HUH?

Nobody reads this...do you?

TFSA 2 is done recording wise and we need art.

TFSA 3 is about 70% done.

TFSA 2...Hhmmmm?

So today we recorded bass for the 5th song and then the new song, which was only an idea(around the time we wrote the 2nd or 3rd), was completed.
We didn't f*ck anything else up equipment wise tonight.

The drums recorded direct are pretty good, but I'll have to compare later.

The newest song has a crazy weird part that I think...oh, um, who...BEN will love!

until next week...?

THE BIG UPDATE!

The Fairly Secret Army - "We miss the cold war" - four songs finished, one song with drums and guitars...and one partial idea of a song.

Waves of Mercury - "The Great Darkness" - just need to make copies and post on bandcamp.

Waves of Mercury - "The Letters" - two songs need vocals, one needs lyrics and then a final mix.

Post-Black Metal emo shoegazer project #1 - this is with Jeff Philips, we have two songs mostly arranged and he's coming up with ideas all the time. We'll probably both sing one this project.

Post-Black Metal emo shoegazer project #2 - I have one song finished, except for how I want the bridge section. I'm playing guitar, bass and drums on this one...yep, that's right, GUITAR! I think Cory might do vocals, but I'll have to hear first if he does them like I want.


Tragedy struck last week in the form of a recorder that doesn't have a line out that works, a sound card that records louder on the left side and to top it all off, none of it needed to happen, I was just too anal about extra noise while recording bass! You wouldn't have even heard the minimal noise, because it was practically non-existent!

So an update of the recording process will be happening soon, but who knows when?

until my next life...?

The Letters

I added reverb to all the drums and added some vocal harmonies to a couple of songs yesterday.

I have to do vocals to two songs, maybe re-record the drums on "December" and then do a final check on the mixes.

...and then it's done!

Then we move onto the artwork, making copies and putting it on bandcamp.com



until monday...?

May 16th? Will TFSA march again?

Greg will be back from Spain on Sunday...but I doubt he'll want to play on Monday.

After a grueling 3 week vacation, he'll have to unpack...oh the horror!

Anyway, I'm excited about getting started again. I slacked off during the break. I should have been mixing and singing more, but I didn't ...I suck.

until next, time?

TFSA takes a break.

Greg is in Spain until May 15th, so I will possibly do a song or two on my own...but, that could be lame.

Accckkk!


Hmmm?


until May....?

Waves of Mercury "The Letters" Update.

Ok, so some of you, of the nine of you, of the two maybe that read this may be wondering what is Waves of Mercury?

Waves of Mercury is our other project. It started out as a metal project called "A Thousand Suns" that had roots in bands like : My Dying Bride, Opeth, The 3rd And the Mortal, and that kind of European metal sound. We released a self titled cd under that name.

We then added another guitar player (Brandon), changed the name, and added Enslaved, King Crimson and a few others to our influences. That lineup created the album "The Great Darkness" ,which will soon be printed in a limited 25 print run with full color artwork. It will also be posted on bandcamp.com for people to download too.

Then Brandon left, and we decided to finally do an album that has very little distorted guitars.
This is basically our "Damnation" album, it's called "The Letters"

I just finished two of the last four songs without vocals tonight. I'm not sure about those last two songs, because they are kind of hard to put vocals to. They may need to wait, be tossed out, have new lyrics written or just deleted.
With them, the album is at 56 minutes, which I think is kinda long. I think it would be 45 minutes if we took them off.
We'll have to see what I can do with them.

Most of the Fairly Secret Army will be gone from mid April to mid May, so I'll have time to record more vocals or hopefully get new lyrics.

This cd will also have limited run of 25 copies with color art, and will also be put up on bandcamp.

well, until the mixing begins...

TFSA 2 - Worms of the Earth...and?

We finished the bass on "Worms of the Earth" ...it's a really cool bass line. There are some really tasty sections!

And we started working on "Return of the Smooth Operator"
It's gonna have so much energy, and it sounds (in my head) like a cool ALL type of song.






until next week...

