Posts Tagged ‘ mercury lounge ’

Wussy: August 11, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming

August 21, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Wussy, like their Cincinnati brethren and fellow NYCTaper favorites Heartless Bastards, are one of those hardworking, unpretentious, straight-up-rocking bands that real music fans should always pull for. Unlike the unabshed classic rock of the Bastards, Wussy’s sound is more reminiscent of early-80s indie acts like the Bongos, with a rawer sound and accented with a light country twang. Despite being what no lesser critic than Robert Christgau called “the best band in America”, they remain an open secret among music fans. Meaning, when they throw a Sunday night early show at Mercury Lounge like this one, they’ve got a line snaking down the block before doors. And half the people in that line were wondering aloud at why the band isn’t more popular. There’s no getting past it, Wussy aren’t an act built around image or gimmicks; I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m betting their t-shirt sales aren’t what they could be (being a dude wearing a shirt that says “Wussy” may not be a winner). What Wussy is about is delivering the best show possible, having a fan-first attitude, and writing song after song with what Christgau himself called “Beatles/Stones consistency”.  This band suffered and sweated to make it to this Mercury Lounge show, in a van without A/C, which on this particular day, coming from just about anywhere, was enough torture to make you question their sanity, but not their rock n’ roll bona fides. (You can hear the story at the beginning of “Funeral Dress”, streaming below).  What we got was a set that spanned their records, kicking off with the title track from Funeral Dress, the album that started it all. Vocalists Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker sounded raw and right on this night, and despite a trying day, they gave the packed early evening house a hell of a time.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed provided by Kevin, the head engineer at Mercury.  As with most of our recordings from the venue, this one is outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Funeral Dress”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W1604Wussy2211/01 Funeral Dress.mp3]

Stream “Pizza King”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W1604Wussy2211/05 Pizza King.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on twitter

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

Wussy
2012-08-11
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41>KC5>CMC6>Aerco MP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (align, mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 44:27]
01 Funeral Dress
02 Pulverized
03 Maglite
04 Death by Misadventure
05 Pizza King
06 Happiness Bleeds
07 Motorcycle
08 [banter]
09 Grand Champion Steer
10 Airborne
11 Rigor Mortis

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Wussy, visit their website, and purchase their official releases including Strawberry directly from the Music section of their website [HERE]

Sean Rowe: July 21, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming

August 10, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Sean Rowe has that kind of deep, bone-shaking voice that sticks with you; the dark, harrowing type that gives voice to a thousand souls. Born and raised in upstate New York, Rowe has been kicking around there for awhile, doing his thing in local bars and clubs, playing to whoever will listen. In a welcome development, ANTI Records picked him up a few years ago and re-released his first solo album, Magic.  Since then, he has enjoyed a wider audience, and this show at Mercury Lounge found Sean on the cusp of his second ANTI release, The Salesman and the Shark, which drops at the end of this month. Joined onstage by Sarah Pedinotti from Railbird on keys, Rowe showcased several new songs from Salesman as well as some truly classic covers.

Magic reflected Rowe’s other main passion, being a naturalist, and was the result of 24 days spent foraging in the wilderness. Based on what we were previewed at this show, Salesman will be another dramatic artistic statement, with songs like “Joe’s Cult” evoking some of rock and folk’s most cherished vocalists. You can imagine Rowe sharing the stage with any number of great artists: Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, were he still with us. Rowe’s baritone has a timeless, evocative quality, and that made his covers at this show as memorable and true as his originals.  Because everything has to have a label to hang it on, PR people have taken to calling this “alt-folk”, and maybe, as the work of an accomplished woodsman with a love and respect for the outdoors, that makes some sense. But I don’t think Rowe is trying to be the “alternative” to anything; his music is classic, as well as relevant. Although, in fairness to the “alt” tag, he had a bit of fun with us at the end with his cover of the Violent Femmes’ “Gone Daddy Gone” – an 80s staple that, like Rowe’s own music, wears awfully well.

Rowe will be performing two NYC shows in September – on the 19th at Mercury Lounge, and on the 20th at Brooklyn Bowl.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and an excellent soundboard feed from Kevin, the head engineer at Mercury.  Like the Field Report recording from this same night, it is outstanding in quality.  Enjoy!

