This Is the Kit: April 18, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 8, 2012
By


[Not very good iPhone photo by acidjack]

For obvious reasons, we end up promoting a lot of NYC-based bands on this site. But it is always a rare treat to get a chance to share a recording by a band from overseas, particularly one that is new to us. This Is the Kit is a Paris and Bristol, UK-based project of vocalist/guitarist/banjo player Kate Stables that produces a grown-up brand of acoustic, blues-influenced rock of timeless beauty and grace – think of Cowboy Junkies or Sharon Van Etten as a reference point. Her music isn’t gimmicky or loud, brash or lo-fi.  This is a type of band that you want to listen to, try and focus on what’s being said through the hush (if you’re lucky, and there is, in fact a hush). And sure, your Dad might dig it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t – a great song is a great song, no?

A Mercury Lounge late show can often be a challenge to a band, after the bar has been open a few hours and two other bands have already done their thing. This Is the Kit were opening for Plants and Animals, who themselves had a fairly rowdy crowd. Hearing the opening notes of the spare, magnificent banjo intro of “Easy Pickings”, I feared for the worst. But a funny thing happened- the crowd paid attention, throughout a set that showcased several of the band’s numbers from Wriggle Out the Restless, a record originally released on the UK imprint Brassland and about to be re-released stateside (you can grab it for a steal on bandcamp right now for $3 or more… I suggest more). Out of a uniformly excellent set, it’s hard to pick favorites, but I was partial to the bluesy “rocker” of the group, “Earthquake”, the quiet leadoff track “Easy Pickings”, and the frenetic cross-rhythms of “Spinney” (currently the free track on the bandcamp page). Each of the songs in this set felt distinct, and the band managed to show a lot of different sides during this short opening performance. The next time they’re headlining, I’m there.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Plants and Animals recording, but the quality of both the house mix and soundboard feed were better for this performance. Given the quiet nature of the set, this recording favors the soundboard feed, and the result is an outstanding and crisp recording.  Enjoy!

Stream “Earthquake”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T1840ThisKit2012/Earthquake.mp3]

Stream “Spinney”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T1840ThisKit2012/Spinney.mp3]

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.

This Is the Kit
2012-04-18
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>CMC6 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS5.5 (align, mixdown, balance)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, harmonic exciter (gentle tube), imaging (add width)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Easy Pickings
02 White Ash Cut
03 Vitamins
04 Earthquake
05 Two Wooden Spoons
06 [banter]
07 See Here
08 [banter]
09 Misunderstanding
10 Spinney
11 Bashed Out

If you enjoyed this recording, please support This Is the Kit, like them on Facebook, and visit their bandcamp page to buy Wriggle Out the Restless.

Woods: May 5, 2012 285 Kent – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 7, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Bleary Eyed Brooklyn]

Woods is one of those special bands with whom we like to feel as if we’ve traveled a long way. I first saw the band back in 2008 at Monster Island basement, and we’ve featured them on the site nine previous times over the last five years. The band has evolved in both songwriting and personnel, but the focus remains the same — strong folk-rock melodies with a heavy dose of experimentation. Woods has a new drummer, which means that Jarvis who played most of the drums in previous versions of the band is now out front all show playing guitar. At 285 Kent on Saturday night, Woods was part of one of the stronger bills we’ve seen all year with MMoss and Crystal Stilts. As the middle band, their set was shorter than we had hoped but on the last night of a two-week tour, Woods was energetic and tight. With Jarvis adding extra guitar, the jam elements of each song were also fleshed out. “Bend Beyond” filled the middle of the set and stretched to almost fourteen minutes. The set also included two brand new songs, and a nice variety of material. We are streaming “Blood Dries Darker”, the strong set closer. Woods will be off the road for while, but the annual Woodsist Festival returns to Big Sur California in August.

I recorded this set with the Sennheiser 8040s mounted on a pole 15 feet from the stage and mixed with a board feed. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

This Recording is now available for download at our Bandcamp page [HERE].

Stream the Complete Show:

Woods
2012-05-05
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
2012-05-06

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:13]
01 Pushing Onlys
02 Suffering Season
03 Cali In A Cup
04 Bend Beyond
05 Is It Honest?
06 Be All Be Easy
07 Rain On
08 Find Them Empty
09 Blood Dries Darker

If you download this recording from nyctaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Woods, visit the Woodist page and purchase their official releases from Woodist Records [HERE].

Alcoholic Faith Mission: April 27, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 7, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Danish band Alcoholic Faith Mission, like many of their Scandinavian peers, seems so full of ineffable friendliness and gratitude that they almost force you to be an instant fan. Equal parts whimsical Scandinavian indiepop and college rock earnestness, their sound benefits from their time spent both in their home country and in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has been an integral part of AFM from the beginning; it (and alcohol) not only inspired their band name, but it also was where they recorded their second record, 421 Wythe Avenue, using only the materials that could be found in that old factory space. They are now two more records in, with their latest, Ask Me This, seeing release this week. In part due to that aforementioned friendliness and familiarity, this Friday night show at Glasslands had the vibe of coming over to hear your friends debut their new record just for you.

