Monday, August 22, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Octopus EP update
We've been recording an EP over the past couple of weeks, and it has been going GREAT. I don't want to jinx it or anything, but...
We have had the privilege of working with Driveway, aka David Moore, and his two ADATs, for the rhythm tracks and the rest of the instruments.
Driveway brought his gear out to the country to our basement. He and Jerrod set up the couches on end and created a space where we could record drums, bass, keyboards, and guitar at the same time.
After a breakfast of eggs, garlic Gruyere sausage, and sour dough bread, we got to it.
Mike O'Malley on keys, Jerrod Smith on drums, Jon Bohlen on bass, and myself on guitar.
The keyboards were run direct, with the guitar and bass going through our respective amplifiers.
The sound is big and warm, thanks to those ADATs and Driveway's expert microphone placement.
We got eight songs done that day, but decided to go with these seven songs for our first EP:
Octopus
Slow Driver
Walking on Shark (with new Little Fish outro)
Swimming Pool
Al's Diner
Shitty Day
and Three Big Squids.
We were very happy with the rhythm tracks.
Up next was Little P, putting melodica on Octopus and accordion on the rest.
We were very happy with everything she did. Great work.
Then, Erin Hayes on flute. This was yesterday, and we had a blast.
We were very happy with everything she did. Great work.
Our next step will be to get our resident banjo player, Emily Stewart, on all the tracks (she has already put the dixie honkalulu on Walking on Shark).
I imagine this last phase will go swimmingly, as Emily is a gosh darn professional.
Then we will be off to see the amazing Ben Singer, who will dump the tracks from the ADAT machines to ProTools. He is a technical genius.
Once the tracks have been dumped, we're off to Reidsville. We'll be at On Pop of the World Studios to record vocals, make really small edits, and mix.
Everything that Tommy Flake, aka Randy Seals, has been doing out there lately (Crystal Bright, Mike O'Malley, DC Carter, new Tommy Flake stuff, etc.) sounds wicked cool- especially vocals- so I'm really excited to be working with him again.
That's the update for now. I really can't wait for you all to hear this stuff.
-matty sheets
We have had the privilege of working with Driveway, aka David Moore, and his two ADATs, for the rhythm tracks and the rest of the instruments.
Driveway brought his gear out to the country to our basement. He and Jerrod set up the couches on end and created a space where we could record drums, bass, keyboards, and guitar at the same time.
After a breakfast of eggs, garlic Gruyere sausage, and sour dough bread, we got to it.
Mike O'Malley on keys, Jerrod Smith on drums, Jon Bohlen on bass, and myself on guitar.
The keyboards were run direct, with the guitar and bass going through our respective amplifiers.
The sound is big and warm, thanks to those ADATs and Driveway's expert microphone placement.
We got eight songs done that day, but decided to go with these seven songs for our first EP:
Octopus
Slow Driver
Walking on Shark (with new Little Fish outro)
Swimming Pool
Al's Diner
Shitty Day
and Three Big Squids.
We were very happy with the rhythm tracks.
Up next was Little P, putting melodica on Octopus and accordion on the rest.
We were very happy with everything she did. Great work.
Then, Erin Hayes on flute. This was yesterday, and we had a blast.
We were very happy with everything she did. Great work.
Our next step will be to get our resident banjo player, Emily Stewart, on all the tracks (she has already put the dixie honkalulu on Walking on Shark).
I imagine this last phase will go swimmingly, as Emily is a gosh darn professional.
Then we will be off to see the amazing Ben Singer, who will dump the tracks from the ADAT machines to ProTools. He is a technical genius.
Once the tracks have been dumped, we're off to Reidsville. We'll be at On Pop of the World Studios to record vocals, make really small edits, and mix.
Everything that Tommy Flake, aka Randy Seals, has been doing out there lately (Crystal Bright, Mike O'Malley, DC Carter, new Tommy Flake stuff, etc.) sounds wicked cool- especially vocals- so I'm really excited to be working with him again.
That's the update for now. I really can't wait for you all to hear this stuff.
-matty sheets
Saturday, April 30, 2011
A Big Week/Musical Community (?) (!)
What a week.
First of all we would like to thank Greensboro and the Triad and Yes Weekly for voting us runner-up for best new band. Wow.
Right behind our friends, Amelia's Mechanics.
So, thanks so much.
Next, I started a blog/web page where I post ALL live music events happening in Greensboro. It has been useful, apparently. It keeps getting traffic and I keep updating it- check it out HERE and tell me what you think. LMIG.
Crystal Bright started a group on FB with the sole purpose of connecting all bands and performers. Maybe we CAN have a musical community? This stuff excites me.
