The Missing Boy (returns)

There was a boy

I almost knew him

A glance exchanged

Made me feel good

Leaving some signs

Now a legend

The dream was wrought

Where thoughts were heard

Love is reserved

From previous times

[chorus]

Like a dead bird in the dirt
Like a rusty can on the ground
I don't believe in stardom

Machinery in action

Full of experts

Full of experts

Same old order

Same old order

Same old order

Watch with obsession

Some accident of beauty

Try to capture

As the light begins to fail

Shapes to compose

Shadows of frailty

The dream is better

Dissolves into softness

But the end

The end is always the same

[chorus]

There was a boy

I almost knew him

A glance exchanged

Made me feel good

Leaving some signs

Now a legend

---

Been out of commission for a few months, working on other projects, really.

But I'm back for another go-round!

Will start up again with resuscitating links from December 2010, which I'll do over the course of next week.

Then my live jaunts start up again, as I'll be seeing the following groups:

2/27 Synthetic ID + Terry Malts - Noise Pop - Rickshaw Stop SF [*]
3/22 The Joy Formidable - The Fillmore SF
4/05 Thee Oh Sees - Verdi Club SF
4/09 Sparks - The Chapel SF
4/18 Savages - The Independent SF

There may be others.

--

[*] Yes, this post postdates this show by about two weeks, so to make up for it, I'll be putting up my recordings for these groups over the weekend!

The Joy Formidable - April 2011 West Coast dates

credit: victorkippes

The Joy Formidable
2011-04-12
Crocodile Cafe Seattle
SR recording (Schoeps MK4)

Setlist

The Ever Changing Spectrum Of A Lie
The Magnifying Glass
Austere (vid 2)
The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade
Cradle
Buoy 
I Don't Want To See You Like This
Whirring

9669
A Heavy Abacus


The Seattle show got a couple of songs for the encore that we didn't get at all in SF, lucky bastards!   Thanks to SR for making this recording available.

Download FLACs in zipfile.
 

The Joy Formidable
2011-04-14
Bottom Of The Hill SF

TZOTH1 blend (Sonic Studios DSM-6L omnis + Church Audio CA11 cards)

Setlist

The Ever Changing Spectrum Of A Lie
The Magnifying Glass
Austere
The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade (vid 2)
Greyhounds In The Slips
Buoy (Ritzy chit chat)
I Don't Want To See You Like This
Whirring

Cradle


Download FLACs in ZIP archive.


Rainingvodka (whom I met at this show and is a stand-up gentleman) has generously put up his recording on DIME, which you can grab if you're a member there: 
    (24 bit version)  
    (16 bit version)

A complete video can also be viewed on YouTube.  Shot mostly with my iPhone4, except for 'Whirring', which was done with the Flip Video, and 'Cradle', which features our sources blended in with the above rainingvodka recording, the audio files I have linked are more complete than on the video version since it includes the bits between song there's no video bits for.

I make no warranty that the blended recording is any better than any of the recordings separately, especially since some slight synchronization discrepancies may have been introduced (I can't be a fair judge, as I'm pretty intimately involved with its production), though I really do believe it sounds absolutely stunning.

The Joy Formidable put on a stellar effort for their second show in San Francisco, the first being last year's Popscene effort.  The exuberance of a certain member of the crowd towards the group throughout has to be noted.  'Greyhounds In The Slips' has a sample from "Jesus Camp" ("Warlocks are enemies of God") triggered by the drummer which was really cool. 

The group possess such energy on stage, all the more impressive given how many shows they've played over the past couple of years.    
I can't really focus on any one song because all of them were delivered with authority and passion,  but the end of 'Austere' gets a mention for Rhydian's head-bobbing.    Be sure to catch my video on YouTube, it's not as good as being there, but it'll have to suffice.

Rhydian's pedals.

Openers The Lonely Forest put on a fine show.


