Posts Tagged ‘ Schoeps Mk41 ’

This Is the Kit: April 18, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

May 8, 2012
By


[Not very good iPhone photo by acidjack]

For obvious reasons, we end up promoting a lot of NYC-based bands on this site. But it is always a rare treat to get a chance to share a recording by a band from overseas, particularly one that is new to us. This Is the Kit is a Paris and Bristol, UK-based project of vocalist/guitarist/banjo player Kate Stables that produces a grown-up brand of acoustic, blues-influenced rock of timeless beauty and grace – think of Cowboy Junkies or Sharon Van Etten as a reference point. Her music isn’t gimmicky or loud, brash or lo-fi.  This is a type of band that you want to listen to, try and focus on what’s being said through the hush (if you’re lucky, and there is, in fact a hush). And sure, your Dad might dig it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t – a great song is a great song, no?

A Mercury Lounge late show can often be a challenge to a band, after the bar has been open a few hours and two other bands have already done their thing. This Is the Kit were opening for Plants and Animals, who themselves had a fairly rowdy crowd. Hearing the opening notes of the spare, magnificent banjo intro of “Easy Pickings”, I feared for the worst. But a funny thing happened- the crowd paid attention, throughout a set that showcased several of the band’s numbers from Wriggle Out the Restless, a record originally released on the UK imprint Brassland and about to be re-released stateside (you can grab it for a steal on bandcamp right now for $3 or more… I suggest more). Out of a uniformly excellent set, it’s hard to pick favorites, but I was partial to the bluesy “rocker” of the group, “Earthquake”, the quiet leadoff track “Easy Pickings”, and the frenetic cross-rhythms of “Spinney” (currently the free track on the bandcamp page). Each of the songs in this set felt distinct, and the band managed to show a lot of different sides during this short opening performance. The next time they’re headlining, I’m there.

I recorded this set in the same manner as the Plants and Animals recording, but the quality of both the house mix and soundboard feed were better for this performance. Given the quiet nature of the set, this recording favors the soundboard feed, and the result is an outstanding and crisp recording.  Enjoy!

Stream “Earthquake”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T1840ThisKit2012/Earthquake.mp3]

Stream “Spinney”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/T1840ThisKit2012/Spinney.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.

This Is the Kit
2012-04-18
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>CMC6 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Adobe Audition CS5.5 (align, mixdown, balance)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, harmonic exciter (gentle tube), imaging (add width)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Easy Pickings
02 White Ash Cut
03 Vitamins
04 Earthquake
05 Two Wooden Spoons
06 [banter]
07 See Here
08 [banter]
09 Misunderstanding
10 Spinney
11 Bashed Out

If you enjoyed this recording, please support This Is the Kit, like them on Facebook, and visit their bandcamp page to buy Wriggle Out the Restless.

Plants and Animals: April 18, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 26, 2012
By


[Photos courtesy of Patrick Proctor at Hippies Are Dead]

The Montreal band Plants and Animals has been at this for awhile now – they released their first EP in 2004 – and experience has clearly served them well, developing them into a band with considerable chops and obvious stage presence.  This show at Mercury Lounge came on the heels of the release of their third record, The End of That, a document of the three-piece’s continuing commitment to big, 70s-inspired rock. Big is a broad but appropriate word for the sound of a band whose songs routinely stretch beyond five or even six minutes – Plants and Animals take their time building their satisfying rhythmic structures on songs like “Mercy” and “Crisis”. While many bands use the excuse of being the fourth or fifth band of the night to wrap things up early-style, Plants and Animals anchored a long Thursday night of music at Mercury Lounge to deliver an 80-minute set that covered their three big releases and some deeper cuts from their with/avec EP like “Lola Who” and the set closer, a nine-minute version of “Faerie Dance”. The crowd was most pumped for the band’s latest single, “Lightshow”, and deservedly so – it’s an instantly memorable song with a loud/soft dynamic and a mind-glue riff.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a soundboard feed courtesy of the Mercury Lounge staff. Unfortunately, this being the Mercury “late show” and it being a popular drinking night here in NY (well, aren’t they all…), the crowd was very noisy, forcing me to mix in more of the soundboard feed than I otherwise would have preferred.  Although it is still a good capture, listeners on headphones may be distracted at times by the crowd chatter. With that  caveat, enjoy!

