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Pontiak: November 20, 2010 Bell House – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

December 13, 2010
By


[Photo by Johnny]

Before the mighty Bardo Pond headlined the recent incarnation of the Memory Burn Psych Festival, heavy-rocking southerners Pontiak made sure nobody in the vicinity of the Bell House missed their louder-than-hell set. The Virginian siblings (the band is comprised of the brothers Van, Lain and Jennings Carney) opened up with one of their more accessible new numbers, the 70s-inspired “Young,” and from there, surged through several more songs from their 2010 release This Is Living, as well as classics from the rest of their catalog, including an epic closer of “Sun On Sun” segueing into “Shell Skull.” Pontiak’s music can find a variety of musical company; loose and improvisational enough to satisfy the psych rock set, but churning, riff-driven and structurally cohesive such that it won’t be lost on your average metal or rock fan, either. This set eschewed some of the quieter, more acoustic songs demonstrated on Living and some of the band’s earlier records in favor of the crowd-pleasers for, well, the kind of people who attend an event called the “Memory Burn Psych Festival”, and to great effect. Compared to on record, Van Carney’s vocals were buried most of the night under layers of guitars and drums like a distant spectre, but all the better to accentuate the vortex of guitars, bass and drums. Indeed, I was particularly gratified to see the band properly mixed by the Bell House staff on a killer system that gave full voice to their style. This was probably the most head-banging set of the evening, and for those who hadn’t crossed paths with Pontiak before, a revelation.

I recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones and a stereo soundboard feed, in the same manner as the Bardo Pond recording, and the results are equally outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Young”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P2011Pontiak2010/Pontiak-Young.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Pontiak
2010-11-20
Bell House
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41+Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: DFC, pole clamped to soundboard about 9ft from floor, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, mixdown, track, amplify and balance, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
1. Young
2. This is Living
3. World Wide Prince
4. Lemon Lady
5. Maker
6. Sun on Sun>Shell Skull

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Pontiak, visit their website, and purchase their official releases, including Living from Thrill Jockey directly [here].

Yo La Tengo: December 6, 2010 Maxwell’s – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

December 12, 2010
By


[photo from Ira’s Hanukkah Diary]

Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows are an embarrassment of riches, as everyone knows. There are the extended set times; the cozy atmosphere of Hoboken’s inimitable Maxwell’s; the kinship among a group of the band’s most hardcore fans; the special guests; the comedians. But amidst all of that, what still drives the fanaticism around these show is, ultimately, a band that can shapeshift like few others. Especially at these shows, when you go to see Yo La Tengo, you never know what you’re going to get. On Wednesday the 1st, we saw the lighter side of the band, joking and playing Elvis covers; on Sunday the 5th, we saw the noisy, aggressive rock band that followed a set by Mission of Burma. On this night, we got the musically erudite record geeks, the band whose influences are far-ranging and frequently obscure, offering up a host of amazing covers. We got Bob Dylan’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Shut Up” by obscure 60s garage-rock band The Monks, The Beach Boys’ “Little Honda” (which they have, over time, effectively made their own), “This Ain’t the Summer of Love” by Blue Oyster Cult, a (this time) successful version of Paul Simon’s “Red Rubber Ball”, one of my personal favorite YLT covers, “You Can Have It All” and many more. And for guests, we were equally rewarded: Wilco’s Mikael Jorgenson joined for several numbers on keyboards, Antietam guitarist Tara Key on several others, and, for the encore, the legendary Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, doing some of their own songs and more covers. The set closed with a stage full of the night’s musicians (plus comedian Eugene Mirman on theremin) covering The Fugs‘ nihilistic “Nothing.” It made for an ironic ending to a night that was all about affirmation and recognition: affirmation of the sheer joy and variety of music, and recognition of the rich diversity of artists that brought Yo La Tengo to this point.

I recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones and a stereo soundboard feed by the Maxwell’s staff. As with the 12/5 show, unfortunately we were not able to mix in an additional source from nyctaper’s Neumann mics, which is too bad. Nonetheless, the results are outstanding, as all of these shows have been. Enjoy!

