The Human Eyes: September 6, 2012 DiggUp Tapes Day Show at Hopscotch Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming

September 18, 2012
By


[Photo by Ross Grady]

One of the many pleasures of heading down to Raleigh, NC for this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival was the chance to see regional bands that aren’t as readily available to see in New York. The Human Eyes were touted to me early on as a local favorite, and I can see why. At this DiggUp tapes day show at King’s in downtown Raleigh, the band gave a crowd of current fans and newcomers like me a 40-minute set consisting of much of their still-fresh May 2012 debut release, Guiding Eyes for the Blind.  With shimmering guitars and a dream pop  sensibility to their sound, the band was instantly approachable. After leading off with the uptempo “Born To Die”, I appreciated the band’s willingness to slow the pace a few songs later with the lovestruck “I Am Gone”. Similarly, the melancholy “Let Me In” was the right way to cue up the biggest, catchiest rocker of the set, “It’s Not the Same Without You”. This Chapel Hill, NC band is still in its infancy, but based on the enthusiasm I heard from local fans, I think we may be seeing more of them outside of their home region.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed from the excellent King’s staff and a pair of AKG 460 cardiod microphones installed by the local taper Bryon S. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “It’s Not the Same Without 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

Check out all of NYCTaper’s Hopscotch Festival recordings

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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.

The Human Eyes
2012-09-06
Hopscotch Festival Day Show
King’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
Microphones courtesy of Bryon S

Soundboard + AKG 460/ck61>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (adjust levels, mix down)>Audacity 3.0 (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Born To Die [fades in]
02 Locked In the Mall
03 Another World
04 I Am Gone
05 Forever Sleep
06 [banter]
07 Human Eyes
08 Let Me In
09 It’s Not the Same Without You
10 Call Me Back

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Human Eyes by liking them on Facebook and visiting their bandcamp page, where you can buy Guiding Eyes for the Blind for $5 on digital or cassette (+ download code)

sunn O))): September 8, 2012 Hopscotch Festival (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming

September 18, 2012
By


[Photos by Josh Sisk]

It makes sense that sunn O))) are named after Sunn amps, because the many Sunn amps onstage with them get a punishing workout during their sets. Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium proved to be one of the most challenging rooms for bands at this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival; its size and cavernous design threatened to swallow the sound of several of the acts who played there. But for the doom metal pioneers and their slow, hypnotic wall of sound, the mid-sized auditorium was child’s play. As they prefer it, sunn O))) took the stage shrouded in a wall of smoke, the silhouettes of the black robed players barely visible. sunn O))) doesn’t need to give you much to see, though, as their music communicates on a more visceral level – that is, by rattling your guts with their bass-driven, low-tuned guitars and periodic paganistic chants. For this set, there was no percussion involved, and for the uninitiated, there were no obvious discernible songs – again, as the masters prefer it. A sunn O))) show is not so much as a “concert” as a holistic experience, as if you’ve joined the band in a dark ritual that will give them, for an hour and a half or so, your undivided attention and near-catatonic rapture. A scan of tweets during the show revealed a mixture of awe and fear among the show’s participants; sunn O))) is not for the faint of heart. The Hopscotch Festival was meant to reflect the impeccable and unique musical tastes of its co-founders, and I think it’s safe to say that co-founder Grayson Currin‘s predilection for “heaviest music” was satisfied by having sunn O))) close out the third successful run of this festival.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones in the optimal location in the venue. This is an outstanding recording and perhaps my favorite quality-wise of the entire festival. Enjoy!

Stream a 5-minute sample of the set:

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] (Single click to play; right-click and “Save As” to download) | 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.

sunn O)))
2012-09-08
Hopscotch Festival
Memorial Auditorium
Raleigh, NC USA

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

Schoeps MK5 (FOB, DFC, DIN, 9ft)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>24bit/48kHz WAV>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ and tube effects)>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (set fades, adjust levels, downsample)>xAct (tag and convert to FLAC)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [untitled]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT sunn O))), visit their page at Southern Lord Records, and purchase their music there.


