Ride it on, Slide it on

My van is still not stopping, because I've yet to take it into the shop. This of course puts my commuting life all out of whack. I'm subject again to the whims of others in my daily transport process. This is not all bad, in fact, it proved last night to be down right good. After leaving work, instead of dropping me at the subway, my boss borrowed me to help him retrieve his 5 dogs from the pet salon. I love the dogs, so this wasn't really a chore. After we took them to his house he told me that rather than ride the subway I should just take his truck and then pick him up in the morning. I thought this sounded grand, so I did.
I got behind the wheel and headed down the block. I called Amy to let her know where I was at in the journey, and that I'd be late, because I'm thoughtful and co-dependent. I turned on the radio, to AM 1150, to hear some fine progressive talk. Bad Idea. I'm really annoyed with their new 5:00 o'clock guy, this MR. K, he annoys me for many reasons. The point being though I didn't want to hear him drone on so I started to think about alternatives, and then I remembered, that there is always a copy of SG's CD maxi-single "Ladyslipper" in the CD player. I turned it on and settled into my drive.

I played it all the way through on the way home, and all the way through on the drive up this morning. It had me remembering things and thinking about others, and it occurred to me that we are very near Ladyslipper's 2 year anniversary. Being that to me, that CD will always have a special significance, I though I would try and commemorate it's 2 year mile marker with a blog about it.
I went back in my blog to find it's actually release but sadly I realize I didn't post anything to mark it's actual release. Checking our website I find that it was officially released in May of 2005, but I did find this to be of significance, on March 31st, 2005 I posted this:
"I did finish mixing the single last night, by far my favorite project thus far!! And in going further I have taken many steps to get someone to master the thing."

Exactly 2 years ago today I finished my first mix of the Ladyslipper Maxi single. Neat huh? My internal calendar was working well.

You'll notice the second sentence of that quote refers to getting some one to master it. (Link here for info about his process) My desire to have someone to master this thing, and my complete lack of a budget to pay them to do led to what I think of as one of our bands greatest breaks, our relation ship with Hoagie of Seamonster sounds (who is even now slaving away on yet another project of ours).

I have now dug into my email, and I've come up with the original craigslist ad where i rather pathetically ask someone to Master our work:

5 song single needs mastering on the cheap

Date: 2005-03-31, 9:54AM PST

I have a 5 song single ready to be mastered, however the budget to
do so has run pathetically low. So if your looking to gain some
experience in the field of mastering send me a reply and we can
talk. I could muster about $50 for a job done well, I'm sorry if
this is insulting to any ME's out there but times are tough, and it
ain't easy with that son of a bitch George Bush in the white house.
The songs could best be described as Electro psychedelic pop, I have
mp3's for the emailing if you're interested.
Thanks, Brandon

I got to hand it to myself, I love that reference to Raising Arizona as applied to the current political climate.

Here is the first response to the ad I got, edited to remove any identifying factors:

Hi hows it going? Are you just looking to have your single mix down wav files mastered or a whole multi-track project in protools or the like? If its just single wav files I may be able to help you.

Like I said, if its just mastering whole songs as single wav files I can work with the compression to increase loudness, boost and cut high and lows where needed for clarity, etc. Let me know the details and maybe I can help.

Notice, no interest at all in hearing any of the songs... or really asking for any detail whatsoever.

second response:

I can do this for you.

If you don't like the work you don't have to pay.

This third one at least had some pizazz:

Hey Man,

Yeah, fuck George Bush (King George the II)!!!
I am a BMI songwriter who has a home studio, so I master my own shit
all the time.
You could swing by and I'll help you out, no problem.
Peace

Funny Huh?

Fourth:

Hey Brandon,

If you have not yet found anyone, I am interested in mastering this project with in your budget. I have mastering software and experience as well. I am versatile and creative, I have critical ears and attention to detail. I am looking to expand my skills outside of my own music.

Not a bad response, but notice, still no real interest in hearing the songs...

