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[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:https://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:https://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 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.

[Moon Duo performing at the Woodsist Fest in Big Sur. Photos courtesy of Chris Juarez]

Moon Duo may be from San Francisco, but their sound most clearly references a famed New York City band, the 1970s art-punk duo Suicide. Featuring Sanae Yamada and Erik “Ripley” Johnson, best known for his work as guitarist for the Wooden Shjips, the band does not require a lot of personnel to bring a room-filling load of noise. With dense, overwhelming bass, ghostly, buried vocals, and swerving guitars, the band plays deeply hypnotic pop that could soundtrack a dream or an acid trip. Kicking off the Woodsist showcase at the 2010 Northside Festival at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Moon Duo’s half-hour of mind-bending psychedelia to set the the tone. Several songs were from the band’s EP Escape, which was released this year on Woodsist.

I recorded this set with a combination of hypercardiod and omnidirectional microphones, which perfectly captured the immensity of the band’s sound, from the same location as the Fresh and Onlys recording. Please help out with the names of the missing song titles if you can. Enjoy!

Download the MP3 files [HERE]

Download the complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Stream the complete show:

Moon Duo
2010-06-25
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641+DPA 4061>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to left side of sound booth, 10ft up, Schoeps DIN, DPAs 2ft split A/B
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance channels)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks (please help with the missing song titles)
01
02 Stumbling 22nd Street
03
04 Dead West
05 Motorcycle I Love You

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Moon Duo, visit their website, and purchase Escape from Woodsist records here.

[Photo by CharlieTakesPhotos.  See his Flickr stream here]

Los Angeles-based Fol Chen made a perfect opening act for Liars at this packed Sunday night show back in April at Music Hall of Williamsburg.  Though Liars’ style may be a bit heavier, both bands play music that treads outside the boundaries of normal song structure and typical rock style (if such a thing exists these days anyway).  Little that the band does is obvious, with a theatrical, beat-driven sound that isn’t easily categorized. The set kicked off with the catchy and hypnotic “Red Skies Over Garden City”, my favorite from the band’s debut, John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made.  From there, the band played a few songs from their latest record (released this week), Part II: The New December, as well as the unreleased and never-recorded “The Nudibranch Paradox.”  Live, the band’s sound has a much sparer, more rock feel that emphasizes the live drums and the vocal harmonies.  Although it is a departure from their records to an extent, it is a welcome change, showing that the songs can stand on their own without studio wizardry.  We are releasing this recording at this somewhat delayed date at Fol Chen’s request, as they did not want our live recording to “preview” their new songs until they were officially released.  Now that their new record is out, please check out Part II: The New December and find out more about this excellent band.

I recorded this set from our usual spot in the venue.  Other than a few chatterers here and there, the sound is excellent. Thanks to Fol Chen for releasing the recording, and for their help with tracking and song titles.  Enjoy!

Please note that as the Liars performance was being recorded for a live album that will feature the entire April 18th performance.  Therefore, although it was recorded, NYCTaper will not be releasing this recording.  The live album will be worth the wait once released!

Stream “The Nudibranch Paradox”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F8140FolChen1020/folchen-nudibranchparadox.mp3]

Stream “Red Skies Over Garden City”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F8140FolChen1020/folchen-redskies.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Fol Chen
2010-04-18
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Naiant littlebox>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to left of sound booth, 11? up, DIN
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance channels, downsample)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks
01 Red Skies Over Garden City [fades in]
02 Winter, That’s All
03 The Nudibranch Paradox
04 They Came To Me
05 [banter]
06 Men, Beasts or Houses (Parts I and II)
07 Please John, You’re Killing Me
08 Cable TV
09 Ruins (Dawn Patrol Mix)
10 This Is Where the Road Belongs
11 The Holograms

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Fol Chen, visit their website, and purchase Part II: The New December and their other records from Asthmatic Kitty here.

[Photos courtesy of Stephanie Keith]

The Heartless Bastards are one of those acts that are flat-out solid.  With a heavy dose of Midwestern charm (they’re from Cincinnati) and bluesy rock riffs, this is a band that can be counted on, show after show, to give a memorable performance.  Vocalist Erika Wennerstrom’s cigarettes-and-whiskey voice has never sounded better, and this surprisingly boozed up Wednesday night Music Hall of Williamsburg crowd knew it, too, whooping their appreciation for the full 90+ minutes of their set.  This newish lineup (as of 2008) rocks like a bar band made good, but they also have considerable chops.  The Bastards also joined with opening act Peter Wolf Crier (also recorded; coming soon) for a special rendition of “Be So Happy”.  Another highlight was “All This Time”, featuring an extended intro from drummer Dave Colvin.

