Blog Archives

[iPhone 4 photo by acidjack]

After a fantastic outing last month at the Backyard Brunch Sessions, we were excited to come out on a Saturday night and see our friends The Loom close out their Autumn tour with a more typical “electric” set at Bowery Ballroom.  Thanks to some positive mentions from The New York Times and a fantastic outing at CMJ, culminating in Brooklynvegan’s famed invite-only loft show (not to mention their sustained and high-quality efforts), the band packed the house for their opening set.  The treated the crowd to several new songs (including several from the Backyard Brunch set) as well as numbers from their At Last Light EP.  They may be a folk-oriented band, but The Loom rocked the hell out of Bowery Ballroom anyway; songs like “Snowed In” and “Helen” filled the room with their kinetic energy.  This is a band that belongs on your radar – musicians with skill, integrity, poise and damn fine new songs.  Don’t miss The Loom’s soon-to-be-released debut full-length, Teeth.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones clamped at the balcony on an even level with the sound staff.  Although I positioned the microphones in a wider pickup pattern than I otherwise would have due to the expectation of a soundboard feed that I ultimately did not get, the recording still has excellent clarity and balance, although unfortunately the mics picked up some distracting chatter on the left side.

Stream “Snowed In”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/L0505Loom1111/TheLoom-SnowedIn2010-11-13.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Loom
2010-11-13
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/48)
Position: Clamp to left side of soundboard on balcony, LOC, extension arm extended right and on level with sound team’s ears, ORTF
Mastering: 24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, EQ, amplify and balance, smooth peaks, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 The Middle Distance
02 Snowed In
03 The First Freeze
04 True Believers All
05 Like Lamp Glow
06 Song For the Winter Sun
07 For the Hooves That Gallop and the Heels That March
08 Helen

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Loom, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their debut EP At Last Light from the links on their MySpace page, and keep an eye out for Teeth.

[Photo from SXSW by Matthew Solarski.  See his Flickr stream here]

We last checked in with Philadelphia’s A Sunny Day in Glasgow back in March, when they treated us to an excellent set at Bell House.  Since then, the band has toured extensively in the U.S. and abroad, and found the time to produce an excellent followup to their last release, the Nitetime Rainbows EP, with the dreamy Autumn, Again.  Annie Fredrickson and Jen Goma continue to tighten their vocal harmonies, and the band’s show this time around felt a bit tighter overall, too, perhaps owing to the heavy touring.  Autumn feels even less like a rock record than Nitetime and its predecessor, the critically acclaimed Ashes Grammar, but that doesn’t stop these songs from sufficiently rocking live, especially my personal favorite of the new numbers, “Drink Drank Drunk,” and “Sigh, Inhibitionist,” which the band also previewed at the Bell House show.  We hope to see this excellent band continue to grow their fan base – and the fact that they are giving away Autumn, Again for FREE until the end of Autumn shouldn’t hurt any.  If you do download the album, please make a donation – the band members can’t eat good reviews, and the money will be used exclusively to produce more music.

I recorded this set from my usual spot in the venue with the Schoeps microphones.  The sound quality is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Drink Drank Drunk”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/A2309ASDIG0102/ASDIG-DrinkDrankDrunk2010-10-26.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

A Sunny Day in Glasgow
2010-10-26
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to right of soundboard, mics pointed at stacks, 7.5ft
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Failure
02 Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)
03 Nitetime Rainbows
04 banter
05 [new]
06 The White Witch
07 [unknown]
08 So Bloody, So Tight
09 [new]
10 Drink Drank Drunk
11 Sigh, Inhibitionist
12 Shy

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT A Sunny Day in Glasgow, visit their website, and download Autumn Again or buy it on vinyl directly from the band here.

