nyctaper Recordings

concert discussion and free flac downloads

Blouse: January 31, 2012 285 Kent – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 8, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Dominick Mastrangelo]

Captured Tracks is on quite an impressive run. The label began as a small Brooklyn boutique a couple of years ago — “CT-01” is the Dum Dum Girls EP Yours Alone. Even at slightly more than 100 actual releases, Captured Tracks has managed to nurture some of the brightest bands around these days, including Widowspeak, Wild Nothing, Hoop Dreams and Beach Fossils. Another superb Captured Tracks discovery was on display at 285 Kent last week. Blouse is a quartet from Portland whose debut album was released in late 2011 on the label. The album has a transformational feeling — its as if I’m driving late at night listening to WLIR or WHFS in 1985 and song after song of new Factory Records artists are being played. The guitar work, keyboards and lead bass are all heavily influenced by such period sounds as New Order, Cocteau Twins and Siouxsie. At 285, the band performed a tight forty-minute set that consisted of nearly the entire album and their debut single. In the live setting, Blouse retained the influences but the overall sound is more raw and less atmospheric than the album. In a way, this was an opportunity for the songs themselves to shine and the band’s talent to be featured. Blouse rose to the occasion and clearly this is a band with much potential and the chops to realize it. And they’ve picked the right label to make it happen.

I recorded this set with the DPA cardioid microphones mounted on a pole 10 feet from the stage, and mixed it with a feed from the soundboard. Overall, the instrumental mix is pretty solid, although the vocals are occasionally buried in the effects. With that caveat, enjoy!

Blouse will perform at the Captured Tracks Showcase at SXSW on March 17. The Facebook page for that event is [here].

Stream “Into Black”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B3101Blouse1202/09.%20Into%20Black.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.

Blouse
2012-01-31
285 Kent
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > 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
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 40:02]
01 Controller
02 Shadow
03 Time Travel
04 Firestarter
05 White
06 They Always Fly Away
07 Fountain in Rewind
08 Videotapes
09 Into Black

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Blouse, visit their website, visit their artist page at the Captured Tracks website, and purchase their debut album from the Captured Tracks website [HERE].

Larkin Grimm: February 2, 2012 Rock Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 7, 2012
By


[photo by nyctaper]

In the two years since we last checked in with Larkin Grimm, much has happened in her life. When we recorded her at Knitting Factory in December of 2009, Larkin had a set of excellent new songs and a new album was expected soon. But Larkin received a wonderful gift in the interim — a baby boy. She also parted ways with Young God Records in a split that does not seem to be completely amicable. But in a fashion consistent with her incredible life story, Larkin persevered. This week her new album is out, and the self-released Soul Retrieval is the album we have been waiting for. The record features an abundance of Larkin’s strengths — her rich voice and the mystical nature that makes her so compelling. At Rock Shop on Thursday, Larkin Grimm celebrated the CD’s release with a special hometown show. She opened the show with two solo songs before being joined by her band. The trio worked through much of the new album, a couple of older songs, and then were joined by the entire Cuddle Magic band for the final two numbers. The show ended with the opening track from the album “Paradise and So Many Colors”, a terrific ensemble version that we’re streaming below.

I recorded this set with the Neumann microphones positioned in front of the soundboard, and mixed with an excellent board feed. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Paradise and So Many Colors”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L2712Larkin2992/14.%20Paradise%20and%20So%20Many%20Colors.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.

Larkin Grimm
2012-02-02
The Rock Shop
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > 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
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:21]
01 Hello Pool of Tears
02 Dirty Heart Dirty Mind
03 [banter – Apollo and Marsyas]
04 The Butcher
05 Lying in a Pool of Milk
06 I Am Not Real
07 [banter – Hafiz]
08 Be a Great Burglar
09 All The Pleasures In The World
10 [banter – cats]
11 Mino Minou
12 [intro Cuddle Magic]
13 The Road Is Paved With Leaves
14 Paradise and So Many Colors

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Larkin Grimm, visit her website, and purchase Soul Retrieval from the links at her website [HERE].

