NYCTaper/Pop Tarts Northside Showcase – Sunday June 19 at Public Assembly

June 8, 2011
By

We’re teaming up with Pat from Pop Tarts for a killer showcase at the Northside Festival this year. On Sunday night, we’ll fill both rooms of Public Assembly with eleven of today’s best up and coming bands. Pat’s been one of those clairvoyant pickers of blow-up bands for years — just check out some of his past CMJ lineups — and we’ve been pretty good at it too. We’ve selected a group of bands that we thoroughly expect to be talking about in the coming years, and remembering back to seeing them at our Northside show!

Here is the Lineup:
Stage One
Doors are at 7:30pm
08:00pm Quilty
08:45pm U Say USA
09:30pm Mean Creek
10:15pm Beige
11:15pm Holiday Shores
12:15pm Quiet Lights

Stage Two
08:15pm Darlings (canceled at last minute)
09:00pm The Loom
10:00pm Shark?
10:45pm Household
11:30pm Neighbors
12:45pm Young Adults

Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent (Shovels & Rope): May 18, 2011 The Bell House – FLAC & MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 7, 2011
By

shovels
[still shot from this video]

The Charleston, South Carolina musicians Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent recently teamed up to combine several disparate recording ideas into a collaboration they call “Shovels & Rope“, which resulted in a record by the same name and a nationwide tour that included a number of dates with The Felice Brothers. This show at the Bell House was one of such opening sets (you can get the Felice Brothers set here), but Shovels & Rope were given a headliner-length set, and deservedly so. The duo, with nothing but a couple of guitars and a junkyard drum kit (literally salvaged from the trash) played by Trent, gave the already-packed house an outstanding set that combined Shovels & Rope material with standout tracks from their latest releases, including Hearst’s new record Lions and Lambs. In an era where what passes on the Billboard charts as “country” is little more than bubblegum pop with a Southern accent, it’s not surprising that real country music has found an audience with the rock and indie rock sets. Hearst and Trent may not be household names for a lot of NYC fans, but they are both formidable songwriters and breathtakingly authentic musicians, whose songs offer up sharp lyrical narratives as well as memorable hooks and melodies. Songs like “Hollowpoint Blues” highlight the new project’s appeal, with its rock n’ roll churn punctuated by Hearst’s spine-tingling vocals. Hopefully this current record is only the beginning for Hearst and Trent’s collaborations – Shovels & Rope is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Felice Brothers recording, with more emphasis given to the soundboard portion of the recording. The sound quality is outstanding, and I think it is even better than the Felice Brothers recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Hollowpoint Blues”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1805ShovelsRope0211/11 Hollowpoint Blues.mp3]

Stream “The Winner [Michael Trent]”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1805ShovelsRope0211/09 The Winner.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Shovels & Rope (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent)
2011-05-18
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Soundboard+Schoeps Mk41>CMC6>Sound Devices USBpre2>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Clamp to soundboard, about 9ft up, PAS
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, downsample to 44.1kHz, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, smooth peaks, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Gasoline
02 [unknown]
03 The Thread
04 Boxcar
05 [unknown]
06 [unknown]
07 [banter]
08 Complicated Type
09 The Winner
10 The Hardest Thing
11 Hollowpoint Blues
12 All or Nuthin’
13 Bad Luck

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Shovels & Rope, “like” them on Facebook, and purchase the record from your favorite retailer, such as [HERE]

NYCTaper Upcoming Schedule: Summer Days

June 7, 2011
By

taper-larger

We’ve had a little downtime during the last two weeks, but things will pick up beginning on Monday and continue unabated throughout the Summer.

[Below is the updated schedule. We expect to attend and record these events. However, circumstances will prevent some of these from being done, and others will be added in the meantime.]

If you want nyctaper to record your band, a band you represent, a show you’re promoting, or even your favorite band in the world, get us in the door and make sure everyone who needs to approve of the recording gives permission. Also, remember each person on the nyctaper crew does this all for free — the recordings, the post-production, the reviews, the links, etc. — so treat us fairly.

