Sitting here at Peerless Mastering during Xenia Dunford‘s mastering session after landing in Boston just a few short hours ago. Had a great weekend in Las Vegas; made some great friends, caught Elvis Costello front row at the Pearl, saw the amazing Love Cirque de Soleil show (a MUST SEE for every Beatles fan!), had great steak at N9ne, just an all around fantastic time!

Now, sitting here listening to the master ply his trade, I wanted to update you all on a few things, like Vary Lumar in the New York Times & W Mag Too cool!

Sarah Blacker has been touring in support of “Come What May”. Check out this performance on American Hollar Live Concert Series!

In other band news, Seventh Room has been tracking away & we’ve been psyched with everything so far!

Mike Tarara is plugging away at his new EP, which I’m looking forward to playing for all of you.

TOTEM has a surprise coming up. I’d say more, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy

Bone Dry System also has a new release in the works. Nothing new to add, but it’s gonna be awesome!

Owlandagency is working diligently on the new 37′ website, which should be up in June. All sorts of fun items expected, including a podcast, video cast, and more studio related things. I’m looking forward to having Brad McCarthy & Eliot Bayless’ talents on display finally, as well as a gear list & photos for all the online world to see!

In the meantime, I’ve been listening to Michael Brandvold’s podcast on the “new music biz”. Very cool & highly recommended!

That’s all for now. Check me out on Facebook, Twitter & right here! Until next time, enjoy every sandwich!

In other news, the design for the new website is underway! The site will finally include studio photos, a gear list, engineer bios, a fancy audio player and the introduction of the 37′ Podcast, which will feature engineer roundtables & music videocasts with 37′ artists and a few special guests! Thanks to The folks at Owland Agency for their creative and technical talents!

Sarah Blacker has been getting some amazing press for her latest release “Come What May” check out this one, this one & this one. I love this girl (and play bass with her), and it’s great to see this great collection of songs get the recognition they deserve!

Totem is coming back in for a two song release following their very successful EP. I love having these guys in, and they’re recording my two favorite songs of theirs! Can’t wait for the rest of the world to hear them!

Xenia Dunford has started her debut EP this week. The incomparable Mike Levesque laid down some fantastic drum tracks and Xenia’s going to add her beautiful keys and vocals later this month.

Bone Dry System started their next EP last weekend. This material is a slight departure from all of their previous work. I hope you all enjoy it!

Brian Packer brought Yellowbirdd too add Steve Sinatra‘s incredible drumming to some great songs. I can’t wait to hear the finished product!

Mike Tarara is starting an EP next week. I look forward to working with Mike and an amazing group of musicians on this!

Last but not least, Seventh Room starting the follow up to their debut EP at the end of March. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time! Should be a fun spring!

I’ll keep you all updated on the website status and podcast. In the meantime, enjoy SXSW if you’re going, enjoy the Rock ‘n Roll Rumble, and enjoy life & music!

The Brightest Lights have finished their debut CD, and the reviews thus far have Bren fantastic! The official release is December 22 at church,, so if you’re in Boston come on out!

Sarah Blacker second release, entitled “Come What May” is mixed and being mastered by the incomparable Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering on December 6th. There are a few guests on this one, as noted in previous posts, and we’re all thrilled with how the CD has come out! The CD release party is February 18 at Club Passim, so don’t miss it!

Vary Lumar is onto tracking vocals for their third release, and it’s shaping up to be their best effort yet! I can’t recommend them enough!

I mixed a project for Rob Loyot of Noise in the Attic in September. The very young (16 years old!) and talented Garrett Brown is someone for whom you all need to keep your ears open.

Bone Dry System is returning to 37′ in December. The plan is to record a 5-song, and these guys move quickly, so expect an early 2011 release!

Also returning in January are old friends . Seventh RoomThere’s a slight change in direction in store, although I prefer to think of it as a natural evolution, so this should be a fun and very cool one!

A few releases of note recently:

Tony Savarino‘s solo debut, “Guitaring” has been getting rave reviews even before its official release!, check out this one, and this one!

Totem has also been getting a boatload of praise for their self-titled return to local prominence. Check out their reviews in Hear Now Live Boston Band Crush and the RSL!

That’s all for now. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving, and enjoy all the great new music from 37′ and everywhere!

In any case, here’s what’s been going on:
My dear friends Totem are back in recorded action after eight long years! This is an intense listen, so be prepared!
Suzanne McNeil has finished her CD, beautifully mixed by Duckey Carlisle, and is preparing for a fall release. Great songs, great playing, great mixes – a recipe for success!
Beginning the mixing forThe Brightest Lights‘ debut full length CD! I love this band and hope you all check them out!
Vary Lumar have started tracking their next release, this time a ten song CD. Those of you familiar with 37′ know how good this band is, and this will be their best effort thus far! They really are coming in to their own as one of the best bands in the Northeast.
Sarah Blacker has also started recording her next CD, which has started off amazingly well! Members of Session Americana came in, along with Tom Bianchi to Q Division on Tuesday and, with the engineering skills of Roni Pillischer and Sean Cahalin added to the mix, we got an incredible version of Sarah’s song “Cowboy”! More goodness to come on this one!
I was privileged to mix a song for Abbie Barrett in July, and it’s a beautiful song. Hopefully I get the honor of working with her again in the future.

That’s all for now. Be sure to find me on Facebook, Twitter and all other relevant social media. Until next time, hopefully before 2012!

Which leads to last week’s trip to South by Southwest in Austin, TX. My first trip to SxSW has left me yearning for more! Great performances by Frightened Rabbit, the Boxer Rebellion, Minus the Bear, Girls Guns & Glory, Paper Raincoat, Quasi, Bad Veins, Billy Bragg, Mike Mills with Wayne Kramer(!), Man Man…too many great acts to mention! I’m now left wondering and exploring how to get a 37′ showcase at SxSW 2011! Any ideas people?

