: “#006 Sir Stinson Maggotwrangle”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/timothy_rush-006-sir_stinson_maggotwrangle.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Me & 23”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/timothy_rush-me_and_23.mp3]

JUBILEE JEWS

They are not some traveling country hillbilly act. They are celebrating the year of Jubilee in the form of ukulele based indie pop. They are Akiva Misto and Eliana Bartimeus and they are prepared to rock your yarmulkes!

Official Website: NONE

ROUND 1 SONG: “#487 Lady Antonia Oddpolyps”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/jubilee_jews-487-lady_antonia_oddpolyps.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “i: The Square Root Of -1 (The Imaginary Number)”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/jubilee_jews-the_square_root_of_-1.mp3]

PETER BENEDICT

Peter is a person of sorts. Since his birth he has consistently occupied himself with a variety of time consuming and completely un-noteworthy activities. Despite this breadth of experience he remains untalented in the ways of writing all encompassing 600 word essays. He does, however, greatly enjoy the rare treat that is writing about oneself in the third person, especially when such a gift should be presented to him at the wonderful time of 4AM. Peter now supposes that since this a musical competition he is entering, he might want to include something about that in his bio. At the way too old age of 18, Peter first attempted to play music. His guitar teacher warned him that he was much to old to begin training, and that he would probably be an emotionally unstable musician that would eventually turn to the dark side. Peter took no heed to this warning, and indeed dropped out of guitar lessons fairly quickly, realizing that he enjoyed learning much more when done alone. In the year and a half since then, Peter has been on a steady rise and will no doubt be taking the musical world by storm in the coming year. Perhaps his greatest musical moment came in December of 2008, when his Christmas caroling band, The Sizzle, took his small hick town by storm with a door to door tour through the suburbs, melting the figurative face of listeners with a funk/rap cover of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. In 2009 Peter has become active in the youtube community, known not for his music but for his notorious use of stop-motion eating scenes and a DIY laugh track. Hoping to hone his barely existing musical skills through the pressure of competition, Peter joins Round 5 of Song Fu. He sincerely hopes that rewriting this bio at a later date will be an option. The Peter Is Competing.

Official Website: www.youtube.com/user/thepeteris
Twitter: twitter.com/thepeteris

ROUND 1 SONG: “#315 Mr. Dennimore Evercrouch”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/peter_benedict-315-mr_dennimore_evercrouch.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “0”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/peter_benedict-0.mp3]

JOSH HOLOBER-WARD

Josh was born in Canada, which probably explains more about him than anything else he could put in a bio. He plays the accordion, is self-taught on the piano, and highly enjoys playing and writing for both – though he rarely finishes anything without a deadline. With this grueling contest, he hopes to push himself to unleash the best Fu he possibly can… and hell, maybe even some he impossibly can. YARRR!

Official Website: www.youtube.com/user/PossessedRaccoon

ROUND 1 SONG: “#422 Mokey”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/josh_holober-ward-422-mokey.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Five”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/josh_holober-ward-five.mp3]

AARON Z

Many folks say that Aaron Z is a pretty cool guy. He plays too many instruments, but mostly piano & guitar. He wastes too much of his free time writing and performing music, which has been known to make people laugh, tough men cry, and ladies melt in his arms. His current projects include Orange Box: The Musical! and A Tribute to the Letter E. He likes food cooked with mushrooms and his favorite ice-creams are vanilla-based, not chocolate-based. Check out his music, including his previously-weekly but now faux-weekly music project on his website, plus his other cool music.

Official Website: aaronz.bandcamp.com

ROUND 1 SONG: “#590 Harvey Rupert Elder”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/aaron_z-590-harvey_rupert_elder.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Five”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/aaron_z-five.mp3]

JOE “COVENANT” LAMB

I’m Joe Covenant. I’m Scottish. And never have enough time to do everything I wanna! Been singing and perfoming for over 40 years… (yes, I am 46.)… and I’ve nearly learned a 6th chord! Everything I do. I do for Song Fu. (If not for this ‘contest’ I would have never met and collaborated with so many talented people.)

