RPM CHALLENGE 2009

[RefD]

i intend to do much phase shifter lap steel and acoustic guitar and warbly monosynth with nonsensical singing...a modern classic to come!

i wish.

Awesome! On our 2008 RPM, I put flanged pre-verbed lap steel on one of the songs. And shortwave radio foreign language on another one.

*considers wahwah on one or more vocal tracks*

[drew w]

I was going to do this a couple of years ago, but it was a messed up time...then I got super pissed and for the first time in my life, I Pete Townshended my guitar (1981 G&L SC-3) like a complete dumbass...
which by the way took one hell of a licking...
Now the guitar is back in one piece and sounds great...
And I am doing it for real this year!!
with The New Gallery Band of York
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE with your album in a month!
RPM link:
http://www.rpmchallenge.com/component/o ... temid,296/
The New Gallery Band of York facebook link:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35728609769
The New Gallery Band of York myspace link:
http://www.myspace.com/thenewgallerybandofyork

[DryCounty]

I've also posted this into that _other_ forum (but really prefer TOMB over all else...)

Okay I'm trying to break down the 12-15 songs we're attempting into a production based schedule thing. Imagining that all drums, bass, guitars will have to be tracked within the first two weeks. Vocals, horns etc. later. This is going to be tough as we have a bassist that is currently on tour in Europe and wont be back until around the 7th. I'm debating playing his parts and having him overdub later.

For those of you that may have done this thing last year, what was your schedule like? How many hours, etc. spent recording vs. mixing?

Did it feel rushed? (hah - THAT was a stupid question)

Also we're going to try to twitter it, drycounty is the handle.

[RefD]

i hope i can get one or two good songs out of my efforts, but i know the bulk of my output on this will be exploratory twaddle.

hopefully i won't be the only person entertained, tho.

[aitikin]

For those of you that may have done this thing last year, what was your schedule like? How many hours, etc. spent recording vs. mixing?

Did it feel rushed? (hah - THAT was a stupid question)

Isn't that the point?

My buddy did this last year with his band (he's the drummer) and they had so little time that he ended up doing digital drums. Album turned out pretty well, but the drums sounded awful. He ended up going over it later and doing real drums for a few tracks cause they put it on a different CD, but the only way they did that CD was from doing the RPM one first.

[dave watkins]

it's february! and after much debate (with myself) i'm in for real. here is what i posted for on the rpm site about what i'm aiming for:

"my goal is to put together a cohesive release that really displays both what i'm about musically and technically. it should lie somewhere between the fine line of "this is what i sound like when i play live" and "this is me as a recording artist that can do all sorts of crazy stuff with computers and equipment". i plan on making use of the slightly bizarre folk instruments i play: dulcitar, bowed psaltery, miniature hammer dulcimer in addition to more common instruments. i plan on having digital and analog make love to each other. i plan on getting a fantastically interesting drum sound, and really making use all of the crazy small and large rooms i have available to record in. the ultimate challenge that i'm going to set for myself is to do everything from start to finish without saying "man, i need to go buy (insert fancy gear name here) to really make this awesome", now that's a challenge."

so tonight, at least for as long as i care to stay awake, i'll be retuning and setting up my drums, my crazy folk instruments, my less crazy other instruments, cleaning up my space and so forth so that when i wake up tomorrow, i can set off on the daunting and fantastic adventure that will be putting together an entire album in a month from start to finish. i will be doing everything on this: writing, playing, vocals (a first for me), engineering, mixing, mastering (even though self mastering seems to be ever so unpopular, i'm fucking doing it) and even the artwork. I'm trying to put together a 100% self produced record that kicks ass, and doesn't cost a damn dime to create, all on equipment that might be considered sub par by some. i am really going to do my damnedest not spend anything on this project at all with the exception of new strings or drumsticks if i need them. it's gonna be a blast. it might even end up with a barcode on it.

and if all else fails, i will at least get my drums tuned up

[RefD]

okay, i'm in.

*fires up 4-track and gets started*

[DryCounty]

Hear, hear! It's 2:10 a.m. and i hereby proclaim this month the month to get off your asses and get that idea out of your skull!

We start recording today at noon till whenever -- f*ck a damn superbowl! To prepare I just made a little spreadsheet with all the parts on it, color coded. For the live rooms I also have some old chalk boards. Not a single mic has been set up. I've also got some strong coffee, water, whiskey and cold medication should anything arise.

Dave, I was really into not spending a dime too until I realized I gotta go by Rat Shack and pick up a TOSLINK cable. Oh well. At least I haven't gone by Guitar Center in the past six months. Hey before I forget I'm really digging that CD you gave me!

Also, again, we're gonna try this via twitter, my handle is drycounty.

