GHOSTLIGHT Done

Christmas break has arrived, and for us that means neglecting family and finishing our songs. Yesterday we finished Ghostlight, and I'm pretty sure it rocks. I'll post a rough recording soon. After spending so much time crafting the songs its becomes kind of difficult to consider them objectively once their done.

Man, we need money for equipment and stuff. That means we need to play shows. That means we need to finish our songs. I must go work on Cold Knight.

Centaur Marauder Recording Session 2

Last weekend we spent Friday night, all Saturday, and into Sunday afternoon recording in Montgomery. I think we ended up recording three new songs, "Deep In The Sauce", "San Fransisco's Burning", and "When You Speak." I also laid down some more lyrics to "Open To The Truth." Overall I felt that we were way more productive than last time. Also, Stephen wrote and sang most of the songs, which was freaking great. Actually I felt like I hardly did anything the whole time but back him up, which made things really fun and stress-free.





So we are starting to look for a solution to our crappy drums problem. We're hoping to find $750 just lying around, but until then we'll have to Frankenstein together a better kit. I'm going to try to sell some extraneous crap I have, but it might prove difficult. If only we could figure out some way to make money with music!


Over the weekend Stephen hipped me to the fact that Thrice's Dustin Kensrue's little brother is in a band called "Eye Alaska", which apparently is nearly as big as Thrice. I checked them out on MySpace Music, and they're not my cup of tea. Seems like there was a consensus that the lead singer is not cool, and that they appear to be a label-manufactured band. Very un-Thrice-like.

I just got through watching a music documentary show called 'Embedded' on Hulu. The show featured an L.A. indie band called Silversun Pickups, who I've never heard of before. Well, I was not that impressed with this band either. I did notice that their bass player is a girl, which surely adds to their popularity. I keep telling Grant and Stephen that we need a girl bass player but they say I'm crazy. No, you two are crazy. Two crazy homos.

I have also recently heard music I like. Enchanted Islands, the newest album by Beep Beep (Saddle Creek) is sooo great. I have been listening to this album relentlessly for about three weeks now. It's just so original, with amazing songwriting and guitar work. "I brush a pony's mane thinking of your hair drying in my arms." Need I say more? No, I need not.

New Song: Ghostlight

Here's a little taste of a song that's gonna be badass. We're getting closer to being ready to play shows and whatnot...

I'd also like to comment on the beef that's formed between the band and our engineer/producer/manager/PR agent/equipment sponsor/label exec, Grant. Basically, Grant comes over to our studio, manipulates us into wasting recording time by watching some horrible movie, leaves with all our audio files that are worth their weight in gold, and makes fun of the way I talk (probably). Let's just say he's on thin ice, and if I see him again he'd better have a joke to tell. A GOOD joke.

Ghostlight Concept

Engineering Our Rage

We made a little more progress last weekend. I feel like we've pretty much settled on Centaur Marauder as our band's name. I don't know, it just sounds bad ass to me and I enjoy saying marauder a lot. Actually when I hear the term 'marauder' used in daily dialog it always makes me chuckle for some reason.

Names of songs done or in production:

• Open to the Truth - basically done
  
• Cold Night of Winter - basically done
  
• Blood Red Mouth - basically done
  
• Garnet Reflections - 3/4 done
  
• Unnamed (half-step whole step song that Steve made up) - 1/2 done, needs lyrics
  
• Ghostlight - 1/4 done

btw, GRANT YOU'RE A BIOTCH!

My Friend in a Boat

This is an old song that I re-recorded today in Cakewalk. Personally, I think this song is beyond gay, but people seem to like it so meh.

My Friend in a Boat

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First Recording Session

Last weekend Grant brought his badass recording equipment to Montgomery and we started recording. Although we worked all weekend, we somehow didn't finish recording a single song. We just need to practice more to make the recordings go smoother. We also need a bass player and drummer. Pics of the recording session to come.

-Tom

The Stroke of Mid-Day

So today in drawing class we had to go out and sketch a landscape. No big deal, right? Wrong. 1-3pm, in mid-July, in the hill country wilderness - hotter than hell, son. This song is a true story.

The Stroke of Mid-Day

I moved out under the sun
And I tell ya true, my friend
That day was a hot one

My feet found a stony path
It led me to a lizard baking
In a cactus patch

My head was throbbing from the heat
That's when the wise lizard asked me,
"What truths do you seek?"

I laid my body at his throne of thorns
And rest my head inside a cradle
Of broken whitetail horns

The yellow grass became a sea
The purple sky claimed I had died
But my soul was lingering

And lo, from on the mountain
I heard his thunderous voice
The Lizard King in crown and ring
Was offering me a choice and he said:

"Would you care to roll with me
To the hill countries of eternity?
I can give to you the peace you desire
Or I can send you back
Back to where the waters lack
Way back down that stony track
The choice is up to you"

And how I longed to hold his leathery hand
And walk beside him into that endless land
But I rode the solstice sun back across the summer sky
Stepped off at the horizon
That's where we waved goodbye

When I opened up my eyes
My salty skin was being cleansed
By a murder of deer flies

I couldn't move I couldn't scream
And to my utter sorrow the lizard
Was nowhere to be seen

But then inside my mind echoed his sweet voice
When in his vast reptilian mercy
He'd offered up his choice when he'd said:

"Would you care to roll with me
To the hill countries of eternity?
I can give to you the peace you desire
Or I can send you back
Back to where the waters lack
Way back down that stony track
The choice is up to you"

The Cold Night of Winter

Initial concept for a song I made up today called 'The Cold Night of Winter'.

No, I'm not the best singer.

Yes, I have fun pretending.

THE COLD NIGHT OF WINTER

Cutting More Tracks

For the 4th 'O J weekend I went down to Montgomery and worked on the album with Stephen. We spent most of our time hashing out a song called 'Stephen the Gnome', which I think is one of our best so far.

We also watched 'Underworld: Rise of the Lycans' on PPV, which was inspiring.