Posts Tagged ‘ nyctaper ’

Bowerbirds: March 23, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 26, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The Raleigh, NC based folk band Bowerbirds pulled off quite an achievement when they sold out the Bowery Ballroom – what they called “the best room that we’ve ever played” – on a Friday night and managed to keep the crowd rapt for their full 70-minute set. Theirs is not party music; the band strikes a modern chord with their lush instrumentation and arrangements, but keeps their vocal and melodic style more traditional than, say, the Devendra Banharts of the world. Band anchors Philip Moore and Beth Tacular have had several ups and downs during the band’s six-year history – the two have been together, broken up, and reunited during that time, and most recently, Tacular suffered a life-threatening illness.  The Clearing, the band’s latest record, is the product of both.  Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that this show opened with the climactic narrative track from that album, “This Year.”  For Moore and Tacular, it has been a tough one.

From there came a set that was full of elegance and poise, as the band worked through a solid portion of The Clearing material, as well as several songs from 2009’s Upper Air.  The live performances of these songs added additional depth not found on those records, as well as as surprising amount of energy.  Several songs boasted reworked arrangements, guitar solos, and best of all, a few crowd sing-alongs.  Moore thanked that crowd repeatedly throughout the night, and by set’s end, there was nobody left to win over.  The show had been a success from start to finish.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod microphones and a nicely balanced soundboard feed from the Bowery team.  The quality is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “In Our Talons”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2303Bowerbirds2012/19 In Our Talons.mp3]

Stream “This Year”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B2303Bowerbirds2012/01 This Year.mp3]

This recording is now available as a direct download in FLAC and MP3 formats at Archive.org [HERE].

Follow acidjack on twitter

Bowerbirds
2012-03-23
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK5(c)>KC5>CMC6>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (light EQ on AUD source, mixdown, set fades, additional light EQ, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample/dither to 16/44.1)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time: 1:09:37]
01 This Year
02 In the Yard
03 Chimes
04 [banter]
05 Stitch the Hem
06 Walk the Furrows
07 House of Diamonds
08 Crooked Lust
09 [banter]
10 Death Wish [new]
11 [banter]
12 Brave World
13 Now We Hurry On
14 Northern Lights
15 Hush
16 Tuck the Darkness In
17 [encore break]
18 Hooves
19 In Our Talons
20 Overcome With Light

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Bowerbirds, visit their website, and order The Clearing and their other releases from their online store [HERE]

Lucero: March 17, 2012 SXSW at Hotel Vegan Austin TX – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 25, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Amanda Hatfield]

As John noted several years ago, Lucero is the quality of band that impresses you the very first time you can a chance to see them live. For John, that was in early 2009 (here) and again for a secret show at Mercury Lounge last Summer (here). So as far as the nyctaper staff goes, I was the newbie to Lucero. But John was right. Within the first song of their set on Saturday’s Hotel Vegan outdoor stage, I knew that this was a band for me. They are no-nonsense honest alt-country and boogie outfit from Memphis whose live performances are exercises in full commitment. Lead singer Ben Nichols noted that he was exhausted for this afternoon show on the final day of SXSW, but that was good because it meant he was “doing his job”. At Hotel Vegan, the Saturday outdoor show was a wealth of music riches, with outstanding bands before and after Lucero — but their set was certainly a highlight. Currently on tour in support of the new album Women & Work, Lucero’s set contained a few of the new numbers but also a nice selection of older songs. We’re streaming “Sixes and Sevens”, the show’s climax before a quiet number closed the set. Lucero will return to NYC for a show at Webster Hall on April 20, 2012.

I recorded this set in a similar manner to the previous Hotel Vegan set (Fanfarlo), by mixing the Sennheiser MKH-8040s with a board feed. For this particular set, the “noisy neighbors” did not have their system cranked, and our location was more centered. The result is a superb recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Sixes and Sevens:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L2006Lucero9020/10.%20Sixes%20and%20Sevens.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.

Lucero
2012-03-17
Hotel Vegan – SXSW
Austin, TX USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

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

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-03-23

Setlist:
[Total Time 36:15]
01 The Devil And Maggie Chascarillo
02 Downtown (Intro)
03 On My Way Downtown
04 Darken My Door
05 Women and Work
06 Raising Hell
07 Chain Link Fence
08 Sounds of the City
09 Summer Song
10 Sixes and Sevens
11 Fistful Of Tears

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Lucero, visit their website, and purchase their official releases and merchandise [HERE].

