Faces- Ooh La La Sessions

I noticed a once famous band from my hometown has been in the news recently with a new release called, Oooh La La. The band in question is the Crash Test Dummies who were internationally big for a few years in the early 90's, with such hits as, Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm and the Superman Song. Then their commercial success sort of fizzled out, yet Brad Roberts kept pumping out crap through the 90's and 00's. I think they've just released their 8th album this month and for some reason it's getting attention back on this side of the border. The reason I mention all this (I definitely don't want to give them any publicity!), is because their album title (almost) steals it's name from a great album by the Faces. Okay, the CTD's added an extra "o" on Oooh, but it kills me that Brad Robert's might think he's clever to come up with that name on his own. Do not get confused and accidentially buy this album!

Ooh La La was the last album recorded by the Faces at a time when singer Rod Stewart was concentrating more on his solo career. The band acted more as Stewart's backing band during concerts, but even with the innumerable tensions in the band they still pulled it together to record a Face's album. Many consider Ooh La La a disappointment after it followed, A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... (their most successful), but others, like myself, find it their most satisfying listen. These sessions include outtakes, rehearsals and some live tracks featuring some solo Stewart and Ron Wood material performed by the band. Various versions of these sessions have been available, but the complete 20 track bootleg is a much harder find. The sound is crisp and the performances and these versions of the songs are a nice companion to the original release. Download these sessions and buy this album!

FACES
Ooh La La Sessions (Last Step) 1972/73
01 My Fault
02 Flags & Banners
03 Ooh La La
04 Glad & Sorry
05 Silicone Grown
06 Cindy Incidentally
07 If I'm On The Late Side
08 Borstal Boys
09 Just Another Honky
10 Don't Forget To Tell Him
11 You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or An
12 Pool Hall Richard
13 I Can Feel the Fire
14 You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or An
15 You Wear It Well
16 Take A Look At The Guy
17 Jodie
18 I Wish It Would Rain
19 True Blue
20 The Stealer

FACES- Last Step pt. 1. rar
FACES- Last Step pt. 2. rar

Something New Mondays: The Rolling Stones

Tomorrow, the Rolling Stones are re-releasing their classic album, Exile On Main Street on the 38th anniversary of it's original release. They will be releasing 4 different formats of the remastered album, that will include 10 "new" tracks, as well as alternative versions of Loving Cup and Soul Survivor. I have the original vinyl from the 70's and always thought the mix and sound were kind of crappy. I later got (downloaded) a recent CD version and it sounded just as bad, I thought they would have cleaned up the muddy sound, but supposedly these new versions sound a lot better. If that's the case, it would be worth it buy the album again, but with the extra disc. This album is considered by many as the artistic high point of the band's career and I tend to agree. It's one of the few double albums that justifies 2 discs and every song has a sound and style of it's own. The new songs are actually tracks recorded during the EOMS sessions with newly recorded inserts and vocal additions added to the previously unreleased songs. I guess leftovers from 1972 must be better than totally new songs from 2010, so Stones fans will have something new to ponder. Here are the different incarnations of Exile On Main Street available May 18th.

• CD – Remaster of the original 18-track release.
• 2-LP – Original 18-track album on two 180-gram heavyweight audiophile vinyl LPs in gatefold sleeve.
• 2-CD Deluxe Edition – Original 18-track release and 10 special bonus tracks.
• 2-CD+DVD+2-LP Super Deluxe Package

As a sneak preview, the Stones released a 7" single on Record Store Day with one of the unreleased songs on Exile, Plundered My Soul bw/ All Down The Line. Not a bad song, nothing special, but I'm more excited that All Down The Line doesn't sound as trebly and tinny as the original release.

(removed the song links...sorry!)

Stars Perform New Album Live!

When a band first performs new material, there are two different reactions from the crowd. Some fans take the opportunity to go get another drink from the bar or use the time to relieve themselves in the bathroom. These fans don't recognize the familiar songs they know and love, so they choose to be ignorant and say to themselves, "I only want to hear the old stuff". The true follower of the band is keen to hear what new material the band has been working on since their last tour and will give the new songs a chance and will be attentive and open.

Stars brought their Five Ghosts tour to Winnipeg last Monday (May 10) and performed their new album in it's entirety, in order and gave their lucky fans an opportunity to assess and listen to the new material. For this mini-pre-release tour, Stars chose to play clubs instead of theatres for a more intimate experience to see and hear the band more up-close and personal. The last two times Stars played Winnipeg, they filled the much larger venues, Burton Cummings Theatre and Pantages Theatre for their, In Our Bedroom After The War tour. The Pyramid Cabaret's capacity is around 300, so tickets were limited and sold-out quickly.

