Artist Bio
Influences: Good music of all genres! FAWM.
I am a song lover of all genres, but especially enjoy wordplay and clever tuneplay in all forms. While any musical genre is possible, I'd guess a disproportionate number of songs will likely be acoustic guitar + voice or even just multitracked voice.
The whole "metal foot" thing refers to a metal plate permanently inserted in my one foot after a particularly awkward fall which broke a bone in my foot into three pieces. Ouch. But that was over 20 years ago now.
FAWM 2016 - 36 songs (Winter Sports -18 songs)
FAWM 2017 - 78 songs (Alphabet of Adjectives - 26 songs)
FAWM 2018 - 76 songs (Exploding Teacups - 9 songs)
FAWM 2019 - 69 songs ("metalfoot sings the periodic table" -14 songs)
FAWM 2020 - 82 songs (periodic table, another 14 or so)
FAWM 2021 - 104 songs (periodic table, and a whole lotta collabs! Do not expect that sort of output again--it was full lockdown here last February.)
For FAWM 2022 I'm completing the "Metalfoot Sings The Periodic Table" project. Finally. *glares at @stephenwordsmith, who suggested it in the first place*
Also, my awesome and amazing wife, @kellyk, has declared her intention to do a second full 14-song collab album with me in February 2022 so that will be fun!
It sounds like the @metalfootlings (my kids, whose account I'll be curating and running) also want to give this another go this year. So that should be fun for them and me both.
Instruments likely to be misused in FAWM 2022:
Seagull M4 "Merlin", Vangoa Mandolin (with electric pickup), Simon and Patrick Mahogany Pro acoustic guitar, Art & Lutherie 12-string acoustic guitar (with pickup), Silvertone electric guitar with Zoom G1xON effects pedal, Rogue ukulele and/or Uke-and-Play ukulele (though that one technically belongs to the footlings), Casio Celviano digital piano, M-Audio Keystation Mini, Bach Bb tenor trombone, pBone Eb alto trombone, cheap trumpet that F#1 doesn't play anymore, tin whistle in D, various percussiony things I find around the house
I like to collaborate--it's about my favourite part of FAWM-- so feel free to ask! I believe in communication before, during and after the collaborative process. My basic assumption is that I'm making music just for the fun of it so I'm not looking for any commercial or professional results. Expect a large quantity of (hopefully) fun but not-overly-polished songs.
Songs (80)
The Elements
Soundboard
-
@kenmattsson Apr 2022
Good for you to take care of your mental health. Of course, you could do 50/90 like I do and only plan on doing 5-10 songs, but I have a hunch you might not be able to control yourself. Do what's good for you.
-
@electrocelte Apr 2022
Hahaha I believe I am saying a cryptic message into one of my Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators, (PO-33 I think) and playing it on reverse…thanks for listening, I have some late tracks that I am unloading finally…. Hidden placeholders are fun.
-
@andrea Mar 2022
Thanks for your comments on Heavenly Bodies. It's been a while since I wrote it, and I had to laugh when I read it tonight. Wish it had some crazy fun music -lol :)
-
@sbs2018 Mar 2022
Thank you!
-
@mandolinda Mar 2022
My banjo lessons have been bluegrass based,and i never get up to speed. The banjo is quite heavy for me to hold very long ( due to arthritis and osteoporosis), so I keep my picking short. Adding mandolin is a happy accomplishment for me. My Sad Banjo was quite challenging for me, and i was pleased with the outcome. Thanks for the comment.
-
@audrey Mar 2022
Hi Alex. Thanks so much for your kind comment on "A Tribute". Yes, I'll probably give it a B part, which may end up being the main part of the song, and then return to this opening part again, but I'm really not sure. I think I need to figure out what the lyrics will be, or at least what the message of the song will be, and let those words guide where the music goes. I have a friend who has written just a couple of poems, but they're quite good. I'm going to ask her if she might want to help me with this piece. I wasn't even sure I wanted to complete it, but she heard it and told me I have to finish it. She's also a fellow choir member, so she likes choral music like me. Thanks for your interest in this piece. I think I WILL try to finish it now. :)
-
@vaseyr Mar 2022
Thank you so much for your kind comments on my songs! It means so much to me. I’m still working on my confidence in sharing my music and being vulnerable in that way so it’s truly touching to receive such wonderful feedback. Thank you so much.
-
@sunnymae Mar 2022
Thanks so much for stopping by my page Metalfoot! It's so nice of you to take the time. I'm glad you enjoyed daytime dreamer another one of my partial Capo Adventures I love playing around with that stuff don't you?
