Trouble in MP3 Paradise

Looks like my account at FileDen has been suspended, so any of the files hosted there will no longer work. In all honesty, I'm too lazy to go back and figure out which ones those are. So if you have a request, send me an email. I will continue to post the more important mp3s on my own FTP space.

TGTBATQ: Opposing Viewpoints

I said:

"It's an understated collection of well-crafted songs that deserves to be listened to in its entirety, both for its compelling musical and lyrical themes."

Phil (aka Big Boots) said:

"I like tracks 2, and 6.. not really looking for social commentary from that twat in the 'Live Forever' documentary."

In other news, the band was featured recently on BBC 6 Music. They sat down for interviews, played some records, and recorded an acoustic set. More info is [here]. Listen to interview highlights [here].

The acoustic set went like this:
1. History Song
2. Kingdom of Doom
3. Bunting Song
4. Nature Springs
[Download the BBC 6 Acoustic Session in MP3 Format]
(Link from thegoodthebadandthequeen.net)

'Where are we going?''We're all going mad'

The Smiths on a children's program in 1984. At the end, Johnny Marr and Sandie Shaw perform "Jeane".

Listen to "Jeane" by The Smiths:

[Download the MP3 Here]

Drip Drip Drip....

The Rolling Stones: All Down The Line (Outtake Version)

My best online find recently has to be the outtakes from The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main St.", which is one of my favorite records. It's pretty gritty stuff, but there are some unpolished gems in there. One of the best moments is this early version of "All Down the Line", which tones down the country-rock feel of the album version. If my Stones knowledge serves me correctly, this song's genesis was in the "Let it Bleed" sessions; this might explain why it sounds more like earlier tracks such as "Street Fighting Man". Anyways, I think you'll enjoy it.

Listen to "All Down the Line" (Early Version):

[Download the MP3 Here]

Live Version:

Sigur Ros: Glosoli (Orchestral Performance)

The Project

The project involved five Watford schools with each school having a role in participating in the concert as presenters, players, composers and singers.

This exciting concert included music by Sigur Rós, Arvo Pärt and Jocelyn Pook as well as compositions, arrangements and visual media (thanks to the involvement of BBC 21CC) created and performed by the school students themselves.

Conducted by Robert Ziegler, and presented by BBC 1Xtra's Iyare, the event was a unique musical experience for the young people involved, broadening and deepening their ideas about the orchestral sound world, and supporting and enriching their music making at home and at school.

[Watch the video on the BBC Website; "Glosoli" is towards the end]
[Link From Eighteen Seconds Before Sunrise]

The Good, The Bad & The Queen:Kingdom of Doom (Promo)

Pompous, humorless lyrics? Check. Overblown arrangements? Check. Brian Eno? Check.

Coldplay, in their pre-U2 days

The transformation is complete:

Brian Eno producing new Coldplay album
He says it will be 'very original'

Brian Eno has revealed he is to produce Coldplay's fourth album.

Billboard.com reports that Eno revealed the news in an interview with BBC Radio 4's 'Front Row', and says the new material "will be very original and very different from what they've done before."

Coldplay are currently holed up in their recently purchased London studio, having started arranging the follow-up to 2005's 'X&Y' last October.

Guitarist Jonny Buckland last year revealed exclusively to NME.com that the band started writing the new album as soon as they completed 'X&Y'.

The band will showcase the new material to fans on their Latin American tour, which kicks off on February 14 in Santiago, Chile.

Listen to "Spies" (Alternative Version):

[Download the MP3 Here]

Message Board Now Up

[http://deadflowers.proboards75.com/index.cgi]

Post away!

Is He Havin' a Laugh?!

[Chris Martin on "Extras"]

[Listen to Ricky Gervais on "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross]

TGTBATQ Update

[NME track-by-track review--click picture to enlarge]

[Download the BBC Radio 1 Interview with Zane Lowe]

Listen to "Green Fields":

[Download the MP3 @ Silence is a Rhythm Too]

Links via thegoodthebadandthequeen.net

Let's Push Things Backward

[Click picture for enlarged version]

Garrett Kamps of the Village Voice pours some cold water on the band Vietnam, whose debut album is out now.

[Link]
Vietnam give new meaning to the phrase, "I was in the shit." Here we have four bearded, longhair types from Brooklyn (sigh), who live in, like, a commune (oh boy), subsisting on a diet of cigarettes (just guessing) and some '70s rock reco—no wait! That's the whole problem. These guys think they're ripping off Derek & the Dominoes, but they're actually jacking the Black Crowes; they don't sound like the Velvet Underground, they sound like Brian Jonestown Massacre, like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. This is nothing like the oft-cited Spaceman 3. Taking Drugs to Make Music That Sucks is more like it.

