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[Photo courtesy of Jonny Leather.  More excellent shots here.]

Heavy rains and the first night of Passover may have deterred some of the Monday night crowd at the Bell House, but those who came out witnessed the critically-acclaimed Philadelphia based dreampop sextet A Sunny Day in Glasgow deliver a stellar set of songs in support of their latest EP, Nitetime Rainbows. While their records, and especially Nitetime Rainbows, have a bit more of an electronic sheen to them, ASDIG’s live show is a more organic experience, free from some of the editing room trickery.  Experiencing them as a bit more of a “rock” band (albeit, a still-very-shoegazy one) is a different but completely enjoyable experience from how they are on record.   This includes more of a focus on the vocal harmonies of singers Annie Fredrickson and Jen Goma, which were especially beautiful on the impromptu performance of “Another Diamond Day” by Vashti Bunyan.

I recorded this set with a combination of the DPA 4021 microphones and a stereo soundboard feed, which for this particular show consisted of mostly vocals.  Therefore, what you are hearing is predominantly the mics, with the vocals boosted a bit from the board feed.  The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE).

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

A Sunny Day in Glasgow
2010-03-29
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021 + stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position:  Clamp to right side of SBD cage, about 8? from floor, mics pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, adjust levels, tracking, amplify each channel)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks (thanks to the commenter below for the setlist fixes)
01 Nitetime Rainbows
02 Shy
03 The White Witch
04 Failure
05 Just Another Diamond Day [Vashti Bunyan]
06 So Bloody, So Tight
07 Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)
08 Sign Exhibitionist
09 Ashes Grammar/Ashes Maths
10 banter
11 Things Only I Can See

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 purchase Nitetime Rainbows and their other excellent records direct from the band here.

[Photos for nyctaper by Kate Ehle — many more here]

The Wellmont Theatre lies in the heart of Montclair, NJ, an upscale suburb of NYC that is so pretty it could even give a hardened Manhattanite a twinge of envy.  Despite not being a terribly rock-n-roll town, Montclair welcomed Wilco and its fans with open arms, and received a sprawling three-hour rock show in return.  In the land of Springsteen, Wilco seemed determined not to be outshined by the length or enthusiasm of the Boss’ mammoth performances, and indeed, they got it right.  The show broke down into three distinct segments – a fiery electric set that kicked off with the one-two punch of “Wilco (The Song)” and “Bull Black Nova”, followed by an acoustic set, and ending with another huge electric set, the highlight of which was the band’s tribute to Alex Chilton when they played Big Star’s “Thank You, Friends,” which we have provided as an individual download below.  The almost entirely crowd-sung “Jesus, Etc.” was also a fine moment of community in which – whether you came from nicest part of Jersey, the farthest corner of Brooklyn, or anywhere else – everyone was reminded why they wanted to spend this Friday night with this band.

I recorded this set dead front and center behind the band’s sound booth with the 4-mic rig, with the hypers lower down toward the crowd and the DPA mics higher up but still well below the overhang of the balcony.   Although the venue had a boomy sound due in part to an underpowered house PA, the mix, with a little help from computer magic, is now crystal-clear and of excellent quality.  Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE). Listen to “Thank You Friends” (HERE).

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Wilco
2010-04-02
Wellmont Theatre
Montclair, NJ  USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021 + Beyerdynamic MC950>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position: DFC, directly behind the board, DPA’s at 10?, Beyers at 6.5?
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, EQ, set fades, tracking, amplify channels)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
Disc One [1:19:16]
01 Intro
02 Wilco (the song)
03 Bull Black Nova
04 You Are My Face
05 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart>
06 One Wing
07 Via Chicago
08 Company In My Back
09 banter
10 Handshake Drugs
11 Side With the Seeds
12 Pot Kettle Black
13 Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again)
14 I’ll Fight
15 Impossible Germany
16 California Stars
17 Poor Places>

Disc Two [1:01:06]
::begin acoustic set::
18 Spiders (Kidsmoke)
19 More Like the Moon
20 banter
21 Forget the Flowers
22 Someday, Some Morning, Sometime
23 Laminated Cat
24 banter
25 War On War
26 Passenger Side
::end acoustic set::
27 banter
28 Airline to Heaven
29 A Shot In the Arm
30 Jesus, Etc.
31 You Never Know
32 Heavy Metal Drummer

Disc Three [1:06:30]
33 Red-Eyed and Blue
34 I Got You (At the End of the Century)
35 Broken Arrow [Buffalo Springfield]
36 Hate It Here
37 Theologians
38 I’m the Man Who Loves You
39 Monday
40 Thank You Friends [Big Star]
41 encore break
42 The Late Greats
43 I’m A Wheel

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Wilco, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from the band here.

