Blog Archives

Steel Phantoms: May 15, 2012 Cameo Gallery – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 13, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Brooklyn’s Steel Phantoms had been on my list of bands to see for awhile. The band makes catchy, tightly-wound rock n’ roll that incorporates elements of 80s postpunk, new wave and prog-rock, and it is an infectious combination in any setting. Though they were the first act on a four-deep bill at Cameo Gallery on this night (and had the good nature to joke about it), the Phantoms owned the rapidly-filling room with their rapid-fire set that featured mostly-new material, plus a total of three tracks from their Forer and Steel Phantoms EPs (both available on their bandcamp page). After a caffeinated kickoff that featured “Fast Stop” and “Evening Routine” from their first EP and a new song, “’94”, the band slowed it down with the midtempo “Mona” before kicking things back into high gear. The band saved the best for last with their new song, “I Get You”, which gave guitarist Jesse Newkirk a chance to show off his versatility with the instrument. This is a band with loads of potential and a wide potential audience that is, we think, on the way up.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Doe Paoro recording, and this particular capture is even better than that one – truly flawless. Enjoy!

Stream “’94”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S0515SteelPhantoms0212/03 ’94.mp3]

Stream “I Get You”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S0515SteelPhantoms0212/08 I Get You.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]| Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Steel Phantoms
2012-05-15
Cameo Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, PAS)>CMC6>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mix down, adjust levels, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Fast Stop
02 Evening Routine
03 ’94
04 Mona
05 Blade Runner
06 Bedouin
07 [banter]
08 I Get You

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Steel Phantoms, like them on Facebook, and grab their EP Forer for free on their bandcamp page.

Ben Folds Five: June 2, 2012 Mountain Jam – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 11, 2012
By


[Photos courtesy of Dino Perrucci Photography]

As someone who spent their college years in North Carolina at the turn of last century, Ben Folds Five has always been special to me. A native North Carolinian introduced me to Ben Folds’ music, and the themes in the music – romantic frustration, fear of consequences, and straight-up rage at lovers who jilt you – found natural purchase in my young self. I saw the band a bunch of times between 1997 and 2000 in my then-home state, outdoors and on the quad, at the Cat’s Cradle and the Ritz. Folds and his band never disappointed, and his confessional lyrics – delivered with catchy, approachable piano melodies and vocal harmonies – were easy to sing along to (or not, since I was usually taping). It was a fitting soundtrack to a certain time of my life, made more special because the band were local boys done good. I’m sure their songs blared in my car stereo at one point or another on every state on the Eastern seaboard.

While Folds has continued with his solo work, BFF itself had not played a show together since 2008 until they took the stage on the Saturday of this year’s Mountain Jam in Hunter, NY. The memories came flooding back quickly as Folds began to pound out the opening of “Jackson Cannery” and by “Battle of Who Could Care Less” (always my favorite BFF song) I was back in full-on nostalgia mode. The band sounded as good as ever (even if the house mix did them no favors), and they gave fans a mix of their bigger hits like “Brick”, “Battle of Who Could Care Less”, and “Army” with older favorites and deeper cuts “Where’s Summer B.?”, “Uncle Walter” and another of my favorites, “Emaline”. More than a decade after their most significant albums dropped, no band is really doing what BFF is doing (please don’t bring up Billy Joel), and it was a thrill to see them doing their thing again. Even better, Folds indicated that the band will be putting out a new release some time soon. The band will be back in NYC for a Central Park show on September 14 as well.

I recorded this set with AKG 414 large diaphragm mics in “wide cardiod” mode. The first 15 or so seconds are marred by me making some adjustments to my preamp levels. After that, the only significant flaw of this recording is the overblown house mix, in which the distortion-pedal-driven bass guitar was at times too high in the mix. With those caveats, enjoy!

