EMA's Debut "Past Life Martyred Saints" Mastered By Sarah Register

Ex-Gowns' singer/guitarist Erika Anderson ("EMA"), has recently exploded on the blog scene with the release of her debut solo album "Past Life Martyred Saints." Mastered by Sarah Register right here at The Lodge, the highly anticipated LP was released just a few days ago on May 10, via Souterrain Transmissions, and has already received high praise from audio aficionados Pitchfork, Stereogum, and many others.

As the frontwoman of Gowns, Erika made a name for herself with the alluring contrast of her raw, fuzzed-out guitar riffage and strikingly intimate vocal performances. Though the songs on "Past Life Martyred Saints" may be slightly more hummable than something from Gowns' catalog, Erika remains true to her rugged signature sound, letting spontaneity and raw instinct guide her wicked guitar playing and hushed, vulnerable lyrics.

If you're in the UK or on the West Coast, don't miss the chance to catch EMA on tour this Spring. In the meantime, check out these wild videos for "Milkman" (Directed by William Rahilly) "California" (directed by Leif Shackelford) below and learn a little more about the Erika in her interview with Pitchfork here!

Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta Master Cults' Self-Titled Debut

New York pop duo Cults are slated to release their self-titled debut on June 7th via Sony/Columbia/In The Name Of. Vocalist Madeline Follin and guitarist Brian Oblivion stopped by The Lodge this January to wrap up their 60's-inspired full length with Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar and Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta. 

It was only about a year ago that Cults seemingly came out of nowhere and took the audio blogosphere by storm with their infectious, self-released single "Go Outside." Almost as quickly as they appeared on the scene, the young couple were signed to chart-topping singer  Lily Allen's Sony/Columbia offshoot, In The Name Of-- an impressive feat considering that the two were in still in film school when the single came out! Engineered, mixed, and co-produced by long-time Lodge client Shane Stoneback (Sleigh Bells, Vampire Weekend), the album's 10 tracks are youthful, energetic and just about impossible to get out of  your head! 

While you eagerly count down the days to the release date, watch Cults' star-studded music video for their Lodge-mastered hit single "Go Outside" on MTV.com here. Directed by Patrick Hoelck and featuring popular actress Emma Roberts (Julia Roberts's niece) and Dave Franco (James Franco's younger brother), the retro-themed video was a part of MTV's latest production series dubbed the "Supervideos" project. MTV.com describes "Supervideos" as "collaborations between a cool director, cool actors and even cooler music."

If that's just not enough to satisfy you, watch Cults' latest video for "Abducted" below, or take a peek at their video for "Oh My God" -- directed by Daniel Garcia and featuring eccentric balloon art by Jason Hackenwer-- or even check out Madeline's brother's band The Willowz' 2009 album "Everyone," also mastered right here at The Lodge!

Joe LaPorta Rings In Spring With New Releases by Dum Dum Girls, Smith Westerns, tUnE-yArDs and more!

(Pictured from left to right): Richard Gottehrer, Alonzo Vargas, Dee Dee (of Dum Dum Girls), Joe LaPorta, and Sune Rose Wagner

As the seasons turn, 2011 has already proven to be quite a productive year for The Lodge Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta. 

The first of many impressive albums mastered by LaPorta this year includes Dum Dum Girls latest EP "He Gets Me High" (Subpop) which was produced by Richard Gotterher and The Raveonettes' Sune Rose Wagner, with Alonzo Vargas on mixing duties. Other recent projects include the critically-acclaimed "Dye It Blonde" by Fat Possum Records' Smith Westerns and "Cherish The Light Years" by Matador Records' Cold Cave (both produced/mixed by Chris Coady), as well as the eccentric and soulful tUnE-yArDs' album, "w h o k i l l" (4AD), recently featured on NPR's "First Listen."    

The coming months will also see the release of several amazing albums mastered by LaPorta, including: Ford & Lopatin's LP "Channel Pressure" (mixed by Prefuse 73 and out via Software/Mexican Summer), another Chris Coady-mixed album dubbed "True Loves" (Dovecote Records) by New York's Hooray for Earth, singer/songwriter Robert Ellis's beautiful "Photographs" for New West Records (mixed by Grammy Award-winning engineer Steve Christensen), and a 7" by the much buzzed-about Blood Orange (Terrible Records) produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor.

Currently, LaPorta is in the studio wrapping up new full length albums by Sadat X & AG, Class Actress, Zambri, Pink Skull & Dum Dum Girls in addition to mastering tracks for Oh Land!, Freelance Whales and Lil Jon!