Posts Tagged ‘ manhattan ’

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]

Local H: April 21, 2011 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 26, 2011
By


[Local H live at The Riot Room, Kansas City, MO in 2008.  Photos courtesy of Todd Zimmer.  See his Flickr stream [HERE]]

The Chicago power duo Local H are a bit of a rock n’ roll time capsule.  Although they formed in 1987, the band first hit the mainstream in the the post-Cobain years with their 1996 FM smash “Bound for the Floor”, which couldn’t help but remind alt-rock fans of their departed hero. The album that featured the single, As Good As Dead, generated several more radio classics, including “Eddie Vedder” and “High-Fiving MF”.  Back in those days – when the major labels still controlled all the levers of artistic success – the only upward route was successful radio singles, big debut record, land the followup.  Like a lot of bands in the late 90s, Local H found themselves caught in the drama of the devolution of the record industry, and their followup to As Good As Dead – Pack Up the Cats – languished more as a result of big-label intrigue than of artistic decline.  Unlike many of their peers, Local H didn’t give up, and went on to have a career that has been marked by legendary live shows.  This set at Mercury Lounge, part of a “Singles Tour” celebrating The Island Years, a forthcoming “best-of” of sorts from their 90s output on Island Records, read like a career retrospective, from early songs like “Mayonnaise & Malaise” to the forthcoming single “Cold Matter.”

As to the “time capsule” comment, it was striking, from the band’s earlier material, how different the concerns of artists were in the 90s versus today.  Lyrically, many of these numbers could easily be touchstones of the era from which they came.  Songs that confront issues like the struggle for authenticity, the worry that your shows are being overrun by meatheads (“High Fiving MF”), and the “one-hit wonder” phenomenon seem quaint in today’s car-commercial-driven era, where even one FM radio hit is an unthinkable luxury and most bands are happy to give away their records to fans on bandcamp, let alone worry about what happens to their follow-up on a major label.  Local H may be of an earlier time, but as this show demonstrated, they still have plenty to say.  The night ended with a searing tribute, a cover of TV on the Radio‘s “Wolf Like Me,” in honor of the recently departed Gerard Smith, who died of lung cancer.

Clearly, Local H have some singles left in them.

hi and lo and I recorded this set with a combination of four Schoeps microphones from our usual spot in the venue. Because the band does not permit soundboard recordings, we used only the audience mics, but Kyle’s excellent mix comes through nicely.  There are some rowdier moments of crowd noise, but they only serve to add to the experience.  Enjoy!

Stream “Eddie Vedder”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L2014LocalH2110/13 Eddie Vedder.mp3]

Stream “Wolf Like Me”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L2014LocalH2110/21 Wolf Like Me.mp3]

This recording is now available for download in FLAC or MP3 at Archive.org [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Local H
2011-04-21
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY  USA

Four Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded by acidjack and hi and lo for nyctaper.com
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: Schoeps Mk5 (cardiod)>CMBi+Schoeps Mk41>CMC6>>Tascam DR-680 (24/44.1)
Position: At soundboard, slightly ROC, pointed at stacks, mics at approx 7ft.
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (adjust levels, mixdown, set fades, EQ, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:28:41]
01 Fritz’s Corner
02 All The Kids Are Right
03 Cynic
04 Half-Life
05 Tag Along
06 Twenty-Four Breakup Session
07 All Right Oh Yeah
08 Another February
09 High-Fiving MF
10 [banter]
11 Everyone Alive
12 Michelle (Again)
13 Eddie Vedder
14 Mayonnaise & Malaise
15 Hands on the Bible
16 California Songs
17 [banter]
18 Cold Matter
19 Joey [Concrete Blonde]
20 Bound For the Floor
21 Wolf Like Me [TV On the Radio]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Local H, visit their website, and pre-order The Island Years from Amazon [HERE]

Maps & Atlases: April 19, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 25, 2011
By


[Photo by Megan Barron.  See her Flickr stream here]

