This is Rod Stewart performing live at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, back on October 8th 2004, to an audience of around 300 people, the show was recorded for a subsequent Xmas broadcast. This is a superb show featuring an incredible choice of songs, with Rod clearly loving the intimate environment and responsive audience.
2004 was a very busy and successful year for Rod who reunited with Ronnie Wood for concerts of Faces material. A Rod Stewart and the Faces best of Changing Faces reached the Top 20 of the UK album charts. Five Guys Walk into a Bar..., a Faces box set compilation, went into the shops. Rod Stewart has also mentioned working with Wood on an album to be entitled You Strum, I'll Sing.
In late 2004, Stardust: the Great American Songbook 3, the third album in Stewart's songbook series, was released. It was his first US number one album in 25 years, selling over 200,000 albums in its first week. It also debuted at number one in Canada, number three in the UK and Top 10 in Australia. His version of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", featuring Stevie Wonder, made the Top 20 of the world adult charts. He also recorded a duet with Dolly Parton for the album - "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Stewart won his first ever Grammy Award for this album.
Source: FM Broadcast.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Rock, blues, popular.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
1. Presenter intro
2. Tonight I'm Yours
3. Some Guys Have All The Luck
4. Addicted To Love
5. Handbags And Gladrags
6. Reason To Believe
7. The First Cut Is The Deepest
8. It Takes Two
9. Baby Jane
10. Blue Moon
11. Wonderful World
12. The Way You Look Tonight
13. For Sentimental Reasons
14. Maggie May
15. Gasoline Alley
This is Buffalo Springfield recorded live at The Teen And Twenty Club, Huntington Beach, CA, USA back on August 11th, 1967.
A 'BigO' reader was most likely responsible for this version of the recording and commented "I have a recently unearthed recording of Buffalo Springfield at The Teen And Twenty Club in Huntington Beach, CA 1967. A friend of mine went to this show with a friend of his (they were both 16 years old at the time). They helped the roadie, and his friend brought an open-reel recorder and asked the band if he could tape it". The recorded quality suggests the reel to reel recorder was plugged into the sound mixer and is therefore of a professional standard.
Some of these songs were played on KPFK Radio in Los Angeles (1973 -74) by the taper, and the earliest 'partial' bootleg of this concert in circulation was sourced from that. To our knowledge this full recording has only been in circulation since 2010.
Buffalo Springfield went through some line up changes in 1967 and for short term member Doug Hastings, the Huntington show was sadly his last as Neil Young rejoined the group and Doug was unceremoniously dropped. During 1967 the band moved back and forth between recording sessions and live appearances on both coasts. A number of different bassists were used, such as Mike Barnes and Jim Fielder of the Mothers of Invention. In one instance, a live performance on the television show Hollywood Palace Buffalo Springfield's non-bass-playing road manager held a bass with his back to the camera while the band mimed to a prerecorded track.
Source: Soundboard to audience reel to reel.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Rock, folk rock.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
First Set:
1. Pay The Price
2. Nobody’s Fool
3. Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing
4. Rock And Roll Woman
5. My Kind Of Love
6. For What It’s Worth
7. Bluebird
Second Set:
8. Mr. Soul
9. Go And Say Goodbye
10. Hung Upside Down
11. Midnight Hour
12. Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It
13. Leave
Band Line Up:
Stephen Stills - guitar, vocal
Richie Furay - guitar, vocal
Doug Hastings - guitar
Bruce Palmer - bass
Dewey Martin - drums, vocal
New file link in comments below - Re-uploaded 2012 (Stealth project).
Background: Canada has always been a great importer of indie pop. From Sloan to The New Pornographers, you never know what the Great North will produce. Meet your new favorite musical obsession, Andrew Johnston. Taking a page out of the book of great indie bands and stellar Canadian acts, Johnston will have your attention faster than you can say "awesome."
Based in Montreal, Andrew Johnston has been playing under his name, or the moniker Andrew vs. the Enabler since 2006. No stranger to music, Andrew played in the critically acclaimed group The Gentlemen’s Club, and appeared on JF Robitaille's brilliant album, Calendar. If you haven’t discovered Andrew Johnston yet, let the journey start today.
Now is the time for Johnston to branch out on his own. Grounded in the simplicity of easily hummed folk and pop tunes, Andrew’s heartfelt indie rock sound is ready to take the world by storm. On his most recent release, The Wake of the Wonder Years, influences of such high profile indies such as The Constantines and Matthew Sweet embrace a little bit of Hall and Oates-a combination that can't be beat. The 12-song album will astonish you with remarkable vocal layers, thunderous drums and deep grooves, with drummer George Donoso (High Dials) and bassist Alexandre Lapointe (Jason Bajada) as well as vocalist Amanda Mabro.
2011Candy Says: Musically this is just so well mixed and Andrew's vocals are spot on. Builds gently into a really special song.
Listen: Something You Already Know.
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Background: Washington DC-based quartet Deletes Scenes have debuted "The Days of Adderall" with Prefix, a new single taken from their sophomore full-length, Young People's Church of the Air. Building on the dark, heady feel of their championed 2009 debut, Birdseed Shirt, the new LP pushes the band's rhythm section further, experimenting with 80s pop, R&B, surf rock, dark funk, and Go-Go. Deleted Scenes kick off a string of East coast dates today with Jukebox the Ghost and The Spinto Band, and will embark on a national tour with Chicago-based art-pop band, A Lull, in January.
Their newest collection of songs originated in frontman Daniel Scheuerman's basement taking on a live identity over the course of 300 tour dates. Recorded at the Garden Center in Hockessin, DE, with Nick Krill (The Spinto Band) and Birdseed Shirt producer L. Skell, the album mixes themes of family, love, death, and joy incorporating studio sounds and home-recorded lo-fi noise. Young People's Church of the Air's title was fittingly taken from a 1930's radio-church hymnal Scheuerman found in an old piano bench at the Garden Center, and evokes the elusive and sometimes illusory nature of hope. Deleted Scenes have shared the stage with Cursive, Wild Nothing, Abe Vigoda, Black Kids, The Antlers, Medications, and Matt and Kim among others, and have performed at SXSW, CMJ, and Pop Montreal.
2011Candy Says: Harmonies surf over an interesting selection of instruments and sounds that just draw you in.
Listen: The Days of Adderall. Web: Blogspot.
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Background:Seeker Lover Keeper is a new band comprising Sally Seltmann (co writer Feist’s 1,2,3,4), Sarah Blasko (Australian icon) and Holly Throsby (singer songwriter extraordinaire). They are prepping their North American debut with their brand new, self-titled LP Seeker Lover Keeper, for release on January 17, 2012 on Spunk Records.
