Blog Archives

Oneida: November 21, 2015 Secret Project Robot (Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck)

November 30, 2015
By

Oneida

There is no band more emblematic of the Brooklyn music community than Oneida. From jam sessions in the band’s former Ocropolis studio to the Thank Your Parents weekender; from Brahloweens past to the NYCTaper Anniversary show; from the holiday Oneida Fest at the old Knit to this year’s Thanksgiving potluck, there’s a truly unique binding of community around Oneida’s music. On the weekend before Thanksgiving, friends and family gathered for a celebration of music and food. Admission was free at the door if you brought food and I can almost guarantee not a dollar was exchanged. Around two full tables of food including a turkey, plus all the trimmings and desserts you could imagine, friends old and new gathered to eat off paper plates and see two long-form Oneida sets bookending a set from New Pope (featuring Bobby and Kid Millions of course). For the first set Oneida is joined by Dave Kadden on clarinet; and for the second it’s an epic, extended nine-piece Oneida barreling through forty improvised minutes. To give thanks for Oneida seems a bit silly when there are so many other things to be thankful for. Yet there’s something here greater than just a band or a collection of songs and records—and it’s that intangible greater thing, call it community or simply shared experience, for which we can all be thankful.

I recorded this set with the AKG’s flown high at the back of the room, with a board feed from Secret Project Robot FOH Erik, which supplied much of the vocals. The sound isn’t perfect, but it captures an event. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Oneida

Oneida
2015-11-21
Secret Project Robot
Brooklyn, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Erik) + AKG C480B/CK61 > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, balance, compression, mixdown, normalize, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [1:16:29]
01. Potluck Improvisation 1
02. Potluck Improvisation 2

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Oneida. Visit their website, like them on Facebook, and buy the Positions EP from Rocket Recordings.

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band: November 12, 2015 The Bowery Ballroom + New Show Announcement!

November 24, 2015
By

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band

It’s been a wild, satisfying year for those of us following Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band. I’ve been treated to so many live excursions from the band since January, I’m running out of adjectives. Luckily they’ve got an upcoming 2xLP+7″, The Rarity of Experience, dropping early 2016 to help me replenish my vocabulary. Three songs from this Bowery Ballroom set will feature on that album: “Anthem,” “High Castle Rock,” and “The Rarity of Experience, Parts 1–2.” The back half of the set covers last year’s Intensity Ghost, with “The Ballad of Freer Hollow” and the dreamy, meandering closer “I Ain’t Waiting.” Opening up for the alt-country Futurebirds, you might think Forsyth and gang would hold something back for the unfamiliar audience—instead, they let it rip and I’ll daresay they won over an unsuspecting crowd entirely.

I recorded this set from our usual spot in the venue, with a board feed from FOH Kenny. The sound is fantastic. Enjoy!

New Show Announcement!
We are extremely pleased to be able to bring Chris Forsyth and the Solar Motel Band back to NYC. On December 12, 2015, NYCTaper Presents the band at Trans Pecos. The direct support for this show is provided by the outstanding Maine-based psych-rock band Herbcraft. Tickets are available now at Ticketfly [HERE]. The Facebook invite page is here.

Downloads are available at the Live Music Archive

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band
2015-11-12
The Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Kenny) + AKG C480B/CK61 (PAS) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, compression, mixdown, normalize, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [48:35]
01. Anthem
02. [guitar swap]
03. High Castle Rock
04. [banter]
05. The Rarity of Experience, Parts 1-2
06. [banter]
07. The Ballad of Freer Hollow
08. I Ain’t Waiting

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Chris Forsyth. Visit his website, like him on Facebook, and buy Intensity Ghost from No Quarter.

