These days they are known as The Unthanks and for good reason as Rachel Unthank explained - It makes me very happy and proud to be changing our name to The Unthanks, and relieved too, as my sister Becky has shared lead vocals with me from the start. Back then when she was just 17, about to start university and unsure about committing indefinitely to our partnership, we chose a name that gave her the freedom that was perhaps key to us still being together now.
Back in 2008 they were still Rachel Unthank and The Winterset, and this short session is from December 2008. It makes a fine introduction to the band who are an English folk group from Northumberland. They made their debut performance at Towersey Village Festival in August 2004 and in May 2005, launched their debut album, Cruel Sister at Holmfirth Folk Festival. Cruel Sister received support from a number of DJs on BBC Radio 2 and was subsequently awarded Folk Album of the Year by Mojo magazine.
Their 2007 follow-up album, The Bairns, was nominated for the Best Album award at the BBC Folk Awards 2008 and also nominated for the 2008 Mercury Music Prize. The album debuted in the UK Top 200 Albums Chart at number 178 in the week after the Mercury prize award ceremony.
The band were nominated for three further BBC Folk Awards in 2008 (Best Band, Best Live Act, Horizon Award), and were successful in one category, receiving the Horizon Award at the ceremony in The Brewery, London.
Their third album, Here's The Tender Coming, was released in September 2009. Their fourth album, Last, is planned for release in spring 2011.
Source: BBC Radio.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Folk.
Set: Studio Session.
Session List:
1. Tar Barrel In Dal
2. Felton Lonnin
3. This Endris Night
You may have noticed a considerable amount of excitement in the mainstream media including The Word Magazine, Rolling Stone, NPR (American public radio) and the Los Angeles Times in the latter part of December along with a good number of fellow music fan sites regarding the 'release' of a double album vinyl bootleg called The Smiths - Unreleased Demos and Instrumentals.
Indeed such was the quality of this material, my first reaction when listening to it initially, was to check out if this was an official compilation and someone was having me on, regarding the material being a bootleg 'release'.
As a result of searching around online I have picked up a fair amount of additional information and my thanks go out to the many fans of The Smiths who have researched this (and whom I am unashamedly copying from in the details section below). The original vinyl rip was in mono and this is a vastly cleaned up version that improves the quality considerably. The 'informed view' is that the material must have come from somebody very close to the band, and be from source recordings (make of that what you will).
The original vinyl bootleg appears to have been a labour of love from persons unknown rather than any attempt to cash in on the bands unreleased material, the demand from fans and the knowledge that there are so many alternative versions gathering dust may have caused this well timed event to have occurred.
Source: Studio sessions (see details below).
Sound Quality: Very good stereo/mono mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Alternative rock, Indie pop and rock.
Sessions List:
01. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (Demo)
02. Reel Around The Fountain (Demo)
03. Rusholme Ruffians (Demo)
04. The Queen Is Dead (Demo)
05. Sheila Take A Bow (Demo)
06. This Night Has Opened My Eyes (Demo)
07. Untitled One (Marr Instrumental)
08. Ask (Demo)
09. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Demo)
10. Is It Really So Strange? (Demo)
11. Frankly, Mr. Shankly (Demo)
12. Shoplifters Of The World Unite (Reprise)
13. Girlfriend In A Coma (Demo)
14. Death Of A Disco Dancer (Demo)
15. Paint A Vulgar Picture (Demo)
16. Untitled Two (Marr Instrumental)
Details:
As I understand matters Simon Goddard's book 'Songs That Saved Your Life' has been used to reference the following track by track information (with grateful thanks to the smiths recycle website from whom I have taken this in full).
1 The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (John Porter monitor mix)
Not much different from the final LP version, a monitor mix is a rough-and-ready mixdown done at the recording desk, mainly used by the band (and producer) to see what needs tightening/redoing (if anything) prior to the final mixdown.
2 Reel Around The Fountain (final Troy Tate mix)
Pretty self explanatory, the main difference between this blog's version and the bootleg version is the subtle guitar intro.
3 Rusholme Ruffians (early electric version, July 1984)
Goddard says the band originally attempted this in July 1984, several months prior to the main Meat Is Murder sessions. The very first July 1984 take stretched to nearly 7 minutes long (ding!), was much more rough/ready, and much more skiffle/rockabilly (ding!) than the final MIM track. Moz's vocal is really rough around the edges, it doesn't sound like he's fully worked out the melody or his phrasing, and the lyric itself isn't as tight as it would become. Based on this it can only be assumed the version here is the very same first take mentioned by Goddard.
4 The Queen Is Dead (original full-length unedited version)
Well, if the subtitle doesn't nail it down... the final album mix had several instrumental sections edited out at the last minute by the band and Stephen Street, as they felt it went on a tad too long. This is the full-calorie version.
5 Sheila Take A Bow (original John Porter recording, January 1987)
One of the more famous episodes in Smiths session history, this song was originally produced by John Porter, signed, sealed and delivered, ready to go. Then for whatever reason the band had a rethink, decamped to another studio with Stephen Street, and re-recorded the song (sampling some of Porter's guitar work in the process, to save time - which miffed Porter, understandably, since they never asked for permission). This original version is much more jangly, with Porter on emulated sitar, while the final Street take is all T.Rex'ed out. Honestly, I'd have to say I prefer the Street version, though that could be due to familiarity more than anything else (as I usually love Porter's stuff with Marr).
6 This Night Has Opened My Eyes (unreleased studio recording, June 1984)
The only released version of this song was recorded in September 1983 for a Peel session, at the BBC. For whatever reason the band chose to record a full-blown studio version in June 1984 during the William, It Was... sessions, but never did anything with it (it was meant to be a B-side along with the July '84 Rusholme Ruffians recording, backing a proposed-yet-binned Nowhere Fast single which also was recorded in June/July 1984). If anything, time gave Moz a chance to get a bit more confident with his vocal, but it's not significantly different overall. Still a nice find though...
7 I Misses You (unreleased instrumental, edit, December 1984)
Recorded during the final mixdown sessions for the Meat Is Murder LP. Goddard surmises that this may have even featured a Moz lyric at one point, but this is only supposition. A track that the band binned, honestly while interesting as any "new" Morrissey/Marr track might be, it would be moreso with a Moz lyric and is mostly forgettable.
8 Ask (probable first-ever take, 9 June 1986)
A very early, if not the first if Goddard's correct, run-through of this track missing most of the chiming/jangly guitars. This is a basic rough-and-ready bash it out take recorded by John Porter, with Marr and Gannon going at it on the rhythm guitars and Joyce getting all frenetic on drums. Wisely, a lot was tightened up as the session progressed; alas, this isn't the hoped-for "pre-Steve Lillywhite mix" fans hoped for (which sadly, according to Porter, doesn't exist because he never actually got the opportunity to mix it before Lillywhite got his hands on it and didn't understand the complex web of guitars Porter had built up).
9 There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (early take, September 1985)
A very early run-through with a relatively-confident Moz vocal, though it does feature the subsequently-omitted defining lyric "there is a light in your eye and it never goes out" during the final refrain. Missing most of Marr's overdubs, musically it sounds like a rough monitor mix of the basic Marr/Rourke/Joyce instrumentation, with the added synthetic string bits on the Emulator.
