Make No Mistake

I am quite impressed what has been accomplished over the past six weeks or so. To those that say song writing is a process that takes a long time, they need to re-think their musical approach. In the real world of a band, you are locked in a room with three, four, or maybe five other people for eight hours a day, five to six days a week. What is expected of these "writing sessions" is at least one new song. Mind you this, if the band doesn't have song they have already been working on. Once they do that for a bout three weeks, and have about 20-30 songs they start rehearsing all of them. This goes on for three weeks, then comes the time to pick your best 12-15. Once you have your best twelve, you refine those even more, and make small changes. From those 12-15, you may drop two or three songs because they don't fit, or just aren't as good as the rest. However, save those tracks, they are what become b-side that can come out with a single, or an EP release at a later date. After you have the 11-13 tracks you want the recording process begins. As Bill Stevenson said, "Fuck putting band-aids on fuck ups, lets make that the best part of the song." The recording process goes on for about two eeks or so, then the mixing begins, and this is entirely in th hands of your producer, and mixing engineer. Mixing is done about two weeks later, total time elapsed, three to four months. The album is actually released six months after this process began. Keep in mind, it may be shorter if you have songs written, and don't need the whole lock down experience.

To write a song doesn't take as long as one might think. It may take longer if one wants to get too technical, and make a simple part hard. As I have come to see, all else fails, add a pickslide. Then to argue length of a song is another hassle. I personally write a four minuet songs, well at least the core rhythm part. To go anything over 4:15 can get kind of dicey for songs. The best songs are written in the time frame of 2:01-4:13, anything shorter is a Dead Kennedy's or Minor Threat song, any longs and you get into the realm of metal crap. Length doesn't matter, and having six or seven different riffs doesn't either. Having a intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, and bridge riff are all that you need at maximum. Of course, the order can change.

For track listing, and show set lists keep it energized. On an album, and a set list, your first song has to be make a huge impact. I believe that track one/song one, and the last song in a set or album make a difference.

It is simple.. Just remember the KISS motto when writing, and doing music. KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID, and good things will come.-SS

The Brutal Honesty

I haven't written in here lately, why, because I haven't felt the urge to write a lot. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'm not in any classes where I have to write a lot. Hence, me not wanting to write, or whatever.

So it might be slow, or it might not.

The world right now is like a tinderbox waiting to explode. There is so much going on, and sooner or later, it will ignite into a conflagration that hasn't been seen in decades. With "revolutions" going on in the Middle East, and the United States about see a class war break out, things are not looking good. The gap between the middle class and those at the top is growing too large, and it needs to be closed. Some of the arguments for why this is being done is just flat out criminal. There is a governor out of control in Wisconsin. It is only a matter of time before blood will be shed there.

For those living under a rock, here is the gist of what is going on. Wisconsin's freshman governor has a bill going through the state congress that will all but dissolve public worker unions. Unions are hugely important in this country. A big reason, it may sound contradictory to what democrats stand for, but it makes sense, is that unions are the main funder democrats for election season. Donations around election time, within the top ten donations three come for democrat unions, the other seven come from corporate right funds. With unions being dissolved that would create a monopoly for election donations. The democrats would stand no chance in elections without union funding.

Unions are more important that just for the election funding, the represent the people in the work place. They are the reason we have minimum wage, safe working places, and important benefits from work. Without these the working class would be nothing more than 1600's peasants, not to say that we aren't heading there anyways.Yes, they get a bad rap when a strike breaks out, but it is to protect their employees when they see something wrong. Unions can crack if they see that a strike will hurt their employees. This time there is no cracking, we crack this time unions are done.

If this bill passes in Wisconsin, it will be the first domino to fall. The rest of the country where there are "budget problems" will try to get rid of unions. It is a matter of time. The party of no compromise needs to make a compromise and scrap this bill. If it passes, and other states their dissolution of unions, there will be a all out class war. Not a civil class war, but one with actual fighting and blood shed on American soil. It will be a second American Revolution. Not an anti-government revolution that the republicans want you to believe, but rather a anti-conservative rebellion.

I have a bigger beef with the conservative movement than I like to show. Most know that I might as well border on a atheist, so I have some really good sticking point about the whole conservative movement. I'll save that for later though.