Stream “Joe’s Cult”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2107SeanRowe2120/04 Joe’s Cult.mp3]

Stream “Jesus Gonna Be Here [Tom Waits]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2107SeanRowe2120/07 Jesus Gonna Be Here.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on Twitter

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

Sean Rowe
2012-07-21
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by acidjack and Johnny Fried Chicken Boy
Produced by acidjack

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (various)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Flying
02 Bird On A Wire [Leonard Cohen]
03 [banter]
04 Joe’s Cult
05 [banter]
06 The Walker
07 Jesus Gonna Be Here [Tom Waits]
08 To Leave Something Behind
09 Gone Daddy Gone [Violent Femmes]

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Sean, visit his website, and pre-order The Salesman and the Shark from ANTI Records [HERE].

Friend Roulette: May 6, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 27, 2012
By

friend roulette
[photo by acidjack]

Friend Roulette are one of those complex, artsy, hard-to-categorize bands that prove their mettle live. This set is now a couple of months old, but on repeat listens, I kept coming back to it as something people needed to hear. At times, what comes off as lush, whimsical chamber pop on their available bandcamp releases comes across as a different animal live; songs like “I’m Sorry You Hit Your Head” come across heavy and dark, as frantic strings alternate with downbeat guitar riffs. Other concoctions like “Hi, Hello” – available (along with “I’m Sorry You Hit Your Head”) on a lovely 10″ vinyl EP from Goodnight Records – maintain more of their album sound, their many layers rendered expertly. As with a lot of bands with a more technical aspect to their sound, Friend Roulette rewards the dedicated listener. These songs ask you to dig deep, to pay attention.

As far as live shows in New York are concerned, a dedicated listener in this city can’t do much better than an early-side show at Mercury Lounge on a Sunday – the sound is always flawless, and the crowds are – well, let’s face it, they’re less drunk than average. Friend Roulette took the stage with absolute confidence and shined on both newer and older material from their catalog. With the band in the studio working on a full-length LP, we expect to see great things from them in the future. They have a number of other local shows on tap next month, including August 4 at Rippers (Rockaway Beach), August 5 at Cake Shop, and August 12 at Piano’s.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones, the classic EAA PSP2 preamp on loan from hi and lo, and a soundboard feed from the Mercury staff.  The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “I’m Sorry You Hit Your Head”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F5006FriendRoulette2012/04 I’m Sorry You Hit Your Head.mp3]

Stream “Hi, Hello”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F5006FriendRoulette2012/06 Hi Hello.mp3]

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

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

Friend Roulette
2012-05-06
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41>CMC6>EAA PSP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ)>Audacity (adjust levels, set fades, tracking, amplify, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Fucked Up [omitted at artist request]
02 On Her Own Tonight [omitted at artist request]
03 Golden
04 I’m Sorry You Hit Your Head
05 Or, Berlin
06 Hi, Hello
07 Lie

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Friend Roulette, like them on Facebook, and buy/download their official releases from bandcamp and Goodnight Records.

Field Report: July 21, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

July 24, 2012
By

field report vid cap
[still from this video]

I got to around 100 concerts a year, and at those concerts, I probably see upwards of 300 bands or more. A lot of times I am less than satisfied, but I keep going, and going, and going – chasing the perfect sound. And every once awhile – just about often enough – I come a band that is jaw-droppingly great, that raises the bar for their own art form.

Christopher Porterfield of Field Report was only a few bars into “I Am Not Waiting Anymore” at this Mercury Lounge show when I knew this was one of those bands. Although it was a hot summer day, Porterfield and his Milwaukee-based bandmates took the stage in dark-colored suits, and in some cases, ties, perhaps with an eye toward the grander days of Nashville, perhaps as if to say with their clothing what was already obvious – these are serious musicians. Portfield’s rough-hewn vocals and the band’s country tinge will draw comparisons to bands like Partisan Records labelmates Deer Tick or other roots/Americana bands, but if you want to see where their real magic lies, listen more carefully or get out the lyric sheet (you can read all of Porterfield’s lyrics on their website). Porterfield brings an ample vocabulary to his verses, and an ear for the satisfying grit in individual words and passages.  On paper, many of the band’s lyrics don’t scan like song lyrics at all, like this beginning to “Route 18”:

Elizabeth said last night the lake roared like the ocean; I was landlocked under the orange-white solstice moon. Imagine: imagining a place meant to conjure up another. Three degrees of hometown disconnect in my unborn daughter’s room.

or this opening to “Circle Drive”

leftside sidewalk hospital circle drive walked this way twice a day, back the other way two times they got you wrapped up in guilt like an aftermarket cancer quilt and I don’t know the names of the people on the patches and they ground you down to calcium and road salt and pressed you into piles of pills they cut with ashes

The band’s delivery is every bit as confident as Porterfield’s well-illuminated songwriting, which likely played a role in their rapid signing to Partisan (their full-length LP comes out on September 11) as well as supporting slots this summer for Counting Crows and Emmylou Harris. This set covered material from the band’s current preview EP as well as the new record, and there wasn’t a lackluster number among them.  My favorite was probably the harrowing “Circle Drive”, about endurance in the face of pain, but the band’s initial push into the mainstream will probably be built on more uptempo numbers like “The Year Of I Got You Alone”, and “Chico the American”. One thing these songs are not is anthemic or upbeat; these are songs for deep contemplation, maybe a slug of whiskey or two.  Every press missive about this band will mention Porterfield’s prior relationship with Bon Iver (in precursor band DeYarmond Edison), but Field Report don’t need the boldface name hype.  This Mercury crowd must have felt the same way I was feeling; even on a Saturday night, the crowd remained whisper quiet during each number, to the point that Porterfield commented on how intently we listened. How couldn’t we?  It’s hard to tear yourself away from something so authentic, vital and honest.

I recorded this set with my usual combination of Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed from Kevin, the head engineer at Mercury Lounge.  The house mix, even by Mercury Lounge’s high standards, was flawless, and the respectful crowd only makes the recording sound even better.  Enjoy!

Field Report will continue touring the U.S. with Counting Crows into the month of August.  Thanks to Partisan Records for inviting us to the show.

Stream “Chico the American”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F1270FieldReport0212/05 Chico the American.mp3]

Stream “Fergus Falls”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F1270FieldReport0212/11 Fergus Falls.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on twitter

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

Field Report
2012-07-21
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, exciter, limiter)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify, balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 I Am Not Waiting Anymore
02 The Year of I Got You Alone
03 [tuning]
04 Evergreen
05 Chico the American
06 Taking Alcatraz
07 Incommunicado
08 [banter]
09 Circle Drive
10 [banter]
11 Fergus Falls
12 Route 18

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Field Report, visit their website, buy their 3-song EP on bandcamp, and like them on Facebook.

Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt: June 30, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC/MP3/Streaming + Bonus Download of April 7, 1999 Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC

July 8, 2012
By

Sam Prekop
[still from this video]

A Sam Prekop show changed my life. I was nineteen years old, set up to record in the center of a tiny venue in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Halfway through the set, a guy came up to me who turned out to be my college newspapers music editor. Impressed that I was one of only two people from our school (not UNC) who bothered to come to see acts like this (Sam was touring behind his self-titled 1999 solo debut), he more or less offered me the job. My relationship with music, and with writing, was never the same hence.

Since then, Prekop has continued to make his own unique brand of jazz-and-lounge-inflected rock, both as a solo act and with the better-known Sea and Cake, still considered his primary gig. A recent Sea and Cake show at Bowery Ballroom confirmed the continuing vitality and appeal of that band, who have a new record coming out. But Prekop, who for years has incorporated African and Brazilian rhythms into his guitar work, has more ideas than one band can handle. So, while continuing to record with Sea and Cake, he has put out a diverse range of solo records, from his eponymous 1999 effort that was essentially Sea and Cake-style material, to his latest, Old Punch Card, which finds Prekop taking a radical, ambient turn with his sound. This show at Mercury Lounge, featuring Prekop and fellow Sea and Cake bandmate Archer Prewitt (also a great solo artist in his own right), gave fans a miniature retrospective of Prekop’s career. Kicking off with a new, untitled ambient jam reminiscent of Old Punch Card, the set then evolved into a mix of Prekop solo songs from the last twelve years, as well as Sea and Cake classics like “Do Now Fairly Well” and “The Staircase”. Prekop and Prewitt played with the easy rapport of long-time collaborators, and even without any particular stage adornments or a backing band, the pair held the attention of the packed house for the full hour.