Individually, they’re known as three of Australia’s most innovative songwriters. Sarah Blasko writes haunting songs that veer from intimate ballads to orchestral showstoppers, and sings with what’s now one of the most recognizable voices in Australian music. Sally Seltmann specializes in narcotic, dreamy, sweeping pop, aided by layers of cotton-soft vocals, pianos and synths. Holly Throsby is known for summoning melodies that sound beautifully crumpled, worn, and decades old. Together, these three musical forces form one of the most buzzed about indie folk groups to emerge in recent years.
All three are distinct talents, but there are common threads between their songwriting too: an underlying sense of nostalgia; the golden, sing-along pop tunes; and the complicated lyrics about seeking love, and how difficult it is to hold onto it once you’ve got it. It makes sense that the three of them would be good friends. Get them together in the same room—or even the same phone line—and it doesn’t take long before they recall shared stories and descend into fits of laughter. But get them together in the studio or on stage, and you’ve got an entirely new band: Seeker Lover Keeper. The album was co produced by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, PJ Harvey) in New York City. Sally, Holly and Sarah played all instruments on the album except bass which was provided by Shizad Ismaly (Bonnie Prince Billy) and drums from Jim White (Dirty Three).
Sally Seltmann has released three albums in North America through Arts and Crafts, and is the co-writer of Feist's '1234’. Sally formerly recorded under the name New Buffalo. Sarah Blasko has released three albums worldwide via Universal. Her last album 2009’s As Day Follows Night was produced by Bjorn Yttling (Peter, Bjorn & John). Holly Throsby has released four albums via Spunk Records in Australia and Southern Records for the rest of the world. All three have toured extensively internationally. Holly Throsby supported Tallest Man on Earth through Europe in 2009; Sarah Blasko recently finished a headline tour of Europe (and supports to Lykke Li) and Sally Seltmann has opened for everyone from Feist to Broken Social Scene and done her own tours of North America.
2011Candy Says: I think Seeker Lover Keeper may well gain a lot of interest and acclaim in 2012, I hope so because they are superb and this song is only one aspect of a really delightful act.
Listen: Light All My Lights. Web: Facebook.
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Background: Oxford, UK-based quartet Jonquil announce their forthcoming full-length, Point of Go, set for a February 21st release with Dovecote Records (The Futureheads, Hooray For Earth). The album follows their recently released split 7" single with Solid Gold Dragons (Jonquil bass/trumpet player Sam Scott), and their radiant One Hundred Suns EP, celebrated for it's upbeat tempos and creative integration of afro and indie-pop. Fronted by Hugo Manuel, who also performs under the solo moniker Chad Valley, the quartet recently returned stateside for CMJ '11, following a phenomenal US spring debut where they performed three sold-out New York sets in 48 hours.
Point Of Go emerges as a glimmeringly positive step in a new direction, a record that is, in their own words, "far more poppy and accessible" than anything they've previously written. Recorded over a six-week period in a farmhouse studio it takes the band's summery flourishes and intricate guitars, and strips them back to a set of immediate, direct pop songs. With influences rooted firmly in the past - from Fleetwood Mac to The Smiths, Chic and Earth, Wind and Fire to Arthur Russell - the quartet's LP is an exercise in classic pop sensibilities held up by a modern backbone. Point of Go will be released in the rest of the world by Blessing Force; a growing community of artists, musicians and writers in Oxford (UK) that involves the band's other projects Chad Valley, Pocket House and Solid Gold Dragons.
2011Candy Says: Gotta keep the British music flag flying here on Beehive Candy and Jonquil make that a simple task. Great band and Mexico is one fine song.
Listen: Mexico. Web: Facebook.
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Background: Portland-based dream-pop group Radiation City has debuted a new single "Babies" as well as it's remix from Portland-based artist PoPoPePe, both available for free mp3 download at SoundCloud. Wrapping up a successful two-week recording session at their Trout Lake, Washington mountain cabin, the band will continue to work on their sophomore full-length set for a 2012 release.
"Babies" is the third single from the group's lauded full-length debut, The Hands That Take You, available now through Tender Loving Empire (Typhoon, Loch Lomond). Originally out via cassette on Radiation City founders Cameron Spies and Lizzy Ellison's cassette-only record label Apes Tapes, the album has been lauded by MTV, ELLE, Paste, FuseTV, Prefix, and The L Magazine among others, with NYLON saying, "Their dreamy, faraway sound reminds us of a sunshiny marriage between Reading Rainbow and the Dum Dum Girls...Either way, let's just say it's really good." The band recently released a new sampler Mixed Ape 3 with Apes Tapes and will perform a special Portland NYE's set covering OutKast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" album in it's entirety.
12/31 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios w/ Nurses, Wild Ones, DJ Beyonda
2011Candy Says: I went for the remix version to feature as it has a really different take on the band and gives glimpses of them through some quirky sounds, the original is really worth checking out, you only get part of the story on the remix.
Listen: Babies (Popopepe Remix). Web: Muxtape.
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Background: Before bands like Real Estate and Beirut took over the ear’s of music listeners, indie rock has had a quite a journey. Meet the true legends of indie music, The Thousand Pities. Hailing from New Jersey, the seasoned group of musicians have a story to tell within each and every song, and they are here to tell you about their intriguing musical journey. Just releasing their first single “What If Everyone is Wrong,” off of Believe in Sound, the guys are ready to captivate you with their catchy brand of rock.
For fans of resident Jersey boy Pete Yorn, be ready to be in awe of what The Thousand Pities have to offer. Memorable hooks, and brilliantly bright guitars, will make you not want to leave 2011 without putting this song on your Year End List. Astonishing harmonies fill the room as tones echo throughout making one of the perfect blends of pop and rock.
The Thousand Pities are no stranger to music, that’s for sure. Formed by Matthew Davis, who has played in seminal late 80’s and early 90’s band, The Vestrymen, that had shared the stage with Aimee Mann’s ‘Til Tuesday, American Music Club, Robyn Hitchcock, Green Day and Belly. Putting the band to rest in 1994, Davis still had a deep passion for making music that didn’t re-emerge until 2006.
Recruiting guitarist Michael Carlucci (Winter Hours, East of Venus), keyboardist Billy Donohue (Vestrymen, John Cale, Inger Lore, The Blases), drummer Ken Meyer (Life in a Blender), guitarist/singer Matt Friedlander (Painted Birds, The Miscreants), and bassist Racine Romaguera.
Hold on tight, this is about to be one hell of a ride. Take a listen to “What If Everyone is Wrong,” and let The Thousand Pities prove to you that they are right.
2011Candy Says: Powerful New Jersey rock that oozes the passion and power you would expect of Bruce Springsteen. These guys are their own band and this is a great intro to the band.
Listen: What If Everyone Is Wrong. Web: Official.
