Got a Dump Truck, Baby

Blogworld!

In the midst of all this "making a record madness," other aspects of my life took a brief backseat. They sat there, rough-housed, asked "are we there yet," spilled several drinks, and at one point dry heaved. The Other Aspects of My Life are a lot like me, on a road trip, at age 5. They also dress like an investment banker.

So, in the backwards seasonal spirit of "fall cleaning," I gotta unload my head.

Thoughts while wondering what you do with the trash bag box when you're out of trash bags...

1) Milam's Going Away Concert.
We are 12 days away! I don't know how else to say it: if you live in, near, around, have ever passed through, thought about passing through, or have generally considered the Nashville area...you have to be at this show.

It'll be my last concert in Nashville for some time, and my last as a Nashvillian. It's at my favorite venue in Nashville. The bill's stacked with all my favorite artists and friends. The sets will feature all kinds of surprises, collaborations, originals, old favorites, new classics, covers, 1812 Overtures, and the like!

It'll also be your first chance to hear songs that'll be on the new record! Come out early, stay out late, say goodbye to me and hello to football in one mad musical reintroduction to all things good and autumnal.

2) Studio Update
We're still "seasoning" the record. Our seven days of full, constant recording ended yesterday, so now we'll do what we can when we can. There's not much left at all, and we'll be finished tracking shortly. Then the mixing starts!

I've done it before, but it's worth doing many times more: I can't say enough about Steve Martin as a producer, engineer, musician, and general friend to artists. In a very short amount of time Steve has seemingly worked with every artist in Nashville, so he's nobody's "best kept secret." The secret's out. He's a bad, bad man. If you're an indie artist in Nashville and thinking about making a record, you have to talk to Steve. This town's chock full of talented sound guys, and Steve's a standout. Simply put, he's The Guy. You have to work with him.

And yes, that's him in a mu-mu.

3) What Now?
Oh, many things.
--September 1, we'll have the hotly-anticipated Songs for September.
--Starting in September, I'll be back to the regularly-scheduled programming of Fan of the Month and Milam's Mailbag (plenty of questions to answer there).
--Did I mention the upcoming concert?
--Or, the NYC shows this fall?
--Or, more shows to be announced, so stay tuned?
--New web and blog design in the coming weeks. Launch date soon!

4) Listening To
REM, and nothing else.

You?

Bound to put a blanket on my bed,
CM

Day 7, 8:31 AM

Hey everyone!

Not too much to report, since we took yesterday off. God might've rested on Sunday, but not us. We're out for blood.

A few quick hits before I leave:

On Deck:
"Miscellani." We'll also be back in the studio studio for a bit, which is always fun and incredibly cold.

Today's Horoscope:
"Travel is in your stars, so you should take a trip, whether it is a long distance, abroad, or around the block. Nothing clears away life's baggage like travel. It's as if you can literally leave it all behind. Just leave those bags on the curb and drive away."

Is Don Draper a Leo?

Today's Weather:
"Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. North winds 10 to 15 mph."

Translation: it feels like FALL.

Fall, my babies!
Currently Listening To:
R.E.M. "Radio Song."

More tomorrow morning, so check back!
CM

Day Off, 11:29 AM

Hello Blogworld!

I'm writing you from my place. It's Saturday morning, I got all of seven hours of sleep, it's 70 degrees, it feels like fall, I'm stealing my brother's entire REM catalog, and all's right with the world. So right, in fact, that I look confused, bemused, paranoid, and suspicious. Suspicious of YOU, reader.

In truth, I have no idea what to do with free time. Is it free time if you have a mountain of stuff to do, but don't technically have to do it right now? Probably not.

So, here's how Steve and I are spending our Day Off:
--I'm catching up on an Everest of emails.
--I'm sorting through the move.
--I'm rehearsing for the studio and upcoming Going Away Concert.
--I'm blogging about doing these things (meta!)
--I'm working on album art for forthcoming album.
--I'm maybe--just maybe--doing some fantasy football draft preparation. The League just licked their collective chops.
--Collective Chops = album title.
--Steve is working a double shift at two of his seemingly nineteen jobs. I'm not kidding, I count three full time jobs for Steve. Plus he volunteers at soup kitchens and goes to Darfur on weekends.