Despite the 8:00 pm start time on the ticket, the band didn't hit the stage until after 10:20, which isn't surprising considering it's a bar (which makes it's money selling drinks) opposed to a concert hall venue. We arrived at the club just before 8:30 and had to stand in a long line outside in the rain just to gain entrance into the club. For some reason, there was photo ID checks for everyone (including myself) and "mandatory" coat checks which seemed to clog up the inside of the entrance, which in turn caused the lineup outside. I forgot to mention, preceding the band, singer Torquil Campbell did a opening DJ set as he was seated with his laptop on stage and "spun" some dance music and tunes he thought he should share. Stars proceeded to perform Five Ghosts in track order and the mindful crowd patiently listened, but it's so hard to gauge their response since most of these songs have never been heard. Their sound seems to be more electronic and a little less poppy (if you can call their music that), so their new album may require a few more concentrated listening before passing judgement. Set two or the second half of the show, featured songs that were voted for by the fans, along with other favourites. The energy of the show was much higher for this set both for the band and the crowd. Fans sang along to the familiar hits and the band's stage show was more tight and spirited. The band was enjoying themselves and they acknowledged their fan's dedication for the past 10 years. Hopefully, they'll be around for another ten!

STARS
Pyramid Cabaret
Winnipeg, MB
May 10, 2010

01. Dead Hearts
02. Wasted Daylight
03. I Died So I Could Haunt You
04. Fixed
05. We Don't Want Your Body
06. He Dreams He's Awake
07. Changes
08. The Passenger
09. The Last Song Ever Written
10. How Much More
11. Winter Bones
12. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
13. The Night Starts Here
14. Take Me to the Riot
15. Elevator Love Letter
16. Heart
17. Ageless Beauty
18. One More Night
19. Calendar Girl

Encore:
20. Tonight
(tracks 1-11: Five Ghosts album)

This is an audience recording, so the sound isn't perfect. The Pyramid has always had pretty shitty sound, but this actually sounds clearer than when you listen in person. During the first song and during a couple of other songs, stupid girls in front of me chat and talk excessively, which irritated not only me, but always others squeezed in around me trying to listen to the show. I'll talk about concert etiquette another time! Overall, this sounds really good! If you are a fan of Stars, you can preview the new album live, a full month before it's released. I haven't seen any other recordings from this tour so far or on Dime, so this is show is special.

Dimeadozen (FLAC) (members only)
STARS- 2010-05-10. rar (mp3)

(If prefer the FLAC version and you are not a Dime member, email me)

The Archive

Rilo Kiley- 1st Album

I thought since I talked so highly about Rilo Kiley's earlier albums in an earlier post, I figured it would be fitting to post their very first album. This rare hard-to-find self-titled release was put out by the band independently in 1999 and there was three versions, the first pressing had 8 tracks (and a hidden track), the second pressing reissue featured the same cover, but the track listings was slightly different (9 songs with a different and longer hidden track). The third version was titled, Initial Friend E.P., with 8 songs and no hidden tracks. I'm not sure what version I have (I have a burned disc I made years ago), but it contains all the tracks that appear on all three versions of the CD, including the hidden tracks along with a couple of bonus early mixes of The Frug and 85.

Overall, this early CD is a good (not great) indication of better things to come. It has a certain charm and innocence that originally attracted me to the band. Still, I recommend you check out their next three albums for the full picture.

RILO KILEY
Self-Titled (1st Album)

1. Frug
2. Papillon
3. Always
4. 85
5. Sword
   
6. Asshole
   
7. Gravity
   
8. Troubadours
   
9. Teenage Love Song
   
10. Glendora
11. Steve
12. (hidden track) Rained The Day
13. The Frug (early mix)
14. 85 (early mix)
15. Teenage Love Song (later mix)
16. (hidden track) Troubadours, The Annoying Noise Of Death

RILO KILEY- 1st CD. rar

Something New Mondays: Stars- "Fixed"

Tonight, I'm off to see Montreal band, Stars unveil songs from their upcoming album, The Five Ghosts, due to be released June 22nd. They are currently on tour, sort of an album pre-release tour of smaller Canadian clubs (US, as well) in support of the new disc. These shows will see Stars perform the new album in it's entirety during the first set, take a short break, then play a short set (encore) of fan requests (on-line voting) from their earlier albums. So far only a handful of Canadian cities have previewed the album, and only the single, Fixed has been available so far for fans to sample. It should be really interesting for their fans to hear these songs for the first time and it will give the band an opportunity to see their fan's reactions.

I feel fortunate to have tickets in hand for this unique show (I bought them the second they went on presale), as it has been sold out for a while, in due part because of the small intimate venue, the Pyramid (capacity 300). I am disappointed though, because I couldn't take my daughter (who is a bigger Stars fan than me) because it is a 18+ show, something that wasn't mentioned on the presale ticket information. I should have suspected this because the Pyramid is a bar, but it has hosted all-age shows in the past. I will attend with recorder in pocket and hopefully I can get a decent sounding recording to post on this blog...stay tuned!

STARS- Fixed mp3

Shadowy Men At A Shadowy CBC

Remember the cool theme song from the original Kids In The Hall television series? In case you didn't know, the song was called, Having An Average Weekend by the Toronto band, Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet, who also supplied the background and going to/coming back from commercial musical segments. Their short catchy surf-guitar instrumentals gave the show a certain style and atmosphere that provided the Kid's show an edgy feel. I even bought their cassette, Savvy Show Stoppers, that contained Average Weekend and a bunch of other great grooving toe-tapping songs. The only thing that sometimes bugs me about instrumental bands is that I keep expecting the vocals, the songs sometimes feel like extra long intros to songs. But then again, vocals might completely ruin a good instrumental band and might not be a good match at all.

