nyctaper Recordings

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Eli Winter: September 14, 2019 Trans-Pecos

November 9, 2019
By

If you follow this site, you know that we are fans of “American primitive guitar” and have documented much of its greatest musicians in live performance. As examples, Daniel Bachman, Glenn Jones, Richard Bishop, Chuck Johnson, Bill Orcutt, Ben Chasny, and William Tyler have all graced these pages, often multiple times. If there’s a “wunderkind” of APG its our featured performer for today, Eli Winter. A native of Houston who went to college in Chicago, Winter has been around the scene since he was in his teens. The first time I heard a live recording several years back, it seemed pretty obvious to me that Eli Winter was a unique talent and a person with skills far beyond his modest years.

In 2019, the music world seems to have taken notice. Winter released his first full length record The Time To Come, and was selected by Ryley Walker to appear on a the Walker-curated release on Tomkins Square Records called Imaginational Anthem. In the Fall, Winter self-booked an fairly extensive tour of the Northeast and we were fortunate to be able to present him as direct support for the Walker/Grubbs duo show at Trans-Pecos in mid-September. Winter’s set was exactly what we had hoped to see — a showcase for a generational talent who could literally become the face of American primitive guitar in the decades to come. We fully expect to be attending Eli Winter shows for years to come, in progressively larger venues. But for now, this Trans-Pecos gig will suffice.

This set was recorded straight from the soundboard to a thumb drive. Due to the quiet nature of the show, the volume was quite low and elevating levels did produce some minor hiss. Otherwise, this is a quite listenable recording. Enjoy!

Download the Complete Show [MP3] / [FLAC]

Stream the Complete Show (minus banter):

Eli Winter
2019-09-12
Trans-Pecos
Ridgewood NY

Digital Master Soundboard Recording

Soundboard > 16bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (post-production) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Produced by nyctaper

Setlist:
[Total Time 45:56]
01 Untitled
02 [banter]
03 Knock It Out
04 [tuning]
05 The Time To Come

SUPPORT Eli Winter: website | bandcamp

Sunburned Hand of the Man: October 3, 2019 Nublu

November 8, 2019
By

Sunburned Hand of the Man are the type of act that people might call “hard to pin down.” Over their sprawling catalog (their sprawling bandcamp page has only a fraction of their 100+ titles) these guys’ music runs the gamut from the bizarre (“Clowns In Jail”) to the improvisationally psychedelic (the “Blizzard of Zozz” show we recorded in 2017) to bordering-on-conventional songs (recently-released “microdose” Intentions).

This night at Nublu fell somewhat in between the two, as a relatively stripped-down version of the band performed this long-form improv with a running spoken word narrative, with a current of the occult running throughout. It felt appropriate to the season, and was a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Dig in.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V microphones up front in the venue on the right side. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC/ALAC]

Sunburned Hand of the Man
2019-10-03
Nublu
New York, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK4V (FOB, ROC)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices MixPre6>24/48 WAV>Adobe Audition CC>Izotope Ozone 5>Audacity 2.3.0>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 New Blue Sounds

GO BUY THE DIGITAL DISCOGRAPHY. TRUST US.

Long Hots: September 7, 2019 Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC)

November 6, 2019
By

Did you make a mistake and miss Philly’s Long Hots at their two prior Three Lobed / WXDU day show appearances during Hopscotch? Might’ve been an easier ticket than getting into the door at the packed Slim’s this year, where the Hots brought the fire in this seven song set. This show was so slammed I couldn’t even get in the door, but our man Dave Schwentker had it covered with a fine setup. Don’t let that bookstore ad fool you into thinking that this was anything less than what it was: a no-BS guitar slammer that, for those who actually got in the door, was one of the highlights of the entire festival.

