This blog is devoted to the band The Really Good Pot Roast.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Machine - The Really Good Pot Roast
I’ve had the chorus and general chord progression for this song kicking around my head a little while now. FAWM seemed like a good motivator for us to finish writing and draft a demo together. I scratched out rough demo, passed it to Rob, and he brought it home.
I wanted this to be a simple, energetic, 3 chord rocker. Something loud and fun. I’m a fan of ow this came together. The lyrics are lighter than a lot of our other music and that’s always a victory for us. A bit of a nod to Jonathan Coulton in terms of content, as it’s a love song by a robot. Click here for the song page and lyrics.
There’s clean up work to be done, but this is a good draft for FAWM. We’re starting to scratch out the track list for our next album, and this is a candidate.
As always, we hope you enjoy. And if you like writing or performing music, there’s still time left to join us for FAWM!
-Mark
FAWM!
In the way that time does, a year has passed, and we’re here in February. And with it, the month brings FAWM, the February Album Writing Month challenge. 28 days, 14 songs.
Last year, Rob and I both wrote music during FAWM and ‘won’ the challenge. My music resulted in my album ‘NEW THING’. Rob’s resulted in ‘Now That You’re Here’. Both albums are available for any price (even free).
This year, we’re involved again, but probably not in the same extent. We’ll be posting some of our new material here in the coming weeks. Our big focus right now is cleaning up existing material for our new album later this year. But we can’t help writing.
If you’re a songwriter and want to challenge yourself, come join us. FAWM is a great, positive atmosphere for songwriters looking for a challenge, an outlet, a forum, trading ideas, collaboration, and constructive criticism.
See you there!
-Mark
The Really Good Pot Roast - Spice Up Your Life (Spice Girls Cover)
A couple of months ago, Rob posted a one-off cover I did of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time”. After that, we tried to think about some interesting songs to cover, ones that we’d like to learn and interpret, and be able to possibly play live. Then Rob picked this song.
I really liked Rob’s acoustic take on this track. His vocals sold me on it. The hardest part of this track was the fact that it’s only 2 chords. Fm and C. Over and over and over again. When you have a whole electronic pop dance music backing to it, you don’t care. But strip it down to a couple acoustic guitars, and it creates some headaches. We played with a bit of structure and style, and added in some hand percussion.
I’m pleased where this wound up. We hope you enjoy it.
Got any suggestions for us to cover? Drop us an ask!
-
Hello Internet. We’ve missed you!
For reasons that sound boringly like normal life, Rob and I have been a bit absent on this blog. But we’re back now, and you’ll get some new RGPR!
This year’s 5090 is over, but we still have a few songs we haven’t played here yet.
First up, We Can’t Play.
Rob and I were in the same place at the same time this summer, and wrote a few songs. A goal we set for ourselves was to write new music with out new instruments. I’ve been learning the ukulele, and Rob has picked up the mandolin.
We’re not exactly ‘good’ yet.
This song was born from that idea.
It is a fun little song written while we put together our first 5090 podcast, and drank. And drank. And considering this started with uke and mandolin, this got out of hand quickly.
We hope you enjoy it.
-M!?
This year, Mrs. Cranquis and I celebrate 10 years of fantastic marriage. When my musical buddies over at The Really Good Pot Roast asked me to submit some lyrics for them to set to music, I decided I wood go back to my roots and write a love poem for my wife (like I used to do so often back in our relationship’s early days). Here’s what the RGPR built out of it. So, I hope you’ll pardon this blog for branching out, leafing behind the more poplar medical topics, and turning sappy for just a moment.
I love you, Mrs. Cranquis.
(v1.) What if we
Sat in a tree
And watched the world below?
And what if I
Then looked in your eye
And said, “We’re dating now, you know?”
Well we did, and I did,
You and me in a tree.
And now my love,
It’s our anniversary!
(v2.) Then what if we
Sat in that tree
And I offered you a ring?
And what if you
Said, “I do”
And made my heartbeat sing?
Well I did, and you did,
Me and you in that tree.
And now my love,
It’s our anniversary!
(v3.) So what if we
Go back to that tree,
And take our child along?
Will he believe,
That among the leaves,
That this is where our song…
Began?
Well we will, and he will
Just us three in our tree,
Someday, my love,
On another anniversary.
Mark and I really enjoyed working on this project with The Good Doctor. Have a Really Good anniversary Dr. & Mrs. Cranquis. (See what I did there…)
-Rob
- # Mrs. Cranquis
- # anniversary
- # music
- # poetry
- # fan art
- # thereallygoodpotroast
- # puns
- # if you ash me i think they did a pine job with the song!
- # i love the timber of the ukulele
- # yes this poem is based on true events from our relationship
- # poet-tree!
- ∞ Permalink
- Posted 10 months ago
- Tweet this
- 83 notes
Robert Rubin - Paradox
Another preview of my first solo album, Now That You’re Here, which will be released August 10th, 2012. Paradox is more of a straight up pop song than much of my music. This song began during 50/90 last year while I was watching Back to the Future, Part 2. Mark handled a good chunk of the production work on this track and he did a great job with everything.
Hope you enjoy!
-Rob
PS - I write songs about the time travel paradox so you don’t have to. Your Welcome.
More Musical Happenings
While half of the band was off nerding it up with nerds in the nerdy West Coast (I’M SO JEALOUS!!!1!1!!ELEVEN!!!), the band has still been moving forward with new music!
