Posts Tagged ‘ dpa ’

Archers of Loaf: June 25, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 28, 2011
By

archers of loaf
[Photo credit]

Archers of Loaf hold a special place in my heart, as they were among the leaders of the vanguard of Chapel Hill, NC bands that cultivated an incredible college-town scene that first encouraged me to move to the area back in the 1990s. By the time I arrived in the area, many of the scene’s anchor bands like Archers and Polvo were broken up or about to, but what they created left an indelible impression, making this town in the heart of the “Research Triangle” of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill a major music destination, especially in the southeast, and propelling the local Cat’s Cradle club to near-legendary status. Archers, in particular, were a band with a lot of integrity, and one that thrived on an outstanding live show and the creative songwriting of frontman Eric Bachmann, who continues to be a creative force in his own right with his project Crooked Fingers.

Now, after a 13-year hiatus, the Archers are back, at least for now, joining a number of high-profile 1990s indie acts (like this one) on the reunion circuit. Storming the stage at Music Hall of Williamsburg to a raucous show of support, the Archers proved that they haven’t lost a step since their first retirement. With a setlist that focused heavily on earlier material from the albums Icky Mettle, Vee Vee and various EPs (much of which material can be found on the compilation The Speed of Cattle) and ignored almost completely the later records All the Nation’s Airports and White Trash Heroes, the band offered plenty of red meat to their most hardcore fans. Even for a Saturday night crowd, this one was going absolutely insane for their hosts, leading chants of “Welcome back! Welcome back!” as they took the stage and singing, screaming and caterwauling through the entire set. The band were so impressed with the Brooklyn crowd that they came back for a second encore featuring the non-album track “Smokin’ Pot in the Hot City” and closing with “Bacteria,” which was interrupted twice by a hilarious fan dancing onstage. As the house lights went up, the members could still be found onstage, high-fiving and shaking hands with the fans down front, many of whom had sung every word by heart.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones from the balcony. I was not totally happy with the house mix in the venue, but the largest single flaw of the recording is a particularly enthusiastic audience member who really gets over the top (mostly) between songs. Suffice it to say, what you can hear of this person’s performance in this recording – made from directional microphones faced away from the crowd – was ten times louder in person. I’ll let listeners decide for themselves how they feel about it. Overall, the recording is a great representation of the night, for better or worse. Enjoy!

Thanks to our friends at Merge Records for granting us permission to record and for their support!

Stream “Greatest of All Time”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6250Archers2011/18 Greatest of All Time.mp3]

Stream “Smokin’ Pot In the Hot City”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6250Archers2011/27 Smokin’ Pot In the Hot City.mp3]

Stream “Wrong”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/A6250Archers2011/23 Wrong.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Direct download of FLAC files [HERE]

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Archers of Loaf
2011-06-25
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Oade M248>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Balcony, LOC, micas on clamp aimed down, PAS
Mastering: 24it/44.1kHz WAV>Audition (EQ, balance)>Audacity (tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:24:47]

01 [intro]
02 Audiowhore
03 Harnessed In Slums
04 [banter]
05 Revenge
06 [banter]
07 You and Me
08 Might
09 Lowest Part Is Free
10 Freezing Point
11 Scenic Pastures
12 Form and File
13 1985
14 Fabricoh
15 Dead Red Eyes
16 [banter]
17 Worst Defense
18 Greatest of All Time
19 Web in Front
20 What Did You Expect?
21 Nostalgia
22 [encore break 1]
23 Wrong
24 Plumb Line
25 Slow Worm
26 [encore break 2]
27 Smokin’ Pot In the Hot City
28 Bacteria

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Archers of Loaf, visit their website, and purchase their official releases directly from Merge Records (who just re-released their debut album, Icky Mettle) [HERE]

Queens of the Stone Age: March 25, 2011 Terminal 5 – FLAC / MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 26, 2011
By


[Photos courtesy of a.f. cortes.  See more of his outstanding work HERE]

