Posts Tagged ‘ Built to spill ’

Built To Spill: September 25, 2015 Bowery Ballroom – Flac/MP3/Streaming

October 5, 2015
By

BTS Will
[photo courtesy of Will at We All Want Someone To Shout For blog]

In the lead up to this show I realized that in a few months, it will be twenty years since the first time I saw Built To Spill live. That early 1996 show at the late great Tramps was a revelation — I mean, who knew that a band of guitar wizards could come from a place like Idaho. But from that day forward I’ve followed Built To Spill and seen them live consistently ever since, close to thirty times. Indeed, they’ve been on NYCTaper fourteen times. So I think I have a pretty good idea of when the band is playing well and whether a particular show is a good one. Last Friday at Bowery Ballroom, I’m pretty sure I saw one of the best BTS shows of all of them. This was a night that started with a “wow” version of “Time Trap” and never let up. The band is currently on tour in support of their new album Untethered Moon — their first new release in six years. Perhaps its the excitement of the addition of the new songs to the setlist, but there seemed to be a renewed energy on stage, and in the crowd the energy was returned. You can hear from this recording how engaged was the Bowery faithful. We are streaming two highlights from this show (of many). At eight minutes in length, “Velvet Waltz” is one of the longest tracks on one of our favorite BTS albums (Perfect From Now On), and on this night the closing jam just went bonkers and kept the song going for twelve minutes. In the encore segment, the persistent fans who had been calling all night for “Joyride” were treated to an scorching version of one of the band’s earliest singles — it was Doug Martsch’s best solo in a night filled with them.

I recorded this set from our standard Bowery location. But this one is special. It was mixed perfectly by the band’s tour FOH Eric and we used primarily the room mics in this mix. There’s about 25% of the board feed to supplement the vocals and overall the sound quality is quite superb. Enjoy!

Download the Complete Show [MP3] / [FLAC]

Stream “Velvet Waltz”:

Stream “Joyride”:

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, and feel free to repost the Soundcloud links.

Built To Spill
2015-09-25
Bowery Ballroom
New York NY

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard [Engineer: Eric Gilbert] + Schoeps CCM4u Cardioids > Sound Devices 744t > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (post-production) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:41:02]
01 Time Trap
02 Strange
03 Living Zoo
04 Nowhere Nothin Fuckup
05 Made-Up Dreams
06 Velvet Waltz
07 Heart
08 So
09 Liar
10 Mess With Time
11 Never Be The Same
12 Big Dipper
13 Carry the Zero
14 [encore break]
15 Reasons
16 Joyride
17 [thanks]
18 Goin Against Your Mind

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built to Spill, visit their website and purchase their new album Untethered Moon from Warner Music [HERE]. 

Built to Spill: May 11, 2015 Music Farm (Charleston, SC) – FLAC/MP3/Streaming Songs

May 19, 2015
By

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Being at the forefront of the guitar-driven indie rock scene for over 20 years, Built to Spill have cemented their reputation with a lot of hard work.  With a string of superlative albums, first-rate musicianship and songcraft, and seemingly nonstop touring, it’s very well deserved.  After a few personnel changes as of late, frontman Doug Martsch and company have just released their newest disc, the lauded ‘Untethered Moon‘, and are back on the road to support itBeing almost exactly a year since I last saw the band, I was very excited not only to see them perform again but to also catch my first concert in Charleston and at the famed Music Farm.  Known for wearing their influences on their sleeves by way of an extensive list of cover songs, the group dialed it back a bit for this outing and focused primarily on their own material, including a handful of tracks from the new album.  The exception being a 14+ minute workout of Neil Young’s “Cowgirl in the Sand”, streaming below.  It’s the surprises like this that keep reminding you how Built to Spill stays at the peak of their game.

Set up dead center and right in front of the board, we couldn’t have asked for a better location to record from.  And with the band’s soundman, Ian, at the helm with assistance from the venue’s FOH, Mike, the sound was excellent.  We hope you like what you hear as much as we did.  Enjoy!

Stream “On the Way”:

Stream “Cowgirl in the Sand”:

Direct download of the complete show in MP3 [HERE]
Direct download of the complete show in FLAC [HERE]

If any of the links are no longer working, email nyctaper with a request for the download location of the files.

Follow Johnny Fried Chicken Boy 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.

