Another year complete. I have to say I am very proud of this year. Collaboration made it a better project. I'm grateful for the friends and family that contributed to 2009. Between Route 9 and this years Calendar Project I have had allot of influence from other musicians this year. I have been reminded to keep my cup empty and allow their influence to make the music better.
This months song is as collaborative as it gets. Erik worked diligently on the music, words and arrangement. He helped shape this into a Route 9 song. We drink Rolling Rock religiously and now we have an anthem. I believe this tune is gonna knock 'em out when we're playing in bars.
It was a great year and I think capping it off with Erik was the perfect finish. I'm excited about the future of Route 9. I'm stoked about the future of the Calendar Project. I'm excited about the future in general.
See you in 2010!
Happy New Year!!!
Rolling Rock
Route 9
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Best Said Is Nothing
I felt a ton of pressure this month because I like my other November songs. I have set a precedent of a ballad with a religious subtext. "Om" and "Fingerprints" set the bar. I decided to bring in Bluesman Jay to help me with this one. I figured who better to help with my quasi-religious tune then my only reverend friend. Also Jay just finished up an entire album of gospel and spiritual songs so he was already in the zone.
I had done a demo of a riff a few weeks prior that I thought might be the basis of a November tune. Jay and I got together and reworked the riff and created the arrangement. After stealing a pizza we called it a night.
This song gave me a real hard time lyrically and melodically. Their was no obvious melody which posed a problem for the vocals and the scrapped guitar solos alike. The twelve string gave a really lush sound and Jay filled that out with the string arrangement. He achieved the strings by using both his keyboard and a midi-guitar that he rigged up for the cello lines. When we couldn't get the guitar solos right we figured that sometimes the best said is nothing. Pretty funny taking away the bluesman's guitar and making him do orchestral arrangements though.
We just had the kids baptized @ the end of last month so the time for this song was right. November was mad for thankfulness. It's really not hard to remember.
The Best Said Is Nothing
Craig: Guitar, Vox
Bluesman Jay: Strings(Keyboard, MIDI-Guitar)
I had done a demo of a riff a few weeks prior that I thought might be the basis of a November tune. Jay and I got together and reworked the riff and created the arrangement. After stealing a pizza we called it a night.
This song gave me a real hard time lyrically and melodically. Their was no obvious melody which posed a problem for the vocals and the scrapped guitar solos alike. The twelve string gave a really lush sound and Jay filled that out with the string arrangement. He achieved the strings by using both his keyboard and a midi-guitar that he rigged up for the cello lines. When we couldn't get the guitar solos right we figured that sometimes the best said is nothing. Pretty funny taking away the bluesman's guitar and making him do orchestral arrangements though.
We just had the kids baptized @ the end of last month so the time for this song was right. November was mad for thankfulness. It's really not hard to remember.
The Best Said Is Nothing
Craig: Guitar, Vox
Bluesman Jay: Strings(Keyboard, MIDI-Guitar)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Maybe It's Maybelline
This song is fiction. I was playing bass @ the barbershop one morning and I started working around this progression. I sang some words and happened across her name. Maybe I was thinking of the makeup. Maybe I was thinking about the Chuck Berry song. No matter what I was thinking I knew that was her name as soon as I uttered it. When the time came for me to actually sit down and write the song I @ least had her name.
It got closer to the end of the month and I knew I had to sit down and hammer this one out. I recorded the guitar and felt that it was very spirited so that became the arrangement. That gave me the framework I needed to write words. I knew needed three trips through the progression and a solo.
I started to see the three verse/chorus pattern as 3 acts to a play. The first verse had loosely given me the setting. This dude was either perpetually abusive or maybe things just got out of hand once. Either way he lost her and she was now with somebody that's probably awesome and treats her like gold.
To continue the story I used a muse, Ms. November 2009. Kelley Thompson's age and measurements where used for imagery. This established that Maybelline is young and hot. He really blew it. He's older than she is, I picture him in his early 40's, and the chance that he'll ever get a girl like this again is slim. She made him feel young and I get the feeling he really loved her.
