This is The Move with a mixture of BBC sessions music recorded from 1967 to 1970. Not to be confused with the official 1998 release (The Move - The BBC Sessions - Strange Fruit UK records), this material is different and in fairness of lower quality.
Whilst we do not know for certain, the probabilty is a good portion of this BBC material was recorded 'off air' from BBC Radio One, that at the time was on AM. Some clearly is studio master, and even the 'AM' element conjours up memories of listening to 1960's 'medium wave' radio stations.
It is therefore reasonable to speculate that the originals of this material never made it to BBC transcription disc, or the record label had more than enough material for the 1998 (single CD) album release.
Whatever the case this remains another fine 'time capsule' from one of Englands finest and most consistent bands of the 1960's.
Source: BBC Radio and TV-Byen
Sound Quality: Highly listenable good mono mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Pop (60's) and Rock.
Session: BBC Radio Session and TV audio.
Set List:
BBC sessions 1967/70
1: Don't Throw Stones At Me
2: Open My Eyes
3: Walk Right Back
4: Falling Forever
5: Curly
6: She's A Woman
7: Lightning Never Strikes Twice
8: Hello Suzie
9: Time Machine
10: Brontosaurus
11: Sound Of Silence
Top Pop, TV-Byen, Gladsaxe, 20 May 67.
12: Night Of Fear
13: Kilroy Was Here
14: Hey Girl
15: I Can Hear The Grass Grow.
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States.
Although bassist-vocalist Chris "Ace" Kefford was the original leader, for most of their career The Move was led by guitarist, singer and songwriter Roy Wood. He composed all the group's UK singles and, from 1968, also sang lead vocals on many songs, although Carl Wayne was the main lead singer up to 1970.
The group evolved from several mid 1960s Birmingham based groups, including Carl Wayne and the Vikings, the Nightriders and the Mayfair Set. The group's name referred to the move various members of these bands made to form the group. Beside Wood, the original five-piece line-up of The Move in 1965 was drummer Bev Bevan, bassist Kefford, vocalist Carl Wayne and guitarist Trevor Burton. The final line-up of 1972 was the trio of Wood, Bevan and Jeff Lynne, who transitioned the group into the Electric Light Orchestra.
We are struggling to keep up with all the new music coming our way again at the moment, so this is another batch of what we really like right now, with more planned to follow soon. For speed, where we think it's appropriate we have shamelessly copied and pasted from the accompanying publicity material.
New York's maestro of shadowy lounge tinged pop Rich Bennett is back with a follow up to his stunning 2008 album Music for Underwater Supermarkets. Influenced by the classic exotica of Martin Denny, the aching folk-pop of Fleet Foxes, and the conceptual sweep of The Zombies’ Odessey and Oracle, Bennett's latest work On Holiday is brimming with subtly dark, breezy melodies and the buoyant vocals of both Bennett and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Rebecca Pronsky. From the gorgeous "ride on top a pop cloud" single ‘Misty Valley’ to the delicious minor key melancholy of ‘Night Part 2’, On Holiday is as intoxicating as it is playful. The album is out now through Australian label Hidden Shoal Recordings.
Featured Track:Misty Valley Website:MySpace.
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With the release of Ice Cream Bones, an EP, in May of 2009, A Lull was a band that was confident, but was somewhat still searching for its sound. After countless more hours in practice spaces, basements and bedrooms, A Lull kept at it, and after over seventy-five songs and partial song ideas, something began to take shape.
In May of 2010, A Lull released “Weapons For War/Spread It All Around,” a vinyl and digital single from its upcoming full-length record, Confetti.
Using a mixture of conventional and non-traditional recording techniques, A Lull employs anything and everything available to create beats, melodies, textures and layers of sound. The music is experimental in the ways that it takes form, but is accessible and captivating. "Chicago avant-pop sextet A Lull have a full-length scheduled to drop later this year; in the meantime, they've made a 7", "Weapons For War/Spread It All Around", available for free download over at their MySpace. The A-side features pounding, layered percussion and warm vocalizing." Pitchfork
"A Lull sound like Chicago: The songs on the highly percussive sextet’s free “Weapons For War” b/w “Spread It All Around” 7″ feature dense, eclectic, immediately catchy atmospherics that evoke a number of like-minded post-rock crews from their hometown. And then go elsewhere with it. “Weapons For War”’s from their forthcoming full-length, Confetti. No word on the looping, loping B-Side, “Spread It All Around,” but it’s my favorite of the two, so hopefully it made the cut." Stereogum
Featured Track:Weapons For War. Website:MySpace, Official.
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Backwords blends modern psychedelics with folk rock, 60s pop and a myriad other sonic surprises, delivering gentle, lazy melodies that stick to the tongue and cannot be forgotten. Like a hawk nesting atop a New York skyscraper, there is a fury—a swooping darker underside that Backwords explores at the drop of a wooden nickel. It is and is not quite The Beach Boys meeting Daniel Johnston meeting The Band meeting Wilco and all sharing a mellow joint.
Based out of Brooklyn, Backwords is rooted in city grit but keeps a cowboy’s heart. The band is a regular fixture of the New York City scene and has played dozens of gigs over the last three years at venues and spaces such as Mercury Lounge, Cake Shop, Glasslands, Sycamore, and The American Folk Art Museum, as well as many others. Gigs have included headlining performances, in-store appearances, official showcases at 2009's CMJ and 2010's Northside Festivals and opening slots for bands such as These United States, Le Loup, Freelance Whales, Dinosaur Feathers and Darwin Deez.
Quilt, set for release on September 7, 2010, is the band’s third album after 2009’s The Buffalo Still Roam and 2008’s Factory Angles. On Quilt, the trio mixes the classic instrumentation of guitar, bass, drums, and keys with everything from toy flutes and banjos to accordions and clips of field recordings. The heartfelt lead vocals offer a story-teller’s tone of simple, honest warmth while the backing harmonies and good old-fashioned gang vox deeply layer the sound.
Featured Track: And Then Sigh Website:Official.
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Jesse Woods is a 27 year old who was born in rural California and moved to Texas when he was young. He now resides in Austin, Texas, and will record his first full length album with Bill Baird (Sunset) producing in Fall of 2010.
He was asked personally by C3 to play Austin City Limits Festival after only performing in Austin three times.
He was asked personally by Neon Indian to cover a song of his choice off their Psychic Chasms album.
Hailing from the always fertile Athens, GA scene, Twin Tigers are ready to unleash their dynamic sound unto the universe. Along with other elements of the past five decades of rock music, Twin Tigers blend noise textures with pop structure and shoegaze overtones shaping a sound that’s all new.
Formed by co-workers at the Michael Stipe-owned Grit restaurant, guitarist/vocalist Matthew Rain and bassist Aimee Morris began Twin Tigers as their previous bands dissolved. In February 2008,Curious Faces / Violet Future EP was released to great reviews. The band quickly started building a solid fan base throughout the southeast and played shows with Deerhunter, Dead Confederate, Jay Reatard, Black Lips, Dungen, Woods, Snowden and A Place to Bury Strangers.