Built to Spill
Monday, May 11, 2015
Music Farm
Charleston, SC, USA

Source: Milab VM-44 Links (cardioid) > Edirol R-44 (WAV @ 24-bit/48kHz)
Lineage: R-44 > PC > Adobe Audition (mixdown, downsample, dither, tracking) > WAV (16-bit/44.1kHz) > TLH (check/fix SBEs, FLAC conversion) > FLAC ( level 8 )
Recorded and produced by: Johnny Fried Chicken Boy

SETLIST:
[Total time: 1:40:20]
01. Made-Up Dreams
02. Living Zoo
03. Distopian Dream Girl
04. Kicked It in the Sun
05. On the Way
06. So
07. [banter]
08. The Wait
09. You Were Right
10. Nowhere Nothin’ Fuckup
11. Never Be the Same
12. Trimmed and Burning
13. Pat
14. [tuning / banter]
15. Stab
16. [encore break]
17. Cowgirl in the Sand  [Neil Young]
18. Carry the Zero

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built to Spill, visit their website and Facebook page, go see their concerts, and purchase their official releases and merchandise [HERE], at Amazon, iTunes, or your favorite record store or retailer. 

Built to Spill: May 20, 2014 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

May 22, 2014
By

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[photos by Johnny Fried Chicken Boy and acidjack]

There was a period in this site’s history during the 2009-2010 range where we collectively saw Built to Spill more than ten times in a short span (four shows in October 2009 alone). Most bands seen that often that close together would burn you out for good, but we have continued to follow Doug Martsch and his outstanding band since then. The reason Martsch feels he can continue playing New York with such frequency — even when he doesn’t have new material on offer — is that the show doesn’t just go on, its gets better every time. This performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg was easily the best BTS performance I have seen in all of the many times I have experienced this band.

Without the burden of promoting a new album, Martsch felt free to let he and the band’s whimsies roam, playing classic BTS songs like “Stab” from There’s Nothing Wrong With Love alongside newer favorites like “Planting Seeds”. We got songs that were great, short bursts; we also got a nearly ten-minute “Goin’ Against Your Mind” straight into “Carry the Zero” to close out the main set. But what set this show apart were its four cover songs. If you haven’t heard Martsch do his best J. Mascis impersonation, now you can, on this epic cover of Dinosaur Jr.‘s “Sludgefeast”. Or if classic rock is more your thing, you couldn’t go wrong with this phenomenal note-for-note rendition of Blue Öyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper”, or BTS’ take on The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High”. The night ended, as did the Brooklyn Bowl show, with the craziest cover of all — a seventeen-minute free-for-all to the tune of “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club, which found the audience joining the band on stage for an epic, old-style Brooklyn dance party. It was the kind of thing a band with two fewer decades’ experience might have done, a lark to put a punctuation mark on the night. But that’s the genius of Built to Spill — whether the songs are new or old, the show never stays the same.

I recorded this set along with Johnny Fried Chicken Boy from our usual spot in the balcony directly over the soundboard cage, using Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones. With some careful editing to mitigate the boomy nature of the house mix, this recording is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Eight Miles High [The Byrds]”

Stream “Sludgefeast [Dinosaur Jr.]”

Stream “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper [Blue Oyster Cult]”

Stream “Genius of Love [Tom Tom Club]”

Download the complete show: [MP3] | [FLAC] (faster offsite link) | [FLAC] (permanent link – please use if temporary link is no longer working)

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 download links or the files on other sites without our permission. Feel free to re-post the Soundcloud links. Please respect our request.

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Built to Spill
2014-05-20
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5 (Balcony, PAS bar)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2>Sony PCM-D50>24bit/48kHz WAV>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, multiband compression)>Audacity 2.0.3 (fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample, dither)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time: 1:57:32]
01 Revolution
02 The Plan
03 Stab
04 Conventional Wisdom
05 Kicked It in the Sun
06 Mess With Time
07 Liar
08 Eight Miles High [The Byrds]
09 Reasons
10 [tuning]
11 Planting Seeds
12 Sludgefeast [Dinosaur Jr.]
13 [tuning2]
14 Goin’ Against Your Mind
15 Carry the Zero
16 [encore break]
17 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper [Blue Öyster Cult]
18 Big Dipper
19 [tuning3]
20 Genius of Love [Tom Tom Club]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Built To Spill, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the Official Store at their website [HERE].