Official Website: joecovenant.bandcamp.com
Twitter: twitter.com/JoeCovenant

ROUND 1 SONG: “#297 Mr. Tom Furby”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/joe_covenant_lamb-297-mr_tom_furby.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “2”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/joe_covenant_lamb-2.mp3]

LEX VADER

Lex Vader was born to a single mother who worked as silicon tycoon’s personal assistant. When she died of poor hygiene, Lex was sent to an orphanage where he showed interest in organizing races and laser fencing. After being recruited into a religious order, he spent the next few years between several of their private schools. In his final year, Lex lost his hand in an argument with a professor over Kryptochlorians. Despite this, Lex was able to achieve a successful business career and even a knighthood. Tragedy struck, however, when a former classmate’s arctic home caught fire during a business lunch, scarring half of Lex’s face. At this point, Lex’s behavior became erratic. When he managed to buy SithCo, the cult that schooled him, he was shunned by the corporate world. No longer taken seriously, Lex started an evil empire and now moonlights with his evil emotronic alternapop band.

Official Website: lexvaderssecretjournal.wordpress.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LexVader

ROUND 1 SONG: “#153 Permanent Unsex”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/lex_vader-153-permanent_unsex.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Six (I Am Not A Number)”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/lex_vader-six_i_am_not_a_number.mp3]

CALEB HINES

Caleb became a software engineer instead of a musician because the type of music he likes best went out of style at the end of the 18th century. Self-taught in music theory, he is more comfortable writing a four-part instrumental fugue than he is writing a verse-chorus-bridge song. After discovering the likes of Weird Al, Dr. Horrible, and especially Jonathan Coulton, he realized that “modern music” can be fun too. Now he is on a quest to update, expand, and diversify his musical knowledge and experience. In addition to singing, he plays a whole family of recorders, baroque flute, ukulele, melodica, pretends to play keyboard, and most recently, guitar. He also uses virtual MIDI instruments because a real orchestra costs too much.

Official Website: refactoringmybrain.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/calebhines

ROUND 1 SONG: “#490 Mr. Nehemiah Bloodwormer”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/caleb_hines-490-mr_nehemiah_bloodwormer.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Flight 93 – Memorial to Courage”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/caleb_hines-flight_93_memorial_to_courage.mp3]

ZER0GUY

Sometimes two people get together who are destined to make history. Sometimes they are born into the same family. zer0guy is the musical/life-partnership of Jon and Dan Kelly, long time musicians looking forward to placing notes in your head.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/zer0guyband

ROUND 1 SONG: “#237 Dirtbag Dan”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/zer0guy-237-dirtbag_dan.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “203012”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/zer0guy-203012.mp3]

JONATHAN MANN

My current project is writing A Song a Day (Rock Cookie Bottom), and my former projects include The Last Nympho Leprechaun, a rock opera, The Mario Opera, a rock opera, GameJew, a web show, and The Mushroom Singdom, singing old school video game reviews.

Official Website: www.rockcookiebottom.com

ROUND 1 SONG: “#612 Mr. Barry Screwskull”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/jonathan_mann-612-mr_barry_screwskull.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “The Number Nine!”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/jonathan_mann-the_number_nine.mp3]

SARA PARSONS

Sara Parsons is a twenty-year-old music composition student from northern California. She participated in Masters of Song Fu #4 and had a blast and met a ton of great people. She hopes she’s better at writing songs than she is at writing her own biography.

Official Website: www.youtube.com/user/sargeantketchup

ROUND 1 SONG: “#573 Miss Miriam Poisonblisters”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/sara_parsons-573-miss_miriam_poisonblisters.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “7.5”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/sara_parsons-7_point_5.mp3]

CHAS LILLY

Chas Lilly is a man that needs introduction. He is geeky but hopefully without being boring. He has been known to write songs about Pluto, Tim Allen, funerals, and everything in between. People often describe his music as “music”.

