Explosions In the Sky: April 6, 2011 Radio City Music Hall – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 11, 2011
By

EITS
[photo courtesy of Brian C. Reilly and Bowery Houselist]

It’s no longer news when an “indie” band sells out a mega-sized venue. But the story of Explosions In the Sky – an instrumental rock band on the tiny (and uniformly outstanding) label Temporary Residence Limited – has got to be one of the strangest of all. Sure, EITS are an absolutely killer live band, and their music is incredible – but that could also be said of their brethren in the instrumental rock scene, the next-most-popular of whom isn’t selling out venues one third this size. No, it was a bit of a quirk of fate that EITS’ music ended up becoming the soundtrack for the football movie Friday Night Lights and, perhaps more importantly, the surprisingly good TV series based on the movie that followed. Now, their eight-minute rock mini-symphonies may forever be associated with sandblown prairie, abandoned oil rigs, and of course, football fields set against the lonely Texas sky, but they are fitting-enough images for a style of music that is so grand in its sweep. In one song, EITS can be capture the mute pain of loneliness, the thrill of motion, and the ecstasy of victory. I don’t doubt that they take inspiration from the outsize land from which they came, from Friday night lights and the great swaths of darkness in between.

As to this set, its most exciting aspect was that it gave EITS a chance to debut songs from their forthcoming album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, which, if pre-release hype is any indication, will be their most massive yet. They led off with the new number “Postcard From 1952,” a classic slow-builder in the usual EITS style, that wraps up with cascading waves of feedback. Also on display were the mellower “Let Me Back In” and the closer, the short-burst rocker “Trembling Hands,” which may well end up being their bid for radio airplay. As EITS sets go, this one was a bit short, topping out at only 75 minutes, but the band made them count, adding to the new songs some of their biggest classics like “The Only Moment We Were Alone” and “Your Hand In Mine”. But perhaps the most moving part of the performance for me wasn’t what happened during the music, but the sincere gratitude the band showed both before and after the show in their thanks to the fans. A lot of bands can give the perfunctory “thanks for coming” etc. and you may or may not believe them; for EITS, it was evident how incredible this unlikely achievement was for them. As a truly great group of guys as well as outstanding musicians, this success couldn’t have happened to a better group of people. Good for them, and good for us.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones. My location in the venue was not optimal, but Radio City is a beautiful-sounding venue, so the sound is still good after a bit of tweaking. The crowd was very respectful, and therefore crowd noise is minimal. I apologize in advance for any tracking errors. Enjoy!

Stream “Trembling Hands”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/E3060EITS9992/10 Trembling Hands.mp3]

Download the MP3 and FLAC files and stream the entire show on the Live Music Archive [HERE]

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Explosions In the Sky
2011-04-06
Radio City Music Hall
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Denecke PS/2>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:15:48]
01 Intro
02 Postcard From 1952
03 The Birth and Death of the Day
04 Yasmin the Light
05 Last Known Surroundings
06 The Only Moment We Were Alone
07 Catastrophe and the Cure
08 Let Me Back In
09 Your Hand In Mine
10 Trembling Hands

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Explosions in the Sky, visit their website, and pre-order Take Care, Take Care, Take Care directly from their online store [HERE]

The Mountain Goats – March 30, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 10, 2011
By


[photo by Maryanne Ventrice – courtesy of Prefix Magazine]

The final night of the Mountain Goats outstanding three-show run at Bowery Ballroom was the shortest set of the week, but certainly did not lack in the intensity or good feeling of the previous two. John referenced the ease of staying several days in one town and perhaps because the band knew it would have to travel that night, the set contained significantly less “banter” than the earlier shows. However, the music was as rich as ever, and Craig Finn returned for an encore guest performance, this time singing on both “Palmcorder Yajna” (streaming below), and “This Year”, where the entire Megafaun band joined on stage for the first time. Other set highlights included rarities “Ontario”, “Love Love Love” and “Prowl Great Cain”. The Mountain Goats tour is continuing through this week, and returns to the Northeast for a Philadelphia show on April 15 — a show I’m considering attending on a lark. The NYC experience was that good.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the previous two nights, and the sound quality is again superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Palmcorder Yajna” (with Craig Finn):
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M1616MountainGoats8080/22.%20Palmcorder%20Yajna.mp3]