Lee Ranaldo: November 13, 2015 Trans-Pecos

November 16, 2015
By

Layer 3CM2
[photo by Fred Riedel]

Over the years, we’ve seen Lee Ranaldo and his backing band, The Dust, in a variety of settings. Most have been small clubs, but this Trans-Pecos performance is the most intimate of all not because of its setting but due to the intimate format of the acoustic set. Though billed as a solo gig from Ranaldo, it turned out he brought along Dust-bandmates Alan Licht (who we caught doing his own solo set over the summer) and Raul Fernandez. Nearly every song is accompanied by a contextualizing story that illustrates just how personal each of these songs is for Ranaldo. Four new songs join the well-known tracks off Between the Times & the Tides and Last Night on Earth, followed by a rousing cover of Neil Young’s “Revolution Blues” in celebration of Neil’s recent birthday. That cover underscores the similarities between Ranaldo and Young, both guitar-weilding storytellers who effortlessly pull off the roar and the quiet, sometimes simultaneously.

This show wraps up Lee’s U.S. tour, but he has some upcoming dates in Europe. Those are listed here.

I recorded this set with the AKG’s set up at the lip of the stage, combined with a board feed from Pecos FOH, Chris. The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Lee Ranaldo
2015-11-13
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Chris) + AKG C480B/CK61 (stage lip) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, compression, mixdown, normalize) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (fades, downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [1:30:58]
01. Let’s Start Again
02. Right as Rain
03. [tech break]
04. [new song]
05. Off the Wall
06. Key/Hole
07. [banter]
08. Skeleton
09. Xtina as I Knew Her
10. Home Chds
11. Ambulancer
12. The Rising Tide
13. Lecce, Leaving
14. Revolution Blues [Neil Young]

Support Lee Ranaldo: Website | FacebookBuy Lee Ranaldo and the Dust records from Matador

E: October 23, 2015 Cake Shop

November 6, 2015
By

E

E—also known as A Band Called E—is the experimental rock trio of Thalia Zedek (ex-Come), Jason Sidney Sanford (ex-Neptune), and Gavin McCarthy (ex-Karate). Operating since 2013, the band has remained fairly low key until now. In fact, this Cake Shop performance marks their NYC debut. They’ve got a 7″ out, but it appears that may be only at the merch table for now as I can’t find reference to it on the ‘net. So I was a little surprised when they packed the space for their opening set—I guess I’m the only one who didn’t get the memo. Luckily I too showed up early to bear witness to E’s awesome power. Through eight songs, the band is utterly on fire for their thirty-plus minute set, not straying from the intensity for even a minute. Zedek and Sanford share vocal duties throughout the set and from the interplay of the three musicians (particularly on “I Want to Feel Good”), it’s clear that despite remaining low profile they’re nevertheless extremely comfortable playing together. I hope their efforts result in an album soon. Until then, please enjoy this recording as much as those who were in attendance.

E will be back in the area on December 8 for a show at Union Pool with NYCTaper-favs, 75 Dollar Bill. Be there!

I recorded this set with the AKG’s set up on the ceiling at the edge of the stage, combined with an expert, true stereo board feed from Cake Shop FOH, Clint. The results are nothing short of spectacular. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

E
2015-10-23
Cake Shop
New York, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Clint) + AKG C480B/CK61 (stage lip) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, mixdown, compression, normalize, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [31:49]
01. Regatta
02. I Want to Feel Good
03. The Archer
04. Water
05. Delicate Fingers
06. Silo
07. Treeline
08. Great Light

All songs copyright E, 2015

Support E: Facebook | Website

Kinski: October 23, 2015 Cake Shop

November 3, 2015
By

Kinski

Call it post-rock or psych-rock if you want, but make sure your emphasis is on the rock. Since 1998, Seattle’s Kinski have been churning out a slew of records, many for Sub Pop and most recently with Kill Rock Stars, who released 2013’s Cosy Moments and this year’s 7 (or 8). The latter title is a reference to the band’s slightly confusing discography, though it’s not overly messy in any respect. I had some vague familiarity with Kinski prior but was still very much a newcomer a couple weeks back, seeing them live for the first time. The band stopped by Cake Shop on their brief East Coast tour to open for Oneida (that set here) and had the small room packed to the gills by a crowd clearly more in-the-know than me. This set draws mostly from 7 (or 8), adding a couple yet-to-be-titled songs and one classic cut, “Crybaby Blowout” off Down Below It’s Chaos (2007). One of my favorites from this set is off a (sadly, sold out at the source) split EP with Sandrider released earlier this year, the moody and impeccably-titled “The Narcotic Comforts of the Status Quo.”