Stream “I Wanna Be Your Lover”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Y6644YLT9879/YLT-IWannaBeYourLover.mp3]

Stream “You Can Have It All”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Y6644YLT9879/YLT-YouCanHaveItAll.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Yo La Tengo
2010-12-06
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41+SBD>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: LOC, clamp to soundboard booth, mics at about 7.5ft, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:45:12]
01 My Heart’s Reflection
02 Barnaby, Hardly Working [with Tara Key on guitar]
03 Styles of the Times [with TK]
04 Stockholm Syndrome [with TK]
05 Tears Are In Your Eyes [with Mikael Jorgenson of Wilco on keyboards]
06 She May Call You Up Tonight [The Left Banke] [with MJ]
07 banter
08 Shut Up [The Monks] [with MJ]
09 Avalon or Someone Very Similar [with MJ]
10 [banter]
11 If It’s True [with MJ]
12 You Can Have It All [George McCrea] [with MJ]
13 I Wanna Be Your Lover [Bob Dylan] [with MJ]
14 Upside Down [with MJ]
15 This Ain’t the Summer of Love [Blue Oyster Cult] [with MJ]
16 Little Honda [Beach Boys] with MJ and audience members]
17 More Stars Than There Are In Heaven (boogie version) [with MJ]
18 encore break
19 Red Rubber Ball [Paul Simon]
20 [banter]
21 Do You Remember That? [Amy Rigby] [with Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric]
22 I Get Out of Breath [The Turtles] [with AR and WE]
23 [banter]
24 Whole Wide World [with AR and WE]
25 [banter]
26 Nothing [The Fugs] [with TK, MJ, AR, Gil Divine, Mofungo]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Yo La Tengo, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the store at their website [HERE].

Braids: November 30, 2010 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

December 11, 2010
By


[Photo courtesy of Jonny Leather]

Montreal’s Braids do not even have a record out yet – that happens on Kanine Records on January 18 of the new year – but the buzz around them has been building steadily, such that even The New York Times took notice. They make modern, layered dreampop that focuses on heavenly vocal harmonies and slow-burning melodies, and their live show is one that rewards patience. Their carefully crafted songs often begin with a whisper, a suggestion of what’s to come several minutes later. This performance, opening for the Radio Dept. (not taped due to no word back from management), evidenced that perfectly, with the set dominated by three longish numbers: the spine-tingling “Lemonade,” “Native Speaker,” and the closer, “Glass Deers,” that each gave a sense of the band’s unique approach. “Lemonade” could well be the band’s signature number, and will be the leadoff track on the forthcoming Native Speaker. Performing these songs live is no small feat, but Braids made it effortless, keeping the crowd mostly rapt throughout. Call it sacrilege, given the heavily-buzzing headliner, but their performance was by far the most special of the night.

I recorded this set from our usual location with the four microphone rig. The crowd is generally quiet and respectful, and the sonic clarity and presence is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Lemonade”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B3011Braids0210/Braids-Lemonade2010-11-30.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Braids
2010-11-30
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41+DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, ROC, Schoeps PAS, DPAs ORTF
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (light EQ, balance, mixdown, set fades, tracking, smooth peaks, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 34:42]
01 Peach Wedding>
02 Lemonade>
03 Candy Spills>
04 Native Speaker
05 banter
06 Glass Deers

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Braids, visit their MySpace page, and pre-order Native Speaker from Kanine Records [HERE].

