Web Site Is Back Up

After more than six months, the website http://www.jeffoestreichmusic is back up. I have been flagged (undeservedly from all I could tell) by Google as passing phishing sites. I finally completely deleted everything and rebuilt it (albeit a bit basically). But still, I'm up again!

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving all (those that still remain on this feed!). I thought I'd repost this song I wrote from 2004 called "Thanksgiving Day". (I mean, really, how many songs do YOU know that use Thanksgiving as a theme?) ;-)

While the lyrics were written in 2004, they seem to be very prophetic for 2009 for me as I look forward to one of the best Thanksgivings ever with Erica. We'll be making breakfast and drinking champagne in the morning, I'll be baking pecan pies using pecans from my pecan tree in the backyard (mom's recipe!), and we'll attend two house parties with dear friends throughout the rest of the day...

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving surrounded by loved ones.

Jeff

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Across The Universe

I haven't updated this blog for a long time! I decided to repost one of the first songs that I ever recorded (2003!). This is a cover of the Beatles' Across The Universe. I tried to do this in the style of the Smashing Pumpkins. Given that I really just started to mess around with learning the guitar, it's amazing that I could actually put this together. Of all the songs I have done, this is my good friend Susan's favorite of mine. I like the song because of the chord progressions and the vague but extremely positive philosophical message that all will be well if you can just learn to surrender a bit of control sometimes....

My favorite verse:

Sounds of laughter shades of life
are ringing through my open ears
exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which
shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe

Sadly, my website is still not fixed so the best bet is to go to my feed page where you can either listen to the song immediately or download it:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/JeffOestreichMusic

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Bail Me Out

This is my first song in about two years! This was my first "test" project using some new production software (Logic) which took me awhile to get up to speed on (still not completely). But this project involved a lot of Logic functionality including automation and a lot of busses, sends and inserts. Plus some drum programming. So it was a good project with which to practice and cement my Logic knowledge. Did I just bore you?

As you can probably tell from the title, this song is a satirical funny pop/rock take on the current financial crisis. Style is Weezer / Fountains of Wayne.


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It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas (Without You)

I wrote this Christmas last December but decided to record it again with the benefit of a year of singing and some new equipment. My dream is to have Norah Jones sing this song!! Features voice, piano, bass and drums. (December 2003, originally written December 2002)

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Superstar

This song is about that part of all of us that want to be a superstar. The influence started off being the Red Hot Chili Peppers but somehow ended sounding a bit different. It's an 'adult alternative' song with hints of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Counting Crows, and perhaps some Old '97s. Instruments include acoustic and electric guitars, bass and drums. (January 2004)

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Dreams By The Lake

This song was written as a tribute to a jazz cornetist from very early last century - Bix Beiderbecke. It is a kind of a combination of pop and jazz (well, mostly pop). I used the Motif for all instruments (piano, clarinet, cello, strings/horns patch, drums) but the electric bass and the vocals. The song was inspired by a book that I read when I was young that was written by a guy who was looking back to a summer he spent when he was 13 years old in 1926 when Bix was vibrant and jazz was new. If the song intrigues you, more about Bix can be found here at the following two places - Biography with Sound Samples and NPR Audio Biography. (July 2004)

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Podcast Star

This song was recorded for our podcast This And That (w/ Jeff and Gretchen). Adam Curry, playing this song on his very popular podcast, The Daily Sourcecode said "Wow, does that rock!!" Pretty cool from an ex VH1 jock. This song was also featured on an episode of another very popular podcast The Dawn And Drew Show. Podcast Star is a tongue-and-cheek look at wanting to achieve stardom through this new production medium. I tracked all the instruments and put the song together in about a week. Instruments include electric guitars, electric bass and drums. The drums were played 'live' on my Yamaha Motif keyboard. Hope you like it! (April 2005)

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First Post

I started this music blog as a more "modern" way for folks to subscribe and get my latest songs when they are produced. It's been awhile since I've written or produced anything and I don't promise updates too often. But if you subscribe through any of the three methods shown on the right sidebar, you'll get notified when you want.

I'll start this up by posting a small number of my old songs.

Cheeers!