David Bazan: June 22, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

July 26, 2011
By

Bazan
[Photos courtesy of Vicki Boardman. Visit her website]

Seattle singer-songwriter David Bazan first made his name recording under the moniker Pedro the Lion, a project that yielded some excellent records such as 1998’s It’s Hard to Find a Friend, and gave Bazan a fuzzed-out forum to air his beliefs – most notably among them his belief in Christianity (Christian publications even referred to his records as “crossover” records, i.e., to the secular mainstream), a relatively rare thing to find in a critically-acclaimed indie songwriter. Since then, Bazan has “broken up” in a sense with Christianity, as well as his former cast of bandmates and continued performing under his own name, making what some have called the best music of his career. His first solo effort, 2009’s Curse Your Branches, laid bare his spiritual conflict with cleanly constructed songs built around his mournful voice.

That voice took center stage at this Bowery Ballroom show, sure, but what was striking about this performance was the quality of everything around that voice – catchy, strong rock riffs evident from the opening notes of “Wolves at the Door,” and a crack backing band. While it may have been a “singer-songwriter” show in a sense, this was also a rock show through and through. Unsurprisingly, Bazan played 80% of his latest, 2011’s Strange Negotiations, but he also delved into the early Pedro the Lion catalog, including “Big Trucks” and “Of Up and Coming Monarchs” from It’s Hard to Find a Friend. Those who say Bazan’s current period is his brightest could have a point – the newer material not only held its own, but might have surpassed the Pedro material.

hi and lo recorded this set with a combination of Schoeps supercardiod microphones and Schoeps omnidirectional microphones, which given the extremely respectful crowd and the outstanding acoustics of the venue, gives the perfect sound balance. Enjoy!

Stream “Virginia”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D2106DavidBazan0211/davidbazan2011-06-22.virginia.mp3]

Stream “Wolves at the Door”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D2106DavidBazan0211/davidbazan2011-06-22.wolves.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

David Bazan
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY, US
2011-06-22

Recordist : hi and lo
Location : Left Balcony, on stand @ 8ft
Source : Schoeps MK5 (omni) > Nbox+ + Schoeps MK41/CMR > Naint PFA > E.A.A. PSP-2 >> Tascam DR-680 @ 24 bit / 96 kHz
Edit : WaveLab v5 (fades/dither/+11dB gain), Izotope SRC/Dither
Final Format : 16 bit, 44.1 kHz
Tracking : CD-Wave v1.98
Encoding : FLAC v1.2.1 ( Level 8 ) with TLH v2.6.0 (Build 168)

Tracks [Total Time 1:17:15]
01. Wolves at the Door
02. How I Remember
03. Level with Yourself
04. Bless This Mess
05. Of Up and Coming Monarchs
(Q&A #1)
06. Virginia
07. Big Trucks
08. Don’t Change
09. Eating Paper
10. Bearing Witness
11. Magazine
12. Won’t Let Go
13. People
14. Transcontinental
15. Cold Beer and Cigarettes
16. When They Really Get to Know You, They Will Run
(Q&A #2)
17. Strange Negotiations
18. (Encore Call)
19. April the 14th, Part 1 (Gillian Welch)
(Q&A #3)
20. Hard to Be
[Note: All banter and Q&A tracks have been removed at artist request]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT David Bazan, visit his website, and purchase Strange Negotiations from Barsuk Records [HERE]

Anamanaguchi: July 22, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

July 24, 2011
By

anamana mhow
[photo by Thomas Dougherty]

I’d like to claim to have predicted the kind of huge success that Anamanaguchi has achieved since we saw them last at the Knitting Factory in January, but really I was somewhat late to the game. The band sold out the Knit that cold night, but six months later Music Hall of Williamsburg was packed to the walls on the hottest night in memory. By the time Anamanaguchi took the stage at 11 pm after two energetic openers, the crowd was absolutely manic. The quartet entered to a throbbing programmed beat and worked the crowd for a couple of minutes before breaking into a frenzied “Mess”. Immediately, massive crowd surfing began and a stream of stage jumpers continued unabated throughout the seventy-minute set. Although they are labeled as a 8-bit chiptune band, the energy in Music Hall was clearly right out of the punk manual. The first half of the set continued without break, as each song combined the four lively musicians with the band’s layered synthesizers. By the time the band stopped to catch their wind and switch some guitars, it seemed as if everyone in the pit needed a time out. After a breather, the set continued with four “space” themed songs, including the excellent “Aurora” (streaming below). Following two encores, band and crowd were overtaken by exhaustion and exited the venue tired but satisfied with a show of immense entertainment value from both artist and fan.