[Photo courtesy of bumpershine]

John Roderick is the distinctive voice of The Long Winters, as well as a good friend of Nada Surf.  Nada Surf had promised that their three-night run of NYC full-album performances would feature “special guests,” and Roderick’s appearance at The Bell House for the second of these gigs (which we also recorded) was the most welcome of all.  Although the rest of his band did not make the trip out from the Pacific Northwest, Roderick performed many of The Long Winters’ most beloved songs as well as a new number, “Not Moving to Portland.”  The acoustic setting highlighted Roderick’s unique voice and his talents as a lyricist, as well as his great sense of humor!  Roderick closed out his set with Nada Surf as his backing band on “The Commander Thinks Aloud.”

Like the Nada Surf recording, this recording was made with a combination of the DPA microphones and a stereo soundboard feed, for excellent sound quality.

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE). Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Stream the complete show:

The Long Winters (John Roderick solo)
2010-03-26
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Stereo soundboard feed + DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position: ROC, mics at approx 11? from floor height, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit WAV>Audacity (mixdown, adjust levels, slight compression, set fades, tracking, amplify each channel, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Stupid
02 banter/false start
03 Honest
04 Seven
05 Pushover
06 banter
07 Not Moving to Portland [new]
08 banter
09 The Worst You Can Do Is Harm
10 banter
11 Cinnamon
12 banter
13 Ultimatum
14 banter
15 The Commander Thinks Aloud

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Long Winters, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from Barsuk records here.

[Photo courtesy of David Andrako]

Nada Surf’s first single, “Popular,” was released in 1996.  It made the rounds on “alternative” radio pretty heavily, along with the hits of a number of contemporaries who are long forgotten.  Nada Surf’s trajectory could have been the same – permanent one-hit wonder status, forever relegated to “Remember the 90s” comps and theme party shout outs.  But after being dropped by their label before their second record could even be released in the U.S., Nada Surf took a different tack, recommitted to their music, and continued on.  That turned out to be a good decision, as their third and fourth records, Let Go and The Weight is a Gift were, if not commercial blockbusters, critical successes, stocked with well-crafted, timeless pop-rock instant classics like “Blonde on Blonde” and “In the Mirror.”  Rather than crumple into the rock n’ roll scrap heap, Nada Surf have aged and succeeded gracefully.

This night’s show at The Bell House was the second in a series of NYC-area concerts celebrating one of the band’s 2000s-era albums, with Let Go being played the previous night at Bowery Ballroom, and Lucky being performed in full the following night at Music Hall of Williamsburg.  This show (the only one of the three that nyctaper was able to get tickets to, unfortunately) celebrated The Weight is a Gift, the 2005 follow-up to the successful Let Go.  After playing the album straight through, the band returned to play an even longer second set that combined other classics from their repertoire like “Whose Authority” with new covers that are set to appear on the forthcoming covers album, if i had a hi-fi.  Guests included John Roderick of The Long Winters, who also gave a fantastic solo set that we hope to post in the future will post very soon.  This included a rendition of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” that, true to Nada Surf’s aesthetic, turned that band’s dark, brooding classic into a more upbeat pop number, along with covers of Kate Bush, the Go-Betweens, Dwight Twilley, and the Clash.   Today’s Nada Surf is a mature, fully realized rock band, but this night proved that they haven’t lost any of the youthful exuberance that attracted fans in the first place (and as the picture below shows, apparently neither have their fans!).

This recording combines the DPA microphones with an excellent house mix by the Bell House staff, and the sound quality is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE).

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Nada Surf
2010-03-26
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Stereo soundboard feed + DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position: ROC, mics at approx 11? from floor height, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit WAV>Audacity (mixdown, adjust levels, slight compression, set fades, tracking, amplify each channel, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
Set 1 [The Weight Is A Gift – 44min]
01 intro
02 Concrete Bed
03 Do It Again
04 banter
05 Always Love
06 banter
07 What Is Your Secret?
08 Your Legs Grow
09 All Is A Game
10 Blankest Year
11 Comes A Time
12 In the Mirror
13 Armies Walk
14 Imaginary Friends

Set 2 [60min]
15 set break/intro
16 Weightless
17 Whose Authority
18 Enjoy the Silence [Depeche Mode]
19 Love Goes On [The Go-Betweens]
20 80 Windows
21 banter
22 Electrocution
23 banter
24 Bad Best Friend
25 banter
26 You Were So Warm [Dwight Twilley]
27 Love and Anger [Kate Bush]
28 The Plan
29 See These Bones
30 Hyperspace
31 encore break
32 I Fought the Law [The Clash]

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Nada Surf, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the band’s official store here.

