There must be something in the air. Over at Candleblog, a couple of pals are engaged in a frisky debate about a proposed Blogger Code of Conduct. Murf from False 45th and I are having a back and forth about the validity of backing tracks in live performance. I’m not sure I’d call our exchange a debate –  I have a feeling we’ll end up making nearly the same point.

But I wanted to put the question out there to the rest of you. When does the use of triggered accompaniment become sonic chicanery?

Here’s a helpful list of hipster-approved acts who engage in the practice (partial source: Wikipedia). Not that I’m trying to influence you or anything:

The Album Leaf

Death Cab for Cutie

The Go! Team

Mogwai

Ratatattat

And so on…. I’m sure you guys can come up with more. No diva-hop or club-tronica, please.

Casey Rea was the Seven Days music editor from 2004 until 2007. He won the 2005 John D. Donoghue award for arts criticism from the Vermont Press Association.

12 replies on “Backing up.”

  1. Wow. I’m sorry I missed out on this top shelf debate.To clarify, the problem I had was with Kaza’s comment about it being the one of the best shows in thirty years. I didn’t really rip Buckingham for using pre-recorded tracks except to suggest that any show using pre-recorded tracks would remove the show from being consider on of the best shows ever. It could have still been a swell show but to call it one of the best ever is silly.To clarify my feelings about pre-recorded tracks, I largely agree with Brad. I like live music because it’s a bit of a trapeze act without a net. Shit goes wrong sometimes. Using a pre-recorded track simply to ensure that the live performance sounds just like the album, is safe and boring. And just to show some consistentcy on this, I ripped The Go! Team when I saw them live and realized they were mixing in pre-recorded horn tracks.Lastly, I see a distinction between what Buckingham and The Go! Team seem to have done and bands/artists that use pre-recorded samples and mix them together live into unique creations each time.

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