Stream “Battle of Who Could Care Less”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/B1998BFF0220/10 Battle of Who Could Care Less.mp3]

Stream “Emaline”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/B1998BFF0220/13 Emmaline.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]| Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Ben Folds Five
2012-06-02
Mountain Jam
Hunter, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod, OTS, 12ft, A-B)>Aerco MP-2>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:23:43]
01 Jackson Cannery [fades in]
02 Theme from Dr. Pyser
03 Fair
04 [banter]
05 Selfless, Cold and Composed
06 Uncle Walter
07 [banter]
08 Where’s Summer B?
09 Mess
10 Battle of Who Could Care Less
11 Brick
12 [banter]
13 Emaline
14 Army
15 Kate
16 Alice Childress
17 [banter]
18 Song for the Dumped
19 Narcolepsy
20 [improv]
21 Underground
22 One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Ben Folds Five, visit their website, and purchase their official releases, including their recent Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective, at their online store [HERE]

NYCTaper Presents: Prairie Empire Record Release Show this Sunday at Mercury Lounge

June 7, 2012
By

Prairie Empire is the current project of the multitalented musician and songwriter Brittain Ashford, who is another Seattle transplant to Brooklyn that we are thrilled to have in our midst. As a singer, Ashford’s voice packs incredible emotional presence and range, as well as a little pixie dust pinch of whimsy; you feel an instant kinship with her and her music even if you’ve never met her. As for her band, their lush arrangements provide a broad sonic palette for Ashford’s compositions, incorporating strings, cello, violin, viola, drums, sleigh bells, dulcimer and trumpet, not to mention vocal harmonies. No surprise, then, that no less than eight other musicians played on the band’s new record.

Fresh off a recent Daytrotter performance, Ashford and her bandmates (several of whom live in Portland, making this no small trip) are celebrating the release of their eponymous debut album on Durham, NC’s Trailer Fire Records with this very special early show at Mercury Lounge this Sunday night. Although Prairie Empire has not been on the site before, everything we know about this band suggests that they will deliver a performance with a grace and beauty that more than does justice to their new album material. Opening the show will be the singer-songwriter Jo Schornikow, another young talent that we look forward to getting to know.

The NYCTaper crew will be on hand to capture audio of this event and to celebrate Prairie Empire’s new album and future success.  We hope that you will join us!

Tickets for the show are $10 and can be purchased [HERE] or fee-free at the Mercury Lounge Box Office.

Following this show, Prairie Empire will be going on an early summer tour of the Northeast and Midwest (and hopefully more to come).  Those tour dates are listed on their website [HERE].  You can also follow Brittain Ashford on twitter.

The show starts at 6:30pm SHARP (no, not 6:30pm “rock n’ roll time”)

Gov’t Mule: June 2, 2012 Mountain Jam – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 6, 2012
By


[Photos courtesy of Dino Perrucci Photography]

If you’re a doubter of “jamband festivals”, this Gov’t Mule performance from Mountain Jam alone might make you reconsider. Three of us from the NYCTaper crew came out for Saturday of this year’s Mountain Jam, held at the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort in Hunter, NY, and the Mule was that day’s main attraction for a number of reasons. The fact that they are a legendary live band was only part of the picture this time; this particular performance also honored the late, great Levon Helm with a set that found the Mule joining the Levon Helm Band for a tribute that no doubt would have found favor with the man. On a misty night against a verdant Catskills backdrop, Mule and guitarist Warren Haynes gave a life-affirming performance that could turn the coldest cynic on to the power of music. Mountains are often used as a metaphor for the obstacles that define human struggle. This night’s music – played against those gorgeous peaks – demonstrated music’s power to transcend even death. As a series of well-known players joined the band onstage for songs from Mule, Helm and history, we were reminded note after note how lucky we are: to be listening, to be here, to be alive. For us – and I guess it’s fair to call us “city people” – this night was a reminder of the grandeur that lies beyond our steel and glass borders. Mule gave us everything they had until the mist had soaked us all. But most importantly, they gave us a chance to give thanks to those who were gone as well as those who were there with us.

Each of the three of us who were at the show recorded this set, and below we are offering two sources: First, hi and lo’s recording with Schoeps MK21s, and second, Johnny Fried Chicken Boy’s Audio Technica cardiods paired with my AKG 414 large-diaphragm mics, set to “wide cardiod mode.” Both recordings stand out in their own way and offer different “flavors” to enjoy.

