Modern Inventors: October 7, 2012 Backyard Brunch Sessions – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

November 1, 2012
By


[Photos courtesy of Dominick Mastrangelo]

The Philadelphia duo Modern Inventors led off this final Backyard Brunch Session of the season with a set of classic, tightly-arranged rock. The band for this event was a combination of old and new: Modern Inventors guitarist Matt Kass was previously in the well-known Philadelphia band The Brakes, and he was joined for this show by two of his former bandmates, Zach Djanikian (Ukelele bass) and Spence Cohen (drums/percussion). Seeing the band for the first time, I wouldn’t have guessed that they didn’t always play in this configuration – these four players clearly found their groove quickly. Modern Inventors vocalist/guitarist Josh Benus, who met Kass when Kass produced an album for him in 2007, comes across as vocally effortless and beyond his years. The band is preparing an album, Trains and Aeroplanes, for December release, and spending their time until then playing the material live at shows on the East Coast, with a tour planned following the record’s release that may well include Djanikian and Cohen in the touring unit. We are streaming the band’s debut single, “Hello” below, which was, unsurprisingly, one of the strongest of the seven songs from this set.

I recorded this set with AKG 414 large diaphragm microphones in the Blumlein configuration, which provides a rich “360 degree” soundstage, with additional reinforcement on Benus’ lead vocals. This is one of my favorite of all of my Backyard Brunch recordings.  Enjoy!

Modern Inventors have an upcoming tour date this month in NYC, when they play the Studio at Webster Hall on Friday the 23rd.  Grab your tickets here.

Stream “Hello”

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.

Modern Inventors
2012-10-07
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

Hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (Blumlein) + Audio Technica 3031 (lead vocal)>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (set fades, edits)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, imaging, edits to vocal tracks)>Audacity 3.0 (tracking, amplify, light DR compression, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Penny For Your Thoughts
02 Puncture All the Wheels
03 [banter/tuning]
04 Goodbye Northbrook Drive
05 [banter/tuning]
06 Anna
07 [banter/tuning]
08 Hello
09 [banter]
10 Old Habits
11 [banter]
12 This Sign

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Modern Inventors, visit their website, like them on Facebook, check out their NYC-area show at the Studio at Webster Hall on November 23, and buy Trains and Aeroplanes when it is released.

Chuck Johnson: September 7, 2012 Three Lobed/WXDU Day Show, Hopscotch Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

November 1, 2012
By

Chuck Johnson 2012
[Photo by Paul Spanbauer from the Three Lobed/WXDU Day Show Facebook Page]

One of the pillars of the Three Lobed Recordings catalog has been some of the incredible new American guitar music being made across this country – everything from work by the late Jack Rose to Lee Ranaldo and Steve Gunn. The Oakland (but formerly North Carolina) guitarist Chuck Johnson developed his main Three Lobed connection through the Chapel Hill, North Carolina band Idyll Swords, when they appeared on an ambitious multi-CD box set, purposeful availment, that was among the label’s first releases. While his latest record, A Struggle Not A Thought, finds Johnson engaging with his thoughtful meditative side with some stunning 12-string guitar compositions, Johnson was a well-known traveler in Chapel Hill’s still-vital 90s-to-early 2000s indie rock scene, playing in the bands Shark Quest and Spatula as well as Idyll Swords. Johnson was the second act of the day at the Three Lobed / WXDU Day Show during the Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, and provided a rather stark counterpoint to the madness of the Alan Bishop / Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano trio that preceded him to kick off this incredible show at King’s Barcade. This lovely set of guitar music featured several new songs, as well as “A Slender Thread”, “Dissevered” and the flawless set closer, “The Flying Spire Don’t Have No Mercy” from A Struggle Not A Thought.  While Johnson got hit with a few random bursts of the feedback from PA (which we have edited out of this recording), the technical snafu didn’t throw him off his game in what was, for many of us, our first introduction to his live show. I hope to see many more.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed and Schoeps MK5 microphones in the omnidirectional setting on stage. This particular set leans almost entirely on the soundboard feed, and other than the aforementioned technical issues being edited out, the quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Across White Oak Mountain”

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.