Band co-founder Thorben Seiero Jensen (who founded the band along with Sune Solund) and Kristine Permild share vocal duties, and they respectively represent the yin and yang of the band’s sound. Jensen sings in the full-throated style often associated with American rock singers, and he voices the band’s frequently-dark and even brutal lyrics with a wounded-bird affect that gives them credibility. Permild’s voice is sweeter, lighter and (of course) feminine, and is the pixie dust that gives the band a tenderer core. If you pay close attention to Jensen’s lyrics, there is a strain of darkness and depravity you might not expect from a band with such a pleasant onstage demeanor. But it’s hard to miss that there is some heavy shit going on behind that exterior; songs about sexual malfeasance, addiction and pain abound.

In the live setting, with the band cheerily inviting us to share a beer post-show, it was easier to focus on the simpler and more immediate pleasures of their sound itself. The rocker “Alaska,” with its klaxon-like lead melody, kicked things off and was an instant highlight, with Jensen and Permild bearing equal weight on the vocals. I was also partial to “Into Pieces” which is on Ask Me This but first saw release on the Running With Insanity EP earlier this year. “Sobriety Up and Left” and “Nut In Your Eye” were older songs that I also took a newfound liking to in the live setting.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK22 open cardioid microphones and a nicely-balanced soundboard feed from Josh at Glasslands.  Despite it being a bit of a chatty Friday night crowd, I am very pleased with the results. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Rob at Old Flame Records.

Stream “Alaska”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A0427AFM0212/01 Alaska.mp3]

Stream “Sobriety Up and Left”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A0427AFM0212/09 Sobriety Up and Left.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the 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.

Alcoholic Faith Mission
2012-04-27
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK22 (DFC, 7.5ft, DIN)>KCY>Z-PFA>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5.5 (effects, EQ)>Audacity (additional EQ, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Alaska
02 My Eyes To See
03 Running With Insanity
04 Into Pieces
05 Legacy
06 Ask Me This
07 We Need Fear
08 Honeydrip
09 Sobriety Up and Left
10 Nut In Your Eye

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Alcoholic Faith Mission, visit their website, go see them on tour, and buy Ask Me This from their online store [HERE].

Lower Dens: May 2, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 3, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Before coming out for an almost-unheard-of-at-Glasslands three-song encore, frontwoman Jana Hunter of Lower Dens stepped out from behind the keys and mic stand to stand in front of the monitors, among the crowd, and close the main set with the Houston musician Arthur Bates’ “Hours”. And why the hell not? Though known for being a bit reserved onstage, Hunter has watched her Baltimore-based band be anointed an “It” band in the city that decides such things. She certainly has nothing to be self-conscious about, if she ever did.

Not that this extremely sold-out show, or the spate of overwhelmingly positive recent reviews, are the first time anyone noticed the band. Their first record, Twin-Hand Movement, had a lot to recommend it, and critics agreed. But Nootropics, which dropped this week, is the kind of record that takes the band’s sound and appeal to the proverbial “next level”. Rather than an excellent followup to a good start, Nootropics accomplishes the feat that bedevils many second records – evolving the band’s sound and broadening its sonic palette while retaining the core of what drew notice in the first place.

As to that palette, those of us who came of age in the eras of Luna or Galaxie 500 wouldn’t have had trouble finding the Dean Wareham influences all over the band’s early sound, with the fuzzed-out guitars forming the sea that bore along gentle but compelling melodies. The band’s first offerings from Nootropics, “Brains” and “Propagation”, continue that tradition, but also make it clear that there is more going on this time around, with Eno and Kraftwerk influences bubbling to the fore. Stripped of the album’s gauzy texture and replacing it with the raw immediacy (and minimal processing) of the intimate Glasslands stage, Lower Dens made the case for being able to carry well-produced album material in the live setting. It never hurts to have a sellout crowd, of course, and there were so many people crowding the stage there were practically people on top of the band. I won’t be surprised to find the same state of affairs at Bowery Ballroom in a couple months when they end their current tour.

Not only was this set long by Glasslands standards (71 minutes is practically a Springsteen concert in a venue where most sets clock in well under an hour), but the encore included a special cover of the Houston psych-rock pioneers Red Krayola’s “A Portait of V.I. Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock” – proving that the Texas-born Hunter, like any good musician, also has a great record collection.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones and a soundboard feed provided by Glasslands and the band’s FOH. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Lower Dens play Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, July 19. Tickets go on sale May 4 at noon.

Stream “Brains”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L0052LowerDens0122/07 Brains.mp3]

Stream “A Portrait of V.I. Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock [Red Krayola]
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L0052LowerDens0122/16 Red Krayola.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] |Direct download of FLAC files [HERE]
If the FLAC link is not 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.