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Background: Singer/songwriter/composer/lyricist Jeremy Schonfeld’s compositions have won numerous awards and been performed in front of captivated crowds but his latest project Iron and Coal is Jeremy’s biggest project yet. Produced by Werner Stranka & Martin Gellner for Beat 4 feet Productions, the album is simultaneously accessible and unpredictable. Listeners are invited on a lyrically personal ride that includes musical styling ranging from rock to full orchestral sounds.
Recorded in Vienna, Austria, Jeremy had internally debated Iron and Coal for years, but it wasn’t until his father fell ill that he began to write the project. The result is a raw take on the things he saw, felt and experienced from adolescence to adulthood as a child and grandchild of Holocaust survivors. As fate would have it Jeremy’s father passed away at the age of 77 on the exact date that Iron and Coal was being mastered. “I created this album as a tribute to my father, my grandparents, and to all of those who survived the Holocaust and their children who grew up living beneath the shadows of those horrific experiences,” says Jeremy.
The singer/songwriter concept album is not a new undertaking for Jeremy, his Drift album was translated into a production as a benefit concert at BB Kings in New York City starring Adam Pascal, Julia Murney, Terrence Mann, Jarrod Emick, and Adam Kantor, among others. It garnered Schonfeld several “Best of…” honors including “Best Show of 2009” from Triangle Arts & Entertainment, and “Best Original Music” from Indy Week.
Jeremy’s stage show is also very impressive. Recent performances include Madison Square Garden, Birdland, Joe’s Pub, BB Kings, The Public Theatre, Symphony Space, and Lincoln Center, the Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles, 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta and Boston University’s “BU on Broadway” series. He’s also a regularly featured performer on the Rock and Roll concert series “Rockers on Broadway.”
2011Candy Says: The promo suggested Gordon Lightfoot as one reference point for Jeremy, well that may be true to a point but there is a natural energy and feel as this song demonstrates that stamps his own style all over the music. This song tease us with some magical horns but never overstates any one element - great.
Listen: Yet. Web: Official.
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Background: We have featured Pree before and they are such favorites of us that we will just do it all again. After touring for two years with Le Loup, guitarist May Tabol returned home to launch a new project with a close group of friends converging in the DC arts scene. Now playing as a four-piece, Pree combines a wide variety of folk instrumentation with electric and digital elements to create a unique sound brimming with layered melodies and contagious energy.
Folly was written and recorded over the course of several heat waves and snow storms by May and her cohorts in a rotating cast of bedrooms, basements, and attics across the District, bearing witness to two foreclosures, a bit of squatting, a larger bit of eviction, and a subsequent life shuffle that would rival that of a wind-addled gypsy moth. This patchwork, guerilla style recording, which grew out of necessity, ultimately served to instill a sense of tension throughout the record leaving one hanging on despite the imminence of something so delicate falling apart.
2011Candy Says: Unashamed fans of Pree are we (oops we have some poetry going on). Oh this song is just gorgeous, hence we feature them again.
Listen: Lemon Tree. Web: Bandcamp.
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Background: Featured track "Juan Loco" is a compelling and powerful representation of the unique hybrid of metal, latin and jazz that is the unmistakable signature of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero - Rodrigo Y Gabriela. For Area 52, the duo took their sound a step further into the unknown -- "Juan Loco" now boasts a 13-piece Cuban Orchestra and brilliant bass by Carles Benavent, who has played with the likes of Paco De Lucia, Chick Corea and Miles Davis.
About the track, Rodrigo says, "For 'Juan Loco,' we decided to get Carles Benavent to play the bass as well as he did on 11:11 because it felt like he could just change the rhythm in terms of the bass line, in terms of making it a little bit less latin and more kind of his way - you know, which could be jazzy, could be more flamenco based style or whatever. And it goes well with the guitars because it's a very hyper-active track in terms of playability and he suits perfectly for these kinds of tracks."
JT Area 52 was produced by the legendary Peter Asher and will come out on January 24th, 2012. The record contains nine of Rod and Gab's favorite songs from their own catalogue re-arranged and re-configured for a 13-piece Cuban orchestra comprised of some of Havana's finest young players, collectively known as C.U.B.A. It's Rodrigo y Gabriela's first recorded collaboration with another group of musicians.
Area 52 was mixed by Rafa Sardina, one of the leading studio musicians in the Latin music world, and arranged by London-based pianist, composer and arranger Alex Wilson. Recording took place in the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba, at Abdala Studios, founded by the Cuban folk hero Silvio Rodriguez, as well as at Rod and Gab's studio in Ixtapa, Mexico. Other players on the record include: drummer John Tempesta (The Cult, Testament, White Zombie), sitarist Anoushka Shankar and drummer Samuel Formell (Los Van Van).
2011Candy Says: Superb to see live Rodrigo y Gabriela are annoyingly talented and make the whole thing look too simple for the frustrated would be guitarist within me! 2012 is gonna start with some fantastic new music, case in point here.
Listen: Juan Loco. Web: Official.
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Background: Hidden Shoal Recordings recently announced the release of ‘Supply Chins’, the second single from Perth’s widescreen indie-rock craftsmen Umpire, taken from their brilliant 2011 debut album Now We’re Active.
On an album crammed to breaking point with hooks, ‘Supply Chins’ has perhaps the catchiest hooks of all. Alternating between a massive fist-pumping chorus and reflective verses, the song builds towards a breathtaking climax punctuated by sumptuous horns, weaving vocals and driving guitars. This is indie-rock at its most unashamedly anthemic.
Umpire combine sprawling indie-rock sounds with reflective melancholy, expertly wielding massive sun-drenched melodies, serpentine guitar parts and soaring vocals to spectacular effect. From singles ‘Green Light District’ and ‘Supply Chins’ through the chiming guitar surge of ‘The Canyon’ to gorgeous finale ‘Cyclones Into Sunshowers’, Now We’re Active is a stunning release, as expansive as it is propulsive, as heartbreaking as it is life-affirming. Its easy to hear how the band won the WAMi Song of the Year for their track 'Streamers' in 2009.
2011Candy Says: Umpire get a second mention from us this year, well why not they are giving this fine song away, the very least we can do is say thanks, so thank you Umpire!
Listen: Supply Chins. Web: Free Download.
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Background:Cairo Knife Fight, New Zealand’s electrifying power rock duo, makes an intergalactic impact on US ground as they announce the arrival of their sonic sound to this year’s 2012 SXSW Festival in Austin, TX. Cairo Knife Fight, who released their second EP “II” via Liberation Music in August 2011, is comprised of drummer / lead vocalist Nick Gaffaney and Aaron Tokona on guitar and effects. Together, this potent pair issues forth pulsating guitar riffs illuminated with haunting vocals and phantasmal effects which have taken the stage alongside Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of The Stone Age. Says Gaffaney of the band’s sound, "It's about the sound of it, the power of it and the experimentation within it.”
