Bill Laurance ::: Swift

Today I'd like to showcase a brilliant record. It isn't brand new (though it might be to you) and to me it feels as such every time I hit play. Bill Laurance's "Swift" is a mixed bag of many things beautiful and epic. The landscapes he creates with his work on this album is quite deep and wide, while subtly hinting at bits and bobs of nostalgia from yesteryear. "Swift" is an expansive record that lives rooted firmly as a Jazz record, but with many adjacent musings at every twist and turn.

"Swift" (2015) the second in the succession of Laurance's releases was recorded with many of his fellow band-mates in the ensemble Snarky Puppy. Admittedly, I'm a big fan of Snarky Puppy -- a genre bending group of musicians that meld jazz, funk, soul, blues, electronic and beyond, in remarkable ways. Born out of the University of North Texas school of music, these musicians set out to create incredible music. Pushing the boundaries in our current industry climate of what is 'genre' consideration.

The tonal landscape of this record, as previously mentioned, is quite wide offering something for everyone. I'll detail a few of my favorite tracks from the album here. Wonderfully, much of the content of the record has professional footage, so please take a look and listen at the bottom of this post.

From the very Dave Brubeck-esque "Denmark Hill" to the electronic Air meets Giorgio Moroder "Mr. Elevator," this record is the kind of piece you can let run on the road, letting it open itself up at every ebb. The record opens with a beautiful and cinematic "Prologue: Fjords," it's almost as if the music is asking the listener to take the time to let it in; Relax, open your heart/open your mind. This cinematic treatment is a true-line on "Swift", allowing the listener to be taken somewhere else, somewhere beautiful and new. Fans of Bon Iver, Sigur Ros will feel right at home in the shade of those moments Laurance and company make. After the incredible drum outro of the opening track, "December In New York" slips right in giving the listener instant travel to the vintage movie "Love Story" vibes of a New York winter. You can really sense the cold snow and beauty of the city in this track. Laurance's agile and gorgeous piano playing is abundant in this standout piece. Songs like title track "Swift" and "U-Bahn" usher in the familiar groove and nimble musical musings Snarky Puppy are famous for. The cinematic landscape maintains the travel through each song for it's audience, guiding us right along every step of the way.

0004594800_10.jpeg

It's hard to not be taken away by these pieces. For me personally, I reach for musical works that do exactly that. I want to be swept away into my own worlds, and albums like "Swift" can help arrange that travel. It's part meditation, part appreciation. The journey, as always, is more important than the destination. Such as "Rush," a beautiful piano driven piece sitting somewhere between Brubeck or McCoy Tyner, floating on a break beat drum pattern that just keeps inching towards the moving pictures in your mind.

"Swift" closes with "The Isles," a pensive track with mostly solo piano and string accompaniment. A subtle lovely way to turn the last page of a book that's become like an old friend. "The Isles" holds a secret close to it's heart --- a hidden track! After roughly 5 minutes of silence, you are greeted by a vocoder melody that stings you right in your core. A choral moment of simplicity that folds back that cover in the purest and most lovely way, in the way that only Laurance and company can do --- with grace, beauty and nostalgia.

Brian Buckley Band Tracking Session ::: Grandmaster Recorders

Howdy folks! This week I'd like to share a glimpse into a recent recording session for the Brian Buckley Band at Grandmaster Recorders. Grandmaster Recorders is a beautiful vintage and extremely vibey recording studio in the heart of Hollywood, CA. Grandmaster first opened it's doors back in 1971 and has been responsible for many incredible and seminal records such as: Foo Fighters (Colour And The Shape), No Doubt (Tragic Kingdom), Queens Of The Stone Age (Songs For The Deaf), Beck (Midnight Vultures) and many others. Grandmaster Recorders has an immense amount of great gear, most importantly the 1971 Neve 8028 Console -- highly sought after for it's incredible sound. There are two main tracking rooms there --- the wood room and the drum room. Both offer a specificity to the sound and really bring out the best in the tracking. It goes without saying, we LOVE working at this historical studio. It's helped bring out the best in the Brian Buckley Band -- and the four of us agree that it's the best we've ever sounded. We absolutely CANNOT wait to share this music with you all.

