48 search results for "backyard sessions"

[photo by Dominic Mastrangelo]

Family Band are a salve to a nerve-frayed city where everybody climbs their steps two at a time. Indeed, the Brooklyn back yard where the latest Backyard Brunch Sessions was held could as well have been miles from the city; in the presence of Family Band, we were transfixed, and transported. The components of the band’s sound are vocalist/guitarist Kim Krans, whose dusky, haunting vocals give the songs their emotional core; her husband, guitarist/pedal bassist Jonny Ollsin, and Scott Hirsch, on pedal steel. If you noticed that there was no drummer in that mix, that’s right – the band relies on minimal percussion beyond a tambourine tapped lightly by Krans’ feet, or Krans’ handheld “golden eggs”. The result gives their songs a hushed, intense and slightly mournful quality; Ollsin only half-jokingly called it “death prom”. But maybe that’s because New Yorkers associate a slowed pace with sadness; Krans and Ollsin write most of their songs up in the Catskills, where they met, and if you look at it that way, there is a pastoral quality to these songs as well. Given how scorching hot and humid it was outside in Brooklyn on this otherwise gorgeous day, many of us wished we were in those mountains, too (even if the show did come with brunch courtesy of Ollsin, bloody marys courtesy of McClure’s Pickles, and Adirondack Creamery ice cream).
The band, who have toured recently with both Phosphorescent and Warpaint, are working on a new record that they hope to release later this year. Several of these songs are new ones that will appear on it, and if the rest of the record is as outstanding as songs like “Again” and “Forgive the Rest”, it will be a great one. This show was also a first for Backyard Brunch shows in that it was the first fully electric performance that has been hosted, and that fit Family Band’s sound perfectly, as it relies much more heavily on the electric pedal bass to carry the songs. If Krans, Ollsin and Hirsch were suffering from heat (which they had to be) it didn’t show in a spot-on performance of these soothing, thought-provoking songs. For this half hour, at least, we could forget the rush, live in the moment, and enjoy.

I recorded this set with AKG large-diaphragm microphones miking the band’s amplifiers, using Schoeps supercardiods as very high-end vocal mics. The results are outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Forgive the Rest”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F0723FamilyBand0211/04%20Forgive%20the%20Rest.mp3]

Stream “Hatred”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F0723FamilyBand0211/07%20Hatred.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

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Family Band
2011-07-23
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced for nyctaper.com by acidjack

Equipment: AKG C414 B-XLS (wide cardiod)>Sound Devices USBpre2 + Schoeps Mk41>CMC6 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Mastering: 4×24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (effects, mixdown)>Audacity (set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [Intro]
02 The Field
03 [banter]
04 Forgive the Rest
05 [tuning]
06 Fantasy
07 Hatred
08 [banter]
09 Again

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Family Band, visit their website, and purchase their current LP, Miller Path, directly from their bandcamp page.

The Loom have been consistent favorites of this site almost since its inception.  Their intricate arrangements and stellar musicianship truly shine in the live setting, and the band members’ dedication and good attitudes never go unnoticed.  Going into the CMJ Music Festival this week, they have already been hailed in the New York Times as a “next big thing”, especially if your indie rock proclivities lean toward the folkier side of things.  We couldn’t agree more.

One of the best aspects of the Backyard Brunch Sessions is that these stripped down sets rapidly expose musicians one way or the other – the mediocre bands cannot hide behind technology, while the elemental talents of the great ones are all the more obvious.  The Loom, clearly, are the real deal, an act greater than the sum of extremely talented parts.  Sarah Renfro and John Fanning’s vocals were spot-on, and bassist Dan Desloover showed off his talents on a home-made upright bass (made of a wash basin) that he cobbled together especially for the occasion.  There was not a weak moment in their set, though I was perhaps most captivated by the elegant rendition of “The First Freeze” that even some, er, “local antics” (listen to the banter track) could not disrupt.  We wish The Loom a great success this week at CMJ and beyond.  They have a new album on the way shortly – don’t miss it – as well as shows coming up at several local venues.

