BLACKFINGER BRINGS THE HEAT

more sunfest

BLACKFINGER AT SUNFEST

Just stopped home to drop off my camera.  I hate carrying shit.  I just had to take some pix of the BLACKFINGER show and post them.  Greg, I took a whole shit ton of photos.  Got a pretty good buzz too.  Anyway thanks for the nod to ELEGBALAND guys.  Jesse was on fire.  Greg was bringin the heat.  Not gonna talk long cuz I want to go back to see JT.  Griffin Anthony was great.  He played on the opposite stage at 6:00.  I heard some wicked percussion coming from that direction. 

picture dup screw up

Sorry about that. these are the other pix I meant to post.

Also JR is going to New Orleans to record with my Mikey!!!!!  I hope they have the time of their lives.  Two of my favorite peoples.

Nik, did you get Andi Lee's address and number?  Lori, how do you like the pics?  Great guitar huh?  Ever see one like that before?  Bobby got creamed by the Marlins the other night, that sucks.  My Marlins buddies at work had to rub that in.  He is having a hell of a start to the year though.  You should be real proud.  How do you like my COEXIST shirt I wore in the room full of gang-bangers?  Anyway this is turning into an e-mail.  Sorry Marc 

John Prine

Well, the John Prine project is really starting to snowball.  Jeff is on board to produce and make his engineering debut.  He comped the oacal to "Daisy" today and it sounds kick ass.  I have no qualms about his qualifications.  He has as good an ear for music as anyone I have ever met.  His work ethic is second to none, and, he is a world class musician.  Gonna try to do: HELLO IN THERE, CHAIN OF SORROW, PARADISE, THAT'S THE WAY (THAT THE WORLD GOES ROUND), FISHIN AND WHISTLE, SOUVENIRS, PLEASE DON'T BURY ME, ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY, DONALD AND LYDIA, IN SPITE OF OURSELVES, AND,GRANDPA WAS A CARPENTER.  Maybe even THE FOUR WAY STOP DILEMMA.  Can't wait to do a few songs with Marie.  Maybe IN SPITE and ANGEL FROM. 

Going to do the PAINTING THE TOWN vocal tomorrow.  Of course after the Blackfinger SUNFEST show at 5:30 on the main stage!  Still my favorite band.  Of course, they are like the house band here at ELEGBALAND.  How cool is that.  

Greg gave me that guitar building project, and now I think he has the bug himself.  I forsee a "thinline tele" in his near future.  Any suggestions as to color out there folks?  

Lunchbox dropped me off a disk of pictures from the show at the strip club where we played guitar for the PROFIT BOYS.  It was a hoot.  Lots of "brothers" and "sisters".  We got strip searched for weapons at the door.  I positioned myself at the dancers pole on my side of the stage.  I figured it was the best place to see some action.  Anyway, it was a riot.  I had my finger injected that afternoon and it was throbbing.  I remember I was eating percodans like PEZ.  Notice my thumb on my fretting hand is never touching the neck.   I played my 51 NOCASTER.  Bill played my 68 Les Paul.  I played through my Blaze "tweed deluxe".  They could more than hear us.  We were felt.  

Till later Marc 

Sorry one picture got duplicated.

Too much going on

I have so many things half done I can't believe it. I change my mind like my underwear, ask JR. Lsat night, while working on my project, Keith came over. You know what that leads to, another song half finished. I had this song, "Painting the town", that I recorded once on piano. Greg said it was to long and loose the piano. I shortened it and used a pad and a wurlitzer instead. The lyrics got lost in the pad but I love the pad. I figured that song is done. Keith heard it and played the most wonderful acoustic guitar behind it. It let the pad go back to being a pad and put the "beat" back into the song. Now I can deliver the vocal the way I planned. I am very happy with it at this point. Keith ended up laying four acoustic guitar tracks on it, including some great little lines.
Going to record "souveniers" with Jeff this coming week. I love this song and think Jeff and I do a great John Prine/Steve Goodman impression. I have the feeling this record is going to come off great. Real rootsy. Well gotta go to work. Later Marc

I'm getting really stoked

Started a project with Jeff Merkling just for fun. Gonna do a whole record of John Prine songs. I love JP and so does Jeff. Jeff sounds like John Prine. Last night we recorded Spanish Pipedream. What a great song. ooops gotta go company. Later

what a great weekend

Spent yesterday with Marie Nofsinger and Greg Lovell.  Marie is one of the coolest chicks on the planet.  A true "mother earth" type.  They did harmonies on "circling the drain". I could listen to Marie sing forever.  It's like being in a room with Lucinda Williams.  She also had a great idea and laid down a tamborine track.  Greg got me in front of the mic with a cowbell.  MORE COWBELL.  Later, Greg did an acoustic track on "Heroes" with JRs LG1.  We have also decided to recut my guitar part on "Heroes" with a slightly less distorted amp tone.  Goodbye my Harmony track.  I sure liked you.

