Not much left to be said here at NYCTaper about our bud Ryley Walker, except that he’s a good reason to keep going out and recording shows. Always different, always the same? Anyway this one’s got a beautiful “Spoil With the Rest” (personal fav) and an epic take on “The Roundabout.” Never one to take a break, Ryley’s got a ton of upcoming shows including a tour with Black Mountain and more. For locals, there’s a can’t-miss duo set with David Grubbs coming up on September 12 at Trans-Pecos. See you there!
I recorded this with a pair of MBHO hypercardioid mics positioned at our usual spot at Brooklyn Bowl. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!
Tracks [56:24]
01. [Intro]
02. Telluride Speed
03. [Traumatized by bowling]
04. The Halfwit in Me
05. [Zoot suit revival]
06. Spoil With the Rest
07. [Oh yeah by the way]
08. Opposite Middle
09. [Ryley on shuffle]
10. The Roundabout
Some musical happenings are noteworthy because they’re never repeated. Others, like this team-up between Chris Forsyth and Garcia Peoples, are always as welcome as the first time. These artists have collaborated before — most notably, for NYC, at Nublu a little while back — and their comfort level with each other is evident. While the Nublu show featured Forsyth lending a hand to GP for their album release, here they returned the favor as Chris’ backing band, powering through Neil Young’s “Barstool Blues” right on through some of the standout moments on Forsyth’s latest, All Time Present (in particular, dig this version of “Mystic Mountain”). This being an NYCTaper presents show at Market Hotel, there was no curfew and no time limit, and the band took full advantage, including another digressive, head-spinning nearly half-hour version of “Techno Top” that called back to the Nublu outing.
While these artists may approach their sound from somewhat different starting points, there’s no question that their complimentary styles make for a unique and compelling package. If you happen to be in town for a Forsyth show anytime soon, he’s been appearing with a few different bands, so don’t be surprised if you get a completely different flavor on your next go round!
I recorded this set with Neumann KM150 microphones far forward of the soundboard, and a soundboard feed from house engineer RL. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!
Tracks 01 [Banter/Happy Birthday] 02 Barstool Blues [Neil Young] 03 Tomorrow Might As Well be Today 04 Mystic Mountain 05 Dream Song 06 [banter2] 07 Dreaming in the Non-Dream 08 [banter3] 09 Techno Top
Dire Wolves (in its various incarnations, this one being the Exactly Perfect Sisters Band) is one of those West Coast treats we don’t get too often, so when bandleader Jeffrey Alexander brings any version of the band to town, we make sure not to miss it. This has been a prolific year for the band in NYC, with shows both at Nublu in May and Union Pool in February. We aren’t complaining — their shows come with the expectation of high originality and little repetition (in the case of those last two shows, exactly one song).
On this night at Market Hotel, presented by this site, Dire Wolves came bearing a special guest, Sunwatchers saxophonist Jeff Tobias, and a new album to jam, courtesy of our friends at Beyond Beyond is Beyond. That record, Grow Towards the Light, was represented here by “I Control the Weather” — its leadoff and arguably most accessible track, if “accessible” is a meaningful thing to say about a band whose proclivities take them into all kinds of different avant-garde spaces. The night’s opener, “Archons at the Gates of BSHWCK” began with a tribal drone that evolved into a piece of alt-universe jazz fusion, with Georgia Carbone’s vocals sung in an invented language that gave form to the music without a prescribed meaning. The subsequent “I Control the Weather>Love Everybody (For Moses)>Vibrational North Star” combo built on that impeccable start, leading to perhaps the most transporting Dire Wolves performance I’ve seen yet.
I recorded this set with Neumann KM150 microphones mounted near the stage, together with a soundboard feed from house FOH RL. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!
“Saturday night’s show kicked off with “Hell is Chrome”. For me, Jeff could have said “Thanks and good night” and walked off stage after that, and I would have been satisfied. But the festivities continued with another AGIB entry (Muzzle of Bees) followed by a couple from YHF (IATTBYH and War on War), and back to AGIB’s “Company in My Back”. A few songs later, they debuted two brand new songs, “Empty Corner” (which had been featured earlier in the day in a surround sound installation at the museum) and “White Wooden Cross.” Overall, the Saturday night installment was classic, good-as-it-gets, Wilco fare. 24 songs, solid entries from the entire body of work, and a nice two-song encore to cap off the night. Absolutely electrifying, and exactly what one would expect from this band at their own festival in the Saturday night, beachfront real estate portion of the weekend.”
Pete recorded this show with the trusty Neumann cards from a very advantageous position at the Soundboard cage. The sound is superb, enjoy!
