more than 2,000 bands accept the RPM Challenge

It’s February, and the RPM Challenge is officially underway. Musicians from at least 45 countries across the globe have been revving their artistic engines for weeks, making frantic preparations as the first of the month approached, and they finally took off roaring last Friday. Seacoast participants celebrated the eve of the challenge with a kick-off party on the second floor of The Press Room in Portsmouth on Jan. 31, and simultaneous celebrations were held in Minneapolis and St. John’s, Newfoundland. The RPM Challenge Web site, www.rpmchallenge.com, has generated a great deal of discussion from participants, some of whom are eager and excited, and others who seem filled with nervous anticipation, dread and desperation. What follows is a sampling of unedited statements recently posted on the RPM discussion board. And remember: It’s not too late to sign up. You can register for the challenge on the Web site as late as Feb. 29, as long as you have an album with at least 10 songs or 35 minutes of original music completed by the following day. For those about to rock, we at The Wire salute you.

For the old pros, the RPM Challenge has been a yearly event they look forward to. For me, who just happened to come across the Challenge a couple days ago on Slashdot.org, a light went off in my head as I realized what an amazing idea this is. The past couple days have been a frenzy of activity. Calling in an overnight delivery of that preamp I’ve been saying I need for the past few months, stopping by the music store to pick up a few dozen packs of guitar strings and a music stand. Making sure I have plenty of snacks and bottled water for the vocalist and musicians, and trying to undue the rat’s nest of cables creeping up the back of desk like Ivey.

It is interesting to see the motivation behind all the participants and to learn why they are doing this. Unlike some participants whose goal is to write and record a new album this February, my goal is to just finally record my music. I have some songs that are at least a decade old, and how great it will feel to finally have them as a finished product. So good luck to all you fellow RPM participants, it is going to be an interesting experience. —Derita Studio, Charlotte, NC

I am SOOOO looking forward to this year.  I have even been brainstorming lyric ideas. For me the music comes easy, Start with Bass, Or guitar, Lead or rhythm, add some drums, overdubs etc.. whatever, music has always been pretty fluid, but forcing the words out is where I have the problems.—Floppy Jalopy, Abington, MA

I can’t believe that there is only one day to go until the 3rd annual RPM challenge! Oy! It is going to be a challenge this year! Although Feb. may have an extra day this year, subtract about 20 of them for life stuff, and that leaves us very little time at the studio! Sure, we’ll have to crank out ~1.1 song per session, and drink 28 days worth of alcohol in 9 days, but I’m sure we can live up to the challenge! viva RPM! (I must be excited!) —Cozmik Corkscrew, Alton, NH

It’s funny in January, we can’t wait to countdown to February. Of course, when February hits, we’ll be dreading the countdown as we’ll be screaming “we need more time”! Then again, RPM was kind enough to give us an extra day this year. We’ve begun brainstorming our project. Just like last year, we wanted a concept to hold the songs together...so we’ve begun talking things out. Hmmm... A kid’s album? A beer album? A rock opera about pizza? D’oh. Scratch that. The rock opera’s been completed.
So many choices... Our hope is we’ll cement the idea and then come Feb 1st, hit the ground running—especially since it’s a Friday and leads nicely into a weekend. —Beatnik Turtle, Chicago, IL

I stand at the brink of the 2008 RPM Challenge in much better shape than I was last year at this time.  Hell, I didn’t hear about it until February 1, 2007!  I learned a lot from doing it last time, mostly that I simply could do it. —Broken Promise Keeper, Decatur, GA

I haven’t written a thing since last year. RPM ‘07 sucked the life out of me and I put down my guitar for a few months. —Gary Fox, New Boston, NH

I’m going to finish this. I procrastinated last year and didn’t get around to doing vocals until five days before the deadline, and I came down with a bad case of the flu. Learned a good lesson. I’m going to knock this out Ramones style this year. Hopefully within two weeks. —The Rufus Wilson Accident, San Jose, CA

It’s funny, but I have absolutely no chance of getting this done. I don’t have a single free night during the month of February. Between work, my girlfriend, my girlfriend’s kids, my family, a very sick uncle, and season tickets to the Lowell Devils I haven’t a chance in hell of getting this done. Still, I absolutely love the idea of it. —Robert Parker, Tewksbury, MA

But hey, music is what i do. If it means sitting down on the evening of 28 February and coming up with 40 minutes of mad electronic shit before morning, i will be at the post office the next day ready to post my CD to RPM. Because that’s how it works. —Kurrel the Raven, Perth, Australia

The basement blues studio is slowly taking shape. The ball is rolling up and down the rickety stairs. Plans regarding all this ascending and descending have been digitized and blasted back and forth through cyberspace (which now appears to be a real place, if just a bit dirty.) But the basement is clean. The amps are humming here. The instruments are warming up their voices; at least those that sing. There is a stillness here that speaks of an impending artistic storm, a cacophony of tuning and random motifs. And the ideas are all still up in the air swirling around getting to know each other and worse. —The Sidewalk Boys, Portsmouth, NH

Like Mal and the crew of the Serenity, I find myself outnumbered, outgunned and in dire need of a killer plan. —Space Cowboy, Somersworth, NH

this time round, i will have girls in bikinis. i will have 20’ rims. there will be bloooood. OOOOOoooOOOOoOOooo!! —jacob jones, Azle, TX

Spent last night getting the studio together. In the spirit of stupidity, I’m imposing these extra rules on myself:
1) I will use ALL of my instruments. Not all on one track, but I will cycle through my army of cheap guitars, bass guitars, my banjo, etc. 
2) I will use a variety of composing methods. Start with the lyrics first, start with the music first, looping, some first take “improv” stuff, composing on instruments I rarely use, etc.
3) And this is a big one, no listening to other music for the entire month. Not at work, not during my commute, etc. Obviously, I’ll hear music “accidentally” just walking around or watching movies or something, but I will not listen to any of the music I own for 29 days. It’ll be all output, no input.
Good luck to us all. —Cheap Guitar Army, Astoria, NY

I will not open up my music software until February 1st.
I will not open up my music software until February 1st.
I will not open up my music software until February 1st.
I will not open up my music software until February 1st.
I will not open up my music software until February 1st.
I will not open up my music software until February 1st. —Dazzleships, Pittsburgh, PA