Stream “Lightshow”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P4018PlantsAnimals1220/13 Lightshow.mp3]

Stream “Crisis!”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/P4018PlantsAnimals1220/02 Crisis!.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.

Plants and Animals
2012-04-18
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41 (PAS, 7.5ft)>CMC6 + Soundboard >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (align, mixdown, tracking, amplify and balance, set fades)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time 1:21:17]
01 Bye Bye Bye
02 Crisis!
03 Good Friend
04 Control Me
05 Gameshows
06 No Idea
07 Lola Who?
08 The Mama Papa
09 Mercy
10 Why & Why
11 [banter]
12 Undone Melody
13 Lightshow
14 [encore break]
15 The End of That
16 Faerie Dance

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Plants and Animals, visit their website, and purchase their official releases from their online store [HERE]

Conduits: April 2, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 24, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Conduits are a new band from the always-punching-above-its-weight music scene of Omaha, Nebraska, and we were fortunate enough to catch them right after the release of their promising self-titled debut on the label Team Love.  Conduits’ reference points include many bands I revere – Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Portishead and the underappreciated Irish band Scheer – so I was naturally taken with their sound. Lead singer Jenna Morrison, previously of another beloved Omaha band Son, Ambulance, is a commanding frontwoman and vocalist, with the sort of powerful but ethereal voice that works perfectly with the band’s layers of feedback-drenched sound. And far from affecting the distant posture of some of their sonic forebears, Conduits actually perform, again with Morrison and bandmates J.J. Idt (guitar), Nate Mickish (guitar), Mike Overfield (bass, keys), Roger L. Lewis (drums), and Patrick Newbery (synth, keys) sharing the intensity of the moment with the crowd. Knob-twiddlers and shoegazers they ain’t – this is a rock n’ roll band that, even at a young stage, looked and sounded totally comfortable on the relatively big Bowery stage.  Idt and Mickish, who founded the band, clearly assembled their fellow players wisely.

This opening set at Bowery Ballroom covered four of the eight tracks on Conduits, plus two other songs that were new to me. My personal favorites came back to back – the strong rocker “Blood” and the more dark, atmospheric “Last Dirge”. Although the set was brief, it established Conduits as a band to watch. We expect great things in the future.

nyctaper and I recorded this set with a combination of more directional Schoeps MK41 hypercardiod microphones and Sennheiser MKH-8040 cardiods.  While this was not my favorite house mix in this beautiful-sounding room, this remains a great capture and a worthwhile introduction to this band. Enjoy!

Stream “Blood”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C0042Conduits0212/02 Blood.mp3]

Stream “Last Dirge”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C0042Conduits0212/03 Last Dirge.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.

Conduits
2012-04-02
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

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

Schoeps MK41>KCY>Z-PFA>SD USBPre2 + Sennheiser MKH-8040 >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audition CS 5.5 (mixdown)>Izotope Ozone 5 (EQ, effects)>Audacity (tracking, amplify and balance, downsample to 16bit)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 Top of the Hill>
02 Blood
03 Last Dirge
04 Misery Train
05 The Wonder
06 Crow

If you enjoyed this recording, please support Conduits by liking them on facebook and purchasing Conduits directly from Team Love [HERE]

Yellow Ostrich: April 12, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

April 16, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Yellow Ostrich was the first band I saw last year, at this same venue (Mercury Lounge). Back then, the band consisted of creative mastermind and frontman Alex Schaaf and drummer Michael Tapper, working hard to produce an on-stage re-recreation of the simple magic of the band’s then-current release, The Mistress. That record was one of those indie gems you might miss if you didn’t pay attention to the CMJ showcase circuit and the right blogs; it was a lo-fi, low-profile recording offered on Schaaf’s bandcamp page for free, and it was as simple and unadorned as a record could get. That sold-out show found Schaaf still finding his footing creatively and and as a performer; he was still a bit raw, but already compelling.

Much has changed since then.