-
@sunnymae Mar 2022
Hey metalfoot!
thanks for stopping by for a listen to ghost in the window. So great of you to take a listen and glad you enjoyed it. Really interesting how a partial Capo can just totally shift the voicings on a guitar pop your brain into another place.
And YOU...your output this season is off the hook mr. I don't know how you do it! congratulations! :0)) -
@ampersandman Mar 2022
Thanks a lot for your listen Alex!
-
@skibum1066 Mar 2022
Thanks for your thoughtful commentary on my song "Extinction Looms". Glad you picked up the Funeral dirge component. The Lyrics were never intended to be a song but just a poem. However, I decided to offer it as Lyrics looking for music. No one attempted that write, so I had to do it myself! It's imperfect but I tried to catch the spirit of the Lyrics in the music as music as possible. Pretty heavy subject matter. Not exactly top 40 material! But something just have be said!
-
@skibum1066 Mar 2022
Thanks for your thoughtful commentary on my song "Extinction Looms". Glad you picked up the Funeral dirge component. The Lyrics were never intended to be a song but just a poem. However, I decided to offer it as Lyrics looking for music. No one attempted that write, so I had to do it myself! It's imperfect but I tried to catch the spirit of the Lyrics in the music as music as possible. Pretty heavy subject matter. Not exactly top 40 material! But something just have be said!
-
@musicsongwriter Mar 2022
Thank you Alex for your support. I appreciate it.
-
@headfirstonly Mar 2022
Yeah, Marvin is me. The nine-string is tuned, low to high, as C# F# B E A D G B E, so same as a normal guitar but with an extra three bass strings. It's like playing a cricket bat.
-
-
@frogspawn Mar 2022
@frogspawn thanks you for those nice comments on the @pointlessaccount/@frogspawn post-FAWM FAWM. And will ooze over @timfatchen to return the compliment, because he owes me for not taking over his mind for more than 24 hours.
-
@bethyrose Mar 2022
Looks like I have more than a little listening to catch up on your stuff! Prolific as always :)
-
@bethyrose Mar 2022
Thanks for your comments and for being (as always) such a great part of the FAWM experience for me and many others!
-
@liz561 Mar 2022
Does this mean the end of the periodic table songs? It will be a sad day. Hoping they discover more soon so you can keep going!
-
@seanbrennan Mar 2022
Very kind of you to continue to drop by and show Lavish Dude some love. I think, statistically, you're our number one fan, and it's genuinely heartwarming to see comments from you. Wish we wrote it under friendlier circumstances, but yeah, "Dona Nobis Pacem" felt like the perfect close. Believe it or not, any of the last five songs could have been posted in any order. In particular, I was mixing and editing the last three in the waning hours of FAWM, and we decided specifically to post that one last. The final part of the Mass Ordinary, a tranquil end to our musical output, and a closing prayer that hopefully all take with them.
-
@jayjay Mar 2022
Thank you for your feedback on the Beyond Narnia concept. Glad you like it :)
-
@miga Mar 2022
hey thanks for all the support this FAWM - very much appreciated! I can see why you're popular 'round these parts. Plus, 80 songs! Amen!
So is 50/90 pretty much the same set-up as FAWM? I've heard y'all talking about it but assumed it was a completely different animal. 14 songs in 28 days is intimidating, but keeping at it for 3 months....whoa! But anyway, I could always release my inner underachiever and set the bar really low...and then all things are possible =D Thanks for the invite. I will seriously consider it. -
@jessespillane Mar 2022
Thanks for the nice comment. I drew some inspiration from The Bad Plus' album 'Made Possible'. They are, of course, a million more times capable and talented than me.
I'm in absolute awe of how many songs you completed this FAWM. How?! -
@donna Mar 2022
I remember visiting my sister in Edmonton in May a few years ago.
I got a kick out of looking through the balcony windows and watching the snow fall. (-:
To be honest, while I love my memories of winter, I'm not sure I'd be all that keen to experience Canadian winters again at this stage. (-: -
@amusia Mar 2022
I use garageband to write on the bus. If you have an iphone, it should already be installed on it. It took a bit to get the hang of using, but I don't know if I would have had enough time to finish FAWM without it. I rerecord them on my computer at home into Ableton Live, but garageband actually has some nice sounding instruments. Yeah, it's nice to have if you're in a situation where you're otherwise just waiting around.
-
@ambroise Mar 2022
Thank you for your comments and your message on the forums !
And congrats on your 80 songs ! That's almost 3 songs a day, wow !
I definitely hope we'll find a way to collab next year. See you there. -
@sorby69 Mar 2022
Thanks Alex! Yeah, it really was one hell of a ride - making it and listening back to it! A lot of fun was had by all of us. Congrats on your massive FAWM haul! Well done!
