This song is in it’s early infancy, but I wanted to post something before the month turns the halfway point. I had hoped to do more with this tonight but got distracted by the John Denver special on the PBS pledge drive.
Category: hello.music
February 2007 EP : Clouded Spaces, Falling Skies
And we’re back! With the second installment of the year long series hello.music. We proudly present to you this months release: Clouded Spaces, Falling Skies.
February is an extra special month, because this album was created not only for our monthly EP release but also for the RPM Challenge, an effort to get musicians to create an album from scratch in only 28 days. It’s been a busy month, but we think we have stepped it up and elevated our own sense of quality. Check it out, tell your friends, enemies, families, cohorts, cronies, etc…
To hear all of our music, you can also subscribe to our monthly released podcast of all our albums here. Or find us at iTunes here. Feel free to leave comments, and let us know what you think.
UPDATE: At the beginning of the month, NPR’s All Songs Considered host, and All Things Considered director Bob Boilen did a really great feature on the RPM Challenge. Now that the month is over, he follows up with NPR’s Melissa Block and RPM organizer, Dave Karlotski about the experience. You can check out both stories here. And while you’re at it, take a look and a listen to other friends’ efforts: Robin Hilton, Bob Boilen, Thomas Pierce. ~HelloMike
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Temporary Setback :: January 2007
Clouded Spaces, Falling Skies :: February 2007
First Pull Up, Second Pull Down, Third Take Away :: March 2007
Ancient Telephones :: April 2007
The Cavalry Arrived Again :: May 2007
Designed In Anticipation Of His Centennial Years :: June 2007
The Rundown :: July 2007
The Ninth Great Fire :: August 2007
Empty Bottles And Dog-Eared Books :: September 2007
I Can Fix Things In The Morning :: October 2007
We Are Full Of Useful Noise :: November 2007
The Last Duel :: December 2007
February EP release is coming soon…
Hello boys and girls,
You might be wondering “Where is my Feb. EP?”, and “Why is it not up yet?” , and “Why do you hate me?”. While these are all valid feelings to have in the late hour, there are reasons… As you probably have gathered we have been hard at work (some of us) at getting the album ready for the RPM challenge that have been going on for the entire month of February. The deadline is today at noon, so now that that is ready, done, and in the mail, I can build this months web EP release page. So hold your horses, I promise it will be in your slimey webbed hands by this afternoon.
Also don’t forget you can recieve this album as a part of hellocomein.com’s podcast in iTunes here.
-Aryn
edit: I just realized that this is our 100th post!! Get out your party hats and celebrate! oh how far we’ve come from the beginnings…
hello.music round eight — Morning Tiger
It’s come down to the wire. With a last minute entry I have an all new version of “Morning Tiger” a song I wrote awhile back but shelved when I couldn’t think of how to expand or write lyrics for it.
I always loved the ending swell of synths and keyboards. It was very cinematic in a Jim O’Rourke kind of way (listen to his album Eureka for proof).
Anyway, a friend and co-worker said he loved it and wanted to take a crack at the lyrics and melody. When it came back from Robin, I wasn’t sure what to expect because we had never collaborated musically before. But his vocals and general tweaks to the mix really brought out the best in this song. Normally when I write, it had always been with my former bandmates in mind: writing for our former singer Kelley Gaunt, or a groove with Aryn and Greg in mind, or to serve as an improv vehicle for me.
So in a way it was strange to hear a song I had conceived alone in my bedroom or living room turn into something new and different. It might be one of my new favourites now.
We’ve got roughly 2 nights left to make any last minute things on these songs, pick our song order, album cover etc. Get the champagne ready.
hello.music round something or other — “A Call to Arms”
here is a heroic little clip for you .. entitled “A Call to Arms” , it chronicles the invasion of some army and the native poeples of wherever gathering their weapons to fight back. Will they win? you be the judge.
hello.music round eight — Cost of Things
Greetings friends… it is Sunday early evening and I have spent a majority of the snowy cold weekend inside reading, writing, composing, recording, mixing, mastering and then rerecording, remixing and so on and on and on. But by my calendar widget, we have less than 3 days to finish the album in a month as part of the RPM Challenge.