Fanfarlo: March 15, 2012 SXSW at Hotel Vegan Austin TX – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 21, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Amanda Hatfield]

NYCTaper went on the road to Austin last week for the annual SXSW Festival. As I tweeted at one point near the end of my trip, SXSW is kind of like CMJ on steroids. There are a ton of corporate-backed “scene” shows downtown that really don’t appeal to me. However, on the East side there was a series of unofficial showcases that featured just about every band you could see downtown, only under much better circumstances — a relaxed atmosphere not overrun by commercialization. That’s where we spent the Fest.

The best of these unofficial shows was the four-day afternoon showcases presented by brooklynvegan at the venue Hotel Vegas, rechristened “Hotel Vegan” for the week. Each afternoon eight or nine band played on an outside stage while inside there was additional bands on two other stages. We camped out on Thursday at noon at the outside stage and that’s where we stayed for the next three days. Each day’s afternoon showcases were recorded, and I’ll be featuring a large amount of those recordings over the next few weeks.

One of the highlights of Thursday’s show was the set by the British-based band Fanfarlo. They are currently in the US on tour to support their new album Rooms Filled With Light and based upon reviews, I expected the Fanfarlo to have a more pronounced electronic feel to their beautiful indie-folk. I had not seen the band since 2009 (here) and while its clear that their sound has changed, I find it more of an evolution than a departure. The focus remains on Simon Balthazar’s vocals and songwriting accompanied by a variety of instrumentations from the talented band. At this Hotel Vegan show, it was the horn playing that cut through the heat, chatter and outdoor sounds to propel the band forward. The set consisted of all but one song from Rooms, and we are streaming “Deconstruction”, a powerful song that builds in intensity to a stunning conclusion.

I recorded all of the Hotel Vegan outdoor sets with the assistance of my new Sennheiser MKH-8040 Cardioid microphones and they certainly proved up to the task. These recordings presented many challenges, the most pronounced of which was the persistent thumping of bass and drums from an adjacent competing stage (unaffiliated with brooklynvegan). Our “neighbors” seemed to feel the need to compensate for the poor attendance at their show by cranking their sound system. Some of this noise can be heard in between songs in many of the Hotel Vegan recordings. There was also the expected constant chatter and movement of the Festival crowd. I was also assisted with an excellent soundboard feed by the superb FOH technicians Toby and Taylor employed at the Festival by Miller Pro Audio. With all of these challenges (and caveats), I still feel that the sound quality of these recordings is excellent under the circumstances. Enjoy!

Stream “Deconstruction”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F2010Fanfarlo2290/05.%20Deconstruction.mp3]

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

Fanfarlo
2012-03-15
Hotel Vegan – SXSW
Austin, TX USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

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

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-03-21

Setlist:
[Total Time 32:15]
01 Feathers
02 Tightrope
03 Lenslife
04 Tunguska
05 Deconstruction
06 [banter]
07 Harold T Wilkins
08 Shiny Things

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Fanfarlo, visit their website, and purchase Rooms Filled With Light directly from the Fanfarlo webstore [HERE].

Black Wine: February 11, 2012 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 21, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Going on first is never easy, so I was pleasantly surprised to see such a crowd out for Black Wine.  Opening the Don Giovanni Records showcase last month at Music Hall of Williamsburg, the band played their opening slot with massive enthusiasm that was rewarded with a rapidly growing crowd.  They also had a bit of an advantage.  With a sometimes-melodic punk sound (an oxymoron people used to rationalize with the word “emo”, which I’ll opt not to) that suggests echoes of the members’ most recent engagements in the New Brunswick, NJ scene – For Science, the Ergs and Hunchback – these musicians each have a fan base that stretches back into the 1990s.  Composed of the husband and wife team of guitarist Jeff Schroeck and drummer Miranda Taylor, together with Jason Nixon on bass, this team of veterans handles the vocal duties democratically onstage, with the focus shifting among players onstage as each takes a turn at the mic.  While this means their songs vary a bit more between each other than those of some bands, it also keeps things interesting, as a Taylor song will tend to have a very different feel to it than one from one of the men.  Their songs have a focused, professional feel that befits long-time musicians, perhaps most notably for me on their leadoff track “Through the Foam”, which was an immediate crowd-pleaser.  As bands like the Screaming Females and Gaslight Anthem continue to raise their profile in NYC, other New Brunswick bands like Black Wine are likely to see an increased profile for the north/central Jersey scene.  And they ought to – they’re making very good music there.

