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)
The husband and wife partnership of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker will forever be remembered for their work in the band Low. Their remarkable vocal harmonies always told a story of a long and storied relationship that went far beyond the music and...
Now that the Tape Op iPad app is available, we've been trying to figure out the best ways to get the magazine to other digital formats. Expansion to other full-fledged tablets (Android, etc) is a fairly straightforward - if laborious - process, in...
Producer, mixer and engineer Eric Valentine has a video series out that digs into making records. This video takes a look at his approach to mixing drums. Enjoy!
We interviewed Herb Alpert in Tape Op #140, and he hasn't slowed down since. He just released his 50th album, aptly titled 50.
It is yet another prime example of the lounge pop genre he all but invented with The Tijuana Brass starting in the...
I recently found myself diving back into the Little Feat catalog, and came across a documentary on the band's founder, guitarist, and frontman Lowell George, called Feats First - The Life & Music of Lowell George. Music docs, especially on the...
I’m normally not that into live albums, but Nils Frahm is not a normal musician. I saw him play live in 2018 when I interviewed him for Tape Op, and it was hard to believe that he was the only musician on stage. Blending electronic elements...
We're thinking of printing some bumper stickers to help promote the Tape Op brand name. Our ideas have included:
"My Other Car is a Tape Op"
"My Child is an Honor Student at Tape Op"
"Honk if You're Tape Op"
"I'd rather be reading Tape...
With 3 number one albums in 2012, Grammy winning mix engineer Ruadhri Cushnan is at the top of this game. Shortly after Mumford and Sons' album "Babel" was awarded 'Album of the Year' at the Grammys, Ruahdri made time in his busy schedule to chat...
I just got an email from a company telling me that I need to buy the new version of a product of theirs - I already own the one that came out several years ago. I guess the $3000 I invested in their hardware wasn't enough, and now I need to buy a new...