Dinowalrus: November 16, 2010 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

December 5, 2010
By


[Photos by Johnny Leather]

The Brooklyn band Dinowalrus has executed a bit of a reboot lately, changing both their personnel and their approach. The former Titus Andronicus guitarist Pete Feigenbaum, the band’s frontman and guitarist, has added a new player on bass, Liam Andrew, as well as Depreciation Guild drummer Anton Hoccheim, and has sought to clarify some of the ideas explored on the band’s debut LP, %. One of the band’s goals, as they put it, is to be “structurally unorthodox,” but at times that led to performances that lacked focus – it could seem that one song was a jumble of concepts rather than a unified whole. This show at the Knitting Factory showcased both reworked arrangements of their older material as well as new songs that continue the band’s love affair with Krautrock, acid rock, noise, thrash punk and psychedelia, but have much more musical consistency and pop sensibility. Listen to “RICO” below and see if you agree. The band’s new approach has already received positive notice in several publications, and we expect that trend to continue in 2011. We still have no idea what the hell a “Dinowalrus” is, but now we can say that this musical creature is a strange beast with a purpose.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones at the soundboard. They captured the excellent house mix by Rob of the Knitting Factory perfectly. Enjoy!

Stream “RICO”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D2040Dinowalrus2211/Dinowalrus-RICO.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Dinowalrus
2010-11-16
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, 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: At soundboard, ROC, 7.5″, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (tracking, set fades, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Phone Home From the Edge
02 The Gift Shop
03 What Now
04 Electric Car Gas Guitar
05 [new]
06 [banter]
07 RICO

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Dinowalrus, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases directly from the MERCH section of their website (here) or from Kanine Records [here].

Bardo Pond: November 20, 2010 Bell House, Brooklyn, NY – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

December 2, 2010
By

Bardo Pond came to Brooklyn a couple Saturdays ago to headline an event at the Bell House appropriately titled the “Memory Burn Psych Fest.” If you have seen Bardo’s live show before, you know they picked the right event, as they have been known, at times, to sear one’s mind.  I cannot describe their sound any better than this article from Terrascope did:

Bardo Pond has the outward specifications of a rock band – guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, occasional but crucial flute and violin and vocals – but the rivers that converge into the band’s oneiric flow have their headwaters in the outlands of ecstatic jazz, free noise and the avant-garde. Their slow-motion avalanches of churning instrumentation and voice suggest drugged states but don’t necessarily require them. They alter brain chemistry by the alchemical effect of distressed sound alone, aspiring to become engineers of the soul’s passage to alternate states of consciousness. At the foundation of the pyramid, the drums of (originally) Joe Culver and (now) Ed Farnsworth and the bass of Clint Takeda lay down a sinewy, sexy and hypnagogic bottom end. At the centre of the pyramid, the twin guitars of John and Michael Gibbons send out emissaries of fire, flaying flesh from bone in a storm of holy liberation. Isobel Sollenberger inhabits the place where the pyramid meets the eye of their storm, weaving fibres of voice, flute and violin through the din. I heard someone comment recently that the limits of music have now been defined, bracketed by John Cage’s silence at one end and Merzbow’ss maximum noise at the other, leaving only the option of filling the spaces in between. Bardo Pond demonstrate how much scope there is to innovate within that continuum. If rock music is to have any relevance in the new millennium, it is bands like Bardo Pond that will make it so.

For nearly twenty years, Bardo Pond has produced an ever-evolving series of sonic explorations, including the outstanding 2001 release, Dilate.  This show helped to celebrate, in part, the band’s eponymous new LP,  Bardo Pond, which drops next week on December 6 on the UK-based Fire Records.  In a tantalizing preview of what is to come, kicking off with “Limerick” and “Rumination” from Amanita and flowing into four songs of new material.  Although I had heard only one of the new songs before, they continue the band’s by-now-signature tradition of a massive, churning wall of guitars, with Sollenberger’s vocals seething in and out of focus.  When the show ended, we all had to stand there for a second and pause, ears ringing and minds blown.  Bardo’s mission was accomplished.

Stream and download this show in MP3/FLAC/Ogg on the Live Music Archive [HERE]

Stream one of the new songs:
[audio:http://bit.ly/fRhGCJ ]

Bardo Pond
2010-11-20
Bell House
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41+Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: DFC, pole clamped to soundboard about 9ft from floor, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, mixdown, track, amplify and balance, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

1. Limerick
2. Rumination
3. [new song]
4. [new song]
5. [new song]
6. [new song]
7. [banter]
8. Flux
9. [unknown]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Bardo Pond, visit their website, and purchase Bardo Pond from Fire Records here.

