April 2011: Thao & Mirah
April 27, 2011
A few weeks ago, Thao & Mirah headed into New, Improved Recording in Oakland, emerging with this stellar New, Improved, LIVE studio session. The session features intimate live takes on three songs from their excellent new self-titled album, and a percussive re-imagining of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield,” all of which are available for free download below.
As the session indicates, Thao and Mirah have pulled off quite a feat in their collaborative efforts: taking two acclaimed songwriting perspectives and creating from them a unique collection of emotionally resonant songs. Out now on Kill Rock Stars, Thao & Mirah sounds like two musicians operating in an environment of total freedom. When the two in question are Thao and Mirah (with the collaborative help of Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YarDs), this is unequivocally a good thing.
Below, you can download all four songs from Thao & Mirah’s New, Improved, LIVE session, and we’ve also got three videos for you to enjoy. Thanks to Thao, Mirah, Eli Crews, Nathan Fritz and everyone who participated in this terrific session! Check out past New, Improved, LIVE sessions featuring Kyp Malone, Deerhoof, Sleepy Sun, and more at our NIL page.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Thao & Mirah
Thao & Mirah – “Folks”
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Thao & Mirah – “Little Cup”
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Thao & Mirah – “Love is a Battlefield”
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Thao & Mirah – “Teeth”
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Videos
Thao & Mirah – “Love is a Battlefield”
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June 2010: Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio/Rain Machine)
June 9, 2010
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to announce our latest New, Improved, LIVE studio session featuring Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and Rain Machine performing solo. This four-song session features previously unheard material from Malone, along with a live version of the Rain Machine song “Smiling Black Faces” and a rendition of the traditional folk song “Frog Went A-Courtin’”.
This month’s session features four free high-quality mp3s, behind-the-scenes video footage, a written interview and photos from the session, all exclusively available right now at http://www.thebaybridged.com/new-improved-live/. We’re excited to share this session with you, as it is not often we get to wish the featured musicians a ‘Happy Birthday’ in the studio — with cake, song and all! Malone came into the studio unsure about what he would play, like he had the previous week at New, Improved Recording working on equally spontaneous material with Daron Key. This multimedia package will make you feel like you’re in the studio, listening eagerly to hear what Malone will come up with next.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio/Rain Machine)
1. Smiling Black Faces
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Frog Went A-Courtin’
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Gun Inside My Head
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Holy Shit
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Video
New, Improved, LIVE: Kyp Malone (of TV on the Radio).
Interview with Kip Malone
Nicole Browner (The Bay Bridged): We’re here in the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland and Kyp Malone is here, he flew out for a couple days. We’re here in the studio for four live recordings of four songs today, is that the plan?
Kyp Malone: As many as come through, we’ll get them.
NB: And you’re playing alone today. Do you have any special plans? You’re playing guitar, but will there be any other instruments? What exactly do you want to get accomplished today?
KM: Well, I feel like maybe it might seem a little bit square just to sing and play guitar, but I think I’m just gonna sing and play guitar.
NB: [laughs] It never goes out of style, that’s the way things started. We spoke a little bit earlier today about if you’re working on a record or not, and like you said, your game plan today is sort of same for the recording. You’re going to see where it goes what you end up doing, no full-length planned, right?
KM: What I’ve been working on here at New, Improved Studios is with Daron Key over the past week. We just got in the studio and started recording stuff, and so far we’ve got some things that we’re excited by and we’ll see when we can get back in here and keep the process rolling.
NB: And we’re out [in New, Improved Recording in Oakland] because you used to live in the Bay Area.
KM: That’s how I am acquainted with Eli, is from the ’90s in San Francisco. I lived in the city for 6 years, from ’94 to 2000.
NB: What were you doing when you were living out here, and what pulled you to New York?
KM: I was doing drugs…that’s a short answer. I was doing a lot of things: playing music with friends and making records, riding bikes, making out. Being a young person with very little responsibility, and then I sired a child. The mother of that child didn’t want to stay in San Francisco, she wanted to be near her family, and so I moved to New York to be a father. My daughter Isabel is 9 years old now.
NB: She’s not out here with you right now, it’s just you?