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Built To Spill: November 7, 2013 Irving Plaza – Flac/MP3/Streaming

November 10, 2013
By

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[photo courtesy of Consequence of Sound]

There was a time earlier in this decade when Built To Spill made regular and frequent visits to NYC — from 2008-10, we recorded them ten times. But BTS has not appeared in New York in three full years, and they were clearly missed. The crowd at Irving Plaza on Thursday night was animated and thoroughly packed into the venue. This might be the most crowded I’ve ever seen Irving, and I’ve been seeing shows there for 29 years. Built To Spill began the set in earnest with a ferocious ten-minute version of “Goin Against Your Mind”, and the energy never really let up. The band played a nice selection of material old and newer, and even included a brand new song “Living Zoo”, and the crowd was there with them throughout the lengthy set. Usually at a show this crowded, people tire of the sardine-like conditions and go to the back, but that never happened on this night. The place never thinned out, and when the encore segment began the audience was awarded for their effort. BTS has been played a series of interesting covers throughout the tour, including the Velvets “Sister Ray”. And although we curiously didn’t get the Lou Reed tribute in NYC, we did get a spot-on cover the Smiths classic “How Soon is Now”, which we’re streaming below. When the band left the stage, Doug Martsch said “see you next year, we hope”, so I expect it won’t be another three years before Built To Spill visit NYC. Meanwhile, BTS will be on tour for much of the next couple of months, dates [here].

I recorded this set with the Sennheiser Cards mounted at 12 feet from the middle of the floor. The sound quality reflects the sound in the venue that night, including a very noisy crowd. With that caveat, enjoy!

Stream “How Soon Is Now” (Smiths cover):

Download the Complete Show [MP3] / [FLAC]

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.

Built To Spill
2013-11-07
Irving Plaza
New York NY

Digital Master Audience Recording

Sennheiser MKH-8040s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:47:37]
01 Goin’ Against Your Mind
02 [tech – tighten the drums]
03 In The Morning
04 Center of the Universe
05 Get a Life
06 Planting Seeds
07 Reasons
08 Strange
09 Living Zoo
10 I Would Hurt a Fly
11 Else
12 [banter]
13 Abba Zaba [Beefheart]
14 Velvet Waltz
15 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
16 Carry the Zero
17 [encore break]
18 Don’t Fear The Reaper [Blue Oyster Cult]
19 How Soon Is Now [Smiths]
20 [thanks]
21 Car

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built To Spill, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the Official Store at their website [HERE].

Our Top 25 Concert Moments of 2010 (with MP3 Download and Streaming Songs)

December 31, 2010
By

We were treated to a lot of amazing music this year, and the site has continued to grow. This year, we reached our 600th recording posted since 2007 – a pretty incredible number considering that this is only the fourth year of the site.  As a final New Year’s treat to our readers, we thought we would share a “mixtape” with you of some of our favorite concert moments of 2010.

Out of the two hundred-plus shows that we saw, we selected 25 moments that we thought were particularly memorable (among the shows we recorded, at least). There is a wide range of music, styles and artists represented: folk, rock, Scandinavian pop, punk and much more. There are new bands who are just breaking into the mainstream, as well as mainstream acts continuing to perform at a high level. The only consistent theme is that these artists all touched us in some way, giving performances that stayed with us long after the last notes were played.

The following list is in no particular order. Links to download the entire compilation, as well as selected numbers streaming, are below.

Want to keep up with the latest concert updates and recordings on the site? Follow @nyctaper and @acidjacknyc on Twitter.

Download the entire mixtape [HERE]

1. Built to Spill – “Carry The Zero” – September 20, 2010 Rocks Off Concert Cruise. This show was nuts – on a boat, with a tiny main floor, with a crowd that was loud, drunken and rowdy, and a veteran band doing what they do best. We saw Built to Spill a ton of times over the past two years, but this show was the clear standout. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/BTS-CarryTheZero.mp3]

2. Oh Land – “Lean On Me” – November 8, 2010 Brooklyn Bowl. We first saw this young Danish artist play Brooklyn Bowl back in July. Although she was still getting comfortable with her new material, her talent and unique stage presence were already on display. After seeing her again at the Backyard Brunch Sessions, we caught her again a month later at Brooklyn Bowl. Her evolution blew us away – displaying newfound poise and confidence, designer clothing and a new percussionist, Nanna dominated the stage. Though many of her songs lend themselves to dancing, I have always been partial to this more precious number. She may now be the face of Missoni, but Oh Land is far, far more than a pretty face. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/OhLand-LeanOnMe.mp3]

3. John Vanderslice – “The Parade” – October 21, 2010 Mercury Lounge. On the night after our Unofficial CMJ Day Party at Cake Shop, we caught one of our favorite acts, the inimitable songwriter John Vanderslice at Mercury Lounge. John has always been a supporter and friend of the site, but we were especially gratified by his heartfelt intro to this song when he thanked nyctaper from the stage. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/JV-TheParade.mp3]