Good luck!!

[dave watkins]

yeah i decided to make budget my one dead set constraint for this project earlier this week when i felt my gear addiction setting in again and urging me to go out to the music stores and see if there were any interesting used items sitting in a corner somewhere that could be had for cheap. i found nothing that i could actually justify buying, except for whatever reason, in the process of checking the stores i ended up at the music and arts center, and ended up getting drumsticks, a set of 12string stings (trying out nashville tuning), a new mic stand adapter for doing stereo pairs AND! one of those plastic recorder whistles. i got the look of death when i went to check out, the dude, was just like, "that's interesting" i don't think he could handle some big bearded guy buying some $5 translucent blue instrument that kids usually play... we'll see if it makes it's way onto the record. but hopefully i will not have to step foot into a music store or even a radio shack or spend any money on anything music related this month. i (and i probably speak for a lot of people on here) spend too much time worrying about wanting/having this, or wanting/having that instead of just making use of the stuff i do have, and making some damn music! it's time to make $50 mics sound as awesome as possible!

i think at this point i have maybe four songs that i have mostly written and did demos of over the last couple months, i plan on reworking/finalizing the arrangements and recording them more full out, and then it'll be time to sift through the thousands of musical ideas in my head and see what comes happens to fill out the rest of the record.

Glad you liked the CD Erik, i've been listening to No Wake a whole bunch this week, it's fantastic! thanks for the copy. anyway it'll be interesting to see what comes out of these old rva basements this month. and what comes out of the rest of the world too. it's quite exciting to think of all the people setting out to record an album at the same time.

rock it out folks

[CraigS63]

Hmm, buy a new recorder in a snazzy new color, or use the one I had in grade school...


Damn, they're only 2 bucks and change here..
http://www.empire-music.com/us/english/

(fyi - bought a triangular uke from these guys, great service - the wrong case had been shipped with it, they were excellent to deal with, esp. on a small ticket item).

[dave watkins]

$2! damn i got swindled! i actually lost the one i had in grade school, i think i was just feeling nostalgic for the days when everyone else would play the music as written and i would just do trills and make weird noises and get in trouble for it. though i guess not too much has changed.

[waltertore]

Wow, I missed this post. I am doing my 3rd RPM. This contest is about the only place where what I do works in the music business. This year I decided to challenge myself to do at least 28 cds for the month. I have 7 - 1/2 cds done already. Here is a link to my approach to music and a few samples of my 2009 RPM cds. I was hoping to post all of them, but with working full time, I am not going to be able to do it. I am also throwing a party to celebrate on the 28th. I will be performing and am located 30 miles east of Columbus, Ohio. Let me know if you want to come. Walter

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pageart ... dID=157137

[waltertore]

I'm interested in stories from any of you who have participated before. Mostly I am interested in stories about the daily work flow while balancing a day gig, and how you organized your sessions. Did you move from song to song, completing one at a time, or did you just record stream of conscience and jump around between songs throughout the month?

Jeff

I have been spontaneously making up all my words and music since I could talk. For some reason, songs just continue to flow out of me. It is a high, and once I found instruments to play, it got even better. I sit down, turn on the record button and just play. I have finished 7-1/2 cds so far. If I wasn't working full time, I could really be rolling I began my onstage music career like most, but after a few years, I started doing more improvising. This was much more intense of a high than doing things the other way. I was living 2 lives to that point- my spontobeat approach off the stage, and conventional approach onstage. Soon the spontobeat approach took over. For the past 30 years, that is all I have done. It has kept me on the outskirts of the music world, but I wouldn't change a thing. Do your music from your heart. Let go of worldly concerns like acceptance, fame, prestige, rejection, and fear. Then your soul can soar and you become the song. Walter

[RefD]

dang, this is slow going when you have 2 kids to look after!

i'm making progress, tho.

at least what gets done gets done, whether i meet the deadline or not.

i am now in serious danger of actually completing an album this year.

[sad iron]

I was going to do this a couple of years ago, but it was a messed up time...then I got super pissed and for the first time in my life, I Pete Townshended my guitar (1981 G&L SC-3) like a complete dumbass...
which by the way took one hell of a licking...
Now the guitar is back in one piece and sounds great...
And I am doing it for real this year!!
with The New Gallery Band of York
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE with your album in a month!
RPM link:
http://www.rpmchallenge.com/component/o ... temid,296/
The New Gallery Band of York facebook link:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35728609769
The New Gallery Band of York myspace link:
http://www.myspace.com/thenewgallerybandofyork

Hey Drew,

Jason Lewis here. Sounds great! Look forward to hearing this year's project. Wish I had time to do one on my own, but I have to finish this record I've been working on for 4 years before I do anything like this!