10 Is It Really So Strange? (unreleased studio take, June 1986)
Another track which has its only released version being a BBC session version, the known-and-loved release variant was recorded in December 1986 for John Peel at the BBC. Interestingly though, they did have a fully-recorded, mixed, release-ready take in the can, recorded during the Panic sessions in June 1986. For whatever reason it remained binned, to the point when it came time to select B-sides for the Sheila single in spring 1987, the band went to the (admittedly superior) Peel recording rather than the June 1986 studio take. This version is a bit more shimmery than the common version, and Marr's guitar is a bit more rhythmically choppy than the BBC take.
11 Frankly, Mr Shankly (unreleased Stephen Street "trumpets" recording, November 1985)
The story has it that when this song was recorded during the main sessions for the Queen Is Dead LP, with Street, there was a technical problem with the master reels for this track, necessitating an emergency call to John Porter to engineer an 11th hour re-recording in December 1985. What wasn't discovered (at least publicly), until Goddard dug it up, was that the "technical problem" was a bizarro trumpet part on the track. It does introduce an additional element of hilarity, but the final Porter recording nails it.
12 Shoplifters Of The World Unite (instrumental)
Goddard doesn't go into much detail into this track's session history, unfortunately. It's an instrumental, with some additional Marr-riffic guitars that are either obscured or wiped from the final recording, presumably due to Moz laying down his vocals on top. I do like Rourke's bass on this version however.
13 Girlfriend In A Coma (early take, January 1987)
While in studio with Street in January 1987 re-recording Sheila, the band took the time to lay down a couple takes of this track (prior to the main Strangeways sessions in April 1987). What sets this apart from the Strangeways version is the pronounced reggae-ness of the instrumentation (no, there aren't any steel drums). Goddard says the first two takes of this from the January '87 sessions featured this Jamaican interpretation, which we have here, and Moz's vocal is a bit rough around the edges (of course he'd tighten it up later on).
14 Death Of A Disco Dancer (first take, April 1987)
The find of the lot, in my book. This is markedly different from the final LP version, in that you can a) hear the song actually being structurally formed as it progresses, and b) Moz is audibly excited at the suspense and greatness of the track, this being the band's first run-through of it in studio, as per Goddard. All the musicians are in perfect synch with each other, you can just feel the bond between the members, as the song plays out. It's for things like this that I love the behind-the-scenes aspect of the recording business. If this were the only track leaked, I'd be happy.
15 Paint A Vulgar Picture (early take, April 1987)
Goddard says that this track went through several run-throughs before the final LP version, with entire Moz verses being chopped out. This doesn't feature the "missing Moz" which was compensated for by Marr's solo over that section on the LP version, but it does feature some unheard Mozwork with the title itself part of the lyric. If I read Goddard right, this take we have here would have been one of the very earliest ones.
16 Heavy Track (unreleased instrumental, April 1987)
Apparently this was recorded at the very beginning of the Strangeways sessions, before Moz turned up at the studio. It's the most musically different Smiths track of any of them, for all intents and purposes it sounds like Zeppelin (I can imagine Robert Plant wailing on top of it). Nothing shocking, nothing you'll kill yourself for not hearing over the past 23 years, it's still a nice one to have.
The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music took place at the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, England over the weekend of 27th and 28th June 1970. The line up included a good number of major American acts (inc Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa, Steppenwolf) and from the UK the likes of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
The festival suffered from some appalling weather at times and also from traffic jams getting to the venue which affected some acts. The original schedule of artists times for appearing went disastrously wrong and delays eventually meant acts appeared through both nights and into Monday morning.
The Byrds appeared on stage, in the early hours of Monday 29th June and the following from the festival archives site takes up the story - It was really late, something like 2 am . We were down the front, as the hordes of Zep fans had gone home. It was wet windy and cold, the Airplane had left the stage because of shocks from the mic's. But the Byrds were made of stronger stuff, they came on and Delivered in such a way that this acoustic set has stayed in my memory for over two decades as an amazing transcendent performance. We were of course, lucky to see Clarence White who was one of the best Byrds guitar players .What a line up ! McGuinn was centerstage , I seem to remember the band playing seated on stools. Rolling Stone said they played 8 -16 encores. Perhaps a slight overstatement , although there are lots of encores on the tape I have , but they did go down a storm with those who stayed up to watch.
This show was the first ever Byrds acoustic show (at least that's what the band themselves state on-stage) and its amazing , a few rough edges here and there, but that's mainly due to the fact that they are really delving into the songbook for stuff to play. They had intended to play an electric set , so the whole show was more or less an improvisation .Most of the time they sound as though they have been playing acoustic sets for years. There's a great jam on Eight Miles High that has the audience going into fits of ecstasy . There's a few funny spots, like where McGuinn announces they will play Willin' "you know, weed whites and wine ?" he asks, expecting a big cheer. Nothing . not a sausage from the audience, absolute quiet. So he asks again and there's still no response. Either we were all too numb to respond, or we just were all innocents who didn't know what he meant (and I refuse to believe that!)
At another point the compere gets up and says that they want to get Dr John on-stage soon and he is just shouted down by the audience who want more Byrds, so he eventually gives up. The show ends after numerous encores with the compere stating that the Byrds are worn out and their fingers are trashed . Mindful of his earlier verbal thrashing , he soft soaps us by saying we are all nice people and will understand they can't keep on playing. We do, and with more cheers they depart after playing for two and a half hours , according to the the music magazines (although my tape is only 90 mins long). The compere (Mike Raven?) is then heard saying that they will try to get the Moody Blues on and then Dr John , but apparently the Moodies were unable to play , despite being flown in by helicopter and it was the Good Dr who played the festival out in the damp dawn.
Source: Audience recording.
Sound Quality: Average/Good for audience recording of the time, mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Rock, pop, folk rock, psychedelic rock, country rock.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
CD 1:
Its All Right Ma.
Ballad Of Easy Rider.
Willin'.
Soldiers Joy.
Goin' Back.
Baby What Do You Want Me To Do.
Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man.
You Don't Miss Your Water.
Jesus Is Just Alright.
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Mr. Tambourine Man
Eight Miles High.
CD 2:
Mary, don’t you weep.
Black Mountain Rag.
Just a Season;
Amazing Grace.
So You Want to Be a Rock 'n Roll Star.
You Ain't Goin Nowhere.
Old Blue.
Wasn't Born To Follow.
Glory Glory.
Take A Whiff On Me.
2011Candy takes up from where 2010FM left off, however this year we hope to expand the feature along with Beehive Candy in general. In the meantime the new music just keeps on coming and we are delighted to start of the new year with some fascinating artists and music from a variety of genres.
Background:Michael Lee’s debut EP Hold On Till Heaven is Lee’s first foray into original music, and he has a great supporting cast: John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboards (The Who, Pete Townsend, Roger Waters, Mick Jagger, The Rocky Horror Picture Show); Steve Bundrick handled production and added drum tracks and producer/engineer Kirt Shearer (Cake) handled the mastering. Lee plays guitar, bass and sings on the album, while exploring issues such as faith (“Believe”), vampires (“Lost In A Touch”) and the evil stench of Paparazzi (“Mind Your Own Business”) in wonderfully post-pop rock arrangements. Hold On Till Heaven is just an appetizer for what’s to come however, as the project took on a life of its own while Lee develops a yet-to-be-released full length album entitled No More Fairy tales.