We recorded this set with Neumann KM150 microphones into a Sound Devices preamp to provide maximum clarity to the guitars and vocals.  The sound is excellent.  Enjoy!

Stream “Through the Foam”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/B1122BlackWine1220/01 Through the Foam.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.

Black Wine
2012-02-11
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Neumann KM150 (balcony, DFC)>Sound Devices USBPre2>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Through The Foam
02 Favorites
03 End Of Days
04 [New Song]
05 Hand
06 Pick At Pieces
07 Chateau Of Ghosts
08 Haunted

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Black Wine, visit their page at Don Giovanni Records, and get their records from their bandcamp page.

Team Genius: February 22, 2012 Glasslands – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

March 17, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Here are some things I found out about Team Genius at their recent Glasslands show.  First, they really are a “team” – a seven-person, co-ed band with players handling a variety of instruments.  Second, they love party gags – from the Reagan masks available for sale at the merch table to the kazoos, confetti and other party staples in heavy use in the crowd.  Third, their crowd comes to party – you can’t miss the good-natured heckling on this record.  And finally, despite the evident sense of humor they have about the whole thing, they write some pretty damn good pop songs.

This show featured several bands from the Paper Garden Records family, and it’s a label/publicity firm that always keeps you guessing.  Rather than laser in on a particular genre, sound, or aesthetic, Paper Garden is willing to take risks with a wide spectrum of bands.  One thing their bands do have in common, though, is musical chops and pop sensibility, and Team Genius is no exception.  Their almost relentlessly upbeat sound and sense of humor belies some serious musicianship that is in evidence throughout this set, which began strong with “Chase You Down” and closed equally strongly with the band’s cover of Van Morrison’s “Gloria”.  Team Genius currently have a few releases to their name, but now that they have joined the Paper Garden fold, expect a new full-length soon.

hi and lo and I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardiod mics in our usual spot in the venue, plus a soundboard feed from Jeremy of Glasslands.  Other than a few instances of static from the band’s equipment, the sound quality is excellent, and the good natured heckling only adds to the experience.  Enjoy!

Stream “Chase You Down”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T0222TeamGenius1220/01 Chase You Down.mp3]

Stream “Gloria [Van Morrison]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T0222TeamGenius1220/10 Gloria.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.

Team Genius
2012-02-22
Glasslands
Brooklyn, NY USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded by hi and lo and acidjack
Produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK5c [DFC, DIN]>KC5>PFA + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Chase You Down
02 Dying Cow Sounds
03 Ronald Reagan’s Cousin
04 Who Farted
05 Lebron
06 Jesus Mary and Broseph
07 All Ours
08 Updawg
09 Hippies
10 Gloria [Van Morrison]

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Team Genius, visit their website, and purchase their records on iTunes or directly from the band [HERE].

Laura Stevenson & the Cans: February 11, 2012 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 15, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Laura Stevenson & the Cans do not have much in common with their Don Giovanni Records labelmates stylistically – the label skews, with bands like The Screaming Females, a heck of a lot noisier.  But their performance this night at Music Hall of Williamsburg – in between the Screaming Females and gritty punk outfit For Science – was, like the Females’ (posted here), one of uncompromising quality.  It should be noted that Stevenson is not without her punk credentials, either.  Prior to going out on her own with the Cans, she was best known as keyboardist for the Long Island punk collective Bomb the Music Industry!, who will be her tourmates for the next few months along with the Felice Brothers, Screaming Females, and others.  Her band’s own music is more of the confessional, folk-influenced  singer-songwriter variety, and Stevenson executes her vision with a clarity and poise the reminds me of many of the things that have impressed us about other rising songwriters like Sharon Van Etten.  Along with songs from her first two records, including last year’s Sit Resist, Stevenson played several new numbers that portend a strong third album in her future.  Playing before a weekend punk crowd is hardly an easy task for any musician, but Stevenson did a fairly easy job of winning this crowd over.  At age 27, it might not be accurate to say Stevenson is a punk who has “grown up” – but perhaps it’s fair to say hers is grown-up music that punks can appreciate.

We recorded this set in the same manner as the Screaming Females recording, and it is a similarly nicely-balanced recording.  Enjoy!

Stream “[new song]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L1102LauraStevenson0212/newsong.mp3]

Stream “8:08”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/L1102LauraStevenson0212/808.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files [HERE] | Direct Download location 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.

