Breeders Tribute Update

I picked the next group of songs for the tribute recording project maybe a month ago.
"Only in 3's"
"The She"
"Little Fury"
"London Song"
"Doe"
"Opened"
"Too Alive"
"Put on a Side"
"Sinister Foxx"
"Tipp City"
"I Am Decided"
"Forced to Drive"
"Bragging Party"
"Empty Glasses"
"Istanbul"

Two weeks ago I spent a weekend working out the drum parts (hurt my back sitting on the drum throne stooped over writing notes using my snare as a desk too long...and it still hurts...old!), and last weekend and the week prior recorded the drum parts. They aren't perfect, but most are "good enough."

Last night I was in good "Kim" voice coming off of a long CJ rehearsal that ended with me singing "Into the White," "Manta Ray," and "Bam Thwok" right in a row...so I rushed home and started recording. Got down lead vox for all but Only in 3s, Too Alive, Bragging Party (discovered 3/4 of way through song that I'm missing the lyrics for the last verse), and Istanbul. It was a late night (relatively) and I found myself a bit exhausted with sore legs and back after standing playing bass for 3 hours and then standing a 4th and into a 5th hour to sing...but well worth the effort.  Again...old.

I realized on the ride into work that I've established a very strong pattern for this project which makes surprising sense. Typically when you are recording from scratch you start with drums to set the foundation. I've done this in this project too even though it isn't necessary at all because I use the original recordings as scratch tracks and don't even listen to the tracks I've recorded until the whole song is done. Why, I wondered? It is as simple as the fact that drums are the easiest thing to pick up first. They are intuitive. Even a non-musician can clap along to a recording. I spend a few weeks listening and learning and writing out notation for the drums...and then I record them when they are pretty good. I can't wait to record, I have to work out the drums, practice them a few times, and then record soon. If I go a week or two without working them, I lose them. By that time I've heard the tunes enough times that the vocals are second nature. So I do those next. Once I have to figure out actual notes...my go to is bass. It always has been even back in the days before I PLAYED bass. When I wanted to learn a song in my 20s, I played along to it by picking out the root notes first, and then translating those into chords. And so it is now. Once bass is done all that's left is lead and rhythm guitar. I've been doing lead first, because, I think, they are single notes and easier to pick out. Then I wrap up with guitar because I'm terrible at playing the barre and power chord structures. It is an entirely logical, and accidental, system.

Breeders Tribute Progress

I went ahead and finished the last 8 songs of "Pointless Recording Project Part Two" (having Monday off was admittedly key to getting this done). This brings the current total on "theBreedArs" project page to 32 songs. Depending on how one counts these things (what counts as a Breeders song and what doesn't is a more philosophical question than you might expect)...that leaves somewhere between 26 and 45 tunes remaining in the full catalog (plus, perhaps, a few rarities that I don't want to even think about). As the great Barney Stinson was want to say when no one at all in the world wanted him to do something: "Challenge accepted.

Breeders Tribute update

I'm up to 24 Breeders Tribute tunes posted now. I feel myself leaning in to the concept of just fucking recording them all.

My standards are going down too. Get it done is the new policy. Really what the fuck difference does it make? No one is paying attention anyway.

There is something profoundly satisfying about finishing a song...warts and all. It may be the last safe high in my life.

So the Pointless Recording Project Wasn't So Pointless Afterall (plus running live sound!)

Been recording Breeders covers since April and calling it pointless, but really it was learning for recording what I will consider a demo but the rest of the group will consider a major studio release for one my bands. I'm not sure we're ready to record, but people get excited about these things and I've at least talked them down to not spending money on the thing and instead just spending my time. We've narrowed the recording session to a targeted 8 hours over one weekend in September. Which weekend tbd. I started working on the details in earnest last night. I think I will use the analog mixer to create a "drum bus" of 4 mics on the drum kit. Run that into the digital mixer along with 2 vox, a guitar mic, and a bass DI xlr line. Then into the interface and on to ye olde shitty laptop. A bit of on-board reverb on both vox. Stick the guitar in a separate closed room. Hope for the best on bleed into and from the vocals. We'll see how it goes. If all else fails I'll throw a stereo pair on the bitch instead and call it done.

In other news, hanging out pretending like I'm gonna become sound person for a band with a Sunday night residency gig. Reading the Yamaha bible on "Sound Reinforcement." Watching videos online about running a digital board. Fairly certain that I could run the sound at this gig with absolutely no knowledge what-so-ever, but I'd like to learn proper-like all the same. Debating offering myself up to run sound at Showase 1&2 in 2015 as a "work toward goal" but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Probably I could have my shit reasonably together by then. Also thinking about pestering my buddy that I shadowed that one time to let me do it again. I kinda got overwhelmed on that deal and dropped the ball. But I think I've taken enough steps forward now to get back to it again.

Breeders Part 2 Status

Finished "Head to Toe" last night and posted it this morning. I'm really pleased with it. Threw a kazoo on there cause I couldn't figure out the effect in one place.



The way these things always seem to go I was feeling stuck...then suddenly recorded all the vox. Then one day...all the drums. Then...a round of bass and they were done. So all that's left is guitar parts now and some minor backing vox. Decided it would be nice to have one finished song, so wrapped up "Head to Toe" last night.

Once I get on a roll, they seem to come really quickly...which begs the question...why stop? If all goes well I will have 31 songs completed at the end of this stretch.  They only have about 64 songs total(at least that I'm aware of). So I'm halfway through doing all of their songs. A tipping point if you will. Sure, what's left is what doesn't interest me...but that's the way it was when we learned the Pixies tunes too. Eventually I'll love them all through repetition. Anyway, it seems like a real possibility. And wouldn't that be a hoot...to have learned the entire catalog...and every part on every song...for a single band? At the rate I'm going, the whole thing would likely only take 4-6 months.

And then they will release new music...and of course, the current total is 76 if you include The Amps and 84 (soon to be 86) if you include the solo series. Both of which I am likely to include. Still...it is a Pixies-size catalog, and I know that is a chunk I can handle.

Breeders Tribute Part 2

Put down drum tracks for a few songs (can't remember which ones now) a week or so ago. Last Friday I recorded 11 vocal tracks because I was in good voice that day. Essentially I got down everything except "Fate to Fatal" (no idea what the lyrics are) and "Don't Call Home" (this is really low, I'm gonna have to work on it awhile).

The plan is to do these 13 songs, though I'm still waivering about "Freed Pig" and "It's the Love" since they are covers ("Shocker" is too, but it is a must). Technically "Pacer" is a tune by The Amps, but that's probably close enough.

Shocker in Gloomtown
Head to Toe
Bang On
Don't Call Home
Fate to Fatal
Fortunately Gone
Hellbound
Walk It Off
When I Was a Painter
Lime House
Freed Pig
It's the Love
Pacer

SVFD, July 2nd, Frequency

Opened for Wiseguys and Scalawags and The Bottles.  We played the same set we've played at the last two shows including encores.  All went pretty well. A small but friendly crowd. We are officially on hiatus until after the trombone player recovers from having a baby (that's a first).

Setlist:
Rascal King
About a Girl
Came Out of A Lady
Sergio
Lost Again
Spiderwebs
Rudy
Lemuel
Red Rubber Ball
I Don't Love You Anymore
Dandelions
Thigh High
Mr. Smiley
Wallet
Metro
Somewhere in the Between
I will survive