Sun Kil Moon on Fallon

There is a god after all!

The end

Mediafire have suspended my account and locked my downloads.  Having endured the tedium of re-uploading everything I had previously hosted on Mega Upload onto Mediafire earlier this year, I can't be arsed re-uploading everything again.

So this is the end, my friends.

See you on the other side....

The Breeders - Saints (single)

Someone previously asked why I hadn't posted any Pixies on this site. I said I didn't think they needed the massive exposure this blog would bring them (chortle chortle). Anyway, this post is dedicated to that person....

This was probably my fave Breeders release, featuring a re-recorded version of the Last Splash track Saints. IMHO the Last Splash version was a bit lackluster, but this version kicks now serious arse*! Also featured are demo versions of the first two tracks from Last Splash, New Year, and the legendary Cannonball.

The Breeders - 1994 - Saints (single)

01 - Saints (J. Mascis Mix)
02 - Grunggae (early demo of Cannonball)
03 - New Year (demo)

FLAC
MP3

* I remember reading the expression "kicks now serious arse" on a flyer for a band on the German label Steamhammer records. The band name is long lost in my distant hazy memories, but the expression has stayed with me....and I've finally found an opportunity to use it!

More Go-bees goodness

Here's another very cool Go Betweens soundboard recording from the mid-80s that's recently emerged seemingly outta nowhere.

This features many of the classic older songs that they stopped playing in later years, as well as an early version of  In The Core Of A Flame, released on the following years classic Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express - in some peoples opinion (including mine) the best Go-bees album. This recording also features lesser known b-sides Just Right For Him (dedicated to legendary Aussie pub rockers Mental as Anything) and Rare Breed.

As mentioned previously, I'm a sucker for narratives and spoken word lyrics, and this recording features one of the best examples of the "genre", the awesome, River Of Money - though I could have done without the repeated emphasis of the syllables of the word repossessed - superb on the album version, but losing it's grandeur when repeated ten or so times in a row as on this recording!

But don't let this minor quibble affect put you off downloading this awesome recording!

The Go Betweens - 1985-12-02 - The Cricketers Arms Tavern, Wellington, New Zealand

01. Cattle And Cane
02. Part Company
03. Unkind & Unwise
04. On My Block
05. Just Right For Him
06. Bachelor Kisses
07. Rare Breed
08. Five Words
09. In The Core Of A Flame
10. Draining The Pool For You
11. That Way
12. People Say
13. A Bad Debt Follows You
14. Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea
15. I Need Two Heads
16. Hammer The Hammer
17. River Of Money

FLAC: Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4, Pt5
MP3

Underground Lovers singles

Here's a few Underground Lovers singles.

The lead tracks are remixed and edited versions of album tracks, and the remaining tracks are non-album tracks that you won't find on itunes or Spotify.

I was right is one of the highlights of the excellent Leaves Me Blind album, as previously featured on this blog. Rhinestone Easy is the pick of the remaining tracks, featuring a funky bassline and whispered vocals over an eerie guitar drone. It is distinctly different from the material on Leaves Me Blind, which probably explains why it didn't appear on the album.

Las Vegas and Beautiful World are from the Dream It Down album. I first heard Las Vegas at the Big Day Out festival in Sydney in 1994 (?), prior to the release of  Dream It Down, and thought it was the beez kneez! But then I was disappointed when I first heard the recorded version, and also every time I've subsequently heard the song! Hopefully you enjoy it for what it is, without the baggage I carry! Light and Terrific and Free are the best of the remaining tracks on these two singles, both being short but sweet pieces of Undies shoegazery.


I Was Right (1992)

I Was Right
Yeah I Might
Rhinestone Easy
Know No More

FLAC, MP3


Las Vegas (1994)

Las Vegas
Persistant Too
Mumblehead Again
Light

FLAC, MP3


Splendid (1995)

Beautiful World
Wonderfulthing
Terrific and Free
Splendid

FLAC, MP3

Phonograph - OKNO

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

This blog has limped it's way to 100,000 page visits - and that excludes my own visits.