Sometimes the scariest things aren't what's hiding behind the door, but rather what is on the horizon. Are we facing our end, or is there a brighter future? For now this is to be determined.-SS

Tell Me It's Over

"Tell Me It's Over"

They say that we're living in a new age

And that we're now turning the page

But I'm still waiting

They said that they had a plan

As glass shattered in their hands

But we're still waiting

Shouts into the night sky

They always seem to be ones unheard

They're still asking themselves why

As their vision goes blurred

Can't close my eyes

And make it go away

Please tell me it's over (Whoa--)

I can't help but see

This dark reality,

Please tell me it's over (Whoa--)

Tell me it's over

Sometimes it seem that this bad dream won't end

I'm tired being the one to bend

But I'm still waiting

It's like a sad lullaby

That goes without a reply

But we're still waiting

A voice of reason goes down

In a southern Arizona town

And there is no one to blame

But the words feed the flame

Can't close my eyes

And make it go away

Please tell me it's over (Whoa--)

I can't help but see

This dark reality,

Please tell me it's over (Whoa--)

Tell me it's over

The answers seem to divide us,

While the questions remain the same

The arguement goes no where

Just tell me it's over

We choke on the words of reason

And relase all those that defame

The arguement still goes no where

Just tell me it's over

Please tell me it's over

Can't close my eyes

And make it go away

Please tell me it's over (Whoa--)

I can't help but see

This dark reality,

Please tell me it's over (Whoa--)

Tell me it's over

*A song of relevance. Based off of two HUGE events in the past 12 months. The Gulf Oil Spill, and the shooting in Tucson. Take it for what it's worth.

Live Action!!! Band's I've Seen Live

Rise Against 3x's

Def Leppard 3x's

Against Me 5x's

Green Day 3x's

Keane 3x's

Buckcherry 2x's

Papa Roach 2x's

Coldplay 2x's

Street Dogs 4x's

Bad Religion 3x's

Motley Crue 2x's

Journey 2x's

AC/DC

Aerosmith

Nations Afire

Avenged Sevenfold (bought a ticket but didn't watch then, just saw BC)

Foxboro Hot Tubs

Rancid

Billy Talent

Styx

Foreigner

Saving Abel

Anti-Flag 2x's

Aiden 2x's

Riverboat Gamblers

Alice Cooper

Sum 41

Foo Fighters

The Causalities

Die Ignorant 2x's

Van Halen

Franz Fernandad

Live

Cromwell

Collective Soul

Flight From Above

Alice in Chains

Toby Keith

Velvet Revolver

Jimmy Eat World

The Answer

Books and Dunn

Montgomery Gentry

NOFX

Keith Urban

Misfits

The Used

Poison

Cheap Trick 2x's

The Offspring

Dirty Penny

Vains of Jenna 2x's

Iron Maiden

James Blunt

Rush 2x's

Cancer Bats

Andrew WK

Serj Tankerian

After Midnight Project

Black Tide

AFI

The Academy Is

A Day To Remember

Blink-182

30 Seconds to Mars

Casket Life

Flatfoot 56

Continental

Bouncing Souls

Off With Their Heads

Framing Hanley

Transmit Now

It's Alive

Henry Clay People

Starcross

Corporate Limits

Lost In Atlantis

Searching for Satellites

Mold Breaker

Fences

Cheap Girls

Whiskey Six

Blood From Stone

Age of Evil

I have a feeling I am missing a few. Plus I have been to a few local shows. This list will grow!!!

(I did not count shows where I played on this list.)

Adult Time

This isn't a full blog. I just want to jot this down so I don't forget it as I have been contomplating it for a while.

I need to write a dissenting blog to what the Republicans have been doing in congress lately. While they have called for sweeping change, they have not made any moves to push this country forward.

Reason why I am not writing this in its entirety is because, one I have been sick for the last two days, and have been too lazy to write it because of that fact. So for now I just leave the little blerb about what I will be writing about. That is it..-SS

Third Wheel

"Third Wheel"

It's the place we go, After the lights go out

A cruel nightmare, that no one talks about

To all the broken dreams, that have become your life

It's like searching for an answer, And living on a knife

Unfair letdown,

Reset your dreams

This house you made can't be a home

The innocents we trust, is left all alone (whoa--)

Your heart is with us, though your not here

These words my not reach you, but we'll always be near

The ones you love, can't be trusted

When simplicity is gone, so much for being adjusted

They're breaking down doors, and the scars won't heal

And your parents love, make you feel like the third wheel

Unfair letdown,

Reset your dreams

This house you made can't be a home

The innocents we trust, is left all alone (whoa--)

Your heart is with us, though your not here

These words my not reach you, but we'll always be near

{solo}

This house you made can't be a home

The innocents we trust, is left all alone (whoa--)

Your heart is with us, though your not here

These words my not reach you, but we'll always be near