SONIC ARCHIVES: SOUND: RELEASES

smell
Music For Public Consumption.

Like a lot of people who have played in bands, I always thought it was a good idea to do everything myself. By "everything", I mean not just writing your own music, but recording it and distributing it, by whatever means neccesary.

Nowadays, there are a number of convenient labels for this kind of ethic, from "D.I.Y.", "indie", "alternative", etc. While I don't think those terms really describe much in the present day, at one time they represented a true alternative to the traditional ways in which bands made music and presented it to the general public.

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This independent entrepreneurial spirit was as motivated by an abundance of passion, as much as it was by a lack of capital. There was always a certain amount of pride in being able to exercise complete control over how you presented your art to the world at large. More often than not, limited funds simply forced bands to become more creative, and more resourceful, in terms of how their music would be packaged and marketed.

Back before the days of burning your own CDs or MySpace, I certainly learned about the economics of recording and distribution, when working with Borrowed Time - recording, mixing and producing cassette albums for our home-based Forth World Ltd. label. As with many bands, we found the costs of record pressing plants prohibitive, considering the limited number of albums we wanted to release, so we resorted to cassete albums.

Once the technology became available to record and produce CD media on a home computer, I felt like I had found my niche. This was the piece of the industrial revolution I had been waiting for, and I honestly don't think the music industry can ever be the same again. There will probably always be corporate record labels, and artists who are seeking that level of success might not see the use for this small-scale independent style of production and distribution. Think about it this way: maybe you only want a limited number of discs to sell at shows, or to give away for promotional purposes. You really don't need an expensive studio recording, and you also don't need to pay for more copies than you actually need.

As much as I enjoy playing music, I particularly enjoy recording music - especially in a live setting. I also like tweaking it on my system at home, and discovering how I might be able to bring out more of the dynamics that are already there, rather than add in a lot of superfluous production. I believe the process should be simple and painless; most importantly, the result should be an accurate representation of what the music actually sounds like. Most people would be surprised how little is actually required to make that happen.

These are some of the recordings I've recorded, mastered and released since the turn of the millenium, using minimal equipment and a shoestring budget. These days, you can even print your own sleeves and labels, and eliminate jewel cases altogether. And yes, you can do it all by yourself - but when you'd rather just concentrate on the music, it just might come in handy to have someone else twiddling the dials.

Borrowed Time
The Last Dance DVD
live full-length DVD
[2008; Sonic Archives]

Twenty-five years in the making; an unholy marriage of old-school analog video and audio in the modern digital realm.

Originally filmed and recorded on Feburary 10, 1985 at The Whole in Minneapolis, this represents the last will and testament of Borrowed Time. Mixed, mastered, and semi-produced at the close of 2008, this became my first venture into the world of moving pictures. I don't think it turned out half-bad, if I do say so myself.

Now you can witness this intimate performance, as it was originally seen through the video lens of reknowned Mpls photograher Sean Smuda. Using every scrap of footage that was available, this video artifact was transferred from VHS, pain-stakingly synchronized with three different audio sources, and edited with additional photographs and audio tracks, all with Apple software on a Mac G5.

This video document can be viewed in its' entirety, or downloaded for free as .mov files from this page:

T H E L A S T D A N C E

John Wall
A Legacy Concert At 60
full-length CD album
[2007; no label]

This was a fun project that came about through my involvement with punk rock bands, but stylistically took place on the other end of the musical spectrum - in a church, rather than a bar.

Organist/composer John Wall was approaching his 60th birthday, and planned a concert in which he could perform a retrospective overview of his work over the past thirty years. The mother of a guitarist I had done some work for wanted to record the event as a 60th bithday gift, and to serve as a legacy for his children.

Recorded direct to an Apple G4 laptop, with a set of Church-Audio pro-binaural mics; running through a Church-Audio AT-20 pre-amp, with a minidisc recorder as a pass-though/back-up unit. Mixed, mastered and digitally transfered, and labels printed on a PC.

Demolition Factor
demo
8-song CD E.P.
[2004; no label]

Another lo-fi gem; recorded "live in the bedroom", in two caffeine-fueled, hot summer afternoon sessions. Single takes, no overdubs. Econo-jams from the less-is-more school of rock.

Call me biased - after all, I was one-half of this power duo - but I think we nailed the guitar sound here with our practice amps better than our live Marshall/Mesa Boogie attack. There's a lot to be said for clarity. You want loud? Turn it up. It won't break.