Dave recorded this set with Church Audio CA-1 mics mounted on the ceiling, into an Olympus LS-10. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC]

Long Hots
2019-09-07
Hopscotch Music Festival
Slim’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Long Hots
2019-09-07
Hopscotch Music Festival
Slim’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by David Schwentker

Church Audio CA-1>Olympus LS-10>16/44 WAV>stuff>FLAC

Tracks
01 They Do What We Want
02 Mama
03 Die Die Die
04 Devil Song
05 Boogie Trance
06 Nickel & Dime
07 One Chip Over the Line

Please support Long Hots: bandcamp

One Eleven Heavy: September 14, 2019 Trans-Pecos

November 5, 2019
By
photos by PSquared Photography

The days are getting shorter, which means it’s the perfect time for a little sunshine from One Eleven Heavy. The band concluded their US tour for Desire Path with this set at Trans-Pecos, slinging positive vibes and good tunes. A little shorter than their tour opener at Union Pool a couple weeks previously, this set nevertheless boogies pretty hard (and sounds a little better to boot).

I recorded this with MBHO mics in DIN stereo configuration at the stage lip, combined with a board feed from Trans-Pecos FOH, RL. The sound is outstanding. Enjoy!

Download MP3/FLAC



One Eleven Heavy
2019-09-14
Trans-Pecos
Queens, NY

Recorded and produced by Eric PH for nyctaper.com

Soundboard (engineer: RL) + MBHO KA200N/603A (DIN, stag lip) > Naiant PFA >> Sound Devices MixPre-6 > WAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (mixdown, compression, normalize, fades) + Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, imaging, compression) > Audacity 2.0.5 (tracking, tagging, downsample, dither) > FLAC (16/44.1, level 8)

Tracks [46:16]
01. Old Hope Chest
02. Stir
03. House of Cards
04. Chickenshit
05. Mardi Gras
06. Fickle Wind
07. Hot Potato Soup
08. Crosses

Ryley Walker: September 6, 2019 Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC)

November 1, 2019
By

What else to say about Ryley Walker? We first saw the champ at this festival, Hopscotch, way back in 2014. In that span of 5 years, he’s expanded his sound, produced definitive records (and the definitive Dave Matthews cover album), gotten wild, gotten sober, and hit stages all over the world. As much has changed, his essence hasn’t — a relentlessly searching, gifted musician who doesn’t pause his growth to keep his audience comfortable, but gives that audience his very best every night. If being the top card late at night at Nash Hall wouldn’t seem like the right opportunity for a wild 90-minute set, you need to know more about Ryley.

Beautifully recorded by our bud Randy Hoke, this set has all the elements — some inside-baseball music biz comedy, classic songs (“On the Banks of the Old Kishwaukee”), and of course, long-form improvisation, in particular, the closing “Primrose Green,” which Ryley seemed determined to push as far from its roots as possible. I think he agrees with us that among his many performances this year, this one was a particular winner. Have a listen and I think you’ll agree.

In a useful piece of Ryley news, he’s launched his own private press label, which includes a sold-out LP pressing of his Walker/Jewel/Gunn trio performance from Union Pool back in March. If you’re lucky, you might find a copy out on tour…

Randy recorded this set with a soundboard feed, AKG shotgun mics at the back of the room, and onstage AKG mics. Even though this room is a challenge, he made an outstanding recording. Enjoy!

Download the complete show at the Live Music Archive

Ryley Walker
2019-09-06
Hopscotch Music Festival
Nash Hall
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by Randy Hoke
Tracking by acidjack

AKG 568EB (slightly LOC, PAS) + AKG 480/CK61 (onstage, approx DIN) + Soundboard>>Tascam DR-680>3×24/48 WAV>editing>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:24:06]
01 [intro banter]
02 Telluride Speed
03 [banter/tuning]
04 The Halfwit In Me
05 [banter2]
06 Spoil With the Rest
07 [banter3]
08 22 Days
09 [banter4]
10 On the Banks of the Old Kishwaukee
11 [banter5]
12 Opposite Middle
13 [banter6]
14 Primrose Green