In the final act I think we see that his actions have destroyed them and the guilt is heavy. On top of that the pain of living without her is taking it's toll. He knows he doesn't deserve her and actually wants her to be happy. He starts drinking heavily and his future looks uncertain. The saddest part of all is he has no one to blame but himself.
Erik laid down the solo needed and gave my some nice flourishes over the end. I hear the lead as the sound of a man crying over a glass. Then he grooved on the conga and rounded out the tune. Jay put a spit shine on it by tweaking the levels and adding some reverb. I dig how it came out and I love how rootsy it sounds while being a little poppy. Only one problem. We couldn't name it Maybelline. I would never step on Mr. Chuck Berry's toes like that. It would be crime against rock. It was Erik who suggest the name we settled on and I think it's perfect. Very tongue in cheek. A pretty cool tune overall.
Maybe It's Maybelline
Route 9:
Erik Brackett- Lead Guitar, Conga
Craig Morin- Guitar, Bass, Vox
thanks Jay for making it sound so good
It got closer to the end of the month and I knew I had to sit down and hammer this one out. I recorded the guitar and felt that it was very spirited so that became the arrangement. That gave me the framework I needed to write words. I knew needed three trips through the progression and a solo.
I started to see the three verse/chorus pattern as 3 acts to a play. The first verse had loosely given me the setting. This dude was either perpetually abusive or maybe things just got out of hand once. Either way he lost her and she was now with somebody that's probably awesome and treats her like gold.
To continue the story I used a muse, Ms. November 2009. Kelley Thompson's age and measurements where used for imagery. This established that Maybelline is young and hot. He really blew it. He's older than she is, I picture him in his early 40's, and the chance that he'll ever get a girl like this again is slim. She made him feel young and I get the feeling he really loved her.
In the final act I think we see that his actions have destroyed them and the guilt is heavy. On top of that the pain of living without her is taking it's toll. He knows he doesn't deserve her and actually wants her to be happy. He starts drinking heavily and his future looks uncertain. The saddest part of all is he has no one to blame but himself.
Erik laid down the solo needed and gave my some nice flourishes over the end. I hear the lead as the sound of a man crying over a glass. Then he grooved on the conga and rounded out the tune. Jay put a spit shine on it by tweaking the levels and adding some reverb. I dig how it came out and I love how rootsy it sounds while being a little poppy. Only one problem. We couldn't name it Maybelline. I would never step on Mr. Chuck Berry's toes like that. It would be crime against rock. It was Erik who suggest the name we settled on and I think it's perfect. Very tongue in cheek. A pretty cool tune overall.
Maybe It's Maybelline
Route 9:
Erik Brackett- Lead Guitar, Conga
Craig Morin- Guitar, Bass, Vox
thanks Jay for making it sound so good
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
"33"
This is the thirty third song ever released as the Calendar Project. I love this song. I wrote it in the wake of my grandfathers death. It is incredibly personal and I am immensely proud of it. When I wrote after his passing I decided to hold onto it for December because he loved Christmas. When it occured to me that September was the thirty third month of the project I knew that's where it belonged. I wrote the song for the Calendar Project but Route 9 started playing the song regularly and it got to a point that I can't even picture it without Erik on there.
The notion of everyone being the same age in the after life isn't mine. My friend Steve was the one telling me about that idea. I chose the number thirty three because it was on my beer. Every bottle of Rolling Rock has the number "33" painted on the side of it. Rolling Rock is the official Route 9 beer.
Erik and I need a little work on recording songs in pieces. Our entire CD was recorded live with no overdubs. Since "33" is a song we where already familiar with it seemed like a great opportunity to work on the recording process. After we laid it down in pieces we felt it lacked a quality that our live takes possess.
We got together again and did several live takes of the song. They where good performances but we didn't get the cleanest recordings. I decided to revisit the first version that we had worked on. (the one recorded in pieces.)