Official Website: www.youtube.com/friendswobenefits
Twitter: twitter.com/foldsaholic

ROUND 1 SONG: “#567 Mr. Angelo Openjaw”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/chas_lilly-567-mr_angelo_openjaw.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “10 (Things That Made This The Worst Date Ever)”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/chas_lilly-10_things_that_made_this_the_worst_date_ever.mp3]

KYLIE PETTO

My name is Kylie, and I’m your everyday 17-year-old girl with a passion for music. I’ve been writing my own songs since I was ten years old, and nothing is more fun for me than to sit down with my guitar and unwind. I’d like to use Masters of Song Fu to really challenge myself, and hopefully grow as a musical artist.

Official Website: NONE
Twitter: twitter.com/KyliePetto

ROUND 1 SONG: “#141 Devil Anse Doubledirt”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/kylie_petto-141-devil-anse-doubledirt.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “8”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/kylie_petto-8.mp3]

ALEX TAYLOR

I am a young musician who plays trombone, guitar, ukulele, piano, melodica, and a little bit of harmonica. I play everything from rock songs with distortion pedals on ukulele, to rap medleys on piano, to sappy love songs and songs about the internet crashing on guitar. This is my first time in Song Fu.

Official Website: NONE

ROUND 1 SONG: “#604 Suction-Cupped Jonny”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/alex_taylor-604-suction-cupped_jonny.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “i”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/alex_taylor-i.mp3]

GIFTED GEAR

I’m just a kid with a guitar. Sometimes I even play it.

Official Website: NONE

ROUND 1 SONG: “#580 Old Man Hades”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/gifted_gear-580-old_man_hades.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Eight”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/gifted_gear-eight.mp3]

SIMMBIOSIS

Simmbiosis – three part band. Defies the usual type or brand. A combo bred, in this strange head. The obscene voice the unseen hand. Terpsichore and muse imbued. Perverse perhaps a little rude. Music composed, a life exposed. Giving you all I can exude. Studio C where I compose. Club Bed where I take my repose. Iniquity, safe haven for me. The rest you’ll just have to suppose. To be among this crowd, auspicious. An honor bordering on delicious. Thanks to View Askew, I’ll whip out my Song Fu. And work not to be repetitious, repetitious, repetitious.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/simmbiosis

ROUND 1 SONG: “#646 Hydrostatic Charlie”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song1/simmbiosis-646-hydrostatic_charlie.mp3]
ROUND 2 SONG: “Sevenly – The Magnificent Seven”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/simmbiosis-sevenly_the_magnificent_seven.mp3]

DENISE HUDSON

Denise Hudson is doing Song Fu again because last time the contest gave her a rush that she’d never had before. She is thinking this contest will help her further her career in the frightening world, the scary internet (ack!), and in Austin – a city in which there are many Live Music Capitalists of the World. She’s hoping to avoid mixdown mixups, to master her mastering, and hopefully… not become a twittasaurus rex. She’d like to thank her friends – local, national, international, intergalactic, and those from the beyond. Peace, Love, and Grapenuts.

Official Website: www.myspace.com/denisehudson

ROUND 2 SONG: “Four 5ths”
[audio:http://asitecalledfred.com/songfu/05song2/denise_hudson-four_5ths.mp3]

To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 2 songs, CLICK HERE.

To download a ZIP FILE containing all of the ROUND 1 songs, CLICK HERE.

ROUND 2 VOTING

And now, it’s time for the voting. For this round, you can choose your TOP 5 FAVORITE Challenger songs. Be sure to choose carefully. VOTING CLOSES AT 11:59pm EST on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6th. If you are having trouble voting, CLEAR YOUR BROWSER’S CACHE and try again. PLEASE NOTE: This voting system bases voting eligibility on your IP Address. If there are other computers on a home or business network that share the same IP address through a router, it may say you’ve already voted. Unfortunately, there is no way around this, and still be able to prevent ballot stuffing. It’s just the nature of the online voting beast.

