nyctaper Recordings

concert discussion and free flac downloads

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]

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.

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].

The Notekillers (w/ members of TV On the Radio, Oneida and Liturgy): January 18, 2012 Union Pool – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 23, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

DONATE TO JONATHAN TOUBIN’S RECOVERY [HERE]

The beloved New York DJ Jonathan Toubin, proprietor of the New York Night Train & Soul Clap parties, was recently the victim of a bizarre and horrifying accident while he was sleeping in a hotel room in Portland, OR last month.  The odds were against that he would be alive beyond that night, but Jonathan has beaten those odds.  He is convalescing in a Portland hospital at this moment.  He will likely need years of expensive treatments to restore him to the life he had before the accident.  As you may already know, musicians, DJs and other creative, independent types in America often don’t have the best health insurance.  Jonathan is going to need our help.

Which brings me to this benefit show, a one-of-a-kind bill at Union Pool, organized by the legendary Philadelphia avant-garde instrumental rock band The Notekillers.  Formed in 1976, The Notekillers broke up in 1981 before coming back together in 2004.  Since then, the band have picked up where they left off, continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of rock music.  This show pushed those boundaries even further, as it saw the band splitting into various combos with a number of special guests, including Kyp Malone of TV On the Radio, Kid Millions of Oneida, Greg Fox of Guardian Alien and Bernard Gann of Liturgy.  The various combinations produced a range of thought-provoking pieces, from Fox’s electronics work to a three-drummer trio of Millions, Fox and Barry Halkin of The Notekillers, to The Notekillers’ own instrumental avant-punk.  For his part, Malone played two separate “solo” sets (in a three-person band setup) and also joined the Notekillers and Millions in an improptu supergroup they called The New Party Systems Band.  Added to all of this was a psychedelic light show for some numbers that gave the compositions and even more otherworldly feel.

On a cold Wednesday night, the show ended, appropriately, with Kyp Malone performing “Winter Song” from his Rain Machine solo album.  The song alludes to how love can thrive even in the darkest of moments.  Jonathan Toubin is having one of those right now, for sure.  But in this little room on Union Ave., his friends let the world know that he is not alone.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK22 “open cardioid” microphones and a soundboard feed by Ian, the house engineer, who was kind enough to arrange it especially for me.  With many stylistic and volume variations, it was a bit interesting to mix down, but I am very happy with it.  Enjoy!

Although you are not required to donate to Jonathan Toubin in order to download this set, I strongly encourage you to help him out.   To that end, I will personally match the first $150 of new donations that people can provide proof of by means of PayPal receipts.  The PayPal link for Toubin is [HERE] and you can send your proof of donation to me [HERE]

Stream the New Party Systems Band performing an instrumental:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N8101Notekillers2012/15 New Party Systems Band 1.mp3]

Stream The Notekillers performing an instrumental:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N8101Notekillers2012/21 Notekillers 6.mp3]

Stream Kyp Malone performing “Winter Song”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N8101Notekillers2012/24 Winter Song.mp3]

Direct download of 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.

The Notekillers
2012-01-18
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK22>KCY>Naiant littlebox + SBD >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, level adjustments, downsample to 44.1)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

[Total Time 1:59:05]
Set I

Kid Millions, Barry Halkin & Greg Fox
01 [3 Drummers]

Kyp Malone
02 [Kyp Guitar]
03 [Kyp banter]
04 [unknown Kyp song 1]
05 [Kyp banter 2]
06 Smiling Black Faces
07 [tuning]
08 [unknown Kyp song 2]

The Notekillers with Greg Fox, Bernard Gann & Kid Millions
09 [instrumental]

The Notekillers
10 Ricochet
11 Compelled
12 [tuning]
13 Glider
14 [tuning]

New Party Systems Band [The Notekillers/Kid Millions/Kyp Malone]
15 [New Party Systems Band 1]

Set II
Stephen Bilenky & David First
16 Guitar/Congas
17 [tuning]

Stephen Bilenky, David First & Greg Fox
18 Guitar/Congas/Electronics

The Notekillers
19 Airport
20 Airport (cont.)
21 Eyelash

New Party Systems Band [The Notekillers/Kid Millions/Kyp Malone]
22 Stockhausen

Kyp Malone
23 [Kyp tuning]
24 Winter Song

Musicians
The Notekillers (drummer Barry Halkin, guitarist David First, bassist Stephen Bilenky)
Kyp Malone (and band)
Greg Fox
Kid Millions
Bernard Gann

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Notekillers, visit their website, and purchase their records via the links on that site, as well as supporting the other fine bands on this bill.

Our Mountain: January 16, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 19, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

In an excellent piece in the L Magazine entitled “101 Secrets to Indie Rock Success”, the magazine advises that “[p]laying instruments on a stage isn’t all there is to a performance. It’s got to rise to the level of a show. There are different ways to put one on, but just playing instruments, even quite well, isn’t enough.”  Our Mountain have obviously taken that to heart in a big way – they’re one of the most dynamic, engaging new live bands I’ve seen in awhile, and they look the part.

