Category: Blog

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some of Friday

Friday afternoon I went out to Tree Sound to do some backing vocals for a band I’ve mentioned here before: Alastor. Elizabeth had given me three songs, lyrics and some muddy live versions, to try and see if I could work out anything ahead of time. When I got there I saw Rusty Cobb (who’s worked with Korn, Big Hate, and Injected, at least according to Alastor’s website) who’s producing their new CD. I’ve met Rusty before, I can’t quite recall where, though I think he used to run sound at the club that used to be the Dark Horse. I suspect he was the guy running sound back in 2000 when I played Gentle Readers’ CD release party there, and did it acoustic, and the sound guy was really complementary afterward and I gave him a copy of Slumberland. I suspect this because, according to Elizabeth, when Rusty found out I was coming he started talking about how much he loved my stuff, and when I was there, and they were asking me how I felt about the new CD I finished, he mentioned that he had Slumberland and loved it.

It was a good ego time for Paul.

So, I think the plan was to have me work on one of the three songs (“Good Night”), so I went in and did the parts and I think they went smoothly. Quickly, at any rate. So quickly that, in the end, I did all three songs (“Great Irish Plays” and “Monopoly”). They both seemed pleased with the results, and I told Rusty if he needed any more backing vocals on any project to give me a call. This is really something I love to do, and it seems to be something I can do well. I prefer it when they already have an idea of what they want, because I don’t know that my harmony IDEAS are all that evolved, usually I think I just default to singing thirds (and the funny thing, of course, being that I’ve learned that term over time to describe it, but honestly I don’t have a clue what it means. I know absolutely no musical theory). But when I have time to prepare beforehand I always try to make my ideas make sense with what the band is doing, I don’t try to impose my style or tastes on anyone else’s stuff. I always want to serve whatever the song is doing. I strive to be invisible when I work on other people’s music.

Anyway, it seemed to go well. It’ll be nice to add another CD to my resume.

Friday night I went out to 10 High to see IKE. IKE is John Faye’s new band, he used to be in the Caulfields and also had his own band called the John Faye Power Trip (which I always thought was a good eponymous band name). They’re based out of Philadelphia, and I have had them recommended to me by an online friend from there, as well as a friend in town. So I finally got to see them and they were really great. Very tight pop band and, a rarity at times, a very uncluttered sound. Went up to say hi after the show, and talked briefly… They’re playing the Elvis Costello tribute thing up in Albany in August that I am STILL debating whether I can afford to play, so we talked a little about that whole thing. It was a good night overall. Nicole, who books there, said she thought we’d make a great bill and that’d be cool if it occurs.

I think that’s it.

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trying to catch up

You know, I honestly thought that when I quit my job I would have free time. I suppose I should be glad to have genuine things making me busy, but very little of it is anything that is making me money, so in that sense it’s not good. While I had the job the mentality it put me in made it difficult to get other things done. So now I have a 3 month backlog of things to go through and try to get reorganized. Plus I have been getting press kits together and out to book for September around the release of the CD. The house is a mess, including all of my work stuff (and now, when I say work stuff, I mean my stuff, music and design) and so I am spending a lot of time trying to put things in some sort of order so I can feel like I know where I am and what I’m doing.

A little obsessive compulsive? Yeah, I’ve started to realize that. But I don’t feel like I can straighten out my head until everything around me is at least somewhat organized. Somewhere in all that I also need to get more work booked, before my cushion of money dries up.

Anyway, the highlights right now:

I went out to Ryan’s studio to do three songs. Just very basic me-and-the-acoustic-guitar versions so that I have something I can send to acoustic clubs rather than the full-blown versions. The studio he’s put together is really amazing; I honestly don’t know how he’s managed to cram that much amazing equipment into one place. Got it done in short order and once again feel the need to express my gratitude for fitting me in to get it done. I had been listening to board tapes from old Eddie’s Attic shows and just couldn’t find anything I wanted going out in a press kit. So he was a lifesaver, and all is well.

I signed the contract. I am now officially a Daemon recording artist, or more specifically, my CD is now officially licensed by Daemon Records for release in the US and overseas (they just recently signed a deal for European and Australian distribution). They still seem very excited about things. Late at night, when I’m really tired, I allow myself to hope they’re right.

