nyctaper Recordings

These United States at Prospect Park earlier this Summer
[photo courtesy of Hooves on the Turf – more here]

Acidjack reports:
“This Kentucky band rolled into New York City with swagger, first selling out the Mercury Lounge on Friday night, and then following that up with an epic show at Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The band kicked off the night with an acoustic set, preceded by the folk duo Vandaveer. After a break, Brooklyn standouts Motel Motel played an opening set, followed by These United States and a blistering electric set played to a smaller but very excited crowd. The band played classics from both their current albums as well as new songs from their forthcoming album, Everything Touches Everything. Only one song is repeated out of the two sets. Thanks to These United States, their management, and Union Hall for permitting us to record this fine performance from an optimum spot in the venue.”

This recording was captured from the prime location in this venue and the sound quality is outstanding.

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

These United States
2009-08-28
Union Hall
Brooklyn, NY USA

An ACIDJACK master recording

Equipment: DPA 4061 (Coresound HEB)>R-09HR
Placement: Mounted on ceiling pipe, center, 3′ split
Processing: raw WAV>Audacity (tracking, amplify each channel, set fades, downsample to 44.1kHz/16bit)

Set One (acoustic)
17 Tracks (setlist help needed)
Set Two (electric)
15 Tracks (setlist help needed)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT These United States, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the buy.it link at their site [HERE].

[photo by zenametalz]

The Swedish psychedelic rock band Dungen are currently wrapping up the last few dates of an extensive U.S. tour. Two weeks ago, they performed at Bell House and acidjack was there to capture it. As this show took place while I was on vacation, I will refer our readers to the excellent review of this show by the “Look At Me, I Made a Blog” music blog [here].

Acidjack recorded this set next to the soundboard with his new AKG microphones and the sound is quite excellent. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Dungen
2009-08-14
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY USA

An ACIDJACK master recording

Recorded and produced by acidjack
Equipment: AKG ck91 cardiod capsules (Busman active mod)>custom battery box>R-09HR (24bit/48kHz)
Location: Mics mounted DIN on custom kwon bar on pole clamped to left corner of SBD cage, 10ft total height
Processing: WAV>Audacity (smooth peaks, tracking, downsample to 16bit/44.1kHz, amplify each channel to -0.1dB)>FLAC ( level 8 )

22 Tracks
(setlist help needed)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Dungen, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the Shop at their site [HERE].

[photo courtesy of franklin64]

Although we were not previously familiar with the music of Danish band Mew prior to their set opening for NIN at Terminal 5 on Wednesday, like much of the crowd by the end of the epic “Comforting Sounds” we were duly impressed with the band’s excellent mix of prog, 80s synth and Euro-style pop. The musical proficiency was obvious and the song structures were imaginative. Mew took advantage of the crowd’s unfamiliarity with the material to perform five consecutive songs from their brand new release No More Stories, which is said to contain a more pop focus than their previous releases.

The set was recorded from the identical location as the NIN recording, with the identical equipment from the first half of NIN. The crowd was not nearly as packed for this set, and as a result there is less of “din” during the quiet moments. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Mew
2009-08-26
Terminal 5
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Directly in Front of Soundboard
Center Floor

DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2009-08-30

Setlist:
[Total Time 37:37]
01 New Terrain
02 Introducing Palace Players
03 Hawaii
04 Sometimes Life Isn’t Easy
05 Special / Zookeeper’s Boy / Special
06 Comforting Sounds

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Mew, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the MewShop at their site [HERE].

[all photos on this page by Dave Pecoraro]

Last night was the final NYC show “ever” for Nine Inch Nails. The last song was an appropriate cover of the Pere Ubu classic “Final Solution” where NIN were also joined by Bauhaus’s Peter Murphy for the second straight night. “Final Solution” contains the lyric “guitars gonna sound like a nuclear destruction” which could accurately describe the sonic wall of sound that NIN produced last night. In what was clearly the best sound quality we have ever heard at Terminal 5, NIN vibrated throughout the cavernous venue with unmatched energy and intensity and ignited the oppressively packed and overheated crowd, who sang along in unison to nearly every number. There seemed to be no posers or yappers at this concert, only the diehards. Throughout the over two and a half hour set, the NIN setlist covered all aspects of their catalog from the very early (“Head Like a Hole”, “Terrible Lie”) to the latest (2008’s “1,000,000”) — all performed with the same level of conviction.

