nyctaper Recordings

[photo by Matt – courtesy of The Music Slut – more here]

The complete realization of two years of hard work, Hospice is an early candidate for the best of 2009. The Antlers have realized the potential that some of us saw years ago, and have produced a profound linear album of illness, loss and acceptance. On Thursday night at Union Hall, a packed crowd witnessed one of the early candidates for concert of the year. Accompanied by a fine trombonist and a choir of their musician friends, The Antlers delivered an intense live rendition of Hospice as a suite. The songs took on a less claustrophobic air than the studio release, and in turn each track was more aggressive and immediate. In particular “Sylvia” was quite emotional, as Peter Silberman literally screamed the title name as if in anguish. “Two” has been performed multiple times with its new live arrangement, but this version was by far the best we have seen. As the album concludes with a quiet “Epilogue”, Peter stepped forward with a moving solo rendition. The crowd refused to let The Antlers leave the stage after the album was complete, and the band came back and performed an unplanned encore.

We recorded this set by attaching the DPA microphones to the wooden ceiling beam about 15 feet from the stage. The placement pointed directly towards the stacks and the band on stage. The mics were also high enough to avoid any crowd noise, although there was not much — this was the most respectful packed house we have seen in quite some time. We are extremely happy with results. Enjoy!

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

The Antlers
2009-03-05
Union Hall
Brooklyn, NY USA

“Hospice” CD Release Show

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

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

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-07

Setlist:
[total time 1:11:02]
01 [introduction]
02 Prologue
03 Kettering
04 Sylvia
05 Atrophy
06 Bear
07 Thirteen
08 Two
09 Shiva
10 [announcements]
11 Wake
12 Epilogue
13 [encore break]
14 Cold War

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Antlers, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Hospice from Bandcamp, In Sound, iTunes, and directly from the band by following the links posted at their site [HERE].

[photo courtesy of Jenn Barnett Photos – more here]

The second of Blitzen Trapper‘s two sold-out NYC shows was at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last Saturday. Just as they had on Friday, the band came on strong and never let up. Saturday’s set was however more playful, stretched to three encores and about ten minutes longer, and contains a neat Gram Parsons cover.

We are fortunate to offer the first recording to this site captured by nyctaper correspondent “acidjack”. He took a completely different approach to the Bowery recording — standing in the middle of the crowd on the floor. This recording is a nice companion the Friday show since it has a completely different feel with an upfront clarity and direct in-your-face vibe. While the boisterous Saturday night crowd can be chatty and jerky at times, this recording has a you-were-there quality that makes it an excellent listen. Enjoy!

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

Blitzen Trapper
2009-02-28
The Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

SP-CMC-8 (cardiod/low sens mod) > SPSB-8 (bass rolloff/1) >R-09HR > 24bit 48kHZ wav file > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by acidjack
Produced by nyctaper
2009-03-05

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:35:36]
01 Sleepytime in the Western World
02 Saturday Nite
03 God & Suicide
04 Fire & Fast Bullets
05 Stolen Shoes & a Rifle
06 Murder Babe
07 Big Black Bird
08 Canyon’s Edge
09 Summer Twin
10 Furr
11 Country Rain
12 Cocaine Blues (traditional)
13 Not Your Lover
14 Country Caravan
15 Black River Killer
16 Lady on the Water
17 Devil in Disguise (Gram Parsons)
18 Gold for Bread
19 Jericho
20 Love U
21 Echo
22 [banter – Footloose – Roll Another Number]
23 Wild Mountain Nation
24 Devil’s A-Go-Go
25 [encore break]
26 The Last Thing on My Mind (Tom Paxton)
27 Miss Spiritual Tramp
28 Woof & Warp Of The Quiet Giant’s Hem

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Blitzen Trapper, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their releases from the links at their website, and directly from Sub Pop Records.

[photo courtesy of tapermark]

Alela Diane’s set opening for Blitzen Trapper on Friday night was a revelation. We were familiar with her fine songs only so far as are featured on her MySpace page. What became clear on Friday was that this young woman has an incredible range of vocal talents and has put together an excellent band to compliment her. What is more wonderful is that her father is the lead guitar and mandolin player whose melodic fret work drives the band. Alela mentioned that this night was her father’s first trip to NYC, and one can only imagine the pride and joy as he accompanied his daughter to the big city for this show. The set included seven tracks from her new album To Be Still released just ten days earlier, and one stunningly executed Fleetwood Mac cover. Alela promised she would be back in NYC soon with a longer set, and we are sure to be there.