When you see Michael Lee on stage he looks like a throwback to another era of rock n roll. Part rebel; part glam rock demigod, Lee swaggers onto the stage with his Flying-V guitar and takes it for his own in the name of rock n roll. Lee writes music that pleases him, and in the process he reminds us all what rock n roll was meant to be. Michael Lee hopes to inspire a new rock revolution, one fan at a time, infusing modern elements into classic rock forms to create not just songs but moments. Be a part of the moment with Michael Lee.
2011Candy Says: Others have called it retro 80's rock laced with pop, and words like mesmerising have been dropped into the chat, we hear a mixture of influences that include both David Bowie and Be Bop Deluxe, however there is enough unique elements and just great no nonsense rock guitar music going on to make this both fun and 'want some more please' rock and pop.
Background:Ziggy Franklin and James Curd's worlds collided many years ago when they were both cast in the same short film. Immediately the two knew that they would be friends. Ziggy was a unique and entertaining character whom Curd soon found out was not only a talented actor but was blessed with an amazing voice. Curd had just begun to achieve international success with his Greenskeepers singles and invited Ziggy to feature on his first full album as the host, and result was "The Ziggy Franklin Radio Show".
Through the years Ziggy has continued achieving growing recognition in the film world by being cast in films along side some Hollywood heavy weights such as Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Josh Lucas, and Terrence Howard. Ziggy is always moving from one demanding role to another, so it was with great dedication and devotion that enabled this album to occur. With unguarded honesty, Ziggy put pen to paper to write the songs for the album "No Need To Fight About It".
No Need to Fight About It offers a glimpse of the period from '77 to '85 when the world had all but written New York City off, and artists had a brief moment to explore new musical boundaries. Genres were bended and blended, giving us post punk, new wave, no wave, hip hop, house and proto-everything we listen to today. Ziggy Franklin could easily have appeared at Mudd Club and No Need To Fight About it stands upright next to the greats from this golden era: Talking Heads, A Certain Ratio, Gang of Four, Brian Eno and Devo. Carefully crafted songs set to fast-paced, funk-driven bass lines and snappy dance beats atop a canvas of analog synthesizers, oddball instruments and understated production values all combine to create an instant classic - completely compatible for the modern world.
2011Candy Says: Try not to get hooked to early there is a whole album of this music and if the featured song appeals you will just love the rest. Like the previous artist there is an 80's feel within the music probably the synth and vocal styling but see that as a positive!
Background: Every once in a while a new indie dance rock revolution pops up from the not so distant future to finish the war they started and lay claim to their territory. That revolution is right here, right now...and it's pink!
Moving Units have released a brand new single, "Pink Redemption" as part of their upcoming EP titled Tension War which will be self-released this Valentine's Day with the help of Post Modern and Indigenous. "Pink Redemption" is a reinterpretation of "Pink Thoughts" from their previous album, Hexes For Exes.
"Not to be confused with 'Pink Thoughts', their quintessential break-up song, or Pink’s rendition of 'Redemption Song', this new track reflects the band’s ex cogitation on the difficulties of trying to 'harmonize the dualities in everyday life' — which I interpret as 'Why is life so damn hard sometimes?!?!'" - URB.com
2011Candy Says: It's just a fine little indie dance number that does exactly what it says on the tin.
Background: San Diego’s Tape Deck Mountain first made waves by releasing their debut EP Sparks on the unconventional (but quite fitting for their name) medium, our old friend the cassette tape. Frontman Travis Trevisan wants it to be made clear however, that he doesn’t want this to become a “thing” and that he will be working in all formats.
Their Secret Serf EP is released today (11th January 2011) and the band have a west coast tour of the USA as follows:
Jan 16 2011 8:00P - Habitat House- San Diego, California
Jan 18 2011 8:00P - Silverlake Lounge- Los Angeles, California
Jan 19 2011 8:00P - Blank Club- San Jose, California
Jan 20 2011 8:00P - Arlene Francis Theater- Santa Rosa, California
Jan 21 2011 8:00P - Mississippi Studios- Portland, Oregon
Jan 22 2011 8:00P - Student Center Bistro @ Seattle University- Seattle, Washington
Jan 24 2011 8:00P - 1078 Gallery- Chico, California
Jan 25 2011 8:00P - The Hub- Sacramento, California
Jan 26 2011 8:00P - The Knockout- San Francisco, California
Jan 27 2011 8:00P - The Crepe Place- Santa Cruz, California
Jan 28 2011 8:00P - Muddy Waters- Santa Barbara, California
Jan 29 2011 8:00P - Prospector- Long Beach, California
Feb 16 2011 8:00P - Bar Pink- San Diego, California
2011Candy Says: We featured the band a good few months ago and are impressed with this latest offering from the band which Lefse records have kindly allowed us to share with you.
Listen:It Goes Down. Web:Lefse Records.
________________________________________
Background: Too Dark Records is set to release electro-pop duo Night Surgeon’s debut studio album Day For Night on February 15th, 2011. The album was produced and mixed by Gabriel Espinosa (Blondie, Fischerspooner, Mobile) and showcases the bands ability to “create complex yet accessible songs that are deliciously effervescent without the throw away frivolity.” (Hayley Haufman, Oakazine Magazine)
Day For Night features nine original songs and was recorded at the Map Room Studio in Portland, OR. The first digital singles, Brick Moon and Roman Error, were released in October and have already created a buzz within the blog community. Peter Menniti of Baeble Music told readers to, “keep your eyes and ears open for big things to happen” regarding Night Surgeon. Also, the single Color Me Black and White has been featured on Portland’s KNRK’s HD radio station. The two members of Night Surgeon met in Boston while attending Berklee School of Music. Their sound is electronic and reminiscent of new wave and synthpop, but with an added layer of live drums and guitars. Comparisons have already been made to Depeche Mode, Cut Copy, and Placebo, and while their music is very dense and layered in sound, the band still maintains a heavy drum and bass dance feel.
The band is currently gearing up for an album release show, slated for February 16 at the Someday Lounge in Portland, OR, followed by a west coast tour in the Spring.
2011Candy Says: We featured Night Surgeon back in November and were really impressed by the two tracks they sent us. Having now heard the entire album our enthusiasm for the band has grown further. Definitely one to watch out for in 2011.
Background: Music often goes beyond melodies, harmonies, arrangements, lyrics and live performances. There's that one thing that no artist in the world can manufacture formulaic-ally, and that something is energy. This invisible thing that comes directly from the veins, throats, and pores of the musician seeps from Brazil’s most promising indie-rock band, Some Community. Forming in 2009 the five piece that met in Prep School, has been combining delicious songs with an exciting presentation, and will drop a musical bomb on this years SxSW, so get ready.
The band consists of Juliana Vacaro who delivers charming and delirious vocals as well as: Veronica Vacaro (keyboards and guitar), Marco Frugiuele (percussion), Gabriela Gonzalez (guitar), and Fernando Fernandes, who brings lead guitar to the mix. This clashing of talent and instruments is augmented and punctuated by an array of casiotones and melodica (played by all) in arrangements sweet enough to give you a cavity, yet hard hitting enough to knock that tooth right out.
Some Community will be releasing a brand new single later this month, and will be traveling all the way to Austin for this years’ SxSW Festival!
2011Candy Says: We are seriously loving the featured song from their 2010 EP RinoRino and eagerly await the new single. Excellent, vibrant indie power pop that has us jigging away!
