nyctaper Recordings

[photo by Anika]

Common Prayer released their debut album There is a Mountain on June 1 on Big Potato Records and have received rave reviews from diverse sources such as the BBC and Other Music. While the album is regarded as a superb “under the radar” release, Common Prayer is simply the latest project in the musical career of Jason Russo — founder and leader of psychedelic alt-rockers Hopewell, and one-time/sometime touring member of Mercury Rev. Russo and partner Alexandra Marvar recorded the album in England with help from the Bennett Brothers (of Truck Festival) and brother Justin Russo (Silent League) and the album maintains a friends and family appeal — Americana with a British countryside flavor. The live band includes Russo and Marvar with three additional players on drums, keys and vocals. At Rock Shop on Friday night, Common Prayer played a thirty-minute set of songs from album, along with one excellent cover. Jason is clearly the focus of the band, but all players were in unison throughout the relaxed set which captured the feel of the album while also adding a little live muscle to the material. Common Prayer will perform again at Union Pool on September 3, and then again at Glasslands on September 16.

I recorded this set as I had the two Rock Shop sets from last week (Sharon Van Etten and Tune-Yards) — a nice soundboard feed mixed with high-end microphones. This time I used the Neumanns. The sound quality is quite exceptional. Enjoy!

Stream “Us vs. Them”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/C1308Common1020/4%20CommonPrayer2010-08-13_nyctaper_t04.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Common Prayer
2010-08-13
The Rock Shop
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2010-08-15

Setlist:
[Total Time 32:44]
01 commonprayer
02 Marriage Song
03 Hopewell
04 Us vs. Them
05 Sara G
06 Of Saints
07 Free Air
08 Everything & More
09 Love –> Building on Fire (Talking Heads)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Common Prayer, visit their website, and purchase There is a Mountain from the links at their website.

[photo courtesy of Natasha Ryan]

The last time we saw Deerhunter, it was two years ago (at Music Hall) and the band was riding the success of Microcastle and performing as a five-piece band. Bradford and the band were relaxed and playing with more confidence than ever. In the intervening two years, Deerhunter has not been particularly active as a touring band, as Bradford has released an Atlas Sound album (and tour) and the band got busy recording the next album — Halcyon Digest due for release on September 28 on 4AD Records. Last night in the rain at Pier 54, Deerhunter returned to NYC as a four-piece and played a blistering guitar-heavy set that featured four new songs and several re-worked older numbers. Of note were the upbeat “Rainwater Cassette Exchange”, a long (eight minute) shimmering “Fluorescent Grey” (streaming below) and the completely rabid twenty-minute “Nothing Ever Happened” that devolved into a lengthy multilayered and looped guitar jam. Deerhunter means business with this more muscled approach and we expect that Halcyon Digest will be a superb new release.

This set was recorded with our mobile DPA rig from the first row on the rail, directly in front of the left PA stack at about 15 feet. The recording has an in-your-face directness and clarity, but the sound mix in the outdoor venue was spotty at times, and often over-modulated Bradford’s guitar. With those caveats, enjoy!

Stream “Fluorescent Grey”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/D9090Deerhunter8282/09%20Deerhunter2010-08-12_nyctaper_t09.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Deerhunter
2010-08-12
Pier 54
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Front Row
15 Feet From Left Stack

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > 16bit 44.1 wav > Soundforge (set fades, level adjustment, slight eq) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper 2010-08-13

Setlist:
[total time 1:19:53]
01 Desire Lines
02 Hazel Street
03 Revival
04 Rainwater Cassette Exchange
05 Never Stops
06 Spring Hall Convert
07 Fountain Stairs
08 Wash Off
09 Fluorescent Grey
10 Helicopter
11 [encore break – loops]
12 Cover Me (Slowly)
13 Agoraphobia
14 Nothing Ever Happened / Jam

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Deerhunter, visit their MySpace page, visit the band blog, visit the Halcyon Digest page, and purchase Halcyon Digest when it is released by 4AD Records [here].