ROUND 2 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS

View Results

ROUND 1 VOTING – THE CHALLENGERS RESULTS

View Results

If you triumph, not only will you win remarkable (and potentially off-putting) bragging rights and a clutch of fantastic mystery prizes, you will also become the proud owner of the magnificent, one-of-a-kind MASTER OF SONG FU TROPHY.

Good luck, and bring on the Fu.

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Comments: 27 Comments

27 Responses to “Masters Of Song Fu #5: Round 2 Challenge Voting Begins!” Edric Haleen Says: November 30th, 2009 at 11:18 pm Way to go, everyone! The listening party was loads of fun — thanks for bringing so much Fu! 🙂 —————————— —————————— Gather around, boys and girls! And I’ll sing you a song Of a strange little paradox Involving the number Zero point . . . Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine . . . (etc.) Does it equal one? Does it equal one? Does it equal one? We all accept that when you find The value of “one-third,” You get a dec’mal point And never-ending threes! But triple that and what you get Is slightly more absurd! And it’s a fact on which Not ev’ryone agrees . . . On one hand, you have three groups Of a third — which should be fine! It equals one! And it is clear From whence that came! But tripling the dec’mal gives A repetend of nine — And now a lot of folks Aren’t sure that’s still the same! Does it equal one? (- Discussion -) And does anybody really even care? (Besides the eggheads?) Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine . . . (etc.) Now, if you’re having troubles ‘Cause you think there’ll be a gap That will prevent the final nine From reaching “one” — It’s really not a problem, You’ve just fallen in the trap Of not remembering This number’s never done! It’s infinite! It doesn’t leave a gap Or have an end! No “final nine”! It just keeps going right on through! It represents a limit! Not a sequence or a trend! And there there are many ways To prove that this is true! So it equals one! (- Discussion -) But I’m still afraid that no one really cares! (Except the math geeks!) Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine, Nine, nine, nine, nine . . . (etc.) Now I know that not ev’ryone Will find this really cool. There may be others Who are feeling somewhat bored. But think of all the things You never got to learn in school And all the paradoxes Yet to be explored! ‘Cause Kruskal has a way To show a number that’s surreal; That is unique In an iota’s worth of space! And Zeno says Achilles Has his own “Achilles heel,” ‘Cause he can never beat A tortoise in a race! Hmmm… (Seems like he’d have won!) (- Discussion -) Caleb Hines Says: November 30th, 2009 at 11:53 pm Due to a cold, I couldn’t record lyrics this time around, so I composed an orchestral tribute to the passengers of Flight 93, who prevented the plane from reaching it’s intended target on 9/11. I know it’s not your usual Song-Fu fare, which I intend to resume next challenge, but this piece really wanted to be written, and writing it literally brought me to the verge of tears several times. It comprises the following sections: A Quiet Flight Hijacked! Calls to Loved Ones An Act of Heroism Crash Memorial Orchestration: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 French Horns, 2 Trumpets, Tuba, Timpani, Harp, Piano, I/II Violins, Viola, Violincello, and Contrabass simmbiosis Says: December 1st, 2009 at 12:56 am Greetings! This one is not for the squeamish, but as John Cleese said, “There are some people one would want to offend…” The challenge was to write a song about a number and the number that first came to me was 7 as in George Carlin’s 7 Dirty Words. As the great Mr. Carlin has recently left those of us above ground I felt a tribute was in order, so this one is for George. It seemed too easy to do a song about the 7 dirty words, so I decided to up my challenge quotient. From the start all music is done in sequences of seven, every drum beat, every guitar note, every mallet, everything – more than a little spooky. The song plays at 7 minutes (though mp3 seems to squeeze it a bit), took 7 days to produce (about 70 hours), all the lyrics are in reference to 7s (I combined the 7 Dirty Words and & Deadly Sins