I found that with very little post production, like tweeking volumes and tack outs, that we had a really clean solid version of "33". It just goes to show that sometimes you have to step back from something and then come back to it with fresh ears. That's a luxury you don't always get when you're releasing a new song every month.
I wrote this song with my grandfather in mind. I like it because in the face of death it's still an optimistic song. I am also grateful that it's a song that was honed by being played live. My favorite thing about the tune is that I get to play it with a friend. I love how Erik can take a song about death and make it sound so alive!
"33"
Route 9
The notion of everyone being the same age in the after life isn't mine. My friend Steve was the one telling me about that idea. I chose the number thirty three because it was on my beer. Every bottle of Rolling Rock has the number "33" painted on the side of it. Rolling Rock is the official Route 9 beer.
Erik and I need a little work on recording songs in pieces. Our entire CD was recorded live with no overdubs. Since "33" is a song we where already familiar with it seemed like a great opportunity to work on the recording process. After we laid it down in pieces we felt it lacked a quality that our live takes possess.
We got together again and did several live takes of the song. They where good performances but we didn't get the cleanest recordings. I decided to revisit the first version that we had worked on. (the one recorded in pieces.)
I found that with very little post production, like tweeking volumes and tack outs, that we had a really clean solid version of "33". It just goes to show that sometimes you have to step back from something and then come back to it with fresh ears. That's a luxury you don't always get when you're releasing a new song every month.
I wrote this song with my grandfather in mind. I like it because in the face of death it's still an optimistic song. I am also grateful that it's a song that was honed by being played live. My favorite thing about the tune is that I get to play it with a friend. I love how Erik can take a song about death and make it sound so alive!
"33"
Route 9
Monday, August 31, 2009
Optimism/Time Moves On
The Sam riff in G that I mentioned last month came quicker than I expected. Sam came out to see Route 9 play on his birthday and before we left I stuck a microphone in front of him. He quickly and effortlessly laid down the riff that would have gone on the end of "Sad Bastard." By tacking it on the beginning of this song it will now be heard after "Sad Bastard" as it was originally intended when you listen to the 2009 project in order.
I then asked Sam to play for three minutes off the top of his head and recorded him again. Three minutes later I had a perfect recording and arrangement of a nice little pop song. The melody seemed obvious to me. I could hear it sitting between the chords. Sam later told me that he had demoed this song before and played the exact same melody on his guitar. I sat in the barbershop listening to his recording over and over until I finished the lyrics. Because Sam recorded it on his birthday I went with a "time moves on" theme. Erik sang the title with me giving the vocal track some depth. I love the end result. Not only is this song Sam's first calendar appearance since 2007 but it's also the first time he and Erik have been on a track together.
I really consider this month and last month a 3 song medley, meant to be heard as one piece. Sad Bastard/Optimism/Time Moves On. If "Optimism" didn't play into "Time Moves On" well I wouldn't have included it. I'm thrilled with the outcome and feel lucky to have Sam's contributions. Go back and listen to last month then give the new tunes a play. It sounds like we planned it!
Optimism/Time Moves On
Sam Spofford- Guitar
Craig Morin- Vox
Erik Brackett- "Time Moves On Guy"
I then asked Sam to play for three minutes off the top of his head and recorded him again. Three minutes later I had a perfect recording and arrangement of a nice little pop song. The melody seemed obvious to me. I could hear it sitting between the chords. Sam later told me that he had demoed this song before and played the exact same melody on his guitar. I sat in the barbershop listening to his recording over and over until I finished the lyrics. Because Sam recorded it on his birthday I went with a "time moves on" theme. Erik sang the title with me giving the vocal track some depth. I love the end result. Not only is this song Sam's first calendar appearance since 2007 but it's also the first time he and Erik have been on a track together.
