When people talk to me about movies, I mention that I follow directors and rarely pay attention to actors. When it comes to records though, I don't think I'd pick music based on who "produced" it. Much of the time, production is just a job, and if you look at the body of work of a producer/engineer, you will find some real clunkers. For example, did you know that Tchad Blake engineered The Bangles, Different Light album? Anyway, to contradict all that, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy produced this band of complete unknowns and by that token I recommend it! It has the samelooped-out, dreamy psychedelic/post Pavement swagger, com- plete with cheap keyboard sounds and crazy guitar effects, that makes his band great. Plus, I know that Jason is super-selective about what non-Grandaddy recordings he works on, so you know he enjoyed doing this, and it shows. (Devil in the Woods, PO Box 11348, Berkeley, CA 94712)
Music Reviews | No. 11
Secret Luminaries CD
by Larry Crane
There's several ways to run a commercial studio. You can be outspoken, you can be highly visible on the local "scene" or you can quietly stay in and do some great work. In Portland, I sometimes feel...