Suuns: January 25, 2011 Rock Shop – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 2, 2011
By


[Photo by Eloy Anzola. Visit his website here]

Montreal’s Suuns are one ambitious, exciting band. If you punched up any random 30-second clips of tracks from their debut LP, Zeroes QC, you could encounter any number of distinct musical ideas. You might find the Zeppelin-on-acid riffs that are the foundation of “Armed for Peace,” or the brooding, addiction-nightmare hiss of the vocals over a spare beat on “Up Past the Nursery,” or even the slowed-down dubstep beat on “Pie IX”. The point being, Suuns make angular, twisted art rock without a single stylistic straightjacket. From the get-go, this brash set at Rock Shop set a dark mood; the opening number “Skyscraper” blistered us with its marshal, repetitive drumbeat and bassline, clanging keyboard riff and frontman Ben Shemie’s seething, ravaged vocal. Whether during the tightly-wound intro to “Pie IX” or the door-blowing assault of the set’s closer, the eight-minute “Sweet Nothing,” Suuns held our attention with their controlled intensity. They are a challenging band in the best of ways, unconcerned with pop convention or pandering. And although it is true that they can veer dizzyingly between tempos, styles and structures, their talent is equal to their ideas.

I recorded this set from our usual location in this outstanding venue, with the Schoeps microphones and a soundboard feed from the Rock Shop’s team. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Armed for Peace”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0125Suuns0211/05 Armed for Peace.mp3]

Stream “Pie IX”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0125Suuns0211/08 Pie IX.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Suuns
2011-01-25
Rock Shop
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41+Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, LOC, mics pointed at stacks at 8.5′
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ audience source, mixdown, set fades, tracking, smooth peaks, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Skyscraper
02 Arena
03 Up Past the Nursery
04 [new]
05 Armed for Peace
06 Gaze
07 [banter]
08 Pie IX
09 Sweet Nothing

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Suuns, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Zeroes QC from Secretly Canadian records here.

Mission of Burma: January 28, 2011 Maxwell’s – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 31, 2011
By


[photo by Chris Gersbeck – courtesy of brooklynvegan]

We’ve followed Mission of Burma, version 2.0, for almost twice as long as the original run of the band in the early 80s. The most consistent element of their live show has always been the ferocity of the performance. The band plays live with the kind of kinetic energy that defines their sound, and provides earth shattering volume to prove the point. The other aspect MOB’s live show is that the setlists are always quite divergent. The Bell House recording posted last night by acidjack is an entirely different show than what we experienced Friday night at Maxwell’s. Now performing live material for what will soon become their fourth post-reunion album, the band is operating on all cylinders. Each of the three stage players offer new songs that rival the quality of their career output and Friday night’s show featured a healthy dose of them. One might expect that the packed house would become impatient with the mid-set big block of new material, but in fact the mixed-age crowd seemed equally enthralled throughout the show. Mission of Burma rewarded them with a lightning-speed foursome of classics in the encore slot that closed with a reverse play of their debut single — “Max Ernst” into “Academy Fight Song” (streaming below). When the band left the stage the cries for “more” lasted for a good ten minutes before the house music came up — one of the most prolonged crowd calls we’ve seen in a while, and well deserved.

I recorded this set in the same location as all of our recordings from this outstanding venue and the sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “The Setup”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M4509MissionofBurma2239/The%20Setup.mp3]

Stream “Academy Fight Song”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M4509MissionofBurma2239/Academy%20Fight%20Song.mp3]

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

Mission Of Burma
2011-01-28
Maxwell’s
Hoboken, NJ USA

Digital Master Recording
Four Channel Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > 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 and acidjack
2011-01-29

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:12:30]
01 Donna Sumeria
02 Let Yourself Go
03 1,2,3 Partyy!
04 Just Waves
05 Part the Sea
06 [new song – My God Can Beat Up Your God]
07 [new song – This Ghost]
08 [new song – Evasive Action]
09 Devotion
10 2Twice
11 [banter]
12 Forget Yourself
13 [new song – Totally Ridiculous]
14 Good Cheer
15 The Setup
16 Nancy Reagan’s Head
17 [encore break/effects]
18 This Is Not a Photograph
19 That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate
20 Max Ernst
21 Academy Fight Song
22 [outro/effects]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Mission of Burma, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from the Store at their website [HERE].

