SMOKE SESSION: Deadhead OG
It's interesting to me how this song started out and where it is now...in my head I wanted to write a good old-fashioned rockin' track in the style of Bob Seger or Foghat - but I am neither of those bands - and when I hear it, it kinda sounds sarcastic - so in the end I feel like a bit of a dink mocking my original inspiration, but that's okay I guess. Unlike math, in "song-making" there is no RIGHT answer. And that's really what I think I do more than "songwriting" - its song MAKING. From drums to guitars, melodies, etc... I like to make songs. I'm picturing the stereotypical "song WRITER" as an introspective breaded dude with an acoustic playing local coffee shops with clever compositions impressing the well-read folk, and I think he's smarter than me - this statement is made all the more meaningless by the fact that I am currently sporting a beard - but for the most part, I know I'm not that guy. (I'm more like the guy in the movie that says one line that they forgot to put in the credits but all the crew remembers as "that guy who was always by the food trays - yea we should probably send him a bill. Oh wait he's not in the credits?? Ah well forget it") The Deadhead OG was very relaxing and helped me channel a bit more sultry sensualness.
[SPECIAL NOTES: This song was recorded on 10/12/17 during a 12-hour session. I first laid down the guitar riff and built the verses over top. I wanted the chorus to be big and open with an ode to Seger tagline: "no one said rock and roll was easy".]
Pump up the Bass!
I used to listen to a lot of hip/hop as a kid and MCs were always asking the DJ (or whoever) to "pump up the bass" - treble is still waiting for its day...but for The Imperfections, the focus was all on bass recently as Eliss laid down some solid, pumping, groovy, melodic basslines. Check out a few photos from the sesh.
NICE BOARD.
This makes everything sound really good.
Dialing It In...
Vinnie helps Eliss get a unique sound using non-traditional amps
Rockin' It
Finger-style gives a nice round sound
Had to
use this vintage Rick on a song or two!
Say Good Knight
What an amazing season for the Las Vegas Golden Knights - I've gone from never watching a hockey game in my life to sitting on the edge of my couch and yelling at the TV like my life depended on it! So I put together a pretty sweet set-up for today's game:
1. Inflated pool - $25 at Wal-Mart
2. THC/CBD Synergy bath soak - $35 from The Dispensary Henderson
2. Fat Tire 6-pack - $8.99 from Trader Joe's
3. Hooking up my TV outside to watch the game in #frugalmillionaire style - priceless!
DRUM MODE
I'm channeling my inner drummer for next week's recording session. Due to recent lineup shifts, I am taking on the role of "SKIN SLAPPER" for the time being. I would love to be as cool as Ringo, as talented as John Bonham, as punchy as Tre Cool, as funky as Bernard Purdie, or as mean as Buddy Rich. But I'm carving my own niche somewhere in the middle of all those influences. I try to copy different drummers at different times, and all that plagiary mashed together becomes MY style. Studio countdown - 1 WEEK AWAY!
SMOKE SESSION: Trainwreck
My lovely fiance brought home this Trainwreck from AMA a few days ago and could not wait to try writing with it! It smelled amazing - piney, fruity, one of the most fragrant Trainwrecks I've ever experienced. I took a single long dose from a Buddha vaporizer (and an Arnold Palmer for caffiene). This song came out of a single day's songwriting session this past Tuesday along with 3 other tracks (with varying results). For this track I tried to work in as much scientific/chemistry lingo as possible to describe a love between two young folks. You see, the truth is - me and my lady have a good thing going - and I love it when I get the chance to express my love for her in a song. And since she brought home this wonderful Trainwreck anyway - hey its not like I need to find more excuses to write songs about her! We've had a unique chemistry ever since we were youngins fiddling with test tubes in the basement.
KNIGHT IT UP!
Any hockey fans that have somehow managed to find themselves on THIS website instead of a more hockey-themed site like NHL.COM or even ESPN - let me be the first to tell you, our own Las Vegas Golden Knights have made history and are going to the Stanley Cup Finals! This is a new thing for Vegas, and coming from Seattle, we didn't have a hockey team to follow either - but its hard to not be inspired by the Golden Knights energy, passion and the unbelievable season they are having! Through watching my son play the past few years and following the Golden Knights this year, I have officially caught "hockey-fever" or however you would describe being HOOKED on something (without harmful side-effects). So before I get too off track, the reason for this post is to announce the channeling of all this exciting energy into an upcoming remix of a Golden Knights-themed track called "Knight It Up", an anthemic shout-along perfect for a packed arena! I'll be in the studio in early June recording a handful of other tracks for a SUMMER 2018 RELEASE - this way we can all Celebrate The Imperfections! #newalbumthissummer
Puttin' in Work
Hard at work in the studio creating music and memories - some will last a lifetime while others will last about three and a half minutes.
SMOKE SESSION: Big Smooth
I know what you might be thinking...and no, I had never heard of a strain called 'Big Smooth' either. But my friendly budtender told me it was known to be good for "intimate times" and whenever I hear that I tend to listen up. Now what I do in my "intimate times" is for another blog, but lets just say I had some Big Smooth leftover and wanted to see how it might influence a songwriting session.
My main mission for this track was to make something upbeat and melodic but with a few odd/half-step progressions thrown in. The song is about being confident and not hesitating when you're in the moment, y'know - let yourself "Shine!"
So my conclusion is the song below. I liked the taste of Big Smooth as well - very fruity/berry and well-balanced effects for being creative. The cultivator of Big Smooth is Silver State Trading from Sparks, NV. You can find it in dispensaries all throughout Nevada.
Stream our setlist for the Friday's show on Spotify!
We're giving y'all a sneak peak at our setlist for this Friday's show at The Bunkhouse. Stream this playlist and learn every single word we'll say! And help me remember the words...