Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Tabletop Recording Studio

So the idea here was to build a recording studio I could place in a small carry-on suitcase for my upcoming trip to Mexico. I needed to eliminate stuff like mic stands, excessive cables, large clunky gear, processors, and anything that’s typically spread all over my house when I’m recording. Of course I could plug straight into a laptop or ipad, but sadly neither of those devices fulfills my self-imposed legal obligation to record solely on audio cassette. Thankfully, with the help of a local Goodwill and my pals at SuperDigital, I’ve successfully assembled a new Frankenstein setup I like to call The Tabletop Recording Studio.


The gear:

  • Tascam Porta 02 4-track cassette recorder ($10 at Goodwill!)
  • Nady RSM-2 ribbon mic (found used at SuperDigital)
  • Cloudlifter CL-1 (ordered online from a guy who knows a guy)
  • Tascam iXZ adapter (another gadget from SuperDigital)
  • ipad (the Apple Store)

With this setup, the only thing I have to plug in is the 4-track. I’m running the ribbon mic into the Cloudlifter to boost the signal. The Cloudlifter’s going into this newfangled Tascam adapter that allows me to send the signal into and back out of the ipad which I’m using for processing and effects. From there the sound travels into the 4-track where it’s captured on tape.

For a trial run I decided to record one of my favorite Daniel Johnston songs. You can give it a listen here…


This Tascam doesn’t have the DBX noise reduction that my 488 has, so it’s about as lo-fi sounding as you can get, but that’s part of the fun.

Good times!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Enso Show + TAPES!

For those of you who've been wanting to get your hands on a physical copy of Spirit of '98, this might be a good time to start dusting off your old tape deck. I plan on spending the next week carefully assembling a limited-edition cassette version of the album. Side A will feature Spirit of '98 in its entirety, while Side B will offer 30 minutes of music dubbed straight from actual mixtapes I either made or received in 1998. It's like stepping into a time machine, friends. Buckle up.

Your first chance to nab this lil' piece of history will be Saturday Nov. 5 at Enso Winery. From 7-9pm we'll be passing the wine and charging through an unplugged set of acoustic jams. Joining us on the bill will be the awesomely talented Dasha and the Bear, and possibly other surprise guests. Hope to see you there! Can't make the show but want a tape? Shoot me an email at danluriemusic@gmail.com.

Dan Lurie + Dasha and the Bear

Saturday Nov. 5 from 7-9pm
Enso Winery (1416 SE Stark Street, Portland)
w/ Spirit of '98 cassettes on hand!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Acoustic Athens session



Well, the tour was AMAZING. Great shows, great friends, met some new pals, had plenty of good times. We'll have a full recap soon, but first I wanted to share this video the fine folks at The Post (Ohio University's student newspaper) put together for us. I used to take photos for this paper back in the day. They moved to a new building, but not much else has changed. It was fun hanging out with the next wave of budding journalists, and awesome to get such a warm welcome back to Athens.

Enjoy! We've got more videos and photos from the road coming your way shortly...

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Tour dates are set!

UPDATE: Just added a second Athens show Saturday Sept. 24 at Donkey Coffee. See updated tour dates below...

The Freshman Orientation Tour is almost upon us. It's not quite a world tour, but it's gonna be a blast. Special thanks go out to our dear friends who helped us book these shows. Come on out and see us if you're in the neighborhood, and help us spread the word.

Sunday Sept. 18 - Columbus, OH @ Used Kids Records - w/ Kyle Sowash 3:30pm

Wednesday Sept. 21 - Franklin, TN @ The Bunganut Pig - w/ Michelle Hemmer 7pm

Friday Sept. 23 - Athens, OH @ ACRN House Party - w/ Kyle Sowash and Emily & The Complexes 10pm (email daniellurie@hotmail.com for address)

Saturday Sept. 24 - Athens, OH @ Donkey Coffee - w/ The Wayfarers and Jake Loew 9pm (we play first, right at 9)

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The road to Athens

It helps having a band manager who knows the lay of the land.