Chuck Johnson
2012-09-07
Three Lobed/WXDU Day Show
King’s
Raleigh, NC USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK5 (omni, onstage, split)>KC5>CMC6>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ and tube effects)>Audacity 3.0 (eliminate static spots, set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 On A Slow Passing In Ghost Town
03 Across White Oak Mountain
04 [tuning]
05 A Slender Thread/Dissevered
06 The Flying Spire Don’t Have No Mercy

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Chuck Johnson, visit his website, and purchase A Struggle Not a Thought from Strange Attractors Audio House [HERE]

Heartless Bastards: October 27, 2012 Irving Plaza – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 31, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

On what was sure to be one of the year’s biggest “amateur nights” nightlife-wise, Heartless Bastards showed up at Irving Plaza and did what they do best – play the hell out of material new and old – without costumes, gimmicks or bullshit. As I mentioned back in February when they sold out Webster Hall (that recording here), Heartless Bastards have hit the big time, playing to the broader audiences that their classic blues-driven rock deserves. Even with a thousand costumed pub crawls and theme parties competing for one’s entertainment dollar on this night, the Bastards packed the place and gave us 90 minutes of unadorned rock n’ roll joy.  As in February, the addition of touring guitarist Mark Nathan added considerable meat to the band’s sound, giving them a guitar attack that is equal to the bigger spaces they’ve been playing. This set of 16 songs was slightly shorter than that in February, but no less powerful; songs from the band’s latest, Arrow are sounding better at each go round, as that record’s longer numbers like “Down In the Canyon” give the band opportunities for exploration. The crowd (mostly not costumed!), in turn, gave the band the level of enthusiasm they deserved. It doesn’t matter what night of the week or day of the year it might be; you can always count on the Heartless Bastards.

I recorded this set with my new MBHO KA200N cardiod microphones from the center of the floor.  The sound is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Down In the Canyon”

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.

Heartless Bastards
2012-10-27
Irving Plaza
New York, NY USA

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

MBHO KA200N (FOB, DFC, PAS)>MBP 603a>Aerco MP-2>Sony PCM-M10>24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter)>Audacity 3.0 (set fades, tracking, light DR compression on peaks, amplify, balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time: 1:29:40]
01 The Mountain
02 Out At Sea
03 Witchy Poo
04 Simple Feeling
05 Got To Have Rock N’ Roll
06 Only For You
07 Skin and Bone
08 The Arrow Killed the Beast
09 Down In the Canyon
10 Late In the Night
11 [banter]
12 Hold Your Head High
13 Parted Ways
14 Nothing Seems the Same
15 All This Time
16 [encore break]
17 Be So Happy
18 Gray

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Heartless Bastards, like them on facebook, and buy Arrow and their other records from their online store [HERE]

Hans Chew: October 18, 2012 NYCTaper CMJ Day Show, Cake Shop – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 30, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Hans Chew plays a brand of old-time, piano-driven rock n’ roll you may not have even realized you were nostalgic for. As the piano man for Brooklyn country-psych stalwarts D. Charles Speer & the Helix, Chew proved himself as a composer and vocalist in his own right on his debut album Tennessee & Other Stories.  Imbued with a honky-tonk barroom quality, Chew’s piano playing is even more central to his solo project than it is to his work with Speer, and that’s all to the good. As a Southerner now living in New York, Chew’s work remains rooted down south, and incorporates elements of country, bluegrass and Southern boogie. Like D. Charles Speer, Chew isn’t simply a revival act, but a modern performer who has taken a classic, regionally-rooted sound and imbued it with new ideas and new vitality.

We were thrilled to have a chance to invite Chew to play our fifth annual unofficial CMJ day show at Cake Shop, and Chew and the band delivered in a big way, with a set of almost all-new material that continued on Tennessee’s promise. “Strange Love” shone among the new numbers, with its funky guitar groove and catchy refrain. “Junker’s Blues”, which closed the set, was the kind of timeless-but-new number we expect from Chew, and it ended his part of the afternoon on a high note. We would have loved to have Chew at our show in any capacity, but getting this rare preview of new material made it an even bigger honor.

I recorded this set with house engineer Justin’s mix combined with Schoeps MK5 microphones in the cardiod setting mounted on the ceiling just in front of the stage lip and spread wide. The results are outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Strange Love”

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.

