Hooray For Earth Bring True Loves to The Lodge!

Brooklyn-based quartet Hooray For Earth released their lush sophomore album, "True Loves," on June 6, via Dovecote / Deathcote Records Frontman Noel Heroux stopped by The Lodge earlier this year to master the record with Joe LaPorta.

Boasting 10 gorgeously crafted songs, "True Loves" is equal parts synth-pop and indie-rock goodness. Self-produced and mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), each tune weaves seamlessly into the next, instantly pulling you into the depths of the dreamy-yet-commanding soundscapes that have come to be Hooray For Earth's signature sound. 

Be sure to catch them on tour with Cymbals Eat Guitars in the coming months and watch the EPIC video- directed by the production team Young Replicant team- for their popular title track, "True Loves," on Pitchfork here!

Above & Beyond Bring Group Therapy to The Lodge!

British trance icons Above & Beyond released their latest studio project, "Group Therapy," on June 6th via their own imprint, Anjunabeats. The album was mastered by Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar and Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta.

Since their formation in 2000, Above & Beyond's Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki have lit up radio, clubs, stadiums and festivals around the globe with their unique brand of self-proclaimed 'uplifting trance' music. Their third full length to date, "Group Therapy" highlights the trio's ability to not only create enviable dance grooves but to also craft songs and pen lyrics that will make your soul ecstatic. In addition to producing original, critically acclaimed releases, Above & Beyond boast a vast catalog of remixes for such A-list acts as Madonna, Britney Spears, and Dido and have been ranked among the top five of DJ Magazine's Top 100 DJs every year since 2008!

Above & Beyond will be performing relentlessly on a three-month world tour this summer so don't miss your chance to catch some of the best dance music around today!

The Lodge's Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta Master The Postelles Debut Album!

New York indie rock band, The Postelles, released their heavily anticipated self titled debut on June 7, via Plus One Records. The album was mastered at The Lodge by Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar and Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta.

The four-piece- consisting of vocalist Daniel Balk, guitarist David Dargahi, bassist John Speyer and drummer Billy Cadden- formed in high school and have since established a retro Motown-meets-downtown NYC sound. Their catchy pop melodies and lo-fi grit, equally influenced by '50s era rock/swing and modern day indie pop, caught the eye of musician/producer Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, who engineered and co-produced their upcoming album. The Postelles' debut will undoubtedly be an instant addition to your summer playlist!

The Postelles will be touring from coast to coast this summer. Be sure to check them out when they come to a town near you! In the mean time, watch their most recent music video for  their single "Sleep On The Dance Floor " here: http://vimeo.com/20811754

Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta Master Conceptual Album by Punk Band Fucked Up

Toronto's one-of-a-kind experimental punk band Fucked Up are set to release their conceptual sophomore LP "David Comes To Life" June 7th, via Matador Records. The album was mastered earlier this Spring by Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar and Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta.

As their name might imply, Fucked Up is a lyrically and musically confrontational hardcore six-piece who use their art to narrate stories of modern day plights. Unlike most bands in their genre, Fucked Up have become known for meshing their classic punk antics with a sense of theatrics- clearly exemplified in their latest work, the epic 18-song rock opera "David Comes To Life." Produced by Shane Stoneback (who also worked on the Lodge-mastered Cults' and Sleigh Bells' debuts), the songs are dense with layers and layers of roaring electric guitar, pummeling drums, bass and the growls of singer Damian Abraham as he weaves the tragic story of a man named David, accused of murdering the love of his life. A perfect marriage of studio tricks and raw, live energy, "David Comes To Life" is an album you won't want to miss.

Catch Fucked Up on their East coast tour this summer, including one show in their native Toronto opening for the Foo Fighters (who also mastered their chart-topping "Wasting Light" with The Lodge)!

Watch the trailer for "David Comes To Life" below:

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!

Foo Fighters Top Billboard Charts in 12 Countries!

The Lodge crew is celebrating yet another #1 record as Foo Fighters' latest, "Wasting Light," clocked in at #1 on the US Billboard Top 100 Albums chart this week!  The album, mastered by Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta, is now #1 in 12 countries!

