TEAM RNS PRESENTS

ARTIST: Audio Learning Center

TITLE: Cope Park

LABEL: Vagrant Records

RIPPER: Team RNS

206kbps avg - Rock
0hr 42min total- 66.0mb

RELEASE DATE: 2004-04-06
RIP DATE: 2004-03-08

01 Waking Up With The Eyes Still  1:29

04 In The Red                     3:05

09 You Get That From Your Mother  5:05

About Audio Learning Center Band bios
are funny things. In short, their
unspoken purpose is to give the intended
target the quick marketing gist of the
group in question, coloring their view
before ever hitting play on their CD.
This works okay for your average radio
band, but not for artists who are more
distinct, less likely to be pigeonholed.
Like Audio Learning Center. Their
sophomore album, Cope Park, isnt easy
to categorize, and though its on Vagrant
Records, it doesnt fit the accepted clich
of a typical Vagrant release. If
pressed, vocalist/bassist Chris Brady
might reluctantly admit, I guess Id
say were an indie rock band. If
somebody needed a genre that would

The key to the Audio Learning Centers
approach lies in their roots. Both Brady
and guitarist Steven Birch came of age
musically as part of the early 90s
musical revolution that took place in
and around the Seattle rock sceneBrady
as the leader of Pond and Birch as part
of Sprinkler. Both bands were among the
first crop of Portland, Oregon, groups to
be signed to the seminal Northwest
label, Sub Pop. After those bands
eventually fell by the wayside, the pair
joined with drummer Paul Johnson to form
Audio Learning Center in 1998. An early
demo found its way to the ears of Rich
Egan, the owner of Vagrant, and he
quickly signed the outfit, releasing
their debut, Friendships Often Fade
Away, shortly thereafter. Produced by
Adam Kasper (Foo Fighters, Queens of the
Stone Age, Cat Power), the album was a
surprisingly visceral entry into the
Vagrant catalogue. Birchs power chords
worked in tandem with Johnsons staunch
rhythms to create a solid foundation
for Bradys aching melodies and
introspective lyricism. The result was
a record that could please both the
Vagrant fan looking for something
heartfelt and the rock fan in need of
some healthy riffage.

When it came time to record their
follow-up, Cope Park, Audio Learning
Center decided the best place to work
was at homein their newly minted
studio. This, they felt, would give
them the sort of breathing space they
needed to capture their full potential.
We wanted the record to sound like we do
live: huge and thick, says Brady.
Though the goal was clear, the path
wasnt always. It was a little tough,
remembers Brady. I had done some
experimenting with home recording prior
to the sessions, but Id never tried to
take on a whole album. Throughout the
process we didnt know if any of the
sounds were usable. Wed spent a lot of
the budget on the set-up itself and
werent sure if we were going to be able
to deliver an album. At that point, you

Audio Learning Center had always
planned on getting an outside producer
to mix Cope Park, but werent sure who
that person would be. They needed to
find someone with the right sensibility,
who could push the disc over that final
hump so that the songs could be fully
realized. By chance, the trio met
producer/mixer extraordinaire Joe
Chiccarelli (Frank Zappa, Oingo Boingo,
Beck) and gave him a few of the basic
tracks. Chiccarelli liked what he
heard, but urged the band to head back
into the studio one last time. After
recording another round of overdubs and
adding a bit of veteran frosting to the
the production, Chiccarelli felt he had
the raw material Audio Learning Center
needed to reach their sonic destination.
Cope Park was finished.

Musically, Cope Park, like Friendships
Often Fade Away, peers over the
shoulders of giants. Like any band in
this new millennium, Audio Learning
Center simultaneously showcases their
varied influences while building on
them, creating something new. We all
listen to different sorts of music, Brady
explained. The bands we love are
extremely diverse, and its not like
theres one genre or tag for the type
of music we enjoy. On any given day,
youd be likely to find any number of
discs on the Audio Learning Center
stereo, including Queens Of The Stone
Age, Cat Power, Led Zeppelin, Wilco,
The Clash, The Pixies, Spoon, Steve
Earle, Pink Floyd, Nada Surf, Cheap Trick,
Grandaddy, Radiohead, XTC and The

In the end, everything boils down to a
sheer love of music. Cope Park is an
album by music fans, and as a result, its
destined to be a favorite among music
fans (and probably create a few new
ones.) Perhaps Brady sums it up best: I
walk around with a melody stuck in my
head, cant get it out for days, and then
try to write a song around itthats what
Im into. Beyond that I dont really
think about it. I just try to write
good songs. I want them to be able to
stand on their own and to last. The fact
that no one is able to come up with a
name for what we do is just fine with
me. Just call it good music, and leave