Dream Studios - The Podcast

Lindsey and Ashley are one half of the band Snack Supper (Cam and Randall are the second half) and they join me to discuss the rowdy tracks they recorded here last year. Snack Supper is somewhere in the punk/surf/garage rock/ and dare I say even the comedy department. Enjoy the conversation!

My guest this week is Bhavin Bhulani. I met Bhavin through my brother and musical co-conspirator Bonesaw. One day Bonesaw was walking around the neighborhood with is 3 year old daughter and when he came back he said “Dude, I just met a cool dude. His name's Bhavin and he lives in the neighborhood and he also has a 3 year old daughter. Turns out Bhavin also writes songs, and had been tinkering with the idea of recording them. Fast forward a few months and Bhavin is here in The Dream recording his first songs ever under the name TimeDelay. Bhavin works in the tech industry and developed an affinity for songwriting and recording as a means of scratching a creative itch he wasn't finding at his 9-5.

Noni Culotta joins me for Episode 1 of Season 2. Noni is a singer-songwriter with a keen ear for hooks, relatable but deeply personal lyrics and storytelling, and a finely-tuned ear for tasteful arrangements and layered textures. Her compositions bloom through the speakers like musical flowers; gracefully and with a heartbreaking warmth and beauty. She trusts her instincts, but truly values collaboration and creative input. Join us for this conversation about her latest album “Gimme Sunshine”.

Tyler Olfers came into The Dream to record a single about a sandwich. But the sandwich is a metaphor for the music industry. And oh yeah, we made a really crunchy sandwich and recorded it as a percussion instrument. For Tyler, the process and experience of recording and collaborating is even more meaningful and rewarding than the final product. Tyler's one of the good people. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

An alum of NBC's hit show "The Voice", Reid came into The Dream shortly after his TV run to record his first solo effort. We talk about drinking a lot of whiskey when the power goes out (a rare event at The Dream, I assure you), being a perfectionist ("that castanet hit should be 0.5 db quieter"), and "seeing" a song in colors before you hear it in sounds. To learn more about The Dream visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com

The second half of Episode 8's conversation with Matt Read and Chris McQueen. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

Matt Read and Chris McQueen are a devastatingly talented and creative acoustic guitar duo whose songs showcase a mastery of written melodic themes, improvised explorations of those themes, and enough time changes and metric modulations to keep you nerding out forever. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

Elvin Levins can write a country-western song. And you'll smile when you sing along, until you realize you're singing about some pretty dark stuff. But ya know, in a fun way. Adam Berlin is a drummer with a whimsical approach to his instrument that served Elvin's songs wonderfully. With the help of a young Austin guitar phenom named Kelvin Stewart and an oddball Austin pedal-steel legend named Bob Hoffnar, they crafted a 6-song masterpiece of an EP. To watch some fun videos relating to this and other episodes, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

Colin Clark and David Pulkingham came into The Dream to record an album of covers featuring songs from some of Austin's most legendary songwriters. But! They didn't just karaoke these things. They flipped them upside down and gave them a refreshing twist, which is usually a tall order unless you have one of Austin's most unique vocal baritones and the creative force of world-class players like Pulk (guitar), Glenn Fukunaga (bass), Bobby Trimble (drums), Bob Hoffnar (pedal-steel), and Cynthia Slate (vocals) behind you. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

"Goldie Pipes" is Sha Alheem, a deeply talented musical mind who called on all his influences to craft his latest album "The Chocolate Quarters". His voice being his only instrument, he sings all the instrumental parts acapella to get everyone in his (stellar) band on the same page just moments before tracking. Goldie Pipes has a knack for surrounding himself with precisely the right players for his musical vision, and it was a true pleasure being behind the board while he worked it all out in the studio. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

Alva Sim came into The Dream with her new band to record some demos and work out arrangements. Hear how she and her bandmates collaborated to create visions for songs that for a long time lived only as a solo acoustic guitar and vocal. Alva talks about the thrill of hearing the band come in on the downbeat with the full arrangement, the nerves involved in making a commitment to turn your songs into "something", and a mysterious game Hoag has never heard of called "Rounders". To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos.

JD Torian made an album that Hoag classifies as "Robot Rock". He's not sure JD is cool with that designation, but he means it in the best way possible. In episode 3 of the Dream Studios Podcast, JD tells his story of selling a pizza business, launching a music career, and surprising everybody with a big, unusual sound that sounds equal parts retro and modern. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

Marshall Lardon performs and records under the name "Just My Luck". In episode 2 of the Dream Studios Podcast, we talk about his experience recording his debut album "Business As Usual". Getting trippy with floor tom reverb; the problem with too much revision; the joy of limitless overdubbing; and how finger snaps can take a song from good to great. To watch some fun videos relating to this episode, visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos

Hoag's brother and Dream Studios co-founder Bonesaw joins him for Episode 1 and together they tell the story of building "The Dream" in their backyard. Digging a ditch almost killed their bodies. Their trip to the dump almost killed their souls. But with the help of their friends and fans, and with a morale boost from a preposterously delightful game they invented called "Tapeball", they finally achieved their dream; a recording studio right in their own backyard. Visit www.thedreamrecordingstudio.com/videos for videos relating to their discussion