First, 50/90. Yes, Rob and I are shambling forward on this lunatic’s march toward 50 songs. We’d both promised ourselves that we’d keep it to a dull roar this year and not aim for 50 songs. Rob ‘won’ last year with 51 tracks. I was within shouting distance at 42. This year, we figured we’d focus on staying sane, finishing Rob’s Solo CD, and the upcoming RGPR album. Yadda yadda yadda… we have 10 songs between us already (one of which was my twee / pop / ukulele track ‘Here and Now’ we posted here last week). You’ll see some of those posted in the coming days / weeks.
Secondly, Rob’s solo disc. Seriously, be jealous of me, because I can listen to most of this now, and you can’t. We’re in the final weeks of mixing, and it’s coming along really well. I think there are about 3 or 4 more tracks to mix, then we work on sequencing. We’ll be posting some tracks here soon, so look out, peeps.
Finally, We’re still aiming to have a new album together by the holidays this year. We’ve planned a session in August to write new tracks and mix old ones. And drink. Maybe some yelling. Then drinks. Be on the look out for some liquid encouragement songs, and possibly a 50/90 Podcast recorded live while drinking. What could possibly go wrong?
Don’t answer that.
-M!?
Here and Now - Mark
While some people we know are enjoying ComiCon, we’re still working on new music. The Fifty-Ninety Songwriting Challenge is underway, and Rob and I are headlong into writing. We’ll both be posting new music here on the blog (as well as tracks from Rob’s upcoming solo CD!) throughout the summer.
This song is called ‘Here and Now’. I reblogged a post earlier from Kahiwa (a fellow 50/90 and FAWM musician) about this track, but thought I’d post the song itself to the blog. The song is a ukulele driven twee/pop song. It’s a rough demo, because you don’t have time for polished products in 50/90.
Click here to read more of my liner notes, or to just check out 50/90 in general.
Be on the look out for more new music from RGPR this summer!
-M!?
In the Pipe and On the Horizon
Greetings Tumblrinos, it’s Pot Roast pal Rob here to give you an update on band happenings. To me, in the pipe happens before on the horizon, so that’s how this post is going to work.
In the Pipe
After helping Mark release his solo albums over the past year (As a producer) I’m working on my first solo album! The album consists of songs I’ve written during FAWM and 50/90 during the past year. Mark is functioning as the album’s producer. We hope to have the album mixed and ready for release some time in August, so stay tuned to the blog for details. I’m hoping to post a few sample tracks from the album over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.
On the Horizon
The band is also in the process of writing and recording a new album. We’re using 50/90 to write a chunk of new material. The band is also threatening to play it’s first EVER live performance in August so stay tuned for more info on that as well.
Here and Now
50/90 is already happening. Head on over and check out Rob and Mark’s individual profiles. You can also sign up and post your own music to the community.
Found
Someone just bought our instrumental album ‘You Have Died of Dysentery’. No, that’s not really the newsworthy bit. The newsworthy bit is that they found our music through a google search and liked it enough to buy it.
To date, most of our sales have been through links we’ve supplied here, or other music websites and forums. We appreciate them all, but this was someone who discovered us seemingly by happenstance, and elected to purchase our record.
As we march into the start of 5090, this kind of moment is emboldening to usFound as musicians, and as a band. We’re clearly not professional musicians, but we’re making music that interests us, and other people are finding it, and digging it. Good times from RGPR.
Claire's Tumblr: Would you like to help me go to college? AKA, hey look! I made an album!
So, I think most of you know that I’ve been working on an album aptly named ‘Ragged,’ for the fact that I’ve recorded it entirely on my Macbook. Tonight, I finished it! Ten songs—three piano improvs and seven folk songs. At least, I pretty sure I’m folksy.
I’d love for you all to go and take a…
Fellow Tumblr musician Claire Salcedo also has an album for sale on BandCamp. You should go buy it. Now
Why are you still here? go! Buy!
Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you the latest addition to the band’s arsenal.
Teaser
Fresh music coming soon from the ReallyGoodPotRoast boys — this one based on one of my Medically Correct Nursery Rhymes, and featuring Mrs. Cranquis doing some background vocals! Stay tuned!
Oh, it’s coming.
New Music from RGPR.
New Collaboration with Dr. Cranquis.
Same awesome.
NEW THING (Title Track from the new album by Mark Dabney - Out Now!)
There is a ritual. The Sacred Ritual of the First Track. It’s when you finally break down and buy or build a new system, and you want to put it through it paces. So you record your first track; a song that you know would have blown out your old system. Something you should would have made the soundcard from your old computer jump right the hell out of your old computer and smack you before retiring for the evening with a cup of decaf chamomile and some easy listening.
This song started life as a tech demo for my new system. It is a ridiculous collection of things I wouldn’t have even tried on my old computer. Some details:
- This song is 26 tracks in total.
- There are two concurrent drum tracks
- There is an 8-part vocal harmony in the bridge running various effects, all just to push the system
- The main vocal is triple layered.
- The guitars are triple layered.
- I pitch shifted the twinned solo just because I wanted the computer to have to handle it.
- There is a LOT going on here.
This song hits like a freight train and doesn’t let up. It’s a fun, fast, punk-ish, new wave, industrial track. It goes until it doesn’t.
Thanks to everyone who listened to the album. Hugs to those that downloaded it. BIG hugs to those that bought it. You’re all awesome.
If you’ve done none of those things: Clickypoo
-Mark
New Thing - T-Minus 90 Minutes
I’ve spent months (in some cases, years) with these songs. Dozens of mixes, edits, tweaks. Hand offs between Rob and I on edits. Discussions. Arguments. Apologies.
Tonight, New Thing goes live.
Just going to listen to it one more time before anyone else can.
Forgive my selfish moment.
-Mark