I recorded this set with the AKG’s set up on the ceiling at the edge of the stage, combined with an expert, true stereo board feed from Cake Shop FOH, Clint. The results are nothing short of spectacular. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Kinski
2015-10-23
Cake Shop
New York, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Clint) + AKG C480B/CK61 (stage lip) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, mixdown, normalize, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [39:20]
01. I Fell Like a Fucking Flower
02. Flight Risk
03. Drink Up and Be Somebody
04. (Untitled)
05. Crybaby Blowout
06. The Narcotic Comforts of the Status Quo
07. (Untitled)
08. Detroit Trickle Down

Support Kinski: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Buy Kinski albums and merch via Kill Rock Stars

Oneida: October 23, 2015 Cake Shop

October 27, 2015
By

Oneida
[photos courtesy of P Squared Photography]

For our umpteenth Oneida recording, it’s a grab bag of songs and a nearly “classic”-era lineup—here a four piece minus Barry and (un?)official Oneida bassist James McNew (currently on tour with some other band). First up is their cover of This Heat’s “S.P.Q.R.” due for release soon on the upcoming Positions EP on Rocket Recordings. That segues noisily into a medley of two newer Oneida compositions, “Cedars” and “Bad Habit,” the latter not heard from since May 2012 (though it was also released on the Brah Tapes set last year, currently available at the band’s merch table). Classic O-jams “All Arounder,” “Up With People,” and “I Will Haunt You” follow. The band then wraps things up with an eighteen-minute encore of the perennial Oneida tune, “Sheets of Easter.” I’m sure there are a few people out there for whom “Sheets” would be an exasperating experience; however die-hard Oneida fans are a rare sort and each time I hear it played the crowd reacts as if no song were more welcome. The finest bands bring the finest fans, no doubt.

I recorded this set with the AKG’s set up on the ceiling at the edge of the stage, combined with an expert, true stereo board feed from Cake Shop FOH, Clint. The results are nothing short of spectacular. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Kid Millions of Oneida

Oneida
2015-10-23
Cake Shop
New York, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Clint) + AKG C480B/CK61 (stage lip) > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, mixdown, normalize, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [01:06:22]
01. [Intro]
02. S.P.Q.R. [This Heat]
03. Cedars
04. Bad Habit
05. All Arounder
06. [banter]
07. Up With People
08. [banter]
09. I Will Haunt You
10. [encore break]
11. Sheets of Easter

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Oneida. Visit their website, like them on Facebook, and buy the Positions EP from Rocket Recordings.

Obnox: September 12, 2015 CAM, Raleigh, NC (Hopscotch Music Festival)

October 26, 2015
By

Obnox
[Photos by Rumbleseat]

David Schwentker reports:

Lamont ‘Bim’ Thomas has kept time in plenty of great bands over the past 20-plus years (Bassholes, This Moment In Black History, Puffy Areolas, etc.), but in the past few years he’s hit a real stride as a guitarist and frontman, releasing a string of albums that continue to increase in both quality and quantity, under the name Obnox. Having played a headlining show on the festival’s Friday night last year, and set to play another one the night of this show as 1/3 of the supergroup Blaxxx, the festival saw fit to go ahead and book Obnox to play their official day party. The setting for this year’s party was the Contemporary Art Museum, a sterile, wide open space that can be an odd venue for a garage punk show, especially with 4:00 pm afternoon sunlight streaming in through the building’s expansive windows. While perhaps a little bemused by the setting and time of day, Thomas blazed through a tight nine song set, accompanied on drums by the “best bandmate he’s ever had,” the powerful Roseanna Safos. While Obnox has released three full length albums this year on the 12XU and Ever/Never labels, most of this set is drawn from the band’s earlier singles and first LP, including covers of Don Howland (Thomas’ bandmate in the Bassholes) and Andre Williams songs. A slight bummer if you were looking forward to hearing the newer songs in a live setting, but not a lasting one, as these songs are catchy and rockin’, and if you can’t have fun at an Obnox show, then I can’t help you. Plus, this recording makes a nice compliment to the Obnox show at the Cake Shop in NYC, posted on this site earlier this year, as the sets only share two common songs.

