Posts Tagged ‘ widowspeak ’

Widowspeak: October 13, 2017 Rough Trade NYC

October 17, 2017
By


Widowspeak just released their fourth album, Expect the Best. It gave me a little jolt of nostalgia to see what’s now by any definition a veteran band taking the stage in Brooklyn again, six years after I caught one of their earliest shows at Glasslands. It also gave me hope: Here’s a band that has thrived from day one on the very simple proposition of writing good songs and performing them well, and continues to be well-received.

This show at Rough Trade marked the end of the band’s recent tour in support of Expect the Best, and it had that triumphal homecoming feel about it, from the crowd of friends and showgoing regulars to the career-spanning setlist. After all, it’s not like Widowspeak need to hunt around Brooklyn for converts. Expect the Best feels like a darker, slightly less pop-driven record than 2015’s All Yours, as befits the times and singer Molly Hamilton’s recent decamping to her home in the Pacific Northwest. Likewise, the new record also has more of a “live” sound to it, a bit looser than the band’s recent efforts, and that also works to the advantage of these songs like, particularly the set opener, “Right On,” which reminded us that despite the association of this band with more of a hazy, laid-back sound, they are more than capable of rocking out. As noted, the set also reached back to the band’s first album for three of their best-loved numbers, the unforgettable “In the Pines,” “Gun Shy” and Hamilton’s Pacific Northwest in-joke “Harsh Realm.” Hearing those songs played by a tightly-knit four-piece — a much fuller sound than the trio had back in 2011 — only reminded me again that some things do improve with time. Widowspeak are one of those bands that has not only stayed consistent, but keeps putting out great new music. That album title they chose this time says it all.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed from house engineer Jeremy combined with Schoeps MK5 microphones. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

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

Widowspeak
2017-10-13
Rough Trade NYC
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Jeremy) + Schoeps MK5 (DFC, at SBD, PAS)>KC5>CMC6>>Sound Devices MixPre6 (24/48)>polyWAV file>Adobe
Audition CC (align, mix down, compression, limiter)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects, image)>Audacity 2.0.5 (track, amplify,
dither, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:13:35]
01 Right On
02 Perennials
03 Warmer
04 In the Pines
05 Narrows
06 All Yours
07 [banter1]
08 Ballad of the Golden Hour
09 The Dream
10 Expect the Best
11 Gun Shy
12 [banter2]
13 Dog
14 The Swamps
15 Harsh Realm
16 Fly On the Wall
17 [banter3]
18 Coke Bottle Green

PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak: Facebook | Captured Tracks | Bandcamp

 

Widowspeak: November 3, 2012 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

November 15, 2012
By


[photos by P-Squared Photography]

Among us, we have seen Brooklyn’s Widowspeak at least seven times in the past couple of years, including hosting them at last year’s NYCTaper CMJ Day Show. What we have seen each time is a band that keeps getting better and, most crucially, continuing to write great new songs. True to form, half of the songs played during this opening set for Woods at Music Hall of Williamsburg were new (relative to their LP), and they stood up well alongside some of the best numbers from their 2011 self-titled LP like “In the Pines”. Of the newer material, four of these songs will appear on the band’s second Captured Tracks LP, Almanac, which comes out on January 22.  I continue to be amazed at the depth added to the band’s sound by the addition of Pamela Garabano-Coolbaugh on bass, as it gives lead guitarist Robert Thomas and singer/guitarist Molly Hamilton more room to focus on their own guitar work. Sonically, Widowspeak is a moody, downbeat band, but they are clearly enjoying the ride; even if they don’t sound like it, they look like they’re having a lot of fun up there. With the band’s next NYC show scheduled for their record release date of January  22 at Mercury Lounge, we have plenty to look forward to from Widowspeak in 2013.

nyctaper and I recorded this set with my Schoeps MK41 microphones and an excellent soundboard feed by the house engineer, Ian, at MHOW.  The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Sore Eyes”