Yesterday was my mom and dad's 56 wedding anniversary.  Went over to a party for them and had dinner.  I was the youngest one there and all the old condo ladies looked at me like dinner.  What a trip.  The conversation was right out of a nursing home.  Talk of great cheap food, ailments (i was right at home there), the old mens former conquests, you name it.  Very "Twilight Zone".  

Today I'm gonna record the vocals for "Heroes".  This song rocks.  I don't mean that because it's mine. This song friggin rocks, right from the start till the last note.  Greg gave me a Rickenbacker 610 body yesterday.  I love to build guitars.  I already have a 610-12.  Think the Beatles or Tom Petty.  I am going to build a killer guitar like John Lennons 3/4 guitar from the early days. Look out EBAY, here I come. I love 3/4 size guitars. They have a different tone because of the scale and are great for big open rythmn chords.  

The muse liked "Circling the drain".  I thought, she ought to. So did Nik.  Waiting to hear from my daughter about it.  Oh, by the way Nik, I have a niece who lives near you I think, and she is very cool. You should hook up sometime.

Mikey getting ready to work with the Drive By Truckers.  Booker T playing with them.  I know Neil Young will be at the festival.  Well I read in the paper today that Booker T has a new record out with the Drive By's as his band and Neil Young on lead guitar.  Could they all come together in New Orleans?  I am so jealous of Mike right now.  I'm also so proud of him.

Well I'm too long winded. Till tomorrow, Marc 

Columbo

Doing slueth work today. Gonna find the SOB who ripped us off. Going to find what bands followed Bfinger and be all over them. Gonna check out staff too. I haven't been this pissed about something for a long time and swore years ago I would never be like that again. I am scared for when I find you. Better be careful, I'm your worst nightmare. Better never take the shit to a show cuz if I see it, it will be your last. I have spent years and countless money and time acquiring my gear and it means the world to me. JR trusted me to leave enough to leave his gear with me, so he got clipped to. Hope Karma finds you before me.
Going to record alone tonight. Guitar on "run to me". Vox too. That will give me five songs in the can after the weekend. Now I'm starting to move. "Run to me", "Daisy", "Circling the drain", "Lies we tell ourselves", and "Heroes". "Downhill slide" doesn't need much more either.
I did use my old Harmony amp to record my guitar part on heroes. I am in love with the sound. 5 watts of unadulterated tube tone. Nothing sounds like an out of phase strat plugged into a cranked tube amp. No pedals just my fingers, the strat, the Harmony, and your ears.
I also think all girls should be required to wear guitar logo T-shirts as PJ's. Nothing quite greets one in the morning like that special love wearing nothin' but the shirt and a smile. Now that's love. Also gets ones imagination moving.
Got told "lies" reminds a friend, in Texas, of "sleepwalking" by Modest Mouse. I will have to check it out. I told this to greg and he said "lies " is better. Ha. I wish. I have a niece who lives in Texas also, I will have to hook them up. In fact she has also been to a Ralston show out there. Her brother is my Mikey, who recorded several JR records. Mikey owns "Listen Up Studios" in New Orleans. He is with the Drive By Truckers this week recording in the Big Easy. I am told Booker T is also going to be there. Last week he recorded Gladys Knight and M.J. Blidge.
Till later, peace, except to the thieving Sons of Bitches who ripped us off, Marc

Work still sucks

Well, back at work two days and it still sucks.

Greg kindly agreed to comp the vocal for "daisy". I am really glad. The songs we're working on all have a great feel. None of the instruments step on each other. More a symphony than my normal Cacophony. "Circling the drain" is sounding so awesome I can hardly believe it's me. JR did some harmonies last the night before last and Marie Nofsinger is coming over this weekend to add more. Andy is coming over to get my baritone guitar (tuned B to B) to work out some tic-tac lines. It is a Danelectro and is configured like a bass size strat. I've heard through the grapevine that he "hears" some dobro on it also.

