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Month: January 2013

Review: Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob

Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob
Drew Beringer

Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?

Rob Gordon, High Fidelity

For some reason this quote from the 2000 flick High Fidelity continues to pop into my head anytime I finish listening to Tegan and Sara’s latest album Heartthrob. Now, I’m not saying that this album makes me miserable (quite the opposite really). Rather, the reason I can’t shake that quote is because Heartthrob excels at disguising its darker lyrical content with bright, up-tempo electronica flourishes. And there are a lot of electronic touches throughout Heartthrob, as Tegan and Sara trade in their guitars for keys and synthesizers. This is a full-fledged pop album and that may be shocking to some. But make no mistake: Heartthrob is undoubtedly Tegan and Sara’s best album.

But if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll realize that the duo has been inching closer and closer to this type of sound over the course of the last few Tegan and Sara records (as well as their cameos on dance tracks from EDM artists Tiesto and Morgan Page). The band has been churning out three minute pop delicacies since So Jealous and on Heartthrob, they’ve perfected it. Honestly, I’ve been waiting for this change of pace in the duo’s music and I couldn’t be happier with how Heartthrob turned out. The twin sisters have pushed themselves creatively and musically, creating something truly special. The ten-track LP was co-produced by Greg Kurstin and Mike Elizondo (two producers who’ve worked with the likes of Ke$ha, Lily Allen, Sia, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and Maroon 5), leading to a pristine and massive sounding record. Songs like “Drove Me Wild” and single “Closer” are perfect examples – both have huge, infectious choruses that are paced by a dizzying array of vibrant keys and buzzing synth. It was a no-brainer for the sisters to work with this production team, launching Tegan and Sara’s songwriting to new heights.

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Interview: Chris Holmes

Chris Holmes
Jason Tate

We teamed up with PropertyOfZack to sit down with Chris Holmes, the co-producer and engineer behind Blink-182’s new EP, Dogs Eating Dogs.

What was it like going from working on Neighborhoods on and off for two years to doing Dogs Eatings Dogs in just over a month in terms of your role and it’s shift?

A very wild, yet familiar ride. 

On Neighborhoods, while you could say we were on and off for two years, the crunch time “on” part was the last month or so. What I’ve found with most things with a deadline with bands, is you figure out the deadline, and you pack as much in as possible…and even more up until the last moment..It is the nature of the beast. There is no finishing early. There is always a need for more time. I call it End-of Record-itis.

With Dogs Eating Dogs, we were initially kind of casually starting to work on songs for the new LP for next year, and the next thing you know, we have one month to write, record, mix, and master for a Christmas release. 

It ramped up quick as far as picking which ideas to focus on and really planning out how to make it happen within that time frame. My role essentially was the same as far as co-producer and engineer for the songs. What I’m trying to do as a co-producer is voice what I think the listener would want to hear, while also serving the song and balancing the artistic desires of the band. At the end of the day, the three guys decide what to do, but I can chime in and say my peace and hopefully offer a different perspective on things.

What I’m doing as engineer is trying to honor the legacy of the sounds from previous records and add my own touch to it. For example, if you listen to TOYPAJ Travis’s toms sound HUGE. I made a point to do the same treatment on them with this recording. The vocal sound on the “Untitled” record I really like, so I made sure to use the same vocal mic and recording chain from that record. To get even more micro, we had a different drum setup for almost every section of every song. For example on “Pretty Little Girl” ‘s pre-choruses we used these Zildjian 13″ hi-hats that were tight so you can hear every hit Travis is doing, and then when the chorus hits we put up this super-cracking OCDP Bell Brass Snare drum.

The only role change I had was being a little more hands-on with the delivery of the album and making sure it made it to iTunes, and to the bundles.

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