[Photography by Eloy Anzola]

Take a look at the gorgeous photos above and below on this post, and you will know all that you need to know about the evolution of Oh Land since she hit the U.S. scene earlier this year.  When we last saw her full “electric” set at the FREEWilliamsburg Northside Showcase at Brooklyn Bowl this June, it was obvious that Nanna Øland Fabricius was a prized talent just coming into her own.  Her music is original but accessible; catchy and fun and welcoming to all comers, but quirky and organic in a way that ensures she won’t be lumped in with any high-gloss pop princesses.  I have seen three of her performances in total, including the “acoustic” set we recorded at the Backyard Brunch Sessions last month, and she has consistently proven herself as a musician, refining her arrangements (and in the case of the acoustic show, delivering entirely new ones) and giving sharp, entrancing vocal performances.  Nanna’s evolution from June is evident.  Now fully versed in how to use “the contraption” (the mysterious effects, keyboard and percussion box that accompanies her at all shows), and sporting a full-time drummer, her show now feels like a true performance, a celebration of her talent and a gift to her audience.  What rough edges there were are gone and her confidence is in full bloom; Fabricius is clearly ready for the next level.  Add to that the fact that she comes across as a humble, likable person onstage, and you can appreciate why she was able, on a very cold Tuesday night, to pack the inaugural “Brunch After Dark” show at Brooklyn Bowl.  “I love Brooklyn Bowl,” Nanna announced from the stage, and well she should.  She wears this venue well.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed and the Schoeps microphones on a 12-foot stand directly in front of the soundboard.  The outstanding quality of the recording owes almost entirely to the Brooklyn Bowl staff’s impeccable house mix.   We greatly appreciate their efforts.

Oh Land has a record coming out next year, an EP out currently that features many of these songs, and a very special performance this Monday at Mercury Lounge with Steve Lewis & the Vagrants.

Stream “Sun of a Gun”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/O0627OhLand0210/OhLand-SunOfAGun.mp3]

Stream “Lean On Me”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/O0627OhLand0210/OhLand-LeanOnMe.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Oh Land
2010-11-08
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: Soundboard feed + Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade concert mod) (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, slightly ROC, mics at 12ft
Mastering: 2×24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, mixdown, set fades, hard limit peaks, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Wolf and I
02 [unknown]
03 Sun of a Gun
04 banter
05 Lean On Me
06 White Nights
07 We Turn It Up

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Oh Land, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their 5-song EP, which is available at all major retailers, on iTunes and here.

[Photo by acidjack]

Keepaway, who were everywhere during this year’s CMJ, fit the NYCTaper Unofficial CMJ Day Party into their schedule, and to great results.  Their tribal sound can veer from jangly rock to trippy sonic freakout rapidly, at times within the same song.  This band sometimes gives you the feeling that they might be fucking with you; they’re in on the joke and ready to party – the question is whether you are.  Part of an emerging group of artists that continue to challenge the already-hazy boundaries between dance and rock music, Keepaway are likely to keep attracting interest, especially if they continue landing prime opening gigs like their slot in front of Yeasayer at Governor’s Island this summer.  This four-song set included some songs from their FREEWilliamsburg showcase this June at Brooklyn Bowl, as well as a new song we were not familiar with.

I recorded this set in the same manner as our other CMJ sets.  The quality is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “100?:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/K2706Keepaway0021/Keepaway-100_2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Keepaway
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, slight EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 100
02 Royal Jelly
03 unknown
04 Sideways Smile

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Keepaway, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Baby Style (available on vinyl direct from Lefse Records, or on iTunes and other retailers for download).

[Photo courtesy of Andrew Gardner]

Brooklyn’s She Keeps Bees positively oozes authenticity.  Singer/guitarist Jessica Larrabee’s delivery is all heartbreak, grit, and grace, with a stiff shot of bourbon in the mix.  She and drummer Andy LaPlant’s elegantly rustic songs need no extraneous flourishes – witness this nearly a cappella rendition of “Ribbon”.  Some bands keep fans coming back with ridiculous gimmicks, but She Keeps Bees are the type of band you want to see again and again because of subtler, better things: for the way that Larrabee’s voice curdles into a scream every so often, for stage banter that is unpracticed, unabashed and often hilarious; for the the way the chorus of a song like “Release” is always delivered perfectly even if it is not, technically speaking, perfect.  For the way that, even at mid-afternoon in the darkness of Cake Shop’s basement, it makes you grateful that you decided to be precisely there, precisely then.  We are truly grateful to She Keeps Bees for playing our CMJ show this year.

