Posts Tagged ‘ pavement ’

Spiral Stairs: June 23, 2017 The Bell House

June 27, 2017
By


[Photos by Rocketman]

It’s been nearly a decade since we’ve had new music from Scott Kannberg/Spiral Stairs—but the long wait is justified as his new album Doris and the Daggers is his best since Preston School of Industry disbanded in 2004. We caught up with Spiral Stairs for the first of his two night NYC stand and were rewarded with eighty minutes of tunes off the new record, plus some Pavement and Preston School of Industry favorites. If you needed reminding of Spiral’s crucial contributions to the former, the song selection here—“Date with IKEA,” “Kennel District,” “Passat Dream,” “Hit the Plane Down,” and “Two States”—will emphasize that Pavement had two major songwriters. For my money, I enjoyed hearing a couple from the criminally underrated Preston School of Industry, the wonderfully-lackadaisical “Whalebones” (which ranks up there with his signature Pavement compositions) and “Caught in the Rain.” (As an aside, there are quite a few PSOI tracks I’d still like to hear the Spiral Stairs band play live, like “Somethings Happen Always” and “Falling Away.”) But back to Doris and the Daggers: so many reviews have focused on the maturity of the record, which makes it sound overly serious. Spiral Stairs may be older and singing about real life, but he’s still doing so with a wink and smile and his penchant for an opaque but resonant turn of phrase.

I recorded this with the mics set up at the board in DIN stereo configuration, which I then combined with a board feed from the Bell House’s FOH David Hurtgen. A special thanks goes out to David for loaning me a mic stand so I could make this recording for you all. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Download the complete show: [MP3/FLAC]

Spiral Stairs
2017-06-23
The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY

Recorded and produced by Eric PH for nyctaper.com
Photos by Rocketman

Soundboard (engineer: David Hurtgen) + AKG C480B/CK61 (DIN, ROC) > Zoom F8 > 2 x WAV (24/48) > Adobe Audition CC (align, mixdown, balance, compression, normalize, fades) + Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ) > Audacity 2.0.5 (tracking, tagging) > FLAC (24/48, level 8)

Tracks [1:18:31]
01. Flesh and Blood [Roxy Music]
02. Dance (Cry Wolf)
03. No Comparison
04. Exiled Tonight
05. Trams (Stole My Love)
06. Date with IKEA [Pavement]
07. Kennel District [Pavement]
08. Emoshuns
09. Dundee Man
10. Passat Dream [Pavement]
11. Hit the Plane Down [Pavement]
12. Whalebones [Preston School of Industry]
13. Caught in the Rain [Preston School of Industry]
14. Angel Eyes
15. Hypnotized
16. Two States [Pavement]

Buy Doris and the Daggers at the Spiral Stairs website
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Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks: February 26, 2014 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC / MP3 / Streaming Songs

March 3, 2014
By

steven-malkmus-jicks-40
[Photos by PSquared Photography]

Rising from the late-90’s hiatus of indie rock standard bearer Pavement, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks picked up that flag and are still running like hell with it.  Quite successfully, I might add.  With a string of critically lauded albums under their belt, Malkmus and company are still the gold standard for the genre.  On top of that, their live shows are spoken about in revered tones and on the must-see lists of stalwart fans.  Having been a late devotee of Malkmus’ various projects, it seemed only fitting that my first Jicks concert be at the venue where they had their official live debut over a decade ago.  The first of two sold out nights in the NYC-area, the band hit the stage with all cylinders firing, in great form, and with an eager crowd thrilled to hear every note.  Playing the bulk of their celebrated new record, ‘Wig Out at Jagbags‘, they had plenty of room to cover songs from nearly all the previous albums, and even snuck in Pavement’s “Father to a Sister of Thought”.  I’d say if there was one complaint I had by the end of the evening, it was that I hadn’t the foresight to get tickets for the following night.  I guess there’s always next time.

In our regular spot next to the mixing board in the balcony, we would be hard pressed to have better sound.  Dialed in beautifully, the mix was about as good as it gets at Bowery Ballroom and we were able to pull a wonderful recording with our microphones.  Enjoy!

