Mark

http://cowjumpedoverthemoon.webs.com/ AKA...What A Life! electronica/dubstep remix, if anyone's interested.

Burial is a true genius and stands for everything that's right about music.

There is a version of Strange News From Another Star by Blur that moves me to tears. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZnzK5eKXyU]Damon Albarn - God Bless John Peel - YouTube[/ame] And a song that lyrically gets me is Tommy C by Le Sac and Pip. Just the "one fucking thing" line, and I well up. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5LdYA0wef8]dan le sac vs scroobius pip - Tommy C - Angels - YouTube[/ame]

Good Luck by Basement Jaxx. If anyone can tell me the technique used at the beginning where the strings scale upwards, that'd be greatly appreciated. :) [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erkDjA5tHGk]Good Luck -- Basement Jaxx -- WITH LYRICS!! - YouTube[/ame]

Done an orchestral remix of one of my band's songs. [ame=http://soundcloud.com/circuitchase/euphoriasymphonicbomb]Euphoria (thecowjumpedoverthemoon's symphonicbomb mix) by circuitchase on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/ame] Just wondered what people thought of it.

Angel Echoes is also my favourite. Loving Nova.

I'm off to Hyde Park. So excited. Listened to nothing but Blur since I got my ticket. What's your blog called?

http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/c/coldplay/dont_panic_ver3_crd.htm Don't Panic for me. Only play the FMaj7 as x33210.

They are the epitome of rock and roll, and they wrote the greatest first two albums of any band ever - even better than Coldplay. Noel was the brains of it, but Liam was the face and he was just as important in getting them signed. As for Noel Gallagher being a dickhead... Firstly, he was so high on coke during the 90s, he didn't really know what he was saying. Secondly, I openly welcome anyone to say what they think about people in the industry - your opinion included; you haven't held back, you've called two complete strangers dickheads. It's refreshing not to hear arse-licking from someone in the charts; sure, everyone owes someone something, but be honest and say what you think for God's sake. And thirdly, who cares what Noel's like as a person? He's one of the greatest songwriters ever, if Chris Martin wants to work with him, he's got every right to.

The other day, my friend said "If you cut me open, I'd bleed yellow, and all those little butterflies would fly out of me." Thought it was nice, wanted to share :)

Does anyone know anything about this microphone stand? I love the way it curves round, looks pretty unique. Wondered if anyone sells them, it's custom-made, whether there's any particular reason that Chris enjoys using this one...

If the surface of an acoustic guitar is shiny, it makes the sound worse, apparently. But considering the ones I got were £20 each, they sound pretty shite in the first place. Also, never paint the neck, and the fretboard if it's a nice guitar. Basically, all I'd say is don't paint an instrument that means a lot to you.

Unfortunately, I have nothing Mylo Xylotoed up :( But I do paint instruments/other things, and the Coldplay instruments have inspired me to paint my own. Hope you enjoy, and it's vaguely relevant, right? This is a keyboard I painted and gave a lid to. Obviously not Coldplay songs written on, they're from my band, Circuit Chase. The lights are Christmas lights I found but they're not attached. It was painted with acrylics. Again, not Mylo Xyloto, but a Viva La Vida guitar I did for my sister. Again, acrylic paint and pasted pictures. Not Coldplay related in the slightest, but this is the stand I use to put my synth on... Inspired by the fact the Coldplay synths look like they're on podiums, and designed with Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy live setting in mind. Again not Coldplay, but an Oasis guitar I did for a friend... Same method as above. And finally a guitar with the cover from Muse's Butterflies and Hurricanes single. Ordered a poster online and stuck it on.

"Listening to Coldplay for the lyrics is like reading a book for the page numbers". -- Critic.

Sorry to post again! I've done a remix of the Gorillaz song Dirty Harry. Enjoy. [ame=http://soundcloud.com/thecowjumpedoverthemoon/dirty-harry]Gorillaz - Dirty Harry (thecowjumpedoverthemoon remix) by thecowjumpedoverthemoon on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/ame]

Recently, I've taken up remixing. A while ago the internet was full of free a capella stems, but these days - probably thanks to SOPA/PIPA - there are none to be found. Does anyone know how/where to acquire them, or if I ask very nicely, could someone find me a couple?

Something about Car Kids.

At the end of the day, music is about two things; expression and connection. The greatest artists all know how to put their thoughts into words and music that will speak to people. A great example of this is my hero, Damon Albarn, in Blur's No Distance Left to Run. It's heartbreaking; Damon has split up from his love, and you can really see just how painful it is for him. That's what connects to people. Obviously, it's hard to write about yourself if you're a private person. Sometimes, it can be a good outlet though, and you can get things off your chest by saying everything in a song. You just need be true to your song though, have faith in yourself and screw everybody else. Perhaps just start off by writing about a character, and put your emotions into them. I wrote a breakup song, and when my dad asked about it, I said it wasn't based on myself, to avoid the awkwardness. But don't compromise your art, and who you are. As I said, expression and connection are key. And don't be ashamed to show how you feel. Everyone who hears your music would've felt exactly the same way at least once in their life.