KM: It’s just me. They didn’t know it was going to blizzard out [in New York] this past week, otherwise I would have taken her, but I’m trying to let her be in school when she’s supposed to be. I think it’s kind of a cop-out, but that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m saying, I can’t predict the weather most of the time. Also, she would have been pretty bored here in the studio.
NB: Like you said before, you lived here for a while. Do you miss anything or are you returning to anything somewhat nostalgic? Is there anywhere that you like to eat maybe, that you’re stoked on being able to eat at while you’re out here?
KM: I feel a little bit embarrassed to say. I love Northern California, I think it’s one of the best places in the world. Some of the social politics I forgot about. I don’t know, I’m back to being an East Coaster for sure, is what I’m finding out. That being said, there’s no Cafe Gratitude in Brooklyn and I like the food at that place.
NB: It is pretty good, but I’m sure theres other raw stuff [in New York]?
KM: Yeah, there’s Rock-n-Raw in Williamsburg.
NB: But they don’t ask when you take out your menu out to say something like ‘I am Splendid’ or whatever, the whole vibe that is at Cafe Gratitude.
KM: Yeah, it’s different, it’s like the opposite of Chicago, if you’ve ever been to Chicago. It’s just a different attitude there. I remember going to this bar and grill [in Chicago], they were blasting metal music and the burgers were named like, ‘Can I have a hot stick up my ass?’ That kind of thing.
NB: Like Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland. Have you been there before?
KP: Never sober, so I don’t remember exactly..
NB: [laughs] Then you probably really enjoyed ordering, you just don’t remember…there were pretty gnarly names for their doughnuts, too. Well, is there anything else on your mind right now about being [in the Bay Area] right now? How are you feeling in general?
KM: I feel great. I spent the day somewhere up in Sonoma County yesterday, running around in the nature scene, smoking marijuana and eating psychedelic mushrooms, cooking food with friends, walking around naked and what not. That also doesn’t really happen much in Brooklyn so much, I mean there’s not really space for it. That’s not the kind of thing that happens there, so its nice to come here and take a break and get back to that kind of thing.
Photos
Credits
Audio Recording: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner
Audio Recording Assistant: Carlos Arredondo
Audio Mixing: Eli Crews
Video Recording: Nathan Fritz, Brent Harnisch
Video Editing: Amanda Larson
Photos: Nicole Browner
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April 2010: Miles Kurosky (with members of Beulah)
April 7, 2010
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to announce our latest New, Improved, LIVE studio session featuring Miles Kurosky joined by his former bandmates from acclaimed indie pop band Beulah. This four-song session features the guys performing songs from Kurosky’s debut solo album The Desert of Shallow Effects, out last month on Majordomo Records.
Visiting New, Improved Recording to work with Eli Crews, Kurosky was surprised to see some familiar faces at the session. In secret, Crews had gathered the rest of Beulah the evening prior to rehearse Kurosky’s album, and the talented folks served ably as the backing band for the session. It had been six long years since all the men of Beulah had taken instruments in the same room — their farewell hometown show was at the Fillmore in June 2004 — and the session is reassurance of the lifelong bonds between Kurosky and his former bandmates.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Miles Kurosky (with members of Beulah)
1. “The World Won’t Last The Night” (originally from The Desert of Shallow Effects)
Miles Kurosky - The World Won't Last The Night
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. “Dead Language Blues” (originally from The Desert of Shallow Effects)
Miles Kurosky - Dead Language Blues
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. “Pink Lips, Black Lungs” (originally from The Desert of Shallow Effects)
Miles Kurosky - Pink Lips
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. “Notes From The Polish Underground” (originally from The Desert of Shallow Effects)
Miles Kurosky - Notes From The Polish Underground
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Videos
Miles Kurosky (with members of Beulah) – “The World Won’t Last the Night”
Miles Kurosky (with members of Beulah) – “Dead Language Blues”
Interview with Miles Kurosky
The Bay Bridged: Thank you for doing a New, Improved, LIVE session! Could you give people a brief idea of what you have been up to since Beulah disbanded?
Miles Kurosky: Not much really. Got older. Gained weight. Went bald. I also had a lot of physical problems the last few years which required some surgeries and bed rest. So, when I wasn’t urinating blood or in a Vicodin haze I recorded the songs for my new record. I also wrote some tunes for commercials and movies which helped pay the bills.
