Standing By Words
Last issue (Paste #9), I expressed some reservations with The Middle Mind, in which Curtis White attacks American middlebrow-intellectual culture’s vapid consumerism... read more
Between Midnight and Day
Dick Waterman has led the mythic life most blues fans only conjure up in their wildest juke-joint dreams... read more
St. Catherine's Court - Bath, England (1996)
Was there a ghost in the machine when Radiohead recorded its groundbreaking album, OK Computer, in 1996? Working on the follow-up to its critically acclaimed sophomore effort, The Bends... read more
Motown Studios - Detroit, Michigan (1971)
During its golden era (1959-1971), Motown’s recording studio produced not only a jaw-dropping string of hits... read more
Castle Studios - Nashville, Tennessee (1948)
If only because it was the first recording studio in what would become Music City, USA, Castle Studios influenced music history as fundamentally as any other studio in the world... read more
Abbey Road Studios - London, England (1969)
Probably the most famous set of recording studios in the world, Abbey Road is now 73-years-old. Best known as the place The Beatles and Sir George Martin created some of the finest pop music ever... read more
Sound Emporium - Nashville, Tennessee (1999)
It’s a mystical studio, and there are a hundred stories about strange—but wonderful—things happening during sessions... read more
John Keane Studios - Athens, Georgia (1990)
It’s strange to think so many incredible albums have been recorded in this little white, wood-panel house—brick front porch, bench swing, wind chimes and all—in this quiet residential neighborhood in Athens, Ga... read more
Prairie Sun Recording - Cotati, California (1992)
Tom Waits wanted a different recording experience for his 1992 album, Bone Machine. But even Waits admits he got far more than he bargained for... read more
Gold Star Studios - Houston, Texas (1948)
Isolated from New York, Los Angeles and Nashville, the independently owned SugarHill Studios has been a virtual open mic for the sounds swirling through the honky tonks and juke joints that dot the Gulf Coast... read more
Slane Castle - County Meath, Ireland (1984)
It was as likely a place as any to start a sonic revolution. In 1690, William of Orange defeated James II at the Battle of the Boyne, near the present-day site of Slane Castle in County Meath... read more
Western Studios - Hollywood (1966)
The nondescript building at 6000 Sunset Blvd. that was once Western Studios has hosted its share of legends over the decades... read more
Just For the Record
The greatest albums and singles don’t drop from the sky to your doorstep; there’s no sharp-beaked songbird carrying them in swaddling clothes from an other-worldly paradise... read more
"I've Got My Bob Dylan Mask On"
Within three weeks of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, a slightly intoxicated Bob Dylan received the Tom Paine award... read more
Jackson Browne
On the occasion of Jackson Browne’s 2004 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rhino Records has assembled The Very Best of Jackson Browne... read more
Bro. Danielson
Although he probably shares his name with no less than a few thousand people across the world, Daniel Smith has never struggled to distinguish himself from his relative ocean of namesakes... read more
Bonnie McKee
Yes, Bonnie McKee confesses, it was a total no-brainer dubbing her Reprise Records debut, Trouble. Because for most of her early teens, that’s exactly what this hard-partying truant was in... read more
Amy Farris
Amy Farris’ large eyes and cropped ringlets evoke the sass of a young Bette Davis, while her fishnets and platform boots walk straight out of The Rocky Horror Picture Show... read more
Jim White
Talk about your Renaissance men. In his 47 years on Earth, quirky folk-rock raconteur Jim White has been a taxi driver, professional surfer, furniture craftsman, filmmaker and well-paid European fashion model... read more
Michael McDermott
McDermott had everything on his side: A powerful manager (Brian Koppelman, who signed Tracy Chapman), a Billboard hit in MTV’s buzz bin... read more
The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade…
The 17 Best Romantic Comedies This Decade
The 50 Best Albums of the Decade…
The 25 Best Movie Performances of the…
The 20 Best Live Acts of the…
B.O.B. - Put Me On
Gregory Alan Isakov - The Moon Song
Kim Taylor - Days Like this
Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard
Punch Brothers - Punch Brothers at CMJ
David Bazan - Hard To Be
Anya Marina - Whatever You Like