Recorded direct to minidisc, with nothing more than two PZMs in front of two 25-watt practice amps, a drum machine, and a couple of low-end vocal mics; running through a 8-channel Mackie console. Mixed, mastered and digitally transfered, and labels printed on a PC.

Listen to these tracks or download them for free (in 256kbps .mp3 format) from this page:

D E M O L I T I O N F A C T O R

various artists
For The Love Of Moldy
full-length CD album
[2003; A One Ugly Puppy Production]

A labour of love, compiled from benefit concerts for Steve Moldenhauer - aka Moldy Ramone; featuring the creme de la creme of the Minneapolis TCPunk music community.

Two nights in the 7th St. Entry, eleven bands, 23 songs in all; recorded in glorious old-school 4-track - two PZMs mounted in the room, mixed with two soundboard channnels. Many of these tracks were mixed with assistance from the artists themselves; edited, mastered and transfered to disc with home PC technology.

This double-album-length disc features unreleased live tracks by Arcwelder, Baby Grant Johnson, The Clams, Coffin Cheaters, Kontrol Panel, The Mighty Mofos, Plate-O-Shrimp, Red Vendetta, The Squabs, Trailer Park Queen, and Vaseline Alley - MC'ed by the one and only Ollie Stench, and featuring the man of the hour himself, Moldy Ramone, singing with a few of his favorite bands.

All proceeds from the sale of this CD to be deposited into a special bank account dubbed The Moldy Ramone Memorial Trust Fund, to be donated to charity.

Plate-O-Shrimp with Moldy Ramone
Moldy Shrimp
live CD E.P.
[2002; A One Ugly Puppy Production]

TCPunk rock stalwart Moldy Ramone takes the mic with pub rockers Plate-O-Shrimp, for a handful of punk/garage rock classics including Attitude, Blitzkrieg Bop, Chinese Rocks, I Don't Care, I Wanna Be Sedated, and Sonic Reducer.

Compiled from two shows: Feb 17 & Oct 19, 2002, at the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis. This disc marked the first release on the limited edition One Ugly Puppy Productions label. All proceeds from the sale of this disc were to aid Moldy in his fight with cancer, and his wife Tanya, in their medical expenses.

Recorded with two PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo. Edited, tracked, mastered and digitally transfered, sleeves printed, all on a home PC.

The Hundred Flowers
Live at The Fireside Bowl
live CD E.P.
[2001; no label]

This impromptu "E.P." is actually a 38-minute live set from a band that seemed poised to stand glam rock on its' head and give it a good spin. [Not the Bay Area 100 Flowers of early punk fame, but a little-known group of inspired and talented individuals in Minneapolis, who have since gone on to even bigger projects.]

Recorded at The Fireside Bowl in Chicago, Illinois, on September 15th, 2001, this lo-fi/high-energy set captures all of the hopes, dreams and fears of a post-Y2K generation that suddenly found itself standing in the shadow of a looming apocalypse only days earlier.

The initial run of 100 discs, featured each packaged in a unique hand-painted sleeve (front and back), with the flyer for the show reproduced on the disc's label.

Recorded using only a pair of PZMs mounted on a 12-ft mic stand, running directly into a stand-alone CD-writer; digitally tracked, edited, mastered and transfered to disc, on a PC.

Borrowed Time
I.C.B. (Ian Clearly Breathes)
full-length cassette album
[Forth World Ltd.; 1984]

In Borrowed Time, Ward, Melne and I really, really, really liked the band Joy Division, although I don't think any of us connected with the stigma that gave the band such an appeal within the Goth scene. We just heard an amalgamation of great hooks, melody lines, and lyrics, and a natural, unpretentious energy.

Considering our shared disdain for most studio production, we agreed that Martin Hannett's studio production seemed uncannily intuitive in regards to their sound. However, when we heard a few covert live recordings of Joy Division, it was a completely different experience, revealing a passionate, fiery energy beneath their somber facade. I think this is what inspired us to learn a handful of their songs. We only played this set of material twice in our studio, and recorded the songs on a boombox for posterity. It was never intended to be an album, but we liked these versions of the songs, and decided to share them as "bonus" tracks on one of our other releases.

The complete album can be listened to online, or downloaded as 320kbps .mp3s from this page:

I. C. B.

Borrowed Time
In A New Land
full-length CD studio album
[Forth World Ltd.; 1985]

This was an early dream come true - to be in a band that ran our own label, and produced our own music. Guitarist Melne and I had already released a considerable mount of material on cassette albums, culled from our live shows. Now we had graduated to an actual recording studio, and the temptation to channel every single audio trick we knew was almost too tough to resist. Fortunately for everyone, we managed to curb our excessive indulgences during the final stages of production, and the result was a studio recording that sounds as natural as the band's live sound.