Grandfather: February 1, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 6, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

In a north Brooklyn scene that has both thriving indie rock and metal scenes, Grandfather are one of the few bands that bridges that divide.  The band plays intelligent, aggressive hard rock (not quite metal) that capitalizes on the outstanding guitar work of Michael Kirsch and the focused, balls-out vocals of Josh Hoffman, already a consummate rock frontman even in his rookie years.  The closest reference point sound-wise for the band is probably the mighty Tool, but these guys clearly listened to plenty of Nirvana and other Seattle bands in their formative years as well.

Like many new bands, Grandfather raised the funds to record their first record, Why I’d Try, on Kickstarter, and they put the cash to good use by hiring the legendary (and legendarily curmudgeonly) engineer Steve Albini to lay down the record in old-school fashion direct to analog 2″ reels, with no digital bullshit in between.  For their trouble, they got a record that sounds beautiful – with a crisp, raw live-in-studio sound that captures the intensity of the band’s sound at its absolute best.  More tellingly, they earned Albini’s respect – difficult to come by for a man who has had few kind words for most of his peers.  Answering a GQ interviewer’s question about “a young artist with integrity who inspires you”, Albini said, in part:

I see little bits and pieces of behavior that are encouraging. There was a band that came into the studio a while back called Grandfather. They were an art rock band that organized the funding of their record through Kickstarter. They were really well rehearsed and came into the studio and knocked the record out in a couple of days. Because they didn’t have a record label or any promotion schedule to adhere to, they were able to get their record manufactured and distributed within a couple of months. That’s the kind of nimble, efficient behavior that was previously impossible when there was a corporate structure involved.

Grandfather took the stage this Wednesday night at Glasslands with a ferocity that should inspire any artist, starting with the two-minute banger “AWOL” from Why I’d Try before ripping into three brand-new tracks – “Greedy Eye”, “Spun” and “Sorry” .  After a full-throttle rendition of “Tremors” – where bassist Tyler Krupsky shines in the extended intro – it was all new songs from there.  Anyone doubting the urgency of the band’s live show by this point was eating their words or hitting the exits during the standout new track “Organ Thief,” which Hoffman kicks off with a demonic, diabolical laugh with a headbanging riff behind it.   It’s not hard to see, in a band that plays a Glasslands show with the same intensity as they might Madison Square Garden, to see what impressed Steve Albini.  “Integrity” certainly comes to mind with this band, but equally importantly, so does “passion”.

I recorded this set with AKG large-diaphragm microphones set to “wide cardiod” for a full-range, open sound.  I did record a stereo soundboard feed as well, but due to an issue with the club’s equipment, that mix consisted mostly of vocals, which were mixed in here minimally for clarity.  Enjoy!

Stream “Organ Thief”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/G2801Grandfather2110/08 Organ Thief.mp3]

Stream “Tremors”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/G2801Grandfather2110/06 Tremors.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.

Grandfather
2012-02-01
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
exclusively for nyctaper.com

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod, DFC) + Soundboard (vocals only)>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, EQ, mastering, downsample to 44.1kHz)>Audacity (tracking, amplify and balance, set fades, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 AWOL
02 [tuning/banter]
03 Greedy Eye
04 Spun
05 Sorry
06 Tremors
07 Wishes
08 Organ Thief
09 Disorder

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Grandfather, visit their website, like them on Facebook, download Why I’d Try on bandcamp (for “pay what you will”) or better yet, buy it on CD or vinyl from that site to hear what a properly-mixed rock record should sound like.

Hospitality: February 3, 2012 Glasslands Gallery – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 5, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Maryanne Ventrice]

On nyctaper, we take pride in recognizing the talent and potential of bands long before they hit it big. We have had a nice little track record and the results are archived in five years worth of posts on this site. But we’re also perfectly willing to admit when we miss one entirely. Two and a half years ago, I recorded Hospitality at Littlefield but did not post it on nyctaper, because, well, I did not see the band’s potential. This week Hospitality released their debut album on Merge Records and I’ve had it on constant play. The album is a superb collection of brilliant pop songs, with elements of British folk pop, twee, and American indie. The main features are intelligent lyrics, irresistible hooks and tight musicianship. I met the band at that Littlefield show, and it was clear that they are modest and authentic people — the kind of band that you like to root for. Out of curiosity, I went back and listened to the 2009 recording, and sure enough I just completely missed Hospitality’s appeal. They were great back then, just not quite as tight. At the record release show at Glasslands on Friday night, the buzz from their outstanding new release resulted in a packed sold out show. A poorly-timed visit from the NYC Health Department caused a lengthy delay to the start of their set, but the crowd seemed calm and patient and Hospitality were thoughtful enough to inform their followers of the situation on their twitter feed. Once the show began, it was clear that buoyed by the recent acclaim and a supportive local crowd, the band worked through the entire new album (and two new songs!) with confidence and a lot of energy. Hospitality welcomed a horn section for the last two songs of the set, including “Friends of Friends” which we’re streaming below. When the song ended, I turned to acidjack and predicted that they will play that very song on Fallon, Letterman or Leno within the next couple of months. I hope I finally get one right with Hospitality.

