Posts Tagged ‘ acidjack ’

Viet Cong: January 28, 2015 Union Pool – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

February 1, 2015
By

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[photos courtesy of P Squared Photography]

Sometimes there’s something to the wisdom of crowds. Viet Cong, from Canada’s less-celebrated center (Calgary, to be exact) sold out this Union Pool show long before the not-at-all-catastrophic snowstorm hit New York City this week. Still, it takes something special to pack in almost any room on a slushy, freezing night in January, and Viet Cong had the place well past capacity. Half-composed of former members of the band Women, who we were lucky enough to see in their prime, Viet Cong continues that band’s art-rock mission, if not expands it. What makes the band’s live show flat-out better than their very-well-regarded debut LP is simply that watching them put this music together gives you a clearer sense of how much is going on. The interplay between guitarists isn’t simply your usual rhythm/lead dichotomy; guitarists Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen’s instruments are almost in opposition to each other at points, at others answering each other note-for-note. Both guitarists double up on keys as well, but don’t think vocalist/bassist Matt Flegel isn’t producing himself. Granted, some of the members have history together, but this is still an incredibly tight unit for a band with only the Cassette EP and the new album to their credit.

The band’s sound mimics the bleak landscape of their hometown at times; the show, and the album closed with a ten-plus minute dirge named “Death”.  But there’s also humor running through Flegel’s lyrics, when you can make them out, and the Cassette songs, especially, have a more straightforward appeal. Ultimately, though, what comes across most about this band is just how effing good they are. The complexity of their work may suggest that this is music for musicians, but what Viet Cong do so well is make that complex music relatable, even fun, to listen to. This show will set a high bar for the rest of 2015, in the best possible way.

I recorded this set at the soundboard with Schoeps MK4V microphones and a stereo feed from Union Pool engineer Doug. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

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

Stream the complete show/download individual songs: 

Viet Cong
2015-01-28
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Schleps MK4V (FOB, DFC, PAS)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Doug)>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression, fades)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, tape effect, imaging)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 49:00]
01 Silhouettes
02 Bunker Buster
03 March of Progress
04 Oxygen Feed
05 Unconscious Melody
06 Pointless Experience
07 Continental Shelf
08 Death

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Viet Cong by buying their albums here, or on Amazon for vinyl.

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Alex Calder: January 11, 2015 Rough Trade – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

January 29, 2015
By

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Alex Calder has done it the classic Captured Tracks way — starting out as a solo artist working on his own, expanding as his songs grew more complex into a full band. Calder took the stage for Rough Trade’s first anniversary with a crack band that, like the re-released version of his latest album Strange Dreams, took his sound to the next level. Calder’s songs, both from his 2015 re-release Strange Dreams to his earlier work, crackled as live versions, waking this early afternoon Rough Trade crowd up immediately. Calder has an obvious love for many generations and styles of popular music, from ’60s surf and garage to the faster-paced punk and softer-edged pop work that appeared in the late ’70s and early ’80s. An added bonus of this set was what appeared to be some new songs, each well in keeping with the quality of Calder’s current output. We hope to see another record from him this year, if we’re lucky.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 supercardiod microphones and a soundboard feed from house engineer Kyle. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

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

Stream the complete show:

Alex Calder
2015-01-11
Rough Trade
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41 (DFC, PAS, at SBD)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Kyle)>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, reverb SBD)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, imaging, effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [unknown1]
02 [unknown2]
03 Suki and Me
04 Location
05 Strange Dreams
06 Someone
07 [unknown3]
08 Marcel
09 Time

If you enjoyed this recording, visit Alex Calder’s Facebook page and buy his records from Captured Tracks here.

Spacin’: December 14, 2014 Glasslands – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

January 27, 2015
By

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Spacin‘ were the right kind of band to see in my last time at Glasslands. Live, they’re not a fussy bunch: They take the stage, launch into their thing, and sear your ears without pretense. They’re not guaranteeing an upscale kind of rock show; this lo-fi Philly band is guaranteeing a good time. Likewise, even in its quasi-DIY last incarnation, Glasslands was never trying to be a slick-sheened rock club. Glasslands wanted you to feel welcome as soon as you got in the door, and to have a blast.

