may 18, 2012
This song could really use a bridge.
And some self-tanner. And hair extensions.
Judge for yourself here.
may 11, 2012
Have you ever wondered why Hello Kitty has no mouth?
This week's song is about an imagined conversation that never was.
You can hear both sides here.
may 4, 2012
This week my ears were full of The Wiz (after playing piano for a high school production) and The Band (inspired by the recent death of Levon Helms).
The Wiz Band?
You will probably be able to hear the result here.
april 27, 2012
I'm doing a show on Sunday!!!
It will feature several new songs, and five of them will feature the very wonderful Jason Muscat on bass, Adam Shulman on piano, and Eric Garland on drums. Four of these five songs either have music by Adam Shulman with my lyrics, or were co-writes (Adam and me). They're more towards a jazz direction than most of my old stuff. And I think the band really elevates the material.
To show you what I mean, here's
a little memo recording I made at rehearsal yesterday. As you might imagine, the sound quality is not ideal.
But isn't that what you have come to expect from this website?
The song is called The Solstice Has Passed.
Although at rehearsal I kept singing "stolstice". Which brings to mind Eric Stoltz, unfortunately.
Anyway, you can hear it for yourself, freckles and all, here.
april 20, 2012
I'm doing a show on Sunday April 29! At 7pm at the Red Poppy Art House.
Details here.
I may even do a song or two first featured on this very site. For you!!
Today's song is brought to you by.......
vacation!
Get yourself a mai tai and listen here.
april 13, 2012
I've been writing a song every week since January 2010. Minus a week here or there for vacation, the pile is somewhere upwards of a hundred songs.
All of these (except a few) were recorded at home, by me, without the benefit of additional instrumentalists (other than the occasional collaborator - thanks, Adam Shulman!!).
However,
I recently had the pleasure of hearing OTHER PEOPLE sing some of my songs! It was super exciting for me.
Here is the lovely and talented Lizzie Moss singing a new song - "A House Remembers" - which is from the same project that yielded last week's song.
Once again, it's a video recording of a read-thru (not an actual performance), and you can watch and listen here.
april 6, 2012
Last week's song was written for a live theatre project that is still very much in its infant stages.
This week's song is from the same project, but instead of just me singing a crappy demo of it, I am privileged to offer the gorgeous song stylings of Miss Jennifer Ashworth! In video form!
I have known Jennifer since appoximately forever, and am so honored to hear (and see!) her singing through this little ditty of mine.
You can see and hear it for yourself here.
march 30, 2012
11:56pm.
Did't think I was going to make it, did you?
Well I did.
march 23, 2012
Here is a little something from a project I'm working on.
It's meant to be heard at the opening of a live theatrical production, just as the lights are coming up.
In it are previews of four different songs (that will occur later in the show).
I just finished it today.
And no, I didn't have time to write a proper song for every7days.
Stop yelling at me!!!
And listen to my mini-overture here.
march 16, 2012
Wednesday and Thursday of this week there was more rain in Northern California than in all of November and December 2011.
Could I resist making a rainy day song?
I could not.
I added moving pictures to the song this week, although they barely move. It's only slightly more interesting than a song with no pictures at all, which you can judge for yourself by clicking here.
march 9, 2012
Dear random dude on the street,
Why is it that when I pass by, minding my own business, you find it necessary to say, "Smile!" to me, a complete stranger?
I don't insist that you make some sort of face in order to please me. I don't say, while passing, "Stop drinking out of that paper bag!" Or "Why don't you try washing?"
When strange men on the street command me to smile, which happens more often than I could possibly explain, it just really bugs me. And it helped inspire today's song.
That and the cover of my 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book.
Cooky Book, mashed up with an illustration by Abner Graboff
Enjoy the delicious results here.
march 2, 2012
This week I'm featuring a song that was written by the Moreau Catholic High School Chorus, who are AWESOME!
Go Mariners!
The class (almost entirely freshmen) collaborated on the lyrics and the melody. When I asked them to pick a topic that they had strong feelings about, they chose test anxiety. And since most of their big tests are on Fridays, we decided on "I Hate Friday" for the title.
The recording is extremely lo-fi - it was made on one of the student's phones. Unfortunately, the phone was on top of the piano, so the balance is not perfect between piano and voices. (I wish the voices were louder.)
But since I'm posting the lyrics and the song is catchy, you can beef up the vocal side by singing along! after you click here.
february 24, 2012
this week: recycled materials!
check it out here.
february 17, 2012
This week's song is a response to Psalm 23:4, which reads (in the King James version): "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
It is a beloved psalm, which has brought solace to many. I take a tiny issue with a few of the words in it, so beware to those who choose to click here.
february 10, 2012
This week's song is inspired by the month of February.
Bruegel the Elder: Gloomy Day (February) 1565
Because the other months are kind of hogging the spotlight: "Waters Of March", "April In Paris", "I'll Remember April", "June Is Bustin' Out All Over", "Hotter Than July", "August And Everything After", "September Song", "When October Goes", "November", "Back To December"...
Also, I made a concerted effort to keep the song no longer than 2:28.... Although being leap year, I guess I could have allowed myself another second!
February finally gets her due here.
february 3, 2012
One of the things I enjoy about writing a song every week is that, although it would appear to be very product oriented - I am making song after song after song - for me the experience is more process oriented.
A song has to come from somewhere: a feeling, a turn of phrase, a musical idea. So in that sense, the way any given week's song comes to be may be wildly different from any other one. Even if they end up sounding the same! Or using the same instruments...
a first place winner for childrens art, Ventura County Fair
Sometimes I worry that my songs sound too much alike. But then I listen to Philip Glass and try to quit worrying.
Anyway, I do enjoy making a song every week, whatever the results. It's cheaper than therapy! And you can join me on the couch here.
january 27, 2012
adam and I had so much fun making the silly song "i less than three you", we decided to make a video!
we think the result is rather fun and dumb and are sharing it here.
the whole thing is a tribute/mockery of the music apple has used in previous ad campaigns. of course we used apple products almost exclusively to make it....
<3 !
january 20, 2012
Have you ever listened to a really simple, kinda dumb song and thought "Dude, I could write a song like that in 10 minutes".
Adam and I did just that and you can hear the result here.
january 13, 2012
Today I'm sharing a song that I wrote on commission. A very nice lady ordered it and presented it this week to a special birthday boy.
Some of the lyrics may not make perfect sense to those who don't know the recipient. But since when do all of my lyrics make sense to everyone?
In any case, you can give it a listen here.
january 6, 2012
This week I am celebrating two years of making a new homemade song every 7 days!
In honor of the occasion, I am proud to feature a song called Seven Sorrows that I made this week with Adam Shulman. I wrote the words and he wrote all the vocal harmony parts. He also sings on the track.
Our Lady Of Sorrows
We may record the song again at some point to get a more polished sound, but for this version we were going for a very natural, folksy sound. You can here the result here.
All the songs on every7days are free!
Buy Katy's most recent album Lacemaking
(or single songs from it)
here
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(September through December, 2011)