Acidjack recorded this show with his AKG microphones on cardioid setting and mounted on the projector ledge about fifteen feet from the stage. The excellent upfront audience recording is mixed with a superb soundboard feed from house FOH Josh, and the sound quality is superb.

Stream “Friends of Friends”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H20312Hospitality1212/12.%20Friends%20of%20Friends.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.

Hospitality
2012-02-03
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + AKG C 414 B-XLS (Cardioid setting) > 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 acidjack and nyctaper
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 42:40]
01 [introduction]
02 The Right Profession
03 The Birthday
04 The Drift
05 Betty Wang
06 Eighth Avenue
07 Julie
08 Sleepover
09 Liberal Arts
10 Monkey
11 [banter]
12 Friends of Friends
13 All Day Today
14 [encore break]
15 Argonauts

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Hospitality, visit their Facebook page, visit their artist page at Merge’s website, and purchase their debut album from the Merge Records website [HERE].

Superhuman Happiness: January 28, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 2, 2012
By


[Photo by acidjack]

It’s one thing to be unaware of an amazing live act for far too long; it’s another for them to be from your own backyard and to be totally clueless about them until they’re opening for an established band at Bowery Ballroom.  But such is the truth of my discovery of Brooklyn’s Superhuman Happiness, and I’m happy to say I’m glad I made my way to them eventually, even if I arrived late to the party.

Like the band they were opening for, Superhuman Happiness utilize a large crew of players that includes multiple percussionists and brass flourishes (founder Stuart Bogie also does time as saxophonist for Antibalas).  Superhuman Happiness specialize in an upbeat, tribal style of dance music that calls to mind acts like !!!, with a penchant for the type of catchy polyrhythms that could as easily be at home on a DFA release (especially the set opener, “See Me On My Way”).  The band’s vocal approach trends mellower than those acts, and less self-referential; Superhuman Happiness, as the name may imply, are an unironically happy band, and being in their crowd, it’s hard not to feel a lightness in your step yourself.  They encourage the crowd to open a number of songs with clapping (check out “Our Favorite Part”, below), amping up the sense of celebration.

I’m told that this set was a bit less on the improvisational side for a Superhuman Happiness gig, given the limited set time, but the band nevertheless took plenty of liberties with song structure, as on the extended meditation during “Hounds”.   But with a musical pedigree among the bandmembers as diverse as Foals, TV on the Radio, Phenomenal Handclap Band, the Roots, Passion Pit, Antibalas and Holly Miranda, to name a few, these guys prove that they aren’t just a bunch of music majors noodling it out – they’ve got plenty of chops in more straight-ahead styles as well.

Right now, you can catch Superhuman Happiness at less expensive (as they commented from stage) venues around the city like Union Pool and Pianos; sure, they’ll also dominate Brooklyn Bowl one day (their sound is almost tailor-made for that venue), but why wait?

I recorded this set with a combination of Schoeps MK22 “open cardioid” mics and MK41 supercardiod mics for a recording of excellent focus and balance.  Enjoy!

Stream “Our Favorite Part”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2801SuperhumanHappiness2012/07 Our Favorite Part.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.

Superhuman Happiness
2012-01-28
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (balcony, DIN, slightly LOC)>KCY>littlebox + Schoeps MK22>tinybox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, balance, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8)

Tracks
01 See Me On My Way
02 Half Step Grind
03 Again Again Again (Half Step Grind Pt. 2)
04 Hounds
05 Needles and Pins
06 Second Heart
07 Our Favorite Part
08 I Hear You Calling

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Superhuman Happiness, visit their website, and buy their music in physical form from Electric Cowbell Records or their bandcamp page.