Cairo Knife Fight’s music whips up a melodic storm of riff-fired power that takes your mind, body and soul on a hallucinatory rock 'n' roll ride. Think: Radiohead meets Kyuss meets Sigur Ros. The band’s vibe is just as alluring and forceful as their music, having booted down the back door of New York's influential CMJ music festival in 2010 to get themselves a gig and get noticed; and this year they got the official invite to return. In addition, not many bands can claim to have been personally invited to support the Foo Fighters twice in a year -- Cairo Knife Fight opened for the Foo Fighters at the band's special Christchurch Earthquake benefit show in March 2011 at the Auckland Town Hall and will again in mid-December at Western Springs.
Their 2012 debut appearance at SXSW in Austin, TX marks a milestone in the band’s career as they are officially invited to hypnotize the audience of one of the most prominent music festivals on US soil with their epic, hallucinatory rock ‘n’ roll sound. Get to know Cairo Knife Fight’s gritty, mesmerising music and be prepared for their mosh-inducing live performances as they bring their heralded sound from down under to the US.
2011Candy Says: If the bands name does not grab your attention then this number will at the very least wake you up. They rock so loud there must be a couple of other members hidden away somewhere?
Listen: The Origin Of Slaves. Web: Official.
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Background: Hailing from Ypsilanti, MI, Lightning Love have announced their forthcoming EP, Girls Who Look Like Me, with Quite Scientific Records (Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Cotton Jones). Comprised of Ben Collins (guitar), and siblings Aaron (drums) and Leah Diehl (vocals and keys), the young indie-pop trio started out when they were 16 and has repeatedly been awarded with "Best Indie" and "Best Pop Band" in Detroit by local publications. Leah was nominated this year for "Best Songwriter" at the Detroit Music Awards and the video for their single "Good Time," taken from their debut LP November Birthday, was featured on Pitchfork, and NME among others. The band performed at CMJ '11 and is preparing for an upcoming Chicago set and appearance at Ypsilanti's MITTENFEST IV.
Lightning Love's Girls Who Look Like Me is an amalgam of songs written at two different points in time - songs about differences in the way you feel about things as time pass. Both this record and their yet-to-be-titled full-length show a band who has grown since their first release. Moving on from the emotions that fuelled that first record, with time came advances in the band's ability to put down their ideas on tape. For Lightning Love, the process of recording their own albums is part and parcel to how these albums came into existence. Ben Collins' background in recording began an ability to document their growth over the past few years, as the band weaved in and out of relationships, strife, and the process of, well, being a bit older than you were a few years before.
2011Candy Says: Indie pop with a tinge of electro in this uptempo song. Simple sounds and wonderful vocals.
Listen: Deadbeat. Web: Official.
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Background: The Los Angeles based indie folk rock group, The Mowgli's, will be playing a series of shows late this December (you've missed them) and January in the Los Angeles area. They will be making stops at The Roxy, Moscow at Boardners, and the Bootleg Theater alongside the likes of Death!Death!Die!, Jason Ellis, COYOL, and Molly Marlette.
The Mowgli’s are quite simply a group of friends who love nothing more than to make music together, listen to music together, and grow musically from one another. Blending country, blues, and folk with classic Rock n Roll, they add poetic lyrics that they hope people all over the world can feel. Best known and appreciated for their energetic stage presence, The Mowgli’s put on a show that the audience feels happy to be a part of. At the beginning and end of it all, The Mowgli’s are a California band with California soul.
If you're feeling generous this holiday season, donate a little money (or help spread the word) about The Mowgli's Kickstarter campaign to raise money for their new album.
1/8 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater w/ COYOL, Molly Marlette.
2011Candy Says: If you like the demo, it's fair to say the band deserve to make the album, lets hope so, this is a great finish to this round up, get set for some great tunes in 2012 & hopefully The Mowgli's will be up there amongst it all.
Listen: San Francisco. Web: Facebook, and Kickstarter Campaign.
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This is a recording of Nicolette Larson performing at the Strawberry Music Festival, Camp Mather, Yosemite, CA, USA back on August 29th, 1986.
Nicolette Larson is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young, as well as her 1978 cover of Young's "Lotta Love". The song, her debut single, was a Number One Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks hit and number 8 pop hit that year. It was followed by four more Adult Contemporary hits, two of which were also minor pop hits. Nicolette's work with Emmylou Harris on the album Luxury Liner (1977) prominently showcased her on the cut "Hello Stranger" and led to her meeting Harris' associate and friend Linda Ronstadt who became friends with Nicolette. In the spring of 1977 Nicolette was at Ronstadt's Malibu home when neighbor Neil Young phoned to ask Ronstadt if she could recommend a female vocal accompanist, and Ronstadt suggested Larson, becoming the fifth person that day to put Larson's name forward to Young. Young came over to meet Larson who recalled: "Neil ran down all the songs he had just written, about twenty of them. We sang harmonies with him and he was jazzed."
The following week Ronstadt and Larson cut their vocals for Young's American Stars 'n Bars album at Young's La Honda ranch — the two women were billed on the album as the Saddlebags. In November 1977 Young invited Nicolette to Nashville to sing on the sessions for his Comes a Time album, an assignment which led to Nicolette's being signed to Warner Brothers, an affiliate of Young's home label Reprise. Nicolette continued her session singing career into 1978 accruing credit on recordings by Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris' (Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town) and Norton Buffalo. Nicolette also contributed vocals to the Doobie Brothers' Minute by Minute whose producer Ted Templeman would be responsible for Larson's debut album Nicolette.
By 1985, she shifted her focus to country music, charting six times on the Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) charts. Her only Top 40 country hit was "That's How You Know When Love's Right", a duet with Steve Wariner. She sadly died in 1997 at just 45 years of age.
Source: FM Broadcast.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Rock, Country, Pop, Lullaby.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
01. The Angels Rejoiced
02. Comes A Time
03. Only Love Can Make It Right
04. Mexican Divorce
05. Sometimes You Just Can’t Win
06. That’s How You Know Love’s Right
07. Blow On Chilly Wind
08. If I Didn’t Love You
09. Untitled
10. Keep Us Apart
11. When You Get A Little Lonely
12. Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This
13. MC banter & crowd
14. Pink Cadillac
15. MC banter
This is Richard Thompson live in concert at Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland, CA, USA, back on June 22nd, 1997.
During the previous year (1996), Richard released the album 'You? Me? Us?' however only two tracks from that album were included in this concert, which in part demonstrates the powerful back catalogue he had built up over the years.
That album showcased his versatile abilities in both acoustic and electric formats, Thompson devoted one disc to each. The 'Nude' disc features pared down, poetically emotive arrangements, and the second disc, 'Voltage Enhanced', demonstrates his blistering electric guitar work with a full band.
Also in 1997 he worked with long-time friend and band member Danny Thompson (not related) and recorded a concept album 'Industry' that dealt with the decline of British industry. Featuring a variety of musical and vocal styles, Industry was the basis for a BBC documentary, which aired in UK in May of that year. Featuring compositions based on themes from the industrial revolution to Britain's faltering mining industry, the album was performed live, in its entirety, at only five locations in Britain. Despite the amount of time involved in that venture this concert does not include any material from that album.
