Category: Featured Tracks

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“Another Plot Twist” – New Single and Lyric Video

I’m pleased to announce the launch of my latest single, a hard rocker called “Another Plot Twist.” Musically it takes its cues from Van Halen, The Who and Ozzy Osbourne. Lyrically, my wife Amy and I drew upon lessons from the Zen Thinking Podcast. We had learned to embrace the unforeseen as a “plot twist,” an adventure rather than a catastrophe.

Lyric video now on YouTube

Here’s the new lyric video. Hold onto your hat!

Single Available on Bandcamp

Just in time for #BandcampFriday, here’s the track on Bandcamp, where you can support your favorite artists and enjoy the convenience of streaming or downloads.

Track is Out on Streaming Platforms

Add “Another Plot Twist” to your favorite playlists on… 

Lyrics: 

Another Plot Twist
Lyrics by Jason Didner and Amy Didner
Music by Jason Didner (c) 2022, All Rights Reserved

To hell and back on a roller coaster
In and out the revolving door
Up and down faster than a yo-yo
And then falling off the floor

If they tried to make a movie
Hollywood would not believe
Anyone could really have
Such a story up their sleeve

This is what we're dealing with
This is our real lives

Here comes another plot twist
Keeping us on our toes
Just when we thought we knew
How the story goes

Here comes another plot twist
Rocking us back on our heels
Just when we thought we knew
How we were gonna feel

No way any more could happen
We had our hands quite full
Then we felt a new change coming
The rug was getting pulled

In the hurricane of chaos
We found some inner peace
Angels in our souls to save us
And grant us some release

This is what we're rolling with
This is our real lives

Here comes another plot twist
Keeping us on our toes
Just when we thought we knew
How the story goes

Here comes another plot twist
Rocking us back on our heels
Just when we thought we knew
How we were gonna feel

Tell me how can this be real?

Credits:

Lyrics by Jason Didner & Amy Didner
Music by Jason Didner

Jason Didner – vocals, electric guitar, bass, drums

Produced, recorded and mixed by Jason Didner

(c) 2022, All Rights Reserved

Another Plot Twist - single by Jason Didner
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New single and video “Molasses Blues”

Molasses Blues by Jason Didner - single cover

Years before Amy (my wife and songwriting partner)’s miraculous pancreas transplant cured her nearly lifelong case of Type 1 diabetes, she had penned this gem of a blues song about what it felt like to have too much sugar when this condition made everything worse.

She wrote the lyric with the sense of humor, honesty and vulnerability that makes a great blues song. She also instinctively understood blues tropes and wielded them in an original way. Take lines like “Takes longer than scraping tar off the Devil’s shoes.”

The track is out today on Bandcamp and all streaming services.

Here’s the lyric video:

My approach to recording the music was to keep everything as raw and live as possible – minimal takes or edits; minimal sound effects, and a classic blues arrangement – a lead vocal, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, organ, drums and bass. It came out with a real Chicago blues vibe.

A fun fact about the video:

That’s my daughter Holly’s hand pouring the molasses into the bowl.

Molasses doesn’t smell as sweet as I expected it to. Holly said, “it smells like Dad if he were farting all the time.” Thanks…I think???? 

Molasses Blues (c) 2009, Lyrics by Amy Didner; Music by Jason Didner
Lyrics: 
No sadness fades slower
Than molasses blues
No sadness fades slower
Than molasses blues
Takes longer than scraping tar
Off the devil's shoes

Her love was sweeter 
Than a steamy, sticky honey bun
Her love was sweeter 
Than a steamy, sticky honey bun
Just one taste
And all my senses come undone

I was lulled into thinking
She would never, ever cut me off
I was lulled into thinking
She would never, ever cut me off
But her sweet intoxication 
Made my candy-coated brain go soft

Oh, doctor please help me
Kick these molasses blues
Oh, doctor please help me
Kick these molasses blues
So I just say no to cane sugar
And Equal or Splenda or Stevia or even agave syrup
Is what I choose
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New Single and Video: Patient Portal

The new song #PatientPortal is out now- and it’s one of the funnier ones that I’d been involved in writing. Amy wrote this with me after we dealt with way too many doctors’ offices and their web sites over the past several months.

You’ll also find it on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you stream your music.

#MedicalHumor #ITHumor #TechHumor

The Official Video

Here’s the official video for #PatientPortal. Just click the embedded video below and enjoy!

The Online Concert

I’ll give an online concert to mark this new release on Friday night August 12 at 7:30 PM Eastern-US.

Hop on over to https://livestreamercafe.com and sign in a few minutes before showtime. Then I can take your requests and we can interact more fully. You can also catch a simulcast of my performance live on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.

The Lyrics

Patient Portal
(c) 2022, Lyrics by Jason Didner and Amy Didner; Music by Jason Didner - All Rights Reserved

Verse 1:
I keep typing in my password 
Still the validation fails
One more strike and 
I'll be doing time in password jail

I just want to see my doctor
Is that too much to ask?
Enough watching spinning circles
No more unfulfillable tasks

I've been proving my identity
For all eternity

Chorus:
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
Now patient is the hardest thing to be
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
This portal sucks the soul right out of me

Verse 2:
They said this would be easier
But they only made it hard
My browser freezes when 
I upload my insurance card

Hey - didn't I just fill out this form
Only moments ago? 
The medication list I entered
Where the hell did that go? 

I’ll be answering this questionnaire 
For all eternity

Chorus:
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
Now patient is the hardest thing to be
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
This portal sucks the soul right out of me

Bridge:
This confusing creation
Keeps giving me the blues
This confounding contraption
That even my doctors
Don't know how to use

Chorus:
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
Now patient is the hardest thing to be
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
This portal sucks the soul right out of me

I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal

The Single Artwork

Jason Didner's new single "Patient Portal," available at BandCamp, Apple Music, Spotify and wherever you stream music.
Single artwork: Patient Portal by Jason Didner
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New song “Patient Portal” – Hear it Before It’s Released!