Radical Dads: November 9, 2010 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

December 1, 2010
By


[iPhone 4 photo by acidjack]

Radical Dads is a recent offshoot of our friends Uninhabitable Mansions, consisting of drummer/vocalist Robbie Guertin (also of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), Chris Diken, and vocalist Lindsay Baker. The band is still in its early stages, but the musical talent they have behind them speaks well of their potential. The band’s music leans toward the more raw, lo-fi side of the spectrum, but the pop sensibility of their predecessor bands is also evident. “Recklessness” is a great introduction to the band, a two-minute blast of emotion backed by an instantly catchy beat. The band have already been playing a number of gigs around town, and you should take care not to miss them the next time they are on a bill near you.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed and the Schoeps microphones. I am admittedly not as pleased as I usually am with the sound quality – the mics were placed somewhat poorly in the room and the board feed was not able to compensate for the deficiencies in mic placement. Nonetheless, I think it is worth sharing with our readers, and please don’t blame the band! Enjoy!

Stream “Recklessness”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R6110RadicalDads0210/RadicalDads-Recklessness2010-11-09.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Radical Dads
2010-11-09
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Soundboard+Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod)
Position: At soundboard, ROC, mics at 7′ pointed at stacks
Mastering 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (compress SBD, mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Little Tomb
02 Don’t Wanna Go
03 New Age Dinosaur
04 Pink Flag
05 banter
06 Alondra Rainbow
07 Recklessness
08 Walking Wires
09 I Am the Father of Myself

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Radical Dads, visit their website, and download “Recklessness,” which is also available on their site.

ArpLine: November 17, 2010 Glasslands and October 21, 2010 Cake Shop – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

November 29, 2010
By


[iPhone4 photo by acidjack]

I can’t stop talking about ArpLine. Since I first saw the band back in January, they have played seemingly everywhere in town, and each time, they have made converts like me. As musicians, they are insanely consistent, able to blow the doors off of even the most difficult rooms with their layered, Krautrock-influenced songs. This was in full evidence at both the NYCTaper Unofficial CMJ Day Party at Cake Shop, and the band’s recent performance at Glasslands. Both shows featured their biggest crowd pleasers like “Parts Unknown” and “Fold Up Like A Piece of Paper”, but they also played a new number that I do not know the name of. But I think the most exciting moment for me at these shows came when the band busted out a live version of their new cover of Sade’s “No Ordinary Love,” turning the cheesy date night slow jam into a menacing industrial number. You can download the song from the band’s website, along with a number of excellent remixes by them of other bands, here. Also on the recorded front, ArpLine’s record, Travel Book, will finally see physical release soon, and it doesn’t have a weak number on it.

ArpLine plays Glasslands again on December 4, when they open for another of our CMJ Day Party acts, Diamond Rings. Get there early and don’t miss their set!

These recordings are far and away the finest recordings of ArpLine that we have featured on the site – both recorded with the DPA microphones from optimal positions in the venue with a soundboard feed to reinforce the vocals and keys. Some of our favorite songs from both shows are featured as samples below. Enjoy!

Stream “No Ordinary Love” from Glasslands:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6030Arp2101/ArpLine-NoOrdinaryLove2010-11-17.mp3]

Stream “Make It Rain” from Cake Shop:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6030Arp2101/ArpLine-MakeItRain.mp3]

Stream “Weekend In the Colonies” from Glasslands:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6030Arp2101/ArpLine-WeekendInTheColonies.mp3]

Direct download of Glasslands MP3s [HERE]

Direct download of Cake Shop MP3s [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC: [Glasslands] / [Cake Shop]

ArpLine
2010-11-17
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021+soundboard>Edirol R-44 (oade concert mod) (24/48)
Position: Balcony, ROC
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, mixdown, light EQ, downsample to 16bit/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [new song]
02 Make It Rain
03 Parts Unknown
04 No Ordinary Love [Sade]
05 Fold Up Like A Piece of Paper
06 Rope
07 Weekend In the Colonies

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

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

Equipment: DPA 4021+soundboard>Edirol R-44 (oade concert mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount on ceiling directly in front of band, ORTF
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, mixdown, light EQ, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [new song]
02 Fold Up Like A Piece of Paper
03 Make It Rain
04 Parts Unknown
05 [outro]

If you download these recordings from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT ArpLine, visit their website, go to their shows, and purchase Travel Book when it is released.

