nyctaper Recordings

[Photo courtesy of Andrew Gardner]

Brooklyn’s She Keeps Bees positively oozes authenticity.  Singer/guitarist Jessica Larrabee’s delivery is all heartbreak, grit, and grace, with a stiff shot of bourbon in the mix.  She and drummer Andy LaPlant’s elegantly rustic songs need no extraneous flourishes – witness this nearly a cappella rendition of “Ribbon”.  Some bands keep fans coming back with ridiculous gimmicks, but She Keeps Bees are the type of band you want to see again and again because of subtler, better things: for the way that Larrabee’s voice curdles into a scream every so often, for stage banter that is unpracticed, unabashed and often hilarious; for the the way the chorus of a song like “Release” is always delivered perfectly even if it is not, technically speaking, perfect.  For the way that, even at mid-afternoon in the darkness of Cake Shop’s basement, it makes you grateful that you decided to be precisely there, precisely then.  We are truly grateful to She Keeps Bees for playing our CMJ show this year.

I recorded this set as with our other CMJ sets, and this recording is, similarly, outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Release”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S5001SheKeepsBees0210/SheKeepsBees-Release2010-10-21.mp3]

Stream “Ribbon”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S5001SheKeepsBees0210/SheKeepsBees-Ribbon2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

She Keeps Bees
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Release
02 Gimme
03 banter
04 I Don’t Believe You
05 Ribbon

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT She Keeps Bees, visit their website, and purchase their excellent releases from their Bandcamp Page [HERE].

[photo courtesy of pierceturner.com]

I saw Pierce Turner at Joe’s Pub a couple of weeks back, and it was the first time I’ve seen him in two years. The show was a delightful performance that proved that although he may have slowed a bit, Turner is still capable of charming an audience and energizing the fans. The aftershow conversation steered towards the past, and I was reminded of the archive of outstanding Pierce Turner performances that I have recorded over the years.

Throughout the 90s, Pierce did a series of “residencies” at local Irish clubs. In the early part of the decade, his Friday nights at Nevada Smiths were legendary and led to the release of the live album Manana in Manhattan, recorded at Smiths on a crazy Monday night in 1994. Later, his “Sunday mass” at Swift Hibernian Lounge drew an eclectic Sunday afternoon crowd and continued from 1996 until early 1998. When the Swift residency ended, Pierce moved the Sunday shows to Fiddlesticks, which is an enormous Irish pub on Greenwich Avenue that had recently opened back in ’98.

The recording posted here was the very first night of Sunday’s at Fiddlesticks, a series of shows that would continue for about six months. On this opening night, Pierce brought out all the stops, and played a nearly two-hour show packed with all of his best material and several rarities. The band consisted of the regular string quartet and drummer Michael Dawe, although regular cellist Tomas Ulrich was unavailable on this particular night. Pierce opened the show with “I Set You Up to Shake” from US version of The Sky and the Ground, accompanied only by backing tapes as he walked on top of the bar and the tables. It was a song he had not performed live in several years. “Groovy Hearts”, a song that appeared on Turner’s first album but was originally recorded for the final (never released) Major Thinkers album was a special rare treat. Five encores and a couple of hours later, the show ended with promises to return, which Pierce honored for months.

I recorded this set with a feed from the soundboard into my Sony M-1 DAT deck. Pierce’s live sound at the time was mixed by a talented engineer named Scott Whitney with whom I’ve unfortunately lost touch. Scott mixed the show superbly on this evening and the result is an excellent recording and listening experience. Enjoy!

