Telly Tavares

04/29/25 I started on The Dumbnest Thing
on the 25th and should have it finished by
the end of the week. This is refreshing
after laboring over the first two. The music
came together really fast. Just sorting out
the lyrics and better vocal takes.

04/26/25 The dumbest thing you can
do right now is dance.

04/25/25 Forced myself to come up
with a groove. And I did.

04/19/25 Mouse is leaving on Monday
so cleaning up tracks.

04/14/25 Still wrestling with the drums on
Mouse. Yesterday I added a bunch of
electronic percussion and that sort of
helped but still not happy. Listened to
Sade's Smooth Operator today and got
my new kick pattern. Added some
natural hand percussioin and sent a
mix off to Patrick for feedback.

03/26/25 After weeks of overthinking the
kick/snare pattern on Mouse I decided
today to just make sure the kick is hitting
with the bass and the snare is predictably
arriving on 2 and 4 and I'm done. Just
need to sort out a few fills and vocal parts.
Want to hand this off for mixing/mastering
by Monday at the latest.

03/23/25 Still struggling with the drums
for Mouse. Took the front head off of the
Ludwigs and that helps with the sound. Just
trying to sort out some of the fills. Then a
few more vocal takes and it's someone
else's problem until it's my problem again.

03/20/25 "Unwanted Partners" is the
working title for the album that I have 0
songs completed for.

03/16/25 Getting close to having all of the
vocals sorted on Mouse. A few tweaks to
the drums and the overall mix and I should
be done this week.

03/11/25 Mr. Music came over and
recorded bass and congas on Mouse.

03/08/25 Developing a tacked on part in
Mouse. I love accidents.

02/24/25 The more time you spend with a
song the more aware of the flaws you become.
It's an important and miserable part of the
process.

02/22/25 Still tweaking Mouse. So much to
anguish over - drums, sound of guitars, lyrics,
vocal presentation, when do things appear
and leave and at the end of the day is it a
song that you want to hear more than once
in your lifetime?

02/20/25 Sent Chris a mix of Mouse so that he
can start developing a bass part.

02/17/25 About 60% done with the second
Telly Tavares song. It's called Mouse.

01/31/25 First song sent off to Patrick. I had
the first of February as an arbitrary deadline
for getting this one done. Look at me go.

Patrick, after hearing the reference mix for the
first time: "I wish I had an old console to
mix this track on...it smells like 1969 and
marijuana. Well done!"

01/29/25 Sorted out all of the vocals and
other parts in Down a Long and Lonely River.
Just needs a bit more of shoving things around
and off it goes.

01/27/25 Chris Ruzich tracked some bass
ideas for Down a Long and Lonely River.

01/23/25 Danny swung by to record some
guitar parts for Down a Long and Lonely River.
Ruzich on Monday.

01/16/25 Wrote words and added loads of
vocals to replace the scratch takes for
Down a Long and Lonely River. Once I get
parts from Danny and Chris I can began to
arrange the song in earnest. Looking to get
it to Patrick in 2 weeks.

01/15/25 First track is now called Down a
Long and Lonely River. Added more congas,
cowbell and slide guitar. Sent mixes to Danny
and Chris.

01/11/25 Gave the first song a few days to
breathe. Added more vocal tracks this morning
and a floor tom with a tambourine on it ala
Johnny Marie's "Tambourine." Sent a mix to
Chris Ruzich.

Sent a mix to Danny Button for some guitar
and EP work.

01/02/25 Off to get some congas. I've been
using the backs of acoustic guitars to get me
through The Real Flower Pots stuff. Also
picked up a cowbell (I had been using proper
cow bells) and the closest thing I have to
matching claves.

01/01/25 Sent Chris Ruzich a mix of the first
Telly Tavares song to start thinking about.
Now to consider a song title.

Watching loads of Ohio Players, Stevie
Wonder, War, Kool & the Gang, Brothers
Johnson, The Commodores, Sly Stone,
Talking Heads performances to get some
percussion ideas. Especially kick, cowbell
and congas.

12/30/24 Talked to Chris Ruzich about
contributing some bass parts.

12/25/24 Finished a Real Flower Pots song
and started on something new that I've been
thinking about lately. Telly Tavares popped in
my head a few weeks ago so here we are.