Miscellaneous

4-22-10, I started looking around at various places where I could record the lead vocals. Unfortunately most of the storage units don't include electricity. I may have found a break, however, while visiting a local Uncle Bob's. They have an old office in their facility (maybe 8'x 10' with a bathroom) that hasn't been used in a long time. It's sounds like it may be a bit run down and there is no AC, but I am definitely interested. I am going to meet with the manager Saturday. Maybe I will get lucky. Since I am somewhat idle, I am going to see if I can get my ReverbNation numbers to improve. I'm going to be sending out a lot of fan invites !

4-24-10, Well things didn't work out with Uncle Bob's space. The manager pretty much said that the old office was in real bad shape, and that the front doors were barely hanging on. He wouldn't even let me look at it. He also said that it would be more than $150/month, which was my offer. Oh well, I'll just have to keep looking. Something will open up ... somewhere. I'm working on a song right now, anyway. Ideally, finding a place with AC and electricity by the middle of May would be a realistic goal. Ultimately, having all the recording finished by the end of June would be a reasonable time line. That would leave me 4 months for mastering/mixdown, copyrighting, putting the graphic design together and Cd replication. The only major expense is going to be the replication (when Cd copies are made), which might run around $1,500-$2,000 depending on the number of copies. That leaves me about 5-6 months to save up. I may also have to buy a couple monitor speakers for the mastering/mixdown, which will cost around $300. It all still seems a bit overwhelming at this point, so it's probably best that I just focus on recording the music for the last 2-3 songs. One step at a time, things are rolling along real well right now ... why screw it up. 3 more would give me 14 tunes, a creditable amount for an independent release. Like with my previous Cd "Like The Freak You Are", I will use my artwork in the Cd's graphic design. The trick with artwork is to make a piece as memorable as possible. When it's used on a Cd, many people will see it. It's kind of like using one hobby to support the other. Well anyway, I don't need to worry about that for at least a couple more months. There is a good chance that I may just use a couple of my homemade voodoo dolls for the front cover of the Cd. It would definitely be memorable, and add a bit of a freaky element to the release (always a good thing) !!!

4-28-10, This is just too funny not to share. I get notification today that my bank is charging me $2,500 for some mandatory homeowners insurance policy. They don't even realize that they foreclosed on my home nearly 1 1/2 years ago ... what is that ? Did these brainless geniuses go to fancy colleges just to learn how to be inept idiots ... and I'm the problem ? We are still at war, and hard working people in our country, are being blatantly attacked by our own ... and they are getting away with it ? How is this not terrorism ?

5-3-10, YES !!!! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed but I think I found somewhere to record my vocals. It was a local storage facility with AC (77 degrees). They are going to install an outlet for me which will take about 2-3 weeks. They said they would also be able to give me a key card so I will have 24 hour access. The unit is 10'x10' and is indoors. I checked it out and it was absolutely perfect ! Kind of like my own personal jail cell. Two of the walls are concrete, the other 2 are metal. The natural reverb was excellent. If this works out, it is a perfect scenario for me (10'x10' room with AC, electricity, good reverb and 24 hour access). And the best news of all ... it will only cost $120 for 1 month !!!

5-4-10, And just like that it happens ! I got a call today from the storage facility saying that they had a unit already ready for me. I went there right away ! I ended up getting a 10'x15' room with AC, electricity and 24 hour access for just $150 .... for 2 months !! This is the best setup I have ever had for recording lead vocals. It's a nice quiet area with lots of trees around it. The unit is big enough that I can move around and get into the moment, concrete/metal walls ... and the reverb is perfect ! No excuses ... it's time for me to kick some ass !! Thank you to my friends Adam and Eddie ! You guys rock !!!

5-9-10, Happy Mothers Day to all the moms. I love mine !! Well, things are going well with the studio/storage unit. I didn't realize it had only been 5 days. I have finished the vocals for 3 songs already ("Coming For You", "Downtown" and "Horrible End"). "Hard Times", "Sweet Adelaide" and "Nothin" were already finished. So this means that I have finished 6 out of 12 tunes already. I have also recorded vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life", but I am strongly considering redoing them with a better vocal effect (so it's not included as a finished song). I'm having a blast !! My throat is is a bit torn right now, and my ears are exhausted (headphones), so I need to take a couple days to recoup.