However when we consider the many different ventures Richard has been involved with along with his solo career, it is not surprising that the two were separated, indeed check his set lists from tour to tour and the variety of material covered is quite astonishing.
Source: Soundboard (Sony PCM-F1 - record).
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Folk rock, electric folk, acoustic, alternative rock, folk.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
01 intro by Emcee, Doug Green)
02 Turning Of The Tide
03 Bathsheba Smiles
04 From Galway To Graceland
05 I Feel So Good
06 The Ghost Of You Walks
07 Hamlet (Dog Eat Dog In Denmark)
08 Drifting Through The Days
09 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
10 Pharaoh
11 Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shands
12 Hide It Away
13 Wall Of Death
14 Razor Dance
15 Beeswing
16 I Misunderstood
17 Walking On A Wire
18 Two Left Feet
19 Waltzing's For Dreamers
20 Don't Roll Those Bloodshot Eyes At Me
This is Elvis Costello and the Rude Five during their tour rehearsals at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, California, USA back in May, 1991.
The notes that accompanied this recording state, 'this is said to be the last night of a week of tour rehearsals at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, recorded just before the start of the "Mighty Like A Rose" tour in 1991 (which began May 25th in Santa Barbara)'.
If 1990 proved to be a fairly low key year for Elvis Costello, he definately made up for it in 1991 by recording two albums: "Mighty Like A Rose" and "Kojak Variety", although the tapes for the latter were put away for a rainy day (and didn’t see the light of that rainy day until 1995).
He then spent much of the rest of the year touring around the world with a combo dubbed "The Rude Five", even though only four of them (Marc Ribot, Jerry Scheff, Larry Knechtel and Pete Thomas) usually played live with Costello (the fifth member was Steven Soles). Marc Ribot was unable to make the dates for the Japanese and Australian shows at the end of the tour in September, and The Rude Five became The Rude Four, with Elvis Costello handling all the lead and rhythm guitar duties.
Source: Soundboard (DAT clone).
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Punk rock, Pub rock, New Wave.
Set: Rehearsal.
Set List:
01 (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
02 Invasion Hit Parade
03 Watch Your Step
04 Georgie And Her Rival
05 Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
06 Suit Of Lights
07 So Like Candy
08 Accidents Will Happen
09 You Bowed Down
10 Hidden Charms
11 All Grown Up
12 Couldn't Call It Unexpected No 4
13 The Other Side Of Summer
14 Strange
15 How To Be Dumb
16 Alison
17 Sweet Pear
18 Bama Lama Bama Loo
19 Playboy To A Man
20 Everybody's Crying Mercy
This is the Blind Boys of Alabama recorded live at Congress, Salzburg, Austria back on October 30th, 2009. The source was Austrian Radio OE1 who subsequently broadcast the concert on December 21st, 2009.
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel and blues group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer and percussionist are all blind.
As of 2011 (and checking their current schedule into 2012), The Blind Boys of Alabama continue to tour nationally and internationally, with Jimmy Carter singing lead vocals. In 2006, Clarence Fountain, the group's former long-time lead vocalist and founding member limited his touring for health reasons. Founding member George Scott died on March 9th, 2005 at the age of 75. Another founding member, Johnny Fields, died on November 12th, 2009.
Releases by the group in recent years have been favorites at the Grammy Awards—they won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album four straight years between 2002 and 2005. The Blind Boys of Alabama were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, they were awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In April 2011, the band released Take The High Road in Australia and followed it with a headlining tour that included the East and West Coast Bluesfest and the Sydney Opera House. The CD, which was also released in the U.S. on May 3rd, features guest artists Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Williams, Jr., The Oak Ridge Boys, and Nashville heavyweight Jamey Johnson, who also co-produced the record.
Source: FM (cable radio).
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Gospel, Blues.
Set: Broadcast set.
Set List:
01. Down By the Riverside
02. God Said It (That's Good Enough For Me)
03. People get ready
04. Spirit in the sky
05. Way Down In The Hole
06. Uncloudy day
07. There will be a light
08. Let's Make a Better World
09. Free at last
10. Amazing Grace
11. Look Where He Brought Me from
12. Higher Ground
Line-Up:
Jimmy Lee Carter: vocals
Bishop Billy Bowers: vocals
Ben Moore: vocals
Joey Williams: g, vocals
Tracy Pierce: bass
Peter Levin: organ
Eric 'Ricky' McKinnie: drums, vocals
Background: For those of you who follow folk on Twitter, you may well want to add Marissa Nadler to your selection. In recent weeks she has given away a number of songs from her 'Covers Volume II' album, in fact if you check over there now you may well still be in for a rather nice treat. Covers Volume II follows her critically acclaimed self titled full-length out now on her own Box of Cedar Records.
After releasing several albums with Kemado (and having one of her songs inspire the name for vinyl start-up Mexican Summer), Marissa Nadler ventured out independently for her critically acclaimed self-titled album, which has been featured on NPR "World Cafe: Next," NPR First Listen, Vogue, KEXP, Pitchfork 'Overlooked Records of 2011' with an 8.1 album review, and as one of SPIN's "5 Best New Artists for June 2011," among others.
Marissa Nadler released her first album, Ballads of Living and Dying, on Eclipse Records in 2004; her follow-up, The Saga of Mayflower May, was released in July 2005. Both albums have been long standing favorites at Beehive Candy and the positive reviews she has received over the last few years have in our opinion, been totally deserved. If you are new to Marissa then don't just take our word for recommending a listen - Her voice was described by the popular online music website Pitchfork Media as "a voice you would follow straight into Hades". In the Boston Globe, her voice and music is described: "She has a voice that, in mythological times, could have lured men to their deaths at sea, an intoxicating soprano drenched in gauzy reverb that hits bell-clear heights, lingers, and tapers off like rings of smoke. Hardly anyone considers Nadler a folk musician."
2011Candy Says: What can we add to the comments above, this is a haunting song that takes Bruce Springsteen's original into another dimension. Superb.
Background: Dutch soul-act Fuel Box is going to release their dark debut-album "I" on 14th December, worldwide.
Fuel Box combines old, bluesy soul, dark dub and modern hip-hop into catchy, psychedelic, soul pop songs. (Don't worry, this is not another retro-soul ripoff...). On December 14, 2011 the complete, 14 track album "I" (One) will be released worldwide.
Producer Joshua Boon composed and produced the songs, while soul singer Remy Britsemmer laid the vocals down as they took a few years during turbulent times recording in (bath)rooms of old and dilapidated houses. Occasionally, they received help from guest musicians, but the only other vocalist on the album is Holland's legendary old skool rapper Deams (Gang Starr family, early Urban Dance Squad, Zulu Nation). Deams recently released the "The Legacy" EP, by the way, featuring De La Soul, Chuck D, Ice-T, Jeru the Damaja & Big Daddy Kane.