[Not particularly good iPhone photo by acidjack]

Since their founding in 2001, Magik Markers have slowly evolved from a more experimental act specializing in epic psych/noise jams into the band they are today.  As demonstrated on their latest record, Balf Quarry, the band have not abandoned the psychedelic rock by any means – but today their musical vision is transmitted via actual songs as well.   One constant throughout the Markers’ career has been their reputation as an excellent live band.

A Markers show has the feel of controlled chaos, going in unpredictable directions.  Some numbers seem to end as abruptly as they began; between lead singer/guitarist Elisa Ambrogio’s freeform lyrical style and the virtuosity of all of the band members, you can never be sure they haven’t invented something new on the spot.   At Union Pool the band’s reputation remained intact – they were alternately humorous, jammy, blunt and contemplative- sometimes almost within the space of a single song!

I recorded this set with a combination of a stereo soundboard feed and the DPA mics mounted to the balcony.   Due to the venue’s size, the soundboard feed in this venue consists mostly of vocals and drums, which have been balanced with the audience mics to create an excellent recording, though at times you will perceive adjustments being made by the sound engineer.  Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE).

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Magik Markers
2010-03-19
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY, USA

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

Equipment: Stereo soundboard feed + DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to balcony rail, right of soundboard, mics pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, adjust levels, set fades, tracking, EQ, amplify each channel, dynamic compression, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks (setlist help appreciated)
01 Intro
02 Jerks
03 banter
04 The Lighter Side of Hippies
05 banter
06
07
08 Don’t Talk In Your Sleep
09 banter/false start
10
11 banter/tuning
12 Taste

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Magik Markers, visit their website, and purchase their excellent album Balf Quarry from Drag City Records here.

[Photo courtesy of Jonny Leather]

You won’t confuse ArpLine with a stripped-down straight-ahead type of rock act.  The band filled the stage at Glasslands with enough pedals, instruments, cables and laptops (three by my count) to practically launch a recording studio.  These guys put a lot of care into their sound – mixing instruments from their onstage laptops in at least some cases – and the attention to detail was evident on this night.  The band was absolutely on fire as they played every song off of their recently released first record, Travel Book.  Whether you are a rock diehard or into electronic music, these guys have something to offer you, playing a polished, modern brand of synth-driven, psychedelic rock (their name doesn’t reference a classic synth for nothing) that is distinguished by strong melodies and varied musical textures.

I recorded this set with a combination of the Beyerdynamic microphones clamped to the center of the bottom rail of the balcony, with DPA omnidirectional miniature microphones “boundary mounted” to the balcony right over the crowd.   The result is a perfectly balanced mix that captures both the venue’s PA and the onstage sound.  Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE).  Listen to “Weekend In the Colonies” (HERE).

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

ArpLine
2010-03-11
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY

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

Equipment: DPA 4061 + Beyerdynamic MC950>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position: DPA 4061 in PZM mounts, 2? spread; hypers pointed at stacks from balcony clamp
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, slight EQ, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Speed (Rush Ah)
02 Fold Up Like A Piece of Paper
03 Make It Rain
04 Sound and Versions
05 Amplify
06 banter
07 Game
08 Weekend In the Colonies
09 Cap
10 Rope
11 banter
12 Parts Unknown

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT ArpLine, visit their website, and purchase their excellent debut album (which is available on a “name your price” basis) from their bandcamp site [here].

[Photo courtesy of Chris Becker for greenshoelace.com]

Although I had just caught them earlier in the month at Littlefield, my second Vandelles experience was no less entertaining.   Well-slotted in the coveted “second to last” position on an excellent five-act roster,  the band ripped through a similar set to the Littlefield show.  This set seemed a bit tighter than that one, and fortunately, the Vandelles avoided the fate of the act that followed them, MiniBoone, who shorted out most of the electrical equipment onstage and ended up playing an impromptu semi-acoustic freeform set.

I recorded this set way upfront with the miniature DPA microphones mounted to my hat.  The sound is excellent and there is almost no crowd chatter.  Enjoy!