5-15-10, I redid the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life" tonight. I also laid down the lead vocals for "Doppelganger Blues". Earlier in the week, I finished "Under The Weather". I have decided that I am also going to redo "Coming For You" (I kind of like how it is now, but I am positive I can make it better). Technically this means that I have completed 9 songs ! I only have 3 more left to work on "Same Old Troubles", "Where's The Sun" and "Won't Be Home Again". In about one more week, or so, I should also have them finished. I have the storage/studio rented through the month of June, so time is on my side. Once I'm done with these 12 tunes I will move on to writing a couple more. It's cool because I will still have a place to lay down the vocals when I finish them. I think the end of June will be my measuring stick. That will be exactly one half of the year. At that point I will put the songwriting/recording aside and move on to the business side of things (Cd's graphic design, copyrighting, mastering, replicating, joining ASCAP, releasing the CD, marketing, etc).

5-18-10, I just finished the vocals for "Same Old Troubles". Only 2 left to work on ! In between working out and recording, mom and I have been on a steady diet of "24". It started with season 3 about 1 1/2 weeks ago. We just started season 6 tonight. The finale for the current season is just one week away. By then we will through season 6 & 7. I was a huge fan of The Soprano's, but I think this series is much better. Definitely a lot more action going on. Once the current season is over, I'm sure we will backtrack and watch seasons 1 & 2. This series has inspired me work out my CIA/spy song "Wilderness Of Mirrors". Yesterday I started to mess around with a guitar arrangement for it. I still need to finish the vocals for 2 more songs ("Won't Be Home Again" and "Where's The Sun", then possibly a couple of redo's), once they are finished I will start putting the drum track together.

5-22-10, I just finished up the vocals for "Where's The Sun". 2 nights ago I finished "Won't Be Home Again". This means that I have completed vocals for all 12 songs. Considering that I am only 4 months and 3 weeks into the year, this is a heroic achievement. Next week I will start writing "Wilderness Of Mirrors", after that "Simple Minded". Time is on my side ! I have 5 weeks to write/record 2 songs, including the lead vocals. If all goes well, I will finish these 2 songs and still have 2 weeks left to work with. These 2 weeks will be used for any vocal redo's that may need to be done. I may also bring the monitors to the studio and work on some final mixes. I am so thankful that I found this storage unit ! Just 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had 12 songs with the music finished, and only 3 with the lead vocals finished. 2 1/2 weeks later, they are all finished with lead vocals. Thank you to the powers that be !!!

5-23-10, Whew ! I am still exhausted. Whomever said that recording vocals is easy, was lying. I am very proud of my progress. It has been about 5 years since my previous Cd release "Like The Freak You Are". With all the other stuff (house, job woes, etc.) going on, I just didn't have the opportunity to work on any recording. I have to admit that I was a bit unsure when I first started out. What I have learned is that my determination is much more stronger than my insecurities. I guess that's the Aries in me. I make up my mind that I'm going to do something, then I put my head down and do it. I think the positive part, about having 5 years between releases, is that it gave me time to come up with a bunch of song ideas. Sometimes the mental approach to the songwriting process gets overlooked. The truth is ... you have to be able to hear it in your head before you can record it, and bring it to life. After 5 years of having all these tunes bouncing around in my head, it is such a relief to finally have them finished. Once I get these next 2 finished, I will feel even more relieved ! It's kind of funny, because part of me doesn't want to stop. I am going to have to control this urge and be realistic with myself. 14 songs is more than enough material for one release. I am positive that this Cd is going to gain me a lot of recognition, and credibility, as a songwriter. It probably does put me at a disadvantage that I don't have a band, or perform live. On the other hand, it is fun being mysterious and working behind the scenes in a semi-anonymous capacity. It's all part of my Foxman persona.

5-26-10, Wow !!! Lee DeWyze wins American Idol. I thought Crystal had it locked up. The final show was excellent ! There were some classic performances. Congratulations to Lee !!! Also, a big farewell to Simon. Love him or hate him, he created a platform for total unknowns to rise up and become famous.