-
@redlady8029 Mar 2022
Hi thank you for commenting ON Surrender.
-
@loveonamixtape Mar 2022
Aww, no worries!! I'm sorry I didn't get anything to you, either! Time definitely got away from me. But there's always next FAWM! :_D
-
@spazsquatch Mar 2022
80 songs... how? Assuming you fit meals, sleep and what not into 8 hours, that's like a song every 5ish hours? ...500 comments listed in the Century Club.
I applaud your abilities.
Thanks for the comment on Taken Away. There is actually a lot of reverb, although the version I posted I went through and high-passed all the sends in a desperate rush to clear up the low end after a outside-the-studio listen made it clear what a mess it was.
As you said though, the important bit is that we got it together.
Cheers. -
@madeline Mar 2022
Wow were you all busy in Feb! Thank you so much for your kind comment on my lyrics. I will be sure to let you know when music is up for the ones you noted. Cheers.
-
@marthie Mar 2022
Oh- you are the periodic table guy! Is there a playlist/place of source all the elements can be found? I am sure it will help in the nasty chemistry classrooms. Nell is studying medicine this year...
-
@marthie Mar 2022
Star Academy is a project I am busy with - helping young upcoming artists find direction and a voice sooner to influence their community positively. This way they become ambassadors and role models, are proud of their roots and are able to earn a living with their ventures instead of landing up in a job they hate where they could have made the world a better place with their God-given talents. You will be amazed at the talent I have sourced in my backyard neighborhood! I had to wait for my children to be out of school before proceeding with this project. I have done it before: Born in Africa: releasing a compilation album consisting of singles for each new artist to create a profile and identity for them they can build on.
-
@liz561 Mar 2022
I cannot believe you did 80 songs? Did you sleep? Thanks for your comment on my finale song-A Series of Highly Unfortunate Events. I admit I used a keyboard to do the bass on this, but my goal during 50/90 will be to learn to play my son's old bass. I also hope to learn some more guitar-I did learn three chords to use in my song which ripped you off (Cubic Zirconium) and two more for my song Illuminate. Learning will continue!!!
-
@angelinapowersuit Mar 2022
That is incredible! And just noticing that you wrote 80 songs this year (and almost every year), mind officially blown!
-
@nadine Mar 2022
Thanks! Maybe the mere imagination of these sultry jazz clubs has been good enough to write such a song. I really don't visit these lol
-
@angelinapowersuit Mar 2022
Thanks for being the first to comment on "Life on the Freeway," and you're right, there is definitely an internal struggle going on beneath the high. Isn't there always? Sigh. . .
-
@nadine Mar 2022
Wow really? That's a lot. I'm completely untrained and only sing to help vocalists with some phrasing issues or idras for harmonisation. My range is about 2 octaves (e - d") and I feel like it's a lot compared to most folks I listen to. But the range and sound poweful is rather small (g - b"). However I don't see myself as singer and probably never will xD
-
@natalie Feb 2022
Thanks for your supportive comments on my little experiment, "Pan Ditty." Kind of you to leave them! ... And also, thanks for busting two of my zongs. :)
-
@cleanshoes Feb 2022
Thank you! I've been a paraprofessional librarian (cataloger, technically) for about ten years, and finally decided to take the next step, so I'll be studying Library Science with a focus on Cultural Heritage Informatics, which encompasses subjects like museum studies, preservation of cultural and heritage materials, archives, special collections, and the like.
-
@chariotbaldwin Feb 2022
WHOA!!!! 77 SONGS?!?!?! Good lord, I'm gonna have to be selective on what songs I give feedback on.
Just dropping you a late line of sincere thanks for your words about my song Atomic. I'm glad you like it and that I captured it as well as I hoped I did. -
@cleanshoes Feb 2022
Thank you, Alex! It's been a fun one. I hope we can collab again in the future too. I'm starting grad school in June, so I don't know how active I'll be this 50/90, but we'll see!
-
@falconbridge Feb 2022
I am excited to dive into all these pieces! Also...anywhere I can find that periodic table pieces from last year? I'd love to hear what you created!
-
@pvk2020 Feb 2022
Happy Fawm. Have a good year creating
-
@jaegerin Feb 2022
Thanks for your kind words on my spoken word piece - and thanks for providing the basis for it :-)
-
@nadine Feb 2022
Thanks a lot for your comment on "Hollywood Queen". I'm glad you enjoyed our random collab!
