Bjork: Family tree CD 1 & 2.

In the next days I am going to post one of my favourite CD Boxes: BJORK's "Family Tree". Released in 2002, between "Vespertine" and "Medulla", this wonderful collection of songs is rather peculiar, being it 5 (mini)CDs, two of which are called "Roots", two are called "Beats", and the last one "Strings", that span throught the whole career of the icelandic singer, with both scarsely or totally unknown songs and re-arrangements or remixes of famous ones.
Today I'll start off with CD 1 & 2, "Roots": in the first you will find five songs played between 1980 and 1987, one of which solo, the rest with Kukl, Bjork's first punk band, and with Sugarcubes, while the second's tracklist is made of five more songs, but this time more recent ones (1996 to 2001) from her solo career, with new arrangements and a beautiful live version of "Generous palmstroke" (one of my favourites) for strings and voice at Accademia S. Cecilia in Rome.
For the tracklists see Amazon, and fore more info about Bjork take a look at her well-made official site (also for "Family tree") or her page @ Wiki.

"Family tree" CD 1 & 2

XTC: Go +

XTC are probably one of the best pop bands of all time, but they clearly did not have a real shot at success, and this is why they never grew to be as famous as they would deserve but still are an underground cult (even after more than 20 years of career).
If you have downloaded some of the Children of nuggets you kind of know them already, being them behind the name "DUKES OF THE STRATOSPHEAR", a revival-pychedelic side project of theirs. Well, this is another unusual work out of ther vast oeuvre, an EP originally released as bonus in 1978 -only 15000 copies- with their second LP "Go 2", and it is a very funny, even though naive dub reworking of that same album (actually only five pieces of it). Strange thing is that "Go +" shows -also 28 years on- ambition and originality that the original work lacks.
I assure you there is no need to be a raggae or a dub fan to be mesmerised by these five songs (otherwise I wouldn't, not being a big raggae/dub fan myself).
If you want to know more about XTC take a look at Wiki.

GO +

Kendra Smith: The guild of temporal adventurers

Here is a present for all DREAM SYNDICATE fans and those who love the Pasley Underground: the first solo album by KENDRA SMITH (and iI think it is out of print too), formerly a founder member of the DM (she played bass), and then played in OPAL (that, after she left, became MAZZY STAR).
This "Guild of temporal of temporal adventurers" is closer to OPAL/MAZZY STAR's work, since it's mostly about dreamy songs with harmoniums, chorus/fuzz-guitars and whispered voices. Like lullabies from the stratosphere, I would say...
But it is not only for her fans, being this a great album indeed, with extremely well-written pieces of music (sometimes it seems to me that it could be the kind of album that NICO could have made if she had had more melodical sense...and if she was she was born in south California in 1960, instead of Germany in 1938...)

And if you want to know even more about KS and her related bands try here.

The guild of temporal adventurers

Pandora

I don't know how many of you know about it, but there is a beautiful "musical discovery service" called PANDORA on the web that works like this: after you have chosen a song or an artist you like, Pandora creates a station which plays songs that are considered similar to the artist/s you chose. It is really simple and fun (it is like listening to a radio channel that can never really let you down). It is also possible to tell Pandora wheter you like the song it is playing or not (and in doing so Pandor won't play that artist again).

By the way, from now you can find it among my links too.

The Bangles: All over the place

After all this 60's music, now let's go jump forth to the eighties, with one of the most succesful bands of the time, THE BANGLES. They became wordly known thanks to their huge hit "Walk like an egyptian", but "All over the place" is often considered their best album (meaning not too commercial, not over-produced with lots of synths and such).

I have uploaded this because everybody seems to think about THE BANGLES as just another useless 80's band, the one-hit-and-go kind of, but...hey, Prince wrote "Manic monday" for them, so they probably deserve some respect.

Well, now I would not go and consider them a Paisley Underground band, as Wiki does: I know they are from L.A. as well, and they were friends with DREAM SYNDICATE and other L.A.-based groups, but , still, it is hard to see so many hints of that indie-punk/psychedelic spirit in these girls...

Anyway, this is a pretty good album, give it a try.

Bangles on Wiki

All over the place

CD 3, Track 12

For those who have hap problem extracting track 12 of CD 3...

12- You're driving me insane

The Dears: Live @ KCRW

For those of you who have loved THE DEARS' last album, 2003 "No cities left", I have uploaded a good radio showcase of theirs from 2004 .

If you want to know something about them and their forthcoming album you can find an excerpt here.

For more info on THE DEARS go take a look at their page on Wiki.

Tracklist:

1- Intro

2- We can have it all

3- Lost in the plot

4- Who are you, defenders of the universe

5- Interview

6- Hate, then love

7- Postcard from purgatory

8- Outro

DOWNLOAD

Nuggets II, Disc 3 & 4

At last the last two discs from NUGGETS II, I hope you have all enjoyed this trip!

And for the others, who have never listened to a NUGGETS compilation I remind them that NUGGETS II is based on garage and psychedelic bands from countries as Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, but also Japan and Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Brazil...! The time span is from 1964 to 1969.

Down here you can find the tracklist @ Rhino Records, the original press release, and a good article about NUGGETS II.

By the way, if you like the psychedelic image I used for this post you can find many more on the MALLEUS site, a great italian art lab which works on rock music, like on t shirts, posters, covers, videos, etc.

TRACKLIST @ Rhino.com

NUGGETS II Press Release

NUGGETS II Article @ Nude As The News

DOWNLOAD Disc 3

DOWNLOAD Disc 4

Nuggets II, Disc 2

Here is the second disc, with VAN MORRISON, THE MOVE, THE EASYBEATS, THE PRETTY THINGS and many more.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=JCIM0H4C

Nuggets II Disc 1

For all those of you who have appreciated NUGGETS here is NUGGETS II, a collection that comprehends thiose psych and garage bands that did not come from the USA (hence the subtitle: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond).

