So I’ve long since finished the work for the first Record Club “deliverable” — the “Buildings vs. People” vinyl EP which will drop in February.  All’s I’m doing now for that particular piece is waiting for United Record Pressing to send me the test pressing, which I’ll listen to and (hopefully) approve.  Then it’s another couple weeks of waiting, and then they’ll be sent to me…and then I’ll mail them out to the appropriate backers.  If this sounds like I’ll barely squeeze this into my February window, you’re hearing correctly.  I’m sorry it couldn’t be swifter; the turnaround time just got the best of me.  The good news is that I’m already assembling artwork for the NEXT record, set for May, and I plan on having THAT sent to URP by the Ides of March.  I should have a preview of the sleeve soon.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

While waiting, I’ve had some administrative stuff to do.  I surveyed you backers for addresses, and I downloaded those into a single spreadsheet for easy envelope-addressing.  Also in that survey, I asked the people who are commissioning me for a cover song if they wouldn’t mind me SHARING that song with the world.  Remember, per the initial Kickstarter video, the deal was that the songs would be “for your ears only.”  But then my friend (and backer) Jessica, said,  “No, I want people to HEAR what I forced you to do!”  (I’m paraphrasing.)  (Hi, Jess!) I imagined maybe other people would feel the same, and I was right.  So look forward to future updates containing cover songs.  I figure I’ll let the commissioners dig them for a week or two alone, then I’ll unleash them for general download…

Also in the survey, I asked poster-receiving “deluxe” people if they’d like a random gig poster, or a poster specific to the record club.  Most votes were neutral, but enough people (three) supported the club-specific poster for me to head in that direction.  I have a wacky visual idea for the CD and I think the poster will be similarly themed.

SPEAKING of CD’s, I’ve decided the CD’s — both the vinyl-roundup and the outtakes disc — will be packaged in Jewelboxes.  The jewelbox is a sort of design-minded, round-cornered update of the standard jewel case, dreamed up right here in Chicago by Coudal Partners.  Years ago, I ordered a box of 30 of them, thinking I might use them for some special project down the road.  While crunching the numbers last weekend, I had a real V-8 moment, realizing that THIS was the project I’d been waiting for.  So I ordered some more, and I’ll be picking them up downtown in the next few days.  They really do look sharp, almost space-age.  I think I have a picture of one in here somewhere…

I think that’s about it for this time.  I’ll send a picture of the test pressing once I get it.  Meanwhile, enjoy the mildness of our winter…

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The Unassuming Exterior

I finally got off my backside this weekend and assembled a proper merchandise box in anticipation of the arrival of my records, and the gigs I’m trying to get for the springtime and beyond.  I already had the CD suitcase, from back when I still thought those things would continue to sell at the same rate…

CD's Securely Packed on the Left, Records Inside Padded Envelopes and Under a Thick Foam Pad on the Right. The Bar Above the Foam Holds It Down TIGHT!

So first, I had to knock out one of the “bars” in the suitcase to make room for the records.  I’d keep one “rack” for CD’s off to the side.

The Lights CAN Blink, But It's Pretty Obnoxious, So I Don't Let Them

Then, after figuring out the cheap foam-and-padded envelopes solution for carrying records around IN that section, I drove up to the amazing American Science and Surplus store — a sort of Army surplus store for geeks / science teachers.

(Old Records for Modeling Purposes Only)

They had a battery-operated string of super-tiny LED lights that I took home and stapled to the inside of the lid of the suitcase. They were PLENTY bright for inside a dark club, and they run on 3 triple-A’s…

Prices Subject to Change (But Probably Not)

I mounted the record and CD inserts with velcro (also available at American S&S). As a finishing touch, Amy gave me the idea to use these cool serrated scissors she has to make “price starbursts”, which I cut out from yellow crack ‘n’ peel sticker sheets (also picked up at — you guessed it — American S&S, for just 25 cents each).