How many songs are you going to plan this FAWM? I won't be able to listen to all xDD
I'm sorry that our collab didn't happen this year. I decided to postpone my song to summer / autumn, get the instrumental straight (which will be a lot of work) and decide on vocals later. Let's rock out next year with a fresh co-write ok? -
@darcistrutt Feb 2022
Thanks for posting our harmony collab on my behalf! I doubled parts a few times without meaning to, but it was an octave higher. Tough being 5th! :-) Congratulations on an amazing February!
-
@sunfire Feb 2022
Hi, Alex! Go for it. Would love to hear what you come up with for Window on the World.
-
@fearlessflight2014 Feb 2022
Not 14 writes yet, unfortunately. There's at least 3 I just added overdubs to. But it's not over yet!
-
@goldarrow Feb 2022
Thanks for the comment on The Special Ones. Much appreciated. I hope you have totally recovered from the accident. I did put a subliminal message in those lyrics that I am sure you would want to say to the guy who ran the stop sign. It's what I think every time in those circumstances.
-
@apolez3 Feb 2022
'CHECK MIKE
CHECK ONE, TWO' - is this Kosher enough? ps. just changed a few words... -
@nadine Feb 2022
Beep beep ... beep beep baby! It's stuck in my head arghsss!!!!!
-
@nahlej381 Feb 2022
Sent back your way!
-
@nahlej381 Feb 2022
Thanks! I’m trying to get as much practice mixing/mastering as I can! I’ll shoot you back my results shortly
-
@apolez3 Feb 2022
working on your pg lyrics btw; think I have a poem that i wanted to turn lyrics that’ll work ; just need a day
-
@karlsburg25 Feb 2022
Hi Alex. I transferred all done so far. you go the melody track, and 3 harmonies. I done a rough low bass one which will be redone of course, but thought it good to whip something off so you can bang on . cheers karl
-
@fearlessflight2014 Feb 2022
Hope you are happy with my additions! Thank you so much for collaborating with me!!!
-
@cindyrella Feb 2022
Of course!
-
@apolez3 Feb 2022
Do you want to work with the lyrics to 'Are you a Vulture?' or do you want to try something else?
-
@miga Feb 2022
so yeah, there was a problem with that 'armor' track. I'll try to fix it and re-post. I'll also have to check out your collab on a similar subject
-
@klaus Feb 2022
Hi Alex. Happy Birthday ( yesterday ) and Congratulations on Winning the Fawm. You could have won the 50/90 too with your songs. It's a double whammy! :)
-
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
Oh sorry! Didn't mean to put any more pressure on you! I'll email the Song 2 crew. I just got back from a weekend away.
-
@jaegerin Feb 2022
Thanks for your kind words. And Happy Birthday :-)
-
@nadine Feb 2022
Thanks for your quick response. No worries, we'll find something next year :) I love your humour!
-
@nadine Feb 2022
Any news on "Rendez-Vous"? Nearly at the same time as you I received a request on instrumental and a draft on lyrics. Have you already started something? Please let me know.
-
@kenmattsson Feb 2022
I hope things are okay with you about starting the Harmony Challenge for Song 2. I didn't ask but figured you'd be good in starting it off. Let me know if I can help.
-
@stephenwordsmith Feb 2022
No, that one was about redundant furniture.
I'm thinking of the one based on my old college room where I used everything for a different purpose, which I brought full circle by sleeping in my wardrobe. -
@caitlin Feb 2022
Thanks for popping by and helping me work out my tempo for Things That Fly - much appreciated!
-
@srcoops Feb 2022
A very nice collaboration. Enjoyable
-
@rwhosings Feb 2022
Thank you so much! I've been wanting to see if I could write some bardish songs...now I have one!
-
@wolfkier Feb 2022
thank you. :)
-
@jkepler Feb 2022
Thanks for your encouraging comment on my uses of meter. And you're right, the psalms are inexhaustible.
-
@miga Feb 2022
yeah I could tell you weren't actually mad @stephenwordsmith - it was funny! I'll catch up with songs early next week, hopefully
-
@wearedinosaurs Feb 2022
Hey, Thanks for listening! I always take it as a compliment if someone finds a track too short. Maybe I'll try to go even shorter ;)
-
@jcameron Feb 2022
Thanks for the comment on "Storm". It was bloody windy here but I think I got off lightly in the end. The roof is still on my house, at least, which is more than some people can say today.
-
@greengrassgirl Feb 2022
Hi, metalfoot. Sure, I''d like to hear your ideas on Somethin' Better. I hear it as country bluegrass, too. You certainly are versatile in your music styles! Thanks for taking a look.