I will save my reaction and pep talk for another post but needless to say its been incredibly fun, challenging and all encompassing to put the music first for the first time in a long time.
Here is yet another song I created today while taking a break from mastering other things. I was talking on the phone and picked up the guitar. While talking a started playing this chord progression. It sort of just came out which is strange for me. Within an hour I had it written and tracked and another hour later it was mixed. Not so sure about the lyrics yet…but this song is all mood. Pretty proud with how it all came together so quickly.
So without further ado… the first mix of Cost of Things.
[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/CostofThings_v1.mp3]hello.music round seven — I Am the King of Sad Retorts
Here is I am the King of Sad Retorts version three.
Okay…I finally penned some lyrics and tracked a really rough melody and harmony for this song last night. I think the song will be okay once I refine the words and make the melody clearer, not mumbled and not cracking. But the basic shell I think is there. I really wish I had a female singer to duet with this…but maybe I’m just defaulting into the Tweedy\Gibbard mode that I was trying to get away from on this song. Thoughts?
To hear past version of this song and\or discussion and lyrics go here.
hello.music round seven — Black Moths
I recorded the majority of “Black Moths” around New Years this year but I’ve been tweaking things here and there ever since.
Not really sure what to do with this and I feel a bit constricted by the bad drum loops, the weak low end (no bass). But I think there is a lot of potential for this guitar rock song. Reminds me of something My Morning Jacket would do. I remember it being nice and slow and cathartic when I originally dropped some of the guitar parts down.
All those years of trying to play cleanly and articulate in jazz settings and school has finally maybe gotten me here where I just want to rock out and play with feedback. Someday I would like to combine the two sides of my brain: the feedback side and the rational jazz side.
This would sound great with Greg laying down some old school 70’s rock drums (ala Bonham)… definitely sounds like a great live song. Maybe Greg can help out with this one as well when he does some drums for “Look Out.” With SEVEN days left we have a lot to work on. Let the countdown begin for the RPM Challenge. Should be fun.
hello.music round six part III — Look Out
This looks to be a prolific week for me. I worked on quite a few things that have potential. Now I just need to focus and finish these items off. How are you guys coming with your projects?
I still really want to do the RPM Album with this month’s EP but if we’re running short on offerings I think we could probably do something of a greatest hits of the Jan & Feb EPs for that.
As for this here is yet another song I’ve been working on. The hardest part with this one has been mixing and mastering… I’m working heavily with Live to make the instruments sound good. As you will hear, it’s still a work in progress.
Here is Look Out version two
[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/LookOut_v2.mp3]…and I hope to have version three mixed sooner than later and I’ll update then. The mixing needs a lot work..and some levels and panning and maybe even redo the vocal tracks. Thoughts?
UPDATE 2\21: Here is Look Out version three
[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/hellomusic_mike/LookOut_v3.mp3]You might be able to tell that the mixing is slowly coming together. It’s not so muddy and the volumes are getting better but I’m still learning so cut me some slack? I am hoping Greg can track some real drums on this to help gain some intensity more naturally. Thoughts on this one coming together?
hello.music round six – Love is Ticking
Here’s another rough start for you to check out:
I think this one, and my last post, have some potential, but they need a lot of fleshing out (i.e. removing mumbled lyrics for actual words, etc). Mike’s coming over to my place tomorrow, so perhaps he can help me finish outlining these. Anyways, not much to say here, except that this is my debut recording of the autoharp. I plan to go on tour with it next month as part of my solo act away from the hellocomein group… since we are now famous enough to split off for solo tours. Then after that, we will have the hellocomein reunion tour that will be kicked off with our appearance at the 2008 Grammy’s. So exciting that we will be back together after all those years of intense drug use and in-fighting. Busy times ahead for us!