Starring: November 9, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

December 3, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Brooklyn band Starring, fairly new darlings of the avant garde Northern Spy label,  have made significant sonic evolutions since their 2010 release Wife of God.  With the addition of Matt Mehlan – best known for his work as Skeletons – to the already-talented roster of players, the band’s sound has moved away from their more kraut and punk-leaning earlier material toward the type of longer-form prog-psych compositions that Mehlan is known for. This year’s ABCDEFG-HIJKLMNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ (a keyboard’s worth of an album title), which was played almost in its entirety at this show at the Knitting Factory, places Starring most closely in tradition of great current New York bands like Oneida and Black Dice and classic acts like Neu! and Sun Ra.  You can hear the range of ideas and influences at work in the song “best”, where a driving backbeat and accompanying violin build blends with trippy organ, guitar and flute parts, and frontwoman Clara Hunter’s most obvious lyric is the borrower chorus of the Tina Turner classic, “Simply the Best”. There is a lot going on in this and most of the band’s other songs, and for fans of post-structuralism, there is almost as much to like about the mere attempt as there is about the result. That said, the night’s most accessible number, “aphonia”, which reminded me a bit of late period Battles, may have been more straightforward, but well might have been a stronger demonstration of the band’s chops. Starring is the type of band that refuses to remain static, and I’m sure by the next time I see them, there will be yet more dimensions to explore.

I recorded this set with MBHO KA200N microphones and an excellent soundboard feed by the Knit engineer, Rob.  The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “aphonia”

Download the MP3 files [HERE] | Download the FLAC files [HERE]

If the FLAC link is no longer working, email nyctaper for the FLAC files

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.

Starring
2012-11-09
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

MBHO KA200N>MBP603>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Rob) >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mix down)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity 3.0 (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 ———-oooooooooooooo
03 best
04 ie
05 aphonia
06 …7…

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Starring, like them on facebook, and buy ABCDEFG-HIJKLMNOP-QRSTUV-WXYZ directly from Northern Spy Records [HERE]

Magrudergrind: November 27, 2012 St. Vitus – Flac/MP3/Streaming

November 29, 2012
By


[screen shot from unArtigNYC video here]

When our old friend unArtigNYC saw me setting up at St. Vitus on Tuesday, he gave me one of those “what are you doing here” looks. And rightfully so. The site has been to St. Vitus once, and that was acidjack’s recording of Liturgy from earlier this year. And we’ve never actually covered a real metal show. The question is really why the hell not. St. Vitus is the premiere venue for metal in NYC and its a great place — a well-equipped show room, an excellent bar and terrific staff. When I saw that New Orleans metal vets EyeHateGod were coming to Brooklyn for two shows, I figured it was time to break the ice. Good choice. This show had four excellent bands, each offering a slightly different variation on the metal theme. The third band on the bill immediately before the headliners was the Washington DC/Brooklyn grindcore trio Magrudergrind. This was a high-octane politically-themed amalgamation of speed, metal and what we used to call “hardcore” back in the day. And it was 15 songs in 22 minutes of awesome. Magrudergrind is playing again in December out in Copiague on Long Island, and after that their next official date is in 2013. See them if you can.

I recorded this set with the Sennheisers mounted very high back near the soundboard corner. The room was heavy in guitar, but when mixed with a vocal and drum heavy soundboard, the balance is just right. This is a superb recording, and we give much credit to the excellent FOH at St. Vitus. Enjoy!

Stream “The Protocols of Anti-Music”:

Download the Complete show [MP3] / [FLAC]

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.

Magrudergrind
2012-11-27
St. Vitus
Brooklyn, NY

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

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

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-11-28

Setlist:
[Total Time 22:41]
01 Heretics
02 Conditioned Minds
03 Pulverized Hate Mongers
04 Lyrical Ammunition for Scene Warfare
05 Stagnant
06 Rise and Fall of Empires Past
07 Fuck Nazi Sympathy [Aus Rotten]
08 Leech
09 The Price of Living By Delinquent Ideals
10 Burden
11 Rehashed
12 Heaviest Bombing
13 Layer of Waste
14 Excommunicated
15 The Protocols of Anti-Sound

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Magrudergrind, visit their Facebook page, and purchase their self-titled album from Willowtip Records [HERE].

