Hospitality: February 3, 2012 Glasslands Gallery – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 5, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Maryanne Ventrice]

On nyctaper, we take pride in recognizing the talent and potential of bands long before they hit it big. We have had a nice little track record and the results are archived in five years worth of posts on this site. But we’re also perfectly willing to admit when we miss one entirely. Two and a half years ago, I recorded Hospitality at Littlefield but did not post it on nyctaper, because, well, I did not see the band’s potential. This week Hospitality released their debut album on Merge Records and I’ve had it on constant play. The album is a superb collection of brilliant pop songs, with elements of British folk pop, twee, and American indie. The main features are intelligent lyrics, irresistible hooks and tight musicianship. I met the band at that Littlefield show, and it was clear that they are modest and authentic people — the kind of band that you like to root for. Out of curiosity, I went back and listened to the 2009 recording, and sure enough I just completely missed Hospitality’s appeal. They were great back then, just not quite as tight. At the record release show at Glasslands on Friday night, the buzz from their outstanding new release resulted in a packed sold out show. A poorly-timed visit from the NYC Health Department caused a lengthy delay to the start of their set, but the crowd seemed calm and patient and Hospitality were thoughtful enough to inform their followers of the situation on their twitter feed. Once the show began, it was clear that buoyed by the recent acclaim and a supportive local crowd, the band worked through the entire new album (and two new songs!) with confidence and a lot of energy. Hospitality welcomed a horn section for the last two songs of the set, including “Friends of Friends” which we’re streaming below. When the song ended, I turned to acidjack and predicted that they will play that very song on Fallon, Letterman or Leno within the next couple of months. I hope I finally get one right with Hospitality.

Acidjack recorded this show with his AKG microphones on cardioid setting and mounted on the projector ledge about fifteen feet from the stage. The excellent upfront audience recording is mixed with a superb soundboard feed from house FOH Josh, and the sound quality is superb.

Stream “Friends of Friends”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H20312Hospitality1212/12.%20Friends%20of%20Friends.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (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.

Hospitality
2012-02-03
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + AKG C 414 B-XLS (Cardioid setting) > 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 acidjack and nyctaper
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 42:40]
01 [introduction]
02 The Right Profession
03 The Birthday
04 The Drift
05 Betty Wang
06 Eighth Avenue
07 Julie
08 Sleepover
09 Liberal Arts
10 Monkey
11 [banter]
12 Friends of Friends
13 All Day Today
14 [encore break]
15 Argonauts

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Hospitality, visit their Facebook page, visit their artist page at Merge’s website, and purchase their debut album from the Merge Records website [HERE].

Superhuman Happiness: January 28, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 2, 2012
By


[Photo by acidjack]

It’s one thing to be unaware of an amazing live act for far too long; it’s another for them to be from your own backyard and to be totally clueless about them until they’re opening for an established band at Bowery Ballroom.  But such is the truth of my discovery of Brooklyn’s Superhuman Happiness, and I’m happy to say I’m glad I made my way to them eventually, even if I arrived late to the party.

Like the band they were opening for, Superhuman Happiness utilize a large crew of players that includes multiple percussionists and brass flourishes (founder Stuart Bogie also does time as saxophonist for Antibalas).  Superhuman Happiness specialize in an upbeat, tribal style of dance music that calls to mind acts like !!!, with a penchant for the type of catchy polyrhythms that could as easily be at home on a DFA release (especially the set opener, “See Me On My Way”).  The band’s vocal approach trends mellower than those acts, and less self-referential; Superhuman Happiness, as the name may imply, are an unironically happy band, and being in their crowd, it’s hard not to feel a lightness in your step yourself.  They encourage the crowd to open a number of songs with clapping (check out “Our Favorite Part”, below), amping up the sense of celebration.

