Cold Showers: September 20, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 5, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Cold Showers come from LA, but their influences hail from less sunny shores. Stylistically, they’re a Manchester band through and through, with a heavy nod to Joy Division in particular. Lead singer Jonathan Weinberg (also drummer of La Sera) anchors the proceedings with his deep baritone, backed by insistent keys and swirling guitars for the full post-punk effect. Opening for The Soft Moon at Glasslands to an already-full venue, Cold Showers dispensed with the bullshit and launched right into “Alight”, which should appear on their forthcoming LP on Dais Records, Love and Regret. By the time “Violent Cries” got going three songs in, the entire crowd was won over. Like the best of the Factory Records bands of yore, Cold Showers take that dark energy and marry it to flawless pop instincts; “In Terms of Pleasure”, in particular, is a memorably well-crafted song, not to mention a killer song title and chorus, and the newly-released single “BC” is right up there with it. This set was brief by design – only six songs – but it whet our appetite for more. If more UK-like weather is needed to inspire this type of music, well, I know a certain borough of NYC where this band could fit right in…

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Soft Moon recording, with Audio Technica 3031 microphones onstage together with a well-balanced soundboard feed. Like the Soft Moon recording, this one is a winner. Enjoy!

Thanks to Cold Showers for permitting us to share this recording. Love and Regret releases on Dais Records next week on October 9.

Stream “BC”

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

If the FLACs link are 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.

Cold Showers
2012-09-20
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Audio Technica 3031 (onstage, ORTF)>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity 3.0 (set fades, tracking, amplify, downsample)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 Alight
02 The Fire
03 Violent Cries
04 In Terms of Pleasure
05 BC
06 I Don’t Mind

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Cold Showers, like them on Facebook, and pre-order Love and Regret directly from Dais Records [HERE]

Glenn Jones: September 7, 2012 Hopscotch Festival, Memorial Auditorium (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 5, 2012
By


[Photo copyright 2012 by Abby Nardo]

I saw more incredible solo guitarists during the course of the Hopscotch Music Festival than I’ve seen in the rest of my life combined. Each man’s style left an impression, from the psychedelic leanings of Ben Chasny to the Piedmont blues influences of Chuck Johnson. Of all of these distinct and excellent players, none had a style of purer beauty than Glenn Jones. A devoted fan of John Fahey, arguably the founder of the American Primitivism style of guitar, Jones spent decades playing self-made compositions in his bedroom before finally gaining the courage to begin playing solo shows in public back in the early 2000s. (Jones was no stranger to performing in public generally, though – he has served as guitarist in the Boston-area instrumental band Cul de Sac since 1989.)  Today, Jones’ style draws not only from the country and blues that sparked American Primitivism, but also from classical guitar, which often gives his songs a lilting, elegiac quality that sets him apart from his peers.

Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium might have been a daunting venue for a solo guitarist who used to be afraid of performing in front of crowds; asking Jones to hold the attention of the massive hall completely unaccompanied was no small request. But Jones not only held his own, but shone, giving us an hour of his compositions interspersed with narratives that expanded on the songs’ themes. A good chunk of the set draws from Jones’ latest and best solo record, the 2011 Thrill Jockey release The Wanting.  One of the most striking aspects of Jones’ playing, for guitar aficionados, is his abandonment of standard tunings (which he did about 25 years ago, by his count).  Jones used a different tuning for every song on The Wanting, and that gives that record – and this set – another distinction.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a North Carolina-made Naiant tinybox preamp. Recording relatively quiet music in a large hall presents challenges, and in this case, the overall recording level was lower than optimal for most of the set. This means that some hiss from the recorder’s internal components and the house PA can be heard in the recording. However, it remains a worthwhile document of Jones and what he has to offer.  Enjoy!

Thanks to Glenn Jones and his management for permitting us to offer this recording here, and to Terry Watts for the clamp space and running my rig.

Stream the entire set:

Please note that at the request of the artist, this set is available for streaming only.

Follow acidjack on twitter

Check out all of NYCTaper’s Hopscotch Festival recordings

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.