The Mistress and its stellar reviews attracted wider notice, as good records tend to, and Schaaf signed to the Northwest imprint Barsuk Records, who obligingly remastered and re-released The Mistress, along with bankrolling the band’s new release of last month, Strange Land. Since that Mercury Lounge show last January, Schaaf has performed around the country in front of hundreds of audiences, and the band has added a critical third member, Jon Natchez, who has played with Beirut, Camera Obscura, Okkervil River, and The Antlers. What was once your favorite little indie bedroom project has grown into a full-fledged rock band with the songs to prove it.

This sold-out Mercury Lounge show was a valedictory one for the band, coming on the heels of a U.S. tour that took them to all corners of the country, not to mention its great middle (Wisconsin is where Schaaf calls home, and they have a serious following in flyover country). Not only are the standout tracks on Strange Land like “Marathon Runner” and “I Got No Time For You” already in top form, but older tracks like the quirky “WHALE” that first drew me to the band have been reworked with more layers of sound. Schaaf’s sweet, somewhat nasal voice and quirky songcraft have always recalled, for me, innovators like John Darnielle and Jeff Mangum. Schaaf, like Darnielle, has found a way to embrace a full-bodied, at-times-lush rock sound without losing the qualities of his music that make it unique. It’s appropriate, then, that he closed the set with one of the simplest and most plaintive tracks off of The Mistress, “Mary”. Even with all his new musical toys, Schaaf can be a pretty damn compelling performer without them.

I recorded this set in the same manner as I recorded Yellow Ostrich last year, with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a perfect soundboard feed from the Mercury Lounge head FOH. The sound quality, as with the last recording, is outstanding.  Enjoy!

Check out Yellow Ostrich on tour this summer with Los Campesinos! and at several festivals (including Lollapalooza).  Their next NYC dates are June 21 at Maxwell’s, June 22 at Le Poisson Rouge and June 23 at Brooklyn Bowl, each with Los Campesinos!  Thanks to the band for their support of NYCTaper.

Stream “Marathon Runner”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Y1400YellowOstrich2110/09 Marathon Runner.mp3]

Stream “Heaven [The Talking Heads]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/Y1400YellowOstrich2110/13 Heaven.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.

Yellow Ostrich
2012-04-12
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41 (ROC, PAS, 8ft)>CMC6>Aerco MP-2>>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (patch 25sec of one channel)>Adobe Audition CS 5.5(mixdown, EQ)>Audacity (set fades, tracking, amplify and balance, downsample)>FLAC Level 8

Tracks
01 WHALE
02 Up in the Mountains
03 I Got No Time For You
04 Hold On
05 Daughter
06 Campaign
07 Wear Suits
08 [banter]
09 Marathon Runner
10 Elephant King
11 The Shakedown
12 [encore break]
13 Heaven [Talking Heads]
14 Mary

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Yellow Ostrich, visit their website, see them on tour with Los Campesinos! and at the other festivals they’re playing this summer, and purchase Strange Land and The Mistress directly from Barsuk [HERE].

Howlin’ Rain: February 8, 2012 Brooklyn Bowl – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 14, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Ethan Miller, the founder and frontman of Howlin’ Rain, knows his history.  Were it still the 1970s, the Humboldt County native and his band could have held their own with any of that era’s West Coast greats.  These days, some of the era’s dinosaurs may still roam, but among current acts, Howlin’ Rain have the mantle almost to themselves.  The band wear their influences proudly; as Miller put it to Rolling Stone, “Everyone dabbles in the history books to get their licks… We use the same roads and highways. But the weather, lights, cars and people, they’re never quite the same.”  Miller previously honed his chops in the psychedelic rock outfit Comets on Fire, who released their last record in 2006, the same year that Miller launched Howlin’ Rain’s outstanding self-titled debut.  Howlin’ Rain retains some of its predecessor’s psychedelic influences, and penchant for stretched-out songs, but focuses more on a melodic, classic rock style that takes full advantage of Miller and the band’s considerable talents.