More Miscellani before I bolt:

1) The mystery instrument has been revealed: it's a cigar box guitar. A friend of Steve's makes guitars out of cigar boxes. I didn't know these things existed, but evidently they do. Tiny pockets of the population are even enthusiasts. Like Bills fans, or People Who Drink Tomato Juice.

2) Editing is fun. After we finished vocals yesterday, we started editing some parts, playing a little cleanup, etc. Usually this is a tedious process, and one I don't look forward to, but it flew right by. Or maybe I just love hearing the same note three thousand times in a row.

For the record, the note was a G#, and it was beautiful.

3) Our album title tally is getting nice and long. I need your help. Hit up the comments and give me your vote, or give me a new name to throw into the mix.
Dunch
Tigerjacket
Green Clear
Steve's Miracle Pole
(Parentheses)
Polaris Man: A Journey through Time and Water
Quiet Storm
Funky Strut Tambourine
Pirate Battle
Insect Rodeo
Operation Hot Throat
Boop!
Collective Chops
Rusky Business (pronounced "Rooskee," as in "Russian")
Football Jones

4) Tomorrow we might finish this thing. When I say "finish," I mean "finish tracking," which means, "finish recording all the parts." Maybe. There's still a lot to do. With all the biggies out of the way (vocals, rhythm section, guitars), the rest is "seasoning," as Steve calls it. This is usually a lot of fun, but can also take time if you're still experimenting with sounds. We will see, but it's possible we could have everything recorded by tomorrow evening.

5) Then we mix the record. Then we master the record. Depending on the way you've recorded, mixing can take a few days or a few decades (see: Axl Rose). Steve and I left a lot of room for experimentation, trying out different stuff in the mix, seeing what we like, etc. So, mixing will take slightly longer than it typically would.

It's a very cool process, though. It's amazing how much keeping or deleting one instrument can completely change the tone of a song. Also, there's a great art to mixing each individual level (how loud each instrument compared to the others) over the course of a record.

There's a great anecdote about the early days at Stax. When they were bought by Atlantic, executives from New York would come down to Memphis and listen to the records as they were being made. They always wanted the vocals higher in the mix, and the Stax producers kept pushing them down in the mix. After a few months of push and pull over the vocal levels, Stax owner/producer told them, "You want New York vocals, and these are Memphis vocals. Memphis vocals for a Memphis record."

Of course, the "Memphis vocals" worked out just fine. But still, I can sympathize with the execs from NYC. Who wouldn't want to hear more Otis?

Tramp,
CM

Day 6, 7:52 AM

Thoughts while wondering if Girl from Top Chef is the best...

--It's weird how tiredness gets compartmentalized. Six days in, and I'm a little tired. But the weird thing is that I'm not tired at all in the studio. I'm not even a little tired while tracking. It's other things--watching TV, reading email, etc.--that make me fall asleep in my chair like someone's sad uncle.

--If there are any fantasy football geeks out there who have a definitive choice at #2 in this year's draft, I'm all ears. I've heard the arguments, I've seen the angles, and I still have more arguments against anyone than for them. That's not a good thing.

(Sorry for the football talk, Blogworld. I'm posting twice daily this close to the season, it's bound to happen.)

--Fine, I'll say it: crossing guards are another reason Why I Don't Like Old People. In fact, rossing guards might be the definitive example of why I don't like old people. They're not just inconvenient, but they're obtrusive, unreasonable, and cantankerous. You always get sad when you see one in the distance. You know you're silently being judged, your every move hawkeyed like a Russian spy. They're "serving a purpose," but that purpose sucks out loud and probably isn't necessary.

--On a completely unrelated note, what are we doing with Antarctica? That's a lot of unused space if you ask me. Could fit some condos, a Luby's or three. Just saying.

Today's Breakdown!

On the Docket:
--More vo-kills. Wahoo!
--Probably some cleaning up/editing/miscellaneous tracking if anything sticks out.
--Keys, if there's time.
--It'll be a good, full day. Gonna earn that day off tomorrow.

Currently Listening To:
Tom Petty, "It'll All Work Out"

Today's Horoscope:
"Today you are getting a crash course in multi-tasking. At first it is nothing more then a juggling act, but if you stay with it, it will become a controlled skill. The Universe is giving you lots of options right now, so you need to pick and choose which ones will work best for you."

Listen, Horoscope.com, I've been multitasking. Maybe THE STARS are just now figuring out how to do more than one thing at a time (be hot and bright, maybe?), but I've been at this party. I got here early. Welcome.