Although this was a different formation than the Spacin’/Purling Hiss beast I saw at Hopscotch a few months earlier, Spacin’ played several numbers from that set as well as some others I have come to know well. The band’s cover of MC5’s “American Ruse”, heavily retooled in Spacin’s image, is always a high point. As that eight-minute rocker wound down, the band segued into a psychedelic intro that led into the bread-and-butter mid-set of “Human Condition” followed by “Sunshine No Shoes”. For the band’s moment on the Glasslands stage, they played the appropriate-enough “Empty Mind”, with its heavy-chugging bass line and ample opportunity for exploration.

Even if we won’t be able to visit Glasslands anymore, the spirit of the place will live on elsewhere. Where there are bands and fans in need of a real home, a place where you feel less like a customer and more like a welcome friend, there will be right-minded people there to fill that gap.

I recorded this set with our installed sound system at Glasslands and a soundboard feed by Josh Thiel. The sound quality is quite good and much better than the Spacin’/Hiss set earlier this year, but it’s still gritty enough not to confuse anyone what this is about.

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

Stream the complete set:

Spacin’
2014-12-14
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard (engineer: Josh Thiel) + Naiant X-R (PAS, DFC)>Roland R-26>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, fades)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, harmonic exciter, imaging)>Audacity 2.0.5 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Over Uneasy
02 American Ruse [MC5]>
03 Human Condition
04 Sunshine No Shoes
05 Empty Mind

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Spacin’, check them out on Facebook, and buy their album Deep Thuds from Midheaven Mailorder.

Rhyton: December 10, 2014 Union Pool – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

January 22, 2015
By

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The other times we’ve seen Rhyton, the sets have tended toward new or unreleased material. That made this outing at Union Pool all the more of a treat, as we were introduced to three selections of brand-new material from their third record, Kykeon. The show kicked off with the Mediterranean flavor of “Topkapi” which featured frontman/guitarist Dave Shuford rocking the bouzouki, a Greek folk instrument that Shuford demonstrated his mastery of on his album Arghiledes. Kykeon means “to mix” in Greek, we’re told on Thrill Jockey‘s page, and that’s exactly what these songs felt like, as we got to hear “Siren in Byblos” and the “disco mix” of “Pannychis”, which built on some of “Topkapi’s” themes but expanded to surf and even vaguely pop (by Rhyton’s standards) motifs. Judging one piece of the Rhyton work against another is difficult, as the crew’s material is so varied, but this set represented some of the band’s most accessible work to date, and arguably some of their very best.

You can catch Rhyton tomorrow night at Trans-Pecos at 8 p.m. Be there.

I recorded this set in our usual manner for the venue, with Schoeps MK4V microphones and a soundboard feed by the house engineer, Robb. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

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

Stream the complete show:

Rhyton
2014-12-10
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK4V>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, stereo image)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Topkapi
02 Siren in Byblos
03 Pannychis (Disco Mix)

If you enjoyed this set, PLEASE SUPPORT Rhyton, visit their website, and buy Kykeon and their other records from Thrill Jockey Records.

Obits: November 22, 2014 Brooklyn Night Bazaar – FLAC/MP3/Full Set Streaming

January 22, 2015
By

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[photos by acidjack]

We pointed out in a review of Obits four years ago that “there is something universal about Obits’ gritty garage guitar roots-rock, and when its delivered by four pros with impressive veteran resumes” and indeed, that was brought home at the Brooklyn Night Bazaar as the band closed, rather than opened (as in that old review), a show stacked with impressive bands (three of which have been posted so far). Obits do promise the musicianship of grizzled vets while maintaining the devil-may-care attitude that defines their genre. This show surveyed all of the band’s recent catalog, capping with an absolutely awesome cover of Willie Nelson’s “Milk Cow Blues”. Lucky for everyone involved, the bazaar’s attendees knew that artisanal scarves and handmade jewelry were the wrong thing to focus on during this set. A rock show like this demands attention, and it earned it.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Survival Knife recording. While the room presented some challenges, the sound is still quite good. Enjoy!

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

Stream the complete show:

Obits
2014-11-22
Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard w/ onstage mics (engineer: Kenny) + Schoeps MK41 (LOC, PAS)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, limiter)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, imaging)>Audacity 2.0.5 (fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [inro]
02 One Cross Apiece
03 No Fly List
04 Run
05 Everything Looks Better In the Sun
06 It’s Sick
07 Operation Bikini
08 Two-Headed Coin
09 Killer
10 Lilies In the Street
11 Spun Out
12 Refund
13 Widow of My Dreams
14 [banter]
15 Milk Cow Blues [Willie Nelson]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Obits, visit their website, and buy their records at their online repository.