4. The Dirty Projectors – “As I Went Out One Morning [Bob Dylan]” – September 11, 2010 Terminal 5. After this band blew us away at the tail end of 2009, we were thrilled that Johnny Fried Chicken Boy was able to catch their show at the massive Terminal 5. This Dylan cover was among many special songs played during another show that wowed us with its musical skill. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/DirtyProjectors-AsIWentOutOneMorning.mp3]

5. Pavement – “Fight this Generation” – September 19, 2010 Williamsburg Waterfront. Pavement‘s return was probably my personal musical highlight of the year – nobody ever thought it would happen, and when it did, they were exactly as nonchalant about the whole thing as you would expect. Everything went right at their first NYC show in ten years, and the irony of Pavement – an iconic band for Generation X – playing “Fight This Generation” on the Williamsburg waterfront to an entirely new generation of fans was perfect. This loose, jammy rendition killed, too. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/Pavement-FightThisGeneration.mp3]

6. Superchunk – “Digging For Something” – September 19, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg. While I was checking out Pavement, nyctaper was down the street taking in an equally amazing performance from another 90s indie darling, Superchunk. Supporting their first new album in almost a decade, Superchunk gave us even more than we could have imagined when special guest John Darnielle joined them for this number. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/Superchunk-DiggingForSomething.mp3]

7. John Roderick w/ Nada Surf – “The Commander Thinks Aloud” – March 26, 2010 Bell House. Nada Surf‘s multi-night series of full album performances had many memorable moments, but my favorite of all came from John Roderick of The Long Winters, the opening act at the Bell House/The Weight Is A Gift show. With Nada Surf as his backing band, Roderick capped off his acoustic set by tearing through a fully electric version of this big number that showcases Roderick’s unique voice. You can stream and download this song, and the entire show, on the Live Music Archive [HERE].

8. Natureboy – “I’ll Keep It With Mine” – May 15, 2010 Piano’s. This show was a special day for us, as we celebrated the third anniversary of the site with some of our favorite bands. Natureboy drew a strong crowd as our first act of that evening, and they made our night by performing, our request, their cover of this Dylan-via-Nico classic.[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/Natureboy-KeepItWithMine.mp3]

9. Fucked Up – “Son the Father” – February 18, 2010 Maxwell’s. I had the pleasure of seeing Fucked Up three times this year, and each show was awe-inspiring. Damian “Pink Eyes” Abraham is a punk rock showman without parallel: on the mic, he is extremely hardcore; in between songs, he chats up the crowd like each person is his best bud. “Son the Father” is one of the band’s best songs, and it was at about this point during the Maxwell’s show that (as has to be the case at every Fucked Up show) all hell broke loose. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/FuckedUp-SonTheFather.mp3]

10. The Black Keys – “Same Old Thing” – July 28, 2010 Terminal 5. There was a huge response to our post of The Black Keys‘ show at Terminal 5, and for good reason – it is an excellent recording of a band that is rapidly ingratiating itself with the mainstream. This song is a four-piece version of this song, with Leon Michaels on keyboards and Nick Movshon on bass. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/TBK-SameOldThing.mp3]

11. Panda Bear – “Song For Ariel (Guys Eyes)” – September 11, 2010 Governor’s Island. On the same day as the epic Dirty Projectors show back in Manhattan, Panda Bear was giving a magical performance on Governor’s Island that blew our minds both for the incredible quality of the sound (which did not always receive such good reviews for other shows) and the clarity and focus of the performance. This guitar-heavy and reworked version of this song was one of many highlights of an amazing show that also featured some new songs. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/PandaBear-SongForAriel.mp3]

12. Soft Black – “I’m Not Afraid of You” – August 7, 2010 A Backyard in Bushwick. This whole show was a testament to the power of the local music community and the DIY spirit of the moment. Soft Black were supposed to be playing on a rooftop elsewhere in the ‘hood as part of a benefit show for the people of the Gaza Strip. That show was shut down by the cops three acts in, while it was still light outside. But instead of giving up and calling it a night, the fans and bands rallied to move the show to one of the musicians’ backyard. Soft Black dedicated this haunting song, with its defiant refrain, to a kid who got arrested when the police shut down the rooftop show. The song itself is quite dark, but the moment was joyful, and powerful, in a way that I will never forget. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/SoftBlack-I’mNotAfraidOfYou.mp3]

13. Real Estate – “Reservoir” – June 25, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg. Real Estate is another band that has wowed us both with their consistent playing as well as their respect for their fans. We had seen them open for labelmates Woods a number of times, but this time, they found themselves as the headliner of the Woodsist showcase at the Northside Festival. This showcase was one of the best experiences of the entire Northside Festival, but Real Estate’s set in particular stood out, as the more mature band showed off some new songs, including the excellent “Reservoir.” Download the entire set [HERE].

