New Song Available Now: Just A Girl
Sit back everyone, because this one has an entire story behind its creation…
Several weeks ago I came up with the lyrics for this song while driving home from work. I ran in the back door, past the wife, past the son, past the awaiting dinner and straight to my computer to write them down. Then it was off to the rest of the guys.
I recorded one of my infamous “vocal demos” of the song and forwarded on to the guys within a few days. Gecko took a shine to the lyrics but rightly deemed the vocal demo crap. He came up with some unbelievable music…which I thought was completely wrong for the lyrics. As usual, we argued via email for days over it. In the end he relented and took his anger out by writing the great music for WAY BACK (MR PEABODY).
In the meantime, I wrote lyrics specifically for the music I rejected for JAG. (Hopefully you will hear that come to life in the near future.) Gecko seemed to approve, as did Gator…Chopper was his usual secluded self. I also took the time to record another demo for JAG and even though it was also crap, it provided Gecko with the inspiration needed to compose new music which fits the lyrics superbly.
That’s when I again caused friction and we again argued back and forth via email. In the end, as he usually does, Chopper ignored both of our asses and did whatever he felt like doing. Also, as he usually does, he came up with brilliance. Gecko and I have come to an uneasy accord and will push on to the next song.
So go and check out our latest offering: JUST A GIRL, available to you all for free listening and downloading for your portable electronic devices. Song available here:
http://reverbnation.com/lizardsfromafar
Your gumba,
Sir Pent
Lizards From Afar 
October 27, 2008 at 12:27 pm
So I ask the other Lizards (or anyone else); is this song Tom Petty-esque, Traveling Wilburys-esque, Mark Knopfler-esque, Cajun-esque or what?
October 27, 2008 at 12:56 pm
It reminds me most of “I Believe” by REM off of Lifes Rich Pageant. My vocal style started from almost that exact place (I even had that song in mind when I sang), although the lyric is so different that in the end I don’t think it comes out the same. The accordian gives it a zydeco feel.
I WISH it was Knopfler-esque – I just listened to “Telegraph Road” last night and as usual I was blown away.
All our stuff sounds like ’80s REM on some level. Resign yourself to it.
October 27, 2008 at 2:00 pm
True. It’s who we are and where we came from. And Chopper’s voice has such an 80s-90s indie rock feel to it.
The accordion does remind me of zydeco.
Maybe it appeals to our new listeners in Norway (take a look at the cluster map).
October 27, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I was told once that my drumming was akin to the guy in the Violent Femmes…the guy SAID it was meant as a compliment and that is how I took it.
I meant Zydeco when I said Cajun…I was just drawing a blank when typing out the post.
I submitted to some podcasts in that region of the world…cluster map is a day behind everything that happens on the site.
October 27, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Oh…and as a side note, someone found our site by using the search term “Gay Chopper”.
“Insert obvious Bob joke here”
October 27, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Yeah. Twice in two days. I have so much hate.
The accordion is awesome, although I’ll be surprised if that qualifies the song as actual cajun or zydeco music to a connoisseur of the stuff.
By the way, here’s what it really sounds like – REM + They Might Be Giants. Or perhaps Weird Al.
October 27, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Let’s leave out Weird Al. Anyway, it really sounds like us. No way around it. We have influences, sure, but I’ve never heard any other group that sounds like us. You hear an LFA song and you know it’s LFA (if you know LFA at all). You don’t wonder if maybe it’s REM or TMBG.
I was wondering: how many songs do we want to put on “Bloomington Democracy” before we call it finished and start on our sure to be massively popular follow up album? And we’ll need an inside cover, too!
Fuck, I have exams to grade. Many of them. So the real question is: do I record some music tonight, or just download music? Either way, I’m going to ignore that big pile of exams.
And by the way: No fucking noises, boingy or otherwise!
October 27, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I’m tellin’ ya…it’s later years Tom Petty.
I often hear REM in our music…but not in this track for some reason.
TMBG always has a very present, heavy bass and very synth drum sound. So to me this doesn’t even come close to their style.
October 27, 2008 at 7:16 pm
By the way, Pent-boy: Why are you trolling the fox news website?
Do I even really want to know?
NFN, BOO!
October 27, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I’ve just been checking out other blogs…wanted to see what other people are doing to set up their layouts and such.
