Sebastien Tellier: Sessions

Today I'd like to introduce Sébastien Tellier to those of you who do not know his music talent: he is a 25 years old parisian who has already released three albums, "L'incroyable verité", "Politics", and this one, the last, "Sessions". "Sessions" is something peculiar in Tellier's discography because it consists in a one-day session that pictures his playing some song from his back catalogue (including also "Fantino", featured on Sofia Coppola's "Lost in translation"), an unreleased track, "Classics", and a cover version of Cristophe's "La dolce vita", in a bare and extremely impassioned acoustic performance.
What makes the difference betweens this and the previous Tellier's LPs is that the french musician avoids here his typical and a-bit-of-kitsch arrengements, and in doing so his songs sound more sincere, unlike their versions on "Politics" and "L'incroyable verité" (beautiful "La ritournelle" apart) that sometimes seemed more a divertissement than proper songs.

If you want to give him a try you can also go listen to ST's songs on his Myspace page.

Sessions

The Go-Betweens: Before Hollywood (expanded disc)

Just as I said, here is The Go-Betweens' "Before Hollywood" expanded disc. And it is not a matter of half-formed demos (although they are, mostly, demos) or such: they are all well-played songs, starting with "Just a king in mirrors" or "This girl, black girl", and it includes also the single (from the "Send me a lullaby"-first LP-period) "Hammer the hammer".

Before Hollywood Expanded Disc

The Long Ryders: 10-5-60 (EP) + End of the trail (Live)

The LONG RYDERS are another Paisley Underground band: they were a cow-punk or -if you prefer a country-rock ensemble lead by singer Sid Griffin in the early 80's. These days with musicians as Ryan Adams or Neko Case being so hip LONG RYDERS are definetely a name to re-discover.
Today's download is LR's first EP (released 1983), "10-5-60", and a good-quality Bootleg called "End of the trail" from the final part of their career (presumably shortly after "Two-fisted tale", their last LP).

For more info see LR'S page @ Sid Griffin's website (a very-well made one, where you can also find some MP3 of live material), or Wiki.

Two links this time for the download:

Long Ryders (Megaupload)

or

Long Ryders (Sendspace)

The Go-Betweeens: Before Hollywood

Hello, and sorry if I have been away for a while (on vacation in Paris, by the way), but now I'm back and with a hell of an album...and I know I have already posted a lot of THE GO-BETWEENS' stuff, but in Paris I bought this one (I had not bought it before because it is not available in Italy, so I had only bad MP3s of it) and I am so satisfied with it that I have decided to make it my comeback-post.
So, I'm talking about GB's second LP: "Before Hollywood", IMHO their first masterpiece (cointaining the absolute gem of McLennan's "Cattle and cane"), and one of those record that sound both naive and stunning...their sound is so clearly stuck in the past but still fascinating and beautiful (in that it kind of reminds me of REM's first album, "Murmur": it is clearly an LP made in the ealry 80's with all that crystalline sound and fine-sounding guitars...in fact both LP's were released in 1983!).
Anyone interested also in the bonus disc?

The Go-Betyweens on Wiki
The Go-Betweens Archive

Before Hollywood

Re-post: Robert Forster - Radio showcase

This is for those who did not make it to download Fosrster's radio showcase.

Showcase

Robert Forster: "Drop" CD single + Radio showcase

And here is something for the GO-BETWEENS fans: Robert Forster's "Drop" CD single, plus a radio showcase with also two songs from his GB days ("Rock 'n' roll friend", and the marvellous "When she sang about angels").
By the way, you like the picture? I hope you do, it comes from the "16 Lovers Lane"period, when he had dyed his hair silver... (I have taken it out of David Nichols' biopic on the Go-Betweens: take a look at Amazon if you are interest, it is a quite good bok).

Robert Forster

Galaxie 500: Demo tape

GALAXIE 500 were Dean Wareham, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, one of the most talented indierock bands of their time (late 80's), and probably one of the best ever. They unfortunately released only three LP's before splitting, but year after year we discover more recondings of theirs (like the "Uncollected" album, the "Peel session", and the "Copenhagen" live). This is one more GALAXIE 500 fans should be delighted of: 7 tracks from early demo tapes, four of which do not appear in the "Uncollected" G.500 compilation.

Here is the tracklist:

1-Walking song
2-The other side
3-On the floor
4-Pride
5-(Unknown)
6-Open road
7-We...all right

If you do not know much about GALAXIE 500 go visit their myspace site to listen to them, or get to their website, which is full of lyrics, tabs, and such.

Demo tape

Re-upload for The Triffids

I have uploaded again the Triffids album since it was dead.
Just click on "In the pines" in the previous post (I have changed the link).

