So, for the first time since we recorded the bulk of “Antidote” in 2004, on Wednesday we returned to a studio to record some new songs.

It is an emotionally exhausting experience, a roller coaster full of peaks and valleys. But it is ever so rewarding to hear the mixes as we go along. The songs are coming along great, and we are very optimistic that we’ll have something worth putting out very soon.

A special thanks to Robert at the Hive Recording Studio for his ideas and expertise — and patience. And one thing we especially enjoy about working with Robert is how authentic the production is. Music today is too sterile and there’s no personality in rock music. You have computers and Pro Tools to thank for that. But at “The Hive,” Robert doesn’t let technology get in the way of a truly authentic experience. Such is the essence of rock ‘n’ roll.

If you are in a band that might be interested in working at The Hive, you should check out their website here: www.thehiverecordingstudio.com

The view from the street

Anyhow, back to this project. Just to give you an idea of how we like to work in the studio … our process involves a session with Justin on drums, Mark on bass and myself recording scratch tracks on guitar and vocals. We give each song a few takes and keep going until we do one that we’re confident with. We spent a lot of time in preproduction working out all the parts before we ever hit the studio, so this part of the process went along relatively smoothly. Then we begin guitar overdubs and lead vocals and harmonies. Once everything’s on “tape,” then we begin the mixing stage.

We set aside four days last week to get as much done as we could. It was an intense week, but things are coming along great. We don’t know how long the whole process will take, but we’re excited at how things are coming along.

So here’s an account on how things are going thus far:

Friday, Dec. 7, 2007

Justin goes in to set up drums and sound check the mics.

Wednesday, Dec. 12

11:08 a.m.: I arrive at the studio to find Justin and Mark set up and checking their levels with Robert. I take a look around, unload my gear and start to set up. Once all the levels are set, we work on “Age of Delirum” and “I Know,” and choose the takes we like the best.

12:12: Smoke break

Smoke break: Justin, Robert and Mark.

We also take a crack at “Rain on My Parade,” but decide to try again tomorrow.

3:06: Justin and Mark leave for the day. I start working on guitar overdubs on “Delirium” and “I Know.”

5:36: Robert needs to go burn more money at Guitar Center, so we call it a day.

Thursday, Dec. 13

10:02 a.m.: I show up and Robert and I listen back to what we’ve done. I take a shot at recording some vocals on “I Know” while we wait for Mark and Justin to arrive. They show up and we continue work on “Parade.” We do a take we’re happy with, then it’s on to “What Really Matters.”

We do one that Justin is happy with, but Mark wants to continue trying and works for another hour or so aiming for the perfect overdub. We sit around and get sick of the song.

Mark, ever the perfectionist

Mark and Robert scrutinize a take

2:33: We give “Running on Fumes” a shot on Robert’s brand new electronic TD-20 V-Drum kit, so we can let Robert play with his new toy. We also throw in this little funk jam, and an impromptu ultra-quick take of “Fall Into Place.” It sounds cool. We should revisit that one some day.

Then, in search of the perfect snare sound, we experiment on recording a drum take with the TD-20 over what Justin had already done on “Delirum.” Doesn’t turn out, so we scratch the idea of using the TD-20 on this project.

Justin tries out the TD-20 V-Drum

I try some vocals on “Delirium.” Voice is shot. We’ll try it again later.

The day ends at 6:03 p.m. with a group hug. Yeah, that’s how we roll.

Friday, Dec. 14

10:22 a.m.: I arrive to find Robert doing some initial mixing on “I Know.” It sounds incredible! Bobby Silver, who is doing some guitar work for us on this project, shows up 15 minutes later. He sets up and after careful consideration of choosing the right amps and guitars to get the appropriate tone for the part, records all his parts.

Bobby Silver lays down a guitar track

By 4:30 or so I begin my rhythm guitar overdubs. We call it a day at 6:30 after “Delirum” and “Matters” are in the can. There is some discussion on how to achieve the right guitar tone for “Parade.” But we decide to save this for tomorrow.

Ben plays guitar

Saturday, Dec. 15

10:26 a.m.: I arrive to find Bob and Robert talking guitars (a common theme during these four days). We spend two hours or so trying to find the right vocal mic. I lay down some keeper lead vocals for “I Know.”

Ben’s view in the vocal booth

2 p.m.: Bob records some nice vocal harmonies. We start messing around with some rough mixing on the song.

Bobby Silver hanging out

3:30 p.m.: We start miking an amp to record my guitar parts for “Rain on My Parade.” After some technical issues and a couple takes, all electric guitar parts are pretty much DONE for this project. We call it a day at 4:48 p.m. and will take a couple days off before we head back.

