Giraffe: There Is No Devil

This is a wonderful album. Released through a netlabel (12rec), "There is no devil" is James Gardner/Giraffe's second album: if you appreciate the likes of Bon Iver or other soft and intense music, this album is for you. Probably Gardner's career is not one for international charts and he is not a well known artist, but still this music deserves real attention: I really fell in love with it. Just start listening to it and you'll soon be in awe by his songcraft. Seriously: listen to the whole album.

And you can buy it here (in any format you like) or download it for free via the internet archive.

16 Lovers Lane: Don't Try To Push Me EP

16 Lovers Lane are a band from Verona, Italy. “Don’t try to push me” is their first release. Their name is an obvious homage to the Go-Betweens' sixth album with the same title. If my followers or others bloggers who like this blog feel like posting about this EP, I would appreciate it a lot.

I have to say that I'm fond of this EP and I'm close to the people who made it, so I'll just stop here. But I really would like you all to tell me what you think about it. Or just contact them via myspace or facebook.

For more info, see here @ Clinical Archives.

You can listen to the whole EP here:

Don't Try To Push Me EP

The Go-Betweens: Live in Brisbane 1986

It's been very long since the last time I posted some "new" Gobs' bootleg, and this one really had to be uploaded, being from one of their most interesting periods (their shift from a 4 piece combo to a 5 piece, with Amanda Brown on violin and oboe duty mostly) and sounding simply great.
The tracklist is amazing, with some pearls too: some very good backing vocals by McLennan on Don't let him come back (this could be its best live performance ever, imo), a good rock-sounding Head full of steam, a beautiful (and quite rare) version of Twin layers of lightning, an edgy rendition of That way, and an extra funny People say.
About the recording: this comes from a soundboard, hence the very good quality (there's only a light hiss in the background).

PS Check out these Gob's posters I've found surfing the web.

(Picture taken from the Go-Betweens' Songbook)


Tracklist:

1. In The Core Of A Flame
2. Head Full Of Steam
3. Right Here
4. One Thing Can Hold Us
5. Don't Let Him Come Back
6. Bachelor Kisses
7. Twin Layers Of Lightning
8. Bye Bye Pride
9. Five Words
10. That Way
11. The House That Jack Kerouac Built
12. To Reach Me
13. Palm Sunday
14. Spring Rain
15. Apology Accepted
16. Cattle & Cane
17. People Say

Brisbane 1986

Brian Eno: Bless This Space (From "Drums Between The Bells")

Brian Eno - bless this space (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records

Bon Iver: Full album in streaming

You can listen to the the whole new Bon Iver album in streaming @ NPR's First Listen.

The Go-Betweens: Ep's and Singles (REPOST)

These are the Go-Betweens' B-Sides to their 2000-years Singles (and the Worlds Apart EP), a quite hard to find treasure. Plus the 7'' edit to Finding You and, as some kind of bonus track, a Suicide At Home live in Munich in 1999.

PS And by the way: Girl lying on a beach is one my favourite Forster's songs ever.

Tracklist:

01 Finding you (7" version)
02 Instant replay
03 The city of lights
04 Sleeping giant
05 The locust girls
06 Crystal shacks
07 Erotic sunshine
08 Woman across the way
09 Stone
10 Girl lying on a beach
11 Suicide at home (The BR 2 Session, live 1999)

Ep's and Singles

Taiga Blues: Neuanfang

This an album from a scottish duo released by Cakes & Takes Label:but not your average kind of quiet folky duo, not at all. They are in fact an eletric band, playing with many influences, mostly 70's stuff (above all, and my favourite one: Krautrock), and they are a very joyous and groovy band.
Listen.

Download for free/Buy it here

Bob Dylan is 70: Dylan &The Band - A Tree With Roots 3 & 4 (The Genuine Basement Tapes) REPOST

And this is the repost of volumes 3 & 4.

A Tree with Roots 3
A Tree with Roots 4

Bob Dylan is 70: Dylan & The Band - A Tree With Roots 1 & 2 (The Genuine Basement Tapes) REPOST

Here's the whole repost, for Bob's 70th birthday:

I don't know if there is any need to go and explain what the basement tapes are (btw, after dylan's famous motorbike accident -probably an exaggereted one- his Bobness himself decided to take some time for himself, some time in the country -Woodstock was the place, just playin' round with The Band some old american music -some would call it Americana these days- and improved some new tunes, the most of it in a totally free way, with no push whatsover), but the fact is, and this has to be stated clear, the basement tapes which later got to be released through Sony were never intended to be for the public audience and, more important to us, they were just the tip of the iceberg.
Meaning there were loads of songs (and songs and songs...) left in Dylan's archives (want me to name one? The stuning "I'm not there", which gave the name for Todd Haynes's bizarre biopic last year), and all of that soon came out labelled as "Genuine basement tapes", a 5 CDs collection full of interesting material though not lacking flaws(i.e. the recording quality being the major one, and then, well, maybe too many takes or some not-so interesting short bits or sketches of songs, but hey, de gustibus...).
So what is "A Tree With Roots" then?
Quite easy to tell: the same genuine tapes, remastered, but with an order which kind of tries to make some sense out of the mass of pretty random music compositions. All of it compressed in a 4 volumes edition, and here am I giving you the first two (what'll you find in these? I'd say some little gems like Lock your door, Bonnie ship the diamond, or Dylan and the Band covering Bells of rhymney...but these are just some of my faves, and there are 58 in here, so knock yourself off and your own ones). And wait for 3 & 4 (with Going to Acapulco, the now famous I'm not there and the very core of the basement tapes, I'd say)

Want to to know more on ATWR? Check this page here (for the complete tracklist, the story and some notes). Or wiki for the whole story behind the basement tapes.

Enjoy, enjoy.
Next (in a couple of days): Vol. 3 & 4.

A Tree With Roots Vol. 1
A Tree With Roots Vol. 2

T.Rex: Rabbit Fighter (The Alternate Slider)

I do have some problems with the 70's and that rock scene: I have never been into prog nor into hard rock, so I have always had problems coping with that decade (in music). That's one of the reasons why I haven't given many chances to Marc Bolan...oh, I know, I was young and foolish. Except that I actually wasn't even that young. Anyway: The Slider has been my point of entry into Bolan's music: funny (as all T. Rex albums should be), but with some great ballads (well, kinda: is Spaceball ricochet a ballad? Still: I love it) and wonderful, really awesome sounds. So, when I decided to post something Bolan-related I thought that Rabbit Fighter (alternate versions to the songs on The Slider) would come handy.

Basically: Rabbit Fighter is a bit more stripped down (and sometimes rougher) than the actual Slider, and it comprises tracks that sound like acoustic demos more than properly arranged songs (Thunderwing, Baby strange, Ballroom Mars, Telegram Sam: nearly a Tyrannosaurus Rex number in this shape) . Plus: Cadillac's demo (which was the b-side of Telegram Sam). And if you love Bolan you gotta listen to this.

Rabbit Fighter

Repost: The go-betweens's Acoustic Stories (the mp3's)

Here's the whole repost.
I assume many of you, if you are go-betweens' fans, already know the "That striped sunlight sound"DVD, which is divided into two sections: one the proper concert, and two the Acoustic Stories part, where Robert and Grant talked about their career and performed 11 songs out of it in splendid stripped-down acoustic versions. I had been looking for the MP3's of that acoustic performance for a long time but with no luck, then I finally rolled up my sleeves, found the right software and did it myself: it took me some time so I really hope you appreciate it.
I have also decided to create two zip files: one with the "complete"acoustic stories (including all the talks inbetweens songs), and one songs-only.
All of it @ 192k.

Tracklist:

1. Lee Remick
2. Cattle and Cane
3. Part Company
4. Bachelor Kisses
5. Head Full of Steam
6. Bye Bye Price
7. Dive for Your Memory
8. German Farm House
9. Too Much of One Thing
10. Here Comes the City
11. Finding You

The Acoustic Stories
The "Complete" Acoustic Stories

Sandy Denny: 2010 Box Set Vol 8 (Bonus Tracks)

I haven't posted anything in a very looooong time, I know. So I'm starting again today with what I hope it's going to be a very appreciated post, i.e. the bonus tracks to the eighth volume of last year's Sandy Denny Box. I mean: it is a REAL shame that the box (at least the physical one) isn't available anymore...
But the reason why, of all the volumes of this wonderful Box Set, I have chosen the eighth one is because I have always thought that Denny's 1974 "Like an old fashioned waltz" is such an underrated LP, but probably so because (and rightly so) of the production: all those cheesy strings... So, listening to these six tracks with no strings was quite a joy to my ears.

Coming soon: more Go-Betweens.

Box Set Vol. 8 (Bonus Tracks)

REM: Collapse Into Now (full streaming)

I'm a REM fan too, yeah.

