Austin Tally and Amanda Glasser who are better known together as Silent Whys were in the studio last year with Alex and me. Both are multi-instrumentalists, playing guitar, dulcimer, accordion, lap steel, dobro, banjo, mandolin, organ and drums. And sometimes at the same time when performed live. They play a diverse mix of music ranging from artsy-folk to gospel to avant.

I had the great opportunity to work with them for the better half of last year on their debut album. It came together wonderfully. Austin and Amanda took what they were doing very seriously and it shows in their record. It’s the perfect Friday evening dinner listen or great on a winter’s morning enjoying a great cup of tea.

The record has just been released on Lovasaurus Records and can be purchased here.

Waltz For October

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Lay Me Down

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I had the pleasure of working with Chris Farmer, who was the drummer and co-composer for the pioneering math-rock band Breadwinner who had a few albums out on Merge Records. I loved that band and always wondered what he had been up to since the band broke up. We recently met when he played a solo set at NOVO 2011. It was tremendous. Sadly his sampler died and we only got half a set. It was well worth it, however, even for such a short set.

Luckily, since then, he decided to start working on his third full length album, recorded live. John Morand (Sparklehorse, Royal Trux, Camper Van Beethoven) engineered, recorded and mixed this record. I had the pleasure of mastering the record.

I am always pretty critical with drummers, as in another lifetime I played drums in many of bands. But Chris is one of the most innovative, creative and dynamic drummers I’ve come across in a long while. He’s also a genuinely nice guy! And this record is no exception. His drumming is impeccable. The record was written on electric keys, coded in to MIDI, arranged live on an MPC2000, and outputted to a Casio and a Novation synthesizer, accompanied by drums. Stylistically, the record is math-jazz, ethereal soundscapish and avant-awesome. It’s a great listen. One in particular I like to listen to in the car.

Enjoy my favorite cut:

Techtonics

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Adrian and I have spent the better part of two years working and recording his debut record, Better Son. Adrian, from Southern Illinois,  does a lot of listening, and speaks selectively. But when he sings, he SINGS. It’s compelling. He has a voice that makes you stop to listen – And wonder where he’s been. David Bazan and Jay Farrar come to mind with out being derivative.

Better Son could arguably be called a concept album. The nearly chronological songs tell of Adrian’s self-destructive romances and indignant attitudes toward the faith that would ultimately rescue him. The lyrics range from poignant verses on the attack, to soft-spoken pleads for mercy and a second chance (or third, or fourth). The sound he achieves is clearly based in roots/Americana, but polished with a love for pop music.

The record is sprinkled with Baltimore guests. The always awesome and rather prolific Frank Corl plays drums on all but one track. Christopher DeMeo (Infinite Honey) laid down drums on the last cut, E.Joseph and Paul Mercer played guitars on a few tracks and Ruby Fulton and Andrew Histand (both from We Used To Be Family) played violin and cello, respectively.

Recording-wise many of ribbon mics (close and room) were used to track the initial vocal and acoustic guitar parts. Many of the original scratch takes we recorded in the studio were actually used in the final mixes, as well. It’s more proof that first takes are always quintessential to incredible and heart-felt performances.

This record is very special and hope you check it out. A tour is planned for later this summer and early fall. Below are my two favorite tracks.

Better Son

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Scavenger

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Ms. Fridrich is a duo from Washington, DC: Sarah on piano/vocals and Dan Marcellus on drums. I had the pleasure of producing their second record, You Call That Brave, here at Mobtown. Over a year in the making, it’s been quite the journey.

Inspired by Amanda Palmer, Tom Waits and Fiona Apple, Sarah pulls from everything: burlesque, indie rock, and pop. Her voice and songwriting are charismatic, heartfelt, and clever, and while her songs definitely lean towards pop elements (in all the best possible moments) there is a tinge of avant with delicate nods to Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson. Dan’s monstrous drum sound and slightly jazzy feel is a force to be reckoned with. He’s the perfect yang to Sarah’s yin.

You can buy You Call That Brave here.

Below are my two favorite songs:

The Bills

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Hearts Intact

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It’s taken me a few days to digest last week’s microshow with Yeveto. Despite Amy’s “bregnancy prain”, Russell’s 64k memory and Ben’s proposed digital drum kit, Yeveto put on a stellar show. Spinal Tap was known for their “punctuality” – Yeveto should be known for being the most well-rehearsed. And in the best way possible, between arrangement, setup and performance. I can’t thank them enough for being such a well-oiled machine. Oh and playing incredibly moving instrumental experimental film music! Thanks!

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1. Practice! If you don’t practice you won’t sound good. Bottom line. If you are planning to use a click in the studio, learn how to play with one.
2. Tune, tune, tune! If you don’t know how to tune, check out this link or ask a friend who does. When going to record in a studio, work with an engineer who knows how to finely tune your kit.
3. Put new heads on. That said, if the existing heads aren’t excessively worn or dented and you like the way they sound, they are probably ok. Keep in mind new heads may need a couple days of playing to break in. Check and tune as needed in between takes/songs just like a guitarist would.
4. Try tuning the drums to the fundamental key of the song played on. When drums ring in the key of the song, the ring is more pleasing to the ear. (more…)