Stream “Brand New Angel” from the JFCB/acidjack source:

[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/M9999MountainJam9999/02 Brand New Angel.mp3]

Stream “I’m A Ram” from hi and lo’s MK21 source:

[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/M9999MountainJam9999/Mule – I’m A Ram.mp3]

Stream “Birth of the Mule” from the JFCB/acidjack source:

[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/M9999MountainJam9999/20 Birth of the Mule.mp3]

Download hi and lo’s Schoeps MK21 source: [MP3] | [FLAC] 

Download acidjack and JFCB’s AKG/Audio Technica source: [MP3] | [FLAC]

If the FLAC links are no longer working, email nyctaper for the FLAC files

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Gov’t Mule
2012-06-02
Mountain Jam
Hunter, NY

Exclusive downloads hosted at nyctaper.com

Source 1: 
Recorded and produced by hi and lo

Schoeps MK21>NBox Cables>Custom Preamp>Tascam DR-680 (24/48)>WaveLab V6 (EQ/Fades/Resampling/Dither)>CD-Wave v1.98>FLAC 1.2.1 with TLH v 2.6.0 (build 168)

Source 2:
Recorded by Johnny Fried Chicken Boy and acidjack
Produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod, AB 1.5ft split, OTS)>Aerco MP-2 + Audio Technica 3031 (OTS, DIN) >> Edirol R-44>2x24bit/48kHZ WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

[Tracking varies slightly between sources – below is the acidjack/JFCB source]

Set 1 [Total Time 1:16:25]
01 Brighter Days >
02 Brand New Angel
03 Lola Leave Your Light On >
04 Mother Earth>
05 Trouble Every Day
06 World Boss
07 Gameface (w/ Mountain Jam tease)
08 Larger Than Life
09 She Came In Through The Bathroom Window @
10 Bitch #

Set 2 (Levon Helm Tribute with the Levon Helm Band) [Total Time 1:55:03]
11 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
12 Up On Cripple Creek $
13 Ophelia
14 The Shape I’m In
15 This Wheel’s On Fire
16 It Makes No Difference
17 [banter]
18 The Weight %
19 [encore break 1]
20 Birth Of The Mule (with Soul Power Tease)
21 Sco-Mule ^ >It Makes No Difference Reprise
22 Beautifully Broken
23 Forevermore
24 [encore break 2[
25 Planet Of The Ram Jam >
26 I’m A Ram

@ with Machan Taylor, Alicia Shakur & Nigel Hall
# with Earl McIntyre, Jay Collins, Kenny Rampton, Blue Lou Martini, Howard Johnson & Lukas Nelson
$ with Matt Abts
% with Jorgen Carlsson, Machan Taylor, Corky Lang & Lukas Nelson
^ with Blue Lou Martini

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Gov’t Mule, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from their online store [HERE]

Naam: May 12, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 6, 2012
By


[Live at the Comet Tavern, Seattle WA. Photo courtesy of Bridget Christian under Creative Commons License. See her Flickr stream [HERE]]

After catching the Brooklyn psych metal band Naam opening for Monster Magnet at the beginning of the year (recording [HERE]), I couldn’t wait to hear more. We got the chance on a recent Saturday as the band headlined at Glasslands to celebrate the release of their new Ballad of the Starchild EP by playing almost the entire record straight through. Starchild is styled as five-part suite, and adds overt Eastern influences (sitar anyone?) to the band’s bottom-heavy psych rock sound. And by “bottom heavy”, I simply mean that bassist John Preston Bundy need not fear being an underappreciated member of this band.

Starchild is beautifully mixed in an overtly classic rock style that suits the band’s sound- and I’m pleased to report that Naam’s live sound once again possessed all of the power and poise of their recorded output. It’s no accident that this is a band that has “crossover appeal” between metalheads and psych rock fans alike; they strike a balance between musical exploration and raw power that almost anyone can appreciate. Foregoing the last track of Starchild in evident frustration at an early closing time for the venue, the band instead rewarded us with the sprawling “Kingdom”, their longest number and one of their best. Although this was a shorter set than we (and they) would have liked, it was still a great introduction to this EP.

hi and lo recorded this set with the NYCTaper-installed “house rig”, a Studio Projects LSD2 large-diaphragm stereo mic, plus a well-balanced soundboard feed. There is some DI-related distortion in the first song, but once that clears up, this set is flawless in sound. Enjoy!

