Posts Tagged ‘ brooklyn ’

EULA: February 2, 2012 Cameo Gallery – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 12, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Brooklyn’s EULA have been on a tear lately, just having wrapped up a slew of local shows that brought them to many of my favorite venues (and some newer ones like Big Snow and NXL LVL).  It was hard to pick the perfect time and place to see them with so many good options, but Cameo Gallery seems to have a been a great choice.  The stage wasn’t overlit, the sound was spot-on, and the band, well, they were on fire.   EULA’s sound updates the classic three-chord postpunk of the riot grrl era, recalling classic bands like Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and Sleater-Kinney.  Frontwoman Alyse Lamb does her predecessors proud with a confident vocal delivery and equally strong guitar attack; she comes off in her role like a combination of Kathleen Hanna and Debbie Harry (the band has a pretty mean Blondie cover, I hear).  But this band is more than a great frontwoman; they’re a tight group of musicians capable of delivering uptempo rapid-fire bursts of quality postpunk.

This set focused on the band’s latest record, Maurice Narcisse, and the contrast between the more raw live versions and the studio versions – with their additional flourishes – is a positive one, with things to like about each.  On record, the band comes across a bit more poppy – a song like “Wake Up” shows the contrast – whereas live their punk influences predominate, especially on songs like “Honor Killer”.  They closed this show with a scorcher, the early tune “Fight Riff” from their Language of Threat EP.

EULA have one more Brooklyn show this month, at Shea Stadium on February 24, before heading out of town for a bit.  They will return to NYC on March 22 at Zebulon.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed from the Cameo engineer and Schoeps MK22 “open cardioid” microphones.  The results are excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Maurice Narcisse”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/E2020EULA2012/07 Maurice Narcisse.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

EULA
2012-02-02
Cameo Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
exclusively for NYCTaper.com

Schoeps MK22>KCY>littlebox + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, light EQ, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 intro/Above the Weather
02 Dirty Hands
03 Housewolf
04 Wake Up
05 Texas Stampede
06 Honor Killer
07 Maurice Narcisse
08 Rosie the Riveter
09 Fight Riff

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT EULA, visit their website, and purchase Maurice Narcisse directly from their bandcamp page.

Food Will Win the War: January 11, 2011 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 10, 2012
By


[Photo by Ken Grand-Pierre.  See his Flickr stream here]

Food Will Win the War may have been opening for the Lemonheads on this night, but they put a headliner-level of intensity into their set of acoustic folk-rock, and were rewarded with a mostly full house to do it.   They are one of those big, “musical” bands that puts thought as well as energy into their performances, using their fairly large (six) number of players and diverse instrumentation to produce finely-honed, thoughtful arrangements.  Yes, as rock music goes, they are about the furthest possible thing from “garage” as possible – and more power to them.

Luckily, FWWTW got the memo early on that being real students of music and having musical talent are not enough; they also know that performing and having great songs is essential.  Frontman Rob Ward is not only a good lyricist but a good-humored and entertaining bandleader, and his bandmates follow suit.  Their new record, A False Sense of Warmth, contains plenty of memorable tunes, many of which were played during this set. (including two of my favorites, “Shatter Today” and “Closer To Water”)  The band also served up a judiciously-chosen cover in Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer”, which they delivered with their own stylistic twist.

The band will be gigging outside of NYC for their next few dates – February 15, at the Northern Liberties Festival in Philadelphia; March 30th, at the Nowadays Indie Music Festival in Bethlehem, PA; and April 28th at ChesterFest at Chester College in Chester, NH – but expect to see them back in town for the summer.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Lemonheads recording, with Schoeps MK22 “open cardiod” microphones and an excellent soundboard feed.  The quality is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Shatter Today”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F1110FoodWillWin0211/03 Shatter Today.mp3]

Stream “Sledgehammer [Peter Gabriel]”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F1110FoodWillWin0211/05 Sledgehammer.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Food Will Win the War
2011-01-11
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
Exclusively for nyctaper.com

Schoeps MK22 (ROC, DIN)>KCY>littlebox + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Down
02 Clock All Day
03 Shatter Today
04 Big Yellow
05 Sledgehammer [Peter Gabriel]
06 Chesapeake
07 Thickly
08 The Astronaut Song
09 Style
10 Closer to Water
11 Chester Street

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Food Will Win the War, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and purchase A False Sense of Warmth either on iTunes digitally or via this link for a hard copy.

