Harmonicas & Ukuleles
This has been an unusual summer so far.
For the most part I hate travelling. I've had 3 trips in the past two months. Living out of a suitcase, hating the clothes that I've packed, trying to squeeze all the liquids I'll need into a quart-sized ziplock bag... what the hell is up with that mister airport?
Planes, once so fascinating, have become Draconian endurance tests. Thankfully my wife found my iPod. I listened to a Patton Oswalt album on one flight... I was trembling with laughter the entire time - sure the other passengers thought I was having a seizure or something. Next flight I listened to The Magic Numbers album... such nice stuff. I did find myself skipping a couple of songs though... is there an album for you that you never hit the skip button? I mean, besides your Screaming Mimes album. I guess for me it's still Oranges & Lemons. There isn't a song on there that I'm never in the mood for. I'd like to add to that list...
So I got back from a short trip to Denver. I know a lot of people who rave about this state. I just didn't get it. To me it was like a scrubbier Kentucky. A few nice mountain ranges, but being without my paints it didn't do me any good. It seemed to take a hour & 20 minutes by bus to get anywhere. So-so... not impressed. Although I did enjoy seeing prairie dogs.
Last weekend we journeyed west to Brown County, Indiana - a small "artists colony" filled with little funky shops in the middle of some lush hills. 15 years ago I went there with my soon-to-be wife and a couple of bandmates. We had a great afternoon and we found a very strange music shop - I remember it was the first time I had seen a sitar in person. Unfortunately I couldn't afford the $1200 price tag for one of those, or I'd be raga-ing my butt off by now. Instead I picked up an $89 melodica - lime green, like the ones they used in music classes for grade schoolers back in the late 60's. It still makes a lovely tone. The Hooters made them infamous. I've tried to sneak it onto a Mimes album but so far it hasn't found a home.
Anyway, this time around I was greatly looking forward to finding that funky music store. Maybe the sitar hadn't sold and they'd marked it down a thousand dollars or so. Fortunately, the store was long gone, but instead I happened upon (and I do mean "happened upon" - some unseen force guided me down a tiny alley of uninviting shops and right to the front door) the Harmonica & Ukulele Store. They specialize in Bushman Ukes. As a matter of fact, I think they make the darn things right there... I'd been looking for a nicer uke ever since seeing Joe Brown play "I'll See You In My Dreams". Heck, it even goes back farther to that seen with Steve Martin & Bernadette Peters in "The Jerk" when they sing "Tonight You Belong To Me" on the beach. Sadly my little freebie ukulele couldn't really muster the proper tone (or stay in tune much) so I set out to track down a decent one. Must be big - I'm a big guy. Must be electric... never know when you might need one on stage. Must be cool looking.
So, I wandered in and starting touching all the instruments on the wall in the manner that is sure to annoy the shopkeep. My eyes gravitated towards a large cutaway model, concert tenor something, with nice pickups. I picked it up and strummed a few chords - not very good. But I really wanted one. I tried another... kinda buzzy, don't you think? Finally, on the corner of the rack, was a small pineapple shaped uke. I strummed it just to compare it to the others... what a sound! It played perfectly. Somehow my hands worked their way around the neck. But I didn't want a puny ukulele, I wanted something cool! I put it back and tried some of the other ones. After 20 minutes, I kept pulling up the small pineapple uke... it was undeniable. It was love. The store owner broke off his conversation with a local country band's saxophonist (must be one of the easiest jobs in music, like a death metal band's kazoo player) and began extolling the virtues of this particular instrument. It didn't matter - he couldn't have talked me out it if he'd offered a $50 sitar instead. The best part? It actually had a pick up hidden inside... I couldn't believe my fortune.
I've spent the last few days getting more familiar with the instrument - it is so relaxing to pull it out and strum for a while. I've written a few bits and pieces on it already and I've worked out "Tonight you Belong To Me". Still need to hit "I'll See You In My Dreams", though.
Whatever happened to Crispin Glover?
Last week Randy, Jim & I met at the studio and mixed "Suddenly" & "SHE". For "Suddenly" we added a little percussion and mixed the guitars a bit more on the chorus. A quick edit on the guitar solo and we were done. Randy pointed out that the break between the first chorus and second verse needs... something. Or needs to be edited out. Good idea. This morning I woke up early with a short melody in my head that fit perfectly. I recorded it with the mandolin and a strange whistle keyboard effect - I think it will work out nicely.
For "SHE" I wanted to totally redo my vocals. This song is a tough one to sing... it has some major interval changes in the melody and doesn't sound very good if I "over sing" it. It requires a weaker, softer approach. So I sat down in a chair as low as I could, darkened the vocal booth and closed my eyes... trying to get my voice into a more private state. After a few takes we got closer to the sound I wanted and I think we pulled off a good performance.
That leaves just a few more songs before the album is done. "Everything To Me" needs some drum-mixing... "She's Waiting" needs a little sparkle in the mix. "Pretty Soon Now", the epic album closer, needs one gigantic session in order to be finished. And then...
Next month we return to the stage at Great American Ball Park for a long afternoon show starting around 1:00. We really hope you can come out for that. Next will be MidPoint Music Fest in September. We'll be working like mad to have some great surprises for these shows and to have the album done in time for a big media/gig blitz this fall. We hope you can come out and be a part of these events... and we'll keep you posted.
