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Pretty Girlfriend by michael2 [Email]
Genre: Indie Rock

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 943
Comments: 21
Votes: 6
Plays: 173
Last Played: Nov 19, 2008 - 08:47:41 PM
Downloads: 62
Fans: 17
Uploaded: Jun 30, 2007 - 11:45:09 AM
Last Updated: Jun 30, 2007 - 11:45:09 AM
Fan List
Keywords:
indie pop (1), boy/girl harmonies (4), cuddlecore (1), lo-fi (34)
Description:
This is a pop song, it's pretty lo-fi. I haven't had any time to record anything new, so i grabbed this off the 4 track and here you go. I tyhink it's a really cute pop song; should probably re-record it. I also think that my friend Io is singing the wrong words half the time on the backups.

going for a johnathan richman/velvet underground/k records fell on this one.

Lyrics:
why am i alone again?
how come no one ever calls me?
i used to have a pretty girlfriend
but she couldn't talk to me

i'm nervous, i'm worried
what if i'm alone forever?
i'm manic, i'm scared that
i'm just a broken toy on a shelf
i'm just a broken toy on a shelf
i'm just a broken toy on a shelf

i worry i'm not the type to
meet a girl and settle down
i used to have a pretty girlfriend
but i couldn't talk to her

i'm nervous, i'm worried
what if i'm alone forever?
i'm manic, i'm scared that
i'm just a broken toy on a shelf
i'm just a broken toy on a shelf
i'm just a broken toy on a shelf



Hardware:
casio (for drums), roland SH-101 synth, yamaha acoustic guitar, drums with towels over the heads,SM57 mic, Tascam 4 track, if there is bass on this it's recorded so badly you can't hear it.

Software:
GB
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Nothing like the vaults for some fresh air &mdash 06/30/07 - 02:44:24 PM
I really like this song. I suppose you could rerecord it - but the production is a big part of it's charm. I especially like the analog synth and the wabdering background vocals - two things that would be hard to reproduce.

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why fix it if it ain't broken &mdash 06/30/07 - 04:39:21 PM
The music has something of a obladi oblada rythm to it. that is if you ever heard the acoustic version.

I agree with bud. it would be hard to recreate the qwirkyness. I think that's a part of all the charm

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The backing is good.... &mdash 07/01/07 - 03:34:29 AM
I enjoyed the backing tremendously but I don't like lyrics that seem 'me, me, me'. It's not a criticism of you Michael, more a personal thing, hence my not favouriting this track.

I'm more of a 'get on with your life. It's what you make it' sort of person. I guess I just don't dwell on stuff like that.

The music, however, and the way it comes across, is again, excellent.

Take care.

Paul.

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your &mdash 07/01/07 - 10:21:08 AM
right about the lyrics. but it's an old song, and at the time it was all about "me me me." funny, i hadn't heard this song in years and it was like looking at an old journal entry. you know you felt it at the time, but looking back at it, you wonder how things always look so different on the other end.

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Low fi loveliness &mdash 07/01/07 - 12:54:41 PM
I like this tune a lot..cool acoustic guitar sound. It reminds me a bit of East River Pipe. I like the low fi feel a lot too
Steve

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Crap! &mdash 07/01/07 - 10:01:32 PM
I missed all your great music! Man when I saw you had a new one I sat back pushed play and knew I would love it and love it I did! Tell me at the end is it a japenese girl saying something or was I just dreaming oh well, greatness all around!!!!!!

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Lo fi, Hi Quality. &mdash 07/02/07 - 01:23:26 AM
Michael, this is so .... sweet and charming, changing a note would lose part of what makes it great. Love the casio drums and the instrumentation, especially the spooky little keyboard sounds. The vocals are great - really world-weary. Another cracking track.

Steve

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Great song &mdash 07/02/07 - 09:10:33 AM
Awesome melodies! Great story, which most of us can read into. Great arrangements, and performance.

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I wish my old stuff was &mdash 07/02/07 - 08:20:02 PM
as worthwhile as this. Very cool. It has a great melody and I like the lyrics. Makes me think of Wilco, and makes me sing along. What more could you want. Nice work as always. Peace.

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the lyrics speak... &mdash 07/03/07 - 11:28:15 PM
...very real emotions. Ok, so it's me, me me...but isn't that the way a lot of songs are? You're just expressing yourself. You've lost your girlfriend, and are wondering if you'll ever find another one. Seems pretty valid to me.

I like the way you put this song together, and I agree with the others that the "lo-fi" sound adds a LOT to the overall effect.

However, that shifting, phased synth sound was a bit too constant for my ears, anyway. It was a great spice when I first sampled the dish, but it was a little overwhelming to eat the whole thing! ;-)

Good job overall though. I enjoyed listening.

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This is a &mdash 07/06/07 - 01:32:09 AM
very infectious piece that definitely grows on you. Really like it.
Cheers
Len



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:-D &mdash 07/10/07 - 03:55:39 AM
Hahaha, yet another cute one. You are a talented multi-genre artist. It sounds alternative, yet strong. It shows quality and confidence. I love the percussion, gipsy feel. The gated synth works very well, well positioned in the stereospectrum. Dope!



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thanks &mdash 07/10/07 - 11:42:46 AM
yeah, this was supposed to be cute. i love that synth (it's a Roland SH-101), they are such awesome little analog noise makers (noisy but who cares?). Thanks for listening.

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noise is good! &mdash 07/10/07 - 06:06:49 PM
Noise adds that je ne sais quo (i dont know what, but my French syntactical qualities suck). Olle wheelchair is an older song of mine (one of the more ambient tracks) and the noise adds something mystical to it. Not an invitation, just an observation....Ahum!! hahahahaha. Again, keep em coming sir!

Jb


---
it is good to be evil

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really fun &mdash 07/10/07 - 08:05:44 PM
Love the casio. and 4 tracks rule. direct, unpretentious and just palin doggone neat. You nailed the Richman thing. Lo's backing vox are classic. I love one take mistakes. and the little bit at the end where she says she didn't know what she was really doing is perfect. thanks.

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this is &mdash 07/11/07 - 01:33:47 PM
pretty sweet, i really dig the synth in the background ... adds to the flowiness if you will

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pretty girlfriends make everything a-okay &mdash 07/16/07 - 10:06:50 AM
The vocals in this remind me of kula shaker. I always wished I could stutter in a song, but it sounds totally lame when i do it. it always comes out like b-b-bbmhbmmhbad to the bone.

Really great harmonies in there.
It also has a good beat, and you can dance to it.
-Rain

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M2 &mdash 07/16/07 - 11:14:34 AM
For some reason, when I hear this I wanna sing "Im just a broken tool on a shelf." Pehaps your a toy and I'm a tool..... must be nice to have an Io to jam with.

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Pretty Girlfriend &mdash 12/04/07 - 08:11:08 PM
Awesome song. Just curious though, was your pretty girlfriend anything like 'Queen of the Night'? Grrr....

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This is wonderful &mdash 09/03/08 - 01:36:45 AM
I'm sorry (for myself) that i've missed so much of your music. I've not been here at MacJams for a while. But i have been drawn into the Cover challenge here, as someone special has covered one of my own songs, and the whole thing has really sparked my interest.

I love the whole sound and the imagery in this song! I've listened to other songs of yours but not everything, so i know i've probably missed a lot of great songs.

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Funny &mdash 10/26/08 - 03:45:39 PM
You wrote something about VU, and this just made me remind me of them. Great stuff. Going back to some oldies.

Dave

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