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

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

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

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

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!

Stoneville Pond

Here I am on New Years Eve posting a song for the Calendar Project. It's a really good feeling finishing a second year. It was a New Year's resolution, I need to write more songs. I feel I've delivered on that resolution. Last year I wasn't sure if I was going to continue for another year but going into '09 I have no doubt I'm doing another year. Not only did I continue to write and record a new song every month but I began writing and recording with friends this year outside of the audioblog. I learned what made last year stand apart from this years project. Collaboration. Working with other people gives you a fresh perspective on what your working on. I intend to keep the Calendar Project going next year with input from other people.

Working with Erik and Brian as Mob 3 is a great example of what collaboration can do for the writing process. Stoneville Pond isn't the same song I originally wrote. their influence and playing style shaped the song beyond the structure I came up with initially. After countless hours over several months Stoneville is the only audio representation of the work we've done as Mob 3. I feel this song is a nice segway into a collaborative Calendar Project next year. 2009 is when the doors open. Come on in friends and bring your guitar!

Mob 3:
Erik Brackett
Craig Morin
Brian Onish

Stoneville Pond

Fingerprints

November is a big month for the Calendar Project. Last year was "Om" which I feel to be one of my best songs. The pressure of following in my own foot steps one year later was getting to me. I had what I thought to be some throw away riffs. Mob 3 has been playing at a bar in Sturbridge and I made friends with the bartender on Myspace. Her "about me" section caught my attention:

"I am a married, Christian woman. My husband and my kids really are awesome! So blessed, really, truly thankful.. I love what I do for work, I bartend and waitress, good stuff!I love nature, I really can't understand how people can deny that God is real! Take a look around you, his fingerprints are all over everything! It blows my mind!!"

I loved her wording. It screams faith. I put some of those phrases to music and organically came up with a song I am proud to post. Jay suggested the piano. The best thing about this song is my backing vocalist. It's nice to finally have my wife's voice on the Calendar Project. Kate made it a special month. Maybe after eleven years I'll release all the Novembers in one collection and call it 11/11. Food for thought. Enjoy!

Fingerprints