For now, the uke is calling me. I must obey her plinky siren song...
For the most part I hate travelling. I've had 3 trips in the past two months. Living out of a suitcase, hating the clothes that I've packed, trying to squeeze all the liquids I'll need into a quart-sized ziplock bag... what the hell is up with that mister airport?
Planes, once so fascinating, have become Draconian endurance tests. Thankfully my wife found my iPod. I listened to a Patton Oswalt album on one flight... I was trembling with laughter the entire time - sure the other passengers thought I was having a seizure or something. Next flight I listened to The Magic Numbers album... such nice stuff. I did find myself skipping a couple of songs though... is there an album for you that you never hit the skip button? I mean, besides your Screaming Mimes album. I guess for me it's still Oranges & Lemons. There isn't a song on there that I'm never in the mood for. I'd like to add to that list...
So I got back from a short trip to Denver. I know a lot of people who rave about this state. I just didn't get it. To me it was like a scrubbier Kentucky. A few nice mountain ranges, but being without my paints it didn't do me any good. It seemed to take a hour & 20 minutes by bus to get anywhere. So-so... not impressed. Although I did enjoy seeing prairie dogs.
Last weekend we journeyed west to Brown County, Indiana - a small "artists colony" filled with little funky shops in the middle of some lush hills. 15 years ago I went there with my soon-to-be wife and a couple of bandmates. We had a great afternoon and we found a very strange music shop - I remember it was the first time I had seen a sitar in person. Unfortunately I couldn't afford the $1200 price tag for one of those, or I'd be raga-ing my butt off by now. Instead I picked up an $89 melodica - lime green, like the ones they used in music classes for grade schoolers back in the late 60's. It still makes a lovely tone. The Hooters made them infamous. I've tried to sneak it onto a Mimes album but so far it hasn't found a home.
Anyway, this time around I was greatly looking forward to finding that funky music store. Maybe the sitar hadn't sold and they'd marked it down a thousand dollars or so. Fortunately, the store was long gone, but instead I happened upon (and I do mean "happened upon" - some unseen force guided me down a tiny alley of uninviting shops and right to the front door) the Harmonica & Ukulele Store. They specialize in Bushman Ukes. As a matter of fact, I think they make the darn things right there... I'd been looking for a nicer uke ever since seeing Joe Brown play "I'll See You In My Dreams". Heck, it even goes back farther to that seen with Steve Martin & Bernadette Peters in "The Jerk" when they sing "Tonight You Belong To Me" on the beach. Sadly my little freebie ukulele couldn't really muster the proper tone (or stay in tune much) so I set out to track down a decent one. Must be big - I'm a big guy. Must be electric... never know when you might need one on stage. Must be cool looking.
So, I wandered in and starting touching all the instruments on the wall in the manner that is sure to annoy the shopkeep. My eyes gravitated towards a large cutaway model, concert tenor something, with nice pickups. I picked it up and strummed a few chords - not very good. But I really wanted one. I tried another... kinda buzzy, don't you think? Finally, on the corner of the rack, was a small pineapple shaped uke. I strummed it just to compare it to the others... what a sound! It played perfectly. Somehow my hands worked their way around the neck. But I didn't want a puny ukulele, I wanted something cool! I put it back and tried some of the other ones. After 20 minutes, I kept pulling up the small pineapple uke... it was undeniable. It was love. The store owner broke off his conversation with a local country band's saxophonist (must be one of the easiest jobs in music, like a death metal band's kazoo player) and began extolling the virtues of this particular instrument. It didn't matter - he couldn't have talked me out it if he'd offered a $50 sitar instead. The best part? It actually had a pick up hidden inside... I couldn't believe my fortune.
I've spent the last few days getting more familiar with the instrument - it is so relaxing to pull it out and strum for a while. I've written a few bits and pieces on it already and I've worked out "Tonight you Belong To Me". Still need to hit "I'll See You In My Dreams", though.
Whatever happened to Crispin Glover?
Last week Randy, Jim & I met at the studio and mixed "Suddenly" & "SHE". For "Suddenly" we added a little percussion and mixed the guitars a bit more on the chorus. A quick edit on the guitar solo and we were done. Randy pointed out that the break between the first chorus and second verse needs... something. Or needs to be edited out. Good idea. This morning I woke up early with a short melody in my head that fit perfectly. I recorded it with the mandolin and a strange whistle keyboard effect - I think it will work out nicely.
For "SHE" I wanted to totally redo my vocals. This song is a tough one to sing... it has some major interval changes in the melody and doesn't sound very good if I "over sing" it. It requires a weaker, softer approach. So I sat down in a chair as low as I could, darkened the vocal booth and closed my eyes... trying to get my voice into a more private state. After a few takes we got closer to the sound I wanted and I think we pulled off a good performance.
That leaves just a few more songs before the album is done. "Everything To Me" needs some drum-mixing... "She's Waiting" needs a little sparkle in the mix. "Pretty Soon Now", the epic album closer, needs one gigantic session in order to be finished. And then...
Next month we return to the stage at Great American Ball Park for a long afternoon show starting around 1:00. We really hope you can come out for that. Next will be MidPoint Music Fest in September. We'll be working like mad to have some great surprises for these shows and to have the album done in time for a big media/gig blitz this fall. We hope you can come out and be a part of these events... and we'll keep you posted.
For now, the uke is calling me. I must obey her plinky siren song...
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