The current list of cities I’m trying to book is: Athens, GA; Knoxville, TN; Nashville, TN; Asheville, NC; and Charlotte, NC. Another batch will probably go out in the next week or so, expanding the area. I’ll keep the out-of-towners updated.

I’m not gone. Not even a little. Actually, I’m suffering from the opposite, I feel like I’m too many places at once, and it’s very difficult to focus and get things done, even though it seems I’m working and doing all the time. Every day I make a list of things to do. Every day I mark a bunch off, and remember another batch. So every day my list seems to get longer rather than shorter. Somewhere along the way I know I’ll get above water. If anyone is feeling neglected please bear with me. My life is in a very odd place, and it’s not a place I have ever been in many ways. So it’s taking some getting used to, and it’s taking a lot more time than I thought just to try to get ahold of it.

Still to come (this is just the big list, not the infinite list of details):
– settling the issue of a band that will tour.
– International Pop Overthrow on July 27 (and I get to see Scott, plus any other west-coasters with time on their hands)
– start calling in support of the kits I’m sending out now
– finding freelance work
– living life at a normal speed
– poster design is due next week for the CD
– new website
– rehearse the Million Box and figure out the plan for the CD release party
– release the CD in September

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6 Jul: Atlanta

6 Jul – 10 High (Atlanta, GA)
w/the Accusations, the Veins

Saturday night was good. I think. They tell me.

Jeff used to be the bass player for Radiant City. His band is called the Accusations and they opened the show. I’ve seen them before, but in the interim they’ve changed lead singers. The current singer is a friend of Jeff’s who played keyboards on a couple of songs for Radiant City. I wasn’t aware he could sing, and it was good to see. It was nostalgic being at the same show with them, and odd feeling, but good. They played a great show and, just like the last time I saw them, seemed to be having a lot of fun.

There’s this thing about the Telecaster I own that I’ll try to explain succinctly. The headstock, where the strings tie around the pegs, has a particular system that I despise. I have had other people tell me they think it’s a really simple system, but for some reason, I have a really bad time with the high E string on it. When I string it, and start to tighten it, half the time the string will pull itself out of the peg hole, rather than remain from the tension. Usually this becomes apparent very quickly, and I have to re-string it again. But this time it appeared to be fine. As we were setting up at the show I tuned the Stratocaster with the capo on and set it off to the side, and then grabbed the Tele, tuned, and got ready to start the show.

Which was when the string popped out of the peg.

Why am I telling you this in such detail? Actually I don’t know. Forget I said any of that. It threw me off for a bit, I had to retune the Strat, but it was really no big deal in the long run. Jeff actually grabbed the guitar and restrung it during the set for me. The set was a bit sloppy, the sound was a little odd on stage, but overall it was good. It felt good, and I just realized that I don’t overanalyze full band shows like I do acoustic shows. Maybe this has been self-evident for some time to everyone else.

I can’t remember that many details, maybe some people can remind me of things I have forgotten. I remember Lee wore a sundress thing, which I found fascinating, and I remember making some comment about never having been so turned on before.

That stage-Paul is starting to get out of hand.

You know what bugs me about me, though? Well, let me back up… the crowd was really sort of light during the first band’s set, only about 40 people or so. They were trickling in, though, the whole time. So, when we were onstage getting ready to go, I wasn’t really paying attention, and it wasn’t until we had started into the first song that I really looked out and realized that it was packed. I don’t know where they came from. I know part of the crowd was there for the final band (the Veins, which features some of what used to be the Tender Idols, if I’m not mistaken). But even so, who were all these people? Were they just out to see a show, or did they know who I was? That’s the sort of thing that drives me crazy, because I want to know!

I did a poor job of merchandising, though, and normally I’m good about that. I need to keep a better head about that from here on out, because my livelihood is really going to depend on that.

Oh, sorry, so, what really bugs me about me is… that place was packed, and yet I managed to land eyes on the one skin headed guy who looked like he thought this was the biggest piece of shit he’d ever seen. I’ve been able to do this ever since I was in college, and Bob Dylan’s son (the other one, not the one in the Wallflowers) walked out of a show my band was playing, shaking his head. I don’t know what sort of radar I have that gets set off, but I’d like to have it disconnected.

Don’t be mistaken; I know I’m different than I used to be, at least at band shows, because after I saw him I started to play ANGRIER, rather than less sure. I played to say, “fuck you, moron, we kick ass, so why did you come here anyway?”