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Jam Mechanics

Jam Mechanics

By: Jam Mechanics
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About this listen

Two bands who span the Atlantic, having a chat across the planet. Drafting jams from random challenges, fantastic banter while we're at it. So just relax and watch our antics; it's the pan-Atlantic Jam Mechanics Jam Mechanics is a podcast hosted by Matt Johnston from The Narcissist Cookbook and Bug from Bug Hunter. Each week we'll take on songwriting challenges and present our finished "demo" after a few hour break.Jam Mechanics Music
Episodes
  • S3E8: I'm Thinkin' Ohio
    May 26 2025

    I've been told I'm bad at foreshadowing. Episode 8 has a bookstore. We meet John Demo. You've been warned.

    Jam Mechanics is a podcast hosted by The Narcissist Cookbook Bug Hunter where we are challenged to write a song demo from scratch every episode.

    Huge thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DeepBlueInk ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    If you'd like to download the demos, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can go to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and our brand-new discord is here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Prompt: "An Opportunity Not Yet Past

    ----Bug's Song-----

    Title: What Happened To John

    Challenge: TRUE CRIME

    It's not productive to compare all our troubles

    playin "who's got it worse' to one-up one another

    Its half a dozen of one, and its six of the other

    you don't want to win this game

    But the unspoken rule's now the talk of the town

    the difficult truth no one dare say aloud

    we all know who and we all know how

    but no one wants to say

    cause Marty lost his job last month

    and Tom's wife ain't been home too much

    we all have troubles but I'll tell you what

    It's a shame what happened to John

    Mrs. Carter, well I haven't seen you out of your apartment in a couple of days

    she says my husband is halfway into handcuffs with no more hope of changing his ways

    I'm pinching pennies, never spending any 'cause I'll have to bail him out or bury him soon

    but when I go to church he isn't worth my focus as I bow my head and sit in the pews

    I'm praying for another and I'm hopin He'll respond

    its a shame what happened to John

    And Connor's cough keeps getting worse

    and Olli's luck has all reversed

    we all have troubles that could be much worse

    It's a shame what happened to John

    We don't report it to the papers or go to the police

    there's an unacknowledged understanding passing in the streets

    the entire city's sick but have learned to be discreet

    that's all that can be done

    There were never conversations or plans of how to act

    we didn't draft a non-disclosure or attempt to make a pact

    there was a problem, we solved it, there's no more going back

    the problem's finally gone

    And Miley's finally out of bed

    and Faith feels safe to walk again

    we don't have trouble when we all pretend

    It's a shame what happened to John

    ---- Matt's Song -----

    Title: The First of the Everkings To Die

    Challenge: Foreshadowing!

    i met a man travelling from the north passing through my part of town

    he wore a tattered overcoat, flapping open in the warm north wind, still carrying his service rifle

    hitched underneath his arm

    though the barrel was rusted and the stock had near completely decomposed

    i didn't say a word, no point asking these guys anything

    they've got enough on their plates from having nothing on their plates

    but i offered him some food i had either going spare or going bad

    and he thanked me with a nod and he kept on walking south

    they're always walking south

    don't know what they hope to find down there

    four other northman came passing through my part of town

    stacks of skin and castoff bones in those coats like rotten pelts

    I gave them what I had, but this time one of them stuck around

    Said the situations worsening faster than the snow can melt

    He asked me what I did down here, I said I was a writer

    At the very least I try to, but - he looked away he didn't care

    He sat down right there in my garden, sunflowers in winter

    And he told me what to tell you, and he left

    they're always walking south

    don't know what they hope to find down there

    He says it's going to happen soon, sooner than you think

    You'll see the symbols early but you won't know they mean

    And the daydreams that you've come rest your head upon at night

    Are like the permafrost, the first one of the Everkings to die

    But there's time, he says, there are chances easy missed

    There are lessons needing learned before the class has chance to sit

    And if you really pay attention, really take the whole thing

    You might just see where this is heading before the ending begins

    they're always walking south

    don't know what they hope to find down there

    Show more Show less
    40 mins
  • S3E7: Li'l Louie
    May 12 2025

    Episode 7 of Jam Mechanics is a JAM. Bug talks nicknames and new addictions, and Matt quizzes Bug on his favorite subject.

    Jam Mechanics is a podcast hosted by Matt (The Narcissist Cookbook) and Bug (Bug Hunter) where we are challenged to write a song demo from scratch every episode.

    Huge thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DeepBlueInk ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our artwork and squeezing us into his busy schedule!

    If you'd like to download the demos we showed off, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can go to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to pay-what-you-want to support us!

    Our Music:

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Narcissist Cookbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bug Hunter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and our brand-new discord is here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, etc!

    Please rate / review and share the show (and our music) with friends!