Today's Weather:
"Mostly cloudy through mid morning...then becoming partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent."

So, monsoon? But check this out:
Friday - 85/63
Saturday & Sunday - 79/59

Fifties! Let's do this, Fall. Let's DO this.

Finally, here's me this morning, firing twelve shooters like a car salesman/quarterback from the seventies/Shooter McGavin.

It's amazing to think where we were just a few days ago, where each song was in the process and where it is now. Obviously there's still a lot of work to do--tracking, then the whole mixing process--but I already can't wait for y'all to hear this record.

If you'd like a sneak peek of many of the songs, you'll definitely want to hit up the...

Wait for it...

Obligatory plug coming...

Going Away Concert!
The Basement
September 4
Chris Milam/Me with Matt Woods, Nick Pagliari, Moriah Harris, and Brett Favre*
8PM
It's going to be an awesome night. Lots of surprises in store. You'll want to come early!

Mind with a heart of its own,
CM

Day 5, 3:37 PM

Good noon!

First thing's first: I'll give a bag of raisins and a special hug to anyone who can name this instrument. Really, I'll give mad blog propers to anyone who can properly identify this thing. I'm not convinced it's an instrument.

In other news:

1) God won. Steve and I were tracking vocals, hours after the rain should've come, and the skies opened up. Since we're in a room with sensitive microphones, and can easily hear thunder in the distance, and can easily see lighting inches away from our faces, we decided it was time to take a break. But why, God? Why?

2) My throat lost--kind of. I sang from 9AM - 3PM today, and the chords are a little tired now. There's a reason records usually take longer than 6 days to make. Actually, there are several. Let's list them!
a) The artist is lazy.
b) The artist is unfocused.
c) The artist is indecisive.
d) The artist is Axl Rose.
e) The artist and producer live in separate states and mail every part to each other, ala Postal Service.
f) A major label is involved.
g) The artist doesn't want to sing for more than an hour at a time.
h) Spider attack.

That's the list.

3) It feels great to break in the afternoon. Usually we hole up, work on parts, look up, and it's 11PM. The day's finished, seasons have changed, old men have grown longer beards, and we're no longer connected to reality. So as I type this, I'm thinking stuff like, "Hmm, the sun is out," and, "Oh yeah, there's a TV I could watch."

But even a hermetically sealed studio can't lock out the pure, unadulterated hatred people are currently feeling for Brett Favre. That news, and all the Facebook vitriol, have broken through our walls. Apocalyptic horses could ride past the window and I'd miss it, but I know about a sixty year-old's training camp.

4) Turns out I like the taste of coffee. In the spirit of my caffeine fast, I actually drank decaf this morning. In some quantity. And it tasted good. It was hot, and it was brown, and it tasted like beans. I even put some sugar in it. That made it a little sweeter, I found. It wasn't bad at all. It wasn't 5 Hour Energy, but then again what is?

In other news, Osi Umenyiora and I have more in common than suit size.

4) There's a lizard now. Steve caught this guy (Rufus, I call him) outside the window. I'm hoping we can pit him against the Exospider in some kind of Reject Animal Celebrity Deathmatch.

For the record, Exospider would destroy Rufus. It would be the least fair fight since Screetch boxed Horseshack.

On that note...

Only in America,
CM

Day 5, 8:09 AM

Whew, that was a good day. Finished percussion, tracked all the bass and electric guitar parts. Even had time to--wait for it--eat dinner.

Behold the salsa trio.

And if you're thinking, "Chris, salsa isn't dinner. You have to eat other things for it to be dinner," I say, "who are you and who shaped your narrow worldview?" I gets down on the salsa trio. I also got down on "The Special," which was a big, spicy mess.

Other Things Accomplished Yesterday:
1) Determined, once and for all, that coaching college football would be harder than coaching in the NFL. I say a job's difficulty/stress level is directly proportional to the number of people you have to answer to. The NFL's more time-consuming, and the stakes are arguably higher, but there are less cooks in the kitchen. Every college coach's decision has to run a gauntlet of athletic department, admissions, boosters, alumni, fans, media, and the NCAA. That's before they can ever step foot on the field and deal with 100 teenagers.

Of course, if you coach for the Raiders, all of this is void. You win. And lose.