Now, a bit about the process... Please enjoy this photo journey below of what a typical tracking session for the Brian Buckley Band looks like. We typically utilize a two day format where one day is devoted to capturing the "rhythm" tracks and the next is overdubs, which include my guitar and any vocals needed. There are MANY ways to work in a recording session --- we've definitely experimented and have found that we enjoy the workflow and return of this format the most. I know for me personally, once I'm in the mindset of creating all my guitar layers and overdubs, it's nice to stay in that flow and keep working - I find it's the easiest way to make the most out of a creative moment. Anyone who's worked in a studio as the artist, producer, engineer or technician will agree that anything that gets in the way of creativity is the enemy --- it's all about keeping that flow going. If you're familiar with recording, then you know that it's the ultimate gift when the producer and/or engineer is in support of your vision while also bringing their talents to the table, and we have that doubly in Johannes Raassina (Grammy Award-Nominated producer and engineer). Johannes offers my favorite type of production assistance: allowing the artist the space to create and make the best music they can, bringing his talents, experience and ear to the process to tighten it all up. We are quite lucky to have found such a talent and friend in Johannes and look forward to making many years of music with him.

I hope you enjoyed a small look into the creative process of our tracking sessions at Grandmaster Recorders as much as we did making them! Be sure to look for future excerpts as we continue the recording process. See you next week!

The Book ::: Session Notes

Tally-ho from the wonderful, elating land of recording preparation! While this week's update is slightly shorter in stature, it's none-the-less a very integral part of my process for anything involving recording music in a studio.

That brings us to the "Book"... No it's not mythical or spellbinding, but it certainly holds all my secrets! Before every recording session I take the time (usually a hefty effort) to sit and chart out the gear, guitars, tones, settings and any notes I'll need for the upcoming work in the fast paced world of tracking guitars. There are definitely situations where I'll enter a blind session and I'll just need to be quick and think on my "toes"... but usually if I've been given the music and direction ahead of time and specifically with my band, the Brian Buckley Band I'll get everything together ahead of time. The "Book" as I call it (ahem, it's a book folks!) is a tattered memoir of tons of sessions and ideas that is as special to me as the written word inside. A constant companion and incredibly helpful aid when needing to create in the studio's "Time Is Money" atmosphere.

My process for creating these little lighthouses in the sea of creation, particularly with the Brian Buckley Band, are a mix of two ideals: Rhythm tracking and overdubs. The rhythm tracking is our first set of recordings, where the whole band plays at once and we play the song as normal. I'll make a decision ahead of time if I'd like that to mirror how I play it live with the band or rather a simpler rhythm type of accompaniment to sit as a base for my overdubs... and I do often have many overdubs --- Layers are the magic for me with tracking guitars. The next section of my session notes would be the overdubs, and they guide me for each part of the song: intro, verse, chorus, bridge, solo etc... and all the corresponding gear and (most importantly) settings that I'll need to get the job done.

A messy mix of exploration... getting the tones together.

A messy mix of exploration... getting the tones together.

All in all, creating in the studio when most often budgets and time allowance are always an issue, it's extremely important for every musician to be able to nail their parts and get the tones and feeling down as efficiently as possible. My "Book" helps with that process in the literal sense and possibly more importantly with something deeper --- a reminder to dig deep and pull from all of my experience crafting tones.

See you all next week with news and updates after the session.

Tinkercity Playlist ::: Volume One

Howdy folks! Today's Weekly Update is a slight departure from our normal programing in that I'm offering up a playlist of artists and songs that I'm listening to and enjoying this week... and think that you might enjoy as well! I've got a saying, "I Eat Music For Breakfast," which is part hyperbole and part truth --- I truly love seeking new and interesting music that makes me FEEL... I hope you enjoy checking out some of what I'm digging.

Ryan Adams's newest record 'Prisoner' is the sixteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter. It's filled with many sounds and tones hearkening back to the 1980's chorus and overdriven guitar tones, with a brilliant modern-meets-vintage tone. The record is a wonderful piece, mostly showing off Adams heartbreak and challenges of coming out of one part of his life and growing into another -- the record has a nostalgic vibe from top to bottom.

The single 'Do You Still Love Me?' holds true to the songwriter's truth-seeking and yearning for that freedom anyone who's ever loved, wanted to love, or been in a relationship, experiences. Adams creates a Neil Young meets John Hughes experience here with bustling guitars and creative percussive hits that reel the listener in, ultimately getting to a cutting guitar solo that reigns in the track. 'Do You Still Love Me?' is the type of song that calls you to get in your car, take a drive on Mulholland Drive at sunset with the windows down and shout to the heavens with your existential wares in tow...

Warpaint's 'Heads Up,' released by Rough Trade Records, is the third record by the Los Angeles based indie rock band. 'Heads Up' is filled with a wonderful collection of songs that sit deeply in groove and mystery. The band crafts songs in the often difficult realm of writing catchy (pop, if I dare say) melodies and structures, but altering them in such a way that it not only feels new and interesting, but also familiar.