What I've posted is a live session on a CBC radio broadcast, probably Brave New Waves from the late 80's or early 90's. I vaguely remember hearing them on the program around this time, though it might have been another appearance (They did a number of interviews and live segments on CBC). Sorry, I don't have the broadcast date or the track listing, so you'll have to listen to the whole thing and if you can provide me with more information, please let me know.

SHADOWY MEN ON A SHADOWY PLANET
"Brave New Waves"
CBC Studio
Radio Broadcast (Date unknown?)

(FYI: The tracks are numbered 11-25 because they are taken from a source that had other songs on it, ignore it.)

Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet- CBC. rar

Rilo Kiley @ Bimbo's 2004-09-23

For some reason, I've been re-listening to a lot of Rilo Kiley lately. I've discovered my new co-worker is a bit of a fan and we've discussed how disappointed we were with their last album, Under The Blacklight. I'm a pretty big fan of Jenny Lewis and her band and I started to dig the band before they became more widely known and I must admit, they sound like a different band with the release of their major label debut. I don't know what happens to bands when they gain a wider audience, they somehow lose that "indie-sound" edge, if there is such a thing, and start to sound like every other band on generic mainstream radio. The band used to be refreshingly unique with their quirky lyrics and charming beautiful ballads, but instead the band gets dragged down by it's the slick production and produces a predictable commercial sound. There are some decent moments on Under the Blacklight, but if you want to hear Rilo at their best (according to me, anyways), give a listen to The Execution Of All Things, Take Offs And Landings and More Adventurous. I don't know what the future for Rilo Kiley holds, it's been 3 years since the release of Blacklight and Jenny has been busy with her solo projects, so fans should revisit their older work.

I'm posting one of my favourite Rilo Kiley shows from 2004. This concert was recorded in San Francisco at Bimbo's during their More Adventurous tour, so the setlist features many songs from that album and Execution Of All Things. The concert recording is soundboard quality, so it sounds great and the band is in top form. If you're a fan of Rilo Kiley or want to sample the band live, this is a fine place to start.
Enjoy!
(p.s. Hey Sumi!- Jenny Lewis is NOT Huey Lewis's daughter!)

RILO KILEY
Bimbo's 365 Club,
San Francisco, CA
September 23, 2004

1) It's A Hit
2) Good That Won't Come Out
3) My Slumbering Heart
4) More Adventurous
5) Portions for Foxes
6) Three Hopeful Thoughts
7) Absence Of God
8) A Man/Me/Then Jim
9) Don't Deconstruct
10) Pictures of Success
11) Small Figures In A Vast Expanse
12) Love and War
13) I Never
14) Does He Love You?
Encore:
15) Simply Irresistable
16) The Execution Of All Things
17) A Better Son/Daughter

RILO KILEY-2004-09-23 Bimbo's, SF. rar

The Weakerthans In Australia

I guess it's pretty obvious, I'm a bit of a Weakerthans fan. I've written about them frequently on this blog posting snippets of live shows and reviewing their albums. If you're a fan, you might want to check a soon to be released full-length documentary about the band called, "We're The Weakerthans, We're From Winnipeg". The exclusive sneak preview screening is taking place on May 8th at the Globe Theatre. Tickets are $5 at the door or at Kustom Kulture and Into The Music. This screening is part of the Nuna (now) celebration of Icelandic and Canadian art and culture.

As a teaser, I found an excellent Weakerthans recording of an in-studio radio performance in Melbourne, Australia from February of this year, when they were in town for the Soundwave Festival. Nice acoustic versions of some songs from their latest album. This show was posted on Dime and on a blog called Fan Made Recordings, in case you're interested in live recordings from Australia. Lot's of cool bands, photos and live recordings of bands from Down Under, as well as touring bands from North America and Europe.

THE WEAKERTHANS
Studio 5, PBS Studios
Melbourne, Australia
February 2?th, 2010

1. Intro
2. Tournament of Hearts
3. Night Windows
4. Sun In An Empty Room
5. The Reasons
6. Bigfoot
7. Pamphleteer
8. Psalm For The Elks Lodge Last Call

THE WEAKERTHANS- 2010-02 Live in Australia. rar

Jayhawks Debut Reissued May 18th!

The Jayhawks self-titled debut, (aka "Bunkhouse album") will finally be available for the first time on May 18th on CD (and again on vinyl) by Lost Highway Records. When the album was originally released in 1986 on Bunkhouse Records, they only pressed 2000 vinyl copies and has been unavailable for almost 25 years.

As I told you in a previous post, my sister has a vinyl copy of that pressing and I remember when I had my first apartment, I hung up the poster that came with the album. I need to make a serious search for that poster as I know this album demands hundreds of dollars on eBay and should be a premium with the original poster. The reissue will feature a 8 page booklet with photos from that time period. The band at the time was Mark Olson, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Norm Rogers (drums).

Just a reminder, I previously posted the album back last June and if you still haven't had a listen it's still active here. (let me know if it's not!)