PLEASE SUPPORT RYLEY WALKER: Bandcamp | Dead Oceans

Pernice Brothers: October 20, 2019 Mercury Lounge

October 30, 2019
By
Photos by PSquared Photography

The calendar year 1999 was one of great upheaval and positive personal change in my life and of the few records that soundtracked that eventful year, The Pernice Brothers Overcome By Happiness was right at the top. The album was a breakthrough of sorts for Joe Pernice, whose previous project the alt-country Scud Mountain Boys had disbanded after one album on Sub Pop Records. Overcome was a master work of perfectly written pop gems that touched on elements of alt-folk and chamber pop, and was an album created among a fellowship of Joe’s best friends at the time, including his brother Bob. There’s a great piece in Magnet Classics that describes the making the album [here].

When it was announced earlier this year that the Pernice Brothers would be returning with a new album for the first time in nearly a decade, I revisited Overcome and twenty years on, the album definitely stands the test of time. So kudos to my 1999 self for recognizing its brilliance and for continuing to follow the band through five more excellent albums before the hiatus. We were also lucky to have caught them live several times last decade, including at Mercury Lounge in 2006, a show I recorded mere months before NYCTaper became a thing. That Merc show it ends up would be the last Pernice Brothers show in NYC for thirteen years until this month.

The new album Spread The Feeling is a remarkable return to form for Pernice Brothers. The wit, wisdom, and melancholy that pervades the band’s catalog is clearly present, but this time around Joe Pernice tackles a variety of new subjects, including the abusive priests, drug abuse, and fatherhood, in a batch of songs that seem to be flexing more musical muscle than the band’s previous outings — albeit with virtually the same set of contributors.

The handful of dates that were announced included a return to Mercury Lounge and we were so pleased to be there and be permitted to record. What transpired was literally exactly what we had hoped to see. The band was tight and in great spirits, and the setlist featured both a substantial number of tracks from the new album, a nice selection of classic tracks, a classic cover, and quite a bit of a hilarious banter. And the early set time allowed me to fully experience this event, pack up, and go a few blocks to also see the Luna show we posted earlier. Quite an unforgettable night.

Joe Pernice announced on his active twitter account that the band will return with dates in the new year, and we’re hoping that includes another NYC show.

I recorded this set with the Neumann hypers mounted next to the soundboard and mixed with an excellent feed by FOH Manny. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Download the Complete Show [MP3] / [FLAC]

Stream the Complete Show (minus banter):

Pernice Brothers
2019-10-20
Mercury Lounge
New York NY

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Sound Devices 744t > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (post-production) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Please support this legendary band:
https://pernicebrothers.bandcamp.com/
http://pernicebrothers.com/

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:04:56]
01 [intro]
02 Eric Saw Colors
03 [band introductions]
04 Lullabye
05 [banter – first show]
06 Monkey Suit
07 [banter – thermometer]
08 The Ballad of Bjorn Borg
09 Something for You
10 [banter – are you high]
11 There Goes the Sun
12 Skinny Jeanne
13 I Came Back
14 [banter – Cardinal Law]
15 Always in All Ways
16 [banter – whisper]
17 She Don’t Care About Time [Gene Clark cover]
18 Baby in Two
19 Throw Me to The Lions
20 Mint Condition
21 Working Girls
22 [banter – Elvis]
23 The Weakest Shade of Blue
24 [non-encore break]
25 Somerville

PLEASE SUPPORT Pernice Brothers: website | buy Spread the Feeling on Bandcamp

Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society: October 4, 2019 Union Pool

October 29, 2019
By

It seems reductive to call Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society “jazz,” but language has limits that music does not. To quote our friend Eric PH in his own earlier review, “Mandatory Reality, the latest double-LP from Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society, sounds like a band erasing borders.” I couldn’t agree more — and this night’s single session, dubbed “Surveil Echo Analeptic” by Abrams, plumbs yet more deep territory, incorporating elements of drone, traditional North African music and, yes, jazz into a hypnotic moment. Joined on this night at Union Pool by the very special guest Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White, etc.), Abrams (on the guimbri), Lisa Alvarado (harmonium), Jason Stein (bass clarinet) and White created a piece that felt free and otherworldly, but no less meticulous; Abrams is a master at creating an environment that elevates all players rather than restrain them.

In further good news, while Abrams’ catalog of releases on experimental Northampton, Mass. label Eremite Records are almost perpetually sold out, a second pressing of Mandatory Reality has appeared. Get it while you still can.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK22 “open cardiod” mics and a soundboard feed from Doug Graham. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Thanks to Joshua Abrams for permitting us to record and share the performance.

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC/ALAC]

Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society
2019-10-04
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard (engineer: Doug Graham) + Schoeps MK22>KCY>Z-PFA>>Sound Devices MixPre6>24/48 polyWAV>Adobe Audition CC>Izotope Ozone 5>Audacity 2.3.0>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Surveil Echo Analeptic

Natural Information Society on this night:
Joshua Abrams – guimbri, composition
Lisa Alvarado – harmonium
Jason Stein – bass clarinet
Jim White – drums

• Buy Mandatory Reality: Vinyl via Eremite Records / Digital via Bandcamp
• • NaturalInformationSociety.com

Mdou Moctar: September 7, 2019: Hopscotch Music Festival (Raleigh, NC)

October 28, 2019
By
Photo by Rodney Boles

On the final night of the Hopscotch Music Festival, our buds at Kings curated an eclectic show that featured two recordings we have already shared (Moon Duo and Boogarins), a superb set from “house” band Birds of Avalon, Kid Millions, and another very special international guest, Mdou Moctar. Hailing from a small village in Niger, Moctar has received international acclaim as one of the best-known Tuareg guitarists. If you’re not familiar with the Saharan brand of rock music, or you have no idea what that means, let me put it more simply: this guy shreds like Jimi Hendrix. His latest LP, Ilana, the Creator was recorded in Detroit, and is already making its way onto early “best of 2019” lists for obvious reasons. Moctar’s work is special not only for its technical virtuosity but for his willingness to expand upon the genre’s conventions, as well as focus on original music over standards and covers. These four songs will give you a taste of what Moctar is about, but really, do yourself a favor and head to Sahel Sounds to get educated not only about his work, but the variety of 21st century African artists they represent. (Jesse Jarnow wrote an excellent piece about the label here). And keep your eye on those “best of 2019” lists — I know Mdou Moctar is making mine.

I recorded this set with onstage Schoeps MK5 microphones, MBHO microphones back at the soundboard, and a soundboard feed. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Thanks to Mdou Moctar and his management team for letting us share the recording.

Download the complete show: [FLAC/ALAC/MP3]

Mdou Moctar
2019-09-07
Hopscotch Music Festival
Kings
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK5c (onstage, XY)>KC5>CMC6 + MBHO MBP603a/KA200N (at SBD, PAS)>Aerco MP-2>>Sound Devices MixPre6>24/48 polyWAV>Adobe Audition CC>Izotope Ozone 5>Audacity 2.3.0>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Iblis Amghar
02 [tuning]
03 Ilana
04 Afrique Victime
05 Tarhatazed

PLEASE SUPPORT Mdou Moctar – buy Ilana, the Creator from Sahel Sounds

Luna: October 20, 2019 Bowery Ballroom

October 23, 2019
By
Photo by Ellen Qbertplaya

The Luna tour that just completed was a big one. The band played seventeen shows in twenty days, and played a complete album every night, alternating between Lunapark, Bewitched, and Penthouse. The added bonus was the appearance of original bassist Justin Harwood, who shared duties with Britta Phillips throughout the shows and also allowed Britta to provide some vocal harmonies when Justin performed.

Now five years into their reunion, we’ve already noted that Luna seems poised to stick around as a working band and their performances have been revelations of consistency and excellence. And the fans seem to agree — both Bowery shows were sold out and it was actually a bit of a chore to score a ticket (thanks generous friend!). We did get one at the last minute for Sunday night’s show, and were fortunate to have captured this show.

Sunday night at Bowery was a Penthouse night and the band’s first set was a meticulous performance of the album, with personal favorite “23 Minutes in Brussels” as my highlight. After a brief intermission, the band returned to play the bonus or hidden track of “Bonnie and Clyde”, followed by a neat set of favorites, oddities, and a couple of covers. The final encore was “IHOP”, the lead track from the Pup Tent album that is virtually never played live — it was a personal request from a band superfan who despite travelling all over the country and indeed internationally to see Luna had never experienced this song live. This tour was like that — tricks and treats for the superfans and just plain great music for the rest of us.

Luna returns to performance in February, with two West coast shows announced thus far. We’d expect some New York dates to be added.

I recorded this set from our usual spot with the Neumann hypers this time, and mixed with a feed mixed expertly by the band’s sound man Paul. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Download the Complete Show [MP3] / [FLAC]

Stream the Complete show (minus banter):

Luna
2019-10-20
Bowery Ballroom
New York NY

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Sound Devices 744t > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (post-production) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:44:43]
First Set (Penthouse)
01 [intro]
02 Chinatown
03 Sideshow by the Seashore
04 Moon Palace
05 Double Feature
06 Twenty-Three Minutes in Brussels
07 Lost In Space
08 Rhythm King
09 Kalamazoo
10 [banter – Tolstoy]
11 Hedgehog
12 Freakin’ and Peakin’
Second Set
13 Bonnie and Clyde [Serge Gainsbourg]
14 California Blue [Roy Orbison]
15 Still at Home
16 Inside Your Heart [The Monochrome Set]
17 Eggnog
18 Slide
19 Superfreaky Memories
20 [encore break]
21 Pup Tent
22 Season of the Witch [Donovan]
23 IHOP

SUPPORT Luna:  Website | Bandcamp

Cold Cream: September 6, 2019 Three Lobed/WXDU Annual Ritual of Summoning (Raleigh, NC)

October 21, 2019
By
Photo courtesy of Dan Kulpa

After watching three experimental/improv projects at the Three Lobed / WXDU Annual Ritual of Summoning, this spectacular day pivoted with a return to some straight-ahead punk. Cold Cream is a project from Triangle punk lifers from bands such as Flesh Wounds, Pipe, and Tegucigalpan, so despite their first record’s arrival in 2018, they own a room like the vets they are.

Here at Kings, Cold Cream energized the room with their erudite, politically-charged songs (not sure how many punk bands work “Dulce et decorum est / Pro patria mori” into their lyrics, but they do). Given the political climate in North Carolina, “Rat Fucker” (about gerrymandering and other forms of voter disenfranchisement) particularly resonated. But really, none of that would matter if the band didn’t, you know, rock, and that they most assuredly do. Tune in and turn this up loud.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the other sets of the day, with Schoeps mics onstage, MBHO mics at the board, and a soundboard feed. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete set: [FLAC/MP3/ALAC]

Cold Cream
2019-09-06
Three Lobed / WXDU Annual Ritual of Summoning
Kings
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

MBHO MBP603A/KA200N (at SBD, PAS)>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard + Schoeps MK5c (onstage, XY)>KC5>CMC6>>Sound Devices MixPre6>24/48 polyWAV>Adobe Audition CC>Izotope Ozone 5>Audacity 2.3.0>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Anti-Fi
03 Eichmann In Jerusalem
04 First They Came>
05 Angie
06 Wage Theft
07 Decorate
08 Rat Fucker
09 In Carrz
10 Objects In Mirror
11 See You On the Somme
12 Cactus Wife
13 Shit Bird
14 Fasting

Cold Cream is:

Mara Thomas – Vocals
Clarq Blomquist – Drums
Laura King – Bass
Ron Liberti – Guitar

PLEASE SUPPORT COLD CREAM: bandcamp | facebook

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