2) Battled the biggest spider ever. And when I say "biggest spider ever," I don't know how else to describe it. Outside comic books and cartoons, I've never seen anything like it. It had an exoskeleton. I thought those were a myth from science class, like bionic arms, or evolution.

It's hard to tell here, but its web stretched ten feet across Steve's driveway.

Look, I've been to the Congo, I've been to the Amazon, I've worked in the zoo, okay? This ain't my first insect rodeo. My first and only real thought about this spider was, "it's going to kill us all."

So, when I say "battled the spider," I mean we took pictures of it and repeated "holy crap" for fifteen minutes.

Let's take a look at Today's Breakdown:

Today's Agenda:
--Lay down some vocals. We'll only take a day shift today, so expect another blog this evening.
--Defeat the spider.
--Rejoice.

Currently Listening To:
Fountains of Wayne "No Better Place." You heard me. God bless shuffle.

Today's Horoscope:
"The money star is once again shinning down on your life. You've waited patiently without major stress, so now you're ready to reap the fruits of the harvest. Just take it all in stride, for you money is just a means to an end and another aspect of your fabulous life."

Who wants to buy a yacht???

Today's Forecast:
"A line of showers and thunderstorms will be entering northwest middle Tennessee in the next hour. This line is moving eastward at 25 to 30 mph. Expect this activity to continue eastward this morning and enter Davidson County around 10 am. Residents affected by this weather may expect gusty winds...frequent lightning...brief heavy rainfall."

So, "English again" is the forecast. I like that my brother goes to the UK and tosses back their climate.

Finally, the Album Title List:
Dunch
Tigerjacket
Green Clear
Steve's Miracle Pole
(Parentheses)
Polaris Man: A Journey through Time and Water
Quiet Storm
Funky Strut Tambourine
Pirate Battle
Insect Rodeo

Hit up the comments to vote or suggest a new one!

This is me this morning, out the door, as if called by the siren song of recording fun and spiderwars.

Check back this evening for another update!

High heat,
CM

Day 4, 7:34 AM

Dear Blogworld,

Have you ever done something so much, so intently, and in such a condensed time frame, that it consumes your worldview?

For example, I remember the first time I played Tetris in elementary school. I liked it a lot. For a week, every spare minute of my life went to Tetris. By the end of that week, I was dreaming in Tetris. People looked like jigsaw puzzle pieces, and I navigated the world trying to fit them together.

And what I'm trying to say is this: I dreamed in ProTools last night. I see soundwaves in my sleep. Bassnotes and countermelodies haunt my dreams. Sometimes--only sometimes--I think they're coming for me.

Hey, look, Steve's head is tiny!

Per usual, I didn't sleep for long last night. The good news is that I'm sleeping because I have too much energy, so there's no tiredness in sight. Not for me, anyway. Steve might be thinking, "why does Chris keep leaving voicemails about tambourines at 4AM," and "why is he sitting outside my window right now?" Nevermind, Steve, it's just good studio fun!

Working in the studio is so much fun, and so energizing itself, that it's impossible to feel as tired as you might be. You'll hear basketball players during the playoffs--already eighty-something games into the season--talk about how the team feels great, exhaustion hasn't set in, etc. As long as they're on the court, they're great. Then the playoffs end, and they sleep for a month.

To prove my theory, here's a picture of Steve still going strong at the end of the day!

Now, let's break down the day:

Today's Agenda:
Bass
Electric guitars
Marimba
Woodblock

And in that order!

Currently Listening To:
Josh Ritter, "Wait for Love" and now Gin Blossoms, "Til I Hear It From You"

Today's Horoscope:
If you have not already abandoned your old economic cash cow, she has surely dried up by now. You should be finished with it by moving your profits to newer, fresher possibilities. One of the keys to success is knowing when to get out.

***Seriously, horoscope.com. Two days ago you had me making music because it was a cash cow. You called me an unadulterated sellout, and implied "independent record-making" was the financial equivalent of "buying Google stock in 2001." Now, I've gotta jump ship? In or out? Who's writing these, Brett Favre?

Today's Forecast:
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

So, nice and sunny. Just like yesterday.

And this is me, so hopped up on adrenaline and 5 Hour Energies by 7:30AM, I'm already posing for pictures like a Japanese tourist. At Vegas. Near the pirate battle* at Treasure Island. With so much excitement that you wonder, "does that guy think it's an actual pirate battle?" I'm that guy.