After a slew of revolving guitarists and drummers the band debuted its current lineup with guitarist Forrest Hall, opening for Les Savy Fav at the Earl in Atlanta only a few weeks before their first trip to SXSW 2009. Upon returning from SXSW, the band began recording an album with Joel Hatstat in Athens, GA.
Following the wrap up of their full length, the band was chosen for a nation wide tour with Minus the Bear and the Antlers in the fall of 2009, toured with the Hold Steady in the spring of 2010 and is hitting the road all summer with Interpol. Twin Tigers’ debut album Gray Waves is out now via Brooklyn based Old Flame Records.
Featured Track:Passive Idol. Website: MySpace.
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Minneapolis’ Air Conditioning School is the latest project from So TM records, the home of Total Babe and UltraChorus. Air Conditioning School is a solo project of Chris Heidman (Sukpatch), whose releases on Sub Pop, Grand Royal and Moshi Moshi garnered much critical praise. He now brings you his full length debut titled General Mountain Time out August 3rd.
Air Conditioning School gives us the first view of Heidman’s song writing without the compromise of collaboration. The result is full of serenely relaxed melodies, acoustic guitars and keyboards, mixed with hints of Heidman’s past as an indie-electro pioneer, showing his influences from everything to early Sebadoh to stereolab to VU. The song-writing is simple, sincere storytelling that falls somewhere between Yo La Tengo, Beck’s “Sea Change”, Silver Jews, and old Palace Brothers. General Mountain Time is a production masterpiece, one not seen in Heidmans previous repitoire.
Featured Track:Up On. Website:MySpace.
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As college roommates, Quarterbar and Eric Steuer started making lo-fi rap songs on a barely-working 4-track, then recruited friends to create the Santa Barbara hip-hop ... (more) crew mic.edu. The duo formed Meanest Man Contest after a move upstate to Oakland, where they spent their free time digging through filthy stacks of flea market records looking for samples and inspiration. From this effort came a series of short tracks that would form MMC's collage-like first single, "Contaminated Dance Step."
Meanest Man Contest's music has evolved around a constantly expanding set of influences. MMC's first LP, "Merit," pushed their sound into thoughtful, atmospheric places with jazz samples and live guitar. More recently, the duo has stretched the boundaries of its roots with releases like the off-kilter pop EP "Some People," the electro-tinged single "Throwing Away Broken Electronics," and the hip-hop LP "Split."
Featured Track:Superhumanoids remix of "Takitani Edit" Website: MySpace.
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Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, Dexter Poindexter, is just one person Tommy Komorowski. You would be forgiven for thinking this 21 year old is a long time established act.
We feature one of three songs from his latest single 'Silver Springs'.
The single comes as the band readies a full-length on Nebraska's Series Two Records. Silver Springs evokes the breezy playfulness of summer and a carefree, yet emotional, essence of youth. Fans of Hefner, Jeremy Jay, American Football, The Smittens, One Happy Island, Jens Lekman and WeePOP! Records should enjoy this new single.
"I was floored when I realized that this ‘outfit’ was, in fact, one person. Dexter Poindexter’s first release … seems like something a music veteran might have released; Perfect tight sound with melodies you feel like you heard before (in a very good way)." - Norman Records
Featured Track: Two Cracked Heels and a Ghost. Website:MySpace.
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Atlanta psych rock outfit the Natural Extension Concept (N.E.C.) has never crafted music that conforms to the standards of punk, prog or the avant-garde. Rather, under the direction of vocalist/guitarist and founding member Cyrus Shahmir, the group’s musical explorations flourish in the hidden dimensions of sound that exist in the undefined spaces that separate all three. Shahmir created the N.E.C. in 2000 as a means of pure musical expression by way of expanding consciousness. Over the course of a handful of CDs, cassette tapes, singles, EPs and their most recent album, simply titled Is, the N.E.C. has further honed its free-associations and sonic palette with each successive release.
With an ever-shifting lineup that currently includes bassist James Oh and drummer Justin Newton improvisation plays a strong role in filling the gaps between skeletal song structures, masses of rhythm and perfectly crafted tones, secret harmonies and distortions that shimmer with glacial majesty.
Featured Track: Those Guilty Pleasures. Website:MySpace.
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Tin Pan connotes a world from the past – the most dominant and enlightened strains of American music of the early part of the 20th century – jazz, blues and American popular song. But it would be a mistake to say that Tin Pan is fixed in that past. Rather, it is music created to be enjoyed profoundly and joyously in the present. The band has created a rabid following by playing music that resonates powerfully because its intention is pure – to make people dance, smile and conjure with the spirit of music itself. On their new album, Hound’s Tooth, the band has perfected their sonic vision – effortless, wondrous and festive, feeling much like, as the band describes themselves, Ray Charles and Tom Waits at a Bourbon Street Parade.
Comprised of Jesse Selengut on trumpet, lead vocals and compositions, Clifton Hyde on guitar and hollerin’, Stefan Zeniuk on reeds and boy soprano vocals, and Peter “Baby Hands” Maness on bass and some singin’, Tin Pan evokes everything from Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong to Irving Berlin and Hoagy Carmichael. Founded in 2006 by Selengut, a long time New York based musician, and the curator of the Williamsburg Jazz Festival, the band sprung from what he calls, “a need for this kind of music.” He elaborates, “As soon as I started playing this music, it just felt so easy and natural. It’s simplicity demands that you be totally committed to it – there’s no hiding behind theory or pose.”
Featured Track:Clarion. Website:Official.
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Based in Augsburg, south Germany, Markus Mehr’s musical journey began with the guitar. He grew up listening to bands like Black Sabbath and AC/DC, before turning his ears to darker sounds and the ethereal, experimental pop of David Sylvian. After recording and touring with several bands, he struck out on his own with home studio project Aroma.
Now working under his own name, Mehr wrote and recorded his debut album Lava at his home studio using guitars and synths, plus any noise-making accoutrements at hand – electric shavers, ventilators, electric tooth brushes and field recordings –all processed and distorted to create a gorgeous wall of sound, akin to the classic ’70s Kosmische music of Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream, but also the contemporary masters of textured luminosity, Fennesz and Tim Hecker.
Mehr’s live plans for the European summer of 2010 include performances in churches, galleries and large disused gas tanks, as well as collaborations with visual artist Stefanie Sixt.
Featured Track: Hubble. Website:Official. MySpace.
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While art is certainly a form of self-expression, artistic communities tend to gravitate towards styles that fit within the popular pallet. Yet it is those fearless in their dissension that make the deepest mark. It is with that familiarity of the unknown that Tjutjuna have settled in a sound that is both rich in texture, and aural dynamics as well as a respect for the listener’s patience. Delicate in both their attack and release, Tjutjuna’s debut and self-titled album offers listeners moments of discreet levity before striking with fangs. Unwilling to merely satisfy the sonic trajectory which would label their sound as “psych rock”, Tjutjuna proves that in the recesses of a landlocked music scene, four childhood friends can craft something that forces us, as listeners, to demand more from our own tastes and imaginations.