14. Maps & Atlases – “Solid Ground” – August 12, 2010 Mercury Lounge. I caught Maps & Atlases back in 2009 touring behind their previous record, the EP You, Me and the Mountain. I liked what I saw – the unusual combination of freak folk and math rock, vocalist Dave Davison’s vocals, the dual percussionists – but they didn’t seem quite there yet. For one, while I liked their sound, I wasn’t completely blown away by the songs. That all changed with the release of this year’s Perch Patchwork, which was one of my favorite records of the year, and a massive leap forward artistically. For this show, the band was greeted by a spirited crowd literally screaming for more, and in particular, this song (you can hear a drunk dude yelling “Solid Ground!” in between every other song on the set before they finally play it). When the band finally played the song, the payoff was huge, and the jam at the end clinches it. After an outstanding set, Maps broke down their gear and put some chairs and drums in the center of the floor and played an acoustic set for those willing to wait. The performance was not only the most improved of any band that I saw this year, but also one of the flat-out best. It didn’t hurt any that the recording came out flawlessly, too. Download the entire set [HERE]. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/M&A-SolidGround.mp3]

15. Holly Miranda – “I’d Rather Go Blind [Etta James]” – May 26, 2010 Bowery Ballroom. A Bowery Ballroom headlining gig has become a barometer of a band’s success these days – for a New York band on their way up, there is your time on the scene before Bowery, and your time after, and after, things are never the same. This show represented Holly Miranda’s Bowery breakout, and she treated the event with the reverence due it as she ripped off a lengthy set representing her latest record The Magician’s Private Library, and played two covers, including this jaw-dropping rendition of an Etta James classic. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/HollyMiranda-RatherGoBlind.mp3]

16. Wilco – “Thank You, Friends” – April 2, 2010 Wellmont Theatre. The challenging acoustics of this venue did not deter Wilco from delivering one of the most epic sets we have seen of theirs (well over three hours long). This Big Star cover played tribute to their singular frontman, singer and songwriter Alex Chilton, who sadly passed away this March. Alex and his many contributions to rock music will be dearly missed. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/Wilco-ThankYouFriends.mp3]

17. Sharon Van Etten – “One Day” – October 8, 2010 Rock Shop. It is no secret that this site has been a huge booster for Sharon Van Etten, and we are thrilled to see her career taking off in a big way (you can hear one of her songs, “I Fold” in the closing sequence in a recent episode of the Showtime series The Big C). In the two shows she played at Rock Shop this year, Sharon’s maturity and outstanding songwriting made us fall in love with her music all over again. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/SVE-OneDay.mp3]

18. Woods – “Bend Beyond” – May 13, 2010 Abrons Arts Center. In a music scene that is strong but fragmented, Woods have emerged as bi-coastal scene godfathers of sorts, in the way that Sonic Youth have been for a generation. The Woodsist label, for which the band is the anchor, has produced a roster of like-minded acts from the East and West Coasts that share a common affinity for the psychedelic, folk-influenced sound the label is known for. While they have been building a formidable presence with the label, Woods themselves have evolved far beyond the “freak folk” tag into a full-blown indie rock jam band of sorts, turning four-minute album tracks into epics that showcase their virtuosity on their instruments. This show, featuring the band backed by the Joshua Light Show, was especially sprawling, and never moreso than on this nearly twenty minute “Bend Beyond.” This show proved that this was a very different band than the act I saw opening for Dungen in 2009 – that band was a great “freak folk” act, if you will. This band is legendary. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/Woods-BendBeyond.mp3]

19. Spoon – “Car Radio” – September 13, 2010 Cake Shop. After we caught their set opening for Arcade Fire at Madison Square Garden, we weren’t sure we would have another chance to record Spoon this year. But then along came this secret show at Cake Shop, a live video recording for “Nobody Gets Me But You,” that proved to be one of the most exciting and intimate performances we saw all year. These guys remember where they came from (Austin) and we trust that they will never stop being one of the most consistent, most fan-friendly acts in the country. Download the entire set [HERE].

