[Photos by acidjack]
The very first band I saw in 2012 was a bit of a shot in the dark – I wasn’t really aware of THE FIELD RECORDINGS (capitalization theirs), but scanning the first-week schedules of my regular haunts, I came across their gig with Clear Plastic Masks at Mercury Lounge, checked out their music on bandcamp, and liked what I heard. The New Haven, CT threesome didn’t disappoint, delivering a set of ambitious, well-crafted guitar-driven noise pop. Their upbeat guitar sound and penchant for unusual time changes recalls some bands of the mid-90s DC scene, The Dismemberment Plan in particular, while frontman Daniel Gallo’s vocals remind me of a younger, more caffeinated Lou Barlow (Gallo claims to have never listened to Sebadoh, so it would seem to be coincidental). The band’s name derives from, as Gallo puts it, “that our songs are whatever is going on around us, socially, politically, and philosophically. Which is a long way of saying that I don’t quite write about girls but I wish I did.”
No matter. In the live setting, you’re likely to be paying more attention to the band’s infectious enthusiasm (Gallo’s in particular) and the tightness and professionalism of their playing – a sloppy indie band this is not. Gallo and drummer Jared Thompson have been playing music together since high school, and have been in the band’s current configuration since 2008 when bassist Noel Thomas joined, and the time spent building that chemistry shows. The band’s current record, The Elastic Nostaglia, is available for five bucks on their bandcamp page, and that’s money well spent for some of the most exciting music coming from our neighbor state to the northeast. After gigging heavily for the last few years, the band is looking to take things to the next level this year – and if this show is any indication, they have a solid chance of doing it.
The most important factor in any Mercury Lounge recording is the quality and skill of the FOH team, and Kevin did not disappoint as usual with an outstanding house mix and board feed. Schoeps supercardiod mics recorded the house mix. The sound quality is flawless. Enjoy!
Stream “Wide-Eyed Runners Kicking In Time”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/F0014FieldRecordings2012/06 Wide-Eyed Runners Kicking In Time.mp3]
Stream “(Caught Up In All the) Interludes”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/F0014FieldRecordings2012/11 (Caught Up in All the) Interludes.mp3]
Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]
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THE FIELD RECORDINGS
2012-01-04
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA
Recorded and produced by acidjack
for nyctaper.com
Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>KCY>tinybox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, downsample to 44.1kHz, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )
Tracks
01 We Will Become Strangers Faster Now
02 The Sad Catalogers
03 Lifelines of the Magical Thinkers
04 [banter]
05 Framing Happiness
06 Wide-Eyed Rumors Kicking In Time
07 Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me
08 [banter]
09 “The Sun Looked Down on Nothing New”
10 Here Comes the War Dept
11 (Caught Up In All the) Interludes
If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT THE FIELD RECORDINGS, visit their website, and purchase The Elastic Nostalgia from their bandcamp page [HERE]
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