This recording was captured from the identical location as the Blitzen Trapper set and the sound is outstanding. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Alela Diane
2009-02-27
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Balcony Rail
Next to Soundboard

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2009-03-02

Setlist:
[Total Time 36:53]
01 Dry Grass & Shadows
02 White As Diamonds
03 The Alder Trees
04 To Be Still
05 The Ocean
06 Gold Dust Woman (Fleetwood Mac)
07 Every Path
08 My Brambles

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Alela Diane, visit her website, visit her MySpace page, and purchase her new release To Be Still directly from Beggars Group/Rough Trade [HERE].

[photo courtesy of Jenn Barnett Photos – more here]

Without much fanfare, Portland’s Blitzen Trapper sold out consecutive nights in NYC on a weekend when there were a glut of shows for concertgoers to attend. On Friday at Bowery Ballroom, the band performed an energetic and tight ninety-minute set heavy on material from their universally acclaimed September 2008 release Furr. Blitzen Trapper exhibit a plethora of classic influences (Dylan, Neil Young, Wilco, etc), often contained in stop-on-a-dime precise changes within the same song, and Friday night’s excellent set was no exception.

We recorded this set from our standard location at the Bowery. Of particular note was the sound mix provided by the band’s sound technician. The combination of his talent and the superb sound system in this venue yielded an outstanding recording of this show. The crowd was quite rambunctious and chatty, but even that does not detract from this capture. Enjoy!

Blitzen Trapper’s show on Saturday at Music Hall was recorded by an nyctaper correspondent and will be posted within days.

Plants and Animals set from the Bowery was recorded and will be posted pending artist approval.

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

Blitzen Trapper
2009-02-27
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Balcony Rail
Next to Soundboard

Neumann KM-150’s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (set fades, slight level adjustments, downsample) > CD Wave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2009-03-01

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:26:21]
01 Fire & Fast Bullets
02 Saturday Nite
03 God & Suicide
04 Stolen Shoes & a Rifle
05 Sleepytime in the Western World
06 Murder Babe
07 Big Black Bird
08 Canyon’s Edge
09 Summer Twin
10 Furr
11 Country Rain
12 Cocaine Blues (traditional)
13 Not Your Lover
14 Country Caravan
15 Black River Killer
16 Lady on the Water
17 Gold for Bread
18 Jericho
19 Love U
20 Echo
21 Wild Mountain Nation
22 Devil’s A-Go-Go
23 [encore break]
24 The Last Thing on My Mind (Tom Paxton)
25 Asleep For Days

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Blizen Trapper, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their releases from the links at their website, and directly from Sub Pop Records.

[from JakeRock – click to access video downloads]

Its exciting to watch the development of a new band — particularly one where the members are experienced and talented performers with whom we are quite familiar. At Glasslands on Thursday, Circle of Buzzards performed their fourth-ever gig and the short six-song set packed a lot of punch and promise. Jason Loewenstein’s fuzz bass is complimented perfectly by the aggressive percussion work of Bob D’Amico. While the songs are still in various stages of creation, there is a consistent and cohesive element to the duo’s sound and we will continue to follow this band.

Glasslands received a complete overhaul since our last visit. The upstairs is now more open, and the natural wood railing improves the overall look of the venue. We recorded from in the balcony with the microphones attached to the rail. The soundboard has also been upgraded and there are installed feed cables to the upstairs video area — which the sound tech set us up to utilize. This is quite an excellent recording, if a bit heavy on the vocals from the line feed. Enjoy!

Read NYCTaper interview with Jason Loewenstein [HERE}.
View a photo of the setlist of this show [HERE].

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Circle of Buzzards
2009-02-26
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard/Audience Matrix

Microphones at Front of Balcony
15 Feet from Main PA Stacks

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

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-02-28

Setlist:
[total time 23:15]
01 [mystery cover song]
02 Never Again
03 Untitled (2009-01-01)
04 Long Time
05 Dead
06 Untitled (2009-01-08)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Circle of Buzzards, visit their MySpace page, visit Jason’s webite, visit Bob’s MySpace page. While Circle of Buzzards does not have an official release yet, please purchase other releases from this duo at JakeRock [HERE].

[photo courtesy of Impose Magazine – more here]

When we walked into “The 1896” in industrial North Bushwick for the “Brooklyn vs. Baltimore” Marathon a few weeks ago, it was basically a huge empty warehouse. In the corner, ToddP’s staff worked on constructing the stage, and in the other room the bands and other early entrants started the party. Within an hour, the empty room became a packed event with estimates of between 1500 to 2000 people. The eight separate groups delivered inspired sets and by the end of the night, virtually anyone who attended this event knew it had been an incredible night. When the book about Todd’s effect on the NYC music scene is written, this particular concert will certainly be among the memorable events.