Something New Mondays- The New Pornographers

Though the new album by the New Pornographers, Together isn't officially released until May 4th, fans have an opportunity to listen to the entire album for a free, via streaming on the npr.org and exclaim.ca's website. I've been enjoying a pre-release listen from a downloaded leaked copy for a week already and my first impression of this much anticipated album is it sounds promising. Their last album, The Challengers took some repeated listening to fully appreciate the depth and quality that you come to expect from a New Pornographers album, but I didn't think it ranked as one of their best. This new one will require much more in-depth listening until I can fully review the album, but I'm excited because there is a little more Neko than on The Challengers and to support the album the band is on tour with the full line-up of eight members (7 is Neko Case, 8 is Dan Bejar). So far my favourite song on the album is Crash Years.

One thing you have to say about the New Porns is that their sound is instantly recognizable and you never mistake it for any of their solo work and arguably they save their best work for the band (especially Carl (AC) Newman!). See what you think and post your comments!

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS- Together (full album stream) npr.org
or Together (full album stream) exclaim.ca
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS- Crash Years (mp3)

p.s.- I'm not going to post the album on my blog as I might get a warning from the copyright police, so if you want a mp3 version, please leave a request.

The Plimsouls- One Night In America

With the recent release of The Plimsouls live CD, Live, Beg, Borrow & Steal, an unearthed live recording from this great pop-rock band from nearly 30 years ago, it got me thinking about another good sounding live recording from the band. Much like Live, Beg, Borrow & Steal, One Night In America was recording from their 1981 tour of America, but instead of the legendary Whiskey A Go-Go, One Night is set in Cleveland. Both discs showcase their powerful supercharged power-pop live show that sometimes over shadows their studio input with it's sheer energy and showcases the band at their raw best.

I never had an opportunity to see The Plimsouls in concert, but the closest I got was seeing singer/songwriter Peter Case at the Winnipeg Folk Festival in the late 80's (88 & 89), but it was much more folk and troubadour than power-pop. At the time I didn't know too much about Peter Case, but I knew he was part of Plimsouls years earlier and he was suppose to be something special, so I was eagerly anticipated seeing Case. At the time he was married to Victoria Williams, so they collaborated together for a couple of songs, I wasn't disappointed with Peter Case, but I must confess her voice was a required taste, at least at that period in my music listening life. It wasn't until I heard the cover of A Million Miles Away performed and recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls, that I seeked out the Plimsouls back catalogue. Case has enjoyed a long and cult-successful career in the music industry, but to really appreciate the influence and legacy he has left, please track down a copy of Live, Beg, Borrow & Steal, I know I will and you can get it here.

THE PLIMSOULS
One Night In America (1988)
(recorded in Cleveland in 1981)

01. Hush Hush
02. Now
03. How Long Will It Take?
04. I Want What You Got
05. A Million Miles Away
06. Time Won't Let Me
07. In This Town
08. One More Heartache
09. Help Yourself
10. I'll Get Lucky
11. Dizzie Miss Lizzie
12. Come On Now

13. Sorry

THE PLIMSOULS- One Night In America. rar

Back From Chi-Town!

Actually I was back last Tuesday, but then the NHL playoffs began on Wednesday and I really haven't done much since then besides going to work and watching hockey (2-4 days a night!). I love the first round of playoffs, lots of upsets and lots of fast paced entertaining hockey. Anyways, I've lost a bit of momentum as far as posting goes, so I'll try to be consistent and get something new up every second day or so.

I haven't been to Chicago since the mid-eighties and one the most noticeable things about the downtown (and the surrounding areas) is the lack of record stores. I managed to visit the Reckless Records store downtown location, which is really the only place to buy vinyl or even CD's downtown. It would have been worth the L-train ride to visit one of the other locations in Wicker Park or Broadway Street, because the downtown store was small and lacked much selection or ambiance. I only bought one CD (Old 97's- Satellite Rides) and a Reckless Records t-shirt.

In case you missed it, it was International Record Store day on Saturday and many of your local shops celebrated by hosting in-store performances and selling exclusive releases. Personally I had to work on Saturday, but the day is a reminder to support local independent stores that are being swallowed up by non-music chain stores stores such as Starbucks, Walmart, Chapters/Indigo, as well as online giants like Amazon and iTunes. If I had a band, I would even prefer my fans to file share than to support evil retailers like Walmart!

When I think of Chicago music, I think of the Blues, Wilco and the band, Chicago. I was seriously thinking about transferring my 4-LP vinyl box set copy of Chicago at Carnegie Hall , in tribute to the city of Chicago, but that would be cruel and painful. Instead, I have something from a fav Chicago band, an rare early EP from the Eleventh Dream Day that demonstrates what a great band EDD would become. If you want to check out EDD at their best, I suggest Beet or Lived To Tell. This underrated band has never gotten the attention or received the success they deserve and it's good to see they still play the odd show once in a while.
Enjoy!

ELEVENTH DREAM DAY
Self Titled EP (1987)
01. Walking Though the Barrel of a Gun
02. Vein of Gold
03. Not the Ballad of a Girl
04. Liz Beth
05. The Arsonist
06. Cascade

ELEVENTH DREAM DAY- Self Titled EP. rar

Going To Chicago!

I'm going to Chicago today, so I thought it would be appropriate to post some vintage Wilco from 1999, live at the Tower record store in their hometown of Chicago. This show sounds sweeeet!!
I'm back next Tuesday and I'll have some new music on Wednesday (Gotta scan out the record stores in Chicago).
Enjoy!