[Photos courtesy of Sarah Dinkz Lu]

Shark? closed out the Gaza Benefit Show this past Saturday on a strong note, the perfect prelude to another few hours of drinking.  If you had not been enjoying too many of “The Stoop” cocktails proffered at the bar, you would have noticed that despite the inevitable “lo-fi” tag earned by their Fear! (they love punctuation), Noise Maker and School Night! EPs, their live show is more straight-ahead rock, with frontman Kevin Diamond’s vocals out in front and not buried behind distortion.  More like The Feelies, less like Blank Dogs or The Black Lips, if you will.  The band covered surefire favorites from all of the aforementioned EPs, plus at least one song, “Slap Dash” that will hopefully appear on their fully Kickstarter-funded forthcoming full length album.   Gifted with a healthy sense of humor and an ability to distill songs to their tuneful, head-bobbing essence, Shark? should be fixtures on the scene (and maybe beyond) for awhile.  Just listen to the call and response of the main set’s closer, “Shark?” and the instantly catchy final number, “Tiny Violins”.   Imagine that music, a dark club (or maybe a backyard), a few beers, and a weekend ahead of you.  That, friends, is the simple pleasure of Shark?

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Soft Black recording, with a board feed for vocals and the mics right in front of the band, and the sound is excellent.  All songs are properly tagged for easy importing into iTunes.  Enjoy!

Stream “Tiny Violins”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S2801Shark2211/Shark-TinyViolins2010-08-07.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Shark?
2010-08-07
Gaza Benefit Show
A Backyard in Bushwick
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: Mics “onstage”, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (compress board track, mixdown, set fades, amplify and balance channels, light EQ, tracking, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 31:04]
01 I’m An Animal
02 [tuning]
03 Oh My!
04 You Don’t Love Me Anymore
05 Pipeline
06 Fear!
07 Slap Dash
08 Hey Grrl
09 I’ve Got Friends
10 Shark?
11 [encore break]
12 Tiny Violins

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Shark?, visit their MySpace page, and download their official EPs directly from Bandcamp (here).  And please, support the band when their forthcoming album is released as well!

Please also consider supporting the causes that were the reason for this show: UNRWA and the Free Gaza Movement.

[photo courtesy of Kyle Dean Reinford Photography]

This Sunday was the third installment of the Vivo in Vino concert series, which matches artists with winemakers for a night of music and vino. This week featured one of our favorites Holly Miranda, along with the superb boutique California winery Bear Flag. This was our first experience with the Vivo in Vino series, and without question we will not miss another one — this was simply the best time I’ve had at a concert in several years. Perhaps fueled by the excellent wine or the welcoming urban-rustic surroundings of the fine wine bar In Vino, it just seemed that everyone in the packed room was there for merriment and music. Holly in particular was a joy to behold, as she performed a series of eclectic covers in her powerful voice and inimitable style with a feeling like she was both enjoying the songs and having fun with the audience.

I recorded this set with the DPA’s mounted to a pole about 15 feet from the stage and mixed with an RCA out from the small PA box. The vocals are dominant in the mix in large part because the system did not pick up much of the guitar in the speakers. With that caveat, enjoy!

Stream “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” (Jeff Buckley cover):
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/H3010HollyMiranda2909/11%20HollyMiranda2010-08-08_nyctaper_t11.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Holly Miranda
2010-08-08
Vino In Vino
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2010-08-10

Setlist:
[Total Time 48:12]
01 [introduction/wine discussion]
02 Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (Smiths)
03 Waves
04 I’m Your Man (Leonard Cohen)
05 Secret Identity
06 Glass, Concrete & Stone (David Byrne)
07 [set break + introduction]
08 I’d Rather Go Blind (Etta James)
09 I’m On Fire (Springsteen)
10 God Damn the Sun (Swans)
11 Lover, You Should Have Come Over (Jeff Buckley)
12 [banter/audience participation practice]
13 Ex-Factor (Lauren Hill)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Holly Miranda, visit her website, visit her blog, and purchase The Magician’s Private Library directly from the Beggars Group website [HERE].