Check back soon for more. Maybe even some video--who knows?*

Three days, maybe longer,
CM

*Me, I do.
*Pirate Battle = album title?

Day 3, 6:41 PM

End of the dayshift, and here are some highlights from today:

1) We've conquered percussion. All songs now have a spinal chord, a heartbeat, a pulse, and enough O2 to open a bar. This is good news, because percussion usually takes a while. Usually folks do it first, because it's time-consuming and everything else builds around it. So, we're looking good from here.

Propers to Steverino, masterbeater and Master of All Things Tambourine.

2) Conquering percussion comes at a cost. This is me after two days of thump-thump-thump. This is me, one arm raised in victory, the other too tired to do anything but dangle. Pyrrhic victory, indeed.

3) The Never Open Bakery (also known as Sweet 16th) was miraculously open this morning. It was an auspicious start to the day. Steve had the coffee and its matching cake. I had the 5 Hour Energy, thankyou.

4) The songs won. I go into every day with a list of things I'd like to do, and an idea of how they'll go, where they'll go, and how they'll sound. And every day at least one song completely surprises me, reveals itself in some unforseen way, jumps up and tells me how it's gonna be.

Sometimes it's an "accident" that sounds better than the original. Sometimes it's a fresh idea from someone else (SMartin, in this case). Sometimes it's a flash of an idea of a moment of inspiration. In these moments, we're not making something so much as getting out of the way. These are my favorite moments of every day.

My second-favorite moment comes at the end of a session, we're packing up, a little tired, a little punchy. Steve plays something we haven't worked on for hours. Suddenly it's there, in totality, and you hear it all together, with perspective, for the first time. You just sit there, listen in silence, and nod. You walk out, see ya tomorrow, then drive back in a comfortable daze.

6) Steve's Miracle Pole took it to the next level. See?

7) More album titles revealed themselves. I need your votes! Comment and vote, or suggest your own, and we'll keep a running tally:
Dunch
Tigerjacket
Green Clear
Steve's Miracle Pole
(Parentheses)
Polaris Man: A Journey through Time and Water
Quiet Storm
Funky Strut Tambourine

8) There's always tomorrow. Guitars, basses, vocals, and plenty of surprises in store. Check back in the AM for another update!

See ya tomorrow,
CM

Day 3, 7:12 AM

Before I get to everything (and I mean everything), a bit of housekeeping:

When I'm actually in the studio, I won't be able to post. No worries, still steady blogging all week long about making the record. There will be at least one every morning (like this, see?), and one every night (some later than others).

Yesterday we learned a lot of things. Among them:

1) I have a full-blown love affair with 5 Hour Energy. It's getting serious, and I'm taking her to meet my family. I've already met her family, who were pretty hyperactive.

Here's a picture of me, in love with 5 Hour Energy. Notice the tiny hearts, and the way the wrapper's ripped down the middle. Like someone was in a hurry to take a 5 Hour Energy, and ripped off the wrapper like a bustier in a Victorian novel.

2) Handclaps are fun. Even more fun than you think they are. They're a like hot sauce; they make everything better. And if you're thinking, "does Chris put hot sauce on cereal," the answer is "mind your own business." Also, yes, yes I do.

3) A mic stand is a lot like a pole. And a pole is a lot like an "instrument that flips on the AC when you're trapped behind a desk." And Steve's a lot like an inventor. Pictures of Steve's Miracle Pole soon, patent pending.

4) Time flies in the studio. It's like the twilight zone. At one point, I took 5 minutes to work on a bass part. When I finished, it was 2011.

Seriously, it's unreal how fast the day goes by cooped up in a room, working on the nuts and bolts of a record. On a scale of Things That Are So Fun They Make Time Fly At Scary Rates, it goes like this:

10 - Football
9 - Making a record
8 - Christmas morning
7 - The beach
6 - Concerts
5 - Basketball
4 - Any movie with Maggie Gyllenhaal
3 - Watching CSPAN/security cameras
2 - Nashville traffic
1 - Baseball

Now, I've gotten a few questions already this week, so let's go ahead and answer a few:

1) How many songs will be on this record?
To be determined. It could be anywhere from eight to eleven. Really depends on how they're all working together, and what makes sense at the end. I can say that they're all previously unreleased songs. Some haven't even been heard by any audiences yet. Maybe even a cover will slip in. We'll see!