Background: Keith Canisius, American born (Cambridge, MA) living in Copenhagen, Denmark is determined to create beautiful, mood elevating, dreamy pop music sometimes with an explosive edge, and other times with a smooth and tender bedroom. Stubbornly he’s been practicing and learning how to produce his music on his own, putting out records every year since. Keith Canisius hates and loves genres so much, that he has decided not to worry about them anymore and just make whatever music he wants. His newest album This Time It’s Our High released on Darla Records is his proudest work so far. The hard work and late night bedroom dreams are finally starting to redeem themselves he feels. After releasing 4 albums, an EP, and contributing to various remix and compilation albums in 4 years, Keith Canisius is starting to wake up from a long dream where This Time It’s Our High is sounds like an interesting transition to a new one.
Keith Canisius is a self-taught musician and producer, who quit high school music and guitar lessons early on because he hated the rules and systems forced upon him. In his work anything goes if it makes you let go.
2011Candy Says: There is something about Scandinavia and new music these days, we have big upped a good number of artists from Sweden and clearly it's no different in Denmark if Keith Canisius is anything to go by. Wonderful dreamy music, check him out.
Background:(from Paper Garden Records) Brace yourselves, because nothing can get cuter or sweeter than this Dutch-French brother/sister duo The Narcoleptic Dancers and their infectious sugary sweet pop songs. This is the kind of cavity inducing sweetness that your dentist would drill you for.
With their track 'Not Evident' from the EP of the same name being released in Europe earlier last year, it IS evident that the band's time to break into North America is rapidly approaching.
The Narcoleptic Dancers take you on a care-free stroll into a world full of animated chirping birds and quirkilicious personalities... or is that just us? Their simplistic instrumentation packaged with melodic vocals and endearing lyrics join harmoniously together to create a sound born to bring a smile to your dial. The Narcoleptic Dancers were first brought to our attention by French-based labels Bleep Machine & Capitaine Plouf and has been wearing off the digital ink in our iTunes player ever since.
2011Candy Says: We can't argue with 'The Lovely Hearts Club' at Paper Garden who sent us this wonderful tune. It just makes you feel good, simple as that.
Background: Tacoma, WA’sThe Fun Police new album ‘You Better Run’ was recorded and produced by Conrad Uno (Mudhoney, Presidents of the United States of America) at Egg Studios in Seattle, WA. The Fun Police came equipped with a versatile arsenal primarily consisting of a viola, accordion, several vocalists, guitars, bass, drums, djembe and other secret weapons to create their unique blend of Rock, Folk, Punk, Country, and Reggae sound. The CD is officially out and for sale at cdbaby.com (physical and digital download), iTunes, and Amazon.
Of note, The Fun Police are back in the studio of their label, Hourglass Records, already working on a second album.
2011Candy Says: This is a great band to finish our first 2011Candy feature with! How can we describe The Fun Police? Well fun obviously and a little like a whirlwind has entered the room done it's thing and left you wanting another one. Bags of energy and some great songs.
This is The Black Crowes during the making of their second album 'The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion' with some of the tracks close to the final album release versions and a few at an earlier stage.
The Black Crowes remain one of my all time favorite live bands and their studio offerings have never disappointed.On three of these songs I had to go back to the official release to check for any differences, there are, but not that much.
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is the second album by the The Black Crowes, released on May 12th, 1992. It was the first record by the band to feature Marc Ford on lead guitar, replacing Jeff Cease, who left the year before.
It features four hit singles; "Remedy" ( number 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart for 11 weeks), "Thorn in My Pride" (number 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart for four weeks), "Sting Me" (number 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart for two weeks), and "Hotel Illness" (number 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart for six weeks). It was a record for an album to feature four album rock number-one hits (previously set by Tom Petty in 1989, with three). The album itself reached the top spot of the Billboard 200 album chart, propelled by the success of these singles.
In 2006, the album was ranked number 100 on Guitar World magazine's list of the greatest 100 guitar albums of all time.
Source: Studio sessions.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Blues rock, southern rock.
Set: Studio Sessions.
Session List:
1. Remedy (instrumental).
2. Black moon Creepin
3. Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye
4. Hotel Illness
5. Darling Of The Underground Press
6. Sting Me
7. Thorn In My Pride
8. No Speak No Slave
9. Sometimes Salvation
10. My Morning Song
11 / 12. Bonus live jam tracks.
Lets start 2011 with some Madness, as the reality of the year ahead ain't necessarily gonna be so much fun if the doom and gloom from our illustrious politicians (here in the UK) is anything to go by.
This is a wonderful concert recording from the Pinkpop festival held at Landgraaf, The Netherlands, this actual performance was on 31st May 2009, and broadcast on FM.
The then new album, entitled The Liberty of Norton Folgate was released just a week or so earlier, on 18th May 2009. It charted at Number 5 in the UK album charts. The band went on to play various festivals, including Pinkpop and Glastonbury. On 27th September 2009, the band also played a free concert on a closed-off Regent Street in association with Absolute Radio.
The band have continued to both record new material and tour in recent times, and a new album is due later on this year, which following the critical acclaim of the last one and the sheer pleasure of listening or seeing them live, gives many of us something very positive to look forward to.
Source: FM Broadcast.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.
Genre: 2 Tone, Ska, Ska punk, New Wave.
Set: Full Set
Set List:
1.One Step Beyond.
2.Embarrassment.
3.The Prince.
4.My Girl.
5.Dust Devil.
6.The Sun And The Rain.
7.Clerkenwell Polka.
8.Forever Young.
9.NW5.
10.House Of Fun.
11.Baggy Trousers.
12.Our House.
13.It Must Be Love.
14.Madness.
15.Night Boat To Cairo.
It's the final 2010FM roundup of new and recent music, this December has seen the new music keep on coming without let up and it's been a bit of a struggle to keep on top of sharing the songs that have grabbed out attention. So as always in no particular order here is the last batch we are featuring this year!
We are told that for Seafarer, music’s always been an unremitting cycle of altering parts; that is, until most recently. The fact that their self-released EP, Hiding Places, is now being re-released to a larger audience is testament to the band’s hard-working state of mind. A mentality and strategy that has kept them grounded since their inception two years ago, Seafarer have fully embraced the craft of being dissimilar and still, engrossing gripping. As for the album, front man, Patrick Grzelewski, states, “It taught us so much about ourselves and the music we were creating, and allowed us to step outside of it in a way we never had before.” Pieces change and shift with the passing wind and for all of the golden nuggets that Seafarer have hidden throughout this charming EP, the pay-off will surely be worth it.
The six track EP 'Hiding Places' is set for release on January 18th, 2011, and having heard a couple of tracks from it we have yet another band to keep a watch for in the coming year with a mix of psych pop through to folk and rock Chicago's Seafarer may well soon make their mark.
Featured Track:The Archipelego. Website:MySpace.
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OK shameless copying of the promo stuff (again) but it gives the background - Meeting in New York City in late 2005, the members of Bridges and Powerlines realized a common love for intricately arranged three-minute pop songs. The debut EP that followed met with critical acclaim, described as "an exhilarating racket," (sixeyes) and "a taught example of why Bridges and Powerlines should be added to your list of bands to watch." (IGN.com). The success of their EP attracted producer Chris Zane (Passion Pit, The Walkmen, White Rabbits), and the band spent much of 2007 writing and recording their debut album “Ghost Types”.
The album then enjoyed a seven-week run in the CMJ top 200 and received favorable nods in multiple influential outlets from Pitchfork (“Now that’s power”) to Yahoo Music (“Incontrovertibly fun”) to Popmatters (“A solid, catchy debut”). The lead singles from the record, “Uncalibrated,” and from their self-titled debut EP in 2006, “Carmen,” have been downloaded over 100,000 times.