Stream “The Starchild”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/N1310Naam2110/naam_the_starchild.mp3]

Stream “Lands Unknown”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/N1310Naam2110/naam_lands_unknown.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Naam
2012-05-12
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by hi and lo
Produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Studio Projects LSD2 (xy cardiod)>Tascam DR-680 (24/48)>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Sentry of Skies
02 Lands Unknown
03 History’s Son
04 The Starchild
05 [banter]
06 Kingdom

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Naam, visit their website, and purchase The Ballad of the Starchild and their other releases from Tee Pee Records [HERE]

Prince Rupert’s Drops: May 12, 2012 NYCTaper 5th Anniversary Show at 285 Kent – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 31, 2012
By


[Photos by Jill at For the Love of Brooklyn]

We had the privilege this month of celebrating this site’s fifth anniversary with a show at 285 Kent headlined and curated by Oneida, a band we have long admired and been honored to feature on this site many times. Their first choice of act for this bill was the enigmatic Prince Rupert’s Drops, a band with little Internet presence or official releases to speak of, but one that blew us away with their British-influenced psychedelic sound. What this band lacks in visibility is more than made up for by their playing, led by the charismatic playing of lead guitarist Bruno Meyrick-Jones and second guitarist (and vocalist) Leslie Stein. This 6-song set stretched to nearly 40 minutes with luxuriously paced songs, especially “Death March” which, despite the name, was not a death march to listen through. Most of this material appeared to be new aside from “Pillar to Post”, which streams on the band’s MySpace page and was also a highlight of their set. It has been a privilege to share live music with music fans across the world for the past five years, and a big part of that has been the chance to give more exposure to bands like Prince Rupert’s Drops.

nyctaper and I recorded this set with a combination of high-end microphones placed strategically around the room. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Pillar to Post”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P1205PRD0212/02 Pillar to Post.mp3]

Stream “Death March”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P1205PRD0212/05 Death March.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

 

Prince Rupert’s Drops
2012-05-12
NYCTaper 5th Anniversary Show
285 Kent
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by nyctaper and acidjack
Produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK22 [FOB, DFC, STC22]>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Sennheiser MKH-8040 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, EQ, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 This Evening’s Arms
02 Pillar to Post
03 Plague Ride
04 D.D.R.
05 Death March
06 Run Slow

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Prince Rupert’s Drops, visit their MySpace page, and attend their gigs!

Doe Paoro: May 15, 2012 Cameo Gallery – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 25, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Happy Memorial Day, readers!  Enjoy this live show along with your three-day weekends!

For several years now, our popular culture has been deluged with singing contests, each seemingly more elaborate than the last. The obsession with vocal talent – and specifically, finding unique vocalists who can carry a stage show on their own – has never been greater.

Of course, Doe Paoro isn’t on the Idol-Voice-X-Factor circuit, nor should she be. A singer like her wouldn’t be comfortable as an anodyne persona dropping “interesting” “reinterpretations” of decades-old classics. No.  Doe – or Sonia Kreitzer, her given name – is the kind of artist who opens her show with a beautifully rendered Tibetan opera song because, as she said, she wants to “set the intention of the music, as an offering”. And instead of a Vegas-style LCD-paneled behemoth, she has been using the humbler stage of Cameo Gallery for the past four Tuesday nights to share her music and reach fans.

