So we all came up with this great idea to record an album. Dave was going to UNH, and had a lot of recording time to fill. It was November, and they figured, "hey, let's have an album for Christmas!"

SiMent recruited old pal Bryan Schwartz to help out engineer the sessions while they all played the songs. After a couple of times, we all decided to name him as 'producer', which basically allowed him to make suggestions and get free coffee. Why was the coffee free, you may ask. Gratitude, my dear sir.

Warning: The information contained herein may be more than you ever wanted to know about our recording sessions.

( DNU = Did not use )

Date: October 13th, 2000 -- Location: UNH Studio

Technically, one night before the last history entry on the last page, we all convened in West Haven and played a live set to tape of our songs for review. We called this the Leep sessions as an inverse homage to Mr. John Peel.

Bryan Schwartz came along and brought his copy of The Promise Ring's "Very Emergency." We all listened to the album during microphone setup. A great album. Thanks for getting us all hooked, Bryan. You're swell.

Songs: Porn Star, The Rebound Song, PhD (In Love), Ali Toro, Shits & Giggles, Britney, Jay's Song, Inside Your Head, Stupid, Andrea, In Your Arms

Date: October 14, 2000 -- Location: Northampton, Mass

No, we're not Massachusetts exlusive. It's just coicedence. It's tough for Dave and Ralph to play shows during the school years, but when a big show like the Northampton Music Fest comes around, we simply cannot pass it up. We played at Harry's at 2pm, right after Sibil, our alphabetic neighbors (and a band in the running for one of the hottest lead singers around). We've come to find the NoHo music scene is rather incestuous, as Tara (see History, Chapter three) puts it.
Tara rocks hard-core in The Inskirts. Rumour has it, she's also finding a way into the Maggies. There's a guy in the Maggies, who also played later that night with The Potatoes, featuring members of The Aloha Steamtrain, and The School For the Dead (Henning [who's ex-girlfriend, Stacy, we're old friends with.. we recorded Landscaping in her basement, and is lead singer in our old sister-band The Fryalators', and new sister-band, Precious Johnson] and drummer Brian (coolest hair in town), and Fountains of Wayne (Chris Collingwood). Damn. Follow?

We could go on for hours trying to explain the strange nature of this quirky western Massachusetts town, but we'll spare you the details. Better yet, find out for yourself.

October 20th, 2000 -- Basic Tracking: Anything For You, Britney, Stupid, Rebound, Inside Your Head

October 27th, 2000 -- Overdubs on above tracks

November 17th, 2000 -- Basic Tracking: Inside, In Your Arms (DNU), Ali Toro (DNU)

Dave insisted on trying to play the drums for In Your Arms, but he ended up sucking pretty bad. Ralph, then played the drums. The right way. And all was well.

November 24th, 2000 -- Basic Tracking: Porn Star, Rebound Song, Britney

Dave's dad came on down and brought his trusty Martin acoustic for use on Porn Star. He also brought a large cheese pizza, but that unfortauntely never made it to the album.

December 8th, 2000 -- Basic Tracking: Jay's Song (DNU), Ali Toro (DNU), Thrash Jam (as heard in sound collage)

Date: January 10th, 2001 -- Location: Laszlo's Arts Cafe

We all decided to put on a big show at Lazslo's and bring all of our friends. Unfortunately, it snowed a whole bunch (enough for Brian to slightly damage his car sliding into something), so all of our friends didn't make it. It was a pretty full house, as full houses at Lazslo's goes.

First, Vinnie's Address, a band featuring Ralph's little brother, played. Then, Amnesty Underground rocked the house. At that point, Saffron put on a unique set. High point: A vocal and cello cover of Sisqo's "Thong Song". Remember that song? Yeah, no one else does. Who's Sisqo?

SiMent pulled a lot of old tricks out of their collective hats for that night's performance. Audio evidence can be found on SiMent's rare MP3 only release: Live at Lazslo's.

Released on this night is another rare release: TW006, the Rebound/Britney CD single. Both of these tracks were remixed for the album, along with more guitars, and other such bullshit.

The show was a hit. Lots of coffee was sold, and good times were had. BUT, the boys had an album to record. No time to waste. BACK TO THE STUDIO!

January 24th, 2000 - Lots of Overdubs: Porn (vox/solo), AFY (guitar), Inside (guitars)

March 11th, 2001 - 5pm-3am - Basic Tracking: Look at Yourself, In Your Arms, How To Speak, PhD In Love

Over the little break, Dave wrote How To Speak, and then the band recorded it.

March 13, 2001 - Dave Guitar Solo (IYA, HTS)

March 15th, 2001 - Dave Vocal (Porn, HTS)

March 16th, 2001 - 7p-11p - Jay's Guitar Overdubs (How To Speak, Inside, LAY)

March 18th, 2001 - 6p-10p Vocal Overdub (Look At Yourself)

March 23rd, 2001 - 9p-1a - Dave Guitar Overdubs: LAY (lead & rhythm), HTS (rhythm), attempt (Inside)

April 1st, 2001 - Brian Bass OD, Dave Vocals, tried guitar

April 4, 2001 - rough mixes of everything to date

April 8th, 2001 - Basic Tracking: Ali Toro, In Your Arms, Jay's Song, Andrea

Date: April 14th, 2001 - Location: WPI, Worcester, MA

While it may look like we'd forgotten about Connecticut completely, we couldn't argue with WPI spoon-feeding us good shows to play. This was a beautiful spring day to play some rock and roll outside, Indiefest-style.