Hans Chew
2012-10-18
NYCTaper CMJ Day Show
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard (engineer: Justin) + Schoeps MK5>KCY>Z-PFA>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, fades, align, adjust levels)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, thicken, exciter)>Audacity 3.0 (tracking, amplify, balance, light DR compression, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Chango>
03 Tom Hughes Town
04 Strange Love
05 Magnet Moon
06 [banter]
07 Junker’s Blues

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Hans Chew, visit his website, and buy Tennessee and Other Stories from Three Lobed/Divide By Zero Records [HERE]

Heliotropes: October 18, 2012 NYCTaper CMJ Day Show, Cake Shop – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 29, 2012
By


[Photo courtesy of MaryAnne Ventrice]

At first, it’s hard to grasp that the women of Heliotropes are your showcase’s heaviest band by far. From looking at them, you might not guess that the diverse group of young women makes monster, Sabbath-inspired rock with chunky, wah wah riffs and a raging backbeat. Also one of the newest acts on our CMJ day show bill, these ladies are kindred spirits of modern stoner/psych rockers like The Midnight Ghost Train, Pontiak and others, and they don’t hold back onstage. For a band whose current output consists of some singles on their bandcamp page, Heliotropes already have a well-developed sound and delivery – and based on this set at our unofficial CMJ day show at Cake Shop, are well on their way to an LP. Most of the tracks played at this show were new other than the released single “Ribbons”, and that new material is consistently hard hitting. The band closed out with a favorite of mine from Nirvana’s first album Bleach, the scorching “Negative Creep”, which the women of Heliotropes brought down in tempo a touch to give a more dirge-like sound to the song.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed provided by the day’s excellent engineer Justin together with Schoeps MK5 microphones in the cardiod setting mounted directly in front of the stage.  The sound is “in your face” and excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Quatto”

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 filesFollow 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.

Heliotropes
2012-10-18
NYCTaper CMJ Day Show
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard (engineer: Justin) + Schoeps MK5>KCY>Z-PFA>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, fades, align, adjust levels)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, thicken, exciter)>Audacity 3.0 (tracking, amplify, balance, light DR compression, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Psalms
02 Early In The Morning
03 Light and Dark
04 Ribbons
05 Quatto
06 Negative Creep

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Heliotropes, like them on Facebook, and check out their music on their bandcamp page.

Crime & The City Solution: October 22, 2012 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Flac/MP3/Streaming

October 27, 2012
By


[photo by P-Squared Photography]

These twenty-year reunions can be mixed affairs. Some bands are content to simply play the “hits” (i.e. Pixies, Wedding Present), while others re-establish themselves as working bands performing both old and newer material (Dinosaur Jr., Mission of Burma). When Crime & The City Solution announced their first tour and album in more than twenty years, the hope would be that they would follow the latter course. Crime didn’t really have any “hits” to recycle anyway. At Music Hall last week, it was quite apparent from the outset that this was indeed a vital working band and while just three new songs were performed, the title track from the new album (American Twilight) was played in the final encore slot. The other obvious positive sign was that Crime was not just mailing it in — in fact it was quite the opposite. This performance was intense, tight, and inspired. Band founder and leader Simon Bonney anchored the centerstage with his dramatic and confident vocals while the twin guitars of Alex Hacke and David Eugene Edwards were both powerful and animated. The eight-piece band wasted precious little time with formalities but simply rocked hard from start to finish. I left the venue encouraged that sometimes second acts (or for Crime, third or fourth acts) can be just as compelling as the brand new. While their US tour is now complete, Crime & The City Solution will continue to tour in Europe for the balance of this month. We expect that they will return to NYC in the not too distant future, as American Twilight will be released on Mute Records in the Spring.

I recorded this set from the center of the balcony with the Sennheisers mounted on the railing at a lower level to line up with the stacks. While the sound in the venue was somewhat boomy, we EQ’d a little bass roll-off and boosted the highs. The clarity (and vocals) now supplement the rich bottom end for an excellent recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Six Bell Chime:

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.

Crime And The City Solution
2012-10-22
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Center Balcony Rail

Sennheiser MKH-8040s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, EQ, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-10-25

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:30:02]
01 The Bride Ship
02 Keepsake
03 The Colonel Does Not Call Anymore
04 Rose Blue
05 Steal To The Sea
06 I Have The Gun
07 My Love Takes Me There
08 Hunter
09 On Every Train (Grain Will Bear Grain)
10 The Last Dictator (1 and 2)
11 The Dolphins And The Shark
12 [band introductions]
13 All Must Be Love
14 [encore break]
15 Six Bells Chime
16 American Twilight

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Crime & The City Solution, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from Mute Records [HERE].

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