Liza Constable

Rumblestrip is recording a new album, and I can’t help but notice that the really smart musicians are releasing their new albums in time for the holiday season. How do they do that? Do they record all summer when it’s glorious outside, stuck inside a studio, out of the sounds of a summer day…? They must have a producer that more than nudge them into that sound dead room where the sound is controlled and the mics stick you in the face. Then plan ahead to get all the art work done and the reproduction, and the boxes of finished product come in the mail at the beginning of December. What perfect timing, planning. How come I can’t do that?

Naturally, the best time to record is the winter, when the weather forces you to be inside anyway. The snow mutes the sounds of the birds, trees, the leaves. Nothing is growing. You can shove the boots on, run outside to dump the compost, full of coffee grounds, full of vegetable bits. You can also get on the the ski boots and go off skiing in the woods – hoping that you got the ski wax right so you don’t slip backwards and get really pissed off. But you always have to get back inside, where it’s warm, where you can have a cuppa tea, warm up the finger tips, put back on the the woolen slippers and pick up the instrument.

I know this, that the most business-wise time to release an album is when people are buying. And that’s around Christmas. And we didn’t do it.

Here’s a bar and music spot we should get Swing a Cat a gig at sometime… maybe. I still want to go there, though. Even after finding some online reviews:

“Manages to be divey without being skanky. The phrase “ragged glory” comes to mind.”
“Classic Tacoma. Small, cramped and smells horrible. Locals love it. Yes, it’s a dive … in the truest sense.”
“This is NOT the place to go to meet [classy] chicks, order a margarita, have a sit down meal with your significant other, or watch the game with your buddies. This is one of the last bastions of Gritty City greatness, you should go experience it.”

The hottest week of a cool New England summer. I’m savoring the gulf stream mix, keeping my feet in the water, on an island for a few days.

Swing a Cat! has been doing a lot of evening town concerts this summer, all over NH and some in Maine. What a blast it’s been, and we’ve been getting some excellent response. It’s great fun to sing and play the old tunes, we’re working hard on those Boswell tunes, which are so hard, so fun to sing. Thanks to all our fans…!!
you can find a little more on that band here:

www.swingacatmusic.com

Being in love with all kinds of sound, I loved this next website: four members of the thrush family, their familiar songs, then – hear them slowed down. What incredible skill and fascinating patterns. Some are like whale song. Makes you think.

wildmusic.org/animals/thrush

Been reading great murder mysteries, my mother in law has an amazing collection of old paperbacks from the 50s:

Fish or Cut Bait by Gardner Erle Stanley (writing As AA Fair)
Poor Harriet by Elizabeth Fenwick