Blog Archives

30 Jan '13

What’s Spinning Lately?

30/01/2013 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: What's Spinning?

Greetings and welcome to another installment of what I’ve been listening to lately.  This tends to run the gamut – truly a hodge podge. But, I really love the fact that there’s just so much good stuff to check out and,   of late, rediscover as well!

As always, this is subjective (as I think most art is).  This might not be a typical music review post… and that’s fine.  I don’t want to tell you everything… I’d rather just give a glimpse to start and then have you    go on your way to check things out and see for yourself.

But, I’ve been really inspired lately by some great stuff.  So, here we go.

Read more →
22 Oct '12

Notes from the road…

22/10/2012 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: General Musings

I’ve spent a good deal of time over the last 16 months touring with artists like Vox Lumiere and Uncle Daddy, going from one side of Colorado to the other and back, through swaths of the Midwest and down south to Baton Rouge, LA and Austin, TX, east to Wilmington, DE, Providence, RI, Schenectady, NY and Reading, PA and overseas for two weeks in Lisbon, Portugal.

What exactly does the life of an itinerant musician look like?  Here are some of my experiences and perspectives.

Keep in mind, Individual results may vary.

Read more →
30 Jun '12

Session Notes Archive – Freddy and Francine

30/06/2012 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: Studio Sausage (Session Notes)

Freddy and Francine was a wonderful project that was fronted by Lee Ferris and Bianca Caruso.  Their songs were wonderful slices of pop goodness that also had the ability to make your heart ache and pull on your emotions in a wonderful way.  These sessions would become what turned out to be our second and last album – The Forest and the Sea.  I miss that band, but am so glad that I can call them friends to this day.

Session – Freddy & Francine
Dates – 5/27-29/10
Studio – Big Fish Studios, Encinitas, CA

Read more →
09 Jan '12

20 Questions… #2

09/01/2012 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: 20 Questions

 

Welcome to the second installment of ‘A Different Perspective’.  This is, as I mentioned an occasional and ongoing series where I get to ask various friends in the arts (any art will do… and we’re using a very wide definition here…) about their headspace, inspirations, fixations, hang-ups, and why they do what they do with what they do it with.

Read more →
08 Aug '11

20 Questions… Edition #1

08/08/2011 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: 20 Questions

This is the first in a new ongoing series of dialogues with some of the creative people I know and respect.  The idea was to ask questions.   For me it was a question to find out how someone approaches their art and craft. What are their inspirations?  Do they work in one mode all of the time or do they mix it up?  How do they sustain their interest and creativity?

On the flip side, it is an opportunity to answer those same types of questions from people that may not specifically be musicians.

Read more →
14 May '11

Another round of Session Notes

14/05/2011 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: Studio Sausage (Session Notes)

Session – Bart Ryan
Studio – Phantom Vox, Hollywood, CA

This session was an E.P. so we only did 6 songs.  Unfortunately, I can’t recall when we recorded it.  It  was sometime in 2010.

We had done pre-production a week before so we had the parts locked and it was a great time tracking.  I should mention my esteemed colleague holding down the low end for this one.

Read more →
16 Feb '11

Session Notes Volume 2 – Groovin’ for Uncle Daddy

16/02/2011 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: Studio Sausage (Session Notes)

Greetings music fans.  I’m here with another installment of ‘session notes’.  These are posts about studio stuff I’ve been doing over the past year or so and highlights the drums and mics used, what kind of room I was recording in, general vibe, etc… everything that went into capturing the sounds and getting keeper takes.

This time out, I’m sharing information about a series of sessions I did with Uncle Daddy.  Tongue in cheek name aside, this is a very talented and eclectic band that includes two acoustic guitars, mandolin, violin, and cello… and yours truly behind the kit.  This unique instrumentation makes for some pretty wonderful music.  So, here’s the run down of some of the stuff I’ve done with them:

Read more →
31 Jan '11

NAMM wrap-up and the new kit…

31/01/2011 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: Studio Sausage (Session Notes)

Well, NAMM was pretty interesting this year.  While it lacked in innovation (in my humble opinion), there were some interesting things to check out.  This year though it was really all about being on the floor and hanging out with friends and seeing faces I only get the chance to see for this brief sonically challenging weekend in January.  I wouldn’t say I got the chance to see everything I wanted, but amongst the madness, certain things stood out.  Here are my rather biased highlights…

Read more →
13 Dec '10

Session Notes – Doing that voodoo that we do

13/12/2010 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: Studio Sausage (Session Notes)

This is the first of a new series – Session Notes.  This will be a place for me to geek out with you all about different sessions I’ve been on and talk about the gear used, general philosophies about the sounds we went for, and how we got them.  I’m excited to share this information and it’s just a lot of fun to geek out.  So, enjoy.

Session – Circe Link
Dates – 3/26-27/10
Studio – Stagg St. Studios, Van Nuys, CA

Read more →
11 Nov '10

Music is the best. FZ

11/11/2010 | Comments: 0 | Posted by: christopherallis | In: What's Spinning?

10998041_10205713277008214_7166135603090461242_nThanks to everyone that read and commented on my inaugural post.

Just to recap, I was talking a little bit about why we listen to the music we do.   Obviously, this is a very VERY subjective thing.   So be it.  There’s enough good music to go around for several life times.  Soak it up.  Get into it.  DIG IT!

Since my first post, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what I’ve been checking out lately.  What’s been getting constant rotation on the ipod, cd player, computer…   It’s fairly wide and varied and I hope it gives those that have asked, and those that are reading a sense of what I’m digging on at present and perhaps inspires you to go out and drop some bread at Amoeba or your favorite online music purveyor.  This might not be a typical music review post… and that’s fine.  I don’t want to tell you everything… I’d rather just give a glimpse to start and then have you go on your way to check things out and see for yourself.

Read more →