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Learn songwriting with two idiots trying to figure it all out
No – your eyes do not deceive you! The Songwriting Idiots are back for a one-time special episode to probe, poke and panpipe our way through our band ERNST’s debut album single, “Don’t Buy It”.
Here's the weird thing. We've been doing this show for over two years now. We've tackled almost 20 genres and yet ... somehow we still haven't talked about the biggest genre in the world right now: Hip Hop. Well, boys and girls: Today it is time to change that!
The sound system's booming through the streets, deep bass caressing your chest and sweet sweet autotune taking you to a place of pure bliss – a place where nothing matters. Well ... that's at least one way to describe Dancehall. Here we go!
Here we go again. Season 3 of Songwriting Idiots is here and oh boy – what a strong start it is! This month, you asked us to tackle to iconic German genre of "Neue Deutsche Welle" or German New Wave. It's pure 80s bliss all about the relatable song topic "The floor is lava". Enjoy!
Just before the start of season three of Songwriting Idiots, we were wondering one last time. Wondering about one-hit wonders. So we are taking on another all time classic this time: Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners. And what an utterly weird song that is! This really begs the question: Why did it become such a massive hit and why did the band never manage to produce another one?
We are in between seasons here at Songwriting Idiots and we were wondering ... Wondering about one-hit wonders. It just all seems so terribly unlikely. One would think a band or artist either cracks the code and they don't. It's either a big career with loads of hits or no hits at all. But the artists and songs we discuss in this mini series prove the opposite and we start with a big one: Black Betty by Ram Jam!
Time flies when you're having fun. We just started into the new season (or so it seems) with Death Metal and now it's already over again. This means it's time for our review special where we look back at the season that was and talk about what we enjoyed most (and more importantly: least). Also: We have at least two exciting updates to share with you so take a listen!
It's January. A wonderful time: Peak skiing season, peak Corona season ... (we wonder if there is any connection?). Ah well anyway, we are luckily not here to talk about any of that. Because this is the big finale of season two where Dan and Ralf join forces to bring you the ultimate party anthem of this winter. Oh and some other cool stuff towards the end of the episode as well. Take a listen!
Oh the wonderful world of Folk music! It can truly be everything and nothing – never have the Songwriting Idiots been challenged by such a hard to define genre. But truth be told: We both enjoyed it tremendously and you can listen to the results now. In this penultimate episode of Songwriting Idiots season two!
Do you wanna hear something that will blow your mind? None of us is a woman, let alone a girl. So ... you know ... just one question: WHY THE F*** DID YOU GIVE US GIRL GROUPS AS A GENRE?? Just wanna get a couple things clear here. One: Girl groups consist of girls, that's kinda how this works. Ralf and Dan - not girls. And two: Girl group is not even a goddamn genre, it's a description of who is in a band. But Ok, we're losing our temper here ... let's just forget this ever happened and get on with it, shall we?
Remember the year 1991 also known as the year that changed music forever? Nirvana released their second album "Nevermind" including the hit single "Smells like teen spirit" and the world was never again the same. Or so the story goes ... But do you know what song was Number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 that year? Well: It was "(Everything I do) I do it for you" by Brian Adams - a Rock Ballad. And why? Because Rock Ballads f**** rock! No matter if it's 1973, 1991 or 2021. Time for us Songwriting Idiots to also take a hit at this legendary genre!
We want to make one thing very clear: While we are both enthusiastic guitarists, this one did not necessarily fill us with confidence. Cause if there's one thing that terrifies us, it's having to (pretend to) play Jazz. But what can you do. Here it comes, ladies and gents. Take a seat, grab a glass of Whiskey, imagine you're in a smokey night club in 1930s France and listen to some Gypsy Jazz tunes by yours truly.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to PARTY! Because this month, the Songwriting Idiots are tackling the genre of Disco. So get your perms ready, put on that white suite and get your body moving. We are about to hit the dancefloor with a Nigerian prince, just trying to share his wealth.
Do you want to know a secret? We both LOVE our instruments and believe it or not ... by now we even know how to use them (kinda). This makes what you guys did to us even more painful. Because for this month, you beautiful people out there decided to task us with writing an A Capella song about how to remove a tick from the center of your anus. Yup.
Season 2 of Songwriting Idiots is starting with a bang! Or more accurately: A beat. A blast beat. That's right. For our first episode of the new season we are tackling the ridiculous genre of Death Metal! Take a listen to find out how Dan's trusty old Jazz guitar is handling all the gain, what Ralf is doing alone in the wood with an axe and perhaps most importantly: Who killed the DJ.
It's April 2021 and we are nearing the end of our break. Season Two of Songwriting Idiots will commence in May! But there is of course one thing still missing ... We need to know what genre and topic our first two songs will be about! Let us tell you all about it in this short teaser.
This is the last of our in between seasons specials and man ... have we got a treat for you! Our guest today is Tommy Krappweis. Originally we got him on the show to talk all about the blues. And we do - kinda. We also discuss everything from working at a German Wild West theme park in the 90s, the worst school band ever and how Dan managed to share a stage with Babyshambles as a teenager. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
In this special episode, we talk to Lyon based songwriter and long-time listener of the show, Livv! Livv is a singer and ukulele player originally from Mali, who started sharing her music on Instagram a couple of months ago. We took the chance to talk about that, find out how her experiences were this far and what social media can do for musicians in general. Take a listen!
This is a very special episode for us: This week, we released our very first single with our band! Now ... you might be thinking: What band? You guys never mentioned a band! Was everything you ever did just a big lie?! And you'd be right to think that. So of course, we also took the chance to get the entire crew in front of the mics so you can get to know them. May we introduce: ERNST and our first single "Goodbye".
