Tim Rutili said when his band, Califone, recorded its new album "Roots and Crowns," it had the luxury of time.
"We didn't have to hurry it up," said Rutili during a phone call from his home in Chicago. "It was a pleasant experience for all of us. We took our time and we let the process guide what we were going to do."
Califone — Rutili, drummer Joe Adamik, banjoist/violinist Jim Becker and percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Ben Massarella — all took time to play their parts to perfection, said Rutili.
"That was the main thing about this album," he said. "We knew what we wanted it to sound like and we knew what we needed to do to make it sound the way it does."
The album was released Wednesday.
Rutili cut his teeth on classic rock — "everything from Led Zeppelin to the Beatles to the Rolling Stones."
But then he discovered punk rock.
"Black Flag and the Minutemen were the end of everything for me," said Rutili. "From there, I formed bands because I wanted to play music that I wanted to hear."
Rutili broke away from his band Red Red Meat to form Califone. It was supposed to be a solo career project, and for a while it was, as band members came and went.
But as of late, the lineup has become more solid.
"We have our roles in the band," said Rutili. "But we still play music that we want to hear.
"And it's easy for us to do that because we don't have to answer to anyone except ourselves
"That's another good thing because we haven't been on the road for a couple of years," he said. "So what we're doing now is preparing for the tour. And that's always a good feeling. As for our set lists, well, I write something up 15 minutes before we get on stage."
If you go ...
What: Califone, Peter and the Wolf and Tolchock Trio
Where: Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East
When: Tuesday, 9 p.m.
How much: $8
Phone: 746-0557
Web:www.24tix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com