Humanity's Manatees

I make music because I love to. Really, it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. For my less family-friendly music, cautiously click: XManatee

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My new mixtape compilation jamboree has officially been dropped! With that said, I’m retiring my tumblr in lieu of my Facebook, my Soundcloud, and the home of my new release and every release to come, my Bandcamp,

Au revoir, tumblr! xoxo (beatboxing noises/hugs and kisses), ciao

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

The Penultimate Post

On May 27th, I am doing two things. Firstly, I am releasing my rockin’ sockin’ mixtape D’MoGro for free on Bandcamp.com. Secondly, I am retiring my tumblrs! 

If you wish to keep following my further musical endeavors, these sites are the bests:

Facebook

Soundcloud

Bandcamp

Hasta luego, à bientôt, ciao!

--Humanity’s Manatees

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New Mixtape “D’MoGro” Coming Out May 27th!

The spiritual successor to my 2012 release Experimental Demos is coming out June 1st! That’s about 4 years of interim improvement between these demos to look forward to.

D’MoGro will feature more songs, a broader variety of genres, the past ~4 years’ worth of musical improvement, and more surprises than you can shake a stick at. 

Experimental Demos, featuring 10 instrumental tracks and 2 tracks with vocals, is contrasted by D’MoGro, with only 1 instrumental-only track and 20+ tracks with vocals. 

Get excited! Updates and more will be posted to the Facebook event: bit.ly/DMoGro. Hope to see you there 8-)

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

"A Drunken Post-Party Semi-Symphony"...the name really speaks for itself. I mean, wow, tonight was pretty good for multiple reasons. You know, it's always good to have not just one reason for a night to be good. My homework for the night got done, I went out with mah a cappella buddies and fundraised by getting paid to sing lovey songs, saw some alumni I wasn't expecting at all, and then it all just dissolved into a fun party of awesomeness after which I made this thing because screw it, why not? It's dissonant, it's different, it's interesting, and I made it. Enjoy that stuff. Soak it in and just feeeeel those motifs, yo.

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A remake of my melancholy little bit from a few years ago. A song about freedom...with a star in the middle? Hmm, I wonder what that could mean... Ah, well. It was written a long time ago. I need to wake up in like an hour or two, but I can't sleep, so I put this together. Enjoy!

Lyrics:

What's it like to be free? You'd never know just Living day-to-day Like I've been

I'm singing this song To say the dream has gone wrong Why can't we drop this as one, Just stop and move on?

Why can't we just be free?

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A cover of a song that caught me off guard today. It was very fun and poppy and short, and on a whim I decided to cover it. I just got over a weeklong cold and I'm suspecting I might have just gotten a stomach bug? So my voice isn't stellar but it's something I'm still mighty proud of.

First week of my last semester down, and poof I have a weekend free to music, and musicked I have. Enjoy this sweet cover of a fun song, which of course sounds way better professionally recorded. Not to say we can't enjoy the amateur stuff as well.

Lyrics:

There was a time (a time) I lost my mind in the radio And a place (and a face) I just can't let it go

And they talk As if there's ever been a choice As I bleed (bleed) My life out through this voice

And no matter where my body finally falls I'll keep on swinging (swing) With my back against the wall

They won't take me alive They can try I'll die Before they can take me alive They won't take me alive

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

Winter Vacation Recapitulation

Everything in this post is now included in one handy playlist! (For your convenience)

I produced some music this winter. Quite a lot, I’m proud to say, by my standards! After years of planning it, daydreaming it, and wallowing in my inabilities to produce music, this winter has been a new plateau of creation for me. It’s easy sailing by day to day to forget how far I’ve come. If you interviewed me from even just last year and showed current me to old me, he would be very excited. Without further ado, here’s this winter’s recap(itulation):

It all started off when I impromptu decided to cover a song from my favorite game soundtrack, putting other songs on hold for the time being.

The first of two songs I started this summer, which was written in 9th grade for me, served as another task pushing my voice to new plateaus.

I also did a cover song from one of my favorite bands. I picked a simple song to get my chops warmed up and stretched. Later covers pending...

I performed this Christmas parody song live to a captive audience and got rave reviews. I then recorded this “studio” version to last through the ages.

