The second of the seven valleys the birds have to cross.
Valley of Quest
This is the second of “The Conference of the Birds” songs i’ve been writing and recording on sunday songwriting marathons this year. I got two songs done last time Valley of Quest (this one) and Valley of Love. I’ll shoot for 3-4 songs this Sunday!
The Conference of the Birds
Part 1
“In which all the birds of the world get together for a conference and are addressed by the hoopoe bird.” – Peter Sis.
This is the first song of my sunday songwriting marathons I’ve started doing this year. I got one whole song done after a day of setting up gear and remembering how Logic works again. I’m doing a series of songs – like a concept album – based on Peter Sis’s “The Conference of the Birds” interpretation of the 12th century Persian epic 4,500 line poem by Farid Ud-Din Attar. Peter’s is much shorter but with beautiful visual art. Mine is shorter still and musical.
Caterpillar
This was from a song writing marathon I did 6 years ago.
Safe bet cigarettes
Originally wrote this one about a girl I was crushing on who worked at a vintage clothing store in Kensington Market, Toronto. Ahh, the sweet smell of stale tobacco breath…how it brings back olfactory memories.
All Abroad!
I mixed this from a bunch of Logic samples. Pretty fun. Do you think the winds are too distorted?
Sense of You
Hark, electronic funky soul breaks my harp.
This is a remix of my original acoustic version.
I think this one sounds hipper. Dig.
“Sensational,” says the Secret Agency.
“Chew played his bass like a…jail break!” Funky Inquirer.
Cow Music Video
The adventures of Cow. See Cow as she explores the freezing water and deals with an unlikely guest, Sub. Will Cow survive? Is Sub evil or just a benign visitor from the Underworld? Thanks to Ian Winters for putting this together with his raw uneditted footage.
Click to Watch!
Oakland Blues
Man

Bush
Written some time later during his first term in office. He’s the Man – not in a good way. There are lots of them in the world, always in positions of power. Let’s hope the Black Man moving into his White House for a change does better (not hard to do better than this but a hell of a mess – guess black folks are still cleaning up after whitey, especially now).
Cow

Delicious Cow Product
I wrote this when I was living with a rasta in Toronto who may just be the real King of Kensington Market. I had become the unwilling father of a stray cat who tried her best to drive me crazy via allergies and kitten rambunctiousness.
Siren’s Song

*$
A swing sea shanty of sorts. Inspired by my Nova Scotia roots and a bass lick from a friend in Toronto.
Personal Computer

Sexy PC
A song about the absurdity of how we use technology today and the frustrating lack of self expression when confined by life in a cubicle.