The Happy Few: Geevers to "Me"

A certain uneasiness arises when we hear a beloved demo has been transformed into a full-fledged recording. We were delighted our recent reposting of The Happy Few's "Give It to Me" prompted an email from long-and-much-admired frontman, Joep Geevers. (And, no, it's not just because he's got one of the coolest names in rock.) We were further delighted to hear that, though somewhat silent the past six years, THF are still at it and plan to release their debut album, The Alarmingly Unstable, "after the summer." 

So why, pp, why were you feeling uneasy???

Well, "we'll" tell ya.  It's because two of the numbers on the recently released promo are full studio reworkings of much-beloved demos, "Red & Blue" and "Give It to Me." "Would they measure up?" we mused.

We needn't have worried. Repeated listenings to the demos naturally made us aware of each subtle difference in the studio versions, but they are nice differences, and we love the fuller sound. (Not that we require a fuller sound. Some of the greatest listening experiences in "our" life came through one solitary earplug attached to a tinny, tiny transistor radio, lying in "our" bed in the moonlight as that First Great Wave washed from Albion's shores across the Atlantic back in '63-'64. Damn, fuckin' poet(aster)(s) here.)

But we digress. Thank you, Joep, for hooking us up with the promo and for the excellent new song on it. You def keep us happy and we're glad you are, too.

Oh, and how could we forget? The Happy Few will be the support band for legendary Northern Irish punkpoppers, The Undertones, Thursday, May 30, in Amstelveen. As Joep correctly noted, our attendance might be logistically problematical, but we will certainly be there in spirit.

Gettin' Loose with Those Darlins

We were just now in terrible need of this song, achieved consummation, wondered if it might be available for free dl, and VOILA! It looks like this is kinda turnin' into Nashville week, what with that Fancytramp post last week 'n' all. Frankly, we're as surprised as you('re not, what with not really knowin' us 'n' all). You'll find more by 'n' about Those Darlins here, here, here, 'n' here.

Cockroach from Crocodiles

We love the bite and tail of these San Diego reptiles. The following is from their new one, Crimes of Passion, due to drop August 20 on Frenchkiss Records. Thanks to Kip Kouri at Tell All Your Friends for the headsup.



And here's one we've been enjoying for awhile now. It's from their previous Frenchkiss excelente, Endless Flowers.

Crocodiles - Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9) mp3

And here's a nice cover we've been meaning to post for some time now.

And as long as we've got this Godot thing going, here's one we posted awhile ago. There's more there.

Celestial - Nothing Happens; Twice mp3

Trippin' with It's a King Thing, The Seasongs, The Arctic Flow, The French Semester, Italian Japanese, & Young Boys

Little did we know that simple trips to buy some food and post a letter would lead us to post . . . a post. Here's part of the soundtrack, in order of play. (All are available for free download, sometimes via the entire album.) We don't anticipate winning any design awards for this one and, yes, we realize we previously posted or pointed "you" toward some of these, but, like, okay.




The French Semester - Winter Song mp3



Click on the songname on that last one to go to the free download.


"Fell From Grace" can be dl'd here.

The Return of Woody Whatever

Philadelphia's Woody Whatever was certifiably the fourth post we ever did at this blogofours.*** Those dittylinks disappeared in the hoary past, but a recent search found new ones. We still love the songs, which fit perfectly with all this DIY bidness we've been saluting of late. (Well, once, but whatever.)

"Woody" has once again made his huge ouevre available for very reasonable fare (in this case, NAME YOUR PRICE). That might be he in the picture above right. Maybe above left, too. We're rambling now, so to the tunes. Oh, one other thing. It's kind of strange that the first song below says "buy," while the second one says "download." Fear not: you can get the second one with a simple click or two and the first by downloading the entire LP for NYP.



***You'll have to scroll way down the page, but it won't be worth it.

Fancytramp Charm

We're not generally fond of Music City's output, but these Nashville cats are charming us mightily, (and we're not even bees). We are definitely fond of tramps, though, and if they're fancy, so much the better. Incidentally, we must confess that picture revives a long-held, deeply ingrained coonskin cap-envy, but we'll get over it. One more non sequitur and we'll have a totally themeless paragraph. Done.

Read more here and here. Hear more here.

Dogs Got A Bone's Got Doggone Good Tracks

We found Edinburgh label Dogs Got A Bone via French blog Exploring Spastic Inevitable, to whom we proffer the paw of friendship and thanks. The Edinburghers have a kennel-full of excellent tuneage at Bandcamp, especially of the psychedelic breed.

The tunes below say "share" and stuff, but you can freely download the entire LPs from which they come and then pick and choose the ones you want to adopt. Yes, we, too, tire of this canine-based foolery and herewith bring it to heel. We have barely scratched the surface of what we could do with this, so, yes, you're very welcome.

The Pharmacy Have Just the Right Rx

We wish we could remember where we found that first song down there, so we'd just like to say, "Thanks." We'd also like to thank Old Flame Records for making the Seattle band's fab - and we do mean fab - music available. We posted on them quite awhile ago and wish that songlink were still working. Click here, though, and you should find it.

