Progress...

The new record is getting close. Aiming to place final touches next week, so we can spend all of May:

- deciding what new songs we will add to our live set

- visualizing and imagining how those songs will translate

- sampling every sound and note that will be performed into either my Akai Z4 or SP303

- strategically assigning each sample to the key or pad of my choosing to be played back w/ my pretty red keyboard or my ugly black keyboard (i painted it) or my ugly black pad (i painted it too)...

- sampling all sound Ash will trigger w/ his Roland SPD-S

- rehearsing, then rehearsing again, then rehearsing like everyday

- shooting videos of Bear and BlackFace (the little people in the boxes) so they can be seen live

- deciding light show trigger placements for the new songs

- imagining how to streamline our production (5 vintage televisions, 6 light boxes - 2 par cams each, 1 100ft. strand of industrial light bulb lamps and 3 light triggers) into something a little more manageable...

All... in preparation for Bonnaroo in June (and a few sick shows leading up)!

C U there.
-joel

Drum Tracking...

We had such a nice time at Sound Of Music the other day...

Getting closer...

C U.

-joel

One of my new songs - "Truth Is Ruthless". Here'r the lyrics so far:

Tell me a lie
Through those honest eyes
It's the painless way
Truth is ruthless...

Draw me a line
But, let the center define
Where the fault will lay
Truth is ruthless...

And, somewhere down the line
It's just a matter of time
Before I fade away
Truth is ruthless...

So, call up your demons
And, cut out their tongues
It's time you were leaving
It's your turn to run
Run away....
Truth is Ruthless...

It's just about how sometimes the truth hurts:

Like, sometimes people just aren't good enuff to achieve their dreams. And, sometimes people lie to each other cuz they think the truth would be too painful for the other person to hear. And, sometimes people just lie to themselves - prolonging the inevitable or pretending it doesn't exist - but it's there and it's coming sooner or later. And some things in the world are just F'ed - it's reality and there's nothing anyone can do about it (or anything anybody WILL do about it) - just the way it is and it sucks...

Dark i know, but the music and melody contrasts it well i think (you'll see).

It's more of an objective piece - not personal, just observation.

Jus thought I'd share.

C U.
-joel