I’ve wanted to check this off my Zapruder Point to-do list literally for years.  I celebrated by sitting down and giving a serious listen to Kiss’ Music from “The Elder”.  Which…man, what a weird, terrible record.  Anyway:  MERCHANDISE BOX GO!

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Well, I have listened to the five songs for the first record on the office stereo, the kitchen CD player, the fancy Tivoli in the living room, the iPod, and in the car.  I’ve tweaked the mix and applied compression sparingly and judiciously.  For comparison, I listened to my last CD, and in some ways, i think this one sounds better.  By “some ways,” I guess I mean vocally.  I’ve gone all-in with the doubling of vocals — four out of five songs have it.  It thickens what I sometimes think of as a thin voice.

What’s more, I really think this collection of songs is solid.  I’m especially excited about the side two opener, “Get On With It.”  It’s an extremely simple song (even for me), but the way the bass drum came out was a surprise, very surging and deep.  I am also very thankful that I got that tambourine last weekend; since then, it’s sounded better with each listen.  Lastly, one of the songs has a sample in it.  It’s kinda silly.  For the sake of variety-in-updates, I’ll share the video I used; maybe you’ve seen it?

Oh, and I’ve pretty much locked down the cover, and I’ve included it in here somewhere…

Next, I have to do my research on RPM, and what exactly the pressing place needs from me.  You see, the two sides of the record are about 4:10 and 4:48 in length, respectively.  That’s just about the upper limit of what they recommend for a 45 RPM seven-inch.  Anything past that, and the quality of audio starts to suffer.  I could go to a 33-1/3 seven-inch record, but I’m kind of assuming that is, in and of itself, a notch down in audio quality.  I have to confirm whether or not this is the case, and place the order accordingly.  So yeah, it’s probably going to be 45, and I’d like to make that a constant across the records.  But I make no promises…

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The Set-Up. Pretty Much.

With the exception of a show on the 23rd, I allowed the final days of 2011 to slip along in holiday / relaxation mode, not getting terribly much done for the Record Club.  Most folks lay low for this period of time, so I didn’t feel too bad about it.  However, I did start to worry that I’d never reach the funding goal.  On the way to Christmas Eve celebrations in Cincinnati, I was around $450 short, and for the whole week-long trip, the pledge level stayed frozen there.

And then seemingly all at once, between Amy and I returning on the 30th and New Year’s morning, the final few backers stepped up and put the Record Club into the black, officially.  So first and foremost, I want to give a sincere and humongous THANK YOU to all of you for throwing in for this hare-brained scheme!  In 2012, I promise to make all the products and prizes as special as I can.

Starting, of course, with the first record, due in February.  I’m firm on the tracklisting now:

Side A:
Come for the People, Stay for the Buildings
Lisa Pruett Will Have Her Revenge on Coventry

Side B:
Get on With It
Exterior, House
Come for the Buildings, Stay for the People

I’ve made solid starter mixes, and listened to them through my big ol’ office stereo.  I have some bass concerns there, but I have yet to take notes and chip away at them in earnest.  Ditto a couple of strange clicks I heard when listening via iPod.  Some idiosyncrasies I love, the “imperfections” of the recording bulging out like the browned edges of home-made cookies.  But some of them are straight-up glitches; I know the difference.  Spare the former, smooth out the latter, and make the whole thing sound as full as possible.  Such is mixing.

So today, my last vacation day before going back to work, I plan on getting those glitches fixed and then start listening with spiral-bound in hand on as many devices as possible — kitchen CD player, living room Tivoli, car stereo, cruddy basement computer speakers, etc.  The goal is to have the audio and artwork ready to mail for pressing on my next payday — the 16th of January.

Why is my payday important?  Well, for one, after the 5th, it’ll take Kickstarter a couple of weeks to funnel the pledges into my bank account.  But secondly, as you may have read in the FAQ section, I purposely set my funding goal somewhat  shy of the actual budget for this project.  After Kickstarter and Amazon Payments take their cut of the $3200, I should have somewhere around $2900 to use.  But the project, in full, will end up costing closer to $3500.  I knew this going in, and I can absolutely cover the spread — otherwise I wouldn’t have set it up.

