The Voting Booth http://popvote.posterous.com Popular Vote Musical Interaction Page posterous.com Mon, 14 May 2012 17:17:00 -0700 OPERA HOUSE 3: Born for This http://popvote.posterous.com/opera-house-3-born-for-this http://popvote.posterous.com/opera-house-3-born-for-this

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This one is pretty straight-forward. As the numeral implies, this ties in with two other songs, and this is the straight pop conclusion. Horns, chimes, strings, synths, hand claps, this can be a total sound explosion. After the bridge, there is space for instrumental noodling. 

 

136 bpm

Intro/Bridge: Am D

Verse: G Am C C

Chorus: C Em C Em C Em D D

 

Background Vocals

We will dress like Romans...We will dress like Pirates...We will dress like Nazis....We will dress like Geisha....We will dress like lovers

We will never leave this place, We were born for this, And we'll die upon this stage

Ooo

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Mon, 14 May 2012 16:28:00 -0700 UNPREPARED http://popvote.posterous.com/unprepared http://popvote.posterous.com/unprepared

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An interesting chord pattern and lots of rhythmic freedom in this one. Let the background instruments be really languid and almost menacing in their lack of consistency. Good spots for vocalists here as I would like to split the female voices to one part and male to another then come back for the final chorus and OOOOs.

 

101 BPM

Verse Dm+2 (or Dm9)/AM7 (or AM9)/Dm+2 (or Dm9)/A

Chorus C+2 G A7

Bridge Am7 Em7

 

BACKGROUND VOCALS

I was unprepared, I wasn't there

Cry and curse and scream

Ooo

Female: I wouldn't ask where you were going, I wouldn't call your name, I wouldn't fold myself into pitiful shapes, If I knew I had your love

Male: You were right about everything, You were right about me

 

--0--0--0--0--0--0--3--

--3--2--3--3--2--1--0--

--2--1--0--0--0--0--0--

--3--2--2--0--2--2--2--

--0--0--3--2--0--0--0--

--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--

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Wed, 02 May 2012 20:02:00 -0700 SO GLAD http://popvote.posterous.com/so-glad http://popvote.posterous.com/so-glad

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A sort of 50s 6/8 feel in this one, should be a big full joyful noise, all sounds welcome to match the celebratory message of the song. 

 

88 bpm, 6/8 feel

Verse: A-----D----A-----D----Bm-----E-----Bm-----E-----

Chorus: F#m------D------A------E------

 

Background Vocal Lyrics

So glad I found you

So glad I found you etc

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Wed, 02 May 2012 19:40:00 -0700 SIR EDMUND HILLARY http://popvote.posterous.com/sir-edmund-hillary http://popvote.posterous.com/sir-edmund-hillary

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Another one built over a simple melodic line, and in 3/4 time. The first half should be a little bit sparse, with some lonely strings and horns lurking in the background, then opening up into something slightly more lush for the second and third chorus. The first chorus needs some lazily drifting "ahs". The outro sort of breaks out of straight 3/4 so watch out for the rhythm. 

 

116 bpm in 3/4

Verse: Bm--Bm-- G--G--

Chorus:  D--A--G--G--Bm--A--G--G--

Outro: G

 

Background Vocals

Ahhs

It's been so cold 

As long as I've known

Can I come inside

I can see there's a light

There's a light

There's a light

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Wed, 02 May 2012 19:23:00 -0700 STARS http://popvote.posterous.com/stars http://popvote.posterous.com/stars

 

This one could either be done as a very low-key acoustic piece or (especially for stage shows) hyped up electronic indie pop style. The verses are built around a simplistic riff:

D -6664449996666666--666444999666666666--

A -0000000000000000--xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx--

E -------------------------------000000000000000000--

Strings would definitely be welcome on this one.

 

151 bpm

Verse Chords AM7 EM7

Chorus Chords E- D- A --- E- D- A--- Am- D-

 

Vocal Harmony Lyrics

The stars align in a special place

Cast shifting shadows on your face

The people you don't like have gone away

And I--- never wanna see you cry

I couldn't care less who hears us now

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Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:03:00 -0700 TOO HOT FOR WORDS http://popvote.posterous.com/too-hot-for-words http://popvote.posterous.com/too-hot-for-words

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This is supposed to be sort of slinky and grimy, the inspiration was Muse 'Supermassive Black Hole' so that's the guitar tone to match. That main riff is to be played and embellished on guitar. Other instruments will just serve as support under that riff, back in the mix, until a sound explosion in the chorus. There's also a pre-verse instrumental block and bridge section that could use some soloing instruments. During those blocks vocalists can add in some aahs. The chorus has another use of my favorite trick, the descending bass note. The slashes indicate the Bass note.

MAIN RIFF: eege bbdb eege bag-

 

126 bpm

Verse Em Em/B Em Em/B C G A B 

Chorus  Em Em/Eb Em/D Em/C# C B

 

Lyrics for Chorus Harmonies

Bound, Stacked, Taken to the Back

Got you all to myself, Gonna stick you on the shelf oh no

You're too hot for words aren't you

These books are burning now

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Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:18:00 -0700 DANCEHALL BURNING http://popvote.posterous.com/dancehall-burning http://popvote.posterous.com/dancehall-burning

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To me, this one has a sort of 50s doo wop rhythm in the verses, which would be well contrasted in the chorus/post chorus by some noisy guitars. Horns, strings, accordians, percussion, just about any instrumentation can fit this one well. Then then outro goes half-time and really needs to come across as sort of majestic.