Stream “Lariat”:

Stream “Baby C’mon”:

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

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

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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.

steven-malkmus-jicks-43

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY, USA

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

SETLIST:
[Total time: 1:17:20]
01. [intro]
02. Chartjunk
03. Scattegories
04. Lariat
05. No One Is (As I Are Be)
06. Brain Gallop
07. Rumble at the Rainbo
08. Shibboleth
09. Cinnamon and Lesbians
10. Out of Reaches
11. [banter]
12. Tigers
13. [banter]
14. Vanessa from Queens
15. [banter]
16. The Janitor Revealed
17. Houston Hades
18. J Smoov
19. Baby C’mon
20. Surreal Teenagers
21. [encore break / banter]
22. Father to a Sister of Thought  [Pavement]
23. Kite in a Closet

If you download this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, visit their website, visit their Facebook and MySpace pages, and purchase their official releases and merchandise [HERE], at Amazon and at iTunes.

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

December 31, 2010
By

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

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

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

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

Download the entire mixtape [HERE]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pavement: September 24, 2010 Central Park Summerstage – FLAC and MP3 Downloads

September 27, 2010
By


[iPhone photo by acidjack]

Oh, Pavement, how we will miss you.  This final show of the band’s five-night NYC (four nights in Central Park) run had a very different vibe than the previous shows, with the band giving off a bit more of a subdued vibe.  The setlist emphasized the more melodic, slower songs from the catalog, and Malkmus in particular seemed intent on jamming and reinterpreting songs (leading to a hilarious “Pavement and the Jicks!!” comment by Bob).  At times the more laid back approach worked – such as on the epic “And Then (The Hexx)” and the extended “Heaven Is A Truck” that was a last minute substitution for “Fight This Generation” in the setlist.  At others, it seemed the band was a tad off their game, with a few false starts here and there.  The set closed out with “Range Life” featuring the recording engineer Bryce Goggin, who mixed both Wowee Zowee and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and played keyboards in the recorded version of “Range Life,” performing live with the band – undoubtedly a dream come true for anyone who spends most of their time behind the console!

Where do we go from here?  Fans can hope that the band decides to make new music or at least tour together again, but that seems less than likely at this point.  What we will have left will be our memories of these beautiful nights – which Bob himself acknowledged the band would never forget – and the music itself.  Having Pavement back was also a reminder of how dearly they were missed.  To quote the simple “Summer Babe” refrain, made all the more poignant now: “Don’t go.”

I recorded this set with the same mobile rig as the Williamsburg Waterfront show and Wednesday’s show.  There was almost no wind, and the crowd around me was enthusiastic but respectful.  As a result, the recording is excellent.   As someone who never got to see their favorite band perform (due in part to an untimely death in the band), I greatly appreciate Pavement giving fans who had not seen them before a second chance.  One of the main reasons that I record concerts is because I know how much I treasure the old recordings that people made of my favorite band, since they are the closest thing I have to the real live experience.  I hope that some people will feel the same way about these recordings.  Enjoy!

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

Pavement
2010-09-24
Central Park Summerstage
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: Audix 1280c>Church Audio Active Cables>SPSB-10>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Mobile rig, near left stack
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, compress wind noise, compress/hard limit clapping, EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 Heckler Spray
02 In the Mouth of A Desert
03 Frontwards
04 Spit On A Stranger
05 banter
06 Shady Lane
07 Date With Ikea
08 Grounded
09 Cut Yr Hair
10 Perfume-V
11 Conduit for Sale!
12 Father to a Sister of Thought
13 Stereo
14 Starlings of the Slipstream
15 Gold Soundz
16 banter
17 And Then (The Hexx)
18 We Dance
19 Silence Kit
20 Unfair
21 No Life Singed Her
22 banter
23 Stop Breathin
24 banter
25 Elevate Me Later
26 banter/jamming
27 Here
28 encore break 1
29 Rattled by the Rush
30 Heaven Is A Truck
31 Summer Babe
32 encore break 2
33 Kennel District
34 banter
35 Debris Slide
36 banter
37 Range Life

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will continue to support Pavement, visit their official website, go to shows on this tour, and purchase the records and merch you don’t already own from the band’s official store or Matador Records.

Pavement: September 23, 2010 Central Park Summerstage – Flac and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Sample

September 26, 2010
By


[photo courtesy of Nadia Chaudhury]