Vietnam was cut in Los Angeles—100 percent analog, broseph!—which is fitting, as not since George Thorogood's Bad to the Bone has an LP sounded this hamstrung by the devil's dandruff. In his naively toe-curling Dylan-goes-electric dickless yawp, Michael Gerner sings about characters he must have seen in a Scorsese flick: "Money and class are just a pain in the ass for me/But if you stick it up my nose, I sniff it up and glow in the ecstasy." Easy now, Rimbaud.

Throughout, guitarist Josh Grubb slathers on the reverb the way shitty cooks use too much butter, sounding more like Eric Johnson than Eric Clapton. You almost have to feel bad for the folks who showed up to sing (why, Jenny Lewis?) or play organ and horns; the rhythm section, at the very least, can keep time. "Gabe" approaches a boogie, but it also contains these soon-to-be notorious lyrics: "How many times can a man slip through the floor/And man, how many times can a man ask 'Once more'?/And tell me how many answers do you have, señor?" If you stripped away all of Vietnam's contrivances, you'd be left with nothing but tape hiss, 'cause, like, it's fucking analog, señor.

Dead Flowers contributor Jake Drake responds to the article with this:

wow, that was an odd read. I guess he didn't get it.
The best record I've heard for years.
He must be a Death Cab For Cutie fan.

I would say I'm sympathetic to both sides. While Vietnam are no doubt talented ("Welcome to My Room" did end up on my best of 2006), one wishes that talent had been used more to present something fresh and original. Instead, we get a precise replica of the late 60's and early 70's, whether it's their music, their look, or even their name.

In all honesty, we've come to expect this from New York, where retro is very "now-tro". Try and name New York bands that aren't stuck in a year at least two decades past and you'll inevitably come up with a pretty short list. At least Vietnam do it right.

Classic MP3:Medal: Porno Song (EP Version)

Medal were a little-heralded band from Oxford in the late 90's/early 00's. This song is taken from their debut EP. It also appeared on their debut album, "Drop Your Weapon", but was remixed and turned out to be worse than the EP version.

Listen to "Porno Song":

[Download the MP3 Here]

Probably influenced by...

"Big Boots" by Radiohead:

[Download the MP3 Here]

(Thanks Tom)

Arcade Fire: Keep The Car Running(BBC Radio Rip)

Listen:

[Download the MP3]

(Thanks Hoggboy)

Dead Flowers Interviews The Delta Spirit

The Delta Spirit are a San Diego five-piece on the verge or rereleasing their excellent debut EP, "I think I've found it". This time around, the EP will be featuring a new track called "People Turn Around". One of their tracks, "Crippler King", made it onto the Dead Flowers Best of 2006 [Download]. Thus, I thought it would be worth talking to them ahead of their Spring tour. Here's what they had to say:

Dead Flowers: I heard a recent interview with Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy and he was lamenting the waning influence and popularity of the Blues. Are you trying to spread the word?

Delta Spirit: Hmm. Interesting. For a while all that you would hear of the blues was watered down bar blues or adult contemporary blues. That stuff is pretty painful, so it is no surprise to me that the popularity declined. As of late though bands like White Stripes and Black Keys have made a name for themselves by playing blues. We don't consider ourselves a blues band by any means, so it really doesn't concern us too much. I think that blues as played by those early musicians is something that is no longer possible to create. it can be imitated, but the social and cultural climate that produced those songs is no longer here. They were slave spirituals and chain gang songs. Great things came out of that horrible obscurity, but now people would just be trying to empathize with those emotions. There may still be good blues, but they are inevitably different than the early blues.

DF: Closer to now, I also hear a Libertines influence in your music, especially on a track like "Crippler King". Am I just imagining things?

DS: No. You are right. We all really like The Libertines. Old Petey is an interesting character.

Listen to "Crippler King":

[Download Here]

DF: On a related note, what bands going today do you relate to?

DS: Despite popular opinion we think there is still some great music coming out today. We most closely relate to our friends... Cold war kids, The Colour, The Prayers and Sparrow Love Crew. We are constantly blown away by the creativity that comes out of our small group of friends. There are a bunch of other bands we like that are making great music today... Dr. Dog, Richard Swift, Elvis Perkins, U2, My Morning Jacket, Tom Waits, Foreign Born, Phoenix... just to name a few.

DF: With the label releasing music by Cold War Kids and The Colour, Monarchy Music seems like a good fit for you...