This dark, soulful song about leaves gives me chills. It was a pleasant surprise how well it worked for me. It goes to show that less can be more.

The second of two songs I started and didn’t finish this summer I also finished! This one, contrasting the last bullet point, goes to show that more can be more, and it is a raucous, exciting mess of a song. I also really like this one, and I’ve been told it gets stuck in heads quite easily.

The single song I posted to my XManatee page (see: explicit) was quick and dirty, but mostly quick and fun to make. It’s a project I started years ago and was certainly happy to finish. It turned out well! 

Clean version here.

I made this cheesy parody song as a tribute to my workplace, and the coworkers I’ve shown it to so far told me they enjoyed it a lot. Even my bosses support it! You just don’t find cool jobs like these every day.

And last but certainly not least, this angsty, angry rap critical of corporate corruption hit the figurative shelves late last week.

Not only that! I’m working on several project now, most of which have seen great progress (links provided for each finished song!):

An extremely dirty rap battle between a flame and I,

Another cover of a song from my favorite band, but this time, with a twist...

A mushy love song written by college freshman me, and

Another quick, dirty, silly song, similar in many ways to my other quick, dirty composition.

Also, I just took a look into some lyrics for an uplifting, motivational-y song, but that one hardly counts. Still, hardly, but it counts...?

Not including the unfinished songs, that’s already 4 more than my previous Summer Recapitulation. Seems like a good trend to me! Not to mention my vocal technique has been continually improving, and I’m pushing myself to include more raw playing and less fastidious editing for further authenticity.

Anyways, this semester coming up is going to be packed as packed can be, so I doubt I’ll see much music getting made for the next several months. Still though, I see much promise for the future. Just keep swimming, my manatees :) <3

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A quick and silly (and now no longer inappropriate (It’s PC...get it?)) song of rage against those two banes of PC existence: filter keys and sticky keys. One of my earliest guitar licks I started playing in like 2010 or something. Guaranteed to make you shift in your seat. Pffff

Lyrics:

Filter keys Why’s it so difficult to make you leave? It’s so hard to make you adapt By default you think I’m handicapped like that

Why do you never seem to stay off? I think I’ve finally had enough.

I can guarantee that nobody loves you!

[Scat solo]

Sticky keys Why do you have to keep on bothering me? You freeze me beepin’ till I’m ‘bout to snap I’m fuming mad with this hunch in my back

Why do you never seem to stay off? I think I’ve finally had enough.

I can guarantee that Nobody in the whole, wide world Not even those who actually use you Love you!

I hate you so

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A angstily angrily powerfully rap with a chiptuney background. By all means, I've got plenty more anarchy in store on the drawing board. This winter has been a mighty productive one, but it's far from made a dent in my lyric sheets. But you don't care about that. Enjoy my tasty jams \m/

Lyrics:

Wasting time just to spend money Have a laugh at the crack like it’s really that funny There’s a sly guise citing white lies at my dry eyes Blithely unsurprised

Monotonic repetition so sedating our sedition All the same old iterations, overwritten mass volition Expectations met, lowered covert, then they’re met again Losing sight of right in a vicious cycle without end

Defocus your eyes on the buzzwords and bright lights And tune out the autotuned, monotone trite lines Spend pennies for pablum with Pavlov and his dogs And call yourselves proud to be free (Oh me...)

Spending money just to waste time Numb my mind, feed my eyes With these material materials They want you to want it You want it, they got it, They sell it knowing well it's just a fleeting treat for boredom And soon you'll come back with some more sum

Dishonest presentations Cheap plastic imitations Oft-forgotten past promised (Talk is cheap so we sell lots of it)

Food-flavored slow poison, Fake-colored chem creation, Pill-shaped ruination Clogging your bodies at the core, And you'll still come back for more. Yeah, where's their loyalty at, anyways, huh?

Defocus your eyes on the buzzwords and bright lights And tune out the autotuned, monotone trite lies Spend pennies for pablum with Pavlov and his dogs And call yourselves proud to be free You call yourself proud to be free? Oh, please! …and thank you.