Fuel Box made it to the selection of Soul & Jazz talent on national Radio 6 and received airplay on multiple programs. They were also rewarded with positive reviews, interviews and entries in several print magazines and websites and through music blogs worldwide. Tracks were also featured in Game Kings (Dutch MTV) and the national campaign VrijSOAVrij.
2011Candy Says: We featured the band back in May and having now had a chance to listen to the new album in full, we urge you to check these guys out. New music is alive and kicking!
Background: Forget everything you know about Scout. With All Those Relays, the band’s first album since 2003, Ashen Keilyn has deconstructed her band and put it back together piece-by-piece — new players, new producers and, most importantly, the best songs of Keilyn’s career. Scout’s new chapter finds Keilyn simultaneously at her most emotionally raw and her toughest yet, creating an album both empowering and vulnerable — and catchy as hell.
It all adds up to mean the breathless praise piled on her music from Billboard, SPIN, The New York Times and others rings true today. As the Village Voice wrote, “Ashen Keilyn is a star.”
Scout dropped its debut EP, Someplace Would Be Nice, in 1998 on Chrysalis; its breakthrough album, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, followed just two years later. On the strength of huge buzz from the album, Scout appeared on NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” became an “Editor’s Choice” pick at Amazon.com, had tracks featured in films and TV, and toured with rock icons Sunny Day Real Estate.
After the 2003 follow-up The Soft Life, though, it was time to take a break. Keilyn began working with other musicians and recording with new producers, but one thing was apparent: Ashen Keilyn was the beating heart of Scout, no matter who rounded out the lineup.
With that freedom, Keilyn set out to create All Those Relays, inspired by music, film, and the idiosyncrasies of everyday life. Scout’s new music was created organically, each song born exactly when it was ready. Some ache with the melancholy of Cat Power. Some float like the folk of Azure Ray. But each track is anchored by her hushed voice. Keilyn took her time with this music, and her careful, relaxed writing makes for gorgeous, free-flowing songs.
2011Candy Says: A driving beat that at first seems at odds with the vocals simply connects into a great song.
Background: Performing their way down around the US at present, Yukon Blonde have be transforming their beards into waxed and groomed mustaches in support this year's Movember campaign.
Their recently released Fire//Water EP was produced by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Ladyhawk) the four song follow up to the quartet's Polaris and WCMA award nominated debut LP was written partially while on the road, and partially while off the road at a cottage in the Comox Valley (BC). The band recorded a total of 15 songs over the course of the summer, and the remaining 11 tracks will be featured on their sophomore LP in early 2012.
Yukon Blonde's career has so far been marked by their on-the-road ethic. Last fall they embarked on a 30+ date tour supporting Good Old War, as well as several headlining runs down each coast. This summer the young B.C. band played at Milwaukee Summerfest with Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and the last year and a half has seen them rack up nonstop tour mileage both in North America, and Europe, including festivals such as SXSW, CMJ and Popkomm Festival in Berlin along the way. Make sure to check them out this fall as they wind through the entire country.
01 Dec - Ames, IA @ The Maintenance Shop *
02 Dec - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr *
03 Dec - Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room *
04 Dec - Oklahoma city, OK @ The Conservatory *
06 Dec - Little Rock, AR @ Juanita's Cantina *
07 Dec - Dallas, TX @ Double Wide *
08 Dec - Houston, TX @ Fitz Downstairs *
09 Dec - Austin, TX @ Emo's Inside *
11 Dec - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
13 Dec - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
14 Dec -Boise, ID @ Neurolox *
16 Dec - Spokane, WA @ A Club *
17 Dec - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile *
18 Dec - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *
21 Dec - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall *
22 Dec - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
23 Dec - Los Angeles @ The Echo
29 Dec - New South Wales, Australia- Peats Ridge Festival Glenworth Valley
* All US shows after Nov 15 co-headline w/ The Fling.
2011Candy Says: Fine harmonies from this alt country/rock act that reminds me of C.S.N and Young with a lot more energy.
Background:The Handcuffs embody the spirit of rock music's uninhibited, sexy and overbearing appeal. Perfectly blending style and energy, they do not sound like anyone else, but at the same time they seem very familiar. They are influenced by everything good that sells and anything good that doesn't. Rock music is loud (not just in volume, but in its nature), pompous and fun and The Handcuffs embrace every reckless minute of it.
Chloe F. Orwell, the designated blonde of the duo, is the lead singer whose stage presence and vocal style oozes sex and scorches and rock and roll. She can slide from a corduroy growl to a shimmering silky sigh in a Detroit second.
Brad Elvis, the other half of The Handcuffs, is a black-haired, four-handed drummer whose manic-panic style paints a 747 jet rhythm to every Handcuffs tune. Brad is also the chief songwriter (although Orwell is known to have a song or two stashed in her boots) and one of the visionaries of the duo. Bam!
The Chicago-based pair originally teamed up when Elvis recruited Orwell as lead vocalist and contributing songwriter for his band Big Hello, which released three critically acclaimed CDs, played hundreds of shows and received airplay on college and commercial radio all over the globe. Their potent creative chemistry earned the duo praise from fans and critics alike for their musicianship and showmanship, plus accolades in the mainstream and alternative press throughout the world.
The Handcuffs evolved from Elvis and Orwell’s desire to explore a broad sonic territory while still believing in the power of a great radio hook. Their songs are fresh yet timeless, edgy yet accessible, skillfully crafted yet easily memorable. Their influences range from Bowie to Bacharach, P.J. Harvey to the Pixies, White Album to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with some Ting Tings, T-Rex and Sparks tossed in for good measure. You could spend all day trying to name that tune, but by nighttime it would still be The Handcuffs.
The duo started out making boombox demos with Orwell on guitar or bass and Elvis often singing the lead vocals and keeping time on a cardboard box or whatever was handy. Proper studio sessions, with the help of additional guest instrumentalists, followed and The Handcuffs recorded more than three albums worth of material. Then came song placement in television shows and films, followed by a self-produced music video. With plans to release their debut CD, they finally decided to put a live band together.
To complete their line-up, the duo has welcomed three powerhouse musicians to help them deliver the rock including Emily Togni, a Tennessee-by-way-of-Arkansas native, Chicagoan Ellis Clark on guitar and former New Jersey girl Alison Hinderliter on keyboards.
2011Candy Says; Great driving riff and super vocals, the whole thing has a punky edge that really works.
Background: On December 13th, Chicago's Old Town School of Folk will release a vast collection of live recordings by the countless musicians who have played the venue over the last 50 plus years. The collection's 127 tracks will be sold digitally on iTunes and Amazon. Among others there are songs by Andrew Bird, Steve Earle, Toumani Diabate, Lila Downs and many more. The release represents the best in folk/roots music, past and present.