Schedule:

North Mississippi AllStars:
June 6, 2011 Iridium NYC

The Melvins:
June 6 and June 7, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn

Jonny / Apex Manor:
June 10, 2011 Bell House Brooklyn
(postponed)

Kurt Vile:
June 11, 2011 Bowery Ballroom NYC

Atlas Sound:
June 16, 2011 St. Cecelia’s Church, Northside Fest

Mr. Dream:
June 16, 2011 Glasslands Gallery Brooklyn

Oneida:
June 17, 2011 Secret Project Robot Brooklyn

Givers:
June 18, 2011 Backyard Brunch Sessions Brooklyn

Guided By Voices:
June 18, 2011 Northside Festival Brooklyn (for gbvdigital.com)

Oneida:
June 19, 2001 (at Dawn) Secret Project Robot Brooklyn

NYCTaper/Pop Tarts Northside Festival Showcase:
June 19, 2011 Public Assembly Brooklyn

Deer Tick (“Deervana”):
June 19, 2011 Brooklyn Bowl

David Bazan:
June 22, 2011 Bowery Ballroom NYC

Dinosaur Jr.:
June 23, 2011 Terminal 5 NYC

Sic Alps:
June 24, 2011 Death by Audio Brooklyn

JEFF The Brotherhood:
June 25, 2011 285 Kent Brooklyn

Archers of Loaf:
June 25, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn
June 26, 2011 Webster Hall NYC

Savoir Adore:
June 26, 2011 Vivo in Vino NYC

Danny Amis Benefit:
June 29, 2011 Maxwell’s Hoboken NJ (permission pending)

Sloan:
June 29, 2011 Bowery Ballroom NYC

Animal Collective:
July 12, 2011 Prospect Park Bandshell Brooklyn

Bill Callahan:
July 12, 2011 Bowery Ballroom NYC

The Slip:
July 14, 2011 Brooklyn Bowl

White Hills
July 14, 2011 Union Pool

Black Angels:
July 15, 2011 Maxwell’s Hoboken NJ

Black Angels:
July 16, 2011 4 Knots Festival, South Street Seaport NYC

Urge Overkill
July 16, 2011 Rock Shop

Cass McCombs:
July 21, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg

Anamanaguchi:
July 22, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg

Heartless Bastards:
July 23, 2011 Mercury Lounge NYC

Cookies (ex Mobius Band):
July 24, 2011 Vivo in Vino NYC

Cracker:
July 24, 2011 Brooklyn Bowl

Disappears:
July 26, 2011 Union Pool Brooklyn

Craft Spells:
July 30, 2011 Mercury Lounge NYC

High Places:
August 13, 2011 Tammany Hall NYC (permission pending)

Woods:
August 13, 2011 Bowery Ballroom NYC

The War On Drugs:
August 19, 2011 Cameo Gallery Brooklyn
-and/or-
August 20, 2011 Mercury Lounge NYC

Mogwai:
September 26 and 27, 2011 Webster Hall NYC

Felice Brothers:
September 29, 2011 Webster Hall NYC

Grails: April 24, 2011 The Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

June 6, 2011
By

grails
[Grails at the Knitting Factory in 2008. Photos courtesy of davebgimp. See his Flickr stream here]

Portland’s Grails have been making genre-defying, intense, experimental and satisfying instrumental music for the better part of the last decade, but with 2011’s Deep Politics, their recent release on Temporary Residence Limited, they have hit the top of their game. Many of their past records have a deep psychedelic groove to them, drawing clear Eastern inspiration, but Deep Politics is an entirely different beast, focusing a bit more on pianist/bassist Bill Slater’s keyboard work and working with more varied textures. In the live setting, the band’s sound comes across as a good bit jazzier than one would expect, especially compared to some of the other bands they probably share a fan base with. This set at the Knitting Factory was one of the best performances I have seen this year and easily the strongest display of pure musicianship. This show was a special treat, as Grails’ tours tend to focus more heavily on Europe, and the band members have a variety of commitments. In fact, the members of Grails play in several other bands from time to time, and they also trade in-show duties depending on the demands of the specific song. Their technical virtuosity never falters, and they absolutely fill the room with sound. This set drew on a range of the band’s records, not drawing too heavily from Deep Politics but still showing off its live charms, including the epic show opener, “Almost Grew My Hair.” In fact, the set was so compelling that the Knit’s sound engineer Rob – who sees an awful lot of shows in a month from behind the board – was prompted to exclaim “Wow, I sure hope you got a good recording of that. Those guys were amazing.” I have to agree, and I hope he and everyone else is satisfied with the recording!

I recorded this set from our usual location in the Knit, using a combination of Schoeps Mk41 supercardiods pointed at the stacks and AKG 414 large diaphragm microphones in wide cardiod mode to capture the full feel of the room. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Thanks to the commenters to the corrections to three of the tracks.