[Photos courtesy of Sarah Dinkz Lu]

During what turned out to be a bit of crazy event thrown to benefit the people of Gaza and two charitable organizations working to assist them, Brooklyn’s Motel Motel saved the day (and night).  After the NYPD ejected the bands and concergoers from the 210 Cook St. rooftop where the show was scheduled to occur, the show ended up in their drummer’s backyard.  Naturally, being the night’s heroes, Motel Motel went on first at the new location, and they gave us a hell of a show, playing us five new songs from their forthcoming LP, The Big Island, a bunch of which was previewed at the last Motel Motel show we covered back at Union Pool this January.  As The Big Island is clearly keyed around Hawaii-related themes (guitarist/bassist Timo Sullivan is from Hawaii), these songs fit the warm-but-not-too-balmy night perfectly.  Sure, we were surrounded on all sides by concrete, glass and grass rather than warm sand and ocean, but outdoor summer city revelry tends to require some extra imagination.

Motel Motel are amazingly consistent, led by vocalist Eric Engel’s distinctive, timeless vocals, and their garage-Americana remains one of the more unique sounds on the NYC scene right now.  The Big Island doesn’t promise a radical departure from their previous album, New Denver, but the songs are more memorable, continuing their tradition of evoking a strong sense of place.  We are looking forward to their album release party on August 24 at Union Pool, and they also have several other NYC dates between now and then.  I hate to keep using the word, but they are one of the most consistently enjoyable bands to see in this city, and there has never been a better time to see them while the new record is about to drop.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Soft Black recording, with a board feed for vocals and the mics right in front of the band, and the sound is, I believe, the finest recording we have made of this band to date.  All songs are properly tagged for easy importing into iTunes.  Enjoy!

Stream “Thunderhead”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/M2609Motel9922/MotelMotel-Thunderhead2010-08-07.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Motel Motel
2010-08-07
Gaza Benefit Show
A Backyard in Bushwick
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: Mics “onstage”, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (compress board track, mixdown, set fades, amplify and balance channels, light EQ, tracking, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks [Total Time 30:19]
01 Intro
02 Kaimanu
03 [tuning]
04 Thunderhead
05 Keauhou
06 [tuning]
07 Wolf Road
08 Cowboy

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Motel Motel, visit their website, and purchase The Big Island when it is released later this month from the band’s store here.

Please also consider supporting the causes that were the reason for this show: UNRWA and the Free Gaza Movement.

[Photo by acidjack]

Some of the best nights in New York are the ones that seem to have gone completely off the rails that right themselves in the most inspiring of ways.  Organizer Blake Luley had the idea to put on a DIY show on a Bushwick rooftop to support the people of the Gaza Strip, with all of the proceeds going to UNRWA and Free Gaza.  The event seemed poised for success; the stifling heat and humidity of this brutal summer had broken, the skies were clear, and fans were being treated to some excellent music on a sprawling (if somewhat notorious) rooftop at 210 Cook St., with panoramic views of Brooklyn and Manhattan complemented by a graceful summer breeze.  But before the sun had even gone down, the cops had other ideas, cutting the set of Charles Burst off mid-song (that set to be posted soon), arresting one concertgoer, and sending the party, and the musicians, literally into the street.

But the bands, the organizers and the fans decided that the cause was too important – and the music too important – to leave it at that.  With bands and fans alike all pitching in to help load gear, food and of course, alcohol into vans, the show went on, moving to a nearby backyard provided by one of the members of Motel Motel.  In but a few hours, extension cords were run to the yard, the PAs and gear were set up, the food and drinks were being sold again, and text messages, Facebook posts, Twitter feeds and the rest beamed the news to those who cared.  And the people came.