Regarded by many as the best The Smiths live bootleg (and vastly superior to the 'contractually obligitory' live album Rank), this concert recording was from the second of two nights at the Los Angeles Universal Amphitheatre and performed on August 26th, 1986.
Circulated as a silver disc by 'Big Music' and titled Thank Your Lucky Stars. (Big Music :: BIG091) the CD version uses artwork reminiscent of The Smiths own album covers.
The NME reviewed this concert as follows - Los Angeles Universal Amphitheatre - August 25-26, 1986
Whoever said that misery loves company wasn't kidding - almost 12,000 people turned out for The Smiths' two-night stand in Los Angeles. What they heard were 24 perfect pop sparklers, exquisitely executed by maestro Johnny Marr, while the Most Miserable Man in Manchester camped around the stage, occasionally stopping to pose languidly across the monitors, nipples to the wind, to face his adoring public.
But this was a wondrous journey through The Smiths' songbook, from 'Hand In Glove' to 'Panic', with all those funny, depressing, and anguished points in between.
Listening to The Smiths on record forges such a bond of intimacy between Morrissey, the music, and the listener that hearing those same songs played live, in front of thousands of people, is like having your diaries read aloud in public. Sharing The Smiths can be painful.
The man Himself was at his most winsome, triggering a minor stage invasion by telling the restless crowd, "If you get stopped by a security guard, kiss him on the lips!"
After being pelted with enough flowers to start his own nursery, the Singer acceded to popular demand by divesting himself of his shirt, revealing, appropriately, the hairless, caved-in chest look usually associated with seven-stone weaklings. Morrissey was, by turns, foppish, funny, and effete, but never dull."
- Jane Garcia, New Musical Express
Source: Soundboard
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Indie Pop and Rock.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
01. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
02. Still Ill
03. I Want The One I Can't Have
04. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
05. How Soon Is Now
06. Frankly Mr Shankly
07. Panic
08. Stretch Out And Wait
09. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
10. Is It Really So Strange
11. Cemetry Gates
12. Never Had No One Ever
13. Rubber Ring - What She Said
14. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
15. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
16. The Queen Is Dead
17. Money Changes Everything
18. I Know It's Over
Website:Two Good Sites - Files Online HERE. Ask Me (Ask Me Ask Me)HERE.
Comments:
The will they or wont they debate over a reunion of The Smiths has dragged on through out this decade with incredible sums of money mentioned for a tour. Both Johnny Marr and Morrissey have repeatedly said in interviews that they will not reunite the band. With sums of £40 million being mentioned clearly it is not the money. The magic of The Smiths live in concert is atleast done justice by this concert recording.
This is Calexico in concert at the Roskilde Festival held annually south of Roskilde in Denmark, with this concert taking place on the 1st July 2000. They were joined on stage part way through the set by touring companions Mariachi Luz de Luna.
This show took place the evening after the tragic accident during the Pearl Jam set where nine fans were killed when the crowd surged. (Pearl Jam's song "Love Boat Captain" references the tragedy with the line "Lost nine friends we'll never know... two years ago today." When performed in concert, lead singer Eddie Vedder modifies the lyric to reflect the passage of time since the tragedy).
One of Calexico's founder members Joey Burns remembered the occasion as follows - "Calexico and members of Mariachi Luz de Luna travelled roughly 1,000 kilometers the night before our performance at Roskilde in Denmark on July 1, 2000. I am sure we had been up nearly the whole night partying and watching movies on the bus and were fast asleep upon arrival to the festival. When we all woke the next morning there was an unusual somber tone in the air as we began hearing the news and details of the tragedy that occured the night before during Pearl Jam's set on the main stage. We couldn't believe it and were all in shock. How could so many people die at one of Europe's most renown festivals?
Some bands decided to cancel and there was confusion at first whether or not the festival would continue. For a while we were all on hold not knowing what would happen. It was a very difficult decision, but the promoters of the festival decided to go on as scheduled.
Chan Marshall of Cat Power played before us early that afternoon all by herself on the same stage as us and
delivered a very heartfelt and moving set. She tapped into the spirit that everyone in the whole festival grounds was feeling with her soulful voice and minimal accompaniment. After experiencing her set, John Convertino and I decided to begin our set as a two piece (drums and guitar) and play an instrumental meditation in honor of those who had passed away. From there we slowly built up the dynamics of the set and it was clear that even though the crowd was in a state of mourning, they also wanted to celebrate, and so when the surprise guests of Mariachi Luz de Luna walked onstage, the whole crowd lit up. It was an amazing set, one we will never forget."
Source: Soundboard
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Americana, Indie rock, Alternative country, Roots rock, Tex-Mex.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
1: Introduction
2: Wash
3: The Ride, Part II
4: Service & Repair
5: Tulsa Telephone Book
6: Fade
7: Minas de Cobre
8: Ballad of Cable Hogue
9: Canción del Mariachi
10: El Picador
11: Frontera/Trigger
12: Hey Baby, Qué Paso
13: Stray
14: Cascabel
15: Crystal Frontier
Calexico is a Tucson, Arizona-based Americana / Alternative country band. The band's two main members, Joey Burns and John Convertino, first played together in Los Angeles as part of the group Giant Sand. They have recorded a number of albums on Quarterstick Records, while their 2005 EP In the Reins recorded with Iron & Wine has reached the Billboard 200 album charts. Their musical style is influenced by traditional Latin sounds of mariachi / conjunto / cumbia / Tejano music and also the Southwestern United States country music as well as '50s-'60s jazz and '90s-'00s post-rock, and they have been described by some as desert noir or indie rock. The band is named for the border town of Calexico, California.
Download link in comments or click on the picture.
We start August with some great new songs and the first one has been on my personal playlist from the day I received it.
Dominant Legs call San Francisco home. Capitalizing on newfound free-time, as a result of being laid off from his job as an office assistant, Ryan Lynch began to write (and we quote) 'theglittering ballads and blurred-out pop songsthat, with the addition of Hannah Hunt, make Dominant Legs'.
Some background - Ryan Lynch, who is also the guitarist of Girls, and Hannah Hunt, both San Francisco Bay Area-natives, were introduced through mutual friends and began collaborating when Hannah Hunt moved back to California after studying Architecture in New York. Ryan Lynch had been honing the band’s misty, nostalgic sound for a while, experimenting with songwriting as a kid and having spent the previous few years playing guitar in another SF band. Hannah Hunt spent her childhood singing and performing; her eternal passion for music led her to dive back in after years of not performing. With Ryan Lynch on guitar and vocals, and Hannah Hunt on vocals and keys, Dominant Legs' sincere and dance-y pop songs tap into a sound that is at once naively sweet and self-consciously tragic.
Dominant Legs first EP Young at Love and Life will be released on Lefse Records August 17th, 2010.
Beehive Opinion: Love this song and look forward to the EP, both the musicianship and vocals suggest this band can really go further. Featured Track:Clawing Out Website:MySpace.
