You mean the album's not done yet?

Ummm, yeah, so I've been having a problem finishing things. Really, I can pretty much write off 2009 entirely as a wasted year. Not necessarily a bad year, but I can't really point to a single plan of something I was going to do that got done in 2009. I'm hoping 2010 is not similar.

It's been about 7 months since I last posted in my recording blog. In that time I had my CD release party, but I actually haven't finished the CD. In fact, I haven't done all that much on it since my last post. So, in an attempt to not be sitting here in 2011 writing "I can pretty much write off 2010 entirely as a wasted year" I started working on the album (and other stuff) again. I have some new band members (as you may have noticed at the "CD release party" a few weeks ago) that are getting added onto the album, including fab Camerounian guitar player, Didi, who I met when I played at a block party this past summer.

So he came by and did some tracks yesterday. And in fact, now that I think about it I have a lot of stuff that's been recorded but that I haven't done anything with. On my last New York trip I recorded some great background vocals by Robin Aigner and some terrific cello played by Serena Jost, so I'll probably be posting here more in the upcoming weeks. I plan to have the album finished and downloadable by April 7th.

I'm back! Hi!

Every Damn Light

So, while I have been remiss about posting anything for a while, there are things being done, albeit slowly. My last odd musical encounter was a week ago with the fine folks at Sigma Alpha Iota, which apparently is some kind of international musical sorority. Who knew such a thing existed?

As part of a semi-comprehensive pay-my-bills-on-time plan, I've been recording end-of-the-year recitals at Northwestern University. But when presented with recording a recital from a whole multi-instrumental musical sorority, I quickly abandoned the bill-paying plan and hatched one for a trade -- I record their recital; they play on my album. I needed trumpets, saxes, trombones! Two weeks ago I recorded their end of the year recital, quickly wrote some horn charts that week, and dragged a bunch of mics and recording equipment to a sorority house in Evanston that Friday.

In one session, we ended up doing trumpets on Remember the Maine, a sax and horn section on Every Damn Light, and some background vocals on Greatest Generation (Yes, it's still called Greatest Generation! Thanks to those of you who convinced me to keep it. It's actually a much better title now that that line is gone.)

Who are these people who played? Besides Megan, who played trumpet, french horn, sang and set the whole thing up, they trooped in, played/sang the parts, chatted amongst themselves in-between takes about some upcoming dance, and then immediately dispersed after the last line was sung. I'm still sorting through what we recorded but here's Every Damn Light with a sax and horn quintette on it. Which , thanks to Megan sending me info after the fact, I can tell you has:
Ksjusha Povod, alto sax
Carla Budesinsky, tenor sax
Kate Nylander, baritone sax
Brittany Petersen, trombone
Megan Beugger, horn

With, of course, Aaron Zemelko on bass.

And yeah, I know I need to get the horns louder on this. I'm trying to figure out how I want them to sit in the mix. For now they're kind of quiet and off to the side...

Every Damn Light, which I don't think I've posted before, is a song about the New Orleans Failure.

The first entry in our cover contest!

If you don't know, Piñataland is running a contest in which we challenge folks to cover our songs. Our first entry is from Alethea, who has clearly been indoctrinated into Piñataland by her father, Rob. Here is her version of an early tune from our Songs from Konijn Kok album (showing deep knowledge of our catalog for a three year old.)