[Photo by acidjack]

Holly Miranda: September 12, 2012 Zebulon – Flac/MP3/Streaming

September 16, 2012
By


[screen cap from this video]

It was two years ago when Holly Miranda spent her last night in NYC before moving to Los Angeles performing for an intimate crowd at the wonderful Vivo in Vino. That show was one of our favorites of the year and such an incredible memorable night — great music, great company, superb wine and a rooftop afterparty to remember. That year of 2010 was a banner one for Holly. Her album The Magician’s Private Library was one of the best of the year and her tour was a triumphant celebration of the album. The Bowery show in particular was another highlight of 2010. But in the last two years, Holly has lived a fairly quiet domestic life while working on her new album through a Pledge Music campaign that has shown the dedication of her fans — the pledge has reached over 200% of the original target. The relaxed pace of the production of the new album has also given the artist an opportunity to share demos, covers, and some obscure nuggets on her Soundcloud page, which has become a must-visit page. On Wednesday, Holly Miranda made a very rare visit to NYC to play a fairly under-publicized show at the intimate Zebulon. I had already committed to recording a show at 285 Kent that night, but left in between sets and brought over my small mobile rig to capture Holly’s set. Fortunately, the timing all worked out perfectly. Holly took the stage with Tim Mislock, a new drummer and saxophonist. With an opener of “Waves”, the two years melted away and it was as if Holly hadn’t left. The following number, her moving Etta James cover was an added gift. The balance of the too-short set consisted of new songs and a couple of covers. The Morphine song “Mary Won’t You Call My Name?” was a raver that got the boisterous crowd to move in unison, and we’re streaming it below. Holly has no current plans to play NYC, but rest assured when she ultimately returns, we’ll be there.

I recorded this set with the DPA 4061 small omnis with the mics attached to a mount in the ceiling of the venue about fifteen feet from the stage. The venue was packed and the crowd was rather chatty, so that this isn’t exactly the best thing we’ve had on the site lately. But its certainly listenable and full of energy. Enjoy!

Stream “Mary Won’t You Call My Name?” [Morphine cover]:

Download the Complete Show in MP3 [HERE] or 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.

Holly Miranda
2012-09-12
Zebulon
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Upfront Center – Recorded 15 Feet from Stage

DPA 4061s (Dynamic Audio Custom Mod) > Dynamic Audio Custom Battery Box > Edirol R-05 > 16bit 44.1kHz 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
2012-09-15

Setlist:
[Total Time 40:36]
01 Waves
02 I’d Rather Go Blind [Etta James]
03 Desert Call
04 Nobody Sees Me Like You Do [Yoko Ono]
05 Mark My Words
06 Everlasting
07 Mary Won’t You Call My Name [Morphine]
08 [banter – band intro]
09 Until Now

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Holly Miranda, visit her website, and go to Pledge Music to support Holly’s new album [HERE].

Ben Sollee: September 8, 2012 Backyard Brunch Sessions – Flac/MP3/Streaming

September 15, 2012
By


[photo by Dominick Mastrangelo]

The Backyard Brunch Sessions is in its third year of summer events and it continues to draw an incredible roster of performers to a very intimate and unique setting. Last weekend, Ben Sollee played a BBS that was brought indoors because of inclement weather. But the experience remained the same — an opportunity for a small selected group of people to experience an abundant amount of talent from up close. For us, very close. Ben Sollee is one of those performers whose rare combination of stage presence, likeability and sheer talent is magnetic. He is also a natural for the setting of BBS, and on Saturday Ben was fast friends with everyone in the room and effortlessly brought us all into the world of his music. As a duo with percussionist Jordon Ellis, who literally played a customized wooden box as a drum, Ben dipped into some older numbers but mostly focused on material from his new album Half Made Man, which will be released on September 25. Ben opened with “DIY” and ended the first set with “Unfinished”, two of the stronger tracks from the new album. We are streaming “Hurting” from Ben’s 2011 album Inclusions, as it was personally one of my favorite performances from this set and also features some incredible vocalizing at the conclusion of the song. Ben Sollee will be touring (via bicycle!) this month through the South and Midwest, dates [here].

I recorded this set with four microphones placed strategically around the performers. The Neumann hypercards were used primarily for vocals and the Sennheiser cards for instruments. A light amount of reverb was added in post to the vocals and the mixdown is weighted towards the vocals by about 60/40. The quiet room and hushed crowd provided a near perfect recording atmosphere so that this recording is really quite superb. Enjoy!

For more content from this performance, check this week on the sites of our partners for this event, Backyard Brunch Sessions and Consequence of Sound.

Stream “Hurting”:

This Recording is now available to Download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [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.

Ben Sollee
2012-09-08
Backyard Brunch Sessions
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
On Stage 4-Track

Neumann KM-150s + Sennheiser MKH-8040s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (mix down, level adjustments, slight reverb to vocals, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 > (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-09-13

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:21]
01 DIY
02 [banter – intro]
03 Some Lovin
04 [banter – bicycle tour]
05 The Globe
06 [banter – Half Made Man]
07 Unfinished
08 Teach Me
09 [banter – Captivity intro]
10 Captivity
11 [banter – questions]
12 Cajun Jam
13 [banter – geeking out]
14 Hurting
15 [banter – bike tour story]
16 Panning For Gold

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Ben Sollee, visit his website, and pre-order Half Made Man from Ben’s online Store [HERE].