I’m told that this set was a bit less on the improvisational side for a Superhuman Happiness gig, given the limited set time, but the band nevertheless took plenty of liberties with song structure, as on the extended meditation during “Hounds”.   But with a musical pedigree among the bandmembers as diverse as Foals, TV on the Radio, Phenomenal Handclap Band, the Roots, Passion Pit, Antibalas and Holly Miranda, to name a few, these guys prove that they aren’t just a bunch of music majors noodling it out – they’ve got plenty of chops in more straight-ahead styles as well.

Right now, you can catch Superhuman Happiness at less expensive (as they commented from stage) venues around the city like Union Pool and Pianos; sure, they’ll also dominate Brooklyn Bowl one day (their sound is almost tailor-made for that venue), but why wait?

I recorded this set with a combination of Schoeps MK22 “open cardioid” mics and MK41 supercardiod mics for a recording of excellent focus and balance.  Enjoy!

Stream “Our Favorite Part”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2801SuperhumanHappiness2012/07 Our Favorite Part.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.

Superhuman Happiness
2012-01-28
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (balcony, DIN, slightly LOC)>KCY>littlebox + Schoeps MK22>tinybox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, balance, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8)

Tracks
01 See Me On My Way
02 Half Step Grind
03 Again Again Again (Half Step Grind Pt. 2)
04 Hounds
05 Needles and Pins
06 Second Heart
07 Our Favorite Part
08 I Hear You Calling

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Superhuman Happiness, visit their website, and buy their music in physical form from Electric Cowbell Records or their bandcamp page.

Naam: January 13, 2012 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 2, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

I suppose one could fairly accuse this site of not featuring enough heavy music.  There are several reasons for that, not least being that a lot of “metal” bands aren’t into being recorded.  But here’s to hoping that changes, especially since Brooklyn has had a vibrant metal scene going for quite awhile now, as chronicled by BrooklynVegan among few “indie” sites that acknowledge metal even exists.  Naam are one of the first bands that made me realize such a gap existed in our coverage, when I saw them open for Om a few years ago.  Naam absolutely slayed then, and they have only gotten better since, combining bad-ass guitar chops with a psychedelic sensibility that makes them a crossover beyond only dedicated headbangers.  This show at Music Hall of Williamsburg found the band opening again, this time for stoner metal mavens Monster Magnet.  The amps and stacks were cranked this evening, and Naam made the most of them over a series of four blistering tracks, including two from their eponymous debut on TeePee Records.  I admit, I was also hoping to hear “Drain You” or “Pennyroyal Tea”, both of which appear on their Nirvana Covers 7″ – but maybe next time.  I hope this is but one of many heav(ier) shows I cover in the fine year of 2012!

JFCB and I recorded this set with tiny DPA 4061 microphones that captured the full range of the band’s sonic assault.  The recording is dense, upfront and excellent. Enjoy!  Note: any setlist help would be appreciated!

Stream “Kingdom”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N1310Naam2110/naam_kingdom.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.

Naam
2012-01-13
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded by acidjack and Johnny Fried Chicken Boy
Produced by acidjack
for NYCTaper.com

DPA 4061>CA-UBB>Edirol R-05 (24/48)>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [setlist help would be much appreciated]
01 Skyling Ship
02 Starchild (pt 1)
03 Starchild (pt 2)
04 Icy Row
05 Kingdom

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Naam, visit their MySpace page, follow them on Twitter, and purchase their debut album from TeePee records [HERE]

Rubblebucket: January 28, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 1, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Rubblebucket is a Brooklyn-by-way-of-Vermont band that is building a fan base the old-fashioned way: outstanding live shows and the positive word of mouth that results.  With a touring schedule that has blanketed the eastern seaboard and made them regulars in their home region, the band has come by every new fan and every new gig as honestly as possible.  That’s why, although you may have never heard of them, they sold out the Bowery Ballroom handily on a Saturday night.  They may have gotten their start on the college music circuit, but judging by this diverse crowd, they’ve not only kept those early fans, but grown well beyond their beginnings.