Naam: January 13, 2012 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 2, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

I suppose one could fairly accuse this site of not featuring enough heavy music.  There are several reasons for that, not least being that a lot of “metal” bands aren’t into being recorded.  But here’s to hoping that changes, especially since Brooklyn has had a vibrant metal scene going for quite awhile now, as chronicled by BrooklynVegan among few “indie” sites that acknowledge metal even exists.  Naam are one of the first bands that made me realize such a gap existed in our coverage, when I saw them open for Om a few years ago.  Naam absolutely slayed then, and they have only gotten better since, combining bad-ass guitar chops with a psychedelic sensibility that makes them a crossover beyond only dedicated headbangers.  This show at Music Hall of Williamsburg found the band opening again, this time for stoner metal mavens Monster Magnet.  The amps and stacks were cranked this evening, and Naam made the most of them over a series of four blistering tracks, including two from their eponymous debut on TeePee Records.  I admit, I was also hoping to hear “Drain You” or “Pennyroyal Tea”, both of which appear on their Nirvana Covers 7″ – but maybe next time.  I hope this is but one of many heav(ier) shows I cover in the fine year of 2012!

JFCB and I recorded this set with tiny DPA 4061 microphones that captured the full range of the band’s sonic assault.  The recording is dense, upfront and excellent. Enjoy!  Note: any setlist help would be appreciated!

Stream “Kingdom”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N1310Naam2110/naam_kingdom.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.

Naam
2012-01-13
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded by acidjack and Johnny Fried Chicken Boy
Produced by acidjack
for NYCTaper.com

DPA 4061>CA-UBB>Edirol R-05 (24/48)>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [setlist help would be much appreciated]
01 Skyling Ship
02 Starchild (pt 1)
03 Starchild (pt 2)
04 Icy Row
05 Kingdom

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Naam, visit their MySpace page, follow them on Twitter, and purchase their debut album from TeePee records [HERE]

Rubblebucket: January 28, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 1, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Rubblebucket is a Brooklyn-by-way-of-Vermont band that is building a fan base the old-fashioned way: outstanding live shows and the positive word of mouth that results.  With a touring schedule that has blanketed the eastern seaboard and made them regulars in their home region, the band has come by every new fan and every new gig as honestly as possible.  That’s why, although you may have never heard of them, they sold out the Bowery Ballroom handily on a Saturday night.  They may have gotten their start on the college music circuit, but judging by this diverse crowd, they’ve not only kept those early fans, but grown well beyond their beginnings.

Rubblebucket hybridizes elements of NOLA jazz, lounge music, rock and French pop into a dance-ready, coherent whole.  Coming on strong with songs from their latest record, Omega La La, the band got things going early with the combo of “Worker”, “Raining” and “Breatherz” from Omega, each punctuated by exuberant blasts of brass (trombone, trumpet and occasionally sousaphone make appearances).  Their mic stands adorned with streamers, their energy relentlessly positive, and their giant robot-puppets (yes) waiting in the wings, Rubblebucket commanded the moment easily, turning the Bowery floor into a giant dance party.  About the robot puppets – during their extended-jam cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” two nearly balcony-high puppets roamed through the audience, engaged in mock robot-puppet warfare.  I don’t think you need a BA from a northeastern liberal arts school to understand how this makes for a good time.  (But I guess it might not hurt).

Maybe it shouldn’t be a novelty that Rubblebucket are distinguished by their virtuosity on their instruments – lead singer Kalmia Triver does double duty on sax, even – but that has been enough to get them included in another faux genre, “yes wave”.  I think I’ll pass on the genre name, but whatever you want to call their sound, Rubblebucket is a band you shouldn’t miss live.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones from our usual spot in the balcony, for a flawless capture of the night. Enjoy!

Stream “Raining”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R0128Rubblebucket0211/03 Raining.mp3]

Stream “Heart of Glass [Blondie]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R0128Rubblebucket0211/08 Heart of Glass.mp3]

Download the MP3 and FLAC 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.

