I've been meaning to write about my publicity efforts for Save You From Yourself, but we have a FAR MORE SERIOUS matter to discuss, people:
I think my new album may be cursed.
Some evidence:
I sent a CD to a writer at No Depression. Two weeks later they announce the magazine is folding.
Then I sent one to an associate editor at a local arts weekly. She just got laid off.
And then I contacted a local radio show that features singer-songwriters, offering to send a CD. Guess what? They're discontinuing the show.
Coincidence? I have several theories:
My CD radiates dark magical energy that plays havoc with the fabric of the Universe
The album is so awful, whole media outlets would rather shut down altogether than listen to it
Traditional print and radio are having a tough time securing ad revenue these days as paying advertisers follow the migration of listener attention and music journalism to the Web
Leprechauns
I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.
Unfortunately I can't really use this to my advantage. "Hey you! You'd better review my album, or I'll...I'll...send you one." That doesn't even make sense.
...aaand, just a reminder that I'm still giving away bonus MP3s, posters and acoustic CDs to anyone who buys two or more CDs from Amazon, CD Baby or directly from me via Paypal. Just make sure to email me your Amazon receipt (with your sensitive info removed), because they won't send me your contact info.
This is a song that didn't make the cut for Save You From Yourself. Not that there's anything wrong with it. It's a perfectly good song! But I didn't think it fit anywhere on the album. It's also thematically similar to "You Are Loved," except it's way more unsubtle with the flying/falling hubris metaphor, and I liked that song better anyway.
I originally planned to record this as an acoustic demo with the ashiko, but I already had the "real" drum track finished so last winter I laid down rock guitars and rock bass and rock stuff. Then it sat for awhile while Jim and I finished the record. I finally recorded the vocals last week. Lyrics-wise I'm pretty proud of the verses.
You're up in the air again now
we lifted you up
and now you're coming back down
You're up in the air again now
and now you're coming back down
I wanted to see you stumble
just to see you in a less than perfect light
the jealous ones, when you caught their eye
you wrote them off with the perfect rhyme
pretending you don't care enough
but I think you just might
you set yourself up...
You're up in the air again now
we lifted you up
and now you're coming back down
You're up in the air again now
and now you're coming back down
I wanted to write this all down
so I'd remember what this felt like years from now
you slipped away like we knew you would
it's ten years gone and it still feels good
remembering how I lied to you
just to prove I could
you set yourself up...
You're up in the air again now
we lifted you up
and now you're coming back down
You're up in the air again now
and now you're coming back...
[gtr solo]
Did you really think they were gonna let you win?
you set yourself up...
"Building an adventure in D&D requires the same imagination as constructing a screenplay. Running a campaign is like running a TV show. D&D isn’t where we learned to write, but where we learned to think epic."
There are only a few places people trust with their credit cards, and SnoCap ain't one of them. Why bother with widgets when you can just link to Amazon?
"I have every record Ricky Lee Jones has ever made including the boot legs that she sells...[But] she doesn’t know who I am, she never talks to me. And then every once in a while her record label tries to yell at me..."
This primer on how to read music is basic but still pretty awesome. I've always been a complete muggle when it comes to music theory. Years and years of lessons and one semester of Music Theory 101 in college -- none of it stuck.
"Here's how you know: if someone refers to a regular die as a 'six-sider' -- like, 'hey, hand me that six-sider there' -- you know right away he's played, because that implies that at some point he's used dice with more than six sides."
Last summer, when I should have been working on the album, I spent some time remixing "Pushover." I had originally thrown this tune away as a misfit, but surprisingly I got a lot of positive feedback on it, and eventually it kind of grew on me. This new mix is much improved, so I'm posting it here.
The bare tracks were just awful. I cleaned up and remixed the vocals first, followed by the bass, which (if you ask me) drives the whole tune. Since I don't own a Rickenbacker 4001 like Chris Squire does I settled for my cheap Fender bass through an overdrive plugin. Then I edited out every bit of extra noise I could find and slapped noise gates on everything.
When mixing I try to set everything where it's supposed to be and not "ride the faders" at all, but this time I used some automation stuff to weave the guitars in and out a bit. There's a lot of guitars in this mix -- two acoustics and four electrics, not counting the intro guitar and the pretty arpeggios that come right after the bridge. My point is: this was a hard song to mix. :)
The end result is a more ballsy mix, IMO. I like it. :)
For the curious, this song has something to do with being worried that others mean to do you harm, when in reality no one's really paying attention.
Lyrics -- and a bonus -- after the jump.
Pushover
[audio:demos/scottandrew-pushover_060707.mp3]
Did you read this far? Cool, here's an instrumental version you can sing along to:
Turn, you're always turning away from us
as if there's nothing here you can trust
the hardest thing to learn
is you don't have to be such a trusting soul
I know you don't wanna give control
to anyone anymore
And I believe it's good for you
to see how the world don't slow down for you
and I believe these words are true:
no one's gonna waste their time
waiting in line just to push you over
Strange, yeah here comes the change again
you know it's not gonna let you win
it's a complicated thing
and here come the kids with their brand new bag
but no one's coming to burn your flag
and I doubt they ever will
And I believe it's good for you
to see how the world don't slow down for you
and I believe these words are true:
no one's gonna waste their time
waiting in line just to push you over again
And you know a little uncertainty
won't set you back
yeah a little change in the world
is not gonna set you back
it's not gonna break your back again
And I believe it's good for you
to see how the world don't slow down for you
and I believe these words are true:
no one's gonna waste their time
waiting in line just to push you over
waiting in line just to push you over
waiting in line just to push you over again
dit dit dit da da da da
dit dit dit da da da da
dit dit dit da da da da
I've been shopping for a new bass guitar all month. I love playing bass, but I know almost nothing about them. Plus, there's the small issue of not wanting to spend a lot of money. Like $300 or less. This complicates things.
After spending hours trolling bass forums and Craigslist, last weekend I picked up an 1981 Peavey T-40 from a guy in Tacoma who collects them (he had four T-40s and was selling off two). They don't make them anymore and they're just on the edge of "vintage," but they're not exactly rare.
The T-40 is built like a tank. I read somewhere that Peavey used firearm design for inspiration, and I believe it. Everything about it feels weaponized. It's also way heavier than any other bass I've tried. The intonation is great, and I'm only beginning to grok all the tone controls.
It's got a few dings and scuffs -- which I prefer to think of as scars.
The original heavy bronze strings were too hurty for my soft, delicate hands, so I replaced them with some DR Lo Riders, and now I don't cry so much when I play it -- which is a lot. Play it, that is. I'm a little obsessed with the T-40.
I must give it a badass-sounding name. Suggestions?
Back in late 2006 I got together with Creeping Time to record some live tracks in their rehearsal space. We basically set up mics and went for it, no overdubs. Michael and I had an idea to release an EP with the tracks, but it just didn't come together for various reasons.
I recently found the CDR with some of the sessions on my desk. Here's the first take of "At The Airport" which also happens to be the most delightful, IMO.
Overheard at a birthday gathering last weekend:
I've been shopping for a new bass guitar all month. I love playing bass, but I know almost nothing about them. Plus, there's the small issue of not wanting to spend a lot of money. Like $300 or less. This complicates things.