Paoro’s vocals are compelling and powerful – though again, perhaps not in the vanilla sense that TV overlords are looking for. She credits part of vocal skill to her study of lhamo, a Tibetan opera tradition (hence, the opener) and perhaps it’s that that gives her the otherworldly, international feel that she has.  In Paoro’s phrasing, there is something distinctly her own, and she is willing to take a vocal to a harsher place if the song demands it. One review I have read compared her to Tune-Yards; I hear a bit of Alanis Morissette in her approach, especially in terms of her vocals’ “it” quality. Her album Slow To Love, a self-released effort currently available on bandcamp and being shopped to labels, is a spare-but-powerful effort that leaves an impression in its 27 minutes. The record wisely keeps the vocals front and center while deploying the vocals in a variety of genre settings; “Body Games” is the record’s straight-ahead pop number; “I’ll Go Blind” is bottom-heavy funk; “Born Whole” is the sort of spectral R&B one expects of James Blake. At this show, Doe Paoro showed no fear delivering a big, classic ballad like “Can’t Leave You” with its soaring vocal runs, which showcased her considerable range. Paoro closed the set with the song that first got her noticed, a cover of the Baltimore synth outfit Future Islands‘ “Little Dreamer”. Paoro’s version of the song is a beautiful valedictory, and it made the perfect coda to a magical evening. She’ll be sharing her gift on bigger stages before long.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones and a soundboard feed. The recording is outstanding.  Enjoy!  Also – special thanks to our friends at Fucking Nostalgic for turning us on to this artist!

Stream “Born Whole”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/D5015DoePaoro2012/07 Born Whole.mp3]

Stream “Little Dreamer” [Future Islands]
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/D5015DoePaoro2012/09 Little Dreamer.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Doe Paoro
2012-05-15
Cameo Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, POS, 8ft)>KCY>Z-PFA>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, EQ, light compression, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Tibetan Opera Intro>Slow to Love
02 [banter]
03 [unknown 1]
04 I’ll Go Blind
05 Body Games
06 Soft But Strong
07 Born Whole
08 Can’t Leave You
09 Little Dreamer [Future Islands]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Doe Paoro, like her on Facebook, and purchase Slow to Love on bandcamp on a “name your price” basis [HERE]

Luther Dickinson & The Wandering: May 14, 2012 Joe’s Pub – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 22, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

North Mississippi Allstars guitarist/vocalist Luther Dickinson has made a life mission of keeping Delta blues alive while continuing to expand the genre through his own new efforts. His latest project, The Wandering, finds him teaming up with four exceptional female musicians – Amy LaVere, Shannon McNally, Valerie June, and Sharde Thomas – to honor the richness and diversity of the blues with a new record that combines new tracks and well-loved standards.  This show at the grown ups’ music paradise Joe’s Pub was a perfect platform to showcase the members’ individual and collective talents. Dickinson, as ringleader of the proceedings, gave a solo set before the band went on, which included several favorites from the NMAS catalog like RL Burnside’s “Po’ Black Maddie”.  When The Wandering took the stage, the dynamic shifted, with the four women sharing and trading the spotlight as Dickinson provided the strings. The quintet’s devotion to and love for their material is obvious; aside from the luxe surroundings and high-end sound system, you could have been in a balmy Delta club a hundred years ago. The band gave an inspired and different take on Leadbelly’s “In the Pines” (most recently popularized by Nirvana), the old standard “Glory, Glory”, and a somewhat more recent rock classic, The Byrds’ “Hey Mr. Spaceman”, among others. While each of the performers shined, one of our newest favorites, Amy LaVere, fresh off of a performance with Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes at Bowery Ballroom, particularly shined on the vocals and upright bass. Although the just-over-an-hour set was too short by half in my opinion, it established The Wandering as a formidable new entry in the modern blues arena.

Johnny Fried Chicken Boy and I faced some challenges setting up for this show, but we ended up with our mics situated in an ideal location in the center of the venue. This recording is from my Schoeps MK5 cardiods, and boasts a full, rich sound that reflects the venue’s excellent acoustics. Enjoy!

Note: The Luther Dickinson solo set and The Wandering set MP3s are offered together in a single download. The FLACs are separate direct downloads.  

