Atlas Sound: June 16, 2011 St. Cecelia’s Church – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 20, 2011
By


[photo by Maryanne Ventrice – courtesy of Prefix Magazine]

The opening night of The Northside Festival offered a must-see event, Atlas Sound performing inside the beautiful and ornate Church of St. Cecelia in a remote section of Eastern Williamsburg. I last saw Atlas Sound eighteen months ago, at a memorable show at Bell House, but missed Bradford Cox’s solo project the last time he played in town. On Thursday night, Bradford brought a full slate of new material and performed six new songs in a thirteen song set. Of the new numbers, only “Terra Incognita” has a known title, but each of the songs represent a continued evolving of Cox’s ability to create intricate melodies through the precise synchronization of looped guitar effects. In the encore segment, Bradford went as far as to create an improvised song from whole cloth that miraculously sounded nearly complete. It was quite an appropriate conclusion for a performance on the altar of a catholic church.

We recorded this set with the warmer DPA microphones on a stand elevated to 12 feet at a distance from the stage of approximately 30 feet and mixed it with a well balanced feed from the board. The natural reverb of the room compliments the clarity of the line feed for a superb recording. A caveat is that there are intermittent bits of static from the stage during the second half of the set, and one burst of stage noise during the first song. Enjoy!

Stream “Sheila”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D9090Deerhunter8282/04.%20Sheila.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Atlas Sound
2011-06-16
St. Cecelia Church
Brooklyn, NY

Digital Master Recording
Four Channel Soundboard + Audience Matrix

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

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2011-06-20

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:15:23]
01 [new song – Take It Slow]
02 Te Amo
03 Walkabout
04 Sheila
05 [new song – Your Pain]
06 [new song – I’m A Prick Man]
07 [banter]
08 Terra Incognita
09 Flagstaff
10 Attic Lights
11 [encore break]
12 [improvised new song]
13 [banter]
14 [new song – My Material]

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Atlas Sound, visit the MySpace page, visit Bradford’s blog, and purchase the latest album Logos directly from the Kranky Records website (here).

Sleepies: June 16, 2011 Northside Festival, Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

June 20, 2011
By

sleepies
[Photo from Sleepies Facebook page]

Sleepies are a Brooklyn punk band that I have now had the pleasure of seeing twice, both times on bills shared with their friends Mr. Dream. This Northside Festival show found them in fine form, delivering their raw brand of punk rock to a crowd that was hungering for it. The band’s sound takes several cues from the Sex Pistols, such as on the ragged “Summer Bummer.” Sleepies already have some solid recorded output, including two songs on bandcamp that are produced by Mr. Dream’s Nick Sylvester, and an LP available here. Check them out the next time you can!

Stream “Feelers”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0616Sleepies2011/Feelers.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Sleepies
2011-06-16
Northside Festival
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded by acidjack and hi and lo
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: Schoeps Mk5 (omni)>EAA PSP2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Clamp to center post, about 7.5ft up, 30cm split
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Hypochondriac Blues
02 Summer Bummer
03 Combat
04 Cool Boy
05 Feelers
06 Temporary Setback
07 Sludge River Mouth

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Sleepies, like them on Facebook, and purchase their official releases from the links above.

Woods: June 17, 2011 Northside Festival, St. Cecilia’s RCC – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 19, 2011
By

woods northside
[still from this video]

Having already seen Woods perform in front of the Joshua Light Show last year at Abrons Arts Center (possibly the best show I saw that year), I wasn’t sure Woods could top the unique setting or outstanding performance. But then they announced that their Northside Festival performance would be held at St. Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church, an impressive old-style cathedral nestled on a quiet block of East Williamsburg, and I knew they would have the opportunity to do both. Set against an imposing backdrop of religious icons and an American flag, Woods played a majestic set that, yes, could probably be called a religious experience. Although the band was celebrating the release of their well-received new record, Sun and Shade, rather than playing through the new record, they took the journey in a different direction reminiscent of the Abrons Arts Center show. All the qualities that led me to call them the “preeminent indie rock jam band” after that show were on full display on this night, as they wove deep psychedelic experimentation throughout some of their best-known songs. Combined with the cavernous room, the effect was magical, spiritual and satisfying. The set kicked off with “Pushing Onlys” from the new record, followed by a string of favorites – “Blood Dries Darker”, a typically extended “Bend Beyond” and “Rain On,” before taking a mellow interlude with “Be All Be Easy” and “Say Goodbye” from Sun and Shade. Things picked up after that with a mix of old and new material, with the set climaxing with a trippy, mind-blowing twelve-minute version of “I Was Gone” that rivaled the incredible “Bend Beyond” from the Abrons show. The band also played a new song, “Mind Them Empty,” which will be out next month on a 7″ on Sacred Bones Records. This is why Woods shows are always exciting experiences, and why I continue to believe they could very well be Brooklyn’s best live band right now. The band will hosting the upcoming Woodsist Festival in Big Sur, which will feature some natural beauty that Northside perhaps lacks. But for man-made incredible shows in equally grand surroundings, this show at St. Cecilia’s will be a very, very difficult one to top.