It’s basic fact that Josh Homme has been one of the principle contributors to the stoner rock handbook and it would’ve made for a very different read without his input.  Starting with his first band, Kyuss, in the early 90’s and continuing through present day with Queens of the Stone Age, he’s been adding chapters to it ever since.  On tour to coincide with the re-release of their long-out-of-print debut album, the crux of these shows was to play it in its entirety; a popular trend that seems to be the case with many bands nowadays.  The sticking point is that the Queen’s self-titled first disc is brilliant, a touchstone of hard rock that many professional reviewers and fans alike have added to “must-have” rosters.  With many of these songs rarely showing up in setlists, it was a treat to hear them performed in a live setting.  In addition to surrounding himself with talented musicians that have great chops, Homme takes to the frontman role well and has a knack for keeping the audience entertained.  The proof being the crowd’s interaction with him, the adulation that teeters on the brink of feverish worship and the many declarations of love from female fans that I witnessed during this sell-out performance.  With devotees like that, I predict this band will have more continued years of success.

Per our usual in this venue, we were set up in the dead-center spot on the first balcony.  Terminal 5 can be tricky when it comes to getting the sound just right, so while the instruments sounded very good and are nicely balanced, the vocals were pretty low in the mix throughout most of the concert.  Nonetheless, the recording is solid and a great snapshot of the show.  Enjoy!

Stream “If Only”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Q3052QOTSA1012/QOTSA_-_If_Only.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.

Queens of the Stone Age
Friday, March 25, 2011
Terminal 5
New York, NY, USA
(opening band: The Dough Rollers)

Source: AUD > 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, FLAC conversion) > FLAC (level 8 )
Recorded and produced by: Johnny Fried Chicken Boy

SETLIST:
[Total time: 1:40:05]
01. Regular John
02. Avon
03. If Only
04. Walkin’ on the Sidewalks
05. You Would Know
06. How to Handle a Rope
07. Mexicola
08. [banter]
09. Hispanic Impressions
10. The Bronze
11. Give the Mule What He Wants
12. I Was a Teenage Hand Model
13. You Can’t Quit Me Baby
14. [1st encore break]
15. Turnin’ on the Screw
16. Long Slow Goodbye
17. Little Sister
18. [2nd encore break / banter]
19. Burn the Witch
20. [banter / band intros]
21. Make It Wit Chu
22. No One Knows

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Queens of the Stone Age, visit their website, visit their MySpace and Facebook pages, and purchase their official releases and merchandise [HERE].

Thurston Moore: May 20, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 25, 2011
By


[photo by Bryan Bruchman]

Thurston Moore has a sweeping, almost uncontainable musical vision. He is an artist who I have personally seen, just in the past year, perform everything from a chaotic, sprawling noise collage to Sonic Youth’s classic postpunk to these, his somnolent, captivating acoustic meditations. He is in many ways the archetype of the modern New York musician to which almost anyone, in any genre, aspires, and he and his bandmates in Sonic Youth almost single-handedly revitalized and redefined the scene in the 80s and 90s. If you are trying to describe, using one person, everything that is honest and right and excellent and so very New York about modern New York rock musicians, look no further than Thurston Moore.

This Friday night show at Music Hall of Williamsburg celebrated the release of Moore’s most recent solo record, the Beck-produced Demolished Thoughts, which picks up on the quieter end of where his 2007 solo release Trees Outside the Academy left off. The set concentrated heavily on that record, as well as some songs from Trees Outside the Academy, and finished with the title track from Moore’s first proper solo outing, Psychic Hearts. While the songs in this set fall within the more conventional range of Moore’s spectrum, there was nothing banal about them, as each track demonstrated his virtuosity on the guitar – witness the back end of “Orchard Street” and his amazing consistency at writing catchy, interesting songs (“In Silver Rain With A Paper Key” being one). Moore was backed by a crack band of hyper-cool indie luminaries that included Keith Wood from Hush Arbors on guitar and John Moloney of Sunburned Hand of the Man, and they did the songs ample justice. Unlike most gigs Thurston Moore is involved in, this one never required earplugs – but it didn’t need the noise to be noticed.