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And we quote - The Polyamorous Affair is a nomadic-by-way-of-Los Angeles duo who weave a rich fantasy world into their own mischievous brand of electronic pop. The duo which formed in Denmark in 2007 is comprised of Eddie Chacon and Sissy Sainte-Marie who currently divide their time between Copenhagen and Berlin.This summer they release their 3rd album, Strange Bedfellows. Widely acclaimed across the board from NME to Dazed Digital to bedroom bloggers, The Polyamorous Affair have become known for their strategic simplicity, chilly beats and warm vibes, all set in some bizarre frame of opulence. Their latest release finds the two conjuring up a strangely seductive electronic hybrid laced with haunting guitars and live percussion that pull you in, spellbound. Their live show is a multi-media experience featuring pioneering Visualist Mr. Cocoon.
Strange Bedfellows, the third release from The Polyamorous Affair finds the duo offering surprisingly few duets, instead each branching into two distinct styles. Eddie reconnects with his soul roots and traditional songwriting while Sissy taps into dreams and trails off on mystical disco byways.
Beehive Opinion: The duo extract and deliver tremendous atmosphere without over layering their music, whats more you can either dance or just chill to them! Featured Track:Hypnotized. Website:MySpace.
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Right them for the third song, we are taking a different direction and whats more we are going to do some serious name dropping!
Chad Hollister has opened for Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Tom Petty, and in the fall (thats Autumn for us folk the other side of the pond) of 2009 he released Chad Hollister, his fourth CD. The self-titled disc was produced by Anthony J. Resta (Elton John, Collective Soul, Shawn Mullins).
Hollister’s musical style shines original with his percussive background. His personal lyrics are appreciative of a life on Mother Earth and his music is “pure sonic alchemy,” according to Anthony J. Resta.
In addition to opening for Bob Dylan, Pual Simon and Tom Petty, Chad Hollister has shared the stage with Warren Haynes (The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule), every PHISH member, Merl Saunders and Dave Mattacks (Jethro Tull, Paul McCartney, Fairport Convention).
Chad is on the rise, with “Grow,” a song from his Chad Hollister disc, having gotten midway up New Music Weekly magazine’s AC/Hot AC chart soon after its release.
Beehive Opinion: Who needs to name drop? I have to admit I did not know Chads music until recently and this has been a pleasant introduction, fine crafted songs, the guy stands on his own (mind you not a bad resume to be able to quote!). Featured Track: Grow Website:Official.
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Baltimore's Soft Cat is set to release their debut record with Friends Records in Fall 2010
Raised in Texas, Soft Cat’s Neil Sanzgiri combines as many people and resources as he can together to create a unique blend of influences and arrangements ranging from folk pop to classical baroque interpretations on the singer/songwriter genre.
As lead singer of the Dallas based psych-pop band Voot Cha Index (who recorded with The Polyphonic Spree bassist Mark Pirro) while still in high school, Neil Sanzgiri relocated to Baltimore, MD to attend college while still keeping contact with many of the Texas affiliations he had. After returning in summer of 2008, he formed Talking Tiger Mountain with members of Sleep Whale, Sunnybrook, Matthew & The Arrogant Sea, and a number of other Denton friends, creating monumental folk rock tales. Soft Cat retains many of the production styles learned from both of these bands and integrates it in his own view of what he calls “the sound of everything that never happened” from his favorite songs.
Wild Space is Soft Cat’s first album released through Friends Records. The ideas in this album are a collection of themes and explanations growing to a symphonic conclusion. As Neil explains it, “Any concentration of wilderness, growth, or life contained in a surviving ecosystem located in an urban setting is known as Wild Space. It is a non-domesticated area existing and dwelling as arcane emptiness. Wild Space creates fear from the unknown yet gives context to conformability. Organisms grow and cultivate while going unnoticed. Wild Space serves as the in between spaces in our lives.”
Beehives Opinion: We Like music that explores ideas and deserves recognition for being different without being self indulgant. We think Soft Cat are just about there, love them. Featured Track: Blackbird. Website: MySpace.
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Now if you are finding this 2010FM edition a little to gentle then we have a remedy for your ears.
We are informed - AWOLNATION is a riptide of head-banging dance beats, toe-tapping soul, biting lyrical cleverness and fiery rock romp that is poised to break all the rules of pop music. Who are we to argue..
..and theres more.. More than just a band, AWOLNATION is also an outlet for AWOL’s artistic outlook. To complement the band’s sound and musical aesthetic, AWOL has unearthed a series of Deep Danger and Lost Signal short films that combines the careful details and painterly attention of a Wes Anderson film with the sci-fi imagination and intergalactic absurdity of Barbarella, the movie. You can discover this just HERE.
Beehives Opinion: Woke us up. Turn it up loud. Featured Track: Burn It Down. Website:MySpace.
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A press release that calls the band 'bohemian-folk-punk' cannot fail to get our attention.
Indeed one review described The Gypsy Nomads as follows - “The arrangements feature strong roots in Eastern European and French folk, steam-punk imagery, post-punk, Siouxsie-style vocals and just the right sprinkling of straightforward punk rock. The result is irresistible, magically enchanting.” - Denver Thread
And there is more - The audacious bohemian-folk-punk duo The Gypsy Nomads, lovingly known to long-time fans as “Frenchy and the Punk”, revel in feverish punk-rock vigor, old world melodies, and vaudevillian decadence on their new album, ‘Happy Madness’ (Gilded Age Records / E.A. Recordings). Eugene Weekly praised the album highly, saying, “A sense of magic develops throughout this album, as The Gypsy Nomads explore the interplay between the past and the present,” while Blog Critics referred to the music as “a very unusual experience and an audial trip around the globe,” and Sepia Chord said "It's like the secret history of fairy tales as told in your favorite corner bar at a surreal after hours party".
Beehives Opinion: We are seriously loving this act, if Siouxsie has a musical sister this is her in the form of Samantha Stephenson and the highly talented 'punk rock' guitarist Scott Helland. Featured Track:Make Out. Website: Official.
Tour Dates:
August 7, 2010 - World of Fae Festival - South Elgin, Illinois
August 8, 2010 - World of Fae Festival - South Elgin, Illinois
September 17, 2010 - Mystickal Voyage Cafe - Nottingham, MD
September 18, 2010 - Mountain Mabon Festival - Clarksville, VA
September 24, 2010 - Earth Warriors Festival - Clarksville, OH
September 25, 2010 - Cirque A Circa - Grand Rapids, MI
October 9, 2010 - Halloween Witches Ball - Mount Holly, NJ
October 10, 2010 - StrowlersCon - Woburn, MA
October 23, 2010 - Celebrate Samhain - Peterborough, NH
November 6, 2010 - Pittsburgh Witches Ball - Pittsburgh, PA
November 13, 2010 - FaerieCon - Baltimore, MD
November 14, 2010 - FaerieCon - Baltimore, MD
November 19, 2010 - Steam Con - Seattle, WA
November 20, 2010 - Steam Con - Seattle, WA
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From the opening chords of the featured song by The Public Good, I was thinking 'sounds a bit like The Yardbirds' but in a good way. So no surprises when they mention growing up loving 'the British Invasion' bands from the 1960's.