Then we got put on the bill with David Mayfield Parade at the Blind Tiger- thanks to our sedulous and assiduous manager, Melodi Fentress. We'll be playing there this Thursday, May 5th. Cinco de Mayo. Molly McGinn, from Amelia's Mechanics just may be there. She just may sing a song with us, too. You never know.
Hope to see you at the show!
Monday, April 18, 2011
25 boring status updates (share your excitement with your friends)
For all of your social media needs, this list of boring status updates should help you keep posting even when there's nothing to say. I have compiled this list from my own experiences, because I care. Please feel free to leave your own ideas in the form of a comment below. The best, or most boring, will make it to the next boring status update post entitled: more boring status updates.
1. I am drinking grape kool-aid.
2. My laundry is almost ready to be moved to the dryer.
3. The dog is almost dry enough to come inside. He went in the pond earlier.
4. I can feel a couple of hairs in my mustache that need to be trimmed. (male)
5. I can feel a couple of hairs on my knee that need to be trimmed. (female?)
6. I'm pretty sure that the cat just said something in French and the dog was offended.
7. I like Dijon better than yellow, brown, or honey mustard.
8. I was going to get a chocolate bar from the store, but they were closed.
9. I have red laces in my shoes.
10. My socks are brown.
11. I think I'm sitting a bit crooked due to the notebook in my back pocket.
12. One time I saw a UFO, I think.
13. I thought I saw a friend of mine in the car next to me, but then they turned their head and it wasn't them.
14. Sometimes my glasses just get dirty, like magic.
15. I think I have a lazy eye, but I forgot which one.
16. The temperature in here is quite nice.
17. I just opened the dishwasher while it was running.
18. I am drinking hot coffee.
19. I left the house and forgot to put my laundry in the dryer.
20. I like black felt tip pens.
21. My middle name is ______.
22. I saw a motorcycle today.
23. Sometimes I forget what I'm
24. Not getting much done since moving to writer's block.
25. I have to go to the bathroom, but I wanna see how long I can hold it.
Share this with your friends. It may help them.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
on the subject of recording.
We (the Blockheads) have been a band for a little over a year now. We've had slight changes in the line-up, but most of us have been playing together since March 2010. We recorded some live stuff in a basement, some of which is pretty good. We played on Radio Greensboro, and the lovely folks at WUAG 103.1 FM (UNCG's radio station) recorded it all for us, and some of it sounds pretty good. Our entire set from that performance can be found on our website HERE.
Now it's a new year. We have some new players. We are developing a sound that's, as rooted as it may be to the style of music that we started playing, different. It's like we got a better boat.
So now that we've evolved a bit, we are going to make a recording. Right now we are shooting for a seven song EP or a nine song short album.
We will be working with David Driveway Moore on this project. He's a great producer, engineer, singer, and musician. We have worked together in the past, both in bands and on soundtrack music for short films from the illustrious Monkeywhale Productions, based here in Greensboro.
Driveway and I talk about working with Monkeywhale, Harvey Robinson, Carolyn de Berry, and music in general HERE in this video from MWP (Monkeywhale Productions).
It seems like a good fit, and a natural choice. Driveway uses essentially all analog recording gear, so our sound will be warm and big.
Being comfortable and relaxed at a recording session is priceless to me. I believe that this set-up, this producer, this band, and these songs, will all come together to make something good.
And I can't wait.
Hopefully we will have this done and available by late summer or early fall, depending on our pace and finances.
Have I mentioned that I can't wait to start? 'Cause I can't.
-matty sheets
Now it's a new year. We have some new players. We are developing a sound that's, as rooted as it may be to the style of music that we started playing, different. It's like we got a better boat.
So now that we've evolved a bit, we are going to make a recording. Right now we are shooting for a seven song EP or a nine song short album.
We will be working with David Driveway Moore on this project. He's a great producer, engineer, singer, and musician. We have worked together in the past, both in bands and on soundtrack music for short films from the illustrious Monkeywhale Productions, based here in Greensboro.
Driveway and I talk about working with Monkeywhale, Harvey Robinson, Carolyn de Berry, and music in general HERE in this video from MWP (Monkeywhale Productions).
It seems like a good fit, and a natural choice. Driveway uses essentially all analog recording gear, so our sound will be warm and big.
Being comfortable and relaxed at a recording session is priceless to me. I believe that this set-up, this producer, this band, and these songs, will all come together to make something good.
And I can't wait.
Hopefully we will have this done and available by late summer or early fall, depending on our pace and finances.
Have I mentioned that I can't wait to start? 'Cause I can't.
-matty sheets
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