This show at Brooklyn Bowl, the second of two local shows after a night at Mercury Lounge over in Manhattan, found the band and openers D. Charles Speer & the Helix playing material from the band’s forthcoming record to a moderately-sized but fired-up crowd ignoring the league night going on in the bowling portion of the room.  This gave plenty of opportunities for bowling jokes, sure, but by mid-set, bowling had fallen by the wayside, and Howlin’ Rain owned the room.  It’s no wonder that The Russian Wilds, their new album that dropped today, has been receiving ecstatic reviews – while some other classic-sounding bands (ahem, a certain duo who shall remain unnamed) have taken to putting out records that go through the motions, The Russian Wilds is the sound of a band that is still hungry and still getting better.  They kicked off this show with “Self Made Man” from that record, an eight-minute rocker that says all you need to know about the scale and scope of Miller’s ambitions.   Things only picked up from there, as the band displayed its versatility and its ability rock on songs like “Cherokee Werewolf”, “Dark Side” and “I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight”.  The combination of the band’s throwback sound and the rock n’ bowl venue felt like a time machine of sorts – and that was a time machine I’d like to be in.

hi and lo and I recorded this set with two pairs of Schoeps microphones – MK5 cardiods and MK41 supercardiods – plus a soundboard feed provided by Brooklyn Bowl.  Thanks to Peter Costello for his hospitality.  Enjoy the recording!

Download MP3 and FLAC via the Live Music Archive.


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.

Howlin’ Rain
2012-02-08
Brooklyn Bowl
Brooklyn, NY USA

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

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>KCY>littlebox + Schoeps MK5c>NBox cables>PFA>PSP2 >> Tascam DR-680 (MK41 and SBD) + Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod] (MK5)>6x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (clock sync channels, mixdown, tracking, set fades, light EQ, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks [Total Time approx 78min]
01 intro>Self Made Man
02 Phantom In the Valley
03 [banter]
04 Cherokee Werewolf
05 [banter]
06 Can’t Satisfy Me Now
07 [banter]
08 Strange Thunder
09 Dark Side
10 Dancers At the End of Time
11 Calling Lightning Pt. 2
12 [encore break]
13 I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight
14 Roll On The Rusted Days

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Howlin’ Rain, visit their website, like them on Facebook, and purchase The Russian Wilds directly from their site or from your favorite retailer.

Superhuman Happiness: January 28, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

February 2, 2012
By


[Photo by acidjack]

It’s one thing to be unaware of an amazing live act for far too long; it’s another for them to be from your own backyard and to be totally clueless about them until they’re opening for an established band at Bowery Ballroom.  But such is the truth of my discovery of Brooklyn’s Superhuman Happiness, and I’m happy to say I’m glad I made my way to them eventually, even if I arrived late to the party.

Like the band they were opening for, Superhuman Happiness utilize a large crew of players that includes multiple percussionists and brass flourishes (founder Stuart Bogie also does time as saxophonist for Antibalas).  Superhuman Happiness specialize in an upbeat, tribal style of dance music that calls to mind acts like !!!, with a penchant for the type of catchy polyrhythms that could as easily be at home on a DFA release (especially the set opener, “See Me On My Way”).  The band’s vocal approach trends mellower than those acts, and less self-referential; Superhuman Happiness, as the name may imply, are an unironically happy band, and being in their crowd, it’s hard not to feel a lightness in your step yourself.  They encourage the crowd to open a number of songs with clapping (check out “Our Favorite Part”, below), amping up the sense of celebration.

I’m told that this set was a bit less on the improvisational side for a Superhuman Happiness gig, given the limited set time, but the band nevertheless took plenty of liberties with song structure, as on the extended meditation during “Hounds”.   But with a musical pedigree among the bandmembers as diverse as Foals, TV on the Radio, Phenomenal Handclap Band, the Roots, Passion Pit, Antibalas and Holly Miranda, to name a few, these guys prove that they aren’t just a bunch of music majors noodling it out – they’ve got plenty of chops in more straight-ahead styles as well.

Right now, you can catch Superhuman Happiness at less expensive (as they commented from stage) venues around the city like Union Pool and Pianos; sure, they’ll also dominate Brooklyn Bowl one day (their sound is almost tailor-made for that venue), but why wait?

I recorded this set with a combination of Schoeps MK22 “open cardioid” mics and MK41 supercardiod mics for a recording of excellent focus and balance.  Enjoy!

Stream “Our Favorite Part”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S2801SuperhumanHappiness2012/07 Our Favorite Part.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.