Theres alot more to this band than just that aspect as their promo states - They are a band with something to say and their own way of saying it. Some of their songs, such as “(Imagine the Girlfriends I’d Have) If I Still Had Hair,” are fun and funny on first listen, as the balding singer wishes out loud that science could clone Bob Dylan’s “big fro.” But keep listening and the song’s poignant sense of longing and self-doubt becomes gently apparent.
Other songs, like “Black Ice,” from the group’s new release A Varied Program of Stereo Dynamics for Your Wild Nights Alone, are deadly serious from the opening riff. The song is drawn from bassist/vocalist Steve Ruppenthal’s reaction to a cancer diagnosis in his family. “It’s the little things in life that mean so much/ A tiny black spot that keeps us in touch,” he sings of an X-ray result that changes everything. “There’s no cheap emotion in that song,” says keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Sam Esquith. “It’s not sentimental at all.”
But whether silly or sobering, The Public Good’s songs are always intelligent. For cynics who hold to the belief that smart rock & roll is some kind of an oxymoron, just one listen to The Public Good will put that fallacy to rest.
“… whip-smart power pop that's as long on wit as it is on hooks …catchy music with a scathing perspective, leavened by a dose of self-awareness.” IndyWeek Beehives Opinion: Can't fault IndyWeek would add 'gritty, no nonsense' and a few other cliche's - you get the message, deserve to be heard. Featured Track:You Looked Good. Website: Official.
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The Humms release their debut album 'Lemonland' this week (August 2nd). The background goes as follows - The Humms were formed in March of 2008 by Zeke Sayer with friend Tyler Glenn in Hartwell, GA. They recorded the first songs in Zeke’s studio which was (at the time) housed in a 1950’s mobile home using an extension cord for power and was self- proclaimed to be haunted by the previous owner of the property who died right outside the door. Two months later in May they added a drummer, John Bleech. They practiced in Zeke’s living room for five months, often playing for whoever happened to be around the house during parties on the weekends. In October, they played their first official show at Tasty World in Athens, GA.
In 2009, the band relocated to Athens, GA and gained a slim but sturdy following from playing the local clubs like Caledonia Lounge and the 40 Watt. In November directly after a show, Tyler and John left the band due to undisclosed reasons. Sayer moved back to his home studio in Shoal Creek, GA and began work on the first Humms record intitled “Lemonland”. After 5 months of work on the debut, the Humms saw a live format once again thanks to Kentucky native Jessica Miller on Bass Guitar and West Coast drummer “Ziggy Zag” of the band Pipsqueak.
Following up from their super limited EP 'Are You Dead?' (2009, Odd Box Records) which was voted #2 in the Sounds XP writers poll for 2009. The Humms return with their debut full length LP. Part-psychobilly, part-garage rock, even a hint of primeval Nashville, The Humms are an Athens, Georgia (US) trio who make loud music about murder, drugs, drunks, ghost, hippies, colours and of course…love. Their lysergic graveyard take on rock’n'roll is equally informed by rockabilly, Big Star and the Nuggets compilations.
Lemonland is 18 songs that are inspired by the great and good from the past whilst managing to sound as fresh as anything released in 2010. This is timeless rock n roll music that will bring goosebumps out on all those that still can get a thrill at sheer the beauty of rock n roll.
Beehives Opinion: It's yet one more release we keep giving another listen too, loads of energy, somewhere between garage rock, power pop and their own place. Featured Track:Dont Think About Death.
Website: Official.
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Finally this time round something of a rarity to enjoy. Last year Arab Strap completed a previously unfinished and unreleased track called Daughters of Darkness. The song was included within the boxset from Chemikal Underground, "Scenes of a Sexual Nature" but doesn't appear on any previous albums or the reissues of "The Week Never Starts Round Here” and “Philophobia”.
Arab Strap were of course an indie rock band from Scotland that consisted of core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton. The band were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground, and split in 2006. As indicated by the title of Belle and Sebastian's third record, The Boy with the Arab Strap, and by Aidan Moffat's involvement in the two Reindeer Section albums, they were a central part of Glasgow's influential late 1990s music scene.
On August 17th, 2010 Chemikal Underground will reissue Arab Strap’s seminal first two albums “The Week Never Starts Round Here” and “Philophobia”. Not only do both albums include a bonus disk of previously unreleased BBC material, but the reissues also mark the first time Chemikal Underground have been able to offer these albums together digitally. They have kindly given us the OK to also share the final track.
And finally this time around Beehive Candy are advised of a brand new Arab Strap Reissues Twitter Contest. The contest, which takes place over Twitter will offer contestants the chance to unlock 5 exclusive videos from the inimitable Arab Strap front man, Aidan Moffat along with the chance to win an Arab Strap prize pack. To find out more click HERE. - Featured Track:Daughters Of Darkness.
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Toto may have gone through lead singers for a while like Spinal Tap went through drummers, however the incredible musicians that have made up the band down the years are in essence what Toto has always been about.
By the time of this concert performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival on the 5th July 1991 (venue The Casino, Montreux, Switzerland) , guitarist Steve Lukather had stepped up to the microphone and become the new front man.
Sadly this was one of the last live concerts with founder member and band drummer Jeff Porcaro who died a year later (Jeff tragically suffered an allergic reaction from a pesticide he was using in his garden). This recording has as a result, always been something of a collectors item for Toto fans.
In October 2009, the individual founding musicians of Toto were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro and David Hungate were present, with Mike Porcaro's and Jeff Porcaro's family members accepting their awards in absentia.
Source: Soundboard - FM Broadcast.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@160kbps.
Genre: Rock, pop rock, hard rock, jazz fusion.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
1. On The Run
2. Kingdom Of Desire
3. I’ll Be Over You
4. Africa
5. Jake To The Bone
6. Red House
7. Band Introduction
8. Rosanna
9. Hold The Line
10. I Want To Take You Higher
Line Up:
Jeff Porcaro: drums
Steve Lukather: guitar & vocals
David Paich: keyboards & vocals
Mike Porcaro: bass
Chris Trujillo: percussion
with Fred White, Jackie McGhee, Jenny Douglas, and John James.
Comments:
From wikipedia - Prior to the formation of the band, Toto members were regulars on albums by Steely Dan, Seals and Crofts, Boz Scaggs, Sonny and Cher, and many others, contributing to many of the most popular records of the 1970s. Keyboardist David Paich, son of famed musician and sessions player/arranger Marty Paich, rose to fame after having co-written Boz Scaggs's Silk Degrees album. Having played on many sessions with drummer Jeff Porcaro (the son of noted session percussionist Joe Porcaro, who he met while attending Grant High School in North Hollywood, California where they formed the band Rural Still Life), the two began to seriously discuss the possibility of forming their own band. They brought in bassist and fellow session vet David Hungate, having played with him on the road with Boz Scaggs. In addition, the duo asked guitarist Steve Lukather (who also played in Scaggs's band as a replacement for Les Dudek) and Jeff Porcaro's brother Steve Porcaro (keyboards) to join the team. Luke and Steve Porcaro also attended Grant High and in fact continued the band Rural Still Life (the name shortened to Still Life) after Paich & Jeff graduated. With the addition of former S.S. Fools singer Bobby Kimball, the group began to work on their first album in 1977 after signing with Columbia Records.
