Fancy New Demos

“Service (Fancy New Demo)” - This features a spoken...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:49:34 -0500

“Service (Fancy New Demo)” - This features a spoken word piece by a friend/City Year alum. I don’t have much experience with adding music to spoken word, so if you have any feedback I’d love to hear it.

“Don’t Ask (Fancy New Demo 2)”

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:29:42 -0500

“Don’t Ask (Fancy New Demo 2)”

“I Don’t Know (Fancy New Demo 2)” - This song...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:26:00 -0500

“I Don’t Know (Fancy New Demo 2)” - This song was originally called “Don’t Keep Me Waitin’”. Its verses are from a poem written by a City Year alum; I wrote the choruses.

“Dancing In The Dark (Fancy New Demo)” - This song...

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:07:31 -0500

“Dancing In The Dark (Fancy New Demo)” - This song will have more lyrics that reference (read: steal from) Springsteen.

(The song got corrupted when transferring it, so I have a super slow version. Maybe that will surface someday.)

“Birthday (Fancy New Demo)” - an instrumental track....

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:59:02 -0500

“Birthday (Fancy New Demo)” - an instrumental track. I have some lyrics for this but in the interest of time (FAWM ends for me in an hour) I just wanted to get it up online.

“Doin’ Fine (Fancy New Demo)” - this is a very...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:18:44 -0500

“Doin’ Fine (Fancy New Demo)” - this is a very rough recording of a song that I recorded with a fellow CY alum. We’re going to get together again soon and record a final version. Until then, enjoy this - the first song I’ve ever recorded with horns.

“You And Me” is my ode to Seabrook, NH, where I...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:13:00 -0500

“You And Me” is my ode to Seabrook, NH, where I served for a year in its middle school, and the team I served with. This song will have tin whistle in it, and maybe some accordion. Until then, here’s the bare bones version.

“If You Can Drive” is my 2013 “Chapter 17:...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:12:00 -0500

“If You Can Drive” is my 2013 “Chapter 17: Westward Expansion,” a song I wrote for FAWM last year. I really enjoy playing this song and know that it will be a part of most of my set lists going forward.

“Four Square” - this song was originally called...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 12:07:00 -0500

“Four Square” - this song was originally called “Power Play,” as it was written as part of a FAWM song skirmish. These hour-long challenges give participants an hour to write, record and upload a song written in response to a title. I fleshed this song out and with the help of James and Jill, my two best friends, I edited the lyrics and came up with this.

“You And Me (Fancy New Demo)” - this is a very rough...

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:47:41 -0500

“You And Me (Fancy New Demo)” - this is a very rough first draft of a rarity in my songbook: a waltz. Really, it’s a song meant to be sung with a gang of friends. I’m working with a friend on adding tin whistle; this one’ll be Irish as all get out.

“Don’t Keep Me Waitin’ (Fancy New Demo)”...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:14:00 -0500

“Don’t Keep Me Waitin’ (Fancy New Demo)” - another song completed as part of a SongSkirmish on FAWM.org

“If You Can Drive (Fancy New Demo)” - the second...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:06:29 -0500

“If You Can Drive (Fancy New Demo)” - the second demo that I’ve recorded as part of FAWM.

I completed this song as part of FAWM’s SongSkirmish #1....

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 01:06:00 -0500

I completed this song as part of FAWM’s SongSkirmish #1. It’s too rough - I wrote, recorded and mixed it in an hour - but I see potential.

First song, in the bag….

wethecompass: Back in October, James and I hosted The Riley...

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:15:14 -0500

wethecompass:

Back in October, James and I hosted The Riley Brothers’ Halloween Housewarming and Paul Riley CD Release Party. It was a fun event. During the night, I played a few songs from Winter Sketchbook. To close my performance, I did a version of “Experimental Collaboration” with everyone present. Each person had his or her own instrument, mostly from my stock of instruments, and together we created a song. In the spirit of The Compass, a place that loves collaboration and creativity, I would like to share it with you now.

If you want to know the lyrics, you can read below. I was able to decipher most of the words except for one line. If you think you’ve figured it out, let me know. It would just be nice to know it.

Experimental Collaboration #2
What a great party this is,
hanging out with people playing instruments.
When it comes to improvising,
I can think of two lines at a time.
And then I gotta pause - oh wait, I guess I don’t.
I’m just gonna keep singing every note.
If you want, come up closer to the microphones.
Uh, Bandit, cause that’s not your real name.
And The Doctor, ‘cause those are wind instruments
and you might not be able to be heard.
But that’s okay, we’re gonna keep playing for another 15 minutes.
You can blame Lester because we have a quota to fill
?
Just a few more measures.
This is sounding better than
Nicki Minaj,
and Britney Spears,
and Taylor Swift
and Sonny Bono and Cher.
But not better than the fifteen people assembled here at this party tonight.
-Paul

The Compass: Soundtrack Stories | I Wanna Know: Discovering musicforthemorningafter

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:06:53 -0400

The Compass: Soundtrack Stories | I Wanna Know: Discovering musicforthemorningafter:

wethecompass:

I had hoped that Soundtrack Stories would be a monthly thing. The last time that I posted a Soundtrack Story - actually, the first one - was in June. I have been working on this episode since before I even started that one. This video has a few big flaws in it: two static images in the…

Winter Sketchbook Promotional Video

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:39:58 -0400

Soundtrack Stories: Saying Goodbye

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:56:29 -0400

Declaration

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 22:52:33 -0400

“Leaves (Fancy New Demo)”

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:31:22 -0400

“Leaves (Fancy New Demo)”

Declaration

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:31:44 -0400

wethecompass:

This song has been kicking around for almost two years. It employs instruments I’ve never used before and is the longest song I’ve written since “Fredericksburg.” Take a listen, and I’ll see you on the other side of the lyrics.

North of Wilmington is where I’m from.
Atlantic Ocean and coastal sand,
Concord Mall and green farmland,
credit cards and parish halls,
some who stay; others move on.

There’s a sign when you enter my city.
It’s kinda chipped - it ain’t that pretty.
But it told me I could be somebody, so I did.

Learned ‘bout the world in Catholic school.
The opposites, they dwelled there too.
A praise of love and the Golden Rule.
Averted eyes, closed ears, turned backs
spat venom to grease the tracks.

There’s a sign when you enter my city.
It’s kinda chipped - it ain’t that pretty.
But it told me I could be somebody, so I did.

I left home for New York state.
Chuck Taylors and purple gowns,
unlicensed radio sounds.
Perry Hall and studying,
Self-Reliance, Waverly.
Mountain Day, Pam and Jim,
17 East and Instruments.

There’s a sign when you enter my city.
It’s kinda chipped - it ain’t that pretty.
But it told me I could be somebody, so I did.

Two years to serve in New Hampshire.
Stone Church, Hampton Beach,
red jackets and leafless trees.
The mayor’s friends and eighth graders,
Portsmouth coast to Manchester.
Fundraising and Seabrook kids,
bitter cold and idealists.

There’s a sign when you enter my city.
It’s kinda chipped - it ain’t that pretty.
But it told me I could be somebody, so I did.

Sitting at a desk in Massachusetts,
I can’t predict what’s coming next.
But I do know that I will be someone,
someone,
somebody.

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