Monthly Archives: March 2009

[photo courtesy of jen ballera]

Crystal Stilts released a new 7″ this week “Love Is A Wave” which caused on odd occurrence at nyctaper — a renewed interest in our December recording of Crystal Stilts at Bowery which contains the only recorded live version of the song. At Music Hall a couple of weeks ago, acidjack was there to capture the second live version of the song along with a complete Crystal Stilts headliner set. This concert was significantly longer than the December set and included two fairly obscure covers of The Gun Club and a standard Velvet Underground cover at the closer.

Our correspondent recorded from the same location as the Women and Blank Dogs recordings from this night. We can hear that the band had some issues with the mix, and perhaps because of the heavy use of reverb, the house mix is somewhat muddy. Overall, though this is a fine listen to the longest live recording of this excellent band to date. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Crystal Stilts
2009-03-14
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Front of Board Center
30 Feet from Stage

SP-CMC-8 (Audio Technica U853 Cardiod Capsules)> SP-SB-8 > Edirol R-09HR > 24bit 48kHz wav > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample, slight EQ) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by acidjack
Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-25

Setlist:
[Total Time 50:48]
01 Through The Floor
02 The Dazzled
03 Mother Of Earth (Gun Club)
04 Crippled Croon
05 Prismatic Room
06 SinKing
07 [technical problems]
08 Seeds
09 Converging in the Quiet
10 Sugar Baby
11 For The Love Of Ivy (Gun Club)
12 Love is a Wave
13 [encore break]
14 The City in the Sea
15 Temptation Inside Your Heart (Velvets)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Crystal Stilts, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their latest album Alight of Night from links at their MySpace page, including at Insound [here] and purchase their new single “Love Is a Wave” at InSound [here].

[vintage Plan photo courtesy of Chris]

Travis Morrison, the former leader of the Dismemberment Plan, played a show at Bell House last weekend and we were not there to record. However, in tribute we offer this vintage Plan show from 1999, which was about half-way through the legendary band’s existence, but about a year before they “hit”. Dismemberment Plan were actually the opening band on this triple bill. The other acts on the bill were the both-now-also-defunct Promise Ring and Burning Airlines. After the breakup of both bands, members of the D Plan and Promise Ring would go on to form the short-lived Maritime. This short set features primarily material from Emergency & I, released a couple of months before this show took place, and which is the album that ultimately propelled the band to larger gigs and increased popularity. Emergency & I was selected as number 16 of Pitchfork’s Top 100 albums of the 1990s. We have searched the archive and this may in fact be the earliest Dismemberment Plan recording in circulation.

The post of this recording was inspired one of our favorite music writers on the web, Soren deSelby-Bowen — formerly of the Well and currently of the excellent Parlando blog. After a lengthy serious illness, Soren returned to writing this week with a piece about the Dismemberment Plan.

The sound quality on this recording is really quite outstanding. This was recorded by xcrex with DPA 4061 miniature omnidirectional microphones and has an excellent soundstage. The volume of the band eliminates any crowd noise and provided a signal of great clarity. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Dismemberment Plan
1999-11-23
Knitting Factory
New York, NY USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from FOB

Recording: DPA 4061s > SBM-M1 > Sony D-8 DAT Master
Transfer: DAT Master > Panasonic SV-3800 > digital coaxial > Audigy 2 ZS Platinum > 16bit 48kHz wav > Soundforge (slight level boost, downsample 44.1) > CD Wave (tracking) > Flac Frontend  (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by xcxre9
DAT Extraction and Post-Production by nyctaper 2009-03-23

Setlist:
[total time 31:59]
01 Do The Standing Still
02 Onward, Fat Girl
03 Girl O’Clock
04 Gyroscope
05 The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich
06 Spider in the Snow
07 A Life Of Possibilities
08 The City
09 What Do You Want Me To Say?

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT the members of The Dismemberment Plan. Although the band has been defunct for several years, visit the website and follow the members, and purchase the releases of Travis Morrison who has an active solo career [here].

[photo by Joe Perez courtesy of Impose Magazine]

One of our favorite concerts thus far this year was the February 6 show at Market Hotel featured on several posts at this site. Our Blank Dogs recording of that night was special for a couple of reasons — this was the first full band performance, and was also the first live recording of this elusive artist. While the band and nyctaper were ultimately pleased with the quality of the recording given the limitations of the sound system at the Market, we are all very fortunate that our correspondent acidjack captured a superior recording of Blank Dogs set at the Music Hall last week. Although still blanketed by heavy reverb, the Music Hall mix has much greater clarity and the vocals are more prominent. The show is very similar in structure to the Market set, but given that this is now a working band who has performed a number of sets in the last six weeks, the performers are clearly tighter together.