20. The Loom – “The First Freeze” – October 10, 2010 Backyard Brunch Sessions. We enjoyed many of the Backyard Brunch Sessions sets we saw this summer and fall, but perhaps none more than this performance by our friends The Loom, who proved that great musicians do not need extra amplification or trickery to make powerful music. Set up in a humble backyard in Bushwick, rocking a homemade bass made out of a washtub, they wowed us with their modern, folk-influenced sound. This song was my favorite of all, not least of which because of the added humor of some rowdy neighbors making noise in the background (who cannot be heard on the recording) – making a bunch of noise right before this (the quietest song of the set) song began. Once it got going, it was the most mesmerizing vocal performance of the day. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/Loom-FirstFreeze.mp3]

21. Yo La Tengo – “Little Eyes” – December 7, 2010 Maxwell’s. If you have read this site once in December, you know that Yo La Tengo’s 2010 Hanukkah shows have been our main focus this month. These eight nights of unique setlists, special guests, and fan camaraderie at one of our favorite venues in the city, Maxwell’s, are some of the best nights of the year every time that YLT decides to do them. This song, from the Summer Sun album, is an expanded version augmented by the guitar wizardry of the legendary Nels Cline, who joined the band for most of this night’s set. Although we loved the December 5 show featuring Mission of Burma, this show on the 7th turned out to be our favorite of them all – a perfect balance of the band’s harder and softer dynamics that showcased them at the height of their powers. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/YLT-LittleEyes.mp3]

22. Bear In Heaven – “Lovesick Teenager” – November 19, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg. Bear In Heaven was another band that stepped up in a big way in 2010. A year’s worth of touring took what had been a great album act but somewhat uneven live band and turned them into the juggernaut that we witnessed at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Whereas previous shows had always faced technical limitations (primarily with respect to sound), everything was perfectly dialed in for this show, with the Music Hall sound system delivering crystal clear sound and a light show that dazzled the sold-out crowd. Not but twelve months ago this band was playing the cozy Zebulon down the street. This show was obviously this band’s “Bowery moment.” [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/BearInHeaven-LovesickTeenager.mp3]

23. The Joy Formidable – “Austere” – January 12, 2010 Pianos. Whereas a Bowery Ballroom show tends to cement a band’s status in the scene, Pianos is Manhattan’s best incubator. Shows there tend to capture the nervous energy of bands trying to make their break who know that this could be it. We are pleased to say that since this show, The Joy Formidable did make it in a big way (including their own Bowery moment), playing tons of NY-area shows (almost all of which we saw) and bringing their music to new fans each time. Their massively loud sound is probably better suited a bigger venue, but we loved this Pianos show best of them all (and our recording sounded great). [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/TFJ-Austere.mp3]

24. The National – “Terrible Love” – December 8, 2010 Maxwell’s. Though it borders on heresy (and is not an opinion shared by all who work on this site), I was not an instant convert to The National‘s critically acclaimed High Violet. I didn’t hate the album, but after a three year break from recording, I was not sure what I should expect from the band. High Violet didn’t grab me in the way that earlier records like Alligator did, and it didn’t help that I first saw the songs live in the sonically deficient Terminal 5, where the sound was so poor that even The National’s sound engineer commiserated with us about the venue’s challenges. Luckily, I was given a second chance at this rare set opening in the (relatively) tiny Maxwell’s for Yo La Tengo on the final night of their Hanukkah shows. This time, in this intimate setting, the subtle beauty of the High Violet songs shone through, especially on the set’s closer, this fantastic rendition of “Terrible Love.” [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/National-TerribleLove.mp3]

25. We Were Promised Jetpacks – “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning” – February 15, 2010 Knitting Factory. I went to this show on a lark, having never heard this Scottish trio before. Apparently I had missed the memo, as the Knitting Factory was so packed I was literally crushed against the soundboard. In the best of ways, We Were Promised Jetpacks are what I like to call Scotland’s answer to U2 – their songs rely on anthemic riffs and vocalist Adam Thompson’s throaty choruses. The band worked this crowd into a froth, the energy seething through the room, as Thompson belted out song after song in a way that could have melted the ice outside. In a show full of them, this song was a particularly stirring anthem. [audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/2010Best20/WWPJ-Lightning.mp3]

Special thanks to all of the artists, management, labels, photographers and other music sites that have supported NYCTaper this year. And of course, a huge thank you to our readers, who we hope to continue to provide with high-quality, artist-sanctioned recordings, reviews and photos throughout 2011. Happy New Year!

Built to Spill: October 5, 2010 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC / MP3 Downloads + Streaming Samples

October 15, 2010
By


[photo by Johnny]

In spite of their extensive touring and the considerable number of gigs they’ve played in the NYC area in recent times, it had been a few years since my last Built to Spill concert and the anticipation for this one was awfully high.  Suffice to say, I wasn’t disappointed; the show that the band put on, along with the songs they chose to play, made it worth the wait.  Beginning with the vibrantly melodic “Traces”, the group pulled tracks from most of their albums, threw in a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” and ended with a one-two punch of the often-requested (at least on this night) crowd pleaser “Car” and “Virginia Reel Around the Fountain” from Doug Martsch’s side project, the Halo Benders.  All in all, a wonderful show to reacquaint me with the band after my hiatus.