in the first verse) and are either 7 words or seven syllables long. The vocal was take 69 of 70. At the end I had numerous left over 7s so I plugged them in. I hope you enjoy it! The lyrics are on my MicePace page: http://www.myspace.com/simmbiosis Thanks! JoAnn Abbott Says: December 1st, 2009 at 1:04 am Hi all, I am not a competitor, just a listener, and I listen to EVERY song that is up- but not to all of each song. After I listen I take a look at my scorecard (1-10 scale), relisten to ones that are on the edge, and vote. Hope ya don’t mind, but I have a few suggestions for you. The biggest thing I would like to have happen in the future is to be able to hear the words! A lot of songs had the instrumental portions so loud I couldn’t tell what you were saying. One blasted my right ear suddenly (ow!). Some tried to sing words so fast that they got lost, or you ran out of breath. Note I am not singling out anyone- there were a lot of songs with “sweet” or “great picking” or “good intro” on my notes page. I heard a lot of voices which, with a little more breath support, could be amazing. So please don’t give up- record multiple takes, get friends to give feedback, get a sarchastic older brother to comment for a more brutal form of honestly. Keep trying! And make sure you all vote for ! Lex Vader Says: December 1st, 2009 at 1:45 am That’s it? Where’d everybody go? There’s no elimination, and there was extra time. Lex Vader Says: December 1st, 2009 at 2:08 am My song is about The Prisoner, FYI. riddle Says: December 1st, 2009 at 6:40 am i think the holidays might have drawn some folks away. no, i wasn’t able to complete the song i was planning. i would post the lyrics but there the kind that don’t make much sense without the accompanying music. suffice to say it was to be called ’13” which i’m surprised noone else did. my votes this round: 5. Chas Lilly “10” cute, but i would have liked to see the offenses escalate a little more ridiculously. 4. Josh H-W “5” a lot of effort here. fun and as inflammatory as his previous effort “Mokey.” 3. Lex Vader “6” i think my first vote for him. Bowie-esque without being a ripoff. lyrics need to go somewhere emotionally, gets a little tedious at the end. 2. Jonathan Mann “9” the most singable song of the round. raw and catchy. i like giving the numbers relationships that all end up the same (as “9”). is 9 the number word for love? one thing bugs me: where are 2 and 7? and numero uno is… 1. Edric Haleen “0.999…” you learned from last round not to make it TOO erudite. in fact, your poking fun at “eggheads” (and thus yourself) put this song right into my heart. glad i could cast an honest vote for one of the nicest guys at this site! honorable mentions: Aaron Z – i really liked your music. Caleb Hines – a sweet, impressive tribute. if they ever make a 9/11 videogame, this song would have a home. Jubilee Jews – i liked your song, but it sounds a little too much like a Buffalo Daughters song “i know” that i love. Timothy Rush – keep pluggin’ dude. you’ve got a pop soul there. Jason Morris – probably my 6th vote here. a nerdy song that doesn’t sound nerdy. reminds me of Weezer. Spintown Says: December 1st, 2009 at 7:15 am My votes went to: 1. Jason Morris 2. Joe Lamb 3. Edric Haleen 4. Godz Poodlz 5. Buckethat Bobby I’ll post the reasoning for my votes in my Song Fu Round 2 review at my blog on Wednesday. If any of you make videos for your songs let me know, I’ll include them in the blog like I did for round 1. (I’ll include a few honorable mentions in the blog, because I really wanted to vote for 6 this time.) Russ Rogers (of Godz Poodlz) Says: December 1st, 2009 at 7:45 am Godz Poodlz song makes more sense if you see the lyrics. Unfortunately, all the words are numbers, meant to be read upside-down on a calculator! You can turn your head upside-down now and see what I mean. Our working title was “58008.” 