For the last year, however, they have been recording their follow-up album ‘Eve’, the culmination of their thoughts on life prior to the changes of 2001. With producer Kieran Kelley (known best for his work on Sufjan Stephens’ ‘Illinois’) and a host of guests including members of Antony and the Johnsons, indie troubadour Will Stratton, and even their friend Steven Harris of 80s arena-legends the Cult, the band spent 3 months painstakingly creating the record “they wanted to make their whole lives.” January 25th, 2011 is set for the release of ‘Eve’ on Stunning Models on Display records.
The bottom line is the music which we reckon should see the band gain greater recognition through 2011.
Featured Track:Blue Sky. Website:MySpace.
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The Sleep-Ins released 'Songs About Girls & Outer Space' back in October 2010, however we only picked up on the band a couple of weeks back and think them well worth a mention, as they have a raunchy thundering rock sound that has some fine melodic hooks seeping through the songs to raise them above the crowd.
Some background - The Sleep-ins began when Chad Corley, five days into his new Australian life, met Englishman Stefan Pope at a Sydney guitar shop. "I was there to meet the owner for a job, but he wasn't in," recalls Chad. "I talked to Stefan for a while, and was immediately impressed. It was obvious from the start that we were on the same wavelength." That wavelength — the sound that would define the Sleep-ins — is a soaring, melodic and often thundering indie rock with a cerebral nod to the Pixies, Polvo, Shellac and The Shins.
Chad got the job, and in the ensuing days met Australian and fellow employee Josh Schuberth [Josh Pyke, Stella 111]. The Sleep-ins would rehearse for the first time a few weeks after that, and played their first show a month later. Says Josh, "we had to be careful about the guitar shop owners not knowing four of their employees were in the same band...it gets quite suspicious when we all show up for work a bit dreary-eyed because we were out late gigging the night before; but we all knew what we wanted to do, so it's no surprise we got right to it."
Featured Track:Silver State. Website:MySpace.
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As music genres go blind indie rock was a new one on us! JP Corwyn has been 'legally' blind since birth. Born with a degenerative condition, he has been legally blind since birth, with the shades pulling ever tighter throughout his as-yet-brief-but-potent life.
His own website bio states "JP Corwyn isn’t quite “Stevie Wonder blind”, or “Ronnie Milsap blind”. But then, those icons would have made music regardless of what their eyes were capable of. Maybe they did it a little better than those who can see; maybe their intuition is stronger and their sense of the click-click-clicking of the world around them is more keen. JP Corwyn makes excellent music, of which you should really be aware, without his eyes, and with his hands, and with his mouth, and with his mind, and his hips, and his spine, and his legs and fingers and toes and nerves. Yep, he’s blind. But he’s hardly unaware. So why should you be?
Comparisons with Pearl Jam, Creed and even Jeff Buckley have all been made, this guy really does know how to rock, it's gritty, ain't pretentious just good old rock and roll performed with a heart and soul. 'Look' out for his latest album 'The White Cane Conspiracy', which is releasing in January 2011
Featured Track:Dire. Website:Official.
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Mike Stout is described as The World’s Grievance Man. We are told that Mike Stout is a socially conscious singer song-writer and community leader. He leads crusades against local and global economic injustice, rallying people with his music to take action. His sound and lyrics are influenced by his musical heroes Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Jackson Browne and Bruce Cockburn.
John Hayes of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote of Mike "In the Woody Guthrie tradition, his songs reflect contemporary issues without resorting to journalism. They're more like partisan op-ed columns that grab political opponents by the throat and don't let go." Mike tells his stories from the heart about people who are affected by unemployment, social injustice, environmental hazard, or war.
Mike has performed at concert halls, clubs, picket lines, union conventions, protest rallies, and schools across the United States and Europe with his message of human solidarity and peace. A Duquesne University grad student took one of Mike Cd's to the People to People book store in Germany and played them Mike’s song “People to People”. Impressed with Mike’s message, the book store stocked Mike Cd's and sponsored several concert tours in Germany and Poland. Mike has performed for thousands at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and the Whitsun Youth Festival. He has sold thousands of Cd's in Germany. With each new recording and every performance Mike sings his message of human solidarity to overcome the injustices in this world.
Listening to his music is a joy, the songs that carry messages don't 'preach to you' but just help raise your consciousness towards contemporary issues and the mixture of folk, Americana and even pop styles just adds to the positive effect.
Featured Track:Maida and Annie. Website:Official.
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Martin England has more than 350 songs to his credit, penned over 30 years of making music. Even so, he considers himself a late bloomer and feels like he’s just now coming into his own in a time of transition from band member to solo artist. For 17 years England was part of the Northeast regional powerhouse Pondering Judd, writing and recording six records, rocking a national tour in 2006, and receiving a constant stream of nominations and awards. Having had his musical experience so deeply entrenched in being one of four in a band, it was a massive switch to understand himself as a solo artist, a process tipped off when Lost Sailor Records offered him a contract as a solo artist and called him up to a new level of confidence in his work.
Martins solo music sits comfortably within the Americana, alt country genres and he is clearly a singer songwriter who knows his craft. However beyond the mechanics of writing and performing you surely need heart, something I think he puts into his music in abundance.
Featured Track:Do What The Man With The Gun Says. Website:Official.
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Brooklyn's merriest 3 piece, Holiday Holiday are set to release their debut 7" cleverly titled 'AllOneWord' early in the New Year. But in the spirit of the season they couldn't resist giving you one present to open early.
'Hanged' which will appear on the upcoming 7" is a bona-fide ray of sunshine, with cherry sweet vocals, bouncing keys and a smile inducing doo-wop doo-wop chorus line. This song is sure to warm the cockles on even the coldest winter night. Having heard a couple of other songs by this fine trio all I can say is add them to your list of bands to put on your 2011 radar.
Featured Track: Hanged. Website:MySpace.
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Luciano Sprovieri is a singer - songwriter living in Los Angeles. He was born and raised in SãoPaulo, Brazil where his family still live.
His personal bio tells us that (and we quote) "I was always involved with music and performing through high school and college (and even after college). But I’ve always fantasized about living abroad and pursuing music in a more grand way. In 2005 I came to California to visit my older brother and loved it so much I decided to stay and do what I’ve always wanted to do. Within the first couple of months I met my friend Allen Copeland who's been my main songwriting partner since".
Luciano contacted Beehive Candy directly and having listened to a couple of his songs, we are more than delighted to include him in this edition of 2010FM. For us the music sounds both personal and sensitive without being indulgent, well worth a listen at the very least.
Featured Track: Ocean Iris. Website:Official.
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Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign to release a gatefold, 180g vinyl record for the new release coming out in February on Pro.Con records, one contributor donated for Goddamn Electric Bill to cover Feliz Navidad for the holidays.
We are told that - The sounds of Goddamn Electric Bill were never meant to leave Jason Torbert’s San Diego, CA bedroom. But the one-man band, a propulsive blend of ambient electronic, folktronica and post-rock music, made its way out to the world anyway.
Jason Torbert wasn’t always an electronic music aficionado. He spent his childhood playing trombone in high school band and college jazz ensembles. After a stint in pop-punk outfit, Cigar, he struck up a working relationship with Roger O’Donnell (The Cure) that resulted in the first bits of Goddamn Electric Bill. Torbert’s knack for creating expansive and cinematic compositions has landed him numerous TV and film placements.