WILCO
Tower Records
Chicago, IL
November 3, 1999

01 - I'm Always In Love
02 - Via Chicago
03 - How To Fight Loneliness
04 - She's A Jar
05 - We're Just Friends
06 - Can't Stand It
07 - I Got You
08 - Forget The Flowers
09 - California Stars

WILCO- Tower Records 1999-11-03. rar

Something New Mondays- Cubs 2010

Installment two from the Baseball Project's Broadside Ballads project is an optimistic song for Chicago Cubs fans, Cubs 2010. Scott McCaughey's prediction for the upcoming season is that the Cubs could go all the way, a championship season to end the 102 year drought that has plague Cubs players and fans for generations.

This song is of particular interest personally because I'm taking a vacation to Chicago later this week and while I'm there I'll be taking in the Cubs home opener at the historic Wrigley Field. In one of those bucket-like lists, one of things I gotta do is go to a Blackhawk's game and see a ball game at Wrigley Field. Ticket's to the Cubs game were hard to come by, but with the Internet and sites such as Stubhub.com, finding tickets to sold-out events are possible and in this case affordable. I'm sure Cubs 2010 will be the anthem the team will rise up to on their way to the pennant.
Go Cubs go!!

Baseball Project- Cubs 2010 mp3

The Figgs- Rejects

While the Figgs earliest releases were only available on cassette, the Figgs 2000 release, Rejects was only released on vinyl. If you get your hands on a copy of this now out of print album of outtakes, please let me know. This a great collection of "rejects" combined with quirky between song interludes and funny answering machine messages and a must for any Figgs fan. This album has shades of the Young Fresh Fellows, Gag Fah (a compilation of live, outtakes and demos) and the New Duncan Imperials, Live, Rare & Bad, both in it's content and format. Come to think of it I should post both those "for fan's only" tapes (If any one's interested?), because they are hard to come by and they're a lot of fun. Rejects collects songs from 1993-1999 and contains some real gems, including a cover of the Young Fresh Fellows, Hillbilly Drummer Girl and some kick-ass songs like, Rollerskate and Fucks Off.

If you ever come across any Figgs CD's, tapes or vinyl records, give them a listen. I would love to catch them at a club or playing backup to Graham Parker and I almost got the chance as I'm off to Chicago later this week. I noticed GP and the Figgs are playing the Windy City on April 17 at the Old Town School Of Folk, unfortunately it's a couple days after I come home...Damn!!

THE FIGGS
Rejects (2000)

1. answering machine #1

2. Rollerskate

3. What Became of It

4. Hillbilly Drummer Girl

5. Sully

6. Much to Lose

7. Barely There # 1

8. Rice Chicken commercial

9. ''Kick into da blues''
10. Fucks Off

11. The Bar

12. Getting Down With L.T.D.

13. My New Gun

14. She's Fine

15. commentary from Mike Gent

16. Barely There # 2

17. answering machine # 2 (WEQX)

THE FIGGS- Rejects. rar

The Figgs- Ginger

To celebrate the start of Spring and the month of April, I think this blog needs a double shot of The Figgs. When I think of a band that has stuck close to it's roots producing great rock 'n' roll since they formed of 1987 and has never compromised it's sound to draw in larger audiences or sell more records, I think of the Figgs.

The Figgs have produced nine full length albums and numerous EP's, singles and live albums. They have served as a backing band for Graham Parker since 1996 and are currently on tour together. The Figgs have also toured as Tommy Stinson's band. If you want to get a feel of how straight forward rock should be, pick up one of their two live recordings, Continue To Enjoy The Figgs Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Guitar, bass and drums, no overdubs, raw, tight, unpretentious and amazing.

Ginger was the first release by the Figgs and was a cassette-only release limited to 500 copies. Ginger and their next cassette release, Ready Steady Stoned, were the precursors to their first full length, Lo-Fi At Society High, which coincidentally was my first introduction to the Figgs. I was at the Musicplex music store downtown (now defunct) in 1994, browsing the listening stations (which I rarely try) and this Figgs album caught my eye. I listened to the first two songs and I bought the cassette on the spot, considering I bought the tape at the Musicplex, it must have been a major label release and I think at this time they got tagged in the "most promising band" category. Their follow-up Banda Macho was on Capital Records, but because of poor sales, since 1997 they have been on smaller indie labels or self-released. Their last album from 2006, Follow Jean Through The Sea was well-received and brought some well deserved attention to the band. In my opinion it is my favourite Figgs album since Lo-Fi.

Ginger is a fine debut, maybe a little more demo-ish and less polished than their other albums, but their present sound hasn't strayed too far from their early tapes. An early version of Wasted Pretty is a highlight (it was re-recorded on Lo-Fi), along with Kristy McNichol's Boots which is another strong song that got my attention. To be truthfully revealing, Kristy McNichol was my teen crush and obsession, but more on that later!
Next post: More Figgs! Enjoy!!

