Good news for Baseball fans and appreciators of good music, The Baseball Project's next album is due for release very soon, as Yep Roc Records is now taking pre-orders for Volume 2: High And Inside. If you pre-order before March 1, you will receive two exclusive bonus tracks and the first 300 orders will also receive a very cool poster of Peter, Steve, Linda and Scott as bobble heads (as illustrated in the photo above), I think I better get on this!
While between Volume 1 and 2, the band released a series of songs to coincide with this past baseball season. These singles made up the Broadside Ballads collection and were up for free download through a partnership between the band and ESPN.com's, "The Life". This was the band's way of offering their musical insight on the 2010 baseball season and to give back to their fan's for supporting the band's first album, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails. All the songs are great and if you're a die-hard ball fan or even a casual fan you will appreciate their commentary about all the happenings from the season. I've downloaded the whole series and I have them all together if you want to download the whole file (it'll save you time), kind of like a real album. I've also included the song, Don't Call Them Twinkies with lead vocals from Craig Finn from The Hold Steady (I previously posted that song). Remember on March 1 (or before), buy Vol. 2!
Just to clarify, the Young Fresh Fellows didn't break up after recording this and this isn't really an album, but more of a box set of 5- 7" vinyl records. These 5- 45's were originally released independently from each other on 5 different record labels, but were later compiled together to form, The Break Up Album. The concept of a farewell album initially grew from the fact the band considered breaking up after the departure of Chuck Carroll. When the remaining members began recording for a possible farewell album, it became apparent they really didn't want to break up because it was still fun. Scott McCaughey notes on the liner notes, "I won't begin to count the number of songs born out of the grueling ups and downs inherent in long term love relationships. I realized being in a band was very much like being married and that quite naturally played havoc in the other, more "normal marriages. So the Break Up Album took shape as a record about the confinements of relationships, and the incredible difficulty of making them survive or even, dare I say it, prosper". When the Fellows began recording the follow-up to Totally Lost, the break up concept was very much on their minds. They recorded 35 songs and they realized many of the non-conceptual songs were too good to leave off an album. This One's For The Ladies became a collection of their best and favourite songs from those sessions (regardless of the "break up" status). Eleven of those songs made it onto vinyl for the Break Up Album, but many more remain unreleased or unfinished. An interesting collection and some fine, fine songs. If you see this in a record store or on eBay or something, for a reasonable price, don't hesitate to buy this! The beautiful hand-screened box-set with artwork from Tad ( small pizza box!) is very hard to find and limited to only 400 copies, so it's a true collectors item. In some ways this is one of my most valued items in my record collection. I bought my copy through the mail directly from the band back in, I think 1991 or so? I used to love buying things in those days from the Fellows and Popllama Records. I pretty much bought all my YFF vinyl (7" and LP) and band shirts directly from them...fun times, the good ol' days!! Enjoy!!
The amazing feat of the Weakerthans performing all 4 of their albums in one concert will probably not be repeated in the near future. Over 3 hours of music is equivalent to at least whole two concerts and though the setlist was predictable, it was still a surprise to hear many songs that are seldom performed live. The task of playing all their songs made the members of the band revisit their entire catalog and it was a special holiday treat for the hometown crowd to delight in hearing all the songs from their favourite band. Guitarist Stephen Carroll mentioned in an interview with the Uptown that, "We approached it as an exercise to learn all the old songs. I had heard Wilco was doing something like that as an exercise and thought it was a great idea." I have those fore-mentioned show's recordings and what Wilco accomplished was they played every song they had ever recorded (including b-sides) during a 5-night "residency" at the Riviera Theatre, in Chicago from February 15-20, 2008 (Get the recording's here!). This was an exercise not only in self-indulgence, but also the challenge to proudly show you can still play it like the old days and maybe put a different spin to the songs. It was quite the amazing accomplishment and it was sounded incredible! I would have loved to have travelled to Chicago to see those shows.
Speaking of travelling to another city to see a band, there was much press coverage of a fan from Atlanta, GA that came up to Winnipeg specifically to see this Weakerthans series. Andy Gish wrote about her preparations and her journey to our fair town on her blog, Winnipeg Wanderings and it has been interesting hearing her point of view about our city. Thanks Andy for the kind words about Winnipeg and the Weakerthans and I've continued to follow her blog even after returning home to the States.
