Posts Tagged ‘ roots ’

Hiss Golden Messenger: December 8, 2017 The Bowery Ballroom

December 12, 2017
By


Hiss Golden Messenger’s second night at The Bowery Ballroom not only picked up where the first two-hour show left off, but gathered steam. If the first night–in front of a slew of friends and local musicians–felt like a more intimate, freewheeling affair, this show situated the current version of the band as the confident rock n’ roll outfit they are, playing about fifty percent different material from the first show, improving on several of the repeats, and delivering crowd-pleasing covers that are red meat to a weekend crowd. After opening with the contemplative “When the Wall Comes Down” from Hallelujah Anyhow, the tempo picked up and stayed hot through the first hour. I was moved by this version of “Blue Country Mystic,” which hewed closer in tempo and style to the Poor Moon original than some of the recent versions I’ve seen, and likewise, the “Red Rose Nantahala” we saw both tonight and the night before felt closer to the version from Haw than some of the recent versions we’ve heard. The new songs haven’t given the band as many chances at new arrangements, but it’s safe to say that “Like A Mirror Loves A Hammer,” shows great potential as a mid-set jam song.

After a heartfelt mid-set version of “Caledonia, My Love” — introduced by Phil Cook as his favorite HGM song — it was back to the rock, with the band letting loose with a fine cover of “I Won’t Back Down” followed by “Lost Out In the Darkness” and the party jam “I’m A Raven (Shake Children).” This is a band that knows their crowd, and the upbeat rockers matched the mood in the room, as the weekend warriors and the repeat customers from last night both had come ready to celebrate the weekend and the band’s success. Instead of last night’s heartfelt retelling of the band’s origin story, we got some hilarious riffs about the band’s long night out last night, including an encounter with some pretzel chips. But if they were physically running on fumes, HGM didn’t show it. If anything, I found most versions of what they played even sharper and more emphatic than the previous show. In lieu of an encore break, the band accepted some pretzel chips from a fan and passed them around the crowd, ending the night with Pops Staples’ “Friendship” followed by “Drum.” This wasn’t quite the end of HGM year — they headed to Philly the following night, and D.C. after that — but it felt valedictory nonetheless, an exclamation point on a year well spent.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the previous night, with a soundboard feed from the band’s engineer Tim and Schoeps MK22 microphones. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC/ALAC]

Hiss Golden Messenger
2017-12-08
The Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK22 (at SBD, PAS bar)>KCY>Z-PFA + Soundboard (engineer: Tim)>Sound Devices MixPre 6>24/48 WAV>Adobe Audition CC (align, mix down, limiter)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 2.0.5 (track, amplify)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 2:02:30]
01 When the Wall Comes Down
02 Saturday’s Song
03 Jenny of the Roses
04 [banter1]
05 Biloxi
06 Gulfport You’ve Been On My Mind
07 Blue Country Mystic
08 Mahogany Dread
09 Don’t Let Me Down [Beatles]
10 Like A Mirror Loves A Hammer
11 Red Rose Nantahala
12 [banter2]
13 Highland Grace
14 [banter3]
15 Caledonia, My Love
16 Domino
17 I Won’t Back Down [Tom Petty]
18 Lost Out In the Darkness
19 I’m A Raven (Shake Children)
20 I Am the Song
21 [banter4-band intros]
22 Southern Grammar
23 [banter5]
24 John the Gun
25 [pretzel break]
26 Friendship [Pops Staples]
27 Drum

Band:
M.C. Taylor – vocals, guitar
Phil Cook – keyboards, harmonica
Mike Lewis – saxophone
Skylar Gudasz – vocals
James Wallace – organ, percussion
Ryan Gustafson – guitar
Michael Libramento – bass
Darren Jesse – drums

PLEASE SUPPORT Hiss Golden Messenger: WebsiteTwitter | Buy Hallelujah Anyhow

Jason Isbell: June 3, 2016 Mountain Jam

June 12, 2016
By

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[photos by Jill from For The Love of Brooklyn]

You would have been safe to assume that his 2007 departure from Drive By Truckers would have been fatal to Jason Isbell’s career, but in the near-decade since the split Isbell’s solo work has eclipsed that of the Truckers. Indeed earlier this year Jason Isbell secured his first two Grammy Awards for his brilliant 2015 album Something More Than Free and its stand out track “24 Frames”. Isbell has also split stylistically from his Truckers material, as his solo records have steered towards traditional country and roots — a more natural fit for the artist.