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A parody of "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains reappropriated basically to be a job description for my current job at my university's library. I'm graduating this spring! Which means I'm leaving this job soon :( C'est la vie! Life goes on.

Lyrics cowritten with my coworker Brennon last spring during a particularly inspired shift. This coming spring, I aim to gather the efforts of my fellow Learning Commons Assistants to make a music video for this song so we may use it for future training weeks in semesters to come.

Don’t miss the humorous 300 BPM spoof version of this song!

Lyrics:

Lalala lalala LCA Lalala lalala LCA

I'm the man at the desk Buried in my work Won’t you come and ask me Questions?

Clean with wipes (keep the printers shut) Resupply (the printers with paper) He who tries (to steal our paper must be wasted) Clean with wipes (and open libstats up)

Lalala lalala SCA Lalala lalala SCA

I'm the one who pushes in seats Maintains 128, 225, and 226 Why won't you come and ask me Questions?

Clean with wipes (keep the printers shut) Resupply (the printers with paper) He who tries (to steal our paper must be wasted) Clean with wipes (and open libstats up)

Clean with wipes (keep the printers shut) Resupply (the printers with paper) He who tries (to steal our paper must be wasted) Clean with wipes (and keep the printers shut)

Lalala lalala LCA Lalala lalala SCA

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A unique blend of mostly pop rock smashed up into one delicious rock tune. Composed fall 2013 and produced starting summer 2015, and that's all I have to say about that.

Lyrics:

Love's one hell of a drug (Love's one hell of a drug) It really shoots you up high And gets you laughing at nothing

Bumbling, skipping, tripping, Starry-eyed, Smiling wide, alive inside, In a whole new realm of state of mind

See the world from two new eyes See the dark for what's behind I might seem blind but my third eye Shows me a kingdom in the skies

I'm walking on a hairline I think I've seen a ghost It's all black and white and black and white Flip the switch but dim the lights It's hard to find some peace of mind (And I'm trying!) But they're rolling their eyes off, raising their fists up Turning their voice up, putting up a front Taking all their pills and ills and mixing them up into mush

(Love's one hell of a drug) Hate's one hell of a bug It constantly gets us stuck Deep down in the muck

It's always such rotten luck It's always such rotten luck No one ever wants to beat themselves up

But try me! I'll try, please Let me try these Antibodies

I don't want to take the words Of all the things I've ever heard I've never seen the world I'm in A thin curtain dims the horizon

Cold shoulder's getting older Burning up and breaking down Pressure's floating out of bounds Specks of light are skipping towns! I hope I see you around

I'm walking on a hairline I think I've seen a ghost It's all black and white and black and white Flip the switch but dim the lights It's hard to find some peace of mind (And I'm trying!) But they're rolling their eyes off, raising their fists up Turning their voice up, putting up a front Taking all their pills and ills and mixing them up into mush

Love is a strange things to intake It's not the easiest way Its way of life lets us survive and climb Are we alive from gears in minds Or from fighting lines? Its pressure is grinding The ways that we’re finding Ways of reminding Us of who we are The high road leads to the stars It's the longest (hardest) journey by far We are therefore we've started

Hate is just a disease And it gets so effortlessly spread by means of many media You’re eating up (they’re feeding ya) Poison through the mains and rains It thrives to drive us all insane Throwing wrenches in our brains So we're compelled to get 'em fixed again

But it's not a part of who we are It's just an out-of-control game Turned into more than we meant Just a rampant experiment So let's try it again! 1, 2, 3, 4!

Love's one hell of a drug (Love's one hell of a drug (Love's one hell of a drug (Love's one hell of a drug))) It really shoots you up high Above the influence It makes a difference It's for the best of us

I'm walking on a hairline I think I've seen a ghost It's all black and white and black and white Flip the switch but dim the lights It's hard to find some peace of mind (And I'm trying!) But they're rolling their eyes off, raising their fists up Turning their voice up, putting up a front Taking all their pills and ills and mixing them up into mush

No one ever wants to hate

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

Here's a melancholy song about leaves.

My last post was a few days late, and this post is an entire season late! Hopefully my posting two songs in one day makes up for that. This song was written many years ago, perhaps around the same time as "Brilliant" was written.

