beautiful noises

Returned home from a short TX tour burst... had our good friends Flawless Escape along in support... it was nothing short of an Epic time. Now back in the studio working on 'Where My Communist Heart Meets My Capitalist Mind'... Doug Wilson made beautiful guitar noises today that I recorded. This was also nothing short of Epic. Tomorrow I think we will dabble in some bass... then possibly keys and synths... then guitars... then more guitars... then probably keys again... them perhaps some vocals, then dare I say... background vocals. It's all on the calendar and it's all going to be done, and somehow its all organized as well. Long week... but it's looking to be productive. We have an outdoor festival show in Austin this coming weekend as well that'll pull us out of the studio for the day... man, it's going to be hot, but so it goes if one chooses to live and do festival shows in Austin TX. Today it was 102degrees, the heat index was well in the teens if not 20's. Now I know there are other places like say Arizona that are hotter than Austin TX... but seriously... there is something about the heat here. And yes I know people say that about everywhere... but it's just a little different here. Unrelenting and brutal. Regardless... we soldier on.

LAng

ps: listen to the new Arcade Fire record. It's been the only cd in the SUR van for the last several days... its takes about 3 listens to actually get it. But once you 'get it,' its earth shattering.

guitars and guests

I wish I had a smart phone. Or a 'smarter' phone at least... one with a decent camera. One that I could take real photos with and post them on the internet for all the world to see. Alas... perhaps one day soon, but until then I will cling to my ancient flip phone with worn out keys, and text my life away in T9.

I wish I had such a phone so I could take a photo of the mess that is the FOLSUR studio right now. Guitars and effects pedals are strewn across the control room with amps in every corner keeping keyboards and other toys company. Cables. Cables. And more cables. Today was a fun filled day of cutting guitars for the new record 'Where My Communist Hear Meets My Capitalist Mind.' Tracking is progressing very well... 7 of 10 tracks are fully complete, and the 3 remaining, while having a heavy amount of work in front of them are defined with vision... we know where these are going. At least in this very moment we know... it might very well change (it always does)... but for now, there is a vision and we are chasing it.

My favorite chain of toys today... gibson les paul classic (with a classic 59 pickup installed in the bridge) through VHT valvulator (for line buffering), through fulldrive bass drive (for overdrive), through line 6 DL4 (for slap back delay), through xotic effects RC Boost (for well... thunderous goodness), through Dunlop Jimi Hendrix octave fuzz (for you guessed it, octave fuzz), through Boss RV 3 reverb/delay (for an oversaturated and lush verb), through a Sewell Texaplex 25, through a Top Hat 2x12 extension cab (loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's). That is for all the guitar folk out there who just might wanna know.

I also spent the evening listening through some tracks that a very special (and for the time being very secret) guest sent over our way... her voice is amazing, angelic and inspiring. I cannot wait to place her parts in the mix of this song... it's going to be lovely, just lovely.

LAng

things and stuff and such

We are going to start updating this blog more often... I promise. I know I say that most every time that I write a blog on here... but its the truth, for real this time, I resolve to speak with more consistency and do so with little or no abbreviation. It only seems natural you know... I mean on twitter you have what, only like 140 characters or something? what can you really say in 140 characters? Well... actually a great deal... but truth be told, I like being able to write and not have to modify every 3rd word. Now don't get me wrong, I think twitter and its brethren are wonderful means of communication, and I/we use twitter, etc a great deal... but I admittedly really do so enjoy writing and reading full sentences (on most occasions that is).

A short number of years ago when I was finishing my undergrad degree at UT I wrote a thesis on the various linguistic trends that I found within specific online social networking groups. I'm sure that sounds like a terrible bore to most of you... but well... it was (and still is for that matter) fascinating to me... watching language shift and change as culture and means of communication morph as well... both feeding one another in an odd but predictable circular type of growth.

REGARDLESS... the point that is... had twitter been as heavily used as a communication tool then as it is now, I probably would not have been a happy English student. My thesis was 100 pages long (single spaced 12 point times new roman font)... if twitter had been as prevalent in those days... it would have been at least 1000 pages... just to much to say, to much to research, to many conclusions to draw. I would have never have had any time to write any songs. So I guess it could be said that the delayed popularity of twitter saved my college career and my songwriting. So, thanks to Jack Dorsey and his comrades for delaying their networking brilliance. My diploma and I thank you.

Well ok, speaking of twitter and abbreviations... we are in the process of recording a new record called "Where My Communist Heart Meets My Capitalist Mind." Now, the preceeding EP was called "My Communist Heart" and reasonably so, that got abbreviated to "MCH." What do you think the full length should be referred to? I mean... WMCHMMCM is a little lengthy don't you think? I'm at a bit of a loss so the suggestion box is open.