Laura Stevenson & the Cans
2012-02-11
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Neumann KM150>Sound Devices USBPre2 + Schoeps MK22>KCY>littlebox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, EQ, amplify and balance, tracking, downsample, set fades)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 The Healthy One
02 8:08
03 Halloween Pts. 1 & 2
04 [new]
05 Caretaker
06 Peachy
07 [banter]
08 [new]
09 [new]
10 A Shine To It
11 Master of Art

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Laura Stevenson & the Cans, visit their website, and purchase Sit Resist from Don Giovanni Records [HERE]

Young Prisms: March 5, 2012 Glasslands – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 12, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Bleary Eyed Brooklyn]

One of the rewarding aspects of witnessing a band live for the first time is the recognition that despite youthfulness, the artists understand what has come before. Young Prisms are aptly named — the band members are in their early 20’s, but could pass for high school kids. But as soon as the instruments are plugged in and the first song is counted in, they age immediately. The San Francisco natives play psych-rock as if they were born in the 60s and they play it with confidence and maturity. The dual guitars and drums are out front, and the heavily reverbed dream-like vocals fit comfortably in the mix. As another excellent signing by Kanine Records, Young Prisms are also productive. Their latest album will be their third full length, and they’ve also released an EP and several split 7″ singles. In Between will be released by Kanine on March 27, and at Glasslands last Monday, Young Prisms played a set heavy with the new material, and the strength of the new songs is readily apparent from first listen. We are streaming “Four Hours (Away)” which closed the set on a high note.

I recorded this set with the new permanently-installed ‘nyctaper’ microphones at Glasslands. The Studio Projects LSD2 is a single-body stereo-microphone configured in the XY cardioid setting and is mounted in the center pole approximately fifteen feet from the stage. The mics are mixed with a soundboard feed and the sound quality is superb. Enjoy!

Stream “Four Hours (Away)”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Y0503YoungPrisms1202/10.%20Four%20Hours%20Away.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.

Young Prisms
2012-03-05
Glasslands Gallery
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Soundboard + Audience Matrix

Soundboard + Studio Projects LSD2 (XY Cardioid) > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-03-08

Setlist:
[Total Time 44:33]
01 [new song]
02 Midnight’s When
03 Breathless
04 I’m Not Hiding
05 To Touch You
06 Softer
07 Better Days
08 Floating in Blue
09 Dead Flowers
10 Four Hours Away

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Young Prisms, visit their Facebook page, and pre-order In Between directly from Kanine Records [HERE]

Wussy: March 3, 2012 Cake Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 8, 2012
By


[photo by nyctaper]

I can’t imagine that Robert Christgau gets out to many shows these days. But last Saturday at Cake Shop, there he was at Wussy‘s first NYC show in almost two years. I suppose its a bit of a novelty that one of the current favorite bands of a legendary music critic is a relatively obscure self-described “midwestern drone” outfit. But Christgau has it right. As the current band of Chuck Cleaver, the leader of 90s underground legends The Ass Ponys, Wussy is a solid guitar-bass-drums quartet with an excellent mix of male and female vocals and tremendous songcraft. For this tour, the band brought along another former Ass Ponys guitarist John Erhardt to play pedal steel. The Cake Shop show was perhaps a tad short because they were the third band in a four band bill (with a late show to follow), but Wussy worked through a mix of older and newer numbers, including songs from their recent release Strawberry. The band did not hold back for the set’s closer, a raging version of “Rigor Mortis” that concluded with a noisy guitar-drenched episode that left the packed crowd asking for more. We’re streaming that song below. Wussy will play several SXSW shows and we’re hoping to catch them, before they play more midwest shows, and then there is an anticipated Summer tour (with more East Coast dates).

I recorded this set in the same manner as the recent Old Monk recording, with the DPA 4021s on a mount on the low ceiling above the stage and the DPA 4061 omnis mounted in front of the PA. The sound quality is excellent except for a crackling (blown amp) sound which persists for several songs in the middle of the set. With that caveat, enjoy!

Stream “Rigor Mortis”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/W1604Wussy2211/11.%20Rigor%20Mortis.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.