This Recording is now available to Download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

The Mountain Goats
2011-03-30
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 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
2011-04-08

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:31:59]
01 [introduction]
02 Liza Forever Minnelli
03 Jeff Davis County Blues
04 Southwood Plantation Road
05 Dinu Lipatti’s Bones
06 Goddamn These Vampires
07 [banter]
08 Seeing Daylight
09 Outer Scorpion Squadron
10 [banter2]
11 You Were Cool
12 Love Love Love
13 Matthew 25:21
14 Age of Kings
15 [banter3]
16 Broom People
17 [banter4]
18 Prowl Great Cain
19 Ontario
20 Snow Crush Goddamn Killing Song
21 Never Quite Free
22 Palmcorder Yajna
23 [encore break]
24 No Children
25 [banter5]
26 This Year
27 [second encore break]
28 The Best Ever Death Metal Band from Denton

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Mountain Goats, visit their website, purchase All Eternals Deck from the Merge Records website [HERE], and purchase other Mountain Goats official releases from their website.

The War On Drugs: April 3, 2011 Webster Hall – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 9, 2011
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The War On Drugs are an instant classic.  That is to say, depending upon what show you go to, you may feel like you’ve heard The War On Drugs before, and in a sense you would be right.  Vocalist Adam Granduciel fronts with an unabashedly Dylanesque style, and the band’s 60s/70s influences – from Dylan to Springsteen to Led Zeppelin – are worn on their sleeve.  But then things take a turn for the psychedelic (with a name like that, who’d have thought otherwise?) and you can find yourself in a completely different place than you might be listening to, say, Highway 61 Revisited. Take the mid-set number, “It’s Your Destiny,” for example, with its shimmering guitars and Granduciel’s languid delivery.  This particular set, opening for Destroyer (available for download on the site [HERE]), leaned more toward the Americana end of things than, for example, the set we saw opening for Black Mountain at the Knitting Factory recently, perhaps owing to the mellower vibe of the headliner.  Songs like “Buenos Aires Beach” and “Brothers” unpack their narratives beautifully, with words that are easy to follow and an expansive, breezy vibe that leaves you yearning for the sun.  The band’s songs feel so comfortable that you have to imagine they have been together for years; in fact, they began with Kurt Vile and Granduciel playing together in 2005, before the band reconfigured (and Vile went solo) in 2008.  With just one full-length, the excellent Wagonwheel Blues, the almost-full-length Future Weather from 2008, and another EP to their credit thus far, and another full album on the way this year, the band have tons of room to grow on the album front, as they continue to prove themselves night after night with their live show.  We can’t wait for their next release.

hi and lo and I recorded this set in the same manner as the Destroyer recording, with a combination of four Schoeps microphones.  The results are outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Brothers”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W1008WOD2101/07 Brothers.mp3]

This recording is now available as a direct download in FLAC or MP3 from archive.org [HERE]

Follow acidjack on Twitter

The War On Drugs
2011-04-03
Webster Hall
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6U/mk41>Sound Devices USBpre2+Schoeps mk4v>NBox>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Balcony, immediate left of soundboard, on clamps pointing at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, light EQ (less than -1dB cut at 160, 200, and 250Hz), amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Best Night
02 Baby Missiles
03 Buenos Aires Beach
04 I Was There
05 It’s Your Destiny
06 [banter]
07 Brothers
08 Comin’ Through
09 Arms Like Boulders

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The War On Drugs, visit their website,  and purchase their official releases from Secretly Canadian Records  [HERE].

Oneida: April 2, 2011 Ocropolis IV – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Sample

April 7, 2011
By

Oneida ocropolis
[Photos courtesy of Jim Dalton]

This Saturday, we went on a journey with the band Oneida that began at 1pm and ended at well after midnight on the following day. Continuing one of the band’s most exciting and ambitious traditions, the band performed six improvisational sets for a select audience in their private Williamsburg studio and rehearsal space known as the Ocropolis. The impetus in this case was disaster relief for the people of Japan – in particular, an effort organized by Shinji Masuko of the Boredoms for Japanese artists and musicians who may fall outside of some more traditional safety nets – and we are sure that both the donations and the inspiration will be warmly received by our brethren in the Far East.