I recorded this set with a well-mixed soundboard feed from the house engineer Chris (who like many of the hardworking engineers at Northside, seemed to be inundated with late-breaking requests for board feeds), combined with Schoeps supercardiod microphones that picked up the natural sound of the room. The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Today is the final day of the Northside Festival, and there are still many great evening shows to go to – including ours! Please check out our showcase, co-sponsored with Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, at Public Assembly, starting at 8pm, featuring eleven incredible up-and-coming bands!

Stream “Be All Be Easy”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W2206Woods2990/06 Be All Be Easy.mp3]

Stream “I Was Gone”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W2206Woods2990/12 I Was Gone.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [MP3]

Direct download of FLAC files [FLAC]

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THE DIRECT LINKS – IT WILL CRASH OUR SERVER

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Woods
2011-06-17
Northside Festival
St. Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: Soundboard + Schoeps Mk41>CMC6 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, slightly LOC, mics at 7.5ft PAS
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (smooth peaks of SBD source, Dyson compression on SBD source, envelope on SBD source, mixdown, tracking, amplify)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time: 1:01:03]
01 Pushing Onlys
02 Suffering Season
03 Blood Dries Darker
04 Bend Beyond
05 Rain On
06 Be All Be Easy
07 Say Goodbye
08 Find Them Empty
09 To Have In the Home
10 To Clean
11 Get Back
12 I Was Gone

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

The Caribbean: June 5, 2011 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

June 18, 2011
By

carribean
[Photo by acidjack]

No, there is nothing tropical about The Caribbean. Hailing from Washington, D.C. (not exactly Antigua, by any stretch), this experimental pop trio has been putting out their challenging brand of music since 1999, after the DC bands Townies and one of my personal favorites, Smart Went Crazy, imploded. Their latest record, Discontinued Perfume, continues the band’s tradition of marrying traditional softcore indie rock songwriting to jazz and ambient textures. If you want fist-pumping, major-chord-driven rock, keep moving – The Caribbean aren’t interested in delivering the big hooks and immediate melodies that drive today’s car-commercials-first mainstream. Theirs is a style that rewards repeat listens and a little deep thinking. Lucky then, that we caught them on a very subdued Sunday night at the Mercury Lounge, where we had a chance to fully appreciate the band’s set without distraction. The material from Discontinued Perfume was the focus, and it deservedly stood out, including the closer (and one of the catchier songs on the record), “The Clock Tower.”

hi and lo and I recorded this set from our usual location in the venue with Schoeps supercardiod microphones running into an ultraquiet preamp. This is an excellent capture, especially thanks to the use of the high end preamp and the respectful crowd. Enjoy!

Stream “The Clock Tower”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C6500Caribbean2011/09 The Clock Tower.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [MP3]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

The Caribbean
2011-06-05
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded by acidjack and hi and lo for nyctaper.com
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: Schoeps Mk41>CMC6>EAA PSP2>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: At soundboard, ROC, mics PAS
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Collapsitarians
02 Artist In Exile
03 [unknown]
04 Do You Believe in Dinosaurs?
05 Mr. Let’s Find Out
06 [tuning]
07 Supply Lines
08 [unknown]
09 The Clock Tower

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Caribbean, visit their website, and buy their records directly from Hometapes [HERE]

Mr. Dream: June 16, 2011 [Northside Festival] Glasslands, Brooklyn, NY – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 17, 2011
By

mr dream northside
[Photo courtesy of L Magazine]

This is the first in what will be a series of NYCTaper recordings from the Northside Festival 2011. Please check out Northside’s website for complete show listings, and especially check out the NYCTaper/Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Showcase on Sunday, 6/19 at Public Assembly!

