Randy Newman - Good Old Boys (plus an illustrated story of the time I went to medicine hat) (1974)

In the summer, I took a greyhound to Medicine Hat with a friend of mine so he could buy a vintage Traynor amp. Medicine Hat is a really cool small city. I had only ever been there briefly when I was much much younger before this trip, but it was a great time. Downtown Medicine Hat is really tiny, and it has a feel of an artists city that hasn't progressed in the last 30 years, it has a really weird charm to it, also it's super super hot.

When we got off the greyhound, naturally one of the first things we had to do was find a hotel. A block or so away we found an old hotel called the Assiniboia Inn.

The Assiniboia Inn, as seen in the picture above, was pretty god damn old. It had 2 bars in it, one was called The Sin Bin, and the other was just some pub, only one of them was still in service, and unfortunately it was not The Sin Bin. We decided that this would be a good place to settle on a room, so we went inside, and the front desk was closed, so we checked the bar, the lady working the bar told us that they were no longer a hotel, and the bar was all that was open in that building, and she told us to try The Medicine Hat Inn a block up the road.

During our one block trek to the Medicine Hat Inn, we stumbled upon a pawn shop. Not just any pawn shop, but the king of pawn shops, it was even called King of Trades. This place was huge, and I noticed they had a whole corner dedicated to vinyl/cd's, so of course I had to check it out. The outside walls of this place were lined with boxes and boxes and boxes of LP's, after searching through about 20 boxes of Engelbert Humperdinck and polka records, I was about to throw in the towel, before my friend yelled across the room "Hey, there's a Small Faces record, you like them dont you?". So I went over to check, and it was a sealed copy of The Small Faces album Playmates. The entire wall of records that he found The Small Faces on had some really really great records, either sealer or in mint condition with the original shrink wrap still on the sleeve. Thats where this Randy Newman record (and also the Boogie Down Productions single, and I'm sure more future uploads) came from.

Anyways, after The King of Trade, we finally made it to the Medicine Hat Inn to get a room. When we got there, it looked deserted like the Assiniboia, and it also had a bar. There was a phone in the lobby saying to call '0' to reach an operator to get a room, so we called and the lady from the bar came up. She told us it was $90 for a room for two, and we told her that was too much, so she asked how much we had and gave it to us for $65.

So after checking in, and going and getting the Traynor amp we came down there to get, we got a 15 pack of Keystone and headed back to the hotel for a bit of pre-gaming before an exciting night in Medicine Hat.

After getting Keystoned, we called a taxi cab to take us to the bar. Before we came to Medicine Hat and discovered how awesome the city is, we asked a few people in Calgary what was cool to do in Medicine Hat, and everyone said either "Go to Rosscos" or "Go to The Wing King". So we get in the cab, and we ask to go to Rosscos, and we're telling the cabbie that we also heard The Wing King is pretty good. The cabbie said something along the lines of "I've been driving cab in Medicine Hat for 20 years and I've never heard of The Wing King". When we arrived at Rossco's, the sign read "Rossco's: The Wing King" and our entire lives made sense after that.

So we got drunk at Rossco's, the servers thought we were cool and gave us free Bud Light Lime and there was some guy really fucked up on ecstacy named Tobin who wouldn't leave us alone and in the end gave us rubber duckies and little toy aliens. When we were leaving we saw the police pull up to the front of Rossco's, and then saw Tobin get up from behind a bush across the parking lot and start running.

Most of the night after this is a pretty drunken haze. I smoked about 2 packs of Winstons, we broke into the abandoned Assiniboia but got too scared of ghosts because it was the creepiest fucking place ever so we left, and some fat girls tried taking us to a party but we convinced them we were from Texas and we had to work on the rigs in the morning. After wandering for an hour or so and breaking into abandoned hotels we went in search of another beer, we found some bar that looked like it was still open, but when we went in they were done last call but told us that "there's a bar around the corner that will serve you, walk down the alley and look for a red door". So we did, and it was this huge bar with a stage, a dj booth, and a dance floor, and they sold us a 6 pack to go. We spent the rest of the night on the roof of an abandoned restaurant getting drunk and smoking more Winstons.

If this story didnt convince you that Medicine Hat is really cool, this video will:


And the whole point of this story was that I found this Randy Newman record in Medicine Hat, and it's really fucking good. I'm supposed to be working on a 10 page report on annual goal setting for work, but instead I wrote this.

Tracklist:
1. Rednecks
2. Birmingham
3. Marie
4. Mr. President (Have Pity On The Working Man)
5. Guilty
6. Louisiana 1927
7. Every Man A King
8. Kingfish
9. Naked Man
10. A Wedding In Cherokee Country
11. Back On My Feet Again
12. Rollin'

Download: mediafire

For more info on Rossco's: http://www.rosscospub.com/

Various Artists - The Southern Invasion (2002)

A compilation of a few different Calgary bands from about 9 years ago on Catch and Release records.