Superhuman Happiness
2012-01-28
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (balcony, DIN, slightly LOC)>KCY>littlebox + Schoeps MK22>tinybox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, balance, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8)

Tracks
01 See Me On My Way
02 Half Step Grind
03 Again Again Again (Half Step Grind Pt. 2)
04 Hounds
05 Needles and Pins
06 Second Heart
07 Our Favorite Part
08 I Hear You Calling

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Superhuman Happiness, visit their website, and buy their music in physical form from Electric Cowbell Records or their bandcamp page.

Rubblebucket: January 28, 2012 Bowery Ballroom – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

February 1, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

Rubblebucket is a Brooklyn-by-way-of-Vermont band that is building a fan base the old-fashioned way: outstanding live shows and the positive word of mouth that results.  With a touring schedule that has blanketed the eastern seaboard and made them regulars in their home region, the band has come by every new fan and every new gig as honestly as possible.  That’s why, although you may have never heard of them, they sold out the Bowery Ballroom handily on a Saturday night.  They may have gotten their start on the college music circuit, but judging by this diverse crowd, they’ve not only kept those early fans, but grown well beyond their beginnings.

Rubblebucket hybridizes elements of NOLA jazz, lounge music, rock and French pop into a dance-ready, coherent whole.  Coming on strong with songs from their latest record, Omega La La, the band got things going early with the combo of “Worker”, “Raining” and “Breatherz” from Omega, each punctuated by exuberant blasts of brass (trombone, trumpet and occasionally sousaphone make appearances).  Their mic stands adorned with streamers, their energy relentlessly positive, and their giant robot-puppets (yes) waiting in the wings, Rubblebucket commanded the moment easily, turning the Bowery floor into a giant dance party.  About the robot puppets – during their extended-jam cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” two nearly balcony-high puppets roamed through the audience, engaged in mock robot-puppet warfare.  I don’t think you need a BA from a northeastern liberal arts school to understand how this makes for a good time.  (But I guess it might not hurt).

Maybe it shouldn’t be a novelty that Rubblebucket are distinguished by their virtuosity on their instruments – lead singer Kalmia Triver does double duty on sax, even – but that has been enough to get them included in another faux genre, “yes wave”.  I think I’ll pass on the genre name, but whatever you want to call their sound, Rubblebucket is a band you shouldn’t miss live.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones from our usual spot in the balcony, for a flawless capture of the night. Enjoy!

Stream “Raining”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R0128Rubblebucket0211/03 Raining.mp3]

Stream “Heart of Glass [Blondie]”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/R0128Rubblebucket0211/08 Heart of Glass.mp3]

Download the MP3 and FLAC files and stream the entire show at the Live Music Archive [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.

Rubblebucket
2012-01-28
Bowery Ballroom
New York, NY USA

Hosted exclusively at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by acidjack

Schoeps MK41 (balcony, DIN, slightly LOC)>KCY>littlebox>Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, balance, tracking, set fades, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8)

Tracks [Total Time 1:23:14]
01 [intro]
02 Worker
03 Raining
04 Breatherz (Young as Clouds)
05 Landing
06 [?]-1
07 Silly Fathers
08 Heart of Glass [Blondie]
09 [banter]
10 Bikes
11 Triangular Daisies
12 [?]-2
13 [banter]
14 [?]-3
15 Came Out of a Lady
16 [encore break]
17 Down In the Yards
18 L’Homme

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Rubblebucket, visit their website, and buy Omega La La and their other releases from their official store [HERE]

Clear Plastic Masks: January 4, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Song

January 9, 2012
By


[Photo courtesy of the band and hosted at the band’s Facebook page]