Blouse: January 31, 2012 285 Kent – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 8, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Dominick Mastrangelo]

Captured Tracks is on quite an impressive run. The label began as a small Brooklyn boutique a couple of years ago — “CT-01” is the Dum Dum Girls EP Yours Alone. Even at slightly more than 100 actual releases, Captured Tracks has managed to nurture some of the brightest bands around these days, including Widowspeak, Wild Nothing, Hoop Dreams and Beach Fossils. Another superb Captured Tracks discovery was on display at 285 Kent last week. Blouse is a quartet from Portland whose debut album was released in late 2011 on the label. The album has a transformational feeling — its as if I’m driving late at night listening to WLIR or WHFS in 1985 and song after song of new Factory Records artists are being played. The guitar work, keyboards and lead bass are all heavily influenced by such period sounds as New Order, Cocteau Twins and Siouxsie. At 285, the band performed a tight forty-minute set that consisted of nearly the entire album and their debut single. In the live setting, Blouse retained the influences but the overall sound is more raw and less atmospheric than the album. In a way, this was an opportunity for the songs themselves to shine and the band’s talent to be featured. Blouse rose to the occasion and clearly this is a band with much potential and the chops to realize it. And they’ve picked the right label to make it happen.

I recorded this set with the DPA cardioid microphones mounted on a pole 10 feet from the stage, and mixed it with a feed from the soundboard. Overall, the instrumental mix is pretty solid, although the vocals are occasionally buried in the effects. With that caveat, enjoy!

Blouse will perform at the Captured Tracks Showcase at SXSW on March 17. The Facebook page for that event is [here].

Stream “Into Black”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B3101Blouse1202/09.%20Into%20Black.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Blouse
2012-01-31
285 Kent
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + DPA 4021s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 40:02]
01 Controller
02 Shadow
03 Time Travel
04 Firestarter
05 White
06 They Always Fly Away
07 Fountain in Rewind
08 Videotapes
09 Into Black

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Blouse, visit their website, visit their artist page at the Captured Tracks website, and purchase their debut album from the Captured Tracks website [HERE].

Larkin Grimm: February 2, 2012 Rock Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 7, 2012
By


[photo by nyctaper]

In the two years since we last checked in with Larkin Grimm, much has happened in her life. When we recorded her at Knitting Factory in December of 2009, Larkin had a set of excellent new songs and a new album was expected soon. But Larkin received a wonderful gift in the interim — a baby boy. She also parted ways with Young God Records in a split that does not seem to be completely amicable. But in a fashion consistent with her incredible life story, Larkin persevered. This week her new album is out, and the self-released Soul Retrieval is the album we have been waiting for. The record features an abundance of Larkin’s strengths — her rich voice and the mystical nature that makes her so compelling. At Rock Shop on Thursday, Larkin Grimm celebrated the CD’s release with a special hometown show. She opened the show with two solo songs before being joined by her band. The trio worked through much of the new album, a couple of older songs, and then were joined by the entire Cuddle Magic band for the final two numbers. The show ended with the opening track from the album “Paradise and So Many Colors”, a terrific ensemble version that we’re streaming below.

I recorded this set with the Neumann microphones positioned in front of the soundboard, and mixed with an excellent board feed. The sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Paradise and So Many Colors”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L2712Larkin2992/14.%20Paradise%20and%20So%20Many%20Colors.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Larkin Grimm
2012-02-02
The Rock Shop
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:21]
01 Hello Pool of Tears
02 Dirty Heart Dirty Mind
03 [banter – Apollo and Marsyas]
04 The Butcher
05 Lying in a Pool of Milk
06 I Am Not Real
07 [banter – Hafiz]
08 Be a Great Burglar
09 All The Pleasures In The World
10 [banter – cats]
11 Mino Minou
12 [intro Cuddle Magic]
13 The Road Is Paved With Leaves
14 Paradise and So Many Colors

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Larkin Grimm, visit her website, and purchase Soul Retrieval from the links at her website [HERE].