Along with the Mercury Lounge recording, which is my usual mix of Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed, I am offering the Sam Prekop show from North Carolina, which has not been distributed (at least by me) since the year 2000, as a bonus download.  The North Carolina recording, while made with a decent rig, is not comparable in quality to the Mercury Lounge show (in large part due to the jackasses talking in the audience), but features Sam playing with a full band, and is more focused on material from Sam Prekop.  Enjoy!

Stream “The Staircase [Sea and Cake]” from Mercury Lounge:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0811SeaandCake0211/03 The Staircase.mp3]

Stream “The Company” from Mercury Lounge:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0811SeaandCake0211/07 The Company.mp3]

Stream “The Shadow” from Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S0811SeaandCake0211/05 The Shadow.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files: [Mercury Lounge] | [Local 506]

Download the Mercury Lounge FLAC files [HERE]

Download the Local 506 FLAC files [HERE]

Follow acidjack on twitter

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

Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt
2012-06-30
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>CMC6>Aerco MP-2 >> Edirol R-44 [OCM]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ)>Audacity (set fades, mild DR compression and additional EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks
01 ambient jam
02 Something [Sam Prekop]
03 The Staircase [Sea and Cake]
04 On A Letter [Sea and Cake]
05 Between Outside [Sam Prekop]
06 [banter]
07 The Company [Sam Prekop]
08 Showrooms [Sam Prekop]
09 Don’t Bother [Sam Prekop]
10 On Such Favors [Sam Prekop]
11 Coconut [Sea and Cake]
12 Do Now Fairly Well [Sea and Cake]
__________________

Sam Prekop
1999-04-07
Local 506
Chapel Hill, NC USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack

Nakamichi CM300/cp1 (XY, DFC, 7ft)>Zefiro InBox>TCD-D8>DATM>CDRM>xAct>16bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, adjust levels)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 The Company
02 Practice Twice
03 Smaller Rivers
04 Don’t Bother
05 The Shadow
06 On Such Favors>Faces and People
07 Showrooms
08 So Shy
09 [encore break]
10 Do Now Fairly Well [Sea and Cake]
11 Parasol

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Sam Prekop, visit the Sea and Cake’s website, and purchase Sam’s records from Thrill Jockey [HERE]

Prairie Empire: June 10, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 26, 2012
By


[Photos by Dominick Mastrangelo]

When I first head singer-songwriter Brittain Ashford, I knew right away that she was something special. With a voice that is sweet, delicate and whimsical, Ashford draws you in and keeps you in her headspace, with clear, confessional lyrics that give you that proverbial window into her soul. Prairie Empire is Ashford’s first full-band project, and musically, it is a successful one.  With a full complement of talented players with a range of instruments at their disposal that includes strings, cello, violin, viola, drums, sleigh bells, dulcimer and trumpet, the sum of Prairie Empire is far greater than its parts, and Ashford’s judicious arrangements give grace and power to her songs without cluttering them.

This show at Mercury Lounge celebrated the release of the band’s debut LP on Trailer Fire Records, and found Ashford and her bandmates delivering beautifully-realized live renditions of the majority of the record. The band’s LP is one of the most well-mixed and recorded albums I have heard in some time (the vinyl pressing is of exceptionally high quality), with a dry, dynamic mix, and I was thrilled to hear how well the band brought the material across live.  Along with “Give,” the studio version of which has been streaming on the band’s website for awhile, I was particularly partial to “Under Hum” and “Where You Are”, with its plaintive, emotionally wrenching chorus. We are thrilled to have had part of presenting this show, and wish the band the best of luck on their current tour.  If you are in one of the areas of the Midwest or East Coast where the band is touring, you owe it to yourself to go and see them.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones from the center of the room by the board, along with a stereo soundboard feed. Other than the occasional sound of the door between the show area and the bar  opening and closing, and some very light DI distortion on a couple of songs, the recording is flawless, and an outstanding representation of the band’s live sound. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Brittain Ashford and Prairie Empire for their invitation to us to present this show and to record it.

