The Fabled Automatic

"Sound City was the place real men went to make records".  I recently watched Sound City: Real to Reel and could not have enjoyed it more.   If you listen to rock music made between 1970 and 1995 you know more than one song recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys , CA by heart.   I won’t rehash the details of the film, but YOU NEED TO SEE IT. The centerpiece of the story is their legendary (non-digital) soundboard and the music it captured. It is an amazing glimpse into how songs that you know and love got from someone’s head into your ears. As Tom Petty so eloquently puts it in the film;   “You’re trying to catch lightning in a bottle.   Music really isn’t supposed to be perfect; it’s all about people relating to each other and doing something that comes from the soul.” So Thank You Dave Grohl, For reminding me that just because I don’t care for a particular song or style of music doesn’t mean there is not a lot of thought and effort put into...

So we’ve been on a bit of a (lengthy) hiatus. Let’s call it a sabbatical in search of new music and inspiration. Along with lots of exciting new music, the last year has brought a myriad of changes to my professional life that have drastically changed the way I discover and consume music.   In the lab I was a jukebox unto myself.   Armed with tons of independent work and an ipod, I could spend 8 hours a day with headphones in my ears. I listened to what I wanted, when I wanted, as many times in a row as I wanted. Obsession was easy and encouraged; discovery slower, perhaps, but it was not uncommon to fall down the ‘rabbit hole’ of a new band.   Exit headphones, enter people.        Now life is a hospital pharmacy filled with great people who also (thankfully) love and appreciate music.   Our tastes are common but also very divergent. Days are a constant cycle of personal favorites and Pandora shuffles, everyone trying to turn people on to...