We had read about various recording techniques used by people like David Byrne and Brian Eno, and we thought we'd like to try some unconventional methods of producing our own music. We convinced studio owner and sound engineer Jeff Labelle to let us buy enough time for him to teach us some of the finer points of mixing and production, and we became co-producers of our first studio recording. It was an invaluable education, and a lot of what I learned back then has carried over into my continued interest in mixing live sound, and mastering live recordings.

Additionally, I've recorded a number of tracks which found their way onto the following releases:

Andrew Oliver Kora Band
Live at Jimmy Maks 10-9-09
digital download
[recorded at Jimmy Mak's; Portland, OR; 9 October 2009]
[2009; UHU]

This turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Andrew and I had previously discussed the difficulty in achieving an appropriate balance of instruments when recording this group in a live situation.

I had originally hoped to use my custom 4-channel set-up for this performance, but the unit was out for repair. After several possible mic configurations during soundcheck, I decided just to opt for the simplest set-up, with a basic stereo pair of mics I was testing for Chris Church. I knew it would sound alright, but I wasn't expecting as much dynamic range as we ended up with on the resultant recording. Apparently Andrew liked the results as well, and has since made it available through the Bandcamp site, for everyone to enjoy!

Recorded with a set of Church-Audio CA-14 pro-binaural cardiod mics; running through a Church-Audio AT-20 pre-amp, direct to a M-Audio Microtrack (16-bit/48kHz).

Selected tracks from this performance are available for download H E R Eon the Bandcamp site.

Immediate download of 11-track album in your choice of 320k .mp3, .flac, or just about any other format you could possibly desire. The download is available for free, or you can name your own price if you'd like to and are able to contribute to the band.

To find out more about the Andrew Oliver Kora Band, visit his official site.

What's Up?
live
limited edition cassette album
[recorded at Holocene; Portland, OR; 4 June 2009]
[2009; UHU]

PDX POP NOW! is something of a local celebration of Portland music; an annual series of events to commemorate each new release on the label of the same name. This recording came from the CD release party for the sixth 2-CD compilation since the project began in 2004. Originally, I had made arrangements to record two of the bands that night, but ended up documenting the entire evening. Several video clips were made as well - some of which can be found online, if you look in the right places.

What's Up? played their set right in the middle of the dance floor, and mesmerized the crowd with an upbeat assault of instrumental math rock, or something like that. I recorded the set for posterity, and was surprised to walk into a record store and see it on the shelf, just a little over a month after the fact. Pretty limited edition, for all you collectors out there.

Recorded with a set of Church-Audio pro-binaural cardiod mics; running through a Church-Audio AT-20 pre-amp, direct to a M-Audio Microtrack (16-bit/44.1kHz). No frills, all thrills.

Plate-O-Shrimp
Fuck You
appearing on:
split-7" single w/The Unstuck
[2004; POSTU01]

Another classic burst of attitude from one of my favorite bands - to see, as well as to record - in the Twin Cities.

Recorded live at a TCPunk party in the 7th St. Entry, this track wound up being the band's pick for a 4-song split-single with local compatriots The Unstuck. Their other contribution was as skillfuly produced in the studio (by ace engineer Tom Herbers), as this track was skillfully "un-produced". How to capture the energy of a live performance? Easy - you don't mess with it.

This was the second time in a decade that one of my recordings ended up on a vinyl release - no less another split-single, and this time on flaming red vinyl!

Recorded with two PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo.

Guided By Voices
Queen of Cans and Jars
[recorded live at First Avenue; Mpls MN; 18 November 2003]
appearing on:
The Bootlegs: Commemorating 35 Years at First Avenue
CD compilation album
[DEMO/DAMF; 2003]

During the twenty-odd years I was associated with First Avenue / Seventh Street Entry, I recorded hundreds of bands and live performances. As the club approached its' 25th anniversary, I had suggested to the club’s management that we should put together a compilation album as a fundraiser.

Ironically, that idea actually came to fruition ten years later, under the auspices of the Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO). Originally operating as the Developing Arts and Music Foundation (DAMF), DEMO is a nonprofit organization which was created to support and promote a diverse range of music in the Twin Cities.

This compilation included a wide range of local and national artists who had performed at the venue over the years, and was also the second album in the same year that boasted one of my recorded tracks from Guided By Voices. I must have been doing something right.