DS: More than anything we just wanted to be working with our friends. Scott (monarchy) is a great friend. We also wanted to be a self sufficient band, a band that doesn't depend on a label for our welfare and sustainability. I hope that more bands choose that road.

DF: How has San Diego affected your music? I think most people would think of the city as a sunny, soulless place, but one doesn't hear that in your songs.

DS: Yeah, it kind of is. San Diego is a truly beautiful place, but as far as culture is concerned it is pretty desolate. I think we identify more with America as a whole than with the local culture. When we started the band we wanted it to be a thoroughly American sounding band. i don't think that we will always stick to that so closely cause there are a lot of British bands that we love like the Zombies, Beatles, Oasis and such. Nonetheless, part of the reason for our name was to at least anchor ourselves to the soul of American roots music, which is our true home.

"Gimme Some Motivation" Promo:

DF: What's your recording process like?

DS: Honestly it is different every time. We record at Kelly our piano/ect. player's house. Most of the stuff we do live or at least mostly live. Then Matt will grab a mic and throw a sock over it and sing in the control room. That is how we recorded the ep. The quality of recording is getting better and better. We are about to re-release the ep with a new version of "people, turn around" on it and we are constantly writing and recording new songs in the studio. We just got a tape machine and are really excited to mess with that.

DF: Do you think modern music is too polished?

DS: As a whole, yeah. That's why it is exciting when a band like The Libertines comes along and has a record that sounds like the whole things was done in one take. it feels alive! But at the same time when you get a pop record like Kylie or Lily Allen you don't want to hear them singing off key. That would just be weird. There is a balance. Ultimately we just want our recordings to have a life to them and nothing will stifle a song's life like overproduction.

DF: Along those lines, it seems like there is a greater focus on capturing the energy of a song than on having every note exactly
perfect. Was that intentional?

DS: The focus at least for the ep was to get a good feeling. I think we achieved that. Originally these were just demos and then we decided to release them. We always want to retain a bit of a live sound, but we don't want the recordings to sound sloppy and unlistenable. We are always working on being better musicians. We would just rather do that in real life as opposed to having the computer make us sound better, ya know.

Many thanks to the Delta Spirit and to Scott from Monarchy Music for arranging the interview. Thanks also to Jake Drake for question help. Be sure to catch The Delta Spirit in concert this spring.

[Order the EP @ Monarchy Music]
[The Delta Spirit on Myspace]

Tour Dates (w/Cold War Kids):
Jan 22 2007 8:00P Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, California
Jan 29 2007 9:00P Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, California
Feb 3 2007 8:00P Beauty Bar San Diego San Diego, California
Feb 8 2007 8:00P Downtown Brew (all ages) San Luis Obispo, California
Feb 22 2007 8:00P Troubadour Los Angels, California
Feb 23 2007 8:00P Great American Music Hall San Francisco, California
Feb 24 2007 8:00P The Attic Santa Cruz, California
Mar 2 2007 8:00P Hi-Dive Denver, Colorado
Mar 3 2007 8:00P Sokol Underground Omaha, Nebraska
Mar 4 2007 8:00P The Bottleneck Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 5 2007 8:00P Varsity Theater Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 7 2007 8:00P The Rave at the Eagles Club Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mar 8 2007 8:00P The Annex Madison, Wisconsin
Mar 9 2007 8:00P Subterranean Chicago, Illinois
Mar 10 2007 8:00P Mojo's Columbia, Missouri
Mar 12 2007 8:00P Juanita's Little Rock, Arkansas
Mar 14 2007 8:00P Gypsy Tea Room Dallas, Texas
Mar 19 2007 8:00P The Republic New Orleans, Louisiana
Mar 20 2007 8:00P Club Downunder Tallahassee, Florida
Mar 21 2007 8:00P The Social Orlando, Florida
Mar 22 2007 8:00P Cafe 11 St. Augustine, Florida
Mar 23 2007 8:00P Vinyl Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 24 2007 8:00P Mercy Lounge Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 26 2007 8:00P Village Tavern Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Mar 27 2007 8:00P Local 506 Chapel hill, North Carolina
Mar 28 2007 8:00P Nightclub 9:30 Washington DC, Washington DC
Mar 29 2007 8:00P First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 30 2007 8:00P Middle East Downstairs Boston, Massachusetts
Mar 31 2007 8:00P Pearl Street Nightclub Northhamton, Massachusetts
Apr 6 2007 8:00P Bowery Ballroom SOLD OUT!
Apr 7 2007 8:00P Bowery Ballroom SOLD OUT!
Apr 9 2007 8:00P Bowery Ballroom New York, New York