TFSA 2 update

So yesterday I worked on vocals for the second & third songs.

I worked on "Worms of the Earth" which has lyrics that were written by my friend Ben, they are based on the Robert E. Howard story of the same name.
There are some cool harmonies at the beginning and death metal vocals in the later part of the song.
The death vocals were the only thing that fit...so too bad if you don't like them.

The second song (which was written before "Worms") is called "We miss the Cold War"
It's pretty funny, yet so true.
I usually don't write political lyrics, and these are more tongue in cheek, but it does have something to say...even if nobody is listening anyway.

Tonight we are finishing the bass on "Worms" and then starting a new song...
"Return of the Smooth Operator"

Until tonight....by the way...who is the "Fairly Secret Follower?"

TFSA Album #2 song #1!

I finished the vocals of the first song on the new album.

It's called "Never Let You Go"

It sounds like a love song, but kinda stalkerish too!



Until next week....

TFSA Album #2 update and more!

We recorded the bass to the first two songs and only have the "metal" song to add bass to.

Greg said he'd like to stick to the "finish a song before starting a new one" way of working...which I agree with.

I hope to have vocals finished on these two before next monday.

We (meaning me) printed up color and B&W versions of "Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe" over the weekend. We have 20 color copies and a bunch of B&W versions that we're putting at record stores, clubs and book stores where people would normally find fliers for free.

We paid for the t-shirt order today! We'll get the proof to ok before they start to print by Friday I hope, and then it'll be here about 10-15 days after that.

Everyone who ordered a t-shirt will get a color copy of the cd.

Until next week..."We miss the Cold War."

Keep it Secret...Artwork and Lyrics for download and printing

These are for people who download the album, so you can make a hard copy on cd with artwork and lyrics...or just to figure out what I'm singing!

I don't have a working printer right now, but they should come up the right size to cut (with a little cropping) and fit inside a cd case (I suggest a slimline one, it looks better!)

B&W & Color versions of the art are available. Enjoy!

Let me know if they don't work, I can send you the file.
http://thefairlysecretarmy.bandcamp.com/

TFSA in the future.

So this whole t-shirt thing was kind of a headache for me, pretty stressful and expensive...
...so it won't be happening again anytime soon.

I'm really happy that so many of my friends were supportive and bought t-shirts. Unfortunately I wasn't able to print up any extras. I'm not sure Greg even told anyone about it?

Now that we have the bandcamp page
www.thefairlysecretarmy.bandcamp.com
I decided that every cd will be only printed up in quantities of 20 (the number of discs on a lightscribe disc spool). Some B&W minimal art will be made and 20 "flier" copies will be made and placed at record stores and clubs where people can take them free. These will just be a normal cd-r with info written in marker...not the cool lightscribe discs that have printing laser printed on them or the color artwork with lyrics.

And our other project WAVES OF MERCURY will be done this way too (except no "flier" copies) and I hope we end up doing a bandcamp page for that project as well.

Until...

The Official t-shirt image!

TFSA Album #2! ...and the metal is on again!

Greg came to Monday with an old song he never finished.

It's very metal and has tons of harmonies all over the place.

I recorded drums and we finished all the guitars...I think?

Maybe the title will have the word "Worms" in it...we'll see?

until next week...when we record a bunch of bass!

THE FAIRLY SECRET ARMY "Keep it secret, Keep it safe." is available for download

We have put up the first album on bandcamp.com.

http://thefairlysecretarmy.bandcamp.com/

It's a free or name your price download, but we would rather have people listen than anything else.

If you like it and want to comment, leave a message below.

If you don't like it and want to comment...turn you computer off right now!

TFSA Album #2!

That's right, we're writing for the second album!

We just have to print up the first one and get it up on http://bandcamp.com/
and also print up the t-shirts.

We worked on two songs tonight!
Both of them were from practice tapes that I played with the guitarist (Robert Scarseth) in my first band Second Thought. We only played the partial songs a few times to record a practice tape, and then we parted. This was in 1992, so I decided to use the partial ideas that we had and flesh them out.
Yes, he will get credit!