Personally, this was a special show because I love this band and despite seeing them twice earlier in the week, my only regret was not seeing the 3rd show at the Pyramid. That show featured their 3rd album, Reconstruction Site which I still got to experience at the Burton Cummings Theatre show, but I must admit, seeing the band in a smaller venue is a much nicer experience than the larger confines of the Burt. At the clubs you have to stand for the entire show, but at the Burt, despite the seats, if you are on the floor you have to stand anyways because of the standing crush in front of the stage.
I recorded the concert and would have had a complete recording except for my run-in with the BCT's security staff. During Leash (from Fallow), a security guard (#1) grabbed at my recorder and tore my mics off my jacket. We scuffled and he took off with my equipment towards the lobby. I followed and he told me recording wasn't allowed and he would confiscate my equipment. I told him the band was okay with taping, so he said "we'll see about that, we'll talk to their road manager". Minutes later, he returned my recorder to my seat and said, "don't do this again" and I proceeded to stupidly reattach my mics and continued to record. A second security guy (#2) came and grabbed it again and ran off to the lobby. I was about to be thrown out, but the head security person ran over and said "wait, give it back!". He explained to me and the security thug that the band's management said this was a "anything goes" show and that the band is fine with all audio and video recording, as well as professional photography. Security #2 sheepishly said no one told him and that he forced many fans not to take video with their cameras and phones. I realize it isn't the fault of the BCT staff because the venue probably doesn't allow the use of camera's and recording, but they should have consulted with the band's wishes to make sure people aren't unnecessarily hassled. I'm still pissed off my recording was incomplete, as I missed 3 entire songs and 3 other songs were interrupted by the over-zealous security. This is the first time this has ever happened and I must admit I don't hide it as much as used to, but with the increased use of camera phones, flip video cameras and other technology, I can't believe they still try to enforce it. When I record a band, I'm not out to sell it and make money, I record to share the music with other fans and it's a nice souvenir of the show. Most band's nowadays embrace the technology and encourage fans to share the music as long as no one is making money off the recording. This allows fans to enjoy the band's music beyond their studio recordings.
The Weakerthans Burton Cummings Theatre Winnipeg, MB December 18, 2010 Perform all 4 albums!! (in reverse order).
PART 1
Reunion Tour 01. Intro. 02. Civil Twilight 03. Hymn Of The Medical Oddity 04. Relative Surplus Value 05. Tournament Of Hearts 06. Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure 07. Elegy Of Gump Worsley 08. Sun In An Empty Room 09. Night Windows 10. Bigfoot! 11. Reunion Tour 12. Utilities
Reconstruction Tour 13. (Manifest) 14. The Reasons 15. Reconstruction Site 16. Psalm For The Elks Lodge Last Call 17. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute 18. Our Retired Explorer 19. Time's Arrow 20. (Hospital Vespers) 21. Uncorrected Proofs 22. A New Name For Everything 23. One Great City! 24. Benediction 25. The Prescience Of Dawn 26. (Past Due)
PART 2
Left And Leaving 01. Everything Must Go! 02. Aside 03. Watermark 04. Pamphleteer 05. This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open 06. Without Mythologies 07. Left And Leaving 08. Elegy For Elsabet 09. History To The Defeated 10. Exiles Among You 11. My Favourite Chords 12. Slips And Tangles
Fallow 13. Illustrated Bible Stories For Children 14. Diagnosis 15. Confessions Of A Futon-Revolutionist 16. None Of The Above 17. Letter Of Resignation 18. Leash (cuts off)* 19. Sounds Familiar (cuts in) 20. Anchorless (mic problems, then gets cut off again, partial song) 21. Fallow
* Not recorded- Wellington Wednesdays The Last Last One Greatest Hits Collection
I shy away from using the term, "best of the year" because quite frankly I haven't heard enough music in 2010 to really give a qualified opinion and everyone has his or her idea of what they think the best should be. What I will offer is my list of recommended CD's that I felt deserve a mention and your attention. My criteria for this list is simple:
It must be released during 2010 (not previously released and then reissued or remastered etc.).
A CD I either have in my possession (physical) or I have on my computer/pod. In other words something I have listened to in it's entirety.
Something I would recommend to others because I like the music. Some of these are popular and on other "best of" lists, but they are personal favourites that I will listen to again and often.