TBB: What do you think long-time fans will be most surprised to hear when they listen to The Desert of Shallow Effects?
MK: Well, if they’re Beulah fans they won’t be surprised at all. Beulah’s first album was basically just guitar and drums (no bass) recorded on a cassette. With our second record we became an actual band. We also enlisted 30 additional musicians, and made the leap from cassette to a 16 track tape deck with at least one proper mic. The difference between Beulah’s last record “Yoko” and my new record isn’t nearly as extreme. However, I think my record sounds a little more chaotic (purposefully so) and energetic. On some songs it sounds like everything could fall apart at any moment. With Beulah, however, our approach was far more clinical and precise.
TBB: How do you think your songwriting has changed or grown over the years since Beulah?
MK: I don’t know. I’d like to think it’s gotten better, but I guess that’s not for me to decide. I have been told, however, that I use too many chords.
TBB: How are you feeling about your upcoming month-long cross-country tour? Any places you’re particularly excited to be playing?
MK: At the moment I’m having a lot of anxiety about it. From a distance it looks really hard. I’d forgotten how much preparation goes into touring successfully. It’s a lot of work. Then again, maybe I’ve just become soft in my bourgeois cocoon up in Portland.
TBB: Could you talk a little about what went through your mind when you walked into New, Improved Recording and saw your old bandmates?
MK: Well, before I even walked in the room, the camera people kept saying “Eli has a big surprise for you.” Needless to say I was feeling kind of suspicious. When Eli and I talked about doing the session a few months earlier, I told him that I wanted to do something special. So when I showed up I had the feeling Eli might have hired a mariachi band or a children’s choir, or maybe even a mime troupe to “play” the instruments. Anyway, it was kind of surreal to see the boys. Fantastic, but surreal.
TBB: What was it like to play with them again?
MK: It didn’t feel like any time had passed. I think the old adage about riding a bike would be apropos of the experience. Apparently the songs were new to them and they only practiced together for a few hours the night before. Personally I hadn’t played those songs in the past six months, so I didn’t even know the correct chords. It’s safe to say that we were totally unprepared and under rehearsed, but I think we did a serviceable job. In our defense, we haven’t played music together in six years. Anyway, playing with them is fun, but I just like hanging out, catching up, joking around. Those are the things I miss about being in that band.
Photos
Credits
Audio Recording: John Finkbeiner, Jay Pellicci, Jonah Strauss
Audio Mixing: Eli Crews
Video Recording: Nathan Fritz, Brent Harnisch
Video Editing: Nathan Fritz
Photos: Nicole Browner
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January 2010: Sleepy Sun
January 27, 2010
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the sixth installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features Sleepy Sun delivering exclusive live-in-the-studio renditions of songs from their full length debut, Embrace, and the Sleepy Son 10″, both available on ATP Recordings.
For being a bunch of early-twentysomethings, this San Francisco-via-Santa Cruz band sure has a mature psych rock sound, fully realized on Embrace, which Spin recently named one of the “10 Best Albums You Might Have Missed in 2009.” Engaging songs, relentless touring and the prospect of another full length can only mean even bigger things for this potent sextet, who have quickly become one of the best live acts in Bay Area rock. Here, the band seizes that live electricity, taking the songs from their debut to the next level.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Sleepy Sun
1. – “New Age” (originally from Embrace)
Sleepy Sun - New Age
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. – “Sandstorm Woman” (originally from Sleepy Son)
Sleepy Sun - Sandstorm Woman
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. – “Snow Goddess” (originally from Embrace)
Sleepy Sun - Snow Goddess
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. – “White Dove” (originally from Embrace)
Sleepy Sun - White Dove
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Interview with Sleepy Sun
The Bay Bridged: Thanks for playing a New, Improved, Live session. How did you pick the songs to play during the session?
Sleepy Sun: No magic trick really, just an old fashioned group consensus.
TBB: What is the status of your next full length record?
SS: Our second album has been recorded and mastered! Â We took a break from touring in April of 2009 and hunkered down at the Hive in Vancouver BC to lay down tracks for a couple of weeks. Â The record will be coming out by the end of May 2010. We should have a release date slated soon.
