Done

The Poo Poo Platters handed in their CD at RPM Central (the offices of The Wire newspaper) this afternoon at approximately 3:30 pm. We ran into George on our way in - he had just dropped off his CD. Congrats to George and all the others who completed this year's challenge. I, unfortunately, never found the time to record. I take solace in the fact that I make my living as a musician/educator, so I get to make music every day.

The new CD is titled "Devil's Beat" and the tracks are as follows:

1. Disco Devil
2. Knights and Kings
3. Devil's Beat
4. The Bird Keeps Crying
5. Vanity Fair
6. Brazil
7. Splat
8. Flags of the World
9. Drum Beat
10. Funkin' It 2000
11. Shoot Me
12. August
13. Jam/Those Girls
14. Dad Says Homework, I Say Rock

Two of the tracks are up at www.myspace.com/thepoopooplatters. The boys wrote all of the songs themselves. The only title they didn't come up with on their own is "Dad Says Homework, I Say Rock", which was the winning title in a title contest they had on the RPM website discussion board. It was another amazing February of bonding with the boys and recording their music. Hard to believe this is the third straight year we've done this. Awesome.

The New Poo Poo Platters Logos

Here are the new Poo Poo Platters logos. The first logo was designed by Max (age 11 when he designed it) but it was tidied up and made into reality by my sister Ruth. It is based on the initials TPPP. The second logo is a caricature of the boys by Ruth's boyfriend, Lou.

RPM Status Report

It is February 22nd, and the boys are about half-way done with their RPM CD. I have yet to start. It's been a busy month at work, so I'm behind scheudle. But, knock on wood, I've yet to get sick this month, even with the flu begin passed around the school. It is very convenient that this week is school vacation, so my hope is that during these last seven days of February, I can create my RPM CD. The Boys will be done today or tomorrow.

Yesterday Chip and Mickey from Shagbark came to record a tune with the boys. It was a good session, and Mickey is coming back today to finish up the vocal track. My hope is that the boys can lay down another four or five tracks today and almost finish thier CD (they have six of 14 tracks laid down).

It should be a busy week.

New Poo Poo Platters Video

Last week, when Max and Jake recorded their first RPM Challenge song of 2009, I filmed the session with their Flip Video Camera. Here is a video I put together from the recording sesson. Enjoy!

February is already CRAZY!!!

Been oh-so-busy the past few days, without time to post. For those interested in the dymanic duo of Max and Jake (my sons), aka The Poo Poo Platters, check out their latest tune, recorded just this Sunday, Feb. 1, for the RPM Challenge. It is called Knights and Kings and is the first track on their MySpace Music page here.

The RPM Challenge Begins Today!

Record an album in 28 days - the month of February - a challenge too tempting for any musician to dismiss. I recorded one two years ago, in 2007. Some of that album I love, some of it I hate, but the sense of accomplishment for getting it done in 28 days was significant. Last year I got the flu, and wasn't able to participate. This year I've begun my February with 8.5 hours of sleep (last night), a healthy breakfast, and my vitamins. I WILL NOT GET SICK THIS MONTH.

My sons are a rock duo - The Poo Poo Platters. They have recorded two RPM CDs, 2007's BARR and 2008's A Chinese Dish (I managed to record their album in the first two weeks of February last year before getting sick). I engineer their recordings, but they compose all of the music and perform everything. I keep a healthy distance from the creative aspect of their project, letting them be free to do what they do. Mostly, they're just kids being kids, but sometimes they create a little magic and they've built a significant internet fanbase because of that. Their MySpace page gets way more hits than mine.

This morning, at 9:30 a.m. to be precise, the boys hit the studio to record the first track or two of Devil's Beat, their third RPM CD. They've been hard at work composing and rehearsing their music. This is a big deal for us - a great father/sons bonding experience. We will also sit down today and map out our recording sessions for the remainder of the month.

I, on the other hand, will record late at night, whenever I can find the time. And I'll be composing the music as I go along. I have not yet written a note, lyric, anything for my 2009 RPM album. Yet I know, that in 28 days, I'll have a fully completed CD of new music in my hands. That is very cool.

I will be tracking the progress of both the PPP and I on this blog for the entire month. I will try to post recordings as they become available. To get things started, here is a track from my 2007 RPM CD, Eclecticality. It is a little tune called RPM Waltz. Hope you enjoy listening.

Gearing up for the 2009 RPM Challenge

This will be my third year participating in RPM. In 2007 I recorded my own album, Eclecticality, and produced the first Poo Poo Platters CD. In 2008 I was sick for much of the month, so I only produced the PPP, and never had a chance to record an album of my own. Hopefully the health gods will be on my side this year and I'll be able to both record the third offering of the PPP and an album of my own. I've begun the process of brainstorming what I want this album to be. I might even attempt to post my tracks here as I record them - like the much esteemed Kim Vermillion. We'll see. Regardless, the PPP, are in top form and will be posting their tunes on their MySpace page as throughout February as they record.

Annoying fact: The "N" on my laptop keyboard is starting to fail. Any advice for quick keyboard fixes? It is currently working only about 70% of the time and I have a hunch that it will quickly decline if not addressed.