The Mother Hips have been a band since 1991 when they formed in Chico, CA - about the same time that Tape Op's editor, Larry Crane was living in Chico and playing in Vomit Launch.  At one point, they were signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings and were sent out on tour with Johnny Cash.  Apparently Rubin told Mr. Cash to tell the band they should sign to American.  As Tim Bluhm (guitar, vocals) recounts it on the Crystal Flake bonus DVD, "When Johnny Cash tells you what to do, you just do it."  The DVD is a great addition to Crystal Flake in an era that begs the question, "Why buy a CD?"  Well, read Larry's "End Rant" in this issue for one reason.  I think cool extras, like this "making of" DVD, are what will be needed to keep people purchasing music outside online downloads.  Dylan Magierek recorded most of the album at San Francisco's Closer Recording, and the DVD has lots of footage of the band recording there.  The footage is less of a "behind the scenes" of the record actually being made (we all know how boring that can be) than a very tightly edited video of the band doing basics and overdubs to the final mixes of several songs.  Excerpts from a radio interview are interspersed between songs in the 50-minute video.  The CD sounds great - all involved did excellent work.  Jackie Greene, who interviewed Steve Berlin in Tape Op #55, makes an appearance on the CD and DVD playing piano and B3.  Mixing and additional recording done by Dylan and Rick Perez at Different Fur, with additional mixing done by Justin Phelps at Hyde Street Studios.  Mike Wells mastered.  Check out the track "Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear" on iTunes for a taste, but make sure you track down the whole package. -JB