Features

Feature Archive: A Fine Frenzy


A Fine Frenzy (a.k.a. singer Alison Sudol) will be performing a couple of shows in Washington state and California in July for the Lilith Fair. From the NewBeats archives, here is a interview with Sudol from 2007.

Alison Sudol of A Fine Frenzy
By David Chiu

“I guess if you went out into the wilderness, fell in love, got lost, got your heart broken and emerged to tell the tale, this album could be your own personal soundtrack.”

So said 22-year-old singer/pianist/songwriter Alison Sudol, the driving force behind the collective A Fine Frenzy, about the music on their Virgin Records debut One Cell In the Sea.Her description about her music is fitting because it covers a wide range of emotions—from melancholy to hope to yearning—complemented by distinctive piano playing and Sudol’s airy, soulful voice. It has drew enough strong notices for this newcomer to land a record deal; to have her songs played on television; and to perform on stages all over the country.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” Sudol said in an e-mail interview. “Getting to play for people that have never heard us before and getting a raw reaction. We’ve been getting such incredible responses from the shows… it’s a wonderful feeling.”

The songs on One Cell In the Sea, which was released this past July, have a very dreamy quality to them. “I try to collect words, images, stories, etc. on a daily basis,” she said of her songwriting, “and when my head starts feeling full I sit down at the piano and try to make sense of things. Writing is my greatest joy, it’s a constant friend and sometimes the only thing that will make me feel like I have a place in the world.” Continue reading “Feature Archive: A Fine Frenzy”

Features: Saltlands — A Recording Studio in Brooklyn’s DUMBO
Features

Features: Saltlands — A Recording Studio in Brooklyn’s DUMBO

Dawn Landes at Saltlands (photo by David Chiu)

By David Chiu

At first glance 68 Jay St. in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood doesn’t look like a place where the magic happens. The building’s facade is very nondescript, and two large elevators and a worn out-looking vending machine mark its minimalist-looking lobby area.

The commercial building’s sparse interior gives no indication that in one of its spaces is Saltlands, a professional recording studio. Founded in 2008 Saltlands has been used by various artists for their projects such as the Soft Pack, Alexi Murdoch and Josh. Several songs from the Away We Go movie soundtrack were produced at the studio, and Wilco’s DVD Ashes of American Flags was mixed there.

A cavernous hallway, which is reminiscent of being in an indoor parking lot, leads into the studio’s entrance. Inside is a relatively cozy relaxing space that houses the usual fixtures such as the studio per se and the control room that features large mixing desk.

“We’re not really competing with Avatar or Sear Sound, which are these amazing studios in New York that charge thousands of dollars a day,” says Saltlands’ owner and co-founder Steve Salett. “So we don’t try. I think we have very good equipment and we try to focus on the performance. Continue reading “Features: Saltlands — A Recording Studio in Brooklyn’s DUMBO”