In 2018 I was hired to record a Pathway to Paris event at The Masonic in San Francisco that featured Patti Smith, Bob Weir, and Flea, and was organized by Smith’s daughter, Jesse Paris Smith. Hearing Patti Smith and the assembled musicians sing “Power to the People” was pretty amazing, but the other highlight of the evening was the solo set by Flea. He played bass and trumpet, used a looping pedal and other effects, and his set was a collection of...

Our good friend and frequent contributor to Tape Op, Scott McDowell, was hit by a car last week. 

His friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help with his recovery if you are able to help. 

DONATE

I always look forward to new music from Courtney Barnett, and her new release, Creature of Habit, delivers more of the fun mix of surfy, punky, sometimes angular and sometimes groovy indie rock, capped with Courtney's signature vocal delivery. Barnett is joined by drummer and co-producer Stella Mozgawa [Tape Op#169 ], and Zach Dawes on bass. Guests include Waxahatchee on the Americana-tinged "Site Unseen".

A first listen might have...

Gladie’s third LP, No Need to Be Lonely, shows up right on time. With Jeff Rosenstock in [Tape Op #172] this feels like a natural extension of that conversation, offering a look at his work in a producer role. As Jeff puts it via his Substack, the songs on No Need to Be Lonely are “so catchy” with “smart / warm / funny / sad / beautiful” lyrics, and they “really grabbed [him] and didn’t let go.”

Initially approached by songwriter Augusta “Gus” Koch...

March 20, 2026, marks the digital release of Hurray For The Riff Raff's new live album, Live Forever. There will be a physical release of the album on May 8, 2026, via Nonesuch Records. Live Forever was recorded during two sold-out shows at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, featuring the entire The Past is Still Alive album (produced by Brad Cook [Tape Op#156]) and includes favorites like “Pa’lante” and “Precious Cargo.” Bandleader...

For those familiar with Morris Kolontyrsky’s searing guitar work in the progressive death metal group Blood Incantation, his debut solo album Origination may cause a double take. But a closer look reveals an ongoing infatuation with ambient music, including his Fish Season project with fellow cosmonaut Paul Reidl [Tape Op#164]. After band practice one night, the duo improvised a memorable session in their SI-169 studiokompound, released as Fish II by...

I think I’d noticed Brad Cook’s name in the credits of Bon Iver records, but took more notice when I interviewed BJ Burton for Tape Op#137 and he mentioned working with him on the Bon Iver LPs. When he was interviewed by Jacob Paul Nielsen for Tape Op #156 , I started to pay close attention to records that I'd see his name on and have since become a big fan of his production work. He’s decades into his career now, and has had a hand in some of...

The Chicago-based band, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, has just released Irreversible, produced by Yves Rothman and Lawrence Rothman [Tape Op#155]. The pairing showcases the premium placed on songwriting and arrangement. Top to bottom, Irreversible is a very enjoyable collection of well-written songs that were meticulously recorded and mixed at Lawrence's home studio in Los Angeles. The album leans heavily on '80s New Wave references like The...

Out on tour with Wednesday right now, and ahead of tour dates throughout 2026 with Touché Amoré and Ovlov (not to mention two nights in September with Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age), Gouge Away have released a new single, “Figurine”, their debut on Run For Cover Records. What makes this news very Tape Op is that the band tracked “Figurine” last month at Portland’s Jackpot! Recording Studio with Tape Op's editor/founder Larry Crane...

Having familiarized myself with the Jason P. Woodbury oeuvre through the years via his editorial home Aquarium Drunkard (to which I sometimes contribute), his funky A/V project Wastoids, and his guest appearances on podcasts including Bandsplain and my very own Wilco Will Love You, it has been great fun to sort the Easter eggs hidden within his latest album, Jason P. Woodbury & The Nightbird Singing Quartet, releasing March 13th, 2026. Jason’s...

Liz Pelly is the author of the book, Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist. It's a well written and well researched book, and a fun read even though the subject is pretty dark. Spotify, and music streaming in general, have changed not only how we listen to music, but also how artists write and create music. I thought it would be interesting to get Liz's take on what we, as artists and recordists, can do to...

Maybe I read it on the Tape Op Message Board, or maybe someone told me this tale, but it was many years ago: The band books studio time, shows up, sets up, runs through a take of their first song, and then asks the engineer, “How did that sound to you?” His reply, “It’s on tape.” 

I was mixing an album for a punk band. I always ask who did the recording (and where it was done) when on mix sessions, as I like to do a little research on what went...