In their nearly two decades as a band, "Wasting Light" is, surprisingly, the first Foo Fighters album to ever reach #1! The Lodge is incredibly excited to share this moment with the band as well as with our old friends, producer-extraordinaire Butch Vig (Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana), engineer James Brown (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Nine Inch Nails) and mix engineer Alan Moulder (Against Me!, The Killers). Last week, "Wasting Light" sold 235,000 copies-- toppling sales for Adele's popular album "21"-- and the first single from the album "Rope," is going on it's sixth week at #1 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart.

Check out Foo's video for "Rope" on their website here and if you haven't already picked up a copy of "Wasting Light," go get it now! This is an album you don't want to miss out on!

Tiesto Masters "Club Life" With Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta at The Lodge

World-renowned electronica DJ and superstar producer, Tiësto, has just released his latest album, "Club Life Volume 1: Las Vegas" (Musical Freedom). Mastered by Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta at The Lodge, this release will kick off a new series of compilations for the DJ luminary, each disc themed after his favorite cities and clubs around the world. Featuring tracks from Kaskade, Diplo, Steve Forte Rio and Tiësto himself, the compilation is also accompanied with an enhanced bonus disc so you can see for yourself how wild his parties can get!


No stranger to The Lodge, Tiësto has mastered everything from the propulsive compilation series "In Search of Sunrise" to his chart-topping studio albums "Elements of Life" and "Kaleidoscope" with Lazar and Laporta- not to mention the succeeding remix  albums "Elements of Life: Remixed" and "Kaleidoscope: Remixed" and all the awesome singles in between!


To support the launch of his new compilation series, Tiësto will be relentlessly touring this April through July. Famous for his infectious energy, hypnotic light shows, and of course, his incredible ability to hype the crowd- a Tiësto concert is not something you want to miss out on!

Ezra Koenig Comes to Life in Oil Painting by Joe Simpson

Young British visual artist Joe Simpson is currently working on a truly stunning series of portraits using popular musicians as his muses. Among the stars who have been immortalized in Simpson's animated oil paintings is Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (pictured above), a dear friend and client of The Lodge. Click here to browse Simpson's web gallery of all the portraits completed thus far. Check back often as the project is still in progress and he may be painting up some more of your favorite artists right now!

The Raveonettes Release Details On 5th Studio Album Mastered At The Lodge!

Retro indie-rock duo The Raveonettes have recently announced that their latest album "Raven In The Grave" will be released this April 5th on Vice Records. The endearing self-produced 9-track album showcases a dreamier, shoe-gaze aesthetic in contrast to the band's usual energetic noise-pop compositions, being dubbed a 'perfect winter soundtrack' by the band's Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo.  Wagner stopped by The Lodge earlier this winter to master "Raven In The Grave" with Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta-- making this the band's fifth Lodge-mastered studio album since their debut "Whip It On" in 2003!


Download the first single off of "Raven In The Grave," called "Forget That You're Young" on Pitchfork here,  and check out The Raveonettes' website here for tour dates with another amazing Lodge-mastered artist Tamaryn!


Tracklist:

Recharge & Revolt
War In Heaven
Forget That You're Young
Apparitions
Summer Moon
Let Me On Out
Ignite
Evil Seeds
My Time's Up

tUnE-yArDs Talks About Upcoming Lodge-Mastered "w h o k i l l" On Pitchfork!

Eccentric vocal powerhouse Merril Garbus, better known by her stage name tUnE-yArDs, was recently interviewed on Pitchfork about her upcoming sophomore release "w h o k i l l" (4AD) which was mastered by Joe LaPorta at The Lodge this winter. Similar to Merril's debut "BiRd-BrAiNs," "w h o k i l l" has a gritty lo-fi edge that, in combination with her wild vocal loops and raw, relentless rhythms, will keep your head reeling in pop abstraction. 

Read Merril's interview with Pitchfork here and watch some awesome live-in-studio videos of her and bassist Nate Brenner on 4AD's website here. tUnE-yArDs will be touring the US this spring in support of the April 19th album release, so check them out for a killer and totally unique musical experience!