Mission of Burma: January 29, 2011 The Bell House – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 30, 2011
By

The inimitable Mission of Burma have graced us with their presence a lot recently – first, back in December at Maxwell’s for one of the Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows, then Maxwell’s again this past Friday.  But according to fans who saw all three, this bigger show at The Bell House was the king of them all.  It is not uncommon for legendary bands of Mission of Burma’s generation to get by on autopilot, playing the old songs everyone wants to hear in a lower-energy, lamer fashion that is just good enough to sell tickets.  But true the ethos they have maintained throughout their decades-long career, Mission of Burma have managed their comeback with integrity and grit.  Along with timeless punk classics, the band has moved forward to produce vital new material that holds up well to the rest of their catalog.  This show found the band playing four songs from their 2009 LP, The Sound, the Speed the Light, but after that, it was back to the old days for this amazing and, at 80+ minutes, lengthy, set. With the legendary producer Bob Weston behind the board running the band’s sound and tape loops, the sound was dialed-in and, per Bob’s custom, ear-splittingly loud.  Whether you were a new fan coming to see what the fuss was all about, or a longtime fan, you were not leaving this show disappointed – especially not after MOB closed the set with the song that started it all, “Academy Fight Song.”

I recorded this set from our usual spot in the venue by the soundboard with the DPA microphones and a hand-built analog preamp to bring a warm, classic sound.  The results are excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Academy Fight Song”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M4509MissionofBurma2239/28 Academy Fight Song.mp3]

Stream “Trem Two”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M4509MissionofBurma2239/09 Trem Two.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Mission of Burma
2011-01-29
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY USA

Equipment: DPA 4021>Oade M248>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Center, clamp to soundboard booth, micas at 9ft, DIN
Mastering: 24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:22:12]
01 intro
02 Forget What You Know
03 7’s
04 1001 Pleasant Dreams
05 2wice
06 Blunder
07 [banter]
08 SSL 83
09 Trem Two
10 Mica
11 [banter]
12 He Is, She Is
13 Part the Sea
14 [banter]
15 Just Waves
16 Feed
17 1, 2, 3 Partyy!
18 Fame and Fortune
19 Spider’s Web
20 That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate
21 encore break
22 Red
23 That’s When I Reach for My Revolver
24 Class War
25 encore break 2
26 Secrets
27 banter
28 Academy Fight Song

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Mission of Burma, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from the Store at their website [HERE].

Moondoggies Concert to be Streamed Live by NYCTaper (Rock Shop – Sunday January 30)

January 28, 2011
By

On Sunday night, NYCTaper will stream live a concert for the first time. We are pleased to announce that The Moondoggies show at Rock Shop on January 30 will be available for your live audio listening pleasure through the NYCTaper channel on UStream. The show is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm, with openers Quiet Life likely to being at 8pm. We expect that the Moondoggies webcast will begin at approximately 9pm. For the exact time that the stream will begin, please follow nyctaper on Twitter, where I will offer live updates.

[update: We will now also be streaming the opening set by Quiet Life!]

The Moondoggies concert will also be recorded and posted on NYCTaper within days of the webcast in our usual formats.

The Decemberists: January 26, 2011 Beacon Theatre – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 27, 2011
By


[photo courtesy of Mike of 50ShowsAt50 blog]

On the final night of their 3-show run at Beacon Theatre, The Decemberists new album The King Is Dead reached number one on the Billboard album chart. Colin Meloy made one brief bemused reference to this fact at Wednesday night’s show, but this fairly major accomplishment seemed to not have fazed the band. Its a rare album that actually deserves a number one position, but King is truly a remarkable piece of work. While the title would imply a Smiths influence — and there is a definite “Bigmouth Strikes Again” feel to some of the songs — its the REM sound that prevails. In particular “Down By The Water” (streaming below) is very reminiscent of the 12-string minor-chord guitar prominent in such REM classics “The One I Love” and “Driver 8”. At the Beacon, five of the new songs were performed and they shined. Indeed, the beautiful “June Hymn” closed the show. In between, this night also featured the surprise guest appearance of Shara Worden, who reprised her soaring Hazards of Love vocals on “The Wanting Comes In Waves” (also streaming below). The Decemberists tour continues throughout the US in January and February before they head to Europe in March.

I recorded this set with my best mobile rig from a prime seat in 7th row of the center section where the sound quality was truly outstanding. This recording reflects that superb quality. Enjoy!

