Uncle Tupelo - Beloit, WI, USA 1992

Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before they achieved significant commercial success, as mentioned on the recent Wilco concert posting, the band are renowned for their impact on the alternative country music scene.

The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential.

Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams.

Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referenced Middle America and the working class of home town Belleville.

What was very surprising, though, is that, unlike the band's previous country-meets-punk releases, 'No Depression' and 'Still Feel Gone', the third album was performed almost exclusively on acoustic instruments.

It's a testament to the group's courage and integrity that, in a time when Nirvana's ''Smells Like Teen Spirit'' had made the world safe for grunge rock, their third album 'March 16-20, 1992' was nothing of the sort, with the band taking an alternative route.

This concert after the release of the third album is fittingly an acoustic set.

Recorded at a folk festival on the 11th September 1992, at Beliot College, Beliot WI, in the USA, this is a soundboard recording.

The concert includes the first known version of 'Motion Pictures' by Neil Young.

Set list is:

01 Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down (fades in)
02 True to Life
03 No Depression
04 Watch Me Fall
05 Shaky Ground
06 Atomic Power
07 Whiskey Bottle
08 Wait Up
09 Wipe the Clock
10 I Wish My Baby Was Born
11 Do Re Mi
12 Life Worth Livin'
13 I Wanna Be Your Dog
14 Still Be Around
15 Warfare
16 Moonshiner (fades in)
17 Grindstone
18 Sin City
19 Motion Pictures

Sound quality is stereo soundboard at 192kbps.

DOWNLOAD LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW.

For Uncle Tupelo albums visit their official store HERE. Site home page HERE.

Girlschool - Cologne - Germany 1991

When featuring the Go Go's recently, I came across the fact that Kathy Valentine had for a short while been a member of Girlschool.

A small piece of trivia, that gives a tenuous link to sharing a Girlschool concert.

The make you feel old fact, is that Girlschool have been around for thirty years, as of this year.

This is only part of a concert from 1991, the band have released three official live albums, more details on their website's discography HERE.

Performing at Music Hall, Cologne, Germany during December 1991, this is brimming with their usual live energy.

The setlist for this recording is:

1. Uh, All Night
2. Screamin' Blue Murder
3. Demolition Boys
4. C'mon Let's Go
5. Emergency
6. Tush
7. Play With Fire

This is from a stereo FM recording of very good quality.

DOWNLOAD LINK IN COMMENTS BELOW.

Official web pages HERE, shop page HERE and MySpace HERE.

Whats Up Doc - Number Ten - May 2008

Whats Up Doc goes international again for this edition, some unashamed plugs, and a few gems found on other sites, all shared here for your pleasure.

Australia first and the excellent Angus and Julia Stone, who are currently touring in Europe before heading home, the picture tells a story, here are a couple of songs to add more.

Links Removed - MP3 Policy.

Angus and Julia Stone - Bella.mp3
Angus and Julia Stone - Here We Go Again.mp3

Check their MySpace and listen to more HERE, Beehive Candy store purchase option HERE.

Giant Bear is a five-person collective of multi-instrumentalists, singers, poets, and songwriters.
Their music is firmly rooted in the sound of the American South, but never confined by its conventions. Well so say their website and I tend to agree!

Giant Bear - Nashville.mp3
Giant Bear - Devil on the Wall.mp3

Check their site for more music HERE, or buy HERE.

As mentioned previously James have recently released 'Hey Ma' and it does not disappoint.
A couple of examples below, and if you like these you will love the album. As you might expect they do not disguise their opinions on some poignant issues.

James - 01 - Bubbles.mp3
James - 02 Hey Ma.mp3

Loads of James Cd's in store HERE, the new album HERE.

From Sweden (thanks to Swedesplease) two superb artists.

First Aid Kit are sisters Klara and Johanna, and all I can say is you have to listen. They are wonderful!

First Aid Kit - 07 Cross Oceans.mp3

Listen to more and find out about them HERE, and purchase/download direct from Rabid Records HERE.

All girl group Those Dancing Days are another absolute 'breath of fresh air', a great example of why pop music has a future. Why don't my local radio stations play bands like this? (Because UK local radio is ####).

Those Dancing Days - 01 Tasty Boy.mp3

Buy HERE, and find out more HERE, on MySpace.

From Canada Ariane Moffatt has a third album on the way, and I am a sucker for songs sung in French, so check these out.

Ariane Moffatt - Hiver Mile-End.mp3
Ariane Moffatt - Jeudi 17 Mai.mp3

Purchase options HERE & Here. Official site for the detail, I really like the way this site opens up, see what I mean HERE.

I came across Carrie Rodriguez at Lonesome (along with a lot of other great music) and the comparison made with Lucinda Williams immediately grabbed my attention. Listen to:

Carrie Rodriguez - Seven Angels on a Bicycle.mp3

Her website is streaming the album HERE, along with all the background on her good self. Album in the Beehive Candy store HERE.

The Fairline Parkway were recommended to me, after posting the Wilco concert. See what you think, they have a 'lazy summer feel', that hopefully will be enjoyed even more if we have a good summer here in the UK after last years rainfall.

The Fairline Parkway - Westward Bound.mp3

Listen to more at their MySpace HERE, and visit The Kora Records for purchase options HERE.

Finally Sao Paulo's finest musical export CSS have had their most recent song presented on practically every new music blog, so why not here...

CSS - Rat Is Dead (Rage).mp3

More on their much anticipated new album soon, check out MySpace HERE.

James - Live in London 1993

James have just released the superb new album 'Hey Ma', more about that in the next round up of all things new 'whats up doc'.

This is James back in 1993.

Part of the whole Factory records and 'Madchester' scene, by the early 1990's the band had achieved much deserved success, releasing some excellent albums and singles along the way.

This concert was recorded by Radio One in the UK and was also syndicated to the Westwood One network in the US.

Recorded at the Brixton Academy on the 9th December 1993, this show has James touring their landmark 'Laid' album from which most of this set comes.

Originally broadcast in the UK three days later the recording set list is as follows:

01 Born Of Frustration
02 Sound
03 Laid
04 Knuckle Too Far
05 Honest Joe
06 Out To Get You
07 Low Low Low
08 Skin diving
09 P.S.
10 Lullaby
11 Sometimes

The sound quality is superb, their performance is wonderful.

DOWNLOAD LINK IS IN COMMENTS BELOW.

You can check out James in the Beehive Candy Store HERE.

More information on their current tour and new album HERE.