Rubblebucket
2012-01-28
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (balcony, DIN, slightly LOC)>KCY>littlebox>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, balance, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8)

Tracks [Total Time 1:23:14]
01 [intro]
02 Worker
03 Raining
04 Breatherz (Young as Clouds)
05 Landing
06 [?]-1
07 Silly Fathers
08 Heart of Glass [Blondie]
09 [banter]
10 Bikes
11 Triangular Daisies
12 [?]-2
13 [banter]
14 [?]-3
15 Came Out of a Lady
16 [encore break]
17 Down In the Yards
18 L’Homme

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Rubblebucket, visit their website, and buy Omega La La and their other releases from their official store [HERE]

Low Roar: January 19, 2012 Pianos – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 30, 2012
By


[Photos courtesy of Matthew Eisman.  See more of his excellent work HERE.]

I’ve always been a rock music guy.  And if it can rupture eardrums and upset my equilibrium just by listening to it, I’m usually in my happy place.  That’s why I was surprised to find Low Roar’s debut album with its haunting melodies so intriguing.  Having already drawn comparisons to the mellower offerings of Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Sigur Rós in reviews, I also heard flashes of Brian Eno in that first listen.  The band’s backstory is no less interesting.  Formerly of Oakland’s Audrye Sessions, frontman and songwriter Ryan Karazija pulled up stakes in San Francisco and moved to Iceland where he began this project and recorded the tracks.  Much as I really liked it, I was left wondering how well this music would translate to a concert setting.  My concerns were unfounded as the songs, beautiful as they are on record, were stunningly gorgeous when played live.  Joined on stage by Júlíus Björgvinsson, Ryan’s magnificent hymn-like vocals and the duo’s brilliantly understated musicianship fleshed even more nuance out of the studio material and expanded on it.  Suffice to say, I’m looking forward to the next chance I get to see Low Roar.  If their music is to your tastes and you have an opportunity to catch them, I suggest you run, don’t walk, to go see them, too.

Recording in small clubs always has its challenges and this night at Pianos was no exception: chatty patrons, an adjoining bar with its accompanying noise, and a feedback spike early in the set.  All that aside, venue engineer, Ofer, did a superb job in both his house mix and the soundboard feed he provided for us to blend with our microphones.  The resultant capture is excellent and we hope you like what you hear as much as we did.  Enjoy!

Special thanks to Low Roar and Bryan Vaughan at Indigenous Promotions for making this recording possible, and to the staff at Pianos for their courtesy and cooperation.

Stream “Just A Habit”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L9110LowRoar1022/Low_Roar_-_Just_A_Habit.mp3]

Direct download of the complete show in MP3 [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.

Low Roar
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Pianos
New York, NY, USA

Source: SBD + AKG C 414 B-XLS’s > Edirol R-44 (WAV @ 24-bit/48kHz)
Lineage: R-44 > USB > PC > Adobe Audition (mixdown, adjust levels, downsample, dither, tracking) > WAV (16-bit/44.1kHz) > Trader’s Little Helper (check/fix SBE’s, FLAC) > FLAC Level 8
Pianos house engineer: Ofer Tiberin
Recorded and produced by: Johnny Fried Chicken Boy

SETLIST:
[Total time: 38:51]
01. Intro > Friends Make Garbage (Good Friends Take It Out) > Low Roar
02. Just A Habit
03. Give Up
04. Rolling Over
05. Help Me > Dalalæða

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Low Roar and their related projects, visit their Facebook page, and purchase their official releases at the Tonequake Records shop [HERE], at iTunes or at Amazon.  And definitely go see their shows.

Portugal. The Man: January 20, 2012 Brooklyn Bowl – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 29, 2012
By


[Photos by Jill at fortheloveofbrooklyn]

While Wasilla, Alaska will forever be inextricably linked with its most famous resident, a certain former vice presidential candidate, music fans may know it as the unlikely birthplace of Portugal. The Man [punctuation theirs].  Now based in Portland, the young band is an unabashed classic rock throwback, with semi-psychedelic, jammable songs that take their cues from the sounds of rock’s late 60s – mid 70s period.  I fully admit to them being one of those bands that flew completely under my radar, until I noticed one day that they were headlining venues like Terminal 5.  So, given the chance to see them at the more local and (compared to T5) intimate Brooklyn Bowl, I figured this would be a good way to check them out.  The band did not disappoint with a 100-minute set played to a sold-out Friday night crowd.  In the live setting, their relatively compact, radio-ready songs stretch out, segueing into one another and breaking mid-song for extended jams.  The band also paid homage to their influences with some well-placed covers, including David Bowie’s “All The Young Dudes” and the Beatles classic “Helter Skelter”, which the band transitioned into in the middle of “The Devil”.  PTM also honored the recently-deceased Etta James with a cover of her “I’d Rather Go Blind”.  The band visits NYC again when they take the stage at Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 20.