UP NEXT

We still have to finish up the vocals for “Matters,” “Parade” and “Delirium.” Oh, and I’ll be redoing my guitars on “I Know.” Then we’ll be adding a cello to “Parade.” Then we mix!

ROCK
=Ben=

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What is it with these reality shows and their ability to sink their claws into us? They are like a hardcore narcotic — you know you shouldn’t do it (watch it) and you tell yourself “I’ll just try it this once,” and the next thing you know you’re completely addicted! I have had my fair share of battling these beasts myself. I watched the ‘original reality show,’ the ‘Real World,’ and I even got sucked into watching a marathon of ‘America’s Next Top Model’ with my girlfriend one day (NEVER AGAIN!).

But I never realized the true power of their grip until a couple weeks ago. I was flipping through the channels when I saw ‘A Shot of Love With Tila Tequila’ about to start. I instantly knew that this was the peak of a long string of the stupidest TV shows ever known to mankind, yet, I started to watch it. As I watched it I realized more and more how ridiculous this show was, yet more and more … I couldn’t stop watching it. I knew that it was a perfect example of how completely disturbed our mainstream media can be and why other countries looking in at us from the outside think we are so ‘lost’!  How could you not after watching these reality shows! Now, don’t get me wrong, Tila seems like a sweetheart with an angelic smile, but what kind of values are we teaching our children when we find it more important to find out who she finds Love with, or even WORSE, what Hugh Hefner’s three girlfriends do on a daily basis, than how many of our people have died in Iraq, or whether or not there is a child who’s going to go to sleep hungry and cold tonight, OR the fact that our entire social-economic system is on the verge of a ‘bridge like’ collapse?

I am not claiming to be a saint, nor do I preach any religion, but it seems to me that we have strayed too far off of the path. Yes, life is for living and everything is an experience, but we do have a responsibility in this life to make well-thought-out decisions regarding the care and well-being of our people, communities and nations, and carry them out to completion. Instead, it seems that our ‘governments’ are doing the best job EVER of robbing us blind, while we sit ‘hypnotized’ to these ‘UNREALITY’ TV shows. What really bothers me is that our government, mainly the hardcore republican businessmen, who own and run our country, claim that we are a nation of moral do-gooders who need to purge the rest of the world of their evil ways. Well, for a ‘Christian Country,’ we sure do a lot of sinning! In fact, is there a government out there at all that is leading the way to a better world? I would have to say that the governments of the world are constantly fucking up the work that people ARE doing to make this world a better place!

I think the sad truth is that since the days of Christ people have been using Jesus’ name to their own evil ends. Kinda like when George W Bush declared to the world that ‘we’ as a ‘Christian Nation’ were going to defeat the ‘Axis of Evil’ over in the Middle East. HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE? Way to add fuel to the fire numb-nutz!!!!! I mean, do you think that if Jesus came back today that he would go, “Wow, American government, you’re really doing a great job of spreading the good word! Way to represent me and everything I taught my disciples!” I DON’T THINK SO!!! It wouldn’t be so bad if that’s what was actually happening, but when one of our government’s OWN renown economists finally breaks down and says “we are in Iraq for the oil,” you know the cat’s outta the bag!!!!!

Now the Ying to the Yang, the Smiley to the Grim, I saw a GREAT show on TV last night called ‘THE HENRY ROLLINS SHOW.’ WATCH IT!!!!! He interviewed a couple of American ‘Iraqi’ veterans. I don’t care how republican or conservative you are, if you don’t feel, after watching that episode, that we need some serious checks and balances on our current government, and ESPECIALLY its stance on foreign affairs, then you are either completely brainwashed or just plain frightened of change.

Justin~

P.S I know of one Rock & Roll band called Missing Dave who saw this whole thing coming with their song “Reality Show Junkie”!!!!!

It’s been a REAL long time since we’ve gone into the studio to record some new songs. Starting Wednesday we’ll begin production on an EP of some of our fresher material — some songs you might already have heard, some maybe not. We’ve been working hard in preproduction for the past couple weeks and things are really shaping up. We can’t wait to unleash the yet-to-be-named EP upon the world!

The project will feature:
>> “Age of Delirium”
>> “I Know”
>> “Rain on My Parade”
>> “What Really Matters”
>> And possibly a new tune, “Running on Fumes”

We’ll be posting updates on how things are going. Maybe even some pictures. So keep checking back!!!

