I don’t think Connor expected his ‘Song a Week Project’ to develop into the creative journey it’s become. The process is taking him places he otherwise never would have ventured. Once again the new song has brain-bombed me and I can’t stop singing it …

Check it here, and please subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

Connor’s seventh song is a radical departure. It blends his usual writing style with his Pack Mentality mash-up sensibilities. The song, propelled by a beat he played on a floor tom with a tambourine laid on the skin, soars like classic Peter Gabriel, but more likely references Bat for Lashes or Animal Collective. Once again Connor succeeds and surprises. Check it here, and please subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

More and more I see that growing up with the Beatles was a privilege that other generations may never experience. Their unparalleled creative growth – which paralleled my growth as a singer and songwriter – was an endless inspiration to me, and countless other music makers, in the sixties. A friend sent this link, as friends do, thinking I might enjoy it. Turns out, watching it brought the occasional tear to my eye. Like me, these guys know every single nuance of this performance. If they got one wrong, I didn’t notice – but I may have been blinded by the sheer joy of seeing this music played live.

So, for my fellow Beatle fans:

Six weeks, six new songs! I can’t say he makes it look easy – as you’ve seen, it hasn’t been – but I can marvel at the fact that he continues to create a brand new, and amazingly good, new song every week! This week’s song is a hard-rockin’ full-band-style arrangement, leaving behind the acoustic vibe from weeks four and five. Check out “House of Cards” here or on the YouTubes. Send your friends. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

Connor’s Week 5 song for his ‘Song a Week Project’ could be his best yet, despite the fact that it ended up being a ‘Song a Day Project’. The suspense is killing me! Please support Connor’s work by subscribing to his YouTube channel and leaving encouraging comments.

Every week of Connor’s ‘Song a Week Project’ has had it’s challenges. Week four was no exception. His plan to simplify the process by eliminating a full band arrangement and writing on an acoustic guitar just created a higher expectation for the lyrics – which became a struggle. I’m proud to say that Connor won that battle, and that “Getting Over It” (or whatever the official title will be) is a truly beautiful, thoughtful and damned catchy song. I’ve been singing it all morning!

If you know anyone who would take the time to view and comment on Connor’s ‘SWP’ vids (or, better yet, subscribe to the series), please direct them either to this site or to the YouTube page where it’s hosted.

What Connor is doing with his ‘Song a Week Project’ is brutally difficult work. Making something from nothing – the delicate alchemy of songwriting – can be a gut-wrenching endeavour at the best of times, and doing it on a schedule like this is something I don’t think I could do. I watch his progress with a mixture of fear and loathing … and pride.

Check this out to see a great song being created:

Best yet! This was a really good idea.

PART TWO:

It was touch-and-go, but Connor has managed to complete his second song in time for week two of his “Song a Week Project”. As a not-uninterested witness to the unfolding events that he chronicles on the making-of video, I can confirm for you that there was a significant amount of dramatic tension and excitement involved.

This instalment features Jim “I like my coffee” Black, dropping some mind-bending guitar, a visit to the best studio in Vancouver, Connor’s alter-ego “Pack Mentality” rocking the house and, of course, the finished recording of the song. Honestly though, the best (and funniest) ten-seconds opens the clip, with Connor attempting to remember the date.

So once again I ask you all to click on this link to his YouTube page to watch the two short videos and *leave a high rating and a positive comment*. If you don’t have a YouTube account, which I think you might need to leave a comment, PLEASE take a minute to sign up so you can offer your support to Connor on this excellent project. (SPOILER: This week’s song is just as amazing as last week’s AND it’s in 5/4 time!)

Connor decided a week ago that he would try to write a song a week. Then, in a moment of what I would characterize as foolhardy overconfidence, he added a video camera into the mix – recording the emotional peaks and valleys of his pressurized songwriting process.

As most parents probably would, I gritted my teeth, far more concerned about the outcome than he seemed to be. And, although he started out strong he had ground to a halt by the middle of the week.

In the hopes that I’ve built both your interest and suspense, I ask you all to click on this link to his YouTube page, watch the two short videos and, if you feel it appropriate, leave a high rating and a positive comment. (SPOILER: The resulting song is amazing and more-so after you’ve watched him piece it together)

It’s been a very long time since I’ve played a song over and over again.

I played this video, by Wax Mennequin from Hamilton Ontario, five or six times in a row when I first heard it. I tried to link to it yesterday, because Connor and I were going to see his show at the Railway Club, but it had disappeared from the internets. It’s back now, and you should all watch it/listen to it now before it disappears again. Wax and the Burning Hell killed it last night. There is still plenty of their Hear Some Evil tour left for you to check out. Here’s a web page devoted to the tour. Also, buy the Wax Mannequin CD, Saxon.