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band: October 24, 2014 Rough Trade & January 10, 2015 Palisades

January 19, 2015
By

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NPR pretty much nailed it when they described Chris Forsyth’s music as “the intersection of Television and The Grateful Dead.” Add to that casual mentions of Neil Young and Richard Thompson, both of whom Forsyth has recently covered, and you get a fairly accurate portrait of his music. But musicians—the good ones at least—are more than just vectors for their influences. Forsyth’s first album with his band, Solar Motel, made it clear that here was an original songwriter working within and pushing the boundaries of a musical tradition. Forsyth’s guitar playing comes off as effortless and his looseness is counterbalanced by the Solar Motel Band’s ability to jam as if a single consciousness.

Here we have two sets, one recorded just days before the release of Intensity Ghost and one a short few months later, though long enough to have let that album’s jams percolate. The sets are nearly identical in setlist; the Palisades set substitutes a cover of Richard & Linda Thompson’s “The Calvary Cross” in place of Intensity Ghost’s “Yellow Square” from Rough Trade. Each features the same as-yet-untitled new song, an impressive jam to rival “The Ballad of Freer Hollow” for dominance as the band’s signature tune. Forsyth does an admirable job on vocals with “The Calvary Cross,” managing to carefully convey the song’s significance without resorting to affectation. “Intensity Ghost” is an exercise in guitar soloing bookended by an urgent jam that highlights the band’s ability to craft more tightly-wound rock songs. Finally, each set closes with “I Ain’t Waiting,” a slowed-down jam that eases you out of the Solar Motel headspace you’ve just inhabited for a good three-quarters of an hour.

Acidjack recorded the Rough Trade NYC show with Shoeps MK41’s set up at the soundboard, with a board feed from FOH Cam. The Palisades show was recorded with the AKG’s set up in front of the board, with a board feed from FOH Ariel. Both sets sound outstanding. Enjoy!

Download the Rough Trade NYC show at the Live Music Archive

Download the Palisades show at the Live Music Archive

Stream the complete Rough Trade NYC show:

Stream the complete Palisades show:

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band
2014-10-24
Rough Trade NYC
Brooklyn, NY

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

Soundboard (engineer: Cam) + Schoeps MK41 (DFC, PAS, at SBD)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (exciter effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [44:27]
01. Intensity Ghost
02. [banter]
03. The Ballad of Freer Hollow
04. [banter]
05. Yellow Square
06. [banter]
07. High Castle Rock
08. [banter]
09. I Ain’t Waiting

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band
2015-01-10
Palisades
Brooklyn, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Ariel) + AKG C480B/CK61 > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV(24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, balance, mixdown, compression, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (tracking, tagging) > FLAC (24/48, level 8)

Tracks [48:37]
01. The Ballad of Freer Hollow
02. High Castle Rock
03. The Calvary Cross [Richard & Linda Thompson]
04. Intensity Ghost
05. I Ain’t Waiting

Remastered August 2018

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Chris Forsyth. Visit his website, like him on Facebook, and buy Intensity Ghost from No Quarter.

Steve Gunn: January 11, 2015 Rough Trade – FLAC/MP3/Streaming Full Set

January 15, 2015
By


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[photos by Jill Harrison]

One of the very best songs on Steve Gunn‘s Way Out Weather is a song inspired by Steve’s former noisy neighbor. In lesser hands, such banal subject matter might result in a bit of a dud. But Gunn turns the humble beginnings of “Milly’s Garden” into something wonderful and universal, a meditation on unease and the desire to move on. We last saw Gunn at Rough Trade in October, with his full band in tow, so this was a very different, but equally special kind of performance. Celebrating the first anniversary of the once-troubled (by noise complaints, at least) venue, Gunn played this gig solo but left the songs’ guitar explorations. Again, in lesser hands, a ten-plus minute “Old Strange” as a solo opener might not work — but Gunn’s kickoff to the night was magical. Poking fun at his trademark relaxed demeanor, Steve warned the Sunday afternoon crowd at the outset that they might fall asleep, but the house gave him their rapt attention, hanging on words shorn of everything surrounding them but his lone guitar. Gunn was in fine form, making us laugh in between songs that he played with dead-serious intent. To put an exclamation mark on the evening, Gunn closed with “Lurker”, which first debuted on the Three Lobed Recordings boxed set and was a treat as a full-band version back in October.