ROCK!!!
=Ben=

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Hey guys! We just shot a video of a live performance of the song “What Really Matters.” You can check it out here: www.famecast.com/grimsmiley. Let us know what you think!

Also, we wanted to give a quick update of what we’re up to … we’re currently planning a CD release showcase in Seattle for the end of January to mark the release of our debut album “Antidote,” so stay tuned for an official announcement on that. Also we’re currently in preproduction for a new EP we’re going to be releasing in the spring. It’s awesome to be back in the studio for the first time in ages and to be releasing more new music. These are songs we’ve been sitting on forever, and we can’t wait to unleash them upon the world!!!

ROCK!
=Ben=

OK … it’s time for the first-ever installment of the Grim Smiley Show!!! Justin, Mark and myself sat down for a little chat into the microphone to talk about many things … including: our thoughts on moving from Hawaii to Seattle, a list of some of the band names we rejected instead of Grim Smiley, funny stories from our Idaho trip with our buddies Out From Underneath, clips from and the stories behind our new album, our plans to go back to the studio, an announcement that our buddies Pimpbot are coming to Seattle, Mark’s take on his meeting with “The Bills” (Gates and Clinton), the screaming people of Seattle, and lots and lots of other inconsequential stuff!!!

ROCK!!!
=Ben=

ps … we want to hear from you! Contact us here (or leave a comment to this blog) to give us a question to answer or topic to expound upon in our next podcast!!!

 

 Podcast 1 (11-23-2007) [36:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For all you facebookers out there, be sure to make friends with us at our new Facebook profile, which you can find here: facebook.grimsmiley.com.

And don’t forget that you can also find us at www.myspace.com/grimsmiley.

ROCK!

3 years later i’m finally writing my first blog….anyways better late then never, right?  Idaho was a cool gig, kinda seemed like a totally different world when crossing the border from Washington.  When me and Justin were walking through the grocery store we definetely stuck out like a mo fo……woooo these guys like rock music…..stay away kids.

Anyways back to cold Seattle, which u think wouldn’t be cold for me because I grew up in N.Y., but I think Hawaii turned me into a little bitch for lack of a better word.  Wasn’t really too excited about coming home except for seeing my girl…I just really like being out on the road where something different happens everyday, meeting new people and seeing things you’ve never seen before, to me that is priceless.

Looking forward to getting back in the studio to record some new songs and getting back on the road….until next time   shooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooootz

Markey D

Well, we’re back from our little road trip to John’Alley Tavern in Moscow, Idaho. We had a great time rocking out for the VERY FIRST TIME as Grim Smiley. And it was rad to hang with our buddies Out From Underneath!

The whole experience reminded me of our 12-venue tour of the West Coast in October 2006. Long hours on the road, getting in sleep when you can, checking into and out of hotel rooms …

For a band from Hawaii, six hours is a real long drive. You could circle Oahu three times in six hours!

We got up early Saturday, met OFU and helped pack up gear, drove for six hours, got to the hotel, went to the venue, set up, soundchecked, ate, back to hotel to get ready, back to venue, played an hour set, watched OFU, drank a little (some of us more than others), back to hotel to sleep, watched Justin get sick, woke up early, drove for six hours, dropped off Justin and Mark, and eventually drove home and PASSED OUT. Quite a whirlwind weekend! But it ROCKED!!! We are able to shake off some rust and play an amazing set. We can’t wait to finally make our Seattle debut hopefully soon.

Anyway, here are some pictures. Sorry we don’t have any of us actually playing on stage (it’s hard to take pictures of ourselves while playing!).

ROCK!
=Ben=

Mark was the first to fall asleep on the six-hour drive to Idaho …

Justin fell asleep next. I somehow stayed awake, which is good since I was driving …

The crowd poses for a picture …

Justin and the prerequisite Super Drunk Guy (every bar has at least one) harass me after we rocked an hourlong set!

This photo was taken right when the flash went off of Justin and Mark posing for a picture …

Mark, Justin and Bobby Silver, who played the set with us on guitar.

I like my water …

Our buddies Out From Underneath rocked the house!

OFU’s Jamie tells it like it is. Jason rocks out on bass. And to the right is Vertical Dave, who is 7 feet tall!!!

Justin watches Out From Underneath kick some ass

Justin had a little too much to drink … =/

There wasn’t a whole lot to look at on our drive. But we did come across some cool spots.

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Apparently this Dog’s bark is worse than his bite.

Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman was caught on tape deriding one of his sons over his black girlfriend, with the repeated use of the “N-word.”