Arcade Fire Live@St. Michael Church in Montreal, Quebec

[MP3 Download Link]

Setlist:
1. Intro
2. Black Mirror
3. Keep the Car Running
4. No Cars Go
5. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
6. My Body is a Cage
7. Oceans of Noise>
8. Rebellion
9. Funny chatter
10.Intervention
11. Building Downtown
12.The Well and the Lighthouse

Encores:
12. Haiti
13. Power Out

Listen to "Keep The Car Running":

Arcade Fire Live @Canterbury High School (1.19.07)

[MP3 Download from Megaupload]
Setlist:
1. Black Mirror
2. Keep The Car Running
3. No Cars Go
4. Black Waves/Bad Vibrations
5. My Body Is A Cage
6. Ocean of Noise
7. Rebellion
8. Intervention
9. Building Downtown
10. The Well and The Lighthouse
11. Haiti
12. Power Out

Video of "Intervention" from Pitchfork:

CD86

C86 was a mix cassette given out by the NME in, what else, 1986. It came to define the indie pop scene in Britain. Now, Bob Stanley of St. Etienne has compiled the best moments of that cassette and other songs into a collection called "CD86". Among the highlights are Primal Scream's "Velocity Girl" (which was the inspiration for The Stone Roses' "Made of Stone") and "Anorak City" by Another Sunny Day. Highly recommended.

Listen to "Velocity Girl":

[Download Here]

Listen to "Anorak City":

[Download Here]

[C86 on Wikipedia]
[Indie Mp3--A Blog inspired by C86]





"You Should All Be Murdered" by C86 band Another Sunny Day:

Radiohead back in Studio, Working on 15 Step

From Dead Air Space:

so we have staRTed up again had a good today
working on a version of 15step and rebuilding our studio
in the wind

and if you live in the uk there is this
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/trident/

x
Thom

Listen to "15 Step":

[Download Here]

Pete Doherty: Rhythm Factory 1/17 (MP3's)

[Savefile Link]
[Link and picture from feefifofum and Luke on the .Org forum]

Update: Babyshambles sign long-term deal with Parlaphone

At last, some stability in Pete Doherty's life. The troubadour/narco-enthusiast and his band Babyshambles have reportedly signed a three-album contract with Parlophone records for an also reported £1m. What will he do with all that money?

The big deal follows a brief liaison between band and label last year when Parlophone released The Blinding EP to critical acclaim if not sizeable sales. Parlophone execs certainly seemed happy with the new arrangement, however, when they made the announcement last night.

"We're extremely pleased to be welcoming such a vibrant and talented band into the Parlophone label", said Miles Leonard, Parlophone's managing director. "Babyshambles, justifiably, have a great reputation for crafting some of the most exciting music around today, and in Peter Doherty they have one of the best songwriters of his generation." He's a great songwriter, you see, so they use his full name.

Not surprisingly the band's management were also quite pleased and held forth on the matter. "Both management and the band are thrilled to have signed this deal and look forward to a long, fruitful, and creative relationship with Parlophone."

Let's just wait and see on that one, eh?

Quote of the Week: Bobby Gillespie

"I used to do loads of cocaine. Me and my mates used to get sniffed up and play table tennis at my house. Put lines on the table and then you can do those Japanese top spins and back spins right ... cocaine and table tennis - it's a great recreational activity. That's when I'm at my best. You know what I mean?"

[Guardian Article]

Foreign Born

Foreign Born are an LA band whose debut album, "On the Wing Now", is out later this year. They have already put out one EP on Startime, "In The Remote Woods".

Listen to "Remote Woods":

While it gets romanticized by the Brian Jonestown cult, LA is actually pretty arid ground when it comes to music. Foreign Born were one of the handful of bands that impressed me when I lived out there. Their sound could be described as electric folk, and they have one of the best rock drummers today in Garrett Ray. Watch this space for album updates and new music from FB.

Listen to "The Entryway":

[Band Blog]
[More MP3s]
[On Myspace]
[On Startime]


Live:

Sigur Ros Back in the Studio

18 Seconds Before Sunrise Reports:

sigur rós have begun recording their new album and expect to finish it later this year. in an interview with fréttablaðið newspaper, georg says it remains to be seen whether the band will be taking a totally new direction on the album. “we have finished recording a few songs but some more things need to be done. we don’t know exactly where the album is heading yet. we are really just experimenting at this stage. some of the songs we recorded are old songs which we had written a while ago, unreleased material which we never got a chance to finish. we decided it was time they were recorded.” georg says there is a possibility the album will be released this year but nothing is confirmed at this point.