At Mountain Jam this year, despite his high profile Isbell was given an early evening slot during the daylight. Although he would later appear as a superb guest during the Wilco set, Isbell’s daytime set was anything but uninspired. In fact, this was one of the best sets I’ve seen in many years at Mountain Jam. The band was tight, the music top notch and the performer wasn’t holding anything back. Isbell worked through a very representative set, including all of his hits, a few rare numbers, and he even stepped back in time to do a couple of this Truckers numbers.

Jason Isbell will be touring literally all summer in US and European Festivals, outdoor gigs and some club dates. He plays Bonarroo today. All dates HERE.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Wilco set and the sound quality is comparable. Enjoy!

Download the Complete Set [MP3] / [FLAC]

Stream the Complete Set:

Jason Isbell
2016-06-03
Mountain Jam
Hunter NY

Digital Master Recording
FOB Audience

Neumann TLM 102s > Sound Devices 744t > 24bit 48kHz wav > Soundforge (post-production) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:15:42]
01 Stockholm
02 Go It Alone
03 Something More Than Free
04 Twenty Four Frames
05 The Life You Chose
06 Traveling Alone
07 Decoration Day
08 Alabama Pines
09 Codeine
10 Cover Me Up
11 If It Takes a Lifetime
12 Flying Over Water
13 Never Gonna Change
14 [band introductions]
15 Children of Children

Support Jason Isbell: Website | Facebook | Purchase Something More Than Free and other Merch

2016-MountainJam-JasonIsbell-5

Futurebirds: November 12, 2015 Bowery Ballroom

December 10, 2015
By

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It’s been a satisfying few years for the Futurebirds, as we’ve watched them grow from Union Pool headliner to solid opening band to second stage at Mountain Jam to 2013 at the Bowery Ballroom. This show at the latter venue found the band doubling down on their strengths, as they jammed out their signature brand of country-inflected, booze-friendly Americana in front of an audience who knew and appreciated what they were in for. As their popularity has grown, the Futurebirds haven’t made the mistake that some bands do of overcomplicating things; if you listen to 2015’s Hotel Parties, you’ll find a good bit of stylistic and subject matter similarity with Hampton’s Lullaby, the six-year-old album that started it all. Perhaps that’s part of why, in an age where most bands are lucky to get an approving corporate blog mention or two, the Futurebirds have an entire fansite dedicated to them, and going to their shows has even become a verb (“birding”).

What has grown since the first time we saw the band in 2011 is their level of confidence, earned through that same relentless touring that’s responsible for the loyal fan base. This show found them the most comfortable and in control as we’ve seen them yet, as they ripped through new songs “twentyseven” and early number (an inspired, extended run through “Ski Chalet” alike. Futurebirds are a band that’s able to both bring the party and keep things musically in their lane, and based on this evening, we expect their success to continue.

Eric PH recorded this set with AKG 460/ck61 cardiod mics and a soundboard feed from Bowery legend Kenny. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Futurebirds
2015-11-12
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH
Tracked and uploaded by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Kenny) + AKG C480B/CK61 (FOB, PAS) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, compression, mixdown, normalize, fades, track) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:25:21]
01 Paranoia Letters
02 twentyseven
03 Battle for Rome
04 Rodeo
05 Death Awaits
06 For You
07 Johnny Utah>
08 Happy Animals
09 Man With No Knees
10 Xmas Drags
11 Powderfinger [Neil Young]
12 Serial Bowls
13 Hotel Parties
14 [encore break]
15 Ski Chalet (w/ “Shake It Loose” jam)
16 Six Days On the Road [Dave Dudley]

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Futurebirds by visiting their website and buying Hotel Parties from their online store.