Stream the entire concert:

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Direct download of the FLAC files available at Archive.org Link (HERE)

Pierce Turner
1998-02-15
Fiddlesticks
New York, New York USA

Master Digital Soundboard Recording

Soundboard > Sony M-1 DAT
DAT Master > Panasonic SV-3800 > digital coaxial > Audigy 2 ZS Platinum > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades) > 16 bit 44.1 wav > CD Wave (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by nyctaper in 1998
Produced by nyctaper 2010-11-08

Setlist:
[total time: 1:55:59]
01 I Set You Up To Shake
02 Thunderstorm
03 Moonbeam Josephine
04 Don’t Want Her To Feel That Way
05 [banter]
06 Say You Don’t Mind [Colin Blunstone]
07 You Can Never Know
08 [banter]
09 Ball and Chain (Snakes and Ladders)
10 Who’s Your Advisor
11 [banter]
12 Groovy Hearts
13 Oh Ireland
14 Mr. Smith
15 Lithium [Nirvana]
16 [banter]
17 For No One [Beatles]
18 [banter]
19 Manana In Manhattan
20 Not A Bad Day For A Wednesday
21 [band introductions]
22 Wicklow Hills
23 [encore break]
24 God Only Knows [Beach Boys]
25 [banter]
26 Band Of Gold [Freda Payne]
27 Musha God Help Her
28 [second encore break]
29 Big Big Bruise
30 [banter]
31 Orange Coloured Sun

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Pierce Turner, visit his website, and purchase his releases directly from the online store at his website.

[Photo by acidjack. Apologies for the quality – it was quite dark, and it would have been rude to use flash]

The band 47.5 is an experimental duo comprised of the outstanding Japanese musicians (and longtime Brooklyn residents) Yusuke Yamamoto and Yoshio Kobayashi.  Yamamoto and Kobayashi are students of the technical and gear-related side of music as well – the band’s name refers to the running speed of an old-school cassette tape.  The band’s sound relies on electric and conventional drums, synths, vibraphone and loops, densely layered to create a sound that lies at the intersection of jazz, rock, dub and electronica.  For an easy reference point, think Tortoise, with less of a musical focus on percussion.  This living room-style show at Studio BPM provided an excellent introduction to this fascinating duo, who were playing the show with Lymbyc Systym to celebrate the release of 47.5’s first record, Warm Sea. Although they indicated to me early on that they were still getting comfortable with the material, this tight melodic journey belied none of that, as the band recreated their intricate tracks in the live setting perfectly.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Lymbyc Systym set, with a stereo soundboard feed and the DPA microphones in the center of the room.  The sound quality is among my best of the year.  Enjoy!

Assistance with the setlist for this show would be appreciated.

Stream “Chin Don”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F1980_475_0210/47.5-ChinDon2010-09-18.mp3]

Direct Download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

47.5
2010-09-18
Studio BPM
Brooklyn, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: FOB, DFC, 8? up, DIN
Mastering: 2×24bit WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 54:54]
01
02
03
04
05 Chin Don
06
07
08
09

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT 47.5, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Warm Sea from MeMeAntenna here, on  iTunes or at your favorite retailer.

[photo by nyctaper]

I was enamored with the music of the late great Ponytail, Baltimore’s art-rock collective that came to an unfortunate and untimely demise earlier this year. Dustin Wong’s work with Ponytail was breathtaking — intricate and hyper guitar lines that propelled the swirling melodies. As a live performer in Ponytail, Dustin yielded the front spot to Molly Siegel’s spastic vocal yelps, but fans in know understood that he was the band’s leader. As a solo performer, Dustin has literally taken a seat, taken a deep breath and now focuses on creating multi-layered musical tapestries. At Monster Island last Tuesday, he performed solo and seated to a smallish but rapt crowd. The set began with “Sisters” from his excellent new Thrill Jockey release Infinite Love but moved onto a series of new and developing melodies. The material is instantly recognizable as Dustin’s guitar style, but with the looping and layering takes on a unique character. The crowd did not utter a peep until the short set was over, but showered Dustin with some well deserved praise at its conclusion. We will continue to follow this extremely talented artist as he weaves his way along an interesting and compelling career path.