We Now Join (the) Math and Physics Club!

Math and Physics Club - We're So DIY! mp3

This delightful ditty's been popping up in our 'pod and pate of late, so we thought, "Why NOT?" Info and the same photo here.

Music of the Sphere: The Pop, Hooded Fang, White Fence, Laurels, Gap Dream, Cheatahs, Las Robertas, Thunderbeats, Darker My Love, Moon Duo, Milk Maid, Crystal Stilts, Raveonettes, Everywheres, Legs, People's Temple, Japanther, GRMLN, Black Lizard, Sea Pinks

Yeah, we know, wrong cover, but it's their latest.

Well . . .thanks, Hosts.

The Pop - Down on the Boulevard - Requiem Pour Un Twister

Hooded Fang - Graves - Side One Track One

White Fence - She's Got Medals (David Bowie cover) - Aquarium Drunkard
White Fence - Smoke Rings (Battered Ornaments cover) - An Aquarium Drunkard
White Fence - Espirit de Corps (The Peep Show cover) - Aquarium Drunkard - We already sent you to this post for that "Allison Road" cover. It's still great.

White Fence - Live on Genevieve - Rollo & Grady
The Laurels - Art School Girl - Rollo & Grady
Gap Dream - Feast of the First Morning - Rollo & Grady
Cheatahs - Ripper - Rollo & Grady
Las Robertas - Tele - Rollo & Grady
The Thunderbeats - I Wanna Take You Down - Rollo & Grady

A bit of the old Ctrl-F or Command-F search maneuver might help you navigate this massive mp3 archive:

Darker My Love - Snow is Falling - New Music PDX
Moon Duo - Sleepwalker - New Music PDX
Milk Maid - Do Right - New Music PDX
Crystal Stilts - Practically Immaculate - New Music PDX
The Raveonettes - Forget That You're Young - New Music PDX

The Everywheres - Some Disappeared - Austin Town Hall
Legs - Go Ask Your Mother - Austin Town Hall
The People's Temple - Sons of Stone - Austin Town Hall
Japanther - Stolen Flowers - Austin Town Hall
GRMLN - Hand Pistol - Austin Town Hall
Black Lizard - Love Is A Lie - Austin Town Hall
Sea Pinks - Magpies Eyes - Austin Town Hall

Mozes and the Firstborn Lead Us to the Promized Land

This just in at their Facebook site:

FREEEDOM! Tomorrow we celebrate the liberation of The Netherlands at these festivals:

14h00: Bevrijdingspop (Haarlem)
17h30: Bevrijdingsfestival Overijssel (Zwolle)
20h00: Bevrijdingsfestival Utrecht (Utrecht, dus)

WHO'S IN?!

Well, we'd really like to be "IN," but it looks logistically problematical at the moment. We are, however, very much "DOWN" with what this Dutch crüe are up to and will be listening as if we were there.

A lot more freely downloadable widgeted megagoodness is promized (and delivered) at Bandcamp.





That last one, OF COURSE, leads us to Utrecht, back to another band of Nederlanders we haven't heard from for awhile but still very much love listening to.

The Happy Few - Give It to Me mp3

Drawn to The Top Drawers

Once again our portable listening device lures us to someone we need to post. (Thanks, pld.) Under instant scrutiny are Vancouver band The Top Drawers. We bought some of their product a few years back and are delighted to find it available on a NAME YOUR PRICE basis at Bandcamp. There are so many excelentes on You're So Fine it was hard to narrow it down to those below. But when the going gets tough, etc. We'll kick it off with the one pld reminded us of on the drive home today and then go on from there.

Actively Listening to The Dolly Rocker Movement, My Drunken Haze, Beaulieu Porch, & The PeΔrls

We just got a message from the ever-active Nathan announcing The Active Listener Sampler 7. Without fanfare we post our favorites, even if they make you even further aware of our own bloggy torpor. (In other venues, we're as busy as a no-armed paper hanger.) You can download the entire excellent sampler on a NAME YOUR PRICE basis. You might want to check out our previous post with still gratisgrabbable songs from The Active Listener here.  That is all. (For now.)







Seeing that song by Milanesinas*** The PeΔrls reminded us of one of theirs we recently found and loved, so here it is. The entire eponymous EP or LP or whatever it is is available for free download at Bandcamp.


***Possible made-up word, just a guess, really

R.I.P. Scott Miller of Game Theory, the Loud Family

Game Theory - We Love You Carol And Alison mp3

Game Theory - I've Tried Subtlety mp3

 

Game Theory - Wyoming mp3

 

Game Theory - Throwing The Election mp3

We are saddened to learn of the death of Scott Miller, frontman of long-time favebands Game Theory and the Loud Family. If you like any of the songs posted above, you will have an inkling why, particularly considering a new Game Theory LP was being planned. Six Game Theory LPs are available for free download at the Loud Family website. The stated rationale for this generous offer captures in part the spirit of this incredibly gifted man:

"My main goal is to prevent people from trying to capitalize by selling these long out of print albums for lots of money. I want everybody who would like to hear these albums to be able to do so without paying outrageous prices."