Ambition is an important word to consider when reflecting upon these performances. A band that released a 3xCD set (the critically lauded Rated O) in 2009, Oneida have never been particularly respectful of the commercial strictures of modern bands. And with a fan base that revels in their ability to test the sonic limits at every show, they haven’t had to be. Armed with the freedom to do what they want and the courage to actually do it, Oneida can make some fucking incredible noise.

The level of musicianship required to create these 35-45 minute improvisations cannot be understated. Like the bastard child of free jazz, minimalism, punk and rock n roll, these sets managed to explore a huge range of textures, sounds and moods while remaining cohesive and captivating. Throughout each, we were buoyed by a sea of perfect beats by wunderkind drummer Kid Millions (whose snare hits threatened to overwhelm the first set’s mix entirely) as organist/guitarist Bobby Matador, guitarist/bassist Hanoi Jane, guitarist Shahin Motia, and organist Barry London created an intense vortex of sound. Fittingly, the highlight of the entire day was the climactic final set, a 40-minute slab of deadly psych rock that left us all reeling. It would be days before we could fully process what had taken place before us – longer still for our ears to stop ringing. Despite being a band with musical ambitions so huge, Oneida had once again fulfilled them.

We recorded this set with six high-end microphones placed strategically around the room to capture the full breadth of the band’s sound. You may notice some differences in sound between the sets as we moved microphones around to achieve optimal placement.

Special thanks to Oneida for inviting us to be a part of this extraordinary event. Watch for their next Ocropolis event, a multi-day art and music installation at Secret Project Robot, where they will do a series of full-album performances of the Thank Your Parents trilogy.

Please note that because this was a charity event, you will be expected to donate an amount of your choosing to Shinji Masuko’s Japan relief PayPal account in order to download the recordings. Once you have forwarded your receipt to nyctaper@nyctaper.com, you will be given the location of the FLAC and MP3 files.

DONATE BY SENDING A PAYPAL PAYMENT TO SHINJI MASUKO AT dmbq@dmbq.net
MORE ABOUT SHINJI’S CHARITY EFFORTS [HERE] [HERE] and [HERE]

Stream a sample of the sixth and final set:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O8020Oneida3329/OcropolisIVsample.mp3]

Oneida
2011-04-02
Ocropolis IV
The Ocropolis
Brooklyn, NY  USA

Digital Master Recording
Premiere download offered at nyctaper.com
Recorded by nyctaper and acidjack
Produced by acidjack

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod mode)+DPA 4021+Neumann KM150>Tascam DR-680 (24/48)>6x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, smooth peaks, level adjustments, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Afternoon Session
Set I
01 Introduction [Afternoon Set I]
02 Improvisation [Afternoon Set I]

Set II
01 Improvisation [Afternoon Set II]

Set III
01 Improvisation [Afternoon Set III]

Evening Session
Set I
01 Improvisation [Night Set I]

Set II
01 Improvisation [Night Set II]

Set III
01 Improvisation [Night Set III]

In addition to supporting Oneida’s designated Japan relief organization, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Oneida, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, visit their page at Jagjaguwar Records, and purchase the latest CD Rated O at the Jagjaguwar site [HERE] and their earlier releases [HERE].

Megafaun: March 30, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 6, 2011
By


[photo by Maryanne Ventrice – courtesy of Prefix Magazine]

Inexplicably, prior to their three straight nights opening for the Mountain Goats, I had not seen Megafaun live. I had seen Brad Cook on stage with Bon Iver and with Sharon Van Etten, but the true Megafaun experience had eluded me. These three shows confirmed what I had been told — this band is a heck of a lot of fun on stage. Their albums are enjoyably rich americana, but live the band takes on the gregarious personalities of the three members. The banter is hilarious, the songs compel audience participation and ad lib/improv bits add color the material. The final of the three nights was the band’s tightest and most enjoyable performance, but really we could have posted any or all three of their opening sets. Catch Megafaun again in NYC next week, Saturday April 16 at Music Hall of Williamsburg, opening for Sharon Van Etten.