TBB: Could you tell us a little bit about what to anticipate from your new songs? What might fans be surprised by on the new songs?
SS: It’s the soundtrack to a burlesque adaptation of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Surprise!
TBB: Of the songs you played in the session, which has changed the most from Embrace to now? Which is the best to play live?
SS: They’ve all changed from the record. Any given record is a snapshot of the song at that particular time. Immediately after recording we go about rearranging, improving, polishing, etc. Most have the same spirit.
TBB: Could you talk a little bit about the background of “Sandstorm Woman”? Was there a particular reason that it didn’t end up on Embrace?
SS: Sandstorm was the first jam we started to work on during our emergence in San Francisco, upon returning from the recording of Embrace. it was actually one of the last songs we wrote with our former bassist, however evolved immensely following his departure. We performed Sandstorm nearly every show, as its powerful song which conjures great emotion and sonic deliverance within our group. its a song about letting go of yourself or any of those constraints that fight the flow of the wind, so to speak.
TBB: How was the experience of doing a live-in-the-studio session? How did it compare to your other recording sessions?
SS: This particular session went fairly smoothly. Â It’s better to approach a live session with an open mind and not let yourself get too focused on mistakes because that is usually what makes a live set interesting to listen to from an outside perspective. Â One mans sonic mistake is another mans sonic treasure…
TBB: What’s been the best live show the band has had so far? Where was it and why was it so good?
SS: In summer of 2009 we played along the Italian coast in a town called Marina di Ravenna. Â The stage was on the sand overlooking the Mediterranean sea. We swam three different times that day: Once when the van pulled up, again after sound check, and finally we all jumped in after we played our set and tried to get the crowd to follow us into the sea. Many ran to the shore are warned us of sharks. At one point during our set, Bret climbed up onto the roof of the patio while we were playing beneath.
Photos
Credits
Audio: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner
Photos: Nicole Browner
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November 2009: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
November 18, 2009
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the fifth installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features Thao with The Get Down Stay Down delivering exclusive live-in-the-studio renditions of songs from all three of Thao’s albums, including the band’s latest release, Know Better Learn Faster, out now on Kill Rock Stars.
It’d be easy to tag the band as “critical darlings,” given the universally strong appraisals that Know Better and its predecessor We Brave Bee Stings and All have received, but such an assessment would overlook the band’s devoted fans, who are justly rewarded during the trio’s electrifying live shows. This session captures that electricity while also showcasing Thao Nguyen’s heartfelt melodic songwriting, which lies at the core of the group’s appeal. We hope you’ll enjoy these renditions as much as we do.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
1. Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “Beat (Health, Life, and Fire)” (originally from We Brave Bee Stings and All)
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Beat (Health
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “Body” (originally from Know Better Learn Faster)
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - Body
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “The Give” (originally from Know Better Learn Faster)
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - The Give
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “What About” (originally from Like the Linen)
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down - What About
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Videos
New, Improved, LIVE: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “Beat”.
New, Improved, LIVE: Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – “What About”.
Interview with Thao Nguyen
The Bay Bridged: Thanks for playing a New, Improved, Live session. How did you pick the songs to play during the session?
Thao Nguyen: Thanks for having us! To be honest, we picked the ones we could play the best, as it is a new record and we don’t live in the same city and we were low on rehearsal time.Â
TBB: Compared to the last record, did you approach recording Know Better Learn Faster differently or similarly?
TN: I wanted this record to better convey the energy and emotion we have in our live show – elements that were not as clearly defined when we recorded our last record, because we as a band were barely formed.Â
TBB: How do you successfully capture your band’s energy in a recording studio?
TN: You track a lot of clapping and stomping and shouting and you dance around in the control room to keep up morale.Â
TBB: Could you talk about one of the performers who made a guest contribution on the new album, perhaps one that surprised or inspired you?
TN: Our dear friend Merrill Garbus (she lives in Oakland!) is an incredible musician and performs as Tune-Yard. She plays ukelele and sings on the record and it was so important to me to have her on there because: 1) she is incredible and 2) we have come to find that being a woman and a touring musician is a pretty specific situation and it is imperative to have each other as support systems.Â
TBB: Is it more challenging to draw from personal experiences in writing songs, or does that come naturally? Has that always been the case for you?
