Mario’s Day
Rockonomics Day Three
This morning we finished off the last few tracks. We worked on drums for Theme to An Earthquake and Return to Melanesia, some of which we may use, some of which we may not.
Then it was Merrick’s turn for bass do-overs and pickups.
Today’s dinner was from Green Lettuce, the Chinese food prepared in an Indian style. Tasty!
The picture behind Jordan is a giraffe. Remind me to explain that later.
Here is the control room
This reverberator is beautiful! It looks like it belongs on the dashboard of Spaceship Zero.
The boys in the band!
I was taking photos of the drum kit and the various microphones that went with them, and this shot turned out accidentally artsy.
Look at that handsome Greasy Spawn toque Mario is sporting! Don’t you want one now?
He came to rock. Sometimes that’s all you got.
I learned that Nomeansno recorded “Wrong” at this studio, and that we are the last band that will record here before they move to a new space. Ooooh, deep!
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Rockonomics Day Two
The bed tracks begin! We ended up completing the beds for most of the songs, we are officially ahead of schedule. And now, the visuals (sans audio):
Jordan, thinking I’m taking a snapshot rather than a movie, poses:
Guess what Warren is talking about and you could WIN a big prize package courtesy of The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets!
Thickets:
Merrick plays bass guitar.
Brodie makes the noises nice.
To prevent Mario’s guitar noise from leaking into Jordan’s drum mics, it is covered with cozy blankies. It’s a rock fort, not to be confused with the cheese, roquefort.
Skids in the band.
Wise of whoever put that on. Because it’s no longer in print and it’s my favourite album of all time.
Last night I walked around looking to see what food sources were in the neighborhood, and I found an Indian place and grabbed a couple menus. I had planned today’s dinner fully 24 hours in advance. 
Butter chicken for everyone!
Rockonomics Day One
Okay, thanks to Joe I can now fix this entry!
Tonight we set up the drums for recording “bed tracks” tomorrow. Bed tracks are apparently drums often with bass and sometimes guitar. We’ll be recording a “scratch” vocal track as well, which means it is not the final vocal track. Mostly it will be so that we can perform the songs as we would at practice…so that everyone can hear everyone else, though we will all be in separate rooms (some with windows). Here is Mario rocking out in one such room. No, there is no sound for a very good reason. My camera phone has no mic.
And now, photos:
Mario plays the guitar
Jordan plays the drums. there are 15 mics on the drums.
There is beer on hand
Brodie mixes the stuff
El Candido.
Dogs & Cats Living Together – Mass Hysteria!
Yesterday Joyce brought over her doggie, Bojjak. First we locked Kodos in my room because I knew he’d freak out. But being locked in my room freaked him out way more than meeting the dog, as it turns out. Well, being sequestered made him yowl more, anyway. Kodos seemed nonplussed by the dog except when Bojjak growled at him, which turned out to be a lot. But Bojjak is a big pussy, and whenever Kodos moved he freaked out and jumped up into Joyce’s lap.
There, now wasn’t that interesting? This is what you can expect from our relationship – pet stories.
Well, despite the tremendous amount of potholes on the road to the new album, our songs continue to rock hard. We’ve all been stressing about our readiness and scheduling, but I have a pretty good feeling it’s all going to come together. The songs are pretty solid. What we lack in professionalism we make up for in channeling dark energies from beyond. If all the band members lived in the same city it would be easier. If all the band members lived in the same long distance calling zone it would be easier. If all the band members lived on the same damn continent it would be easier!
But we have a song in Middle Egyptian and I’m happy.
January is coming up and I plan on registering for the Introduction to Comic Book Production at VanArts. It’s 12 classes of three hours and apparently by the end of it I should end up with finished pages from an actual story. I haven’t decided what would be a good project for that. World Wildlife Federation of Justice is the one I’d be most excited about, but may not be the best thing to have in my portfolio. Recently someone from a Rocket Robin Hood fan group, who actually does work in comics, has begun an RRH comic book project, so I could incorporate that. Other options are Spaceship Zero, of course, but I’m not sure about the excitement level on that after chasing it for 7 years now. But, on the other hand, comic books are like pre-made storyboards for movies….
Thoughts, anyone?
ps – look what Chris got me for Christmas!
More Than Meets the Eye!
I know that internet petitions never work, and that it may be too late, but I created a petition for the original voice actors to reprise their role in the new Transformers movie.
http://www.petitiononline.com/transvox/petition.html
Sign it and pass it on!
ps – things continue to be busy with the last few days before recording the new album.
Grapplomacy
Grapplomacy: Diplomacy via grappling.
This is what happens when you get four men in their mid 30’s together on Wednesday nights to play D&D.
ps – for you locals who want to see Borat, it’s playing at the best little filmhouse in Vancouver, The Rio on Broadway. Speaking of Jack Black, I see he’s in a movie as the romantic interest of Kate Winslet. Weird!
You can’t kill the metal. BUT forces are trying to cripple the new Thickets album. What with the snow falling and the studio scheduling problems, unhappy things are happening with our recording window. Pray to your dark gods for us. Scads of moolah also accepted.
The good news is that the Middle Egyptian lyrics for our song “Nyarlathotep” are done! Mario freaked out when he read and heard them – I take that as a good sign. AND THEN HE PUT HIS CIGARETTE ASHES IN MERRICK’S STILL VIABLE COFFEE.
Comicology Photos
Stewie did it!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/castewar/sets/72157594406183371/
You can check out a couple of supersweet MIGHTY SAMSON covers.
BONUS: Tonight we played the D&D super-mini campaign that Paul and I are running. My part started out with the characters all tangled up with about 20 other people in the roots of some sweet beery-smelling plant coming out of the wall of some dwarven complex. They were all suckling on the nectar from the tubes, and nobody has any memory of who they are. Now they’re exploring the dungeon, which seems to have been affected by a very recent earthquake.
DOUBLE BONUS: Annoying news on the Thickets front. Due to the bad weather and Mario’s wayward ways, we’re pushing back the recording date a week. So that’s one more week you’ll have to wait for the finished album.
Coming Soon
