klickitat band camp

Yeah, Boiiiii!

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:38:05 -0700

What the heck is up with this gloomy summer!? I'm going nuts. But here is some exciting news. The Wurlitzer 200 electric piano has been in the hands of vintage keyboard guru Matt Cunitz down in the Bay Area for restoration, and she'll be back very soon! Matt is raving about the results, and he's a hard man to please. He recapped the amp, rebushed the keys, tuned it, installed 200A reed shielding and eliminated all hum and buzz, and regulated the action. He's given her a 9.5 out of 10 in feel and sound. "She's got the spirit." I'm stoked. Matt's list of clients is like an NME or Rolling Stones magazine list of Who's Who. Now that the Mogami wiring project is nearly complete, the studio is truly dialed in, and having things run smoothly is something we're all grateful for daily. In an amazing bit of news, Tahoe Jackson's drummer apparently found a pair of vintage Neumann u47 microphones for $5 at a garage sale. I don't even know that dude, and I hate him. He just found $30,000. And, oh, The Red Octopuses II - Flaming Arrows - is weeks from being finished. Almost forgot, the studio now has a vocoder - a microKorg XL. "Mr. Bluuuue Sky."

Summer Is Starting to Roll In

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:47:04 -0700

And it's about time! I can't remember when it's been this cloudy and rainy into late June, but hopefully long stretches of sun are just around the corner. Speaking of which, if you're down in the Eugene Area in August, be sure and attend the Willamette Valley Blues & Brews Festival at Island Park on the Willamette River in Springfield. The event is Friday and Saturday, August 6-7. There are a lot of great performers, amazing varieties of beer, and best of all, it's a benefit for the Habitat for Humanity to help them build simple, decent homes for people that need them. So it's a win-win. You can check it out more here. The studio has been busy as ever with sessions with Pocketknife, 1776, Brant Colella, Brad Creel, and this super cool band whose music just made the studio shake beautifully called Are You Gone. The rest of the summer is looking busy as ever, so call soon if you want to schedule your sessions!

Recording Studio Horror Stories

Sat, 29 May 2010 13:56:10 -0700

A friend just sent me this link of the stupidest things engineers and producers have ever heard during recording sessions. It's 131 pages of stories, and if you're in for a good laugh, read on. I'm only on page six and it's gut busting. The studio is busy as ever heading into the summer. We have sessions scheduled with Tom Provost and the Guardians of the Future, Brad Creel and the Real Deal, Nathan Earle, Brant Colella, and final mixing with the amazing indie band, 1776. Okay, new tunes. Here is a mix of Nr. 47 [mp3] by Paper Brain. And take a listen to Square Peg, Round Hole [mp3] by The Red Octopuses. The studio is in the middle of lots of small but marked improvements - new Mogami leads for the XLR mic boxes, a new flat screen for the music DVDs and foreign movies we play with the sound on mute, a lovely new Earth2o water dispenser, and Pro Tools upgrades. The new studio photos taken by John Carleton look amazing, and we're shopping for a web company to design and launch a new web page. If anyone has any leads on a great web designer, please shoot an e-mail!

Smatterings

Mon, 17 May 2010 10:57:11 -0700

The studio is smack dab in the middle of a full-length record for Brad Creel and the Reel Deal. He has a great band of players, and the tunes range from bits of folk hilarity due to the funny story-telling in the lyrics, to some down-right poppy baritone country rock ala old Johnny Cash. Very catchy stuff. The record will definitely have a broad variety of songs and up-tempo pace to keep you interested from start to finish. It's been nice getting to know the AKG c12 for vocals, too. It is the perfect compliment to the u47. Rather than having that nice 600-800hz bump, the c12 is more full bodied, particularly in the top end. It is probably the smoothest mic I've ever heard, and once a singer is in the sweet spot, things are immediately centered - end of discussion. Brad Brooks just drove up from San Francisco to track lead vocals through it for four days. We have upcoming sessions with Tom Provost and the Guardians of the Future, and solo artists Steve Rodin and Nathan Earle. Famous keyboard wiz Matt Cunitz is also visiting from the Bay Area to track songs being produced by Paul Hoaglin. Rumor has it he's bringing a celeste and an old Vocoder.

