Shhh/Peaceful

RIP Odetta

December 31 1930 - December 2 2008

Big Stuff

Record is coming together quickly. I'd say it's about 95% done with the 80% I expected to be done by now to be 100% done by December 31st. What Does This Mean?

The whole process has been patient, easy and comfortable, but where the preparation for the record and the start of the actual recording process began is anybody's guess. Back in December of '07, we started to fiddle with new tracks as a band, but in reality as you can peruse back to the tracks found on this blog, DEMO DAYS started far earlier, ending before I was married in May of 2007. Then-Beasts of Burden Brian Slagle worked with me on the demos, and many of those songs ended up the songs on this current record...but not as many as you'd think. In fact, a lot of the material worked on during DEMO DAYS was redirected to the Slagle/Vasas e-project that has yet to be completed.

As mentioned a few "idea sessions" had been done before Slagle left the band in January, including a few with Matt Mepham before he joined the group...and if I remember correctly...even before Eric Bredin left the group in '07.

So fast forward to the beginning of '08 as we prepared new material through improv sessions and "idea sessions" throughout the whole Palace of Auburn Hills performance-prep and through the spring and into summer. The whole time we were getting comfortable with a recording device Matt bought that allowed us to multi-track record our sessions/rehearsals for clear listening after the fact, and in the process setup and developed our recording/rehearsal space in Brian's house.

The whole time songs rose from the ashes of jam sessions, chord experiments and lunch breaks at Harper Creek and before we knew it we had about 25 or so major contenders for the record. During this time we were also shifting and adjusting the equipment so that we could (without us really knowing it) jump right in to the recording of the album officially. When that started I have no idea. The earliest take that is currently on the record goes back to August....but most are from September and October.

Matt and I have had many sessions in Lansing working on song parts, although much of the work had been done because we had been generating ideas on many of these songs since January or whenever the songs were birthed. For instance, Occupation came forward in the early summer and we had played it so much that it took only a few takes to generate all the parts that are on the final version.

Recently, Matt has been recording tracks on his computer in Westland and sending the files to me to drop into the tracks as they get recorded. A simple process allows him to track things as if he was in the room with me and then I just drop them in.

So that leads me back to my first comment. We ARE about 95% done with the 80% I expected to be done by the end of Thanksgiving weekend. The drums are recorded, basically all of my instrumental tracks are done, many of matt's guitar parts are done, a lot of the general mixing is finished on songs...

To do? Bass guitar on all tracks. Final vocals & backing vocals on all tracks, additional percussion, band backing vocals

Then The Final Mix

Then The Master

Still lookin' good for being done by December 31st. We will be careful in the mixing stage, which may push it back a month. Either way the record should be IN THE CAN with a few minor adjustments by New Years. Then it's off to secure distribution, set a release date and get our promote on. Before it gets released, you'll see the record on mikevasas.com for free preview. TELL YOUR FRIENDS. IT'S COMING. MWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Also....in 2010 a special internet gift from me to you will happen. It's a gift that'll keep on giving all year round. Some of you won't believe it. Some of you will find it absurd. Many of you won't know what to do with it. Some of you will grasp it with open arms. It doesn't matter what you do with this gift...it's yours. More details as 2009 happens.

RIP Mitch Mitchell

Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the Jimi Hendrix Experience died yesterday, apparently of natural causes...kind of early at 61, but an autopsy is in the works, supposedly. He held a reliable creative relationship with Hendrix, and according to many sources, he often was the only member of the group in the studio with Hendrix when he was working out ideas.

Les Loken - WWII Vet

My grandfather's stories are similar to this vet who was filmed talking about the war before he died...Grandpa Schley has a detailed memory and certainly the stories mean a lot to me, personally, but it's still great to see and hear everybody talk about the war...whether it's Les or anybody else.