As has been mentioned before, the entire recording process has been strange compared to the other records we've made. Yesterday, we laid down all drums and percussion (plus a guide vocal at the very end) and nothing else. We get into these things where something's really weird and we laugh about it, but we keep going with it. Most art (or music or what-have-you) that I enjoy has an arc of "really, I don't give a fuck right now what other people are going to think of this, I'm having too much fun". More than at any other time, we've really hit our stride with this record. It's been strange. It's been fun. (Even when it's been frustrating.) There's still a bit of mixing to get through afterward, but it'll be interesting to hear everything as one solid, cogent piece.

Fuck, my back is killing me right now. Don't remember doing any heavy lifting yesterday.

Bit of an active day yesterday in the Boston music scene (which doesn't actually exist, I'm told). It all stemmed from an article in the Phoenix on our compatriots in Township. It was a perfect storm of toe-steppin'. The angle of the article is pretty lame to begin with, and I'm not sure when/where this alleged inter-scene quibbling is actually happening. Maybe I'm just assuming most people in their [shudder at the hypenated word] "micro-scene" don't actually care enough to get into real fights with anyone else. Entirely possible I'm so ensconced in my own thing that I don't actually care about the politics and am missing something.

I guess I just find the whole thing a dumb 700-word look in the rearview. Yes, there has been sniping and bullshit in the past and will continue into the future, but even at its bleakest Boston's always had a bedrock of support for local music (trust me, I've been to lots and lots of places; we've got it so goddamn good here). However, in the last year something really wonderful's happened—due in no small part to the increasing prevalence of social media—and a lot of us are actually out there supporting each other regardless of flavor. (How else could you explain Brendan Boogie, Tad McKitterick, and Duncan Wilder Johnson in the same band?)

All I'm saying is there are people—a lot of people—that give a passionate fuck about music in this town (not going to call it a scene, not going to call it a scene, not going to...) working harder than they need to to get it out there, and this article was pretty insulting. If you want to be that hipster caricature about it, then... I don't know... have fun crying to Justin Timberlake at night.

Bleah. I have to get out of here soon. Studio and whatnot.

Be good, and please quitcherbitchin.
Henry