Stereo soundboard feeds, combined with two stereo-panned PZMs mounted on a stand, mixed live through a 4-channel mixing console, simultaneously to 2-track stereo cassette and CD-R writer.

The Pushrods
Weed and Whiskey
[recorded live at The Turf Club; St. Paul, MN; 12 June 2003]
appearing on:
The Lowertown Offensive
CD E.P.
[End Of The Line Records; 2003]

This band was a favorite of mine for a couple years, before they cashed in their chips and scattered themselves across the globe. Someone once described them as a weird hybrid of George Thorogood and Metallica, and while that might be a bit far-reaching, the general cross-reference is true enough. This one is particularly special to me, because I actually play on most of the tracks, in addition to the live track I recorded.

I bumped into these guys at a Plate-O-Shrimp show I was taping, and they asked what I would charge to record them as well. My stock answer at that time was "beer", so it was pretty much a done deal. When Rich came to pick up the disc at my house, I learned that the band had just lost their harmonica player, and somehow without thinking, I talked myself into filling that spot for the next year or so. Playing with The Pushrods led me into two other bands that I juggled for the next few years: Panel Of Experts, and The Summer People. I miss 'em all, but nothing good lasts forever.

The live track here was recorded with two Tandy PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo. No artificial sweeteners added. Just good old-fashioned raunch'n'roll.

Guided By Voices
King And Caroline
Motor Away
[recorded live at First Avenue; Mpls, MN; 22 February 1996]
appearing on:
Hardcore UFOs
CD box set
[Matador Records; 2003]
Disc 4: Live At The Wheelchair Races:
Unreleased Live Recordings 1995 - 2002

This was almost too ridiculously good to be true. I happened to work at this venue, and had taken the night off just so I could go down and record my favorite band with no distractions. What do you suppose happened? The regular stage production manager had taken the night off, and the person filling in for him asked me if I wanted to work that night. Naturally, I said no way - until he told me that what he needed was a security person at the soundboard. That sounded good to me - getting paid to watch the soundboard, while recording my favorite band. Then, as the evening progressed, the regular soundperson asked me if I wanted to run the board for awhile, since he wasn't feeling too well, and I knew the band's material. What could have been better than that? I'll tell you - finding out that the band decided to include a couple of tracks from my recording on this monumental box set!!

Stereo soundboard feeds, combined with two stereo-panned PZMs mounted on a stand, mixed on-the-fly through a 4-channel mixing console, straight to 2-track stereo cassette. Live as it happened, with no post-production and no additives. Pure pop-rock, the way it was meant to be heard.

Murderapolis
Janet The Pig
Mr. Whitefolks
[recorded live at 7th St. Entry, Mpls, MN]
appearing on:
Learning To Be Arrogant
CD album
[Sursumcorda; 2003]

Rick Fuller + Co. in a post-Venison sort of joint. If it were Manchester instead of Minneapolis, this lot would have been our version of The Fall.

Recorded with two PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo cassette.

The Nicotines
Joey G. and the Handsome 3
live CD album
[recorded live at Seventh Street Entry; Mpls, MN; 2002]
[no label; 2002]

The first time I ventured out to The House Of Rock, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this bunch of hooligans happened to be the main act, and I can still remember that night like it was yesterday. They commanded the stage, with a presence both charismatic and ominous, exuding an air of almost giddy intensity.

I was working with The Hundred Flowers at the time, and got the idea to bring them out to Eau Claire to share a bill with these fine lads. They all got on so well that in 2002, we decided to bring 'em back to Minneapolis with us for a show at the Seventh Street Entry. Naturally, I recorded their set for posterity.

As it turned out, they liked the recording enough to make it their first full-length release - albeit, a limited edition promotional CD. To follow that up, they had to have AmRep alumni Tim Mac record and produce their first studio album. Makes a fella proud to be in such good company.

Recorded with two PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo. No frills, no middlemen. nothing added or removed
- all the energy goes straight to you!

Venison
Guns
Forward
Grand Tradition Of No One
[recorded live at Seventh Street Entry; Mpls, MN; August 2, 1996]
appearing on:
Venison Box
4-CD album box set
[Sursumcorda; 2000]

The post-humous "odds and sods" anthology of the largely overlooked pride and joy of both Eau Claire and Minneapolis.

Recorded with two PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo.