5316008 345 316008 345 3507 77,34 5317 34 54614 34 3507 77,34 317 77,34 5335 34 37122145 4 53712215 345 53045 7334 4614 316008 58008 618 3781637 538076 32135 372215 710 77345 710 7108 0705 3080 5316008 345 335 77,34 40 5508 5,345 5378806 34 5376616 345 3376 514 5361780 345 5638 45 37816173 5,345 3507 77,34 5317 34 54614 34 37122145 4 53712215 345 53045 7334 4614 316008 58008 618 5638 45 55178 5,345 5335 34 5376608 345 53760 45 5637 35006 35007 316008 58008 618 5316008 345 40 5316008 345 written by RU55 R063R5 and RH0D DURR3 by G0D5 P00DL35 5316008 345 If you would like more legible, or if you would like to help GODZ POODLZ with our video for this song, check this out: http://toomuchawesome.ning.com/forum/topics/godz-poodlz-need-your-help Feel free to join TMA while you’re there. It’s a Free online community of New Model Musicians, plus their fans and friends. You’ll find that the coolest Song Fu fans, top contenders and even Masters of Song Fu are already members! Bram Tant Says: December 1st, 2009 at 7:47 am Just like last time I had to whip up sometime last minute in about an hour… So the lyrics aren’t much (well, any) good and the musical portion need some tweaking. But I think it’s somewhat of a better effort than the previous round’s, and I hope you all still enjoy it nonetheless (or at least don’t hate it). Josh Holober-Ward Says: December 1st, 2009 at 9:27 am Hey everyone! Had a great time at the listening party 🙂 Everyone put a lot of effort in this round, it’s definitely been one of my favorites to listen to. For anyone who’s interested, here are the lyrics to mine: http://www.garageband.com/song?|pe1|S8LTM0LdsaShYFW-Zmg Jason Says: December 1st, 2009 at 2:27 pm Lyrics for “Natural 18” can be found on my website: http://www.jason-morris.net/ Peter Says: December 1st, 2009 at 3:07 pm Videosong with lyrics in the sidebar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gb0q_BvZ7E I was on a train for the broadcast. I’ll listen to everyone’s in the next day or so. Ian Says: December 1st, 2009 at 5:17 pm Jason Morris had hands down the best song in my opinion, both in terms of lyrics and music. I also liked Joe Lamb’s song again, although it was not quite the masterpiece of the furby song from last round. Denise Hudson Says: December 1st, 2009 at 5:37 pm I have posted lyrics. This may make it easier to hear it over my CRAAZZZYY levels. Thanks for listening and the funfunfun at the broadcast. Y’all are awesome! http://philosophywithfries.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/song-fu-5-lyrics/ Hazen of Quiet Desperation Says: December 1st, 2009 at 10:05 pm Great set again, guys and gals. Had a fun time listening to them. And the winners of my votes are: 1) Jason Morris — Having gone through a D&D phase myself, I know exactly what was going on. Nice little nerd rock tune. Got a nice Weezer feel. 2) Edric Haleen — Very informative and very fun to listen to. The “Nine nine nine nine…” in the background was a great little touch, to boot. 3) Godz Poodlz — Above and beyond the call of duty on this one. Would have liked the vocals to be a bit clearer, but using words that could be spelled upside down on a calculator was a very clever move. 4) Josh Holober-Ward — Keeping with the five motif was challenging enough, but you threw in a couple 5/4 measures with each verse. Bravo. 5) Joe “Covenant” Lamb — An interesting take on break-up songs. Minimalist, but works great with your aesthetic. You should be proud. Honorable Mention: Lex Vader — “The Prisoner” reference alone is win. Very well-produced. Perhaps you should write a sequel song from the New No. 2’s point of view. Joe 'Covenant' Lamb Says: December 1st, 2009 at 11:11 pm Well… After that amazing first round where myself and the adorable Sara Parsons (saraparsons.bandcamp.com) fought tooth and nail, here is my round two song. After discarding ideas on pi, 7, 13, 42 and 2012 this one came out all by itself. (And took three recordings to work!) I have to say, the lines in the chorus, “And all the… and my ‘x’ too…” Took AGES to write for some reason. I had a guide vocal in that bit for three days! And of course after I submitted I thought… Damn- Should have made the last one a FURBY ! Anyway… Here’s the lyric: So go on- Go on and leave me, because I know, you know, I know I can do better without you, and I’m glad that we are through, because you broke my heart in two again, and all the time I spent on you, I want it back, and my money too, and now all I have to do, is take one from one and make two. Remember when our one plus one made one? And we multiplied until the morning sun. But then you handed me