This recording was captured from the same location at the Women set and the sound is excellent as indicated above. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Blank Dogs
2009-03-14
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Front of Board Center
30 Feet from Stage

SP-CMC-8 (Audio Technica U853 Cardiod Capsules)> SP-SB-8 > Edirol R-09HR > 24bit 48kHz wav > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by acidjack
Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-21

Setlist:
[Total Time 29:52]
01 Two Months
02 Setting Fire To Your House
03 I’m Alright
04 Leaving The Light On
05 No Compass
06 Red World
07 Before The Hours
08 Slow Room
09 Y.M.S.
10 Ants
11 Crystal Ladies

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Blank Dogs, visit their/his MySpace page, and purchase their/his many releases. The releases are scattered among many labels and quite a few are out of print. Here are a series of links to places where Blank Dogs releases may be purchased: Woodsist Records, Freedom School Records, Sacred Bones Records, Daggerman Records, Seven Ten Twelve, Sweet Rot Records, Troubleman Records.

[photo credit]

We love these “small world” moments. I had met Daniel Hart of The Physics of Meaning before, although when I enjoyed their impressive set two weeks ago at Union Hall, I did not realize the connection. When we recorded John Vanderslice about a year ago, John spent much of the night praising “Daniel” from his band, who we now know is the talented Daniel Hart. The Physics of Meaning is a quartet that relies heavily on Daniel’s violin (classically trained), his intimate baritone, and the band’s genre-eluding melodic songwriting. The band is has toured extensively in support of their second and latest CD Snake Charmer and Destiny at the Stroke of Midnight, but the Union Hall setlist also included two new solid numbers.

We recorded this set from the same location as The Antlers recording, and the sound quality of this set is quite excellent. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Physics of Meaning
2009-03-05
Union Hall
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Upfront
15 Feet Center – Microphones on Ceiling Beam

DPA 4021s > Edirol UA-5 (Oade Digimod) > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 > 24bit 48kHz wav > Soundforge 8.0 (level adjustments, downsample 16/44) > CD Wave > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-12

Setlist:
[total time 32::26]
01 In Dreams We Discover Ourselves
02 Resurrection and Crucifixion
03 Bigger Cities Thicker Doors
04 [banter]
05 Song For a Wishing Well
06 Oregon My Only True Friend
07 Accidental Lives
08 Black Licorice

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Physics of Meaning, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their newest CD from the Trekky Records Online Store [HERE].

[photo by blurasis]

Women were one of the best bands we saw during CMJ, so obviously we were excited upon their return to NYC. Unfortunately, I could not go that night, so the best new development at this site — the nyctaper correspondent — has let me experience the show. Women have toured extensively throughout the US and Europe since CMJ and the live performance is now tighter and more aggressive than the three times we saw them in October. There were also several excellent new songs performed at Music Hall which bodes well for albums beyond their outstanding debut album.

acidjack recorded this set from the floor in the sweet spot of this venue and the sound quality is outstanding. There is virtually no annoying crowd chatter, until one loud cellphone call occurs briefly during the penultimate song. Otherwise, we have vicariously lived this show through this excellent capture. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Women
2009-03-14
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Front of Board Center
30 Feet from Stage

SP-CMC-8 (Audio Technica U853 Cardiod Capsules)> SP-SB-8 > Edirol R-09HR > 24bit 48kHz wav > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by acidjack
Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-19

Setlist:
[Total Time 32:09]
01 Black Rice
02 Shaking Hand
03 Lawncare
04 Flashlights
05 [new song]
06 [new song]
07 Group Transport Hall
08 January 8

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Women, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their debut CD at the Flemish Eye Records (Canada) website [HERE] or the Jagjaguwar Records (US) Website [HERE]

[photo courtesy of Kyra Kverno – more of her amazing work here]

On Thursday at Europa, Monks of Doom hit the ground running and never let up. In their first live performance in nearly four years, the band top-loaded the setlist with heavier rock numbers played flawlessly. With much humorous banter in between numbers, Monks of Doom then alternated original numbers and their eclectic covers, and finished the impressive set with an intense back-to-back “Insect God” and “Hurricane Fighter Plane”. Thursday’s solid show set the stage for Friday’s epic performance.