Njosnavelin on Kilborn:

Adorable: Vendetta (Classic MP3)

[Download]

[The Proper Adorable Page]
[Fan Page on Myspace]

(Thanks Big Boots)

Thoughts on: The Good, The Bad & The Queen

As hard as it is for this Radiohead fan to admit, while everyone was looking elsewhere, Damon Albarn established himself as Britrock's most consistent and innovative artist. His motives may have been questioned since he told us that there's no other way, but the results speak for themselves: the Blur behemoth, obviously, but also Gorillaz--a hugely popular group that manage to remain indie in the best sense of the word. Albarn's voice and melodies now have an instant familiarity that make his albums the aural equivalent of comfort food. In other words, he's become the Sting that doesn't suck.

Now comes "The Good, The Bad & The Queen", ostensibly an Albarn solo album with the help of an all-star cast (Danger Mouse on production duties, Tony Allen on drums, etc.). Beneath the album's pleasant melodic exterior, there's a darkness to Albarn's lyrics that make this a fitting soundtrack to 2007.

When one sees the fervor over Steve Jobs' keynote and the accompanying iPhone eclipse the fact that people are dying in a bloody war half a world away, it's a painful and embarrassing reminder of the fact that "reality" today has a lot more to do with escapism than with hard facts. Albarn addresses this uncomfortable truth: on "Kingdom of Doom" he sings about how people "Drink all day cause the country's at war." Likewise, on the stunning "Green Fields" he sings:

Before the war and the tidal wave
Engulfed US it’s true
How the world has changed
And I was learning how to change with you

This is an album that, unlike Blur and Gorillaz, doesn't shine through on its singles. It's an understated collection of well-crafted songs that deserves to be listened to in its entirety, both for its compelling musical and lyrical themes. Damon Albarn has done it again.

Verdict: Buy the CD

Listen to "History Song":

[Download Their BBC Show]
Watch "Green Fields":

Maria Peszek

The last time I was in Poland, I heard an album playing in a bar that got my attention. It turned out to be "Moje Miasto" by Maria Peszek. Some very innovative production sets the stage for her beatiful voice and clever, if often dark, lyrics. For most people outside of Poland, the album is probably difficult to find commercially, but it's readily available on Soulseek.

Here are some mp3s; pardon my translations...

Nie Mam Czasu na Seks (I Don't Have Time for Sex):

[Download]

Czarny Worek (Black Sack):

[Download]

"Nie Mam Czasu na Seks" Promo:

Arcade Fire: My Body is a Cage

[On Sendspace]

Bowie on Extras

[On HBO]

(Thanks to Jimmy Johnson)

American Idle

From the Guardian:

Is this beginning of yet another, albeit unorthodox, celebrity spat? Responding to rumours, circulating from as far back as 2004, that Bob Dylan wishes to appear as a judge on American Idol, Simon Cowell has revealed to the world that Dylan "bores him to tears".

Not content with just one insult, the high-waisted one went on to say: "I've got to tell you, if I had 10 Dylans in the final of American Idol, we would not be getting 30 million viewers a week. I don't believe the Bob Dylans of this world would make American Idol a better show."

You be the judge:

Where's the Artwork from?

One of the most common questions I receive from visitors to the site is, "Where is the Artwork from?" The answer is Marcel Dzama, an extremely talented artist from Winnipeg, Canada. His blend of innocence and terror seems particularly relevant to our day and age. You might have seen his work on the cover of Beck's Guerro (2006) or in a number of contemporary art museums, where you can buy his salt and pepper shakers (no kidding).

I first learned of him from a BBC Collective feature, which you can read here. He has a new collection of his work out with McSweeney's entitled "The Berlin Years". I recommend checking it out.

[BBC Collective Interview]
[McSweeney's Interview]
[More examples of his work]
[Buy those salt and pepper shakers]

Lefties Soul Collection: Organ Donor(DJ Shadow cover--MP3)

Listen:

[Download]


[As heard on Sound Opinions]
[Lefties Soul Connection Myspace]
[DJ Shadow Myspace]



DJ Shadow performing the song live:

Los Hermanos: Condicional (MP3)

[Download]

[On Wikipedia]
[On Myspace]

(Thanks Julia Baked Beans)

Jake Drake on: Playing the Guitar

"It takes time to be good, not just a haircut and a 6-pack."

[On Myspace]
[In other news, Jake's Band, Ride on Rides, are going into the studio today. Watch Dead Flowers for updates.]

The Good, The Bad & The Queen: Eighties Life

[Stream the album on the band's Myspace page]

Radiohead: On the Beach(Neil Young Cover--MP3)

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]