Megafaun: September 8, 2012 Hopscotch Festival Day Show (Raleigh, NC) – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming

September 14, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Megafaun are one of several Triangle-area bands that have gone national recently, and they are also one of our personal favorites. Since being introduced to the band when they opened for fellow Triangle-area band The Mountain Goats, and our own Sharon Van Etten, we have followed their progress to becoming a headliner and national act in their own right with pleasure. But on their home turf, Megafaun aren’t just an up-and-coming act from out of town; they are stars in their own right. The Americana-driven band was the centerpiece and part sponsor of this outdoor day show on the final day of the Hopscotch Festival, and they brought with them several other bands we’ve been longtime fans of: Oneida, Mount Moriah, and the db’s. Coming on last, Megafaun arrived to a teeming and rowdy crowd that was as thrilled as I was to see them joined by not only the improvisational drummer Chris Corsano, the Nashville-based guitarist and Lambchop member William Tyler and Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs. Clearly feeding off of the energy of the crowd, the band gave us a rollicking hour-plus set that didn’t shut down until the band said so. We have watched the band move from a trio to a touring foursome already, but with the additional players rotating in and out of the cast, Megafaun became a Southern juggernaut. With Graduciel onstage, the band performed a “cover” of the The War on Drugs’ “Brothers” with Graduciel on vocals. Lighting up the streets of Raleigh with their all-American charm and good humor, Megafaun ruled this day, and inaugurated the final day of the Hopscotch Festival as no other band could.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed provided by the extremely professional and high quality staff of North State Sound, together with Schoeps MK5 mics in the omnidirectional setting to provide a live feel. This show is, as the band says themselves, mixed on the fly, and you will hear some occasional fluctuations in levels and instructions from the stage, but it is a very strong recording and document of this day. Enjoy!

Stream “Kaufman’s Ballad”

Stream “Brothers” [The War On Drugs]

This Recording is now available for Download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [HERE]

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.


Megafaun
2012-09-08
Hopscotch Music Festival Day Party
Raleigh, NC USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK5 (omni, 3ft split, slightly ROC)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 65:54]
01 [intro]
02 Scorned>
03 Heretofore
04 [banter]
05 Kaufman’s Ballad
06 The Fade
07 [banter]
08 Second Friend
09 His Robe
10 [banter – intro Chris Corsano and Adam Granduciel]
11 Get Right
12 I Was There [The War on Drugs]
13 [banter]
14 Real Slow

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Megafaun, visit their website, and purchase their official releases including their latest album Megafaun from Hometapes Records [HERE].

Altos: September 4, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming

September 14, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Milwaukee’s Altos (formerly/sometimes known as Group of the Altos) are a tough band to fit comfortably on most stages. With twelve members, and a variety of strings, keys, upright bass, trumpets, guitars percussion and more, the band’s sound is anything but stripped down. Sonically, they belong alongside fellow big bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor! with their commitment to melodies and stretched-out song structures that eschew pop convention. But unlike their fellow-travelers from up north, Altos’ sound is a bit more folk-inflected (think Broken Social Scene) and considerably less apocalyptic. This 40-minute set at Glasslands, a warmup to an upcoming gig at Hopscotch Festival in North Carolina, consisted of a total of four songs, including three longer-form compositions and the tighter, more vocal-driven “Race” (streaming below).   The band deploys the large crew of players wisely, creating songs that are sonically dense, yet cohesive and spacious.

As with many bands arising from the Milwaukee scene right now, Altos have a Bon Iver connection, too – their eponymous current record was recorded at Justin Vernon’s April Base studio, and is available on vinyl and digital here (with an album cover that is, appropriately enough, composed of headshots of each of the 12 band members).

I recorded this set with new Naiant X-X omnidirectional microphones at the lip of the Glasslands stage, together with a soundboard feed provided by the head engineer Josh. The sound quality is truly outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Race”

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

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.

Altos
2012-09-04
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Naiant X-X (3ft split onstage A-B) + Soundboard>>Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify, balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Begong Ava, Bagong Hele
02 Race
03 Sing (for Trouble)
04 Never Named

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Altos, like them on Facebook, and purchase their new LP, Altos, on vinyl or digital [HERE]

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