There will not be anything that became popular because it became viral on Youtube or any "artists" with the names, Justin, Taylor or Gaga.
This year's list features many names familiar to TDIT regulars as I seem to write about what I like. I would love to hear what you think, so please leave your lists of recommendations for the past year. I'm trying something new and including a streaming of a song from each album, let me know if you have any problems with the player. If it works, I'll stream more music. I've also linked each artist to their Myspace page so you can listen to even more of their music before you buy their album...right? Enjoy!!
1. SUPERCHUNK- Majesty Shredding: A terrific return to form for their first studio record since 2001. This is the classic sound I remember when I saw Superchunk back in 1997 and I think it's their best album since, Here's Where The Strings Come In or even, No Pocky To Kitty (that got the remastered re-release treatment this year), but that might be pushing it. Without a doubt my favourite record of the year.
2. ARCADE FIRE- The Suburbs: While the band's first two albums were achievements in themselves, The Suburbs pushes it even further. As big sounding as the band is live, The Suburbs is filled with grandiose splendor and many epic moments. The album has 16 songs and it loses a bit of it's stream towards the end, but it's still the masterpiece it's hyped up to be.
3. TEENAGE FANCLUB- Shadows: When I'm feeling down and need some cheering up, I like to put on headphones and crank up some Teenage Fanclub. Their music shimmers with a pop sound that is undeniably catchy and on Shadows, Teenage Fanclub delivers this infectious sound consistently throughout the album. Let's hope it doesn't take another 5 years for their next record.
4. SHE & HIM- Volume 2: Speaking of bright and shiny, She & Him (aka: Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) offer up such a likable and fun record, I can't help but love it...the perfect summer album. Zooey's deadpan, often flat vocal style is nicely set in front of the lush orchestration and the retro-pop sound She & Him create is an excellent tribute to the music it's influenced by. An improvement over Volume 1, but will they follow up Volume 2 with something different or more of the same? Please Zooey come to Winnipeg (to sing, not act)!
5. STARS- The Five Ghosts: A saw the band two times in 2010 on tour for The Five Ghosts and after repeated listening of the album, it really grew on me or at least haunted me...in a good way! I thought nothing could top their previous 2 albums, Set Yourself On Fire and In Our Bedroom, and I don't think this one does, but it comes close. A solid record that has a several songs that will be permanent fixtures in their setlists, but not as consistent as the last two.
6. CANDY HEARTS- Ripped Jeans & Silly Dreams: When I first heard the stand-out track, Blocking The Sunshine, on the blog, Music Ruined My Life, I was pleasantly surprised and had to hear more from this band. I downloaded their debut album on the ifyoumakeit.com website (for free!) and I was glad I did. This band and their album, Ripped Jeans & Silly Dreams is my best discovery of the year, a band I previously had never heard of and thanks to the worldwide web (it's much easier to spread your music around the world) I've become a big fan of this band from Purchase, NY. This is an enjoyable record that brings a smile to my face every time I listen to it and it's songs have a genuine honesty that the listener can relate to, set against a catchy, sometimes poppy wall of fuzzy guitars. Very promising, they're working on a new album, so hopefully we'll hear more from them in 2011.
7. SARAH HARMER- Oh Little Fire: I didn't actually own any Sarah Harmer albums (I do have her earlier band, Weeping Tile's albums) until after I heard her on CBC's Q back in June when she released her first album in 4 years, Oh Little Fire. She performed songs from the new record and though I had heard some music from Sarah Harmer, I really hadn't "listened" to her previous albums. What I heard on Q intrigued me, so I sought out this record and her other solo albums and planned to see her perform at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, thus beginning my love affair with Sarah Harmer. There's a much more pop sound to Oh Little Fire and much more accessible than her last record, I'm A Mountain.
8. THE FIGGS- The Man Who Fights Himself: Though The Figgs might be best known as the sometimes backing band for Graham Parker (and Tommy Stinson), they are a prolific band in their own right. Formed in 1987, The Figgs are sometimes overlooked and are very underrated and have never received the recognition they deserve. This is music that is rock' n 'roll at it's best, melodic and smart. This is the Figgs 10th studio full-length and though their first record, Low-Fi At Society High remains my favourite, I think they're getting better with age.