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This specific recording of Bob Dylan has an interesting history to go with it. The actual performance was back on June 1st 1965 at the BBC Television Centre in London with a studio audience.
The set was then broadcast in two parts on BBC TV in the UK on the 15th and 26th June 1965. As far as I can find out the BBC broadcast the second half of the recording first.
The notes that accompanied this recording provide the actual 'history' of this specific recording as follows.
This specific audio track was originally recorded on the 15th & 26th June 1965, in Hull, Yorkshire, UK. using a KB domestic 1/4in. recorder with a BSR tape deck, running at a speed of 3.75ips via a line connection to Rediffusion wired system junction box (TV set).
This tape, while in great quality, came in the wrong speed and needed some work before it was listenable.Volume, speed & pitch corrected in London, U.K. 10th - 12th September 2005 using CoolEdit Pro 2.0. Some additional remastering including fade-in, fade-outs at start & end of disc were done. Noise or hiss reduction has not been performed, in order to best preserve the atmosphere and feel of the original tape which this can sometimes take away.
With the nonsense that surrounded Bob Dylan 'going electric' at the time, perhaps the real beauty of this solo performance was the chance just to do his thing with a smaller audience. This is a delight to listen to, was it really 45 years ago?
Source: BBC TV Broadcasts
Sound Quality: Very good mono mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Rock, folk rock, folk, blues, country.
Session: BBC TV Centre performance.
Set List:
(Broadcast June 26th, 1965).
01 Ballad Of Hollis Brown
02 Mr Tambourine Man
03 Gates Of Eden
04 If You Gotta Go, Go Now
05 Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll
06 It Ain't Me Babe
(Broadcast June 15th, 1965).
07 Love Minus Zero/No Limit
08 One Too Many Mornings
09 Boots Of Spanish Leather
10 It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
11 She Belongs To Me
12 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
There are a number of versions of this performance from different original sources, this is the best copy we have heard. Italian bootleg label 'Great Dane Records' included this in the 14 CD box set 'Bob Dylan 1965 Revisited'. As with so many Bob performances they are well circulated.
This is a recording of Buddy Miller with special guest Gurf Morlix recorded at The Borderline, London, UK on the 14th February 2000 for the BBC radio programme of the time Bob Harris Country.
In addition to releasing several solo albums over the years, Buddy Miller has toured as lead guitarist and backing vocalist for Emmylou Harris's Spyboy band, Steve Earle on his El Corazon tour, Shawn Colvin, and Linda Ronstadt. He co-produced and performed on Jimmie Dale Gilmore's 2000 album Endless Night. He has also appeared on several albums by songwriter and singer Lucinda Williams.
Buddy Miller has also produced albums for a number of artists. During 2006 Solomon Burke came over to Miller's house at Nashville to record his country album 'Nashville' on which Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch and Dolly Parton appear as duet partners.
Buddy Miller toured as part of the band on Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand tour of the USA and Europe, and with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin on the Three Girls and Their Buddy tour.
Source: BBC FM radio broadcast.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Country.
Session: Recorded live at The Borderline
Set List:
01. Intro by Bob Harris
02. 100.000.000 Little Bombs
03. Don't Tell Me
04. Help Wanted
05. Interview with Bob Harris
06. You Wrecked Up My Heart
07. Sometimes I Cry
08. Interview
09. My Little Cajun Baby
10. That's How I Got To Memphis ( w/Gurf Morlix)
11. I'm Pretending
12. Interview
13. Somewhere Trouble Don't Go
14. Hole In My Head
15. Interview
16. Nadine
17. Outro
Robert Plant recruited Buddy Miller to co-produce his forthcoming album (he also provides vocals and guitar), the album also includes Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Byron House and Marco Giovino and they go on tour together this month under the moniker Robert Plant and the Band of Joy.
A recent press release stated "A timeless plunge into authentic Americana, the album was co-produced by Plant and Nashville legend and guitarist Buddy Miller. “Buddy’s integral to this album, you can hear his taste all over the instrumentation,” enthuses Plant. “Buddy’s zone is beautiful, with a lot of reflections going back into mid-Fifties rockabilly, the singing fishermen and all the great country stuff, along with the soul and R&B from Memphis.”
The album is due for release on September 14th.
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This is a bumper edition of 2010FM and the format will be a little different this time around, as we pile through a diverse selection of artists, which we will cover off as they appear on the player below, so hang on to your hats and here we go.
First up is a 12 track mini LP called 'A Little More Suspicion In Our Fairytales Plz' byAce Bushy Striptease which is due to hit record shops on 19th July 2010. Ace Bushy Striptease started in Birmingham in October 2007 with thoughts of becoming a twee/progressive pop band. Unfortunately that never really happened but through a few lineup changes and a bit of time, they've found a niche of sorts which suits them well they feel. The band have released numerous free download LPs/EPs but A Little More Suspicion In Our Fairytales Plz is their first record to garner a proper release. The band site influences like Huggy Bear, Hefner, Pavement and Bikini Kill. The songs are brief, stubbornly avoid repetition and spring along with light melody and fun.
Beehive Opinion - short, buzzing, quirky and fun.
______________________________ Echo Orbiter brothers Justin and Colin Emerle are back as a duo and more imaginative than ever. there promo tells us Echo Orbiter has paced forward into a musical terrain of mysterious, experimental, neo-psychedelic and chaotic, and unmistakably indie-rock driven music. Justin and Colin began playing music together before they hit their teens. Back in 1996, the pair started Echo Orbiter, finding themselves immersed in the elite Elephant 6 era at its height, a time when they worked with The Lilys, Kindercore Records, and shared a stage with bands like Of Montreal, Elf Power, Apples in Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control and more.
Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Justin himself, their upcoming album, 'Euphonicmontage' is a labor of existential-ambiance love. From beat poetry, and writers such as Ayn Rand; a genuine affection of cubism and surrealism; Echo Orbiter is influenced by the creative expressions of authors and art, just as they are by music. Call it jagged indie rock surrealism.
Beehive Opinion - Uplifting and exciting. What Syd Barrett might sound like today.
_______________________________ Holy Family consists of three members from different parts of the Gothenburg region in Sweden. They started the band in the summer of 2009 with the goal to tour Eastern Europe. Initially, the band was only created to do this one tour and then desolve. They never actually reached Eastern Europe but the band persisted. Later that year, during the economic crisis, they had trouble finding any work other than odd jobs and chose to start working more whole-heatedly with Holy Family. They found themselves getting more and more satisfied with the songs they made and felt that Holy Family was worth going in for. The band is currently cranking out numerous demos which will eventually become their first proper record.