I really consider this month and last month a 3 song medley, meant to be heard as one piece. Sad Bastard/Optimism/Time Moves On. If "Optimism" didn't play into "Time Moves On" well I wouldn't have included it. I'm thrilled with the outcome and feel lucky to have Sam's contributions. Go back and listen to last month then give the new tunes a play. It sounds like we planned it!
Optimism/Time Moves On
Sam Spofford- Guitar
Craig Morin- Vox
Erik Brackett- "Time Moves On Guy"
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sad Bastard
This is the shortest song in Calendar history. It wasn't my intention to write a short song. I knew the tune was a bit of a bummer and I didn't want to dwell in that space any longer than I already had. I asked my cousin Sam who hasn't been heard on the project since year one if he could write a really optimistic sounding instrumental piece in the key of G. I had a vision of calling the song "Sad Bastard/Optimism" and blending the two pieces. I had another song I was only beginning work on about how I had out lived many of my musical heroes by turning 28. That song was also in G. When I realized that the time constraints wouldn't allow me a chance to work with Sam I started looking at that piece to see if it could become the second half of my Sad Bastard song.
I wanted to work with somebody with a fresh perspective so I called in the Mob third, Brian Onish. We haven't heard him on the project since year two. I showed Brian both songs and explained my intention to combine them into one song. He felt that the song about turning 28 wasn't very strong. He loved the hook on Sad Bastard and assured me it could stand on it's own. I still didn't want to dwell in that negative space so we decided not to stretch the song.
If it wasn't for Brian's contributions on this tune it may have been scrapped all together. Collaboration allowed me to put down my paint brush and call the piece finished. Mr. Onish's voice sounds great and he brought allot to the table. This song is really more of a sad little diddy but even as short as it is I wouldn't change a thing. Maybe some other month we'll get to her the Optimistic instrumental piece in G Sam wrote.
Sad Bastard
Craig Morin- Vox, Guitar
Brian Onish- Vox
I wanted to work with somebody with a fresh perspective so I called in the Mob third, Brian Onish. We haven't heard him on the project since year two. I showed Brian both songs and explained my intention to combine them into one song. He felt that the song about turning 28 wasn't very strong. He loved the hook on Sad Bastard and assured me it could stand on it's own. I still didn't want to dwell in that negative space so we decided not to stretch the song.
If it wasn't for Brian's contributions on this tune it may have been scrapped all together. Collaboration allowed me to put down my paint brush and call the piece finished. Mr. Onish's voice sounds great and he brought allot to the table. This song is really more of a sad little diddy but even as short as it is I wouldn't change a thing. Maybe some other month we'll get to her the Optimistic instrumental piece in G Sam wrote.
Sad Bastard
Craig Morin- Vox, Guitar
Brian Onish- Vox
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
No One's Ever Heard Of Me
The reason I named this song what I did is because those words excited me. I was playing with the guitar riff singing off the top of my head. When you repeatedly sing over the same progression you may spit out some nonsense like "I like words that start with 'B" or "I once met Ron Jeremy." Sometimes you'll sing something you kind of like. For example, "This is not like me" or "Am I where I was meant to be?"
In the experience of this song I sang "No one's ever heard of me." It came @ a pivotal moment in the tunes development. The song was so young. I had no structure. Just loose guitar parts and a melody I enjoyed singing. I wasn't pumped for the song enough to commit to finishing it. When I sang that I knew I had hit a nerve. I had something to say. In my opinion if you don't say something, not necessarily lyrically, then you don't have a song. Structure and dynamics usually come pretty quick after that.
I played the song till I had it flowing. As soon as I had that lyric I began bouncing it off friends. Erik came into the studio and helped me realize some of my ideas, improving on some. Bluesman gave me some pointers so I took a stab at some post production (I'll try again next month). I'm thrilled with how it came out. Who doesn't love a 3 minutes and change acoustic rocker.
