Monday, April 1, 2013

The 1930's tribute tunes


On our new EP "100" we recorded two songs that sound very different from the others.  Sioux Falls and Outlaw Hero are tributes to the recordings of the 1930s.

Most recorded music we hear today is done digitally.   Each instrument and vocal track is recorded with several microphones so the perfect sound can be caught at the most perfect angle.  The click of a button along with basic copy and paste features allows modern musicians to create thick layers of sound and even cover up mistakes.  It wasn’t always this way.

Not to long ago a musician who wanted to record had to have everything arranged before they could even think about recording.  The practice happened on the side not during recording as it is often done today.   Studio time was precious and expensive.  Studio musicians as well as producers were all on the clock and all on the band leaders dime.  Because of the time and expense involved many early recordings had to be done in just a few takes.

The most early jazz and blues recording were often done with one microphone and done on the spot to capture the intimate sound of the moment.  These early recordings left the musicians very exposed but also provided a very intimate sound that let listeners here every detail and scratch that was in the room during the recording.  If you listen closely to these early recordings you can hear the shuffle of fingertips across the guitar strings and even the drag of a cigarette being smoked during recording. 

As a tribute to these inspiring and influential early recordings we have included two tracks recorded live with one microphone.  We hoped to capture the same raw yet intimate sound that is often lost in most modern recordings.  

For a FREE download go to:  http://onehundredmondays.bandcamp.com/