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct download of FLAC files [HERE]

If the FLAC link is no longer working, email nyctaper for the FLAC files

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Widowspeak
2012-11-03
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41 (DIN, DFC)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Ian)>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity 3.0 (mix down, set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, light EQ)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Perennials
02 Devil Knows
03 Gun Shy
04 7 Minutes
05 Harsh Realm
06 Ghost Boy
07 Sore Eyes
08 Spirit is Willing
09 In the Pines
10 Nightcrawlers

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak, visit their Facebook page, visit their Bandcamp page, and purchase their LP Widowspeak from Captured Tracks.

Widowspeak: March 3, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 5, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Since we last checked in with Widowspeak at our CMJ Day Party, their star has only continued to rise.  It’s always a good sign when, months after a band’s initial record release (and therefore, the peak in the PR hype cycle) their shows are more crowded than they were then.  This Saturday night, Glasslands was completely packed-to-the-rafters sold out, which always gives this venue great energy.  Clearly, Widowspeak has been busy since the release of their eponymous debut album on Captured Tracks.  This show found the band leading off with a new song, “Camel” and playing a number of other new numbers, including some played for the first time.

While vocalist Molly Hamilton’s style has earned a few comparisons to artists like Cat Power, fortunately, her stage persona does not.  Since the first time I saw the band, Hamilton has gained scads of confidence and poise – she smiles quite a lot onstage now, and her playing and delivery benefit from her positive attitude. Widowspeak are what I think of as a winter band – their downbeat sound is practically a touchstone of several of the members’ roots in the Pacific Northwest – but it’s a sound that, paradoxically, makes me happy.  There’s the nostalgia aspect, sure, but there’s also the patient songcraft, the authenticity, and the strength of the band and its sound.  Pretty much everything about Widowspeak is something I can pull for.

The band played on this night with a second guitarist, which gave songs like “In the Pines” (perhaps my favorite of all the band’s songs) new density and heft.  Of the new material, the standout for me was “7 Minutes”, a slightly more upbeat guitar-driven track that is one of the most anthemic songs the band has attempted to date.  The set closed with the band’s biggest song to date, “Harsh Realm”, another excellent song that is always a crowd pleaser.

In a collaboration with the new management team at Glasslands (also the team behing PopGun Booking), I recorded this set with a newly-installed recording rig provided for the club by nyctaper.  Overall I am pleased with the results, with the caveat that you can hear some issues with one of the kick drum mics and one of the guitar amps at a few points in the recording.  Enjoy!

Stream “7 Minutes”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/11 7 Minutes.mp3]

Stream “In the Pines”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/10 In the Pines.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Widowspeak
2012-03-03
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Studio Projects LSD2 (XY cardiod, DFC)>Sound Devices USBPre2 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (Izotope Ozone effects, balance, downsample)>Audacity (set fades, tracking)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Camel
02 Gun Shy
03 Hard Times
04 Burnout
05 Puritan
06 Fun
07 Half Awake
08 Nightcrawlers
09 In the Pines
10 7 Minutes
11 Harsh Realm

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak, visit their Facebook page, visit their Bandcamp page, and purchase their newly-released eponymous LP from Captured Tracks.

Widowspeak: October 20, 2011 NYCTaper CMJ Show at Cake Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

October 27, 2011
By


[photo by Amanda Hatfield]

