Cool thread!

I've resolved to just be more musical in general, so I've got a long list of goals for 2016. Outside of surf I want to continue learning and getting comfortable with the piano (which I picked up this past year), build my embouchure for the trumpet (also this year), get comfortable with sight reading, and learn more and more music theory.

Surf: I've been writing new Deadbeats material lately and want to continue so we have a full LP's worth of songs (or more!) by the end of 2016. The band will be split up across the country so I want to make a couple visits home for focused practice to keep momentum moving forward. And I want to write not just more, but better songs: new ideas, new sources of inspiration, new sounds, more time and care... then record!

Get the recording stuff set up so that it works. I spent some time in the last couple months getting everything set up. Built a double Lack rack, etc. Put it all together, downloaded Reaper (it was getting to be a pain to use Audacity), tested it all. Then I expanded a bit with patch bays, snakes, etc. Took it all down, rewired it all, put it back together. Except that my creaky old MIDI patchbay no longer appears to work, and I only got it partially fixed. I can probably fix it, but it would be a PITA. Looking for a new old one (I don't much like the ones that require a computer). Failing that, I got enough of a look inside that I could probably clone the functionality easily enough (if you consider designing circuitry easy. Since I went to college for that, it wouldn't be impossible.)

Once that's working, do some recording. I have a backlog of songs.

Guitar-wise, if you remember, the last time I posted progress, I said I went from incompetent to embarrassing. So I'll go for a little less embarrassment this year. I may have to set up a specific practice regimen to accomplish this.

1. Somehow get album #1 released.

2. Wrap up album #2 to release by summer.

3. Create an honest to Dick Dale studio.

Hey! I just did #3- took a spare bedroom and moved EVERYTHING out and moved EVERYTHING in. The second everything refers to all musical stuff like drums and amps. Even did some sound dampening with wall hangings. So now I have a space. I'll post pics sometime. If's not SUN studios or anything but its mine. And the sound is soooooooo much better especially the drums.

Da Vinci Flinglestein,
The quest for the Tone, the tone of the Quest

The Syndicate of Surf on YouTube

http://www.syndicateofsurf.com/

http://sharawaji.com/

http://surfrockradio.com/

Release 2 albums, EP and full album from different surf band, it's been 1.5 years since I didn't doing anything except practicing in my room.

Umar
The Mentawais
The Rentones

• I want to take The Spoils on a short summer tour of the southeast, our drummer has relatives in Virginia and I'd like to make 3 or 4 stops on the way there for their family vacation.

• Finish a full set of new originals (halfway there!) and record it. And find some way to release it that makes sense.

• Play roughly one show a month, alternating between local venues and out-of-town regional shows.

• Get more people involved in booking and hosting Second Saturday Surf, including seeing if we can get sponsors who could help us promote and pay bands a little more. (Plus I'd like to convince the Nomad Bar owner to install a PA so I don't have to bring mine every time!)

Most of the same goals apply for my non-surf instrumental band, Math Patrol: short tour, new record, steady local shows.

For my punk/indie karaoke show, I want to do significantly more long-weekend tours and break 100 shows overall this year.

And finally I want to record at least four songs from my silly solo project called The Nineties, where I do short power-pop style songs with lyrics riffing off what band names like Stone Temple Pilots and Better Than Ezra might actually mean.

The Spoils - FB - RN
Second Saturday Surf in Austin, TX - FB

Last edited: Jan 17, 2016 19:31:17

My goal is to finally finish the tracks I started last year. Hopefully write some new ones, too. Good ones, hopefully. I'd like to release 5 new tracks this year, in the hope I may release one!

Ultimately to find the time to practice a lot more, it's been hard to find recently.

It'll be interesting to come back at the end of the year and compare how many ambitions were realised!

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

I think I'm going to do a vinyl EP this year. And clean house of every piece of gear that I haven't used in the previous year. Starting to amass a large pile of junk.

websurfer wrote:

I'm rediscovering my first musical love...the bass. I picked up a cheapie used Precision and I'm using the Classic 101 list to build repertoire. I'm trying to get a new song under my belt every few days, and so far it's a blast getting inside of tunes this way.

Just wondering what others hope to accomplish musically in the new year?

Hi Web. Which Classic 101 list?
Cheers Phil

philjudd wrote:

websurfer wrote:

I'm rediscovering my first musical love...the bass. I picked up a cheapie used Precision and I'm using the Classic 101 list to build repertoire. I'm trying to get a new song under my belt every few days, and so far it's a blast getting inside of tunes this way.

Just wondering what others hope to accomplish musically in the new year?

Hi Web. Which Classic 101 list?
Cheers Phil

I think he is referring to North Sea Surf Radio Phil. Click on "All Forums and scroll down, you can navigate from there.