The Big Miscellaneous

Top of the Fifth

Titleless

Our “eponymous” album, I don’t remember if it was named after (Title Erased) or vice versa.  The original tape case had the name spelled with just one “L-E.”

 

The Happy Song

Writer: John Sams

Parody of: Camptown Races by Steven Foster

Download 2-12 The Happy Song

Written as an original, it was only after recording that JM pointed out it was a parody of Camptown Races.  JM also said that Finch was “resurrected” every time someone else dies.  I like the idea of a round-type song wherein the people stop singing (kind of like B-I-N-G-O), but otherwise, the song holds little value for me.  I wrote a sequel to it once, though.

Up Next: XSFAT gets technical issues...

 

Another Solo Instrumental Rock Track

The United States’ First Heavy Metal Xylophone

Writer: JonMichael Rasmus

Parody of: Smells Like Teen Spirit By Nirvana

References: The source track is actually Smells Like Nirvana by Weird Al Yankovic

Download 5-24 The United States First Heavy Metal Xylophone

This is the second and last instrumental from XSFAT (with Instrumental Blues NOT being one of them).  It’s plenty funny, and JM does just the right job of hitting the wrong notes and going overboard.  In fact, he got so loud crashing the toy xylophone against the wall that you can hear his mom complaining briefly before the song is cut off.  It’s pretty great.

Up Next: Come On Get Happy...

 

A "Choired" Taste

This Song’s For Me

Writer: JonMichael Rasmus

Parody of: This Song is For the Children by George L. O. Strid

Download 5-16 This Song's For Me

JM: “John didn't want to record this song.  He felt that no one knew the song (it’s from choir, again) and that it was not funny enough to justify album placement. I countered that, yet again, he didn't have enough written.  He was probably right.  I like the fact that all three of us take turns on this one though.”  It is fairly funny (and true), but I will always remember it as the song that cracked up Ryan White when I actually sang parts of it during choir rehearsal.

Up Next: Heavy Meddle...

Not Instrumental, and Barely Blues

The Instrumental Blues

Writer: John Sams

Download 3-09 The Instrumental Blues

Although I like the idea, and JM apparently likes the song, it just doesn’t work for me because I overdo it.  

Up Next: Leggo My Ego...

That Should've Been A, C, B, A. Sorry.

Answers to a Multiple Choice Test

Writer: JonMichael Rasmus

Parody of: Got My Mind Set on You by George Harrison

Download 1-05 Answers to a Multiple Choice Test

It was an interesting idea, but it simply goes on too long and has (necessarily) very little jokes.  JM explained it with “This was an idea that I liked.  I turned it into a parody for a lark.  If I ever teach a class, my first test will totally have these answers.”

Up next: An a capella instrumental...

Aunt Misbehavin'

I Fight Aunt Dorothy

Writer: JonMichael Rasmus

Parody of: The Authority Song  by John Mellencamp

Download 2-20 I Fight Aunt Dorothy

JM: “If I had it to do again, I'd have called it Aunt Dorothy Song.  This is the song that Smack Your Wife wasn't: it was funny, about fighting with women, well produced and features a line about being kicked in the head.  I like it.”  It’s an underrated little number.

Up Next: A test pattern...

Everybody, Al. Al, Everybody.

An Introduction to ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic

Writer: John Sams

References: Every Weird Al song prior

Download 3-10 An Introduction to _Weird Al_ Yankovic

Realizing that I could make a half-assed medley with only a household boom box, I set to work on this Weird Al retrospective one night while Finch (who can be heard in the background occasionally) clearly had more fun things to do.  I don’t hate it, but it’s not exactly quality material.

Up Next: Something relatively violent  (Ha!)....

Withers and Dies

Get Off It

Writer: John Sams

Parody of: Lean On Me by both Bill Withers and Club Nouveau

Download 2-06 Get Off It

This is an awkward but not entirely unpleasant song that attempts to be the polar opposite of the original.  It was based mostly on a choir version of the song, although there are times when it is clear that the Club Noveau version was freshest in my mind.  Case in point: That just plain odd “boom-boom-boom” that follow the title each time.

Up Next: XSFAT goes back to an old staple...

"We Are Not Musicians"

XSFAT: The Second Time Around

Writer: JonMichael Rasmus

References: Samples the alphabet song and Mary Had a Little Lamb by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and one verse directly quoted from The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle by Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle

JM says, “My first original I was actually proud of; A group effort that really realized its goal of being our anthem.  Finch really plays along well and John steals my best line for himself (the last one).  But I didn't care, it was an original and it had some moments.  Also: ‘Hugh guessed it’ is the line.”  To me, this is the definitive self-effacing meta-XSFAT song.

Download 6-14 XSFAT_ The Second Time Around

Up Next: XSFAT gives you the finger...

It Blows

Just Another Gas Leak

Writer: JonMichael Rasmus

Download 3-15 Just Another Gas Leak

The title song from our fourth album, JM describes it as “A song I wrote about the lethal explosions in the sewers of Guadalajara.  Features an explosion noise.  I think I really got the humor of that situation as well as anyone could. Grade: D+.”

Up Next: The subject XSFAT knows the most about...