Shake Some Action! - the making of the third record » Uncategorized http://shakesomeaction.net/blog behind the scenes with SSA as they make their 3rd record Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:59:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 Fire and Ice – now available http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2010/02/23/fire-and-ice-now-up-on-emusic/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2010/02/23/fire-and-ice-now-up-on-emusic/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 20:18:14 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=216 Fire and Ice is now available from all major online download stores.

A reminder that the limited edition digipack CD version will be available in April.  Our mailing list members will be able to get it first with free worldwide shipping, a free bonus CD and other goodies so if you’re not already a member, go and sign up!

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2010/02/23/fire-and-ice-now-up-on-emusic/feed/ 1 cover art http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2010/01/28/cover-art/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2010/01/28/cover-art/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:45:47 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=213 As we get closer to release date, I start wearing a lot of different hats.  There’s the engineering/mixing/producing hat – finalizing the mixes for each song.  There’s the business hat – making arrangements for pressing the CD, digital distribution, promotion etc etc.  Then there’s the graphic designer hat – designing the cover art.  Last time Gary and Chris designed the cover; this time I’m doing it myself, as I did with the first record.  I’m no graphic artist but I know what I like :)   Here’s a working copy of the front cover:

Fire and Ice cover art

Mixing is coming along swimmingly.  I’ve been experimenting with various song orders but today I think I stumbled onto a sequence that works really well.  While listening to it in my car (as I do to check all my mixes) I let out an involuntary “fuck yeah!” at one point, which I think means things are really starting to come together :)

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2010/01/28/cover-art/feed/ 2 nearly there http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/12/04/nearly-there/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/12/04/nearly-there/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:14:57 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=198 sorry for the long gap between updates – some unavoidable delays.  Open Your Eyes is tantalizingly close to being finished – should have it online within a few days.

after that I only plan on starting another 2-3 songs so we’re getting close to the end of the record.  that will leave us with about 14 songs and we’ll shortlist that down to the best 10 or so for the CD.  the songs that make the cut for the CD will be remixed from the versions we’ve posted here on the blog.  those mixes were often done pretty quickly and for the official release we want to take a bit more care.  you should hopefully notice some significant improvements.

in the meantime, stay tuned for Open Your Eyes which will be available for free download in a  few days.

Riverina PO 18492 [19208] Ramsey AF 90 1.33 Sea    NV    X Y
]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/12/04/nearly-there/feed/ 0 song # 11 – first demo http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/10/18/song-11-first-demo/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/10/18/song-11-first-demo/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:32:35 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=190 onto song # 11 – an upbeat, funky little number.  just guitar, bass and drums at the moment – stay tuned to see how it develops.

song 11 (demo)

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/10/18/song-11-first-demo/feed/ 0 Wherever You Are Tonight – free download! http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/09/09/wherever-you-are-tonight-free-download/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/09/09/wherever-you-are-tonight-free-download/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:44:17 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=169 song # 8 – now titled Wherever You Are Tonight – is now complete and ready for your listening pleasure.  just click the song title below and a little player will pop up where you can choose to stream or download the mp3.  enjoy!

Wherever You Are Tonight

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/09/09/wherever-you-are-tonight-free-download/feed/ 1 song 8 http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/09/03/song-8/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/09/03/song-8/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:12:09 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=167 and so onto song # 8.  sorry for the delay since our last post – rehearsing for the recent show kept us from working on the next song but don’t worry, we’re about to get you caught up real fast.  t

this time a first – David Bos came to me with some guitar chords he’d written, which turned out to be the basis for our next song.  here’s the demo he recorded in his home studio, with just him on guitars and tambourine:

song 8 (1st demo)

from there, I rearranged things a little and overdubbed some bass and drums and wrote a new bridge and vocal melody.  the lyrics you’ll hear on the demo below were improvised stream-of-consciousness “placeholders” designed to hear how the melody sounded and nothing more.  what can I say, the lyrics suck but it’s how I work ;)

song 8 (2nd demo)

finally, we have a rough mix which uses the 2nd demo as a foundation.  there are new guitar overdubs by David (3-4 tracks) and a new bass overdub along with some acoustic guitar and mandolin by me.  all that’s missing now are the lyrics.  stay tuned . . .

song 8 (rough mix)

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/09/03/song-8/feed/ 0 Can You Feel? http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/08/11/can-you-feel/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/08/11/can-you-feel/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:13:49 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=155 song # 7 now has a title – Can You Feel?

check out an updated mix below – we now have rough vocals, albeit with some first draft lyrics and a structure that isn’t quite there yet.

Can You Feel rough mix

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/08/11/can-you-feel/feed/ 0 free download – song # 6 Bottom Of The Sea http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/07/13/free-download-song-6-bottom-of-the-sea/ http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/07/13/free-download-song-6-bottom-of-the-sea/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:47:40 +0000 James http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/?p=151 here it is folks – finished mix of song # 6 – Bottom Of The Sea

this is a real change of pace – literally – so might take you a couple of listens to get into its laidback-ness.

changes since the original mix – vocals and backing vocals courtesy of yours truly and numerous lead guitar tracks courtesy of David Bos.

we hope you like it!

]]> http://shakesomeaction.net/blog/2009/07/13/free-download-song-6-bottom-of-the-sea/feed/ 1