The curse of being anointed a CMJ “buzz band” is that everyone wants to be seen at your shows, but no one is really listening to the music. We decided to offer Widowspeak a spot on our CMJ bill back in June, after both acidjack and I had seen them perform compelling sets at different shows. They seemed like a natural fit — unpretentious and intelligent indie-rock with roots in multiple genres from multiple decades. Widowspeak makes music for music lovers. I guess its not that surprising then that ten other promoters also booked them, and every “CMJ preview” mentioned them as a “band to see”. As with every band we booked, we’ll add to that Widowspeak is also a “band to hear”. On Thursday, when they performed at the NYCTaper show at 4 pm at Cake Shop they were also scheduled to play shows at 10:30am, 8pm and 11pm that day. So we lucked into getting the band fresh, lively, and in good moods. The set is concise but clearly indicates that the band has grown in confidence and cohesion since we last saw them. We’re streaming “Puritan”, as that track had some extra jump in its step — energy that the band would need later that night.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the previous sets from this show. We boosted the vocals from the board feed a bit more in this recording and the sound is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Puritan”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/05.%20Puritan.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Widowspeak
2011-10-20
Cake Shop
NYCTaper CMJ Show
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2011-10-26

Setlist:
[Total Time 22:52]
01 Nightcrawlers
02 Hard Times
03 Fir Coat
04 In The Pines
05 Puritan
06 Harsh Realm
07 Gun Shy

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak, visit their Facebook page, visit their Bandcamp page, and purchase their newly-released LP from Captured Tracks.

NYCTaper CMJ Show (Day Party) at Cake Shop on Thursday October 20

October 14, 2011
By

nyctaperday2011

We have had some excellent CMJ shows in the past — last year’s show at Cake Shop was packed at one o’clock in the afternoon. But I have to say that this year’s bill is really something special. Our means of selection of the bands is based upon the groups that have “wowed” us in the last year. Of the eight bands on this bill, seven have appeared on nyctaper in the last twelve months (sans Prussia, who we’ve been trying to see!).

Here are the important details:
Thursday October 20, 2011
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Location:
Cake Shop
152 Ludlow Street NYC

FREE SHOW

The Bands:
05:45 Mr. Dream (nyctaper recording here and here)
05:00 Savoir Adore (nyctaper recording here)
04:15 Widowspeak (nyctaper recording here and here)
03:30 Tristen (nyctaper recording here)
02:45 White Fence (nyctaper recording here)
02:00 Hoop Dreams (nyctaper recording here)
01:15 Prussia (also playing our Saturday show here)
12:30 Teletextile (nyctaper recording here and here)

Facebook Event Page for this show [HERE].

Cake Shop Listing [here]
Eardrum NYC Listing (recommended show)
Oh My Rockness Listing (recommended show)
My Free Concert NYC Listing [here]

Widowspeak: August 2, 2011 Glasslands and June 30, 2011 285 Kent – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

August 11, 2011
By

widowspeak-brooklyn.3
[Photo by Daniel Doherty courtesy of Impose Magazine]

The folks over at PopGun Booking have a deserved reputation for putting some of the best up-and-coming acts on the Glasslands stage months and years before the wider public notices. When I saw Widowspeak back in March, they were a very new band with almost no recorded output, but they were already very much on their game as performers, with many great songs already in the hopper. Almost five months later to the day, and the band was back at Glasslands celebrating the release of their self-titled debut record on the hot Brooklyn imprint Captured Tracks.  The band’s set was if anything more confident and polished than the March show, and unsurprisingly featured more songs, including the newer tracks “Gun Shy”, “Hard Times”, “Half Awake” and a new number I could not identify by name (just bought the album this morning). “Half Awake,” being performed live for the first time, is one of the most somber tunes in the band’s catalog, but it is beautiful in its bleakness.

We also caught another great performance from the band back in June, presented by Brooklyn promoter ToddP at the DIY venue 285 Kent next door. This set sounds fantastic, and although a bit shorter than the Glasslands set, has many of the band’s strongest songs, including the standout new single “Gun Shy”. I’m also a sucker for the band’s cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” which they played at the show I saw back in March, and is also the b-side of the “Gun Shy” single.