The Lonely Forest
2011-04-14
Bottom Of The Hill SF
TH1 recording (Church Audio CA11 cards > Sony PCM-M10)


Setlist


Turn Off This Song And Go Outside
I Am The Love Addict
Woe Is Me
I Don't Want To Live There
Coyote
Tunnels
Let It Go
We Sing In Time


Download FLACs in ZIP archive.


We Sing In Time (acoustic in SF)

Interview with the group after the show.

Tools Of The Trade - The Joy Formidable - 330 Ritch SF - 2010-08-12 (w/Remma)

Let's talk tools of the trade.  The trade in question being taping.  Up until August of this year, I had used an Edirol R-09HR, which still services me well as an audio capture device hooked into my turntable and Nakamichi cassette recorders.

However, one of my cohorts had mentioned all the back in November 2009 this unit would be coming out, so I decided to pick up the Sony PCM-M10 recording.  And after using it this past couple of months (about 5 shows total),  I have to say the new Sony recorder I have blows my Edirol out of the water...

So I made a list of advantages the PCM-M10 has over my Edirol R-09HR (and other comparable recorders made by Zoom or M-Audio). This is directed for anybody currently taping or is thinking of doing so, or runs into issues with their current kit.  In my humble opinion, anybody still using MD or (gasp!) DAT should run, not, walk to upgrade to this unit.

* The batteries last a crazy long time...its rated something like 39 hours using LPCM 48.00kHz/24 bit...I suspect it'll probably be closer to 30 hours if I use the external mics.  You can squeeze out 46 hours using 44.1/16 bit....MP3 actually is the same as 48/24 due to increased CPU doing encoding on the fly.  You're lucky to get 4-5 hours out of the Edirol.

* The PCM-M10 Has built-in 4GB flash, which gives you 3h40m of 48/21 or 6h of 44.1/16.  Can take up to 16Gb microSD or Sony's M2 format.

* Connecting the unit to USB to retrieve recordings uses power provided through the USB port, unlike the Edirol.  Both units treat the flash storage like a removable hard drive so no worries like with previous Sony MD units of using their crappy SoundStage software to convert from their proprietary format to WAV...

*  Visible indicator lights for -12dB and overload (over +0dB) for both L/R ch.  And like the Edirol, also has visible recording light, which like the Edirol, you can control whether you want it to stay on or off during recording

*  Startup time is about 5 seconds vs the Edirol R-09's 11-12 seconds, and the Zoom's 15 seconds (not sure how fast the Microtracks are).  5 seconds is phenomenally fast!

*  The unit has a 'pre-record' feature that saves a few seconds of audio while in pause mode.  The Zooms do this, the Edirol does not, and I don't think the Microtracks do either.

*  Adjustable volume knob that doesn't make clicking noises in the recording...it's recessed and isn't flush with the front of the unit, and is sturdy, so unlikely to get rocked.

*  Plug-in power sufficient to properly power up my Sonic Studios mics...meaning better bass response and dynamics.

*  Built-in mics that are pretty decent, compared to the Edirol's....and are as good as the Zoom H4's.

*  I like the controls a bit better, it's harder to hit them by mistake...and the power/hold is a single rocker button on the side of the unit.  And the battery case isn't flimsy and isn't likely to have the door spring loose and batteries fall out, unlike the Edirol...lost a couple of recordings because of that.

*  Wired remote control...this is an advantage because Edirol's wireless remote is RF and requires line-of-sight.  So this is actually useful for those people who like to record in pocket.  Unfortunately, you cant turn the unit on/off via the remote...but in all practicality, it's useful when using the built-ins to reduce handling noise...for externals, it's less important.

*  I got mine for $200 USD online from B&H Photo, my favorite Sabbath-honoring electronics retailer.

*  The Amazon and Google reviews online are positively glowing, averaging 4.5-5 stars.  Anyway, enough of that...

Okay, now that you've made it this far, I'll reward you guys with another one of my recordings, which was the second one made with the PCM-M10.  More info after the jump...