I recorded this set from the center of the balcony with the four microphone rig. The sound quality is quite excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Aurora”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6001Aguchi1120/15.%20Aurora.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Anamanaguchi
2011-07-22
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Center Balcony Rail

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2011-07-24

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:04:12]
01 Mess
02 Densmore
03 My Skateboard Will Go On
04 [banter]
05 Penpal
06 Snow
07 UNME
08 Stolen Car Babe Highway Tokyo Drift
09 Airbrushed
10 Blackout City
11 [banter2]
12 Space Wax America
13 Helix Nebula
14 [banter2]
15 Aurora
16 [encore break]
17 Don’t Save Us From The Flames [M83]
18 Mermaid

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Anamanaguchi, visit their website, and purchase their official releases at the Store at their website [HERE].

The Black Angels: July 15, 2011 Maxwell’s – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 22, 2011
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Shows at Maxwell’s are always a treat, in no small part because you get to spend quality time with a relatively “big” band in a venue much smaller than they normally play (we caught them at Bowery Ballroom not too long ago).  This show by The Black Angels – in town for a series of shows, including headlining the 4Knots Festival – fit that description.  Packing the 200-capacity room, the Angels blew out the room with their layered, reverb-heavy sound.  One could be forgiven for thinking they were a band out of Manchester or thereabouts rather than one of America’s top music towns, Austin, Texas – their baggy sound shares as much commonality with mid-90s UK rock as it does with the “psychedelic rock” tag the band usually finds stuck to them.  This set proved that the band could rock like a huge band even in a small room (and without the killer light show they had last time), with the big rockers like “Black Grease” getting obvious love from the Friday night crowd.  Unsurprisingly, the set focused heavily on their 2010 record, Phosphene Dream, which has earned them proper critical acclaim.  I could hope to see them again at Maxwell’s in the near future, but let’s face it, this band is probably headed for Terminal 5 (and good for them).

hi and lo and I recorded this set with a four-mic mix from our usual spot in the venue.  The band’s sound engineer would not permit us to utilize a soundboard feed, but the sound is nonetheless excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Entrance Song”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B0904BlackAngels2101/04 Entrance Song.mp3]

Stream “Better Off Alone”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B0904BlackAngels2101/10 Better Off Alone.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

The Black Angels
2011-07-15
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Recorded for nyctaper.com by acidjack and hi and lo
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: DPA 4021>EAA PSP2 + Schoeps mk41>CMR>tinybox >> Tascam DR-680 (24/48)
Position: LOC, clamp to right corner of soundboard booth, mics at 7.5ft, 4021’s PAS, mk41s DINa
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ DPA source, mixdown, set fades, EQ, smooth peaks, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 You On the Run
02 Bad Vibrations
03 The Prodigal Sun
04 Entrance Song
05 Doves
06 [tuning/crowd]
07 Black Grease
08 The Haunting at 1300 McKinley
09 The Sniper
10 Better Off Alone
11 Telephone
12 Science Killer
13 Young Men Dead
14 [encore break]
15 Bloodhounds On My Trail
16 Phosphene Dream

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Black Angels, visit their website, purchase Phosphene Dream directly from the band at the front page of their website [HERE].

Cass McCombs: July 20, 2011 Maxwell’s – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

July 22, 2011
By


[photo by Jenelle Rittenhouse]

I often believe that the music of Cass McCombs is best heard on headphones and his live performances best in intimate venues. Wednesday night’s show at Maxwell’s offered an opportunity to experience this profound songwriter up close. While the Bowery show in May was a coming-out party for his superb new album Wit’s End (Domino Records), last night Cass played just two songs from the new album in a relaxed eleven-song seventy-minute set. The show featured an overview of his catalog along with two new numbers, whose titles I have approximated from a scribbled stage setlist. The Hoboken crowd was quite attentive and there was almost no chatter during the music — adding to the air of reverence for these poignant songs. We’ve chosen to stream one highlight, an intense version of “Don’t Vote”, but there were quite a few during the night. “Aids in Africa” and “Harmonia” received the extended version treatment and allowed the band to shine, while both Wit’s End songs “Lonely Doll” and “County Line” continue to grow in strength.

I recorded this set with the four microphone rig place in a stand in the front corner of the soundboard booth. The excellent house mix and lack of any crowd chatter contribute to the superb sound quality of this recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Don’t Vote”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C1205Cass1102/08.%20Don%27t%20Vote.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Cass McCombs
2011-07-20
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded at Front of Soundboard Booth

Neumann KM-150s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2011-07-21

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:11:59]
01 Prima Donna
02 Pregnant Pause
03 The Lonely Doll
04 Windfall
05 County Line
06 Meet Me Here At Dawn
07 Chimera
08 Don’t Vote
09 Aids in Africa
10 Same Thing
11 Harmonia

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Cass McCombs, visit his website, and purchase Wit’s End from the Domino website [HERE].