Lyrics:

Tugging me, this lofty breeze, This earthly curse is killing me My place in life goes round and round

Cheap energy, a soul to sell This carousel is a cosmic shell And every time, we all fall down

And in the spring It won't be me And in this light I'll find my peace

Massacre without a war, We fall to a petrichor Graveyard above the ground.

Threaded by our brittle veins, Breezes bring some life again, Like our ghosts can still dance around.

And in the spring It won't be me And with this sound This melody I’ll break apart From the symphony And fade away And soon decay And in that way I'll find my peace

Or maybe, it’ll just find me A leech with a lease, used up Like a drip from my tip, we lost touch Expended like a cell, detached from the trunk No life to live for myself, I’m all done A tool for a seed, look alive and shine out green And then that’s it, I’m quit, and I know not what it means

And in the spring It won't be me And with this crunch I'll find my peace And in the spring It won't be me And in the spring It won't be me

And in the spring It won't be me

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

I would've posted this a few days ago, but I got a cough and decided to flip some tables. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Lyrics (with spoken-word prologue):

Once upon a time in a faraway land It was the distant future: the year 2000 There was an eight-year-old boy named Justin; he wasn't tall He got up one cold December night and went into the hall

He had a spark of inspiration burning on his mind Bright like Rudolph's red nose or a Christmas tree light And he asked his Mom to help him write A little ditty of a song called “O Christmas Tree, Why?”

It was past his bedtime, and still she said “Get your sorry ass back to bed!” That part didn't really happen, she penciled his rhymes Though the exact words are lost to the sands of time

Thankfully, I still recall the most important first two lines That began with the words “O Christmas tree... why?” Rewritten at sixteen and once again at twenty-three (that's now!) I hope you enjoy, to you from me

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why did you fall on top of me? O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why did you fall on top of me? You once were so nice and green Then things went black and prickly O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why did you fall on top of me?

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree How could you fall so rapidly? O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree It’s like you sped up gravity You once stood so tall and proud Then came the crash that was so loud O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why did you fall so rapidly?

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why would you cause such emergency? O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why’d you fall with such urgency? The firemen were stuck in snow The EMTs came rather slow But Christmas tree, o Christmas tree How did you fall so urgently?

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why’d you defy the first responder teams O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree No one knew what to make of me The firemen were rather stumped When the jaws of life were not enough O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why wouldn’t you get off of me

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree You made last year so interesting O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree It won’t compare to anything Your flashing lights were so pretty Just like the lights that rushed us down the street O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Last Christmas, I got PTSD

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree You stuck with me through thick and thin O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree I've splinters still stuck on everything Because you fell and broke my head This year, we’ll inflate you instead O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree Why did you fall on top of me? Why? Why...

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A cover of a punky-poppy rock song by an excellent band. I took on this project much for the same reason a writer may copy word-for-word a novel they admire as a way to sharpen their chops. In addition, I wanted to focus on simplicity, using only my guitar, my bass, and myself to create this song. It's too easy to get caught up in production value, and I just wanted to produce something nice, limited means notwithstanding. I hope you enjoy.

Lyrics:

Living in a man machine Sucking on an artificial everything Flying on a metham-freakin'-phetamine Waiting for a six-foot drop

Ritalin addiction Fighting for attention Born into this quick-fix prison of existence We're serving 35 years to life And I just can't take it

Everybody's getting wasted I guess we're living a dream Everybody's getting wasted Without taking a drink Everybody's getting Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh

If you want it, raise your hand Corporate churches worshipping a payment plan Take us by Your graces to the Promised Land And give us more than what we've got

Kiss it like a victim Develop a symptom Fight it like they tricked ya into intervention I don't need a single thing I take But I'm learning to fake it

Everybody's getting wasted I guess we're living a dream Everybody's getting wasted Without taking a drink Everybody's getting Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh

Everybody's getting wasted I guess we're living a dream Everybody's getting wasted Without taking a drink Everybody's getting Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh Oh ohhh ohhh ohhhhh

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

A goofy doo wop, a cappella song originally written, composed, and demo produced in 9th grade, revamped for the new age.