Mackintosh Braun

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:46:43 -0700

This past two weeks Atlantic Recording artist Mackintosh Braun has been in the middle of a mix marathon. Their songs remind me of being in college and in love, with pumping, over-compressed vintage synthesizers and orchestral vocals blasting through a Vocoder on steroids. These guys and their memorable melodies and yearning changes will break hearts. We just started a new record for Brad Creel and his band. And we're also in the middle of new songs for Paper Brain, who is recording backing tracks for their second full-length record. Paul Hoaglin is on his way up from San Francisco to track to new Red Octopuses songs and do a day of overdubs for a new Brad Brooks record. The new outboard wiring project is in its final stages, and the result is tight and clean. NASA would approve. Later this month John Carleton is shooting all new photographs of the studio now that everything has changed, and we're launching a new web page. More later!

The Kinks

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:58:36 -0700

This past month I've been on a total kick listening to old records by The Kinks. Everyone has heard their famous pop tunes - Lola, You've Really Got Me, and others. But I've been listening to their records start to finish as entire albums, starting with Kinks (1964), Kinda Kinks (1965), The Kink Controvery (1965), and dozens of others up through the late '70s and early '80s. Their material and songs are so charming and fresh and full of energy and ingenuity. They have a perfect balance of pop story-telling and commentary about everyday life and observations. If you haven't listened to old Kinks CDs in a while, go for it. Their music is deceptively simple, and it is usually a nice mix of raw tracking with vintage '60s tone for days and intentional production, signaling only one band - the sound of The Kinks. It's unmistakable. If you can, try and find the song Wicked Annabella, and listen to all of the record, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). In the late '70s they started to release a few records that have a bit more Show Biz and theatrical drama, I guess in the vein of The New York Dolls, which is not my favorite, but for the most part they were solid for 18 years of making records.

AKG c12 - Holy Moly!

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:33:33 -0700

So, I just got the studio's AKG c12 back from mic genuis Klaus Heyne, and all I can say is holy cow! I never thought I'd hear something as exciting, full-bodied, and full of character as the studio's late-50s Neumann u47 valve mic. But after hiring Klaus to restore it back to it's original beauty, eagerly awaiting, and now hearing it, the c12 is equally as mind-blowing. Thanks Klaus! I also never imagined investing more than $16,200 in a mic before, but there it is. The c12 is quite the investment. And it sure centers a vocal performance - end of discussion! It's actually one of the first 100 ever manufactured, just like the batch purchased by Abbey Road. It has a mellower, earlier capsule, and does not have that aggressive, hyped out R&B top that the later '60s c12s have. It's finally Klaus-approved. Lately I've been way into bands involving Yes' members "before they were Yes." You should check out The Move and The Syn, bands most definitely parroted by XTC in its mid-60s psychedelic parody band, The Dukes of Stratosphere. I also can't seem to get enough of The Kinks lately. I guess Spring is on its way. I've also got some super exciting news about the studio. More on that later!

More March Madness

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:25:28 -0700

Now that the control room is tuned and dialed in, the studio is getting even busier. We've actually been turning work away. We're now booking into May and June, and it's been back-to-back fun. Dave Friedlander tracked more with Stephanie Schneiderman and partied down recording vocals with The Manimals. Chord Monkey ripped it up for a few sessions. And I had the pleasure of doing a song with the immensely talented Nathan Earle. Take a listen to Learning to Swim. Atlantic Records has booked the next week for Mackintosh Braun, and then after that it's sessions with the ever-so-cool We[Are]Tom, and Brad Creel and his band. Tanner Cundy just finished a NW tour to support his new record, King and Queen, with sax monster Noah Peterson. Finally, The Red Octopuses is just about finished with record No. II, tentatively entitled, Flaming Arrows. Check out Falling From The Sky. Oh yeah, German mic master, Klaus Heyne, is in the process of modifying the '54 AKG c12 mic back to it's original, pristine, Abbey Road mellow hugeness, and when he's finished, it will kill. He's promised me that. Can't wait!