Rubblebucket hybridizes elements of NOLA jazz, lounge music, rock and French pop into a dance-ready, coherent whole.  Coming on strong with songs from their latest record, Omega La La, the band got things going early with the combo of “Worker”, “Raining” and “Breatherz” from Omega, each punctuated by exuberant blasts of brass (trombone, trumpet and occasionally sousaphone make appearances).  Their mic stands adorned with streamers, their energy relentlessly positive, and their giant robot-puppets (yes) waiting in the wings, Rubblebucket commanded the moment easily, turning the Bowery floor into a giant dance party.  About the robot puppets – during their extended-jam cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” two nearly balcony-high puppets roamed through the audience, engaged in mock robot-puppet warfare.  I don’t think you need a BA from a northeastern liberal arts school to understand how this makes for a good time.  (But I guess it might not hurt).

Maybe it shouldn’t be a novelty that Rubblebucket are distinguished by their virtuosity on their instruments – lead singer Kalmia Triver does double duty on sax, even – but that has been enough to get them included in another faux genre, “yes wave”.  I think I’ll pass on the genre name, but whatever you want to call their sound, Rubblebucket is a band you shouldn’t miss live.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones from our usual spot in the balcony, for a flawless capture of the night. Enjoy!

Stream “Raining”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R0128Rubblebucket0211/03 Raining.mp3]

Stream “Heart of Glass [Blondie]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R0128Rubblebucket0211/08 Heart of Glass.mp3]

Download the MP3 and FLAC files and stream the entire show at the Live Music Archive [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.

Rubblebucket
2012-01-28
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (balcony, DIN, slightly LOC)>KCY>littlebox>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, balance, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8)

Tracks [Total Time 1:23:14]
01 [intro]
02 Worker
03 Raining
04 Breatherz (Young as Clouds)
05 Landing
06 [?]-1
07 Silly Fathers
08 Heart of Glass [Blondie]
09 [banter]
10 Bikes
11 Triangular Daisies
12 [?]-2
13 [banter]
14 [?]-3
15 Came Out of a Lady
16 [encore break]
17 Down In the Yards
18 L’Homme

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Rubblebucket, visit their website, and buy Omega La La and their other releases from their official store [HERE]

Low Roar: January 19, 2012 Pianos – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 30, 2012
By


[Photos courtesy of Matthew Eisman.  See more of his excellent work HERE.]

I’ve always been a rock music guy.  And if it can rupture eardrums and upset my equilibrium just by listening to it, I’m usually in my happy place.  That’s why I was surprised to find Low Roar’s debut album with its haunting melodies so intriguing.  Having already drawn comparisons to the mellower offerings of Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Sigur Rós in reviews, I also heard flashes of Brian Eno in that first listen.  The band’s backstory is no less interesting.  Formerly of Oakland’s Audrye Sessions, frontman and songwriter Ryan Karazija pulled up stakes in San Francisco and moved to Iceland where he began this project and recorded the tracks.  Much as I really liked it, I was left wondering how well this music would translate to a concert setting.  My concerns were unfounded as the songs, beautiful as they are on record, were stunningly gorgeous when played live.  Joined on stage by Júlíus Björgvinsson, Ryan’s magnificent hymn-like vocals and the duo’s brilliantly understated musicianship fleshed even more nuance out of the studio material and expanded on it.  Suffice to say, I’m looking forward to the next chance I get to see Low Roar.  If their music is to your tastes and you have an opportunity to catch them, I suggest you run, don’t walk, to go see them, too.

Recording in small clubs always has its challenges and this night at Pianos was no exception: chatty patrons, an adjoining bar with its accompanying noise, and a feedback spike early in the set.  All that aside, venue engineer, Ofer, did a superb job in both his house mix and the soundboard feed he provided for us to blend with our microphones.  The resultant capture is excellent and we hope you like what you hear as much as we did.  Enjoy!

Special thanks to Low Roar and Bryan Vaughan at Indigenous Promotions for making this recording possible, and to the staff at Pianos for their courtesy and cooperation.