9.THE POSIES- Blood/Candy: This veteran Seattle power-pop band has a classic sound that recalls Big Star (both Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer played in a revived version of Big Star) and their distinct vocal harmonies are what set The Posies apart. This is a consistently good Posies record that proves their last album wasn't just a reunion record, since their supposed break-up in 1999 and there are many sweet moments to enjoy on Blood/Candy. I bought this directly from the band's website and it's the only album I bought on vinyl this year.
10. BEN FOLDS & NICK HORNBY- Lonely Avenue: I've never been much of a fan of Ben Folds, though I like him, but Nick Hornby is the author of my favourite book (and movie!), High Fidelity. I know Hornby is a huge music fan and his taste in music as evidenced in his book, Songbook is on track with my own. So what do you get when you combine these two creative forces together? Actually, it's not a bad record, it might not be everyone's tastes, but it definitely has it's moments and it's concept makes for an interesting and mainly enjoyable listen.
11. SUGAR STEMS- Sweet Sounds Of The Sugar Stems: Their name says it all, the music is built on sweet harmonies and infectous power-pop that will have you bopping along in no time. There's something about girl vocals and crunchy guitars that grab my attention and pull me in. What's not to like about this album? Highly recommended!
12. NEW PORNOGRAPHERS- Together: The title of this album is suitable because for the first time (in a long time), the New Pornographers toured this record together with the complete band complete with Neko Case and Dan Bejar and the record, more than their last album is more of a group effort. A satisfying effort, but with less stand-out tracks than their best records, though I think Crash Years is one of their best songs.
13.THE LIKE- Release Me: I stumbled on this album by accident, but once I heard the near authentic retro-pop sound with it's mid-60's vibe I was hooked. This record is a fun listen and the album cover is awesome! I like The Like!
14. BROKEN BELLS- Broken Bells 15. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE- Forgiveness Rock Album Honourable mentions, both these recordsare critically acclaimedin both Canada and the U.S. and much has been written about them in the press already, so I think I'm done...happy listening!
Night 2 of the Weakerthan's 4 & More tour featured their second album, Left And Leaving played in order, start to finish. When I bought tickets for this and the other shows back in July, I knew this was the show I wanted to see for sure. Left And Leaving is my favourite Weakerthans record and though the first album was filled with great songs, the second album is the one that took the band to the next level. They gained much national coverage and attention south of the border with this record as the songs were even better and the songwriting was stronger. A good mix of rockers and slower songs, I was reminded at this show how the range of the band grew and continues to grow with each new record. The venue for night 2 was the West End Cultural Centre, a larger room than the Albert, but still an intimate space. One of the things I noticed was how cozy and comfortable this room is. The WECC was renovated almost 2 years ago, they added a small balcony with seats towards the back, the stage is bigger and the floor now had carpet (I don't think it did before?) and the room is clean and well cared for by the staff and volunteers that operate the place. Depending on the anticipated size of the crowd, the room is set up with either chairs and tables, chairs only or no chairs with standing only. Most of the bigger name shows are standing only and the sardine-crush to the front of the stage is always a claustrophobic experience. I positioned myself in the sweet spot, pressed record and stood back and embraced the sweet sounds of the Weakerthans and I definitely reached some kind of euphoria bliss. I thought back to the first time I saw the band live and it was here at the West End. They were one of the opening bands (along with Paper Moon) for the Bonaduce's CD release show back in 1998. During this show, the Weakerthans tried out some new songs that would eventually end up on the Left And Leaving record, so in some ways this album was coming full circle, if that makes any sense. Come to think of it, I recorded that show in 98 and it's interesting to hear the progression and evolution of a song from before it's even recorded to 12 years later after the band has probably played many of these songs hundreds of times.
My daughter and wife accompanied me to the show and they both enjoyed seeing the band up close, especially when it was evident the band was having a fun time on stage. Usually, when the band plays in Winnipeg they are designated to play at the Burt (seats 1,200+), but for these smaller venues, like the WECC (>350), it has a more casual, less formal feeling, and I'm sure if the band had a choice (besides the money) they would prefer the friendlier confines of the West End, than the cavernous sounding Burt.
