Wed, 19 November 2014
The Majorleans' Nicky Francis and Chris Buckle knock back some bottles with me at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, NY during the making of their album, Black Belt. Mission is actually the fourth studio they've cut the tracks in, with the recording process ranging from a dangerous Chinese church basement to Nicky's living room. While the guys both play guitar in the band, they explain why they wrote most of the LP's songs on drums and bass. Their Grammy-winning engineer and co-producer, "Bassy" Bob Brockmann, has worked with everyone from Bob Dylan to the Notorious B.I.G. He reveals what attracted him to the Majorleans, why he prefers tape to ProTools, and the story behind his nickname. themajorleans.com bassybob.com drypaintsigns.com |
Fri, 14 November 2014
Kenny Vasoli has a beer with me in the backyard of Brouwerij Lane in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. While you may know him from The Starting Line, Vasoli has been making "nu-hula" tunes with his band Vacationer since 2010. He describes how the group used audience reactions to their live set to inform the mood of their more-realized follow-up LP, Relief. He also explains how he got into Polynesian music, what it's like singing about a former love, and why he wouldn't mind being the new Jimmy Buffett. vacationermusic.com drypaintsigns.com |