Stream “Just A Habit”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L9110LowRoar1022/Low_Roar_-_Just_A_Habit.mp3]

Direct download of 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.

Low Roar
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Pianos
New York, NY, USA

Source: SBD + AKG C 414 B-XLS’s > Edirol R-44 (WAV @ 24-bit/48kHz)
Lineage: R-44 > USB > PC > Adobe Audition (mixdown, adjust levels, downsample, dither, tracking) > WAV (16-bit/44.1kHz) > Trader’s Little Helper (check/fix SBE’s, FLAC) > FLAC Level 8
Pianos house engineer: Ofer Tiberin
Recorded and produced by: Johnny Fried Chicken Boy

SETLIST:
[Total time: 38:51]
01. Intro > Friends Make Garbage (Good Friends Take It Out) > Low Roar
02. Just A Habit
03. Give Up
04. Rolling Over
05. Help Me > Dalalæða

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Low Roar and their related projects, visit their Facebook page, and purchase their official releases at the Tonequake Records shop [HERE], at iTunes or at Amazon.  And definitely go see their shows.

Portugal. The Man: January 20, 2012 Brooklyn Bowl – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 29, 2012
By


[Photos by Jill at fortheloveofbrooklyn]

While Wasilla, Alaska will forever be inextricably linked with its most famous resident, a certain former vice presidential candidate, music fans may know it as the unlikely birthplace of Portugal. The Man [punctuation theirs].  Now based in Portland, the young band is an unabashed classic rock throwback, with semi-psychedelic, jammable songs that take their cues from the sounds of rock’s late 60s – mid 70s period.  I fully admit to them being one of those bands that flew completely under my radar, until I noticed one day that they were headlining venues like Terminal 5.  So, given the chance to see them at the more local and (compared to T5) intimate Brooklyn Bowl, I figured this would be a good way to check them out.  The band did not disappoint with a 100-minute set played to a sold-out Friday night crowd.  In the live setting, their relatively compact, radio-ready songs stretch out, segueing into one another and breaking mid-song for extended jams.  The band also paid homage to their influences with some well-placed covers, including David Bowie’s “All The Young Dudes” and the Beatles classic “Helter Skelter”, which the band transitioned into in the middle of “The Devil”.  PTM also honored the recently-deceased Etta James with a cover of her “I’d Rather Go Blind”.  The band visits NYC again when they take the stage at Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 20.

I recorded this set with AKG large-diaphragm mics in “wide cardiod” mode up close to the right speaker stack to provide maximum direct sound.  The house mix on this night was, quite frankly, one of the worst I have heard in this venue, so considerable work had to be done to make the recording sound more balanced than things did in the room. Still, I am now happy with the final results.  Enjoy!

Thanks to Scott Bernstein for the setlist.  You can check out his recording [HERE]

Stream “All Your Light”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P0021PortugalTheMan0012/14 All Your Light.mp3]

Stream “I’d Rather Go Blind [Etta James]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P0021PortugalTheMan0012/25 I’d Rather Go Blind.mp3]

Download the MP3 and FLAC files and stream the entire show at the Live Music Archive [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.

Portugal. The Man
2012-01-20
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide carded mode)>Sound Devices USBPre2>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)>24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mastering effects, editing)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:39:23]
01 So American>
02 Work All Day
03 The Devil>
04 Helter Skelter> [The Beatles]
05 The Devil
06 AKA M80 the Wolf
07 The Woods
08 [tuning]
09 Head Is A Flame>
10 All the Young Dudes> [David Bowie]
11 Elephants
12 [false start]
13 Floating (Time Isn’t Working My Side)
14 All Your Light
15 1989
16 Do You ->
17 Everyone Is Golden
18 Got It All
19 The Sun
20 Senseless
21 [banter]
22 Sleep Forever
23 [encore break]
24 And I
25 I’d Rather Go Blind> [Etta James]
26 People Say

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Portugal. The Man, visit their website, and buy their latest record, In the Mountain In the Cloud and other items from their online store.

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