When I started this little ol' blog, featuring mostly obscure and ill-fated bands and artists, it never occurred to me it would receive 100,000 page visits. It restores my faith that some people out there actually have decent taste in music.

So, to celebrate - a new post!

But also a word of warning......I've received a few emails from Media Fire about violations of their terms of service for some of the material I've made available for download. If I receive a few more strikes I may lose my account, which means all the downloads I've put up will be inaccessible. Since I've only recently re-upped everything recently after the Mega Upload fiasco, I'm not sure I want to be repeating that exercise any time soon. So if you want to download anything from this blog, do it NOW!

Today we have Shoulda Been Huge faves Phonograph.

OKNO is their second album. It's a darker, mellower, but altogether more seductively satisfying LP that their debut LP, previously featured on this blog. It contains the wonderful Wellwisher, featuring Grace Potter on vocals. And it's by far the best music her name has ever been associated with - IMHO! Shoulda been a hit!

To back up my statement about this blog featuring obscure artists, I've managed to find only one other blog that has featured Phonograph: Sitcom Serf. They have a great live show from Texas which I strongly recommend. And apart from the above clip, which ain't exactly one of the album's highlights, there's not much else on YouTube. So thank god for Spotify - head there if you wanna hear the album in it's entirety.

Phonograph - 2009 - OKNO

1. You / Me 5:29
2. Okno 2:32
3. Wellwisher (feat. Grace Potter) 4:47
4. Are You Gonna 4:40
5. Holy Rollers 3:44
6. Cedars 5:57
7. Mountain Tops 3:50
8. Less Than Expected 3:00
9. American Music 4:08
10. Paper Bag 4:27
11. Lily Eyes 4:24
12. Uke 4:02

MP3 only (sorry!)

The Go-Betweens - 1987-05-10 - Live at the Town & Country Club, London, England

To commemorate the 6th anniversary of the death of Grant (GW) McLennan, here's my favourite recording of The Go-Betweens - at the height of their power in 1987, having just recorded the soon to be released Tallulah album.

So why is this my favourite?

The sound is fantastic - a soundboard recording allegedly recorded by bassist Robert Vickers!

And the set list is to die for - Part Company, The Clarke Sisters, Head Full Of Steam, Karen, and my all time Go-Betweens faves, Apology Accepted and When People Are Dead. Astonishing to think the latter was released as a B-side, having been recorded too late to make the Tallulah album - although it was eventually released on the awesome posthumous compilation 1978-1980. However, inexplicably, the classic Cattle and Cane is absent - hence the presence of the YouTube clip above to appease the masses!


The Go-Betweens - 1987-05-10 - Live at the Town & Country Club, London, England

1. Bye Bye Pride
2. Cut It Out
3. You Tell Me
4. Head Full Of Steam
5. Right Here (cut)
6. Man O'Sand To Girl O'Sea
7. Apology Accepted
8. Spring Rain
9. Karen
10. Eight Pictures
11. Unkind & Unwise
12. Part Company
13. The House That Jack Kerouac Built
14. The Clarke Sisters
15. This Girl, Black Girl
16. Don't Call Me Gone
17. When People Are Dead
18. Your Turn, My Turn

FLAC: Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4, Pt5, Pt6
MP3

Eels - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

As I said in an earlier post, "retiring" from the blogosphere has ironically rejuvenated my interest in posting, but not enough to want to do so regularly. In some respect I regret "retiring" - I should have just said I'd post less often - i.e. when I felt like it rather than when I felt I should!

So I'm officially changing my status - from "retired blogger" to "occasional blogger".

Here's another Eels track, this time from the compilation album Like A Version 2. Like A Version is a regular session featured on Australian youth radio station Triple J, and features bands performing cover versions. Most of the sessions are instantly forgettable but this once is superb - a cover of the Prince (or Poonce, as my bro used to call him!) toon I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

This is a different arrangement of the track than that on Useless Trinkets, featuring vocals and acoustic guitar. Gorgeous!