THE WEAKERTHANS West End Cultural Centre Winnipeg, MB December 16, 2010 "Left And Leaving" Show
01. Everything Must Go! 02. Aside 03. Watermark 04. Pamphleteer 05. This Is A Fire Door Never Open 06. Without Mythologies 07. Left And Leaving 08. Elegy For Elsabet 09. History Of The Defeated 10. Exiles Among You 11. My Favourite Chords 12. Slips And Tangles
13. Our Retired Explorer 14. (Hospital Vespers) 15. Leash 16. None Of The Above 17. Civil Twilight 18. Vitute The Cat Explains Her Departure Encore 19. Bigfoot! 20. Confessions Of A Futon-Revolutionist 21. The Reasons Songs from "Left And Leaving": Tracks 1-12
The title more accurately should read, songs from the Fallow album at The Albert, on December 15th. It was the first of four concerts the Weakerthans played in four consecutive nights conquering one album each night, at four different venues...the 4 & More series. This is an interesting concept as I've heard about more and more bands doing the "complete album" shows sometimes concentrating on a classic record for a tour (Liz Phair- Exile In Guyville or Roger Waters- The Wall). I only had the opportunity to attend 3 of the 4 nights (due to Christmas work commitments), so if anyone went to the 3rd night (Reconstruction Site) and recorded the show, please let me know! I recorded the shows I attended and I want to share them with you, but ran into some trouble during the last show, I'll fill you in later.
Wow, the last time I was at The Albert was seeing the Weakerthans in 2002 during their 5th anniversary concert series. Similar to this year's event, the band also played 4 shows in 4 nights at 4 different venues, but substituting the Burton Cummings Theatre with Wellington's, a now closed bar that hosted many amazing punk and alternative shows from the 70's right through to the early 2000's. The Albert hasn't changed much, still the same dank looking place I remember, kind of both friendly feeling and scary at the same time. Fortunately, with a band like the Weakerthans, the audience is fairly evenly split male/female ratio so the aggression I've felt at this bar seeing punk bands wasn't evident. I was just thinking about some of my most memorable shows I attended at the Albert. Green Day, (before they were famous), Plumtree (their last ever Winnipeg appearance), and the New Duncan Imperials (still the BEST show for under 10 bucks) are just a few of the bands I've seen there.
I staked out a "sweet spot" in front of a pillar directly in front of the centre of the stage and watched the band "perform" Fallow in order from the first track to the end of the album. I'm sure there were songs that they hadn't played live in some time, if at all, but Fallow is a solid debut album and it was a thrill to hear it all live. The second half of their set featured 2 songs each from their other 3 albums and for the encore they played one more song from the other 3 albums. There is something extra special to see a band play at a venue that is "too small" for their popularity and see them genuinely have a good time and I know the crowd was into it as they passionately sang along at the appropriate times, it was a great feeling! A highlight (or low light) was when some drunken guy barged through the crowd and stumbled on stage during Plea From A Cat Named Virtute and grabbed the mic to sing along with Samson. The guy was harmless, he got off the stage after the song, but not before chugging from Stephen Carroll's beer. John K. later told me they just cautiously carried on when he came on stage, figuring as long as he wasn't a threat, no big deal. I guess this shows you the type of security the Albert has or lacks, if this was the Garrick, Pyramid or the Burt, security would have surely beat this guy.
Here's a real review of the show.
THE WEAKERTHANS
Royal Albert Arms
Winnipeg, MB
December 15, 2010Fallow Show
01. Illustrated Bible Stories For Children
02. Diagnosis
03. Confessions Of A Futon-Revolutionist
04. None Of The Above
05. Letter Of Resignation
06. Leash
07. Wellington's Wednesdays
08. The Last Last One
09. Greatest Hits Collection
10. Sounds Familiar
11. Anchorless
12. Fallow
13. Tournament Of Hearts
14. Sun In An Empty Room
15. Reconstruction Site
16. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
17. Aside
18. Left And Leaving
Encore
19. One Great City!
20. Hymn Of The Medical Oddity
21. Watermark
Songs From "Fallow": tracks 1-12THE WEAKERTHANS- 2010-12-15. rar(mp3-256 kbps)
If you prefer, I've posted this show in lossless FLAC on dimeadozen.org (you need to register to be a member). If you can't download this and you want a lossless copy, leave a message or email me.
Please do not sell this recording and please ask before re-posting elsewhere. Thanks!