I recorded this set from the left balcony of the venue with the Schoeps microphones on an extension arm pointed directly at the stacks, with tiny DPA omnidirectional microphones providing the room warmth and ambiance that usually lack from up-close recordings of this type. Both mics ran through quiet preamps that minimized hiss from this more quiet show. The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “In Silver Rain With A Paper Key”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2111SonicYouth2222/13 In Silver Rain With A Paper Key.mp3]

Stream “Orchard Street”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2111SonicYouth2222/08 Orchard Street.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Direct download of lossless FLAC files [HERE]

PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THE DIRECT LINKS TO THESE FILES. IF YOU DO, WE WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THE LINKS, AND THEY WILL BE DEAD FOR  A PERIOD OF TIME.

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Thurston Moore
2011-05-20
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY  USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps Mk41>CMC6>Sound Devices USBpre2 + DPA 4061>Church Audio CA9200 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/48)
Position: Left balcony, about 15′ from stack, mics on extension arm split A/B
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (smooth peaks, hard limit and de-amplify applause, mixdown, downsample to 44.1kHz, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 intro
02 Mina Loy
03 Blood Never Lies
04 Never Day
05 [banter]
06 January
07 Space
08 Orchard Street
09 [banter]
10 Benediction
11 Illuminine
12 [banter]
13 In Silver Rain With A Paper Key
14 Circulation
15 [encore break]
16 Psychic Hearts

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Thurston Moore, visit his MySpace page, and purchase his official releases directly from his label, Ecstatic Peace, [HERE]

Lyonnais: April 15, 2011 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 7, 2011
By

lyonnais
[Photo from Lyonnais MySpace page]

I fully admit to knowing next to nothing about the Atlanta band Lyonnais – except that they rock. The four piece began in 2008 as a project between two WRAL-Atlanta music directors, Farbod Kokabi and Farzad Moghaddam, and the two clearly have an affinity for drone, psychedelic and post-rock, as they layer on the heavy reverb and distortion without apology. Their music has become increasingly experimental, focusing on longer compositions that defy the traditional 3-to-6 minute format.

This show at Glasslands, opening for Eternal Summers (that recording here), gave Lyonnais a chance to thrive in what might be a more natural environment for a band of their style – Williamsburg. These five songs – mostly longer-form compositions – showcased their ability to combine dense, reverb-heavy guitar jams with surprisingly accessible hooks. Although all of the material was new to me, I hope it will become more familiar as the band progresses to the album release stage in the (hopefully) near future (their debt album is being shopped to labels at present).

I recorded this set from the same location as the Eternal Summers recording, and the sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Please help out with the setlist – as the band does not appear to have any releases, the only source of song info I could find was their MySpace page.

Stream “Friendly Fires”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L1540Lyonnais0211/04 Friendly Fires.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Lyonnais
2011-04-15
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Oade M248+Soundboard>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/44.1)
Position: Center pole, 11′ up, X/Y
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, EQ audience source, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [unknown]
02 The Fatalist
03 [unknown]
04 Friendly Fires
05 [unknown]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Lyonnais, visit their MySpace page, and find out more about the band (including their forthcoming album release date) from Tell All Your Friends.

…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: April 29, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 3, 2011
By


[Photo by EardrumNYC]

Starting with their band name, Austin’s …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead have never been concerned with doing things the way that other bands do them. They are the kind of band that opens a co-headlining (yet nonetheless, technically opening) set at the Bowery Ballroom on a Friday night with a fifteen minute song (“Strange News From Another Planet”) from a new record (2011’s Tao of the Dead) that likely even the fans in attendance knew less well than their classic material. They are also the kind of band who, when they do that, cause the crowd to go apeshit.