Glenn Jones
2012-09-07
Hopscotch Music Festival
Memorial Auditorium
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (DINa, DFC, FOB)>KCY>tinybox v2>Sony PCM-M10>24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, reduce applause, amplify, balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Redwood Ramble Misremembered
02 [banter]
03 Like A Sick Eagle Staring at the Sky
04 [banter]
05 The Great Pacific Northwest
06 [banter]
07 The Paddle Wheel Nathan Bowles
08 [banter]
09 Going Back To East Montgomery
10 [banter]
11 Of Its Own Kind
12 [banter]
13 The Orca Grande Cement Factory at Victorville [w/ Chris Corsano]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Glenn Jones, visit his website, and buy his records from Thrill Jockey [HERE]

Corin Tucker Band: September 27, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 4, 2012
By


[Photo courtesy of Tom Choi. See his flickr stream HERE]

Corin Tucker is 39 years old. She spent most of the 90s and a solid chunk of the 2000s fronting Sleater-Kinney with co-frontwoman Carrie Brownstein, and she has also played in the bands Cadallaca, Heartless Martin and Heavens to Betsy. Corin may be (by rock standards) “getting older”, but she sure is making it look like fun with the Corin Tucker Band, now on their second LP.

“Groundhog Day”, one of the standout tracks on her band’s latest, Kill My Blues, tells her current story with its opening lines

Huh? Que pasa? I’ve just woken up / Like Rip Van Winkle in a denim mini skirt / Wait, you see, now, I took a rest  / I took some time to be a mom and have some kids

The rest of the song takes Tucker through some familiar territory for her – a disappointment with the state of modern feminism, a bewilderment at a cause that she feels is stagnating – “Instead of going forward, where the hell we going now?”.  So yes – Tucker is no longer 22, and yes, she is a mom. But take one listen to Kill My Blues, and take a look at the band that took the stage at Mercury Lounge on a recent Wednesday night, and tell me she doesn’t still have the fire. Corin’s first solo record, the critically-loved 1,000 Years, was touted as a more subdued “middle-aged mom record” in her words, Kill My Blues is a caffeinated, lacerating return to the form that made her contributions to Sleater-Kinney so memorable.

Which is to say, Tucker has the kind of voice that’ll rattle your cage when in full throat, and she lets it rip on most of these new songs. While many of her contemporaries in like-minded bands could hold their own in terms of raw power, Tucker’s voice is notable for her control and unique tonality as well as its power. Songs like “I Don’t Wanna Go”, Tucker’s tribute to Olympia, WA punk scene fixture Natalie Cox, push those vocals to the max, and live, Tucker is even more visceral than on record. This night’s lineup of the Corin Tucker Band featured Portland journeyman Dave Depper on bass, Seth Lorinczi (of Golden Bears) on guitar and keys, and Sarah Lund (of Unwound) on the drums, and they proved to be a formidable rhythm section, so tight that the show sounded like a studio outing at points. But for fans who thought that 1,000 Years was too subdued, Tucker had an answer, too, as the band tore through “Doubt” to close out the main set with a squall of perfect Pacific Northwest-style noise. For an encore, the band served up two covers, including Blondie’s “Atomic” and “Three Minute Hero” by the UK ska greats The Selecter. Seeing Corin Tucker Band will certainly help sate your Sleater-Kinney craving; it might also kill your fear of getting “older”.

I recorded this set with a flawless soundboard feed of the house mix by Jeff Hylton Simmons, the band’s FOH, together with Schoeps MK41 supercardiod microphones in my usual location. This recording demonstrates how good the club’s new PA system is, and it could well be my personal best Mercury Lounge recording of this year. Enjoy!

Stream “Groundhog Day”

Stream “Doubt”

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

If the direct FLAC link has expired, 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.  

Corin Tucker Band
2012-09-27
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41 (PAS)>KC5>CMC6 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mix down, adjust levels)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ, exciter)>Audacity 3.0 (tracking, set fades, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 59:05]
01 None Like You
02 Kill My Blues
03 No Bad News Tonight
04 Half A World Away
05 Tiptoe
06 Handed Love
07 Groundhog Day
08 Constance
09 Summer Jams
10 I Don’t Wanna Go
11 Joey
12 Neskowin
13 Doubt
14 [encore break]
15 Atomic [Blondie]
16 Three Minute Hero [The Selecter]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Corin Tucker Band, visit their website, and buy their records directly from the band, in digital, LP or CD format [HERE]

Whatever Brains: September 8, 2012 Hopscotch Festival, Slim’s (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 3, 2012
By


[Photo courtesy of Ash Crowe]

The Raleigh, North Carolina band Whatever Brains are such a fine example of sneering garage punk that my buddy Chaz of Durham, NC’s best record store, Bull City Records, was inspired to create his own record label just to put out their first 7-inch. Now two full LPs in after only a year, the band have continued to refine their sound, ditching some of the more “adventurous” elements of their first LP (electronic drums, anyone?) in favor of a more cohesive, direct sound. The results proved all positive at this Hopscotch Music Festival show at the tiny Raleigh dive bar Slim’s, where the Brains gave a 42-minute burner of a set.

As befits the band’s style, this a more-or-less raw recording made by NC taper Dave S from mics installed in the ceiling. While the recording is less polished than much of what we offer on this site, both we and the band agree that this is a capture worth sharing with the wider world. Enjoy!

