I have been playing games with gear of late. There are two overdrive pedals on the rhythm guitar tracks. Both have their gain control on zero and their volume control maxed. The amp is a low wattage tube amp, and pushing in a crap load of input signal is enough to push the tubes into overdrive. There are a couple of songs coming that added a third overdrive pedal set the same way and it’s a really sweet distorted sound. It’s almost like I know what I’m doing.
Tag: Recording
More Music
Crazy morning, I tells ya.
Five songs worth of vocals, two songs worth of lead guitars, and three songs worth of rhythm guitars… and it ain’t even noon yet!
Obligatory I-worked-on-guitars pic:
Obligatory I-did-vocals-in-the-movie-theater-parking-lot pic:
Obligatory I-drove-home-through-the-center-of-town pic:
Non-obligatory I-managed-to-switch-modes-and-screen-shot-when-I-dropped-my-phone-in-Methuen-Center pic:
I Think I’m Done
The second round of guitar playing didn’t last quite as long as the first, and I’ve reached the point where my hands just won’t do it anymore. I think I’m done for the day.
The progress tally is five songs got all of the rhythm guitar tracks, four got their lead guitar tracks, and one got both. I am leaving things with five songs ready for vocals (car vocals in the morning, maybe?) and four ready to mix. There are seven songs still waiting for rhythm guitar, and one that doesn’t have a song form yet. All of that on top of the 21 that are already mixed and uploaded and counted on the 50/90 site. That puts my current total at 38 out of 50 with a couple of days less than half the project still to go.
Yikes!
I’m going to go make dinner and then play some World of Warcraft with my Bride.
And on an unrelated note, I just read that Don Everly died. Rest in peace, Everly Brother.
Break Time
I did all the rhythm tracks on three songs and all the leads on four and my hands are done for a while. Time to take a lunch/episode of Titans break and then get back to it.

More Hurricane Fun
We could be getting hit with an actual hurricane on Sunday. We got hit with the dying remains of one yesterday, and now here comes Henri. Read about it here.
So we had rain almost every day in July. August has been better, but still ridiculously rainy. Our cellar has had water in it for over a month now, and here comes an honest to goodness hurricane.
How’s about a big giant fuck you to mother nature, huh? I think she’s earned it. Asshole.
In honor of this meteorological kick in the balls, here is a song inspired by a hurricane…
…and here is another song inspired by a different hurricane…
Finally Some Progress
I did some singing in the car today and while I am still a terrible singer and still don’t particularly enjoy singing, I feel a lot better than I did yesterday.
I had three songs ready for vocals and four (I said three in my post last night but it was actually four) that had lyrics but no guitars. I finished the three that were ready and one of the ones that wasn’t quite ready. It didn’t go well, but it is good progress and I haven’t made any real progress in a full week. Sigh of relief.
I go to my parents house tonight and I will be there all day tomorrow so no guitar until Sunday. I need to make some serious time for it on Sunday. It’s important. Yesterday was the half way point of the 50/90 project and while I am doing well (38 in the pipeline, 21 of which are finished), I was hoping I would be further along. I am afraid I am losing steam.
I did not, however, take a picture on the way home so… I guess this car music post is finished.
Planning for Tomorrow
I did some 50/90 work tonight. I wrote lyrics to a couple of songs and generally tried to set myself up for some car singing tomorrow. I have three songs that are ready for vocals, meaning they have rhythm guitars tracked and melodies and lyrics written. There are three other songs that don’t have rhythm guitars but do have melodies and lyrics. I added some awful sounding midi guitar tracks to use as guides so I can add vocals out of order.
Now I just have to wake up early tomorrow morning and do it… and it’s 11:33 right now so with each passing moment the chances of getting up early tomorrow get slimmer and slimmer.
So why am I typing this?
20 Songs Down, 30 to Go
20 songs down. 40% of the project is complete.
I told you I was going to mix a song tonight.
Here it is:
I still have five minutes of “exercise” to do, and then maybe I’ll try to sleep. It’s 11:06 and all is quiet on the parental front. Fingers crossed.
Song Number 18
It’s in 5/4 time so it’s prog, right? That’s all you need? An odd time signature? That’s the rules?
Song Number 17
Today’s 50/90 progress was impressive (to no one on Earth but me). Four vocals, one rhythm guitar, five lead guitars, and one mix…
Today was the listening party for the RPM Challenge’s Record Every Month thing. I forgot to submit a song back in June, and I forgot again for July. Sorry. This song here was written and recorded entirely in August so that means I am still up to date on R.E.M. even though I haven’t submitted a couple of times. I have written and recorded at least one song each month since the challenge started in March.
As for 50/90, 17 songs down and 33 to go.