5-31-10, While working out tonight I came up with a brainstorm. I am thinking about including songs from my previous Cd's on my "Crazy Like A Fox" release. In a way it would be somewhat of a "best of" Cd. The songs I am considering are "Shadows" (my ominous instrumental), "Black Cat Saloon", "City Streets" (underground love song), "Shake For Me Now" (stripper song). "Have Another Cigarette" and "Sunday Morning". "Sunday Morning" is the last song on my "Songs From The Gallery" Cd, and all the rest are from my "Like The Freak You Are" Cd. All together that is 6 songs, which would give me 20 for my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd. This would also add value to owning original physical copies of my first 2 Cd's. There will only be approximately 1,000 copies of each in existence, making both of them collectibles. All 6 of the songs are excellent, and it would definitely help elevate this Cd to groundbreaking status. I'm thinking of selling it for $15, which would be an excellent deal for 20 songs. On the other hand, I might not want to fire all my cannons in one release. Anyway, I'll think it through a bit more before I make up my mind.

6-1-10, I am pretty much positive that I am going to do it !! My 3rd Cd "Crazy Like A Fox" is going to be a blockbuster. Most people don't know who I am yet, so there is nothing wrong with including tunes from my previous releases. In the long run, I think it will make my first 2 Cd's more valuable. If things go well for me, it will be so much more easy to replicate one Cd instead of 3. Not to mention, my art work on the "Like The Freak You Are" Cd was a bit political, and controversial. By taking 5 (out of 9) tunes from this Cd and placing them on my current release, it chops off my critics at the knees. For what it is worth, I am in this game for the long run. Win or lose, I don't plan on stopping. In the big picture of things, this is just my 3rd Cd release out of many. Ultimately, I will end up with fans who want to own one of everything. So, an early word to those of you with an eye for collectibles ... hurry up and act now. Original, physical, copies of my first 2 Cd's are currently only available at my art studio. You'll have to visit my sites to find your way there :o) Look at it like it's a treasure hunt. (11:00 p.m.) Rays Win !!! A come from behind 9th inning win at Toronto. We are still in first place, with the best record in the league (35-18). Another year like 2008 would be awesome !

6-6-10, Things are going very well. I just finished the music for "Wilderness Of Mirrors", and I have begun to work on my last song "Simple Minded". I have decided to change my target day, for having all the recordings (vocals and music) finished, to July 4th (this is actually the day that my 2 month rental ends/rented on 5-4-10). After that, I will have 3 months to finish everything else (mastering, copyrighting, graphic design, ASCAP, replication, etc). Everything is right on schedule ! I am so glad that I decided to add 2 more songs to the Cd. I am also glad that I have decided to add 6 songs from my previous releases. This Cd is going to kick ass !! (7:30 p.m.) Just finished my online safe driving class. The fee for the class was $30 (it keeps the points from the ticket I received in April from appearing on my record). All I need to do now is run by the courthouse tomorrow and drop of the certificate, that says I passed the class. I also got the paperwork together that I need to register my name in a claim against Countrywide H.L., for identity theft (I will make a copy and mail it out tomorrow). After everything I went through with Countrywide it doesn't surprise me at all that they were also selling personal data. My home was foreclosed on in April, 2009. My problems with them had begun about 6 months prior to that. During one of my remortgages, I realized that they had placed me under an insurance policy that only covered their assets. Once I caught on to this, I went to my original insurance company and had the amount of my coverage bumped up to the amount of the remortgaging. This policy was to then replace their policy. Countrywide then claimed that this left me with a negative escrow, and they began charging me an extra $250 every month. The negative escrow amount was around $1,000, so I paid the extra amount for 4 months. After that, they just kept charging me the exaggerated amount. I wrote to them for help, but got no reasonable assistance. Ultimately, the exaggerated monthly payments were more than I could afford (I even tried renting and selling the property but got nowhere with the ruined economy). This is, ultimately, what led to my moving back in with my parents. Basically, Countrywide took a good 10 + year client and ran him right out of his home. Now the place has sat dormant for about 1 year. The whole thing is an absolute total mess at this point and I don't care. They wanted my house and they got it .. now it is their problem. The cool part for me, is that I have saved ALL the paperwork needed to prove everything I have stated here. Now that these 2 things are dealt with, I have to deal with the IRS again. They are claiming they didn't receive paperwork for my 2009 taxes, which I sent to them about 3 months ago. I had used Turbo Tax in 2009, and forgot to mail in the actual W-2's. They had everything on file but it wasn't valid until I mailed in the actual copies. I have had a lot of trouble with the IRS, over the last 4-5 years. I am living on just a $17,500/year retirement ... and I have to deal with the IRS busting my balls ? Just another crudded up Government agency. I will give them a call and deal with this new problem sometime this week. I am not complaining about all of this, though it is a lot of stress. The same problems that I am enduring many Americans are enduring. I am thankful that I have a strong family to fall back on. The Post Office, IRS and Countrywide are all broken entities .... my family and I aren't !!! Which one is better for America ?

