Florence and The Hendersons: an SOT RPM Challenge

Every year, musician's around the world are challenged to record a whole album, 10 songs or 35 minutes of music, within the span of the calendar's shortest month, February. It's not a contest. It's simply a creative exercise that attempts to give musicians the extra push they need toward the satisfaction of finishing an original work. Participants are encouraged to collaborate during the process and the fruits of their labors are ultimately synthesized here.

We found out about the challenge in 2008 when these two great local records came to our attention. We were inspired and signed up in 2009, along with a bunch of other local artists, to complete our own challenge. Some good material and some fun times came from the work, but ultimately the pressure got to us and we didn't make it to the finish line.

It feels somewhat like a day late and a dollar short, but we're trying again. Enter Florence and The Hendersons. This year we've set some strict guidelines for ourselves in hopes of dodging some of the pitfalls that got us last year.


1) The project will be centered around a 1970's Lowery Genie home organ that Dylan recently acquired. It has beats for days that just won't quit. Interesting fact: a Lowrey Organ, on a percussive "marimba repeat" setting - was the synthesizer-like background noise on The Who song "Baba O'Riley".

2) All of the tracking and mixing will be done on a Tascam DP-02 8-track. No computers with their endless supply tracks and effects to bog us down.

3) We'd need a good work space. So, we lugged the thing up three flights of stairs to SOT headquarters at Franklin's Tower where we're already comfortable and have drums, amps, and mics set to go.

4) Mitch will play all of the low notes with his paws on the Lowery's bass pedals. Sorry Mitch.


That just about does it. We're off to a solid start. You can follow along on our blog here.


As a side note...this is completely separate from the new Sea of Trees EP that I wrote about last time.

As a side side note...Sea of Trees will be playing at the Bayou's local original night this Thursday (2/11) at 10:30. Come early though, Hour of Need starts at 8 and the Blisterz go on at 9. It's free.