Autolux: August 26, 2010 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

November 26, 2010
By


[Photo from the Music Hall of Williamsburg show by Jessica Amaya]

It is fitting that Autolux hail from Los Angeles – they could easily be a Hollywood rendition of a band, the kind you can imagine playing in a nightclub scene right before Jason Statham or Bruce Willis blows the place up. The first time I saw them, they were so … perfect-looking, and their sound so au courant, that I did not know what to make of them. Their sound is Sonic Youth in clubland, distorted guitars with dreampop flourishes, showing a hint of gloss. Their polish is a strength – these musicians’ professionalism and attention to detail is evident, perhaps most obviously in the fact that, since 2004’s Future Perfect, the band took six years to produce its expertly crafted followup, Transit Transit, a record that has undoubtedly pleased the band’s fanbase, from the famous (hardly a review goes by that doesn’t name-check Thom Yorke, Trent Reznor, and PJ Harvey among the band’s fans) to the raucous crowd that jammed the Bowery Ballroom during that anticlimactic week before work and school get back in session.

In the live setting, Autolux’s music feels less blissed-out than on record, with a more jagged and welcome rock edge. The set led off with “The Science of Imaginary Solutions,” the slow burner that closes out Transit Transit, and covered the bulk of the band’s two records. “Turnstile Blues,” perhaps the band’s signature number, received a huge response, and rightly so – the song is massive, with a pounding Bonham-esque backbeat from drummer Carla Azar. I also loved the extended version of “Census”, another of the new numbers. Autolux ended the 71-minute set with a searing “Headless Sky”, sending the crowd back into the night, ready to face another long September.

While we realize this set is being posted a bit late due to a delay in clearance, we would like to emphasize our thanks to Autolux and their management for authorizing this recording. The Schoeps microphones were optimally placed just to the left of the sound staff, and this two-mic stereo pull is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Turnstile Blues”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A2680Autolux2010/Autolux-TurnstileBlues2010-08-26.mp3]

Stream “Supertoys”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A2680Autolux2010/Autolux-Supertoys2010-08-26.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Autolux
2010-08-26
Bowery Balroom
New York, 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: Balcony, immediately left of soundboard, clamp with arm extended to the right, pointed just outside stacks
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, light EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total time 71min]
01 intro
02 The Science of Imaginary Solutions
03 Census
04 Census (cont’d)
05 Audience No. 2
06 Subzero Fun
07 The Bouncing Wall
08 Turnstile Blues
09 Supertoys
10 Spots
11 Kissproof
12 Robots In the Garden
13 Highchair
14 Blanket
15 Blanket (cont’d)
16 [encore break]
17 Plantlife
18 Headless Sky

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Autolux, visit their website, and purchase Transit Transit directly from the band here.

Bear In Heaven: November 19, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

November 21, 2010
By


[Photos by Keith Haskel]