Grandfather: February 1, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 6, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

In a north Brooklyn scene that has both thriving indie rock and metal scenes, Grandfather are one of the few bands that bridges that divide.  The band plays intelligent, aggressive hard rock (not quite metal) that capitalizes on the outstanding guitar work of Michael Kirsch and the focused, balls-out vocals of Josh Hoffman, already a consummate rock frontman even in his rookie years.  The closest reference point sound-wise for the band is probably the mighty Tool, but these guys clearly listened to plenty of Nirvana and other Seattle bands in their formative years as well.

Like many new bands, Grandfather raised the funds to record their first record, Why I’d Try, on Kickstarter, and they put the cash to good use by hiring the legendary (and legendarily curmudgeonly) engineer Steve Albini to lay down the record in old-school fashion direct to analog 2″ reels, with no digital bullshit in between.  For their trouble, they got a record that sounds beautiful – with a crisp, raw live-in-studio sound that captures the intensity of the band’s sound at its absolute best.  More tellingly, they earned Albini’s respect – difficult to come by for a man who has had few kind words for most of his peers.  Answering a GQ interviewer’s question about “a young artist with integrity who inspires you”, Albini said, in part:

I see little bits and pieces of behavior that are encouraging. There was a band that came into the studio a while back called Grandfather. They were an art rock band that organized the funding of their record through Kickstarter. They were really well rehearsed and came into the studio and knocked the record out in a couple of days. Because they didn’t have a record label or any promotion schedule to adhere to, they were able to get their record manufactured and distributed within a couple of months. That’s the kind of nimble, efficient behavior that was previously impossible when there was a corporate structure involved.

Grandfather took the stage this Wednesday night at Glasslands with a ferocity that should inspire any artist, starting with the two-minute banger “AWOL” from Why I’d Try before ripping into three brand-new tracks – “Greedy Eye”, “Spun” and “Sorry” .  After a full-throttle rendition of “Tremors” – where bassist Tyler Krupsky shines in the extended intro – it was all new songs from there.  Anyone doubting the urgency of the band’s live show by this point was eating their words or hitting the exits during the standout new track “Organ Thief,” which Hoffman kicks off with a demonic, diabolical laugh with a headbanging riff behind it.   It’s not hard to see, in a band that plays a Glasslands show with the same intensity as they might Madison Square Garden, to see what impressed Steve Albini.  “Integrity” certainly comes to mind with this band, but equally importantly, so does “passion”.

I recorded this set with AKG large-diaphragm microphones set to “wide cardiod” for a full-range, open sound.  I did record a stereo soundboard feed as well, but due to an issue with the club’s equipment, that mix consisted mostly of vocals, which were mixed in here minimally for clarity.  Enjoy!

Stream “Organ Thief”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/G2801Grandfather2110/08 Organ Thief.mp3]

Stream “Tremors”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/G2801Grandfather2110/06 Tremors.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] |  Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Grandfather
2012-02-01
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
exclusively for nyctaper.com

AKG C 414 B-XLS (wide cardiod, DFC) + Soundboard (vocals only)>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, EQ, mastering, downsample to 44.1kHz)>Audacity (tracking, amplify and balance, set fades, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 AWOL
02 [tuning/banter]
03 Greedy Eye
04 Spun
05 Sorry
06 Tremors
07 Wishes
08 Organ Thief
09 Disorder

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Grandfather, visit their website, like them on Facebook, download Why I’d Try on bandcamp (for “pay what you will”) or better yet, buy it on CD or vinyl from that site to hear what a properly-mixed rock record should sound like.