FLAC
MP3

Dimmer - Crystalator

My favourite Dimmer release - the debut single

What a way to announce yourself to the planet.

Totally sick!

Complete genius!

Dimmer - Crystalator (single)

1.  Crystalator
2.  Dawn's Coming In

MP3

Grant Lee Phillips - Walking In The Green Corn

Following on from my Dimmer post, here's another Shoulda Been Huge community announcement!

Another Shoulda Been Huge fave, Grant Lee Phillips (nee Buffalo) has just written and recorded a new album Walking In The Green Corn.

But rather than selling his soul to those [insert your favorite negative descriptors here] record companies, he's seeking your support to fund the mastering, manufacturing, marketing, promotion and tour support of this new album.

You can support Grant by making a pledge to pre-order the album and take part in the greater pledge drive through Pledge Music  for US$10. This will allow you to take advantage of the some of the great offers that are up for grabs. You’ll have access to exclusive videos and updates about the album and its release, as well as news on live performances and more.

I'm desperately hoping Grant can make this idea work, and provide a succcesful alternative model for artists to get their music out to their fans - rather than artists having to prostitute themselves at the altar of the evil fascist (my favorite negative descriptors) recording industry.....smash the state!

Dimmer - Degrees of Existence

If you haven't heard Shoulda Been Huge favourites Straitjacket Fits, hang your head in shame. Luckily for you, redemption is only a click (or two) away.

Dimmer were formed after the breakup of The Fits. Dimmer plough a more electronic path then The Fits but still maintain The Fits' edginess.

If you wanna hear Dimmer, head over to Bedlam's excellent Australian and New Zealand music blog Rising Above Bedlam where you can score a copy of the excellent It All Looks The Same At Night, which is actually a compilation of the first two Dimmer albums. And while you're there, check out some other great Australian and New Zealand music......including the best collection of The Triffids material this side of Humpty Doo.

Alternatively, if you don't mind parting with your hard earneds, head over to the New Zealand bandcamp site where you can pick up the latest and greatest Dimmer album Degrees of Existence for a mere US$ 8 - that's little more than a burger, coke and fries - and much easier on the wasteline! Degrees of Existence lies somewhere between early Dimmer and The Fits. I can't recommend this album highly enough - hell, I've (temporarily) come out of blogging retirement to plug it so you know it must be good!

Various Artists - RooArt Youngblood 3

Australian radio station Triple J used to (and may still) have a competition for unsigned bands. The winning bands would receive a live radio session, be featured on the Youngblood compilation series on released by Australian label RooArt, and also potentially win a recording contract with RooArt.

This post features the third installment of this series. This LP is notable for two reasons: it features the first releases of two bands who have previously graced the hallowed (virtual) pages of this here blog (The Underground Lovers and hometown (Adelaide) band The Mandelbrot Set); it also features a few other bands that had some success (The Sharp, Custard, Ripe, Caligula, The Fauves) on the Australian music scene. Which says a fair bit about the judgment of the people who put this album together.

As far as these albums go it's pretty good. But since I wanted to feature The Underground Lovers and The Mandelbrot Set (especially since the latter's post has generated the most comments on this blog), I've included their tracks as separate downloads in addition to the entire album.

Various Artists - RooArt Youngblood 3

1. Rainyard – Technicolour Blind
2. The Underground Lovers – Ripe (FLAC, MP3)
3. The Welcome Mat – Stationary Blur
4. The Mandelbrot Set – Dream So Hard (FLAC, MP3)
5.  Ripe – Gaze
6. The Fauves – Wilding
7. Circle – World´s Delight
8. Sex Industrie – Jailbreak
9. The Lab – Heaven
10. Caligula – Wardrum
11. Custard – Rockfish Anna
12. The Sharp – I Know You
13. Glide – Fade
14. Snow Leopards – Coco Pops

FLAC: Pt1, Pt2, Pt3, Pt4
MP3

Grinderman - Primavera Sound 2011

As far as I can tell, all my old Mega Upload links have been replaced with Media Fire links. Let's hope Media Fire doesn't go the way of the dodo!!