I recorded this set as with our other CMJ sets, and this recording is, similarly, outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Release”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S5001SheKeepsBees0210/SheKeepsBees-Release2010-10-21.mp3]

Stream “Ribbon”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S5001SheKeepsBees0210/SheKeepsBees-Ribbon2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

She Keeps Bees
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Release
02 Gimme
03 banter
04 I Don’t Believe You
05 Ribbon

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT She Keeps Bees, visit their website, and purchase their excellent releases from their Bandcamp Page [HERE].

[Photo by acidjack. Apologies for the quality – it was quite dark, and it would have been rude to use flash]

The band 47.5 is an experimental duo comprised of the outstanding Japanese musicians (and longtime Brooklyn residents) Yusuke Yamamoto and Yoshio Kobayashi.  Yamamoto and Kobayashi are students of the technical and gear-related side of music as well – the band’s name refers to the running speed of an old-school cassette tape.  The band’s sound relies on electric and conventional drums, synths, vibraphone and loops, densely layered to create a sound that lies at the intersection of jazz, rock, dub and electronica.  For an easy reference point, think Tortoise, with less of a musical focus on percussion.  This living room-style show at Studio BPM provided an excellent introduction to this fascinating duo, who were playing the show with Lymbyc Systym to celebrate the release of 47.5’s first record, Warm Sea. Although they indicated to me early on that they were still getting comfortable with the material, this tight melodic journey belied none of that, as the band recreated their intricate tracks in the live setting perfectly.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Lymbyc Systym set, with a stereo soundboard feed and the DPA microphones in the center of the room.  The sound quality is among my best of the year.  Enjoy!

Assistance with the setlist for this show would be appreciated.

Stream “Chin Don”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/F1980_475_0210/47.5-ChinDon2010-09-18.mp3]

Direct Download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

47.5
2010-09-18
Studio BPM
Brooklyn, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: FOB, DFC, 8? up, DIN
Mastering: 2×24bit WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 54:54]
01
02
03
04
05 Chin Don
06
07
08
09

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT 47.5, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Warm Sea from MeMeAntenna here, on  iTunes or at your favorite retailer.

[Photo courtesy of Amanda Hatfield]

Continuing our series of recordings from the NYCTaper Unofficial CMJ Day Party is a charged four-song set from Chicago’s Unicycle Loves You, who are veterans of our next most recent (and admittedly much less well attended) NYCTaper CMJ show. This time there was nothing to worry about in that department, as a solid crowd showed up to witness the band’s New Wave-influenced psych pop. This set exclusively showcased songs from their new record, Mirror, Mirror, and each was delivered with the obvious charge that comes with playing fresh new material. Although a good bit shorter than our most recent Unicycle Loves You post from September at Cake Shop, the sound quality of this recording blows the other (admittedly good) one away due to an improved recording technique that we discovered for the venue. If you like this taste of the band, please check out their records and our other recordings!

I recorded this set from the same location as the other CMJ sets, and the sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Justine”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/U2210ULY2229/UnicycleLovesYou-Justine2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Unicycle Loves You
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, slight EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 The Wickedest Man in San Francisco
02 Teenage Ghost House
03 Justine
04 Mountain Lungs

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Unicycle Loves You, visit their website, and purchase their official releases at the Store on their website [HERE].

[Photo courtesy of Andrew Gardner]

When, like The Rest, you are a Canadian band (albeit, from Hamilton, near Toronto) and you have enough members to crowd the stage (seven, in this case) and you play complex, somewhat anthemic rock music, you might forgive those who write about you for comparing you to a band like, say, Arcade Fire. We wrote a glowing review of the band’s performance at another show sponsored by NYCTaper last year, and since reading that review (since I was not the one recording that night), I was intrigued. I picked up the band’s latest record, Everyone All At Once, but to be honest, this seems to be one of those cases where I prefer the band’s live sound to their record. Not to take anything away from the record – it is quite good – but a band this big virtually demands that you absorb the live experience.