Setlist:
[Total Time 1:54:01]
01 Hell Is Chrome
02 Muzzle of Bees
03 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
04 War on War
05 Company in My Back
06 I’ll Fight
07 Shouldn’t Be Ashamed
08 An Empty Corner
09 White Wooden Cross
10 Box Full of Letters
11 Remember the Mountain Bed
12 Hesitating Beauty
13 Bull Black Nova
14 Laminated Cat
15 Reservations
16 Side With the Seeds
17 Theologians
18 Someone to Lose
19 Impossible Germany
20 Red-Eyed and Blue
21 I Got You
22 Outtasite
23 [encore break]
24 A Shot in the Arm
25 [Glenn standing on drums]
26 I’m A Wheel
PLEASE SUPPORT Wilco, visit their website, and purchase their Star Wars and their other releases from their website [HERE]
These are the types of nights that NYC music aficionados live for. A one-time-only live improvisation session by a group of five local stellar musicians in an intimate setting, who could really ask for more. Local guitar wizard Dave Harrington has made a nice career playing with a variety of musicians, and indeed bassist Spencer Zahn, horn player Stuart Bogie, and percussionist Joe Russo all performed at the release shows in February for Dave’s 2019 release Pure Imagination, No Country.
This night at Nublu though was a truly collaborative effort by the quintet (also including guitarist Jonathan Goldberger) as each segment of the set was improvised. Harrington revealed to me in between sets that there was one point where he and Zahn began to riff on a piece they had rehearsed earlier that week, but for the most part these tracks are all the work of expert musicians using their interpretive skills in real time. The result is two hours of breathtaking wholly unique music that was both a joy to hear live and will forever be a thoroughly engaging listen.
Dave Harrington returns to Nublu on July 19 for another night of magic with his Merry Pranksters (members this time are secret!), and attendance is highly recommended.
I recorded this set from a spot about 15 feet from the stage with the Schoeps cards and the sound (other than a little chatter) is superb. Enjoy!
First off, a very important heads up: Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society are playing tonight, July 1, at Roulette with 75 Dollar Bill! This is going to be a special show, in celebration of the release 75DB’s latest record I Was Real, and a rare opportunity to catch Joshua Abrams and NIS in Brooklyn. Grab tickets here!
Mandatory Reality, the latest double-LP from Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society, sounds like a band erasing borders. The second track, “Finite,” approaches 40 minutes, testing the limits of physical media as well as the listener’s compass. On some other plane (I’m convinced) it must loop back on itself to continue on forever in its meditative rhythms, an endless groove. Confined to the physical world, the album nevertheless seems to have no beginnings or endings, but drops you in media res, as the poets do, filling in the geographical landmarks and relief as it goes. Titling a 40 minute song “Finite” is a promise to the wayward traveler.
Last month’s Union Pool gig was my first chance to see Abrams and company live. The experience is like being let on something intimate, a sacred ritual opened up to new members. For 50 minutes we were collectively transported into the world of Natural Information Society. Capturing the ecstatic sounds for later transmission couldn’t possibly contain the multitudes of their performance, but does offer a glimpse of Abrams’ vision. Again, I’m going to strongly urge you to go see (and hear) for yourself tonight at Roulette. Spread the word!
I recorded this from our usual spot at Union Pool, room mics mixed with a board feed. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!
SUSS is a new musical collaboration from some old hands—Gary Leib, Pat Irwin, Jonathan Gregg and William Garrett, under the general direction of Bob Holmes. Between them there are too many credentials to list, all over the map and everywhere in between. Straddling the intersection of ambient and country/western music, SUSS sound like the future and the past, sci-fi folded over on spaghetti westerns. It’s music that would be appropriate for both a trip to Death Valley and aboard the International Space Station; however, your living room will do in a pinch.
SUSS have played a few shows lately supporting last year’s Ghost Box, released by the reliably adventurous New York label, Northern Spy Records. They’ve got a new 7″ as well, “Chisholm Trail” b/w “Aurora,” the latter previewed last month live at Union Pool, the vinyl due out this Friday. SUSS take it low and slow here, measuring out improvised passages blending into the album’s compositions. In person, the interior Brooklyn environs melted away as the band mapped desert territories under the stars. This recording will take you partway there, but I also recommend heading out to see them live your first opportunity. Do also head over to Bandcamp, where you can pick up the record and single.
I recorded this from our usual spot at Union Pool, an expert board mix from FOH Leslie Wolf combined with room mics. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!
When you’re already committed to playing a show on a low-ceilinged boat with stripper(?) poles and questionable stabilizers, you might as well take some risks musically, too. Last Saturday’s Rocks Off Concert Cruise with Garcia Peoples (recorded live by yours truly, natch) was a choppy-watered success, but I didn’t expect to be back on that boat quite so soon.
But the return of Ryley Walker to a New York stage (even if a floating one), coupled with the fact that his backing band would in fact be Garcia Peoples, was more than enough justification. If the weather outdoors was a bit more inconsistent this go round, the water presented fewer challenges and the vibes onstage were good as ever.