After a solid set by the ever-consistent Motel Motel (that set to be posted soon as well), Soft Black, who I had not seen before, came out and blew me away.  As I sat mere feet from frontman Vincent Cacchione, the band gave an 8-song ripper of a performance that included several of the best numbers from the band’s latest The Earth is Black as well as some new songs that should hopefully see the light of day this year or early next.  The band’s name is spot-on, as they offer up a sound that draws from classic rock, folk, Americana and a hint of punk contrasted with lyrics that are uncharacteristically dark.  The Earth is Black, in fact, a narrative song cycle inspired by some of Cacchione’s nightmares.   Fittingly, the band dedicated “Ashtray Christ,” the strongest number of the night, to the show’s organizer.  Like the rest of us, by then he was smiling.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed providing primarily vocals, with the DPA mics directly in front of the band to record the instruments.  The sound quality is outstanding.

Stream “Ashtray Christ”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/S0087SoftBlack2010/SoftBlack-AshtrayChrist2010-08-07.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Soft Black
2010-08-07
Gaza Benefit Show
A Backyard in Bushwick
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: Mics “onstage”, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (compress board track, mixdown, set fades, amplify and balance channels, light EQ, tracking, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks [Total Time 27:59]
01 I’m Not Afraid of You
02 Aiming For Your Head
03 I Am An Animal
04 Fists in the Dark
05 Ashtray Christ
06 The Lions
07 The Girl Who Ate Her Own Heart
08 Heaven is a Place

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Soft Black, visit their website, and purchase their records and merchandise directly from their online store here.

Please also consider supporting the causes that were the reason for this show: UNRWA and the Free Gaza Movement.

[photo by Ryan Muir – this photo first appeared at brooklynvegan]

For thirteen years, Owen Ashworth has written a plethora of poignant songs about twenty-something angst. As Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, often playing solo accompanied by a table of two keyboards and multiple effects, Owen was one of the first performers to create entire soundscapes from modest electronic equipment. His songs speak to that post-college disillusionment through brief realistic first person slice of life vignettes that are both sad and moving. Perhaps since he has now moved beyond the age range of his protagonists, Owen has announced that this year will be the last for this particular musical project. In mid-July, Casiotone was the headline band for an excellent night of music at Monster Island. Owen’s set was a tight fifty-two minute run through a nice selection of the recent Casiotone catalog, including five songs each from the last three albums, but only one song from The First Two Albums. He will return to Monster Island on October 15 for the final NYC show for Casiotone For The Painfully Alone.

I recorded this set with a nice feed from the soundboard mixed with the Neumann microphones mounted on a pole ten feet from the stage. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Streets of Philadelphia” (Springsteen cover):
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/C1907Casiotone2220/17%20Casiotone2010-07-18_nyctaper_t17.mp3]

Stream “Bobby Malone Moves Home”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/C1907Casiotone2220/15%20Casiotone2010-07-18_nyctaper_t15.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
2010-07-18
Monster Island Basement
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 16bit 44.1kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2010-08-07

Setlist:
[Total Time 52:58]
01 [introduction]
02 Optimist Vs. The Silent Alarm
03 Man O’ War
04 I Love Creedence
05 White Corolla
06 White on White
07 Lesley Gore on the T.A.M.I. Show
08 Old Panda Days
09 Traveling Salesman’s Young Wife Home Alone On Christmas In Montpelier, VT
10 [banter]
11 Scattered Pearls
12 New Year’s Kiss
13 [banter]
14 Cold White Christmas
15 Bobby Malone Moves Home
16 Young Shields
17 Streets of Philadelphia (Springsteen)
18 [banter]
19 White Jetta

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, visit the website, visit the MySpace page, and purchase the official releases directly from the Tom Lab Records website [HERE].