my ass at HALO and made me wanna cry. You smacked me back down to number two, I would’ve rather caught you messing round with some other guy. So go on- Go on and leave me, because I know, you know, I know I can do better without you, and I’m glad that we are through, because you broke my heart in two again, and all the things I gave to you, I want them back, and my sweater too, and now all I have to do, is take one from one and make two. I remember the night at dragon*con, when you made me feel like I was number one. But then you had to let me meet your sister and she blew me…… ….away I didn’t know that she would run and tell you too, I dunno why it is you can’t trust anybody today! So go on- Go on and leave me, because I know, you know, I know I can do better without you, and I’m glad that we are through, because you broke my heart in two again, and all the things I’ve given you, I want them back, and my Blankie too. And now all I have to do, is take one from one, take one from one, take one from one, …and make two. Spintown Says: December 2nd, 2009 at 1:15 am Here’s a link to my review of the round. Remember if you make a video about your song to send it my way. I’ll add it to the blog post as I did with Peter’s VideoSong. http://spintown79.blogspot.com/2009/12/song-fu-5-round-2-review.html Peter Says: December 2nd, 2009 at 9:52 pm 1. Edric Haleen- Fun song. Maybe not the “best” of the round, but it jumped out at me and made me smile. 2. Godz Poodlz- This has a weird Flaming Lips vibe, like if they were a funk band. Loved it. Thoroughly clever and well done. 3. Jason Morris- Probably the most solid and catchy song of the round. 4. Jonathan Mann- Instrumentation was really cool. Strange/awesome vibe overall. 5. Joe ‘Covenant’ Lamb- Nice lyrics. Solid overall. _______________________________________________________ 6. Five- Got a strong Ben Folds vibe from this, and I’m guessing you know that considering he was mentioned in the lyrics. 7. Chas Lilly- Well written, might have cracked top 5 if you weren’t sick… 8. Lex Vader- Not nearly as catchy as your song last round, but I think you’ve had the best produced song two rounds in a row. If you don’t mind me asking, what program(s) do you use? TheKackler Says: December 5th, 2009 at 1:10 pm Who goes on my IPod this round? Jonathan Mann and Chas Lilly! Good stuff… Angelastic Says: December 5th, 2009 at 4:24 pm I am disappointed by how few of these songs contain any maths or maths jokes. However, this will make it easier to choose which ones to vote for (if I can even find five mathematical ones.) Edric and some others, I’ll have to relisten to work out which. I agree with Peter that Jason Morris’s one is very catchy, though I’ll have to listen to it again to work out what it’s about (I guess the tune was too catchy for me to hear the lyrics the first time.) Rita Hudson Says: December 5th, 2009 at 8:24 pm I vote for Denise Hudson McAllister. Austin of The Pudaks Says: December 6th, 2009 at 1:36 pm I think Edric wrote my favorite song this round. Reminds me a lot of Tom Lehrer. Jutze (Manticess) Says: December 6th, 2009 at 1:59 pm Comment time: I went through all entries, but failed to makes during a few of them. Sorry. And again: don’t be offended if I don’t consider your song the greatest thing since bread came sliced. Edric Haleen: Recovered from last round’s ‘music scarceness’. Gotta love the ongoing nine-nine-nine. A bit less shouted discussion and a bit more melody wouldn’t have hurt, I think. Still, good work. Jason Morris: Rock! I first heard “Natural 18” by accident: my co-worker visited the Song Fu page and played the first song without me realizing that. So I kept thinking she’s just checking out some random band. The chorus stuck immediately in my ear and I still love it. I was quite surprised to learn that this was indeed a song fu entry. Constructive criticism: the verses are too heavy; less drive would have enhanced the following parts. The vocal line in the bridge is a bit shaky (not the way you deliver it, mind you), though the high note the first time around makes up for that. The double-eight might have been half as long. But all in all I’m loving the song and the lyrics and the hookline. Excellent work. VOTE! Joe Covenant Lamb: To be honest, I haven’t been too much of a fan of your songs in previous installments. But this time around you’re doing everything right (apart from turning up the volume up a notch). 