Naturally though, it would be nice not to have to do so.  The project closes at midnight on Thursday.  If you haven’t joined up yet, please consider doing so.  I genuinely think $30 for four records mailed to your door is a straight-up deal, and the CD levels — regular for $10, regular-n-outtakes for $20 — are also reasonable for an independently produced physical product, if I do say so myself.

And if you’ve already joined, sometime between now and Thursday, if you would consider joining me for one last link-blizzard — via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or even a good old fashioned email — I’d really appreciate it.  Here ’tis:

http://kck.st/rrXpFN

Stay tuned for a peek at the actual artwork and updates on the mixing process, plus the exciting world of 45 RPM vs. 33 1/3rd…   HAPPY NEW YEAR!

p.s.  It feels really silly to even say this, but…  If by some miracle I end up grossing more than $3500 in the next three days, I promise all funds will go to the project — an extra page in the CD booklet, a thicker paper for one of the seven-inch sleeves, a new sticker design, what-have you.  In other words:  No candy, no microbrews, no Kiss records on import for yours truly.  I swear.  Peace.

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Real Sweatshirt

Thanks to a typically wine-fueled Turntable.fm session with my brother Scott the night before, I got to Schuba’s Friday (a.k.a. Christmas Eve-Eve) with considerably less energy than I would have liked. I was set to open up for All Mods Conned (a.k.a. Who’s This Mary? in Jam-tribute mode) and London Calling (a Clash tribute) as part of Chicago Calling, a years-long tradition, and a benefit for the American Cancer Society.  After a brief sound-check with the amiable soundperson Joey, I wandered up the street to see if there wasn’t something that might revive me.

First, I made a mental note that a nearby corporate-chain coffee shop was open until 9:00.  Then I walked further up Southport…and I didn’t know I wanted sushi until I saw the sign for Sushi Mura, but I did.  In many ways, sushi is the perfect pre-show meal: tasty yet light, and maybe those omega-3′s do something, I’m not sure.  Anyway, the Cubs roll and a bowl of miso soup went a long way towards getting my energy back.

I picked up that corporate coffee on the way back to the club and slammed it in the Schuba’s green room, which I’d never seen before.  I’m sure all the other bands were being social, but I just needed to caffeinate down there, looking at all the Frisbie show posters and predictable Sharpie-rendered genitalia.  I looked for the poster for the first show I went to when I moved to Chicago in 1999 (it was the farewell performance of The Moviegoers), but no such luck.

When I went back upstairs, my friends John and Jenn were there, and we chatted for a bit…but my start time was 9:15, not 9:45 like I’d initially thought.  So I got up there, house about half full, and did it like this:

The Milkman of Human Kindness (Bragg) / Dirty Old Town (Pogues / Ted Leo) / Jeanne (Smiths / Bragg) / The Harder They Come (Jimmy Cliff) / Which Side Are You On? (Bragg) / Goodbye Girl (Squeeze) / Accident Waiting to Happen (Bragg) / (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love and Understanding (Lowe / Costello)

No Funny Business

On the last one, Nick from All Mods Conned was kind enough to jump up and do harmonies on the refrains, and I think I did a decent job of listening closely and keeping the tempo where it needed to be for both of us — playing well with others, in other words.  Maybe I’m getting better at that…  Anyway, he sounded great, and it was an okay set, though it required considerably more concentration than I would have liked.  I mean, I’d spent a lot of time rehearsing for this show, getting the old fingers and wrist up to the task of some fairly speedy (for me) material.  And without beating myself up too much, I failed to honor that effort by partying so much the night before, essentially handicapping myself.  Not that it was a disaster, or even noticeably lacking to anyone who was there.  But it was less fun for ME than I was anticipating, and that’s important, right?  SO!   New rule: no drinking the night before a show.  SORTED!