Emily Lazar Among Antelope Audio's Featured Artists

In celebration of our partnership with the esteemed audio company, Antelope has recently posted a blurb about Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar under their featured 'Artists' page on www.antelopeaudio.com.  The Lodge has been using Antelope Audio's remarkable Isochrone 10M Atomic Clock and OCX-V for some time now and we are all greatly impressed by their performance. 

"Truly astounding! In particular, the image is greatly improved. It's wider and deeper, and the clarity is fantastic. Since they arrived at The Lodge, the Iscochrone 10M Atomic Clock and the OCX-V are probably the hardest working pieces of gear in our studios!" - Emily Lazar

Foo Fighters Star in "White Limo"

Infamous rock stars the Foo Fighters have just posted a hilarious new video for one of the grittiest tracks on their upcoming full length "Wasting Light" (S.A.M./ Roswell Records). Produced by Butch Vig, mixed by Alan Moulder and mastered at The Lodge by Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta, "Wasting Light" is the band's seventh release to date and features Dave Grohl's former Nirvana bandmate and bassist Krist Noveselic as well as Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister (who plays on "White Limo"). Check out the video below and start counting the days till the official release on April 12th!

Cold Cave "Cherish The Light Years" With The Lodge!

Cold Cave have announced their highly anticipated sophomore effort, "Cherish the Light Years," will be released April 4, 2011 on Matador Records in the US.  The album was mastered at The Lodge by Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta.

Evolving and quickly becoming a favorite on the experimental synth pop scene, Cold Cave have found themselves amongst impressive company with "Cherish the Light Years." Nick Zinner (The Yeah Yeah Yeah's ),  guitarist/producer Matt Sweeney (Johnny Cash, The Dixie Chicks), and Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo all made contributions to the album, which was produced and mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs).  Packed full of enormous synths and seductive melodies and band leader Wesley Eisold booming vocals, "Cherish the Light Years" is referred to by the band as a 'love letter to their adopted city of New York' for good reason.

Be sure to catch Cold Cave as they tour North America with The Kills this spring and, in the meanwhile, listen to "Cherish The Light Years'" first single "The Great Pan is Dead" right here on Pitchfork!

Stereogum Tunes in to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

In anticipation of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's forthcoming Lodge-mastered LP "Belong," Stereogum recently posted the title track on their website, now available for all to stream! Click here to listen to the guitar-centric, toe-tapping tune and, while you're at it, check out the album's first single, "Heart In Your Heartbreak," on Pitchfork here. Produced by infamous British rock producer Flood (Smashing Pumpkins, Sigur Ros, My Bloody Valentine) and mixed by his partner-in-crime Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Blonde Redhead, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's "Belong" is an album you won't want to miss! Be on the look out for the March 29th release date, coming at you via Slumberland Records.

Dum Dum Girls Master New EP At The Lodge!

L.A. girl group Dum Dum Girls continue their throwback fuzz-rock legacy with the upcoming EP "He Gets Me High" (Sub Pop). Consisting of three original songs and a cover of The Smiths' "There Is A Light That Will Never Go Out," "He Gets Me High" is the band's second release to date and is as rugged, dreamy and hummable as ever. Co-produced by lead singer Dee Dee, Richard Gottehrer (The Strangeloves, Blondie, The Raveonettes), and Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes, the EP was mixed by Alonzo Vargas (Dum Dum Girls, Fantasia) and mastered by Joe LaPorta at The Lodge, who also worked on the DDG's debut "I Will Be" last year.
 Click here to read a quick review on Stereogum and listen to a sneak-peak stream of the title track and don't forget to mark your calendars for the official release this March 31st!

Lights Resolve Combine Forces With The Lodge & Mike Sapone For Debut Release!

Lights Resolve will release the highly anticipated debut album  "Feel You're Different" this spring!

The record was produced/engineered/mixed by Mike Sapone (Brand New, Taking Back Sunday) and mastered by Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta (Foo Fighters, Vampire Weekend) at The Lodge.  "Feel You're Different" has turned out to be a defining album that showcases a new, bold and vital direction for the NY alternative three-piece.