Stream “Po’ Black Maddie” [Luther Dickinson Solo]
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/N0409NMAS9002/08 Po’ Black Maddie.mp3]

Stream “Hey Mr. Spaceman” [The Byrds]
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/N0409NMAS9002/13 Hey Mr Spaceman.mp3]

Stream “In the Pines”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/N0409NMAS9002/07 In the Pines.mp3]

Luther Set and Wandering Set MP3 files [HERE] | The Wandering FLAC files [HERE] | Luther Dickinson FLAC files [HERE]

If the FLAC links are no longer working, email nyctaper for the FLAC files

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Luther Dickinson
2012-05-14
Joe’s Pub
New York, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Schoeps MK5 [cardiod]>KCY>Z-PFA>Aerco MP-2>Sony PCM-M10>24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, envelope crowd noise, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [unknown]
02 Blind Lemon and the Hook Man
03 [banter]
04 [unknown 2]
05 Let It Roll
06 Breckenridge Blues
07 [banter]
08 Po’ Black Maddie [RL Burnside]
______________________________________________________

The Wandering
2012-05-14
Joe’s Pub
New York, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Schoeps MK5 [cardiod]>KCY>Z-PFA>Aerco MP-2>Sony PCM-M10>24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, envelope crowd noise, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Sittin’ On Top of the World [Doc Watson]
03 Love, Life and Money [Marianne Faithfull]
04 If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day [Robert Johnson]
05 [unknown]
06 Loving Her Was Easier [Kris Kristofferson]
07 In the Pines [Leadbelly]
08 [unknown]
09 You Are My Sunshine
10 Glory, Glory
11 [encore break]
12 Working Woman Blues
13 Mr. Spaceman [The Byrds]
14 Drinking Muddy Water
15 My Babe [Little Walter]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Wandering, like them on Facebook, and purchase their record Go On Now, You Can’t Stay Here from Amazon or your favorite retailer.

The Phantom Family Halo: April 30, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 17, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

After catching them back in January on the cusp of the release of their latest record, When I Fall Out, back in January, I relished the chance to catch The Phantom Family Halo after a few more months of touring on the record. Opening for the legendary Japanese psych-rock band Acid Mothers Temple (that recording [HERE]), the band took the Knitting Factory stage with a poise and confidence equal to that veteran band. The combination of a cool light show and a clean house mix gave a fervent power and energy to the most-new material on offer. “Vital Energy” was not only the name of one of the best songs of the night; it was an accurate descriptor for the band’s entire performance that night. As I did back in January, I continued to marvel at how the band could switch gears between a more psychedelic, exploratory style and a harder, punkish bite, even within the same song. Much of the credit for that goes to frontman Dominic Cipolla, whose vocals are angrier and more aggressive, and kept higher in the mix, than those of many of the band’s genre contemporaries, giving them a harder edge. This show was a step forward all around from the January show, and makes for the ideal introduction to this band. The only thing better would be seeing them for yourself.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Acid Mothers Temple recording, with AKG large diaphragm microphones. I preferred the house mix and the mics’ performance on this set over the AMT set, and think that this was the best recording of the night.  Enjoy!

Stream “Vital Energy”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P1106PFHalo0212/03 Vital Energy.mp3]

Stream “Broken By the Way”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P1106PFHalo0212/09%20Broken%20By%20the%20Way.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

 

The Phantom Family Halo
2012-04-30
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (cardiod, slightly ROC, at SBD, 7.5ft, POS)>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, additional EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro music]
02 Sun Behind the Sun
03 Vital Energy
04 Light Year Girl
05 White Hot Gun
06 [tuning]
07 Dirty Blade
08 Masters of the Universe
09 Broken By the Way

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Phantom Family Halo, like them on Facebook, and order When I Fall Out and their other official releases from Knitting Factory Records [HERE]

Liturgy: May 4, 2012 St. Vitus – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 15, 2012
By


[Photos by Robert Kidd. Check out more of his excellent work [HERE]]

The band Liturgy are no strangers to controversy. And given the band’s latest change in sonic direction, the Brooklyn “transcendental black metal” band can count on more of it.