We recorded this set with the Neumann microphones inside the soundboard booth on the far right, closest to the stage. This position placed us directly in line with the main PA speakers, approximately 30 feet from the stage. While this recording certainly does not have the amazing mix if the multitrack from Friday, this capture is still quite excellent. Enjoy!

If you choose to donate as a result of this recording, do not donate to nyctaper (paypal on the right), but please paypal to the band at the Email Monks of Doom.

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Monks of Doom
2009-03-12
Europa
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Front Inside Soundboard Booth
30 Feet from Stage

Neumann KM-150s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Monster XLR cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge 8.0 (set fades, resample 16/44) > CD Wave 1.95 > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-18

Setlist:
[total time 1:44:17]
01 [introduction]
02 In Anticipation of the Pope
03 Vaporize Your Crystals
04 Trapped
05 Riverbed
06 The Traveler
07 Powerhouse / Hieroglyphic
08 [banter]
09 Light In The Sky (Steve Hillage)
10 The 15th (Wire)
11 Ukranian Technological Faith Dance
12 Vivian Girls (Snakefinger)
13 Cherry Blossom Baptism
14 Oh Well (Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac)
15 Going South / La Dolce Vita Suite
16 [banter]
17 No Looking Back (Blue Orchids)
18 New Saigon (Pell Mell)
19 The Insect God
20 Hurricane Fighter Plane (Red Crayolas)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Monks of Doom, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their albums from their site and the Magnetic Motor Works [HERE].

[photo courtesy of Kyra Kverno – more of her amazing work here]

When this curious Monks of Doom reunion at Club Europa in Greenpoint was announced a few months ago, I had three questions that were fortunately answered by Victor Krummenacher in a series of recent conversations. The “why here and now” was pretty simple — the Europa promoter was a big fan and made it happen. Will the Monks play again soon, or will we have to wait years for another reunion? Monks of Doom will play at the CampOut5 this year, and may even play some West Coast dates in the Summer depending upon Immy’s tour schedule with Counting Crows. And finally, how can a band who has played a half-dozen shows this decade and none in the last three-plus years sound so tight. Victor explained that the band rehearsed incessantly at its inception for thirty to forty hours a week, and established a cohesiveness that remains to this day.

The performances at these two reunion shows were truly remarkable. Each show was a lengthy set with songs throughout the entire Monks catalog. We were particularly impressed with the interplay between the guitars of Immy and Greg Lisher — quite clearly evident on this recording. The setlist for each show was substantially different from the other, with night two featuring some of the more eclectic cover songs that appeared on the Monks 2006 release What’s Left For Kicks.

This recording was made possible by the band and by professional audio engineer Ryan Streber. We recommend that our readers listen to this recording on headphones. Ryan’s mix has an incredible soundstage and stage-pan — as you hear Lisher on the left, Immy on the right, Victor in the center, and the outstanding drum work of Chris Pederson surrounding them all. Immy hired a multi-cam crew and multitrack audio to capture these concerts for posterity and potential release. After some confusion regarding permissions, ultimately this afternoon we received the band’s blessing to post (or re-post) the show.

We have also received many inquiries about assisting in the band’s expenses for this endeavor. If you choose to donate as a result of this recording, do not donate to nyctaper (paypal on the right), but please paypal to the band at Email Monks of Doom.

The March 12 show was also recorded by nyctaper (with the Neumanns) and will be available soon.

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Monks of Doom
2009-03-13
Europa
Brookyn, NY USA

Digital Multi-Track Master Recording

24-Track Multitrack Recording via Protools > XLR cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge 8.0 (set fades, level adjustments, resample 16/44) > CD Wave 1.95 > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Multitrack Recording by Ryan Streber

Patch Rig (and minor post-production as above) by nyctaper
2009-03-14

Setlist:
[total time 1:53:42]
01 [introduction]
02 Vs. Montana
03 Jim Gore And The Ghost of Missouri
04 Oh Well (Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac)
05 The Traveler
06 Facts About Spiders
07 Light In The Sky (Steve Hillage)
08 Unexplained Murders
09 The Better Angels Of Our Nature
10 Poison ( Bert Jansch)
11 Powerhouse/Hieroglyphic
12 [band introductions]
13 La Dolce Vita Suite
14 Going South
15 Calvary (Quicksilver)
16 Cherry Blossom Baptism
17 No Looking Back (Blue Orchids)
18 The 15th (Wire)
19 All in Good Time
20 The Insect God
21 Let’s Split
22 Fur Immer (Neu!)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Monks of Doom, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their albums from their site and the Magnetic Motor Works [HERE].