Music Etc.: Blues Traveler
Jacques Sonyieux talks with Matt Rollings, producer of Blues Traveler's 13th album, about finding the right studio, being open-minded during recording and, most of all, staying focused.
Music, Etc
Music Etc.: Ian McCulloch—An Echo Returns
Jacques Sonyieux talks with Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen about black mold, why the best vocal take is always among the first three, and why the danger of covering one’s own songs is overstated.
Music, Etc.: Notes from The Record Company
By Jacques Sonyieux. The Record Company talks about its sophomore album, surpassing expectations, and how a Fleetwood Mac song got the band out of the living room and into a commercial studio.
Music, Etc.: Neko Case, Hell-On
By Jacques Sonyieux. "Hell-On" is Neko Case's first album in five years, which she completed after finishing up projects with The New Pornographers and her female Canadian supergroup case/lang/veirs.
Music, Etc.: Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin - An American Odyssey
By Jaques Sonyieux. Each an acclaimed artist in his own right, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin deliver their first duo album, 30 years in the making.
Music Etc.: Slowdive Returns
By Jacques Sonyieux. In 2014, the band got back together to play a handful of gigs, which quickly turned to sold-out festivals and then a self-titled brand new album that has since won critical acclaim all around the world.
Music, Etc.: The Radio Dept. - Running Out of Love
Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson of The Radio Dept. discuss their latest album, 'Running Out of Love.'
Music, Etc.: The Luxembourg Signal - Field of Vision
By Jacques Sonyieux. Transatlantic act The Luxembourg Signal spill what it was like recording their latest album across the ocean.
Music, Etc.: Portugal. The Man—In The Moment
Portugal. The Man (“Feel It Still”) keyboardist Kyle O'Quin talks studio life, staying relevant and becoming overnight sensations after playing almost 4,000 shows over the last 13 years.
Music, Etc.: David Crosby—Song Servant
At age 76, David Crosby’s work has spanned multiple generations—notably as a founding member of quintessential rock acts The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young—whose music has permeated the very fabric of American culture.
Music, Etc.: Andy Summers—Color Crusader
After a decade of playing lead guitar in one of the world’s top rock brands—er, bands on the planet, Andy Summers of The Police could have signed up for early retirement in Tahiti many years ago.
Music, Etc.: Declan McKenna—Future Forward
By Jaques Sonyieux. From a music business perspective, 18-year old Declan McKenna has already achieved much more than most aspiring professional musicians can ever hope for in a career.
Music, Etc.: Styx—Atmospheric Reentry
With a vast catalog of albums already in hand and having achieved the commercial success that most bands can only dream of, Styx could have called it a day decades ago with classic albums like The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight, indelibly fused into our collective prog-rock radio psyche.
Music, Etc.: The Ravonettes - Inspiration in the Moment
This spring, The Raveonettes released Atomized—the band’s ‘anti-album’ that consisted of 12 songs recorded and released each month over the course of 2016.
Music, Etc.: Don Bryant—Soul Survivor
74-year old Don Bryant is a soul legend, having been a powerhouse writing force behind the likes of Solomon Burke, Etta James, Albert King and many others.
Music, Etc.: Art of Anarchy—The Open Road
With a new record, The Madness, released in March, hard rock ‘supergroup’ Art of Anarchy embarks on a new road chock full of tour dates, fresh material and a new lead singer.
Music, Etc.: Zeshan B. - Parallel Souls
For many, Memphis’ Ardent Studios is revered as the cradle of soul music, with a discography that is both awe-inspiring and boundless in its influence.
Music, Etc.: BNQT - Traveling Feast
With today’s recording technology, intercontinental collaboration has become more accessible to musicians than ever.
Music, Etc.: Leif Vollebekk - Common Grooves
In its most elemental state, music has the power to transcend the present and carry emotional depth across the boundaries of time and space.
Music, Etc.: Ultimate Painting
Despite having formed less than three years ago, Ultimate Painting just released its third album this past November.
Music, Etc.: Okkervil River - A Natural Beat
It is no surprise that many of the best albums ever recorded have their roots in human challenges that are difficult to overcome: heartbreak, pain and loss.
Music, Etc.: Todd Snider - Alter Ego
Sometimes an artist must step outside of himself or herself to find the path forward.
Music, Etc.: Pert Near Sandstone - Lightning in a Bottle
Minneapolis, MN-based Pert Near Sandstone calls itself a 'modern American string band', yet appeals to the broader fan base of traditional bluegrass music all across the nation. Taking the string band tradition of old-time music into the future, the band recently completed its latest album Discovery of Honey with Trampled By Turtles member Ryan Young at the helm. Pro Sound News chatted with banjo player Kevin Kneibel about new discoveries unveiled and recording with old friends.
Music, Etc.: Loughman Comes Full Circle
Mark Loughman's Bleedin' Aura, released on Spitfire Music this year, hinges on his English indie-rock roots, demanding an active listening experience as each of its nine songs shimmer with gritty authenticity. On the record, Loughman—who co-produced the album himself with Warren Huart [Aerosmith, The Fray]—is joined by many of his talented friends, including Kenny Aronoff (drums), Steve Stevens (guitar) and Billy Morrison (guitar). Pro Sound News caught up with the ex-Mancurian—now the L.A.-based owner of BAE Audio—as he was working on demos for his next release.
Music, Etc: Best Coast - A Fresh Face from L.A.