Wussy
2012-03-03
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

Digital Master
Upfront Four Channel Audience Recording

DPA 4021s + DPA 4061s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95(tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-03-06

Setlist:
[Total Time 39:14]
01 Waiting Room
02 Pulverized
03 Grand Champion Steer
04 [banter – Wings]
05 Maglite
06 [banter]
07 Happiness Bleeds
08 Pizza King
09 Muscle Cars
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]

Old Monk: February 22, 2012 Cake Shop – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 7, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Bleary Eyed Brooklyn]

Old Monk is a band from Brooklyn with the perfect self-description — indie-prog. The indie part is easy, as they write energetic and catchy guitar-trio indie-style rock. But the tag of “prog” doesn’t get thrown around much here. The time and signature changes, abrupt turns in melody and tendency to cram three songs into one characterize the progressive elements of pop music. Their debut album Birds of Belize has more “indie” than prog, as the songs are shorter and more straightforward. But live, Old Monk stretches it out a bit and the trio’s tight instrumentation allows for the twists and turns to flow more naturally. At Cake Shop a couple of weeks back, we caught the final night of Old Monk’s month-long February residency. The thirty minute set contain several Belize songs, but also quite a few new songs that indicate that the band isn’t shying away from more complicated material. At the show, I gravitated more towards the songs that I knew (“Warm Moustache” is streaming below), but after multiple listenings to this recording, the stronger material is perhaps the new songs that are challenging but ultimately more accomplished. It remains to be seen whether the fickle NYC indie crowd will exercise enough patience to appreciate Old Monk. If they do, they will be rewarded.

I recorded this show with a new method for this venue. The DPA 4021 cardioids were mounted above the stage for an “onstage” recording of the instruments, and the DPA 4061s were mounted in front of the PA speakers for a vocal-heavy signal. The two sources mixed produce a fine balanced recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Warm Moustache”:
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/O1202OldMonk1220/02.%20Warm%20Moustache.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.

Old Monk
2012-02-22
Cake Shop
New York, NY USA

Digital Master Recording

DPA 4021s + DPA 4061s > Edirol R-44 (Oade Concert Mod) > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge (level adjustments, set fades, downsample) > CDWave 1.95 (tracking) > TLH > flac (320 MP3 and Tagging via Foobar)

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper
2012-02-23

Setlist:
[Total Time 30:30]
01 Butter and Toast
02 Warm Moustache
03 Napoleon’s Wife
04 Volcanic Prisons
05 Running Boards/Promethea
06 Art Heist
07 Wimpy Olympians
08 Skullsplitter
09 Attica

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Old Monk, visit their website, and purchase Birds of Belize directly from Eenie Meanie Records [HERE]

Craig Finn: February 29, 2012 Mercury Lounge (Early Show) – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

March 2, 2012
By


[photo courtesy of Geoffrey at According to G]

Craig Finn’s first solo album Clear Heart Full Eyes is a significant departure from his eight years in The Hold Steady. Its a relaxed country album produced in Texas that has a demo feel. Finn’s storyteller style fits well in this genre, and as a result the new record has been well received. For the tour in support, Finn has put together a band of ringers that he has labeled “Some Guns”, after his song of the same title (streaming below). While the band includes a lead guitar and a lap-steel guitar, the live performance has a greater rock feel than the album. At Mercury Lounge on Wednesday night, Craig Finn played two shows and we caught the early one. Late in the tour and back home, the band was both tight and celebratory. As is his live tradition, Finn spoke candidly to the crowd and his between song stories and banter were compelling and entertaining. Also familiarly, the reworked full band rock versions of the Clear Heart songs have a Hold Steady feel to them, although the three-song solo acoustic mini-set was a new experience. Craig Finn has promised a new Hold Steady album later this year, but given the number and quality of the unreleased songs featured in this set, we would venture to say that he has enough strong material for a second solo album. Craig will be touring throughout March. While tour ends in Europe, there is another NYC date coming soon, at Music Hall of Williamsburg next week.

I recorded this set with the new Sennheiser MKH-8040s from the front of the soundboard in the center of the room. The three quiet songs suffer from some ambient noise (door, cups), but overall the sound is crisp and meaty. Enjoy!

Stream “Some Guns”:

[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/H6589HoldSteady1192/09.%20Some%20Guns.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.

Craig Finn
2012-02-29
Early Show
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Digital Master
Front of Board Audience Recording

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

Recorded and Produced
by nyctaper 2012-03-01

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:13:17]
01 [introduction]
02 Apollo Baby
03 Keep On Running
04 Balcony
05 Jackson
06 No Future
07 When No One’s Watching
08 [banter – band theme songs]
09 Some Guns
10 Western Pier
11 New Friend Jesus
12 Sarah, I’m Surrounded
13 Jeremiah’s Blues
14 Dennis and Billy
15 Going To A Show
16 Honolulu Blues
17 Not Much Left

If you download this recording from NYCTaper we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Craig Finn, visit his website, and purchase Clear Heart Full Eyes directly from Vagrant Records [HERE]

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