Treelady Mastering Client Reviewed in Rolling Stone

Treelady Mastering client Drummer received a good review in the October 15, 2009 edition of Rolling Stone Magazine.  Drummer, which features the drummers from five independent bands is the side project of The Black Key's Patrick Carney.  Carney, the Black Key's drummer, plays bass on the project.

The Drummer CD, entitled "Feel Good Together" was released in October 2009 by Audio Eagle Records.   In an era with decreasing page counts for all print media, its notable to be reviewed in a prominent title such as Rolling Stone.  The review, which ranked three stars, was positive, noting, ". . .it's the wiry, hyper guitars and weird, snarly keyboards that spark this fatty up".

Feel Good Together is available and CD vendors nationwide, and online.

Treelady Recording Studios Client Receives AMG Album Pick

Treelady Recording Studios in Pittsburgh,  Mastering client The Royal Bangs have been awarded the rare AMG Album Pick Award for their latest release "Let It Beep." Opening the review, Rick Anderson writes, "For their second album, the Royal Bangs are back on Patrick Carney's Audio Eagle label, and their sound is, if anything, even more insane than it was the first time around." The Knoxville, TN Royal Bangs are currently on tour across the U.S. and head for Europe in December 2009.

The All Music Guide and website was created in 1995 as a place for music fans to indulge their passion. Whether you’re visiting allmusic to look up an out-of-print recording, to get our take on a new release, or simply to explore the world of music and see where it may lead, you’ve come to the right spot.

The AMG editorial staff, along with hundreds of expert contributors (all music fanatics in their own right), has made allmusic the most comprehensive music reference source on the planet. We are all dedicated to creating and maintaining the knowledgeable, spirited content that music lovers and industry professionals have come to expect from AMG.

All genres and styles of music are covered here, ranging from the most commercially popular to the most obscure. We critique albums and artists within the context of their own genres - from opera to garage rock to traditional country. This ensures that fans of any style of music can depend on us to keep them up-to-date with their favorite artists as well as introduce them to new sounds.

New Starlight Mints Video Released

Clearly Ritilin supplies have not been getting through to the Oklahoma countryside, which is evident in the new Starlight Mints video for Power Bleed. In a new piece evocative of New Order's "True Faith" or even David Bowie's "Ashes To Ashes" the Mints are in fine form. Directed by Nape Foll & George Salisbury and Produced by Geek House) you can watch the video by clicking on the link below. The Starlight Mints latest CD, "Change Remains" was mastered at Treelady Studios by Garrett Haines, is available on Barsuk Records in Compact Disc, digital download, and LP Vinyl formats.

Starlight Mints master new CD at Treelady

Barsuk Records recording artists The Starlight Mints are finishing up their new CD with mastering engineer Garrett Haines. The new CD, which will be titled CHANGE REMAINS, was recorded by Allan Vest, and mixed by Trent Bell at Bell Labs Recording Studios in Norman, OK.

While the release date is not firm, Barsuk records Vice President Christopher Possanza indicated the label wanted to make sure it was in stores to support a summer 2009 tour for the Mints. Their full schedule can be found here.

The band's previous CD, DROWATOWN, was also mastered at Treelady Studios. The three year gap between recordings was due to the successful placement of the band's songs in numerous productions, including several Disney animated features, and National Lampoon's feature film, The Rise of Taj.  The band receives critical praise for their unique sound.  NPR notes:  "The Oklahoma-based rock group excels at immaculately crafted songs, but also keeps a truckload of tinsel, chimes and other sparkly trimmings in tow at all times, designing entire houses of sound and then decorating them to the nines."

Treelady Mastering Quoted in EQ Magazine

The April 2009 issue of EQ Magazine quotes Treelady Mastering Chief Engineer Garrett Haines. In an article 'Masters on Mastering' by Craig Anderton, Haines is questioned about which mastering tools he finds indispensable in his daily work. A photo of Treelady Studios' Studio G Mastering Suite also appears in the piece.

EQ Magazine is published by New Bay Media and can be found at news stands and booksellers everywhere.

Treelady Owner One of 36 Chosen for Global Study

Dave Viney, a post-graduate student from London College of Music, has published research on the effects of over-compressed music in a report called ‘The Obsession With Compression’. Dr. Viney was looking into the correlation between compression (the dynamics-processing type) and commercial success in popular music, which has been widely discussed in recent months and years in the music press and the wider media.

To conduct his research, he’s polled a select group consisting of 36 producers and engineers from around the world, including Treelady Studios' Chief Mastering Engineer, Garrett Haines. Dr. Viney analyzed music sales records, and made detailed measurements of the loudness of commercial material using a meter provided by DK Technologies.

"When I received the request from Maureen Droney, the President of the Grammy Foundation's Producer & Engineering Wing, I was honored and excited about the project," said Haines. "In mastering circles we often talk about the ill effects of over compression, but until now there has been limited quantitative research on the subject." Haines is no stranger to statistical research. His master's thesis written at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College combined econometrics, census data, and geographical information systems to analyze the concentration of municipal governments in the Southwestern Pennsylvania region.

Meanwhile, in London, Dr. Viney is using his 77-page post-doctorate paper as a catalysts for discussion on over-compression, such as the reaction to the release of Metallica’s Death Magnetic album in 2008, and goes on to display the research in graphical form; there are over 300 charts.

Louder is NOT better

Summarizing the report, Dr. Viney comments, “there is no evidence of any significant correlation between actual loudness (and thus overall compression) and commercial success. Furthermore, assessments suggest that less-compressed material is more pleasant-sounding”. He concludes, “the obsession with compression tends to limit commercial success!”.

Having completed this report, Viney is hoping to establish himself as a part-time researcher for the music business. He can be contacted at dave-viney [AT] btconnect.com.

Treelady Mastering Client Charts in Rolling Stone

Audio Eagle recording artist and Treelady Mastering client Houseguest made national headlines in the January 8, 2009 print issue of Rolling Stone Magazine in the Chart Section. A top-favorite at Akron, OH Square Records, the new CD, 'Welcome, all that's Difficult.' was number 2 behind the new Deerhunter CD.  The album was recorded and mixed by Ben Vehorn at Tangerine Sound Studios in Akron. Congrats to Houseguest, and make sure to check out our favorite track 'Carla' by purchasing their new release or visiting Houseguest's MYSPACE page.

rollingstone08jan2009