Despite being crammed onto the tiny stage at Cake Shop for the NYCTaper Unofficial CMJ Day Party, The Rest gave us everything we had hoped for. Their heartfelt songwriting, excellent arrangements and tight playing shone through, even without a proper soundcheck. My personal favorite was probably “The Close Western,” a U2-like slow builder that explodes into a soaring anthem.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the other CMJ sets, and the sound quality is superior. Enjoy!

Stream “The Close Western”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/R6019TheRest2929/TheRest-TheCloseWestern2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Rest
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, slight EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Who Knows
02 The Close Western
03 banter
04 Always On My Mind
05 Walk On Water

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Rest, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Everyone All At Once directly from the Auteur Records website [HERE] or digitally from Amie Street [HERE].

[Photo courtesy of Quiet Lights]

Brooklyn’s Quiet Lights have been together for only a year, but they have used that time wisely, crafting an intense, wall-of-sound style that can fill any room.  Their music is complex and densely layered, at times aircraft-engine loud.  During the loudest passages, vocalist Yseult Tyler’s vocals float just below the surface like a ghost’s; even out front, they are carefully subdued and dreamlike.  This is music that can make you love clouds and storms and vast, open spaces, somehow both dark and light at once.  The band is in the process of recording a debut album with producer/engineer John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, St. Vincent).  Until that comes to fruition, check out their three-song EP Three Songs and the “Ablaze” 7? on bandcamp. I was thrilled to catch this bill with Esben and the Witch and A Sunny Day In Glasgow (ASDIG’s set to be posted here soon), and I hope to see Quiet Lights in the neighborhood again soon.

I recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones in our usual location in the venue back by the soundboard.  The recording captures the band’s style quite nicely.  Enjoy!

Stream “Twice Today”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/Q2610QuietLights2010/QuietLights-TwiceToday2010-10-26.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Quiet Lights
2010-10-26
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod)
Position: Clamp to right side of soundboard booth, 7.5? up, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, hard limit peaks, light EQ to reduce room reflections, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Throat Cut
02 Break Trouble Wait
03 No More Canyons
04 Twice Today
05 Engine Down
06 Ablaze
07 Simple Mechanics

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Quiet Lights, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and check out their releases on Bandcamp as well as their forthcoming new record.

[photo courtesy of Amanda Hatfield]

As with a couple of the bands on our Unofficial CMJ Day Party roster this year, we were introduced to Brit & The Cavalry by our friends over at the Backyard Brunch Sessions.  Brit Boras and the Cavalry (a huge band that includes Alex Beckmann (drums), Dan Krysa (bass), Kevin Birk (trombone), Nick Myers (sax), Billy Austik (trumpet) and Liz Hanley (violin)) play big, effusive songs that are blend of folk, rock and pop, anchored (unsurprisingly) by Boras’ classically-strong voice (on article compared her to Tori Amos, a not-unfair comparison).  Boras’ voice is the unmistakable focus of the act, of course, no matter how rich the tapestry of sound around her.  BATC is not a conventional turn-of-the-decade Brooklyn band; I could imagine them fitting being just as relevant in 1965, 1995 as they are today.  This five-song set drew from their new Hiker EP, and also featured a couple of numbers I was not familiar with.  We expect to see a lot more of this relatively unique and intriguing band in the future.

I recorded this set in the same manner as our other CMJ sets, with DPA mics nearly onstage and a soundboard feed for the vocals and brass.  The recording is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Hiker”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/B3107Brit1020/Brit%26TheCavalry-Hiker2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Brit & The Cavalry
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC Level 8

01 Hiker
02 unknown
03 Melt Into Flames
04 unknown
05 Breathing Underwater

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Brit and the Cavalry, visit their website, and purchase Hiker and their other official releases on iTunes or your preferred retailer.