Stream “Down By The Water”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D6010Decemberists9220/Down%20By%20The%20Water.mp3]

Stream “The Wanting Comes In Waves” (with Shara Worden):
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/D6010Decemberists9220/The%20Wanting%20Comes%20In%20Waves%20(with%20Shara%20Worden).mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

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

The Decemberists
2011-01-26
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Center Section
Row C (7th Row)

DPA 4021’s > Marantz PMD-660 (Oade BCM) > 16bit 44.1 wav > Soundforge (set fades, level boost, slight eq) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by
nyctaper
2011-01-27

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:31:55]
01 [introduction]
02 July, July!
03 [banter]
04 Down By The Water
05 [banter2]
06 Rox In The Box
07 [banter3]
08 Calamity Song
09 Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
10 [banter4]
11 The Engine Driver
12 [banter5]
13 The Soldiering Life
14 [banter6]
15 All Arise!
16 This Is Why We Fight
17 [banter7]
18 The Wanting Comes In Waves (with Shara Worden)
19 Dracula’s Daughter
20 Valencia
21 [Chimbley introduction]
22 Chimbley Sweep
23 [encore break]
24 A Cautionary Song (with “Battle of Trafalgar”)
25 Sons And Daughters
26 [second encore break]
27 June Hymn

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Decemberists, visit their website, and purchase the new album The King Is Dead from the link at the main page of their website or at the Decemberists Shop [HERE].

Oh Land: January 26, 2011 Hiro Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 27, 2011
By


[Photos by Ryan Muir and courtesy of Metromix]

Last night’s industry showcase performance by Oh Land at Hiro Ballroom gave full evidence of the amount of dues that the former ballerina and current model/emerging pop star has paid over the past year – and the extent to which they have paid off. It struck me how many gigs like this she has probably played – to mixed rooms of her most fervent supporters and some who are just there to be seen – yet she remains graceful, kind and seemingly unfazed by the starmaking process. Work back from this very-well-attended celebration of a show through the latter part of last year, and you’ll find every type of appearance imaginable – a small club gig at Mercury Lounge, opening gigs for Mates of State, seemingly endless and tireless CMJ appearances, playing Brooklyn Bowl for our friends’ Brunch After Dark, and earlier, their backyard for Backyard Brunch Sessions, the Northside Festival, SXSW…. By the time that her second Brooklyn Bowl show rolled around, Oh Land’s performances had already become much more refined than her first Brooklyn Bowl appearance at the Northside Festival – true pop star performances, not merely a pretty girl, a keyboard and her “contraption” (a combination drum machine/keyboard/projector, I believe it is). This Hiro show presaged the logical next phase of her career as her first full length for Epic Records is released in March – when her music’s fan base has fully transitioned from the blog world to clubland and the mainstream beyond. Her repertoire has diversified a bit in that direction; a new club-ready song I had not heard before was in the mix, as well as the anthems “We Turn It Up” and another one I had not heard before, which I will call “Human.” But what separates Oh Land from typical pop music (even highly lauded, but ultimately terrible Scandinavian pop music), is her playful spirit, her quirkiness, and her unforced songwriting; any artist who calls her live show “Mary Poppins on acid” has probably put any Katy Perry comparisons on hold. Oh Land’s very busy 2011 already has another big moment – the opening slot for the comeback performance of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark at Terminal 5 later this year. We wish her an exciting and wonderful year.

I recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones on a 13-foot stand next to the soundboard. Unfortunately, the soundboard feed that was provided only contained the drum machine’s feed and was mostly useless, so this is an almost-all audience recording that does contain some noise from the bar crowd. Therefore, it is not quite up to our usual standards, but remains an accurate capture of the evening. For a truly outstanding Oh Land recording, I recommend that you download the shorter but better-sounding Brunch After Dark/Brooklyn Bowl recording as well/instead. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Epic Records for inviting nyctaper to this performance. Don’t miss Oh Land’s as-yet-untitled LP when it is released on March 15.

Stream “We Turn It Up”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0627OhLand0210/13 We Turn It Up.mp3]

Stream “Sun of a Gun”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0627OhLand0210/06 Sun of A Gun.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Oh Land
2011-01-26
Hiro Ballroom
New York, NY

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

Equipment: Schoeps CMC6/mk41+Soundboard>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: At soundboard, ROC, mics pointed at stacks at 13ft
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, mixdown)>Audition (multiband compression)>Audacity (compress clapping, tracking, set fades, downsample to 44.1khz/16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Perfection
02 [new]
03 [banter]
04 Break the Chain
05 Wolf and I
06 Sun of a Gun
07 Lean on Me
08 banter
09 Helicopter
10 Human
11 White Nights
12 [encore break]
13 We Turn It Up
14 Rainbow

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Oh Land, visit her website, purchase her EP, which is available at all major retailers, on iTunes and here, and purchase her upcoming LP when it is released on Epic Records on March 15.

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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