On a stack of DATs in a shoebox lay the history of American music. There were local legends and major icons, global musicians and indie rockers. Some captured beautifully from the board, some gleaned quietly from the dusty archives of a radio station, the recordings held wildly creative decades of sound from Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, a roots-music touchstone for nearly 55 years. And no one had heard them.
Joan Baez and Donovan, Big Bill Broonzy and Ella Jenkins, Pete Seeger and Taj Mahal, Martin Carthy and Steve Earle, Doc Watson and Mahalia Jackson: It was a literal who’s-who of folk, gospel, country, bluegrass, blues, and world music, caught in hours of exciting performances. But someone had to put the pieces together—all 127 tracks worth—and someone had to clear all the rights with 85 different artists.
They succeeded, against odds that would have stopped others in their tracks. Live From The Old Town School (Old Town School Recordings; release: December 13, 2011) reveals not only the venerable institution’s storied start, but its role in the recent infusion of new energy into the roots music world, with everyone from Toumani Diabate and Oumou Sangare to Andrew Bird and Lila Downs.
This crucial collection of rare live gems is available for download from iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby, with most of the proceeds going to benefit the School’s educational work with children and adults. And though very diverse, the tracks share a common quality.
“These are all performers who know how to communicate with the audience in a very personal way,” says Colby Maddox, librarian/archivist and teacher at the Old Town School, who spearheaded the project and attracted support for it from the Donnelley Foundation. “They don’t need that distance, that huge arena. They want to get down close and make people happy. And they are all coming from well-established traditions, all different, but all strong.”
2011Candy Says: Where do you begin? It's a massive collection of music's history and Andrew Bird was chosen at random simply because I did not know who to choose from this phenomenal collection
Featured: Andrew Bird - Tinys Tempo. Web: Official.
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Background:Ashtar Command's debut album, American Sunshine, is an evolved and involved labor of love from veteran musicians Chris Holmes and Brian Liesegang. It's an expansive and coherent album that defies being reduced to a single genre. Nick Drake could come to mind, as well as the Chemical Brothers. Spiritualized could be seen in there as well as The Beach Boys. There are songs of exquisite beauty and ones that unabashedly rock.
The duo were joined by guest vocalists Joshua Radin (whose debut album was produced by Holmes) on “Mark IV,” Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (“Save Me”), Har Mar Superstar (“That’s How It Is”) and Rachel Yamagata (“Blister of the Spotlight”). The dreamy “Rosa,” already in heavy rotation at Los Angeles’ KCRW, is one of two tracks featuring Priscilla Ahn, while Z Berg’s crystal clear vocals provide a stunning counterpoint to the throbbing groove on “Gravity.”
The group are well known for their song on Red Dead Redemption called "Deadman's Gun". Sci-fi fans may recall the concept of “Ashtar Command” that emerged in the 1950’s – an intergalactic U.N. with the mission of assisting the human race in a time of crisis. Think evolution by enlightenment, which makes the name a fitting metaphor for the band and what they're trying to accomplish.
2011Candy Says; A number of famous names mentioned above, yes this is one of those songs that for some reason makes it hard not to look for comparisons. Not that it copies anyone, it's just so good you want to liken them to some highly regarded band, I will add Bowie to the list!
Background:Beacon is Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett. Their “No Body EP” explores a combination of deep south bass music and ambient pop melodies, with R&B tinged vocals that accompany warm arpeggiated synthesizers.
The EP's atmosphere and narrative recall brooding spirituality in the wake of first love and the allure of the paranormal in teenage romance. Jacob and Thomas’s extensive work in the video production and set building worlds has given them the techniques to produce their own unique vision for the release of “No Body;” a cheap prom set where real and imaginary moments continually conjure up feelings of love, lust and all things in between.
2011Candy Says; A sparse sounding rhythmic intro that continues to build long after the beautiful vocals establish as a very special song.
Background: “Holmes is a singer-songwriter who pens the kind of melodic, unpretentious songs that scream for usage in film and TV. There’s a humor, wistfulness and universality that would compare with some of the best of Ben Folds or Beck.” - Los Angeles Times
Los-Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Holmes (the alias of Roy Shakked) today releases a full-length cover album aptly entitled Holmes: Covers on his label Groove Gravy Records. This marks the third full-length album under this moniker, following 2007’s Stop Go and 2009’s self-titled album, and precedes an album of more originals due in the Spring of 2012.
Holmes: Covers includes songs from all across the board—from Ice Cube to Elvis Presley and Genesis to Michael Jackson. Each song on the album has undergone a complete transformation, with Holmes arranging the songs to cast the lyrics in a new light. Narrowing his list of song choices from 100 down to 13, Holmes chose each for their lyrics. “Lyrically, every song on this album really speaks to me,” says Holmes. “All artists, with the exception of Macy Gray and Massive Attack, were ones I grew up on. The other two I just really dig.”
The first single of the album, a cover of Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day,” is as far from the original as can be. The music behind Holmes’ version is a song he wrote several years ago, but never found the lyrics to do it justice. “It’s always tricky approaching a hip hop track to cover,” muses Holmes. “It’s just an opening to being hokey, not to mention an invitation for abuse. I really like the way it came together. ‘Cube’s lyrics are ridiculously good.”
The album was tracked and mixed in Holmes’ home studio in Silverlake, CA. A handful of amazing musician friends contributed to Holmes: Covers, including Joel Shearer (Damien Rice, Alanis Morissette), Chris Bruce (M'chelle Ndegeocello, Sheryl Crow) Lawrence Katz (Bosstones), and Michael Jerome Moore (Blind Boys of Alabama, Better Than Ezra). Holmes thanks his lucky stars for good friends.
2011Candy Says: If there is a benchmark for how to reinterpret a song then this surely is it! And it really works, complete with the parental guidance lyrics..
Background:Rah Rah are a Canadian indie rock collective whose album Breaking Hearts was released to the U.S. a couple of weeks back along with a vinyl/digital remix album called Rahmixes.
The sextet are known for taking turns taking the lead, both in songwriting and while on stage, and constantly switching instruments and they've been compared to The New Pornographers, Stars, and Broken Social Scene.
Rah Rah's sophomore album, Breaking Hearts was recorded and mixed in Montreal by Kees Dekker (Plants & Animals) and was released on June 1, 2010 in Canada. It follows the widespread industry praise for 2008's debut album, Going Steady and reinforces the increasing visibility that has accompanied Rah Rah's relentless tour schedule. Rah Rah were crowned "Best new Canadian Band" and "Best New Alternative Band" by iTunes in 2009. The band has also been featured as iTunes Download of the Week and Starbucks Pick of the Week in Canada.