Matt from Fluxblog described Thursday night’s Pavement show in an interview with NPR as “kinda tired, odd moods, a bit sloppier, definitely just kinda weird and goofy.” Matt is a bright and perceptive guy — his music writing is some of the best on the web. But in this case, he’s dead wrong. I have the audio proof to offer you. Pavement’s performance was loose, but that’s their forte. But there is no denying the energy of the individual performances from this show, not the least of which was the moment early in the set when the full band kicked in on “Gold Soundz” at the very point where the full moon illuminated the post-dusk night air. The band kept up the pace for twenty minutes straight through a screaming, manic version of “Unfair”, when they finally took a breath to wish a fan happy birthday and slowed things down with “Spit On A Stranger”. Far from sloppy or tired, Malkmus vocals on “Stranger” were confident and relaxed. The show kicked back into high gear with the heavy sounds of “Rattled” and “Stereo”. The band then whipped out rarely played (first of the tour) “Loretta’s Scars” (streaming below). “That was pretty good, and I’ve been there for all three times we played it, good job guys”, mused Malkmus. The band recovered from a slight snafu at the opening of “Stop Breathin'” to reclaim an inspired version of the Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain classic. Malkmus spoke sincerely about how “Cut Your Hair” had changed his life before delving into perhaps the band’s most well-known number. The jammy “Fight This Generation”, superb guitar work on “Fin”, and the band’s other “hit” “Summer Babe” were among the closing tracks in this outstanding main set. The encore “set” consisted of 8 songs and one apparent “tease”, offering the packed Summerstage crowd a neat two-hour, twenty-eight song epic show.

I recorded this set with the four-mic rig from the front of the soundboard cage, about 100 feet from the stage. While the distance and wind were factors, the Neumann hypers raised to 13 feet captured the high end, and the DPAs at 10 feet secured the bass presence. Overall, I’m pleased with the quality of this recording. Enjoy!

Stream “Loretta’s Scars”:
[audio:http://www.acidjack.com/Pavement/Pavement%202010-09-23%20LORETTA%27S%20SCARS.mp3]
Stream “Summer Babe”:
[audio:http://www.acidjack.com/Pavement/Pavement%202010-09-23%20SUMMER%20BABE.mp3]

Direct download of complete show in MP3 files (HERE)

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Pavement
2010-09-23
Rumsey Playfield
Central Park Summerstage
New York, NY USA

Four-Track Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Front of Soundboard Booth

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
2010-09-25

Setlist:
[Total Time 1:54:36]
01 [introduction]
02 Grounded
03 Gold Soundz
04 Silent Kid
05 Date With IKEA
06 Unfair
07 [banter/birthday]
08 Spit On A Stranger
09 Rattled By The Rush
10 Stereo
11 Loretta’s Scars
12 [crowd/banter]
13 Frontwards
14 Stop Breathin’ [false start]
15 Stop Breathin’
16 Shoot The Singer
17 [banter]
18 Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite at :17
19 [banter]
20 Cut Your Hair
21 Fight This Generation
22 Two States
23 Fin
24 Summer Babe
25 She Believes
26 Range Life
27 [encore break]
28 Kennel District
29 Shady Lane
30 Starlings of the Slipstream
31 Our Singer
32 [banter/Steve West praise]
33 Heckler Spray
34 Angel Carver Blues (intro)
35 In The Mouth A Desert
36 We Dance
37 Box Elder

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will continue to support Pavement, visit their official website, go to shows on this tour, and purchase the records and merch you don’t already own from the band’s official store or Matador Records.

Pavement: September 22, 2010 Central Park Summerstage – FLAC and MP3 Downloads

September 25, 2010
By


[photo courtesy of Music Snobbery]

Night three of Pavement’s New York run was a wet one.  After the clear skies and perfect temperatures of Sunday’s Williamsburg Waterfront show, and the previous night at Central Park Summerstage, Wednesday night was a hot, wet mess.  Shortly into the show, the skies opened up and we all got soaked, but even with a delay for lightning, Pavement managed to play their entire planned set, and a killer one at that, closing out the proceedings with a thunderous “Conduit for Sale!” in which Bob Nastanovich pulled out absolutely all the stops on the vocals.  Drenched but happy, the still-strong crowd returned the favor, singing along to the chorus and giving Pavement another triumphant notch in their belt.

This show was tough to record, given that it was pouring rain, but despite the shirt on my head covering my mobile rig, the recording came out quite nicely.  Enjoy!

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Pavement
2010-09-22
Central Park Summerstage
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: Audix 1280c>Church Audio Active Cables>SPSB-10>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Mobile rig, near right stack
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, compress wind noise, compress/hard limit clapping, EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

01 intro/banter
02 Heckler Spray>
03 In the Mouth of a Desert
04 Perfume V
05 Trigger Cut
06 Unfair
07 Range Life
08 Starlings of the Slipstream
09 Spizzle Truck
10 Shady Lane
11 Fight This Generation
12 Summer Babe
13 Cut Yr Hair
14 Kennel District
15 Gold Soundz
16 Zurich Is Stained
17 Stereo
18 set break for lightning
19 The Hexx
20 Two States
21 Spit On A Stranger
22 Grounded
23 Silent Kid
24 Father To A Sister of Thought
25 banter
26 Stop Breathin
27 encore break
28 Date With Ikea
29 banter
30 Lions (Linden)
31 Here
32 Conduit For Sale!

