Just in time for the holidays - our new CD - Storms and Other Blessed Burdens -- is available in Redding at Wrap-N-Pack (2205 Hilltop Drive) and on CDBaby.com.
The 10-song collection was inspired by the Shasta County landscape, and it pays tribute to the power of love that sustains and endures on even the darkest of days. That's why we look so serious on the back cover. We often stand in the backyard and stare intently at our UPC barcode:
The album includes an original Christmas tune: Christmas Carol Wishes and a duet of Kris Kristofferson's Casey's Last Ride. If you're looking for a unique Shasta County stocking-stuffer for the country music fans on your list, the CD is only $5 if you buy it at Wrap-N-Pack. And if you'd like it autographed, just shoot me an email and we'll have it ready for you.
What I have NOT been doing: Blogging, cleaning my house, organizing my nightmare of a closet, dealing with garage vermin.....
What I have been doing is listening. Intently. I'm wrapping up the mixing and mastering of ten songs for our CD. I can see the finish line from here, and I'm ready to sprint for it. But my ears don't sprint and neither do I, so it's a slow, tedious process. It's even more complicated, because I'm learning to engineer on my new MacBook Pro on the fly, bit by aggravating teeth-gnashing bit.
I've design the front and back covers, completely exhausting my limited understanding of graphic design. Fortunately, Cottonwood skies provide ample material for a CD entitled Storms and Other Blessed Burdens.
I'd planned to use this cover:
But when I finished designing the back cover, it just didn't "go" with the front. So I scrapped the front and started over.
The new and improved front cover is a little less intense, but more appropriate for this rather quiet collection of songs. Uses less ink, too, which makes a certain bass player happy.
Now returning to my life that is all about Eq, reverb, vocal clarity and cursing......
We really are planning to release a new CD before Christmas, but recording has gone much slower than we hoped.
We're putting in a lot of hours at Wrap-N-Pack, which doesn't leave a great deal of time and energy for the fun things. Add to that: a house full of kids who have busy lives and require attention and care, and we have a dose of excuses for not making more progress on our next CD.
But I'm through with excuses, and now that we've got a CD title - Storms and Blessed Burdens-- I'm ready to plow full-speed ahead.
We're recording 10 songs - one Stephen Foster cover and nine originals. This will be one of them:
I tried to overlook your faults I tried to make this work Some guys are worth the trouble they cause And sometimes a jerk is just a jerk I’ll resurrect an old cliche “It’s not you, it’s me” We’re incompatible as night and day Cuz I’m not the kind of woman you need
chorus:
What you need is A Stupid Woman High heels and a low IQ Nobody but A Stupid Woman Would put up with the likes of you A buxom doll with legs up to here Nothin’ at all between the ears Dumber than dirt and eager to please A Stupid Woman is what you need
Your lame jokes will be just her speed Drone on - she won't care Your dream girl comes complete With open arms and a vacant stare It’s easy to fool a bulb that dim She’ll fall for all your lines “Business meetings last til 2 AM” “Sixty seconds is a good long time.”
I’ll step aside, you be my gift To the world’s brainless twits The Bimbo Brigade is welcome to you Dumb bunnies need love, too