THE FIGGS Ginger (1992)

01. Bitch Theme

02. Kristy McNichol's Boots

03. Sleaze

04. Floored

05. Milk Dud

06. Happy

07. Pretty Wasted

08. Can't Be Cloned

09. Donahue

10. Treble Head

THE FIGGS- Ginger. rar

She & Him- Live In Session On MBE

One of my favourite albums so far in 2010 is the new release, Volume Two, from She & Him. Rolling Stone describes it as, "It's the sunniest sad record you'll hear all year- pretty love songs set in a "nation" where the summer never ends".

In case you missed out the first time, for their debut, Volume One, She & Him is actress Zooey Deschanel and M. (Matt) Ward. Volume One surprised many listeners with it's charming old-timey sensitivity that proved that Zooey was more than a pretty face that liked to dabble in singing and their songs became instantly catchy and enjoyable. They up the ante for Volume Two as the songs are even richer, fuller and so wonderfully bittersweet. Any shyness and hesitation that Zooey's vocals displayed on the first record has been lost, as her confidence is not only in her voice, but also in her songs that are strongly displayed here. M. Ward's arrangements and instrumentation add to the retro-feel in both it's production and it's overall sound. His contributions can't not be understated and the chemistry between the two is much more noticeable on Volume Two.

The session that I have posted is from KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic aired last week, a day after the release date of Volume Two. This is an excellent performance that features their whole band live in the studio and the program includes two sets of new music squeezed between an interview with Matt and Zooey.

SHE & HIM
KCRW FM- Morning Becomes Eclectic
Santa Monica, CA
Aired- March 23, 2010

1. [Intro]
2. Thieves
3. Me And You
4. Ridin' In My Car (NRBQ Cover)
5. Gonna Get Along Without You Now (Skeeter Davis Cover)
6. [Interview]
7. [-dead air-]
8. Home
9. Over And Over / Sing
10. [-talking-]
11. Take It Back
12. In The Sun
13. [Outro]

The Band:
Zooey Deschanel - Piano, Wurly, Vox,
M. Ward - Guitar, Vox,
Scott McPherson - Drums,
Matt Brown - Bass, Guitar,
Mike Coykendall - Acoustic Guitar,
Abigail Chapin - Vox, Keys,
Lily Chapin - Vox, Keys

SHE & HIM- Live In Session. rar

Kate Maki- Live At The Folk Exchange

Wish I brought my camera!- photo from 2008 by Clayton Turner

I didn't know what to expect when I attended the Kate Maki show last Friday night at the Folk Exchange. I heard this was a good intimate concert venue that had good sound and nice sight lines. For me as a concert taper I like small spaces that have good acoustics that fill the room without too much crowd noise and distractions. Well, I guess I should have anticipated a small crowd because exactly a week before the show when I bought my tickets at the Folk Fest office, my ticket numbers were 001 and 002. Yes, I think I bought the first two tickets! Sure enough when we showed up 10 minutes before the concert was to begin (8:00pm, doors were 7:15), there were only 3 other people there already. Things picked up though, as in total there were 11 audience members (+ 5 volunteer staff) that paid $12 to see Kate Maki.

Kate Maki is a singer-songwriter from Sudbury, Ontario who had a career as a teacher, but quit to pursue music full-time. She says she still substitutes ("to pay off her tour expenses"), but her true love is music and you have to respect someone that goes after that dream and can make a living doing what you love. She has four albums to her credit and has toured back and forth, up and down extensively across the country (U.S. as well) touring on her own and as a supporting act. Her last stop in Winnipeg was last year with the Great Lake Swimmers.

The show opened with Kate's tour mate, Brent Randall from the band, the Pinecones. Brent played a respectable set of organ-infused pop songs that brought to mind late 60's Brit-pop. Maybe it's his sleepy-Paul McCartney eyes that kept me thinking he was British, but he obviously has a lot of talent and as sparse as they were performed, the songs sounded good. I would definitely like to see him with the whole band if they tour through here anytime soon.

By the time Kate took the stage, we had already become familiar with her. During Brent's set she called out some requests from the chair beside us and later joined him on stage to sing backing for a song. Her set got off to a little slow start, after her first song, Bloodshot & Blistered, she searched on the floor in front of her to try and find a screw that fell off her pickguard on her vintage Gibson hollowbody. She ended up using a piece of electrical tape the sound guy offered, to tape on the guard and the show carried on. The show was everything a good concert should be, Kate actually talked to the audience, not just, "Hey Winnipeg I love your hockey team or whatever", but actual conversation, asking us questions and telling us about her last few years. She said she was being much more candid than she should be, but that just added to personal and genuine performer (and real person) that she seems to be. She was funny, she was charming and she was sincere. At one point she pleaded, "Whatever is said in this room does not leave this room" and "Please don't say anything, I hope no one's recording this"... Oops, I guess I won't be sharing this recording. Her songs kept me captivated despite playing without a band, though Brent added some keyboards and bass on some songs, and she was a very capable guitar player that was able to fill out the sound. All in all, the small audience, the cozy venue and Kate's easy-going honest persona made for an enjoyable evening out. It was almost like having her play in your living room. (except with a better sound and light system)

At the end of the show I bought her latest CD, Two Song Wedding (I have her other 3, buy them! If you can find them.) and asked Kate to sign it. She also signed the back of her setlist for me with, "What was said in the exchange, stays at the exchange", how appropriate!