Since its inception, Rough Trade has been a valuable add to a neighborhood whose venues are depleting rapidly. Even if its surroundings may be fancier than the DIY spots that came before it, hosting an artist like Steve Gunn for your anniversary show proves that the Rough Trade folks intend to remain a credit to what this neighborhood was.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed from house engineer Kyle Lawrence. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

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

Stream the complete show: 

Steve Gunn
2015-01-11
Rough Trade (1st Year Anniversary)
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41 (FOB/DFC/PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Kyle Lawrence)>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, harmonic exciter)>Audacity 2.0.5 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 57:47]
01 [intro banter]
02 Old Strange
03 Shadow Bros
04 Water Wheel
05 [banter2]
06 Wildwood
07 [banter3]
08 Way Out Weather
09 [banter4]
10 Milly’s Garden
11 [banter5]
12 Lurker

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Steve Gunn, visit his website, and buy his albums, all of which have “buy” links here.

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Deer Tick (performing Devo’s “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”): December 29, 2014 Brooklyn Bowl – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

January 12, 2015
By



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[photos by acidjack]

Deer Tick celebrated their tenth anniversary as a band this year. In that ten-year span, they’ve pursued a musical vision that’s almost proudly unpopular, serving up Replacements-inspired traditional rock n’ roll during a time when the sampler became king. Not quite retro enough to attract that crowd, nor cutting-edge enough to make the critics swoon, the middle ground they pursued turned out to be a hit with one group that did matter — fans. They showed up in droves, on freezing weekday nights during a busy part of the year, to watch the band play a series of anniversary shows at Brooklyn Bowl that promised a new cover album each night, and slews of special guests. The band’s prowess as a cover band has been well-known for a while, popularized by their Nirvana-covering in particular.

Kurt Cobain loved the New Wave greats Devo, so it felt fitting to join Deer Tick for their cover of the band’s landmark album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on the Monday night before New Year’s Eve. Joined at times by opener The Districts and former guitarist Ian O’Neill, the appropriately dressed “Deervo” didn’t let us down, giving renditions that hewed closely to the originals while adding John McCauley’s signature vocal grit. After burning through that 38-minute record, the band took a quick breather until returning as themselves for a second set that also leaned heavily on covers, from NRBQ’s “I Got A Rocket In My Pocket” to the closing medley of Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freightliner Blues” and the unavoidable 80s classic “La Bamba”. McCauley’s wife Vanessa Carlton was in tow, joining the band on its own “In Our Time”. Deer Tick’s onstage antics may have mellowed some, probably for the better, but their music is still showing all the energy that drew those crowds in the first place. Here’s to another ten years.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed from the band’s engineer Justin Ripley, with a mild amount of audience microphones from my Schoeps supercardiods thrown in. The house mix was highly compressed, as evidence on the recording, but the sound is overall quite good. Enjoy!

This recording is now on the Live Music Archive.
Download the complete set: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete set: 

Deer Tick (performing as Deervo for Devo’s “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”
2014-12-29
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard (engineer: Justin Ripley) + Schoeps MK41 (directly right of SBD, PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, imaging)>Audacity 2.0.3 (fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
Set 1: performing as “Deervo” on Devo’s “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”
Set Time [38:02]
01 Uncontrollable Urge
02 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction [feat. The Districts]
03 Praying Hands
04 Space Junk
05 Mongoloid
06 Jocko Homo
07 Too Much Paranoias
08 Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy)
09 Come Back Jonee
10 Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin’)
11 Shrivel Up

Set 2 [Set Time 53:36]
12 Easy
13 Born At Zero
14 The Curtain
15 The Dream’s In the Ditch
16 I Got A Rocket In My Pocket [NRBQ]
17 Twenty Miles
18 Something to Brag About
19 [banter1]
20 She’s Not Spanish
21 In Our Time [w/ Vanessa Carlton]
22 [banter2]
23 Mr. Sticks
24 [banter3]
25 Ashamed
26 White Freightliner Blues [Townes Van Zandt]
27 La Bamba [Ritchie Valens]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Deer Tick, visit their website, and buy their records in their online store.

Ultimate Painting: October 25, 2014 Rough Trade – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

January 6, 2015
By

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[photos by acidjack]

The UK band Ultimate Painting made a stealth infiltration of several year-end lists for 2014, despite a general lack of hype here in the U.S. We had an opportunity to catch them during CMJ at the showcase at Rough Trade for Chicago stalwart Trouble In Mind Records, and what we saw made us hope many more stateside appearances are in the future.