Anyhow, to celebrate, here's a new post!

I know the jury is divided regarding the merits of Grinderman, but I love them! PC, what's PC?

Here we have a radio capture of Grinderman performing at Primavera Sound on May 26 last year. The musics great, but the interviews better- the band minus Nick Cave, but still a great example of the Australian sense of humour!

Grinderman - 2011-05-26 -  Primavera Sound, Parc Del Forum, Barcelona, Spain (FM)

01. Interview
02. Mickey Mouse
03. Worm Tamer
04. Get It On

FLAC: Pt1, Pt2, Pt3
MP3

Wilco - The Holy Grail

Dave from the excellent Quality Bootz recently posted Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot demos.

This is the holy grail for Wilco fans - some unreleased tracks, and some YHF tracks in vastly different forms and/or with vastly different mixes.

These demos also include Not for the Season, the track Jeff Tweedy brought with him to Loose Fur after being dissatisfied with Wilco's attempts at recording. This track was later released on the debut Loose Fur album as Laminated Cat.

Also included in the download are some Mermaid Avenue outtakes.

If you are a Wilco fan and haven't heard these, drop everything you are doing and head over to QB immediately!

More Mary My Hope

Ironically, "pulling the plug" on this blog has rejuvenated my interest in posting - but not enough to actually want to post anything. Maybe in a few months....

So please don't consider this post a return to blogging. Regard it more as a "haunting" - a "dead" blogger returning to relive past glories! Or regard it as unfinished business - something I intended to post but didn't get around to posting.

Here is a collection of Mary My Hope tracks I have collated from various interweb sites. I figure it's better to have it all in one place than across multiple sites. Nevertheless, thanks to the original posters of this material - I wished I'd bookmarked your sites and could give credit where it's due, but so be it.

I've now re-upped about 10% of the Mega Upload links with Media Fire links. Again, if there are any dead links you want reposted don't hesitate to ask. I've already fulfilled a few requests, and it's no problemo.

Mary My Hope - Various

01 - One Cigarette
02 - Chains
03 - Goodnight (Demo)
04 - Grind (Live)
05 - Hourglass - She Will (Live)
06 - Wildman Childman (Live)
07 - Suicide King (Live)
08 - Swords (Live)
09 - All The Young Dudes (Live)

MP3

Re-uploads

I may have pulled the plug on posting new music on this blog, but I'm not prepared to let this blog go the way of the dinosaur (jr) - I've put in far too much work to let that happen!

So over the next few weeks (months? years?) I'll start replacing all the dead Mega Upload links with new Rapid Share links.

If there is anything anyone specifically wants me to repost, please comment, and I'll make that a priority.

UPDATE 02/02/2012 - Been having trouble with Rapid Share, so I'm going to try Media Fire for the re-uploads!

Time to pull the plug!

I've been looking for an excuse to pull the plug on this blog for a while.

I've lost motivation, run out of ideas, and run out of reasons to keep it going.

The Mega Upload fiasco has only confirmed that this is the right decision.

But hey, let's concentrate on the positives:

• I finally got around to starting a blog! Five years of thinking about it, one year of experiencing the highs and lows of actually doing it!
• I stuck it out for a year! If you had told me that would happen when I started the blog I would have laughed in you!
• I made a century - with this post! That of course excludes the two posts that were removed from the blog (one by Google Blogger, one on request by a band's representative) - those two posts being the afforementioned lows.
• I introduced some people to some great new music they hadn't heard before!

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my posts. Those comments are the reason I stuck at it as long as I did.

I'm gonna pull the plug on the Ralph Dodger alias as well. That was a bastardization of a nickname I never particularly liked anyhow, so I'm happy to ditch it! So if you see someone with an unfamiliar alias making crass comments on other peoples blogs it's probably me!!

