This predates Maps or Garda. All the same, I went through a good at least two dozen of my songs the other day, some posted, some not, and I'm feeling this. It has never been performed live. I think it suits my band, and I think it has a nice hooky chorus, as presented here.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13184331/Mexican%20Standoff%20vox%20test.mp3

As well as I remember, guitars/bass are all DI. My old ESPs through the Pod XT and the synth would be my Alesis. I think this is my first recorded vocal after I got my ART DMPA and FMR RNLA. Sound quality is not great, but whatever. I am feeling this song and want to make it into a proper Garda song.

I enjoy the quasi-lead guitar work.

I can actually play the thing, and reasonably well, to boot. I suppose for what I tend to do as a songwriter I bust that out a bit more than most. I get a kick out of the fact my band is a bunch of guys who did metal or prog rock playing what's essentially punk music with an electronica/dance thing going on as well. Myself and the other guitarist have classical string and piano backgrounds; all of us know theory.

It occurs to me, Geoff, if you like the lead work, you'd probably like the instrumental version. The intro guitar is a tapping/bending lick through a wah pedal and a delay. IIRC I was doing a unison bend and tapping whilst wah-ing. It's like if The Cure did a metal version of The Kiss.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/13184331/Mexican%20Standoff.mp3

Pretty cool... makes a good build up to the next section of the song

Creepy, which is a good thing.