Stream “Under Hum”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P6001PrairieEmpire2012/05 Under Hum.mp3]

Stream “Where You Are”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P6001PrairieEmpire2012/08 Where You Are.mp3]

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

Follow acidjack on twitter

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

Prairie Empire
2012-06-10
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK5(cardiod, DFC, POS, 7.5ft)>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (light EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Tenfold
03 Snow
04 Winter Came
05 Under Hum
06 Give
07 [banter]
08 Where You Are
09 Pieces, Parts

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Prairie Empire, visit their website, and purchase their record from Trailer Fire Records [HERE] or on iTunes.

Jo Schornikow: June 10, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 21, 2012
By


[Photos by Dominick Mastrangelo]

The Australian singer-songwriter Jo Schornikow is the best-known as the pianist and keyboardist of The Shivers, but she is a lovely singer and performer in her own right (as well as, her website humorously notes, an “internationalist” and  a “nice person”). Schornikow opened this NYCTaper-sponsored show at Mercury Lounge to a crowd that included many of her own fans, who watched reverently as Schornikow performed material from her album First Time, Long Time.  Her songs have an ageless quality to them, made all the better by Schornikow’s easygoing, friendly stage persona. A trained pianist since early childhood, Schornikow is relatively new to the singer-songwriter-guitarist thing, but you wouldn’t know it from this polished, engaging performance. This was Schornikow’s last U.S. performance for a bit as she will be touring the UK for a bit, and she leaves us eager for her return.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardioid microphones in the center of the room by the soundboard, along with a soundboard feed. Other than occasionally hearing the door to the bar open and close, it is a flawless recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Will You Miss Me”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/J1006JoSchornikow0212/05 Will You Miss Me.mp3]

Stream “What Could Have Been”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/J1006JoSchornikow0212/10 What Could Have Been.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download of the FLAC files [HERE]
[Note: MP3 link has been fixed] 

Follow acidjack on twitter

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

 

Jo Schornikow
2012-06-10
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK5 (cardiod, DFC, 7.5ft, PAS)>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz FLAC>Izotope Ozone 5 (various edits to soundboard and audience sources separately)>Adobe Audition CS 5.5 (adjust levels, mix down)>Audacity (tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 I Always Come Back
02 Joseph
03 Bird’s Nest
04 Simple Love
05 Will You Miss Me?
06 When You Come Around
07 Serve Love
08 Plaster
09 [banter]
10 What Could Have Been

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Jo Schornikow, visit her website, and purchase First Time, Long Time directly from her bandcamp page or on CDBaby.

Hurray For The Riff Raff: June 15, 2012 Mercury Lounge – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 18, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Tilebreaker – full set here]

Its been a couple of years since we last saw New Orleans’ Hurray For The Riff Raff. While band leader Alynda Lee was born in the raised in the Bronx, over the last three years the band has not come north enough for us to get a chance to see them. In the interim, they released a couple of albums and made an appearance on HBO’s award winning show Tremé. But nearly three years to the day since HFTRR played a show we produced at Monster Island, they triumphantly returned to NYC in support of the band’s brilliant new album Look Out Mama. The show at Mercury Lounge on Friday night was tight, energetic and driven. Hurray For The Riff Raff is a more mature and confident band and the music has evolved — Alynda’s americana’s influences have been fleshed out and we can now hear everything from dixieland to surf rock. At Mercury, the band worked through a setlist that included some of the new album (we’re streaming “What’s Wrong With Me”), but also three new or unreleased songs, and a superb cover of “Time Is On My Side”, that veered more towards the Irma Thomas version and less to the Stones. “Time” also featured Alynda’s vocals chops and the band’s ability to let loose and have some rip roaring fun. Hurray For The Riff Raff have finished their current tour, but will return to the road for a tour of the UK later this Summer.