Indeed, for the younger generation that was there to see the co-headliner Surfer Blood, this intense hour of no-compromise punk/art-rock may have been a departure from their usual Friday night fare. Surfer Blood is a great band, but Trail of Dead is many things they are not: loud, audacious, and visceral. But whether you came for Trail of Dead or not, they had to have won you over by the time they left the stage; frontman Conrad Keely bounced and pogo’d all over the stage while Jason Reece and Jamie Miller traded turns playing guitar and hammering the skins. With Autry Fulbright, also of Midnight Masses, joining on bass, the band has a killer lineup, even compared to the many variously-sized ones they have had. They were clearly enjoying themselves, as well as the energy from the crowd, which peaked in size during their set. The set covered a wide range of the band’s material, from the new material to classics such as “It Was There That I Saw You”, the leadoff track to their Pitchfork “perfect 10” album, Source Tags & Codes. The soaring song about intoxicating, damaged love is both jubilant and sad, a classic whether you’re hearing it for the first or fiftieth time. It also made for a tight under-four-minute contrast to some of the more epic numbers that bookended the set (including a 7+ minute “Perfect Teenhood” from Madonna to close out the set) …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead don’t just defy expectations – they exceed them.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones and a handmade analog preamp from my usual spot in the venue. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Please note that the Surfer Blood set was recorded, but per our agreement with Kanine Records, will not be posted until the release of Surfer Blood’s forthcoming EP.

Stream “It Was There That I Saw You”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T2402TrailOfDead1122/09 It Was There That I Saw You.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
2011-04-29
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY  USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Oade M248>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Slightly LOC, clamp to balcony rail at engineers’ head level, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, amplify and balance, light EQ (-1dB at 150-200Hz), smooth peaks, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 59:27]
01 [intro]
02 Strange News From Another Planet
03 Summer of All Dead Souls
04 [banter]
05 Ebb Away
06 Will You Smile Again
07 Caterwaul
08 [banter]
09 It Was There That I Saw You
10 [banter]
11 Relative Ways
12 Fake Fake Eyes
13 A Perfect Teenhood

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Trail of Dead, visit their website, and purchase Tao of the Dead at your favorite retailer, including here.

Low: April 27, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

May 2, 2011
By


[Photos by wagz2it and courtesy of A Heart Is A Spade]

Low are perhaps the best musical example of the value of speaking softly.  Since 1993, they have been playing perfectly expressed, understated American music with a deftness and grace that eludes all but the very best artists.  Much is made of the fact that, throughout a musical period where brash, loud and reckless are the touchstones of popular indie bands, they have won legions of fans with songs that are none of those things.  Indeed, their songs are tightly written concoctions; their primary strength lies in the singular vocal harmonies of guitarist Alan Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker, who plays a limited set of drums standing up. But really, being different is not what makes Low stand out.  What makes people pay attention to them – to cause them to watch their entire 90-minute performance in stunned rapture, punctuated only by bouts of furious applause – is what should always make people pay attention to anything.  That is, that they are excellent at what they do, phenomenally talented, dedicated and musically almost perfect (one little false start notwithstanding).  Although the band have many, many fine albums under their collective belt at this point, their recent release C’mon nonetheless represents another high watermark for the band, as it is not only contains some amazing new numbers like “Witches” and the expansive rocker “Nothing But Heart,” but is flawlessly recorded in an old church that captures the warmth of the band’s sound ideally.

This being a Wednesday night, the band was rewarded with an attentive and devoted Bowery Ballroom crowd that watched Sparhawk, Parker and bassist Steve Garrington give a majestic performance that was one of the best I have seen in my entire life.  What struck me most about Low was their level of control; Sparhawk and Parker are a seamless vocal instrument, such as on the lovely first encore, “Sunflower” from 2001’s Things We Lost In the Fire, and their command of their material a pleasure to watch unfold in the live setting.  The venue was ideal for the band – intimate enough for us to be able to hang on every word, but large enough to let them unleash the power of their more soaring songs, including the epic quiet/loud combo on their second encore, “When I Go Deaf”.  That they played a second encore is a sign of what a rich and outstanding show this was; everything was going right. At a quiet show like this, you often worry about people not paying attention, talking, and generally distracting other listeners; Low don’t seem to have that problem. It is impossible to be torn away. Sometimes, there is value in speaking softly.