We recorded six of the eight acts, but ambient noise of the partying crowd essentially drowned out the music for much of the later acts. When the Vivian Girls began their set, the room had not quite filled up yet, and the music is clearer. We chose a spot in front of the soundboard, which was about 50 feet from the stage. During the Vivs set, we had a clear shot at the stacks and this recording is quite clean — perhaps the only flaw is the natural echo of the huge room. However, we have sampled this recording against our recording of the Vivian Girls from South Street Seaport in September, and this one is definitely a better listen. The Vivians performed several new songs, and indeed at least one (possibly two) songs were performed for the first time. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Vivian Girls
2009-01-30
The 1896
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Front of Board
50 Feet from Stage

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

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
[email protected]
2009-02-22

Setlist:
[total time 22:19]
01 Walking Alone At Night
02 Surfin’ Away
03 The End
04 Can’t Get Over You
05 When I’m Gone
06 Lake House
07 Tell The World
08 I Have No Fun

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Vivian Girls, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their releases from the links at their website, and links at MySpace.

[click to watch The Beets commercial]

So I’m riding in a cab the other day, gazing out the window, when I was jolted to hear the music of The Beets coming from the taxi video screen. The fashion designer Cynthia Rowley produced a bizarre commercial for fashion week which features a bevy of French fashion models playing musical chairs in a gym and The Beets are the band that provides the music (also on youtube here). Besides the fact that the commercial makes virtually no sense whatsoever, its almost comically surreal that of all the bands that could have been selected to play the music, Ms. Rowley chose an obscure Queens lo-fi garage band. I would love to know the story behind their selection.

A month ago, we recorded The Beets at Cake Shop as part of a State Capital Records showcase. This show was captured from up front and the sound quality is quite good, considering that the band intentionally distorts its sound behind a wall of reverb. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Beets
2009-01-16
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Upfront
10 Feet from PA

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

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-02-11

Setlist:
[total time 17:55]
08 Tracks

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Beets, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their CDs from the instructions on their MySpace page.

[photo from Iron and Wine MySpace]

This week it was announced that Iron and Wine would perform a pair of intimate concerts at NYC’s Abrons Arts Center on May 17 and 18, as part of a tour of small venues with setlists chosen by the fans. Tickets for the Abrons shows go on sale today (Fri 2/20) at Noon EST NOW.

Perhaps the last time that Sam Beam performed at a venue in NYC of this modest size was his first couple of trips to New York, when he played the Knitting Factory. The second such appearance is the concert offered for download here. That night the Knit was a completely packed house, and Iron and Wine delivered a full length concert of one-hundred minutes of material. The setlist included five songs from his yet-to-be-released second album Our Endless Numbered Days, along with one very memorable Flaming Lips cover — “Waitin’ for a Superman” which Iron and Wine will officially release for the first time on May 19, 2009 on the new compilation Around the Well.

This concert was recorded by long time local taper xcxre9, who provided the never-circulated master DAT for extraction and production to be posted on nyctaper. The recording suffered from a major flaw that was adjusted in post-production. The low volume of the quiet music was respected by the crowd during the songs, but the volume of cheering was overwhelming during the breaks in between numbers. In post, the crowd was reduced to an unheard-of 10% of its original volume. Listeners can hear some artifacts of this process, but the overall listening enjoyment of this recording as a whole has been greatly increased. Enjoy!

This concert is being offered in flac format only in respect for the original taper.

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Iron and Wine
2003-10-15
Knitting Factory
New York, New York

Digital Audience Master
Recorded from FOB

Recording: DPA 4061s > SBM-M1 > Sony D-8 DAT Master
Transfer: DAT Master > Panasonic SV-3800 > digital coaxial > Audigy 2 ZS Platinum > Soundforge (major level adjustment/close clapping reduction) > 16 bit 44.1 wav > CD Wave (tracking) > Flac Frontend  (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by xcxre9
DAT Extraction and Post-Production by nyctaper 2009-02-20

Setlist:
[total time 1:38:01]
01 Each Coming Night
02 Weary Memory
03 On Your Wings
04 Someday The Waves
05 Promise What You Will
06 Faded From The Winter
07 Bird Stealing Bread
08 Free Until They Cut Me Down
09 The Sea And The Rhythm
10 Jesus The Mexican Boy
11 Sinning Hands
12 Lion’s Mane
13 Upward Over The Mountain
14 Waiting For A Superman (Flaming Lips)
15 Promising Light
16 The Rooster Moans
17 Southern Anthem
18 Dearest Forsaken
19 Muddy Hymnal
20 [encore break]
21 The Postal Service
22 Naked As We Came

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Iron and Wine, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases and merch from the store at their website [HERE].