Twitter Dis

Instead of sleeping I decided to go on Twitter.

Please add me:

twitter.com/davidpajo

I'll still blog roll this site, but one-liners will go on Twitter-dee.

Twitter-dum.

How Times Do Quickly Go

Crazy-o. I am washed out from lack of caffeine, and as ready as I'll ever be to play these songs. Too nervous to admit, we do what we do to make it through. Anxiety begone!

Flickering

Still rolling with the culture shock of being in LA. After driving for 35 hours I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the strong personalities. Had a late dinner with Tom Petty's daughter last night.

Steering Wheel Man

I arrived at the Landmine Marathon / Vital Remains show just in time to miss them-- so bummed. But I was beat and got to get in a small bit of hang time. Graciously (pun intended) given a cozy room to catch up on sleep. I'm a driving monster. This is my farewell ride to The Pony so I'm opening it up at every stretch of road I can.

Missives From The Space Shuttle

Been driving 10-11 hours a day-- Currently in Amarillo TX-- Still sniffling and congested, can't seem to kick this cold before the show-- Black Metal, exclusively-- Practicing desperately in hotel rooms before the cleaning lady kicks me out--

California Healing

I don't know what's wrong with me. Sick again. I used to get feverish once every five or six years, tops. I feel like I've spent all winter sneezing and taking ibuprofen.

Ah, old age.

I may have finished recording all the drums for the album this morning. What a task it's been! I'll be tidying up and repairing the tracks for the next few days but I'm still hesitant to believe that I can pack up the mics and tear down the drums.

I leave for LA soon to play some solo shows that I haven't even thought about yet. Haven't found the space in my mind to even contemplate playing solo.

I'll finally share the name and concept behind the record I'm currently working on in the next week or so. Just waiting to confirm a few details.

Kill Kill

I know what I want it to sound like, I'm just too damn stubborn to let anyone help me. I know so many great drummers but I just can't fathom not doing it myself. So I write out these beats and practice the hell out of 'em. When it gets to a point, I hit record. And reCord. And REcord. Over and over, until I'm sure I've got something useable. All those sweaty hours, I've busted out the deodorant and the ice hasn't melted in two weeks.

Today I deleted all the drum tracks I have so far. Every fucking one of them. I was so bummed when I discovered that my overheads didn't get printed-- I need overheads-- that I didn't think twice about deleting, erasing, and erasing free space just to make sure they were gone for good.

Grrr.

Welcome to my weird world. I'm desperate to go out but I have too many tempo maps still to make. So I stay in with guitars and a monitor while the bands I want to see tear the roof off of some dive. I hung around with the wrong people and got lazy at one point in my life. Now I'm letting my OCD shine like hands scrubbed several times an hour.

Studio Blizzard

The snowstorm is within. Ribbon elements being stretched and frozen, compressors going belly up from frostbite, digital inputs frosting over. Everything is in such a mood.

Soldier on. While the pile of dead gear reaches higher and higher, invest in a bigger graveyard.

GA RG OT

Down some ibuprofen every few hours, stay focused. No matter what you're involved in, drop a sleeping aid at 10pm. Without your health you are of no use to anyone.

GA RG OT II

It's always like this, the music takes precedence and I start losing touch. The phone is the first to go, then the emails. When I stop writing emails on my Crackberry, you know I'm in another world.

GA RG OT III

Moving slowly but thoroughly, effectively. Miffed by this illness that won't stop fucking with me. And the little bugs in the software, I need to call pest control.

GA RG OT IV

I finished recording the drums for one song today. My obsessive compulsiveness kicked in and I recorded the entire song a few bars at a time, several takes per bar. Now I'm straight outta "Comptown". Such a feeling of accomplishment to power down all those preamps and microphone power supplies, but sandwich bags over the mics. Until the next song.

GA RG OT V

I recorded drum takes today and, despite my 103 degree fever, shit was sounding tight. Shaking the dust off these old bones. Some elastic time, some close mic augmentation, and it was starting to sound like a real record. Realized one of my overheads was barely getting level, it's that cheap 1/4" patchbay voodoo again. Tomorrow I re-record all the drum takes I did today.

I forced myself to sit in front of the fire and just watch. I had to fight the urge to rearrange the logs for the hundredth time.

GA RG OT VI

Slowly things are beginning to take shape, one tedious piece at a time. I can feel a heartbeat in my eyes from straining in this microscope, painting with a single hair brush. I'm so far removed from the ocean, even from the cold front outside.

Here,
I
Strain
To
Rise.

GA RG OT VII

Deer families dragging their tracks in the tall snow. Flat tires and cars that won't start. Falcon in a nest outside the window. Hundreds of pounds of soundproofing all around. Pipes that don't burst. Sticks that bust.

GA RG OT VIII

Despite 0 degrees that feels like minus 14, I still walk around the house without a shirt, complaining about how slow the wifi is.

GA RG OT IX

Walking into the stiff, sub-zero forest temperatures, three hours before dawn. Possessed with an urge to hear ultimate silence disturbed by the echoing gunshots of frozen tree limbs snapping. So cold all you can feel is paralysis.

GA RG OT X

I am cumbersome with rust, blowing cobwebs off the spines of my ability. I neglected myself, I neglected to mention.

GA RG OT XI

Mama Winter shakes a fist and sneezes on us, we all get sick.

Song To My Work

There is no one
To show these songs to
Do not call a friend to witness
What you must do alone
These are my ashes
I do not intend to save you any work
By keeping silent
You are not yet as strong as I am
You believe me
But I do not believe you
This is war
You are here to be destroyed