(I think I'll send Kate a copy of the recording and see what she thinks. I'll try to post a sample or two from the show.)

The Guess Who Live At River Heights Community Club

Since we're on the topic of Winnipeg and Burton Cummings, I thought it would be appropriate to post an early show from one of the most well-known bands to ever come out of Winnipeg.

Back in the early and mid-sixties, bands in Winnipeg played anywhere they could just for a chance to play in front of an audience of anxious teenage kids. Bowling alleys, drive-in theatres, coffee shops, restaurants and community clubs were a popular meeting place to hear the newest sounds from the many young bands in our city. I haven't seen a lot of early Guess Who live recordings especially with their original front-man, Chad Allan, so this is worth a listen even if you're not from the band's hometown.
Other reasons why this recording is special:

• River Heights Community Club is where I played hockey from the age of 6-19. This is the neighborhood where I grew up and the community centre, or at least the hockey arena part of the building is where I spent a huge part of my childhood. The gymnasium was upstairs with an old stage and curtains (the last time I saw it was maybe 20 years ago?), this would have been similar to a school gym, but probably smaller.
• Chad Allan was still the leader of the band, while Burton Cummings was a supporting player (piano), but takes lead vocals on a couple of songs. This may have been one of Allan's last shows with the Guess Who, so this is a pretty historic show.
• The sound quality is great, especially given the time period. A soundboard recording both for the River Heights show and the bonus songs from the Winnipeg Arena. They could easily officially release this recording and I know there would be a demand with fans worldwide.
  
• During this time period the band was known as the Guess Who?, the question mark would be dropped in 1968. They were formerly known as, Chad Allan And The Expressions.

THE GUESS WHO
River Heights Community Club
Winnipeg, MB
February, 1966

01 - Wham!
02 - Tribute To Buddy Holly
03 - Back & Forth
04 - Shy Guy
05 - Made In England
06 - Baby's Got A Brand New Beau
07 - Inside Out
08 - A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues
09 - Stop Teasing Me
10 - Shakin' All Over
11 - Where Have You Been All My Life
12 - Tossin' & Turnin'
13 - Instrumental (Title Unknown)
14 - Hey-Ho (What You Do To Me)
15 - Monday Monday (partial)
16 - California Girls
17 - I Should Have Realized
18 - It's The Loveliest Time Of The Year
19 - I'd Rather Be Alone
20 - I Saw Her Standing There
21 - Tuff E'nuff
22 - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (partial) (Vocal: Burton)
23 - Wait
24 - Blue Is The Night (Vocal: Burton)
25 - Little Latin Lupe Lu - Money (That's What I Want) (Vocals: Burton/Jim)
26 - Baby's Birthday
27 - Shakin' All Over (Winnipeg Arena)
28 - It's Too Late (Winnipeg Arena)
29 - I'm Down (Winnipeg Arena) (Vocal: Burton)
30 - Wham! (Original rip w/ tape glitch)

Chad Allan - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Burton Cummings - Keyboards, Vocals
Randy Bachman - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Jim Kale - Bass, Vocals (Lead vocal on "Money")
Garry Peterson - Drums

THE GUESS WHO- Winnipeg, MB- Feb. 1966. rar

THE GUESS WHO- 1966-02-xx Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar (NEW version!)

Weakerthans- Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre

It's not often a concert I attended becomes a official CD release, but even more intriguing is the fact I also recorded this same concert last April. On Tuesday March 23, hometown heroes, The Weakerthans are releasing a CD/DVD package entitled, Live At the Burton Cummings Theatre, which documents their concert here last April 17, 2009. Up until today (actually, now yesterday), Exclaim.ca streamed the album in it's entirety to give fans a preview of the goods (you can now listen at epitaph.com). I had a listen so I can compare their recording to the one I captured on my mini-disc recorder. As expected, the official release is a well produced soundboard recording that is crisp, balanced and basically flawless sound quality. My recording is actually pretty respectable even though it was recorded from the back half of the floor with a little bit more crowd noise and chatter. In my review of the show, I complained about all the talking and shouting from the crowd that became a bit of a distraction to John K, which led to him stopping mid-song to compose himself. Interesting enough the song in question, My Favourite Chords is not included on this release along with 4 other songs that were performed at the show. If you want the complete recording of the concert, I suggest you download my version (see link below), what you don't get in perfect sound quality, you do get the full concert as it was performed (especially to all you completests, personally I would sacrifice sound quality for all the songs). Incidently, my recording (along with a Ray Davies and Wilco show) of this concert showed up and was being sold at a local record store. Just to set the record straight, I never sell my shows for money, I only trade and share my recordings and if you see anything you like and can't or don't want to download, send me a message and I'll make you a copy.

I'm confused, as I look over the set list from the show then compare it to the Live At Burton Cummings Theatre track list I notice something strange. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if you subtract the songs that aren't on the official release (Elegy For Elsabet, Relative Surplus Value, My Favourite Chords, Confessions Of A Futon Revolutionist, Pampheteer), and the fact they played 21 songs at the show, you get 16 songs, but wait, there's 18 songs on the CD. On the track listing they have substituted Sun In An Empty Room and Wellington's Wednesdays for EFE and RSV...I don't think they played those songs, again correct me if I'm wrong, but it's very bizarre.