No One's Ever Heard Of Me
Route 9:
Craig Morin- Guitar, Vox
Erik Brackett- Vox
~One of my earliest memories is listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller. I can vividly remember opening the album and seeing him in that white suit holding that tiger cub. I have perfect recollection of conversations about specific songs I had with my mother. I loved it so much she bought it again on cassette so we could listen to it in the car. I was maybe 4 years old.~
Michael Jackson. The King of Pop.
1958-2009 R.I.P.
In the experience of this song I sang "No one's ever heard of me." It came @ a pivotal moment in the tunes development. The song was so young. I had no structure. Just loose guitar parts and a melody I enjoyed singing. I wasn't pumped for the song enough to commit to finishing it. When I sang that I knew I had hit a nerve. I had something to say. In my opinion if you don't say something, not necessarily lyrically, then you don't have a song. Structure and dynamics usually come pretty quick after that.
I played the song till I had it flowing. As soon as I had that lyric I began bouncing it off friends. Erik came into the studio and helped me realize some of my ideas, improving on some. Bluesman gave me some pointers so I took a stab at some post production (I'll try again next month). I'm thrilled with how it came out. Who doesn't love a 3 minutes and change acoustic rocker.
No One's Ever Heard Of Me
Route 9:
Craig Morin- Guitar, Vox
Erik Brackett- Vox
~One of my earliest memories is listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller. I can vividly remember opening the album and seeing him in that white suit holding that tiger cub. I have perfect recollection of conversations about specific songs I had with my mother. I loved it so much she bought it again on cassette so we could listen to it in the car. I was maybe 4 years old.~
Michael Jackson. The King of Pop.
1958-2009 R.I.P.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Oh Please
My wife is an incredible human being. She keeps her head up and her eye on the ball. She swings @ every pitch life has thrown @ her. I've even pitched relief when life grew tired of throwing her curve balls. Life gave us a tough loss but she turned it into something positive. Coming out of that event she wrote this song. This song is a personal triumph in my opinion. Not many people know Kate plays guitar. Fewer people know that she has written songs. I love her voice. Her voice is one of the things that made me fall in love with her so hard. Kate has musical desires and this song is the realization of one of them. I'm very lucky to be with a girl like her. She's cool, she's kind and she rocks pretty hard.
I love the version we got. She said it was "very hard exposing myself." From the outside looking in I was blown away by how easy she made it look. I thought I was going to have to pull music out of her. As soon as I said go she just turned it on. I look forward to hearing what else she's going to come up with. I'm her biggest fan.
We did the song very naked. We just set up two mics and record our guitars live in our office. Then I set a microphone in front of Kate and she just sang her heart out. It's a very sad song but I get so happy listening to her share it with me.
My last thought about Kate will be the same as my fist thought about her.
What a woman!
Mama Kate: Vocals, Guitar, Whistle
Craig Morin: Guitar
Oh Please
Words and Music by Kate Morin
I love the version we got. She said it was "very hard exposing myself." From the outside looking in I was blown away by how easy she made it look. I thought I was going to have to pull music out of her. As soon as I said go she just turned it on. I look forward to hearing what else she's going to come up with. I'm her biggest fan.
We did the song very naked. We just set up two mics and record our guitars live in our office. Then I set a microphone in front of Kate and she just sang her heart out. It's a very sad song but I get so happy listening to her share it with me.
My last thought about Kate will be the same as my fist thought about her.
What a woman!
Mama Kate: Vocals, Guitar, Whistle
Craig Morin: Guitar
Oh Please
Words and Music by Kate Morin
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Banananana
When I played this song for Bluesman Jay he told me I was turning into Shel Silverstein. Whether he meant it as a compliment or not I took it as one. I love kid songs. If the Calendar Project is a journal in anyway then it's in songs like this one. People always say wright about what you know. I know 3 year-olds.
The thing that really seals this song for me is Riley. Both kids did a great job on it but Riley never comes across as assertive vocally. (Especially with an Alpha type older sister!) Hearing his voice on this song caused me to swell with pride. He is every thing you could ever ask for in a son.
