Best Local Recording Studio

Any promising local band will tell you that one of the most stressful things about making music is the sky-high cost of studio space, where every minute spent perfecting an album costs still more money. Home studios are an option, but not everyone has the cash -- let alone an apartment big enough -- to make self-recording a reality. That's why Eugene Chen and Akire Lessey of the San Francisco electro-soul act Here Are the Facts You Requested have opened up their home studio as a warm and cozy alternative to mainstream musicmaking. Tucked into the basement of the pair's Potrero Hill house, Abandon Studios resembles a cushy conversation pit decorated in every shade of the rainbow and then some. The 16-track ADAT/Pro Tools space is ideal for small groups of analog and electronic instrumentalists who want a hands-on approach to overdubbing, tracking, and editing. What's more, the dreamy multicolored atmosphere will help get those creative juices flowing, and you won't have to worry about wearing out your wallet in the process.