Adventures in Making a Rock Album

For the last several months I've been working on one of the biggest projects of my life to date. I've been producing (and self funding) what's shaping up to be the debut record of my new band, The Rose West.

Somewhere in the beginning of 2010 I got into my head that making a record was the thing I HAD to do. No more screwing around, no more weekly ratios of 8 hours of practicing to 1 hour playing live, no more sleazy New York City show promoters in the business just to make easy money off of bands, no live/bootleg/sub-indie production value shit. It was time to make a real record.

So I prodded at Alex and Aaron (drummer and lead guitarist respectively) to help me get the ball rolling, emailing studios and producers and really seeding the idea out into the industry.

We end up getting a reply back from the good folks at Applehead Studios near Woodstock literally minutes after we hit them up. And that was pretty much that. We'd been fans of early Coheed & Cambria and Three records for a long time, and much of the stuff we loved came out of that studio. It was the right timing, the right fit, the right everything.

The scary part was how easy it was to get the ball rolling. The scarier part is how hard it is to slow the ball down.

We came in planning on doing a five track EP. We actually ended up putting down a 9 track full length album. We originally planned on two weeks in the studio. By now it's already been a full month and we haven't finished yet.

Time and money and blood and sweat and other substances have been poured into making something incredible, and the experience of hearing your music evolve from the stripped down three piece rock ensemble we've played live for two years into something large, ambitious, epic and FANTASTIC sounding is something I cannot possibly put into word.

Right now all of us core band folks are wrapped, and all that's left to track are some bits and bobs of other instruments (strings, latin percussion, accordion, the usual) and a boatload of vocals from what I've been dubbing my "virtual choir". (Speaking of which, if you like singing and rock music, let me know and I'll try and get you something to sing over.)

I'm itching to get this thing in to be mixed, because I'm in love with the raw tracks with barely more than a little bit of editing. I can scarcely imagine how this is going to turn out when it's done. All you can really hope is that something you loved making turns into something other people end up loving to listen to just as much.

The purpose of this post was mostly to explain the long absence prior to this post, and perhaps prime this blog for what it's mostly going to turn into.

That is to say (with any luck) a tour blog about the ongoings of the travels of the front man of a kickin' little New York City rock band. Let's see how it goes.

- West

Adventures in Food Blogging: Luke's

As often is the case with my food adventures, this was a recommendation from my roommate E's father Phil. An upstate New Yorker and serious foodie in his own right, I'm game for pretty much anything he tells me about.

The culprit today: Luke's Lobster (242 E. 81st St. -off 2nd ave- 212.249.4241)

Having recently relocated from the deep innards of Queens to the Upper East Side, it was about time to sit down and really explore the food of the neighborhood. In this case what Phil shared with me was a quick, quaint review of a place called "Luke's Lobster", an authentic Maine Lobster Roll joint getting some attention. Being ridiculously into seafood (I could survive on a diet of sashimi alone if given the choice) I dragged my girlfriend Stephanie and drummer/roommate Alex down with me to experience the place first hand.

First Impressions: The original review that piqued my interest brought me down to what was described as a "Down East Applebees" but really comes across more like a slightly more upscale lobster shack somewhere on the coastline in Bar Harbor. It's cute, a hair kitschy and very nautical. The menu is chalkboard and pretty straight forward. They do lobster, shrimp and crab (and sadly have been out of crab both times I've managed to sneak in).

The line (which was purported to be out the door) was short enough to be more than manageable both times I went, at lunch time no less when I would expect a crowd. Possibly heartier lines later in the day, but don't expect to be too intimidated.

The main event: Lobster Roll

Simple explanation - this is the best f@cking lobster roll I have ever had in my life. Without question. The lobster meat looks nothing less than a heap of succulent claws. The bun is toasted and buttery, and they don't overdo it with the spice or mayo. All in all, just a fantastic meal to go. The imported Maine sodas add to the overall freshly imported vibe, and they spin chips along with the roll and drink to make a quick and tasty combo.

Double thumbs up from me. Check this place out ASAP. And if you're downtown, it looks like they just opened up a new place on 93 E. 7th St. in the East Village.

Words I Wrote Down

Here's the important bit:

I like way too many things. That makes me a tragically unfocused individual, since there are so many different things all simultaneously competing for my attention.

There's a plus side to this though: I never spend very long sitting still.

Which is where this blog comes in. A lot can be said about experiencing new and interesting things, but even more can be said about sharing the experiences that are the most exciting or special or fantastic.

I'll be attempting to document as many of the interesting adventures I have, wherever I might have them.

For the time being I'll leave it at saying I just got back from a week long stint at the recording studio. That's an adventure in and of itself, but since it's documented elsewhere? I'll keep this place clear of all that.

- West