I recorded this set with six microphones strategically placed around the band, with Schoeps hypercardiods targeting vocals and guitars, DPA cardiods picking up the horns, bass and percussion, and DPA omnidirectional mics picking up more percussion and the overall sound of the yard.  The sound quality is among my favorite of all of my recordings.  Enjoy!

Stream “The First Freeze”

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Loom
2010-10-10
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment:
Schoeps CMC641+DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
DPA 4061>Naiant littlebox>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Schoeps on vocals and guitars, 4061s “onstage”, 4021s spot mic’ing horns, drums and bass
Mastering: 6×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (hard limit some peaks, compress some peaks, pan channels, balancing, mixdown, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 intro
02 A Song of Faint Praise
03 Snowed In
04 banter
05 Like Lamp Glow
06 banter
07 The First Freeze
08 For the Hooves That Gallop and the Heels that March
09 banter
10 Helen

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Loom, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their debut EP At Last Light from the links on their MySpace page, and keep an eye out for their new album.

[photos by acidjack]

When we suggested to our friends at the Backyard Brunch Sessions that they showcase a Danish electro-pop artist that we had previously raved about on this site, we were met with a bit of skepticism.  Nobody was sure that the band’s reliance on densely layered electronics could be abandoned for the acoustic backyard setting.  We insisted that the quality of Oh Land’s songs – and her incipient star power (you may have seen her recently in Vogue, Nylon or Style.com lately) – were worth it.  Truth be told, our hosts did compromise a little – Nanna Øland Fabricius and her band did bring along a few plug-in items.  And, as we predicted, they gave us a stunning set that was radically different than anything that had been in this Bushwick backyard before.   For this show, the band specially rehearsed heavily reworked versions of the songs that wowed us at Brooklyn Bowl back in June, and have since played to Fashion Week crowds at private gigs, and at opening gigs for Mates of State in the U.S.  Squeezed together on a park bench, surrounded by a drum, omnichords, a toy keyboard, and a mixer, these semi-acoustic versions gave a new dimension to each of Nanna’s songs.  This unique set will not likely be repeated again, and even better, it included a new song that we had not heard before, “Rainbow.”  We expect the band to be back to their more “traditional” setup when they play another BBS-related show at Brooklyn Bowl on November 8, which will also feature The Canon Logic, Arms, The Courtesy Tier, and Fatty Acid.  Expect to see an EP from Oh Land released stateside in October on Epic Records.

I recorded this set by mic’ing Nanna with small DPA omnidirectional mics on her collar, and two DPA cardiod mics (Danish mics for a Danish singer, I suppose) placed on either side of the musicians.  Despite some occasional mild handling noise from Nanna’s hair brushing the mic surface, the recording is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “White Nights”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0627OhLand0210/OhLand-WhiteNights_acidjack2010-10-10.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Oh Land
2010-10-10
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4061+DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: 4061s on singer’s lapel, 4021s spot-mic’d left/right side of “stage”
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, amplify, balance, hard limit peaks, tracking, downsample)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks
01 Rainbow
02 Sun of a Gun
03 White Nights
04 banter
05 Wolf and I

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Oh Land, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their forthcoming Epic Records release as well as Fauna, which is most easily purchased in the U.S. on iTunes.

[photo by nyctaper]

I love musical revelations — those moments when you realize that the band you are watching is truly something special. Last Saturday, we had this experience within the first minute of the Pearl and the Beard set at the Backyard Brunch Sessions. The opening song “Voice in My Throat” (streaming below) showcases their sumptuous harmonies, but it was a mere introduction to the impressive work of this talented trio. Each of the seven songs performed showcased a special talent of the individual members, whether it be the ability of Jeremy Styles to transition from a sweet tenor to a rich baritone in the midst of one song (“Reverend Pants”), or percussion/multi-instrumentalist Jocelyn Mackenzie’s beautiful operatic solo in “Coronado Brown”. The final number was Emily Hope Price’s showcase. “Hot Volcano” is a NOLA-styled jazzy vamp that brought the house down. As Pearl and the Beard continues to perform and reach a larger audience, the many talents of this unique trio will become obvious to all. They are playing several CMJ showcases, including The Music Slut party at Pianos on Tuesday October 19, and we wish they are playing our show. But unfortunately the NYCTaper CMJ show was booked before I was taken under the spell of Pearl.

