Jason talks about the making of the new album, "In the Wake of What Won't Change", to be released Saturday July 11th 2009:
"So April 24th we won the Rumble. Around April 27 we could see straight again and PEZ and I booked all five studios that we won time at. We'd finished the record already at my own studio, but this was an opportunity to go into famous, great-sounding rooms an make the whole record again with all of their incredible gear and alongside their own talented staff.
May 6th - 13 hour drum session at New Alliance, drums tracked to analog tape. Foster nails every song on the record. John Taft is incredibly knowledgeable and patient. Foster is playing along to the previous versions of the songs on what would have been the record.
May 7th - last time I got to hang out and relax.
May 8th through 12th - Bass, keys and guitar are tracked in that order at Mad Oak with Benny Grotto and Joe (?). Best time in a studio ever. Everyone becomes friends and ideas are tossed around for 5 days straight. Foster stops in on May 8th but then leaves for Hawaii for at least four months the next day. Will we see him behind the kit again? Who knows. We hope so. Toward the end of the sessions, our friends from The Lights Out, Muy Cansado, The Motion Sick and Logan 5 and the Runners stop by to lend a hand with handclaps, percussion and trumpets. Like a big recording party.
May 13th and 14th - lead vocal tracking at Zippah. Just me and Max, the engineer. The contrast with Mad Oak is a bit shocking, but in retrospect I'm not sure if I would have benefited from having everyone there. Get lost in my own head one last time with the words. The lyrics to Last Train are written here, a song that had been troubling me for months but which we were determined to have on the record.
May 15th through 17th - back at my own Mad Science Studios - last chance to fix anything. Our friends Beth and Clara from Eksi Ekso come in to play some strings and it sounds lovely. Glenn French comes in with a theremin for some psychedelic screams. Backing vocals are added here, with Daanen, Justin, and our friend Kelly coming in to deliver some stellar harmonies. I miss Foster the most here - it seems wrong to have him absent vocally on the record, but what are you gonna do...
May 18th and 19th - Mixing at Blue Jay, the most gorgeous recording studio I've ever set foot in. They have a fully capable mixing engineer there for us, but I've waited ages to get my hands on an automated 72-channel Neve console and I pretty quickly decide I'm running the show. Luckily I'm doing a good job, so no-one minds. Talk about daunting electronics. The outboard gear behind you when you're mixing could buy the building, and it's a really nice building. Joel Simches stops by and gives me lots of advice, encouragement and a few real-life button presses here and there to lend some authenticity to the process of mixing on such a mammoth piece of technology.
Two thirteen hour mixing days after 11 straight days of recording. By the end of it my ears are completely fried and I haven't slept properly in over a month. But typing this now I'm listening to the mixes in my favorite headphones and it was all worth it. No matter what anyone else ever thinks of this record, it's always going to be gorgeous to me. And the feeling I had when we finished This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things is back an even stronger - I feel like the record is one cohesive statement sonically, even with an oddball track like Straitjacket in there... it feels like my kid and I'm proud of it. Hope it plays nice with the other kids."
- Jason Dunn, May 20th 2009
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NEW TRACKS! CD RELEASE TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
See that over there on the left? That's the area where we'll be tossing up new tracks for everyone to enjoy as we approach the CD Release Party on Saturday, July 11th, at Boston's amazing Paradise Rock Club. Our first time there, and it'll be one hell of a show. Tickets on sale HERE (www.tinyurl.com/theluxuryCDshow) Won't you join us?
THE LUXURY WINS THE RUMBLE - Click here to watch it happen!
Not even sure what to say about this. Thanks to everyone for their undying love and support. The band had an amazing time in The Rumble this year and made a ton of great new friends. We'll be seeing you all again soon. It'll all be used to make the next album as mindblowing as we possibly can. Stay tuned!
THE LUXURY WINS NIGHT #1!!
Unexpected but awesome - we took our night in the WBCN Rumble 1st round - there is video of us performing the opening half of our set at bostonbandcrush.com and sooz.com. It was an absolute blast, and we were up against some dynamite bands. The week progresses and 5 more winners and 2 wildcards will emerge, so we hope to see you at the semis next week!
HERE WE GO - THE LUXURY IS IN THE RUMBLE, NEW CD THIS SUMMER
This is about as exciting a time as we've had - Boston's Rock giant WBCN holds the 31st annual Rock 'n' Roll Rumble this April, and The Luxury will go head to head with 23 other Boston bands - the best of the brightest - in a competition that brings out some of the best performances of the year, year after year. We'll post more info as it becomes available!
Also, the NEW ALBUM hits the planet this July with a huge blowout CD release at The Paradise - Boston's best venue without a bad seat in the house. The band will be putting up new tracks from the record, one per week, beginning in mid-April. Stay tuned and preview the new album as it comes to life.
CALIFORNIA TOUR VIDEOS - 6 UP!
The next best thing to being there. Go on over to the video page and check it out. Mayhem.
We hope everyone is having a gorgeous holiday. Happy New Year!
CALIFORNIA TOUR VIDEOS - 2 UP, MORE TO COME.
We filmed about 2 hours of fun, mayhem and bad advice during our California tour, and we're compiling it into 5-ish minute videos for you all to enjoy. Click on over to the VIDEO page and follow the link to check out the people, places, and dogs of our lovely tour/vacation in the best place ever.
BACK HOME - CALIFORNIA IS BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU!
We're back from Cali (have been for a bit, actually) and are compiling our home movies from the road into what should be a vastly entertaining array of videos for you all. Another thank you to all our fans and friends - we wouldn't have been able to take this trip if not for the paycheck from the Boston Garden show. You know what you did. :)
THE LUXURY heads West...
In September 2008, The Luxury will make their first trip to the West Coast, with stops planned in San Diego, LA, San Francisco, and an appearance at the Temecula Valley International Film Festival! Want to help out? send an email to info@theluxuryband.com and let us know. There is much to do, and every little bit counts.
THE LUXURY w/ COLDPLAY, SANTOGOLD - TD BANKNORTH GARDEN, AUG 4th
As a direct result of all the hard work all of you did spreading the word about The Luxury, we are pleased to officially annouce that Coldplay has selected The Luxury to open their sold-out show at the TD Banknorth Garden. Thanks to everyone who did so much to get the word out!
NEW SINGLE POSTED - "Next In Line"
Check it out! You can buy it if you like.
MALCONTENT VIDEO FINALLY FINISHED
Look to the left there - why, it's a music video! No, it's not just candles. Click the candles.
NICE THINGS ON ITUNES
click here. We are now part of Apple's media empire. Huzzah.
HIGH QUALITY MP3s NOW ON SALE IN STORE
The band was hesitant at first to offer mp3s for download because the mp3 format just doesn't sound as good - you can pick up The Luxury tracks from Itunes
, but the ones we offer here are about triple the sound quality (320kbps versus 128kbps). Enjoy.
THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS - cracks CMJ top 200
The little record that could is making waves at college radio - debuting as the 13th most added disc in the country on April 16th, and officially landing in the CMJ top 200 at #152 as of May 1st.
For an unsigned, independent artist this is an amazing standing. Thanks for all your support!
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