[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
nyctaper@nyctaper.com
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].