This set was recorded with the Neumann mics mounted ten feet from the stage and mixed with a well balanced soundboard feed. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream an Excerpt from this set:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P6621Ponytail2121/Dustin%20Wong%20LIVE%20EXCERPT%202010-11-02.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Dustin Wong
2010-11-02
Monster Island Basement
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 16bit 44.1kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2010-11-06

Setlist:
[Total Time 30:23]
01 Track
(songs included “Sisters” and a series of new melodies)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Dustin Wong, visit his artist page at the Thrill Jockey Records website, and purchase his official releases from the Merge Records website [HERE].

[Photo courtesy of Amanda Hatfield]

Continuing our series of recordings from the NYCTaper Unofficial CMJ Day Party is a charged four-song set from Chicago’s Unicycle Loves You, who are veterans of our next most recent (and admittedly much less well attended) NYCTaper CMJ show. This time there was nothing to worry about in that department, as a solid crowd showed up to witness the band’s New Wave-influenced psych pop. This set exclusively showcased songs from their new record, Mirror, Mirror, and each was delivered with the obvious charge that comes with playing fresh new material. Although a good bit shorter than our most recent Unicycle Loves You post from September at Cake Shop, the sound quality of this recording blows the other (admittedly good) one away due to an improved recording technique that we discovered for the venue. If you like this taste of the band, please check out their records and our other recordings!

I recorded this set from the same location as the other CMJ sets, and the sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Justine”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/U2210ULY2229/UnicycleLovesYou-Justine2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Unicycle Loves You
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, slight EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 The Wickedest Man in San Francisco
02 Teenage Ghost House
03 Justine
04 Mountain Lungs

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Unicycle Loves You, visit their website, and purchase their official releases at the Store on their website [HERE].

[Photo courtesy of Andrew Gardner]

When, like The Rest, you are a Canadian band (albeit, from Hamilton, near Toronto) and you have enough members to crowd the stage (seven, in this case) and you play complex, somewhat anthemic rock music, you might forgive those who write about you for comparing you to a band like, say, Arcade Fire. We wrote a glowing review of the band’s performance at another show sponsored by NYCTaper last year, and since reading that review (since I was not the one recording that night), I was intrigued. I picked up the band’s latest record, Everyone All At Once, but to be honest, this seems to be one of those cases where I prefer the band’s live sound to their record. Not to take anything away from the record – it is quite good – but a band this big virtually demands that you absorb the live experience.

Despite being crammed onto the tiny stage at Cake Shop for the NYCTaper Unofficial CMJ Day Party, The Rest gave us everything we had hoped for. Their heartfelt songwriting, excellent arrangements and tight playing shone through, even without a proper soundcheck. My personal favorite was probably “The Close Western,” a U2-like slow builder that explodes into a soaring anthem.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the other CMJ sets, and the sound quality is superior. Enjoy!

Stream “The Close Western”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R6019TheRest2929/TheRest-TheCloseWestern2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

The Rest
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, slight EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Who Knows
02 The Close Western
03 banter
04 Always On My Mind
05 Walk On Water

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Rest, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Everyone All At Once directly from the Auteur Records website [HERE] or digitally from Amie Street [HERE].

[Photo courtesy of Quiet Lights]

Brooklyn’s Quiet Lights have been together for only a year, but they have used that time wisely, crafting an intense, wall-of-sound style that can fill any room.  Their music is complex and densely layered, at times aircraft-engine loud.  During the loudest passages, vocalist Yseult Tyler’s vocals float just below the surface like a ghost’s; even out front, they are carefully subdued and dreamlike.  This is music that can make you love clouds and storms and vast, open spaces, somehow both dark and light at once.  The band is in the process of recording a debut album with producer/engineer John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, St. Vincent).  Until that comes to fruition, check out their three-song EP Three Songs and the “Ablaze” 7? on bandcamp. I was thrilled to catch this bill with Esben and the Witch and A Sunny Day In Glasgow (ASDIG’s set to be posted here soon), and I hope to see Quiet Lights in the neighborhood again soon.

I recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones in our usual location in the venue back by the soundboard.  The recording captures the band’s style quite nicely.  Enjoy!