Here's the first "Feel You're Different" album TEASER video:

Watch Sleigh Bells' Eerie New Video now!

Putting visuals to sound is something we all marvel at, often leaving us asking "where did they come up with that?" Sleigh Bells' latest video, "Rill Rill" may leave you contemplating that same question. Directed by Jon Watts (TV On the Radio, Fatboy Slim), it's an eerie and pleasantly morbid interpretation of one of their standout tracks. We're fans! 
Sleigh Bells' album "Treats" was mastered by Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta last year at The Lodge and is available everywhere now. Check out the video below or on Stereogum here!

New Mt. Desolation Daytrotter Session!

Just this week, alt-country supergroup Mt. Desolation stopped by The Horse Shack in Rock Island, Illinois for an awesome set of live recordings as part of the famous, ongoing musical series dubbed The Daytrotter Sessions. The band released their self-titled debut, mastered at The Lodge by Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar and Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta, on October 19, 2010 via Interscope Records.

Mt. Desolation began in 2009 with a casual conversation between Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin of their mutual interest in American folk and country music. In the following months, the two began exchanging ideas for songs, and eventually decided to make an album with the gathered material. To complete the band, Tim and Jesse called upon a number of talented friends and fellow musicians including Ronnie Vannucci of The Killers, Winston Marshall of Mumford & Sons, John Roderick of The Long Winters, and Tom Hobden of Noah And The Whale. When it came time to record, Mt. Desolation flew New York-based Grammy Award-winning producer Emery Dobyns (Suzanne Vega, Mary J. Blige, Patti Smith, Chief), all the way to London for three weeks of studio time. The resulting debut is a intimate, rustic collection of beautiful crafted songs, rich in acoustics and woodsy, atmospheric subtleties. 

Click here to stream some amazing renditions from the star-studded band's debut, courtesy of The Daytrotter Sessions and be sure to check out Mt. Desolation in stores now!

Grammy.com Interviews BT On Lodge-Mastered, Grammy-nominated "These Hopeful Machines"!

As you may know by now, BT's "These Hopeful Machines," mastered by Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta, was nominated for a Grammy award this year in the Best Electronic/Dance album category. In honor of the electronic music maven's first ever nod, the Grammy's website posted a short autobiographical piece, detailing BT's lifelong road to creating the
album of his dreams and earning his nomination. It's a remarkably personal and engaging story that's well worth checking out. Our congratulations goes out to our friend and long-time client BT!

Click here to read the two-part story.

Dave Grohl Dubbed "Godlike Genius" at 2011 NME Awards!

Rock 'n' roll guru Dave Grohl will be crowned "Godlike Genius," the highest compliment paid at the Shockwave NME Awards show in the UK! Grohl will be joining the ranks with The Cure, Ozzy Osbourne, and U2 on February 23, followed by a performance with his long-time band, the Foo Fighters, who are mastering their latest release with Emily Lazar and Joe LaPorta at The Lodge!

Watch the accompanying short video with the always humble and hilarious Dave Grohl on NME's site here and be sure to check out the latest issue of NME for a full interview plus a timeline of his career thus far!

Lodge-Mastered Bands' Stunning Performances Captured On Film By "Yours Truly"

Over the past few years, Pitchfork.TV contributors and visionary videographers, Yours Truly, have filmed some gorgeous, intimate live performances by some favorites of the current indie music scene. Among these bands are our friends Twin Shadow, The Morning Benders and Lower Dens who have all mastered their 2010 debuts "Forget," "Big Echo," respectively, at The Lodge.

A combination of flawless orchestration and patient, inventive visual work results in some truly impressive music videos... Watch high quality streams of  Twin Shadow's "Shooting Holes," The Morning Benders  "Excuses," and Lower Dens'  "Batman," at www.yourstru.ly and be sure to check out the rest of YT's web catalog  while you're there!

Twin Shadow - "Shoot the Moon"

The Morning Benders - "Excuses"

Lower Dens - "Batman"

The Morning Benders' "Phil Specter-inspired" performance of their hit single "Excuses":