Fourth album, "Jazz" coming out February on Pro.Con Records - CD/Vinyl.
We have featured quite a lot of 'electro' music in recent months, this edition seems to be more guitar and singer songwriter based so the inclusion of this fine track is a pleasure, along with opening up the musical styles somewhat.
Featured Track: Feliz Navidad. Website:Official and Kickstarter.
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We featured Rich Bennett back in August 2010 on the strength of his superb album 'On Holiday'. So the following from Hidden Shoal a week a go was a nice surprise.
Today, Hidden Shoal Recordings found an old VHS cassette stuffed down the back of a sofa in their label office. Delighted to discover a playable copy of the movie Buddy Cop, the label is now proud to share its soundtrack, for free, with the world. The back of the tape reads:
Dan Lyman (Rich Bennett, star of Badge of Fury and Miami Lockdown) is a classy, refined cop from uptown. When the Deckard Crime Syndicate steals a mysterious mineral, Lyman teams up with streetwise colleague Timothy Sanna (Rich Bennett). Together, travel to the Andromeda Galaxy before syndicate boss Xavier Graffin (Greg Hoy) can turn the minerals into a gateway to a mainframe computer game, from where he can rule all communications of the universe. When Marilyn Miranda (Pam Yawbus) comes into the picture, the question of who is an enemy and who is a friend threatens to unravel the whole mission …
Discover how the whole slippery can of worms unravels by downloading the album and checking out the Buddy Cop trailer on YouTube. The download includes a code for 50% off Rich’s other releases, including the much-praised Music for Underwater Supermarkets and this year’s gorgeous album On Holiday.
Featured Track: Chase Scene. Website:Hidden Shoals.
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A new band for Beehive Candy and we are advised that - Two If By Sea is the brainchild of London, Ontario, Canada's Teresa Daniele (formerly of The Haircuts). Also featuring Lisle Mitnik (Fireflies, Very Truly Yours) and Kevin Clark (Homeville Circle, Wodden Owls), the three formed a long-distance songwriting collaboration. The result is nothing short of spectacular. "Staysail" features five pop masterpieces; lush soundscapes brimming with ethereal vocals, swirling strings and jangling guitars.
Two If By Sea has been compared to such bands as The Field Mice, The Softies and early Lush. Two If By Sea's debut 7" EP "Staysail" (FEB016P) will be available to order through February Records on January 10th, 2011.
The music is both charming and soothing without being to laid back, the vocals work so well with the music that at times they almost merge into the instruments.
Featured Track:Apron Of Flowers. Website: MySpace.
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Phoebe Legere, is a jazz composer, pianist, singer and multi-instrumentalist of French Canadian, Mayflower Pilgrim and Native American descent.
She has played with Warren Vache, John Zorn, Don Cherry, Cecil Payne, Charles ‘Bo Bo’ Shaw, Frank Vignola, Earl May, Dennis Charles, Greg Haynes, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Rufus Thomas, John Hartford, Ikue Morie, Morgan Powell, Howie Smith, Jim Staley, Larry Rivers and David Bowie. Legere studied composition with Morton Subotnick, Dinu Gezzo, and Milton Babbitt protege Wayne Oquin; and jazz with John Lewis of MJQ, Ira Newborn, and Rich Shemaria.
Beehive Candy just love her and others have been impressed to!
PHOEBE LEGERE is the female Frank Zappa...
Roman Kozack, Billboard
Gorgeous, blonde bombshell with a dynamite body, a magnificent voice, a wild sense of humor...(She is) an extremely intelligent Vassar graduate who can play four or five instruments and challenge every premise you might have about her as she zips through her set - her song selections are impeccably chosen. (She has) a dazzling voice - a superb singer miles above most of the rock stars of today ...a comic mind...She turns excess and extravagance into an art form and anchors it with stunning simplicity.
New York Post
"PHOEBE LEGERE is the female Beethoven..."
Joey Arias, Paper Magazine
Legere is an expressive and versatile singer whose voice ranges from a dark and earthy alto to a gorgeous dazzling high soprano.... she combines intelligent lyrics and a fusion of French musette, Cajun, pop, rock and jazz into a stew she calls, "roots alternative."
John Pitcher, Washington Post
Enough said? Check her music out beyond the featured track, if you like anything with a jazz vibe you will be over the moon or in love, we are still trying to work out which one applies to us!
Featured Track: Hot Sicilian Pizza Boy. Website:Official.
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And finally - Portland, Oregon's Melodic Pop Sweethearts Derby unveil a long awaited new batch of songs, including limited edition 7" vinyl, revealing a new approach for the band plus a Spring Tour.
The band’s new material departs from the well-orchestrated pop of their sophomore release Posters Fade - which saw success on college radio and gained visibility with placements in Coca-Cola commercials, MTV’s The Hills and a variety of film and commercial exposure. This time, the band decided to keep things more raw and frayed around the edges, while still retaining their signature brand of catchy rock built on hooks and harmonies. Expect releases in similar size and nature from Derby -- and with greater frequency in the coming months .Breaking from tradition, the band is forgoing an LP and will be releasing a new group of songs on a limited edition 7″ paired with a digital EP.
Madeline was recorded and engineered by Jordan Leff at Secret Society Studios in Portland, Oregon. The record was mixed by Elton Jordan and Derby, and was mastered by Jeff Saltzman (Death Cab For Cutie, Menomena, Decemberists, Sleater-Kinney).
Record release shows are set for the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland on January 28th and in Seattle (Location TBA) in February, plus Spring Tour dates to be announced soon.
Great band to finish this roundup with, if you like the featured track you will definitely love the forthcoming EP - superb!
Featured Track:Don't Believe In You. Website:Official.
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This is one of my favorite female artists of recent years, Kate Nash live in concert back in March of this year (18th March 2010) at the Admiralspalast, Berlin, Germany.
Kate Nash started her career in 2005. After several gigs, she uploaded her music to MySpace. She found a manager for herself before seeking producers for her music. Kate Nash's debut was a single, "Caroline's a Victim" / "Birds", produced and recorded in Iceland by Valgeir Sigurðsson and released through Moshi Moshi Records in February 2007. The release was limited to 1000 copies, and was available on only 7" vinyl. Due to demand another 1000 copies were made and sold out. CD-promo copies were produced for distribution to the press and DJs etc, and are occasionally available for sale.
Her debut album 'Made Of Bricks' and this years follow up 'My Best Friend Is You' have established her as both an excellent songwriter and musician, and the tours have just added to the well deserved success. This is a superb concert and with another album planned for in the next year or so, hopefully we can enjoy her on tour again in the near future.
Source: FM Broadcast.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Indie rock/pop.
Set: Full Set
Set List:
01 - Do Wah Doo
02 - Kiss That Grrrl
03 - Take Me To A Higher Plane
04 - Don't You Want To Share The Guilt
05 - I Hate Seagulls
06 - I've Got A Secret
07 - Merry Happy
08 - RnB Side
09 - Foundations
10 - Mansion Song
11 - I Just Love You More
12 - Later On
13 - Pumpkin Soup
This is The Beautiful South performing an acoustic concert on the 29th November 2001 at Boeblingen, Munich, Germany. The concert was subsequently broadcast on Bayern 3 (3rd December 2001) and WDR2 (20th January 2002).