Lower Dens
2012-05-02
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, DFC, 8ft, DIN)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mixdown)>Audacity 2.0 (set fades, tracking, slight EQ, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:11:18]
01 I Get Nervous
02 Candy
03 Deer Knives
04 Alphabet Song *
05 Propagation
06 Blue & Silver
07 Brains
08 Completely Golden
09 Lion In Winter Pt. 1
10 Lion In Winter Pt. 2
11 Batman
12 Hospice Gates
13 Nova Anthem
14 Hours [Arthur Bates]
15 [encore break]
16 A Portait of V.I. Lenin in the Style of Jackson Pollock [Red Krayola]
17 [banter]
18 A Dog’s Dick
19 [instrumental]

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Lower Dens, like them on Facebook, buy tickets to the Bowery show or a show in your area, and purchase Nootropics from Ribbon Music [HERE]

Acid Mothers Temple: April 30, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 2, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Acid Mothers Temple (well, the full name of this ensemble being Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.) blew my mind the first time I saw them, back in 2010, and they did so again on this night at the Knitting Factory.  With two new studio albums under their belt from 2011, the band came out and delivered a mind-melting 104 minute performance that showed off the new tracks. Unconfined by the strictures of expectation or conventional song structure, each of this night’s songs was a study in improvisation. Rather than the wonky soloing that often typifies improvisational bands, the Mothers took their journey as a tight and focused unit, obviously cueing off of each other. This show had more vocal-heavy songs than the previous show, which gave some of the songs a more cohesive feel despite their even-more-extended jamming. As was the case even before its release, the instant-classic “Pink Lady Lemonade” with its Zeppelinesque main riff was the crowd favorite.  The show ended with the wallop of “Chinese Flying Saucer”, one of the tighter songs in the set, as the band continued to rock furiously, right until the last guitar hit the floor.

I recorded this set with AKG large-diaphragm cardiod microphones and a naturally “warm” handbuilt preamp, plus an excellent soundboard feed provided by the Knitting Factory FOH Devin. In retrospect, the choice of microphone and preamp was not ideal, as this combination is better suited to the fine detail of acoustic and less-bassy shows. Nonetheless, with a bit of editing, the resulting capture is excellent.  Further, please let me know of any tracking errors – I think I did better than last time, but there may still be mistakes in song names.  For convenient listening and breaking up into CDs, I broke up long improvisational pieces into multiple parts in order to make them a bit easier to navigate.

Brooklyn’s own Phantom Family Halo opened this show, and that recording will be posted soon.

Stream “Pink Lady Lemonade Pt. 1”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A0740AMT0210/05 Pink Lady Lemonade.mp3]

Stream “Chinese Flying Saucer”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A0740AMT0210/10 Chinese Flying Saucer.mp3]

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

Acid Mothers Temple
2012-04-30
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

AKG C 414 B-XLS (cardiod, slightly ROC, at SBD, 7.5ft, POS)>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, harmonic exciter)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, additional EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:44:26]
01 Space Ritual Jam
02 Shine On You Crazy Dynamite
03 Shine On You Crazy Dynamite Pt. II
04 Shine On You Crazy Dynamite Pt. III
05 Pink Lady Lemonade
06 Pink Lady Lemonade Pt. II
07 Pink Lady Lemonade Pt. III
08 Cometary Orbital Drive>Speed Guru
09 [encore break]
10 Chinese Flying Saucer

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Acid Mothers Temple, visit their website, and buy their records from your favorite retailer.

Noveller: April 19, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 1, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

I have been a fan of the multi-talented guitarist and filmmaker Sarah Lipstate, aka Noveller, since seeing her open a slam-packed Bear In Heaven show at Glasslands back in 2010. Shortly thereafter, she released the EP Desert Fires, which at the time was the high watermark of her finely textured guitar compositions, especially the song “Three Windows Facing Three Doors”. Being a filmmaker, Lipstate’s songs have an abstract, cinematic quality to them; Lipstate carries you with her on her carefully constructed waves of sound. Although she was formerly with the bands Parts & Labor and Cold Cave, Lipstate is one of the few musicians who I would venture has more true potential on her own; her compositions feel complete without the trappings of a full band.

With her new eight-song LP Glacial Glow, Lipstate has 0nce again delivered compositions of layered, subtle beauty. She played two of those compositions – “Ends” and “Entering”, the bookends to Glacial Glow, on this night. Two new songs, “Cyanne” and “Darkheart”, joined “Starve” from her split LP with unFact (David Wm. Sims of the Jesus Lizard), to round out the set. Lipstate’s work continues to be absolutely mesmerizing – I can’t wait to hear what she comes up with next.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Lotus Plaza and Disappears sets, and the sound is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Cyanne”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N9041Noveller2012/01 Cyanne.mp3]

Stream “Ends”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N9041Noveller2012/02 Ends.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] |  Direct Download location of the 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.

Noveller
2012-04-19
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at NYCTaper.com
Recorded by acidjack and nyctaper
Produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5c (DFC, STC22g, 8ft)>KCY>Z-PFA>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity 2.0 (align, mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Cyanne
02 Ends
03 Entering
04 Darkheart
05 Starve

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Noveller, visit her website, and buy her records from her store there.

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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