This recording was captured by area taper Rumbleset, with the same setup as the Moon Duo recording previously posted on this site: two sets of mics, Church Audio CA-11s on the ceiling and Shure SM-57s on stage, combined with a soundboard feed. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Obnox returns to NYC on November 6 for a show at Pianos. Tickets are available here.

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Obnox
2015-09-12
Hopscotch Music Festival Day Party
CAM
Raleigh, NC USA

Three separate audio sources were used to create this recording:
1) Church Audio CA-11 (cardioid) stereo microphones mounted on the ceiling > Naiant Studio PFA phantom power adapter.
2) Direct line-level stereo board feed. (Technician was Roger Dennis, RMB Audio)
3) Stereo pair of Shure SM-57 microphones at 90 degrees, diaphragms about 10 inches apart, on a stand at the front of the stage.

These three sources were captured with a Tascam DR-680 MKII recorder as 48 kHz, 24 bit wave files.
The files were mixed and processed with Audacity and Magix Audio Cleaning Lab

Taped and mixed by Rumbleseat

Tracks [30:52]
01. Rock N Roll Babylon
02. Bitch! Get Money!
03. [banter]
04. Jack N Jill [Don Howland]
05. Without Aa Soul
06. Dr. Dank Vs. Dr. Middie
07. [banter]
08. The Get It Inn
09. I’m Bleeding Now
10. Only Black Man in South Dakota

Support Obnox: Facebook | Buy Wiglet, Know America, and other Obnox records from 12XU

Spray Paint: October 16, 2015 Union Pool (R.I.P. SVT CMJ Party)

October 22, 2015
By

Spray Paint

It’s been a mere six-ish months since we last caught Spray Paint. And in that time, the band has released not one but two new albums: Punters on a Barge and most recently, Dopers. Each album finds the band exploring new sounds and textures, but don’t think that they’ve abandoned their minimalist sound—these new tunes are still unequivocally Spray Paint. Dopers especially is darker than any material they’ve released previously, working up unsettling themes and making music you might use to soundtrack a Troma film. If you’ve heard Spray Paint before, these albums are more of what you love. And if you haven’t: meet your new favorite band.

In contrast to April’s show, which featured many of the bands earliest songs like “Spock Fingers,” “Squaw,” and “Pink Pus,” this one leans more heavily on the newer material. “Polar Beer” is one of the (many) highlights off Punters on a Barge so I was very pleased to hear that one live. “Thrash Master,” “Signal Master,” and “Bad Times” are off Dopers and my appreciation for them has only increased as I’ve absorbed the record. At their current pace I’m sure they’ll have some new music out soon—in the meantime, I’ve got some heavy listening to do.

Spray Paint wrap up their short tour with a record release show tonight (Oct. 22) at Hotel Vegas in Austin. Be sure and catch that if you find yourself out that way.

I recorded this set from our usual location in Union Pool with a board feed from FOH Robert. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Spray Paint
2015-10-16
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Robert) + AKG C480B/CK63 > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, mixdown, normalize, fades) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [32:07]
01. Bring Dumpster Back
02. Ian’s Theme
03. Polar Beer
04. Middle Relief
05. Thrash Master
06. Canadian Trash
07. Signal Master
08. Bad Times
09. Ultimate Umpire
10. Rest Versus Rust
11. Cussin’

Support Spray Paint: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Buy Dopers and other Spray Paint records from Monofonus

Blaxxx: September 11, 2015 Slim’s, Raleigh, NC (Hopscotch Music Festival)

October 21, 2015
By

Blaxxx

David Schwentker tapes and reports:

Because Lamont ‘Bim’ Thomas is not prolific enough with his main project, Obnox, last year during SXSW he decided to hit the studio with half of the OBN IIIs (Orville Neely and Tom Triplett) to bash out some Ohio-meets-Texas blues punk. Lucky for us, 12XU Records released the recordings of this garage super-group on a 12″ earlier this year, under the name Blaxxx. As an added bonus, the trio is still getting together to play shows here and there, and for a good selection of Hopscotch Music Festival fans, their headlining slot at Slim’s on the festival’s middle night was a set circled in permanent ink.