TN: It is most natural for me to draw from personal experience. The tougher part is when people listen with that knowledge in mind; my writing has always been very autobiographical. Every time I try a more narrative approach the result sucks a little bit more than is comfortable for me.
TBB: Since you and your band live in different cities, what’s it like when you all reconnect before a tour?
TN: We are excited and hug each other very sincerely and communicate using only inside jokes and alternate voices.Â
TBB: What’s been the best live show the band has had so far? Where was it and why was it so good?
TN: This tour the Bowery Ballroom in NYC was been filled with such warmth and enthusiasm. We are carried and propelled by the fantastic crowd. They are what you’d expect in New York City, in the most fufilling way. But please keep in mind we haven’t played the Independent yet, and I do love to come home.Â
Studio Session Photos with Thao and The Get Down Stay Down
Credits
Audio: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner
Photos: Christian Cunningham
Video: Nathan Fritz, John Smart, Brent Harnisch
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September 2009: Port O’Brien
September 23, 2009
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the fourth installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features Port O’Brien delivering exclusive recordings of songs from the band’s upcoming album Threadbare (out October 6th on TBD Records) as well as a terrific Beyonce Knowles cover.
With bandmates Cambria Goodwin and Ryan Stively away when this session was recorded, Van Pierszalowski and new bandmate Gram Lebron (ex-Rogue Wave) gathered some talented Bay Area musicians to deliver loose renditions of new Port O’Brien songs, as well as a spirited take on Beyonce’s “Halo”, which Van described as “one of my favorite songs since it came out” and something he’s always wanted to cover. This collection of tracks by what may have been a one-time-only ensemble have us very excited for Threadbare and help document the band’s continued evolution into one of indie rock’s most potent groups.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Port O’Brien
1. Port O’Brien – “Leap Year” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Leap Year
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Port O’Brien – “Oslo Campfire” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Oslo Campfire
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Port O’Brien – “Love Me Through” (originally from Threadbare)
Port O'Brien - Love Me Through
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Port O’Brien – “Halo” (cover; originally by Beyonce Knowles on 2009′s I Am… Sasha Fierce)
Port O'Brien - Halo
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Videos
Interview with Van Pierszalowski
The Bay Bridged: Thanks for playing a New, Improved, Live session. How did you pick the songs to play during the session?
Van Pierszalowski: They were just songs that I felt we could all play on the fly. The group that played on these recordings is basically just a loose bunch of friends that has never played together, so we picked songs we could pick up fast. Cambria was up in Alaska working, Ryan was back east, and we just had to do something of the moment.
TBB: What do you think Port O’Brien fans will be most surprised about with Threadbare?
VP: I think they will be surprised at how different it sounds in general. The arrangements are much more diverse, Cambria sings a lot more, and there is more cohesion to the album.
TBB: Could you talk a little bit about Port O’Brien’s new touring members? How are they impacting the band’s sound?
VP: Well, we have a new guitarist in Gram Lebron (who is the only other member of Port O’Brien who played on these), who used to be in Rogue Wave. He’s been amazing, really taking care to pick things apart and really hone in on what benefits the song. Its been a joy working with him. He’s our Nels Cline. We also have a new drummer in Tyson Vogel, who also plays drums for Two Gallants. Its been amazing working with him as well. He’s a monster on drums, just eats them up. He has a really unique style that he applies to the songs, and I think both of the new players really changed the direction of the live show.
TBB: All We Could Do Was Sing was the band’s first studio album. Did you learn something in that experience that you wanted to differently or similarly on this go-around?
VP: We wanted to make more of an album this time, something that acts as one piece. It also really helped to have less people in the studio.. just Cambria, Ryan, and I were in the band at that point.
TBB: What inspired you to record with both Jason Quever and Aaron Espinoza? What did each of them bring to the recording process?
VP: I’ve always loved working with Jason. He is a great friend and an amazing producer. Aaron fell into place really easily, and we had a great time working with him as well. Both of them played active roles, more so than we had on the last album.
TBB: Could you talk a little about the cover you performed at the session? Why did you pick this song to play at New, Improved, Live?
VP: “Halo” has been one of my favorite songs since it came out and I’ve always wanted to cover it.