So, we recorded drums and guitars for both songs. I think we have all the guitars done, but sometimes we end up adding more.
Greg has a bass idea for one of the songs, and I had to practically force him to let me hear the thing...it sounds really cool.

Until next week...

TFSA - "Keep it secret, keep it safe"

We have finished all the recording for the first album titled "Keep it secret, keep it safe"

Greg finished the guitars on the newest song "Geek Love" last night. And added bass to "A part, yet apart", which already had everything on it.

I recorded vocals for "Geek Love" and man are they fun!

Tonight I did a rough mix of the album and it sounds pretty good, but over the next few days, I'll take notes and work on it when I can. We won't be writing next Monday, it's basically for mixing, unless I finish it and Greg listens to all 29:40 of it and likes it.
Then I guess we'll start on the next album, I think it'll be called "We miss the Cold War"

I'll also be writing all the lyrics down to send to Greg for the layout.

Until next week...Order a t-shirt!

The Fairly Secret Army t-shirt

It would say THE FAIRLY SECRET ARMY above the image.
They would be $8.00 or $10 if I have to mail it...a little more if out of the US.
Black t-shirt and you can select your size (x-small - 6xl)

Extended sizes have the additional fee:
Shirt Size- Extra price
2 XL =$1.50
3 XL =$2.00
4 XL =$3.00
5 XL =$4.00
6 XL =$5.00

Let us know if you are interested. If everyone Pre-pays, it will help us decide if we can do them.
Email at the_czar_dr@hotmail.com and enter "Fairly Secret T-Shirt" in the subject line.

TFSA ...meets Invisible Gentlemen

I finished up the vocals on "A part, and yet apart"

Nuff said.


bye...

TFSA ...week 8, but only the 7th we got together...

...so we're adding a week!

We make the rules!

We recorded drums to two songs tonight.
One is an old Invisible Gentlemen song called "A part, and yet apart"
Invisible Gents was a project that Brandon and I did that was like TFSA, except we didn't care about sound quality...it was lo-fi.
TFSA is definately medium-fi!

The second song is a new one that is kinda like AC/DC at the beginning, but turns into a Skynard/Whitesnake feel at the end...go figure?

until next week...

TFSA!

I just found a song that I wrote back in 2006 that we recorded, but I decided it didn't fit with the A Thousand Suns cd.

But guess what? It sure does fit in the Fairly Secret Army!

It's got a "yo ho ho" feel mixed with some good old fanshioned chanting...kinda like that Enslaved song.

I can't remember the title, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

So I guess we'll be really streching the envelope for the first disc.

until tomorrow...which is in 42 minutes...

Waves of Mercury "The Letters"

I think I might be done with these songs.

I have only put vocals on ...8(?) songs, but I think that the other four songs, although good music, aren't quite as strong as vocal songs. But instrumentals they are not.

So I come to a crossroads with this album...Do I force myself to add vocals that aren't fitting as easy as they should, and are very difficult to do...or do I just say, "We wrote 12 songs and scrapped 4 of them...unfinished."

I've never done that, so it feels weird, but I think it might be the right thing to do...if not for the album, but for my sanity.

Hmmmm....?

Waves of Mercury

I finished all the lyrics (Ben's brain can now melt) and I started to record vocals tonight (Friday).

I think I finished the vocals for a song called "These Walls", but I'll know when I listen later.
I still have a lot of mixing to do on it at the very least.

I recorded a rough run through for a song called "Find our Way"
This might be ONE vocal part through the whole song, no doubling, no harmonies, just one voice.

Scary

Until later...

Waves of Mercury

I listened to what we have finished so far on "The Letters" today.
After 2 months, I think I'm ready to start working on the rest of the lyrics.
I wrote lyrics for one song, and it looks like it's going to be called "These Walls"

I think I may quit the comic store and use Weds as a music day or game day...we'll see.

I hope to be done with "The Letters" by Sept.

Print up copies of "The Great Darkness" also and then we'll have two cds with art for Waves of Mercury.