-
@emkaydeebee Feb 2022
Yes absolutely! Hit me up with something you’d be happy for me to add to! I’m away another few days yet so my time now is short, but I’d love to do this!
-
@nadine Feb 2022
You're welcome Alex! I have tons of fun listening to songs. Really listening, not spamming or begging for comments. I haven't heard professional music for a year cause I feel like I could share more love when I listen to the talented people here and on SoundCloud :)
Thanks for your offer on "Rendezvous". Just hit me up via mail, I can export backings without melody, transpose it etc. Its not about time, just need a yay or nay before FAWM is down. We can work whenever you like. I'm completely stuck with composition cause I'm not a blues or jazz guitarist. But I don't wanna throw it away cause the time signatures and progression is so interesting. -
@crisp1 Feb 2022
If you weren't such a slacker, I could forgive you! But what's your excuse? Ha ha. I've been whirling and twirling like crazy for 18 days, as have you, but this weekend I'll try to come up with a metalfoot lyric. Deal?
-
@fearlessflight2014 Feb 2022
I emailed you an idea for a chorus, just a silly idea.
-
@sunnymae Feb 2022
Don't give it a second thought Metalfoot! I know we're all deep in process now trying to put out as much as we can. Listening will come later as usual. You're so sweet for dropping by!:0)
-
@tamsnumber4 Feb 2022
LOL, I was being silly....and it's late.
-
@billwhite51 Feb 2022
love the jaunty delivery of these cleverly cynical but finally humanistically embraceable lyrics.
-
@mmmmarcus Feb 2022
Heya, the demo is up for Afterlife Begin, if you wanted to check it out :)
-
@greengrassgirl Feb 2022
Hi, and thank you for your compliments on In Love All Alone! I was just delighted to hear what Gwyn and Georgie did with this! Lucky me!
-
@liz561 Feb 2022
Hope you don't mind-you were my target for the Rip Off Challenge.
-
@sunfire Feb 2022
Hey, yes I am open to collab with you, definitely! . I figured it's better if you and even others pick something than me approaching. When you see something you like is always better than the writer asking. At least that's my approach in theory.
-
@adnama17 Feb 2022
Bing who? That was a total metalfoot moment!
-
@papaooo Feb 2022
Hey, thanks for the comment and busting my Zong! I don't know you, but I can't help thinking maybe you could be, I don't know, maybe a little more productive here? I mean, only 34 songs? ;)
-
@sunfire Feb 2022
Hey, Thanks for commenting on Cleanse. Yes, social commentary like a lot of my stuff. Thanks again.
-
@gm7 Feb 2022
Ok Great.
-
@gm7 Feb 2022
Hi Alex
I know you are good at writing lyrics for song...so maybe you send a guitar / vocal tracks and chord chart and I could add some guitars and bass. Just an idea . You have any suggestions -
@sueawesome Feb 2022
hey alex, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner, I was in a car accident (I’ll be ok, I’m just really sore/headache) feel free to work on it, I might be a few days before getting back to you (bummer too, I already feel like an outsider this year and am trying be able to listen to what others are posting, let alone write anything worthy of posting myself). thanks for reading my weirdness and I hope to catch up on yours soon
-
@miga Feb 2022
1st, I will certainly not complain about fans. 2nd, I fixed the new song link. (I hope) 3rd, holy cow, 33 blessed songs by mid-month! May you continue to be prolific, metalfoot.
-
@beacon Feb 2022
Alex, here's the new account. Not using it this year as I had too much invested in it this year by the time I set it up. I'm going to see if I can get 50/90 to change as soon as that reopens.
Follow me now for next year. -
@nancyrost Feb 2022
Just got your tape!
-
@bithprod Feb 2022
Are you sure you don't want something a bit more original? I've already written a bunch of lyrics about space, including one for FAWM 2015. I could of course write from the perspective of an alien, but come to think of it, I've done that a few times as well.
-
@toms Feb 2022
Archie is still one of my favorite things ever. Thank you for the listen! :) Good golly you have been productive!!!
-
@levesinet Feb 2022
I once asked one of my university professors, a linguist and philologist, how many languages he mastered ("Hur många språk kan ni?").
This is what he replied in Swedish after savoring my question for a moment:
"When I journey abroad... Once I've landed on foreign soil, I go straightaway to buy a local newspaper *lifting his hands up close to his face* and *moving his hands further apart* open it, and *closing his eyes* sniff it. *long sniffing sound* Usually it smells bad..."
Anyway, I learnt from him not to give a definite answer. :D -
@gilhari Feb 2022
Thanks for your comment. I have a basic lyrical melody, but havent worked on the musical aspect with anyone yet.