Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera) - Rare and Live

B-sides, live, rare
various venues
various recording dates

randomly-selected artwork to fill this space

01 Bigger Better Brighter (acoustic - B-side import single)
02 Pianos + Clocks (JBTV - acoustic)
03 Silent LD - Explanation
04 Just Like God (1981 Postcard single)
05 Birth of the True - Dingwalls (18 Aug 1998)
06 Purple Rain (with The Waterboys)
07 Song for a Friend
     (with Eddi Reader - TV show)
08 Lost Outside the Tunnel
     (B-side - Mattress of Wire) 
09 Black Lucia (JBTV - acoustic)
10 Reason for Living (TV song debut)
11 Spirit Shows (Live 1981 - unreleased)
12 Mattress of Wire (second Postcard single)
13 Hot Club of Christ (rare instrumental)
14 Safe In Sorrow (Out There TV show)
15 Start Again
     (McCulloch cover - Madrid 1990)
16 Oblivious (acoustic - radio phone-in 1993)
17 Hungry Ghost Eyes (B-side)
18 Salvation (German radio - acoustic)
19 Thoughtless Kind
     (B-side - John Cale Cover)
20 Oblivious (Rare Mix - fan club only)
21 Hymn to Grace - London Calling
     (11 Aug 1998)
22 Sea Is Wide (Rock Over London 1998)
23 We Could Send Letters (B-side - Just Like Gold)
24 On The Avenue (Later with Jools Holland 1995)
25 Bigger Brighter Better (Later - In the Round 1998)

BIG THANKS to Don from the old ASH blog for this one.

MP3@320

ASH Tuesday post #65

    

Midnight Oil - Chicago, IL 2017

The Vic Theatre

full artwork by ethiessen included

Chicago, IL

May 18th, 2017

audience recording (sound quality VG++; impressive sound for an audie; there's occasional crowd noise)

performance: smokin'

NOTE: tracks 2-11 = the album 10, 9, 8…. played in its entirety (first time on 2017 tour)

01 stage entrance, pre-recorded intro music

02 Outside World 
03 Only the Strong 
04 Short Memory 
05 Read About It 
06 Scream In Blue 
07 U.S. Forces 
08 Power and the Passion 
09 Maralinga 
10 Tin Legs and Tin Mines 
11 Somebody's Trying 
      to Tell Me Something 

12 band intros 
13 My Country 
14 When the Generals Talk 
15 Spirit of the Age 
16 Ships of Freedom 
17 Kosciusko 
18 The Dead Heart 
19 Beds Are Burning 
20 Blue Sky Mine 
21 Dreamworld 
22 Put Down That Weapon 
23 Truganini 
24 Forgotten Years 
25 Sometimes

ROB SEZ: They're back — and I say none too soon. Love 'em or not, Midnight Oil carried the torch for rock with melody, message & integrity for decades before folding around the start of the century. I think we need voices like Peter Garrett's more than ever. Right now, the band is in the midst of a world tour, and this month marks the re-release of their entire catalogue plus a shed-load of rare and previously unreleased material. I also posted a double-shot of live acoustic Oils from 1993 HERE. 

Taper RyanJ says: Been a fan of the Oils since I was a child. So I was very excited to see them. Their songs still hold up in the political strife that our world is in today. They have been performing almost their whole catalog of tunes and tonight they decided to perform their album '10-1' from start to finish! Very cool…. It was worth the 3.5 hour drive to see them!

MASSIVE THANKS to RyanJ for taping, to RITCNIN for sharing, and ethiessen for the artwork.

 

MP3@320

FLAC lossless files

 

Learn more about Midnight Oil's music at the band's own site, Wikipedia & this fan site

    

Big Star's Third Live - Repercussion coverage

The recent release of 
Thank You, Friends - Big Star's Third Live 

on CD / DVD / Bluray is a very big deal.
Here's our coverage in photos & videos.
(see also our earlier BS3rd live posts)

If you don't already have it, GO GET IT: Amazon U.S. Amazon UK

Chris Stamey - musical director, guiding light

If it weren't for Chris Stamey's steadfast dedication to the project, there likely would be no Big Star's Third Live. A Big Star fan who became a musical colleague of Alex Chilton's, Chris has a Big Star lineage up there with drummer Jody Stephens — sole survivor of the original Big Star lineup. Chris has been musical director of the project for all seven years of its existence. He also did a stunning job mixing the finished product, creating a sonic landscape worthy of the songs.  