What we got here were two extended solo versions of “Summer Dress” (firmly back in the rotation, it seems) and “The Roundabout,” including an expanded take on Ryley’s hilarious Nick Drake imitation (practically daring him to turn this thing into an actual song). Walker looked strong and in command up there after a little time off, and in excellent spirits even when some rough water stumbled him away from the mic once or twice. After that set, the boat-tested crew from GP came and joined Walker for a thirty-five minute collab of psychedelia, drone, and other genres that Ryley’s Twitter will surely make jokes about this morning. The jam made an already-unusual show completely one of a kind, and yet another example of how with Ryley on center stage, you really don’t ever know quite what you’re gonna get.
Given the challenging acoustics of the boat, I recorded this set up close with Schoeps MK4V microphones in a mobile setup. That turned out to be a good decision — the sound quality is excellent. Hope you dig it!
Many bands struggle to display excellent musicianship when they’re standing on solid ground. An even smaller percentage can pull it off when they’re literally rocking and rolling on the second floor of the stern of a tourist boat. Garcia Peoples hopped aboard the Lucille, temporarily purposed for a Rocks Off Concert Cruise, and showed why they continue to be one of the most compelling live bands in New York today — even when they can hardly stand up straight.
You might think it hard for a band to compete with the obligatory water view of the Statue of Liberty and some unexpected fireworks over the East River, but Garcia Peoples know their audience. Hearing a jammer of a “Total Yang” (from their current release, Natural Facts) transition into the new “Hourglass” as the Manhattan skyline coasts by was a special treat, as was the brand-new song “Hotwire,” played for the very first time live on this boat. Sure you could stand outside and count the number of high-rise foreign money laundering residential towers going up all over the city’s central isle, but you’d have been a fool to miss any of the action indoors, made all the more special by the stand-in of our bud Hans Chew for the band’s often-keyboardist Patrick Gubler aka P.G. Six.
There were times during this set where things seemed sure to come unglued, through no fault of the band’s own — boat wakes can make for some rough water. But that was ultimately the one-of-a-kind thrill of this set — the added physical challenge of playing in this environment (even the audience did a lot of swaying and grabbing solid objects) makes you even more impressed with what these guys can accomplish.
I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones and a limited soundboard feed. A boat isn’t the best place to jam from a standing-up-straight or sound quality perspective, but it’s still a good quality listen. Enjoy!
Thanks to Beyond Beyond Is Beyond and Garcia Peoples for making this happen!
Tracks [Total Time 1:08:16]
01 bon voyage jam>
02 High Noon Violence
03 Feel So Great>
04 Break Me Down
05 [banter]
06 Hotwire
07 The Spiraling
08 Total Yang
09 Hourglass
10 Show Your Troubles Out
With no slight intended to Nebraskans, David Nance arrived seemingly out of nowhere last year with Peaced and Slightly Pulverized. But in reality he’s been highly prolific, furiously releasing original material alongside wonderfully-dazed full album covers of classics like Berlin, Goat’s Head Soup, and the gloriously-descriptive Doug Sahm and Band Do 90% of the Cocaine in the World in 1972 and Make a Record. Nance doesn’t seem overly precious about handling his or others’ music—preferring the energy of basement recordings to studio perfection—but clearly he has great reverence for it. His guitar playing and finely wrought lyrics are often disguised by an effortlessness that makes them all the more charming. That is, your typical David Nance song is baked, but not half-baked. For the recently released “Meanwhile” b/w “Credit Line” 7″ on Third Man Records, the two short cuts come off as ragged, bottled lightning, gone before you know it. But that’s Nance’s aesthetic, his nonchalance masking a gift for finding the sublime in the awful and mundane (see “Credit Line” or “In Her Kingdom”).
I missed Nance and band at Union Pool last year when they toured for the album and vowed not to do it again when they came around a couple weeks back. This set rests heavily on new material, with only “Poison” representing Peaced and Slightly Pulverized, plus “Meanwhile” and “Credit Line” from his recent single rounding out the released songs. Sometimes you just want to hear the songs you know, but I was mildly prepared for the new stuff from listening to this live compilation from his Bandcamp page. “Cure Vs. Disease” and “Give It Some Time” are earworms for sure, with Nance’s irresistible vocals providing the hard sell. The only question is when’s the next one coming and where do I send my money?
I recorded this from our usual setup at Union Pool, room mics combined with a board feed from FOH Robert. It retains all the grit you’d want from this band, and sounds excellent. Enjoy!
Tracks [39:09]
01. More Than Enough
02. Credit Line
03. Cure Vs. Disease
04. Poison
05. Give It Some Time
06. Your Name
07. Meanwhile
08. What Could I Do? [Reigning Sound]
09. Pure Evil
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