Here's a comprehensive guide to songwriting, from someone who's been writing songs for ages; I remember doing parodies to hits I saw on TV when I was 8, and I'm now the songwriter of an alternative rock band. On top of that, I study Creative Writing at university. Of course, I'm not the greatest songwriter that's ever lived - but the examples I'll be using below are from some of the best. So enjoy, and hope it helps! Lyrics First thing's first, go out and buy yourself a notebook. Pocket-sized, if you can. Carry it around, with a pen. And when someone says something interesting, exciting, or thought-provoking, write it down. Write down how you feel. Thom Yorke is a famous example of someone who does this, and if you listen to Radiohead songs, you'll be able to hear the individual phrases that have probably gone in his book: "We are all accidents waiting to happen", "Don't get any big ideas, they're not gonna happen", "Once again, we are hungry for a lynching", etc etc. Focus on concrete images. If you want your song to relate to someone, speak to them in a language they can understand. Fig 1. "And the pain was enough to make a shy bald buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder." -- Morrissey. Why does this lyric work? Why is it good? Well, it sticks in your memory. You picture the image. And it says exactly how Mozza feels, without being so blunt as to say "You really hurt me" (hello Chris/Rihanna). Use interesting words. No one wants to hear choppy, shoddy sixth form poetry that describes the sun and the world and our hearts and our souls, blah blah blah. Fig 2. "I took the batteries out my mysticism, and put them in my thinking cap." -- Alex Turner. Of course, you don't have to be the Arctic Monkeys to be good, Al's just someone who plays with language, and uses interesting words. Don't just shove interesting words in for the sake of it, but occasionally, a word like "mysticism" can brighten up your lyrics. If you're going to try and say something profound, say it poetically. Fig 3. "If you can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with." -- Billy Preston. This is the hardest of the above to master. It just comes with practice, occasionally luck. But the lyrics that people often quote on Facebook or tattoos just float like smoke. They're not Brentisms. AVOID CLICHÉ. This is the most important tip I have for any lyricist. Never say something that's been said before a thousand times before. Sometimes the simplest lyrics are the most powerful - I know people that live their lives by Live Forever - but just don't write a song that's been written by someone else, because chances are, yours ain't as good... And the music... I'd suggest getting a notebook for your chords as well. If you want to write a song by yourself, riffs and beats are optional, but the basis of songwriting is chords. Get yourself a book to write them in. I personally write influences down, so I have an idea how the song goes, as I can't read music/understand musical terms. Learn songs by the artists that you love, and learn how the parts you love work. For example, Paradise: work out how to play the melody with the chords, how the melody gets higher in the chorus, etc. Important one this: never be afraid to copy someone else. Don't go out and say "I'm going to write a Hey Jude", but if some of your chords match with someone else's, hey, it's not the end of the world. Everything's been done, just reinterpret. Riffs. I've heard of people recording them; Keith Richards doing Satisfaction in the middle of the night to remember it the next morning is one example. But the fact of the matter is, they're your hook. If you can't remember it that well, it's not worth it. In my band we have a saying; if you have to write a riff down to remember it, it's not worth playing. Because after all, a listener isn't going to write it down, are they? Only put a solo in if the solo is genuinely good. Don't do it for the sake of it. Those are my tips for anyone starting out as a songwriter, sorry it's a bit long-winded. My last tip is to pick a nice title - a title can come from anywhere. I Am The Resurrection was spotted in a graffiti tag by Ian Brown. Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair was an injoke with the Arctic Monkeys and producer James Ford. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was the description Julian Lennon gave his dad John about a painting he'd just done. Hope these help. Practice this and you can be the best. And remember, be prepared to break any of these rules as soon as you will stick to them!

Damon's expressed interest in trying to crack America again. More news: Damon and Graham playing the War Child gig this year.

'Ars dick' is the best I can come up with.

[ame=http://soundcloud.com/circuitchase/nebrave-cowjumpedoverthemoonremix]Nebulous Rave (thecowjumpedoverthemoon remix) by circuitchase on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/ame] Feedback would be massively appreciated. It's a remix of a song from my band's album, at http://circuitchase.bandcamp.com/ And if you'd like to remix a song, please ask for the stems. We're doing a remix album, for free I'm afraid, but still. A good opportunity to put your name on something.

Don't know if people have heard, but William Orbit claimed on Twitter recently to have been working with Damon. That could mean any project, but he went on to tell Coxon well done for nailing a guitar take. Have to say I'm more than a little surprised if Orbit is working with them. Despite 13 being my favourite album, I would've expected them to go back to the classic sound revisited for a big return.

Black Holes and Revelations.

If you had a sleeping pill addiction, why would you tell everyone in your music? :inquisitive: