Supersnazz- Superstupid!

Here's something sweet to end your week with, the debut album from Japan's, Supersnazz, Superstupid! I bought this back in the day (1993) sight unheard mainly because it was produced by Kurt Bloch who seems to only produce bands I have come to love. The result is a high energy, infectious garage rock!

On their 1993 Sub Pop debut, Superstupid!, Japanese rockers Supersnazz -- who borrow their name from an album by the Flamin' Groovies -- deliver an electric album of spiky, retro rock & roll. What they lack in technical prowess, they make up for with sheer spunkiness, showing fresh zeal for the simple pleasures of surf-tinged rock, without any of the jaded weariness of their American counterparts. With a joyous energy equaling that of fellow Japanese imports of the same era, Teengenerate and Guitar Wolf, these ladies approach their songs as if they were discovering the cool rebellion of rock & roll for the first time. They cruise through an album of simple high-energy songs, anchored by a rough garage-flavored guitar that launches into vigorous solos, and a direct, pummeling drum assault. Spike's frayed vocals slither, growl, and scream, and although the lyrics are often unintelligible through her thick accent, her tone clearly communicates a tough rock attitude. Everything the genre should be -- tough, sexy, cool, and fun -- Supersnazz rocks. ~ Sarah Tomlinson

Enjoy!!

SUPERSNAZZ
Superstupid! (1993)

1. Breakout
2. Johnny
3. Black Cat
4. Sometimes
5. Middle Of The Way
6. Playing My Guitar
7. Uncle Wiggly
8. Hardcore
9. Comanche
10. Creeps
11. First Time Is The Best Time
12. Papa Oo Mao Mao

SUPERSNAZZ- Superstupid. rar

The Playmates- Short Wave

Here at TDIT, it's "Tribute to Japan" week, featuring a few Japanese bands and maybe some concert recordings from Japan. I looked through my CD's and I was disappointed to see I don't have a lot of music from Japanese bands, but I must admit my music taste doesn't take me too far out of North America, except for the United Kingdom. This is my mini-tribute to this Earthquake and Tsunami torn country that has always been known for it's culture, fine art and good music.

I knew nothing about The Playmates when I received their CD in the mail with my order from Rockboss many years ago. It was thrown in as a freebie and at first I didn't take much interest, though the cover art got me curious. When I did finally spin the disc, I couldn't ignore their infectiously catchy power-pop, that had a kind of Beatles-esque, British Invasion sound or maybe a faster, poppier Posies. Their music is fun and happy with just the right amount of manic punk edginess that keeps it from being too sweet. If you didn't know the Playmates were Japanese it's because they sing exclusively in English, and they could easily be mistaken for being British. Probably the best free CD I've ever received, definitely worth the download! I'm pretty sure this CD is out of print or at least hard to find. Also highly recommended is their 2003 release, Listen!
Enjoy!!

THE PLAYMATES
Short Wave (1995)

1. Love Is You
2. When It Rains
3. Do It Again
4. Sleep
5. Salty Dog
6. Tonight
7. Short Wave
8. Finger Action
9. Yes, It's True
10. Don't Tell Me
11. Leave Me Alone
12. My Little Soul
13. We Don't Wanna Know (bonus track)

THE PLAYMATES- Short Wave. rar

Japan Earthquake Fundraising Concert

With the devastating results of the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, there is worldwide urgency to contribute in some way. The Red Cross is taking monetary donations that will hopefully be used to send aid to Japan. Since Japan is one of the wealthier countries in the world and they have put aside funds for this very purpose, the hope is that the people that are living there can reap the benefits for their basic needs and to provide assistance to rebuild.

Locally, there is no shortage of fundraising events that are contributing the proceeds to the earthquake relief. It's always interesting to observe how it's always artists and musicians that step forward and volunteer their talents and livelihood to unselfishly donate to a cause. You never hear about professionals such as doctors or lawyers donating their profits to fundraising causes.

One upcoming event that I encourage people to support is the Japan Earthquake Fundraising concert held at the West End Cultural Centre on Tuesday, April 19 at 8:00pm. This concert will feature performances from Ridley Bent, Greg MacPherson and Keri Latimer. The WECC is donating the venue, Stu Reid created the poster and the musicians are donating their performances. Keri Latimer, who fronts the band, Nathan is organizing this event and I strongly urge everyone in the community and the city to attend this show. Keri and Greg are well known treasures in the local music scene and a chance to hear them at this intimate (and great sounding) venue will be a treat. I haven't actually seen Ridley Bent live, so I'm looking forward to the opportunity. See you there!

Tickets available from Ticketmaster $15 adv/$20 door. All proceeds to the Red Cross.

Here's some samples:

Nathan (Keri Latimer)- John Paul's Deliveries. (live 2010-01-31)




Greg MacPherson- First Class




Ridley Bent- Buckles and Boots

Gear Daddies- KABL 1987

As promised, here's a Gear Daddies live show from the KABL studios. I'm not sure if this is in Minneapolis (anyone know?), because this is the only information I have as I received this in a trade many years ago. Good sounding show with great early versions of songs from both their studio records. Highlights include, covers of Werewolves of London and Tide Is High (Blondie) and a hilarious rendition of the theme from Hee Haw. Good stuff!
Enjoy!!

GEAR DADDIES
KABL 1987

1. Iguana Man
2. Stupid Boy
3. Cut Me Off
4. Time Heals
5. Don't Forget Me
6. instrumental
7. George & Tammy
8. Hee Haw
9. Boys Will Be Boys
10. Werewolves Of London
11. My Maria
12. Gonna Change
13. Dream Vacation
14. Eat Shit
15. Drank So Much
16. He Stopped Loving Her
17. Zamboni
18. Tide Is High

GEAR DADDIES- KABL 1987. rar

note: In the file, the song track numbers start at #4 , but Iguana Man is the first song from the set. I had three other songs from a different show on the original disc I ripped this from. Sorry, I should have re-numbered the files, but I created the rar file before I thought of it...oops.

Gear Daddies- Let's Go Scare Al

I had a request for some Gear Daddies, more specifically their debut, Let's Go Scare Al, from 1988. A sometimes forgotten and overlooked band from Minnesota, they were maybe overshadowed by some of the bigger names, but the Gear Daddies definitely have an important place and influence on the Minnesota music scene. Lead singer Martin Zellar is still very much active as a solo performer and the band occasionally reunites for concerts almost annually. Their Zamboni song is a staple at hockey rinks everywhere, my hometown included.

After the last post I dug around and found some live shows from the Gear Daddies I acquired in a trade years ago. I'll upload one of them for my next post.
Enjoy!

GEAR DADDIES
Let's Go Scare Al (1988)

1. Cut Me Off
2. Statue of Jesus
3. Boys Will Be Boys
4. Don't Forget Me
5. Heavy Metal Böyz
6. Drank So Much (Just Feel Stupid)
7. She's Happy
8. Blues Mary
9. This Time
10. Strength

GEAR DADDIES- Let's Go Scare Al. rar

Take It To The Limit...One More Time!

This is actually Soul Asylum (around the same era), couldn't find any photos of the TITTL band.

I think I've taken this "Cover's Series" to the limit for now, so I'll lay it to rest for a little while. But first, we're going to conclude the series with a rare one-off show with a band that billed themselves as, The Take It To The Limit Band featuring an all-Eagles (almost) covers show. The band consisted of Dan Murphy (guitar, vocals) and Dave Pirner (drums, vocals) from Soul Asylum, Martin Zellar (guitar, vocals) from the Gear Daddies and Jim Boquist (bass, vocals) later of Son Volt. Fans of Golden Smog should note, many claim this is the earliest incarnation of Golden Smog considering the lineup and concept with founders Pirner and Murphy gradually adding members to it's loose lineup of members. This same group of musicians also played a all-Rolling Stones cover show in 1989 under the name, "Her Satanic Majesty's Paycheck." If anyone has a recording of that show, please let me know!

What can I say, if you love the Eagles, you'll hate this concert and if you hate the Eagles, you'll be happy to know they must have been playing these songs with their tongue-in-cheek throughout (I hope?). The set featured sloppily performed versions of Eagles songs along with some solo members songs and even a Bangles cover to end the show, all performed to the displeasure of the "lucky" crowd at the Uptown bar. Personally, I love this show, it must of been a fun time and I will admit some of these songs are horrible and laughable, but in a good way. A must listen for all Soul Asylum, Golden Smog and anti-Eagles fans everywhere!
Enjoy!!

TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT
Uptown Bar
Minneapolis, MN
January 8, 1987

1. Lyin' Eyes
2. Heartache Tonight
3. Take It Easy
4. Rocky Mountain Way
5. Already Gone
6. Best Of My Love
7. Tequila Sunrise
8. Witchy Woman
9. Peaceful Easy Feeling
10. In The City
11. Take It To The Limit
12. Walk Like An Egyptian

TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT- 1-8-87. rar

Grand Champeen Play Soul Asylum

When I first heard Grand Champeen, my first impression is they sounded like Soul Asylum used to sound. Their sound had the urgency and intensity of early Soul Asylum albums and shows and their recorded input thus far has revealed they can also write some great rock songs. They sound like a continuation of Soul Asylum, circa, And The Horse They Rode On, as if they never recorded Grave Dancers Union. Don't get me wrong, Soul Asylum is still one of favourite bands from the 80's, but unfortunately with huge mainstream success comes mediocre songs that seem to have taken the edge off the band. I saw Soul Asylum live around the time when the success of Grave Dancers broke (1993) and they were just starting to get some commercial radio play and then saw them again in the 2002 in Fargo (for $15), well after they were chewed up and spit out by the mainstream. One thing I can say about the band is that you have to see them live, to fully appreciate them. Back in the late 80's they were heralded as one of the hardest working bands live and it still rang true when I saw them. I love all their albums pre-Grave Dancers and I have piles of concert recordings from all periods of their career that I still covet. In the 80's, they were probably most comparable to the Replacements for their live shows filled with cool covers and their spontaneous drunken performances.

In 2006, Grand Champeen took on the challenge to perform the Soul Asylum songbook in front of a Minneapolis crowd (SA's hometown) for a Benefit for the Karl Mueller foundation. The results were amazing, they sounded so much like Soul Asylum if you weren't a hardcore fan (or a collector of their live shows), you might think it's actually them! For the hometown crowd, they were treated to a setlist restricted only to their earlier material up to, And the Horse They Rode On and as a bonus to close the show they played the awesome, James At 16 medley, song by song, a SA live classic. This unique show is a must listen for Soul Asylum fans that miss the old songs and also it's a pleasure to hear a talented band like Grand Champeen having the time of their lives paying tribute to a band that has influenced and inspired their own music!
Enjoy!!

GRAND CHAMPEEN
April 14th, 2006
7th Street Entry
Minneapolis, MN

01. All the Kings
02. Tied to the Tracks
03. Closer to the Stars
04. Easy Street
05. Crashing Down
06. Marionette
07. Can't Go Back
08. Sometime to Return
09. Chains
10. Broken Glass
11. Sun Don't Shine
12. Stranger
13. Long Way Home
14. Spinnin'
15. Never Really Been
16. Standing in the Doorway
17. Nowhere to Go
18. Made to be Broken
19. Freaks
20. Be On Your Way
21. Cartoon*
22. Heavy Rotation
23. medley 1
24. medley 2

Guitar/Vocals: Channing Lewis
Guitar/Vocals: Michael Crow
Bass: Alex Livingston
Drums: Ned Stewart

GRAND CHAMPEEN- 4-14-06 Mpls, MN. rar

fIREWHOSE- Live Who covers 8-25-89

This might be a little obscure, but Firehose was a band that formed after D. Boon of the Minutemen died accidentally and left the two remaining members, Mike Watt and George Hurley without a frontman, singer and guitarist. Minutemen fan, Ed Crawford from Ohio, expressed a desire to fill the void and he made his way to California to try to convince Watt and Hurley to let him audition. Crawford played the Who's, I'm One and a couple of Minutemen songs and the other two were so impressed, they together formed Firehose in 1986. The band went onto to record five full-length albums, two Ep's and played 980 shows before disbanding in 1994.

This is a very unique Firehose show as they open the show with 7 Who covers! Ed says it's their way of welcoming the Who who were in town at the time. If you were at this concert you must of been confused and wondered if their whole set was going to be Who songs. If you love the Who, this must have been quite the treat, they do a commendable job and I doubt they duplicated this feat ever again...Amazing!

fIREHOSE
Music Machine,
Santa Clara, CA
August 25, 1989

1) Naked Eye
2) Long Live Rock
3) Helpless Dancer
4) I’ve Had Enough
5) A Quick One While He’s Away
6) Join Together
7) Going Mobile
8) Max & Wells
9) Chemical Wire
10) What Gets Heard
11) In My Mind
12) Whispering While Hollerin’
13) Riddle of the 80’s
14) If’n
15) Some Things
16) Mas Cojones
17) ‘Nuf That Shit, George
18) In Memory of Elizabeth Cotton

FIREHOSE- 8-25-89

The Feelies (aka Foggy Notion) Play The Velvet Underground

Back when I was in university, a friend of mine had a job through the cities Parks and Rec department, booking entertainment for block parties and noon hour concerts in the downtown area. One of his regular performers was two guys sporting sunglasses, playing acoustic guitars and performing covers of Velvet Underground (and a couple Violent Femmes) songs. They were called The Sons Of Batman and for a group that played for next to nothing they were pretty good. Technically, a group like that might be considered a tribute band, but to me they were a couple of guys that took the spirit of the band and made it their own. They weren't trying to impersonate or copy the Velvet Underground's music note for note, but instead they played the songs acoustically maintaining a cool laidback style, yet they were scraggy and unpolished.

The Feelies are a band, in my mind anyways, that come closest in sound and vibe to the Velvets. The Feelies often include covers in their setlist of bands they admire and are influenced by, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, The Stooges, Neil Young, Television, the Rolling Stone and the band they cover the most, The Velvet Underground. I've posted a recording that features The Feelies play a complete set of Velvet Underground songs back in 1983. At least it sounds like the Feelies, but the line-up is debatable according to another source (in the comments section), it seems Foggy Notion is more an off-shoot of The Feelies with members from a number of different bands. Regardless, it's a great set of outstanding music that if you close your eyes and listen (okay, you really don't need to close your eyes), you almost swear it's the Velvets...kinda?
Enjoy!

THE FEELIES (aka Foggy Notion)
Maxwell's
Hoboken, NJ
May 15, 1983

1. I'm Waiting For My Man
2. White Light/White Heat
3. Here She Comes Now
4. There She Goes Again
5. Run Run Run
6. I'll Be Your Mirror
7. Cool It Down
8. All Tomorrow's Parties
9. What Goes On
10. Kill Your Sons
11. Sister Ray
    
12. Foggy Notion

THE FEELIES- 5-15-83. rar

Yo La Tengo All-Request Marathon 2004

As you might have noticed it's unofficially all-covers week here at TDIT with another WFMU pledge week, all-request marathon with Yo La Tengo. This edited version of the marathon was originally posted at sunsquashed.com, but the site hasn't been updated in years and all the internal links don't work anymore. Fortunately I archived this show to disc back in the day and recently came across it when I was searching through the cases of live recordings I have on CD looking for interesting stuff to post. This show is just as fun as the 2000 fundraiser with lots of great interpretations of some killer songs. I know I have at least another year of YLT on WFMU, but does anyone have any of the others? They've been doing this since 1996, so there should be some more recordings somewhere...right?
Enjoy!

YO LA TENGO
WFMU All-Request Marathon
March 20, 2004

1. I'm Your Captain (Grand Funk)
2. Gigantic (The Pixies)
3. Barstool Blues (Neil young)
4. Next Big Thing (Dictators)
5. Build Me Up Buttercup (Foundations)
6. Jesus (VU)
7. Surfin Bird (Trashmen)
8. Psychotic Reaction (Count Five)
9. Chicken Scratch Shuffle (??)
10. Cars (Gary Numan)
11. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Tokans)
12. Hold On (I'm Coming) (Sam and Dave)
13. Tonight's The Night (Neil Young)
14. banter
15. Tonight's The Night (Rod Stewart)
16. Monk Time (The Monks)
17. She Cracked (Jonathan Richman)
18. This Boy (Beatles)
19. Drawing To A Hole (The Clean)
20. White Light/White Heat (VU)
21. banter
22. Hey Ya (Outkast)
23. Close To Me (The Cure)
24. Taxman (Beatles)
25. The Rain, The Park and Other Things (The Cowsills)
26. London Calling (The Clash)
27. We Didn't Start The Fire (medley) (Billy Joel)
28. outro

YO LA TENGO- WFMU 2004. rar

Yo La Tengo- WFMU Fundraiser 2000

Photo by WFMU (actually this is from their 2006 fundraiser)

When most bands start out it's only standard they throw a few cover songs into the mix of their originals. Lots of people like to hear something familiar that they've heard before, that's why cover bands are always a popular crowd-pleaser especially for things like weddings and socials. Sometimes it's hard for a band that plays all-originals to gain the trust of the audience, but if they're good they should be able to win over and convert these sceptics into fans. It really saddens me to see singers get famous performing other people's songs, kind of a slight step up from karaoke or American Idol.

Case in point, "Lady Maria", the 10 year old from my hometown that skyrocketed to international stardom after Lady Gaga viewed her video on YouTube of a cover of her song, Born This Way, and tweeted about it. I guess if this is your idea of stardom, having Lady Gaga tweet about you, drawing more than 20 million views on YouTube, appearances and interviews on Ellen, Good Morning America and Access Hollywood and singing on stage with Lady Gaga, then good for her. Lady Gaga's message on Twitter was, "This is why I make music. She is the future." In my opinion, if Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Maria Aragon are the future of music, then get me the hell out of here!...and give me bands like, Yo La Tengo!!

Beginning in 1996, Yo La Tengo started making annual visits to WFMU, an independent radio station in New Jersey to help out their annual fundraising campaign. Listeners who pledged money during the band's on air performances were offered a chance to request a favourite non-YLT song that the band would attempt to perform. This made for some interesting listening with the band valiantly trudging through the songs despite flubbed lyrics and missed chords. Lots of classic covers, as well as obscure and goofy tunes that really tests the bands knowledge of all kinds of music. This is truly a band that is more concerned about entertaining and showcasing their amazing musical skills than fame, fortune and international stardom, thought YLT does have a very dedicated cult following. The band released a compilation of their appearances (1996-2003) at the WFMU fundraisers on an album called, Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics, a very appropriate title! Yo La Tengo carries on this tradition to this day with their most recent session last week at WFMU...please support stations like this so we aren't left with only stations that cater to the "future of music"...!!

This recording is most of the songs from their appearance in 2000 (not sure of the exact date?).
Enjoy!!

YO LA TENGO
WFMU (2000)

1. Roadrunner (Modern Lovers)
2. Return Of The Grievous Angel (Gram Parsons)
3. Take Me To the Hospital (The Replacements)
4. Sweet Lady Genevieve (The Kinks)
5. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This (Eurythmics)
6. American Pie (Don McLean)
7. Color Me Impressed (The Replacements)
8. A Place Called Altamont (Nightmares)
9. Rock The Boat (Hues Corporation)
10. 19th Nervous Breakdown (The Rolling Stones)
11. Too Many Creeps (Bush Tetras)
12. Don't You Want Me Baby (Human League)
13. Nothing (Fugs)
14. Watching The Detectives (Elvis Costello)
15. I've Got A Feeling (The Beatles)
16. Top Of The Pops (The Kinks)
17. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker (The Ramones)
18. Needle Of Death (Bert Jansch)
19. Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash)
20. Panic In Detroit (David Bowie)
21. Roundabout (Yes)
22. Mendocino (Sir Douglas Quintet)
23. Raindrops Keep falling On My Head (Burt Bacharach)
24. Raw Power (Stooges)

YO LA TENGO- WFMU 2000. rar

Golden Smog- Collection Of Live Covers

When Golden Smog first formed in 1989, they were kind of a side project covers band featuring members of some well known Minneapolis bands such as The Replacements (Chris Mars), Soul Asylum (Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner), Jayhawks (Gary Louris, Marc Perlman) and Run Westy Run (Kraig Johnson). They played a handful of shows annually and released an EP called, On Golden Smog which consisted of 5 cover songs, in 1992. Chris Mars eventually left and the band added Noel Levy (Honeydogs) and Jeff Tweedy (Uncle Tupelo, Wilco) to record a proper full-length all-originals album. Up until then, their live shows were heavily laden with interesting and often unrehearsed drunken covers which were tongue-in-cheek in nature, but always good natured.

Even after releasing their first two full-length albums, Down By The Old Mainstream and Weird Tales, the band continued to include a good amount of covers in their shows. What I have here is a collection of soundboard recordings between 1996 and 1998 of some cover songs Golden Smog performed and to this day they still perform many of them. These recordings sound excellent and they play great ("almost better than the original") versions of many songs I'm sure you'll recognize. Thanks to whoever compiled this collection and shared in at Dime.
Enjoy!

GOLDEN SMOG
Live Covers

1. On The Beach (Europe Radio 1996)
2. What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding*
3. Signed DC*
4. Sad Peter Pan*
5. Photograph*
6. Most Beautiful Girl in the World+
7. One More Night+
8. Pink Turns To Blue+
9. Love and Mercy+
10. Seven Year Ache^
11. Easy To Be Hard #
12. Revolution Blues#
13. Who Loves The Sun#
14. Hanging On the Telephone #
15. Fooled Around and Fell in Love **
16. I Got You **
17. Spooky **
18. Buick MacKane ^
19. Powderfinger+
20. Five Years+
21. Do You Know How It Feels To be Lonesome (Europe Radio 1996)

** First Avenue, Minneapolis December 12, 1998
# Great American Music Hall, San Francisco June 26, 1996
^ Tramps, NYC April 13, 1996
+TLA, Philadelphia April 16, 1996
* 9:30 Club, Washington DC April 17, 1996

GOLDEN SMOG- Live Covers. rar

Graham Parker- One Stop Clearance

Here's a special treat for Graham Parker fans wanting to hear re-recorded versions of some of his older songs. The idea was to generate royalties from the new versions because the rights to the original recordings are owned (forever, apparently) by his old publishing company. So, his current publishing administrators proposed he re-record these songs to pitch to TV/film and other media and to generate royalties to Parker and his publishers, Primary Wave. Graham explains this in more detail on his blog, HERE. He's obviously not crazy about this idea, but he has to make a living. As far as I know this hasn't been "officially" released, but it is available as a promo and not officially for sale.
Please respect Mr. Parker's wishes and do not sell this recording.

Mike Gent on drums, guitar, backing vocals
GP on guitars and backing vocals
Ed Valauskas on bass
Professor “Louie” Hurwitz on keyboards and accordion

GRAHAM PARKER
One Stop Clearance
AKA: "Stick It To The Man"
2008 promotional-only

1. Don't Let It Break You Down
2. Life Gets Better
3. Discovering Japan
4. Can't Be Too Strong
5. Depend On Me
6. Heat Treatment
7. My Love's Strong
8. Get Started, Start A Fire
9. Don't Ask Me Questions
10. Local Girls
11. Last Stop Is Nowhere
12. Protection
13. She Wants So Many Things
14. Soul Shoes
15. The Sun Is Gonna Shine Again
16. Next Phase
17. White Honey
18. Wake Up (Next To You)

GRAHAM PARKER- One Stop Clearance. rar

The Replacements- January 19, 1985

By request, here's the complete concert for the Big Star cover, I'm In Love With A Girl, I posted last week. This is a favourite Replacements show with plenty of covers and a guest appearance by Alex Chilton. This show was a couple years before the Mats recorded and released the song, Alex Chilton, so this is kind of cool! Alex joins the band later in the set for a medley of covers from BTO, Bad Company, the Jackson 5, among others. This show doesn't get as crazy and drunken as their CBGB's show in December or as silly as the "Shit Hits The Fans" recording months earlier. Personally, some of the most memorable shows by the Mats are in the 1984-86 years, so if you see any of these recording, I highly recommend a listen. This period was when they were unpredictable and every setlist was different, there is never a dull moment. They could be brilliant one moment, then a totally drunken mess the next.

If you are interested in the legend of the Replacements' live show, be on the lookout for a new documentary that will analyse the influence the band has had on their fans and their personal stories of the band's mystique. Here's a brief description for the film, Color Me Obsessed:
Director Gorman Bechard brings an extraordinary vision to a unique filmmaking challenge with COLOR ME OBSESSED, the first documentary on the influential '80s indie-rock band, The Replacements. "I wanted to give the band god-like treatment," he explains, "but I didn't want to make a VH-1 where-are-they-now style documentary." Combining the band's mystique with the passion of their fans, Bechard made a music documentary with no music and not one single image of the band. 'People believe in god without ever seeing or hearing him or her," the director says. "I'd like viewers to believe in the band that way.'

I'm pretty excited about this project, though it would have been more amazing to see some actually footage of the band, but anything about the Replacements will peak my interest. Did I mention I'm an "backer" for this film? (and you can too!) I donated some money and I'll get an advanced copy of the film and my name will appear in the end credits...!! The film is almost done and should be released sometime this year. When I screen the film, I'll let you all know more about it.

THE REPLACEMENTS
Uptown Bar And Grill
Minneapolis, MN
January 19, 1985

Nowhere Is My Home
Heard You Been To College
Color Me Impressed
I'm In Love With A Girl
Can't Hardly Wait
I Will Dare
Favorite Thing
Polly Wolly Doodle
Waltzing Matilda
September Gurls
I Can't Turn You Loose
Baby Strange
Black Diamond
Lookin For Ya
When The Lights Are Out
Heart Of Stone
Left Here In The Dark
Answering Machine
Left Of The Dial
Gary's Got A Boner
Go
If I Only Had A Brain
Kansas City Star
Yeah!*
Takin' Care Of Business*
Help Me Rhonda*
Little GTO*
Can't Get Enough Of Your Love*
I'll Be There*
Hitchin' A Ride*

* Alex Chilton performs with the band

REPLACEMENTS- 1-19-85. rar

Riff Randells- Doublecross

As you may have noticed I'm a huge fan of girl-pop/punk bands. I love girl vocals set in front of fast guitar driven rock with no pretentiousness and no concern with overproduced vocals and overdubs. I like the music pure and simple, straight from the heart.

Vancouver has produced many fine all-girl bands such as Cub, Maow, Vancougar and The Riff Randells. The Riff Randells formed in 1999 and they built a strong following touring frequently around Canada and the States as well as tours through Europe and Japan. Their infectious lo-fi pop punk sound is not unlike early Donnas, Nikki And The Corvettes and the Ramones. Their band name is named after the character in the film, Rock 'n' Roll High School, who is the Ramones biggest fan in her high school. A crazy, strange movie, see it if you can, especially if you're a fan of the Ramones...a cult classic!

I'm not certain, but I think Doublecross is the last album the Riff Randells have released and I'm not sure if the band is actually still active. They have previous releases on 7" and 10" vinyl and a couple of CD-EP's that might be hard to find. Some great classic three-chord rock that's catchy as hell and a lot of fun!...Get it while you can!
enjoy!

RIFF RANDELLS
Doublecross (2007)

1. Traitor Of The Heart
2. When He Looks At Me
3. Listen Up
4. Parker Place
5. All I Know
6. The Only One
7. When You Go
8. Nothing Without Me
9. Double Cross
10. Bandana
11. Gotta Move On

RIFF RANDELLS- Doublecross. rar

Cub- Mauler

As the text on the bottom of album cover suggests, this is a collection of oddities that was released after the band split in 1996. Cub only released 3 full length albums, but along the way, they also recorded and released a fair share of 7' singles and appeared on many compilations. What we have here is a collection of some of those singles and comp tracks, but unfortunately instead of including all their rarities, this CD includes tracks already available on those 3 proper albums. There are some real gems on here and interesting covers and in some ways it's their most complete and full sounding collection of songs.

I will always have a place in my heart for bands like Cub. Their "cuddle core" sound is undeniable fun and infectious and they play a melodic jangly style of music that is on the surface so simple and unadulterated, yet they could also fuzz it up garage-style when they got too sweet. Considering the band members had no prior musical experience, with each album's release the band's sound matured and it was obvious their musicianship improved as well.

CUB was Lisa Marr (vocals, bass), Robynn Iwata (guitar)and Lisa G. (drums) Original drummer, Valeria Fellini played only on their first album. Neko Case also played drums on some of their early recordings and for you Neko trivia buffs, she sang in front of a live audience for the first time ever when she was with Cub when they performed in Ohio (the song was Cub's, So Far Apart). If you're not familiar with Cub, check out their 3 full length CD's (Betti-Cola, Come Out Come Out and Box Of Hair) or better yet seek out their 45's...if you can find them.

CUB
Mauler (1997)

1. you know he did
2. nicolas bragg
3. day i said goodbye
4. she's like a rainbow
5. exit
6. pregnant
7. my flaming red bobsled
8. pillow queen
9. green eyes
10. freaky
11. fb song
12. secret nothing
13. go fish
14. new york city
15. runaway
16. my chinchilla

CUB- Mauler. rar

Song Of The Day- "I'm In Love With A Girl": Twice!

Alright, it was Valentine's Day today so hopefully everyone got their fill of chocolate, red foods (including wine) and valentine cards. It's always sickening to see all those happy loving couples "enjoying" themselves on this otherwise normal day, by doing happy loving couple things like dinner, flowers, chocolate and some good luvin'! I did half of those things, I ate leftovers, had a glass of wine, went to see the latest Harry Potter flick (it's at the cheap seats now!), ate popcorn, drank Coke and came home and inhaled a handful of M & M's. Yup, just a normal day.

The most sentimental I get on Valentine's is posting a love song, that hopefully my wife might have a listen to. Mariel posted a link on Facebook from a blog posting called, "Alex Chilton's I'm In Love With A Girl Is the Best Valentine's Song Ever" and I can't disagree. It's a beautiful heartfelt song featuring just Alex on the acoustic guitar. It's funny, because I first heard this song on a live Replacements bootleg from 1985, before hearing the original. Paul Westerberg was a huge Big Star fan and the band would often throw in a couple Big Star numbers in their live shows. I thought it would be fun to share both versions of the song and as a added bonus, The Replacements demo version of Valentine!
Enjoy!!



BIG STAR- "I'm In Love With A Girl"




THE REPLACEMENTS- "I'm In Love With A Girl" (live: Uptown Bar And Grill, Mpls, MN, Jan. 19, 1985)




THE REPLACEMENTS- "Valentine" (demo: Aug. 1986- last session with Bob Stinson)

The White Stripes (R.I.P.)- Under Great White Northern Lights

"The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."

This was the official announcement that appeared on The White Stripes website on February 2, 2011 stating their band has officially ended and will make no further records or perform live. The band wanted to clarify, "The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way."

This is sad news for fans of the band, myself included, and wish I had an opportunity to see them live. I had my chance a few years back, but I was kind of on the fence with their music, but more recently I've rediscovered and acquired most of their recordings and now appreciate the great music Jack and Meg recorded. Their breakup isn't much of a surprise, they haven't been active since 2007 (except for a Conan O'Brien appearance on February 20, 2009, their last ever live performance!) when they cancelled 18 tour dates due to Meg's acute anxiety problems and their last studio album, Icky Thump was released in 2007. Jack has been busy with his other projects. He formed The Raconteurs in 2005 (released 2 studio records), as well as The Dead Weather in 2009.

The White Stripes last official release was a documentary film and a live album called, Under Great White Northern Lights which documented the band's summer 2007 tour across Canada. I thought it would be appropriate being that I'm Canadian I should post this album on my blog. I remember their visit to Winnipeg and their impromptu performance on a transit bus and on the bridge near The Forks, very cool! During the tour, they mainly played arenas, but also dropped into smaller clubs and bowling alleys for mini-performances. I haven't seen the film yet, but with the breakup of the band I think it would be nice to revisit the last tour from a truly great American band.
Enjoy!

THE WHITE STRIPES
Under Great White Northern Lights (2010)
(this is the album, not the documentary film)

1. Let's Shake Hands
2. Black Math
3. Little Ghost
4. Blue Orchid
5. The Union Forever (White, Pepe Guizar)
6. Ball and Biscuit (incorporating portions of "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom" and "Phonograph Blues" both by Robert Johnson)
7. Icky Thump
8. I'm Slowly Turning Into You
9. Jolene (Dolly Parton)
10. 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
11. We Are Going to Be Friends
12. I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself (Burt Bacharach, Hal David)
13. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
14. Fell in Love with a Girl
15. When I Hear My Name
16. Seven Nation Army

THE WHITE STRIPES- Under Great White Northern Lights. rar

Bum- Wanna Smash Sensation!

They may not be a household name or you might not even know who Bum is, and that's really too bad. This record seemed to come out of nowhere when it was released in 1993 on the Popllama label and I might not have ever discovered this record if it wasn't for the catalog update newsletter from Popllama Records I received with an order. Without ever hearing the band (since there was no Internet "song samples" or myspace), I took a chance on this CD because I got a good deal pairing it with The Smugglers, In The Hall Of Fame (the only other Canadian band on the label) and the fact it was produced by Kurt Bloch from the Young Fresh Fellows and the Fastbacks. Note to power punk/pop fans: any album that is produced by Kurt Bloch will be great!...I'm just saying.

It might be an overstatement, but in some way this record changed my life. At around this time I was pretty much into a lot of pop/punk rock, particularly the Bay-area, Lookout Records or bands that played at Gilman St. Bands such as the Mr. T Experience, J Church, Wynona Riders, Jawbreaker and early Green Day all performed more of a melodic pop-punk style that I thought was too good not to heard by the mass, and really only Green Day cashed in when it did catch on and became mainstream. I also listened to a lot of Seattle bands, mainly the ones that weren't really grunge, but the ones that were more catchy and power-poppy (YFF, Fastbacks, Flop, Hazel, Posies, Stumpy Joe, Dharma Bums (Portland), Pure Joy, Sicko etc.). My point is, I'm so amazed Wanna Smash Sensation didn't receive the attention or half the success all these other bands enjoyed. I think this album came out before Green Day's, Dookie and that record definitely broke things open. Bum was so under appreciated and obscure, when I saw the band when they came through town back in 1993/94 (?), I was maybe one of a half a dozen people in the bar and when they came through again a month or so later (coming back across the country on tour) there was more people, but it was cheap draft night. A great live band and I was lucky enough to have the privilege to see them in a small empty bar...a wonderful memory! The best part was chatting with the band after and getting them to sign some 7" ers, very down to earth guys and it's a shame they never gained the success they deserved. I heard they were bigger in Spain and a good document of their live show is their "live in Spain" CD, Shake Time! (which I posted a while back and the download link is still active!)
Enjoy!

BUM
Wanna Smash Sensation (1993)

1. Debbiespeak

2. Your Disciple

3. When She Walked

4. Eternal Ideal

5. Wedding Day

6. Bent on Being Bent

7. I Hardly Breathe

8. Mallory

9. Instant Kool Ayd

10. At the Well

11. Promise Is a Promise

12. I'm Not One

13. No Idea

BUM- Wanna Smash Sensation. rar

The Nils- The Nils

When I think of overlooked classic Canadian indie albums, one record I always think of is the debut album by Montreal's, The Nils. Though they really only released one full-length record, also available are a handful of singles, EPs and a great retrospective compilation, Green Field In Daylight, which includes many of those tracks along with demos and live recordings. I recall talking about the Nils previously, so I searched back through the Teenage Dogs archive (November 2006) and I did post about the Brave New Waves tracks from the Green Field disc. I haven't tested the downloads on that post in a while, so I'm not sure they still download (my old online storage), so If they don't and if you're still interested, please let me know and I'd be happy to update the link.

In my 2006 post, I proclaimed this one of my favourite albums of the 80's and I still stand by that statement. A fine example of power pop-punk, The Nils delivered a near-perfect record, every song stands on it's own, it's catchy, powerful and I can't understand why it hasn't made any all-time Canadian best-of lists. Highly recommended!!
Enjoy!

THE NILS
The Nils (1987)

1. River of Sadness
2. Truce
3. If Heaven Lies
4. When Love Puts On a Sad Face
5. Wicked Politician
6. Bandito Callin
7. In Betweens
8. But For Now
9. Young Man In Transit
10. Daylight

THE NILS- S/T. rar

Young Canadians- No Escape

I'm feeling patriotic this week, so I thought I would post some cool Canadian content that may have been overlooked and everyone should be aware of.

Young Canadians were originally the K-Tels, but for some reason the K-Tel corporation objected to a bunch of Vancouver punks using the name and the band was forced to change their name to avoid legal action. In their all too short career of only 2 years, Young Canadians released 2 EPs and a single. The single, Hawaii is a Canadian punk classic and became the fastest selling punk/new wave record to date in BC. The band emerged from the Vancouver punk scene with other such notable bands as, D.O.A, The Pointed Sticks and Subhumans. Art Bergmann later went onto a respectable solo career. Before I ever listened to the Young Canadians I bought the cassettes of Crawl With Me and Sexual Roulette back in the day and I heard that he was a bit of a Canadian punk legend, but you almost couldn't tell with these two mainstream records (though they were very fine records). They had a bit more edge than the usual radio tunes, but I think it's best to dig further back in Bergmann's catalog to hear the music that gave him the reputation.

No Escape is an excellent collection that includes the 2 EPs and single, as well as compilation tracks and unreleased live recordings. Pretty much their whole career on one disc, a must hear!
Enjoy!!

YOUNG CANADIANS- Hawaii (Here's a sample!)




YOUNG CANADIANS
No Escape (1996)

01. Son Of Spam
02. Can't Be Denied
03. I Hate Music
04. Automan
05. Don't Tell Me
06. Where Are You
07. Question Of Temperature
08. Wait For Your Approval
09. Fuck Your Society
10. Hawaii
11. Well, Well, Well
12. Hullabaloo Girls
13. No Escape
14. Beg, Borrow Or Steal
15. Last Tango (Femme Fatale)
16. Data Redux
17. Just A Loser
18. This Is Your Life
19. Don't Bother Me
20. Picture Of Health
21. Poison Of The Thought

YOUNG CANADIANS- No Escape. rar

The Baseball Project- Broadside Ballads

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!

THE BASEBALL PROJECT
Broadside Ballads (2010)

1. All Future And No Past
2. Cubs 2010
3. 30 Doc
   
4. Lima Time!
5. Phenom
6. (Do The) Triple Crown
7. DL Blues
8. That's The Way It's Gonna Be
9. The Giants Win The Pennant
10. (Bonus) Don't Call Them Twinkies

BASEBALL PROJECT- Broadside Ballads. rar

Young Fresh Fellows- Hits From The Break Up Album

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!!

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
Hits From The Break Up Album (1991)

Divorce #9 (7")

A. Divorce #9
B. Halloween 247

Two Guitars Bass And Drums (7")
A. Two Guitars Bass And Drums
B. Someone I Care About

Motorbroke (7")
A. Motorbroke
B. Equator Blues

Don't Blame It On Yoko (7")
A. Don't Blame It On Yoko
B. With A Big Book

Sick & Tired Of Me (7")
A. Sick And Tired Of Me
B. They Raided The Joint
B. Booze Party

The rar file of songs are in the order as listed above. Sorry, some of the volume fluctuates from disc to disc.

YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS- Break Up Album. rar

The Weakerthans- Series Finale

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.

Here's a real review of the show (and more photos) from the Uptown.
Enjoy!!

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

WEAKERTHANS- 2010-12-18 part 1. rar (mp3)
WEAKERTHANS- 2010-12-18 part 2. rar (mp3)

Dimeadozen- lossless FLAC