Now seems like as good a time as any to address the old knock on New York audiences – that they tend to spend the entire show with their arms crossed, listless, distracted and bored. But let’s face it – we see a lot of bands here in New York City, and most of them don’t provide us any reason to do anything else. Not so the rapidly rising Mr. Dream. With their clean, crisp Pixies-inspired delivery, Mr. Dream manage to capture the energy of punk while making it clear that they actually care how they sound as they deliver their inspired head-banging tunes. The songs from their almost-debut record, Trash Hit, are a one-after-another string of great rock songs, and the title track “Trash Hit” in particular has that ability to lodge itself in your brain and not leave. This set on the kickoff night of the Northside Festival found the band playing to a friendly and familiar crowd that they rewarded by debuting three new songs, “Believing and Shitting,” “Moneybags” and “Suggested Plowing.” The band has been raising its profile of late, including with a video for the song “Croquet,” which they killed on this night, followed by the balls-to-the-wall “Winners.” In the short span since we saw them last, the band have gotten more confident and tighter, and drummer Nick Sylvester has emerged as the band’s true anchor with his massive work behind the kit. Hell, Mr. Dream may just be one of the best live bands in New York right now. So uncross those arms and turn off those iPhones, ladies and gentlemen, and get your ass ready for Mr. Dream.

hi and lo and I recorded this set from a central location in the venue with Schoeps omnidirectional mics to capture the maximum feel of the room. Although there is some faint buzzing at times in the left channel due to some wiring issues, the sound is overall excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Croquet”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M3400MrDream2011/09 Croquet.mp3]

Stream “Moneybags”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M3400MrDream2011/06 Moneybags.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Mr. Dream
2011-06-16
Northside Festival
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded by acidjack and hi and lo
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: Schoeps Mk5 (omni)>EAA PSP2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Clamp to center post, about 7.5ft up, 30cm split
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Knuckle Sandwich
02 Crime
03 Believing and Shitting
04 [banter]
05 Scarred For Life
06 Moneybags
07 Trash Hit
08 Suggested Plowing
09 Croquet
10 Winners
11 [banter]
12 Learn the Language
13 Knick Knack

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Mr. Dream, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Trash Hit from Amazon or your favorite record store.

The Babies: May 27, 2011 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

June 17, 2011
By

babies acidjack
[Photo by acidjack]

When we first saw The Babies at the beginning of last year (that recording here), they were a brand-new band mostly known as a side project of Cassie Ramone of the Vivian Girls and Kevin Morby of Woods. They rocked the hell out of Glasslands that night and left us wanting more – especially a new record. More than a year later, they gave us what we had hoped for in the form of a delightfully just-polished-enough eponymous debut album on the Shrimper imprint. This Knitting Factory show, opening for Times New Viking, found them working through many of the album tracks as well as some new and unfamiliar numbers. While the band’s sound owes more to Ramone’s Vivians than to Woods, the Babies have developed a solid identity of their own, marrying some of the surf vibe of the Vivians with a slightly harder-edged sound. We expect many more good things from the Babies – but in the meantime, just don’t call them a “Brooklyn Supergroup”.

I recorded this set from the same location as the Times New Viking recording, with the AKG large diaphragm mics set to a tighter pattern to reject more reflections from the room, as well as a soundboard feed. This one is probably the best recording of the night. Enjoy!

The Babies will be playing the Northside Festival this Saturday at McCarren Park with Guided By Voices. NYCTaper will be recording all sets at that show, and many other sets throughout the festival. Check out The Babies as well our NYCTaper/Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Showcase at Public Assembly on Sunday the 19th.

Stream “Here Comes Trouble”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2750Babies0211/09 Here Comes Trouble.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [MP3]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

The Babies
2011-05-27
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

An acidjack master recording
Recorded and produced by acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: AKG C 414 B-XLS (hypercardiod)>Sound Devices USBpre2 + Soundboard>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, slightly ROC, mics at 7ft, PAS
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Run Me Over
02 Sunset
03 Breakin’ the Law
04 [unknown]
05 Sick Kid
06 Wild 2
07 All Things Come To Pass>Meet Me In the City
08 [unknown]
09 Here Comes Trouble
10 Caroline

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Babies, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their debut album [HERE].

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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