Recording/I have a kid.

This is an update. People want to know what's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. We're really trying hard to get these songs released. It's taking forever. I wish I could say something cool like "the labels are in a furious fight over who wants to pay us more money" but it's not that.
did you know that recording, mixing, mastering, packaging and planning are really difficult? Yeah, it is. You actually have to be really rich and know what you're doing like you've been in a band for twenty years. Hopefully I can learn how this business works before I die so I can be prepared when I groom my son/daughter to be a rock god/goddess... Kind of like tiger woods' dad, but instead of golfing every day, we'll smoke cigarettes and talk about who we want to "do".
yeah, I'll be the best dad ever. I'll be one of those dads who buys their kids and their friends alcohol... But then instead of being a rockstar kid, they'll just die in a DUI crash at 15 when sally steals my car while on a heroin run for her and other 10th grade classmates I bought beer for just hours earlier.

TALK ABOUT YOUR ALL TIME BACKFIRES.

we're writing like mad men. We're making new songs and we're making them harder-better-faster-stronger. Maybe we'll even cut the songs down to 15 minutes this year. Who knows what 2006 will bring.

hopefully not a sally.

Neal
School of Athens

Club Cafe - September 30th

Along with Triggers and My Sexiest Mistake, School of Athens played Club Cafe last night and it was a perfect, amazing show. I just wanted to take a quick minute and thank the other bands and everyone who came out to support us. We had the time of our lives, thank you for making it happen. Hopefully we'll be able to post some pictures from the show, i'll put a link on here soon, until then, you can see the aftermath here.

Back to Erie

just a quick update...
we drove up to Erie yesterday at 5:30 to finish up vocals and add some guitar tracks to our upcoming 10 track CD. We finished all the recording for the CD and now we have to mix it. When that is finished, we'll get the other 4 track CD from our L.A. recording we did in January and send them both out to get mastered in NYC...

Recording in Erie

Blog for Erie, PA

Friday August 26, 2005

This is a precisely detailed description of our experience in the recording studio at Backwards Recording Studios in Erie, PA.

We arrived at 8:30 on Friday. Thirty minutes after the Steelers game started. We listened as much as we could before the static took over. After making a quick stop at the beer distributor to pick up a “dirty thirty” case of I.C. Light, we headed to Justin’s house, other wise known as Backwards Recording Studios. We recorded here almost two years ago in January of 2004.

We unloaded the truck and set up our equipment right away and started recording. In about four hours, we laid down six songs. The songs we are recording are “Pride”, “Natural”, “Manuscript”, “April”, “Venom” and “Chameleon”. We plan on combining this recording with the other songs we recorded in January of this year in Los Angeles. The planned track listing for this EP, or CD or whatever you call it is:

Kids with Guns9-1
Pride
Natural
Subconscious
Manuscript
April
Venom
Chameleon
Suckerpunch

But who knows what we’ll put on there.

Also, Justin surprised us with a newly remastered version of the CD we recorded here last time we were here, this one doesn’t have all the unwanted reverb, so maybe we’ll press some copies of that, too. The songs on that CD are:

In my Life
Valedictorian
Over and Over
Dot on a Page
Life Extensions


Saturday August 27, 2005

Woke up around 10:30 and drove to donut connection to get a healthy breakfast. At the insistence of Johnny and I, we drove another five miles out of the way to Starbucks because we don’t like coffee if it’s cheaper than $3.50, and it’s just more fun to speak a different language when we order what size we want. Right now we’re in the control room making notes on the bass parts, where to patch in the re-do's...

I just finished my guitar tracks. When we recorded last night, we did a live take all together, and then we planned on patching in the parts we originally messed up on. Even though Mike will have no problem bragging to you about it, I have to give him credit, he laid down the drums in one take… the whole CD, all six tracks. That’s pretty good. Johnny did really well on the first take, but he re-did some parts he wasn’t happy with. As for my original guitar parts, we had to change the mic position on the amp, so I had to do everything over, which was totally fine by me. I wasn’t very happy with my original takes anyway. I think I do pretty good with recording a song straight through, but it’s frustrating when you mess up a second on a 5 minute song and spent 20 minutes getting the messed up part fixed. I also laid down an acoustic track on April, that’s the only acoustic I used on this CD.

After we finished up the day around 9, we headed out to Calamari’s in Erie. They had a beer pong table, so Mike and I attempted to extend our 10-1 beer pong champion record, but to no avail. Sadly, as I sit here today, we are now 10-2. It’s a touchy subject, so I’ll stop writing about it now. (ha) Drew went to school up here in Erie at Mercyhurst College, so he knew a ton of people last night at the bar. When the band is long gone, I suggest Drew run for political office, he knows enough people to get elected President.

Sunday August 28, 2005

Thanks to a good night at the bar last night, we had a late start today. I woke up at 10 and walked around Peach Street and got some coffee, I came back around noon and watched Hot Shots Part Deux… oh that’s such a funny movie. Drew is recording vocals for Venom right now, so I’ll get back to you soon.

We’re packing up now, Drew finished vocals for four songs, and we’ll be coming up in next week to finish the recording. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it, we’re really proud of this recording. Thank you, Justin for doing such a great job. I would recommend any band looking to record try his studio out, he’s got great equipment and he knows what he is doing.

Neal

Been a while

I owe it to my adoring fans.. I mean I owe it to.. umm.. Who reads this thing? blogs are so cool these days, I just need to try and fit somehow. There's been a lot going on in school of Athens, there's a lot to write about, I don't know if I can remember what's worth writing about, so I'll try and recap highlights of the month(s):

January.
the band flew out to LA on a big 'ol plane and recorded five songs in 3 long days. We also played a show at a place called "The Good Hurt" in Venice.

February.
Drove to NYC to play at Arlene's Grocery. I've never been to NYC when it wasn't -30 degrees and I was broke as all get-up, so I never was crazy about the place. this time was no exception.

March.
Club cafe show with Like Summer. The place was sold out. I was going crazy. You really do feed off the people's energy, and such a small room filled to capacity was amazing.

April.
Arlene's Grocery, NYC again. This time I actually did like NYC much better. Not that I had any money, but warm weather sure helps. We drove up and came back the same day. Crazy.

May.
Wait 10 more days and maybe I’ll have something to tell you. All I know is Nine Inch Nails is coming out with a new CD. something I’ve been looking forward to for years.

This entry expresses the opinions of Neal and only Neal.

Post Gazette Write-up

For archives sake, here is the link to the write-up in the post gazette featured on December 10th. And while I'm at it, here's the link to the City Paper's... well, actually you can't have a direct link because http://pghcitypaper.com/ always appears in the browser window no matter what page you are on, so you're on your own. If found if by clicking on "Search" then type in "school of athens" and then click on School of Athens Music Previews 1/13/2005

Enjoy.