Stream “Almost Grew My Hair”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/G0424Grails2011/02 Almost Grew My Hair.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Grails
2011-04-24
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps Mk41>CMC6 +AKG C414 B-XLS (wide cardiod)>Oade M248 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/44.1)
Position: At soundboard, slightly ROC, mics at 8.5 ft
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ AKGs, mixdown, EQ combined source, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:03:31]
01 [intro]
02 Almost Grew My Hair
03 [tuning]
04 All the Colors of the Dark
05 Immediate Mate
06 Back to the Monastery
07 Acid Rain
08 Take Refuge
09 Burning Off Impurities
10 [encore break]
11 Reincarnation Blues

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Grails, visit their website, and purchase Deep Politics directly from Temporary Residence Limited [HERE]

Delicate Steve: March 5, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

June 4, 2011
By


[photo courtesy of John Ruscher at Eardrum NYC]

When we saw Delicate Steve in February at Knitting Factory, it was the first night of their tour supporting Akron/Family. We posted that recording along with our favorable impression of Steve Marion’s touring band. By the final night of the tour, the bands had worked their way back to NYC and Bowery Ballroom. On this final night, Steve’s set was stretched out and the music seemed more relaxed and comfortable in the band setting. The players took their time developing each song and the result was a more rewarding experience than even their impressive Knit set from several weeks earlier. As Delicate Steve continues to grow and impress, their credentials have blossomed. The band will be playing many dates during the Summer, including a Northside Festival show and a night at Celebrate Brooklyn.

I recorded this set with the four microphone rig from the balcony rail and the sound quality is excellent. This is an improvement over the Knitting Factory recording from February. Enjoy!

Stream “Jungle”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D1702Delicate1102/02.%20Jungle.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Delicate Steve
2011-03-05
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded at Balcony Railing

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
2011-06-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 40:27]
01 The Ballad of Speck and Pebble
02 Jungle
03 Sugar Splash
04 Wondervisions
05 Don’t Get Stuck (Proud Elephants)
06 Z Expression
07 [banter]
08 Wally Wilder
09 Butterfly

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Delicate Steve, visit his website, and purchase Wondervisions from the Luaka Bop Records website [HERE].

Cotton Jones: March 11, 2011 Maxwell’s – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

June 3, 2011
By


[photo by nyctaper]

Cotton Jones is arguably the most underrated band playing around these days. I’ll cop to being a member of the under-appreciaters. Until now. When I saw them open for Nicole Atkins in March at Maxwell’s, their impressive set caught my eye, but unexplicably the recording has not been posted until now. Admittedly, I should have known that this band is the real deal — they’ve toured with friends of the site The Antlers, The Loom and Nicole. They’ve put out two outstanding records and a handful of EPs, including 2010’s excellent Tall Hours in the Glowstream (Suicide Squeeze Records) that would feel as comfortable sitting in the CD cabinet next to contemporaries like Deer Tick as much as with classics like Roy Orbison. But when the quality of Cotton Jones finally struck me was during the time I spent working on this recording and listening to it closely. Michael Nau has an obvious knack for songwriting, but the performances are so heartfelt and honest, that the songs naturally draw you in to their rustic roots. We’re streaming the opening track from Glowstream below, “Sail of The Silver Morning”, and its clear from very opening beat that this song speaks to the listener is a way that most bands can’t achieve. Perhaps its the unstriking standard appearance of the band, or their lack of a stage show, but under the unremarkable surface Cotton Jones is an extraordinarily compelling group that we’ll be spending more time getting to know in the near future. Cotton Jones is on tour now in the midwest, and the dates are [here].

I recorded this set with the Neumann microphones mounted at the front of the soundboard booth and mixed it with an excellent soundboard feed. The sound quality of this recording is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “”Sail of The Silver Morning”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C1103CottonJones1122/01.%20Sail%20Of%20The%20Silver%20Morning.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Cotton Jones
2011-03-11
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ 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
2011-06-02

Setlist:
[Total Time 33:41]
01 Sail Of The Silver Morning
02 Down Beside Em
03 Midnight Monday and a Telescope
04 Blood Red Sentimental Blues
05 Dream on Columbia Street
06 Gotta Cheer Up
07 Somehow to Keep it Going
08 Egg On The Sea
09 [new song]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Cotton Jones, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the Suicide Squeeze Records website [HERE].

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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