At the request of the Music Hall staff, Johnny Fried Chicken Boy and I moved our gear to the balcony.  The sound up there tends to have more sound reflection than the floor, but with some further editing to reduce that characteristic, this recording using a four mic combination of Schoeps hypercardiods and the DPA 4021s is of excellent quality (and the crowd is much quieter, too!).

Stream “All This Time”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H6602HB9922/HeartlessBastards-AllThisTime.mp3]

Stream “Be So Happy” with Peter Wolf Crier:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H6602HB9922/HeartlessBastards-BeSoHappy.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Heartless Bastards
2010-07-14
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641+DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Balcony clamp, DFC, DPAs X/Y, Schoeps pointed down at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, EQ (trim bass frequencies/room resonances, slight bump at 10kHz), amplify and balance channels, compression on a couple of peaks)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks [Total Time 1:36:54]
01 Into the Open
02 Done Got Old
03 Out at Sea
04 Onions
05 Witchy Poo
06 [banter]
07 Blue Day
08 I Swallowed A Dragon Fly
09 [banter]
10 So Quiet
11 Had To Go
12 All This Time
13 The Mountain
14 Sway
15 Hold Your Head High
16 Swamp Song
17 Nothing Seems the Same
18 Early In the Morning
19 [encore break]
20 Be So Happy (with Peter Wolf Crier)
21 Gray
22 Runnin

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

[Photos courtesy of Jessica Amaya and BrooklynVegan]

With but one (excellent) record to their name, Memory Tapes have risen fast, thanks in part to Pitchfork’s love for their debut, but in larger part thanks to their unique, synth-driven sound and a surprisingly rocking live show.  The band had the honor of headlining BrooklynVegan’s showcase for the 2010 Northside Festival at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and they delivered with a free-flowing set backed by a killer light show.  Despite being a two-man act, frontman Dayve Hawk and drummer Matt Maraldo proved able to throw down for the Saturday night crowd.  As with their last show that we recorded back in February, the band drew out the length of several numbers with extended instrumental play.

I recorded this set from the same location as the Twin Sister recording and the sound is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream the entire show:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M0302Memory2101/mt2010-06-26mhow_acidjack.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE).

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Memory Tapes
2010-06-26
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641+DPA 4021>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to left side of sound booth, mics at 8ft, DPAs ORTF, hypers DIN
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, EQ, amplify and balance channels, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Bicycle
02 [unknown]
03 Graphics
04 Plain Material
05 Green Knight
06 Stop Talking>Bicycle
07 [unknown]
08 [unknown]

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Memory Tapes, visit the MySpace page, visit Dayve’s blog, and purchase Seek Magic directly from the Acephale Records website (here) or Rough Trade (here).

[Photo courtesy of Nicole Wasilewicz at FREEwilliamsburg]

While a lot of the opening night crowd for the 2010 Northside Festival was busy speculating about/preemptively hating on the Wavves set that was about to happen later in the night, Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings came out without a lot of fanfare and straight up rocked it.  Cloud Nothings is the project of songwriter Dylan Baldi, whose sound was described on one blog as “bedroom punk”, which seems accurate enough.  Indeed, these guys could be kindred spirits of the earlier Wavves, albeit with a more upbeat and less weed-driven (at least lyrically) style.  Live, the band made for a perfect lead-in for the chaos to follow, delivering material from their LP, Turning On in rapid-fire style to amp up the crowd.  Some post-show reports called Cloud Nothings the best band of the night – and those accolades weren’t all from Wavves-haters, either.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed and the Schoeps mics, just like the Wavves set, and the sound is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Exactly What I Want”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C4206CloudNothings0210/cloudnothings_nyctaper.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Cloud Nothings
2010-06-24
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to right side of sbd booth, 8 ft up, DIN
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, slight EQ, adjust levels, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks
01 Didn’t You
02 Can’t Stay Awake
03 Morgan
04 Even If It Worked Out
05 Too Long
06 Exactly What I Want
07 Hey Cool Kid
08 Turning On

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Cloud Nothings, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Turning On from Bridgetown Records here.