This is Iris DeMent at the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, Red Devil Park, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia back on April 10th 1998. The performance was subsequently broadcast on national radio on June 14th 1998.
Iris DeMent's songs are typically simple, clearly told stories about life's pains and joys. She at times sounds a little like Dolly Parton and occasionally like Emmylou Harris. The songs are superb and in this performance she uses just guitar and piano, which makes for an intimate personal feel.
This is the sort of country music I can enjoy, clear of stereotypical songs and falseness, rather just plain simple heartfelt songs stripped back and very roots orientated.
Source: FM Broadcast
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Country, Folk.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
01 Introduction
02 Let The Mystery Be
03 Easy's Getting Harder Every Day
04 When My Morning Comes Around
05 I'll Take My Sorrow Straight
06 Mexican Home
07 Sweet Forgiveness
08 No Time To Cry
09 This Kind Of Happy
10 My Life
11 Wasteland Of The Free
12 Our Town
Her first album, Infamous Angel, was released in 1992 and explored themes like religious skepticism, living in a small town, lamenting "nothing good ever lasts", and forgiving human frailty. Her song "Let the Mystery Be" from that album has been covered by a number of artists, including 10,000 Maniacs and Alice Stuart, and has become one of Iris DeMent's better known compositions. In her second album, My Life, released in 1994, she continued the personal and introspective approach. My Life was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category. Iris DeMent's third album, The Way I Should, was released in 1996. Featuring the notable "1 Wasteland of the Free", it is DeMent's most political work, and covers topics like sexual abuse, religion, government policy, and Vietnam. After a hiatus during the late 1990s and early 2000s, she released her fourth album, Lifeline, in 2004.
She gained some notice singing the Merle Haggard song, "Big City", on Tulare Dust: Tribute to Merle Haggard, a 1994 various artists tribute album. In 1995, her song "Our Town" was played in the closing moments of the last episode for the popular CBS TV series Northern Exposure, gaining DeMent more fans. (The song has also been recorded by Kate Rusby, Jody Stecher, and Kate Brislin.)
Iris DeMent has sung duets with John Prine (on In Spite of Ourselves), Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris and is featured on the albums of many other performers. She has made frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, and appeared in the 2000 film Songcatcher, playing the character Rose Gentry and singing on the soundtrack as well. In 1994, Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs performed DeMent's song "Let the Mystery Be" with David Byrne for the show MTV Unplugged. The song was included on Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings.
Iris DeMent was the inspiration for the name of the Goo Goo Dolls song, "Iris", after guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik found her name while flipping through Billboard magazine in an article written by Daniel Levitin.
New file link in comments below - Re-uploaded 2012 (Stealth project).
With the third April edition of 2010FM we start with a band to watch out for this year, namely Elogy. The California based band are set to release its debut album 'One' on July 6th, 2010. With sweeping melodies, well thought out synth lines, and driving vocals, Elogy has recorded an album that is distinctly new, but that still evokes contemporaries like Coldplay, Muse, or Thirty Seconds To Mars.
Based in Orange County, California, the members of Elogy came together four years ago under the leadership of Derek Cannavo. Transforming an old warehouse space into a fully functional, state of the art studio, Elogy began to develop their sound and their organization from scratch. Using their classical training as a foundation, the band quickly amassed a large catalogue of songs, and as they brought their music to a live setting, their sound began to evolve as well.The featured track certainy evokes thoughts of Coldplay in terms of vocals however the musical style is different and collectivily its grabbed my attention.
Featured Track:Beautiful. Website & Pre-order:Official Site.
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I received a few emails regarding Koot Hoomi and an album based on the songs of Hall and Oates. Well I have to say the first song I listened to did'nt really do anything for me and to be honest I thought it was a quirky idea that just did not work. Well full respect to Kelly Anne who kept on plugging away and I gave them a second listen and realised I should have listened to more of the material, as humbly I have to say I think this is a really exciting and different approach to covering another bands work, and most definately worth checking out even if you are not particularly a fan of Hall and Oates.
The Dark Side of Hall and Oates is a tribute album like no other. Some have described it as something akin to Ravi Shankar meets Sufjan Stevens meets Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. Rather than simply covering the songs an artist collective named 'Koot Hoomi' have re-imagined a sampling of Hall and Oates’ catalog as it might exist in an alternate universe, replete with off-kilter harmonies, psychedelic swirls, minor-key digressions, and the occasional spot of Tuvan throat-singing. The project was largely recorded in living rooms and basements, using cheap instruments and an old-school Tascam 488 analog tape recorder, giving it a fascinating, low-fi allure.They cover some of the hits along with b-sides and more, and have come up with something quite unique (in a good way).