Mitch Easter - guitar-chitect

Chris' long-time friend & collaborator, Mitch Easter managed to figure out the key guitar parts & effects that made Big Star sound the way it did. Guests came and went, but Mitch was  nearly always there for BS3rd live shows.

'The Fellow Travellers'

The ad hoc group Chris Stamey dubbed "The Fellow Travellers" are, vocally speaking, the heart of the Big Star's Third Live experience. Hailing from North Carolina's Triangle area, (l-r) Brett Harris, Skylar Gudasz and Django Haskins provide stunning vocalizations throughout the evening.

Jody Stephens - the drummer & soul of BS3rd live

When fellow musicians talk about Jody Stephens for long, there's usually an aside along the lines of "what a beautiful man" he is. The genuine graciousness of Big Star's drummer struck me as the necessary counterpoint to Alex Chilton's willful obstinacy. In the Thank You, Friends release, Stephens tells the audience what joy he feels when playing Big Star's music with musical friends such as Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Robyn Hitchcock, Pat Sansone (Wilco), Dan Wilson (Semisonic) and many others.

Many Collaborators

Mike Mills (R.E.M.)

Pat Sansone (Wilco, Autumn Defense)

Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, Big Star)

Robyn Hitchcock (The Soft Boys)

Dan Wilson (Semisonic)

Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)

Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)

Kronos Quartet leader David Harrington (right) confers with Stamey

Read an excellent review of Thank you, Friends
from our pals at Blurt online 

VIDEO GALLERY - trailer + full songs

Trailer for BS3rd Live

"When My Baby's Beside Me"

"Kizza Me"

"Thirteen", feat. Skylar Gudasz

"In the Street"

See what we mean?
Absolutely worth owning...

Big Star (Alex Chilton) - Live Across 30 Years

Big Star (Sister Lovers)
WLYX-FM radio
Memphis, TN
January 1975

FM recording (sound quality VG-)

01 Femme Fatale
02 Oh Dana
03 Take Me Home & Make Me Like It
      (fades out) 
04 Jesus Christ
05 Death Cab for Cutie
06 Kizza Me
07 I Will Always Love You
08 The Letter

Alex Chilton — guitar & vocals
Jody Stephens — percussion
Pat Rainer, Randy Romano, Beth Hudson,
& other unnamed hangers-on — backing vocals & yapping

ROB SEZ: If you're drawn to the chaotic / shambolic vibe of late-period Big Star, you'll probably be amused by this train wreck of a live performance. Otherwise, I recommend sticking with the ones below...

Alex Chilton
Singer-Songwriter Marathon
Tivoli
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Jan. 10, 1992

audience recording (sound quality VG+; transfer from master tape source)

01 stage entrance
02 Like a Sick Dog
03 I Will Turn Your Money Green  
04 Blind Man
05 Guantanamerika [tape flip]
06 Nighttime (abandoned) 
07 Single Again 
08 No Sex
09 Let's Get Lost
10 Only the Lonely

Recorded by Gentlen, transferred by scdegraaf, edited by Fredtaperin . Thanks to all of 'em!

various artists

Brett, Django, Skylar: singing Big Star

KCSN-FM studio
Northridge, CA
September 25, 2014

FM recording (sound quality Ex-) 

01 (interview part 1)
02 September Gurls
03 (interview part 2)
04 Take Care
05 (interview part 3)
06 Thirteen
07 (interview part 4)
08 Give Me Another Chance

Musicians: 
Django Haskins
Susanna Hoffs (of The Bangles)
Skylar Gudasz
Brett Harris

MP3@320

ROB SEZ: This combo post kicks off coverage of Big Star Third Live, highlighting the recent release of the DVD / CD of Big Star Third Live's grand finale. Look for more here soon. If you don't already have it, GO GET IT! Amazon U.S. Amazon UK

Lyres - Live 1985 (soundboards)

LYRES: proving their heavy mettle + live 2011 (below)

Rusty Nail
Sunderland, MA (USA)

March 29, 1985

soundboard recording (quality Ex-) 