I recorded this set with the Sennheiser cards mounted on a stand at the front of the soundboard and mixed with a board feed. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream “What’s Wrong With Me”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H1208Hurray0022/09.%20What%27s%20Wrong%20With%20Me.mp3]

Stream “Time Is On My Side [Irma Thomas cover]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H1208Hurray0022/12.%20Time%20Is%20On%20My%20Side%20(Irma%20Thomas).mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

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

Hurray For The Riff Raff
2012-06-15
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Sennheiser MKH-8040s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 2 x 24bit 48kHz wav files > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 > (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-06-17

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:56]
01 Little Black Star
02 [banter]
03 Look Out Mama
04 Slow Walk
05 End of the Line
06 Just A Heart
07 Take Me
08 Small Town Heroes
09 What’s Wrong With Me
10 Lake Of Fire
11 The St. Roch Blues
12 Time Is On My Side (Irma Thomas)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Hurray For The Riff Raff, visit their website, and purchase Look Out Mama from the Euclid Records website [HERE].

Howth: May 6, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

June 15, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

After catching our friends Howth at Cameo Gallery back in March, we were pleased to join them again to celebrate the release of their record, Newkirk at Mercury Lounge.  This headlining set gave the band time to explore additional songs from Newkirk, and their tightness and timing were even better than just a couple of months ago. The set’s three additions from the record, “Deep In My Heart”, “Grand Marais” and “Keep Me Away From the Mirror” each showed another dimension of the band.  I particularly favored the ballad “Grand Marais”, which derives its name from a tiny lakeside town in vocalist Carl Creighton’s home state of Minnesota. Howth will be playing out to support the new record, including two shows this weekend – at Open Road Rooftop in Manhattan on Friday, and Saturday at Pete’s Candy Store.

I recorded this set in our usual fashion for Mercury Lounge, with a soundboard feet from the experienced house engineer Kyle and Schoeps MK41 microphones.  The recording is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Stream “Out In Eagan”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H2930Howth0212/11 Out In Eagan.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE] | 

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

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

Howth
2012-05-06
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41>CMC6>EAA PSP-2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (align, adjust levels, set fades, tracking, amplify, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 46:06]
01 Deep In My Heart
02 Snow Bank
03 Idaho #1
04 Wind Blows Cold
05 Grand Marais
06 [banter]
07 Only Right Turns
08 [banter]
09 Needles and Pins
10 Keep Me Away From the Mirror
11 Out In Egan

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Howth, order Newkirk on their bandcamp page, and check out their page and the other excellent roster of acts at Mecca Lecca Recording Co.

NYCTaper Presents: Prairie Empire Record Release Show this Sunday at Mercury Lounge

June 7, 2012
By

Prairie Empire is the current project of the multitalented musician and songwriter Brittain Ashford, who is another Seattle transplant to Brooklyn that we are thrilled to have in our midst. As a singer, Ashford’s voice packs incredible emotional presence and range, as well as a little pixie dust pinch of whimsy; you feel an instant kinship with her and her music even if you’ve never met her. As for her band, their lush arrangements provide a broad sonic palette for Ashford’s compositions, incorporating strings, cello, violin, viola, drums, sleigh bells, dulcimer and trumpet, not to mention vocal harmonies. No surprise, then, that no less than eight other musicians played on the band’s new record.

Fresh off a recent Daytrotter performance, Ashford and her bandmates (several of whom live in Portland, making this no small trip) are celebrating the release of their eponymous debut album on Durham, NC’s Trailer Fire Records with this very special early show at Mercury Lounge this Sunday night. Although Prairie Empire has not been on the site before, everything we know about this band suggests that they will deliver a performance with a grace and beauty that more than does justice to their new album material. Opening the show will be the singer-songwriter Jo Schornikow, another young talent that we look forward to getting to know.

The NYCTaper crew will be on hand to capture audio of this event and to celebrate Prairie Empire’s new album and future success.  We hope that you will join us!

Tickets for the show are $10 and can be purchased [HERE] or fee-free at the Mercury Lounge Box Office.

Following this show, Prairie Empire will be going on an early summer tour of the Northeast and Midwest (and hopefully more to come).  Those tour dates are listed on their website [HERE].  You can also follow Brittain Ashford on twitter.

The show starts at 6:30pm SHARP (no, not 6:30pm “rock n’ roll time”)

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