The New CD...A Real One, Too!

Today I'm taking a little time to enjoy the new CD that I and the other Shelter Dogs have been working on for a while...and hey, it's sounding pretty dang good! It took a good long bit for Pete to mix it down (there were some issues in the original recording) and a bit more for me to do my impression of a Mastering Engineer, but I think for a first album it'll do quite well. I've got the artwork finished (I'm starting to actually understand Photoshop now) and we'll do a short production run here in my studio, just to have some physical product. I know it would be cheaper and less hassle to send it out, but I have all the facilities here and I might as well use what I've got...for now, anyway. I'll send the next run out to the shop.

It took some time to massage the tracks into shape (I think next time we'll use the facilities at my place...my studio computer was down when we did this), but really, we did all the recording in about 12 hours! Two nights, everything live, no overdubs except for vocals which we did all the second night. Very Chess or Sun Records style! After doing one of my very technical records for the Beowulf Kingsley thing, all by myself for three years at a time, that's really refreshing. And I've got to say, the playing is marvelous. I'm so lucky to have gotten together with Tom and Pete, they're both such amazing musicians and the chemistry between us is so good. Those tracks were a joy to lay down! I'm looking forward to where this project takes us in the future.

I'm starting to feel that the physical CD is becoming an anachronism, though...how many people buy them these days? Anybody? I know I often don't bother and just go for the download these days, mostly because all the local record stores are mostly gone (with the exception of the soulful Encore Records in A2, selling used stuff), and because most of what I'm looking for is...well...eccentric, I'd guess. At least eclectic. But not having a physical package bothers me. Not only because of the very real danger of losing all your music if your hard drive blows out without backup, but because for the most part there's no feeling of connection, it's all much more abstract. Yeah, it lives on my PC and on my iPod, but I can't pick it up, I can't see the art, and liner notes? They're gone, baby, gone. Although there's no reason why a digital package can't have all that (and more), most don't seem to bother. So future listeners won't have any idea of who played on what, or who wrote it, or what the original art on classic LPs looked like, or how the artists felt about it, unless they go diggin' online. And how many will? I'm thinking very few.

But at this point I'm still reveling in putting together a CD. I enjoy mixing and mastering, and designing covers and labels...and at the place we're in right now as a band that's just starting out, really, having something to give to a club owner or to sell off the stage is very useful! And I'm proud of this band, I'd like to have people be able to take a little of our music home with them, maybe turn on their friends to it. Share out some of this good time! And I'll figure out a download site later on.

The Joy Of Promo

I've been working recently on getting The Shelter Dogs, our lovely and talented band, out in front of crowds that can appreciate them...and I tell you, I don't think I was born for this side of the business! Most of my life as a musician I've been a sideman, which has its positives and negatives...the negatives include having little or no say on creative input or song selection, being at the mercy of the bandleader's (sometimes questionable) instincts, and having no control over when and where you'll play. The positives are that you don't have to do promo, or to deal with bar owners, festival promoters and booking agents...stuff I'm now learning to do. In some respects its a very good thing, and when everything works out it's great, but it's a lot of hassle too mostly and a LOT of time on the phone, on the web, and designing and producing the material you need.

There are a lot of useful tools these days that we didn't have till just recently...Facebook, Reverbnation, Twitter (still have to work on that one), Electronic Press Kits, and just getting around on the web makes things a lot easier. But each of the social networks, promo sites, etc. all have a learning curve to them...which takes more time...and also, seeing just how MANY bands and performers there are out there is kind of intimidating. Not that I'm really too worried...I actually think The Shelter Dogs are an amazing band that has a great future...but just getting people to see 'em is the challenge. And hopefully not just at some sports bar where the big screen TV behind the stage is broadcasting the game! I did a sub gig with my pals The Blues Owls last month where we were doing that very thing...crazy.

So I've got some challenges ahead, trying to make ends meet while doing all this promo stuff (hey, and I still have to work on my playing and to rehearse with the band!), while dealing with family, friends and my lovely fiance. Oh yeah, and the seven cats...maybe I should talk about them in a different post though. That's a WHOLE other subject. Anybody want a cat?