Project Update

Just a short what’s-going-on today.

Jill and I saw The Combine at Davey’s Uptown in KC last night; this hip-hop duo are friends of mine.  I mastered their new album (still unreleased) back around November and they’re still slotted to put out an exclusive EP on MFR.  Big ups to opener Jus Kos from Denver
B is coming over in a couple hours to record his vocals for SR’s “You Have To Wear The Boots”!  I’m excited to be making progress on “…Boots,” and it’s been fun to have the songs bubble back into my consciousness after a long break.

5*C has been playing shows, with two new songs in our set.  We’re hoping to arrange two more at our next practice.  It’s too early to say anything about recording, but a 10-song disc with remastered tracks from both EPs, “Bang! Bang!” and an interlude by Danny is available at shows.
Fifty Bears in a Fight worked up a new song at our last practice based on a riff I wrote in Mexico in June.  We’re going to demo five (!) new instrumentals at our next get-together.  We’re also collaborating with a local singer who is interested in working alongside Tim to provide us with vocals.  The shape of that relationship is still being formed.

Matt is working on a customized kick drum stand for me that will let me mount my kick with the heads facing up and down, so I can hit it with sticks from one side (like a floor tom) and a reversed pedal from the bottom.  Clear as mud?  This is a necessary piece of equipment for the way I envison the rhythms for “Ventura” will come together.  I’m pretty stoked.

I was working on a new tune last night, nothing finished, but in the vein of “Cooky” (see lyrics posted below).  Looks like my album after “…Not Nothing”/Sleepover?/”…Boots”/”Ventura” might be a kind of straight-up pop like I haven’t done since the echoes stuff.  It would probably be less punk and more eclectic than those EPs.  Also, Cari Ann sang some harmonies with me the other day, and that was pretty kicking.  We were singing “Ventura” songs, so I’m not sure how much sense it makes to have guy-girl vocals matched with those lyrics, but there’s some rich potential there for something.

I have website ideas too.  I’m getting super-itchy to get a new release out; Matt and I just need to block off some time and wrap up “There is Something and not nothing.”  Then we’ll have a killer release party at my house, I have it all planned out.  Including a treat for you guys who won’t be able to make it to KC :-)

-h