To the no good piece of shit(s) that stole mine and JR's gear we lent Blackfinger for a show, I hope you die SOON and rot in hell. Stealing gear is about the lowest thing on the face of the earth. We take so much pride in it, derive great pleasure fron using it, and become emotionally attatched to it. In my mind, it is much akin to a rape. The custom made "Elegbaland studio" monograms on the cables should make them stick out like a sore thumb. We have lots of friends who are musicians. You will never rest. If I ever find you or where you are, you can sell your soul to God, because your ass is mine. I joke not! I'm too old to get punked by some lazy child. I will find you. I've left shit in green rooms all over and never been clipped..

Recorded the final bass tracks for the Storch Brothers last night. The songs a great. Can't wait to start on the electric guitars. Till tommorrow Marc

P.S. since I had not much to say i add some pix. My friend Joe Bellucio, a great accordian player, me and my friend Jean Lambert (jean lets me lean on her occasionally), Lori Smith our singer right before our Sunfest show (the rain was so had you can't see the intracostal twenty feet away behind the palm trees and look at all the empty seats, everyone ran for cover), and Lunchboxs' daughters Taylor and Sidney.

Rainy days and Mondays

Well it's pouring out this morning. All the cats are getting cabin crazy and picking fights.  My last day before returning to work.  

Finished the piano on "lies" yesterday.  Not really sure where the song will go.  This one is too personal to me.  Got some good and bad responses from a few friends.  I have been told about my Townes VanZant similarity before, but was shocked to hear it from an impartial listener. Quite an honor.  The Hank Williams likeness I have had all my life.  I guess my daddy really rubbed off.  That's all he ever used to sing.  He new all his songs.  I'll never forget, when I was young, seeing my dad come home drunk with a guitar he won at the bar for performing a tune. It changed my life.  When I saw that guitar lying on the table, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  Unfortunately, that's not what happened, but, the point is, I knew. All reviews can't be good however, and I did get some negative responses. Sadly, the one who really matters thinks it lost it's essence in translation from it's original form.  Talk about being humbled. Perhaps I need to step back and look at it more objectively. Maybe it's just meant to be for me.

Going to do the electric guitar for heroes today with greg.  This time it's my turn to play and greg can push knobs.  I asked greg to bring his 58 Epiphone Coronet over to play.  It has a mini humbucker like my Les Paul, but not as dark sounding because the body is so lightweight.  I think the Blaze Lightning or the Deluxe Reverb should be a good match.  I want something chimmey like the Who's "Can't explain". 

After that, JR is going to help me record the vocal and the acoustic to "run to me".  He is also going to do harmonies on "circle".  I'm hoping I can talk greg into comping a vocal take for Daisy. 

Greg also brought over Ben's friend Julia Messersmitz to sing harmonies on "lies".  She was a very good singer and beautiful to look at.  Todays pix are Greg comping the "circle" vocals, me looking at greg and wishing I was playing and he was at the board, and, Julia showing greg she's "alive with pleasure".

Have a great day Marc

  

now i'm movin'

Had a killer day yesterday.  Recorded for nine and a half hours with Greg.  Did great harmonies on "lies" and "circle".  Did acoustic and electric guitars on "circle". Twice now I have heard Greg record great parts with a strat.  I distinctly remember Greg having said he hates strats.  It's what they stand for, wanking white Stevie Ray wannabees.  Greg can really wiggle some cool phrases out of a guitar, but being the front guy, he never gets to.  I could tell he was enjoying the opportunity. Kind of like getting back with an old flame.  Anyway our choice of a 77 strat (thanks storch bros) a Blaze Fender deluxe and nothing else, pure unadulterated tone<>Greg is doing lots of the production and editing for my CD now.  He comp'd the vocal for "circle" and did a kick ass job.  He is a true joy to work with, as long as he doesn't get pissed( he has a short fuse).  He learns faster than anyone I know. He really has a lot of "real world" logic. If only I could change his mind about strats. 

Jr used a banjo to sing a vocal through the other day.  What a great trick. When I hung it up there I knew someone would hear it resonate and use it for something.  I was right. 

Gonna record the piano to lies again today.  Three mics place lo to high on the soundboard.  Send them to API preasmps and no compression.  

Finished "Daisy".  Going to do the vocal and guitar on "Run to me" and then I will have five songs close to finished. Then I start on "LJ", Painting the town", "That fuckin guitar" and "All my life". 

IT'S A NEW DAWN

Woke up this morning with a new attitude. Not going to let anything slow me down anymore. Sometimes I worry so much about what could be that I forget to "be". No more. I will live with the mistakes that come from my choices because at least I made them.