It is a not-uncommon trope on this site that bands tend to give it their absolute best when playing their first Bowery Ballroom show – it’s a big moment for any band, and the venue itself is nearly perfect – spacious yet intimate, welcoming, and outfitted with an excellent sound system. Maps & Atlases took full advantage of their breakout moment this Tuesday night, as they played an outstanding set to a welcoming 16+ crowd fueled more by the band’s incredible music than the typical NYC crowd’s favorite combo of alcohol and smartphones. In note-perfect form the band covered the best material from their first full-length, Perch Patchwork, as well as classics from their EPs like “Ted Zancha,” “Artichokes” and “Everyplace Is A House.” Maps don’t sound like any other band out there today; vocalist/guitarist Dave Davison’s voice remains in a class by itself, and their unique, polyrhythmic rock could probably wow a class of music students as easily as it did this young Bowery crowd. That uniqueness may have been an impediment at first, but people are clearly “getting it” now. It doesn’t hurt that their live show is a bit of a contrast from their more lo-fi sounding albums; turned up loud, their music is more celebratory than it seems on a scratchy EP, and more importantly, live, you just cannot miss how dialed-in these guys are as musicians. That was best in evidence during an epic seven-minute version of “Daily News” from the You Me & the Mountain EP, a mostly-instrumental track that was perhaps the strongest song of the night. The band also gave us a rare treat by doing a cover song (not part of their usual repertoire, other than their cover of Cast Spells’ “Glamorous Glowing”), a short, faithful rendition of Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio”. While there was no post-show acoustic set from the floor like there was at the intimate Mercury Lounge show last year, this set still outshone that one. It kind of had to – it was their “Bowery moment.”

Kenny, the regular sound engineer at Bowery Ballroom, truly outdid himself this evening with a flawless mix. While the Mercury show also included a soundboard feed, the sound quality of this set, with the Schoeps microphones running into a custom built analog preamp, is better than that one, in my opinion. Enjoy!

Stream “Daily News”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M2180M&A0210/16 Daily News.mp3]

Stream “Radio Radio”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/M2180M&A0210/20 Radio Radio.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

Maps & Atlases
2011-04-19
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: Schoeps Mk41>CMC6>Oade M248>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Balcony, LOC, mics on clamp extended toward soundboard, DIN
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:01:25]
01 Pigeon
02 The Sounds They Make
03 Artichokes
04 [tuning]
05 Israeli Caves
06 [banter]
07 Ted Zancha
08 [banter]
09 Will>
10 The Charm
11 [banter]
12 Witch
13 Everyplace Is A House
14 Living Decorations
15 Glamorous Glowing [Cast Spells]
16 Daily News
17 [banter]
18 Solid Ground
19 [encore break]
20 Radio Radio [Elvis Costello]
21 If This Is>
22 Was

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Maps & Atlases, visit their MySpace page, and purchase Perch Patchwork from their official store here.

British Sea Power: April 21, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 23, 2011
By


[photo courtesy of blir]

On the final night of their US tour British Sea Power let loose the likes we have not seen before. Three years ago, their final night show at Maxwell’s was a hoot, but what went down at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night was a grade above. The show began with unbridled energy as the band ripped through a series of Yan songs normally reserved for the end of the set. And it was that end of the set where things pretty much became anarchy. Following a strong version of “Stunde Null” from 2011’s Valhalla Dancehall, the show took on a decidedly crazy bent, as show-opener and former BSP keyboardist and current Brakes leader Eamon Hamilton pranced around the stage and ultimately the entire venue with a single drum and space helmet — an act he was reprising from his days in the band. The rare-ish “Apologies to Insect Life” followed and led through a cacophonous transition to the improv number “The Spirit of St. Louis”. As “Spirit” is generally reserved for the end of the show hijinks, the last half hour was as unpredictable as it was uncontrolled. The band shelved the encore on-off stage cliche, but instead launched directly into their early Top 40 UK single “Carrion” followed by a version of “Rock in A” that led to about half the crowd joining the crowd on stage, along with Eamon and the other opener A Classic Education. After nearly two hours, the show didn’t end as much as it just devolved into mayhem, as band and crowd danced on stage until the beat was lost and exhaustion caused the band to give up trying to hold it together. It was perhaps the perfect ending for a show as crazy, inspired, and completely entertaining as we have seen all year.

