I virtually guaranteed my tenure in AT/DT last week: I bought a PA system.  Though I have often held a leadership role in the band, my position was still somewhat vulnerable.  Not anymore, because, short of also owning a van, a PA can not only secure one's position in the band it can in fact get you invited to join a band (David Lee Roth??).

 

They won't even think twice now.

 

-AT

Friends:

We'd first like to thank those who came to last week's gig at The Hexagon in Minneapolis.  Our final show of 2007 was indeed most fun!

Also, we hope you all have a wonderful, awesome, excellent, cool, happy, safe, funny, crazy, and spectacular holiday season.  Be merry and party in whichever way best fits you, okay?!

We're looking forward to a more active 2008.  This last year saw us all wrapped up in personal affairs: Ben and his wife welcomed a new baby.  DJ stayed active watching after his two kids and buying many new basses.  DT got engaged.  AT got engaged.  We have a new album three-quarters done that we'd really like to bring to you sooner than later.  So keep your eyes and ears open for news and progress reports.

We'll see you soon!

AT/DT
Ben, AT, DJ & DT

www.myspace.com/atdt

Last night, in celebration of Ben's final push as a bachelor, he and I attended the Atomic Punks show at Pov's in Andover.  The LA-based Atomic Punks are the ultimate early-Van Halen (David Lee Roth era) tribute band.  For us comfortable city boys, Andover was a borderline reluctant hike north.  Indeed the good time we had--supplemented by many pitchers of beer--justified the journey.  Even if you aren't a big VH fan I can virtually guarantee you'll have a good time seeing the Atomic Punks, they are that fun

And now to address the obvious: Marriage?!  Ben?!  Yes, Lightnin' Jones has opted to wed his girlfriend/fiancée (wife since 2:00 PM today).  Two members of AT/DT are now off in the blissful land of Happily Ever After, and the two namesake members remain single (just like Indiana Jones).  And then there were two.

Congratulations Ben and Carrie!

-AT

I almost fell off my seat last night when we finished...

In an unprecedented move, AT/DT again convened at the recording studio yesterday to lay down tracks for a new song, the funk-rock "Skillz."  This was of course only nine days after we last put down a new song.  ("Skillz" started as an idea of DJ's.  We've been playing it out live since the spring, and Ben actually found a way to include the lyrics: "She's got a funny little bunny.")

We have always recorded when it was mostly convenient, not so much when we've had something ready and definitely not in any kind of manner that would allow us to put an album out in quick fashion.  Well yesterday, the day after Thanksgiving, we took advantage of the day off and laid down drum and bass for the new tune.  I need to go back and cut my guitar tracks, and Ben will come in for vocals--hopefully--soon.

There is definitely something more enjoyable about recording the songs we've been playing as a band.  They are in essence already arranged, and we, for the most part, know how the time and groove are supposed to go.  If there are still some little kinks to work out, the studio is where we nail them down.  There's also less production with songs we've written and/or arranged as a band; unlike our first CD (written completely in the recording studio) or some of the earliest recordings for this new album, I don't do a lot of guitar overdubs.  We've come to really focus on writing parts that fill out the song.  "Skillz" will have a couple very small guitar overdubs for production bits, but all of the main guitar riffs will be one track straight through, including the solo.

Getting the bass track yesterday was also interesting.  We all jammed the tune live, but the only instrument targeted for keeping was the drums.  Once we had DT's track, we went back to get bass.  DJ's first pass was basically stiff and unfelt; he had not been playing it that way during the jams just a short while earlier.  Then it occurred to me that he and I really work off one another as we're playing the bits of the tune together--as we're used to doing.  So to get the bass I picked up my guitar again and we cut tracks together.  And the bass track we got from that extra jam was what ended up mostly being the final.

Yeah, yeah.  More to come...

-AT

Two nights ago DT and I tracked drums for a new song, titled "Take The High Road."  It's the eighth song we've recorded for the new CD and is perhaps the most unconventional AT/DT song to date.  That is to say, for just this new song, power chords have been replaced by major 7s and half diminished chords (among others).  Never fear, however; the lyrics remain clever but still conceptually simple.

Inspired by an article I read recently on the boring, symmetrical approach to recording and mixing in pop music today, I used a very typical setup of mics directly on the drums, but we tracked them in the smaller carpeted room of Soliton and used various--almost randomly placed--room mics.  This will allow me the ability to pan different "natural" reverbs off in various directions.  Lost?  In short, "Take The High Road" is a very different song for AT/DT, so I opted to continue the weirdness in the approach to recording it.

We've got one more new song standing by, ready to record.  We'll hit that one in the coming couple of weeks, and then the plan is to write one or two more for the new album.

That's the update!

-AT

The 2006 Minnesota Music Award nominations are in, and our own Dave "DT" Thomas is up for the 'Best Drummer' award!  Let's get him drunk and celebrate!

DT is in good company, as the other nominees include JT Bates, Eric Fawcett, Jendeen Forberg (who plays with Harsh Reality--a group we are sharing a bill with on 9/7), Mark Larson, and Kevin Washington.

To vote you must be a member of the Minnesota Music Academy; visit http://www.minnesotamusicacademy.org/ for more info.

Awards show info is as follows:

MINNESOTA MUSIC ACADEMY Presents:
26th Annual Minnesota Music Awards
Sunday, October 1, 2006
FIRST AVENUE (701 First Avenue N)
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Doors @ 6:00pm/Show @ 6:30pm
$10/$12 18

Congrats DT!!

The in-progress AT/DT CD went from stalled to up-and-running in very quick fashion this week.  On Sunday DT and I met down at the recording studio to track drums for "Pink Is Back."  In what was a first for this second album, DT laid his track on the first take.  (Got that?  First... second... first.)  We also put drum overdubs on "Space Lesbians" and "Silent Treatment."  In all it was a five hour session--from setup to teardown--and a very productive one at that.

Cut to Wednesday evening--AT/DT's regular rehearsal night.  With no immediate shows booked, we didn't have to make practicing a priority, therefore we were able to put some more time in on recording.  DJ put bass down on "Pink Is Back," and we all did group background vocals on "Bar Fight."  Collectively the two days' work kicked the album back into shape and helped brew up some motivation for keeping going.  Having played these new songs live many times now has really helped expedite the recording process; we're not so much crafting our parts in the studio so much as we are just putting them down as they've been developed and realized over time.

Of the seven songs we've recorded thus far, five are done or almost done.  We'll be sure to get one of them up for listening in the relative near future.

-AT