I recorded this set with AKG large-diaphragm mics in “wide cardiod” mode up close to the right speaker stack to provide maximum direct sound.  The house mix on this night was, quite frankly, one of the worst I have heard in this venue, so considerable work had to be done to make the recording sound more balanced than things did in the room. Still, I am now happy with the final results.  Enjoy!

Thanks to Scott Bernstein for the setlist.  You can check out his recording [HERE]

Stream “All Your Light”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P0021PortugalTheMan0012/14 All Your Light.mp3]

Stream “I’d Rather Go Blind [Etta James]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P0021PortugalTheMan0012/25 I’d Rather Go Blind.mp3]

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

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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.

Portugal. The Man
2012-01-20
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide carded mode)>Sound Devices USBPre2>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)>24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mastering effects, editing)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:39:23]
01 So American>
02 Work All Day
03 The Devil>
04 Helter Skelter> [The Beatles]
05 The Devil
06 AKA M80 the Wolf
07 The Woods
08 [tuning]
09 Head Is A Flame>
10 All the Young Dudes> [David Bowie]
11 Elephants
12 [false start]
13 Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side)
14 All Your Light
15 1989
16 Do You ->
17 Everyone Is Golden
18 Got It All
19 The Sun
20 Senseless
21 [banter]
22 Sleep Forever
23 [encore break]
24 And I
25 I’d Rather Go Blind> [Etta James]
26 People Say

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Portugal. The Man, visit their website, and buy their latest record, In the Mountain In the Cloud and other items from their online store.

Akron/Family: January 21, 2012 285 Kent – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 24, 2012
By


[iphone photo by PP]

Its hard to fully describe the complete manic communal energy at Saturday night’s Akron/Family show at 285 Kent. On the night after the band received the great gift of being able to perform with the Sun Ra Arkestra (in Philly), it seemed as if A/F wanted to reach that kind of high on their own — and to a great extent, they succeeded. The crowd was quite animated from the very outset of the show, a superb opening set from Bad Weather California. By the time Akron/Family took the stage, the venue was packed to the gills and buzzing in anticipation. The set began with a cacophonic jam that led into the quiet “Gravely Mountains of the Moon”. The show wouldn’t be quiet very long, as a great segue of lengthy songs mixed with incendiary jams were all mixed in with periods of direct crowd participation. By the time the band reached the main set closing “Silly Bears”, the set was approaching ninety minutes of mania. The encore intermission wasn’t a break as much as a chance for the crowd to take over, chanting and playing the band’s shared percussion instruments until Akron/Family returned. We are streaming below the show’s finale, an absolutely brilliant take on “Light Emerges” that brought the festivities to appropriate close. Although its quite early in 2012, its obvious that this amazing show will be one of the highlights of the year.

I recorded this set with the DPA Cardioid microphones mounted to a pole ten feet from the stage and mixed the upfront mics with a soundboard feed. The recording is mixed with a larger amount of the audience feed in order to fully capture the concert experience. Enjoy!

Stream Entire Show via Archive.org:

This recording is now available for download in FLAC and MP3 at 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.

Akron Family
2012-01-21
285 Kent
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > 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
2012-01-22

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:42:39]
01 [intro – auld lang syne]
02 Gravely Mountains of the Moon
03 Say What You Want To
04 River
05 Island
06 A AAA O A WAY
07 So It Goes
08 Another Sky
09 Ed Is A Portal
10 Everyone Is Guilty
11 Silly Bears
12 [encore break]
13 Light Emerges

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Akron/Family, visit their website, and purchase Shinju TNT from the Dead Oceans Records website [HERE].

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