In this first disc you wilL find bands like THE SMALL FACES, THE PRETTY FACES, and MOVE.

For the tracklist see the link below.

TRACKLIST on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JGA7/ref=pd_bxgy_text_b/002-9442634-5660839?%5Fencoding=UTF8

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=GLKNU0FJ

True West: Two true

Some days ago I found on "Twilight zone" (you can find it among the links), a download of a Paisley Underground band I didn't know (if you want to try it, I think the download is still working) called TRUE WEST: they sound something between LONG RYDERS and first DREAM SYNDICATE (but, sometimes with a darker appeal), and as many other californian bands of the time their music references go back to THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, THE BYRDS (mostly because of the guitar arpeggios) and generally to the west coast 60's psychedelia and garage rock, but quite often played with a punk angst.

Well, actually TRUE WEST didn't really fit in the Paisley, since they were not from LA, but it is as if they did.

Anyway, I searched something to post in here and I found this collection of songs of theirs that includes also the SID BARRETT-era PINK FLOYD's "Lucifer Sam", and the only-one-chord wonder "Steps to the door".

If you are willing to know more you can find some info about them and Paisley in the pages down here (and a very nice article about this californian scene too)

Short Bio on TRUE WEST:
http://www.answers.com/topic/true-west
Paisley Underground on Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paisley_Underground
Article about PAISLEY on Pop Matters:
http://www.popmatters.com/music/features/020430-paisleyunderground.shtml

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=0W1PTVQJ

Children of Nuggets Vol. 4

And at last also the fourth volume.

In here you will listen to PRIMAL SCREAM, the great Paisley Underground band RAIN PARADE (for all those who love Mazzy star), and lots more.
See the links in the post for the first volume if you are willing to take a look at the tracklist.

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=2JPUMYJ6

Children of Nuggets Vol. 3

And now comes the third volume. In this one there are bands as TEENAGE FANCLUB, FLAMIN' GROOVIES, THE CHURCH, and also JULIAN COPE.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=8TN4F0OE

Children of Nuggets Vol. 2

And here is the second volume!

You are going to have the third and fourth very soon, don't worry.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=KPIEE3OQ

Children of Nuggets Vol. 1

This is "Children of Nuggets", a beautiful collection, the sequel to "Nuggets", which told the original 60's psychedelic era, while this one spans from 1976 to 1996. There are Paisley Underground bands as DREAM SYNDICATE, pop-psych straight revivalists as XTC's side project DUKES OF THE STRATOSPHEAR, and also early PRIMAL SCREAM and SCREAMING TREES.

In this first volume you will find DUKES OF THE STRATOSPHEAR, BANGLES, FLAMIN' GROOVIES, ROBYN HITCHCOCK's SOFT BOYS, and lots of other stuff (27 tracks, by the way).

TRACKLIST:

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3322724,00.html

CHILDREN OF...at Pitchfork:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/comp/rhino/children-of-nuggets.shtml

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=RVRDA0OQ

The Go-Betweens: Cattle and cane video

Here is one more thing to commemorate GRANT MC LENNAN: the videoclip of the beautiful 1983 GO-BETWEENS' single "Cattle and cane" , a song penned by MC LENNAN and which, by the way, was prized by the Australian Performing Right Assosiation as one of the 10 greatest Australian songs of all time.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=HSHVZDVN

For Grant Mc Lennan

On the 6th Grant Mc Lennan, founder of THE GO-BETWEENS died.

I do not know if I can add soething. But in the GB he wrote some of my favourite songs ever. I caught the news yesterday, and, after reading more about it (it is possible to post something about him, if you will, on the GB' s message board here: http://go-betweens.org.uk/cgi-bin/chatroom/discus.cgi) I listened and tried to play it myself his "Love goes on" from one of my most loved GB's LPs, "16 Lovers lane", over and over.

Listening, reading his lyrics,and then singing them really moved me: they were so typically of his songwriting, being so tender and bittersweet and still smart.

Here they are:

"There's a cat in the alleyway
Dreaming of birds that are blue
Sometimes girl when I'm lonely
This is how I think about you
There are times that I want you
I want you so much I could bust
I know a thing aboat lovers
Lovers lie down in trust

Love goes on anyway!
Love goes on anyway!

The people next door got their problems
They got things they can't name
I know a thing about lovers
Lovers don't feel any shame
Late at night with the lights down low
The candle burns to the end
I know a thing about darkness
Darkness ain't my friend

Love goes on anyway!
Love goes on anyway!

I'm gonna make you happy
I'm gonna spin you round
I'm gonna cut your strings

I put my foot flat down on the floor
I took it as far as I could
I took it down there to Sheridan Street
by the dark wood
Late at might when I want you
I lock you in my room
I know a thing about darkness
I know a thing about lovers
I know a thing about lovers
Lovers want the moon

Love goes on anyway!
Love goes on anyway!"

Today I have uploaded something for the fans, who probably own mostly all from THE GO-BETWEENS, but may not know much of his solo career, his first solo effort, from 1991, "Watershed".

THE GO-BETWEENS on wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Betweens

THE GB's official site:

http://www.go-betweens.net/

GRANT MC LENNAN on wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_McLennan

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=AK9QDECX

Track 26-30

This is the download for those who have had difficulties with Disc 4. In here there are the last 5 songs of the disc.

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=WOD14QJI

Nuggets Vol.1, Disc 3 & 4

DOWNLOAD Disc 3:
http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=YRERAESX
DOWNLOAD Disc 4:
http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=0HMWIER6

Nuggets Vol.1, Disc 2

And here is the second disc!

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/it/?d=7TDHF8VW