Tracklist:
1. The Dudes - Release The Daughters
2. The Dudes - I Want To Be You
3. The Dudes - Puberty Begets Nudity
4. Cripple Creek Fairies - Neptune
5. Cripple Creek Fairies - Fry Like A Criminal
6. Cripple Creek Fairies - DK-T
7. Cripple Creek Fairies - Rock Your Panties Off
8. The Neckers - The Neckers
9. The Neckers - Tonight (She's Coming Over)
10. The Neckers - Can You Break A 20?
11. The Neckers - Seeing The Sights
12. Agriculture Club - I Mess With Texas
13. Agriculture Club - Evil Man
14. Agriculture Club - I Steal For You
15. Agriculture Club - Don't Mess With The Hat
16. The JALOPiES - Can't Get It Enough
17. The JALOPiES - Let The Girls Know
18. The JALOPiES - Dawg
19. The JALOPiES - Goin' Home
20. Red Hot Lovers - That Slut
21. Red Hot Lovers - I'm It
22. Red Hot Lovers - Peeler

Download: mediafire

Mach Tiver - Mach Tiver (2001?)

After getting into the local scene, my tastes in music changed from really fun pop-punk like Darryl's Grocery Bag to more hardcore and emo stuff. This band was from somewhere in Ontario, it was a bass player and a drummer, and they played fucking hard. I remember the first time I saw them play I thought they were really cool because while all the bands were playing on stage, when it came their turn, they made the sound guy move all his shit so that they could play on the floor with the audience surrounding them. I thought they were pretty rad. The album starts off with a sample from Office Space. Pretty cool.

Tracklist:
1. Just Like Skid Row Said, We Are All Slaves To The Grind
2. He Writes In Binary
3. That's What Us Poor Kids Do, Join The Service And Build Bombs
4. Shaky Tables
5. Dungeons And Dragons Ruined My Life
6. You Don't Tell Your Friends
7. Canker

Download: mediafire

Les Tabernacles - Born Ready (2001)

A band I was in played our CD release show with these guys. They play straight up rock n roll about getting drunk, exactly what you would expect from an album called "Born Ready". They're from Edmonton. Pretty fun stuff.

The posters for the show we played with them were screen printed on tinfoil.

Tracklist:
1. Be My Valentine
2. I Don't Want It
3. Get Up

4. Brand Nubian

5. Born Ready
6. She's The One
7. Speedway
8. Stuck On High
9. Killer
10. Royal Palace
11. Ten Most Wanted

Download: mediafire

Darryl's Grocery Bag - A Simple Idea (2000)

I'm at my parents house this weekend watching the cats while they're at a fishing expo. I got bored so I did some searching through boxes of old shit in my old closet. I found a ton of old CD's. This is a band that's responsible for getting me into local music. My brother showed them to me when I was way younger and I thought they were rad. I was huge into what I thought was punk rock at the time and I totally dug this. Shortly after, I discovered college radio, and more inparticular a show called Punk Up The Volume on CJSW. I would listen to the show whenever it was on, and one day they had a contest where they were giving away spots on a guest list to a Darryl's Grocery Bag show. I called in and won. The next day, the same thing, same with the day after that. It was rad. I think I must have been in the seventh grade at the time and I had won like 8 guest passes to this show, so I took a ton of my friends and it was like nothing we had ever experienced before. Totally rad. Anyways, this is pop-punk that I thought was super cool back then and isn't too cool anymore, but totally nostalgic and a really fun listen. I rocked this cd so hard at grade 8 band camp.

I think these guys are still performing under some different name with a different style.

Tracklist:
1. Ultra Rock
2. Light Years Aren't So Long
3. Do You Like My Van?
4. Scenic Drive
5. Broken Buccaneer
6. July In January
7. Frozen Ropes
8. No Girls Allowed
9. Scribbles
10. Makin' 8
11. How's She Goin'
12. The Bug

Download: mediafire

Louis Armstrong - Decca EP Vol. 1 (1953)

Classic Louis Armstrong EP. Released in 1953 on Decca records.

Tracklist:
1. Kiss Of Fire
2. I'll Walk Alone
3. Takes Two To Tango
4. Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat

Download: mediafire

The Records - The Records (1979)

Sorry about the lack of updates these days. I've been super busy with work (I've worked from 8 am - 10 pm for the last 3 days). I promised a friend of mine I would upload this a couple weeks ago, except when I got around to trying to do it, I was way too hung over to know what I was doing so I just went to bed and gave up. Sorry Garrett, here it finally is.

American release of The Records debut album. From what I can find about this, the tracks are in a different sequence than the European release, and the name of the European release was "Shades in Bed". Starry Eyes is one of my favorite power-pop songs.

Tracklist:
1. All Messed Up And Ready To Go
2. Teenarama
3. Girls That Don't Exist
4. Starry Eyes
5. Up All Night
6. Girl
7. Insomnia
8. Affection Rejected
9. The Phone
10. Another Star

Download: mediafire

Guided By Voices - Hold On Hope EP (2000)

I really like this EP. It's a collection of outtakes from Do The Collapse, but I think it's better than most of the stuff on that album. I've always been a bigg fan of Guided By Voices more power-pop produced stuff (some of my favorite songs have to be My Kind Of Soldier, Fair Touching, and Teenage FBI) and this EP is full of stuff like that.