The proud prairie rockers sing of the seriousness of art, poetry, love, and politics, and contrast it with a stage full of confetti, pinatas, candy, and six friends loving life and having fun. But don't let their fresh faces, confetti cannons and constant sugar highs fool you, Rah rah are old souls. This young, six-member ensemble artully bridge sincerity with the absurd. Despite lyrics that touch on underwater sea creatures, stockbrokers, Saskatchewan (and now Montreal), and impressionist painters, their songs are built to break your heart. All this along with the melodic male/female vocals and diverse instrumentation (guitars, bass, drums, keys, violin, accordion, ukulele), ensures that a Rah Rah show will not disappoint.
2011Candy Says; I love this song, both the instruments used, the mix and the perfectly matching vocals. Music that crosses generations.
Background:Lissy Trullie is going to release the follow up to her debut EP Self-Taught Learner on March 6th (2012) via Downtown records. The new album is self-titled and was produced by John Hill (Santigold, M.I.A., Shakira) and David Sitek (TV On the Radios, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars).
Lissy Trullie, made in the L.A. studios of both Hill and Sitek, is coolly confident in feel, its mostly brisk punk foundation yielding to memorable pop choruses along the way, especially on “Big Heart” and the reggae-tinged “It’s Only You.” Trullie’s voice and presence is commanding throughout; with her elastic singing, she comes across at times like a modern-day Chrissie Hynde. But the artful precision of the arrangements belies the more spontaneous nature of the sessions, as Trullie reveals: “I think the benefit of working with John and Dave is that there was no mention of pressure, and they had zero rules. It was just free-form creativity, any wacky suggestion was taken, and that’s how the sound of the record happened. That style of working just suits me very well.”
And while the planning set her off down her road, it was the out-of-nowhere diversions that created the most exciting results. “We did track a lot of the band live, but when we did, it just happened; it was spontaneous. Our approach allowed for more accidents to happen that ended up being amazing. Dave is like a mad scientist – he has a house where his studio is located in one of the canyons and it’s a crazy wonderland. John was more the contained mad man – soft spoken, contemplative, and wildly talented. We had a real yin-yang situation going on.”
The more unorthodox the idea, the better, Trullie says: “We did a lot of vocals with different mics. John fell in love with this tape recorder microphone from the sixties and it’s on everything - -the drum kits, guitars, my vocals. He would hang it like a light from the ceiling. Its sound is kind of gnarly but amazing at the same time; it made the drums sound thin and dirty. We would layer that track over the proper drum track and it created an interesting texture, so we did that with the vocals as well. We tracked lots and lots of vocals; they had me in there every day.” There was an open door policy to go with their open minds: “Anyone who walked through the house somehow ended up playing on the record.” Special guests included Jaleel Bunton of TV On The Radio, XL Recordings artist Holly Miranda, and Florence + the Machine’s guitarist Robert Ackroyd.
"I write so I can find something new and hopefully keep growing," says Trullie. “This was the first time I got into a real studio with real producers and by the end of the recording process I wound up with what I wanted from the very start – to make music that has evolved.”
2011Candy Says: Yep another emerging artist to watch out for, and another song that grows and builds into something special.
Background: Following up their critically acclaimed debut, 2008’s A Mouthful, French-Finnish duo The Dø release their highly anticipated sophomore effort, Both Ways Open Jaws recently in the UK and in the US via Six Degrees Records. After a series of live sessions, two visually stunning videos and album teasers leading up to the release, The Dø are receiving recognition globally. The album is receiving rave reviews around the world and the band has made a lasting impression on international powerhouses like NME, Clash Music, Drowned in Sound, Digital Spy, The Fense Post, Italian Vogue and more. In regards to the new album, Colossal Pop claimed, "The darker groove of “The Wicked & the Blind” is another flash of brilliance that reminds me of what the Velvet Underground might have offered had they had a better ear for “the masses.” The gorgeous “Was it a Dream?” is another wonderful moment" and Baeble Music noted “Funky French/Finnish outfit provided one of 2010's more exhilarating debuts (A Mouthful), so it's safe to say we're excited to see what album number two has in store.”
French multi-instrumentalist Dan Levy and Finnish vocalist Olivia Merilahti met in 2005 while recording the soundtrack to a French movie and started writing songs together on the side. This side project took center stage when A Mouthful garnered praise from the likes of Pitchfork, and the band went on to play festivals and tour worldwide.
2011Candy Says; I have been a fan of The Do's since their debut, and this song see's them still developing and oozing energy and charm.
Background: Native New Yorker, Gina Zavalis, releases her first single, "In Your Eyes," off her debut self titled EP, Gina Zavalis. The album is now available for purchase on iTunes, as well as her website.
Gina Zavalis began her career as a young girl in Off Broadway shows, performing in several national tours and regional theatre productions. A lifelong passion for music combined with years of singing are what's behind the success of Gina Zavalis. "In my humble opinion Gina Zavalis is THE next great American voice. Her sheer talent and presence alone will win you over but just wait until you hear the girl sing...Remember I told you so when she is headlining the universe!" Remarked Joe Bonsall of the legendary Oak Ridge Boys.
Gina Zavalis' self-titled EP is filled with heartfelt lyrics, along with her intriguing sound and dynamic powerhouse vocals, showcasing her three plus octave range. LA Guitar Academy praises, "In her new song, 'In Your Eyes', Gina Zavalis' warm tone invites listeners to travel with her on the journey from despair to forgiveness. Her voice, plaintive at first, soars to brilliance as she captures the moment of transformation-a moment of pure freedom." The song is a snapshot of the transforming moment when the tangled chains of insecurity release into pure freedom. Introspective and brutally honest, Zavalis conveys the difficult emotion of giving in to the unknown.
2011Candy Says: On paper this should not be my thing. However the vocals are striking and the dominance of the piano (not being crushed by a full orchestra) makes this one fine song. Maybe I am finally growing up (time for another mid life crisis).
Background: From Paper Gardens Lovely Hearts Club we quote - Hours of listening to demo submissions eventually paid off when we opened The Great Afternoon's email to find that the banjo isn't just for making bluegrass tunes. Christina Ward has been rocking out on the banjo along side bassist Kris Knechel and Brian Huggins on drums for over a year now. Her soothing vocals carefully guide us through some of life's tougher realities while leaving a bit of hope for better days. Their first EP is not all doom and gloom as much as it is foot-tapping and and head bobbing thanks to a perfect blend of drum and bass lines with the unexpectedly soulful banjo picking.
The band has been playing a handful of shows around their hometown of New Jersey in support of their first EP "The Great Afternoon", which was released just a few months ago in August. Here's a stream of 'Science Fiction' but don't stop listening there, head to bandcamp or Facebook to stream the full album and maybe even make a purchase for just $7!
2011Candy says: I can see why Paper Garden spend ours listening to demo submissions, if this is the result of their labour. A great song and yes, yet another band to keep a watch out for.