This recording is a true NYCTaper.com collaboration. I began recording from the perfect location with prime equipment, about two-thirds of the way back on the floor directly in front of the soundboard. As the heat and pressure of the crowd overwhelmed me halfway through the set, I had to leave for some air. Acidjack was standing next to me also recording, and his superb capture provides the second half of this recording. A seamless crossfade was applied and we challenge any listener to locate the exact point where the two nearly identical outstanding recordings were patched. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Nine Inch Nails
2009-08-26
Terminal 5
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Directly in Front of Soundboard
Center Floor (both recordings)

DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (first half) +
DPA 4061s > Edirol R-09HR (second half)
24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample, crossfade, EQ to first half) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded by nyctaper and acidjack
Produced by nyctaper
2009-08-26

Setlist:
[Total Time 2:34:37]
01 Pinion/Somewhat Damaged
02 Wish
03 Last
04 Sin
05 March of The Pigs
06 Something I Can Never Have
07 Piggy
08 Metal
09 Terrible Lie
10 Head Down
11 Burn
12 Gave Up
13 La Mer
14 The Frail/The Wretched
15 Non-Entity
16 Gone, Still
17 Lights In The Sky
18 The Downward Spiral
19 1,000,000
20 Survivalism
21 The Good Soldier
22 [banter – band introductions]
23 Dead Souls (Joy Division)
24 Hurt
25 [encore break]
26 Suck
27 Down In It
28 The Hand That Feeds
29 Head Like A Hole
30 [second encore break]
31 Reptile
32 [Peter Murphy introduction – banter]
33 A Strange Kind Of Love/Bela Legosi’s Dead (Peter Murphy solo)
34 Final Solution (Pere Ubu) (with Peter Murphy)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Nine Inch Nails, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the NIN Merch page at their site [HERE].

[photo courtesy of The Music Slut blog – more here]

There are second acts in music. On Friday night, the Antlers celebrated the re-release of their brilliant Hospice (on Frenchkiss Records) with a show at the Mercury Lounge. As the band’s fans and our faithful readers recall, the Antlers performed Hospice start to finish with a chorus and guests at Union Hall in March when the album was self-released. We captured that amazing event, but sadly missed this week’s second act as we’re still on vacation. Fortunately, acidjack was there to record the show. The band made another run through Hospice and were joined by Sharon Van Etten. In terms of the performance, after six months of nearly constant touring, The Antlers are tighter than ever, and it was a bit of a surprise to hear an excellent re-working (or “re-re-working” really) of “Two”. With a new video for “Two”, extensive tour plans, some more Pitchfork love, and all the momentum in the world, the days are numbered that NYC will be able to see The Antlers in venues this small (catch them at Maxwell’s on October 3). Sometimes its true that nice things happen to nice people.

Acidjack recorded from upfront and captured an outstanding recording, marred only slightly and intermittently by some crowd chatter. Enjoy!

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

The Antlers
2009-08-21
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

An ACIDJACK master recording

Equipment: AKG ck91 cardiod capsules (Busman active mod)>custom battery box>R-09HR (24/48)
Placement: Clamp to right side of soundboard, ~11′ up, DIN
Mastering: raw WAV>Audacity (tracking, set fades, amplify each channel to -0.1dB, downsample to 44.1/16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Setlist
01 [crowd]
02 Prologue
03 Kettering
04 [crowd]
05 Sylvia
06 [crowd]
07 Two
08 Shiva
09 Atrophy
10 Bear
11 Thirteen* (with false start)
12 Wake
13 Wake (continued)
14 [encore break]
15 Epilogue

*with Sharon Van Etten

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Antlers, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Hospice directly from Frenchkiss Records [HERE].