METZ: November 20, 2012 Knitting Factory – Flac/MP3/Streaming

November 28, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Fred Pessaro, complete set at brooklynvegan]

About six months ago, acidjack arranged to record METZ‘ first trip to NYC as an opener in a small venue. Unfortunately, that recording never came to fruition, but the band remembered us. Here they are a short time later signed to Sup Pop, a big hit at CMJ last month, and in NYC last week where they sold out two consecutive weekday shows. We saw the second of the two shows, at the Knitting Factory last Tuesday. And what a show it was. METZ came out with an abundant amount of energy and kept it going for the entire set. The band played virtually their entire new self-titled record, and what I believe was one new song. Their music has been described as post-punk, grunge and noise-rock, but of all their name-an-influence bands, I hear Mission of Burma the most. And of all of the post-punk trios with which to be compared, you can’t get much better than MOB. And METZ deserves it, they’re that good.

I recorded this set with the Sennheiser Cards mixed with an excellent board feed provided by Knit engineer Devin. The sound quality of this recording is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “The Mule”:

Download the Complete show in [MP3] / [FLAC]

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.

METZ
2012-11-20
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

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

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-11-27

Setlist:
[Total Time 36:08]
01 Knife in the Water
02 Negative Space
03 [banter]
04 Get Off
05 [new song]
06 Wasted
07 Sad Pricks
08 Headache
09 Rats
10 The Mule
11 [banter – thanks]
12 Wet Blanket

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT METZ, visit their Sub Pop page, and purchase their self-titled debut album from Sub Pop Records [HERE].

Death Blues: September 6, 2012 Hopscotch Music Festival, Lincoln Theater (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

November 28, 2012
By

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/7972813588_746b640998_z.jpg
[Photos courtesy of Abby Nardo Photography]

After witnessing the majesty of drummer Jon Mueller’s new project Death Blues just two nights before at Glasslands in NYC, I was ready to witness the spectacle again on the bigger stage of Raleigh, North Carolina’s Lincoln Theater for the band’s Hopscotch Music Festival debut. While this set more or less mirrored the Glasslands show note for note, the bigger room gave the performance a different, more dramatic flavor. Mueller also felt that this recording (which was done by local taper Brian Claude) gave a better representation of the band’s difficult-to-capture upright bass. Death Blues is less a “band” in many respects than an interdisciplinary music project of Mueller’s; he teams with a variety of like-minded artists to produce music that is disconnected from pop convention. The ostensible focus of Death Blues is the inevitable approach of death, which comes across in the tone and evolution of the set. The music is dark, but transporting, with tribal, haunting vocals and guitars played like percussion instruments, all led by Mueller on the drums. Death being a large and complicated subject – too great for one piece of music – Mueller and his bandmates have posted additional writings and meditations on the topic on the project’s website.

Mueller has just released the sequence you will hear on this recording as Death Blues: The Album on his bandcamp page via Hometapes and Taiga Records, with vinyl to follow in January 2013. The record, like the band’s live performances, is revelatory. Give it a spin.

This set was recorded by NC-based taper Brian Claude with Avantone CK-1 microphones from the ideal spot in the Lincoln.  The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Acceptance”

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

If the FLAC link is no longer working, email nyctaper for the FLAC files

Check out all of NYCTaper’s Hopscotch Festival recordings

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.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7972809570_f2eff49bf6_z.jpg

Death Blues
2012-09-06
Hopscotch Festival
Lincoln Theater
Raleigh, NC USA

Hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by Brian Claude
Produced by acidjack

Avantone CK-1c>Edirol UA-5 [Busman]>Roland R-05>24bit/48kHz WAV>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ and tube effects)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Impatience
02 Death Blues
03 Acceptance
04 Impermanence
05 Iron String

PLEASE SUPPORT Death Blues, visit their website, follow them on Twitter, and purchase Death Blues in digital format (and on vinyl in January 2013) [HERE].