John and Jenn and  I refreshed our drinks and were up front for All Mods Conned, who were superbly energetic and totally amazing.  I made a note to pick up some damn Jam records already.  We saw their whole set and sampled some of the equally excellent London Calling, though by the time the Clash started, the room was super-packed, and we wanted to do a little catching up.  So we sat in the front room and enjoyed some Rowan’s Creek and had some laughs, which was a warm and wonderful way to start the holiday season.  Plus , they were kind enough to drive me to the Blue Line all the way downtown!  Thanks, guys…

I barely slept, as I had to catch the 7:00 Megabus to Cincinnati.  It was terribly rock and roll.  Thanks to Jeff Krich for sharing his pics with me and to Kevin and Nick and all the guys in both bands for letting me do my little British Folk Revival bit before they systematically tore the roof off!  It was an awesome time.

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What're You Reading?

I dipped into the hard drive this morning to pick out songs for the February record.  I could tell right away that two of them needed something extra: Bass on one, echo-y guitar on another.  Halfway through cutting the bass part, the ol’ 2004 iBook froze up and spit a ridiculously loud fax-like noise into my headphones.  So it would seem that the era of iBook recording is over.  After moving a more sturdy table from the attic down to the basement, I set up my iMac and got back into it.

I really should have done that months ago.  Not only was the screen way more comfortable, the incessant buzz I used to get from directly recorded instruments was gone.  And no revolving beach balls popping up on the screen with every other click.  So yeah.  After the technical difficulties, I had a good afternoon of recording.

As for the artwork, I’ll be recycling an image from a year-old gig poster.  I don’t plan on doing that every time, but for this first one I wanted to take it easy on myself.  And in truth, there’s something about a white wall of books that strikes me as both wintery AND appropriate for an E.P. called (something like) “People vs. Buildings.”  I’m going with (something like) that title because the five songs will be bookended by two linked pieces called “Come for the People, Stay for the Buildings” and “Come for the Buildings, Stay for the People.”  I don’t know about you, but I eat that kinda stuff up…

Tomorrow I have to start mixing the songs and making sure they string together as well as I’m imagining.  Wish me luck!

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Let's Do This.

I’d initially taken the penultimate week of the year off in order to put up molding and paint in the living room.  But then Amy reminded me that we’d have a tree and decorations up, and would I really want to do that?  She had a point.  Besides, I have plenty of Record Club work to do now.

The other night, I mapped out possible records using the songs I’ve already finished.  I technically have enough songs to put together all four records right now, but I want to place as much of the “good stuff” (according to me, I guess) into the first two 7″s (February and May), leaving the second two (August, November) more open for future recordings.  Knowing me, I will probably come up with plenty of stuff between now and summertime; songs are bound to show up which I’ll be anxious to share.

I gotta say, that’s one of the coolest things about this project.  All you backers aren’t just paying for a record; it’s more like you’re funding a one-man record LABEL, letting me plan out a full-on RELEASE SCHEDULE.  It’s a dream come true, and a lot of fun.  But also, when I picture all these packages going out into the mail next year — once or twice, or four or six times, depending on your format — the responsibility of it truly dawns on me.  At the risk of sounding like some sweaty, over-eager dude at a job interview, this opportunity is a huge vote of confidence on your part, and I want to honor it with the best music I can make.  F’reals.

So, once I solidify the first record (and maybe the second, I’m not sure), over the next few days I plan to sit down and properly mix whichever songs I’ve picked.  I won’t be doing any mastering for this project, and that does make me a tad nervous.  But I found that on my last CD (Heads Together), if I just took extra time mixing (listening in the car and in the kitchen and on the cruddy computer speakers hooked up in the basement), I can keep the (unintentionally) unruly elements well under control.

Aside from thoroughness, the other trick to mixing this time is the fact that these songs are going to be on vinyl, something I’ve never had to mix for.  I’ll listen closely to the CD and vinyl versions of some of the albums in my collection, to get a sense of whether either format is biased towards certain frequencies.  I’ll scribble down what I’ve learned and dive into the process as ready as I’ll ever be.