I recorded this set from the standard balcony location in this venue with the four-microphone rig. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “No Lucifer”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B1050BSP8005/15.%20No%20Lucifer.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

British Sea Power
2011-04-21
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded Balcony Railing

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
2011-04-22

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:53:21]
01 Lights Out For Darker Skies
02 Atom
03 Who’s In Control
04 We Are Sound
05 Oh Larsen B
06 [banter]
07 Luna
08 Blackout
09 Baby
10 Once More Now
11 It Ended On An Oily Stage
12 [banter2]
13 Living Is So Easy
14 Mongk II
15 No Lucifer
16 Stunde Null
17 Apologies To Insect Life
18 The Spirit Of St. Louis
19 Waving Flags
20 The Great Skua
21 Carrion – All In It
22 Rock in A (and mayhem)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT British Sea Power, visit their website, and purchase their new release Valhalla Dancehall from Rough Trade Records.

Wye Oak: April 14, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 18, 2011
By


[photo by Amanda Hatfield – courtesy of Matt at A Heart Is A Spade]

When we last saw Wye Oak in January, they were wowing as the openers for The Decemberists and then playing an intimate surprise show at Rock Shop in anticipation of the release of their new album. As acidjack predicted based upon the Rock Shop performance, Civilian (Merge Records) has been the well-deserved breakout release for Wye Oak. At Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, the band seemed propelled by the sell-out crowd and exuded confidence and focus. Jenn Wasner has developed a great stage presence as she aggressively handles her axe while her bright blonde hair swirls about — all while providing vocals with depth and personality. Meanwhile, Andy Stack drums and plays keyboards and effects simultaneously — a musical accomplishment that must require intense concentration. Their set at Bowery contained eight of the ten songs from Civilian, along with two songs from their 2010 EP (“I Hope You Die” is streaming below), several songs from The Knot, and a wild Danzig cover. As the band reached the powerful climax of the set closing “For Prayer” it was obvious to all present that Wye Oak have truly arrived.

I recorded this set with the four microphone rig from our standard balcony rail location and the sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “I Hope You Die”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W2701WyeOak2011/16.%20I%20Hope%20You%20Die.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Wye Oak
2011-04-14
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded Balcony Railing

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
2011-04-15

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:07:15]
01 The Alter
02 Holy Holy
03 [banter]
04 Plains
05 [banter2]
06 Hot As Day
07 My Creator
08 Dogs Eyes
09 Civilian
10 That I Do
11 [banter3]
12 Mother [Danzig]
13 Take It In
14 We Were Wealth
15 [banter4]
16 I Hope You Die
17 [encore break]
18 Doubt
19 For Prayer

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Wye Oak, visit their website, and purchase Civilian from Merge Records here.

PS I Love You: March 30, 2011 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 13, 2011
By

PSILY
[Photos courtesy of Geoffrey Dicker for According to G]

I don’t know what’s in the water up in Ontario, Canada these days, but a serious music scene is percolating in Toronto that is fresh, exciting and varied. PS I Love You are from the college town of Kingston, about three hours from Toronto, but they belong with their Toronto-based brethren when it comes to being part of this burgeoning Canadian scene. This set, opening for NYCTaper favorites Diamond Rings, showed off the chops of guitarist/vocals Paul Saulnier and drummer Benjamin Nelson admirably, as they delivered a tight set that consisted primarily of songs from their rave-reviewed 2010 effort, Meet Me At the Muster Station, as well as a couple of new songs. The set closer, “Leftovers,” off of a recent 7″ with Diamond Rings, spanned nearly twice the time of the rest of Saulnier’s focused tunes, and found John O’Regan himself joining the band in the effort. Saulnier, who began the band as a solo project, gives voice to his angst live even more palpably than on the band’s studio outings, and he and Nelson can shred with the best of them. Beneath Saulnier’s pitched yowl and the squalls of feedback, it’s not hard to hear the real musicianship of PS I Love You; they may be a two-man band, but I would not call them a “garage rock duo.” We were sorry to miss the second post-midnight set that the band performed after Diamond Rings’ performance, but this 40-minute set was an excellent introduction to another talented new act. Montreal had an incredible run of acts coming up in the late 90s and early 2000s, but they’d better watch out – their brethren to the west are the trailblazers these days.

hi and lo recorded this set with the Schoeps microphones and a soundboard feed from Kevin at Mercury Lounge. Other than a few glitches in a connection during the first song and occasional spots of chatter toward the end of the set, this recording is flawless. Thanks to PS I Love You and Paper Bag Records for permitting us to make and share this recording. Enjoy!