The third act of a four-act Glasslands bill with no weak links, Our Mountain still stood out immediately.  They come at you with punk sneer but play with adept, post-punk atmospherics and texture.  Their sound is all-encompassing, at times foreboding, at times coke-buzz intense. Frontman Matthew Hutchinson’s writhing, twisting moves and confident delivery make him seem like a frontman with decades of experience, and his vocal delivery puts him squarely in the company of great postpunk forebears like Gang of Four.  He comes by his non-American accent honestly as well – the bandmembers, now based in Brooklyn, originally hail from Melbourne, Australia.

Along with the killer music, the band has also gotten a fair amount of press for one of its founders, percussionist/keyboardist, femme fatale and model Abbey Lee (Abbey Lee Kershaw, in the fashion world).  She’d be the tall, beautiful, striking blonde woman in the back corner – most strikingly, when she was banging a heavy chain against a trashcan lid during the set opener “Drury Lane”.  But beyond Lee and her look, this band has that general sense of polish that tells you they are going places.  Live, each of their songs is delivered like it’s the last time they’ll ever play it – like they mean it.  Maybe it’s that whole “journeying from halfway around the world to make your rock n’ roll dreams come true” thing that makes them try that little bit harder – maybe.  Whatever the reason, Our Mountain are playing like they want this all to mean something, and they’re only getting started.  With no official releases under their belt yet, the band is gunning for live and studio opportunities.  My suspicion is they’ll get them.

I recorded this set with DPA 4021 microphones and a soundboard feed from the Glasslands FOH team.  The results are outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Drury Lane”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0116OurMountain2012/01 Drury Lane.mp3]

Stream “Wooden Hearts”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0116OurMountain2012/05 Wooden Hearts.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.

Our Mountain
2012-01-16
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

DPA 4021>Naiant littlebox + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, downsample)>FLAC ( Level 8 )

Tracks
01 Drury Lane
02 Midnight Black (with a white diamond on her forehead)
03 Untitled
04 1981
05 Wooden Hearts
06 Pink Elephant

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Our Mountain, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.  And go see their shows.  Definitely do that.  

The Phantom Family Halo: January 16, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 19, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Phantom Family Halo deserve your attention – and they’ve already gotten their fair share.  Last year’s The Mindeater EP with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, another artist with some Louisville roots, earned them mention in the New York Times and beyond.  Bandmember Dom Cipolla also participated in another high-profile collaborative affair recently when he contributed to a live session at Joe’s Pub that covered Brian Eno’s Here Come the Warm Jets.  This Monday night show at Glasslands, however, was dedicated to the band’s own material, in particular their forthcoming release When I Fall Out, due out on Knitting Factory Records on Valentine’s Day.  You can stream the studio version of one of the album tracks, “White Hot Gun”, here, and the live version from this show below.

This show found the band tearing through what should be a large portion of the new record, and in fine form while doing it.  With a sound that straddles the divide between psych rock and British metal, Phantom Family Halo put on a sonic assault of a rock show that isn’t just a display of the power of their effects pedals or ability to noodle on their instruments.  Rather, their songs are often tightly wound and forcefully delivered.  With members of Sapat and The For Carnation among the players, it’s as if Phantom Family Halo takes some cues from those acts, but with the energy turned to eleven.  This fairly short set felt a bit like a preview of what to expect when the record drops – so lucky for you, they have a record release show set for February 11 at the up-and-coming Greenpoint venue Saint Vitus, where they will be joined by our good friends The Loom.

I recorded this set with DPA microphones from our usual spot in the venue, plus a soundboard feed from the Glasslands FOH team.  The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “White Hot Gun”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P1106PFHalo0212/02 White Hot Gun.mp3]

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

The Phantom Family Halo
2012-01-16
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

DPA 4021>Naiant littlebox + SBD >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 The Fall Out
02 White Hot Gun
03 Dirty Blade
04 Light Year Girl
05 Above My Head
06 Lightning On Your Face
07 The Fall Out (Suite)
08 Vital Energy

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Phantom Family Halo, like them on Facebook, and pre-order The Fall Out and buy their other official releases from Knitting Factory Records [HERE]

Cracker: January 14, 2012 Highline Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 18, 2012
By


[screen cap from this youtube video]

As we noted in the Camper Van Beethoven post, there will be another East coast “Camp Out” this year. The main event for the multi-day show at the 40 Watt Club in Athens Georgia (March 1 to March 3) is the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of Cracker’s debut album. On Saturday night at Highline Ballroom, Cracker headlined the show and played an energetic 75 minute set. Although this show was not exactly a preview of the Camp Out celebration, five songs from Cracker were performed, including the album’s opening track “Teen Angst” in the encore slot, which we’re also streaming below.

I recorded this set in the same manner at the Camper set and the sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Teen Angst”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C0109Camper9002/17.%20Teen%20Angst.mp3]

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.

Cracker
2012-01-14
Highline Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-01-16

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:13:27]
01 Seven Days
02 Don’t Fuck Me Up (With Peace and Love)
03 100 Flower Power Maximum
04 Big Dipper
05 [banter – San Jose]
06 I See The Light
07 Mr. Wrong
08 Been Around The World
09 Gimme One More Chance
10 Wedding Day
11 Lonesome Johnny Blues
12 Turn On Tune In Drop Out
13 Happy Birthday To Me
14 Eurotrash Girl
15 Low
16 [encore break]
17 Teen Angst

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Cracker, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from the Store at their website [here] or from the 429 Records website [here].

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