Hospitality: February 3, 2012 Glasslands Gallery – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 5, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Maryanne Ventrice]

On nyctaper, we take pride in recognizing the talent and potential of bands long before they hit it big. We have had a nice little track record and the results are archived in five years worth of posts on this site. But we’re also perfectly willing to admit when we miss one entirely. Two and a half years ago, I recorded Hospitality at Littlefield but did not post it on nyctaper, because, well, I did not see the band’s potential. This week Hospitality released their debut album on Merge Records and I’ve had it on constant play. The album is a superb collection of brilliant pop songs, with elements of British folk pop, twee, and American indie. The main features are intelligent lyrics, irresistible hooks and tight musicianship. I met the band at that Littlefield show, and it was clear that they are modest and authentic people — the kind of band that you like to root for. Out of curiosity, I went back and listened to the 2009 recording, and sure enough I just completely missed Hospitality’s appeal. They were great back then, just not quite as tight. At the record release show at Glasslands on Friday night, the buzz from their outstanding new release resulted in a packed sold out show. A poorly-timed visit from the NYC Health Department caused a lengthy delay to the start of their set, but the crowd seemed calm and patient and Hospitality were thoughtful enough to inform their followers of the situation on their twitter feed. Once the show began, it was clear that buoyed by the recent acclaim and a supportive local crowd, the band worked through the entire new album (and two new songs!) with confidence and a lot of energy. Hospitality welcomed a horn section for the last two songs of the set, including “Friends of Friends” which we’re streaming below. When the song ended, I turned to acidjack and predicted that they will play that very song on Fallon, Letterman or Leno within the next couple of months. I hope I finally get one right with Hospitality.

Acidjack recorded this show with his AKG microphones on cardioid setting and mounted on the projector ledge about fifteen feet from the stage. The excellent upfront audience recording is mixed with a superb soundboard feed from house FOH Josh, and the sound quality is superb.

Stream “Friends of Friends”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H20312Hospitality1212/12.%20Friends%20of%20Friends.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Hospitality
2012-02-03
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + AKG C 414 B-XLS (Cardioid setting) > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by acidjack and nyctaper
2012-02-04

Setlist:
[Total Time 42:40]
01 [introduction]
02 The Right Profession
03 The Birthday
04 The Drift
05 Betty Wang
06 Eighth Avenue
07 Julie
08 Sleepover
09 Liberal Arts
10 Monkey
11 [banter]
12 Friends of Friends
13 All Day Today
14 [encore break]
15 Argonauts

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Hospitality, visit their Facebook page, visit their artist page at Merge’s website, and purchase their debut album from the Merge Records website [HERE].

The Notekillers (w/ members of TV On the Radio, Oneida and Liturgy): January 18, 2012 Union Pool – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 23, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

DONATE TO JONATHAN TOUBIN’S RECOVERY [HERE]

The beloved New York DJ Jonathan Toubin, proprietor of the New York Night Train & Soul Clap parties, was recently the victim of a bizarre and horrifying accident while he was sleeping in a hotel room in Portland, OR last month.  The odds were against that he would be alive beyond that night, but Jonathan has beaten those odds.  He is convalescing in a Portland hospital at this moment.  He will likely need years of expensive treatments to restore him to the life he had before the accident.  As you may already know, musicians, DJs and other creative, independent types in America often don’t have the best health insurance.  Jonathan is going to need our help.

Which brings me to this benefit show, a one-of-a-kind bill at Union Pool, organized by the legendary Philadelphia avant-garde instrumental rock band The Notekillers.  Formed in 1976, The Notekillers broke up in 1981 before coming back together in 2004.  Since then, the band have picked up where they left off, continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of rock music.  This show pushed those boundaries even further, as it saw the band splitting into various combos with a number of special guests, including Kyp Malone of TV On the Radio, Kid Millions of Oneida, Greg Fox of Guardian Alien and Bernard Gann of Liturgy.  The various combinations produced a range of thought-provoking pieces, from Fox’s electronics work to a three-drummer trio of Millions, Fox and Barry Halkin of The Notekillers, to The Notekillers’ own instrumental avant-punk.  For his part, Malone played two separate “solo” sets (in a three-person band setup) and also joined the Notekillers and Millions in an improptu supergroup they called The New Party Systems Band.  Added to all of this was a psychedelic light show for some numbers that gave the compositions and even more otherworldly feel.