Stream “Twice Today”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Q2610QuietLights2010/QuietLights-TwiceToday2010-10-26.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Quiet Lights
2010-10-26
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY  USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod)
Position: Clamp to right side of soundboard booth, 7.5? up, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, hard limit peaks, light EQ to reduce room reflections, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Throat Cut
02 Break Trouble Wait
03 No More Canyons
04 Twice Today
05 Engine Down
06 Ablaze
07 Simple Mechanics

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Quiet Lights, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and check out their releases on Bandcamp as well as their forthcoming new record.

[photo courtesy of Amanda Hatfield]

As with a couple of the bands on our Unofficial CMJ Day Party roster this year, we were introduced to Brit & The Cavalry by our friends over at the Backyard Brunch Sessions.  Brit Boras and the Cavalry (a huge band that includes Alex Beckmann (drums), Dan Krysa (bass), Kevin Birk (trombone), Nick Myers (sax), Billy Austik (trumpet) and Liz Hanley (violin)) play big, effusive songs that are blend of folk, rock and pop, anchored (unsurprisingly) by Boras’ classically-strong voice (on article compared her to Tori Amos, a not-unfair comparison).  Boras’ voice is the unmistakable focus of the act, of course, no matter how rich the tapestry of sound around her.  BATC is not a conventional turn-of-the-decade Brooklyn band; I could imagine them fitting being just as relevant in 1965, 1995 as they are today.  This five-song set drew from their new Hiker EP, and also featured a couple of numbers I was not familiar with.  We expect to see a lot more of this relatively unique and intriguing band in the future.

I recorded this set in the same manner as our other CMJ sets, with DPA mics nearly onstage and a soundboard feed for the vocals and brass.  The recording is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Hiker”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B3107Brit1020/Brit%26TheCavalry-Hiker2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Brit & The Cavalry
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC Level 8

01 Hiker
02 unknown
03 Melt Into Flames
04 unknown
05 Breathing Underwater

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Brit and the Cavalry, visit their website, and purchase Hiker and their other official releases on iTunes or your preferred retailer.

[Photo by Pooneh Ghana.  See her Flickr stream here]

When we recorded Diamond Rings back at a ToddP show in July, we said we were witnessing a rising star in the making.  After a CMJ this year that saw his performances regularly packed (including this one), this one-man-band (John O’Regan of Toronto, Canada) is well on his way to being a household name.  Regan’s glammed-up, synth-driven songs are instantly catchy – witness the bouncy “On Our Own” or the more melancholy lead-off track of this set, “Wait and See”.   O’Regan’s songs have an obvious ’80s influence – he could easily share a stage with Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure or even the Smiths and not feel out of place.  Although there is also a definite back-to-the-future aspect to his androgynous look, O’Regan’s star quality reminds me of someone quite current – Lady Gaga.  He has risen on the indie circuit, sure, but O’Regan has the broader potential to be a pop artist in the best sense – someone whose music is honest, interesting and accessible, but who isn’t afraid of attention.  No wonder Diamond Rings is a one-person act – O’Regan is incandescent on his own.  We thank Diamond Rings for sharing our unofficial CMJ day party with us this year, and encourage you to check out his new record, Special Affections, before your friends are telling you all about it six months from now.

I recorded this set in the same manner as our other CMJ sets.  This type of music is somewhat easy to record anyway, but even given that, this recording is truly flawless.  I only wish, as with all of our CMJ sets, that it were longer!  Enjoy!

Stream “On Our Own”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D1807DiamondRings2211/DiamondRings-OnOurOwn2010-10-21.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Diamond Rings
2010-10-21
NYCTaper CMJ Day Party
Cake Shop
New York, NY

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021+Stereo soundboard feed>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: Mount above and slightly in front of stage stage, ORTF
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC Level 8

01 Wait and See
02 On Our Own
03 You Oughta Know
04 [banter]
05 Something Else

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Diamond Rings, visit the website, visit the MySpace page, and purchase Special Affections from the Secret City Records [HERE].