Mike Dunn got a Fender endorsment deal yesterday. How cool is that. Do I see a new tele in the future? If you've ever seen him play you know Fender made a smart choice. They rock.

John and Val came by last night and we dialed in a great keyboard sound for "painting". Today will find me recording it all alone. Sometimes that is the best way. I hear "Philadelphia" tone in a strange similar way. The BPM of the song slowed down from 110, all the way to 72. That means a do over for all the instruments and the vocals. It's a whole different song this way. No more tuba bass.

Todays pictures feature Bill Storches daughter Savannah playing the BR9 lap steel JR gifted to Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional. The other is the tele I built for my nephew Mike. We call her Elsie. I think you'll see why.

Ya'll have a good day and remember, sometimes with clarity comes sadness. Marc

Circus time

Working on the new improved "painting the town" keyboards and am really happy with the vibe.  Real sad, but in a outsider kind of way.  Real underbelly music.  Wonder what JR will hear? 

Started looking at new gear and I can feel my "acquisition syndrome" kicking into high overdrive.  Really interested in the La Chapelle tube mic pre.  Only a handful of pure tube pres out there and these are the cream of the crop.  They're  old Telefunken V72design with Fairchild circuitry just like from an old German console.  Think the Beatles or Pink Floyd.  Early EMI recordings. The nice thing is you can drive the input for a more rude sound.

Think I am starting to get better.  I am able to move around a lot easier now.  The swelling has gone down.  Now it's just purple and old.  Well the purple will go away at least.  

How about those Navy SEALs huh?  I am real anti=violence, but once in a while they make me proud to have served. 

Has anybody seen the muse?  Please drive her home. Hope all is well. 

Don't forget SUNFEST is coming up.  Go see Blackfinger thursday.  Griffin Anthony friday, and Shaunna Sweeny saturday.  All three Elegbaland alumni.  We salute them all.. 

Up and Around

Went to the doc today and he said i'm doin fine.  Going to work on my songs real hard for the next two weeks.  I have lots of time and am getting antsy.  

Put the tunnel back together for the kick and mic'd and the drums. Greg coming at five to rerecord drums for lies.  

Came up with a great keyboard sound for "painting the town".  A wurly on the top half with a great pad down below.  Jr says it reminds him of E Street sound.  I was going for that.  Think, the River.  

Trying to decide what equipment we need to upgrade this year.  I want a Pacifica, a rotating speaker, a high end tube mic, a compressor, a parametric EQ and a tube mic pre.  Anyone have any suggestions?  

I have to admit, it's getting better

Getting so much better all the time.  Had Ron come over today and wrestled with some guitar tone.  He wanted to play the tele, but we settled on the strat.  Ran into the 63 reverb tank and straight into the tweed deluxe.  Sent the signal to the recorder by a Radial JDX direct box and also mic'd it with a Fathead ribbon about six inches from the outside edge of the speaker cone.  The JDX signal went to a Universal Audio 610 and then a Summit Audio DCL200 compressor.  The Fathead ran into a Vintech 1272 and then an Empirical Labs Distressor in "brit mode".  The miked signal got about 2-1 compression, just enough to sweeten it.  The direct signal was 3-1 but really driven hard on the input and alot of third order harmonics added in.  

Going to try to do some guitars to "Lucy".  Told Ron I'm looking for that Mic Taylor sound on the end of the solo for "Can't you hear me (knockin)".  

Going to map out the rest of the "blackfinger" songs on my record with Greg this afternoon.  JR is going to help me with "painting the town".  Told him think "wild billy's circus story".  I hear tuba, accordian, and mandolin.  Very vaudville.  

Starting to get stir crazy.  I really want to get moving on these songs and I can't physically do it. It hurts too much.  Can't stay down like this.  I have too much energy.  

Did some studio mods today.  Got all the midi modules racked and working.  We needed to have all of them available.  So many cool sounds.  Plus it looks really awesome.  Have a good day. Marc

hole fixed

well i got the hole in me fixed.  sort of ironic when you think.  My friend Venita shaved my unit and prepped it for surgery.  Funny how you can work with someone foe 15 years and not think twice about them seeing my daddy parts.  I am all purple in my purse so to speak. gravity is a bitch.  I must have bleed inside because my appendix scar is bruised from inside.  Weird.  I wouldn't want to be a chick and shave down there regular. It itches and is rough. besides, it makes me look like a little boy.  Very strange to look down. I can walk straight up now. 