The Triffids: In the pines

THE TRIFFIDS were an australian rock band active in the eighties: they sound like something between late-Byrds and english-american post punk bands. This beautiful LP, "In the pines" is one of their best efforts (together with the previous "Bord Sandy devotional" probably), having it all of their influnces, well-balanced, in it. For instance: the country music of "Once again", but also the perfect pop of the title track (it reminds of the poppiest STRANGLERS songs), while "Suntrapper" is a great stop-and-go new wave thing, "Kathy knows" might sound like early CURE stuff, and "Better off this way" is the closest a band grown in the punk scene can get to write a crooner kind of song.
Plus you will find also a bunch of interesting bonus tracks along with the original tracklist.

For more info see this well-done fansite and wiki (also, on their official site there's this wonderful page with lots of downloads of rairities.

In the pines

The Beatles: White album (one-disc only)

This is a bit of a game I played: I asked myself "What if the Beatles had made one disc out of all the music they put on tapes for the so-called "White album" instead oa double LP? (I think George Martin would have appreciated a more concise work)
And I know this could seem a bit pretentious and all, but I tried nonetheless to compile a one-disc version that might sound fine (and, at the same time, I tried not to leave all the McCartney songs out...which is a bit of a hard work. I have always thought this was one of his worst period as a writer. He did much better sooner -"Pepper"- and after -"Let it be").
This is the result. Don't take it too seriously (otherwise you would probably want to chop my head for putting also an Anthology-version track in it...), it was just fun (at least it was for me compiling it).
I won't tell you the tracklist (it would take half the fun out).

White album

4 Beatles fans

Here is a great link for all BEATLES fans: on Beatspace you can find lots and lots of their stuff (incluiding 17 discs of "Get back sessions"...highly recommended!).

CD 5 Track 7 & 13

This is for those who have had problems unzipping these tracks.

Tracks

Sandy Denny: A boxful of treasures 5

And at last (I know it has been a long time since the last post) the fifth disc!
In it there are many demos (also home-made demos) with a very impassioned feel. I hope you have enjoyed the whole box.
Next time I think I am going to post a one-shot, and a funny one, so you won't need to worry about delays.

Box 5

Cd 4 Track 5

This for those who have had problems unzipping the first part.

Track 5

Sandy Denny: A boxful of treasures 4

And now, at last, the fourth disc, with more stuff from the seventies this time, both from Sandy' solo carrer and from Fairport Convention.
This time the zips are two because it's a big file.
See here for more details on the tracklist.

Box 4 Part 1
Box 4 Part 2

Sandy Denny: A boxful of treasures 3

And now the third disc: here you wil find mostly SANDY DENNY solo stuff, some unreleased versions, some live songs, and some demos too...
Enjoy!


Box 3

Sandy Denny: A boxful of treasures 2

This is the second CD, including many FAIRPORT CONVENTION songs from their golden period, and also a version of "The ballad of easy rider" that they recorded for "Liege and Life" but did not release, but also an exclusive radio recording), plus more songs (both released and unreleased) with FOTHERINGAY, and with ALEX CAMPBELL & HIS FRIENDS.
For more details about the tracklist see here.

The surprise link is dedicated to the memory of SYD BARRETT, our lost crazy diamond, for he will not return anymore.

Box 2

Sandy Denny: A boxful of treasures 1

This is the first disc of a wonderful box set for all Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny fans: 5 CDs with lots of unreleased and altrnate takes (the fifth also being made of home recordings). On this first youn can find songs from her early career: as a solo artist and with the Strawbs.
See Amazon for the tracklist.
I also hope some of you who do not know Sandy will try to listen to this because she is one of the the most beautuful voices of all times and, to me, I have to confess that it is hard to be as struck by a voice as I was by listening for the first time to Sandy's "Who knows where the time goes?" as performed by her with Fairport convention. Here there is her first version (along wih the Strawbs).
You may want to read some reviews on this box @ the BBC site or @ Artistdirect.
And on this fan site you can find her discography, while on this other one lyrics and tabs.

Box 1

Bjork: Family tree CD 5

And at last the fifth disc, this one called "Strings" as well, that includes 4 more songs performed live with the Brodsky quartet (and a "Play dead" really great with stings instead of saxophones).

Family tree Disc 5

Bjork: Family tree CD 3 & 4.

So here come Disc 3 and Disc 4.
The first is called "Beats" and contains 4 songs from '91 to '97, with an unreleased one (on official albums) and 3 reworkings, while the latter, "Strings" shows 5 songs beautifully performed by Bjork and the Brodsky quartet live through 1999 and 2000 tours.

Disc 3 & 4