On a cold Wednesday night, the show ended, appropriately, with Kyp Malone performing “Winter Song” from his Rain Machine solo album.  The song alludes to how love can thrive even in the darkest of moments.  Jonathan Toubin is having one of those right now, for sure.  But in this little room on Union Ave., his friends let the world know that he is not alone.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK22 “open cardioid” microphones and a soundboard feed by Ian, the house engineer, who was kind enough to arrange it especially for me.  With many stylistic and volume variations, it was a bit interesting to mix down, but I am very happy with it.  Enjoy!

Although you are not required to donate to Jonathan Toubin in order to download this set, I strongly encourage you to help him out.   To that end, I will personally match the first $150 of new donations that people can provide proof of by means of PayPal receipts.  The PayPal link for Toubin is [HERE] and you can send your proof of donation to me [HERE]

Stream the New Party Systems Band performing an instrumental:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N8101Notekillers2012/15 New Party Systems Band 1.mp3]

Stream The Notekillers performing an instrumental:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N8101Notekillers2012/21 Notekillers 6.mp3]

Stream Kyp Malone performing “Winter Song”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/N8101Notekillers2012/24 Winter Song.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

The Notekillers
2012-01-18
Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK22>KCY>Naiant littlebox + SBD >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown, level adjustments, downsample to 44.1)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

[Total Time 1:59:05]
Set I

Kid Millions, Barry Halkin & Greg Fox
01 [3 Drummers]

Kyp Malone
02 [Kyp Guitar]
03 [Kyp banter]
04 [unknown Kyp song 1]
05 [Kyp banter 2]
06 Smiling Black Faces
07 [tuning]
08 [unknown Kyp song 2]

The Notekillers with Greg Fox, Bernard Gann & Kid Millions
09 [instrumental]

The Notekillers
10 Ricochet
11 Compelled
12 [tuning]
13 Glider
14 [tuning]

New Party Systems Band [The Notekillers/Kid Millions/Kyp Malone]
15 [New Party Systems Band 1]

Set II
Stephen Bilenky & David First
16 Guitar/Congas
17 [tuning]

Stephen Bilenky, David First & Greg Fox
18 Guitar/Congas/Electronics

The Notekillers
19 Airport
20 Airport (cont.)
21 Eyelash

New Party Systems Band [The Notekillers/Kid Millions/Kyp Malone]
22 Stockhausen

Kyp Malone
23 [Kyp tuning]
24 Winter Song

Musicians
The Notekillers (drummer Barry Halkin, guitarist David First, bassist Stephen Bilenky)
Kyp Malone (and band)
Greg Fox
Kid Millions
Bernard Gann

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Notekillers, visit their website, and purchase their records via the links on that site, as well as supporting the other fine bands on this bill.

Our Mountain: January 16, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 19, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

In an excellent piece in the L Magazine entitled “101 Secrets to Indie Rock Success”, the magazine advises that “[p]laying instruments on a stage isn’t all there is to a performance. It’s got to rise to the level of a show. There are different ways to put one on, but just playing instruments, even quite well, isn’t enough.”  Our Mountain have obviously taken that to heart in a big way – they’re one of the most dynamic, engaging new live bands I’ve seen in awhile, and they look the part.

The third act of a four-act Glasslands bill with no weak links, Our Mountain still stood out immediately.  They come at you with punk sneer but play with adept, post-punk atmospherics and texture.  Their sound is all-encompassing, at times foreboding, at times coke-buzz intense. Frontman Matthew Hutchinson’s writhing, twisting moves and confident delivery make him seem like a frontman with decades of experience, and his vocal delivery puts him squarely in the company of great postpunk forebears like Gang of Four.  He comes by his non-American accent honestly as well – the bandmembers, now based in Brooklyn, originally hail from Melbourne, Australia.

Along with the killer music, the band has also gotten a fair amount of press for one of its founders, percussionist/keyboardist, femme fatale and model Abbey Lee (Abbey Lee Kershaw, in the fashion world).  She’d be the tall, beautiful, striking blonde woman in the back corner – most strikingly, when she was banging a heavy chain against a trashcan lid during the set opener “Drury Lane”.  But beyond Lee and her look, this band has that general sense of polish that tells you they are going places.  Live, each of their songs is delivered like it’s the last time they’ll ever play it – like they mean it.  Maybe it’s that whole “journeying from halfway around the world to make your rock n’ roll dreams come true” thing that makes them try that little bit harder – maybe.  Whatever the reason, Our Mountain are playing like they want this all to mean something, and they’re only getting started.  With no official releases under their belt yet, the band is gunning for live and studio opportunities.  My suspicion is they’ll get them.

