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Sonic Youth unveils The Eternal details
Last we heard from Sonic Youth... read more
Found in: Music, NewsThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #10
“Stay Positive”, November 29th through February 19th I love mixing. It’s really a lot of fun taking all the sonic info and putting it into the right spaces. It’s fun mixing with The Hold Steady. They all have different viewpoints of the mixing phase of a record and they all complement each other.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #9
“Stay Positive”, November 29th through February 19th [Above: John Agnello and Ben Nichols]One of my favorite things about new technology of recording is the ability to e-mail rough mixes to people and have them contribute to your record. It’s a convenient and fun way of getting other people involved. We had some cool guest stars on the last record and it worked so well, that early on in the recording process, we were thinking towards that end.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #8
[Above: John Agnello and Tad Kubler]“Stay Positive”, November 29th through February 19th Yep, things were looking great. After a peaceful four-day weekend with my wife and daughter, I woke up Monday morning and loaded my car with incidental gear and headed to the wilds of Long Island City. I printed directions from Mapquest to make sure I had directions. This is where things turned a bit. After driving in circles for a half hour, I decided to call the studio and try to figure out how Mapquest could do me so wrong.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #7
It’s always fun watching band members disappear during the overdub phase of a record. There’s nothing like sitting and listening to the same guitar part or vocal line over and over that will send other musical types running for the local bar. With four more days at Water Music and plenty of overdubs to do, we needed to make sure we used the big room to it utmost. That means picking the overdubs more suited for the space we were in.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #6
[Above: Bobby Drake]Every band has its own dynamic. Sonic Youth, DBT and Dinosaur Jr are all very different bands internally. Some are more democratic than others, and with that, dealing with each band and individual member is a case by case scenario. The same holds true with The Hold Steady. In terms of songwriting, both Tad and Franz are strong songwriters in their own way.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #5
[Above, L-R: Bobby Drake and John Agnello]Things are really rolling. We’ve been tracking furiously and the band is really hitting their stride. We’ve nailed easier songs like “Stay Positive” and harder ones like “Creepy Jam,” which will end up being called “One For The Cutters.” That song became one of my favorites early on. We cut it live with Franz playing the intros and verses with a synth harpsichord simulation. We knew we needed a real harpsichord on the song, but we had to find one that was accessible. But that would be for another day.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #4
“I don’t think anyone could have anticipated 'Adderall' not making the record.” Sound familiar? The first part is all too familiar with me. That’s how our administration explains levy breaches or not finding WMD’s, etc. But that’s a different blog for a different day. At least in this case, my statement is absolutely true.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Hold Steady studio diary - Stay Positive - #3
On a panel a few years ago at SXSW, a producer/manager sitting to my right discussed how he developed a camaraderie with the artist during the making of the records. He described it as “making the record company the common enemy.” I found this transparent and short sighted. And those were two of the nicer things I thought about this idiotic approach.... read more
Found in: Blogs, Dear DiaryThe Week at Paste
It was a busy week at Paste. Several Paste staffers returned from Sasquatch, we welcomed Ben Sollee by the office for a performance, celebrated two upcoming arrivals into the Paste family with a double shower, said hello to a brand new crop of interns, and oh yeah, I started a blog. Here's a little round-up of what was going on at PasteMagazine.com this week:Rainn Wilson video from SasquatchRainn Wilson goes toe-to-toe (at least that's how I hope it was) with our own Jason Killingsworth, complaining that his favorite band The National has gotten all uppity since their album landed #1... read more
Found in: Blogs, High Gravity
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