The Wood Brothers: March 1, 2013 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

March 5, 2013
By

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[Photos by acidjack]

The surge in interest of late in traditional American roots music has generated new heat for a number of acts, some more worthy and authentic than others.  The Wood Brothers fall solidly into the former camp, being the project of brothers Oliver and Chris  Wood, who pursued separate music interests (Chris with the legendary NYC jazz unit Medeski, Martin & Wood, Oliver as a guitarist for bluesman Tinsley Ellis and later with the band King Johnson) before coming together to perform the music they grew up with.  After playing to an audience of 900 the night before in Boston, the Brothers hit the cozier Bowery Ballroom here in New York on a Friday night for a very, very sold out show so packed that folks were three- or four-deep on the balcony.  This nearly two-hour show, played as a single set, showed what makes The Wood Brothers so special – stylistic range, a flair for entertainment, skill at their instruments, and a sound that respects its source material.  Indeed, the Brothers’ vision for this band hasn’t been to slavishly clone one genre, but to create a sound that shows their deep knowledge across American music of the last two centuries.  Thus, songs like “Atlas” have a gospel-country feel, while songs like “Spirit” and “Twisted” marry that country twang with electric blues.  Then there are the rockers – especially popular on a Friday night – like “Honey Spoon”.  The Brothers also paused mid-set for a quiet pair of songs performed in the old bluegrass tradition, with the performers surrounding a single onstage microphone.  Even with the amount of money Bowery was making at the bar that night, the crowd paused the revelry long enough to respect a lovely rendition of “Muse” and another new song I did not know.

Fittingly, the band was touring to support their 2012 live record, available now as a two-volume LP package entitled Vol. 1: Sky High and Vol. 2: Nail and Tooth.  We saw many of those songs played here, along with several numbers that should be on their way for the band’s next LP (if you can identify some of the titles I didn’t know, please assist).  This set arguably peaked with three songs that are on the live record, when they followed their classic “Luckiest Man” with an extended jam on “One More Day”, and went into “Glad”.  After that, just before the encore, we got a duo of “sweet” songs in “Chocolate On My Tongue” and “Shoo Fly Pie”.  The set easily could have ended there, but the Brothers went ahead and treated us to a double encore anyway, in the form of a cover of the country classic “Fox On the Run” and the defiant closer, a cover of Allen Touissant’s “Get Out of My Life Woman”.  The band left the stage and headed down to the Bowery Ballroom bar to chat with fans and sign newly-bought copies of their records. The Wood Brothers are that type of band.

Download the complete show on the Live Music Archive: [MP3] | [FLAC]

The Wood Brothers
2013-03-01
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (DINa, balcony, ROC)>KCY>Z-PFA>Roland R-26>24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (pan R channel slightly)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, additional EQ, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time: 1:49:56]
01 [intro]
02 Sing
03 Keep Me Around
04 Atlas
05 [banter1]
06 Mary Anna
07 Smoke Ring Halo
08 [banter2]
09 Spirit
10 Twisted
11 [banter3]
12 Postcards From Hell
13 [unknown1]
14 Honey Spoon
15 [banter4]
16 Muse
17 [banter5]
18 [unknown2]
19 Little Liza Jane
20 [banter6]
21 Luckiest Man
22 One More Day>jam>One More Day
23 Glad
24 [banter7]
25 Chocolate On My Tongue
26 Shoo Fly Pie
27 [encore break 1]
28 Fox On the Run [Allen Touissant]
29 [encore break 2]
30 Get Out of My Life Woman

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Wood Brothers, visit their website, and buy their records and merchandise from their official store [HERE]

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