I started my musical 2012 off right with a dose of feel-good rock from Brooklyn’s Clear Plastic Masks at the always-welcoming Mercury Lounge in Manhattan.  Despite the continuing interest in various forms of bedroom recordings and keyboard-and-loop heavy atmospherics in the Brooklyn scene, there remain a solid cadre of new bands making organic, straight-ahead rock, and CPM fall into that category.  The most obvious reference for their bluesy rock sound is The Black Keys, but being a four-man act (Charlie Garmendia on drums, Eddy DuQuesne on bass/keys, Matt Menold guitar/keys and Andrew Katz guitar/keys/vocals), they have a denser, richer sound that also draws from classic acts like Sam and Dave, the Violinaires, and Jimmie Rodgers.  The band puts that dense sound – and good humor – to good use in the live setting, cranking out the type of songs that shake asses and sell drinks.  It’s not clear whether their new single, “Working Girl”, intends the double-entrendre for that title, but this modern-day version of a blue collar lament makes a good starting point for understanding the band.  The song was recorded at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville for a forthcoming 7″ single, which will accompany the band’s self-released, self-titled EP available at their bandcamp page.  The band have a relaxed, easy rapport with the crowd and clear enthusiasm for what they’re doing, besides the ability to shred pretty hard – witness the guitar work on “Phoenix is Rising”, streaming below. You can find out for yourself at their next NYC show tomorrow (Tuesday Jan 10) at Union Pool, after which they head on a southward tour that will wind up in New Orleans. Clear Plastic Masks also plan to dive in to recording a full-length record while down South – a good way to immerse themselves in their source material, for sure.

I recorded this set in our usual manner for Mercury, with Schoeps supercardiod microphones and a soundboard feed from Kevin, the head engineer at the club.  The results are outstanding. Enjoy!

Stream “Phoenix is Rising”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C1004ClearPlasticMasks2012/14 Phoenix Is Rising.mp3]

Stream “Working Girl”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/C1004ClearPlasticMasks2012/06 Working Girl.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.

Clear Plastic Masks
2012-01-04
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
for nyctaper.com

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>KCY>Naiant littlebox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, downsample to 44.1kHz, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 [intro]
02 Death of Me
03 I’m Free
04 Outcast [Eddie and Ernie]
05 [banter]
06 Working Girl
07 [banter]
08 Pegasus and Glue
09 Rolling Down A Hill
10 [tuning]
11 Uncle Chris
12 Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
13 [banter]
14 Phoenix Is Rising
15 Baby Come On

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Clear Plastic Masks, visit their Facebook page, and download their self-titled EP from their bandcamp page.

THE FIELD RECORDINGS: January 4, 2012 Mercury Lounge – FLAC and MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

January 8, 2012
By


[Photos by acidjack]

The very first band I saw in 2012 was a bit of a shot in the dark – I wasn’t really aware of THE FIELD RECORDINGS (capitalization theirs), but scanning the first-week schedules of my regular haunts, I came across their gig with Clear Plastic Masks at Mercury Lounge, checked out their music on bandcamp, and liked what I heard.  The New Haven, CT threesome didn’t disappoint, delivering a set of ambitious, well-crafted guitar-driven noise pop.  Their upbeat guitar sound and penchant for unusual time changes recalls some bands of the mid-90s DC scene, The Dismemberment Plan in particular, while frontman Daniel Gallo’s vocals remind me of a younger, more caffeinated Lou Barlow (Gallo claims to have never listened to Sebadoh, so it would seem to be coincidental).  The band’s name derives from, as Gallo puts it, “that our songs are whatever is going on around us, socially, politically, and philosophically.  Which is a long way of saying that I don’t quite write about girls but I wish I did.”

No matter.  In the live setting, you’re likely to be paying more attention to the band’s infectious enthusiasm (Gallo’s in particular) and the tightness and professionalism of their playing – a sloppy indie band this is not. Gallo and drummer Jared Thompson have been playing music together since high school, and have been in the band’s current configuration since 2008 when bassist Noel Thomas joined, and the time spent building that chemistry shows. The band’s current record, The Elastic Nostaglia, is available for five bucks on their bandcamp page, and that’s money well spent for some of the most exciting music coming from our neighbor state to the northeast.  After gigging heavily for the last few years, the band is looking to take things to the next level this year – and if this show is any indication, they have a solid chance of doing it.

The most important factor in any Mercury Lounge recording is the quality and skill of the FOH team, and Kevin did not disappoint as usual with an outstanding house mix and board feed.  Schoeps supercardiod mics recorded the house mix. The sound quality is flawless. Enjoy!