Originally written for a 7-part barbershop-type thing, my dreams far exceeded my abilities, so the original recording from 200X was made with MIDI drums, guitar, bass, and only one vocal track. Reinspired by my budding vocal abilities, I set out this summer to create a version more along the lines of its original envisionment, and hoooo boy! has it been a journey. I tried to make 7-part harmonies work with the lines I lay down years ago, and as a result I've had to scrap and restart the project several times due to unworkable harmonies, not to mention still unrefined vocal technique. But behold, after all this time, finally I can bear a bearable product of this almost unbearable project! I hope you enjoy its cacophonous ways.

Dedicated to Johnny S-Man of Drive Baker Drive fame and acclaim.

Lyrics: 

That guy is so annoying (That guy) He always brings me down (He al-) One day his wealth and riches (ways brings) Will drive me out of town (Me down)

That guy’s driving in his future car All the way down to his oxygen bar He’s in a movie and he’s the star In his game of golf he’s twelve above par I’ve really gotta do something today If I don’t I will go cra-a-azay But wait a minute, I’m not that way! Oh never mind, I’ve really gotta do it today

Because I have always thought of him as Hades Ever since the 1980s ‘Cause he’s got two naked ladies in his brand new Mercedes And he’s d-d-d-driving it now!

That guy’s flying in his private jet With his millionaire modelling pet All this stuff makes me more jealous yet Which is why I’m singing in this one-man septet Since I am nearing the end of my tale I need to do something and without fail Maybe I could feed him some bread that is stale Or drop on his head a big fat whale

Because I have always thought of him as Hades Ever since the 1980s ‘Cause he’s got two naked ladies in his brand new Mercedes And he’s d-d-d-driving it now!

(Scat solo)

As it turned out, that guy and I became friends All the way until the very end The end being the day I broke my amends And locked him with some cobras from which he couldn’t fend A couple weeks later, to my surprise I must’ve looked good in that guy’s eyes For at the reading of his will, I won the prize Of all his money leaving none for his wives

Because I always used to think of him as Hades Ever since the 1980s ‘Cause he had two naked ladies in his brand new Mercedes Which I’m d-d-d-d-driving now!

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

An a cappella cover of a song from one of the greatest videogames with one of the greatest soundtracks ever.

Searching the interwebs, I was able to find quite a number of impressive covers of "Dan Don Fuga," meager as that number may be. I found a classical guitar cover, a piano cover, a chiptune cover, and even an artfully done recorder cover. To my dismay, I was unable to find an a cappella cover. Immediately, I put all my other music projects on hold so I could effectively remedy this injustice.

Combined with another a cappella project I'm nearly done working on, I have learned so much about my voice, its weaknesses, and how to utilize it better. This song especially has tested my vocal range at an impressive 3 full octaves and one fourth; there's not much lower or higher I can go at all! Lately, I've been working on using my mix voice which you can hear come in at one point near the end. My voice has improved a lot over the years and even noticeably over the months, and for that I am very happy.

One day, I'll finish this song up with an instrumental second half, and perhaps even some improved vocal technique. Until then... just keep rolling 8-) <3

Composed by Yu Miyake.

[humanitysmanatees-blog]

Summer Vacation Recapitulation

Everything in this post is now included in one handy playlist! For your convenience: link to a playlist.

Summer vacation is coming to a close, and I have to say... I’m pretty proud of the amount I’ve accomplished in that time. 

I finally finished the first-ever rap I wrote back as a college sophomore 

[explicit version here] 

(after having to start the project twice)

I finished a quick parody of a centuries old sea shanty...

...and a more intensive parody of a decades old rock classic

I finished the first of several-to-come hearthurty poems from over the past couple of years

I finished a self-imposed dare to make a[n explicit] song involving sweet, tonal windshield wipers from just a couple of months prior

And on top of that, I’ve made decent headway on a remake of a song I wrote and produced as a freshman in high school...(now complete!)

...as well as an exciting pop ballad about love and hate. (also now complete!! :D)

That’s 5 and 2 half songs!! Considering all the working and moving and living and grooving I’ve also been doing this summer, I’m pretty darn excited by my productivity here. If this semester treats me well, I may also have time to work on more songs DURING the school year!? Stay tuned for that...