I played this song to my grandfather who is the single greatest musician I've ever known. I played it hoping to get a chuckle out of him. When I finished he said he "loved it" and that it was "perfect." He told me it should be on the radio. Not sure what stations he's been listening to but I took that as a compliment as well. He passed away the morning of this post. I'm glad this months song is light-hearted. He didn't want everything to be dreary. I told him this was the April song. I'm thrilled I got it done in time so I wasn't made out to be a liar.
The song sounded slightly disjointed @ first. I don't usually play percussion but I found this big conga drum in a thrift store and had to use it. I layered in maracas, hand claps and a bongo. Bluesman Jay called me out on my percussion tracks not lining up quite right and did his own edit of the song. He removed the bongo and hand claps taking out the clutter. I thought he was crazy and intended to move forward with the original mix. However when I heard his edit I knew he was right. That's the thing about collaboration. You usually end up with a better product. I Think percussion and the kids chatter gives the song a cool "Give Peace A Chance" feel. Except instead being about peace it's about sandwiches.
I'm not really a fan of Fried Banananana Sandwiches but if they where good enough for Elvis then they're good enough for me.
Riley Morin: Vocals
Craig Morin: Guitar, Vocals, Percussion, Bass
Lennon Morin: Vocals
~This song his dedicated to Richard Bowden 1931-2009
Thank You for the two greatest gifts I'll ever receive. Family and Music!
Banananana
The thing that really seals this song for me is Riley. Both kids did a great job on it but Riley never comes across as assertive vocally. (Especially with an Alpha type older sister!) Hearing his voice on this song caused me to swell with pride. He is every thing you could ever ask for in a son.
I played this song to my grandfather who is the single greatest musician I've ever known. I played it hoping to get a chuckle out of him. When I finished he said he "loved it" and that it was "perfect." He told me it should be on the radio. Not sure what stations he's been listening to but I took that as a compliment as well. He passed away the morning of this post. I'm glad this months song is light-hearted. He didn't want everything to be dreary. I told him this was the April song. I'm thrilled I got it done in time so I wasn't made out to be a liar.
The song sounded slightly disjointed @ first. I don't usually play percussion but I found this big conga drum in a thrift store and had to use it. I layered in maracas, hand claps and a bongo. Bluesman Jay called me out on my percussion tracks not lining up quite right and did his own edit of the song. He removed the bongo and hand claps taking out the clutter. I thought he was crazy and intended to move forward with the original mix. However when I heard his edit I knew he was right. That's the thing about collaboration. You usually end up with a better product. I Think percussion and the kids chatter gives the song a cool "Give Peace A Chance" feel. Except instead being about peace it's about sandwiches.
I'm not really a fan of Fried Banananana Sandwiches but if they where good enough for Elvis then they're good enough for me.
Riley Morin: Vocals
Craig Morin: Guitar, Vocals, Percussion, Bass
Lennon Morin: Vocals
~This song his dedicated to Richard Bowden 1931-2009
Thank You for the two greatest gifts I'll ever receive. Family and Music!
Banananana
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Lost Theories
Here it is. This song states my theories on the exceptional television program LOST before the start of season 5. Now some of these theories may not hold water but they're worth debate. The funny thing is this song has been kicking around since January but I needed Bluesman Jay to catch up on the show before we laid it down. He watched four and half seasons and did hours of online research before he got involved with the tune. Jay is the one who put all the sounds of the show into the song. It was nothing short of tedious. I repeatedly would send it back to him to make adjustments and he never seemed bothered by it. He also laid down the backing vocals. We have people over every week for the show. I know I say "GodSpeed" instead of "Goodspeed" but remember in the episode "Cabin Fever" Horace says "God Speed John." Hence my reference isn't wrong... yours was. We usually have big gatherings on premiers and finales. I feel like an early christian. I've gotten @ least twenty people into this show. Erik is right now getting started season 3. My DVDs have been around the block a few times now. It's the greatest show in T.V. history and if your not watching it your wasting your life. Who is Jacob? What is the Monster? Why is Locke back from the dead? ABC Wednesday @ 9:00pm. Destiny Calls.
