Houston Calling

The Week in Rock

July 15th, 2003 · No Comments

This Friday, 7.18.03 @ The Axiom: local favorites *mytwilightpilot* (interview coming soon) will perform with My Education, Sciflyer, and Mansion.

I recently received the latest Sciflyer CD, Fair Weather Karma (released 7.22.03). After giving it a couple of listens, I must say that it is a good one. The band fuses very spacey rhythms with vocals minimized to the point where you can barely hear them (think My Bloody Valentine, but mixed even lower). A standout on the album is the song “Alpha Centauri,” which samples dialog from a NASA space mission.

What I found most interesting about this album (besides the music) was how it was recorded. In the track listings, it gives the methods used to record each song on the album. I found the following information about it on the band’s website:

“The basic instrument tracks were recorded at three different studios, with the exception of the first song, Barnstorm, which was done entirely on four-track cassette. Tracks 2 & 3 were done at 15th Street Studio in San Francisco, engineered by Scott Solter and Matt Piucci. Track 4 was done at Insta-Fame in Portland, OR, engineered by Ben Lund. Tracks 5 thru 8 were done at The Farm in Lafayette, CA, engineered by our original drummer, Larry Campos. Now…all of those backing tracks were transfered to an 80’s model Tascam 1/2″ eight-track machine, where all the guitar and vocal overdubs were done. Mixdown was also done at home using the same Berringer ‘Eurorack’ 1604-A eight-channel board and Fostex DE-1 effects processor to Sony MiniDisc…just like our first two discs. Noise reduction and mastering was done by Scott McKenzie at Hecho En Mexico, with additional mastering done by Ron Guensche at New Future Vintage, both using Cool Edit Pro.”

There you have it. Very interesting. Most bands don’t bother to give this information out. I thought it was kind of cool.

The San Francisco-based Sciflyer will also perform in Austin Thursday night at Mercury. If you’re up for a road trip before Friday night’s Houston show, I am sure this will be one not to miss.

On Saturday night, hair metal veterans Poison, Vince Neil, Skid Row, Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z’Enuff, and Pretty Boy Floyd play at The Woodlands. I am sure tickets are still available. Bring your bathtub meth, hairspray, and acid-washed jeans and join the party.

Sunday brings the Vans Warped Tour to town. Enjoy.

Now Playing in My iPOD: Cinematic Orchestra: Man With a Movie Camera

Tags: Music