On the less-daunting side, with these solo-type recordings, having just a few elements per-song is its own advantage.  It’s easier to “place” each instrument in a mix with just a few tracks, to get them to stand out from each other.  Man, I can’t wait to get my hands (and ears) on ‘em…

My next update should include a sneak preview of the cover image for the first record, so stay tuned!  And thanks.

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It Has a Skyline

After a few years in Florida, my mom moved back to the west side of Cleveland in the mid-2000′s. I’m glad she’s closer to me, of course, but I’m also grateful to have an excuse to visit my home town every now and then, to see how things have changed. Like this past weekend, when I went back for Thanksgiving, visiting the old stomping grounds and stirring up a familiar cross between warm nostalgia and sharp vertigo…

I’ve been surprised, over the last couple years, by how many songs I’ve written about where I come from. There’s “From Cleveland to Eternity” from my last CD, and for the Record Club there’s “Lisa Pruett Will Have Her Revenge on Coventry” and one I’m either going to call call “Hi in the Middle” or (gulp) “Another Song About my Home Town.” There’s also an unfinished number called “The Shape of Ohio,” and I’m contemplating something about an area songwriter (which will probably not be recognizable as such by the time it’s done). I think anyone who moves away from their home state ends up wondering what might have been if they’d stayed. But in the case of Ohio, and Cleveland in particular, there’s an especially stark contrast between what it seemed to be when I was growing up, and what it’s become to me in the last decade or so.
When I was younger, I actively hated Cleveland. First as a kid absorbing mistake-on-the-lake jokes, then later as a musician, working my way into a scene that felt supportive, yet somehow stifling. I remember in particular having a conversation with the manager of the Babylon A-Go-Go, a club in the Ohio City neighborhood that was closing down. I’ll never forget him exclaiming that “if you’re the best band in Cleveland, that’s all you get. You get to be the best band in Cleveland, PERIOD.”

But I don’t want to give the impression that Rotary Ten was deep into the Cleveland music scene or anything. Truth is, we all grew up in the sleepy suburb of Fairview Park, and only started venturing into town for gigs once we were seniors in high school. To me, Cleveland was just a dark, gritty landscape dotted with the occasional club. It was as unimaginable a place to live as any big city, and my feelings didn’t really change through college, or during time spent living in Ithaca or Raleigh. It was only when I settled in another hulking Great Lake town (Chicago) that I started to pick out similarities, to slowly begin to recognize Cleveland as a place I could have ended up eventually.

But happily? This is the question I can’t help pondering whenever I go back and drive those streets. I spent so much time generically hating on Cleveland in my younger days that I never gave it much of a chance. Now, whenever I see Facebook posts from high school friends who stayed there, they all seem to enjoy it immensely. And during visits over the years, they (along with my Collinwood friends Mike and Danielle) have introduced me to cool bars and restaurants, to the Beachland Ballroom and the Happy Dog — sturdy music venues whose owners, I’d imagine, are proud to host Cleveland bands every night, regardless of whether or not they they “break out” or whatever. And did I mention the West Side Market? And my beloved Great Lakes Brewing Company? There’s no doubt that Cleveland is, in reality, a happening town.

But oh my, it can be awfully quiet. Still, in the streets between the hubs of nightlife, and especially on the west side. And even the most positive booster would admit that Cleveland has its ugly parts. My friend John, who lived in Ohio City for a few years, once claimed Cleveland as “the ugliest city I’ve ever loved.” I think this ability to embrace both the immediately charming and the endearingly homely aspects of your surroundings is a uniquely Cleveland trait. It’s certainly a piece of That Whole Cleveland Thing I carry around with me to this day And that apparently won’t let me not write songs about it.

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Typical day in the studio...

Hey gang. I hope your turkey day plans are solidified and stress-free. I definitely wanted to get a Record Club update out beforehand, to let you know where things stand with me and French Excellence Studios (a.k.a. the basement).