Studio Session Photos with Port O’Brien
Credits
Audio: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner
Photos: Nicole Browner
Video: Nathan Fritz, Stephen Boyd, Brent Harnisch
Related Posts:
August 2009: Yoni Wolf (of WHY?)
August 5, 2009
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the third installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing monthly series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features Yoni Wolf of WHY? delivering exclusive solo vocal-and-piano renditions of songs from the band’s upcoming album as well as a terrific Pavement cover.
There’s a certain full circle feeling to inviting Yoni into the studio to perform solo, since WHY? began as a solo project before it evolved into the full band acclaimed for Elephant Eyelash and Alopecia. On September 22nd, WHY? returns with Eskimo Snow, recorded at the same time as Alopecia, but showcasing a darker side to the group’s sound. Earlier this year, as the band prepared for the new album’s release, Yoni performed some solo shows that showcased the vulnerable, moving core that underlies his band’s layered arrangements.
We’re pleased to provide the only studio recording you’re going to hear of these solo interpretations, including two songs from Eskimo Snow, one from Alopecia, and a cover of Pavement’s “Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)” (from 1992′s Watery, Domestic EP).
Videos from the session, courtesy of Pandora, will be published later this month!
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Yoni Wolf (of WHY?)
1. Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) – “Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)” (cover; originally by Pavement on 1992′s Watery, Domestic EP)
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) - Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) – “Brook & Waxing” (originally from Alopecia)
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) - Brook & Waxing
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) – “Against Me” (originally from Eskimo Snow)
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) - Against Me
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) – “Eskimo Snow” (originally from Eskimo Snow)
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) - Eskimo Snow
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Videos
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) – “Against Me”
Yoni Wolf (of WHY?) – “Brook & Waxing”
Interview with Yoni Wolf
The Bay Bridged: What’s your history with New, Improved Recording?
Yoni Wolf: Well, I’ve been working here with Eli Crews for a couple years. I guess the first big thing we did here was my band WHY?’s album Alopecia. We mixed it in August ’07 and then we mixed another full length here. We’ve done sort of other things here–this thing called Almost Live, which was like a “live in the studio” kind of thing with our band.
TBB: Could you talk a little bit about the songs you played in the session tonight?
YW: Most of the songs I played are from the forthcoming WHY? album called Eskimo Snow. I also played a Pavement cover called “Shoot the Singer (1 Sick Verse)”. That’s off the Watery, Domestic EP, from like the early-, mid-nineties. And then I played one older WHY? song off Alopecia.
TBB: What inspired you to play the Pavement song?
YW: I heard it recently and I just always have liked that song. I like that EP a lot, but that song specifically, I took to it. So today and yesterday, I just thought, “well, let me try to learn it.” I learned it on the piano and just like everything, I always make everything slow and dark. But their version is, I don’t want to say danceable, but it’s a little more driving.
TBB: Is there a way you could characterize how the new WHY? record sounds compares to Alopecia?
YW: Basically we recorded those two at the same time actually in Minneapolis–well, Alopecia had a few songs that we recorded later out here with Dee Kesler–but the majority of the two albums were recorded together. Then we realized we had two records, so we started to split them up, according to their lyrical content and sound. The Alopecia camp, I would say, was more close mics on the drums, tighter more repetitive drum beats, and drum and bass together. A little more tailored and tampered with, that was the Alopecia sound to me. A little more regimented and anal.
Eskimo Snow is, I would say, a little more unwielding–more room mics and stuff like that. It’s a little more natural sounding. And the content is maybe a little bit darker perhaps. I mean, I think Alopecia was dark too, but this one is a little more…
TBB: Is it different playing solo than playing with a band? Do you approach that differently?
YW: It’s definitely different playing solo. It’s a lot scarier because if you fuck up a note or something, there’s nothing to hide that. But I like that fear factor. You have to be more in the moment. You have to, because if you’re not, you’ll jump out and you’ll mess something up.
Whereas, with a band, especially if I’m not really playing much and just singing…It’s hard to play stuff and sing at the same time. A lot of people are really good at it. I’m not that good at it; I’m just kind of starting to figure it out as I go. With the guys I’m playing with, they’re so good. You can just zone out for a while and the music will still be okay, even if you’re not necessarily in the moment. Playing solo, you definitely have to be there.
