Friday, November 27, 2020

27 November - Experience

THIS WEEK'S COMMUTE
M: Led Zeppelin - "ZOSO" (you know, the fourth one)
T: The Motors - Airport (greatest hits)
W: Warren Zevon - Life'll Kill Ya
F: Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

Once again, you've caught me listening to something other than a friend's CD in the car on a Friday. But today is Jimi Hendrix's birthday, so no apologies. He would have been 78 this year. Not necessarily old, but...beautiful.

Friday, November 20, 2020

20 November - It's Nice to be Nice

THIS WEEK'S COMMUTE
M: R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
T: The Rolling Stones - Black and Blue
W: George Harrison - Brainwashed
F: Pugwash - A Rose in a Garden of Weeds

Today's CD was the compilation of Pugwash songs put out by Omnivore Recordings in 2014, prior to the band's first visit to the USA. This is a fun album to have in the car, as it's a great sampling of many previous records. One gem after another. I was introduced to their music by Chris Collingwood, when he and I were recording what was to become my first solo effort, Wednesday Child. Soon after, we had all become pen pals (or the internet equivalent), and were swapping our music and much laughter across the waves from New England to Ireland.

 

Long story short (less long, anyway), I shared the bill with them for a number of New England shows on three of their American tours, and have many fond memories of our times together. The photo above was the last time I was onstage with them, October of 2016 at the Empire in Portland Maine. I'd opened for them at The Iron Horse in Northampton Mass a couple of nights before that.

Pugwash the band has had many lineups. These days Pugwash is largely its frontman and songwriter, Thomas Walsh. But during those tours, the band was rounded out by Shaun McGee on bass, Joe Fitzgerald on drums, and Tosh Flood on lead guitar. That's the band I will always think of, primarily because of the lasting friendships we all formed at the time. We may be distant geographically, but I love them like brothers.

Bottom line: Pugwash will always be one of my favorite bands ever.

Saturday, November 14, 2020

14 November - Masters

Yes, I know the golf tournament down in Augusta is happening this week/weekend, but this post has nothing to do with that. After reviewing them for several days, and making a few minor adjustments to four of the nine songs, final masters for the album have been approved as of this morning.

Friday, November 13, 2020

13 November - Polite

THIS WEEK'S COMMUTE
M: The Autumn Defense - Once Around
T: Iggy Pop - Brick by Brick
F: Sitting Next to Brian - Polite

Today's CD is another one I played on. Brian Marchese is a great all-around guy who writes fun songs, but is perhaps better known for his drumming. Brian is a total pro who's well in demand around here. But in addition to being an ace behind the kit, he's put out a pile of records with a revolving collection of players that you might want to check out. Especially if an ear-catching blend of XTC and Velvet Underground influences (with maybe some Left Banke and early Kinks thrown in there) might appeal to you. It does to me.

Brian also has a cool podcast: Where's That Sound Coming From?

Friday, November 6, 2020

06 November - Mixes

THIS WEEK'S COMMUTE
M: Jeff Beck - You Had it Coming
T: Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash
W: Motörhead - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
F: Rick Murnane - Mixes

Yes. Today I have a CD in the car of my own stuff. Talk about narcissism, right? Not that bad yet, honest. It's one I burned yesterday of the mixes for the new album. All nine songs in the sequence they'll be in when it's finalized. This is a regular step in the process. It's a good way to see which tracks are louder than others, if any frequency jumps out annoyingly at the eardrums, or if anything needs to come forward - that sort of thing. Then you go back in the studio, make the adjustments, and create a new mix before heading to the mastering process. In mastering, one of the things one does is even out the collection so it's at (or pretty damn near) the same overall listening level, and is a cohesive whole rather than just a jumble of tracks. But hey, each step along the way means the project is almost done. I'm very pleased. And I hope you will be, too.