    -- SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE BELOW --

    Prompt: "Buyer's Remorse"

    ----Bug's Song-----

    Title: Board Games

    Additional Challenge: Giving yourself a nickname

    Lyrics:

    I should've never done it

    I should've saved my budget

    I can't believe I even tried when I'm the only one that

    has the resolve and focus

    to stick with what we've chosen

    But as the night drags on I'm learning that this quest is hopeless


    This is never what this evening was about

    I have to keep it bottled everytime I wanna shout


    Stop talking during board games!

    Don't ask whose turn it is, its your, babe!

    You would know that if you hadn't asked how Hannah's Graduation went

    there were prolly speeches half as long as this distraction is


    Stop talking during board games!

    Do you know how long this took to coordinate?

    3 couples in their thirties on a table-flipping thursday

    now all of them are yawning by the middle of the 1st game


    I've popped out all the pieces

    spent 3+ hours reading

    no, they don't call me the Rulebook Ruler for no reason

    Sometimes this job is brutal

    but I just do it, you know

    I took all day to learn the lore and that was just for Uno


    I wanna game but you hit me with reverse

    now everytime you talk I wanna table-flippin' curse!


    Stop talking during board games!

    Don't ask whose turn it is, its your, babe!

    You would know that if you hadn't brought up Molly's border-collie

    now they're all looking at puppy pics

    instead of killing zombies


    Stop talking during board games!

    now I think that I understand divorce rates

    I was totally on board for in sickness and in health

    guess I should have seen this coming from your 20 minute vows


    But the worst part of this is, despite my perfect planned tactics

    when we tally up you always win


    All your talking during board games

    to disrupt my strategy was your aim

    thought I was married to a monster but it turns out you're a master

    I can't describe this feeling but I think that its attraction?


    All your talking during board games

    and pretending you were always really bored made

    me put down my defenses and fill my head with doubts

    but babe that's really clever I'm so table-flippin' proud



    ---- Matt's Song -----

    Title: JAM

    Additional Challenge: Must be a JAM song

    Lyrics:

    I dunno, Matt didn't send me any. Just listen to it!

    Show more Show less
    38 mins
  • S3E6: That's Petty Theft!
    Apr 28 2025
    On the 6th episode of season 3, Matt and Bug talk Hydras and Heists with two new songs to jam to on your Monday morningJam Mechanics is a podcast hosted by Matt (The Narcissist Cookbook) and Bug (Bug Hunter) where we are challenged to write a song demo from scratch every episode. Huge thanks to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DeepBlueInk ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our artwork and squeezing us into his busy schedule!If you'd like to download the demos we showed off, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can go to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to pay-what-you-want to support us!Our Music:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Narcissist Cookbook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bug Hunter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and our brand-new discord is here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, etc!Please rate / review and share the show (and our music) with friends!-- SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE BELOW --Prompt: "Love Song to a Body Part"----Bug's Song-----Title: The HydraAdditional Challenge: Rule of 3Lyrics: I admit I was pissed when you chopped off my headand Hercules, you looked pleased (or rather relieved?) that I was deadbut from the stump of my neck I grew two more(I swear this has never happened before)but I'm back and better off than I was then(and now they're singing)Do you think the Hydra knew that THAT would happen?Or was he surprised as everyone of us?Decapitate me once, shame on you, that ain't enoughDo you think the Hydra knew he'd get back up?The first dozen times were the hardest but now I believebefore this battle started I was hopelessly naivebut now this one's a fighter, and this one's a biterand that one's determined, and this one knows Germanand one knows Karate, we call that one "choppy"but don't talk to this one 'till he's had his coffeewe're offering all of these skillsyou can chop off our heads but you can never killwe'll just get bigger and better and stronger togetherI've tethered the best parts of me so now whetherYou think the Hydra knew that THAT would happenor if he's surprised as everyone of usDecapitate me twice, shame on you, it's still not niceDo you think the Hydra knew he'd get back up?Now Hercules is screaming: "this is not how this one goes"but you've mixed up mythology for history, my foecause history is what happened, mythology is imaginednow I'm rewriting this myself to be the hero of this battleHercules, your turn to leaveyour trial subscription to life is completeI've got many mouths to feed so I'll start with non-believerscuz I think I always knew that this would happenThat I'd surprise the world with what I've gotDecapitate me thrice, I can do this all damn nightI think I always knew I'd get back upI think I always knew I'd get back up---- Matt's Song -----Title: Central Occipital NervousnessAdditional Challenge: Must be a CON songLyrics:i know youi know you're my oldest friendbefore we learned how to talkthere we were, lying therehand in handi know you're trying to helpi know you're trying but there ain't no helping mei know you're trying butsometimes the trying justcauses more pain that it needsi know thisWe've done this a million timesIt was our first party trickEveryoneCome watch meFlip my shitThis baby can turn on a dimei know you're trying to helpi know you're trying but there ain't no helping mei know you're trying butsometimes the trying justcauses more pain that it needsAnd the worst part is that I agreeThis world is frightening thingBut I'm going outside To see what I'll findAnd you can come with if you like
    Show more Show less
    33 mins
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