Led by their eponymous track, “Ultimate Painting”, the show began with one of the band’s best songs and went on to prove the quality of their songwriting and playing throughout. It shouldn’t be a complete surprise that the band members know what they’re doing; James Hoare was in the band Veronica Falls, and Jack Cooper hails from Mazes. The band’s most common name checks are Television and the Velvet Underground, which might be true, if either of those bands can simply be shorthand for well-written, ear-bending guitar rock in the best and most timeless sense. For those who oozed over fellow British breakouts Temples, Ultimate Painting may satisfy similar cravings, minus the sense of trying quite as hard.

The band’s record didn’t reach us until October, right around the time of this show, so you could be forgiven for losing it amidst the holiday season glut. Now’s the time to earn your penance and check it out. We’ll have this one on repeat well into 2015.

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

Stream the complete show:

Ultimate Painting
2014-10-25
Trouble In Mind CMJ Showcase
Rough Trade NYC
Brooklyn, NY USA

Hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Cam) + Schoeps MK41 (DFC, PAS, at SBD)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mix down, compression)>Izotope Ozone 5 (exciter effects)>Audacity 2.0.3 (tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Ultimate Painting
02 Rolling In the Deep End
03 Riverside
04 Three Piers
05 Central Park Blues
06 Jane
07 Winter In Your Heart
08 Ten Street

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Ultimate Painting, visit their website, and buy their debut album from Trouble In Mind Records.

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood: December 11, 2014 Terminal 5 – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

December 28, 2014
By


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It had been a whopping fifteen years since I last saw Medeski, Martin & Wood (at the Ritz in Raleigh, NC, during the Combustication days, if anyone’s counting), so I was grateful to get another bite at that apple on one of my final shows of the year. The addition of the guitarist John Scofield, the band’s longtime collaborator, made this show at Terminal 5 a special treat.

MMW always straddled the line between being a serious jazz unit and serving up the more funky, R&B and blues-driven music that endeared them to the jam band scene, which has always orbited around the band even though they’re not really a perfect fit for it. With Scofield in the lineup, the band becomes a bit more of a “rock” band, and that made Scofield an especially worthy addition in this cavernous room.

To that end, the first set of the performance worked better for me, kicking off with a few minutes of improv before delving into “Sham Time”, the leadoff track from the foursome’s 2014 album Juice, followed by perhaps the moment of the show, “Juicy Lucy”, featuring Martin’s mother Jean and Jerry Paris dancing together onstage. From there we got an older MSMW tune, “Chank”, followed by two more from Juice. 

The second set fell into the trap that I think befalls too many otherwise-talented bands followed by the “jam band” faithful — the curse of the Rock Canon. I find it unfortunate when a musician of any stripe can’t bring themselves to churn out something more inventive than covers of the best-loved songs of the sixties and seventies, but it’s especially unfortunate coming from what is ostensibly a jazz outfit. Each of “The Times They Are A-Changin'”, “Sunshine of Your Love” and The Doors’ heinous “Light My Fire” can be found on Juice, and none did much credit to these musicians on that album or in the room on this night. While the quartet found some new solo-worthy material to mine in each song, the fact remains that these three well-worn hits are better suited to a jukebox, rather than half of a live set by a band that’s still making quality new material.

That quibble aside, I’m excited to have seen MSMW for the first time, and to have (finally) caught MMW again after so long of a break.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 supercardiod microphones right at the soundboard, into the Aerco custom preamp for extra warmth and realism. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

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

Stream the complete show:

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood
2014-12-11
Terminal 5
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acid jack

Schoeps MK41 (at SBD, DFC, PAS)>KC5>CMC6>Aerco MP-2>Sony PCM-D50>24bit/48kHz WAV>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, imaging)>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (light dynamics)>Audacity 2.0.3 (track, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Thanks to aaronji for the setlist/tracking assistance

Tracks
Set One [Time 52:06]
01 [improv]
02 Sham Time
03 Juicy Lucy
04 Chank
05 North London
06 Helium
07 [banter]

Set Two [Time: 1:02:14]
08 Louis the Shoplifter
09 Little Walter Rides Again
10 Sunshine of Your Love
11 I Know You
12 Light My Fire
13 [banter2/encore break]
14 The Times They Are A-Changin’

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT MMW, visit their website, and buy Juice from the band.

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