Paul Heaton, Dave Rotheray and Dave Hemingway are all performing, I am not sure if any other members of the band were involved. The band were supported on the German gigs by a young German band called 'Lost In Venice' from Stuttgart.
The Beautiful South formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch (bass), Dave Stead (drums) and Dave Rotheray (guitar), all of whom stayed with the group throughout their 19-year career. Later additions included female vocalist Briana Corrigan; she was replaced by Jacqui Abbott, who in turn was replaced by Alison Wheeler.
The group broke up in January 2007, claiming the split was due to "musical similarities", having sold around 6,500,000 records worldwide. In January 2009, it was announced that the former members Dave Hemingway, Alison Wheeler, and Dave Stead would reform under the name New Beautiful South which was later changed to The South.
Source: FM Broadcast.
Sound Quality: Good stereo mp3@128kbps. (Don't be put off by the low bit rate this sounds absolutely fine through a decent HiFi system).
Genre: Alt rock, Indie rock/pop.
Set: Full Set
Set List:
01. Especially For You
02. Old Red Eyes Is Back
03. Blackbird On The Wire
04. Song For Whoever
05. Prettiest Eyes
06. The Root Of All Evil
07. Alone
08. The River
09. Perfect 10
10. Tupperware Queen
11. One Last Love Song
12. Let Love Speak Up Itself
13. Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)
14. You're The One That I Want
15. Don't Marry Her
We have been swamped again by new music these last couple of weeks, and there are just so many good songs to cover, so we are doing this edition of 2010FM a little differently. Quite a few singer songwriters in this edition however once again we are covering alot of different styles and genres, all in our opinion worthy of a feature to say the least.
First up is Tristen from Nashville, who has been compared to Jenny Lewis and has a really nice mix of folk, pop and rock in a distinctive and "wanna hear more" style.
Featured Track:Baby Drugs Website: Official.
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Billy Schafer's promo states that he soars into the chorus of "The Dream is Alive" filled with infectious passion and conviction. This song and the others from his debut CD, First to Believe, introduce Billy as a singer-songwriter with an intuitive and confident grasp of song-craft. Fueled by accessible melodies and emotive lyrics of romantic depth, wit, and uplifting inspiration, these recordings showcase a versatile vocal delivery of powerful but pure tones.
Billy’s album was helmed by producer Michael Winger, president of the Northern California Grammy Chapter and known for his live recordings for KFOG San Francisco. The album captivates listeners with story songs that unabashedly and poetically reveal Billy’s private moments. These chronicles unfurl in his clear, earnest vocals while Billy's acoustic guitar sometimes drives, sometimes caresses his tunes. Luring the listener to join him in reflecting on paths of self-discovery, these messages of empowerment and relationship dynamics are effectively voiced with understated and unpretentious band arrangements.
The featured track demonstrates his melodic voice and songs extremely well and fans of artists from Neil Finn to Elliott Smith are I am sure going to enjoy this guy.
Featured Track: Wondering. Website: Official.
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Pam Shaffer wrote to us recently stating and we quote I'm an LA based artist who just released my debut album! It is entitled "As We Are" and is based on the diaries of Anais Nin. I've been compared to Regina Spektor and Joanna Newsom. My favorite quote called my songs "lullabies from a sunken pirate ship" and I think that's about spot on. I thought it best to send out my album for reviews to better entice more listeners!
Well the comparisons ticked all the right boxes for us and the music did a lot more! We are delighted to have received this album because it is quite simply wonderful! Lets hope a lot more folk get to discover Pam in 2011 and please do give her a listen the comparisons above are only part of the story, recommended!
Featured Track:Henry. Website: Official.
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Songs Out Here is the new album from Santa Rosa, CA songwriter That Ghost aka 20-year-old Ryan Thomas Schmale. It is an album full of melancholic and atmospheric songs inspired by nostalgia, forgotten places and the hills and trails of Sonoma County’s "Valley Of The Moon." Written partially on the grounds of Jack London's estate, Schmale hearkens the spirit of the deceased author. Also a lonesome adventurer, a young Schmale turns to one of our all-time great authors for solace.
This record, That Ghost's 5th release -- and 4th on twosyllable records -- is more introspective than most. It's more somber, more heartfelt. The sentiments of Schmale's previous garage sound are there, but mutated into something more subdued, yet familiar. His lyrics, almost painfully obvious, illuminate the 20-year-old social situations akin to this scenario. With each song, a mention of stolen alcohol bottles, "An Only Son," a lost friend, "The Older," or just utter solitude, "To Like You." And yet it's neither frivolous nor prudent. Songs Out Here has a strong sense of honesty and a feeling of empathy that can't be denied and shows Schmale in new light -- prolific troubadour, stirrer of emotion, folk alchemist. Songs Out Here is available March 1, 2011 on twosyllable records. The above was the promo words and seems pretty much spot on, intriguing music which draws you back for another listen.
Featured Track:To Like You. Website: MySpace.
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The first entry in Gold Robot's ongoing split series which pairs artists from different geographic regions together. This limited edition 7" on colored vinyl features:
The Good Fear (Fayetteville, Arkansas) Colossal Yes (Oakland, California) - side project of Comets on Fire drummer Utrillo Kushner
Each band submitted barn-burner 5 minute tracks which capture both their unique sounds and a general reconstruction of their respective towns. Artwork is provided by photographers from each region (Elise Irving from California, and Rett Peek from Arkansas).
Featured Tracks: The Good Fear - Be Like Us. Website: MySpace.
Collosal Yes: Backbiter Blues. Website:MySpace. Buy It:Gold Robot.
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The promo tells us "For Cal Payne, it truly is all about the music. Far beyond the cliche and deeper than a casual flirtation with melody and sound, Cal Payne is a player to his core. With a jazz/instrumental style that combines elements of R&B, Latin, fusion jazz, and rock, his performance and presence invokes a combination of Grover Washington Jr. and Santana. Driven by an unceasing desire to compose and perform, he is most alive when engaged in the emotional and spiritual experience of making music. Music: this is the essence of the Cal Payne Project".
Beehive Candy reckon The Cal Payne Project are everything Jazz that rocks should be and the sax playing is just sublime. Superb! If you don't quite get Jazz then start here, you will not look back.
Featured Track:Again and Again. Website:Official.
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With Know Touching, Sore Eros have crafted a record that is simultaneously dense and soothingly melodic, fulfilling the considerable promise of their debut, 2009’s Second Chants.
For this record, the band (Robert Robinson and Adam Langellotti) made a conscious departure from its debut, recording the album direct to a ½ inch 8 track reel-to-reel without the aid of computers. From this the band emerged with a record that blooms with melody and innocent joy that bring to mind such similarly spaced out artists as Atlas Sound and Kurt Vile. When patched together, this detailed attention to arrangement and dreamy melodic sensibilities combine to make Know Touching an effortlessly beautiful record.
Whatever the method we love the result!
Featured Track: Giraffes Kiss. Website:MySpace.
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Moroccan-born, Paris-based Hindi Zahra can speak to mountains or whisper in your ear. She can turn rustling plastic bags into Berber beats and Parisian kitchens into soul incubators. Playfully savoring East and West, she writes infectious and hip songs, plays any instrument she can get her hands on, and records her own voice in the middle of the night to capture that perfect spark of intimacy.