This is the tracklist:

01. Discoverer
02. All The Best
03. Uberlin
04. Oh My Heart
05. It Happened Today
06. Every Day Is Yours To Win
07. Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter
08. Walk It Back
09. Mine Smell Like Honey
10. That Someone Is You
11. Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I
12. Blue

Friends of Folk Festival, Brisbane

THE MODERN ENTHUSIASTS INC. & TIME OFF PRESENT

The 3rd Annual

FRIENDS OF FOLK FESTIVAL

More than a concert. It’s a concept.

www.friendsoffolkfestival.com

~ Featuring rare performances by

ROBERT FORSTER

and

DON WALKER ~

~ And special performances by THE GIN CLUB, ANDREW MORRIS, ASA BROOMHALL, EMMA DEAN, TARA SIMMONS, MARDI LUMSDEN & THE RISING SEAS, HOTEL MOTEL, HANNAH MACKLIN & THE MAXWELLS, THE GOOD SHIP, RACHAEL BRADY, MARK LOWNDES, MATT NELSON, PLASTIC WOOD, JENNIFER BOYCE, CANDICE LONG, THE FLUMES, GRESHKA, SHANNON CADDY, BERNIE CARSON …and more!! ~
Special KIDS PROGRAMME including FACE-PAINTING, CIRCULAR RHYTHM indigenous music workshop, KIDS YOGA, JUGGLING, PASS-THE-PARCEL and more!

$1 from every ticket will be donated to the

ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Plus a SILENT AUCTION for an artist-signed poster

All other ticket profits donated to the Premier’s

DISASTER RELIEF APPEAL

GUITAR RAFFLE

Tanglewood TW45NS-B Acoustic/Electric folk guitar donated by Music 440 Musical Instruments

Proceeds will be included in our DISASTER RELIEF APPEAL donation.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6^th | THE OLD MUSEUM | BRISBANE |

Family-friendly | All-ages* | Doors: 11am-8pm

*All minors MUST be accompanied by an adult

TICKETS ON SALE NOW via www.oztix.com.au and www.friendsoffolkfestival.com

PRESALE TICKETS (plus booking fees): $44 Adults / $38 Students / $10 Kids / $92 Family

AT THE DOOR: $55 Adults / $48 Students / $10 Kids / $110 Family

Proudly presented by The Modern Enthusiasts Inc. and Time Off, the 3rd annual Friends of Folk Festival has just released its 2nd Artist Announcement, featuring many of Queensland’s best artists. Taking place March 6th at Brisbane’s iconic Old Museum, the day will feature local music, short films, visual arts, fine arts and other festivities in a colourful, family-friendly atmosphere. Friends of Folk Festival is a community-run not-for-profit music/arts festival with the vision of showcasing and celebrating the artists that define our community.

Featuring rare performances by Robert Forster and Don Walker; and special performances from The Gin Club, Andrew Morris, Asa Broomhall, Emma Dean, Tara Simmons, Mardi Lumsden & the Rising Seas, Hotel Motel, Hannah Macklin & the Maxwells and many more. Sponsored by James Morrell Website Development, Music 440 Musical Instruments, Angel Studios, Emily Weier Designs, The Sneaky Cafe, Posterbill and Shotz Digital Print.

The Go-Betweens: Live in Hamburg 1986

I haven't posted a Gobs' bootleg in quite a long time (a whole year), so it is definitely time for me to start again and, plus, with one of my favourite periods of the band, when they had just become a five piece ensemble and were starting to write great pop songs (while they still had some very new wake-like/edgy songs in the repertoire).
In fact, this is one of the very first concerts with Amanda Brown (on violin and, I suppose, keyboards) in the band given that, according to David Nichols' biography of the band, she joined the group around April 1986 and this german gig is supposed to date back to June of the same year. The new element does bring some new nuances to the live renditions of many songs and, though many pieces are still to be worked properly maybe, there is an appealing rawness in this concert when some songs seem to punch harder than ever (One thing can hold us, In the core of a flame, Palm sunday) although -yes- there are some weird arrangements, too mostly because of the keyboard (Bachelor kiss, I work in a health spa).
The bootleg is an audience recording, but a quite decent one.

Live in Hamburg 1986

Nikki Sudden: The Last Bandit Bonus Disc

I knew about Nikki Sudden some years ago through the "I knew Buffalo Bill" album, a true masterpiece played and written together with Jeremy Gluck (from the Barracudas), Jeffrey Lee Pierce (Gun Club), Rowland S. Howard (Birthday Party and These Immortal Souls) and others. Which is kind of strange because lately I've started listening to all these people at different times without realizing they were all in that LP...

Anyway, the point is: it's been only a few weeks since I've started digging really into Nikki Sudden's solo career (although I do appreciate his early work with Swell Maps as well), and now I'm getting addicted to his voice and songwriting, specially when it comes to his more laid back and acoustic songs (like in his "Texas" LP, or in the Jacobites' "Robespierre's Velvet Basement"), and that's the reason why I like this bonus disc of his 2000 compilation so much: in fact it contains seven of his best songs rendered in a solo acoustic fashion...and they are just as amazing as they are simple.

Plus, this is a bonus disc which was part of the only US version (but you can get it through Amazon).

And this is Nikki playing solo one if his classics, Death is hanging over me:

The Last Bandit Bonus Disc

Tribute to Lal Waterson 25-10-07

Someone asked me a couple of weeks ago if I had this: yes, I do have it and here it comes.

