This is a collection of live and studio material from the long defunct CT instrumental band Daybed.  Collected here is the never before released first studio recordings the band ever made, when they were still known as “Journalism” (featuring guest musician and Journalism member David Gereg).  Also included is a ‘bootlegged” live improvisation from one of the band’s Trash American Style (Danbury Connecticut record store no longer open) shows recorded on the fly by Trash’s proprietor Malcolm Tent.  This is followed by four unreleased tunes recorded live at SUNY Purchase’s “The Cave” on December 15th 1999, recorded by Alan Zapata, and is among the bands last live performances before disbanding.

 

For the most part, the untitled three song suite that makes up the first section of this podcast, were the first attempts by the band to record.  Journalism, an improvisational live band that featured all four members of the soon to be Daybed (as well as David Gereg heard here on drums), had recorded many sessions of unscripted improv material for some months before John Belles, Jason Socci, Nathan Yeager and Matthew Kohnle decided to form the composition based Daybed.   This recording bridged the gap, convincing the band to change directions.  The first “song” features David Gereg’s drumming, both John Belles and Matt Kohnle’s bass work, Jason Socci’s guitar and Nathan Yeager’s synths, Drum machines, engineering and mixing.   Though by the band as nothing more than a sort of “practice run” at creating in a studio together, it nevertheless convinced all but one member of Journalism to take the next step.

 

Recorded sometime in 1998, the band’s first appearance at Malcolm Tent’s wonder emporium, Trash American Style (its a verb) saw the band open up it’s show with an improvised Kraut rock inspired slow burner that only hints at what was to come with 1999’s “2” (see podcast vol. 5).   This time the multi instrumentalist band features Matt on Bass, Jason on guitar, Nathan on Bass 6 and effects and John on drums.  Recorded by Malcolm Tent himself.  Thanks Malcolm.

 

And that brings us to the last four selections included here.  Recorded at one of the bands last performances before disbanding, these represent the only recordings of the last four tracks the band had written.   “Someone Calling Mother” began the show, and rises out of an analog synth/ lap steel fog into a triumphant anthem.  It is followed by the decidedly more somber “Trees Are down’ in which each of the four members perform a long winding melodic progression on their respective instruments and replace it as the songs end with vocals.  Though two of the band members were too nervous to actually sing, or so it would seem.   “How the Colors Change the Sky” follows with a more sultry, yet synthetic groove based around Nate’s trusty 808 drum machine.  Finally, “The Machinery”, which was the only Daybed song to actually feature lyrics, and perhaps offers a hint at where the band could have taken things had they stayed together.  Making use of Nathan Yeager’s vocoded vocals, this cute, somewhat poignant tune about a robot that admits that “it gets so hard to love yourself” ended the set on a rather anthemic note.