Stream “Blues Lawyer”

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

Check out all of NYCTaper’s Hopscotch Festival recordings

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.

Whatever Brains
2012-09-08
Hopscotch Music Festival
Slim’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by Dave Schwentker
Hosted at nyctaper.com

Recording Equipment: Countryman B3 (ceiling installation)>Church Audio CA-9100>Olympus LS-10

Tracks [Total Time 42 minutes]
01 [intro]
02 Saddle Up
03 The Fisher
04 Drink the Sale
05 Blues Lawyer
06 The Future of Porn
07 Marquee Welfare
08 [unknown 1]
09 [unknonw 2]
10 [break]
11 Escape [?]
12 The Petfinder
13 [encore break]
14 Math

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Whatever Brains, check out their bandcamp page, and purchase their LPs from Sorry State Records [HERE]

Lightning Love: September 7, 2012 Spike Hill – Flac/MP3/Streaming + Playing NYCTaper CMJ Show!

October 2, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Doug Coombe]

When we announced the first couple of bands that are playing the NYCTaper CMJ Day Party this year, we teased/hinted at the other bands on the bill. Lightning Love, who I described as an “irresistible Michigan-based pop trio” will be opening the show. The description is partly based on the vocals of Leah Diehl, whose voice captures an earnestness and vulnerability that fits their quick and quirky pop songs perfectly. At Spike Hill a few weeks ago, Lightning Love accomplished a rarity. As an out-of-town band playing immediately after a local band with friends and family in the audience, their pop hooks quieted the chatter of the other band’s fans and turned heads. The balance of their too-short set was played to an attentive room and undoubtedly earned them some new fans, including yours truly.

I recorded this set with the Sennheiser cards on the stand in front of the soundboard and mixed with a board feed. The early chatter and mix issues were resolved after a few songs and the result is an excellent recording. Enjoy!

Stream “When You Sleep”:

Download 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.

Lightning Love
2012-09-07
Spike Hill
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Sennheiser MKH-8040s > 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
2012-09-20

Setlist:
[Total Time 25:53]
01 Together
02 Deadbeat
03 Just Friends
04 I Know
05 Awkward
06 I’ll Never Love No One Else
07 CP80
08 Good Time
09 So Easy
10 When You Sleep

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Lightning Love, visit their website, and purchase their new album Blonde Album directly from their bandcamp page [HERE].

Gunn-Truscinski Duo: September 7, 2012 Three Lobed/WXDU Day Show, Hopscotch Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

October 2, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The duo of the guitarist Steve Gunn and drummer John Truscinski, better known as Gunn-Truscinski Duo, was a perfect closer to the Three Lobed Recordings/WXDU Day Show during the Hopscotch Music Festival. The pair epitomizes some of the highlights of the Three Lobed aesthetic – rhythmically complex, guitar-based music with psychedelic overtones that occupies no obvious musical niche, that advances the state of its art while giving a subtle nod to its forebears. With no words sung during their set, it is still easy to locate Gunn-Truscinski as distinctly American; although he melds Eastern elements to his work, Gunn is nonetheless a successor to this country’s folk tradition. What we got at King’s Barcade on this fine Friday afternoon was a short barnstormer of a set consisting of three of the five songs from the duo’s latest release on Three Lobed, Ocean Parkway.  Gunn and Truscinski kicked off with perhaps that record’s best song, “Banh Mi Ringtones”, given some extended jamming treatment, followed by “Don’t Lean On Door” and “Ocean Parkway”. For those who would doubt that an instrumental guitar and drum duo can unrepentantly rock, I submit this recording as Exhibit A.

I recorded this set in the same manner as all of the other sets from this show, with Schoeps MK5 microphones onstage in the omnidirectional setting and a soundboard feed provided by the King’s staff. As I was able to get the mics closer to the performers for this set, this is one of the best quality-wise of the day. Enjoy!

Thanks to WXDU, Cory Rayborn and Three Lobed. Also check out our post of Gunn and Truscinski playing as a trio in support of Tom Carter, which is coming soon.

Stream “Banh Mi Ringtones”

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

Check out all of NYCTaper’s Hopscotch Festival recordings

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.

Gunn-Truscinski Duo
2012-09-07
Three Lobed/WXDU Day Show
Kings Barcade
Raleigh, NC USA

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 (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Banh Mi Ringtones
03 Don’t Lean On Door
04 [banter]
05 Ocean Parkway

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Gunn-Truscinski Duo, visit Steve Gunn’s website, and purchase Ocean Parkway and their other releases directly from Three Lobed [HERE]

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