2015
William Elliott Whitmore, ‘Radium Death’
On his own with a banjo, or fronting a rock ’n’ roll band, singer/songwriter William Elliott Whitmore sings about trouble—in love, from the government,...
Profiles
2015
Cool Spin: Hot Chip, ‘Why Make Sense?’
With each passing year, the public’s collective ears are better prepped for sounds like the experimental ones of Hot Chip. In turn, Hot Chip...
2015
Built to Spill, ‘Untethered Moon’
Built to Spill’s first album release in five years, Untethered Moon, features a couple of new bandmembers; since the group’s previous release, There Is...
news
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Designed by architect Frank Gehry and featuring an acoustical design by Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota, the Walt Disney Concert Hall opened on October 23, 2003,...
2015
Boxed In Debut
Oli Bayston works well amongst clutter. For his latest one-man project, Boxed In, clutter helped streamline his entire recording process, and his sound. Bayston...
2015
Avid Dancer, ‘1st Bath’
For Jacob Summers, the solo artist behind the entity Avid Dancer, it always comes back to drums. Picking up the drums as a high...
2015
The Very Best, ‘Makes A King’
While many producers might toy with the romantic notion of setting up a portable studio in the African bush, few actually do it. To...
Current Issue
Cool Spin: Turbo Fruits, ‘No Control’
Turbo Fruits’ fourth album, No Control (Melvin Records/Thirty Tigers), starts in a psychedelic haze with the sweet-smelling ’60s West Coast throwback, “Show Me Something...
2015
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, ‘The Third’
For their latest album, The Third, Durham siblings Kitty, Daisy & Lewis moved their home studio from the two tiny back rooms of their...
2015
Cool Spin: Noel Gallagher, ‘Chasing Yesterday’
On his second solo album, Chasing Yesterday (Sour Mash Records), one time Oasis main man Noel Gallagher has progressed more than he did over...
2015
A Place to Bury Strangers, ‘Transfixiation’
You would be well advised to bring your most effective earplugs to a A Place to Bury Strangers show. The New York-based nu-gazer trio,...
2015
Tuxedo’s Debut
A few years prior to Mayer Hawthorne breaking hearts and taking names with his debut, he and hip-hop producer Jake One were trading mixtapes....
2015
Mix Regional Florida: Trevor Fletcher, Hit Factory Criteria
It’s always good, when talking about south Florida, to check in with Hit Factory Criteria VP and general manager Trevor Fletcher. After 30 years,...
2015
Kate Pierson Visits Werewolf
Fabulous B-52 Kate Pierson releases her first solo album, Guitars and Microphones, this month. The legendary vocal powerhouse recorded in Werewolf Heart, the personal...
2015
Amen Dunes Have ‘Cowboy Worship’
The Cowboy Worship EP from psychedelic-ambient-folk project Amen Dunes—led by Damon McMahon—is being released as a sort of “companion” piece to the Amen Dunes...
2015
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors’ ‘Medicine’
“I feel like an old soul,” Drew Holcomb sings in “Tightrope,” off his latest album, Medicine. The song suggests a degree of world-weariness, but...
2015
Beethoven’s Ninth in 5.1
Leslie Ann Jones, Wolfgang Fraissinet, Mike Pappas and a Lot of Digital Mics
2015
Cool Spin: Pink Floyd, ‘The Endless River’ (Columbia)
This first CD of “new” Pink Floyd music in 20 years (still without Roger Waters) was largely put together by David Gilmour, co-producer Phil...
2015
Happy Fangs, ‘Capricorn’
Happy Fangs is an apt name for this energetic punk trio from San Francisco. They’ve got a major edge, but a joyful sound, too,...
2015
Lee Ann Womack, ‘The Way I’m Livin’’
This lovely country album—recorded almost three years ago with producer Frank Liddell (Womack’s husband), producer/musician Glenn Worf and producer/engineer Chuck Ainlay—finally found a label...
2014
Mix Regional New York City: Matty Amendola Rebuilds 825 Records Studio
Musician, producer and label owner Matty Amendola has built his own career and his company, 825 Records, on a foundation of hands-on production and...
2014
Mix Regional New York City: Scott Jacoby at Eusonia Studios
Scott Jacoby was halfway through medical school before he was able to accept that choosing to make music his career was not a selfish...
Live Sound
The Hollywood Bowl: A Unique Blend of Natural Acoustics and Amplified Sound
The Hollywood Bowl, that iconic Los Angeles venue so named for the landscape it occupies, not the shell covering its stage, hosted its first...
news
Jackson Browne: L.A.’s Favorite Son Talks About His New Album, Standing in the Breach, and How He Works in the Studio
Jackson Browne wrote “The Birds of St. Marks,” the song that kicks off his superb new album, Standing in the Breach, when he was...
news
When Sessions Reigned Supreme: The Players, Studios from L.A.’s Golden Age
The Record Plant in Los Angeles was the place to be on Sunday nights in 1973, when owner Gary Kellgren convinced drummer Jim Keltner...
news
L.A.’s Unsung Studio Heroes
Remember when engineers weren’t even credited on albums? Labels haven’t always acknowledged the essential role players on both sides of the glass. But at...