Editor's note: Oops, I'm an idiot! Thanks John for correcting me (in the comments section), the Weakerthans played two consecutive nights last April, April 17 & 18, 2009. This is ideal if you're recording a live album because you can play a similar set, with a few different songs substituted in, and be able to pick and choose the best versions from both shows. Back in December, Danny Michel recorded two nights at the West End Cultural Centre with the intention to release a live album. My apologies to the Weakerthans for jumping to any conclusions about the origins of the songs without completely thinking.

So, buy this CD/DVD, it sounds amazing and it's a great representation of their live show! The bonus is the accompanying DVD that allows you to see the band up close and in action.

"Weakerthans Roll Into Town"- April 23, 2009 (my original post/download link)
Download re-post: Weakerthans 2009-04-17. rar (mp3's)

Big Star- Nobody Can Dance

Nobody Can Dance is a collection of unreleased tracks, the first half of the disc is a band rehearsal and the second half, a live set. The rehearsal is a real treat, the band is loose, raw and Alex Chilton is spirited and the band is tight and crisp. Personally, in some ways I prefer these versions compared to the studio albums (#1 Record and Radio City). The live set is okay, but the sound quality isn't quite as good as the rehearsal half, as it suffers from a bad mix and a rough performance. The live segment was recorded a couple of months later and even features a version of The Letter, a classic tune made famous by Chilton's previous band, The Box Tops.

This is a must for Big Star fans! Please seek out some of their other releases and see for yourself why they are considered the quintessential American band.

BIG STAR
Nobody Can Dance (1999)

1		Don't Lie To Me	3:25
2		Back Of A Car	2:56
3		O My Soul	5:33
4		Mod Lang	2:33
5		She's A Mover	4:02
6		September Gurls	3:02
7		In The Street	3:16
8		You Get What You Deserve	4:00
9		Baby Strange	3:54
10		Mod Lang	2:55
11		You Get What You Deserve	3:07
12		The Letter	3:12
13		September Gurls	2:56
14		Way Out West	2:32
15		O My Soul	6:01

Tracks 1-8 studio rehearsals, Ultra-Sonic Studios, Hampstead, NY, March 1974
Tracks 9-15 live at The Overton Park, Memphis Tennessee, May 1974

BIG STAR- Nobody Can Dance. rar

The Replacements- Shit, Shower And Shave

When I think about some of my favourite bands and their influences, one name that seems to often pop up is Big Star. Though they only really recorded three proper albums, their musical influence and underdog attitude can't be denied in the history of alternative-rock. Bands such as the Replacements, R.E.M, Teenage Fanclub and the Posies carried on the spirit and melodic gift Big Star brought to the world and you can imagine my shock when I heard Big Star front man, Alex Chilton died at the age of 59 today.

Paul Westerberg immortalized Chilton on the song, Alex Chilton with, Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes 'round. They sing "I'm in love. What's that song? I'm in love with that song." . In fact, Westerberg was considered or possibly turned down an opportunity to join a revamped version of Big Star in the early 90's, instead Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow (of the Posies) filled in alongside Chilton and drummer Jody Stephens for the reunion. The Replacements often included Big Star covers into their set, as Westerberg was instrumental in educating the masses (modern music fans) about what a great unsung band Big Star was.

If you want to seek out some Big Star music, essential listening should start with #1 Record and Radio City and if you have the cash, buy the recent 4-disc box set, Keep An Eye On the Sky, which pretty much includes everything, plus demos, rehearsals, alternate and unissued tracks.

I was originally going to post a Big Star show or some outs, but I need to search on my other hard-drive or "the room with the boxes" to find something good first. As a consolation, I'm posting a live concert compilation from the Replacements' (ill-fated?) 1989 tour with Tom Petty. Shit, Shower And Shave isn't the Replacements at their best live (I personally love their loud and sloppy), but offers up some fine songs and the sound is excellent soundboard quality, probably the best sounding Replacements bootleg out there. This is still a reminder of what a great band the Replacements were live and why they should have released a 4 disc live anthology instead of Tom Petty. SS and S also features an outstanding version of Big Star's, September Gurls and Westerberg's tribute song, Alex Chilton.

REPLACEMENTS
Shower, Shit And Shave (1989)

1		Talent Show
2		'Round And 'Round
3		The Ledge
4		Can't Hardly Wait
5		September Gurls
6		Another Girl, Another Planet
7		Within Your Reach
8		Left Of The Dial
9		Alex Chilton
10		Nightclub Jitters
11		I'll Be You
12		Bastards Of Young
13		Talent Show
14		Answering Machine
15		Anywhere's Better Than Here
16		Another Girl, Another Planet
17		Here Comes A Regular
18		Achin' To Be
19		Waitress In The Sky
20		Don't Ask Why
21		Unsatisfied
22		I'll Be You
23		I Will Dare

Tracks 1-12 Bristol Connecticut August 31 1989 Tracks 13-17 Milwaukee Wisconsin, June 1989 (originally released on Sire’s Inconcerated promo CD) Tracks 18-23 Mansfield Massachusetts August 28, 1989

THE REPLACEMENTS- Shower, Shit And Shave. rar