6-7-10 (3:45 a.m.) Well my headphones zonked out on me. I will have to make a trip to Sam Ash, after I visit the courthouse. They are both located pretty close to each other. I am still waiting for my set of studio monitors to come in (I have their floor model right now). It has taken them about 3-4 weeks longer than expected to arrive. Maybe I will get lucky and they will be in. Maybe I will also be able to get a good deal on the headphones, for having to wait so long. I also have this vintage 1970's Shure microphone (no idea at all how I acquired it). I haven't been able to use it because it needs a mic cord with a 4 prong connector ? Maybe they will have one of these cords there. If it works, I am thinking about using the microphone for the "Wilderness Of Mirrors" vocals. If it is a bit old and crackly sounding it will be perfect for the cell phone effect I want. Anyway, I may be able to accomplish 3 things with just one visit to Sam Ash. (5:00 p.m.) Just got home from running errands. I dropped off my safe driving school certificate, so there are no points on my driving record. I sent out the claim form for the Countrywide data theft settlement. Then, I went to Sam Ash ! My studio monitors weren't in yet, but I did manage to get a few dollars taken off the cost of my new Samson CH700 Studio Reference Headphones !!! I brought the Shure mic in with me, but they didn't have any cords with a 4 prong connector. I guess the mic just wasn't meant to be used. Just for kicks I autographed and dated the old pair of AKG headphones. If I ever become successful they will be a collectors item since I used them on all 3 Cd's.

6-8-10, I have decided that I am now going to address the IRS through certified letters. Things are a bit strange right now and I really need to start protecting myself. With certified letters it gives me a legal way to document my contacts with them. This is the same approach I used with both the post office and Countrywide. It's unfortunate that I have to use this approach with another government agency, but it's just a sign of the times. One can't be too careful these days.

6-17-10, I have thought it through, and decided against including songs from my previous releases on this Cd. These new 14 songs are more than adequate, and I want to keep moving forward with my efforts. Just last night I finished up the acoustic and lead vocal tracks for "Simple Minded". All that song needs now is a lead guitar track and it is finished. I also, still need to do the lead vocals for "Wilderness Of Mirrors" and possibly some vocal redo's for "Best Days Of Your Life" and "Coming For You" ... and that is it !!! I still have 2 weeks left to finish these, so I am right on schedule.

6-25-10, "Wilderness Of Mirrors" is completed (vocals and all). Last night I redid the vocals for "Best Days Of Your Life", and everything turned out perfect ! I have listened to "Coming For You" on 2 different occasions, and both times I concluded that the lead vocals are good enough. Basically, all that is left (recording wise) is the lead guitar for "Simple Minded" and a redo of one vocal line in "Doppelganger Blues" (in the bridge section). I may also need to add a few sound effects to the bridge section. About one week ago I started putting together the Cd's graphic design. I pretty much already have the front cover and back panel worked out. I know it is hard to believe, but I am still waiting for my monitors to come in at Sam Ash.