I recorded this set with the DPA microphones in my usual location in the venue with a hand-built analog preamp for added warmth and detail. Because the band was playing very quietly at certain points, there are some moments of perceptible hiss from both the venue PA and my equipment, as well as some spots of light wind noise from the venue’s HVAC system that are almost never audible during louder shows.  Despite these minor flaws, I think this is overall an excellent recording and a great capture of the evening  (including the very respectful and very enthusiastic crowd).

 

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Low
2011-04-27
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Oade M248>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Slightly ROC, clamp to balcony rail, pointed at stacks
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, amplify and balance, select noise reduction, smooth peaks, hard limit clapping, balance and amplify individual tracks, amplify entire performance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:27:24]

01 Point of Disgust
02 Breaker
03 Try to Sleep
04 You See Everything
05 Monkey
06 Silver Rider
07 Witches
08 Especially Me
09 Last Snowstorm of the Year
10 $20
11 Majesty/Magic
12 Nightingale
13 Nothing But Heart
14 Something’s Turning Over
15 [false start]
16 Murderer
17 [encore break 1]
18 Sunflower
19 Violent Past
20 Cue the Strings
21 [encore break 2]
22 When I Go Deaf

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Low, like them on Facebook, and purchase C’mon directly from SubPop Records [HERE]

Eternal Summers: April 15, 2011 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 18, 2011
By

etsum1
[Photo by Jessica Amaya]

I was a bit surprised that my first experience in the upgraded/redesigned Glasslands – complete with better sightlines, more bars, more bathrooms, better sound, and better light – was actually a band that wasn’t from NYC. But Roanoke, VA-based Eternal Summers certainly have their finger on the pulse of the sensibilities of the moment, whatever their geographic orientation. They make the kind of smart, plaintive pop-punk that would have fit well into the early 90s scene in DC and Arlington, VA. With a record, Silver on Kanine Records that has been extremely well received, as well as a slew of EPs, the duo of Nicole Yun and Daniel Cundiff (now also with a touring bassist) has been hitting New York with regularity. This show, presented by PopGun Booking and Tell All Your Friends PR, celebrated the band’s latest release on Kanine, the Prisoner EP. Rounding out an excellent four-act bill, Eternal Summers didn’t spend much of their economical set chatting, instead focusing on playing fiery renditions of songs from all over their catalog. My favorite was the bouncy title track from Silver. It is worth noting that Eternal Summers are part of a loosely affiliated local collective (in which Cundiff is a serial participant) known as the Magic Twig Community. If the rest of Roanoke’s progressive scene bears any relationship to the quality of this band, I need to take a trip to Virginia as soon as possible.

I recorded this set with an excellent soundboard feed from Josh of Glasslands combined with the DPA mics mounted in an optimum new location in the venue. The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “Silver”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/E1504EternalSummers2011/04 Silver.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Eternal Summers
2011-04-15
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Oade M248+Soundboard>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (24/44.1)
Position: Center pole, 11′ up, X/Y
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, EQ audience source, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Prisoner
02 [unknown]
03 Able To
04 Silver
05 World’s Away
06 Safe At Home
07 I Know Now
08 [unknown]
09 [unknown]
10 [unknown]
11 Girls In the City
12 What Do You Do (?)
13 [unknown]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Eternal Summers, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Prisoner directly from Kanine Records [HERE]

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

April 11, 2011
By

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

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

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

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

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

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 7, 2011
By

Oneida ocropolis
[Photos courtesy of Jim Dalton]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Set II
01 Improvisation [Afternoon Set II]

