The National have announced a new live cassette box set entitled Juicy Sonic Magic, which is set to be released on Black Friday Record Store day 2019, on November 29. These recordings were made on September 24th and 25th, in 2018 during the band’s Greek Theatre shows in Berkeley, CA at the end of their Sleep Well Beast tour.
The tapes were recorded using The Mike Millard Method, which replicates the vintage analog recording equipment the legendary taper used in the 1970s and 1980s. The tapes will see a limited release across records stores in the United States, and will exclusively be sold at independent record stores.
“The National was kind enough to let us test the Millard Method for two concerts at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California last September,” producer and engineer Erik Flannigan explained in a press release.”These live recordings were made with vintage AKG 451E microphones and a restored Nakamichi 550 cassette deck which are identical to those used by Millard circa 1975-81. The idea was to see if we could recreate what Matt Berninger calls the “juicy sonic magic” Millard captured in his 1970s field recordings.”
The band’s frontman Mike Berringer recently debuted “Walking on String” featuring Phoebe Bridgers for the film Between Two Ferns: The Movie. This track will be released as a standalone single next month via Dead Oceans. The band recently released their eighth studio album I Am Easy To Find earlier this year.
As mxdwn reviewer Drew Pitt explained:
“This record is miles ahead of what most bands even dream of accomplishing, I Am Easy To Find carries forward The National’s incredible unbroken streak of excellent records. If this record is any indication, that streak is apt to go until the end of time. In the meantime, we’ll all be here listening, regardless of which version of The National shows up.”
The National Tour
10/16 – Mexico City, MX – Pepsi Center
10/19 – Guadalajara, MX – Coordenada Festival
10/26 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Music + Arts
11/25 – Warsaw, PL – Torwar Hall
11/26 – Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle
11/27 – Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle
11/29 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
12/1 – Bochum, DE – Ruhrcongress
12/2 – Cologne, DE – Palladium
12/3 – Zurich, SW – Samsung Hall
12/4 – Munich, DE – Zenith
12/5 – Stuttgart, DE – Porsche Arena
12/07 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Centre^
12/08 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena^
12/09 – Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Motorpoint Arena^
12/10 – Nottingham, UK – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena^
12/12 – Lisbon, PT – Campo Pequeno
03/17 – Tokyo, JP – Zepp DiverCity*
03/18 – Tokyo, JP – Zepp DiverCity*
03/21 – Perth, AU – Freemantle Arts Centre*
03/22 – Perth, AU – Freemantle Arts Centre*
03/24 – Sydney, AU – ICC*
03/25 – Sydney, AU – ICC*
03/27 – Brisbane, AU – Fortitude Music Hall*
03/28 – Brisbane, AU – Fortitude Music Hall*
03/30 – Melbourne, AU – Palais Theatre*
03/31 – Melbourne, AU – Palais Theatre*
04/01 – Melbourne, AU – Palais Theatre*
04/03 – Auckland, NZ – ASB Aotea Centre*
04/04 – Auckland, NZ – ASB Aotea Centre*
^ w/Jenny Lewis
* w/ Phoebe Bridgers
Photo Credit: Kalyn Oyer
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