So much for the calm before the storm.

Decided yesterday after going by Affordable Sound and asking about Digipack deals I am going to professionally press 100 copies of "Ocean of Stars" myself. Barcode on the disc and everything. Advertise via social networking sites and do pre-order deals. Talk to Low Desert Punk Records, All That's Heavy online store, Brainticket Records and many others about online distribution. Have the CDs in by Thursday of SXSW. Sell them at merch tables alongside Mother Truckers and Eric Tessmer, and whoever else I will play with.

A small but worthwhile investment, I mean why the hell NOT press and distribute/sell my own albums? Need to look back into ASCAP and BMI. I have been with ASCAP since the Southern Gun Culture days (2001 I believe), not that I ever made a dime. But the lawsuit involving ASCAP and Headhunter's makes me not want to be with them anymore. Need to get it on iTunes as well.

So yeah, yesterday after mowing the lawn instead of chilling and working on the 25 Smokin Figurados music went home and immediately spent the next several hours completely re-doing the "Ocean" album artwork. Slept for an hour, cooked some turkey helper, then headed up north to crash that open jam in Jonestown.

And it was fucking AWESOME!!! Tessmer wasn't clear about how completely and totally bad ass the Lonestar Bar is. And the jam was pretty top-notch, evidently there is a large colony of pro players opting to live in Jonestown instead of Austin. Met some really cool people and great players. Brought the party with us (3/4 of the ETB and several band friends) and had a blast. Too bad we're tied up next two Wednesdays, would love to go to that more often. Spent the evening saying over and over, "Why the hell do I have to live so far AWAY from this place?!?" Damn! Played 2 short sets, one of blues covers with Richard, then some jamming with a drummer who's name I can't recall at the moment. And he did great, didn't have to pay too much attention to him, if that makes sense. Hella fun!

About to shower up and hit the studio, 3 songs in 3 hours for a really good rate. Much needed money, tho it'll go to bills before paying for the record. I'll be putting that on my credit card, but this will be good for my career as a whole. I will try to do this every year now, record an album for the RPM Challenge and if it's good enough release it in time for SXSW.


Later:

Just got back from Spitshine Studio and a 2 hour session with Russell engineering and Tim offering suggestions but mainly letting me do my thing. First song done within 30 minutes of first walking in the door. Complete a track, e-mail it to Gregg (bandmate) who then phoned in suggestions or stated his approval. Technology. Crazy.

Feel good about what I laid down but could have done more with more preparation. Which of course hit a snag earlier today when my iPod locked up while working on their music. Nice. And while tracking the SVT cut out for about 30 seconds, but came back on and worked fine. Pre-amp tubes the likely culprit.