This set was recorded as I have all the backyard sessions, with four microphones strategically placed around the band. We spent much time on the post-production working on the levels and balances, and we are extremely happy with the superb final product. Enjoy!

Stream “Voice in My Throat”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P2509Pearl1020/Pearl%20and%20the%20Beard%202010-09-25%20VOICE%20IN%20MY%20THROAT.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Pearl and the Beard
2010-09-25
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Onstage

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2010-10-01

Setlist:
[Total Time 23:06]
01 [introduction]
02 Voice in My Throat
03 Reverend Pants
04 The Lament of Coronado Brown
05 Prodigal Daughter
06 Lost in Singapore
07 Black Vessel
08 Hot Volcano

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Pearl and the Beard, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the store at their website [HERE].

[photo by Jeff K]

Franz Nicolay’s set at the sixth episode of the Backyard Brunch Sessions was an excellent preview of his latest full length album, Luck & Courage due in October. Franz has been particularly busy since his departure from the Hold Steady earlier this year, touring solo in support of his late 2009 EP St. Sebastian of the Short Stage, publishing and writing short stories, producing, and playing briefly as the touring keyboardist for the punk band Against Me. Perhaps as an escape from all this activity Luck & Courage is a personal album, structured around the relationship of its protagonists Felix and Adelita, whose names translate in Latin and Spanish to the album’s title. In the cozy backyard, Franz introduced each song with a story bringing every member of the intimate crowd inside of the songs. This approach will also be featured when Franz plays the next session of the superb Vivo in Vino series on September 28.

I recorded this set with four microphones — two for vocals and two for the instruments. The accordion songs feature a strong dose of the instrument, while the banjo songs are more vocal heavy. Overall, the sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Jeff Penalty”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H6589HoldSteady1192/FranzNicolay2010-08-28_nyctaper_JEFF_PENALTY.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Franz Nicolay
2010-08-28
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Onstage

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2010-09-08

Setlist:
[Total Time 46:21]
01 [introduction]
02 For My Next Trick I’ll Need A Volunteer (Warren Zevon)
03 [banter]
04 Dead Sailors
05 [banter]
06 Felix & Adelita
07 [banter]
08 This Is Not A Pipe
09 [banter]
10 Jeff Penalty
11 [banter]
12 Job 35:10
13 The Ballad of Hollis Wadsworth Mason, Jr.
14 [banter]
15 Rock, Rinse, Repeat
16 [banter]
17 Cease-Fire
18 Luck & Courage
19 [banter]
20 Moon River (Mancini/Mercer)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Franz Nicolay, visit his website, and purchase his official releases from the store at his website [HERE].

[screencap by Eric Horn]

The third session of the Backyard Brunch series moved indoors and began with an opening set by Courtesy Tier (here). The featured band was Person L, which is the newest musical project from Kenny Vasoli, who spent ten years as the lead singer of the popular major label pop-punk band The Starting Line. While Person L definitely is a departure for Vasoli, the band still relies heavily on his powerful vocals and meticulous songcraft. From ten feet away in a cozy living room, Kenny’s compelling presence demanded attention as the band worked through a short set of their best songs in an acoustic format. The highlights of the performance included “Goodness Gracious” (streaming below) and set closer “Untitled”, both tracks from their excellent 2009 release The Positives.

We recorded this set with four microphones placed strategically among the band members and the sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Goodness Gracious”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P1070PersonL2010/05%20PersonL2010-07-10_nyctaper_t05.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Person L
2010-07-10
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Onstage

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2010-07-22

Setlist:
[Total Time 35:04]
01 [introduction]
02 House Sounds
03 New Sensation
04 Good Days
05 Goodness Gracious
06 [banter]
07 Sit Tight
08 [banter/equipment]
09 Storms
10 [banter/thanks]
11 Untitled

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Person L, visit their MySpace page, and purchase The Positives from the Academy Fight Song Records website [HERE].