October 27, 2008 at 7:56 pm
first hearing notes:
The writing is stretching out.. you’ve taken elements of old and new music and used them to make something completely your own.
I like love songs that don’t FEEL like love songs.
the vocal space at the end of some lines really works.. shows maturity.
how much did you argue about the single note ending (the “button”, as I’ve heard it called in old theatre music) ?
all in all, I feel like I’m listening to a band with a lot of experience.. for whom songwriting is no longer a bricklaying procedure, but a necessary function of life.. an artistic exhalation.
October 27, 2008 at 8:03 pm
re: influences.
why chase down comparisons? influences are unavoidable. remove them all and you don’t have rock music anymore, it’d have to be something else entirely.
anyway, it’s HOW the influences are applied and mixed that separates that matters.
And it seems to me that that process is best left mostly to your subconscious. just write.. don’t think “ok, let’s write an REM/Boy George kind of song.” (not that you do)
October 27, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Gordon…there was definitely arguing, but it was not about the button.
As far as it being a love song, I never really thought of it as one…but I guess it is. I always thought of it as a song about cynicism, confusion and dissatisfaction.
October 27, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Hi, Gordon.
Thanks for the notes. No arguing at all over the button, except me with myself for about two minutes. Nobody else complained. The only arguing was over Pent’s use of stupid percussion noises. And I let him win because he’s a baby.
And Metro: Stop lying to us and admit you are a fascist right now!
NFN, BOO!
October 27, 2008 at 8:14 pm
OK. I’m a fascist.
October 27, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I knew it!
Instead of grading, I just fixed some of the problems with the music for Block Party. Only thing is that now I want an acoustic guitar in there. I did the part on the electric, but I don’t think I’ll be happy with it until I can record it with the acoustic–which is a problem since the acoustic is in Ohio and I’m in NY. I’ll have to drag the computer to Ohio at some point.
October 28, 2008 at 5:14 am
Didn’t you say sometime last week that you weren’t going to record for a while because we were so far ahead with material?
I think you are a little OCD.
October 28, 2008 at 6:03 am
God damn it, Gordon totally ganked my REM meets Boy George idea!
This “album” is almost done. Actually we should do a few more, and then cut something from the record because there’s not enough “space”.
“Record”. Heh.
Also – “Inside cover”. Heh.
October 28, 2008 at 6:36 am
Once again, gay chopper with the dream squashing.
October 28, 2008 at 6:45 am
That’s funny, I mean what Chopper says. Nothing Pent says is funny. Not intentionally, at any rate.
Obviously Clipboard Unplugged gets “cut,” but otherwise we’re gold.
Your comment about Life’s Rich Pageant reminded me that I haven’t heard that album in years since I only had it on tape. So I downloaded it last eve and listened on the way to work this morn. Damn good stuff. Now I want more REM. I can indeed hear the similarity in your JAG vocal inflections to the vocals of several songs on LRP, too. But the end result, perhaps because of the difference in the lyric style, is uniquely LFA.
re: recording. I’m not recording anything else for a while, I just had to fix some problems with BP, and it still needs the acoustic. I’m going to post what I have done this eve, however, if the mood to work on it strikes anyone. There are plenty more songs to do, however I’m going to let Chopper do the music for the next new song. He called dibs on that My Collection lyric of yours, which I think is quite good.
October 28, 2008 at 7:13 am
I know this is probably out of our area of capability…but what about piano for Block Party? When I listen to it I imagine piano chords in the background. (More prevalent than the piano in Giddy With Dread…but not quite the dominant instrument.)
October 28, 2008 at 7:55 am
I’m starting a new post for Block Party.
October 28, 2008 at 8:09 am
OK, start a new post. Pent: You’re driving me insane.
I came up with a great piano melody for block party, in fact, but then by the time I was back at the computer, I’d forgotten it. I’ve been trying to remember what I wanted to do. Also, it wasn’t really for block party it was to develop the theme into a follow-up song that utilized some of the elements of block party–a sort of rock opera! I think, however, that if I add piano to the main part of block party the song will get too crowded. I’ve already added an acoustic guitar line, I just have to record it with an acoustic guitar. That’s what I want there.
October 29, 2008 at 10:17 am
I relent on the song “style”.
I’ve had two people feedback that they love JAG and that it reminds them of old REM.
I must be terrible at the compare/contrast game.