Beehive Opinion - Alt rock, make a quite complex arrangement seem simple, what is about Sweden which remains a hot bed for indie to ambient talent.
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Not many musicians can pull off an album about space, time, and theoretical physics, but that's exactly what the Alan Cohen Experience accomplishes with the newest album, Space & Time. Due for releases on August 31st. While reading Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time”, Cohen found inspiration in each chapter for a new song, including the introduction and conclusion. Exploring topics such as gravity, magnetism, black holes, atoms, and all the poetic aspects that tie these to our understanding of the world and universe, Space & Time explores the uncertainty of science and the universe and how these facets play a profound role in life and existence.
Beehive Opinion - Dont be put off by the apparent subject matter, this is good upbeat indie pop with a retro appeal.
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Sara Radle’s most enviable forte is her precious and pure pop voice, able to harmonize with anyone, anywhere. After reforming The Rentals with Matt Sharp in 2005, recording guest vocals with Tokyo Police Club and sharing festival stages with the likes of The Flaming Lips and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it was about time that Radle returned to her own music. With the solo album release, Four, Radle’s musical career comes full circle. “…It’s been a long time coming,” says Radle. “It’s special to me…it feels like I’m back on track in my path as a musician. It’s like coming back home.”
Playing in handfuls of bands, including playing guitar and singing in the current project Walking Sleep, it’s with this fourth solo album, on which Radle has truly established the strength of her own musical self. Born and raised in Texas, Radle played with pop-punk band Lucy Loves Schroeder for eight years and put out a solo album under the moniker Fred Savage Fanclub. When former Weezer member Matt Sharp reformed The Rentals, Radle moved out to Los Angeles, CA, where she now calls home. With Sharp she helped put a new band together and wrote and arranged songs for EP The Last Little Life. Her vocals soared in The Rentals where she also played guitar, piano, and keyboards.
With all the skills Sara Radle has acquired from playing with so many different types of musicians, in 2010, she now has a new arsenal of talent to work with. Four contains a bounty of beautiful and darling pop songs that tug at the heart (and sometimes punch) with strings and lush layers of vocal harmonies. On Four, Radle reels in her arrangement proficiency all the while with a humble, yet eloquent voice sounding like a member of a ‘60s girl group covering Jenny Lewis. Four is due for release on September 14th 2010.
Beehive Opinion - One to watch out for, loads of name checks above however from what we have heard this lady musically speaking stands on her own two feet.
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Weare told - The discovery of The White Ravens occurred in the research laboratory of Dr. XXXXXX in December of 2003, when the lyrics, vocals, and bass of Amy Bennett were combined with the keyboards and musical compositions of Will Bennett. When mixed, these distinct substances bonded explosively, creating a previously undocumented compound, The White Ravens.
The White Raven compound has been refined in a recording studio environment, resulting in such aural by-products as the 2007 album titled The White Ravens, recorded at Sound Garden Studios, and Gargoyles and Weather Vanes, recorded by Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders.
Dynamic indie-pop music is observed to emanate from The White Ravens, featuring the pithy, biting lyrics of Amy, and the quirky, yet catchy, musical compositions of Will. Described as "XXXXXX" by a listener, The White Ravens are known to uniquely provide fodder for the intellect, and rhythms for the feet.
Beehive Opinion - Check them out 'Gargoyles and Weather Vanes' was released July 6th and is a great summer soundtrack, we bet you love them!
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The earnest folk sentiments of Gwyneth & Monko ring with purity on their mostly acoustic EP, Good Old Horse. Lyrics lace together fictional female characters, while the down-home style mirrors the musicians’ earnest lives stemming from their childhood into young adults and touring musicians. With a voice that invokes Jenny Lewis’ solo work crossed with the intimate folk of Gillian Welch; Gwyneth Moreland strums her guitar in subtle chords while Michael Monko accompanies her lyrical stories with trickling mandolin, steady acoustic guitar and folk accents.
Gwyneth’s lyrics and musical style reflects her small town life in Mendocino, CA (population 1,006), a city rich of nature and history. “My parents moved to Mendocino in 1972 after graduating from Stanford University, where they fulfilled their dreams of living in the ‘back-to-the-land’ way and raising their five children,” affirms Gwyneth. As a child, Gwyneth grew up in a household with no TV, CD player or junk food. That lifestyle resulted in a young woman who values the simple things in life. Growing up listening to her parents’ Bob Dylan and Joan Baez albums, her childhood has clearly translated into her adult musical life.
Monko grew up in the San Francisco suburbs, incongruously playing hard rock while listening to bluegrass in high school. As he got older, alongside the bass and guitar, Monko was drawn to classic folk and country instruments like the fiddle, banjo, and mandolin. Monko enrolled in Berklee College of Music online to continue his studies in theory, harmony and music production. It was as he was defining his folkier side, that fate stepped in and he met Gwyneth. He was an instant complement to Gwyneth’s voice and lyrics with his Americana instrumentation.
Good Old Horse EP is released on Tuesday (20th July)
Beehive Opinion - Americana is alive and kicking, this is splendid, gentle, moving music from two very talented individuals (more please!).
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Leopold and his Fiction houses honest and transcendent San Francisco rock ‘n’ roll. The gritty Detroit vintage rock bleeds out from front man Daniel James’ roots, simmering underneath distant genres and unwavering imagination in an attempt to reinvent what each member feels has dissipated from the greater measure of music.
Leopold and his Fiction climbed to number 30 on the CMJ charts for the second album, Ain’t No Surprise and made it into the top 20 with their self-titled debut, while earning praise from NPR, Relix and Big Takeover, among others. Offering a morbid cohesion of California and a gentle open plains reminiscence stimulating a reason and energy for people to listen closely, this new vision in music and thought offers an alternate take to the repetition of a-sides with their own traditional sounds and elaborations.
Beehive Opinion - The inclusion of this band is based on the fact that the song Golden Friends is just about my favorite song at the moment - enough said ? Another one to checkout fast.
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Love this promo introduction to The Famous - Take the ‘50s-era country of Hank Williams, Sr. and filter it through ‘70s punk rock, ‘80s psychobilly, and ‘90s post-punk. You’ll find yourself staring eye-to-eye with San Francisco’s own “Pixies in a cowboy hat.”
“You can pound your fist on my front door / But it’s been too long, I don’t need you anymore.” Laurence Scott sings the opening line of “Better Things,” from the Famous’ 2005 debut Light, Sweet Crude, like he really means it. He might be singing about an old lover, an old friend — heck, even an old car — but the line could just as well be a kiss-off to the staid country and Americana his band seems all too happy to leave behind in a cloud of dust. The band’s latest album, 2010’s Come Home to Me is now available.
Beehive Opinion - Solid, powerful and varied they are more than good enough to get away with being called The Famous.
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The Smittens are a hard-working globe-trotting independent American twee pop band from Burlington, Vermont, who like to think of themselves as friends first and open-hearted indiepop revolutionaries after that.
