Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta Master Solo Debut By Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor

In the few years since joining crossover pop band Grizzly Bear, Chris Taylor has claimed a permanent place among indie royalty, extending his production credits to include debut albums by Twin Shadow and The Morning Benders, co-founding the brand new Terrible Records, and most recently, releasing his first ever solo album, "Dreams Come True." To be released on September 13 under the moniker CANT, "Dreams Come True," was mastered by Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta right here at The Lodge!

Typical of Taylor's musical endeavors, "Dreams Come True," is drenched in nuance, layered in effects and a shivers with a genuine sense of humanness. What's new to the scene, however, is 1) the heavy use of synthesizers opposed to his typical array of acoustic instruments and 2) Taylor's voice finally snags the spotlight! Self-produced/mixed/engineered, Taylor also called upon musical comrade George Lewis Jr. of Twin Shadow, whose critically acclaimed debut was also mastered at The Lodge. Mark it on your calendars, "Dreams Come True" will be released in less than few weeks via Warp Records/ Terrible Records and you won't want to miss the boat on this one!

Listen to the lead single "Believe" here and watch some sweet footage below of CANT's debut show at Mercury Lounge earlier this week to see how wonderfully the songs translate into a live set.

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":

Magic Kids Bring Memphis To The Lodge

Indie pop's latest crush, Magic Kids, are counting down the days till their summery debut album "Memphis" (True Panther) is released on August 24, 2010. The album was mastered at The Lodge by Chief Mastering Engineer Emily Lazar and Mastering Engineer Joe LaPorta.

Magic Kids are a joyfully talented and incredibly charming sextext from Memphis, Tennessee. The band, composed of childhood friends Will, Ben, Michael, Alice, Al and Bennett, is gaining a reputation for their endearing, lighthearted lyrics and colorful '60s pop inspired arrangements. Reminiscent of early Beach Boys and Electric Light Orchestra, Magic Kids' singles "Hey Boy" and "Summer," featured on the upcoming debut, have already caught the attention of recent buzzbands The Morning Benders and Ariel Pink, and have even earned them an interview by the popular indie-centric magazine Nylon. The band's shimmering debut "Memphis," to be released on True Panther, was produced and mixed by Shane Stoneback who recently collaborated with The Lodge on Vampire Weekend's "Contra" and Sleigh Bells' "Treats." Previous True Panther albums mastered at The Lodge by mastering engineer Joe LaPorta include: Lemonade's "Pure Moods," Tanlines' "Settings," Teengirl Fantasy's upcoming full length "7AM," and (former True Panther artist) Tamaryn's "The Waves."

Magic Kids are currently on a cross-country summer tour with Ariel Pink through the months of July and August. Stop by a venue near you and let their sunny music remind you what the season is all about!

mp3: Magic Kids - "Summer"

mp3: Magic Kids - "Superball"

Watch Nylon magazine's interview of the Magic Kids:

Summer Headliners Mastered at The Lodge

The Lodge Mastering invites New York to celebrate summer as some of the hottest bands on the scene gear up for their seasonal tours. In support of recent releases, all of which were mastered at The Lodge, Vampire Weekend, Minus the Bear, Sleigh Bells, Dum Dum Girls, The Morning Benders and many more will be performing in and around the New York City area. See below for a complete listing of upcoming shows, and be sure to pick up a copy of the artists' latest albums!

Against Me! -- June 24 @ Wellmont Theatre

Chief -- June 2 @ The Mercury Lounge

Future Islands/Lower Dens -- June 12 @ Bowery Ballroom

Maps & Atlases -- August 12 @ The Mercury Lounge

Matt Pond PA -- June 27 @ The Bowery Ballroom

Minus the Bear -- July 8 @ Webster Hall

The Morning Benders -- June 5 @ The Fillmore, July 27, 28 @ Central park Summerstage

The Postelles -- July 28 @ The Bowery Ballroom

Suckers -- June 18 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Vampire Weekend w/ Beach House & Dum Dum Girls -- September 15 thru 17 @ Radio City Music Hall

The Morning Benders Bring "Big Echo" to The Lodge

It seems as though nothing can stop this talented quartet as they continue to cause quite the stir in the indie blog music world. Their recently released sophomore album, "Big Echo," (Rough Trade) was co-produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and has established this group of young men as one of the most popular and sought after bands out there. "Big Echo" was mastered at The Lodge by Emily Lazar and Joe Laporta.

The band was founded by frontman Chris Chu, who began by releasing a few EPs on his own. By late 2006 the band filled out with Julian Harmon on drums, Tim Or on bass, and the multi-instrumentalist, Joe Ferrel switching between organ and guitar. With the complete band in place, they released a full length album, "Talking Through Tin Cans," (Brown Bottle) in 2008, which was mastered by The Lodge's Sarah Register.

With "Big Echo", Chu and the group have proved themselves to be thoughtful, sophisticated songwriters while maintaining their incredible pop sensibility. With sweet, looping singles like "Excuses" and the thundering drums and gentle vocals of "Mason Jar", this album sucks you into their lush Spector-esque "wall of sound" and exemplifies the kind of growth and musical maturity that makes a perfect second album. We're all really excited about this one!

Check out the first video from "Big Echo," "Promises":

The Morning Benders "Big Echo" coming right atcha!

Morning Benders (Rough Trade) are about to release their incredible new album "Big Echo" pretty soon. Take it from us guys, it's a complete stunner!

The album was produced/mixed by Chris Taylor (of Grizzly Bear) and mastered by Emily Lazar & Joe LaPorta at The Lodge. Here's a little free mp3 giveaway from the band. The album is out 3/9 on Rough Trade/Beggars and gets an early digital release through iTunes on 1/12.

www.themorningbenders.com