With that said, the review on pitchfork is really bad, but really hilarious. Does anyone really take pitchfork that seriously?

Tracklist:
1.Underground Initiations
2. Interest Position
3. Fly Into Ashes
4. Tropical Robots
5. A Crick Uphill
6. Idiot Princess
7. Avalanche Aminos
8. Do The Collapse
9. Hold On Hope
10. Surgical Focus
11. Sucker Of Pistol City
12. Picture Me Big Time (demo)

Download: mediafire

Review: Coasting - Coasting 7"

Coasting is a female duo out of Brooklyn. They play a mix of surf, garage rock, and 90's indie rock, a sound everyone seems like they're trying to achieve lately. What sets Coasting apart from most is that they're able to achieve it.

The a-side of this record has the same name as the band, and from everything else I've heard by them, the song definitely sums up what they're doing. The song fucking rocks, hard. It's instrumental, totally surf, and totally bad ass. The drums are heavy, the guitars heavy, and it's still melodic. If The Ventures were around today, used distortion pedals, and listened to Mudhoney, it would probably sound something like this.

The b-side, titled Hots For Teacher, isn't instrumental, is less surf, but rocks just as hard. The melody is infectious and it's heavy enough to completely kick your ass. Definite 90's subpop influence.

Pretty rockin' 7".

myspace
buy from Group Tightener (it looks like the pressing is limited to 1000 so you better order quick before it's sold out!)

Review: Alex Bleeker - These Days 7"

Alex Bleeker, who's best known as the bass player of Real Estate, also makes really great solo music. His first release was a LP credited to Alex Bleeker and The Freaks, and on his second release, a 3 song 7" titled "these Days" released on Brooklyn label Group Tightener, The Freaks were dropped from the title and the record is billed to just Alex Bleeker, and from the completely different styles of the two records, it makes sense.

The LP had a heavy Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere-era Neil Young influence, of the 7 tracks on the LP, 2 of them pass the 5 and a half minute mark, and the whole record feels like a loose jam, which isn't a bad thing at all.

However, on the These Days 7", Alex Bleeker discards the jamming style of his previous record for a more country rock approach, trading electric guitar solos in for catchy acoustic guitar leads. Though these songs are comparable to Real Estate's more poppier songs, these songs definitely remind me of Teenage Fanclub, Golden Smog, and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain style Pavement.

This record is a fun, refreshing, and very enjoyable listen.

Tracklist:
A side: Getting By
B Side: These Days/Never Going Back

myspace
buy from Group Tightener (looks like it's currently sold out, but maybe there will be a reissue!)

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The Soul (Instrumentals) (2010)

"Dark night of the soul is a metaphor used to describe a phase in a person's spiritual life, marked by a sense of loneliness and desolation. It is referenced by spiritual traditions throughout the world, but in particular by Christianity."

So the story of Dark Night Of The Soul is that Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) came to Danger Mouse with a instrumental for a song he wrote called "War" and said he didn't think he felt right singing it. This turned into a huge collaborative project where Mark Linkous wrote a series of songs and got other artists (Iggy Pop, The Flaming Lips, Jason Lytle, Vic Chesnutt, Black Francis, Nina Persson, Scott Spillane, Gruff Rhys, Suzanne Vega, James Mercer, and David Lynch) to write lyrics for these songs, and sing them. Danger Mouse produced the album, and David Lynch made a series of photographs said to be a visual narrative for the album.

At first, due to legal issues with EMI, there was a possibility that the album would never be released, though on the official website( http://www.dnots.com ) the book of photography was available for sale, and came bundled with a blank CD-R, which was obviously intended for people to burn their own copy of the album since it had leaked heavily through blogs.

When the album finally had an official release, it was released in several different formats, one of which being a deluxe box set limited to only 5000 copies worldwide which included a condensed version of the book of photography, a poster, 3 lobby cards, a photo print, a copy of the album on a double LP, a copy of the album on CD, and a copy of the instrumentals from the album also on CD.

Here's the instrumentals.

Tracklist:

1. Revenge
2. Just War
3. Jaykub
4. Little Girl
5. Angel's Harp
6. Pain
7. Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It)
8. Everytime I'm With You
9. Insane Lullaby
10. Daddy's Gone
11. Man Who Played God
12. Grim Augery
13. Dark Night Of The Soul

Sam Cooke - Twistin' The Night Away (1962)

Twistin' The Night Away was a huge hit for Sam Cooke, and because of that his producers thought they would follow up with a full album of twist songs. Kind of a cash in on the whole twist craze. Though some of the songs on the album are kind of misses, at other times Sam Cooke is extremely soulful and passionate. A great dance album, but also a brilliant soul album.

Tracklist:
1. