nyctaper Recordings

concert discussion and free flac downloads

Young Prisms: March 5, 2012 Glasslands – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 12, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Bleary Eyed Brooklyn]

One of the rewarding aspects of witnessing a band live for the first time is the recognition that despite youthfulness, the artists understand what has come before. Young Prisms are aptly named — the band members are in their early 20’s, but could pass for high school kids. But as soon as the instruments are plugged in and the first song is counted in, they age immediately. The San Francisco natives play psych-rock as if they were born in the 60s and they play it with confidence and maturity. The dual guitars and drums are out front, and the heavily reverbed dream-like vocals fit comfortably in the mix. As another excellent signing by Kanine Records, Young Prisms are also productive. Their latest album will be their third full length, and they’ve also released an EP and several split 7″ singles. In Between will be released by Kanine on March 27, and at Glasslands last Monday, Young Prisms played a set heavy with the new material, and the strength of the new songs is readily apparent from first listen. We are streaming “Four Hours (Away)” which closed the set on a high note.

I recorded this set with the new permanently-installed ‘nyctaper’ microphones at Glasslands. The Studio Projects LSD2 is a single-body stereo-microphone configured in the XY cardioid setting and is mounted in the center pole approximately fifteen feet from the stage. The mics are mixed with a soundboard feed and the sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Four Hours (Away)”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Y0503YoungPrisms1202/10.%20Four%20Hours%20Away.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Young Prisms
2012-03-05
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Studio Projects LSD2 (XY Cardioid) > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-03-08

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:33]
01 [new song]
02 Midnight’s When
03 Breathless
04 I’m Not Hiding
05 To Touch You
06 Softer
07 Better Days
08 Floating in Blue
09 Dead Flowers
10 Four Hours Away

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Young Prisms, visit their Facebook page, and pre-order In Between directly from Kanine Records [HERE]

Donora: February 22, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 9, 2012
By

Photos by Acidjack
[Photo by Acidjack]

In the wonderful melting pot that is Glasslands, we caught a short but powerful performance by Donora. Admittedly, this is a band that should have been on my radar long ago, so I was happy they were able to travel in from Pittsburgh while crashing the living room of Ball of Flame Shoot Fire for their most recent stint in Brooklyn.

Playing in support of Team Genius, Donora cruised through a mix of songs from their 2008 self-titled EP Donora and their 2011 EP Boyfriends, Girlfriends. Catchy pop songs like “Shhh” and “Boom Boom” were balanced by songs like “The Chorus” which has an epic, almost Arcade Fire, feel to it when (ironically) the chorus ensues.

Acidjack and I recorded this with an excellent soundboard feed from the house engineer as well as pair of Schoeps MK5 cardioid microphones located in our usual, optimal spot. We ran directly into an Oade modified R44 recorder this night and probably don’t run this combination as often as we should because despite its simplicity, the outcome never fails to please. We captured a fantastic performance with a great setup and really hope you enjoy the recording!

Stream “The Chorus”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D2220Donora1202/donora2012-02-22.nyctaper.thechorus.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Donora
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY, US
2012-02-22

Recordist : hi and lo, Acidjack
Source : Soundboard + Schoeps MK5 > KC5(MK) > Naiant PFA >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] @ 24 bit / 48 kHz
Edit : WaveLab V5.01b (fades/gain/eq/dither/resmpaling)
Encoding : FLAC v1.2.1 Level 8 with TLH v2.6.0 Build 168

Tracklist:

01. The Untouchables
02. And Then the Girls
03. The World Is Ours
04. Boom Boom
05. Mancini’s Dance Hall
06. Champion
07. Shhh
08. The Chorus

Running Time: 31:20

Please support Donora by checking out their Official Website, by following them on Facebook, and by purchasing their albums on iTunes.

Wussy: March 3, 2012 Cake Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 8, 2012
By


[photo by nyctaper]

I can’t imagine that Robert Christgau gets out to many shows these days. But last Saturday at Cake Shop, there he was at Wussy‘s first NYC show in almost two years. I suppose its a bit of a novelty that one of the current favorite bands of a legendary music critic is a relatively obscure self-described “midwestern drone” outfit. But Christgau has it right. As the current band of Chuck Cleaver, the leader of 90s underground legends The Ass Ponys, Wussy is a solid guitar-bass-drums quartet with an excellent mix of male and female vocals and tremendous songcraft. For this tour, the band brought along another former Ass Ponys guitarist John Erhardt to play pedal steel. The Cake Shop show was perhaps a tad short because they were the third band in a four band bill (with a late show to follow), but Wussy worked through a mix of older and newer numbers, including songs from their recent release Strawberry. The band did not hold back for the set’s closer, a raging version of “Rigor Mortis” that concluded with a noisy guitar-drenched episode that left the packed crowd asking for more. We’re streaming that song below. Wussy will play several SXSW shows and we’re hoping to catch them, before they play more midwest shows, and then there is an anticipated Summer tour (with more East Coast dates).

I recorded this set in the same manner as the recent Old Monk recording, with the DPA 4021s on a mount on the low ceiling above the stage and the DPA 4061 omnis mounted in front of the PA. The sound quality is excellent except for a crackling (blown amp) sound which persists for several songs in the middle of the set. With that caveat, enjoy!

Stream “Rigor Mortis”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W1604Wussy2211/11.%20Rigor%20Mortis.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Wussy
2012-03-03
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

Digital Master
Upfront Four Channel Audience Recording

DPA 4021s + DPA 4061s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95(tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-03-06

Setlist:
[Total Time 39:14]
01 Waiting Room
02 Pulverized
03 Grand Champion Steer
04 [banter – Wings]
05 Maglite
06 [banter]
07 Happiness Bleeds
08 Pizza King
09 Muscle Cars
10 Airborne
11 Rigor Mortis

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Wussy, visit their website, and purchase their official releases including Strawberry directly from the Music section of their website [HERE]

Old Monk: February 22, 2012 Cake Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 7, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Bleary Eyed Brooklyn]

Old Monk is a band from Brooklyn with the perfect self-description — indie-prog. The indie part is easy, as they write energetic and catchy guitar-trio indie-style rock. But the tag of “prog” doesn’t get thrown around much here. The time and signature changes, abrupt turns in melody and tendency to cram three songs into one characterize the progressive elements of pop music. Their debut album Birds of Belize has more “indie” than prog, as the songs are shorter and more straightforward. But live, Old Monk stretches it out a bit and the trio’s tight instrumentation allows for the twists and turns to flow more naturally. At Cake Shop a couple of weeks back, we caught the final night of Old Monk’s month-long February residency. The thirty minute set contain several Belize songs, but also quite a few new songs that indicate that the band isn’t shying away from more complicated material. At the show, I gravitated more towards the songs that I knew (“Warm Moustache” is streaming below), but after multiple listenings to this recording, the stronger material is perhaps the new songs that are challenging but ultimately more accomplished. It remains to be seen whether the fickle NYC indie crowd will exercise enough patience to appreciate Old Monk. If they do, they will be rewarded.

I recorded this show with a new method for this venue. The DPA 4021 cardioids were mounted above the stage for an “onstage” recording of the instruments, and the DPA 4061s were mounted in front of the PA speakers for a vocal-heavy signal. The two sources mixed produce a fine balanced recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Warm Moustache”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O1202OldMonk1220/02.%20Warm%20Moustache.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Old Monk
2012-02-22
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording

DPA 4021s + DPA 4061s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-02-23

Setlist:
[Total Time 30:30]
01 Butter and Toast
02 Warm Moustache
03 Napoleon’s Wife
04 Volcanic Prisons
05 Running Boards/Promethea
06 Art Heist
07 Wimpy Olympians
08 Skullsplitter
09 Attica

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Old Monk, visit their website, and purchase Birds of Belize directly from Eenie Meanie Records [HERE]

Widowspeak: March 3, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 5, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Since we last checked in with Widowspeak at our CMJ Day Party, their star has only continued to rise.  It’s always a good sign when, months after a band’s initial record release (and therefore, the peak in the PR hype cycle) their shows are more crowded than they were then.  This Saturday night, Glasslands was completely packed-to-the-rafters sold out, which always gives this venue great energy.  Clearly, Widowspeak has been busy since the release of their eponymous debut album on Captured Tracks.  This show found the band leading off with a new song, “Camel” and playing a number of other new numbers, including some played for the first time.

While vocalist Molly Hamilton’s style has earned a few comparisons to artists like Cat Power, fortunately, her stage persona does not.  Since the first time I saw the band, Hamilton has gained scads of confidence and poise – she smiles quite a lot onstage now, and her playing and delivery benefit from her positive attitude. Widowspeak are what I think of as a winter band – their downbeat sound is practically a touchstone of several of the members’ roots in the Pacific Northwest – but it’s a sound that, paradoxically, makes me happy.  There’s the nostalgia aspect, sure, but there’s also the patient songcraft, the authenticity, and the strength of the band and its sound.  Pretty much everything about Widowspeak is something I can pull for.

The band played on this night with a second guitarist, which gave songs like “In the Pines” (perhaps my favorite of all the band’s songs) new density and heft.  Of the new material, the standout for me was “7 Minutes”, a slightly more upbeat guitar-driven track that is one of the most anthemic songs the band has attempted to date.  The set closed with the band’s biggest song to date, “Harsh Realm”, another excellent song that is always a crowd pleaser.

In a collaboration with the new management team at Glasslands (also the team behing PopGun Booking), I recorded this set with a newly-installed recording rig provided for the club by nyctaper.  Overall I am pleased with the results, with the caveat that you can hear some issues with one of the kick drum mics and one of the guitar amps at a few points in the recording.  Enjoy!

Stream “7 Minutes”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/11 7 Minutes.mp3]

Stream “In the Pines”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W3030Widowspeak0211/10 In the Pines.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Widowspeak
2012-03-03
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Studio Projects LSD2 (XY cardiod, DFC)>Sound Devices USBPre2 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (Izotope Ozone effects, balance, downsample)>Audacity (set fades, tracking)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Camel
02 Gun Shy
03 Hard Times
04 Burnout
05 Puritan
06 Fun
07 Half Awake
08 Nightcrawlers
09 In the Pines
10 7 Minutes
11 Harsh Realm

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, PLEASE SUPPORT Widowspeak, visit their Facebook page, visit their Bandcamp page, and purchase their newly-released eponymous LP from Captured Tracks.

Soulive: March 1, 2012 Brooklyn Bowl – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 4, 2012
By


[Photos by Jill at For the Love of Brooklyn]

In what has now become a tradition, Soulive are currently taking over Brooklyn Bowl for a series of shows filled with special guests and blow-the-doors-off playing.  Billed as “Bowlive III”, these shows highlight the band’s efforts to move forward with a jazz/funk genre that all too often seems content to rest on its laurels.  This show, for example, had almost nothing in common with the final night of Bowlive II that we covered last year.  While that show seemed to emphasize the soul elements of the band, this performance made the guitar skills of the band’s virtuosic regular Eric Krasno its focus.  The show opened with several extended numbers with just the trio before the band was joined by a rotating cast that included Karl Denson, regular guest Nigel Hall, and Sam Williams of Big Sam’s Funky Nation. While the guests added some range to the band’s sound, for this set, it was the trio numbers like “Aladdin” that kicked it off that I appreciated most – reminders that even with all the hoopla of the guests at these shows, this is one incredible band on its own.

After about 75 minutes of inspired playing, the band took a break during an appearance by special guest Rahzel, who gave a 25-minute beatbox performance that challenged the limits of the physically possible with his ability to essentially play, and sing, an entire song using only his mouth.  He joined the band for “I Am the Magnificent” before exiting the stage.  The crowd, already partying like madmen, was fully loaded for what was to come.

The band’s most recent recorded output is a record of Beatles covers called Rubber Soulive that highlights the shared heritage of jazz and rock n’ roll, so it came as no surprise when the band performed a mini-Beatles set of “Come Together,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”.  While the heavily-covered “Come Together” (you may have heard the Aerosmith version) was probably the biggest crowd-pleaser, I was most impressed with the extended jamming on “Eleanor Rigby”, which turned that two-minute gem of a vocal performance into an extended guitar meditation.  Rather than being a real “cover” version, the original was merely a starting point for what followed.  “Too Much”, one of few repeats from the show we saw last year, came next, before Brooklyn Bowl regular Questlove took the stage with Hall, Williams and Lenesha Randolph for a series of songs, including Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”.   With four more Bowlive shows on the way next week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), Soulive are sure to have more tricks up their sleeves.  Don’t miss out.

Thanks to the Brooklyn Bowl staff for their hospitality to us at this show, and to the band for continuing to allow fan audio taping.  

hi and lo and I recorded this set with Schoeps MK21 wide cardiod microphones onstage, combined with Schoeps MK22 open cardiod microphones on the left side near one of the speakers to pick up some vocals and room ambiance.  The result is an incredible recording that truly feels like you are watching the band from the stage lip – which is an amazing experience.  There may be some tracking errors here and there – feel free to send corrections.

Stream “Eleanor Rigby [Beatles]”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1302Soulive1021/14 Eleanor Rigby.mp3]

Stream “Aladdin”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1302Soulive1021/04 Aladdin.mp3]

Download the FLAC and MP3 files and stream the entire show at the Live Music Archive [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense.  The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Soulive
2012-03-01
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

Download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by hi and lo and acidjack
Produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK21 (onstage, NOS)>KC5>PFA>SD USBPre2 + Schoeps MK22 (A-B, 3ft split, 15 ft back, left stack)>CMC6 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (Izotope Ozone limiter, EQ), resample to 44.1kHz>Audacity (tracking, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Set I [1:13:26]
01 [intro]
02 Steppin’
03 Uncle Junior
04 Aladdin
05 The Swamp
06 [banter]
07 Shaheed^
08 Rudy’s Way
09 [banter]
10 Leave Me Alone #

Rahzel [26:36]
11 improv

Set II [1:25:12]
12 I Am the Magnificent %
13 Come Together [Beatles]
14 Eleanor Rigby [Beatles]
15 I Want You (She’s So Heavy) [Beatles]
16 Too Much $
17 [banter]
18 Signed, Sealed, Delivered [Stevie Wonder] $&
19 [banter]
20 Tuesday Night Squad> $
21 Bewildered #
22 Tuesday Night Squad
23 [farewell]

^ with Karl Denson
# with Nigel Hall and Sam Williams
% with Rahzel
$ with Karl Denson, Nigel Hall, Sam Williams and Lenesha Randolph
& with Questlove

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Soulive, visit their website, and purchase their official releases and merchandise directly from the band’s online store [HERE].  You can also stream these shows live on iClips [HERE].  It’s also not too late to get tickets to the last four nights from Brooklyn Bowl.

Craig Finn: February 29, 2012 Mercury Lounge (Early Show) – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 2, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Geoffrey at According to G]

Craig Finn’s first solo album Clear Heart Full Eyes is a significant departure from his eight years in The Hold Steady. Its a relaxed country album produced in Texas that has a demo feel. Finn’s storyteller style fits well in this genre, and as a result the new record has been well received. For the tour in support, Finn has put together a band of ringers that he has labeled “Some Guns”, after his song of the same title (streaming below). While the band includes a lead guitar and a lap-steel guitar, the live performance has a greater rock feel than the album. At Mercury Lounge on Wednesday night, Craig Finn played two shows and we caught the early one. Late in the tour and back home, the band was both tight and celebratory. As is his live tradition, Finn spoke candidly to the crowd and his between song stories and banter were compelling and entertaining. Also familiarly, the reworked full band rock versions of the Clear Heart songs have a Hold Steady feel to them, although the three-song solo acoustic mini-set was a new experience. Craig Finn has promised a new Hold Steady album later this year, but given the number and quality of the unreleased songs featured in this set, we would venture to say that he has enough strong material for a second solo album. Craig will be touring throughout March. While tour ends in Europe, there is another NYC date coming soon, at Music Hall of Williamsburg next week.

I recorded this set with the new Sennheiser MKH-8040s from the front of the soundboard in the center of the room. The three quiet songs suffer from some ambient noise (door, cups), but overall the sound is crisp and meaty. Enjoy!

Stream “Some Guns”:

[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H6589HoldSteady1192/09.%20Some%20Guns.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Craig Finn
2012-02-29
Early Show
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Digital Master
Front of Board Audience Recording

Sennheiser MKH-8040 Cardioids > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-03-01

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:13:17]
01 [introduction]
02 Apollo Baby
03 Keep On Running
04 Balcony
05 Jackson
06 No Future
07 When No One’s Watching
08 [banter – band theme songs]
09 Some Guns
10 Western Pier
11 New Friend Jesus
12 Sarah, I’m Surrounded
13 Jeremiah’s Blues
14 Dennis and Billy
15 Going To A Show
16 Honolulu Blues
17 Not Much Left

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Craig Finn, visit his website, and purchase Clear Heart Full Eyes directly from Vagrant Records [HERE]

Snowmine: February 16, 2012 Pianos – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 29, 2012
By


[photo by acidjack]

For those who like melodic, somewhat anthemic, approachable rock music, it probably hasn’t been a great last few years for you.  Making fun of the banality of bands like Coldplay isn’t even fun anymore; sure you’ve got your Bon Iver types out there, but they won’t exactly whip crowds into a frenzy. Younger bands are doing a whole range of things, but it seems too often that gimmickry, rather than greatness, wins the day.  Surely there’s a place for good music in this style that doesn’t sound like it’s trying too hard, or bored with itself.

Enter Snowmine to cure what ails you.  With their style of music – lush soundscapes, soaring vocal runs, atmospheric samples – words like “beautiful” or “pleasant” don’t have negative or ironic connotations.  Frontman Grayson Sanders has a sweet voice with range to spare, and he puts it to good use on songs like “Rome”, which has a similarly uplifting vibe to some of the better stuff in the Yeasayer catalog. Sanders lends the band’s songs some lovely vocal runs, but without the bombast that afflicts some of his peers.  Snowmine are still a young band, and this show was part of that rite of passage any New York band is familiar with, the Pianos residency.  The band took over the incubator-style room with a level of effort that suggests they have a real shot, bringing to bear a full-on stage setup with video projections, and even playing an (gasp!) encore.  Their fully-realized sound seems more than up to the task of taking down venues ten or a hundred times this size.  My money’s on that they make it.

hi and lo and I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardioid microphones and a stereo soundboard feed.  While Pianos crowds are notoriously chatty, the soundboard feed’s excellent balance allowed the mics to remain in the background, and as a result, we have an excellent recording.  Enjoy!

Thanks to Teen Wolf Management for inviting us to the show!

Stream “Rome”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1602Snowmine1202/Rome.mp3]

Stream “Let Me In”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1602Snowmine1202/Let Me In.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE) |  Direct Download location of the FLAC files [HERE]

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Snowmine
2012-02-16
Pianos
New York, NY, USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by hi and lo

Source : Soundboard + Schoeps MK5c > Nbox Cables > Naiant PFA > EAA PSP-2 >> Tascam DR-680 @ 24 bit / 48 kHz
Edit : WaveLab V5.01b (fades/gain/eq/dither/resmpaling)
Encoding : FLAC v1.2.1 (Level 8) with TLH v2.6.0 (Build 168)

Tracklist (total time 43:38)
01 Plans
02 Rome
03 Curfews
04 [Banter]
05 Further Along, Further Away
06 Let Me In
07 Silver Sieve
08 Cutting Canyons
09 Beast in Air, Beast in Water
10 The Hill

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Snowmine, like them on Facebook, and purchase their music on their bandcamp page on a “pay what you will” basis.

Sharon Van Etten: February 26, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 28, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Chris at Fucking Nostalgic]

Tramp is the next stage in the continued ascent of the career of Sharon Van Etten. If 2010’s Epic was the introduction of this immensely talented artist to a wide audience, her new release and first for Jagjaguwar Records is the here-to-stay moment. The album is a mix her strengths — intelligent and heartfelt lyrics and a wide range of vocal approaches. There is a nod to her solo folk past (“Joke or a Lie”), and some straight forward indie-pop (“Serpents”), but the vast majority of the record are superb songs mixed to perfection. The presence of producer Aaron Dessner (from The National) compliments and draws out Sharon’s strengths while enriching the melodies. In particular, “Give Out” (streaming below), which debuted live as a solo acoustic number several years ago, is now a fully formed song with layered vocals and a sparse but effective instrumental accompaniment. At Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, Sharon Van Etten played the final show of three consecutive sold out shows. Her triumphant return to NYC after an extensive tour was met with crowds filled with family and friends, and gave the locals a chance to see the Tramp live band operating on all cylinders. The work of multi-instrumentalists Heather Woods Broderick and Doug Keith is supplemented by the tasteful percussion of Zeke Hutchins, and on this night Aaron Dessner joined for half the set on guitar. The band breathes life into the songs while staying faithful to the recorded versions. The camaraderie among the players was also obvious on this night, as the banter was often hilarious. Sharon worked through a set heavy on Tramp material (10 of the 12 songs), but which also contained much of Epic and one neat cover (streaming below). Sharon Van Etten continues on tour, with a week in Europe followed by a West coast swing, and a trip through the South.

I recorded this set with a new set of Sennheiser microphones supplemented with a soundboard feed. The Sennheiser MKH-8040 is a sleek new cardioid microphones with clarity, warmth and a crisp bottom end that I had not previously experienced prior to this night. At the best sounding room in town, these microphones absolutely shined, and as a result the mix is about 75% room and 25% board, in order to maximize the beauty of the live sound. This is one of the best recordings we’ve ever featured on this site. Enjoy!

Stream “Give Out”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0606SharonVE8008/08.%20Give%20Out.mp3]

Stream “Loving Her Was Easier” [Kris Kristofferson]:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0606SharonVE8008/18.%20Loving%20Her%20Was%20Easier%20%5bKris%20Kristofferson%5d.mp3]

This recording is now available for download in FLAC or MP3 from Archive.org [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Sharon Van Etten
2012-02-26
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Sennheiser 8040 Cardioids > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-02-26

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:32:12]
01 Warsaw
02 Peace Signs
03 Save Yourself
04 Kevin’s
05 Magic Chords
06 Don’t Do It
07 [banter – Shearwater message]
08 Give Out
09 [Aaron Dessner intro]
10 In Line
11 Leonard
12 Serpents
13 [band introductions]
14 I’m Wrong
15 Joke Or A Lie
16 [encore break]
17 All I Can
18 Loving Her Was Easier [Kris Kristofferson]
19 [banter – thanks]
20 Love More

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Sharon Van Etten, visit her website, and purchase Tramp directly from Jagjaguwar Records [HERE]

Björk: February 25, 2012 Roseland Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 27, 2012
By


[Photo by Geoffrey Dicker for According 2 G. See his review of the Queens show here]

From the earliest days of her four-decade career, Björk has consistently pushed the envelope. Through a career as varied as any performer in pop music history, the centerpiece has nevertheless always been her powerful and profoundly unique voice. As a teenager in Tappi Tíkarrass, she sang in one of Iceland’s earliest punk bands. Her career then evolved from art-punk (Kukl), to international success as part of the Sugarcubes. Björk’s solo career has been distinguished by a variety of styles, from brit-pop (Debut) through the bizarre (Drawing Restraint 9), with virtually everything in between. Her triumphant three album run of Post, Homogenic and Vespertine is acknowledged as the apex of her recorded output, and rightfully so. Those three albums are as good as anything released by anyone in that time frame and the tours that accompanied each release established Björk as one of the most powerful and compelling live performers of her generation. The Vespertine tour in particular was a thing of beauty — a two set affair performed in opera houses across the world with an full orchestra, full choir, and innovative instrumental accompaniment. The live DVD that was released from the Vespertine tour (Royal Opera House) is a breathtaking viewing experience. In recent years, however Björk has released a series of thoughtful but inconsistent albums, with 2007’s Volta as perhaps her weakest album to date. So it was with a bit of trepidation that we approached Biophilia, her new release that promised to link nature, music and technology. As far back as 2001 (Vespertine), Björk has been composing music with the aid of her laptop and she has professed a fascination with the effect that technology has had on the presentation of sound. The strength of Biophilia is that it seems to revisit the interesting aspects of Vespertine from the vantage point of a decade hence. And of course the reassurance for fans is that her voice continues to take center stage.

As part of her NYC “residency”, the Biophilia show moved from its triumphant run at the Queens Science Museum to the Roseland Ballroom. My concerns about the show’s presentation at this particular venue were eased upon entry into the main room. The stage was set up in what would normally be the center of the floor, and there was a vantage point from each side of the square stage to experience the concert. The pre-show music included piano and organ transcriptions of a variety of Björk’s material, and screens placed strategically around the hall projected Biophilia-themed images. The live performers who accompanied Björk were interestingly quite similar to the group that performed throughout the Vespertine tour, including harpist Zeena Parkins, an all female choir, and electronic wizards similar to Matmos (who played on both the 2001 Vespertine tour and the 2003 “Greatest Hits” tour). The setlists for these shows have followed a pattern, and all include the complete Biophilia album mixed in with selected classic material. Interestingly, the first older song performed is “Hidden Place”, the opening track from Vespertine. We have chosen to stream three highlights from the evening, including “Mouth’s Cradle” from Medulla, “Cosmogony” from Biophilia, and the newest addition to the setlist and oldest song she performed, a powerful reworking of Post’s “Possibly Maybe”. The good news of course is that while her voice has matured, Björk is still capable of projecting stunning music from her vocal chords and her singing is still a thing of absolute beauty. And while Biophilia is not the perfect album, it contains an intelligent and compelling message among a large number of outstanding songs which are brought to life in an extremely entertaining show. We left Roseland with a full reaffirmation of the power and vitality of perhaps the greatest female singer of our generation.

I recorded this set with my new mobile rig from ten feet in front of the PA speakers at the south side of the stage. The microphones are customized DPA 4061 omnis finished by Dynamic Audio and run through a custom battery box (also Dynamic Audio) to a brand new Edirol R-05. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Mouth’s Cradle:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B6591Bjork8793/08.%20Mouth%27s%20Cradle.mp3]

Stream “Cosmogony”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B6591Bjork8793/15.%20Cosmogony.mp3]

Stream “Possibly Maybe”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B6591Bjork8793/18.%20Possibly%20Maybe.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Direct download of complete show in FLAC (HERE)

Email nyctaper if there is a problem with either download.

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Björk
2012-02-25
Roseland Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Upfront – Recorded 10 Feet from PA
South Side of Stage

DPA 4061s (Dynamic Audio Custom Mod) > Dynamic Audio Custom Battery Box > Edirol R-05 > 16bit 44.1kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-02-26

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:38:45]
01 [introduction]
02 Thunderbolt
03 Moon
04 Crystalline
05 Hollow
06 Dark Matter
07 Hidden Place
08 Mouth’s Cradle
09 Virus
10 Generous Palmstroke
11 Sacrifice
12 Sonnets/Unrealities XI
13 Where Is The Line
14 Mutual Core
15 Cosmogony
16 Solstice
17 [encore break]
18 Possibly Maybe
19 [band introductions]
20 Nattura
21 Declare Independence

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Björk, visit her website, and purchase Biophilia directly from Björk [HERE]

SUPPORT NYCTaper




Email

Email nyctaper

DISCLAIMER and LEGAL NOTICE

nyctaper.com is a live music blog that offers a new paradigm of music distribution on the web. The recordings are offered for free on this site as are the music posts, reviews and links to artist sites. All recordings are posted with artist permission or artists with an existing pro-taping policy.

All recordings and original content posted on this site are @nyctaper.com as live recordings pursuant to 17 U.S.C. Section 106, et. seq. Redistribution of nyctaper recordings without consent of nyctaper.com is strictly prohibited.

nyctaper.com hereby waives all copyright claims to any and all recordings posted on this site to THE PERFORMERS ONLY. If any artist posted on this site requests that recordings be removed, those recordings will be removed forthwith.