There is now no denying it – Bear In Heaven have arrived. Since we first saw the band back in October of 2009, the band has seen their exposure surge and their live set finally get the treatment it deserves. Thanks to the always-helpful combination of Pitchfork accolades and a lot of touring, the rest of the world has come to love this Brooklyn band as much as we do. This set at Music Hall of Williamsburg closed out Bear In Heaven’s latest tour, and this homecoming was massive in every way. Music Hall was packed and there was a line down the street to get in. The sound was dialed in (finally – neither the sold-out Mercury Lounge or Glasslands shows we saw could boast the best house mixes we’ve heard), with Philpot’s vocals penetrating through and the bass rich, deep and tight. The band used a simple but mesmerizing light show that punctuated the hypnotic and often dark nature of their songs. And finally, and most importantly, the band clearly knew it was on tonight – knew that things were different now, and knew they ought to give this eager audience the Bear In Heaven show they would always remember. And indeed, for a solid hour, the band held us captive to their druggy sonic dreamscape, playing all of the highlights of their groundbreaking Beast Rest Forth Mouth as well as (I think) two new numbers. After their usual encore of “Casual Goodbye,” there was nothing more to say – Bear In Heaven may be of Brooklyn, but they are far beyond a mere “Brooklyn band” now. At one point, Philpot noted, “One year ago we were playing at [cozy Brooklyn venue] Zebulon.” For better or worse, Jon, those days are over.

I recorded this set from the center of the balcony with the Schoeps microphones aimed down at the stacks.  I am extremely pleased with the sound, which has virtually no crowd noise and has excellent clarity and detail.  Enjoy!

Stream “Lovesick Teenager”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B1027BearHeaven1122/BearInHeaven-LovesickTeenager2010-11-19.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE]

Bear In Heaven
2010-11-19
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641>Naiant littlebox>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Balcony, center, mics pointed at stacks
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, light EQ)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks [Total Time 59:17]
01 Wholehearted Mess
02 Ultimate Satisfaction
03 Dust Cloud
04 Lovesick Teenager
05 Beast In Peace
06 Deafening Love
07 Drug A Wheel
08 You Do You
09 [banter]
10 [unknown]
11 Fake Out
12 [unknown]
13 [encore break]
14 Casual Goodbye

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Bear in Heaven, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from the Hometapes Records’ site [HERE].

ARMS: November 8, 2010 Brooklyn Bowl – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

November 18, 2010
By


[Screenshots provided by West Egg Productions]

Until recently, ARMS was the solo project of Brooklyn’s Todd Goldstein, who until last year was the guitarist in the now-defunct band Harlem Shakes.  Now, Goldstein has assembled a full band to help him realize his vision.  Goldstein’s songs are emotional, melodic parables of heartbreak and longing, framed around his distinctive vocals.  Goldstein’s music has a verifiable emo bent, and he doesn’t shy from the type of melodramatic vocal turns that are uncommon in today’s present shoegaze revival.  The result is songs that are surprisingly soundtrack-ready (any rom-com would be lucky to have these tunes), and if not out of step with the current moment, certainly not overly concerned with it.  This performance, as part of the “Brunch After Dark” show by our friends at the Backyard Brunch Sessions, was a fine introduction to the band, with ARMS covering a range of their material, including from their self-titled EP available for free download right now on their MySpace page.   These songs were well suited to the big chaotic room – they force you to pay attention.  That was important on this particular night, as ARMS had the unenviable task of closing out the show at the end of a five-act bill on a Tuesday night.  The crowd that stayed were more than fairly rewarded.

ARMS are currently in the studio recording their second full length, Summer Skills, which they promise to deliver later this month.

I recorded this set with a high-quality soundboard feed from the Brooklyn Bowl staff, as well as the Schoeps microphones.  The recording heavily emphasizes the board feed due to the distance of the mics from the stage and my desire to minimize the sounds of talking, bowling and the other non-music activities going on during the show.  The sound quality is excellent, albeit with a bit less room ambiance than I personally prefer.  Enjoy!

Stream “Fleeced”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A0811ARMS0210/ARMS-Fleeced2010-11-08.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

ARMS
2010-11-08
Brunch After Dark
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Soundboard+Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, slightly ROC, 12? up
Mastering: 2×24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, mixdown, set fades, limit peaks, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit/44.1kHz)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 Tiger Tamer
02 Dog Days
03 Fleeced
04 High Heels
05 Floaters
06 banter
07 Emily Sue, Cont’d
08 Sore
09 banter
10 Face Gravity
11 banter
12 Heat & Hot Water

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT ARMS, visit their website (where you can download their EP for free), and purchase their music from your preferred retailer.

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