Monday, July 18, 2011

Just finished this book...

...about the history (and current state) of sound recording, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anybody who's a musician. Here's my brief review of Perfecting Sound Forever, an Aural History of Recorded Music: first, don't let the dry sounding name fool you, this book is full of stories and examples that are fun, creatively written, and addictive to read. You don't have to be an audiophile, gear head wannabe (like me), know-it-all, or professional musician to like (love) this. The book is divided into 3 sections: 1. Acoustic/Electrical beginnings - Thomas Edison and Alan Lomax 2. Analog middle - Lead Belly, Les Paul, and Phil Spector 3. Digital end/current - The Loudness War, the digital feel of current music, Dr. Dre, Pixies vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers recordings, Dub, and what recording studios offer in 2011.

I love the flow of this book - science mixed with history, comical real stories about how sound used to be captured, and a solid take on the evolution of the music industry. Maybe it sounds cliche, but I did not want this book to end and it has completely changed the way I listen - to everything - and in turn has changed my life.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Inspired

Very inspired by these women and thankful to be introduced to this band recently. Rip.

Gillian Welch new album

Gillian Welch with David Rawlings, one of my favorite guitarists.


Saturday, July 2, 2011