The outro needs a lot of voices, but the rest of the song could use some harmonies as well in random spots, so I'll post all the lyrics.

Verse Chords A (add E) F#m (add E) :|| D E

Chorus F#m A D D

Post-Chorus Dm Gm Dm Gm D  E

Outro E C#m F#m B

 

Lyrics for Background

You could be closer and I wouldn't mind
Tell me about things that were better before
Like the bands that gave up the ghost on that stage
Their names lilt like a poem

I can refit, I can tuck and glide
My arm behind your back so we're down by two
I see the sparkling that surrounds all the stars
And we'll collapse as stars are wont to do

I am a beast
So grab your pitchfork (2 times)

Those in the crowd, They turn a blind eye
The military men know when wars are lost
They've gathered the dead and numbered them
And they're letting their hair grow long

The speakers explode just in time
The barker plays messiah, gives his demands
As all able bodied men break down tables
Ashes, Ashes, You slip through my hands

I am a beast
So grab your pitchfork (4 times)

Dancehall's burning
Dancehall's burning
Dancehall's burning
Tonight


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Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:36:00 -0700 FESTIVAL OF BACCHUS http://popvote.posterous.com/festival-of-bacchus http://popvote.posterous.com/festival-of-bacchus

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This is an off-the-rails jazz-inspired song that could use some brass and sax, and maybe even a banjo. The scratch record seems to swallow up the bass line but it is a steady chug keeping the song grounded, jazz style would suggest a stand-up bass with a walking line. Background vocals have a few lyric spots but can also provide long moaning "ahs" for ambiance.

The bridge changes up the rhythm momentarily and will be where the guitars come back to the front. 

Verse chords Cm Ab Bb Cm

Chorus chords Cm with descending bass line [C B Bb A] Ab Bb Cm

Prebridge Long Cm 

Bridge Ab Bb Cm Bb

 

Lyrics for Background Vocals

"Swallowed into the heat and glow, Heaven guide my feet tonite, The Devil dwells where there's no light, Dance till dawn"

"All in service to the sound"

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Tue, 09 Aug 2011 22:53:00 -0700 MY MONTH AT SEA http://popvote.posterous.com/my-month-at-sea http://popvote.posterous.com/my-month-at-sea


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Definitely one of my personal favorites, this is a midtempo ballad that slowly builds and then lets loose. The first half of the song is built around four piano chords, with the other instruments sneaking in bit by bit. Some strings would not be out of place here at all, maybe a cello playing long  tones. 

Guitars and bass will come more to the front during the third verse, and other sounds will continue to build tension and then it will release in the outro when the drums kick in full blast (simpler percussion is still welcome in the first part of the song though)

 

69 BPM in Verse, 79 BPM in Outro

Verse Chords E F#m D A

Third Verse/Bridge F#m Bm A E (then end on a long D) 

Outro F#m A D B (not minor) end on E

Lyrics for Background Vocals

"Leaving just the stars the sea and me....How she loves the stars the sea and me...Our deep blue new home.....I want to see you on the shore, I want to see you on the shore, I want to see you on the shore, I want to see you once more"

And then having released the tension, the instruments all wander off into ambiance

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Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:42:00 -0700 DAVID http://popvote.posterous.com/david http://popvote.posterous.com/david

David is a quick paced, upbeat jangly rock song influenced by Los Campesinos. It is literally waiting for bells and whistles. The main instrumental hook is a simple descending pattern played on xylophone in the scratch, {A G# E, A G# C#} There is room for just about any instrument here, some horns would be nice to replace the midi. The background vocals are a bit hidden in the mix, give it a second listen after reading the lyrics and they'll be easier to make out.

The intro build is centered around another pattern {C# A G# E} with other instruments playing long tones that sort of accidentally create chords, other tones besides those four include F# and D 

There's not really a verse-chorus structure here, but there are three distinct parts of the song.

Section 1 chords: D D A E

Section 2 D E (I played the D in triplet pattern and the E held long, but the point is to contribute your own style so feel free to play with it)

Section 3 D D F#m E

 

Lyrics for the Background Vocals

"I think we're alone now, think we're alone now, think we're alone now....Everybody dance now, everybody dance now, give me the music, Everybody dance now (repeat)"

"Pink and black and white and stripes and dots and hearts...How hard he'll fall, how hard he'll fall, how hard he'll fall, how hard he'll fall"

"Now hold it steady"

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Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:03:00 -0700 Oh, it's going down... http://popvote.posterous.com/oh-its-going-down http://popvote.posterous.com/oh-its-going-down

Hey people, Derek here, trying out another host for the Popular Vote song creation page. Here I will be posting the backing tracks for songs and you will then get to do whatever you want with them and hopefully we will all create wonderful music together. 

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