I just wanted to pass on Christmas greetings and let everyone know that in the upcoming days I will be posting my reviews and possibly some music from the recent Weakerthans 4-night stand here in my (and the band's) hometown. I attended 3 of the 4 shows, including the all-albums finale at the Burton Cummings Theatre. All the shows were awesome and I'll share as much as I can, but first I want to upload them to Dimeadozen.
I've been so busy for the past week preparing for Christmas, but now I have a few days off before I get back to my real job, to get this blog updated and back on track. Also this week, I will be posting my list of recommended albums from 2010 and reminisce of the past year. So please be patient and keep checking back. I promise it will be worth it!
p.s.- I'm still in the process of re-linking past downloads, but if there's anything you still can't access, please leave a comment or email me and I'll send you a direct link.
This is the start of "Weakerthans Week" here at Teenage Dogs, with the band performing all four albums in their entirety, in four nights, at four different venues. Back on my post from July 5th (4, 4, 4, 4), I previewed the shows and explained my logic of why you should buy tickets for the first two shows first. As it turns out, the first three shows are completely sold out (probably have been for the last month) mainly because they are the smaller venues, but also because hearing the first three albums in their entirety is a rare treat.
Last week, the Weakerthans announced they would go, "all in" and play all four albums at the final show at the Burton Cummings Theatre. The albums would be performed in reverse order beginning with Reunion Tour and ending with their first album, Fallow. When I heard this I didn't believe the news, will the band actually play all their albums in one night? If each album averages over 50 minutes, will the Weakerthans play for over 3 1/2 hours? Not even Springsteen in his prime turned this feat, or at least not often. My wife talked to John K. last week and he assured her this was true, holy shit! This will be an epic show and I quickly considered purchasing a ticket. I bought tickets to the first two shows back in July, but I wrote off the 4th because I had seen the band often recently and felt the earlier albums would more essential. As luck would have it I monitored the ticket availability on Ticketmaster for a few days as I watched the seats sell quickly making it's way to the top of the first balcony. Then on last Thursday night, a single seat became available for row 4 centre floor, strange considering an hour earlier (and after) I would have been 12th row in the balcony. Someone tell me how this can happen, though I'm not complaining, but it does sound weird. Oh well, I have my ticket in hand along with nights #1 and 2, so I'm attending 3 of 4 nights. Stay tuned to this site because if all goes well, I'll try to post recordings from 3 of the shows and hopefully someone will record night #3. (keep your fingers crossed!) Is anyone attending ALL 4 shows??
Songs from FALLOW: Royal Albert- December 15, 2010
Songs from LEFT AND LEAVING: West End Cultural Centre- December 16, 2010
To get you in the mood, here's a show from SXSW in Austin, Texas from 2000. I'm not sure the exact date or the venue or if this is a complete set (might be, the SXSW showcases are shorter sets), but it's an enjoyable set from the Weakerthans circa, Left and Leaving.
...the world lost one of the greatest songwriters of our time. He formed one of the most successful songwriting teams with Paul McCartney and the Beatles were the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the 20th century. John Lennon will be remembered not only for the music he produced, but also for his political activism and bringing attention to issues that he felt strongly about. His anti-war, "give peace a chance" stand is as much part of the John Lennon persona as John Lennon, the rock star. The unfortunate irony of his death at the hands of a gun wielding murderer, Mark David Chapman, is a message to everyone there is much hate and instability in this country.
As a tribute to John Lennon I'm posting a compilation of home recordings, demos, studio and live recordings with just John and his acoustic guitar. This collection might be geared more towards die-hard fans, but there are many interesting interpretations and plenty of songs worth a listen. I especially like this version of Watching The Wheels. Seven of these songs are previously unreleased. Though this album was released in 2004, all the tracks were recording in the 1970's, thus keeping with my 70's theme this week. Enjoy!!
1. Working Class Hero 2. Love 3. Well Well Well 4. Look at Me 5. God 6. My Mummy's Dead 7. Cold Turkey 8. I'm a Man 9. Luck of the Irish (Live) 10. John Sinclair (Live) 11. Woman is the Nigger of the World 12. What You Got 13. Watching the Wheels 14. Dear Yoko 15. Real Love 16. Imagine (Live) 17. It's Real
I noticed some of the links to the downloads have been reverted to "private mode". For some reason the links to my on-line storage supplier, Adrive have been disconnected. It has only affected the posts from before November, but the good news is I have begun to restore the links.