The Vandelles play Cameo Gallery and Lit Lounge on March 26 and 27, respectively.  Check them out!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Vandelles
2010-02-26
Cake Shop
New York, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper

Equipment: DPA 4061>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: FOB, DFC, about 5? from stage, HRTF
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, downsample, amplify channels)>FLAC level 8

Tracks:
01 Intro
02 Get Down
03
04 Bomb the Surf
05
06 Dash N Dive
07 California Killer
08
09 Bad Volcano

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Vandelles, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases directly from the SVC Records [here].

[Photo courtesy of Taylor Long / T-Sides.com]

Leeds-based Wild Beasts closed out their highly successful U.S. tour (and 2-night NYC run) with a sold-out performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg.   The band’s second album, Two Dancers, has been earning critical raves and increased notice from fans over the past year, and this tour represented the culmination of Wild Beasts’ efforts to break out stateside.   Although the band garnered a lot of initial attention for lead vocalist/guitarist Hayden Thorpe’s theatrical, otherworldly falsetto, these live shows accentuate the fact that bassist/vocalist Tom Fleming’s more rounded tenor is also key, providing the perfect compliment to Thorpe.  Wild Beasts make challenging music – with poetic, melodramatic lyrics and displays of vocal histrionics that could rival almost anyone in the rock pantheon, quick and dirty chillwave this music is not.  But like nyctaper favorites The Dirty Projectors, the Beasts’ live show rewards the listeners who do “get it.”  Although they did mention being shot at in Detroit(!), the Beasts clearly felt that this tour, and even this NYC run, won them a lot of converts.  Their tour schedule has moved on to the UK and Europe for the time being, but if this show was any indication, New York will gladly welcome them back on the next run.

I recorded this set using a four microphone rig from the usual spot in this venue.   The sound is excellent, with extra clarity and detail added through the use of hypercardiod microphones.   Thanks to the Wild Beasts organization for permitting this recording, and for their mastering suggestions.  Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE.

Download the Complete Show in FLAC [HERE].

Wild Beasts
2010-02-28
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021 + Beyerdynamic MC950>Edirol R-44 (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to left side of SBD cage, mics at 8? (cardiods DIN/hypers pointed at stacks)
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, smooth peaks, EQ, slight compression, adjust channels, set fades, tracking, normalize to 0dB)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Intro
02 The Fun Powder Plot
03 We Still Got the Taste Dancing On Our Tongues
04 Vigil for a Fuddy Duddy
05 This Is Our Lot
06 Two Dancers
07 His Grinning Skull
08 banter
09 Two Dancers II
10 Please Sir
11 Brave Bulging
12 All the King’s Men
13 Hooting and Howling
14
15 The Devil’s Crayon
16 Empty Nest
17 Cheerio Chaps, Cheerio Goodbye

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Wild Beasts, visit their web site, and purchase the excellent Two Dancers and their other releases from Domino Records here.

[Dinosaur Feathers at Public Assembly in 2009]
[Photos courtesy of Jessi Bautista]

Brooklyn’s own Dinosaur Feathers celebrated the release of their excellent new album Fantasy Memorial before a more eclectic crowd than usual when they played at The Studio at Webster Hall on a Friday night while the venue was also hosting Neon Indian’s DJ set upstairs, as well as its usual Friday night B&T revelers. The band rewarded both dedicated fans and casual passers-through with a solid run-through of almost every song on Fantasy Memorial as well as “Parallel July” from their Early Morning Risers EP. With a sound that defies categorization (is it surf-pop? Is it rock-a cappella?), and is also eminently catchy, the Feathers seem poised to capture the hearts of the college crowd (if there is a band that looks happier on stage than Dinosaur Feathers, I haven’t seen it) as well as the interest of the indie intelligentsia. We look forward to continuing to follow the development of this exciting young band.

I recorded this set up front in the room, near the right speaker stack, with high-end DPA mobile microphones. This recording gives you a realistic experience of “being there,” but as with any recording made in the crowd, it does contain more chatter than some nyctaper recordings. Give the sample a listen, and enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE). Listen to “Teenage Whore” (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Dinosaur Feathers
2010-03-05
Studio at Webster Hall
New York, NY

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

Equipment: DPA 4061 (Coresound HEB)>Sony PCM-M10 (24bit/44.1kHz)
Position: FOB, about 10? from right stack
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify each channel, light compression of crowd noise, smooth peaks)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Intro
02 I Ni Sogoma
03 Crossing the Cannon
04 Know Your Own Strength
05 Family Waves
06 Sleeping In
07 Teenage Whore
08 crowd/banter
09 History Lessons
10 Vendela Vida
11 crowd/banter
12 Fantasy Memorial
13 Parallel July

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Dinosaur Feathers, visit their web page, and purchase the excellent “Fantasy Memorial” here.