Studio Session Photos with Yoni Wolf
Credits
Audio: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner
Photos: Nicole Browner
Video: Nathan Fritz, Varun Kejriwal, Brent Harnisch
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July 2009: Citay
July 1, 2009
TheBayBridged.com and New, Improved Recording are proud to present the second installment of New, Improved, LIVE, our ongoing monthly series of live studio sessions with top indie bands, recorded at the New, Improved Recording studio in Oakland, California. This month’s session features San Francisco psychedelic rock band Citay.
New, Improved, LIVE, featuring: Citay
1. Citay – “Nice Cuffs” (originally from Citay)
Citay - Nice Cuffs
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
2. Citay – “First Fantasy” (originally from Little Kingdom)
Citay - First Fantasy
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
3. Citay – “Little Kingdom” (originally from Little Kingdom)
Citay - Little Kingdom
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
4. Citay – “Set Me Free” (cover; originally by Sweet off their 1974 album Sweet Fanny Adams )
Citay - Set Me Free
Download: 160kbps mp3 / 320kbps mp3
Studio Sessions Video
Citay – “Little Kingdom”
Interview with Ezra Feinberg of Citay
TBB: Thanks for playing a New, Improved, Live session. How did you pick the songs to play during the session?
EF: Well we did a similar session for the Seattle station KEXP back in January so we wanted to do different songs. And we were all stoked to play the Sweet song “Set Me Free.” It’s our first recorded cover.
TBB: Citay’s lineup has changed some since the last album. Could you talk a little bit about the band’s newer members? How are they impacting the band’s sound?
EF: The latest members are Josh Pollock and Sean Smith on guitar and Meryl Press on vocals. Josh and Sean have changed things because they’ve brought their own very unique style to the band. Josh has a space station’s worth of sound effects and he uses everything all the time. He often makes the guitar sound like something else, and he does things I could never do. I think he makes us hit higher peaks, and his solos push us as a band.
Sean’s playing is anchored and more traditional. He comes up with really tasteful lines. He lays down rhythm guitar grooves like a bass player and I love that. Plus he breaks out now and then with a few killer leads which is always exciting. Meryl has added another soaring female voice to the lineup. She can hang with Tahlia vocally which is important.
TBB: Is it tough to be a great live band with so many members? To what do you attribute the band’s strong live chemistry?
EF: It can be logistically challenging but we’re all friends so that helps. I think the band’s chemistry comes from our friendships too. Awwwwww… Really though – that’s important. Plus we’ve all played in other bands together so there is a constant musical dialogue happening between us in and out of Citay.
TBB: Could you talk a little about the cover you performed? Why did you pick this song to play at New, Improved, Live?
EF: “Set Me Free” by Sweet is the closest we’ll ever come to playing an Iron Maiden cover. Seriously. It’s a great song and it has been a challenge for us. I envisioned it a long time ago – probably two years ago now. That song has an energy that feels like where I want Citay to go from here.
TBB: Have you been working on material for a new album? Where do you see your newer songs heading compared to Little Kingdom?
EF: Yes we are in the middle of recording a new album. It’ll be done in the late summer and out in early 2010 on Dead Oceans. It’s a similar vibe, sort of. Definitely more upbeat, bigger, louder, but still the same themes – soaring guitars and vocals, groovy parts, long-form songs (for the most part) and a generally epic experience. Also the new album will include a different cover – the Citay version of the Galaxie 500 song “Tugboat.”
TBB: Do you have a favorite song or two for the band to play live? Why is it your favorite?
EF: I’ve always enjoyed playing “Nice Cuffs” from the first Citay album. It’s got a heavy groove and I like the double time rave up at the end. Always gets me goin’. But to be honest I like them all so it’s hard to say. I don’t want to betray any of them. Cuz then whatever songs I don’t mention might get mad at me and then we’ll end up playing those songs badly at the next show. And no one wants that. I try to keep all my songs feeling happy and special.
Studio Session Photos with Citay
Credits
Audio: Eli Crews, John Finkbeiner, Jay Pellicci
Photos: Nicole Browner
Video: Nathan Fritz and Brian James