6-26-10, I am going to take part in "Hands Across The Sands" today. It is a protest against off shore oil drilling in our coastal waters. We are supposed to arrive at 11:00 a.m. At 12:00 people will join hands for 15 minutes. It is a cool cause and am proud that I am going to be a part of it. (3:30 p.m.) Well, we showed up at Indian Rocks Beach at 11:45. There were hundreds of people there enjoying the sun. The only problem was that they were all totally oblivious to the cause. Me and my parents, and and one other person, joined our hands for the requested 15 minutes (12:00 - 12:15). None of the hundreds of people around us joined in. Of course we weren't at one of the arranged staging areas .. still, it is frustrating that there are so many complacent people. I kind of felt like the 4 of us were being looked at as radical protesters. A couple people walked by and acted snooty. Others just looked the other way and pretended like we weren't even there. The thing is, that it was a peaceful showing of solidarity with no political affiliation whatsoever. All we did was dress in black (as requested, signifying the oil) and hold hands for 15 minutes, while looking out into the ocean. It's not like we were a bunch of panhandlers begging for change. It is very frustrating that we live in a country where people would rather sit back and bitch, rather than actually doing something. On this occasion, all they had to do was hold hands along the ocean for 15 minutes ... and they couldn't do it ! Oh well, I am proud that my parents and I took part in the occasion.

7-1-10, I am taking care of business today. I typed out a letter for the IRS in response to their letter saying they had not received my tax return for the period ending on 12-31-2008. Like I mentioned previously, I had to resolve this matter when I filed my taxes this year. My W2's and a copy of that tax return were sent in with this years return. I was under the impression that the matter had been resolved and that my account was in good standing. This is basically what I wrote in the letter. I will send it out certified mail tomorrow. I also called Sam Ash in regards to my studio monitors. This is the 3rd time I have had to call since the April 29 purchase date. I ended up getting the same story again ... the monitors aren't in yet and they will call me when they are. I ended up getting the phone number for Paul Ash at the corporate office in New York. I gave him a call and explained my situation. He said he will look into the matter and get back to me. We'll see what happens. Maybe I will get lucky and end up with a store credit I really don't have a problem with keeping the floor model that I have, it's just that I paid the price for a new pair. (4:30 p.m.) Within 1/2 hour I got a call from George at Sam Ash saying that he wasn't aware of the problem, Paul had just called him, and that he would make sure that the monitors would be in within a few days. He must have been the store manager. His voice sounded a bit humble, so my guess is that Paul tore into him pretty good.

7-2-10, I have got my IRS paperwork together. All I have to do is make copies and send it out certified mail. What I have learned through all of my experiences (Post Office, Countrywide, IRS, etc.), is to always make copies and send everything certified mail. That way you always have documentation. Here is a perfect example of why this approach works. I went back through my IRS paperwork from earlier in the year. This recent letter from the IRS, located in Austin, TX, says that they haven't received my tax return for the period ending on December 31,2008. A letter I saved in my files from the IRS in Atlanta, GA says ... we have received your tax return for the period ending on December 31, 2008. The Atlanta letter was sent in May 2010, and the purpose was to get my signature to make everything official. Well, there you have it. The IRS in Austin is totally out of touch with the IRS in Atlanta. Neither one knows what the other is doing.

7-4-10, Happy 4th Of July !!! I went and cleaned out the storage unit yesterday. This means there is no turning back with the lead vocals, they are what they are. Thank you to my friends at UHaul Self Storage Rental for being open minded and allowing me the opportunity to make this Cd happen. I am also proud to announce that I have completed the graphic design for the Cd ... way ahead of schedule ! I still need to work out the actual disc part, but I will do that when I get to the replication stage (I do already have the picture selected). All that is left now is the mastering, copyrighting, joining ASCAP and then the replication. At some point in July, I am going to take a 10 day vacation to visit my brothers in California. I really need a break !!! I have spent the last 6 months working my ass off on this Cd.

7-7-10, Yes !!!! My set of studio monitors finally arrived today. That's one less thing for me to fret over. I gave them a test run, along with some of my new compressor knowledge, and they sounded excellent. It is such a welcome relief to be able to hear everything outside of the headphones. My 6 months of relentless recording has produced some very original music. I really do believe that I am going to surprise a lot of people with this Cd release.

7-11-10, I did it ! All the recording is now completed. All that is left is the mastering, copyright and replication. My goal release date at the beginning of the year was around Oct-Nov. Once everything is finished, the replication process will take about 1 month. Anyway you look at it, I am way ahead of schedule ! If I use all of July and August to finish the mastering, then the Cd should be available for purchase by the first of October. If things go smoothly with the mastering process, I may even have it available somewhere in September.