April 15th, 2001 - Overdubs: Dave Rhythm Guitar (Ali, Jay's, Andrea)

April 18th, 2001 - Overdubs: Vocals, Piano: Ali Toro

April 27th, 2001 - Overdubs: Backup Vocals: In Your Arms (8-11p)

May 6th, 2001 - Overdubs: Bass overdubs, Rhythm Guitar: IYH, Ali.. Guitar solo AFY, Jay Clean guitar overdubs, Jay-Shari-Dave Test vocals on She Said, He Said (7pm-3:30am)

5/14/01 - Overdubs: Fuzz Bass on LAY, Porn Star, Porn: Jay VX, Synth, Jay & Shari VX on HSSS, Drum Machine redo on HTS, Piano on Ali Toro...

This was one of the more frivolous recording sessions with all kinds of extraneous sounds being added.

5/16/01 - Overdubs: Dave Guitar- Porn, Rebound, Solos on: SSHS, Ali Toro

5/20/01 - Vocal Overdubs; Dave, Lead: Stupid, Porn Star, Inside Your Head

5/27/01 - OD: Tambourine, Handclaps, Jay Acoustic Guitar, Ralph VX: Porn, D&R VX PhD

Ralph commanded the tambourine. He actually fronted the percussion secion. He led Shari, Jay, and Dave in a handclap frenzy on She Said, He Said.

5/31/01 - OD: Organ on PhD, Ac. Guitar on SSHS

6/3/01 - OD: Horns on Porn Star, PhD until 11p

6/7/01 - OD: Guitar on Porn Star, Britney, Keyboard on Britney

This last session meant that tracking was finally done. One more guitar part on Porn Star ensured a completely-rocking bridge and a call-response kind of thing between the horn section and a guitar.

Mixing occured at Firehaus Productions in Worcester, Mass. Every Sunday and Monday for a few weeks, Bryan and Dave headed up to Wormtown with some Hi8 tapes, and returned with DATs and CDRs. No STDs, thankfully.

7/8/01 - Mixing: Rebound, Stupid, Look at Yourself (DNU)

7/15/01 - Mixing: Anything For You, Britney

7/16/01 - Mixing: Ali Toro, In Your Arms

7/22/01 - Mixing: How To Speak, Inside Your Head

7/23/01 - Mixing PhD, Porn Star

7/30/01 - Mixing: Look At Yourself, She Said, He Said

In a fury of warm compressors and dulled ears, mixing was finally completed.

We're so content.

Date: August, 5th, 2001 -- Location: Walnut Beach, Milford, CT

It was HOT. And Sunny. And there was no shade. And we were sweating. It was a rather climatically unpleasant show.

Date: August 6th, 2001 -- Location: Skypod Studio

Mastering is an all-important step in the making of an album. Mastering ensures all the songs are of the same loudness, and they all sound sonically alike. Cohesive or something. So then, our album was mastered.

Date: August 14th, 2001 -- Location: Milford

Dave leaves for a cross-country trip with Joe in a 1992 Saab 9000.

The big arch thing in St. Louis.

Date: August 27th, 2001 -- Location: Milford

Dave and Joe arrive home from a cross-country trip hitting San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Savannah, GA, and Washington DC.

Date: August 31, 2001 -- Location: WPI, Worcester, MA

One quick practice, and then we open for American Hi-Fi in front of several hundred people. Fun fun FUN! Good times, too.

Shari joined us on stage to sing along on She Said, He Said. She did well!

pictures courtesy of Dreamscape Studios

Date: Fall, 2001 -- Location: everywhere

This is kind of a black hole for the guys. No one's really sure where the time went. Dave concentrated on School. Brian, Jay and Ralph all concentrated on their jobs. They all tried as hard as they could to concentrate on what the hell this album should be called. What order the songs would go in. What songs would even be on it.

Dave came up with an idea for the album cover:

....but no one really liked it. No harm, no foul.

Of the original 12 tracks finished, they opted to leave out 'Inside Your Head' and 'PhD (in love)'. Eventually the name "do you like me?" was suggested, and it fit in with the whole bridge of 'She Said, He Said', so it stuck. The task of coming up with capital to have this album duplicated was arranged, and they got the super-deluxe option with full-color and everything. Jay and Shari took care of the Photography and outer covers with their graphic prowess.

Eventually a date was set, and...

Date: January 11th, 2002 -- Location: Toad's Place

Our hometown club had us back for the night! Sharing the stage with is was The Flaming Tsunami's, Model Chaser, and Sterves of Neil (featuring Jeff Craig who was George Harrison to Dave's Paul McCartney back in the day of Plastic Soul), yadda yadda.. you know the drill..

A great time was had. It the perfect conclusion to a hard year and a half of work on this record.