We taped this show from the dead-center spot on the balcony, right above the soundboard.  Aside from the house mix being a touch bass-heavy in our location, the resultant recording is indicative of the very good to excellent audio that’s typical of this venue and sounds great.  Hope you like what you hear as much as we did.  Enjoy!

Stream “Reasons”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2609BuilttoSpill8008/bts2010-10-05-Reasons.mp3]
Stream “Joyride”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2609BuilttoSpill8008/bts2010-10-05-Joyride.mp3]

Direct download of the complete show in MP3 [HERE]
Direct download of the complete show in FLAC [HERE]

If either of the links are no longer working, email nyctaper with a request for the download location of the files.

Built to Spill
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY, USA
(opening bands: Love As Laughter / ReVoLtReVoLt)

Source: AUD > AKG C 414 B-XLS’s + DPA 4021’s > Edirol R-44 (WAV @ 24-bit/48kHz)
Lineage: R-44 > USB > PC > Adobe Audition (mixdown, adjust levels, downsample, dither, tracking) > WAV (16-bit/44.1kHz) > Trader’s Little Helper (check/fix SBE’s, conversion) > FLAC Level 8
Recorded and produced by: Johnny Fried Chicken Boy

SELIST:
[Total time: 1:38:54]
01. Traces
02. Reasons
03. Hindsight
04. [tuning]
05. Kicked It in the Sun
06. [banter]
07. Distopian Dream Girl
08. Strange
09. [banter]
10. Life’s a Dream
11. Time Trap
12. Ripple  [Grateful Dead]
13. Joyride
14. [tuning]
15. Else
16. [banter]
17. Carry the Zero
18. [encore break / banter]
19. Stop the Show
20. [tuning]
21. Car
22. Virginia Reel Around the Fountain  [Halo Benders]

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built to Spill, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases and merchandise.

Built to Spill: September 2, 2010 Rocks Off Concert Cruise – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Sample

September 7, 2010
By


[photo courtesy of Chris Becker and Green Shoelace]

A show that for some odd reason I didn’t even necessarily intend to see, until a 2 a.m. email to brooklynvegan got me on the boat, ended up being one of my favorite shows of the year and an incredibly appropriate end to the Summer. Built To Spill on the Rocks Off Concert Cruise — two hours of a peak performance in perfect weather and a party atmosphere that managed to get raucous without getting stupid. Doug Martsch is always a genial fellow, but on this night he honored requests, chatted and joked with the fans, and played DJ before and after the set. He may have had as good a time as any of us. Its hard to argue with a setlist that drew five songs from the first two albums, including the rarely played duo of “Twin Falls” and “Some”. There isn’t much more we can ask from this band this year, as they’ve played two excellent shows this year after delivering four great nights last October. But they will be giving more. Built To Spill will play the Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 5 and Highline Ballroom on October 6.

This set was recorded with the Neumann microphones pointed at the stacks from about twenty feet, and mixed with feed from the soundboard. The sound quality is far better than I expected recording music in a boat, since the performance area was mostly indoors and the sound mix in the room was superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Carry The Zero”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2609BuilttoSpill8008/Built%20To%20Spill%202010-09-02%20Carry%20The%20Zero.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Built to Spill
2010-09-02
Rocks Off Concert Cruise
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
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
2009-09-03

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:30:30]
01 Traces
02 Distopian Dream Girl
03 The Plan
04 [banter]
05 Hindsight
06 Twin Falls
07 Some
08 Three Years Ago Today
09 [banter]
10 The Weather
11 Else
12 Big Dipper
13 Carry The Zero
14 [encore break]
15 Life’s a Dream
16 Car
17 [banter]
18 Conventional Wisdom

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built To Spill, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the Official Store at their website [Here].

Built To Spill: July 28, 2010 Irving Plaza – FLAC/MP3/Streaming

August 1, 2010
By


[screen cap from this video]

Although known for their epic sets, including the several we recorded last yearBuilt to Spill’s set at Irving Plaza(thankfully renamed back from its brief, lame, “Fillmore East’ incarnation) was relatively short (clocking in around 80 minutes) and tighter than we expected.  That said, the band tore it up for every second that they were onstage, and frontman Doug Martsch’s vocals were dialed-in from moment one.   Playing very little of their recent There is No Enemy (though the leadoff of “Oh Yeah” was perfect), the band decided to play through the catalog, including an excellent version of their early classic, “Car” with the crowd fully behind it.  The band also played a highlight from their Live album, the Halo Benders cover “Virginia Reel Around the Fountain.”  The fact that a band’s 80-minute show is considered “short” is a testament to how much they normally give their fans.  In the end, not every show – even one with a serious player like Martsch – needs to serve up non-stop jams to be a winner.