The Diamond Rings set was also recorded and will be posted once approval is received from their management.

Stream “Facelove”:

[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P0330PSILoveYou2011/10 Facelove.mp3]

Stream “Leftovers [feat. Diamond Rings]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P0330PSILoveYou2011/12 Leftovers.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Follow acidjack on Twitter

PS I Love You
2011-03-30
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Premiere download offered at www.nyctaper.com
Recorded by hi and lo
Produced by acidjack

Equipment: Schoeps Mk5 (cardiod)>Schoeps CMBI>EAA PSP2+Soundboard>>Tascam DR-680 (24/44.1)
Position: Clamp to soundboard, slightly ROC
Mastering: 2x24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 39:30]
01 Meet Me At the Muster Station
02 Breadends
03 2012
04 Little Spoon
05 CBEZ
06 [unknown]
07 Starfield
08 [new song]
09 [unknown]
10 Facelove
11 [banter]
12 Leftovers [with Diamond Rings]

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT PS I Love You, visit them on Facebook, and purchase their music directly from Paper Bag Records [HERE]

Black Angels: April 8, 2011 Bowery Ballroom – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

April 11, 2011
By


[photo courtesy of Ben at I Have 19 Voices]

The Black Angels take their psychedelia very seriously. As the hosts of Austin Psych Fest and one time backing band for Psych legend Roky Erickson (13th Floor Elevators), the band certainly has the pedigree. But as we saw on Friday night at Bowery Ballroom, Black Angels also have the songs, the stage show, and the sound. From the opening intro music of “Good Vibrations” that warped into a reverbed and looped mutation of the song before the band dropped right into their own “Bad Vibrations” opener, it was quite clear that this would be more than just a “trippy” adventure, but a true journey through an authentic ninety-minute psychedelic musical show. The band has the obvious 60’s influences, including Roky and also some of the California sound, but also draws heavily from the eighties revivalists like The Cramps and The Gun Club. Each song provided a sonic burst of reverb and effects accompanied by a mesmerizing light show. The setlist included a nice selection from the band’s three full length albums, including seven songs from 2010’s Phosphene Dream (although oddly not the title track), and five songs from the debut album (stream “Black Grease” below). The persistent hum of the drone machine melded each song into the next before the close of the main set. The band was called back for three encores and closed with a feedback drenched “You in Color”.

I recorded this set with the four microphone rig from the standard balcony rail location, and this recording is an authentic capture of the sound in the venue that evening. Enjoy!

Stream “Black Grease”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B0904BlackAngels2101/12.%20Black%20Grease.mp3]

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

Black Angels
2011-04-08
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded Balcony Railing

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
2011-04-11

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:26:54]
01 [introduction]
02 Bad Vibrations
03 Entrance Song
04 The Prodigal Sun
05 Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven
06 The Sniper
07 [banter]
08 Haunting at 1300 McKinley
09 Surf City Revisited
10 Science Killer
11 Yellow Elevator #2
12 Black Grease
13 [banter2]
14 You on the Run
15 Telephone
16 True Believers
17 [banter3]
18 Young Men Dead
19 [encore break]
20 My Boat Is Sinking
21 [banter4]
22 Bloodhounds On My Trail
23 You in Color

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT The Black Angels, visit their website, purchase Phosphene Dream directly from the band at the front page of their website [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]

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

April 9, 2011
By


[Photos by acidjack]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 6, 2011
By


[photo by Maryanne Ventrice – courtesy of Prefix Magazine]

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

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

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

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

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

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Neumann KM-150s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, mixdown, set fades) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2011-04-05

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

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

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