I'll leave you to the strains of the best song ever written.....

Beck - Beercan (Live - First TV appearance?)

Beck performing Beercan live on Australian TV show Denton in 1994.

I believe this was Beck's first TV performance. Presenter Andrew Denton asks Beck whether this is the case and Beck appears to confirm this.

Denton also featured a segment where the musical guests selected a random song from a barrel. The bands then had 30 minutes or so to learn the song before performing it at the show's conclusion.

I won't spoil the surprise regrading which 80s schlock pop hit Beck got lumped with....

Not the best quality, but worth it for the historical significance.

For those outside Australia, Andrew Denton is the only true maverick on Australian TV. Among his many career highlights was the the show Blah Blah Blah, which featured legendary Australian band Lubricated Goat performing In The Raw nude! But that's a post for another day....

Underground Lovers - Australian TV

More from my VHS collection - The Undies, live on Australian TV. Unfortunately I don't know which show this was on, or what year. Any info on this would be appreciated!

Your Eyes is from the Leaves Me Blind LP, previously featured on this blog here.

Losin It is from the follow up LP Dream It Down.

GW McLennan

Finally getting around to digitizing some of my VHS video collection. I'm not going to digitize all 30 cassettes though - if I can't find something on YouTube, then I'll digitize it!

First cab off the rank, the late great G Dubya Mc performing "Easy Come Easy Go" on Tonight Live with Steve Vizard in 1991.

Tonight Live was a blatant rip-off of The Late Show with David Letterman, right down to having a "top 7!" When Letterman finally started broadcasting into Australia, Vizard's gig was up, and he disappeared from public view, until being done for insider trading some years later!

Anyhow, enjoy the GW - what a sad loss.

Lou Reed & Metallica - Lulu

The Lulu album has been out for a while. To say the album has polarised people's opinions would be inaccurate - from my observations, everyone hates it - from the goatee-bearded metal dudes right down to the cerebral Lou Reed tragics, some of who were appalled enough to send Lou death threats!

All of which, being perverse as I am, made me wanna dig it!

I've gave it a few (virtual) spins a month back and was impressed. But given my comment above, I suppressed my urge to recommend the album until I was sure I liked the album for the right reason.

Since then, I've heard the album a few more times, and also managed to catch the performance Lou and Metallica gave on Rockpalast (from which the YouTube clip above arose). And I finally feel like I can rave for all the right reasons.

But I need to provide some background - I've been a huge fan of both Lou and Metallica at different times in my life.

As a teenage metal dude, Metallica were the beez kneez. They revolutionised mid-eighties heavy metal, but somewhere along the line metamorphosed into Spinal Tap! The turning point was probably the death of bassist Cliff Burton. He was the X-factor. After his death, Metallica became just. another. metal. band.

Around this time my musical horizons were expanding, and I finally found the Velvet Underground, and later Lou's solo albums - and Berlin remains one of my favorite albums to this day.

So I approached Lulu as a fan of both artists - albeit a fan who felt that neither had recorded any decent material for over twenty years! And maybe being a fan of both is the key to liking the project?

I've included the link to the soundtrack of the Rockpalast performance below. Much as I like the performance of the songs from Lulu, the version of White Light, White Heat is truly appalling - it's been Metallicarized, and Lou's vocals are woefully out of tune. Included for interests/completists sake only!

As usual, I welcome people's opinions, but hold back on the death threats, please!

Lou Reed & Metallica - 2011-11-11 - Cologne, Germany

1. Iced Honey
2. The View
3. Mistress Dead
4. The Dragon
5. Junior Dad
6. White Light, White Heat

MP3

Happy New Year

Happy new year to everyone!!

Checkout my new Loose Fur post below. For reasons known only to Google Blogger, the post is listed as published on it's draft date (18th Dec) rather than today, so appears under the ROY!! post. Go figure!