Featured Track: Kiss On My List. Website:Official Site. Purchase:Amazon.
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Another band who may well gain more attention this year is The Brute Chorus. Recorded under freezing conditions in a remote village hall in the Lake District this past January, ‘Could This Be Love?’ is the first single to be released from their second album, How The Caged Bird Sings. Hot on the heels of The Brute Chorus’s live and self-titled debut released in October of 2009, How The Caged Bird Sings is set for an August 2010 release date on London indie label TAPE.
Their promo say's 'An imposing slab of beat poetry set to a galloping rockabilly rumble, the song is related from the point of view of a man who, in his mind, is on his way to meet his girlfriend as his body races through the night in an ambulance and his spirit is called to the light. The seeds of the song were sewn during a dawn trip to the A&E department of Lewisham hospital after drummer Matt Day was assaulted on the way home from a party. Months later the words were set to music and quickly became a live favorite among fans of the band who attended their shows last year'. Well it certainly does have an edgy rockabilly feel to it, and if the album has the same energy and distinct nature then I for one will be checking them out some more.
Featured Track:Could This Be Love. Website:MySpace. Purchase:TAPE.
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Talking to Walls latest album We Were Not So Tall is now available. In the wake of praise that followed their debut Naked, the band faced with the daunting task of recording a second record, looked to producer Greg Giorgio (Interpol, The National, Mates of State and Tokyo Police Club) to stake out some new territory. The result? Twelve rock and roll stories, filled to the brim with guitar soundscapes and tight harmonies.
From regional festival appearances like Connecticut’s Film Festival and New York’s MEANY to providing local tour support for artists like Soul Asylum and Zox, Talking to Walls has a strong history of relentless live performances. With help from their music and energy, the group eventually gained the unsolicited attention of MTV producers, resulting in placements in various network shows. Along with their collaboration with Giorgio, the group also worked with members of various bands including Zox, The Alternative Routes, and Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, with the result being the 2010 release We Were Not So Tall. With styles ranging from the Smashing Pumpkins-meets-Buffalo Tom of "Walkaway” to the prog-inflected slam of "Came to You”, the album has already gained much recognition, such as the title track being featured on the national NBC ad for the Michael Phelps Foundation/Boys and Girls Club of America.
Featured Track:Came To You. Website:Official Site. Purchase:itunes.
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Growing up on the outskirts of a small farming community in Southern Minnesota, Brad Senne spent the majority of his youth immersed in hardcore and punk rock. He went on to play in a multitude of bands eventually gaining notoriety for his hardcore band Picturesque in the late 1990's after signing with Trustkill Records.
He decided to branch out, and with more freedom as a songwriter he started playing his own brand of solo acoustic folk rock. His expanding vocabulary drew upon the musical influences of his heroes Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith, Iron and Wine, Wilco, and Muddy Waters. Senne's blend of hypnotic, breathy indie pop showcases his stripped-down compositions. In 2009 Mike Boeser of Grain Belt Records signed Senne and re-released the 2009 album Aerial Views on April 6th and is available for purchase.
The album received raved reviews and was voted a top 10 album of the year by The Onion - A.V. Club in the Twin Cities. Aerial Views has two new songs and has been re-mixed with added instrumentation by Ben Durrant of Crazy Beast Studios (Andrew Bird, Roma di Luna). Brad Senne plays almost all instruments on this album including guitar, bass, piano and keyboards, resulting in 11 songs that range from simple finger-picking guitar ballads to lush instrumental arrangements.
Featured Track: Golden. Website:MySpace. Purchase:Grain Belt Records.
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Real Estate collaborator Matt Mondanile's ambient pop project Ducktails is set to release a new seven inch via SHDWPLY Records May 25th.
The new single "Mirror Image" was premiered on Pitchfork recently, and appears as the A-side of the new record b/w "Apple Walk". It's a catchy piece that I am pleased to say we have the OK to feature here on Beehive Candy. Both Real Estate and Ducktails are new to me, this paticular instrumental by Ducktails has certainly wetted my appetite for more.
Featured Track:Mirror Image. Website:MySpace. Purchase: Shdwply Records.
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Denton's electronic two-piece Florene is set to release their debut record on Waaga June 8th with a national tour to support.
Aaron and Gavin met while working at a camera shop in North Texas. Aaron had recently been in an epic pop group of large membership that had seen its demise with diverging musical opinions and member relocations. Gavin had been making solo electronic music under his own name and the two of them quickly realized they had similar musical interests and abilities so they got a rehearsal space at rubber gloves in Denton, bought some drum machines/synths/samplers, and started making their own brand of music.
