Cranky and the Viruses Sketch Page

(7-8-04) Garageband Rocks My Little Brain. Sitting in NYC remixing and trying to clean up Lexington Queen. I've posted a new version which I'm really liking. Still a tiny bit of cleanup needed, but I wouldn't be embarrassed for people to hear this.

(7-4-04) Progress Report. I've made final versions of Where I've Been, You Carry Me, and Bittersweet Australian Dream (not yet posted). I also reworked Rainmaker. Most notable addition is a nutso guitar solo whose main virtues are (1) existing and (2) enthusiasm. I put together a version of Lexington Queen, whose only fault is that it would be better if Chris were on bass, John were on guitar, Kerwin on drums, and all three on backing vocals.

(5-21-04) Rainmaker Song. Old idea for a project. I wanted to write a song for each of the Rainmaker characters. I finished and recorded most of the Rainmaker's song before I pooped out for the night. Here is a rough demo... the real song would end sooner and have a lead guitar part. It needs a kick-butt guitar solo... John?

On this dusty road, the world looks cracked
God has shot his load, and turned his back
Lives are gone and dried, straw and bone
Stories turned to sighs

And a little bit of faith makes you hope a little
and a little bit of hope makes you pray
and a little bit of prayer makes a holy rain
come down thundering

Everywhere I go, they got no spark
Floods and ill winds blow, they lose their heart
I'm the hidden light, you're not alone
We're all strong inside 


(5-21-04) Where I've Been, Where I'm Going. Old song, new version. Getting there.

The place I've been was 29 years of resentment
The place was beautiful to be right and resent it
But even though, it felt so true I had to let it go

The place I'm going renounces contempt
cause I'd rather be loved than beautiful in the place where I'm going
It's clear and true. There's room for you. I hope you'll find it soon.


(5-21-04) Where I Go (for Chris and Raka). First full recording with Garageband, which kicks unbelievable quantities of butt. You can find faults in the recording and mix, but I find it overall quite groovy. As everyone knows, Chris wrote this song, except for the ending, which you can fade by hand.

(1-24-04) Book of Life Sketch. No real words yet. Don't quite know how to end it. I left some space in the arrangement for some tasty electric guitar licks.

(11-29-03) Sleeping Ruby Fair Sketch. Quick piano and vocal demo. I'm imagining an odd rhythm track of found noises like scissors and footsteps. Named after the child of some friends, who said 'sleeping Ruby' sounded like a country song.
Sleeping Ruby Fair, 
I'm scared of things that don't make sense
Sleeping Ruby Fair
I know it's probably just coincidence

Ah your mother died at 33
And now you're facing 32
we look ahead into the dark, become confused

Sleeping Ruby Fair,
we'll make a child to carry on our ways
Sleeping Ruby Fair,
we'll make a child to tend us all our days

Ah, you were once an orphan girl
So must our child become one too? 
we look ahead, without a map, become unglued

Sleeping Ruby Fair, 
I wonder what's the point of being born?

(11-22-03) Maura Take 2. Another take. Added a rhythm track and somewhat different guitar parts to make the chorus flow better. In theory.

(11-16-03) Maura Quick Sketch. I love my studio when it's working. 1.5 hr sketch of a wordless song, hybrid of two old songs called Maura and Pioneer.

(10-29-03) Bittersweet Australian Dream. I took the evening off to find the power adapter to my little digital studio. I also upgraded my laptop software and dug up the last music recording I made (from 2-11-03, embarrassingly enough): a very rough demo of Bittersweet Australian Dream, which itself is pretty old. I remember during the last Hippo studio recording sessions (at Brick House?) in 1999, waiting for everyone else to arrive and improvising this pained chord progression in a great state of despair. I think it's a good song, but probably needs a richer (though still simple) arrangement.

Here's where we started, hopeful-hearted
a courthouse by the lakeside
friends and plastic flowers
Now I'm returning, guts all churning
I've brought and signed the papers
to nullify those vows
but I've got so much to do, before I wake up

All the same window, it seems so simple
Births and deaths and marriage
Across the great divide
I wish you could see me, I'm almost healthy
I think about both good and bad times
They even make me smile
But I've got so much to do, before I wake up

Before I wake up from this bittersweet Australian dream

Back where we started, hopeful-hearted
a courthouse by the lakeside
(1/12/03) Old Cranky and the Viruses demo posted.

(11/24/02) Can't seem to find time to record music. It's very sad. I added to the Cranky page a quickie version of "Anna Walk This World" that I played at B. Careful Chris's. Usual disclaimers hold times two.

(9/3/02) Lexington Queen. Ê

Inspired by words of The Sp3cialist, an old song and some personal memories; get it here(4.3 MB, MP3).Ê

She keeps the keys for her old front door with her private things
She keeps pictures like her high school win at the science fair
SheÕs got a daydream, sheÕs got a daydream
But sheÕs got a grip on it now
She knows that weÕre never going back

Oh, sheÕs my Lexington Queen

IÕve got a pocket of sure-fire leads but theyÕre drying out
IÕve getting tired of interviews and my deficiencies
I had a dream, I had a dream
But sheÕs got a grip on me now
She says weÕre never going back

She says ÒBreatheÓ, she says ÒBreatheÓ
ÒThe things I gave up, so far away,
you make it up to me every single dayÓ


(7/14/02) Follow Me Down. This is a proof-of-concept song demo. That is, it's proof that I finally have sort of figured out my little Zoom palmtop studio, have sort of figured out how to mix it to MP3, sort of can tune my baglamas, and sort of wrote stuff in Greece. Use Hippo powers to accentuate the positive. Better demo may follow someday.