As with artists like Horseback, Liturgy, and particularly frontman and founder Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, refuse to hew to genre conventions, instead using black metal as the underpinning for their aesthetic while engaging in formal experimentation. Perhaps because of this, Liturgy find themselves the only metal band playing the Pitchfork Festival, the only metal band on Thrill Jockey, and – it can’t be avoided – the only black metal band that has ever appeared on this site. Sharing a stage with Vampire Weekend and sharing a label with bands like Tortoise and Matmos is apparently not much of a cred booster in the black metal scene. But political bullshit aside, just throw the band’s last record, Aesthetica, on your turntable or iThing, and dare to say it isn’t stunning.

Of course, one of the defining characteristics of Aesthetica was the hyperkinetic drumming of Greg Fox (who took the stage with Oneida at our 5th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, and also appeared at the Notekillers’ Jonathan Toubin benefit we covered awhile back). In September of 2011, Fox announced an amicable split from the band so that he could pursue other projects, including his solo effort GDFX and his new band Guardian Alien. One might have expected Liturgy – especially being a metal band and all – to have moved to replace Fox with a new drummer. Hunt-Hendrix didn’t. Indeed, what was once a four-piece now consists of Hunt-Hendrix, guitarist Bernard Gann, and a Macbook Pro. In case you weren’t taking notes, I mentioned that this was a band that defies convention. But what about the music itself?

As I tweeted at the time, “New @LITVRGY is genre-defying, uncomfortable-making next wave shit. You may hate but you will respect.” Listening to this recording of the show, I think that is still accurate. If you’re the type of person that likes things in tidy boxes, you’ll turn this off the second the beyond-humanly-fast drum machine beats kick in at the start of  “Pagan Dawn” from 2009’s Renihilation. What you are hearing is further from convention than the band already was, and what you’re hearing bears more weird similarity to Sleigh Bells (who the band recently toured with) than anything even remotely styled “metal” that you’ve heard before. Some people won’t be able to get past that.

But if you stick around, and set aside your preconceptions, what you hear is a brash move that could pay big dividends. First of all, the ultrafast beats make the music, if possible, even more intense than it already was, and it still rocks. Aesthetica’s “Generation”, in particular, worked well in the new format, with the beats integrating well with the dual guitar assault of Hunt-Hendrix and Gann. The crowd at the metal-friendly Greenpoint venue St. Vitus – one of the overall best venues I have been to in NYC, incidentally – seemed to agree. The band played only four songs, each a fairly long composition, with three Aesthetica tracks joining “Pagan Dawn”. In my view, this set only hinted at the new setup’s potential; once the band creates new material actually designed for this arrangement, I think they are capable of blowing the boundaries wide open. With several big festival slots on the way (besides Pitchfork, the band are also playing the more metal-oriented Orion Festival in June) plenty of fans of a variety of genres will get a chance to hear this daring new sound. I predict that the open-minded will be rewarded.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed by Nick, the house engineer of St. Vitus. Not only is this venue aesthetically spot-on (and with a great bar), but it is also one of the city’s best-sounding. I look forward to coming back.

Stream “Generation”
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/L5005Liturgy2201/03 Generation.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Liturgy
2012-05-04
St. Vitus
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41>CMC6>EAA PSP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>Audition (align, mixdown)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Pagan Dawn
02 High Gold
03 Generation
04 Sun of Light

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Liturgy, like them on Facebook, see them on tour this summer, and buy their records directly from Thrill Jockey [HERE]. 

SUPPORT NYCTaper




Email

Email nyctaper

DISCLAIMER and LEGAL NOTICE

nyctaper.com is a live music blog that offers a new paradigm of music distribution on the web. The recordings are offered for free on this site as are the music posts, reviews and links to artist sites. All recordings are posted with artist permission or artists with an existing pro-taping policy.

All recordings and original content posted on this site are @nyctaper.com as live recordings pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Section 106, et. seq. Redistribution of nyctaper recordings without consent of nyctaper.com is strictly prohibited.

nyctaper.com hereby waives all copyright claims to any and all recordings posted on this site to THE PERFORMERS ONLY. If any artist posted on this site requests that recordings be removed, those recordings will be removed forthwith.