After befriending and getting the approval of some phenomenal local musicians such as Sleep Whale (mom), Matthew & The Arrogant Sea, and Bryce Isbell (FUR), the two continued to play live and self-release their own music. Since the beginning, Florene now has 6 self-releases including singles, EPs, splits, and live recordings, not to mention being a part of many local, national, and international compilations or mixtapes. After embarking on a ten day midwest tour, they are now preparing for a west coast tour of the same length, working on a remix for Merok Records’ Comanechi, and brainstorming for a cassette tape release to be put out by the Copenhagen based label Skrot Up.
Featured Track:Deal With It. Website:MySpace.
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With first week album sales (last week) totaling 22,689, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings’ debut at Number 15 on The Billboard Top 200 marks the group’s highest chart position to date.
Daptone Records, who released Jones 'I Learned The Hard Way' two week ago, was the only independent label in the Top 20 last week. 'I Learned The Hard Way' also notched the number ten position on the digital charts and ranked number six on the R&B chart.
Their album also titled 'I Learned The Hard Way' was produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records’ House of Soul studios. Often promotinal pieces tend to go a little over the top however I am more than happy to cut and paste this one as I reckon it is on the mark. This record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax. Sharon’s raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her firmly alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha as a fixture in the canon of soul music. From the lush Philly-Soul fanfare that ushers in “The Game Gets Old” at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke-style “Mama Don’t Like My Man” at the tail, the Dap-Kings dance seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. I Learned The Hard Way is the “Daptone Sound” at its finest'.
Featured Track:I Learned The Hard Way. Website: Official Site. Purchase:Daptone Records.
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Wartime Blues, described fittingly as "new roots hybrid" by The Tripwire, is an eight-piece folk rock outfit out of the western mountain town of Missoula, Montana.
Led by guitarist/vocalist Nate Hegyi, the band includes Ben Prez (mandolin/backup vocals), Sam Luikens (banjo/backup vocals), Lisena Brown (keys), Bethany Joyce (cello/violin), Jesse Netzloff (electric guitar), Tyler Knapp (bass) and Martin McCain (percussion). Falling comfortably between Wolf Parade and the Hold Steady, Wartime Blues has garnered acclaim throughout the Rocky Mountain West since 2007 and has shared the stage with the likes of Bill Callahan among others. The band will release their debut album, Doves & Drums, later this year. This is the only song I have heard from the band and is its a great one to finish of what I hope you will agree is a diverse selection of songs and artists.
Featured Track: Youth. Website:MySpace.
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This is singer songwriter Leo Sayer live at Pauls Mall in Boston on March 9th 1975.
Leo's debut album 'Silverbird' was released in 1973 and was one of my favorite albums from that year, indeed I still give it a listen from time to time. Four songs from the album are performed within this concert. By the time of this concert Leo had enjoyed a number of hits and had gained a good following both in the UK and the USA.
For me personally his musical direction after Silverbird was a little to 'single hits' orientated, however his positive and upbeat style gives all his songs a lift when performed live, and after all who can blame him from exploiting his chart success.
Source: FM Braodcast
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Pop, Pop Rock.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
01 - Giving It All Away
02 - Oh Wot A Life
03 - Tomorrow
04 - The Bells Of St.Marys
05 - Train
06 - In My Life
07 - One Man Band
08 - Telepath
09 - Another Time
10 - Drop Back
11 - Long Tall Glasses
12 - The Show Must Go On
Leo Sayer has had success worldwide with his single and album releases, particularly in Britain and the United States He was initially discovered by David Courtney, who then co-managed him with the singer turned manager, Adam Faith. Leo Sayer began his music career co-writing songs with David Courtney, including "Giving It All Away", which gave Roger Daltrey of The Who his first hit without The Who in 1973.
That same year, Sayer began his career as a recording artist. At the time of his initial chart breakthrough in the UK, with his second single "The Show Must Go On", he wore a pierrot style outfit and make-up and the song shot up to number two. It might have been difficult to throw off the clown's image, which like Gilbert O'Sullivan's short trousers and pudding basin haircut was fine for attracting public attention but not much good for sustaining a musical career. However, Sayer followed up hit after hit. (His first single, "Why Is Everybody Going Home?" b/w Quicksand" was not a hit).
He had subsequent single hits with "One Man Band" (1974), "Long Tall Glasses" (1975) and "Moonlighting" (1975). In 1976, Sayer recorded three Beatles songs, "I Am the Walrus", "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road" for the film, All This and World War II.
In 1977, he had a U.S. number one with "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (a Grammy Award winner for the year's best Rhythm and Blues Song), as well as the romantic ballad, "When I Need You" (1977), which reached number one in both the UK and U.S. Written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager, it was Sayer's first UK chart-topper (after three number two hits) and his second successive U.S. number one. It was also the first of two UK chart-toppers in a row for producer Richard Perry.
