March 30, 2011

Redux

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Oh my! Here I go again with my sporadic posting. I swear I'll get back on the wagon soon.


Here is why I'm neglecting my bloggerly duties this time around:

My taxes nearly killed me this year, and I've just accepted that they will not be done on time. I don't think I've ever finished them late, but fuck it, I'd rather pay a fee than lose my brain over this.

I start my new job on Monday. I got a briefing from my new boss today.... Just a quick recap of my duties. Folks? The experience will be great, I have no doubt, but the workload might just finish me off. I will be dead to the world. (Attached to this stress: I still need to move my office and train my replacement)

I have to mix four songs before the album can move onto the next stage. But I have no time. And my producer has no time. So there they sit, waiting for some love. Poor unfinished songs.

I've become addicted to Harry Potter fan fiction. Whatever, don't judge. Something's got to take my mind off my panic-inducing To Do list.

I'm playing a gig this Saturday and although I'm pumped, there's a whole lot of stuff I need to do to prepare. No time! GAAAAH!

My backyard has become a mud pit, and as such, my house has become indescribably messy. I really need to get some grass out there. If I see another muddy paw print on my clean duvet cover, I'm going to cry.

I think there's more, but frankly, I think I've bored you enough. More soon when I've got something fun to talk about!

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March 24, 2011

Feverish Tossing and Turning

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Booooo, I have been felled by a nasty cold.


I stayed home from work today, but I've got three meetings tomorrow that I can't miss, so it appears that I'll be going in no matter how I feel.

Have I mentioned that I only have one more week at my current job, and then I'm off to do my six-month contract? I can't believe how quickly it happened, even with all that nonsense to find a replacement. Anyway, I'm excited, but I have no idea what to expect. I've been in my current job for four years now, and it's a little daunting to move into something completely different, away from my coworkers. I mean, totally, completely different. Thank goodness I like a challenge.

The album stuff is coming along nicely, and I actually have a gig coming up if any of you Ottawa folks want to see me play.... I'll be at Irene's on April 2nd. It will be a grand time.

Off for a night of feverish tossing and turning! Huzzah!

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March 22, 2011

Sigh of Relief

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Aaaaah. I am done (for now) with the studio, 6 songs finished and four more almost done. I'll need to book an evening here or there to finish up completely, but it feels good to be so far along.

Amazingly, I woke up this morning with a sore throat, and I'm currently wrapped in a blanket because I can't seem to get warm enough. If I have indeed come down with a cold, I am incredibly thankful that it waited to attack until I was done singing into a mic.

Reflecting on my recording experience this time around, it's pretty clear that I've learned a shit-ton in a short amount of time.

As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, my last album took a year to make. All the tracks except one were heavily edited and multitracked, and we let ourselves get obsessed with the details. I don't regret that at all, but it is what it is.

This album was basically recorded in three weekends. All except two of the songs were recorded live of the floor (me singing and playing at the same time) and those tracks were all meant to be scratch takes. After listening back, we decided they were actually good enough to keep.

I realize my tone of "voice" may not translate through my writing, but if I were telling you this in person, I'd sound amazed. I can't believe how quickly this album has come together. If you had told me a year ago that I'd be using live scratch tracks as the base for an entire CD, I'd have laughed you into next week. A lot of things I did this time around were techniques I had abandoned years ago, or simply ignored. Yes, it's not as polished as Sleeper was, but it's got an energy that Sleeper didn't have. I'm really proud of it.

We're still months away from having physical copies in our hot little hands, but I'll let you all know how it's going as we inch towards the goal.

I'm off to bed with the hopes of avoiding a full-blown illness.... More soon!

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March 17, 2011

Strange Runes

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Hello sugars!

To make up for the fact that I've been such an absentee blogger, I present to you a picture of my hair.

Or lack thereof.


Milan took it (thanks Milan!), stating that "You need a record of the fact that someone shaved strange runes into your head." What can I say? I asked for something improvised and weird, and I'm not disappointed in the least.

In other news, I have a start date for the new job. I can't believe it! Things will be mind-bogglingly busy from now until July, but I think I'll learn a lot. Not sure what they'll make of my hair, but they're just going to have deal.