JR and his band played in orlando last night and at propaganda tonight. Check out the pic of Mike Dunn John sent me.  Notice the Elegbaland shirt. 

Put a new full drum head on the kick today and was very happy with the difference in kick tone in the room.  More cannon-like.

You really begin to find out who your friends are when you are stuck at home. Jeff Snow is a great guy, I know why the kids love him.  Greg Lovell is number one.  Although don't ever tell him you're going to put holes in a guitar.  

Hope to do some recording tomorrow.  Guitar still hurts when i set it against my groin.  We'll see. 

Check out the picture of my great grandma Sarah Conley. She was a full blooded Cherokee indian.  Real pretty to.  The picture is from the 1880's.  The little boy (little Lee) was my uncle Cecil's uncle. Till later Marc

lab rat

Now I know how the lab rats feel. I have been poked and prodded with everything I think they could find for pre-op tests. I still have the slowest resting heartbeat they have ever seen. I could have told them such. When I was in the military, they were sort of blown away by that.
Thanks for the words of encouragement Nik. I just want this to be over. I may not write much till it is.
Also, A big Elegbaland prayer goes out to Laura's grandma. She just had major surgery, not outpatient like mine, and hopefully will get better soon. I don't know her but if she is anything like Laura, she must be one amazing chick. Till Friday, be cool, Marc

Storch Bros. Band

Had a killer day recording the Storches (John and Bill)  yesterday.  The drums came out better than any I have ever done.  The kick sounds like thunder.  Slowest attack possible and the fastest release on the compressor.  You can hear it "WOOF" all the way back to the second mic.  More important, you can feel it in your core.  That's for you Greg! I also feel the toms are regal. Big and deep like "in the air tonight" oor anything by Don Henley.  Charles Dye suggested I ambient mic the walls for a room sound. The Peluso P12 worked wonderfully and I think 75 percent of the drum sound will come from there.  

My Mikey is in Atlanta this weekend recording Mary J Blidge and Gladys Knight.  How cool is that?  

Ron Desarm played the bass for the Storch sessions.  Ron looks better than I've ever seen him.  When he's not on the junk, he's the best guitarist I know.  He brought his own hollowbody Ibanez bass (think Hofner sounds).  He ended up opting for Elegbalands P bass for all but one of the songs however. 

After the session, the Storches brought up the possibility of playing out as Hillbilly Heart again.  I asked if Ron would also be interested in playing some guitar on my record.  All answers were yes.

John and Jeff Snow are painting Jeff's house this weekend.  Kind of weird, all day and not a peep out of John.  They must be tired.

Ron, Bill,  and the Storches are going to perform some of the new songs at Ric Pattison's open mic tuesday at Havana Hideaway. I hope they play "Lonelyville".  "Roll away the stone (Spooky's blues)" should also wow the crowd.   

Had a guy call and try to sell me a Hammond Mark 1 organ the other day.  They got here and I had a bad vibe it was stolen.  They only wanted 60 bucks, think crack.  I would have liked to say that's why I didn't buy it, but really it had to many mods and scared me away.

All of these great thing going on and I am still the unhappiest guy in the world.  Wish I could fix it.  Freedoms just another word.

Work

Since I have to have an operation, I feel it's only fair to show a picture or two of me at work.  I think you will see the irony.

ready for drums

Today I set up the room for a drum session with the Storch brothers.  If you notice in the first picture the Oktava ribbon mic is at the end of a dampening tunnel about two feet behind a Sennheiser 902.  The tunnel prevents bleed and preserves the "drum" sound.  Hopefully, it will keep us from getting to much attack and more of the room sound of the kick.  In the next photo, you can see I miced the snare over and under with a Shure SM57 and a Cascade Fathead. The SM57 is over and the Fathead is in the beige tube below the snare to prevent kick bleed.  Picture three shows the overheads.  This is a technique called "recorderman" pioneered by Daniel Lanois.  The distance from the center of the kick and snare is exactly the same from both mics, thus, no phasing issues.  The last shot shows the tunnel.  It has several pillows and blankets and sheets and towels and t-shirts and Daisy's comforter.  Notice the sound dampers and reflection stoppers around the mics.  I will also put the Peluso P12 in the room for room sound; and, The Cascade Vinjet in the next room run through an Empirical Labs Distressor.   The mics on the overheads are Cascade Radiators with Lundahl transformers.  In all five ribbon mics, four dynamics, one condenser (on the hat) and a tube mic.  Quite the array for four drums and a few cymbals.  What do you think?