Thomas is no stranger to the festival, as Obnox played the exact same 12:00 slot at Slim’s on the festival’s Friday night last year. By midnight on Friday, Neely and Thomas were festival vets too, having headlined a different club on Thursday night with the OBN IIIs. In fact, both Obnox and OBN IIIs played day party shows on Friday this year as well, and if you ran across town like me, you were able to catch almost all of both of those sets.

Thanks to a blistering, sub-twenty minute set from Raleigh punks No Love, Blaxxx had plenty of time to set up their gear. Hopscotch Music Festival runs remarkably on time at every venue every year, but this was the first time I’d seen the fourth band of the night ready to play 15 minutes before their specified time. With their mics not going live until midnight, the band could have elected to go spend their time hanging out. Instead, they just started playing anyway, treating the fans that were already assembled to an impromptu 11 minute instrumental jam. When the mics came on at midnight, Thomas told a story of encountering Iron Maiden one day in 1988, while working at Cedar Point Amusement Park and having them sign the only piece of paper he could find, his Social Security card. From there, the band was off, playing extended versions of 3 tracks from their “For No Apparent Reason” 12″.

Hopefully we’ll see more tunes from this band in the future, but until then, this recording is a great companion to the debut vinyl release. Slim’s is a small club where not all of the instruments are even mic’d, so this recording was captured by a pair of Church Audio omni directional mics mounted in the ceiling above the crowd. While this recording may be a little less polished than much of what is offered on this site, it’s a great representation of what it was like to be standing at the lip of the tiny stage, right in front of the band.

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Blaxxx
2015-09-11
Hopscotch Music Festival
Slim’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by David Schwentker

Church Audio CA-1 (omni) > Olympus LS-10 > WAV > Audacity (track, mixing) > Trader’s Little Helper (conversions) > FLAC (level 8) > foobar2000 (tagging)

Tracks:
01 [intro]
02 [pre-set jam]
03 [banter]
04 Cut Em Down
05 Let Me Hold Your Hand
06 Get A Hold Of Your Life

Support Blaxxx: Buy the For No Apparent Reason EP from 12XU

Wizard Rifle: September 11, 2015 Pour House, Raleigh, NC (Hopscotch Music Festival)

October 16, 2015
By

Wizard Rifle
[Photo by Karen A. Mann]

Though Wizard Rifle has been on my radar for a little while now, it took a trip down to Raleigh for me to finally catch this Brooklyn-by-way-of-Portland duo. Their sound is hard to pin down, but fits in somewhere between progressive metal and Sabbath-y sludge. This set from Hopscotch drew a packed crowd to the Pour House for a heavy bill that also featured Tombs and Old Man Gloom—which is to say that Wizard Rifle were in good company. Three out of four of these songs—”Megatherium,” “Tears Won’t Soften Steel,” and “Leathery Gentlemen”—are off the first Wizard Rifle record, Speak Loud Say Nothing. The fourth, “Psychodynamo,” is off of last year’s Here in the Deadlights. If you haven’t heard either record, I encourage you to do so immediately because both are killer. Seeing them live finally only proves their chops are for real and I’m anticipating catching them again soon on their—and my—home turf. Dig in!

I recorded this set with the mics mounted near the soundboard plus a feed from the Pour House’s FOH Jack. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC]

Stream the complete show:

Wizard Rifle
2015-09-11
Hopscotch Music Festival
Pour House
Raleigh, NC

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by Eric PH

Soundboard (engineer: Jack) + AKG CK61 > actives > Roland R-26 > 2xWAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, balance, mixdown, normalize, fades) > Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (downsample, dither, tracking, tagging) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [40:50]
01. Megatherium
02. [banter]
03. Tears Won’t Soften Steel
04. Psychodynamo
05. [banter]
06. Leathery Gentlemen

Support Wizard Rifle: Bandcamp | Facebook | Buy Here in the Deadlights via Seventh Rule.

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