As we move well into the summer season, sometimes we look for personal ‘soundtracks’ to usher us through the more temperate months and welcome change in season—much like we do with summer reading.
Music, Etc.: Blind Pilot - The Face of Courage
Following nearly five years since its last album, Portland, OR-based Blind Pilot releases And Then Like Lions this month.
Music, Etc.: Def Leppard Reignites The Spark
For many of us, Def Leppard represents the mass onset of '80s 'anthem rock'—but beyond this stereotypical persona is a tight knit, sharp-edged band that has worked and toured relentlessly since its debut album On Through The Night—which hit the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal scene in the U.K. and the U.S. more than 35 years ago. Now, after almost non-stop touring and a nearly 10-year drought between studio records, the band has re-emerged to release Def Leppard. So what can possibly be new? For one thing, they were free of record company pressures and were able to build the album solely 'for the love of music'. Pro Sound News caught up with co-lead guitarist Phil Collen as he was catching his breath in between shows.
Music Etc.: Song Dudes - The Pines
Some music evokes open spaces, removing boundaries of thought and liberating the senses.
Music, Etc. - Come Fly With Herb
Herb Alpert’s rich musical life speaks volumes of his passion.
Music, Etc.: The Vaccines—Charting New Paths
The Vaccines are on a roll. Having released their critically acclaimed English Graffiti album in May (their third album in four years), the band has already toured the world, opening for The Rolling Stones, Muse and others while selling out mid-sized halls around the U.S. Produced by Dave Fridmann and Cole M. Greif-Neill and recorded at Fridmann’s studio in upstate New York, English Graffiti is a refined and polished recording.
Bankrupt Studio Faces Auction
A major recording/production facility in North Hollywood, Calif., that formerly housed LA Sound Gallery and most recently Legends Studios, is being auctioned after Chapter 11 bankruptcy transitioned into a Chapter 7 foreclosure.
Avatar Up For Sale
A legendary studio by any measure, New York’s Avatar Studios has gone up for sale.
Music Etc. - Wire: Turn the Page
Brian Eno once said that everyone who bought a copy of the Velvet Underground’s debut album went on to start a band of their own.
Music Etc.: Beautiful Torchbearer
Gingger Shankar burst onto the international music scene in2004, with her emotionally compelling performances and collaborative work on the film score for The Passion of the Christ, which received an Oscar nomination.
Music Etc. : Marchesano Journey
Having built a successful career as a record producer since the late 1980s, California-based Michael James has gone on to become one of the music industry’s most prolific producer/mix engineers.
Music, Etc.: A Steady Hand - Jon Regen
Jon Regen’s Stop Time was sparked at a London party where the singer/songwriter found himself jamming with actor Jeremy Irons—Regen on piano and Irons on cello—in a distinctly New Orleansy kind of vibe.
Music, Etc.: Capturing a Fragile Moment
This month, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams issue their self-titled debut album on Red House Records.
Music Etc.: San Cisco - Soul Connection
Six-time Aria-Award nominated San Cisco just released its second full-length album last month, entitled Gracetown.
Music, Etc.: Letting The Music Speak
Justin Townes Earle just released his new album Absent Fathers in January as a companion piece to Single Mothers, which was released last year to critical acclaim.
Music Etc. - The Real Stuff
by Jaques Sonyieux. Country artist Ryan Bingham recently released Fear and Saturday Night, written and conceived in an Airstream in the mountains of Socal.
Music, Etc. : The Human Touch
This month, two-time Juno award winner Dan Mangan + Blacksmith release their new album, Club Meds.
Music Etc.: Leave It All Behind - Elliot Brood
On Work and Love, Elliot BROOD’s new album, the Canadian band broke with past traditions by hiring a producer for the first time and expanding its own musical palette.
Music Etc: Reemergence of the Violin
Grammy-winning violinist, composer and educator Mark O’Connor released his new album MOC4 in June, part of his lifelong mission of bringing the violin and other stringed instruments back to the prominence in our culture they once enjoyed.
Music Etc.: Midge Ure - Capturing A Fragile Moment
Midge Ure has had an enormous influence on the music industry, not just as a member of bands like Slik, Thin Lizzy and Visage, but also as leader of Ultravox—a group that was among the first of its kind, inspiring legions of electronic-based new wave musicians around the world.
Music, Etc.: Lera Lynn, One Step Down The Trail
Lera Lynn’s new album, The Avenues, produced by pedal steel virtuoso Joshua Grange (k.d. lang, Sheryl Crow, Beck), is rich with texture and emotion.
Music Etc.: Discovering Days Gone By and the Present
On his latest album, entitled Broken Glass Twisted Steel, Nashville-based artist James House presents a collection of soulful country tunes, each exploring different dimensions of human relationships, as told through a hearty and sincere vocal delivery.
Music Etc.: Sweet Emotion
Tim Showalter, the principal songwriter and musician behind Strand of Oaks, puts it all out on the table on his latest album, Heal—a treasure trove of cathartic emotion, all expressed through an delicious stew of vintage synthesizers and heavy guitars, with some ingredients courtesy of J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.).
Music Etc: A Pearl of a Production
Kristeen Young’s latest album, The Knife Shift, is a bold and sonically diverse record that evokes a strong rock sensibility set against a thoroughly modern soundscape.
Music, Etc.: Go Your Own Way - Walter Martin
Walter Martin is best known as a member of The Walkmen, an indie-rock band that released a string of albums since the early 2000s—all of which were well received in both the U.S. and U.K., and many of which charted.