The State of the Album

I wrote this blog this morn, but was without internet till now. N-joy.

In a few days I'll hit the road to Texas. I'll be a reverse frontiersman headed back to the Lonestar State with guitar and saxophone in tow. The first stop will be Phoenix, followed by San Antone, and finally Austin.

In Phoenix I'm playing Fiddler's Dream again. There's video footage on YouTube from my last perphormance in Phoenix. This will be a truly unplugged performance. Real musicians don't use electricity! Right? *Cricket* *Cricket*

I'll spend a good portion of the day getting into my special vocal place (remember how Ron Burgundy does his vocal warmups?). The rest of the day will be devoted to laundry and listening to my faucet drip. This is my meditation on American Idol elimination show days.

But seriously folks, I remixed four songs yesterday in the studio. I'm wondering how soon I'll lose my objectivity on this mostly Lindbergh-esque solo venture. I've had help for sure, most recently Dave Johnstone playing great drums on "My Addiction", and pre-Idol, Brandon Rogers' excellent vocal production on more than half of the songs. Gif Tripp also mixed three songs already. Other than that, I've functioned as arranger, producer, composer, singer, and musician on the album. I'm considering getting a volleyball and giving a co-writing credit to "Wilson" so I can share the blame and the glory.

Here's a list of the songs that are done or in progress:

Only a Rehearsal: is mixed and on my myspace profile

What If I: is also mixed and mastered

Easy For You: this needs bgvs for the last chorus

My Addiction: I'm considering some lyrical changes, but this song is on the home stretch

Open to Close: only needs some mixing

If I Fell: Brandon and I recorded this Beatles cover we did on the tour very quickly, and it needs to be totally redone

Under Your Spell: meh

Where or When: this is a pop standard I recorded a few weeks ago, and is done

Disconnected: is a guitar-and-voice-only ditty that is ready to roll

Wild Animal: needs a serious overhaul

Satellite: the oven went ding and this turkey is ready

Hold On: is jazzy and ready

We Are All Nature: is done

Who Knew (Blue Moon): was remixed yesterday and is all set

Never Happens: is ready for mixing

Maybe the Last Chance: is written and needs recordin'

Door to Door: I started this song, it is needing drums and other stuffs

Chorale: this is an instrumental thing that's only a minute and a half or so long. I'm going to record three or four different versions of it and intersperse it throughout the record.

So all said and done I have eighteen songs (although I counted that list three times and got three different numbers= I'm not an accountant) that are ready or close to ready. At least three of those would end up on the cutting room floor at this point. I have one or two more songs in my head that should make this album. It will take another week to record those, and then... You may find yourself asking me: "Whatchu waiting for?" To which I would reply: "a million dollar contract" as Gwen Stefani sort of said. I need someone to pay for my green M&Ms, put the discs in the store, and put some ads in your newspaper or myspace. I have a label or two that will be coming to my SXSW showcase. Regardless of that outcome, I'm the metaphorical US Postal Service and neither sleet, nor snow, nor writers block will stop this album from coming out in the not too distant future.

You'll be happy to know that my hard drive crashed for the second time in six months, but that all of the data is still intact. Hiyo!