I recorded this set with DPA 4021 microphones and a soundboard feed from the Glasslands FOH team.  The results are outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Drury Lane”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0116OurMountain2012/01 Drury Lane.mp3]

Stream “Wooden Hearts”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O0116OurMountain2012/05 Wooden Hearts.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Our Mountain
2012-01-16
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

DPA 4021>Naiant littlebox + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, downsample)>FLAC ( Level 8 )

Tracks
01 Drury Lane
02 Midnight Black (with a white diamond on her forehead)
03 Untitled
04 1981
05 Wooden Hearts
06 Pink Elephant

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Our Mountain, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.  And go see their shows.  Definitely do that.  

The Phantom Family Halo: January 16, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 19, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Phantom Family Halo deserve your attention – and they’ve already gotten their fair share.  Last year’s The Mindeater EP with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, another artist with some Louisville roots, earned them mention in the New York Times and beyond.  Bandmember Dom Cipolla also participated in another high-profile collaborative affair recently when he contributed to a live session at Joe’s Pub that covered Brian Eno’s Here Come the Warm Jets.  This Monday night show at Glasslands, however, was dedicated to the band’s own material, in particular their forthcoming release When I Fall Out, due out on Knitting Factory Records on Valentine’s Day.  You can stream the studio version of one of the album tracks, “White Hot Gun”, here, and the live version from this show below.

This show found the band tearing through what should be a large portion of the new record, and in fine form while doing it.  With a sound that straddles the divide between psych rock and British metal, Phantom Family Halo put on a sonic assault of a rock show that isn’t just a display of the power of their effects pedals or ability to noodle on their instruments.  Rather, their songs are often tightly wound and forcefully delivered.  With members of Sapat and The For Carnation among the players, it’s as if Phantom Family Halo takes some cues from those acts, but with the energy turned to eleven.  This fairly short set felt a bit like a preview of what to expect when the record drops – so lucky for you, they have a record release show set for February 11 at the up-and-coming Greenpoint venue Saint Vitus, where they will be joined by our good friends The Loom.

I recorded this set with DPA microphones from our usual spot in the venue, plus a soundboard feed from the Glasslands FOH team.  The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “White Hot Gun”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P1106PFHalo0212/02 White Hot Gun.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]

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Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

The Phantom Family Halo
2012-01-16
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

DPA 4021>Naiant littlebox + SBD >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 The Fall Out
02 White Hot Gun
03 Dirty Blade
04 Light Year Girl
05 Above My Head
06 Lightning On Your Face
07 The Fall Out (Suite)
08 Vital Energy

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Phantom Family Halo, like them on Facebook, and pre-order The Fall Out and buy their other official releases from Knitting Factory Records [HERE]

The Lemonheads: January 11, 2012 Knitting Factory – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 16, 2012
By


[Photos by Ken Grand-Pierre.  See his Flickr stream here]

As acts from the early 90s have continued to take victory laps over the past few years, I have had a chance to reflect on how different the personalities were that dominated the music scene then than those from today’s self-affirming generation making vital new music today.  In an era principally concerned with authenticity, its troubadours were often people who lived hard and felt deeply – addicts, romantics, and the generally self-destructive.  And if you wanted a picture of the archetypal musician of the era, you might consider Evan Dando of The Lemonheads (which he actually formed in ’86, but rose to stardom in the early 90s).  A soft-spoken singer whose lyrics tell tales of broken romance, addiction, and self-doubt, Dando has had his ups and downs professionally.  I last saw the band headline the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC in 1997 – the last year the band was together before going on hiatus – and they packed the place.  In fact, a little known Orlando, FL band called Matchbox 20 opened.  The next time I encountered the band, Dando was playing a show in an out of the way honky tonk near a Vermont ski resort.