I recorded this set with the Neumann’s pointed at the stacks from the balcony rail and mixed with an excellent soundboard feed. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Carolina Days”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M3330Megafaun2110/03.%20Carolina%20Days.mp3]

This Recording is now available to Download in FLAC and MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

Megafaun
2011-03-30
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 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 2011-04-05

Setlist:
[Total Time 45:25]
01 [introduction]
02 Beloved Binge
03 Carolina Days
04 [banter]
05 Real Slow [new song]
06 Volunteers
07 Worried Mind
08 [banter2]
09 His Robe
10 [banter3]
11 The Longest Day
12 Lazy Suicide
13 The Process

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Megafaun, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from Hometapes Records [HERE].

Destroyer: April 3, 2011 Webster Hall – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 6, 2011
By

destroyer
[Photo by acidjack]

At the end of a weekend where a certain other “band’s” “farewell” show sucked up a lot of the oxygen, this set by the multi-talented Dan Bejar, aka Destroyer, was the perfect coda. As brilliant and distinct as Bejar’s musical vision is – and his 2011 release, Kaputt, is already on the “album of the year” shortlist, if the Twitter-ing masses can be believed – Bejar’s music is almost radically foreign to what else is going on in American music today. Which is to say, Kaputt isn’t really dance music, nor can it be considered “rock” of most common varieties, and neither is it some fist-pumping, amped-up hybrid of the two. Bejar’s edges are soft, his choruses delivered on a silky train of trumpet and sax trills in a moderate, almost diffident tone. If the common mode for today’s bands is a marriage of post-punk and hard dance music, 2011’s Destroyer could be, well… indie rock and smooth jazz (which I in no way mean as an insult). In front of an audience that I am guessing included a lot of people coming down from the high (emotional or otherwise) of the previous night, I imagined that giving a memorable performance would be a challenge. But Bejar has wisely outfitted himself with an eight-person band that is more than up to the challenge of turning his proggish, cerebral songs into an outstanding live performance – one that had women throwing underwear at the stage and plenty of fans screaming. The fact is, at this point, Bejar’s fans appreciate his lush, intellectual songs, and that is to their credit. This is music that rewards patience and contemplation, not slam-dancing.

As a key part of the “supergroup” The New Pornographers, Bejar is of course a master of the pop song, even in this less-obvious context; “Painter In Your Pocket” and “Song For America” could (and probably did) inspire singalongs. My favorite numbers of the night came at the end: “Suicide Demo for Kara Walker” and its beautiful intro, with a distortion squall leading into a patient flute passage before the song’s main dance beat kicked in, as well as the epic “Bay of Pigs,” which BrooklynVegan rightly identified not only as the source of the loudest singalong, but also the aforementioned underwear-tossing. Bejar seemed as relaxed throughout the set as his record’s sound implies, and why not? He has the right musicians to execute his vision, songs that are refreshingly out of place, and fans that want what he has to offer. I hope he won’t be saying “farewell” to this project any time soon.

Our new contributor hi and lo I recorded this set from the balcony immediately to the left of the soundboard with four Schoeps mics. The sound quality is outstanding. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Merge Records and Dan Bejar for granting us permission to record.

Stream the complete set

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Destroyer
2011-04-03
Webster Hall
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6U/mk41>Sound Devices USBpre2+Schoeps mk4v>NBox>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Balcony, immediate left of soundboard, on clamps pointing at stacks
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, light EQ (less than -1dB cut at 160, 200, and 250Hz), amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:14:38]
01 Intro
02 Chinatown
03 Blue Eyes
04 It’s Gonna Take An Airplane
05 [banter]
06 Downtown
07 My Favorite Year
08 Kaputt
09 3000 Flowers
10 Painter In Your Pocket
11 Suicide Demo for Kara Walker
12 [banter]
13 Song for America
14 Bay of Pigs

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Destroyer, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Kaputt and their other fine releases directly from Merge Records [HERE].

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