Everything earlier than May 14, 2010 might be still be temporarily unavailable, but don't worry I'm updating the links and gradually they will all be back. Keep checking back here.
Please let know if you are experiencing any other problems. Thanks!!
The Wilderness Years is a collection of songs Nick Lowe recorded between his time with Brinsley Schwarz and his first solo album, Jesus Of Cool (titled, Pure Pop For Now People, in the U.S.). He recorded a lot of songs during this period, doubling as a house producer for Stiff Records as well as later forming Rockpile with Dave Edmunds. There are a number of rarities with outtakes, covers, a few previously unreleased demos, and singles released only outside of the States. The songs on this compilation range from gems to throwaways, but does exhibit the sense of humour in Lowe's writing that gave him a certain charm that is irresistible.
Fool Too Long Let's Go to the Disco Everybody Dance (Nick Lowe, Daniel Adler) Bay City Rollers We Love You Allorolla Part 1 Rollers Show Heart of the City Halfway to Paradise (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) Truth Drug Born a Woman (Martha Sharpe) Endless Sleep Shake That Rat I Love My Label (Lowe, Profile) I Don't Want the Night to End So Heavy Keep it Out of Sight Heart I Got a Job
An over-looked band in the early 70's was the influential band, Brinsley Schwarz whose first exposure to America came at the expense of the infamous incident that became known as, "the Brinsley Schwarz hype". The band's manager flew a plane full of British journalists to New York for a show as the band was opening for Van Morrison on April 3rd and 4th, 1970. The band was to arrive in NY a few days before the gig to rehearse, but instead were delayed because of visa problems and only arrived shortly before the gig with rented equipment. The journalists were due the next day, but the flight was delayed for four hours and with a free bar the journalists eventually arrived drunk or hung-over. The band received negative reviews from the critics for the show and panned their debut album. So much for the hype and this drove the band into seclusion before coming back with a different sound and a follow-up album. The band played a more loose, pub rock sound and went on to release six records in total (not counting compilations etc.) before disbanding in 1975. The members of the band went onto other projects, guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and Bob Andrews to the Rumour with Graham Parker and Ian Gomm and Nick Lowe both pursued solo careers.
Brinsley Schwarz's final album, The New Favourites Of, was produced by Dave Edmunds and this was as close to a hit as the band came. It received positive reviews and the slicker, more polished pop sound provided a glimpse of the brilliance of Nick Lowe as a songwriter and performer. This album contained the original version of the Nick Lowe-penned, (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding, which became more identified with Elvis Costello (he recorded it for the Nick Lowe produced, Armed Forces album), than Brinsley Schwarz. Lowe and Costello recently played a pair of shows where they both performed each others songs, of course they closed with Peace, Love and Understanding. This album is one of my favourites from the 70's that shouldn't be overlooked when you talk about the whole pub rock, new wave, punk movement of the 70's because without the Brinsley Schwarz band, the careers of Graham Parker and Elvis Costello may not have existed.
Enjoy!
BRINSLEY SCHWARZThe New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz (1974)1. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
2. Ever Since You're Gone
3. Ugly Things
4. I Got the Real Thing
5. Look That's in Your Eye Tonight
6. Now's the Time
7. Small Town, Big City
8. Trying to Live My Life Without You
9. I Like You, I Don't Love You
10. Down in the Dive
11. I've cried my last tear (bonus track)
12. (It's gonna be a) Bringdown (bonus track)
13. Everybody (bonus track)
14. There's a cloud in my heart (bonus track)BRINSLEY SCHWARZ- The New Favourites Of. rar
While between Volume 1 and 2, the band released a series of songs to coincide with this past baseball season. These singles made up the Broadside Ballads collection and were up for free download through a partnership between the band and ESPN.com's, "The Life". This was the band's way of offering their musical insight on the 2010 baseball season and to give back to their fan's for supporting the band's first album, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails. All the songs are great and if you're a die-hard ball fan or even a casual fan you will appreciate their commentary about all the happenings from the season. I've downloaded the whole series and I have them all together if you want to download the whole file (it'll save you time), kind of like a real album. I've also included the song, Don't Call Them Twinkies with lead vocals from Craig Finn from The Hold Steady (I previously posted that song).