That’s all for now. Off to finish work with the Brightest Lights, Suzanne McNeil, Dave Foley, Rachel Zamstein, and, of course, Sarah Blacker! Talk to you all again soon!

The next 37′ Live! event is a mere 12 days away! Don’t wait, get your tickets here! For more info, you can go here or here.
The Dejas are featured in this month’s Glide Magazine. It’s a nice article and they prominently mention 37′! Read the article here!
De Osos has been mixing their debut full length CD, filled with loud guitars and reckless abandon. I love this CD and hope you do too!
the Brightest Lights have begun tracking for their debut full length. Bass and drums are done, now on to track Matt Johnson’s guitars!
Suzanne McNeil has been tracking for her next release, with the help of some of my favorites, Tim Mahoney on guitar and Jason Nute and Dave Leitch of Bone Dry System. Can’t wait to start tracking vocals!
Pete Montgomery‘s children’s CD, The Bugs, has gone into the very capable hands and ears of Mark Donahue for mastering.
That’s all now folks! Stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks and months, and come out to the show on Saturday March 13th! Oh, and Happy Spring!

I’m not sure where the time went this year, but a lot of things happened. I missed out on traveling this year, but managed to play up and down the East Coast with a few great people and players and have been reminded that I’ll continue to learn and grow as long as I continue to breathe. I couldn’t be more pumped for 2010! Many great things ahead; hopefully a year of great discovery, self and otherwise. Here’s a quick recap from the last couple of months:

Played about a dozen great shows with Girls Guns & Glory but I’m glad J-Maxx is back in action! With Mike Calabrese on drums, this band is going to do great things in 2010, beginning with their new CD on Lonesome Day Records.

37′ Productions artists The Dejas song, “Blanket Song” is in the opening credits of “Beautiful Life”…with Mischa Barton from The OC/ produced by Ashton Kutcher. Its the number one viewed video on youtube today:):) Check it outon YouTube.
Also, Vary Lumar has released their EP Plasticolor Coma and had a very successful CD Release on December 12th! You should all check them out ASAP!
Sarah Blacker has been playing regularly and has a January Southern tour booked, so get out there and see her!
Currently mixing Jo Henley, and very excited about it! With Ray Paczkowski, Tony Markellis and Russ Lawton (all of The Trey Anastasio Band as the rhythm section this record’s gonna be awesome!
More news in 2010. Until then, have a great Holiday season!

Just a little news: Tim Mahoney’s as-yet-untitled 7-song EP is now finished. Jason Nute and Dave Leitch of BDS played wonderfully on this one. This is a very cool guitar driven pop record, so check it out!

Vary Lumar was in last week starting their first in a series of 4 5-song EP’s to be released over a 16 month span. This is a slight departure musically for them, although I prefer to think of it as a natural growth. I seriously love this band! Keep your ears open. You can check out photos from the week, as well as from other thing 37′,here.

That’s all for now. Thank you all, I’ve been great!

Sean
http://www.37ft.com

I now find myself nearing the end of a very long and consistent run of work. Thanks to the Dejas, Sarah Blacker, Mith Niles and Lannen Fall for the majority of this creative spurt. I’m looking forward to the success of this music and people’s reaction to all of it. 

Having said that, there is another impetus for my posting. I was recently informed by Jeff Lipton that Potluck Con, the offspring of TapeOpCon, will not continue this year. My reaction was akin to that of someone who had just been told they’d been laid off from their job.It was incredulous to me.

I attended my first “Con” in 2004. I had just moved back to Boston from Los Angeles a few months earlier and was worn and weary of rejuvenating my career in my new old city. After working in a city where everyone appeared to be involved in some form of media or have one job in entertainment or another, how could I find a similar community in a city that I have loved but has eared a reputation   for being territorial, to put it mildly. The industry is tough everywhere, but there have been too many producers/engineers in Boston with whom the words “adversarial” and “curmudgeonly” have been apropos. It was Memorial Weekend five years ago, through a prompting of Travis, an L.A. friend and colleague, that brought me to New Orleans for a “meeting of the recording geeks”.

What I’d discovered was this: There were many out there like me, working with a passion for creating and finding others who were like-minded. I was part of a subculture! There are people throughout the world with whom I shared language and this larger sense of being, this continuum of a trade that many have plied before us, and hopefully many will after. I knew that I would gravitate to this event every year for the same inspirational energy.

Anthony Bourdain has written and spoken about this phenomena many times in relation to cooking, and I think the corollaries are very similar: the shared avoidance of a “normal” workspace or schedule, the vocational languages of both, the reverence with which we hold the true greats of our chosen professions, the fraternal nature of our get-togethers. The lives of chefs and the lives of recording engineers are parallels at the least, kindred souls at best. I’m proud to be part of my subculture, and very thankful to all of you who share in it with me. 

Thanks to Craig Schumacher, Larry Crane, Hillary Johnson, John  Bagliapucci, Nancy Hess, Matt Boudreau, Mark Ruebel, Mike Caffrey, Jeff Lipton, Steve Massey, Ross Hogarth, Mary Podio, Pete and Melissa Weiss, Stewart Cararas, Darron Burke, John Vanderslice, Ken Kukubo, Tim Shea and Kathleen Higgins-Shea, Brian Charles, Jeff Lipton, Maria Rice, Jessica Thompson, Dan Workman, Sasha Zand, Mark Allen Miller, JJ and Christel Golden, Andy Hong, Mike Wells, and anyone else I’m sure I’m forgetting. I hope to see all of you again and share in the continuum.