Lots of recording the past two weekends. I think Greg and I have combined to do nine songs' worth of electric guitar, four songs on bass and four lead vocals. A few patterns are emerging, as far as I can tell, that lead me to believe this album will have some different flavors than "Boomstick."

For one, the material is more varied. For our first album, I was very conscious of staying the course of the mission. An identity statement for the band. I wanted it clear that this was a Britrock-flavored band. Guitars, drums and Beatle/Who/Oasis/Stone Roses-informed songwriting. And I think that's what we ended up with. I mean, I don't think we sound like those bands or anything, but I think you get the vibe of what Skelter's all about. This time around, I loosened up a bit more as a writer. There's still the Britrock thing, but some of the songs are more from a Zeppelin-y and maybe even Sabbath-y frame of mind (you can thank Herr Ross for the latter). And we go a few other places. Still melodic, I think. But definitely harder. This sounds more like the heavy Skelter you hear in the bowels of Continental.

Speaking of sound, we've had a few upgrades in the past year. Just in terms of recording knowledge and some borrowed hardware (thanks to Kristie Lee Crystal!), the drums sound a LOT better this time around. You get a much better sense of Nachie's kill-'em-all approach to the kit. I've switched guitar gear almost completely for this album. Guitar people will know the difference, but for the laypersons out there, I'll explain the difference in sound from "Boomstick's" Stratocaster sound to the new album's Les Paul sound. Two words: thicker and heavier. Like primordial ooze. I keep waiting for a trilobite to emerge from the speaker. And co-engineer Barbara Ross contributed mightily when some super-cool co-worker (Greg, you wanna help me with this fine Skelter citizen's name, so he can get his proper due?) loaned the studio the most amazing homemade amp ever, you know, made at home. This thing in combination with the Les Paul sounds a whole lot like a Stuka attack. Warm, low-endy and explosive.

We do pull back at points and try to give this album the variety that I think worked so well on the 'Stick. There's a nice little Westernish thing called "This is a Ghost Town," which you may have heard us play live in the past month. There's a thing you haven't heard us play, which I'm rather unexpectedly finding to be the problem child, called "The Idiot." It's a poppier than usual thing. We're trying to massage it into shape as we speak. Hopefully, that'll work. And there are a few other things that I think will give the album variety and (he said sniffily) nuance. But by and large, I think you're going to find this to be a heavier album than "Boomstick." For those who sweat it out with us in the darkest dens of the cit-ayy, this is for you.

We are still a ways off, by the way, on finishing up. We've got only one recording block scheduled for September, as each of the Skelts has a little mini-vacation planned before locking and rocking a big tah-do called The Last American Rock Show on the 23rd of September and hitting the Frog in early October. But we're on course. I don't think we're that far out from finishing this baby. Releasing it is another thing. We're shopping around to a few labels at the moment. Hopefully, we'll have some news on that front in the next month or two.

Cheers,
Michael