'New Song' which I'm highlighting here is exactly that. Instantly up tempo and grooving, with a darkness that keeps the track from being a typical jaunt through radio commercialism -- yielding a deeper sound than at first listen. The counter melodies and harmonies meld together creating something truly exciting.

Doyle Bramhall II's 'Rich Man' is the fourth solo studio album and the first since 'Welcome,' released all the way back in 2001. Needless to say, fans of Bramhall II have been chomping at the bit for over a decade for a new full release from the incredible talent, and the reward is certainly there. 'Rich Man' is an incredible record in it's entirety and one that I'd love to get into further with you all at some point.

One of my personal favorites from the record is 'Keep You Dreamin,' a funky soulful track that throws many shades of R&B -- Sly & The Family Stone meets the Isley Brothers. Bramhall's groove and phrasing, both vocally and musically, are what kill it here for me. It's deep as the dark of the night.

 

John Legend's fifth studio album 'Darkness and Light' is a joyful listen produced by Blake Mills whom I love both as a producer and artist. The entire record is true to Mills' production -- pushing the boundaries of the artists he works with, yet still remaining true to their vision and personality.

There are many great songs in this collection, including the title track with powerhouse guest vocalist Brittany Howard, but I've decided to showcase the 7th track 'Surefire.' There's something beautiful here that sits somewhere between modern R&B and Daniel Lanois' production of Peter Gabriel's seminal record 'So'. The flowing bass lines create a sinuous tonal base that literally allows the melodies to float right on top - existing right in that exciting territory of familiar and devastatingly new. Lyrically, the choruses draw me in, mainly due to the fact that they're extremely inspirational for an artist making a living in this life. Take those chances, make those moves. This life is yours to make.

Cause I may not know a lot of things but
I feel it in my chest
Know I won't let the blue flame die
We can't lose hope just yet
'Cause it's once, just once in a lifetime
And we're scared to love but it's alright
I may not know a lot of things but
I know that we're surefire, yeah
Know that we're surefire, yeah

The Lemon Twigs 'Do Hollywood' is the debut album from the D'Addario brothers, recently released on 4AD records. 'Do Hollywood' is an extremely creative journey into the 70's chamber pop meets avant-garde: Harry Nilsson's 'Nilsson Schmilsson', Todd Rundgren, Queen, Left Banke's 'Pretty Ballerina'.... man, it's all there. The Lemon Twigs are young and adventurous with their sound and the scope of their songwriting.

The stand-out track 'These Words' is a prime example of the work they've put in. It's a vintage/modern chamber pop masterpiece that isn't setting out to re-create... I'll definitely be keeping my eye on The Lemon Twigs and their ridiculously eclectic vision.

Biffy Clyro, a slightly unknown band to US markets (yet enormously successful world-touring trio hailing from Scotland) released their seventh studio album Ellipsis in 2016, and it's an epic piece of modern pop rock. I normally shy away from anything with such descriptions, but there's something completely different happening with these Scottish lads. 'Ellipsis' is filled to the brim with ENORMOUS guitar tones, catchy-as-hell hooks, and very interesting rhythmic production. It's the kind of record that keeps revealing layer after layer the more you listen. This is NOT disposable pop-rock trite -- it's powerful and demands every bit of success it's received. 

The featured track 'Howl' is an ear candy experience that instantly takes me back to adolescence and semi-reckless teenage abandon. The mystery of life, the simplicity of just wanting to be a part of something or someone. Sometimes, a song can just strip away all the shackles of the those feelings and make you feel like you can do anything... if you Howl loud enough. 

'Epoch' is the fourth studio album by the American Ambient/Electronic group Tycho, which was released in January of 2017. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Charts and for anyone who listens to electronic music, you'll understand why. 'Epoch' is a sprawling musical journey of ambience, break beats, swashes of color and sound. An instrumental record at it's heart, Tycho create the perfect soundtrack to a modern lifestyle. It's almost as if it were written for the road -- meditation for your spirit as you sit in Los Angeles traffic, yearning for freedom and a higher self... wait, isn't that what everyone does whilst in their cars!?

'Division' - which I've chosen to feature today, has a symphonic and epic quality that opens up my brain in a way that just doesn't happen with other kinds of music. There's a Radiohead aspect to the rhythm section which allows the souring melodies from the synth and guitars to float right above your stressed out chakras. This is the kind of music that hits your subconscious right in it's third eye and allows you to soar... if you let it. 

Happy listening & happy trails... see you on the other side.

Cart (0)