When his show first came out in 2004, I wasn’t too crazy about it — I’ve never been a fan of the whole reality TV thing. But since moving from Hawaii to Washington in April, I’ve grown to enjoy it — mostly to catch glimpses of home, places I know and have been in Honolulu. One of my favorite scenes was when Dog found some crack-head in the dumpster at the Hideaway, a little-known bar off the fringes of Waikiki that I used to frequent.

I also thought his little lectures after apprehending a suspect were, while maybe a bit self-indulgent, seemingly benevolent. He appeared to be coming from a good place, with relatively altruistic intentions.

And perhaps that is still the case. Using a racial slur doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person. At best, it makes you an obtuse idiot.

I suppose it helps to realize that Chapman is coming from a time and place where language like this was not only tolerated, it was normal. It’s almost reminiscent of the old grandfather who is not quite up to speed on the most politically correct terms to describe minorities, homosexuals and others who haven’t had it easy. But using language like this — albeit during what was thought to be a private moment — is quite simply inexcusable.

What upsets me most about it is that Dog had become somewhat of an ambassador of aloha, representative of Hawaii and all its values. Back home he is — or, should I say, was — beloved. This ugly news is the top story of the day in a place that is starving for attention beyond just being paradise. Sure, there’s racism there, like anywhere, but in the islands, one of the most accepting places on earth, slurs like that aren’t heard very often. I’m saddened by the thought that this incident could change that perception.

I also find it utterly entertaining how the first thing a celebrity will do after putting his foot (or paw) in his mouth is book a spot on the Circuit of Sorry, thinking everything will be OK if you just admit you screwed up. Dog is following in the pathetic footsteps of Mel Gibson, Kramer (Michael Richards) and Don Imus. What, uh, colorful company to be in.

When The Rev. Al Sharpton (usually one of the first stops on the Circuit of Sorry) meets with Dog, perhaps the Eloquent One should cuff Dog and lecture him in the back of an SUV. And maybe offer him “one smoke,” like dog always does with his prey. At a time like this, with a disappointed public looking on, he could probably use one …

=Ben=

Related link:
‘Dog’ on leash after N-word rant

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So we are 4 and a half months in to our ‘Voyage of Discovery’.  Things have gotten much smoother now. The first month or so was pretty rough. Mark almost didn’t make it on the plane! I won’t forget the first time I got out of the shower on a cold morning, or when I sat down on the porcelain toilet seat to drop a load, I seriously contemplated whether or not I could handle it out here. It’s not that I have not experienced cold before, it’s just you tend to forget what it’s like living in Hawaii. Mark and I shared a room, for the first couple months, at my dad’s apartment in Richmond Beach, Shoreline. (It was like having a brother all over again!) We spent most days and nights trying to block out the depression of having moved from the most beautiful place in the world, leaving friends, family, and girlfriends behind. We did things like shooting pool, playing music, and drinking ‘Mass’ (Seattle term for ‘choke’) amounts of beer. Once Mark moved to Belltown, I had my room all to myself, at which point I quickly set up my acoustic kit.

     We’ve made some good friends since we moved here. Alex Karchevsky is an old-school regular in the Seattle Rock and Roll scene. He was the front man for ‘Murdock’, and is about to front a new conglomoration of Seattle musicians to be called ‘Over the Eight’. Our upstairs neighbor is a chellowist for a very talented group called ‘Reed’. Of course we are kicking it with ‘Out from Underneath’, a great Seattle rock band that we met when they were on tour. 

So, Everytime someone asks me “WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE HAWAII TO COME HERE?!! I  just keep reminding myself that when you have a dream, you have to give it all you got.

Justin~

We will travel to Moscow, Idaho, to make our live debut, on Saturday, Nov. 3!

It will be our first public performance since we relocated to Seattle and changed the identity of the band. The last time we played together was our going-away show in May in Honolulu when we were known as “The Crud.”

Since then we have retooled considerably in every phase of the game. We cannot wait to unleash the MADNESS!!!

We’ll be playing with our buddies Out From Underneath. The gig will be at John’Alley Tavern (114 E Sixth Street). If you happen to be in the area, or want to fly or drive up, come check it out! What better way to spend a vacation than visiting the great state of potatoes!

We hope to be adding more dates soon, especially in the Seattle area. But we’re still working hard to make sure everything is set before we get out there too much. This will be a great warm-up gig for us before we really make our debut on the Seattle scene.

Also, at the show, we will for the first time be selling our album, “Antidote,” hot off the press. Or, if you don’t want to fly out for the gig, you can always order “Antidote” online. Click on our “merch” page to place an order.

