Animal

Happy Spanksgiving. This holiday season, I am thankful for an amazing family. I have never really considered what a blessing it is to have parents that put such a strong emphasis on the importance of music in our lives as I was growing up. I love having four siblings that are all insanely musically talented.

And so, I have decided to cover the one age-appropriate song with my younger sister. I have loved watching her grow musically over the last couple years. She completely surprised me this time around by making up her own harmonies and improvising some. Basically she is awesome.

So here is our cover of "Animal".

Tik Tok

This one was a little daunting, seeing as it was Ke$ha's first big hit. The iconic whiny voice, the lyrics dripping with sleaze, the infamous Mick Jagger line. And then there was the performance on SNL. Dancing astronauts in shiny space suits? Is that not what dreams are made of? I am also totally jealous of her (fake) laser organ. Why don't they make pocket versions of that? I feel like that would be highly marketable.

So here is my cover of the hit song "Tik Tok." Filmed in the back of a moving van that is indeed moving. Filmed with people I love. Filmed while trying to not be crushed by various things in the back of the van.

Enjoy.



Turns out it is surprisingly difficult playing piano in a moving vehicle.

C U Next Tuesday

I use Old Spice. You can see it on my dresser. That is what makes this video awesome.

I also love common chord progressions that make mixing songs really easy.

I turned this song into a kind of waltz kind of thing. No big.

Whatevs.

Your Love is My Drug

I learned a few things today. This song is not so much about musical excellence as it is personal expression. I have tried to capture this in a less than perfect rendition. I also learned that it is really hard to sing while playing viola. And I am not that great at viola. And Garage Band has some weird effects. And My hair looks weird straightened. And I have the coolest friends ever.

This song is dedicated to the FPC staff of 2010. Rave Kave. Swimming in the dirty lake. Sunsets on the mountain. Illegal trips to Vegas. Stars. Pine trees. Glitter and face paint. Everything Beautiful under the skies.

Your love is most definitely my drug.

Party at a Rich Dude's House

I have never thrown up in anyone's closet. I have never woken up in the front yard or gotten wine stains on the sofa. As a matter of fact, if you ever get wine stains on my sofa, I probably wouldn't invite you back over. Unless you were Ke$ha.

If I had any rich dude friends, I would expect them to invite me to their parties. I would also expect them to buy me a new sweater. Or maybe knit me one. Because I fully appreciate the fact that this one is hideous. And I guess I am completely alright with that.

Thanks to Benny for playing cello for me at the last minute.

Is it just me, or am I singing backup for myself? Weird.

Kiss N Tell

My piano skills really shine in this one. (Yes, that is sarcasm)

Trying something a little different.

The Harold Song

Happy Veterans Day! Unfortunately, Ke$ha never writes songs about meaningful things such as Veterans, patriotism, or even family values. So how about another song about pathetic love?

Actually, this might be one of the few Ke$ha songs with meaning. When I read a post about its meaning, someone articulately wrote, "She misses him. Self explanatory." I like that. But a few other people wrote that this is about a boy she was dating for an extended period of time who got killed in a car accident. Either way, it's actually a beautiful song. So bam.

Going solo for this one. And black and white.

D-I-O-N-S-A-U-R

Yes. That is misspelled. Yes, there is a reason.

When I was young, my family lived in the Los Angeles area. I remember taking several trips to the La Brea tar pits. These are basically tar pits where Ice Age animals got caught in the tar and died. Years later they were pulled out and now we can study them. I don't think any dinosaurs were ever discovered there. Mainly saber tooth tigers. And mammoths. But that is irrelephant.

I basically have no stories that apply to this song. I have never been hit on by someone old enough to be called a dinosaur. But it was a fun song anyways.

Hungover

This is merely the title of the next Ke$ha song I chose to cover. Not really a direct correlation to my current state of being.
 I was very lucky to have the assistance of my musical soulmate Jess Ryan on this one. She makes beautiful music. I think collaborations just make everything better. Expect more in the future.

I hope you enjoy this contemplative ballad in which Ke$ha compares her broken heart and collapsed relationship to a rough night of drinking, which seems to be a common theme in her music.



Ignore the fact that I thought it would be fun to draw really big circles with my right hand while singing. It looks like I am stirring some kind of witch's brew. I am not.

The Beginning

So this one time, I met Ke$ha.

That is really her.

She even signed my shirt in silver Sharpie, saying, "Simon your hot   -  <3 K$". I don't know what my hot is, but apparently Ke$ha liked it. Or even loved it.

I am pooping my pants with excitement.

Now I think what she really meant was, "Simon, you're hot," which I roughly translate to mean, "Simon, please go and reinterpret all of my songs," to which I kindly say, "Ok." So that is what I am now going to do. It has been over a year since that fateful day on which I received her instructions and blessing, and I will now make this seed of an idea that Ke$ha planted in my mind into a blossoming tree of fruitful reality (pun).

And so I begin my journey with the eloquent and mournful tune of "Stephen", in which Ke$ha cries about a boy. Named Stephen. I believe her introduction to this song in concert went something like this: "I wrote this song about some douchebag guy." She should have been warned by the fact that he spells his name with a "ph", but at least she learned from the experience.

 Without further ado, "Stephen."