01 Stacy

02 High Heel Sneakers

03 Diddy Wah Diddy

04 Someone Who'll Treat 
     You Right Now

05 Stop and Take a Look at Me

06 Help You Ann

07 Soapy

08 I'm Telling You Girl

09 Busy Body

10 Love Me ’til the Sun Shines

11 How Do You Know

12 I Really Want You Right Now 

13 Swing Shift

14 Don't Give It Up Now

15 Medley: I Want Your Lovin' Give It All

     to Me … (ends with) Nobody But Me

16 Skinny Minnie

17 My Baby Don't Love Me No More

18 What a Girl Can't Do

unknown venue, unknown locale

some time in 1985

“Live" vinyl LP boot rip (orange cover)

soundboard recording (quality VG++; a pristine needle-drop vinyl transfer)

01 Stacy

02 Stop and Take a Look at Me 

03 Help You Ann

04 Soapy

05 Nobody But Me

06 Cinderella

07 Swing Shift

08 What a Girl Can't Do

ROB SEZ: Boston-based Lyres have been dubbed the kings of garage rock by more than one knowledgeable music critic. If you dig the sound of the Seeds, the Sonics, ? and the Mysterians, etc., then Lyres are for you. These two shares feature excellent sound. The original stereo version of the Sunderland show had a very strict separation of vocals (left) and instruments (right) between channels. This was pretty hard for my brain & ears to handle, so I mixed the two tracks into glorious mono. I think it’s an improvement. It’s one of those slightly odd soundboard recordings in which you can barely hear the audience. The second share is a short set because the band was one of many playing that evening. Thanks to lucky for supplying the name of the venue for the first show.

MP3@320

                                            
Learn more about the Lyres' music at Trouser Press, AllMusic and this comprehensive fan site

Frank Bango - WFMU Live Session 2011

Mary Wing’s '100% Whatever' show 
WFMU Live Session

Jersey City, N.J.

October 2011

preFM recording (sound quality Ex-) 

01 Defenseless

02 Bunny In a Bunny Suit

03 We Say Things

04 Too Lazy to Love You

05 Couldn’t Possibly

06 Worm Was Wood

07 International Sign for Sorry

08 Bitter Moon

09 interview

10 Does the Bitter Moon Really

     Care How Dark It Gets?*

*Trk 10 = bonus track, from an undated live session

ROB SEZ: Although this is not from the old ASH blog, I thank Don & co. for helping me discover the joys of Frank Bango’s music. (Do you like Elvis Costello — even a bit? Then you should check out Frank B.) Cheers to the Free Music Archive and WFMU for its undying willingness to support & promote lesser-known artists like Frank.

MP3@256

Learn more about Frank Bango’s music at AllMusic, Frank's Sincere Recording web site, and FB page

   

Jon Auer + Ken Stringfellow - Mid-1990s Demos

Jon Auer

1994 demos

 

soundboard recordings (quality VG++) 

The Posies' main men: Jon Auer (left) & Ken Stringfellow

01 Hate Song (revisited)

02 Fight It You Want

03 Throwaway

04 Somehow Everything

05 World

06 Elena Aria

07 Broken Record

08 Will You Ever Ease 

     Your Mind?

09 Grow

10 Placebo

11 Sad to Be Aware

12 Every Bitter Drop
13 Daily Mutilation

Ken Stringfellow

Mid-1990s demos

  
soundboard recordings (quality VG++)

01 The Certainty
02 Everybody Is a F*&%ing Liar
03 Please Return It
04 Precious Moments
05 Who to Blame
06 You're the Beautiful One
07 Song #1
08 Terrorized
09 Friendship of the Future
10 Grant Hart
11 Pay You Back In Time
12 Oh Michael
13 Limitless Expressions

ROB SEZ: Fun experiment: listen to both sets of demos on random play with your eyes closed and try to figure out whether Jon or Ken is the one singing. Makes me wonder: did they always have similar-sounding voices, or was it all those years of singing together in The Posies? Many of these songs appeared in fully developed form on The Posies' Amazing Disgrace album, released in 1996. A handful of others appeared on the subsequent Success, released in 1998. EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to Don at the old ASH blog for the Ken S. demos and spavid at Wilfully Obscure for the Jon A. demos (an "Auer of Power" indeed!). Enjoy these — and the mystery bonus share, if you can find it.

MP3@320 (Auer demos = MP3@VBR, med. quality)

ASH Tuesday post #64