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will continue to support Pavement, visit their official website, go to shows on this tour, and purchase the records and merch you don’t already own from the band’s official store or Matador Records.

Pavement: September 21, 2010 Central Park Summerstage – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

September 23, 2010
By


[iPhone photo by threelobed]

Pavement put the tickets for the Central Park Summerstage shows in Manhattan on sale about a year ago.  The resulting advanced planning (or lack of skill at planning/holding onto tickets) of indie fans was even the subject of a recent New Yorker piece.  The good news about doing things this way was that (a) Pavement sold the shows out and (b) cheap tickets were available for fans day-of.

Those who weren’t daunted by the advanced planning were rewarded by what I believe to have been the best of the three Pavement shows I had (to this point) seen this year.  The band was in a jokey mood, the weather was perfect (about the opposite of Wednesday’s experience), and the set was loose, jammy and ten minutes longer than the already very long Williamsburg Waterfront show.  This show saw the band bust out several tunes not played at the Williamsburg show, including “In the Mouth of a Desert”, “Debris Slide,” “Shoot the Singer”, “Heaven Is A Truck” and the rarest inclusion (which was not on the official setlist), “Perfect Depth.”  Expectations could not have been higher for a show that went on sale a year ago, but Pavement still gave us more than we could ever have hoped.

This set was recorded with DPA 4021 mics mounted 12 feet in the air at the soundboard next to the JetBlue VIP area, unlike the mobile rig that I “stack taped” with on Sunday.  The sound is therefore more stereo balanced, but reflects that the recording was made at a much greater distance from the source.  There are also a couple of short spots of wind noise.

Wednesday’s show was also recorded using the mobile rig upfront and, miraculously (given the rain), sounds excellent.  We expect to post that recording, along with recordings of Thursday and Friday’s shows, to the site later this week or early next week.

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

PLEASE RESPECT THE LIMITS OF THE NYCTAPER SERVER AND DO NOT REPOST DIRECT LINKS

Direct download of FLAC files [HERE].

Pavement
2010-09-21
Summerstage
New York, NY USA

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

Equipment: DPA 4021>Naiant littlebox>Sony PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: At soundboard booth, ORTF, 12? up
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, hard limit/compress clapping, EQ, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:53:39]
01 Shady Lane
02 Frontwards
03 Heckler Spray>Elevate Me Later
04 Starlings of the Slipstream
05 Stereo
06 Kennel District
07 Grounded
08 Rattled by the Rush
09 We Dance
10 In the Mouth of a Desert
11 Perfume V
12 Unfair
13 Fin
14 Gold Soundz
15 banter
16 Debris Slide
17 Range Life
18 Trigger Cut
19 banter
20 Cut Yr Hair
21 Perfect Depth
22 Fight This Generation
23 Box Elder
24 encore break
25 Date With Ikea
26 Shoot the Singer
27 Conduit For Sale
28 Silence Kid
29 Heaven Is A Truck
30 Stop Breathin

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will continue to support Pavement, visit their official website, go to their shows, and purchase the records and merch you don’t already own from the band’s official store or Matador Records.

Pavement: September 19, 2010 Williamsburg Waterfront – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

September 20, 2010
By


[Photo courtesy of fakebook. See his Flickr stream here]

Pavement returned to New York City after a hiatus of more than 10 years. For those of us who grew up worshipping the band in the 90s, this was a jaw-dropping, tears-streaming moment. There once was a world where, far from all things, but a hell of a lot more things were right, and one of those things was Pavement, avatars of a time when being a “slacker” was a choice rather than an economic reality. Insouciant, wry and at times impenetrable, they were not all things to all people – but they were all things to a certain kind of person, the right kind of person some (particularly a certain vintage of indie snob) might say. Beyond all doubt time has been kind; since I last saw them take the stage in Raleigh, NC in 1999, sloppy as hell and evidently sick of it all, these guys have grown as musicians immensely, as evidenced by the more intricate solos and the swagger with which they dispatched a nearly two hour (!!) set before a crowd that, as I saw it, included a fair number of people who were in elementary school when Terror Twilight closed out their recorded history. Listen to the 7+ minute “Fight This Generation” and see if you agree. Fittingly, the show took place outdoors, facing Manhattan from the teeming Williamsburg Waterfront. Were Pavement a young band today, there is little doubt what side of the East River they would spend their time on.