I don't know what this fellow wanted, I didn't Respond, but here is the Fifth response:

Do you do a live set?

That's it... Nothing more from that one. Hmm...

It should be noted here that Hoagie's reply was not the last one which I received, I list it last for dramatic build:

Hi Brandon,

I'd be interested in hearing what you'd like to have mastered. I
have a great deal of production experience and I "master" my own
stuff and others, but I haven't (yet) made a specialty of it. So if
I like your stuff, then $50 would be a great deal for both of us. I
also have a few friends who are well-respected ME's, so if we hit any
slippery patches, we could get some righteous advice. FWIW, I'm on
the westside.

Please send me one or two mp3s via email (my account has a tight
limit), or post a web link to it.

Cheers,
Hoagie Hill

Wow! Someone wanted to hear the music before they decided to take my meager budget?! As you can see, I had no real problem choosing who to go with on this one, the choice pretty well made it self.

I am tempted to go and post all of the communications between Hoagie and myself, but in the interest of privacy, and because in just now reading through it I doubt it would be that interesting to most folks (very techy at times), I will keep that private for now. Just wait till the 10 year gold release on Warner Brothers.

I will note that our agreeing to work together took very little time and from there it kept going, till where even now when i checked my email for this blog I found one from him giving me an update on our current project. The relationship that has developed between Hoagie and our band, and Hogie and each one of us as individuals has proved fruitful, and on this anniversary, let me just say I'm grateful to have the opportunity to work with such great people.

I had a great time last night and this morning listening to the songs we recorded back in early 2005, so I'll begin my wrap up with some thoughts on each track:

1. Ladyslipper - this song has always been special to me. It's weird, I love that in a song. I've always felt that it pulls our band together closer when we play it live. We can sometimes get to a point in a gig where we are rushing ourselves too hard, and pulling in different directions, but for some reason, whenever we play ladyslipper we always get back on track.
I think of this song as a prayer of sorts (not in any organized religious sense) but more as a whisper to the universe to keep us all safe and together. It's like asking for a little lee way, to be allowed to complete what we have to do. That's kind of how I see it anyway.

In listening to the recording I remember that there is acoustic guitar, played on Ellela, the first guitar I ever bought new, and it's the acoustic guitar I always turn to to write on.
There is also some e-bow guitar going on. I also noticed that the bells going on at the end, appear later in the single at the end of Time (clock of the heart).
There are so many things that changed between the mix on this single and the album, that I would be a fool to try and list them all, suffice to say that Hoagie did a great deal of work on the remix of this one, but I only point it out here because to me one cool thing about this mix is the hidden third verse. I don't think it made it into the album version, at least I've never heard it, but there is a ghost verse on the single, that comes in during the final part where amy and devin are singing "wear your lady slipper, slide it on" at some point amy peaks in and says something like "spank the living spit out of my bad temper, dip your perfect scoop into my fudge". I always like that part in this version.

2. Nutragen - This song was originally called "Columbo". I love it cause it seems like Detective Columbo. I don't have a lot more to say about it, other than I love it and I'm glad it's on this cd. I remember Hoagie saying he really liked the Distortion on the vocal in the chorus section, that pleased me very much.

3. Zero Cool - This song was a bear, with a rattle snake riding on it's back. It was a horrid bitch to mix and in the end I know Devin ended up unhappy with it. The guitar is way over compressed and sounds totally modeled. I was glad that I ended up playing an e-bow on the chorus, it at least was fun to me, and provided my favorite playing moment in the song, during the breakdown when I have a bit of an orchestral moment.

4. Time - I barely knew this song at the time, I love it now. It was a bitch for me to learn a part but finally I did. Amy's voice sounds Huge, I love that. Devin's back up vocals are so great too.