Hindi’s spontaneous yet long-honed debut, Handmade (Blue Note; February 22, 2011), bursts with maturity and vigor, rich in jazz, soul, and Arabic sounds but with a gritty, bluesy Berber pulse. “I wanted a space where I could break all the barriers, where I could put all the music I knew and loved together. Where I could mix it all,” Hindi explains.
For Beehive Candy Hindi's music really does mix incredibly diverse musical styles and cultures in a simple refreshing manner that in part disguises the complexities that make up some of her songs, and as the introduction to her puts it "The Constantin Prize winning album is a mix of global urban beats and sultry jazz that reflects the cultural melting pots of her both her current home of Paris and her birthplace of Morocco".
Featured Track: Beautiful Tango. Website:Official.
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Wagga Records are really excited to announce that they will be releasing Pandit’s debut full-length Eternity Spin February 22nd! Pandit combines elements of shoegaze and chillwave making for a perfect dream pop listening experience. The record features the music of Star Slinger as well as Foxes in Fiction.
Pandit is the musical outlet for Texas singer/songwriter/producer Lance Smith.
Beehive Candy is kinda excited to as the preview track has a really cool groove to it and reminds of the Cocteau Twins in part!
Featured Track:Artichoke. Website:Wagga Records.
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And now some songs that came our way recently and that we do not want to miss out because we think they are more than worthy of a feature. So with unashamed cut and pasting of bits of the bios we give you our one and only 2010FM mega-fast roundup! And to keep it interesting I reckon a couple of the best songs (certainly my favorites) are in amongst this bunch so check em all out!
David Gergen
David Gergen's music development has always been about striving towards that euphoric moment where everything can join together in unity. His latest effort, The Nearer It Was... The Farther It Became offers up suggestive streams of consciousness with thoughtful titles like "Seven Miles To Sunset" and "Thru A Fairy's White Cloud". For Gergen, who’s been performing since the late '90s, music has always been a passion that he’s never compromised.
Where there is always a reference in remaining somewhat topical, Gergen is at a stage where everything seems to be converging at the right point. In a musical sense, his strengths sound equally balanced between a stunning amount of skillful storytelling and expansive musicality. Whether it’s about growing into your clothes, or simply maturing through it all, Gergen offers his view of the world in hopes that we can see it as rich and vibrantly as he does. Featured Track: The Streets I'm Walking. Website:MySpace.
Brian Huber.
For Brian Huber, hard work has always been at the fore front of his agenda. Throughout past failures and countless moments where everything seemed to pulse in a negative direction, Huber made sure his positive outlook continued to beam. Growing as a songwriter and being able to instantly write songs at will, Huber has now hit a stride that seems poised to impress. There's been plenty to look forward to and in preparing his newest album, a DIY project that was created and seen to fruition in Huber's apartment with the help of a laptop, Huber presents a varied portrayal of pop sensibilities.
The Handsome Family record all their songs in a converted garage studio at the back of their Albuquerque house. Their seventh CD, Last Days of Wonder (June 2006) earned the title of Mojo’s top ten American Albums for 2006 and was called “an unqualified triumph” by Uncut. Singing Bones, their sixth CD, left the UK’s Independent stating, “Rarely, even in the fatalistic world of country music, has the precarious mystery of mortality been captured with such poetic grace as on Singing Bones.”
Featured Track:Drinking Beer On The Roof.Website:Official.
John Shipe.
As he sings on “Some Hidden Things,” John Shipe knows that life isn’t always easy. In a career spanning various bands, living in different parts of the western United States, with a singer-songwriter devotion that vividly displays his open-book world, Shipe introduces Villain to awaiting ears. “I’m not interested in changing the world, but I’m interested in adding quality pieces to the better part of America’s body of work,” remarks Shipe, and with a streaming wave of consciousness that showcases a worthy musician willing to share his insight, these quality pieces come in strength.
Featured Track:Love Belongs To Everyone. Website:Official.
Enjoy Your Pumas.
Enjoy Your Pumas is a female-fronted indie pop/rock quintet that blends powerful soaring vocals with atmospheric guitars and a punchy, energetic rhythm section. Their infectious, genre-defying music has fans of all styles jumping out of their seats. Their sound is akin to Emily Haines fronting Bloc Party covering Radiohead.
Lead vocalist Rosie Blais’ voice has been compared to the likes of Karen O, Lizzie Powell, and Bjork. Her vibrant, energetic stage presence and powerful range leaves listeners mesmerized. When matched with the intricate, yet engaging melodies of guitarists Josh Benoit and Zach Allard; the impeccably pop-sensible bass grooves of Marc Gomez; and the dance-ready, beat-explosion machine that is Luke Janzen, the Pumas create a soundscape that is really beyond comparison and must be heard to be understood.
Featured Track:Weight Of The Circles. Website: Official.
The Morning After Girls.
The upcoming Morning After Girls album alone dropping 1/11/11 on Xemu Records (Dead Meadow, Spindrift). Recorded in a revamped Church turned recording studio in Australia the affair takes melodic and shimmering music and captures it in cavernous reverb. The Morning After Girls have toured with such artists as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Keys, The Church and more.
“in the world today there are so many distractions that there are no chances to be alone, truly alone. Not in a lonely place but to experience things purely without a filter. This is the head space we were in when we wrote the record” says vocalist/guitarist Sacha Lucashenko of the morning after girls. alone is the band’s new full-length for xemu records (Dead Meadow, Spindrift) and their first official output since 2005’s self titled album. recorded in a church in the outback of Australia and mixed by Alan moulder (my bloody valentine, Interpol, Jesus and Mary Chain) in London and in part inspired by their time living in new york, alone seems like an album out of time and space.
Montreal-born Jef Barbara likes to make statements. His debut LP Contamination stakes his claim as an heir of pop music's golden age. With a wide array of influences, Contamination falls within the tradition of 80s landmarks such as George Michael's Faith, and alternates nods to French New Wave, soft rock, Kosmische Musik, and synth disco. Contamination also sees the glam pop poet bridging his native Canada's two solitudes by crooning in both official languages equally, something that has been done, although not as thoroughly, on his two previous EPs. Contamination is also an ode to pop music's contagious powers, a force to reckon with especially when armed with catchy hooks, which make up the Barbara's core songwriting asset. Lurking somewhere between Scott Walker and Sébastien Tellier by way of Little Richard, Jef Barbara aims to annihilate his genre's conventions, with guerrilla-style music videos and live karaoke performances.
Featured Track:Larmes de Crocodile. Website:MySpace.
Savoir Adore
To celebrate the holiday season, Brooklyn's adventure-pop duo Savoir Adore is giving away a free download of their new single "Loveliest Creature". Recorded in upstate New York at the band's home studio, "Loveliest Creature" is a bumpin' tale of a monster love. In other news, Savoir Adore was recently featured on MTV's The Seven, as well as NYC electro-pop blog Neon Gold.
Featured Track: Loveliest Creature. Website: MySpace.
Lawrence and Leigh
Lawrence and Leigh are two artists on a mission: to create work that’s beautiful and bold, with refreshing originality and an infectious sense of style. Music is their medium of choice, but their unique and specific point of view expands to everything they touch. Like some kind of wondrous blend of Dirty Projectors and the haunting richness of Fleet Foxes, the female/male band of Andrew Kalleen and Kristin Stokes fill their music with dazzling styles of pop, colored with a dream-like nostalgia, and realized to their fullest potential in the studio.
Featured Track:Chelsea Nights. Website: Official.
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