Tom Vek: July 13, 2011 Union Pool – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

July 21, 2011
By

Tom Vek
[photo by Joe Parker]

The comeback of Tom Vek was unexpected, but based upon the early returns it has been well worth the wait. After the success of his debut in 2005 We Have Sound, Vek fell out of sight. Six years later, his second album Leisure Seizure contains the same melodic but frenetic energy that propelled Sound, but works within a more mature framework. Tom came to NYC for a quick two-show trip last week, and we were fortunate to catch the Union Pool show on Wednesday. Vek took the stage with a four-piece band of multi-instrumentalists, that at times includes three bass guitars, two guitars and keys, effects, drums and drum effects. The band members were all amplified by separate digital interface (“DI’s”) boxes and inner-ear monitors (IEM’s), so that while the stage sound was silent, the PA speakers burst forth with crystal clear sound. Vek began the show with two tracks from Seizure, including lead-off “Hold Your Hand”, before revisiting the 2005 charting single and the debut album’s first track “C-C” (streaming below). The set then flowed unabated except for minor instrument swaps through a well-paced hour of songs from each of the two albums. The band seemed to be all business as Vek spoke very little to the crowd and the group wasted no time in between songs. The quality of the material and Vek’s no-nonsense approach bode well for the return of this compelling artist. Tom Vek is currently on an extensive tour through the UK, but we expect he’ll return to the US for a full tour this Fall.

I recorded this set with the Neumanns mounted on the balcony and mixed with a superb balanced board feed. The band’s advanced equipment set-up created a board mix of great clarity and this recording reflects that quality. Enjoy!

Stream “C-C”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T1307TomVek2101/03.%20C-C.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Tom Vek
2011-07-13
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Four Channel Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2011-07-19

Setlist:
[Total Time 54:02]
01 Hold Your Hand
02 We Do Nothing
03 C-C
04 World of Doubt
05 If You Want
06 Someone Loves You
07 Nothing But Green Lights
08 Aroused
09 I Aint Saying My Goodbyes
10 Seizemic
11 A Chore
12 APOLOGY

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Tom Vek, visit their website, and purchase their new album Leisure Seizure from the links at his website [HERE].

Man Forever: July 14, 2011 Union Pool – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Stream of Entire Set

July 19, 2011
By


[Photo by acidjack]

We make no secret of the love we have here at NYCTaper for all things Oneida, and that definitely extends to their prodigy of a drummer, Kid Millions and his side project Man Forever.  Man Forever explores the more ambient side of Millions’ musical powers while still focusing on his incredible drum skills.  This show was one continuous 30-minute piece, with Millions and another drummer banging out a dense, seemingly endless polyrhythm on a single shared drum, while two keyboardists (including Oneida’s own Bobby Matador) added slow-burning keyboard effects.  Like most Man Forever shows, this was a one-time offering; it was a radical departure from the group’s previous performance in the space, when Millions brought out a five-guitar ensemble to perform an entirely different composition.  This is an excellent multi-source capture of this unique performance that should not be missed by fans of Millions and Oneida’s work.

hi and lo and I recorded this set with two sets of mics – Schoeps supercardiods in a tight pattern clamped to the edge of the soundboard, plus spaced AKG large-diaphragm microphones split on either side of the board on the balcony in wide cardiod mode – plus a soundboard feed.  The sound is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Man Forever shared a bill at this show with Weird Owl and White Hills. Weird Owl will be posted shortly.  We are awaiting permission from White Hills to post that recording and hope to be able to offer it as well.

Stream the performance: [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O8020Oneida3329/ManForever-untitled.mp3]

Download the MP3 file [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on twitter

Man Forever
2011-07-14
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded by acidjack and hi and lo for nyctaper.com
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: AKG C414 B-XLS (wide cardiod mode)>Oade M248 + Schoeps mk41>CMR>tinybox + Soundboard >> Tascam DR-680 (24/48)
Position: AKGs split 6′ on balcony, Schoeps DINa on balcony, DFC
Mastering: 3x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks
01 untitled

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Man Forever and Oneida, visit Man Forever’s MySpace page, visit Oneida’s website, and purchase the Oneida’s latest CD Rated O at the Jagjaguwar site [HERE] and their earlier releases [HERE].

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