2) When will it come out?
Again, to be determined. I can say that it will come out faster than usual, because it will be a digital-only release. No hard copies, at least at first. The idea behind the record was to make it a quick turnaround. Steve and I had a bunch of songs, a room, a week, here's what came out. So, it'll be a much shorter process than some in the past. I'm hoping to get the record finished in just a few weeks, and send it off to be digitized for mass consumption.

The problem is that it takes a while to get a song on iTunes after you've given it to them, usually 6 to 8 weeks. As soon as I have a release date, you'll be first to know. But, definitely, book it: it'll be out this fall.

3) Will "Fill In Song Here" be on the record?
Yes.

Here's today's breakdown:

--We'll be working on some rhythm section stuff: percussion, bass, etc. Work schedules demand today will be a little shorter, so it's kind of a "what can we finish" day rather than a "what can we start" day.

--As you can see, I am serious about Day 3. I am pointing at you with a radioactive hand, as if to say, "straighten up, fly right, and get with the handclaps." Also, I've had a few 5 Hour Energies this morning. Enough to carry me through October.

Today's Horoscope:
"Your window of opportunity is open and you should be first in line. Whether these opportunities are personal or business-related, you still want to show up early in the game. As the saying goes, 'the early bird catches the worm.' Get up early and make this day count."

***I got up at 6:30, alright? I got up early, I'm catching the worm. Just stop telling me what to do, Horoscope.com. Good grief, for a daily fortune cookie, you're incredibly demanding.

Today's Forecast:
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

***Yesterday's forecast was 30% chance of rain, and it rained. So it'll rain double today? Is that how the math works out? I'll be honest, I can't add.

Finally, here's the running list of Album Titles. Comment to vote, or suggest one of your own!
Dunch
Tigerjacket
Green Clear
Steve's Miracle Pole
(Parentheses)

Wound up and let loose,
CM

Day 2, 7:32 AM

Up already, though we don't start for a few hours. Before we get to Day 2, let's tally up Day 1:

--14 hours in the studio
--1 shot of 5 hour energy
--9 hours unaccounted for
--6 acoustic guitars
--42 strings played (do that math)
--2 PB&J sandwiches eaten
--2 PB&J sandwiches eaten by Steve
--0 sandwiches offered to Chris
--Chris isn't bitter
--Or hungry
--At all
--2 Basement Tapes played
--4 Blogs posted
--10 songs posted thus-far
--1 Tigerjacket Steve needs to own

To wit: here's aforementioned Tigerjacket.

Steve was tagged by this picture on Facebook, even though he's never seen this jacket before and certainly isn't wearing it. We're not even sure it's a jacket. It could be a janitor's uniform. It could be scrubs. I think "tiger-embroidered" janitor's uniform is one of the Bitchingest things anyone can own. It's a 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 11.

For the record, a jukebox that only plays "Free Ride" is 11 on that scale.

Anyway, we got sidetracked by the power of the Tigerjacket and, among other things, researching brown recluse bites. Turns out you don't want to see that Google image search. Like, at all.

Did I mention I didn't sleep last night? And that I'm off caffeine this week? This could get interesting.

Anyway, here's what Day 2 looks like. Up by 6AM, inspired by the Tigerjacket, and ready to rock.

Here's today's tale of the tape:

1) Today's agenda: We've got a hodgepodge. Some bass, some percussion, some guitars, possibly some vocals.

2) Today's horoscope: There is financial possibility today, but your stars more strongly favor romance. Sometimes you have to step away from the all-mighty draw of the dollar to taste the finer things in life. If not you just get caught up in the rat race with no reason or end.

***I have no idea what any of that means. I think it's implying that I'm making a record because it's I've sold out to the man. Independent recording = the easy buck? Sure, why not.

3) Today's forecast: Partly sunny in the morning...then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent. Tonight, mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

So, "England." It'll be "England" today. Who wants a Clash cover???

4) We move locations today. Yesterday we were in a studio studio. Today we're in Steve's home studio, which will be great. It's amazing how a change of rooms can completely change the direction of a session. Of course, I demand that all songs be tracked from the comfort of my purple lectica, whilst I eat grapes. So, as long as Steve has a lectica and grapes and a palm frond I think we'll be in good shape.

