Cymbals Eat Guitars: April 3, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 14, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

We have featured Cymbals Eat Guitars several times on this site (most recently, a headlining Bowery show from last year), and we have always found their willingness to take risks refreshing. Not content to simply rework the more poppy sound of their breakout album, Why There Are Mountains, the band remain unafraid to take things in a more caustic direction. This Bowery Ballroom show found the band opening for Cursive (which we recorded, and will post if the band gets back to us about approval…), but the packed house for their set suggested equal fervor for these Staten Island natives.  The set focused on material from their latest record, Lenses Alien, but this also included some earlier favorites like “Indiana” and of course, “And the Hazy Sea”.

We recorded this set with a four-mic setup, but I thought the Sennheiser MKH-8040 source was sufficiently good to stand on its own.  We hope you agree. Enjoy!

Stream “And the Hazy Sea”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C2140CEG2990/06 And the Hazy Sea.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.

Cymbals Eat Guitars
2012-04-03
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Recorded by nyctaper and acidjack
Produced by acidjack

Sennheiser MKH-8040>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, EQ, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 Definite Darkness
02 Another Tunguska
03 Rifle Eyesight
04 [unknown]
05 Indiana
06 And the Hazy Sea
07 [unknown]
08 Shore Points

If you enjoyed this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Cymbals Eat Guitars, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Lenses Alien and their other records from the links at their web store [HERE].

NYCTaper 5th Anniversary Show! Saturday May 12 at 285 Kent with Oneida and Special Guests

May 10, 2012
By

Five years ago I established this site with a few goals in mind — that my recordings would be the centerpiece in posts that would profile the artists and would encourage people who read the site and download the music to support the artists. I did not however envision that the site would grow to the extent it has reached today. NYCTaper is now a group of four tapers with countless other contributors. The site continues to pursue the original goals, but with the help of our contributors, our readers and our many friends in the music community, we have become something more. With an enormous amount of help from artists, promoters, venues, booking agents, blogs, and others in the music world, taping has been removed from the shadows and the live recording of artists is now seen as a powerful tool to enhance the relationship between fans and artists. When bands now seek to “be on NYCTaper”, its understood that this is a good thing for an artist. And for us here at NYCTaper, its a humbling experience to realize that our hard work and good intentions have made this site work for a community of music performers and music lovers. We hope to keep doing this and to continue to grow well into the future.

We are celebrating this milestone with a concert curated by one of the artists that represents everything we love in music. Oneida is a band that is truly unique. The band is comprised of five incredibly talented musicians who are untethered by the bounds of conventional music genres and completely free of the traps of the music industry. They have been featured on NYCTaper eleven times (plus two solo projects) and last year we worked with them to offer recordings of their studio Ocropolis sessions to raise charitable contributions for Japanese earthquake relief.

Oneida will headline the show on Saturday, and will be joined onstage by special guests Greg Fox (Guardian Alien / GDFX) and James McNew (Yo La Tengo / Dump). The opening bands for the night are Sightings and Prince Rupert’s Drops.

Here are the details:
NYCTaper 5th Anniversary Concert
285 Kent (google map)
Brooklyn NY
Doors are at 8pm
Admission is $10
All ages are welcome

Advance Tickets are available at Ticketfly [HERE]

Tell us that you are coming by joining the Facebook Invite Page for this event [HERE]

Crystal Stilts: May 5, 2012 285 Kent + April 14, 2012 Rock N Roll Hotel Washington DC – Flac and MP3 Downloads and Streaming Song

May 10, 2012
By


[photo by Jeff Lagasca]

The show on Saturday night at 285 Kent was headlined by another one of this site’s favorite bands and one that we’ve followed for all of our five years. We first saw Crystal Stilts back in 2008, and over the last few years our recordings of them have been featured on the site six previous times from a large variety of venues. After a bit of a hiatus, the band returned in 2011 with a superb new album In Love with Oblivion (Slumberland) and a new EP Radiant Door (Sacred Bones Records), both of which cemented their position as one of best post-punk garage bands around. The style remains consistent — Brad Hargett’s heavily reverbed vocals backed by the sixties influenced guitar work of founder JB Townsend and the adventurous keyboards of Kyle Forester. Their show at 285 Kent is one of the strongest we’ve seen them play to date. The set was not simply the new album, but a full slate of Stilts material, a brand new song and a well-conceived Gun Club cover. The band ended the set with a spacey and stretched-out version of “Prometheus” before returning for well-deserved encore. We are streaming “Shake the Shackles”, a 2010 single that also appears on Oblivion. Crystal Stilts will perform again locally, this time next door to 285 at Glasslands on June 17 for the Sacred Bones Records Northside Festival showcase.

Additionally, for this post we are offering a bonus download of the Crystal Stilts live in Washington DC, a show recorded in April by friend of the site Kubacheck at the Rock N’ Roll Hotel. The show features a setlist quite different from the 285 set with some deep cuts along with more of the new album.

I recorded the 285 set in the same manner as the Woods set and the sound quality is excellent. The Washington show was recorded by Kubacheck with MBHO microphones and a board feed and was mixed by acidjack. The placement of the microphones resulted in a large dose of crowd chatter which has been alleviated by mixing the board feed at a greater percentage. The sound quality of that set is also excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Shake the Shackles” from 285 Kent:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C1207CrystalStilts2220/06.%20Shake%20the%20Shackles.mp3]

Direct download of complete shows in MP3 files:
285 Kent (HERE)
Washington DC (HERE)

Download the Complete shows in FLAC:
285 Kent [HERE]
Washington DC [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.

Crystal Stilts
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
2012-05-08

Setlist:
[Total Time 50:16]
01 Dark Eyes
02 Crystal Stilts
03 Flying Into the Sun
04 [new song]
05 Verdant Gaze
06 Shake the Shackles
07 [banter]
08 Love Is a Wave
09 New Fun
10 For The Love of Ivy
11 Prometheus At Large
12 [encore break]
13 Converging in the Quiet

*******************

Crystal Stilts
2012-04-14
Rock N’ Roll Hotel
Washington, DC USA

Exclusive download hosted at NYCTaper.com

Recorded by kubacheck
Produced by acidjack and nyctaper

MBHO 603a (cardiod, FOB, 8 ft)>Sound Devices MP2>Roland R05 + Soundboard>Edirol R09 >>> 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (align, time adjust, set fades, amplify and balance, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Shattered Shine
02 Still As The Night
03 The Dazzled
04 Invisible City
05 [new song]
06 Shake The Shackles
07 Half A Moon
08 Converging in the Quiet
09 Dark Eyes
10 Love Is A Wave
11 [encore break]
12 Sugarbaby
13 Prometheus at Large

If you download these recordings from nyctaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Crystal Stilts, visit their website and purchase In Love With Oblivion from Slumberland Records [HERE] and the Radiant Door EP from Sacred Bones Records [HERE].

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].

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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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.

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