Control Room Makeover

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:00:05 -0700

After waiting for months, the new producer racks finally arrived, and I spent a grueling 35 hours rewiring all of the outboard gear. They're beautiful, low profile birch, and they really open up the control room. The room feels twice as big now that the 6 foot machine racks are gone. Along with the new clouds, diffusers, wedges, gobos and bass traps, the control room is sonically tuned and dialed in. New custom Mogami snakes are also being built, and Tim Hochstedler of Synapse Systems will soon rewire everything clean and tight. Brad Brooks just finished a five day recording trip from San Francisco along with Todd Roper and Paul Hoaglin. We also finished the first album for Keep Your Fork, There's Pie, and you can hear Paris, TX. Paper Brain just finished several tunes for its second record, and here is Up and Down [mp3]. Pockeknife also finished an EP, and you can check out Cotton Candy [mp3]. And here is a new one by The Red Octopuses called Save Yourself [mp3]. Yellow Bells, another tune by The Red Octopuses, is featured as the program music for Nike's "Help for Haiti" campaign, and you can peek at that here.

Sunshine

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:34:39 -0700

The past two days have brought a wee bit of it, and I miss the sun sooooooo much. I can feel that more of it is just around the corner. In KBC Records news, the '74 Fender Musicmaster bass is getting a rebuild. Thank you Mr. Bill Limbocker for that. What a cool 3/4 scale bass. And I keep saying this, but the Control Room is just about done. I went to see the producer racks being built at the carpenter, and they are really cool. They're being stained right now, and the install is just around the corner. The new bass traps were just installed, and the mix balance is now totally dialed in and balanced. If you can't mix your record properly here, you suck! Okay, new tunes. Here is a mix of Good Love Grows - Part 1 [mp3] by The Red Octopuses. You can also listen to Arms Length [mp3] by Paper Brain, and check out Understory [mp3] by the ever-entertaining Keep Your Fork, There's Pie. Lately I've been ridiculously into Prokofiev's ballet, Cinderella, Op. 87, so much so that I've been listening to it non-stop and bought the orchestral score and piano transcription so I can read along. What an amazing piece, finished in 1944. Check it out if you can.

Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella, Op. 87

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:31:31 -0700

For my birthday my parents gave me a stack of Sergei Prokofiev's ballets and operas, and I gotta say, when I started listening to Cinderella, Op. 87, I was immediately blown away. I can't say enough about the orchestration. You just must get a copy of it a hear for yourself. Finished in 1944, it's in three Acts comprised of 50 different pieces. My immediate feeling was that as a young lad, Danny Elfman locked himself in a room with this (and only this) recording and listened repeatedly for 20 years - and then emerged to form Oingo Boingo and write program music for things such as The Simpson's, Batman, and Nightmare Before Christmas - except that Prokofiev beat him by about 60 years. I loved it so much I bought both the orchestral score and the piano transcription, and I plan on stealing from it as soon as possible myself!

Here Comes 2010

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:39:31 -0700

Happy New Year and all that! I've had to scribble out the '09 I've written by mistake on several checks I tried to write, but I'll get used to it. There has been a bit of a delay, but the carpenter is just about finished with all the new producer racks for the control room. Just as soon everything is installed, I'll post a slew of new studio pics, because the ones that are up just don't capture the vibe with all the new clouds and soundproofing. I'm making a resolution, too, to update this main page more often with more mixes and tid bits. So check back more often. Here are a couple of new mixes. Mister Fisk just put its record out, and this is one of my favorites, Weathered Dream [mp3]. And studio wiz Tanner Cundy just finished mixing and mastering his own EP of extremely tight and groovy songs that make you feel good! You can take a listen to Radio [mp3]. More soon! Oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my awesome sister Stacy Goodman who turns 50 tomorrow! She's a marathon runner, a lawyer, super ass funny and smart as a whip, an amazing cook with an even more amazing family, and I love her very much! Woo hoo!