2 reminds me of those Beatles songs on the Anthology discs that have them demo tracks, just guitars, some percussion and dominant vocals. It’s funny how you write about the struggle writing the words, and how seamless they flow now. Very catchy, very good! Vote! Alex Taylor: The famous iv-VI-I-V progression. i appears to be a somewhat self-absorbed character, though. I’m afraid it all sounds a bit too much like making music by numbers. Lex Vader: The Pop God strikes back. Stunning production. The composition is too indie/Bowie/repetiveie for my taste, though. The major problem I have with your song is the fact that Iron Maiden wrote “The Prisoner” already back in 1982. Hard (if not impossible) to beat that. Please don’t let these words from a Maiden-fan keep you from continuing your musical journey. Peter Benedikt: Woah, do I have to take drugs to dig this? The work has certainly integrity – but unfortunately no appeal to me, sorry. Josh Holober-Ward: More loose than Mokey, still a compact song. I adore how you managed to deliver everything at this speed. The middle-part lifts the song on a higher level and the JoCo-Monkey-reference earns you extra points. More time/better equipment/whatever might have improved the dynamics a bit more (like the creshendo and the slightly too dominant piano, imho). Bonus points for breaking up the beat with 5/4 bars (some thing goes for Aaron Z) and the ending. Vote. Gödz Pöödlz: Hello, 70s soundtrack! Vote. Sara Parsons: The music relies too much on the beginning of the chorus melody (at least that’s how I feel); the lyrics make up for that. It’s hard to not vote for 7.5. Kylie Petto: The melody is sweet and the lonely e-piano manages to build a unique atmosphere. I have a hard time following the lyrics. Some mixture of society reflection and nuclear war? At some point the song drags along too long, though. Either less lines or more variety in the music could have helped. Simmbiosis: The Masked Stranger goes gothic? The complexity of the soundcapes is impressive, but I find it hard to sit through the whole number, sorry. Manticess: Someone had a cold, but has now recovered. 🙂 Josh Holober-Ward Says: December 6th, 2009 at 8:10 pm First of all, this has been a really enjoyable round to listen to, so much creativity was brought out with this challenge! Just wanted to say though: Zero Point Nine (Ad Infinitum) is my absolute favorite. Absolutely brilliant concept, loved the self-arguing (that must’ve been hard to time, hahah) and the nonstop “nine nine nine”‘s in the backround.. all were wonderful touches on top of a very (see: VERY) catchy melody and fun musical-theatre-y piano. Went straight on my iPod and has been stuck in my head all week. Really strong work, Edric 🙂 Also, I am loving that my song “Five”, about a guy obsessing over the amount of fives in the world, is in fifth place. Of Song Fu #5. I’m seriously hoping that doesn’t change before voting ends because it is way too funny to me xD Angelastic Says: December 7th, 2009 at 10:37 am Darnit, I had meetings all day Sunday and was iPodless on Friday and I missed the voting deadline again. Well, Edric gets one phantom vote from me, and the others will have to wait until I’ve listened to them enough to tell what they’re about (though Natural 18 is likely to get a phantom vote just for sounding good. Oh, actually, I just read the lyrics, and I definitely would have voted for it, despite the lack of maths.) Oh, and I do recall liking the ending to Josh’s ‘Five’, so that would get my fifth phantom vote, assuming I figure out who would get the other two. 3455316008 is a cool idea, I even contributed to the video for it, but I don’t understand why it isn’t 5316008345. Little Things That Don’t Necessarily Count, But Still Involve Numbers. « Creative Output Says: January 24th, 2010 at 1:46 pm […] also known as ‘She Boogies’. The song was written in response to a Masters of Song Fu challenge to write a song about a number, which is why every word of it can be displayed on an old […] Leave a Reply Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Δ