This September we're taking Spirit of '98 straight to America's Heartland, culminating with a show in Athens, OH, the wondrous college town that inspired it all. We're calling it The Freshman Orientation Tour.

This mini tour of sorts will find us pickin' and a grinnin' our way across Ohio, plus we'll also be swooping down to Nashville for a pair of shows with some dear pals. A few locations and showtimes are still being solidified, but here's the plan as it stands now. We'll post the final itinerary as soon as everything's confirmed.

Sept. 18 - Columbus, OH - Used Kids Records - w/ Kyle Sowash (3:30pm)
Sept. 19 - Cincinnati, OH (or thereabouts) - TBD
Sept. 21 - Nashville, TN - The Bunganut Pig - w/ Michelle Hemmer (6pm)
Sept. 22 - Nashville, TN - Betty's Grill
Sept. 23 - Athens, OH - ACRN House Show! (email for address)

The Players

What musical ringers have I brought on board to play these songs live, you ask? Behold...

Dan Lurie - vocals, guitar, me.

Vanessa Rehder - vocals, tiny Casio keyboard.

Daniel Dominic Mancini - drums, junk percussion, keys, stylophone, hopefully not this outfit.

Monday, February 21, 2011

That Spirit of '98 sound

Ever wonder where that signature Spirit of '98 sound comes from? That's OK, I'll tell you anyway. Here's a look at some of the instruments and devices that brought the album to life, along with store locations and pricing info, just in case you want to recreate the magic yourself at home.

Tascam 488 cassette 8-track. The Rolls-Royce of cassette multitrack recorders. Purchased on ebay, broken of course. $200, plus probably another $200 in repairs courtesy of the clueless repair guy in Portland. But she purrs like a kitten now.


1970 Stella guitar by Harmony. Purchased at Re-Run Vintage in Portland. $25


Stylophone synthesizer toy. Purchased by Daniel Dominic Mancini, probably at Urban Outfitters. $20


Hackatone Model 4 custom tube amp made out of an old radio. Purchased at Really Good Stuff, Portland. $100


Miniature grand piano. Purchased at an estate sale in Portland. $2


Fisher Price children's cassette recorder. Gift from Matt Stefanik. Free!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The reviews are in!

Just one of several writers to weigh in with positive thoughts on Spirit of '98

It's been just about a month since Spirit of '98 dropped and the response has been incredible. I can't even begin to thank you all individually. All I can say is this album was a very personal project for me, and the warm reception really means a lot. I think the best part has been hearing from people who are finding their own memories in these songs. This album is certainly about a very specific period in time - the college years - and it's been great connecting with folks who had experiences similar to mine.

That includes a handful of writers kind enough to review the album. The writeups have been great, both locally and internationally, and I'm excited to share them with you on a new page we're calling REVIEWS. Check it out, and thanks again for all the support!

In other news, Seattle, we're coming to you March 4. See you at the Skylark for a special performance with The Beautiful Sunsets.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Album Release Party Saturday January 29 at Mississippi Pizza!

It'll look something like this.

Spirit of '98 drops this week! (The official release date is Tuesday 1/18, but... hint hint, you can head over to danlurie.bandcamp.com RIGHT NOW and download it for free!) As for the album release party, you'll have the chance to hear these songs live Saturday January 29 at Mississippi Pizza in Portland. I'll be joined by Vanessa Rehder on keys and backing vocals, and local act Class M Planets will kick things off. Pizza, beer and booze will also be on hand, and everyone in attendance will receive a free copy of Spirit of '98. It's all happening folks.

Please note that this is an early show that starts at 8pm sharp and will be over by 9:30. So be sure to show up early. We look forward to seeing you and yours there!

Dan Lurie - Spirit of '98 Album Release Party
w/ Class M Planets
Saturday January 29, 8pm (early show), FREE
Mississippi Pizza (3552 North Mississippi Ave)