Nova Mob
Persuaded
[recorded live at Seventh Street Entry; Mpls, MN; 4 September 1993]
appearing on:
The Squealer presents... Shuffle This
CD compilation album
[MOHOG Music; St. Paul, MN; 1996]

Grant Hart has long been a favorite songwriter/perfomer of mine, and I've recorded him in a number of incarnations over the years, dating back to his days as a drummer in Husker Du. The release of this particular track was a surprise to me, as I had been living in Tampa Bay when it was released; and a friend told me about it several months after the fact. The Squealer was one of a long line of Twin Cities based 'zines, inaugurated in 1994, and made possible through the efforts of folks like Paul Bernstein (who also played bass in the band Stereo), and reknowned writer Leo Kuelbs, Jr. Before disapperaring from the Mpls music scene altogether, The Squealer crew assembled this virtual time capsule of the mid-'90s local music scene, including Suicide Commandos, Magnolias, Soul Asylum, Cows, Run Westy Run, and many others.

My lone contribution to this release is a fiery version of Nova Mob's "Persuaded", which Grant particularly liked, and submitted instead of a studio track. No mention was made of a recording credit (!) or a date, but it was easy enough to find the original tape of the show in my archives, and identify it by a few disctinctive nuances. As an afterthought, if I had known this track was being submitted, I might have attempted to tweak the sound quality just a wee bit, as I've noticed that the PZMs tend to favor the low-end frequencies, which sometimes can overwhelm the highs and mids in a live mix. A minor concern, I suppose - as the performance stands on its' own merits. Long live Nova Mob!

Recorded with two (or three) Tandy PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo.

Dumbwaiters
The Manic Impression Of Mutiny
Dung Hi!
appearing on:
split-7" single w/Meringue
[1995; Screw Music Forever]

Recorded during the "speed sessions" of 6-95, in Tampa, Florida, at the home of drummer Chris Millstein (who now plays with the equally excellent band Home).

This was one of those serendipitous events every taper lives for - one of the very first times I was able to adapt my live-recording techniques to a "studio" situation, resulting in a bona fide release! Actual vinyl, no less - green vinyl, even!

The backing instrumental tracks (drums, bass, guitar) were recorded direct to 4-track, using three or four PZMs, which were literally duct-taped to makeshift isolation panels cut from cardboard boxes. Voices and short-wave radio were added and deftly mixed by the band, and - voila! - one side of a split-single!

Oaks Of Righteousness
Wanna Suck Marrow
[recorded live at Seventh Street Entry; Mpls, MN; 5 June 1994]
appearing on:
7-10 Split Sampler No. 2
cassette compilation album
[Fall; 1994]

More info about this release and the label it rode in on can be found on the Davis...Not Elvis blog.

Recorded with two Tandy PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo.

Drown
667
Bad Poem
[recorded live at Seventh Street Entr; Mpls, MN; Christmas 1992]
appearing on:
Fistful Of Flowers
cassette album
[FastLuck Records; 1993]

An impromptu Christmas show at Seventh Stret Entry provided a terrific opportunity to record a live set by underground rockers Drown, which in turn led to them including a couple of live tracks on their DIY cassette demo/album, Fistful Of Flowers.

The cassette also included studio tracks recorded by alt-country rocker Rich Mattson, and the inner sleeve sported a live photo I shot at the same show. Come to think of it, I wound up helping craft the band logo as well, with guitarist/vocalist Paul Edmunds, who was a co-worker of mine at Kinko's in downtown Mpls.

Another interesting footnote about this band is that their drummer ended up playing with The Hundred Flowers almost ten years later, during the time I was managing that group. Ah, the small and wacky world of rock + roll.

Recorded with two Tandy PZMs, straight to 2-track stereo. Live as can in be, and in your face.

Somewhere in the middle of all this ruckus, there were other projects which were shelved for various reasons, and perhaps a few more out there that I don't know about. Part of a live performance I recorded in Tampa by Howard Stelzer [Intransitive label], ended up re-worked on one of his early cassette releases in 1994 - possibly The Audience, released under the moniker Your Mother. Yo La Tengo had talked about using a track from a show of theirs I recorded in Mpls in 1995, but as far as I know, nothing came of that plan. Lou Barlow gave me permission to release a Sebadoh show I recorded in 1991, but at the time, there was a lot I hadn't worked out yet about how to release and distribute albums on a larger scale than what I had done in the past with own local releases. In 1992, I had begun drafting my own label series of compilation EPs, which would feature bands as varied as Amanda By Night, The Surahoolies, Exploding Head Trick, Lemon Grass, among others. For one reason or another, those plans were interupted, and by the time things were back on track, it seemed all of the bands no longer existed. That's life in the fast lane, I guess.

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