These songs have worn well – with nearly every song a classic, it is hard to pinpoint highlights. Suffice it to say, for those of us who will be catching the next four shows at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park from Tuesday through Friday, this is going to be a memorable week.

I recorded this set with a mobile rig in the audience very close to the sound source. Although there is occasional wind noise that I have mostly processed out, and the expected excitement of the crowd, the sound is overall extremely clear. Enjoy!

Stream “Fight this Generation”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P9910Pavement0210/Pavement-FightThisGeneration_nyctaper.mp3]

Stream “Spit on a Stranger”:
[audio:http://www.nyctaper.com/P9910Pavement0210/Pavement-SpitOnAStranger_nyctaper.mp3]

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Pavement
2010-09-19
Williamsburg Waterfront
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Equipment: Audix 1280c>Church Audio Active Cables>SPSB-10>PCM-M10 (24/44.1)
Position: Mobile, near right stack
Mastering: 24bit/44.1kHz WAV>Audacity (set fades, tracking, hard limit/compress clapping, EQ, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC (level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:43:59]
01 intro banter
02 Cut Yr Hair
03 Date With Ikea
04 Rattled by the Rush
05 banter
06 Elevate Me Later
07 Grounded
08 Frontwards
09 Shady Lane
10 Unfair
11 Perfume V
12 Fight this Generation
13 Silence Kid
14 Box Elder
15 banter
16 Stop Breathin
17 Two States
18 Father to a Sister of Thought
19 banter
20 Heckler Spray>In the Mouth of a Desert
21 banter
22 We Dance
23 Summer Babe
24 Fin
25 Stereo
26 encore break
27 Spit on a Stranger
28 Trigger Cut
29 banter
30 Starlings of the Slipstream
31 Gold Soundz
32 Kennel District
33 Range Life

If you download this recording from NYCTaper, we expect that you will continue to support Pavement, visit their official website, go to shows on this tour, and purchase the records and merch you don’t already own from the band’s official store or Matador Records.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks July 19, 2008 Siren Festival – Flac and MP3 Download

July 20, 2008
By


[photo courtesy of Ear Farm blog]

We expect there will be many reviews of this concert and in particular the Voice’s coverage will likely be comprehensive. We arrived in the middle of the Islands set, with the intention to see and record only the Stephen Malkmus set and we were successful. On a hot sunny day when the Jicks performed an energetic and loose set of primarily Real Emotional Trash material, we were left with some interesting lasting images. The sights of several people who passed out from heat exhaustion and crowding, the persistent sights and sounds of the Cyclone rollercoaster every few minutes over our left shoulder, and Stephen literally coaxing the promoters to let the Jicks perform encores even after the stage lights were turned off were memorable images we will likely not soon forget.

We recorded from the ground in front and left of the soundboard. The placement was problematic because of the Cyclone, but our hyper-directional microphones really proved their worth as the recording is not marred by the rumbling ride and screaming patrons. During quiet moments and in between songs, the cyclone provided “local color”, during the normal volume of the songs, the noise can not be heard. Enjoy!

Many thanks to a writer from the Voice and also Matador Records for their advanced assistance in capture of this concert.

Direct download of MP3 files [HERE]

Download the Complete show in FLAC [HERE].

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
2008-07-19
Siren Music Festival
Coney Island Main Stage
Brooklyn, NY USA

Digital Master Recording
Recorded from Dead Center
Front of Board — Approximately 100 Feet from Stage

Neumann KM-150s (AK-50 Hypercardiod Capsules) > Monster XLR cables > Apogee Minime > digital coaxial > M-Audio Microtrack > 24bit 48kHz wav file > Soundforge 8.0 (set fades, slight level boost, resample 16/44) > CD Wave 1.95 > Flac Frontend (level 7, align sector boundaries) > flac

Recorded and Produced by nyctaper
2008-07-20

Setlist:
[total time 1:19:31]
01 Baby C’mon
02 Gardenia
03 Dragonfly Pie
04 Jenny and the Ess-Dog
05 Phantasies
06 Hopscotch Willie
07 Elmo Delmo
08 Cold Son
09 Baltimore
10 Astral Facial
11 We Can’t Help You
12 Real Emotional Trash
13 [encore break]
14 All Over Gently
15 Pencil Rot
16 Two Tickets to Paradise (Eddie Money)

If you email nyctaper for access to this recording, we expect that you will PLEASE SUPPORT Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from the Store at the Matador Records site.

SUPPORT NYCTaper




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