xtcian

EADGBE

11/23/08

I write to you from the upstairs apartment of a fantastic recording studio located on a 88-acre pasture deep into the hills of northwestern New Jersey – we are in the middle of nowhere, and the stars prove it. My band The Strike has come here to record a little EP of songs, but we got into the groove so much that all 12 of our originals have a rough draft already on tape.

I've been a bit loath to post any of the music on here, because pop songs truly have to be heard in finished form, or else they're just plain embarrassing. Sure, you can have an unaccompanied folk song or a heartfelt duet, but when you've got 50,000 watts of pure pop energy with drums, bass, guitar, piano, violin and three-part harmonies, you'd better be sure the ducks are lined up in a nice row.

The last time I slept in this apartment here at Mix-o-lydian, it was my 26th birthday, and we were in the middle of making all the songs in children's textbooks, grades K-9. It feels bizarre, fascinating and poetic to be back.

When these tunes are mixed, we'll put up our website, and if you don't mind a little twee with your coffee, I'll post some songs here.