Bluesman Jay- Sound Effects, Editing, Backing Vox
Craig Morin- Guitar, Vox, Bass
LOST Theories
Bluesman Jay- Sound Effects, Editing, Backing Vox
Craig Morin- Guitar, Vox, Bass
LOST Theories
Saturday, February 28, 2009
What Jerry Did
Greetings. This months tune is based on a true story. About three weeks ago Jerry nipped @ the baby. Jerry is a good dog and has earned his place in this family but that's a pretty steep crime. In Texas, murder one and dog bites carry the same sentence. It was around this same time Riley and Virginia had a little scuffle. Tensions where high in the Morin household.
I had this riff and Erik and I have been kicking it around. After what Jerry did every thing just seemed to come together. He has been receiving more of the attention he needs. We also realize that keeping a calm house for everybody's sake is a group effort. Musically every thing clicked as well. The song came together very quickly after that.
I did my recording @ home this month. I find that fitting since home is also the setting for the song. I laid down my guitar and vocal and then sought collaboration. Kate, my blushing bride, was the first to add her voice. It's cool watching someone you love getting to know their own voice. I've always enjoyed her voice. It is one of the first things I dug about her.
The next to join the fray was my fellow Rt. 9er. Erik came over and added his vocals. Then he laid down all the sweet little guitar nuggets that give the tune lift.
Lastly as I was putting some finishing touches on the tune Lennon was singing it around the house. I love how she builds intensity as the song climbs to it's crescendo. She's a natural.
Over the past few weeks things have calmed down around here. I think the song is a perfect snap shot of February 2009 @ home. I have a song that spells out my theories of the excellent television program "Lost." I couldn't do it this month because Jay was getting caught up on the show and I didn't want to spoil anything for him. See you next month.
Lennon Morin: Vocals
Craig Morin: Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Erik Brackett: Guitar, Vocals
Kate Morin: Vocals
What Jerry Did
I had this riff and Erik and I have been kicking it around. After what Jerry did every thing just seemed to come together. He has been receiving more of the attention he needs. We also realize that keeping a calm house for everybody's sake is a group effort. Musically every thing clicked as well. The song came together very quickly after that.
I did my recording @ home this month. I find that fitting since home is also the setting for the song. I laid down my guitar and vocal and then sought collaboration. Kate, my blushing bride, was the first to add her voice. It's cool watching someone you love getting to know their own voice. I've always enjoyed her voice. It is one of the first things I dug about her.
The next to join the fray was my fellow Rt. 9er. Erik came over and added his vocals. Then he laid down all the sweet little guitar nuggets that give the tune lift.
Lastly as I was putting some finishing touches on the tune Lennon was singing it around the house. I love how she builds intensity as the song climbs to it's crescendo. She's a natural.
Over the past few weeks things have calmed down around here. I think the song is a perfect snap shot of February 2009 @ home. I have a song that spells out my theories of the excellent television program "Lost." I couldn't do it this month because Jay was getting caught up on the show and I didn't want to spoil anything for him. See you next month.
Lennon Morin: Vocals
Craig Morin: Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Erik Brackett: Guitar, Vocals
Kate Morin: Vocals
What Jerry Did
Monday, January 26, 2009
Keep On
The first song on this years audioblog is a special one. First of all, it's the first song on ANY Calendar Project I didn't have a hand in writing or sing lead on. Second of all it's the first official release by my new band Route 9. Erik Brackett a good good friend of mine and I formed an acoustic duo. If your reading this chances are you already know Erik and I have been rocking out weekly at T.J. O'Brien's. Erik is a nasty guitar player but told me he never finished writing a song. I was cutting hair one day when he came into the shop and told me he wrote not one, but two songs that day. "Keep On" is one of those songs. If this is his first outing as a song writer I can't imagine what else he's gonna cook up.