We recorded this set from the center of the floor with the Schoeps and Neumann hypercardiod microphones parallel to each other on an 8-foot mic stand.  With some EQ tweaks to reduce some of the room characteristics, the sound is excellent.  Enjoy!

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

Stream “Car”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2609BuilttoSpill8008/BuilttoSpill-Car.mp3]

Built to Spill
2010-07-28
Irving Plaza
New York, NY USA

Premiere download available exclusively at nyctaper.com

Recorded by acidjack and nyctaper
Produced by acidjack 2010-07-30

Equipment: Neumann KM150+Schoeps CMC641>Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) (24/44.1)
Position: FOB, DFC, mics at 8′, both pointed at stacks
Mastering: 2×24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ, mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance channels, smooth peaks, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:18:40]
01 Oh Yeah
02 Three Years Ago
03 Distopian Dream Girl
04 Kicked It In the Sun
05 Wherever You Go
06 Hindsight
07 The Plan
08 [tuning]
09 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
10 [tuning]
11 Virginia Reel Around the Fountain
12 Carry the Zero
13 [encore break]
14 Time Trap
15 Car
16 Conventional Wisdom

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built To Spill, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the Official Store at their website [Here].

Built to Spill: October 15, 2009 Music Hall – Flac and MP3 Downloads

October 17, 2009
By


[photo courtesy of Sarah Tew]

The fourth and final night of the Built to Spill NYC “tour” was a night to jam. BTS seemed relaxed and poised to have some loose fun. Doug spoke often to the crowd and honored a couple of requests — “You Were Right” and “Cars” were audience choices. The most compelling parts of the evening though were the two extended jam segments. “Hindsight” from the new album There Is No Enemy was stretched out with a new instrumental segment, and the show-closing eleven minute “Conventional Wisdom” was perhaps the most intense song performed by the band all week.

We recorded this show from the same location as the previous night. While the vocals were still too low in the mix, the problem is not nearly as pronounced as the recording of the night before. With that caveat, enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Built to Spill
2009-10-15
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Center Balcony Rail

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
2009-10-17

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:37:27]
01 Liar
02 Stab
03 Time Trap
04 Hindsight
05 Kicked It In The Sun
06 Virginia Reel Around the Fountain
07 Done
08 Sidewalk
09 You Were Right
10 Big Dipper
11 Untrustable
12 [encore break]
13 The Weather
14 Car
15 Conventional Wisdom

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built To Spill, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the Official Store at their website [Here].

Built to Spill: October 14, 2009 Music Hall – Flac and MP3 Downloads

October 16, 2009
By

[photo courtesy of David Wells]

The four-show Built to Spill NYC tour moved to Brooklyn on Wednesday and brought along another varied setlist. After Monday’s hit-heavy show and Tuesday’s time trip to the 90’s, Wednesday in Brooklyn was guitar night. As Doug’s lead instrument was dominant in the house mix, the audience could literally ride every trip up and down the fretboard — and there were many. From the classic opener “Three Years Ago Today”, the raging “In Your Mind”, and to the set closer “Carry The Zero”, Doug inventive and heady solos were front and center. While we would have preferred the lengthy jammed out version of “Randy” in the encore slot — this version was only four minutes — the band chose to use the show-closing nine-minute “Goin’ Against Your Mind” to stretch out.

I recorded this set from the front center rail of the balcony with the four microphone rig. The sound quality of the instruments is quite spectacular. However, the vocals are again buried in the mix — which given the guitar-oriented nature of this band and this show in particular is probably not a major impediment to enjoyment!

Last night (Oct 15) was also recorded and will be posted very soon.

Direct download of MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Built to Spill
2009-10-14
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Center Balcony Rail

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
2009-10-16

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:32:33]
01 Three Years Ago Today
02 In The Morning
03 Strange
04 Life’s A Dream
05 Distopian Dream Girl
06 Done
07 Wherever You Go
08 Nowhere Lullaby
09 In Your Mind
10 Planting Seeds
11 Alarmed
12 Carry The Zero
13 [encore break]
14 Randy Described Eternity
15 Car
16 Goin’ Against Your Mind

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Built To Spill, visit their website, visit their MySpace page, and purchase their official releases from the Official Store at their website [Here].

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