Friday, July 01, 2005

Skirts, a Theramin, Depache Mode and cookies....

Very early in the morning here, just sneaking down while breakfast cooks to take care of e-mail and say hello to all of you, then , of course, it's back to the studio.

Things are going very well indeed. The album seems to know what it needs and many times I think it could make it's ownself without us even being a part of it. Flowing like water the thing is, magic, pure magic. Very tired magic. Hard schedule every day all day. CD's have gone to Boston, so that Chris Ewen can record the bagpipes we are needing and send them on back. John Sjogren from the Tim Malloys came in yesterday and did a Shaker part and some guitar work AND a bit of voice over work where we needed to sound insane. Malena is doing some amazing vocals, she can SING! ( I know I have said that before, once or twice, but my opinion of her work is constantly growing higher, if that is possible )

She is a good person to be with in the studio, too, where the hours are long, the work intense and tempers can become short . Not this time. If anything we are going to kill ourselves with our wit, fall over dead laughing we will.

Also, wonderful news, we have aquired a Theramin player! Are the fates watching out for this cd or what??????? ( not to mention a girl who plays a SHOVEL, and a completely barking mad Scotsman )

What else did I want to talk about, here in my sleepy couple of moments? Hmmm...I did want to tell our friend John Scalzi not to worry to much about the REO Speedwagon as one of Malena's fav bands from her youth turns out to be Depache Mode and she is already going thru cd's to find the perfect cover, just for you.

The Thingies, from my boss's page have been VERY good to us this week. I owe Miss Mousie a long letter of thanks, the two most perfectly WONDERFUL skirts showed up here at the house, long, all draped in rags and colours, hard to describe but certainly two of the most beautiful skirts I have ever SEEN! We danced around the house for an hour in them when we came back from LA and found them waiting! We will be posting pictures as soon as we can get them , and wearing them in concert as sooon as we can. With corsets.

And yesterday we stoped at Dreamhaven Books on a break and in edition to picking up Adam Stemple's new book with Jane Yolen, PAY THE PIPER, there was a package from someone named Miss Tree , another Thingie , FILLED with boxes of Tim Tam cookies from Austraila. Miss Tree, I forget what it is you wanted, but the answer is YES , whatever it is. The studio NEEDED boxes of cookies....We may thank them on the album.

Off to wake Malena and them make some music.

Love and sleepy,
Lorraine

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Music and Talons of Doom or Cats Doth Murder Sleep

Hmmm...It was a wonderful idea to say we were going to blog this cd, and talk about the recording each night , but ye gads! After a full on day of work , we are just not having any time, but I thought I would take a moment to write down a few highlights before stumbling off to bed. Morning comes very early.....

First off, in reverse order of the last couple of days, Malena got up on stage tonight with the Tim Malloys and brought the house down!!! I didn't see that one coming, I know she can rock, I know she can sing, but this as above and beyond fantastic. This is Adam, our producers Irish bad boy band, along with John " Big Sexy " Sjogren and a Scotsman named , near as I can figure " Mullie" ( both of them are making appearences on the cd ) and she got up and did Tom Waits's Tango Till They're Sore, and an old Steeleye Span song called " The Fox" Wow. I say again. Wow. I am still in awe, she made a LOT of fans tonight , little rock-n-roll Diva that she is, blew me away, and I am her BANDMATE for goodness sake! If only I'd had my violin.....

The sessions are going wonderfully, could not ask for anything more. We are loving it, and the energy is right there. Working with Adam, and Leo, our engineer, is pure pleasure from begining to end. When we can stop laughing. I know that this isn't the most detailed description of said studio events, but hey, it's 1 in the morning and we worked all day then gigged. Tomorrow we are back at 10 Am and going till we drop, around midnight. More on the cd ws it develops....

What else? Oh, yes. One thing I HATE, apparently, if you sleep with a cat, NEVER roll over on them in your sleep. They HATE that it turns out and lash out with thier little kittly claws most fiercely . If they catch you in the EYE, you will bleed a lot and freak out your bandmate ( Are you ok, says she ? Uh, that would be a NO says I ) and you will spend the next several hours in the ER. Thanks the gods they now have something called " Liquid Skin" and tho I needed stiches, they were able to patch it up with that instead....The cat, whom I now refer to as " Socket Remover" did not get my eye, but the lid, so all's well that ends well...SO much for getting a good nights sleep before starting the sessions.....( Malena , I will add , is a fine person to have in a crunch, sleep to ER in a matter of minutes she was...)

Love , claws and a bandmate who can rock,
Lorriane