I've always regretted not playing an instrument in high school. So, to make up for it, I've forced myself to be more musical. This is just some stuff I did on my own, or with my "band," Sweetness & Light (which is really just me and my friend, Theo Christensen; I'm the lyricist and lead vocalist, and he's on guitar and/or backup vocals).

And, uh, for the record...all properties present herein and withinside this domain ergo forth with shall state are © Mike Belotti 2007-2008.

Pocket Full of Win
June 2008

All of the songs I've put together since I started the whole "music" thing have been parodies of other songs. I hear that when people first learn instruments, it's encouraged to learn to play "OPM," or "other people's music." I guess that's essentially what I've been doing...up until now. Yep, "Pocket Full of Win" is my first original song: original melody, lyrics, and guitar (thanks to Theo; great job, man), available here. You might find that it's pretty basic...possibly catchy...and maybe even a little charming?

Fresh Prince of Full Sail
January 2008

So I took the words to the Fresh Prince theme and rewrote 'em to reflect life at Full Sail as a game dev student. If you're wondering how I fit all that into a minute-and-a-half song, have a listen here. And if you don't so much as smirk at least once during the song, I would suggest going out and getting a soul.

On SGP Days
March 2008

There's a game dev class at Full Sail called Structure of Game Production, or SGP. We get put into teams and are then tasked with designing and building a video game over the span of two months. Sounds fun, right? Well, actually, SGP is one of the harshest beatings I endured as a student...and I took it all out on the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way." If you're dying to know what I did with that song, listen here. You might not get all the references, but at least you'll know that I have it in me to make it as a pop singer! ...

Why's It So Slow
March 2008

Sometimes the Internet is just too slow, it seems. This royally bugs me since I'm online quite a lot. So I let out all my frustration in this here song, to the melody of Weezer's "Say It Ain't So." It's a bit on the geeky side, but, you know, so am I.

One Freak
March 2008

Take the Barenaked Ladies' "One Week" and rewrite it to make it about the stereotypical dorky, pale, lazy video game nerd and you get this song here. No, it's not a song about ME... Ha ha... But you'll be glad you're not this guy nonetheless.

Bagel
April 2008

Who doesn't love bagels? This song is an ode to the torus-shaped bread, taking on a rendition of Eric Clapton's "Layla." It's also the first song I've recorded that features some of my ocarina. Now that you're all hyped up, go listen to it here. And no, you're not the only one who doesn't know what an ocarina is...

This Is How I Gain Weight
April 2008

This is some pretty standard self-deprecating humor. I remember hearing Rob Thomas's "This Is How a Heart Breaks" on the radio a lot, so it was only a matter of time before I took the lyrics and mutilated them. Click here to see how it turned out!

Calling Long Distance
May 2008

I always liked Train's "Calling All Angels"; it's just a nice-sounding song. I heard it recently while I was out, and then by the time I got back home, I just about had the whole thing reworked. You can listen to my rendition of the song here, which actually isn't about angels, but about phones.

Bowlingball
May 2008

I've heard Oasis's "Wonderwall" and I think it's good, but I never knew just what a wonderwall really was. So, to avoid any ambiguity, I just took the song and made it about bowling. The result can be found here. I don't even really like bowling that much, but...I can't think of any good bowling songs off the top of my head so yeah.

Student Loan
June 2008

This is a pain most all college kids have to endure at some time or another. (Come on, you know you just sighed inside.) I took Michelle Branch's "Everywhere" and made it about student loans. You know, the part where she's all, "I'm not alone..." is now "my student loan..." I actually got a good female singer to sing this one, which sounds a heck of a lot better than my attempt, so definitely check this one out here!

Radio Medley
June 2008

Inspired by Weird Al's polkas, Theo & I compiled a mash-up of clips from different songs and then we sang and rewrote the lyrics to each part. The premise is: two hillbillies are riding in their pick-up and they're switching through the radio stations to find something good. The whole thing's pretty goofy; have a listen here. It's almost ten minutes long, so get comfy!

Washin' All The Dishes
September 2008

I'm usually slow to anger; there aren't many things that make me mad. Having to do dishes by hand, instead of using a dishwasher, is one of those things though. But this isn't an angsty, punk-rock song; in fact, it's a parody of Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business" which is actually quite upbeat and happy-sounding. Check here and see! Although it's unfortunate that this is probably the last recording that I'll have Theo's assistance with; since we're done with Full Sail and in different parts of the country, production would certainly be more unweildy. So savor this one!