Dando brought the band back in 2005 and has put out two new records, The Lemonheads and the covers album Varshons, as well as a greatest-hits collection in the UK, Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners: The Best Of.  While Dando has struggled at times on this current tour – I heard reports from other cities of shows completely falling apart due to him being too impaired to play – the quality of his music and his songwriting hasn’t wavered.  To see a Lemonheads show is to see song after song that you know, each as good as the last, each intensely, searingly personal.  Listen to “All My Life”, streaming below, and see if it hits close to home.

At this show at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, Dando was every bit the musician I had seen nearly 15 years ago, playing an epic show that consisted of multiple solo sets, a full run-through of The Lemonheads’ breakout album, It’s A Shame About Ray, and a second full-band set.  The show ran for an epic 105 minutes – even more impressive considering the average song length of about three minutes.  Dando delved into some of the covers from Varshons, as well as some of his other concert favorites.  Some of these covers could have been written especially for Dando; he chooses covers that tell his story as much as the orignal authors’.  As Dando continued to play a string of classics, it was hard not to yearn for the era that spawned them, when cred and emotions were a band’s currency, and musicians didn’t need car commercials to earn enough money for the booze and drugs that fueled their damaged art.

Wrapping up a set that never faltered, Dando closed with the twofer of “Rick James Style” – whose refrain “don’t wanna get high / but I don’t wanna not get high” is lent added menace by James’ eventual end – and the Angry Samoans’ “You Stupid Jerk,” a short, chaotic burst of silliness that ended this show on a happy note.  The band continues their U.S. tour westward today, and I hope fans in the Midwest don’t miss a chance to see Evan Dando back at the top of his game.

I recorded this set with Schoeps “open cardiod” microphones and an excellent soundboard feed by the Knitting Factory team.  The recording is an outstanding capture of the night.  Enjoy!

Stream “All My Life”

[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L1111Lemonheads0002/lemonheads2012-01-11knit_mixdown-06.mp3]

Stream “Confetti”

[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L1111Lemonheads0002/lemonheads2012-01-11knit_mixdown-09.mp3]

Stream “How Much I’ve Lied [Gram Parsons]

[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L1111Lemonheads0002/lemonheads2012-01-11knit_mixdown-26.mp3]

Direct download of the complete set: [MP3/FLAC]

Follow acidjack on twitter

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

The Lemonheads
2012-01-11
Knitting Factory
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording hosted exclusively at NYCTaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK22 (ROC, DIN, 8ft)>KCY>Naiant littlebox + SBD >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mastering effects on SBD source, align, mixdown, amplify and balance, downsample)>24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:44:00]
[Evan Solo]
01 Being Around
02 My Idea
03 Why Do You Do This To Yourself?
04 The Outdoor Type
05 Frying Pan
06 All My Life
07 [intro the band]

[The Lemonheads perform “It’s A Shame About Ray”]
08 Rockin Stroll
09 Confetti
10 It’s A Shame About Ray
11 Rudderless
12 My Drug Buddy
13 The Turnpike Down
14 Bit Part
15 Alison’s Starting to Happen
16 Hannah & Gabi
17 Kitchen
18 Ceiling Fan in My Spoon

[Evan solo (finishing “It’s A Shame About Ray”)]
19 Frank Mills

[Evan solo]
20 It’s About Time
21 No Backbone
22 Tenderfoot
23 Your Home Is Where You’re Happy [Charles Manson]
24 Streets of Baltimore [Gram Parsons]
25 A Song For You [Gram Parsons]
26 How Much I’ve Lied [Gram Parsons]
27 Ride With Me

[The Lemonheads]
28 [intro band]
29 Hospital
30 Down About It
31 If I Could Talk I’d Tell You
32 Big Gay Heart
33 The Great Big No
34 Rick James Style
35 [encore break]

[Evan solo]
36 You Tore Me Down [Flaming Groovies]
37 Don’t Tell Yourself
38 Rain [Blake Babies]
39 Favorite T
40 It Looks Like You
41 Like A Rose [Lucinda Williams]
42 Nighttime [Big Star]
43 $1000 Wedding
44 You Stupid Jerk [Angry Samoans]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT The Lemonheads, see them on tour, visit their website (which contains those tour dates) and purchase Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners and their other records from Amazon or your favorite retailer (their online store is not yet up).

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