A-Lyric.com » Songwriter

Jesse Abraham Wins Lyricist Of The Year At The UMA

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:56:31 +0000

I must admit that I didn’t even know the Underground Music Awards had a lyric section, nor did I know hip-hop performer Jesse Abraham. But what the heck: any opportunity to salute a fellow lyricist is a good one!

In the past year and a half Abraham has released two mixtapes (Alphabutter and XS) and two albums (Bars & NoBull and One Day) while continuing to make a name for himself as a live hip-hop performer on the east coast of the US. His music has been featured in XXL Magazine and his videos currently have more than 20,000 total views on YouTube. His award at the Underground Music Awards might give him that extra push.

Lyricist of the year 2011
When asked about the Lyricist of the Year nod, Jesse replied, “lyrics have always been a priority for me, as I consider myself to be a writer before a musician. I’m very grateful for the recognition, as I truly would have been happy to hear that my work was simply on the committee’s radar at all. As an MC, there’s no greater compliment than someone telling me that they respect my writing. That’s my craft.”

Although his latest album, ‘One Day’, did not take home the UMA Album of the Year that it was nominated for, critics throughout the online world are heralding the project. Groverbox.com says, “Jesse Abraham delivers lyrical wizardry on this LP; Jesse really laces each track like he’s auditioning for the entire world,” while 7thBoro.com says, “Luckily, there are still MCs out there that are honest, are not afraid to be themselves and to have fun, yet still spit high-quality lyrics. Jesse Abraham is one of those MCs.”

For more info on Jesse and his music visit http://jesseabraham.com/

Classic lyrics to be auctioned for UK charity

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:04:06 +0000

Britain’s PRS has organised a wonderful charity drive. On December 15 they will put up for auction the lyrics of classic songs handwritten by the lyricist themselves! The proceeds go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Pieces have been donated by world famous artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, Jim Kerr, Sir Tim Rice, Julian Lennon and Annie Lennox. The pieces are in storage ahead of the auction which takes place at Bonhams Knightsbridge on December 15th). As well as raising money for Teenage Cancer Trust the project hopes to create a lasting legacy of the music and song lyrics of our generation.

Click through for the list and further details. Remember, though, that buying the lyric sheets does not give you copyright of the actual lyrics!

"Born Free" by Don Black

Sir Paul McCartney – Why don’t we do it in the road’
Brian May – We Will Rock You
Rod Temperton – Thriller
The Stranglers – Something Better Change
Sting – Message in a Bottle
Simple Minds – Jim Kerr – Alive & Kicking
Sir Tim Rice – Don’t Cry for Me Argentina
Barry Mason – Delilah
Duran Duran – Girls on Film
Doug Flett – Fallen Angel (from the Jersey Boys)
Status Quo – Down Down & Rain
Julian Lennon – Saltwater
Gary Barlow – Back for Good
Jethro Tull – Locomotive Breath
Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant – various
Don Black – Born Free / Diamonds are Forever
The Cure – Robert Smith – Plainsong
Chris Rea – Road to Hell
Annie Lennox – Sweet Dreams
Craig David – Walking Away
Graham Gouldman from 10cc’s – I’m Not In Love
Paul Weller – Andromeda
Mark Knopfler – Get Lucky
Stephen Warbeck – Shakespeare in Love
Eric Clapton – Back to Your Side
Jeff Christie – Yellow River
The auction takes place at Bonhams in London.

Kid Creole/August Darnell announces concert dates in Germany

admin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:50:40 +0000

August Darnell, better known as Kid Creole, has announced a number of appearances in Germany. He will be appearing as part of the Night of the Proms events with other performers. Darnell is a songwriter’s songwriter, capable of turning out floor-fillers and touching ballads. Stylistically, he has always been influenced by the swing period of the 40s. His shows in the eighties featured up to 20 musicians on stage, with Darnell appearing in fancy zoot suits accompanied by the Coconuts. The whole vibe was reminiscent of Cab Calloway, although Darnell proved deft at adapting his tunes to the sound of the moment. During that period, he raked up a string of worldwide hits such as “Annie (I’m not Your Daddy”), “Stool Pigeon”, “I’m a Wonderful Thing” and “No Fish Today” but later faded from the public eye.

He still tours and writes. For details, check Kid Creole, although you’ll find more music on YouTube and DailyMotion.

Click through for the German concert dates:

Biffy Clyro and Tori Amos lyrics up for charity auction

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:31:49 +0000

On 25th February Cancer Research UK’s Sound & Vision event will take place at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, celebrating rock, pop, the people who make it and the images it inspires. A range of memorabilia is up for grabs, including lyrics by Biffy Clyro, Tori Amos and a neat drum skin from Kaiser Chiefs with the lyrics of “I Predict a Riot”.

Find out more on the e-Bay page.

A brand new old trick: the Song Generator

admin — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:27:42 +0000

Shake for lyrics

I just came across a little gizmo called Song Generator that is available as an iPhone application. The idea is that songwriters that are stuck for lyrics can turn the application on. When they shake their phone, three random phrases pop up. This is supposed to spark your imagination. As an example, you can play around with “Yeah \ take a piece of \ your mouth.” If you like any of the three, you can “lock” them, shake the phone and try again. Sounds fun, but…

…it also sounds like a technique used by surrealists (and reportedly David Bowie) who used to cut up sentences, throw them on the table and work from that. At the end of the day, whatever gets those songwriting juices going is fine by me. If I was in a philosophical mood, I’d write a piece about it being a bit disappointing that people prefer to shake a phone on their own rather than sit down and write something memorable with another songwriter, or ring up a colleague and bounce ideas around. Luckily I’m in a good mood. Besides, the result couldn’t be much different from some Duran Duran lyrics I’ve read.

Having said that, I still use a pencil and paper to write lyrics, at least in the early stages. But if you’re interested, check the Song Generator. Let me know what you think if you try it.

Last minute: June 1 deadline for Ray Davies workshop in London

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:18:08 +0000

June 1 is the deadline to apply for what looks like a great workshop. The Kinks frontman and songwriter is tutoring a week-long, residential songwriting course at Arvon Lumb Bank, UK, November 23-28th. This is a practical course for songwriters committed to producing “quality popular music” (it says here). You will write at least one song a day, either on your own or in collaboration with your fellow students. You should be able to accompany yourself on an instrument. Please send a demo of 3 or 4 songs by June 1st (by CD or MP3), with a brief informal CV of your songwriting experience. Priority will be given to those who have not previously attended one of Ray’s courses. There are 16 places available. Course fee £575 (all accommodation, food and tuition). Grants available for those on low incomes. Deadline: June 1st. Full details here.