Lal Waterson was part of the Watersons, a british vocal folk band, whose main focus was on traditional songs; but in the seventies Lal started (at last) recording her own stuff, first with her brother Mike in the seminal 1972 LP "Bright Phoebus" and then with her sister Norma in 1977 ("A True Hearted Girl"), and finally in the nineties with the help of her son Oliver Knight for the 1996 masterpiece "Once in a Blue Moon" (which I uploaded some time ago here) and the 1999 "A Bed of Roses".

Lal Waterson passed away in 1998. 10 years later BBC broadcasted this tribute featuring many members of her family and band (Eliza Carthy, Martin Carthy, Norma, Mike) and fans among her colleagues (James Yorkston, Kathryn Williams). This is the recording of that night's tribute concert, but for those who want to know something more about Lal's life and work I invite you to go download the BBC 4 documentary @ the mudcat board (scroll down the page searching for the word "mediafire" and you'll find it).

By the way, I love James Yorkston's try at At first she starts.

This is a video from the tribute night with Lal's daughter Maria Gilhooley singing Fine horsemen:

Tribute to Lal Waterson 25-10-07

Pink Floyd: Cruel But Fair

Hard to believe it, but I think this is probably my first Floyd post here and, as far as intentions go, I guess it won't be the last. In a few words: "Cruel But Fair" is simply one of the best Pink Floyd bootlegs ever made, and more so because it is taken from a very interesting period in their career (to me at last), i.e. when Roger Waters & co, during the 1975 "Wish You Were Here" tour, started testing new songs from what was to become the "Animals" album. I know: "Animals" is not a fan favourite, but it is (still) definetely one of my favourites.

So, the very first two songs on this 2-discs boot are what were to be named Sheep and Dogs respectively, while the rest is from the WYWH album and the second disc is the whole "Dark Side of The Moon" plus Echoes (from "Meddle"). One important detail: the Have a Cigar appearing here is not taken (entirely) from the April 26th 1975 gig in Los Angeles, like the rest of the tracklist, but from the Boston show of the same year, due to some problems with the original tape.

Anyway, this here is a great show, the performance in many of the songs is amazing and the overall sound is, by large, one of the best amongst all PF boots (more so if you consider they're all -up to the 1977 tour- audience recordings), so if you enjoy the band you'll sure love this one.

...and maybe next time I'll do a whole "Animals" gig.

Next Post: Lal Waterson

Cruel But Fair 1

Cruel But Fair 2

Richard Thompson: Dream Attic Acoustic Demos

I haven't been posting anything in a very long time, but I mean to get back to give you more music (and so please leave comments if you want any old d/l likn reposted), starting now with these Acoustic Demos from Richard Thompson's new album "Dream Attic". Two reasons why I've decided to post this: I love Thompson's music (that's one, and it's an obvious one), and (the second one is) I think the demos are maybe even better the electric album itself. It may be because it is also a live recording, I don't know, but except for some tracks (i.e. the magnificent Crimescene: go check that on the original "Dream Attic"), I find it a bit laid back, too controlled.

Although there are, indeed (and as always), many great guitar licks and solos, as you will see by listening to this youtube video:

Anyway, if you like RT's stuff I urge you to go buy the "Dream Attic Deluxe Edition" (which includes this demos (@ Amazon.uk or @ RT's website).

In the meantime get this:

Dream Attic Acoustic Demos

The Go-Betweens: Live in Manchester 1987-05-01

I haven't posted a Go-Betweens' boot in a very long time, and it seems kind of right to do t just after the 200000 visits (not that it matters that much, but still...), and so I pulled out one of the not-so-many bootlegs of theirs I havent' uploaded here yet.
This "Live in Manchester" (at the International, in May 1, 1987) is an audience recording (but a good one), and it features what maybe was my favourite line-up of the band, i.e. the one with five members but with Vickers still on bass, plus it has some little gems: one of the seldom live renditions of Don't call me gone, my two favourite GoBes' b-sides (This girl, black girl and When people are dead), and You tell me, a quite weird number from "Tallulah" that I've always loved but that they almost quit playing after this tour. Moreover I love this version of Man o' sand to girl o' sea.

Picture taken from Flick (and from a 1985 show, by the way, but I liked it a lot)
Feel free to comment (and does anyone know what happened to the Go-Betweens' Archive?)

Tracklist:
01. Bye Bye Pride
02. Unkind & Unwise
03. Part Company
04. The House That Jack Kerouac Built
05. The Clarke Sisters
06. This Girl, Black Girl
07. Don't Call Me Gone
08. When People Are Dead
09. Your Turn, My Turn
10. Cut It Out
11. You Tell Me
12. Head Full Of Steam
13. Right Here
14. Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea
15. Cattle And Cane
16. Spring Rain
17. Apology Accepted
18. Karen

Live in Manchester 1987