Weekender née The Tweeds: Psychedelicshoegazedreampopbeatles

                                                   Hmmm, I kinda like that name better.

Those are just some of the tags we stitched together from this protean Philadelphia band's Bandcamp page. In addition to the first number below, you can download the second and the rest of the songs from Weekender's Spanish Peaks EP on a name-your-price basis at Bandcamp.



And here's one from when they were The Tweeds. More here.

the derevolutions: fantasies, mysteries, ecstasies, & such

We saw the email was from The Fantasies and nearly sprang a leak. The cryptic message read:

"old friend, i have returned bearing a new name and more hooks than before: . . ."

Thus were we introduced to new music by mysterious Northampton musician . . .(insert name here, when/if we get it) . . .in his latest endeavor. And just as we've thrilled to the fantastic psychsurfspacepoprock of The Fantasies the last couple of years, so are we grooving to the derevolutions. We'd like to hook you up with more info, and will do when we get it. (I'faith, we did get a wee bit more, but it's kind of like, you know, private.)

We're posting our favorites and encourage you to go to Soundcloud for more. We're also posting a couple of Fantasiesfaves and sincerely thanking ___ for letting us do so. (He took down the Bandcamp widgies and sort of told us why, but the deeper motivations remain mysterious. We're gonna see if we can't convince him to reassess.)







The Fantasies - Tick Tock mp3

The Fantasies - So Dumb mp3

Fizzgig Gig

We were on a routine search and deploy mission involving long-time faveband Pris, when we noticed at last.fm they were being compared to long-time faveband Fizzgig . We couldn't find freebies by Pris but hit the jackpot on the late F-word band from Cincinnati. Below are a couple of our favorites; you can find another freeb at their Sonicbids site and buy more at eMusic and elsewhere. Read more here and here.

Fizzgig - Guitar Me mp3 

Fizzgig - Bleed mp3

Incidentally, we previously  posted on Pris and other progeny of Burke Thomas, but those mp3 links are no longer working. As usual there's not much writing worth reading there, but to pp and me the post is precious for copping a rare Comment, in this case from faveblogger Peter of Peter's Power Pop.

Music of the Sphere: The Twin Atlas, Telekinesis, White Fence, Dead Ghosts, Alkaline Trio, Bleached, Kinski

 De Fence!

Sure, we just did this kind of thing last Friday, but we found something at mp3hugger we thought you might like, so here we go. (As we've said before, the hugger don't keep 'em posted for long.) Salutations and appreciations to the hostin'postin'bloggerfolken.

The Twin Atlas - Double Shot - mp3hugger

Telekinesis - Empathetic People & Laissez-faire - 3hive

White Fence - To The Boy I Jumped In The Hemlock Alley - Side One Track One

Dead Ghosts - Roky Said - Rollo & Grady

Alkaline Trio - I Wanna Be A Warhol - Indie Rock Cafe
Bleached - Next Stop - Indie Rock Cafe
Kinski - Conflict Free Diamonds - Indie Rock Cafe

Attractions of The Distractions

Yes, definitely a stance Elvisian

Wise beyond his years, young (we've read 17, we've read 18) San Francisco singer/songwriter Matt Jaffe so attracted the attention of Talking Head Jerry Harrison that the latter wound up producing his music. Rhythmic teens Alex Coltharp and Sammie Fischer round out Matt Jaffe and The Distractions. In addition to the below, you can download two others at Soundcloud and read and view more here, here, and here.

Music of the Sphere: Turf War, Teen Machine, Warm Soda, Wire, Peach Kelli Pop, Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, The Band In Heaven, Legs, Roomrunner, Shark?, Mikal Cronin, White Fence, Kurt Vile, The Lovely Bad Things

Sometimes we wait too long to post songs we find at our faveblogs. This isn't one of them. Thanks, fb's for that thing you do.

Turf War - Born to Run Free - Austin Town Hall

Teen Machine - I'm Gonna Steal Your Boyfriend - Peter's Power Pop

Warm Soda - Busy Lizzy - Indie Rock Cafe
Wire - Love Bends - Indie Rock Cafe

Peach Kelli Pop - Stay Away - Rollo & Grady
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete - The In-Between - Rollo & Grady
The Band In Heaven - High Low - Rollo & Grady

Legs - Two Colours - Gimme Tinnitus
Roomrunner - Spinning - Gimme Tinnitus
Shark? - California Grrls - Gimme Tinnitus

Mikal Cronin - Weight - Side One Track One
White Fence - Fragility - Side One Track One
Kurt Vile - Never Run Away - Side One Track One
The Lovely Bad Things - Hear or Anywhere - Side One Track One

BTW, we bought that entire Warm Soda LP over at Bandcamp. Unprecedented? No, but just about. But then, they are, at least in part, ex-Bare Wires.