5. Luscious Mag - We had tried to record this song so many times, even doing a big poppy program at one point, but it never worked. This version works extremely well. Hoagie saved me by counseling me into not having the HUGE rain sound running through out the entire song, like I had done in the original mix. It took some convincing, but in the end he was right.
The rain sound itself came late one night, as we were wrapping up recording on the tracks. We were all horridly drunk and ready to call it a night when it began to storm, It was raining so loud that I had to stop what I was working on. Since I wanted something else to blend with the track I just stuck our microphone in the bathroom and cranked the gain with the window open. Hoagie impressed me on this track, in talking about that sound he described it as A rain sound... or maybe it's a shower... which it was actually rain, recorded in a shower. Nice.

Ladyslipper did a lot of good things for us, we printed 100 copies, and up until we discovered 5 of them hidden they had sold out. So if you don't have it, buy it now, before they are gone for good.

I'll let a few reviews do the wrap up for me:

FRONTIERS MAGAZINE REVIEW 7/5/05

Shitting Glitter
Ladyslipper (Decadrisco)

Los Angeles electro-rockers Shitting Glitter might not be as well known as some of their more famous counterparts, but their latest self-released EP should help remedy that. Whether conjuring up the trippy musings and melodies of the Cocteau Twins (the dreamy title track) or tackling Le Tigre-worthy arrangements (“Nutragen”), the three-member outfit makes a strong showing on their new album, paying tribute to their many influences (Bowie, Berlin, Thompson Twins, etc.) while crafting their own sound in the process. A pleasantly wistful but unnecessary cover of Culture Club’s “Time” might be a bit too obvious for those tapped out on nostalgia, but on original cuts like the mod-rock ballad “Zero Cool,” these children of the ’80s do their generation more than proud.

Ken Knox



from Church of Girl Radio Stars, June 2005


Ladyslipper
received 05.05

shittingglitter.com
self-released
Beautiful Three

We have so much love for this band. Their music is suPer – and we love their sense of activism, purpose and community.

If you didn’t already know, Shitting Glitter stands firm in the belief that Rock and Roll should include some rebellion or subversion. Repeatedly, people tell the band to change their name. They won’t. We know why, too, it helps to sort through those who might not be “equipped to deal with the bands liberal views and wild stage show”.

Shitting Glitter’s latest release, “Ladyslipper” is a softer listen than we expected, and we LOVE every one of the songs. We truly could not choose which songs we liked best, or thought you would like best, so we will be airing all of them on Church of Girl Radio! We hope you will purchase your very own copy of the CD from their website.



Miscellaneous news postings from SG.com, regarding the work and release of Ladyslipper:

10 February 05 Wear Your Ladyslipper Don't miss Shitting Glitter tonight at The Anarchy Library! It will be your last chance to purchase "The Incomparable White Six" CD single as it is virtually sold out! The next single, "Ladyslipper" will be released in April and will feature remixes and exclusive b-sides. A big thanks to Jeremy at Sirius OutQ Radio for playing "Makes Sense." Shitting Glitter has been getting some good airplay lately all around the globe. Call and request them at your favorite local or internet radio station!

14 March 05 Lastly, a beautiful soul has left this earth; Devin and Brandon's grandma Eva May Strecker passed on Saturday, March 5. She will be missed. The single "Ladyslipper" is dedicated to her.

13 April 05 Shitting Glitter is currently in the studio working on their second album "Free Alongside Ship." The album will be preceded by a single "Ladyslipper" released next month. The band will be announcing summer show dates soon. Welcome to the new website! This is a work in progress, and new things will be popping up left and right.

6 June 05 Ladyslipper is Released!!! Shitting Glitter is currently in the studio finishing up their second album "Free Alongside Ship." The next single will be "Mondo di Corpo" which will be released at the same time as the album. Click HERE to order the 5-track maxi-single "Ladyslipper"
The single is also available on The Woobie Bear Music Store and Zero Youth Distribution.

I meant to end before now, but I really wanted to mention how important it was to dedicate the Ladyslipper single to my Grandmother Eva, she was such a wonderful person, and I felt the sound of Ladyslipper and my personal feelings behind it's meaning couldn't have fit together better.

Thanks for everything, everyone.