5) Fantasy football starts soon. That has nothing to do with recording, but it's worth saying.

6) Any album title suggestions? So far we've got:
Dunch
Tigerjacket

There's the list. Feel free to add to it, if you think you can beat Tigerjacket.

Check back soon!
CM

Day 1, 6:56PM

Ten hours in, and spirits are high. I don't have long--we're on the home stretch for today, but I wanted to share two things with you.

One, something I will miss:
Nashville's got a good, memorable little skyline. One of the best parts is that you can see it from almost anywhere around the city. Unless you live near new condo developments with "skyline views," ironically.

Anyway, I'll miss it.











Two, something I do miss:
I miss coffee. I go on a strict no-caffeine policy once I get in the studio, because caffeine's hard on the vocals. Also, yes, I make a honey-oat-herbal-lemonjus-heavensoup that has to be served at 53 degrees. Insert Mariah Carey jokes here.

So yes, I miss coffee. Already. Too much.

5 Hour Energy, people!



Back to it...
CM

Day 1, 3:16PM

Several hours in, several songs tracked on acoustical guitar. There are a lot of acoustic guitars on this record. A lot. I mean, James Taylor would soil himself with envy if he knew how many acoustic guitars I've played today.

Rejoice!

Other noteworthy things:
--My producer/engineer/buddypal Steve is eating a "Dunch" (dinner/lunch) of "Peabujel" (PB&J), so the captain's chair is currently vacant. After dunch, we'll have naptime, then recess.

--Here's my makeshift chart for the mysteriously titled "Long Song." With the lighting, though, it looks like "Lung Song."

It's going to be a long one, so check back soon...

Anyone got any album title suggestions? Besides Dunch?

With a pen and a pad,
CM

Day 1, 11:01 AM

Today's good omen: I'm sporting a cracked rearview.

Hootie smiles upon us.

Letting her cry,
CM

P.S. Has anyone, ever, filled more pop songs with more complete nonsense lyrics than Hootie? Really, "Time"? Children killing in the street?

P.S.S. Children Killing in the Street is a new album title frontrunner.

Day 1, 8:13 AM

Woke up this morning shot out of a cannon, like it was Christmas, hands already shaking like I was three cups in (but I'm not), woke up ready for my favorite days:

Today, we make a record.

Specifically, this is Day 1 of a weeklong adventure in the studio. By Friday evening, everything should be recorded. Between now and then, we'll log innumerable studio hours, take countless 5-hour energy shots, make merciless "your mom" jokes, and hopefully some music.

There will be plenty more live-blogging daily from this space, so keep checking back, or subscribe to the RSS so you get all the updates!

For now, let's just set the stage:

Who:
Chris Milam - 6'1, 29-inch vertical, 7-foot wingspan, size 11 shoes. Runs fastest when he's stolen something. Decent hands. Not much of a blocker. Singer/songwriter/guitarist for all the songs on the record. Also, me.

Steve Martin - 6'0, runs a 5.3 but walks a 4.6. 3-foot beardspan. Wears "psych ward patient shoes," which are one-size-fits-all. Producer/engineer/multi-instumentalist. Co-produced and engineered the Tin Angel EP. Has worked with seemingly every human in Nashville in the span of 3 years. One of our best. Off the charts at the combine.

What:
A record. A full-length album. All unreleased songs, all stuff you most likely haven't heard. All stuff I can't wait to show you. I can't say much about the record from where I'm sitting--there's still so much up for grabs--but I can say that it'll be very different from Tin Angel, and that it's a much more intimate group of songs. If you're hearing sitar at this point...you're not the only one.

Where:
We'll be recording at a few different places in Nashville. Today we'll be in a studio studio. The rest of the week we'll be at Steve's home studio, located in sunny East Nashville, home of a thousand musicians, a million hipsters, some very real tomato enthusiasm, and vagrants!

When:
All day, every day, until it's finished (Isn't that a quote from Rocky?). Which means blog-updates abounding!

Tale of the Tape:
Today's Forecast - Partly sunny. Isolated showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent. From my window, it is "sunny and nice."

Today's Horoscope - This is a special time when you can find your place in the world. Each sign of the Zodiac has this opportunity, but they come around very rarely. If you do not take advantage of this wonderful moment it maybe a very long time before you get the chance again.

On that note...

In hiding,
CM