2010FM - Alcoholic Faith Mission

Here's a band I really do like and new little about until those very nice folk at Paper Garden Records sent me a copy of their current album, and am I glad they did! I reckon a lot of people are gonna be 'getting into this band' in 2010, and those already in the know are probably feeling rather smug.

Alcoholic Faith Mission are from Copenhagen however started out in Brooklyn in 2006. Whether it is the contradictory band name, the band’s multinational conception, or just the creation of eerily beautiful music, Copenhagen’s Alcoholic Faith Mission have already proved their worth in Europe with coverage in NME, AOL UK and more in addition to consistently selling out high-profile shows across the European continent.

Listen:
'We All Have Our Shortcomings'



Website: MySpace.
Buy MP3's:Alcoholic Faith Mission

Bio: Alcoholic Faith Mission started in Brooklyn, NY in 2006. The apprentices of dejection, Thorben Seierø Jensen and Sune Sølund, were wandering around in the raw wintery-streets, shooting the breeze and brushing on alcoholism when suddenly before them was big neon cross. This was a holy congregation called Apostolic Faith Mission. “It’s just like booze is to the alcoholic, they thought. A true mission to withstand an empty existence; an Alcoholic Faith Mission.

Three months later the duo’s underplayed and dogmatic debut, Misery Loves Company, was ready.
Dogma’s for the album, which was recorded in a small bedroom in Copenhagen, was that recordings had to take place at night, lit by only candles and always under the influence of alcohol.

Two years later they went back to Brooklyn to seclude themselves in an old factory loft at 421 Wythe Avenue and came up with an alternative active creation process for the new album – perhaps one that was a bit easier on the liver. They tried on a selection of straightjackets for inspiration. Everything used to make the music had to be found within the loft’s four walls – creating some obscure, yet fitting sounds such as that of dictionaries beating each other to become an electronically muted bass drum.

This way of working turned into their second album; named after the street where they lived on – 421 Wythe Avenue

The Specials - USA 1980

This is The Specials live in concert back in January 1980 at Hurrah's, NYC.

The Specials began at the same time as Rock Against Racism which first gathered in 1978. According to Jerry Dammers, anti-racism was intrinsic to the formation of The Specials, in that the band was formed with the goal of integrating black and white people.

2009 has seen the band undertake a 30th anniversary tour (minus Jerry Dammers, however Terry Hall has stated 'the door remains open to him'). The tour has been very well received, their performance on BBC's 'Later With Jools Holland' can be seen on You Tube HERE.

This concert takes us back three decades to a much younger band.

Source: FM Broadcast

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@256kbps.

Genre: 2 Tone, Ska, New Wave.

Set: Majority of set

Track List:

01 Monkey Man
02 Rat Race
03 Blank Expression
04 Rude Boys Outa Jail
05 Too Hot
06 Doesn't Make It Alright
07 Stupid Marriage
08 Too Much Too Young
09 A Message To You Rudy
10 Gangsters

Band Line Up:

* Terry Hall - vocals
* Jerry Dammers - keyboards
* Lynval Golding - rhythm guitar, vocals
* Neville Staple - toasting, backing vocals, percussion
* Roddy Byers - lead guitar
* Horace Panter bass guitar
* John Bradbury - drums
* Rico Rodriguez - trombone
* Dick Cuthell - flugel horn

Links: Official site HERE.

Comments:

The Specials undertook a three week tour of the USA back in January 1980. On some of the gigs they opened for The Police and whipped the crowds up so much they just had to steal the show.

Jerry Dammers was keen for the band not to travel in Limos or stay in flashy hotels, I have read elsewhere that the tour manager was sent ahead on some occasions to ensure their accommodation was not too good !

Download link in comments below or click on the picture.

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - The Specials

The Breeders - Double Trouble 1993

Double Trouble is a collection of live performances recorded during The Breeders 1993 tour.

Formed in 1988 their first album, Pod (1990), received critical acclaim but was not commercially successful. The Breeders' most successful album, 1993's Last Splash, produced the hit single "Cannonball", and this material is from the tour that promoted the Last Splash album.

The Breeders' history began when Kim Deal, then bassist of the Pixies, began writing new material while the band were on a post-Surfer Rosa tour of Europe with Throwing Muses. As neither band had plans for the short term, Kim Deal discussed possible side-projects with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly. After rejecting the idea of creating a dance album together the pair decided to form a new band.

Source: Soundboard

Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.

Genre: Alternative Rock.

Set: Compilation from various gigs.

Track List:

01. Iris
02. Cannonball
03. Saints
04. Hag
05. Fortunately Gone
06. When I Was A Painter
07. Doe
08. Limehouse
09. Glorious
10. Doe
11. Hellbound
12. Safari
13. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
14. Glorious
15. Do You Love Me Now?
16. Don't Call Home
17. Fortunately Gone
18. I Just Wanna Get Along
19. When I Was A Painter
20. Limehouse
21. Iris
22. Opened

Links: MySpace HERE. Official 4AD site HERE.

Comments:
Double Trouble was yet another release by Kiss The Stone (KTS) records (as previously mentioned the company was based in San Marino, where the law allowed the company to market bootlegs as long as it placed royalties for the artists in an escrow account).

One upside of this is the audio quality and packaging of the original silver discs was often very good. This is the case here, and this mp3 version is is a must for any fan of The Breeders.

Download links (two) in comments below.

Buy: Mp3's at Amazon.co.uk - The Breeders

2010FM - New Idea Society

Some email promo's have me yawning from about the second line onwards this one started as follows and kind of gained my attention.

'After an arduous recovery from a touring accident on the Autobahn while on tour in Germany (singer and main creative force Mike Law broke seven bones on the left side of his body) Brooklyn's New Idea Society has finally regained the momentum that was brewing on their previous album, "The World Is Bright and Lonely" (2007)'.

Now I will be upfront and say I had not previously registered New Idea Society however having gained my attention I gave the two songs from the forthcoming album a listen and reckon they deserve at the very least a fairly decent plug from the Beehive.

Listen:
'Thorns'



Website: Official. MySpace.
Buy: New album release TBC.

Background: The new song is from an upcoming album produced by Andy LeMaster (Bright Eyes, Azure Ray). They are a huge departure from the bands previous recordings. Tracked in Brooklyn and Athens, New Idea Society searched out more of their Byrne/Eno, influences, partially a necessity, since Law was unable to play guitar due to injuries and was writing mostly around his working hand on keyboards and vintage synthesizers.

Eventually as injuries healed guitars found their was back into the mix but a precedent had been set for an album centered around the keyboard and piano playing of Chris DeAngelis and the reserved playing of drummer Alan Cage (who was lured back to drumming from semi-retirement from Quicksand/Seaweed by the excitement of the songs). As Law notes, "For the first time New Idea Society became a collaborative band with Alan and Chris being so prominent in the formation of our sound. The tour accident and some important people leaving our lives framed the mood of the album and how we were all feeling in that aftermath".
After tracking 19 songs the band is happy to share the song "Thorns" as it prepares the album for release.

European tour dates coming this January and February. U.S. dates to follow.