The 285 Kent set was recorded with Neumann microphones and a soundboard feed from an ideal location in the venue that avoided a lot of the chatter going on. The Glasslands recording was made with perfectly situated Schoeps microphones and a great soundboard feed from Derek, but there is a light buzzing emanating from an onstage monitor that is captured in the board feed. With that caveat (and a bit of crowd chatter during a few songs), that recording is also excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Gun Shy” from 285 Kent:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/09 09 Gun Shy.mp3]

Stream “Hard Times” from Glasslands:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/05 Hard Times.mp3]

Stream “In the Pines” from 285 Kent:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/01 In The Pines.mp3]

Download the 285 Kent MP3s [HERE]

Download the Glasslands MP3s [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [Glasslands] / [285 Kent]

Widowspeak

Glasslands show:

2011-08-02
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded by hi and lo and acidjack for nyctaper.com
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: Soundboard + Schoeps Mk5 (cardiod)>EAA PSP2 >> Tascam DR-680
Position: Center post, ORFT, 8ft up
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audition (effects, mix down)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 39:50]
01 [intro]
02 In the Pines
03 Burnout
04 [unknown]
05 Hard Times
06 [unknown]
07 Nightcrawlers
08 Harsh Realm
09 Yellow Light
10 Half Awake
11 Gun Shy
12 Ghost Boy

285 Kent show:

2011-06-30
285 Kent
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 16bit 44.1kHz 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
2011-08-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 33:27]
01 In The Pines
02 Burnout
03 [unknown]
04 Yellow Light
05 Harsh Realm
06 Nightcrawlers
07 Hard Times
08 [banter]
09 Gun Shy
10 Wicked Game [Chris Isaak]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their newly-released LP from Captured Tracks.

Widowspeak: March 3, 2011 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 10, 2011
By

Brooklyn’s Widowspeak could be considered a Pacific Northwest import of sorts – vocalist/guitarist Molly Hamilton and drummer Michael Stasiak hail from Tacoma, Washington (guitarist Robert Thomas is from Chicago) and the rain-washed influence of that region suffuses both their sound and their songwriting.  Stylistically, you hear it in their guitar playing, which picks up the jangly, rangy sound of some of the early K Records acts like Beat Happening, and in the band’s unforced delivery.  There is a mellow, wistful air to Widowspeak that is uncommon to hungry young East Coast bands; rather than blaring “hear me NOW!” their approach is more akin to, “don’t worry, we know you’ll get it eventually.”  Which is to say that, in a scene thoroughly embracing the 90s at the moment, Widowspeak are firmly more in the SubPop than the shoegaze camp.  Hamilton’s vocals are sure to garner their fair share of favorable comparisons – one reviewer compared Hamilton’s distant, ghostly moan to Mazzy Star, but I prefer to think of her as a successor to Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power.  Her vocals talents were on full display this past Thursday night at Glasslands, where the band gave us a taste of some of the material they hope to release this summer on their forthcoming full length on Captured Tracks.  The band gave us a tight, well-rehearsed and set with few digressions, with a mix that emphasized Hamilton’s vocals.  Their current 7″ single (also available on Captured Tracks) “Harsh Realm” is both a knowing reference to an old joke (this link is worth reading) about grunge slang, as well as a paean to Hamilton and Stasiak’s roots, and that song also closed out this eight-song set.  Another highlight was the band’s sincere rendition of Chris Isaak’s classic, “Wicked Game”, which went perfectly with the band’s style and sound.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones and a soundboard feed by Derek of Glasslands.  The sound quality is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Harsh Realm”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/09 Harsh Realm.mp3]

Stream “Wicked Game”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/07 Wicked Game.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Widowspeak
2011-03-03
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021+Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]
Position: ROC, balcony, ~ORTF
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, adjust levels, smooth peaks, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Burnout
02 Yellow Light
03 Brainfreeze
04 banter
05 Nightcrawlers
06 Ghost Boy
07 Wicked Game [Chris Isaak]
08 Pines
09 Harsh Realm

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their forthcoming LP and the “Harsh Realm” 7″ from Captured Tracks.

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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