BEEHIVE CANDY

This is Debbie Harry performing live at the Metro Nightclub in Melbourne, Australia back on the 20th March 1990. This was the only gig outside of the UK and USA in 1990 (as I understand) and the set list was a mixture of solo material and Blondie songs. Debbie released the album Def, Dumb and Blonde in 1989. At this point she reverted from "Debbie" to "Deborah" for her professional name. The first single "I Want That Man" was a hit in Europe, Australia, and on the U.S. Modern Rock Charts. The success of the single propelled the album to number 12 on the UK charts. However, with little promotion from her record company in the US, it peaked at number 123. She followed this up with the ballad "Brite Side" and the club hit "Sweet and Low". "Maybe for Sure", a track originally recorded by Blondie for the Rock and Rule animated film, was the fourth single released from the album in June 1990 to coincide with a UK tour (her seco

Background: When you think of finely tuned guitar-pop, Stockport, UK is not what necessarily comes to mind as a breeding ground for the next big thing. Indie rockers The Kill Van Kulls - now Manchester-based - have only been together for six months and have already garnered attention from the likes of XFM and BBC. While finding inspiration in a disused mill and working through the night to sharpen their upbeat four to the floor, kick heavy pop songs, The Kill Van Kulls plan to release their first single “Fools Wish” via the band’s own label on February 28th. In the grand tradition of Echo & The Bunnymen, what started out as a three piece plus a drum machine, has evolved into a more robust and lush sounding quartet that’s reminiscent of The Doves, The Cure, Simple Minds and pretty much any John Hughes film soundtrack. More recent artists with the same flair for indie pop and new wave rock that come to mind include Twin Shadow, Brahms, Amazing Baby, and Neon Indian. Their lead

This is Brinsley Schwarz in concert back on the 19th June 1974 at the former Top Rank venue in Cardiff, Wales (UK). This is a superb recording and demonstrates what a first class live act the band truly were. Nick Lowe (bass, vocals) and Brinsley Schwarz (guitar, vocals) originally met at Woodbridge School where they played in school bands with Barry Landerman (keyboards, vocals) and Phil Hall (guitar). In 1964, whilst still at school, they toured RAF bases in Germany as "Sounds 4+1". On leaving school, Schwarz formed "Three's A Crowd" with Pete Whale (drums) and Dave Cottam (bass). Landerman joined in 1967 and they renamed themselves "Kippington Lodge". Their first two singles, produced by Mark Wirtz, in a close-harmony pop style, both flopped. Cottam left, and Schwarz invited Nick Lowe to join. Landerman then left to join Vanity Fare, Bob Andrews joined on keyboards, and finally, Whale was replaced by Billy Rankin on drums. Although the next thr

Background: Kopecky Family Band released a limited edition, hand-assembled split 7” vinyl with friends, and Seattle locals Ivan and Alyosha on February 4th 2011. Animal and I Was Born to Love Her feature on the two-track release. Both bands have long been vinyl enthusiasts and thought it the ideal time to offer their friends and fans a limited edition piece of music to not only listen to, but to keep as a creative addition to their music collection. The artwork was designed in-house by Kelsey Kopecky, and the vinyl was lovingly packed and assembled at Kopecky Headquarters. Kopecky Family Band is readying themselves for a busy 2011 after achieving much in 2010. The band kicked off the year at SXSW in Austin, wowed locals and industry execs at Next Big Nashville, and floored the likes of Bob Boilen at CMJ in New York. A solid work ethic and collaborative approach to songwriting resulted in two EP releases in the second half of the year - The Disaster and (Of Epic Proportions), plus

The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land". This concert  performed at The Ambassador Theatre, in St Louis, MO, on the 6th May 1974 was one of the last show before guitarists Kurt Winter and Donnie McDougall left the group and is considered by a good number of fans as the overall best line up. Broadcast live on FM by radio station KSHE (the source of this recording), the concert is both fascinating and a testimony to the band getting on with the job when the bass amp fails and a probable electrical outage left the band with no option early on but to do a couple of unplanned acoustic numbers "Artificial Flowers" and "Sour Suite" both of which actually add to the gig and are well received by the audience.

Background: The elusive and talented man behind a long list of film scores and musical projects, Ben Lovett , is unveiling a new opus that spans the country and includes an all-star carnival of contributing musicians, film directors, kids, choirs, and painters. The Lovett collective are releasing Highway Collection, available March 15th, 2011. Through a nomadic and exploratory lifestyle, Ben Lovett has created an album of compelling variety, captured in motion, each song brilliantly crafted ‘from a different part of another life’, into a diverse philosophy of sound deep enough to sink a ship. On Highway Collection you find a driving pulse and child-like innocence akin to The Shins, layered with zany and dreamy backing vocals a la The Flaming Lips, floating above the rolling drumbeats of a modernized Strawberry Fields-era Beatles, all led by a constantly evolving voice with an eloquent message of mature and heartfelt universality. Lovett's eclectic cast of contributing mu