ROCK!!!

John’Alley Tavern websites:
www.alleyvault.com
www.myspace.com/johnsalleytavern

OK, upon further review, that new Foo Fighters album isn’t so bad after all. I do still stand by my statement that many artists do tend lose touch with their audiences as time goes on, and that this album is an example of that. But there are some really, really good moments on this record, that stay with you. Possibly the biggest highlight for me is the final track, “Home.” Dave Grohl on piano?! Is there an instrument he CAN’T play?! “Stranger Things Can Happen” lodges itself into your brain and holds on for dear life. (Including the wind-up metronome is a nice touch too …) The two singles, “The Pretender” and “Long Road to Ruin,” do succeed in beautifying the landscape of radio.

But for all the bright spots on the album, there are a fair share of forgettable tracks. This is the first Foo Fighters record that I cannot listen to from start to finish without having to skip tracks. Does the need for an artist to evolve water down the primal connection he has to the listener? Do songwriters run out of material and start settling for mediocrity? Or, perhaps, it is the listener that is stuck in nostalgia, preferring the familiar over the experimental. Maybe I am guilty of that. Or, maybe, it’s a little of all of the above?

Yes, “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” is the Foo Fighters’ most sophisticated album to date. And I do think that’s a good thing. But on a primal level, their first album — a rough, glorified demo featuring Grohl on every instrument — has done more for me personally than “Echoes” has. There was just something raw and simple about that first one. It’s the kind of album that when you listen to it it takes you back to wherever you were in your life when you first heard it.

Perhaps I should just stop bitching and just be grateful for a seventh rocking album. Man … I wonder what Nirvana’s seventh album would have sounded like. You think Kurt would have tried out the piano?!?!?

ROCK!
=Ben=

ps: Incidentally, you should check out this interview Grohl did for NPR. It’s a good listen.

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The song “For Tomorrow,” off of the upcoming “Antidote” album, is featured on the compilation “One Life at a Time.” It is for a really good cause, and it’s a chance to get a sneak peak at our new album. It’s also a chance to hear what Hawaii rock sounds like!

To learn more about it, check out this review of the album (you have to scroll down a little). Go to the Passout Records Web site and click on “Store” to buy the album. Proceeds go to help a kid in Peru who needs the help.

Welcome! After taking several months to relocate and retool, we are proud to announce that WE’RE BACK!!! We’ve made the big move across the Pacific Ocean, going from paradise to the Pacific Northwest, where this modern era of rock was born. We have not only changed locations, but we’ve changed the name and identity of this band. Some of our Hawaii following know us as “The Crud.” We are henceforth known as Grim Smiley, based in Seattle, Wash.

Why the name change? Well, we wanted to make a fresh start with a cool new identity. Plus, it helps that there aren’t 20 other bands out there with the same name!

This new site has lots of features, and we hope you enjoy it. Keep checking back, as we’ll continue to add new content — everything from pictures to video to music to blogs to podcasts to swag to when/where we’re playing next.

Well enjoy, and we hope to see you at a show! (once we set one up …)

ROCK!!!

OK, I broke down and learned how to play Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” and the Plain White T’s “Delilah” on guitar. I’ve heard those songs on the radio all summer, part of me cringing at the insipid sappiness, and the other drawn by the folksy, stripped-down genuine nature of those tunes. So, ever the fan of a ballad, I figured out how to play the songs. Now I just gotta figure out how to get those friggen songs out of my head …

I picked up the new Foo Fighters CD (well, requested it for a birthday present) and the Silversun Pickups’ “Carnivale.” The Foo Fighters — quite possibly my favorite band all-time after Nirvana — opened things up musically with this album (as influenced by their recent live acoustic sets). Granted as of this writing I’ve only given the album one listen (and I admit that often this is a bad time to develop an opinion about a project), but it just feels like this one’s not grabbing me like ever single other FF album has (or even going back to Dave Grohl’s first release, on the B-side of Nirvana’s “All Apologies” single). For the first time for me, things are starting to sound the same with them. It’s almost like somewhere along the way a band forgets how to really grab people and things get watered down. Another band I’ve seen this in is Weezer — which rivals FF for No. 2 on my all-time list. While Rivers Cuomo’s songwriting is still sharp (as is Grohl’s, don’t get my wrong), I think many would agree that their first album, the Blue Album, is their most endearing. And while their newer releases have better production and maybe adhere closer to pop structure and are more technically sound, there’s a certain character that’s missing. Do bands become more detached from their audience and art as time goes on?

I hope that never happens to us.

ROCK!
=Ben=

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