Max Andrucki, Colin Clary, Dana Kaplan, Holly Chagnon, and David Zacharis switch up instruments, song-writing, and singing to create brilliantly lyrical and hyper-catchy pop songs of all shapes and sizes.
The Smittens’ beautiful pop songs have been lovingly tweaked and transformed into a series of infectious remixes that, whilst not detracting from their indiepop hearts, manage to bring a whole new dimension of dance-ability to their pop sound. The Stock-Aitken-Watermen-inspired remix of 'Sapphire' by Nixon is one of those rare ‘wow’ moments when a song you already love is given a makeover you'd never thought possible. It's this playful toying with perceptions of what The Smittens are that makes ‘Dancing Shoes’ such a beautiful and unexpected record.
Beehive Opinion - Addictive music with a real freshness about it, some remixes can really work and add a new dimension, this is one of them.
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Nice Purse began as the brainchild of singer/songwriter France Camp. France was looking for better methods towards spare change and started "busking" around the Minneapolis Uptown area. After an extensive bout with covers, France eventually grew bored and started writing his own songs. France emailed a few of his tracks to his childhood friend Ian "Indian" Davis was instantly charmed by the passionate sounds France was creating. The duo soon signed up good friends Dylan and Elise to join them on their debut album Black Medal, Nice Purse is a blend of Violent Femmes and Bright Eyes, with a tiny bit of the Modern Lovers tossed in. Their songs are celebrations, often with their roots in tragedy.
Nice Purse's songs seem to be wrought with equal amounts of insecurity and confidence. It is this mixture that makes France's insights so poignant. Even if you've never loved and lost, France will pull at your heart strings and pull you into his lush musical world. Their new studio recording (to be released on the Minneapolis label, SoTM, August 10th) show a surprisingly mature side to the sounds of Nice Purse. There are more than brief moments of greatness on their debut album Black Medal.
Beehive Opinion - Have only heard the featured track and lets hope we get to listen to the whole album, this is really great music that begs for sunshine and a drive to the beach.
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Not many blues artists can call themselves “the Doctor of the Blues” without a whole stretcher-full of the idiom’s winking big talk. But Marshall Lawrence can, and with only the slightest bit of irony. The award-nominated Canadian bluesman actually holds a doctorate in psychology, and he knows how to use it—just as he knows how to use his slashing guitar, stinging, lightning-fast slide, and pleading, mournful moan: Marshall’s prescription for a maximum blues remedy.
“Psychology is about talking about the good times and the bad times, about dealing with it and getting it out there,” says Marshall, who recently retired after 10 years of counseling troubled teenagers to devote himself full time to playing the blues. “And that’s also what the blues are about—singing about the good and the bad. So there’s always been a parallel there for me.”
Beehive Opinion - You can write books on playing and singing the blues, you can also find more opinions on this genre than half of the rest put together. This guy has got both the technical skills and the heart for this music, blues lovers will not be disappointed.
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Promo tells us - "Soul Punk." Straight outta Brooklyn, NY, the power trio that is Mama's Dirty Lil' Secret delivers a musical punch that can only be described as the sonic love child born of the torrid love affair between Soul and Punk. With big soulful choruses, catchy riffs, booming bass and thunder grooves, Mama's Dirty Lil' Secret have carved a special niche in the ears of music fans everywhere.
The Deacon heads up this triumvirate with his neo-Romeo vocals and straight-ahead rock/ska guitar stylings. The 2-man frontline is rounded out with the animalistic, bombastic bass of The Monster - the funky punk, punk o' funk. And last but not least, Damn provides the non-stop, pulse-pounding, pimp-your-mama-punk-metal drums that gets you off your seat and on your feet!
Beehive Opinion - Some promo's are actually quite fair and reflect matters as they are, the above we feel falls into that. Punchy wake up music, just dont be too close to your air guitar when you play them.
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Bourgeois Heroes (Northampton, Mass./Austin, Texas) sing ’60s-inspired pop in the vein of The Beach Boys, The Monkees and The Byrds ... and also draws inspiration from the likes of The Apples in Stereo and The Ladybug Transistor. "Musical Postcards" is a gem of an EP that's already gotten quite a few nice reviews.
They include - "The orchestral pop and wide ranging influences are a treat for the pop fan looking for clever melodies with whimsical character. … The elaborate baroque “I Wanna Be Nice To You” is a period gem that fans of sunshine pop and The Kinks will be thrilled with. " — Powerpopaholic
"Right, lets not mess around, Bourgeois Heroes are brilliant … ‘Musical Postcards’ is a bloody waltz. A lovely, string embedded baroque number with china fragile vocals and a pretty, ’60s-ish chorus. Really interesting, ambitious stuff." — Brill Dream
"The deep, mystical vocals of Bourgeois Heroes would ft in very well next to a band like The Church or Echo & The Bunnymen or another similar melodramatic 80s group. While the Heroes hint occasionally at that sound on their release Musical Postcards, it also possesses the instrumentation of modern pop bands like Belle & Sebastian. And you can hear select other influences, as wide-ranging as The Pastels and The Zombies." — Fensepost
Beehive Opinion - Love a band that can sound retro sixties whilst clearly having their own original monicker, this is really charming music that will lift you up for the day.
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The Cavemen Go (New Haven/Boston/Brooklyn) channels early rock'n'roll, Motown and British Invasion without coming off as purposefully retro. Fans of Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Ben Lee and The Cars should find something to like on The Cavemen Go's new full length, "New Lives."
"For more than half a decade, the Cavemen Go have been churning out some of the finest no-frills pop-rock in the Northeast." — Metromix Connecticut
"I could write reams about this album but the bottom line is this, if you like artists like Elvis Costello (lyrics and music), and The Kinks, 60′s pop, harmonies and modern indie rock, and you’d like all this to also sound like something new, then this is definitely a record that would only enhance your record shelf." — Beer and Bands
"I’ve been listening to songs like “Less Than Zero” by Elvis Costello and “So It Goes” by Nick Lowe on an endless loop lately. New Lives fits neatly into that pattern while offering something new." — Side Ponytail
Beehive Opinion - Reminds us of listening to British sixties offshore radio stations like Radio Caroline (yes of course we were to young - obviously hmmm) and yet it switches to a modern feel so I guess in some ways that makes it kind of timeless, enjoy these people, they are good!
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And finally this edition a question posed to us that we will now pass on to your good self. Are you familiar with producer Scott Solter?
He has produced records for John Vanderslice, Superchunk, Pattern is Movement, Mountain Goats and a whole lot more. His project with partner Wendy Allen (Tarentel, The Court and Spark), Boxharp, was recently chosen by David Bowie as one of his current favorite artists in an article in the Guardian (UK). Boxharp's gorgeous new album "The Green" has just been released on Hidden Shoal Recordings.
Beehive Opinion - Who are we to argue with David Bowie, mind you we would just not feature Boxharp were it not for the fact that they are really worth a listen.
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