Download link in comments or click on the picture.
As was the case with the first April 2010FM edition all the featured songs are at the bottom of this edition in one playlist.
I have already given some attention to Alcoholic Faith Mission this year, however with the forthcoming release of the new album 'Let This Be The Last Night We Care' (available on April 27th in the USA on Paper Garden Records) and those nice folk at said record label sending us another song by the band, I just had to give them another big Beehive Candy recommendation.
The band will be touring Japan and Europe along with the U.S. this year so keep a look out for tour details.
Indianapolis three-piece Burnt Ones released their debut 7" All Night Long via Roaring Colonel Records last Thursday (April 15th), which also happens to be the label's debut release.
Roaring Colonel is the newest project of blogger-extraordinaire Dodge, best known for My Old Kentucky Blog which unfortunately became a victim of the recent Blogger-cide however a new site should now be up and running. Anyhow this is one fine song and the band hopefully wont keep us waiting to long for some more excellent material.
Another artist getting another mention on the Beehive is the lovely Dana Falconberry who finishes the eastern half of her current US tour later this week. On the road she is joined by the two ladies pictured above (Gina Dvorak and Lauren McMurray) on drum/banjo and keys respectively.
For those unfamiliar with Dana, she was a long-time collaborator with Peter and the Wolf and now is providing the world with some of the most beautiful folk music around with layered vocals and an angelic voice. This tour is in support of her most recent record Halletts which was released January 14th of this year. I received the charming demo featured below and could not resist adding her to our current feature.
Featured Track:Crooked River Website:MySpace.
Purchase:Amazon.
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Hot on the tails (I am told) of a couple of outstanding shows with Surfer Blood and Best Coast, San Diego's Lanternsdrop their new single 'Pharaoh Beach'. The new track is a slight departure from their more punk-based roots, but this highly accessible jam is sure to get stuck in your head for days to come.
The band has been staking their claim in the San Diego scene, emerging along with fellow San Diegans Tape Deck Mountain, and becoming a go-to support act for some of the best touring bands out there.
Featured Track: Pharoah Beach. Website:MySpace.
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Austin's live electronic four-piece Survive will be releasing their debut 10" EP on Light Lodge Records April 20th. A fitting home for the group, Light Lodge also features releases from Pitchfork Rising's Pure Ecstasy, Sleep Over, and Silver Pines.
Survive presents a unique sound, which they mathematically describe as "murder rap - rap + 2012 + 1983 + rpg8 = 4 minds, one heart.". Nothing like keeping things simple eh? still this is really a very melodic instrumental piece and worthy of as attention.
For some reason I thought I had already mentioned Minneapolis lo-fi psych sextet Velvet Davenport in a previous post however either I'm tired and missing the feature or I have dreamed the whole thing up. Anyhow they released 'Get Out' back on March 30th via Shdwply Records and it is a jolly fine song.
Featuring Ariel Pink and Gary War, the trip down psychedelia road was accurately documented and premiered on Stereogum recently.
The songs "Get Out" and "Run" and another song called "Surfer Girl" were recorded in LA with Ariel Pink and Gary War on an 8-track in War's apartment. All songs were written by Velvet Davenport, while Pink and War play various instruments and sing on all tracks.
Featured Track.Get Out. Website:MySpace. Purchase: Shdwply Records.
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Finally for this edition we have Drew Danberry and a very gentle yet moving song interestingly called 'Nirvana By Kurt Cobain'. Following up where last year's Goodnight Gary left off, Drew Danburry recently announced the release of its companion album Goodnight Dannii, his seventh studio album.
Regarding the song he explains - "I wrote this song after our car engine exploded in Ocala, Florida. We were stuck in the cheapest motel we could find living off a dollar menu at the Wendy’s across the street while witnessing our credit card debt mount as we paid for a new engine, and waited for the mechanics to fix the car. We had no income, I read at least five books in about two days and eventually even resorted to turning on the TV.
Feeling somewhat jailed to our fate, tour had already been plagued with bad luck and my wife was suffering (though bravely and silently) from the strain of finances and the constant struggle that makes up surviving on tour. All of this, and a little more, poured out in about two minutes with the kind of despair that plagues a mediocre artist realizing his inability to succeed at the kind of thing he’s been chasing for years. And as the hope fades away and he’s left to his absolute naked vulnerability, he realizes he ought to clothe his despair with the kind of clever outfit that would make others think a song isn’t really about him, that maybe he’s writing about someone he admires."
Featured Track:Nirvana By Kurt Cobain. Website / Purchase:Official.
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