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7972806302_1d5c6daf0b_z.jpg

 

 

Psychic Ills: November 9, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

November 26, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Brooklyn band Psychic Ills hit the Knitting Factory a few weeks ago along with compadres Guardian Alien (recording HERE)  and Starring (recording coming soon) in preparation for the wide-ranging tour of China they have now embarked upon. By the look and sound of things, the foursome were ready to go, as they weaved together the druggy, deep grooves they have become known for under hushed lights. The band’s most recent effort, and first for Sacred Bones, Hazed Dream, was the most-represented on this night, with the band leading off with three fifths of that record’s excellent A side, including their most “poppy” (by their standards) number, “Mind Daze”. Along with the Hazed Dream material, the other half of the set touched down at various points from the band’s back catalog, with two songs from 2006’s Dins, “Diamond City” from their 2005 Mental Violence II EP, and “Way Of” from the largely misunderstood Mirror Eye joining the band’s most recent single, “Take Me With You”, which they released on a split 7-inch with Moon Duo earlier this year. While the “psychedelic rock” genre (massively broad as it now is) usually relies upon setting a mood, the Ills take things further in that direction than most, serving up the set as a more or less unified piece of music with guitar transitions instead of stage banter, substituting their songs’ evolutions and contrasts in tone and tempo for big, room-rocking singles. Expect a new record from the Ills next year, which we hope to continue with the strong style established on Hazed Dream. 

I recorded this set with MBHO KA200N cardiod microphones and an excellent soundboard feed by Rob from the Knitting Factory.  The sound is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Take Me With You”

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

If the FLAC link is no longer working, email nyctaper for the FLAC files

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.

Psychic Ills
2012-11-09
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

MBHO KA200N>MBP603>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard (engineer: Rob) >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mix down)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity 3.0 (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Midnight Moon
03 Mind Daze *
04 Incense Head
05 Electriclife
06 The Way Of
07 January Rain
08 Ring Finger *
09 Diamond City
10 Take Me With You
11 I’ll Follow You Through The Floor

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Psychic Ills, visit their website, and purchase Hazed Dream from Sacred Bones Records [HERE]

Parquet Courts: November 16, 2012 285 Kent – Flac/MP3/Streaming

November 25, 2012
By


[photos by PSquared Photography]

Several months ago, a friend told me to keep an eye out for Parquet Courts. He had seen them at Death By Audio and was so impressed with their excellent garage-styled pop and their new album Light Up Gold, that he went out of his way to secure permission for me to record the band when I saw them live. Last week at 285 Kent, I got the chance and Parquet Courts lived up to expectations. This is a tight quartet with a strong sense of melody, rhythm and a wicked sense of humor. The songs are with one exception two-minute nuggets and in their thirty-minute show at 285, they managed to fit ten of them in the set. For what its worth, the single “Borrowed Time” received this week “best new music” at Pitchfork a couple of months too late, but evidence that the band is gaining the kind of notoriety that will make these 285 Kent nights a thing of the past. We are streaming that song below. The other obvious highlight was the set closer, a six-minute song called “Stoned and Starving” that calls to mind the vocal stylings of Jonathan Richman while referencing current Brooklyn locations in a lengthy groove. It was the perfect ending for this superb set. Parquet Courts will return to Brooklyn for a show opening for Fucked Up at Warsaw, before they head out on a Midwest tour.

I recorded this set with the Sennheiser cards mounted 10 feet from the stage and mixed with a board feed. The sound quality is limited only by the acoustics of the venue, but is otherwise excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Borrowed Time”:

Download the Complete show in [MP3] / [FLAC]

Parquet Courts
2012-11-16
285 Kent
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Sennheiser MKH-8040s > 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
2012-11-24

Setlist:
[Total Time 30:33]
01 Tears O Plenty
02 Master Of My Craft
03 Borrowed Time
04 [banter]
05 Donuts Only
06 Yonder is Closer to the Heart
07 Mezzanine
08 Light Up Gold II
09 Yr No Stoner
10 N Dakota
11 Stoned and Starving

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Parquet Courts, visit their website and purchase Light Up Gold from the Dull Tools Records website [HERE].

SUPPORT NYCTaper




DISCLAIMER and LEGAL NOTICE

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

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

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