Bill's Music

Disemvoweled

Songs as They Happen

• Carol of the Bells - on guitar - December 2024: One of my favorite - no, my favorite - Christmas carol, from the Ukraine.
• Words Matter - December 2024: I do like words.
• Blackbird in a Palm Tree - September 2024: Maybe 4 years ago I saw something at an outdoor restaurant in Ticinio with Mom and remarked about a "blackbird in a palm tree", and how unusual that was. She said it sounded like a song of mine - and now it is.
• Phenomenally Unimpressed - June 2024: I thought how much I love Farin Urlaub's lyrics, but they're just not accessible to anyone who doesn't speak or at least understand German. First I thought of translating some of the lyrics - but then I thought if I did that, I might as well do a cover for my upcoming album i.e. And here it is.
• Stupid Angels - July 2023: We were in the Stiftskirche St. Gallen, a cathedral, and marveled at the ceilings full of religious figures. Over the pulpit was the shepherd of men and various little angels holding sheep, and one playing with a dog. This last one came back to me that evening in the form of a song. I think in the middle of the war in Ukraine, I'm even more than usually pessimistically inclined to mankind and to religion. Not recommended for serious Christians - better not to listen than to be offended, which I don't want.
• Last Day on Earth - June 2023: I thought I might write something about my life - uncertain but full of joy. And that applies to most of us actually.
• i.e. - May 2023: I've known for years my next album had to be called "i.e.", for reasons you'll figure out. I toyed with the idea and finally managed to record a rough draft May 10-11, 2023. Hope you get some amusement out of it, at least I did!
• Edgelea Drive - January 2023: This song has wanted to get written since November 2019. I got further in fall 2022 and talked briefly with my Mom about it, especially when it occurred to me that many of my special memories have to do with how different Dad was back then - whereas she was making the whole thing run. Her only comment at the time was "That was fun." It's a shame she didn't at least get to hear it before her death in December 2022.
• I'll Be Home For Christmas - January 2023: Christmas wouldn't leave me alone in January after I had the idea that I'll Be Home for Christmas should be sung by a barbershop quartet. In order not to contiminate my own ideas, I didn't check YouTube until later to ensure that, yes, many others have thought of this.
• Without - September 2021: I enjoyed playing with some chords that turned out to be Esus, A4, D6, gloomed it up with Em, and it was time for something minimalistic but melancholic.
• Daddy Didn't Get It - My friend of 48 years, Ron Cherry, came up with these hilarious lyrics about a the guitar-loving son of a Methodist minister. I watered them down with some choruses and backing vocals and did this a capella version.
• Fuck Cancer! - After 15 months without writing a new song, this was the most obvious theme on my mind and some good therapy to boot. It's a rough, spontaneous version with flaws, but I like it that way.
• Liquid Fire - Born to love volcanoes, I combined my fascination with the longing to write and record a song with synthesizer strings and electric guitars.
• Isolation (Corona Trilogy, Part 3) - Another corona-inspired song, both the lyrics video and the original demo from December 2020.
• That's the Way It Goes - A second song in the same week as One Note Tune, this time in a jazz idiom with actual minor 7th and 6th chords!
• One Note Tune - The name says it all! Out now despite popular demand!
• Mars Wind - An instrumental inspired by the red planet in 2019.
• Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols cover) - Anarchy in the lounge.
• Ventilator (Smashing Pumpkins tribute in times of the coronavirus) - A combination of self-quarantine, odd nightmares, memories of Smashing Pumpkins, and a new wah wah pedal led to this song.
• Buscando un Amor (Pappo cover) - Loved the solo by this Argentine blues guitarist and tried to emulate it.
• Boowah (original instrumental) - The bass line came to me while noodling and sounded like "Boowah!"
• Goody Goody Two Shoes - A kids' song that came to me under the shower one day, dedicated to the 2 year old Ella May.
• I Sing the Body Electric - An ode to the electric guitar, and a chance to play distorted guitar for once.
• Don't Muff It! - A tribute to The Muff's Kim Shattuck, who died of ALS in October, 2019
• You Know That - a love song for Anna's 60th, sung by the Gatsby-like Billionaire
• Baby, Welcome to this World - A song for two Ellas, September 2018
• Insomnia - August 2018, for all who can't sleep
• Sartorial Blues - inspired by forgetting my hat when going for a walk
• Willie B. Goode - Chuck Berry's classic revisited in a phase of frustration with learning guitar!