Amy and I have sure been through lots of medical ordeals before. And now, during the pandemic, we’ve been trapped in multiple patient portals as medical practices increasingly move their patient information online . They promised efficiency and convenience, but it hasn’t always worked out that way! We know!

So we wrote a funny song containing our gripes about it.

The chorus goes: 

I'm a mere mortal
Trapped forever in a patient portal
Now patient is the hardest thing to be

It’s got an infectious ska groove that’ll make you dance as you gripe along with me!

So, enter your email below and I’ll immediately e-mail you a secret link to this new track.

Get the funny new song “Patient Portal”

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Here’s a TikTok of the chorus in my music recording software for you to sample:

@jasondidner

♬ original sound – Jason Didner Music
Jason Didner's new single, "Patient Portal."
Jason Didner’s new single, “Patient Portal”

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Album “It’s a Jersey Thing” Released Online

It’s been a long time coming! I felt strongly like there was some unfinished business — that these songs, recorded over the course of 25+ years, needed to be on an album. When you buy this album on Bandcamp, you get to download the tracks or stream them in the Bandcamp mobile app. You also make a statement that independently-created music has value, especially when you socially share the album here!

You can listen to the tracks below and decide about purchasing this Jersey-riffic collection. All purchases (compact disc or download/streaming) comes with a downloadable PDF booklet containing lyrics and stories behind the songs. The CD purchase also comes with the download and streaming access.

“It’s a Jersey Thing” is also on all streaming services, like Apple Music and Spotify.

Click here to find the album on your preferred streaming and download services.

And, just for kicks, here’s “You Can’t Get There from Here in Jersey” – the official video on YouTube.

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You Can’t Get There from here in Jersey

Premiering today at 11:30 Eastern-US

Hey friends! Let’s share a laugh over my latest recording and video – a new version of my most popular song over the years – “You Can’t Get There from Here in Jersey!”

The official video premieres today, Tuesday 6/28 at 11:30 AM Eastern.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get notified when premiere starts.

P.S.: Here’s a TikTok from shooting the new official video!

@jasondidner

A clip from my upcoming track #YouCantGetThwreFromHereInJersey on my album ItsAJerseyThing. Song first aired on NPR’s Car Talk in 2001.

♬ original sound – Jason Didner Music
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Out now – new single and video: “This Man’s Eyes”

I wrote this song for my wife Amy back in ’99 when we were dating. Then I sang it at our wedding. It’s an upbeat, feel-good rock’n’roll love song. Over the years I made some demo recordings of it. But now, recording technology has come so much further, has have my multi-instrumental skills. So it seemed the right time to try again and record what I’ve heard in my head all these years. And I’m delighted with the result. I hope you will be as well!

Here’s the YouTube video:

The single is on my Bandcamp, page (embedded below), Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and wherever you listen to streaming music.

As with all my new music, I offer it to my mailing list before it’s launched to the general public. If you want to get my next single before it’s released, sign up below.

Sign up and be the first to get my next track

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Coming Soon: Super Clean Escape Machine

A rock song and video about the many benefits of cycling

Super Clean Escape Machine single by Jason Didner, lyrics by Bob Didner

My father Bob, a fellow cyclist, told me he wrote a poem about cycling and would like me to set it to music, and that he had a concept for a video.

The anthemic rock track features multiple layers of harmony vocals, guitars, and keyboards. There’s a slide guitar solo that give s a nod to George Harrison’s immediately recognizable style.

Be the first to hear the single before its release! Enter your email address below to get a secret link to this upcoming track — it’s one of my best productions!

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When you sign up to receive email from me, you’ll get first looks and listens at my latest projects before they’re released – and you’ll know when my live events are happening – you’ll get convenient links to my streaming concerts right to your inbox.

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Exclusive-Get My New Song “Run With My Troubles”

Jason Didner's new, unreleased song Run With My Troubles is about how running and other forms of exercise help ease anxiety.

I’m working on a music video for my new song “Run With My Troubles.” This hard rock song carries an uplifting message about the effect of exercise on anxiety and stress. I played all the instruments on it, with special attention paid to guitar solo – a tribute to the late, great Edward Van Halen.

I want you to hear the song before it’s released!

Sign up to get my email notifications and I’ll send this track right to your inbox.

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To learn more about my exercise endeavors for my mental health, see my feature in Kidney Donor Athletes.

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New Single: “Salt and Sand”

My most essential song about maintaining optimism in hard times is out today as we leave the chaotic year 2020 behind and look forward to a better 2021.

The video for this song is scheduled for public release as part of a special event I will announce soon.

Right now the video is viewable only to subscribers to my emails. If you’re not getting my emails yet, sign up below and the exclusive link to the video will be sent right to your inbox.

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I wrote this song in 2004 and have included it in many of my live performances. Back then I made a few demo recordings, but now the time was right to give it a complete multi-instrumentalist treatment. I was very much thinking of “Big Man” Clarence Clemons from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band when I decided to break out the saxophone for this arrangement. I also played a metal xylophone known as a glockenspiel, giving the piano and sax part an extra sparkle on top.

Salt and Sand single by Jason Didner

This is the title track for an upcoming album dedicated to supporting your best mental health. “Salt and Sand: A Rock-n-Roll Journey to Mental Health” is due out by summer 2021.

Enjoy! And have a happy and prosperous year 2021! I look forward to sharing the new year’s abundance of well-being with you.