Apocalypse Cow December Newsletter

Apocalypse Cow's November Newsletter

News

Happy holidays from Apocalypse Cow. We're having a sale, we've redone the control room floor and went to LA since our last newsletter. Read on for more.

It's become a tradition for us to offer a sale on Cow Bucks (gift certificates for recording) during the month of December. We won't let you down this year. Until December 31st Cow Bucks are 10%, so pay $36 to get $40 worth of studio time. You may even luck out further if you combine them with a sale in the future months. If you want to buy some for friends or family as Christmas presents please order by December 20th. You can also just stock up for yourself for the year to come.

It's been a long time coming and we have finally redone the floor in the control room. Yes, I know some of you will miss the ska black and white tiles but it was time for them to go. Our new wood floor really brightens up the place. Check out some of our pictures on our site or come by sometime to check it out (just let us know you're coming).

We just got back from a great trip to Los Angeles where it was wonderful, warm and sunny, makes us wonder why we're in Illinois. What we were doing there? We went to Amoeba Music in Hollywood which is a magical land with thousands of CD's new and used. I think we spent a year's income there, but it made the drive home very fun! But our main purpose for our trip was Taxi's annual convention the Road Rally. We met tons of other great musicians, songwriters and engineers who we commiserated with until the wee hours of the night. And we sat in on a bunch of very educational seminars and panels. Definitely worth the trip. If anyone has any questions about Taxi feel free to ask us about our experiences. It's not for everyone but is great for those who can benefit from it. And if you do end up signing up please say we referred you (yes, we're part of their studio partners, but that's not why I'm mentioning this).

Who's Been in the Recording Studio

Husband and wife duo Outdoor Velour came to Apocalypse Cow to lay down tracks for their EP and backing tracks for their live gigs. Greg Simpson (formerly of Cow recording band Bluebottle) and Cara Kinnally have songs that are 20% pop, 20% punk, 20% noisy and fizzy, 20% Motown, 20% shoegaze and 20% fun for 120% of awesome-ness! Live the duo play guitar and bass and sing, so in the studio they did everything they couldn't perform live such as drums and percussion, trombone, saxes, accordian, speak n music, a string trio and I'm sure more that I'm not remembering. Find out more about Outdoor Velour at http://www.myspace.com/outdoorvelour.

Greg Boerner is continuing to pump out new tunes and refine what he already has. His 4th album (3rd recorded with us) is shaping up to become a true statement of his musical genius. Greg performs with his acoustic guitar constantly, you can find out where he'll be next at www.gregboerner.com.

Solo artist Dee Wilson returned to Apocalypse Cow to record his debut EP. Dee is the first person at The Cow to do a live broadcast of his recording session on UStream. You can view the session at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/11194036. He had a crowd watch as he recorded guitar, piano and vocals. He also brought in a couple guest musicians on upright bass and cajon to really fill up his song. Keep up with Dee as he does more and more.

Lyricist and songwriter Crystal Schultz came to Apocalypse Cow to record vocals and produce a couple of her songs. Crystal has been an avid songwriter for years in the pop and electronica style. She has a powerful voice and catchy melodies which make for a delightful combination. You can hear some of her music at http://www.myspace.com/mscrystalized

Punk rock band The Pink Skulls finished their debut album just in time for Halloween. The Pink Skulls sing about monster movies and all their favorite monsters like zombies, Dracula and Frankenstein. Their influences are from the old punk era with The Misfits, The Ramones and The Replacements. Check out their website www.thepinkskulls to buy their album.

The Static Age came into the studio in October but this is the first chance we've had to write about them. The Static Age is a rock band with alternative influences originally from Vermont but spending some time in Illinois. They came to Apocalypse Cow to record drums with their new drummer Joe Sowinski (also from Cow recording band The Old Comiskeys). They're planning a European tour in the spring. You can check them out at http://www.thestaticage.com/

Recording Tip of the Month

"Keep distractions away from the recording process. This can include groupies, non-important telephone calls or a growling stomach. Try and make your experience as focused on recording as possible. You'll be more productive, be less stressed and end with a better sounding album."

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