Young Sumerians is my response to Bowie's "Young Americans" - and I'll be awaiting his rebuttal.

This is another two chord song built on a tiny little loop from another song. More fake bass, too. It's just easier than dealing with the latency and that horrible bass guitar that buzzes like mad. There are plenty of backwards guitar solos (makes those missed notes sound much better), poorly mixed, so they're a bit loud. I may or may not be fixing that.

This month's song may be where your tolerance for me and my tolerance for me part company.

In Spite of the Fire is a wobbly edifice of melody, one that I initially felt had good "flow" even if it was a bit rushed. Now I'm thinking it's just a mess. There's an intro, an outro, two bridges, two verses and two choruses in just over three minutes. Vocal tracks are distorted, the lyrics make very little sense and the bass is computerized - there's a lot wrong with it.

However, it gets the nod from the committee, so up it goes.

Here's the shaky tale of Orion and the Lion, our haphazard song for February.

I'm continually bedeviled by latency issues, and I fear this has caused some to call the Oxford Boys' sense of "groove" into question. Though corrective action has been taken, there clearly have been breakdowns in the pocket caused by this. Hopefully more memory will solve the problem, as driver updates have thus far failed to do. Latency is a serious issue and I'm not ashamed to talk about it.

It may or may not be related to the wobbliness in this month's song, I can't say for sure. It's still good.

So far in Oxford Boy history, you've met 'the Man,' 'the Fat Man's Ghost,' and 'the Ombudsman,' (not to mention 'Kid Concern') now I'd like to introduce you to the Hippy.

This was written with my friend Jason, AKA K-Bart, so don't forget to thank him.

Here's the Story for December:

...guy walks into a bar...

That's all I got.

Hey, November, what's up? Somehow last month's song failed to bring the flood of riches and adulation I had so clearly insisted upon, so I'm forced to toil away in the internet's dungeon for another cycle. No matter, it gives me a chance to offer an honorific to a wonderful person I've had the pleasure of knowing, which will make the inevitable success of Lucky Sons & Daughters all the sweeter.

I've long been mixing these songs on headphones, which is a major no-no in the professional musician circles I wish I coud travel in, but it's unavoidable. If the balances are off, feel free to let me know. If not, feel free to sing the chorus into your cubicle partner's ear while spilling Fanta all over his/her keyboard. In other words, enjoy it and I'll see you in December.

Just posted a new song,Serendipity Is the Fifth Beatle, and I'm assuming this will be the one to push us over the top.

Many thanks to the mighty Tako Chang for the generous use of his effects pedals, they were a welcome addition to the impoverished variety of tones I usually have to work with.

The song is a bit messy, but I like the chorus and therefore repeat it thrice. That little riff in the chorus is a little sudden, but it too will remain unless popular demand forces its' removal.

Although I posted the Trolley last month, I posted it as a bonus track and in case you've forgotten, I reserve the right to use any bonus song as the primary song for the following month - but not beyond that. I'm exercising that right, right now.

The bass and drum track on this is from that oft-sampled breakdown in "Good Times" by Chic. It's sped up, cut up and rearranged and I wish I could say I was playing that bass, 'cause it's tite.

Nile Rodgers, if you're reading this, contact me with any threats or offers of partnership. Thanks.

Enjoy your Getaway Day, and you're welcome.

It's mixed kinda loud, so forgive the distorted vocals and such. No keyboards were used, nor any acoustic guitars, so I guess this qualifies as rock of some sort.

Happy summer, everyone. This month's song is atypical Oxford Boy fare in a number of ways. It's long (4:15), it's extremely slow (49 bpm or so), it doesn't have a chorus to speak of, it fades out, and - for all that - it has the least number of chords in any song yet recorded (3). It's entitled the Fat Man's Ghost, and it's about David Crosby.

Though David may now be chiefly thought of as that creepy, walrus-faced former cocaine vacuum who impregnates lesbians, his career began when he helped form the Byrds back in the mid-sixties. He wrote some fantastic songs during his time with them, regardless of whether or not he was a petulant egomaniac.

According to the liner notes in one of those old Byrds records, Crosby was at one time known as "the cute one", and apparantly liked to shake his ass at girls while on stage. Gag. Well, whatever, he was a great songwriter, and congrats to him for being sober and still performing new music, though I'm not too smitten with his latest venture.

This one's for you, Dave.