Last Wednesday, My Teenage Stride headlined the latest of Jonny Leather’s excellent charity concerts at Bell House. The band’s thirty minute set encapsulated what makes MTS such a compelling act to follow. The intelligent songs are influenced by garage pop, eighties underground, and a thousand other genres in between. While the band retains a sense of humor and looseness on stage, the precise songcraft of protagonist Jedediah Smith remains undeniable.

My Teenage Stride is in the midst of a short East coast tour in August that will culminate in their appearance on the first night of the After The Jump Fest at Littlefield on Friday August 28.

We recorded this set from the raised area next to the soundboard and the sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

My Teenage Stride
2009-07-22
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Audience Master Recording
Recorded from Soundboard Area

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz 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
2009-08-05

Setlist:
[Total Time 29:56]
01 That Should Stand For Something
02 Creep Academy
03 They Are Alone In Their Principles
04 Ears Like Golden Bats
05 [banter – band introductions]
06 Heart Shackles
07 Red Nurse
08 Reversal
09 XO Freedom Rider
10 Cast Your Own Shadow
11 Live And Die in the Airport Lounge

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT My Teenage Stride, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the links at the Music page on their website [HERE].

Last Saturday at Bowery Poetry Club, the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Minutemen’s masterpiece Double Nickels on the Dime was a mixed affair of music, spoken word and storytelling. The highlights of the evening were the three excellent bands, all of whom offered their own versions of Minutemen songs with musical dexterity and enthusiasm, and the special guest finale — the appearance of Mike Watt who was genuinely profoundly moved by the spirit of the event.

Watt performed three solo numbers on bass and vocals, and then spoke for approximately twenty minutes. While he read portions of Minutemen lyrics, the complex mix of humor, passion and enthusiasm in the words often overwhelmed him. Although its been nearly 25 years since the tragic death of his best friend D. Boon, the event must have brought back vivid memories. Watt’s hesitant and sometimes-overwhelmed manner during his spoken word indicated the depth and poignancy of the moment. Nevertheless, when the event was over Watt sat on a bench outside the venue and met and greeted fans for a lengthy period of time. His unselfish and gregarious approach towards the fans speaks well for the legacy of the Minutemen and their 25-years-removed masterpiece Double Nickels on the Dime.

The existence of three bands, one each from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Jersey, prepared to travel these distances to perform brief sets of Minutemen music in tribute at this event also speaks well for the influence of the Minutemen. Corndogs offered an energetic and authentic approach to the material, while Tweede Kamer provided intelligence and musical proficiency — particularly the outstanding fret work of their talented bass player. The last of the three bands, Pillow Man from Worcester MA, were striking in their resemblance to the Minutemen, as each member of the band actually looked like their counterpart and the song performances were quite faithful to the original material.

We recorded from very close to the main PA, about 15 feet from the stage. As Bowery Poetry is a small venue with a bar, we attempted to avoid the ambient noise — the bar, its patrons, the air ducts and the sound of a club upstairs. During the musical performance, we were completely successful, but during the spoken word pieces (particularly during off-mic moments) the venue noise is quite distracting. As a result, this post offers only the musical performances, each of which is an absolutely outstanding capture. Enjoy!

Direct download of the Sets from this Show:
Mike Watt [MP3] [FLAC]
Pillowman [MP3] [FLAC]
Tweede Kamer [MP3] [FLAC]
Corndogs [MP3] [FLAC]

Double Nickels on the Dime 25th Anniversary Celebration
2009-07-25
Bowery Poetry Club
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded from Upfront – 15 Feet from the Stage

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz 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
2009-08-01

Mike Watt Setlist:
[Total Time 7:15]
01 Anxious Mofo
02 Themselves
03 Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth

Corndogs Setlist:
[Total Time 4:41]
01 Party With Me Punker
02 #1 Hit Song
03 Cut

Tweede Kamer Setlist:
[Total Time 16:24]
01 Its Expected I’m Gone
02 Maybe Partying Will Help
03 Toadies
04 Corona
05 The Glory of Man
06 Jesus and Tequila
07 West Germany

Pillow Man Setlist:
[Total Time 14:20]
01 [introduction]
02 No Exchange
03 I Felt Like a Gringo
04 Ack Ack Ack Ack (The Urinals)
05 The Anchor
06 Joe McCarthy’s Ghost
07 This Ain’t No Picnic
08 Little Man With A Gun In His Hand

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT these bands, visit their websites, Mike Watt, Tweede Kamer, Pillow Man, and Corndogs, and purchase their official releases where available.