Recording the song was tough. My pc is lets just say temperamental. Erik was hard to get in front of the mic to record vocals for this at first but after a few beers he loosened right up. Nailing down the bass was the hardest part for me. I'm stoked with how it came out so it was all worth it in the end.
To me it's the perfect song to kick off the third year of the project. Collaboration is our theme this year and this song definitely has that. We both put in long hours on this one and we tried every idea once. I think it made for a better track. Ultimately though it's the title and the message of the song that drive it home for me. I'm gonna keep on keeping on with the Calendar Project. I just hope you keep on listening.
Route 9:
Erik Brackett- Vocals, Guitar
Craig Morin- Vocals, Guitar , Bass
Keep On
Recording the song was tough. My pc is lets just say temperamental. Erik was hard to get in front of the mic to record vocals for this at first but after a few beers he loosened right up. Nailing down the bass was the hardest part for me. I'm stoked with how it came out so it was all worth it in the end.
To me it's the perfect song to kick off the third year of the project. Collaboration is our theme this year and this song definitely has that. We both put in long hours on this one and we tried every idea once. I think it made for a better track. Ultimately though it's the title and the message of the song that drive it home for me. I'm gonna keep on keeping on with the Calendar Project. I just hope you keep on listening.
Route 9:
Erik Brackett- Vocals, Guitar
Craig Morin- Vocals, Guitar , Bass
Keep On
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Calendar Project 2009
I can't believe it's 2009 and The Calendar Project is still going. As I said last year, If I'm ever going to stop posting month to month I would do it after I finished December but before I post January. That way each year is a complete thought. I'm excited that after 2007 I decided to continue. Life has been so good to me there is always new inspiration to write about. The project is allot of work but an object in motion tends to stay in motion.
Every year has it's own rules. The first year I tried to make each month sound like the month it was created. I also wanted to say the name of each month in each song. I forgot to say "July" in July but at least I said it in August. The most important rule however was the deadline. The songs had to be posted by the last day of the month.
The second year I tried to work without rules with one exception: the deadline. I tried to push myself and write not just typical Craigy songs. I wrote two children's songs, two instrumentals, a political song, a slow burner, and a bluesy backwater jam with a rap! I'm pretty happy with the results but after doing most of the year alone I'm ready for a new year with new rules.
Going into the third year I want it to be all about collaboration. The rule this year is a song isn't done until it has the input of someone else on it. I want my friends and family to feel that the Calender Project 2009 is their outlet too. I don't want to spend the year recording music by myself at the shop. And of course one rule remains in tact. The Deadline!
I want to thank Jay, Kate, Erik and Brian for playing on the '08 edition. The best months are the ones where my friends are in the playback. That's why '09 is all about collaboration. I look forward to jammin' with friends this year. We have a date to make music, put it on your calendar!
Every year has it's own rules. The first year I tried to make each month sound like the month it was created. I also wanted to say the name of each month in each song. I forgot to say "July" in July but at least I said it in August. The most important rule however was the deadline. The songs had to be posted by the last day of the month.
The second year I tried to work without rules with one exception: the deadline. I tried to push myself and write not just typical Craigy songs. I wrote two children's songs, two instrumentals, a political song, a slow burner, and a bluesy backwater jam with a rap! I'm pretty happy with the results but after doing most of the year alone I'm ready for a new year with new rules.
Going into the third year I want it to be all about collaboration. The rule this year is a song isn't done until it has the input of someone else on it. I want my friends and family to feel that the Calender Project 2009 is their outlet too. I don't want to spend the year recording music by myself at the shop. And of course one rule remains in tact. The Deadline!
I want to thank Jay, Kate, Erik and Brian for playing on the '08 edition. The best months are the ones where my friends are in the playback. That's why '09 is all about collaboration. I look forward to jammin' with friends this year. We have a date to make music, put it on your calendar!
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