Until then...

TFSA ...metal anyone?

I recorded the vocals for "Vengeance is Paid" today.
I think it took me something like six hours!

I'm not sure on the last part of each verse, but I want to wait until the bass is in there first.

Unfortunately I continue to listen to the song, and that makes it hard not to mess around with it.
AND Greg is out this week, so I have to wait until next Monday for bass.

I think while I have the time on monday, I'm going to record the bass part for a song I wrote, but the bass is kinda set in stone, so I think Greg is less interested in it...with good reason, it is a pretty basic bass part.

Until monday...

TFSA still works on metal

We recorded about 8 tracks of guitar for the song.
It needs some amp simulation for the single note parts and some mixing, but other than that, it's sounding great!

There's some really fast shredder parts that rule!

Over the next 7 days, I'll do some tweeking and editing and mixing, so all Greg will have to do is add bass. Maybe I'll have the vocals done before next Monday?

Until next week...

ps. this made me take out my Hammers of Misfortune cds...

Helium Francis?

I began writing and recording of Helium Francis today.

It'll be slow, but I hope to have it finished this year.

Mainly this is a project that is (mostly) acoustic instruments, unless it's piano, which will be a keyboard or unless it's mellotron, because mellotron rules!

Tonight I wrote a short piece based on the parade scene music in "Something Wicked this way comes" film. It's the music right after Mr. Dark talks to the Dad.

More info as it's recorded...

TFSA goes metal...and I mean Sword & Sorcery METAL!

I recorded the drums to our 6th track tonight.
I already have lyrics for this on, it's called "Vengeance is Paid"

Oh yeah baby!

I also decided that people who I let her songs as they are finished, will only get to hear up to the first four...otherwise there is no surprise! Sorry Ben, but I'm cutting you off, but you only have three more weeks until we're done.

Anyway, it took me about twenty or more takes to get the drum part, and even then, I decided to replay certain sections and cut and paste, but now it sound fantastic and you can't tell where the cuts are.
This was a pretty hard song to write and record in one night, but we did it...well at least the drums are done.

We also recorded bass for the 5th song "Common Sense" and I redid the bridge vocals. That song is now finished.

I also finished the Complete Recording History of the Beatles today. It was interesting, but not as interesting as I had hoped. But it did help me like them WAY MORE than I had.

Until next week...

TFSA ...New vocals!

Last night (2-3-11) I recorded a lot of vocals.

Added one harmony line on each of the first two songs and added full vocals to the fifth song that has yet to have bass recorded.

I also had hand claps in the first song, but I realized that I hated them...and I tried to like them, but just like the cowbell, it really distracted me.

The new song has three titles to choose from, but I'm not sure what to pick:
"Maybe it's just me"
"Common Sense"
or
"WTF?"

Until next week...

TFSA ...the downside

Some things were said between my friend Ben and I last week, feelings hurt, angers flared and just stupidity all around.

Hopefully things can be worked out and we can be "buddies" again.

The not so important thing, but a thing that makes me realize I miss talking to him, is the fact that had none of this happened, I would have probably made a special trip just to let him hear the two new songs...especially "Smooth Operator"...which is Mike's new theme song.

I already lost one friend who I would always call about music, let's hope I can still call soon.

TFSA SOng # 3&4

After the technical difficulties and the bad arrangement of the two songs last week...we strike gold this week.

We still have bass to do on a fifth song, but we ran out of time.

I, however, had enough time to sing the lyrics for "Trouble with Girls" AND write new lyrics and sing them for the song that is connected with "Trouble with Girls"...this one is called "Smooth Operator"
It's pretty awesome!

So next week should finish up the fifth song and start on the new one I wrote most of today.

Until next week...

TFSA first two songs are mixed!

I did the final mixes of the first two songs ("Fairly Secret Attack" & "Next Song") tonight.

I'm excited about the next two we're working on...especially since I've played along with the guitar part to Greg's new song a lot!

I'm not sure what the lyrical content will be, but I'm sure I can figure something out before the end of Feb.

