I'm Making a Record

I saw my second member of "The Slipnuts" on the subway the other day. If I see a third I will have achieved a Slipnut trifecta (that's a phrase I just made up, which you can feel free to use. You're welcome). I frequently run across various writers and cast members from "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" in New York, and for me, a former obsessive viewer of the show, hearing Andy Blitz's laconic observations on the L train is like watching Mike Schmidt fielding pop flies. Why Mike Schimdt? Because he had an awesome moustache and because he played for the Phillies and I happen to be in Philadelphia this very moment making a record.

When I joined the Columbia House record club as a teenager they sent me giant packages of LP's that I bought with my own money, which I played on the first stereo I bought with my own money, having recently upgraded from a Donald Duck record player with Donald Duck on it (I suppose a Donald Duck record player *without* Donald Duck on it would be an ontological paradox and a gyp.)

Thanks to the wonders of mail-order (and despite the evils of negative option billing) I was, monthly, treated to the delights of whatever my older sister and her friends happened to be listening to, which was mostly monumentally awesome British rock from the 60s and 70s. Back then, albums (and their covers, thanks largely to Storm Thorgerson of the British design group Hipgnosis) were something you could lie down on the floor and immerse yourself in for hours.

Now albums are on the way out and so are CDs, and the internets are full of kids lol'ing at various European governments' futile efforts to shut down "the Pirate Bay" and other torrent sites, and these kids can't for the life of them figure out why anyone would pay for a CD. Some of them haven't bought a CD in their life and never will.

And I wish they'd get off my lawn. Oh wait, I don't have a lawn.

Anyway, I'm recording at Miner Street Studios with a fellow named Brian McTear. Personnel will include Josh Stamper and Patrick Berkery, on bass and drums, respectively. Josh and Patrick comprise the rhythm section of Danielson, the Northeast corridor's best and only Indie-Christian-nurse-uniform-wearing folk/pop collective. (edit: last night Josh, perhaps fearful of being known for wearing a nurse's uniform on stage, informed me that what they wear are "service uniforms.")

We had our first rehearsal last week and it went really well. Right now Patrick is getting drum sounds.

I hope to keep you updated on the project here. As things progress, I hope you'll keep in touch and spread the word about what we're up to. If we’ve lost touch over the years, I'd love to re-connect with you (especially if you live in Philly and want to buy me dinner).

You can find out more goings-on at Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and jasonharrod.com.