Set III
01 Improvisation [Afternoon Set III]

Evening Session
Set I
01 Improvisation [Night Set I]

Set II
01 Improvisation [Night Set II]

Set III
01 Improvisation [Night Set III]

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

Soulive: March 12, 2011: Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 26, 2011
By


[photo by Jill from For The Love of Brooklyn]

For the past two years now, the funk/jazz trio Soulive have been commandeering the cavernous adult playland Brooklyn Bowl for a series of concerts they dub “Bowlive”. These special shows in their home state of New York (they are originally based in Woodstock) feature memorable performances by the band as well as hordes of special guests; if anything, this year’s “Bowlive II” was even more epic than last year’s outing. This final night of their 10-day run promised to be a special one, and despite the last-minute illness-induced withdrawal of special guest Matisyahu, the band and their guests didn’t let that slow them down as they brought the funk for more than two hours. The tighter first set focused mostly on Soulive’s own material, including a heady rendition of “Doing the 2” jamming into “Too Much”, with the night’s opening act, Nigel Hall, on vocals together with Alicia Chakour. The first set closed with the night’s first surprise, when during their cover of the Meters’ “Just Kissed My Baby”, American Idol winner Taylor Hicks (remember him?) bounded to the stage. Adding backing vocals and harmonica to Hall and Chakour’s vocals, Hicks proved that although he may not be the most commercially successful Idol graduate, he lacks nothing in the talent department.

Set two saw more musical exploration, including a special showcase for the talents of guitarist Eric Krasno on a cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan‘s “Lenny”. Not to be outdone, drummer Alan Evans brought the full force of his kit skills to bear during the night’s most epic number, “One in Seven,” featuring an extended solo in the middle. The set wrapped up with three covers: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears (turned into straight-up soul number), Aretha Franklin‘s “Rock Steady,” and finally (and appropriately), the encore, “Makin’ My Way Back Home” by Lettuce (only half a cover, given the overlapping players in both acts). Bowling and funk may be natural bedfellows, or they may not be, but either way, we hope there is a Bowlive III in the future.

We recorded this set with a combination of the DPA microphones at close range to capture the PA output, plus AKG large-diaphragm microphones onstage to capture the instrumental detail and broad, spacious stage sound. The results are truly outstanding. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Soulive and Morgan Young for approving this recording, and to Peter Costello and the Brooklyn Bowl team for their hospitality and hard work.

Stream “Just Kissed My Baby”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1302Soulive1021/soulive2011-03-12bbowl_acidjack-11.mp3]

Stream “Lenny”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1302Soulive1021/soulive2011-03-12bbowl_acidjack-17.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Soulive
2011-03-12
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

Recorded and produced by Johnny Fried Chicken Boy and acidjack for nyctaper.com

Equipment: DPA 4021>Sound Devices USBpre2+AKG C 414 B-XLS (Wide Cardiod Mode)>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]
Position: AKGs onstage, DPAs on stand, 10ft from right stack, 12ft up, X/Y
Mastering: 2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (EQ DPA source, mixdown, downsample, tracking, set fades, level adjustments, fix SBEs, tag files, smooth peaks, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks:
Set 1:
01. intro
02. Bubble
03. banter
04. Uncle Junior
05. banter
06. Flurries
07. banter
08. The Swamp
09. banter
10. Doing the 2 > Too Much
11. Just Kissed My Baby [The Meters]

Set 2:
12. 2nd set intro
13. El Ron
14. banter
15. Up Right
16. banter
17. Lenny [Stevie Ray Vaughan]
18. banter
19. One in Seven >
20. drums > One in Seven
21. Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Tears for Fears]
22. banter
23. Rock Steady [Aretha Franklin]
24. encore break
25. Makin’ My Way Back Home [Lettuce]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Soulive, visit their website, and purchase their official releases and merchandise directly from the band’s online store [HERE]

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