I promise I'll get back to regular blogging after this weekend - my last full one in studio. I miss it already.

xo

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March 14, 2011

Things Be Crazy

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Remember that time I fell off the face of the earth and forgot to update my blog? Dang.


Apologies for things being a bit sparse here. Things be crazy.


I'm approaching what is likely the last block of time I've got to work on the album. I love deadlines, but man, I sure hope I get everything done!

Some other exciting things:

- I'm getting ready to start brainstorming the CD package with my graphic designer. She is scary good, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with.

- We've hired a trumpet player! I kept hearing the potential for muted trumpet when we listened back to certain songs, and luckily my producer knew of someone perfect.

- Looks like we're getting some fiddle too! Yeah!

- I'm waiting for manufacturing quotes, and I'm nervous about how much it's going to cost me.

*************************
On the job front, they've agreed to let me take the job, but first they need to find a replacement. You can see where this is going: they can't seem to find a replacement.

(groan)

I will call on my inner Transformer if they try and back out of it. I guess we'll just wait and see.


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March 7, 2011

Blankly

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1. I won the fight. Thanks, inner Transformer. New job for spring / summer! Woot! (picture me flexing my biceps)

2. I am so, so, so damn tired. I spent the weekend holed up in the studio, and although it was insanely productive and fun, I feel completely braindead. People have been asking me questions all morning and I've just been looking at them blankly, forgetting to respond.

3. We ended up hiring a longtime blog reader to play on the album yesterday! Hi Dave! Sometimes I forget that people actually read this thing.

4. Milan stopped by to take some photos of the studio... Maybe you'll see them here soon. My little point and click can't compete with his impressive lens. (Mind out of the gutter, y'all. I'm actually talking cameras here.)

5. My BH will be finished his housesitting stint as of tonight, and he's promised me a hot date upon his return. Yessss. He bought me tulips on Saturday, and I've gotta say, I miss the guy something fierce.

I feel like there is more to tell you, but I think I'll just stare blankly at the wall for a while and fantasize about sleep.

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March 4, 2011

Giant, ass-kicking robot alien

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So this job stuff has gone completely nuts. It's moving fast.

I became unhappy about my work earlier this week. Yesterday I had an interview, which went swimmingly. Today I seem to have a very cool offer for a short work term, but management has to agree to let me go. Management seems to have remembered that I am a really good employee, and they are nervous. So I still don't know where I will end up.

This whole situation is teaching me about an oft-hidden aspect of my personality:

If they don't let me take the job, they will have a full blown, claws out, teeth bared, smackdown of a fight on their hands. Why? Because when things grate on my nerves, I morph into an unpleasant person to deal with. I can feel a growl inside of me and the volume is growing. I am not scared of my managers, and I am not scared of my managers' managers. I am ready to metaphorically tackle each and every one of them until they submit and call me Madam.

In fact, this part of my personality could well be illustrated by a terrible movie I haven't even watched all the way through: Transformers.

I am a normal, reliable car. I can get people from Point A to Point B. You can count on me to do my job without guzzling too much gas. I'm even fun to drive.

However, if you fuck with me, I turn into a giant, ass-kicking robot alien that will eat you alive. Dig?

In less terrifying news, I'll be in the studio all weekend making pretty music with some of my favourite people. I have no plans to kick anyone's ass into next week while I'm there. I will return to my zen state and enjoy the calm before Monday hits.

So. How are you doing?

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March 2, 2011

Because I Know

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Today was an absolute bust.

It figures that as my musical life is coming together, my day job would fall to shit. The upside is that I am long overdue for a change in work, and that the places I may end up sound pretty neat.

The downside is that office drama keeps me up at night and makes me want to watch Funny Or Die videos until I fall asleep on my laptop. Anxious, angry, and frustrated: kicking around in my chest.

My BH is housesitting for the week, so it's just me and the dogs. I honestly want to do nothing more than mull a pot of wine and watch dumb movies. I know there are more productive things I could focus my energy on, but that will have to be it for now.

Le sigh.

Here is a picture of a cake, because I know you like cake.



And the cake likes you. It told me so.

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