Until Monday...

TFSA Songs 3 & 4, but...

Tuesday was loaded with problems.

1. We arranged the blues song wrong. I recorded (badly) the way it should be, so we can do it again next week.

2. there was a bad connection in the second songs drums, so they are only on the right side for the first section.

SO, we have to start both songs over next week.

On the plus side, we have two songs kinda figured out?

TFSA Song #2 is called "Next Song"

I finished up all the vocals tonight on "Next Song" and I am really pleased with vocals and lyrics.

This song has made me happy about doing music again...hell, this whole project has made me feel that way...and I need that, especially since I had to fix my car (water pump) and soon will have to pay taxes (greedy bastards!)

This song has some cool harmonies and funny call & response parts...and a metal part in an otherwise indie rock sounding song.

I also finished up the vocals yesterday to the first song "Fairly Secret Attack"

Both songs need to be mixed. I'm not sure if I want to do them all at once or as I go...probably as I go, because then I won't be tempted to go back to them and re-record things.

Until next week...

TFSA song #2

So Greg came over, and on his way, he came up with a rhythm...no notes, just a rhythm!

VERY poppy, catchy and cool.

It took us a while to get the first part figured out (20-30 minutes) and then about another 40 minutes to figure out the rest of the song. Then I had to settle on a drum beat for the bridge section that was fast and furious!

Recording:

I almost nailed the drums on the first take, but no, it wasn't to be this week.
We had about 4 false starts and then I got it on take 9.

Guitars went pretty smooth, but we messed with the guitars in the bridge section, and that took about 10 miutes to figure out what we should go with.

Bass was a little more involved, because Greg likes to play fun busy fills, but the main guitars ended up being hard to do that with, so there are only a couple of fast busy parts.

So we started at about 6pm and finished all the drums, guitars & bass at around 9:45.

I just need to do the lyrics and vocals.

I also need to redo the Verses in the first song...and I'm giving myself more time with it, so maybe a song needs to be done within two weeks.

Hell, I'm making the rules!

Until next week...

"Keep it secret...keep it safe."

Tonight will be session #2 for TFSA

If I don't get the vocals redone, they will stay how they are...maybe I should create a loophole?

I hope we can get the 2nd & 3rd songs recorded tonight...maybe not vocals, but I still would have a week to do that.

THE FAIRLY SECRET ARMY song #1

The song is called "Fairly Secret Attack"

Greg and I got together on Jan 10th at about 6:30.
I showed him the arrangement on guitar, and we adjusted the bridge and the verse parts.

We went over the song with guitar & drums about six times before we began recording.

I nailed the drums in ONE TAKE! Which is amazing, because I never do that.

Then we dumped the drums to the computer and began recording guitars. After a few minutes (2o) we had our sound (ie. No reverb was the key!) and started recording guitar.
Greg has a problem with the bridge... going to the highest chord. But that was really the only problem, beside him not really playing guitar in a while (I will note that it has been about 18 months since I recorded drums...and I got it in one!)

We added a few harmonies and extra guitars and then after about an hour and a half, we were done with them.

He tried to record using the four string Ibanez bass, but it has a short, so the six string fretless came out. We recorded through the mixing board, not his bass head. He did up until the bridge, but then suddenly stopped! I was like "What the hell!?"
He made a change in the bridge and basically was done on the second take.

I recorded all the vocals on Tuesday. Started at 5:30 and finished at 8pm. I had to write the chorus and the bridge lyrics as I went along, but it worked out great. I had the two verses already written.
The verses are single vocal parts, but the chorus has some harmonies in it.
I tried some more harmonies, but that was getting REALLY high and it didn't sound quite right.

I would say this is a good start.

Until next week...

THE FAIRLY SECRET ARMY

This is my new project with Greg.
We're going to try and write & record at least 1-3 songs a week, and when we get 8-12, that's a cd!

We'll do homemade artwork, burn copies and give em to friends...just like the old days.

So far, we recorded all but the vocals for the first song. I'm going to finish it hopefully tonight.

Music will be fun again!