Firebrand Recording

New Nikki Glaser out today! Recorded at Firebrand Recording with Dan Monahan at the helm. HBO special out tomorrow!

I wrote a song for my HBO special. Go listen to it wherever you stream music. Someday you’ll die.

Firebrand wouldn’t exist without Steve Albini. It was hearing Pixies’ Surfer Rosa that got me thinking about recording for the first time. It sounded different than a lot of records I’d heard and it occurred to me for the first time that someone somewhere was making decisions about mysterious things I didn’t yet understand that made it sound that way. The Breeders Pod has the same thing going on as did records by the Jesus Lizard. Fast forward to Nirvana’s In Utero and there it was again. This time there were credits in the liner notes, so I was finally able to put together the common denominator. That realization put me on the path to figure out what Steve did differently that I liked so much. I’ve learned a lot about that process over the years. I was lucky to see his band play something like fifteen times, visit his studio twice, and briefly chat with him a few times. His impact on me was great and I’m not the only one by a long shot. 📷:

New Smile Empty Soul on the way! Thanks for the kind words.

The new “swan song” EP is done!
It was another incredible experience at firebrand recording in Saint Louis MO.
I’ve been tracking everything there since 2017, and I can’t say enough great things about the studio and Brian.

I’m looking forward to releasing these new tracks throughout the 2024 year and seeing what you guys all think

https://mrafia1.wixsite.com/smileemptymusic/product-page/smile-empty-soul-swan-song-cd-pre-order

The post you never want to write… I was lucky to know Roscoe for almost nine and a half years. Before we met, he was in a rural Missouri shelter for about four years. That’s a long time to be on the inside! Evidently, he was adopted out a time or two, but returned for chasing chickens. I guess he was more spry and active in his youth than the lazy boy I got to know. The non-cattle dog blood must have been responsible for his chill lifestyle. The first two years of his life are a mystery to me, but I’ve always suspected that he was on the streets. I’m pretty sure I’m right because he had hobo skills: he’d get under the nearest shelter when he heard thunder (even if he was inside) and he clearly had dumpster diving skills. Even though the guy never missed a meal under my watch, he never failed to get excited about parking lot chicken bones. He was a good boy, so he’d never tip a trash can when I was around, but if I left… When he came into my life, Roscoe smelled terrible and it took couple baths to get him presentable. He was initially a bit snippy with new people, but coming to work with me exposed him to a lot of new humans. Some even became his friends! He was a loner, but if he liked you, he’d come push his head into your chest for a hug and maybe wipe some eye goop on you while he was at it. Roscoe became my near-constant companion, going to work with me at the studio every day. Despite never setting up a mic or even once wrapping a cable, he became a reliable assistant engineer and was woven into the fabric of Firebrand. He even got some credits on some records! He got to meet a lot of musicians and logged more hours in the studio than a lot of people. He even got to rifle through Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s purse once, looking for treats. He was infamous for his pizza thieving skills. The boy was smart: he’d watch the eyes of his victim and when they turned away, he’d spring into action. I always joked about stenciling a pizza slice on the wall somewhere after each successful downing. I’m pretty sure he would have completed a couple pies. He was passionate about snacks. So much so, that it almost did him in once. He ate just south of a potentially fatal dose of high-end, high-cocoa content chocolate bars. He was jazzed when we got home, playing with toys and flying around the house. There was also the time he ate an entire bag of Halloween candy, wrappers and all. Colorful poops followed for days. The dude loved even the smallest snack more than I think I’ve liked anything in my entire life. When he stopped eating, I knew it was time. He turned 16 in December and I hope he got as much joy as he gave me since I met him. In what could be a fitting tribute, when were were carrying him out to be ferried away after he crossed, a FedEx van down the block was blaring Pantera’s Walk. I hope he’s somewhere—maybe with Fiona—able bodied, back to the sausage shape I remember, taking a nice walk smelling the smells. We’ll eat pizza in his honor and remember the goodest of boys! I miss him already. Cancer can suck it.

We had an entertaining week at the new studio spot with , , , and .

New studio, new console!

Finally!! First single off of our album releases at midnight! "Flight from Portland"

Day one of the sale went well, but there are still plenty of things left! Come on by between noon and 4 pm today (10/8/23) and keep us from having to box this stuff up and move it!

Planning…

After eighteen years of making records in our Maryland Heights location, Firebrand Recording is on the move! We’ve purchased the old Sherpa Studios building in Brentwood and are in the process of setting up shop in our new facilities. We hope to be up and running by November, so keep an eye out for an opening announcement. We’ll also be having a moving sale soon to find new homes for some equipment that won’t be making the trek. It’s bittersweet to leave the space we’ve called home for the better part of two decades, but we’re excited about the new space and new opportunities!

We’ll be participating in the Music, Memorabilia, And Gear Swap Meet at Delmar Hall this Sunday. There’ll be all kinds of people with tables of records, memorabilia, and gear for sale. Come buy our stuff and talk audio!

After lots of hard work at the studio, the debut album from Pleasure Center is out today. Give it a listen!

Pity in Jangle City, by Pleasure Center 10 track album

It was a pleasure working with the guys in Soft Crisis on their recent release. Give it a listen!

Tracked and mixed at Firebrand Recording and mastered by Mario Viele.

Fractions, by Soft Crisis track by Soft Crisis

New Stokerstl out today; mixed and tracked at Firebrand. Check it out!

Same Way Stokerstl · Song · 2021

Not a bad spot for the new Smile Empty Soul to land at on the iTunes rock charts; especially for an independent artist. It’s a bit crazy to see a record tracked here at Firebrand sitting above Sting and the Police on the charts!

Thanks to you guys, our new album “Black Pilled” is #2 on the iTunes rock album charts

Thanks for supporting a completely independent band with no record label, and no money behind us