We interviewed Mike Campbell for issue #150, right around the time he and his band, The Dirty Knobs released their second LP, External Combustion. A year on, the band has released a new collection of music, Vagabonds, Virgins and Misfits. The Dirty Knobs consists of Campbell, guitarist Chris Holt, bassist Lance Morrison, and drummer Matt Laug. Much of the album was co-produced by longtime Tom Petty studio collaborator, George Drakoulias.
Check out the video for "Dare to Dream" (feat. Graham Nash)
Happy New Year! Now that the dust has settled from the holidays, and most of us are in the 2024 groove, we thought we'd offer a quick look back at some of our favorite releases from 2023. There was a staggering amount of great music released this...
I often think about the relation of commerce and art. It's a convoluted one, but necessary. How could one continue to create the best art possible if they were destitute? They won't - they will be focused on survival instead. A recent...
Hello Friends of Tape Op!
We have some fantasic gear giveaways happening right now. Who doesn't need a bundle of excellent plug-ins or a new interface?
Eventide Elevate Mastering Plug-in BundleArturia Studio and Plug-Ins
I just bought the crazy app for my iPhone by Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers called Bloom.
It creates, or allows you to create, ambient type music on your iPhone or iPod touch. It's well thought out and a blast to mess with. It's nice to see people...
The Smart Studios Story
Wendy Schneider, director
At this point, Butch Vig [Tape Op #11] and Smart Studios are the stuff of legend. From the album that destroyed music’s status quo (Nirvana’s Nevermind), to Smashing Pumpkin's Gish...
Our pal Ronan Chris Murphy does this cool "TV" show on his site, http://ronansrecordingshow.com, and the most recent one is with me and John Baccigaluppi where we talk about Tape Op Magazine. I think it's a good insight into how the mag works and who...
My pals have finally lost their minds. Apparently they wore blue ribbons to the Grammy Awards last week in protest of the use of Auto-Tune, and specifically mentioned Kanye West's new album, 808s & Heartbreak. Okay guys, I'm thinking of asking for a...
I've received a few pretty odd emails recently. I know times are tough, unemployment sucks, but really, expecting any sort of "bailout" from the music biz has got to be the most delusional crap I've come across. Making a living in music requires hard...
I’ve been a fan of the band Nada Surf for several decades now. They’re one of the few bands from the 1990s that have continued to make catchy, smart, guitar-based pop music that also managed to stay relevant, releasing records in 2024...