Mekons also played Bell House on Friday – click for full size
[photo courtesy of Alexis Maindrault – more excellent shots here]

The Mekons returned to NYC this weekend after a nearly two year absence and proved that while the band and the fans are older and a little more grey, the sense of humor and musical spirit have not changed. At Mercury Lounge last night, for nearly two hours the between-song banter between Sally Timms and Jon Langford was nearly as entertaining as the multi-decade span of the 24 song setlist. Although the absence of Tom Greenhalgh was noted, his stage presence was compensated by the emergence of multi-talented Lu Edmonds. While the setlist leaned heavily towards 2007’s Natural, the band also reached back for three songs from the classic 1985 release Fear and Whiskey.

I arrived late to the venue without a ticket but was able to get in at the last minute and set up the microphones eight feet up on the wall next to the soundboard. The sound quality in the venue was excellent, but the very vocal and boisterous crowd adds some “local color” to the recording. Enjoy!

This recording is now available to download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

The Mekons
2009-08-01
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Audience Recording
Recorded at Soundboard
40 Feet from the Stage

DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2009-08-02

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:52:48]
01 [introduction]
02 Beaten and Broken
03 Club Mekon
04 Give Me Wine or Money
05 [banter]
06 Tina
07 [banter]
08 Corporal Chalkie
09 [banter]
10 Tempted to Believe
11 Perfect Mirror
12 Fantastic Voyage
13 [banter]
14 Abernant 1984/85
15 [banter]
16 Dickie, Chalkie, and Nobby
17 Diamonds
18 Thee Olde Trip to Jerusalem
19 Cockermouth
20 Ghosts of American Astronauts
21 Heaven and Back
22 [banter]
23 Big Zombie
24 Memphis, Egypt
25 [encore break]
26 The Hole in the Elephant’s Bottom
27 The Last Dance
28 Oblivion
29 Hole in the Ground
30 [banter]
31 Powers and Horrors
32 Hard to Be Human
33 Where Were You?

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Mekons, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases through the links at their discography or by visiting the Touch and Go Records site [HERE].

[photo courtesy of Kate Ehle – many more excellent shots here]

Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band opened for Wilco at Dutchess County Stadium last weekend and achieved an uncommon feat — the rapt attention of the majority of the crowd, which by the end of their set was “won over”. Its a difficult task to open for a band of such popularity and reverence, but Conor’s engaging stage presence and the outstanding play of the band members contributed to their success. The setlist consisted primarily of material from the band’s latest release Outer South and from Conor’s self-titled 2008 solo album, and was highlighted by the wild closing “I Don’t Want To Die (In the Hospital)”.

We recorded from the identical location and equipment as the Wilco recording, so that the quality is absolutely superb. Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Conor Oberst
2009-07-18
Dutchess County Stadium
Wappingers Falls, NY USA

Digital Master Four-Track Audience Recording
Recorded from Upfront on the Field
40 Feet from the Stage – Dead Center

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz 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
2009-07-26

Setlist:
[Total Time 53:02]
01 Slowly (Oh So Slowly)
02 Sausalito
03 Nikorette
04 Get Well Cards
05 Spoiled
06 Moab
07 Cape Canaveral
08 Air Mattress
09 Danny Callahan
10 NYC – Gone, Gone
11 Souled Out!!!
12 Big Black Nothing
13 I Don’t Want To Die (In the Hospital)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the albums page at their site [here], or directly from our friends over at Merge Records [here].