Happy Holidays!

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:36:29 -0700

Thanks to everyone for such a great year! Band Camp really upped its game this year with the Neve console install last year, so many cool new gear purchases, and the addition of more great house engineers to round us out. The place has been a bunnyhop. I'm thrilled that so many great records are being made here. Over the New Year, the custom producer racks should be finished, and then the custom wiring and "new look" for the control room will be in full swing. I'm dying to post new pics of the control room, but she's not finished yet! Here are some new unmastered mixes for you to hear. Check out unfinished Hot Girls [mp3] by the Devil Dollmen. Also take a listen to Don't Hold Your Breath [mp3] by New Century Schoolbook, and Paris TX [mp3] by Keep Your Fork There's Pie. As usual, the studio is booking farther and farther out in advance, now with sessions into May 2010. We've got open spots for sure, but if you're thinking about booking, do it sooner than later. I hope to have some killer new mixes by The Red Octopuses up by New Years or shortly after. Keep checking back! Now go kiss someone under the mistletoe!

This, That, and the Other Thing

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:40:33 -0700

John Silliman Dodge gave a nod to the studio in Margie Boule's Sunday column in The Oregonian. You can read it here. He's been bringing in top notch players, including principal chairs of The Oregon Symphony, and guitarist Eddie Martinez - yes, that Eddie Martinez (Meat Loaf, Robert Palmer, Blondie, Joe Cocker, Steve Winwood, Lou Reed, Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Yoko Ono, Mick Jagger - get it?!). Thanks, John! The new Barefoot mm 27 monitors have so much low end information it's unbelievable. L.A. producer Beau Raymond has left (permanent loan, Beau?!) his Antelope external clock. The stereo imaging when recording digital to this external clock is very noticeable. Who woulda thunk? The studio has a new early '70s Fender Musicmaster bass. It's 3/4 scale and really cool. The Baldwin Electric Harpsichord is back from service and plunks as it should. And the calendar is now fairly busy even into March 2010. Oh yeah, for the first time ever in my life, I dropped a Neumann condensor mic from 6 feet. It bounced, broke, and I'll never do that again. Congrats to Fisk and The Winebirds. Their records are finally mastered and will be out soon. I about forgot, the house is featured in the December 2009 issue of Old House Interiors magazine, now out nationally in book and grocery stores. Check it out!

A Very Serious Question

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:33:42 -0700

Okay all you lyricists out there, I need to know the answer to an all-important question. Is it ever appropriate to use the phrase "sweet mama" in a song? -- I mean today, almost 2010, not in 1978. I have a song where "sweet mama" would indeed just be perfect - it's a hippy dippy sing-along, sort of The Partridge Family meets The Five Man Electrical Band tune. Oh yeah, "sweet mama" in passing would be the campy perfect lyric to pull the chorus together, maybe in counterpoint through some lo fi mic. But I need the approval from a peer, any peer -- that's you! I need the go ahead before I can track "sweet mama!" Boston used "pretty mama" and "sweet delight" in the same verse, and Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers got away with it. So how about it? I've asked two gurus, Paul Hoaglin and Brad Brooks, but neither one has answered. So I'm asking you - and I know you're reading 'cause I see the stats - Can I use "sweet mama" in some campy ass lyrical way, or should I avoid it like the plague? I'll post the best answer, and a snippet of the chorus once it's tracked. Thanks! I really need to know! Please send your answers to ShayScott7@comcast.net