[Photo by Kelly Reeves.  Used by mechanical license.  See Kelly’s other photos here]

You know Merge Records must be having a good year when one of its marquee acts, the always-enjoyable Spoon, is only the opening act for another Merge artist (the indomitable Arcade Fire) – and both of them are playing Madison Square Garden.   At the first of two very special MSG shows here in New York, Spoon’s labelmates demonstrated their generosity by giving Spoon an almost hourlong set to showcase their timeless brand of rock.  Focusing on their last three records, Spoon proved again that they are one of the most consistent bands in the business, giving a tightly focused set of 15 songs that would qualify for most bands as a headliner’s performance.  While the band’s relatively stripped-down aesthetic makes playing the arena environment a little tough, Spoon gave fans who didn’t know them a worthwhile introduction, and those of us who do a solid performance to tide us over until their next New York appearance at the top of the bill.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones in a mobile configuration.   Other than some annoying talkers in the first few songs and the obvious limitations of the arena setting (and my seats) sound-wise, the recording is representative of the sound of the night.  Enjoy!

Please note that as Arcade Fire does not have an open taping policy, Arcade Fire’s set will not be posted on the site.  Unfortunately, we were also unable to arrive in time to catch the first opener, the multitalented and superb musician Owen Pallett, but you can download our recent recording of him from Webster Hall this April here.

This Recording is now available for Download in FLAC and MP3 and to Stream at Archive.org [HERE].

Spoon
2010-08-04
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording

Equipment: DPA 4021>Denecke PS2>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Slightly LOC, floor, about 5 rows behind the SBD
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, EQ, downsample to 16bit, tracking, amplify and balance channels)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks [Total Time 55:47]
01 Me and the Bean
02 Nobody Gets Me Like You
03 The Underdog
04 Stay Don’t Go
05 Trouble Comes Running
06 The Ghost of You Lingers
07 Written in Reverse
08 Don’t You Evah
09 I Turn My Camera On
10 Don’t Make Me A Target
11 I Summon You
12 Jonathan Fisk
13 You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
14 Got Nuffin
15 Black Like Me

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Spoon, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from Merge Records here.

[photos for nyctaper by David Andrako]

Although she has played several times recently in NYC, we had not previously cross paths with Merrill Garbus and Tune-Yards. I had heard tremendous accolades for her set opening for Dirty Projectors at Bowery, so it was with great anticipation that we witnessed her Monday night set for the grand opening of The Rock Shop. The reports that Tune-Yards elevates their music to another whole level for the live show have not been exaggerated. From the very first moments of this set, Merrill was in complete control. As she opened with the abundantly sampled voice tracks of the anthemic “Hatari”, the packed house swayed with every beat and responded to every call. While several songs were performed solo, for most of the set Merrill was accompanied by the outstanding bass of Nate Brenner, and for several special numbers she was also joined by a three-piece horn section. But the focus never left Merrill, as her stage persona is thoroughly compelling. Tune-Yards will soon record their follow-up to the well regarded debut record Bird-Brains, and several of those songs were on display on Monday night. Of the newer numbers, the call and response “Do You Want to Live?” retains Merrill’s uncannily natural adaptations of African rhythms, while the encore “Powa” (streaming below) is a more offbeat pop number with multi-influenced rhythmic changes.

This set was recorded under the same conditions as the Sharon Van Etten recording and the sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Powa”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/T2080TuneYards1102/13%20Tune-Yards2010-08-02_nyctaper_t13.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Tune-Yards
2010-08-02
The Rock Shop
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2010-08-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 59:39]
01 Hatari
02 You Yes
03 [banter]
04 Fiya
05 Gangsta
06 Real Live Flesh
07 News
08 Do You Want to Live?
09 Jumping Jack
10 [banter]
11 Biz
12 [encore break]
13 Powa

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Tune-Yards, visit the website, visit the MySpace page, and purchase Bird-Brains directly from the 4AD Records website [HERE].