Stream “Wide-Eyed Runners Kicking In Time”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F0014FieldRecordings2012/06 Wide-Eyed Runners Kicking In Time.mp3]

Stream “(Caught Up In All the) Interludes”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/F0014FieldRecordings2012/11 (Caught Up in All the) Interludes.mp3]

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

THE FIELD RECORDINGS
2012-01-04
Mercury Lounge
New York, NY USA

Recorded and produced by acidjack
for nyctaper.com

Soundboard + Schoeps MK41>KCY>tinybox >> Edirol R-44 [Oade Concert Mod]>2x24bit/48kHz WAV>Audacity (mixdown, downsample to 44.1kHz, set fades, tracking, amplify and balance)>FLAC ( level 8 )

Tracks
01 We Will Become Strangers Faster Now
02 The Sad Catalogers
03 Lifelines of the Magical Thinkers
04 [banter]
05 Framing Happiness
06 Wide-Eyed Rumors Kicking In Time
07 Tell Me Tell Me Tell Me
08 [banter]
09 “The Sun Looked Down on Nothing New”
10 Here Comes the War Dept
11 (Caught Up In All the) Interludes

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT THE FIELD RECORDINGS, visit their website, and purchase The Elastic Nostalgia from their bandcamp page [HERE]

Stars: October 11, 2011 Music Hall of Williamsburg – FLAC/MP3 Downloads + Streaming Songs

December 22, 2011
By

Photo courtesy of Jill and For the Love of Brooklyn
[photos courtesy of Jill and For the Love of Brooklyn]

Montreal band Stars has long been one of my favorites. I first saw them at the now defunct Siren Festival of 2006, against the beautiful scenic backdrop that is Coney Island, and was blown away by their unique blend of pop and rock. Even though they now claim Montreal as their hometown, the band has deep NYC roots, having written their first song and several albums while living in a small West Side Apartment in the late ’90s, so it’s no surprise that they consistently return to their home away from home in the Big Apple.

We had the good fortune of seeing Stars at Music Hall of Williamsburg for a performance that was nothing short of outstanding. Their performance featured two never before played songs, To the Better Ones and Holes, offering up a moment of vulnerability, but also demonstrating their trust and connection with the audience.

Lead singer Torquil Campbell was also able to connect with the audience in a slightly different way, showing his jovial mood by kindly requesting that an audience member “pass the spliff” before playing the aforementioned To the Better Ones. Between moments like this and personal commentary about the heroes of Occupy Wall Street, it was clear that spirits were high and a genuine love for New York existed on this beautiful Brooklyn night.

I recorded this set using a pair of Schoeps MK41 hypercardioid microphones clamped to the center balcony railing. The samples I have chosen include Set Yourself on Fire, the self-titled track from their 2004 album, and my personal favorite Elevator Love Letter, a fitting tribute to our metropolis.

Stream “Set Yourself on Fire”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1110Stars1102/stars2011-10-11.setyourselfonfire.mp3]

Stream “Elevator Love Letter”
[audio:https://www.nyctaper.com/S1110Stars1102/stars2011-10-11.elevatorloveletter.mp3]

Direct download of 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.

Photo courtesy of Jill and For the Love of Brooklyn

Stars
Music Hall of Williamsburg
New York, NY, US
2011-10-11

Recordist : hi and lo
Location : DFC, clamped to balcony
Source : Schoeps MK41/CMR > Naint Tinybox > Sony PCM-M10 @ 24 bit / 48 kHz
Mastering : Wavelab 6 (Mixdown/EQ/Fades/resamping/dither) > Flac Level 8 with TLH v2.6.0 (Build 168)

Tracklist:

01. Intro
02. Fixed
03. The Passenger
04. Take Me to the Riot
05. Wasted Daylight
06. Set Yourself on Fire
07. To the Better Ones
08. Dead Hearts
09. Ageless Beauty
10. Soft Revolution
11. Holes
12. Your Ex-Lover is Dead
13. Window Bird
14. We Don’t Want Your Body
15. How Much More
16. Reunion
17. Calendar Girl
18. (Encore Call)
19. One More Night
20. Bitches in Tokyo
21. The Ghost of Genove Heights
22. Changes
23. Elevator Love Letter

Running Time: 1:41:32

Please support Stars by visiting their Website. If you’ve enjoyed this recording, you may also purchase any of their wonderful albums directly from the band’s Store

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