I have a few projects I need help on. Just some info/opinions. And there are a lot of audiophiles, film buffs, artists and otherwise just quality opinions and ideas around.
The Record
First things first: The record is mixed. Mastering is next, and I need a song order. I’ve been struggling with it for a while. Here is a tentative order w/ the general theme of each song. If anyone doesn’t have a tune floating around on their hard drive or iPod and wants to hear it, let me know and I’ll post it.
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Sucker For Love – Love
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Our World – Jesus, Humanity
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Don’t Tell Me – Prayer, Frustration
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Painful Tired – Frustration
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Prayin’ For You – Remorse
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High Tonight – Remorse
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Black Eyed Kind of Love – Love, Remorse, Frustration
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Beautiful and Tragic – (well, really this song is about Bosnia, but) Love, Remorse
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I Radio Heaven (the Over the Rhine cover) – Spirituality
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Ehmerican Dreem Tawn (or American Dream Town 2006, which?) – Americana
Numb Us (– Americana) is not planned for this record; it just didn’t seem to fit. My plan is to re-record drums and remix the Americana EP and re-release it properly with this song included. Opinions regarding that are also welcomed.
Here are some alternative orders I’ve played with. The first and last song are pretty set, the first due to its single-ness, the last due to its coda written by the amazing Jason Roberts; it kind of sends you on your way, I feel. But again, open to ideas. I’ve also considered ending with I Radio Heaven.
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Sucker for Love
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Our World
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High Tonight
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Beautiful and Tragic
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Black-eyed Kinda Love
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Don’t Tell Me
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Painful Tired
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Prayin’ for You
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I Radio Heaven
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Ehmarican Dreem Tawn
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Sucker
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??
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??
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??
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??
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??
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??
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Don’t Tell Me
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Radio
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Ehmerican
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Sucker
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??
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??
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??
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??
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Don’t Tell Me
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Painful
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Radio
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High Tonight
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Ehmerican
After getting the order down, I need a title. The working title has been Love || Hate. Originally I thought all the songs on this record were going to be about one or the other (and that could still be said, except more hate than love, which was the opposite of my intention). Also, it reads as, “Love, hate,” but in (most) code languages it means, “Love or hate.” There is a book I am (still) planning on releasing simultaneously, and its working title is Truth || Fiction. I like the idea of tying them thematically and aesthetically, but the book title is more apt than the record title. But then “Remorse || Frustration” just. doesn’t. work. (they are even usually an “and” proposition, not an “or” one) even though those are the two most common themes on the record (near as I can tell). Thoughts?!?
Other Projects
I have one major art project on its way (the story of how it did not end up in the CityGallery show was too depressing to share) (I have about a half a day of tedious server configuration to do to run it off of danielsjourney.com, plus at least a full day of further tweaks to genericize and further bug-fix it)…but two more stewing.
For one I require recordings of public announcements. Anyone know of a resource for that? I’d like to spare the poor quality and time it would take to drive around DFW doing field recordings (in fact the time and lack of choice would be dealbreakers…I need an open source source).
For the other (much more vague idea but whatev) I need good movies involving American history, pre-revolution through early 1800s, maybe up through the Cival War. All I’m thinking off the top of my head is The Patriot and The Last Mohican, both of which are too cheesy for my purposes. I would love some classics or art house films. Also music. The music can be anything about the USA. Both of Sufjan’s 50 States projects are in. Neil Diamond is probly in. Toby Keith is out. (Although I must confess my shame in liking some of his songs, especially with humorous video accompaniment.)
Ok I think that was it.