But first I have to sound a seasonally appropriate note of gratitude. Tomorrow will mark two weeks since the launch, and the Record Club is almost halfway funded.  ODEN’S RAVEN, that’s awesome! Truly humbling stuff, and I’ll definitely be feeling thankful — not just next week, but if we go over the top, all the way through 2012!

So my official Kickstarter blurb says I’ve “stockpiled too many songs.” What does that mean, exactly? Looking into the Zapruder Point hard drive, there are 22 songs in the “regular” folder, plus five songs in the “demos, etc.” folder. I think about half of the “regular” songs have completely finished tracks and just need to be mixed. The other half are marinating while I dream up keyboard lines, mandolin strums, harmony vocals — whatever they may need. Just this past weekend I arranged a keyboard part for a shoegazey instrumental I’m calling “Jeanie Gang” (after the architect named Jeanne). I arranged it, laid it down, listened back…and decided it was better without. Grumble, grumble…

Yes, the process can be frustrating. But honestly, amazement is much more the norm. If I plug away with any consistency, I usually get to experience the same joy I felt back in 1997 when I used my first four-track machine. Like on the same weekend as the scrapped keyboard part, I was working on something called “Cannon (College).” It’s sort of a backwards-looking, nostalgic piece, so I wanted to try a crackling texture underneath it all, ala Sonic Youth’s “Providence.” I stumbled over a sample of a CB radio conversation, and when I soaked it in reverb and dropped it into the song…I got chills. Especially when I heard the ghostly voice say something about Cleveland…

Anyway, I look forward to finishing up what’s already there, and I KNOW there are a handful of ideas that need to be started from scratch — not to mention songs I haven’t even written yet! Chops-wise, I’m staying limber, thanks to the challenging rehearsals I’ve been putting in for a show on December 23rd. Oh yeah, if you’re in town, you should definitely check it out. It’s a benefit for the American Cancer Society, featuring a Clash tribute, a Jam tribute and yours truly opening up with a short set of British post-punk appetizers. (Billy Bragg, Nick Lowe, Pogues, Squeeze). Here’s the link:

http://www.schubas.com/Shows/12-23-2011+Chicago+Calling+VIII

A demo or live version of of one of the songs mentioned here will likely be one of my “songs of the week,” which you can catch every Wednesday on my Facebook or Twitter. Thanks again, and everyone stay warm and moisturized!

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Whether with Rotary Ten in the 80s, The Boy Wonder Jinx in the 90s, or for the last decade-plus as Zapruder Point, I’ve always proudly self-financed and -released my music on cassette (!!!) and compact disc. I’m sure you’ve noticed how demand for these formats has plummeted in recent times, making it quite the challenge to get out there and hawk a CD. It’s to the point where, with my new batch of songs, I’m not sure I’m up to the job.

You might say I needn’t bother, what with the ease of online distribution. And yes, for sheer cost and convenience, I agree — you can’t beat the “all digital” route, especially when employing the no-brainer “Radiohead model,” just letting people pay what they like for downloads (including nothing). I actually did this for my last EP (via my Bandcamp page), and I’m not such a Luddite that I’d refuse to do it for new releases.

And yet…

Technological developments aside, if you’re like me, you’ve maintained some small part of you that just likes to have a THING. Especially in the case of smaller, independent artists, perhaps you even find it satisfying to actually pay for the THING, thereby supporting the artist who made it. This is, at least, the thinking behind my Big, Groovy Announcement. Without further ado, please let me hereby present…

The Zapruder Point Record Club for 2012!

This link is to my Kickstarter page, for those of you familiar with such things.  If not, well, Kickstarter is a website that makes it easy to “crowdfund” projects, usually creative ones like mine.  And please — DON’T LET THE NAME “RECORD CLUB” FOOL YOU!  If you don’t have a record player, you can still participate by getting a CD.  Heck, there’s even a level for straight-downloading-only.

So please check out the link — and if you’re so inclined, please share it via your Twitters and Facebooks and what have you. And…umm…thanks. Seriously, I appreciate it.

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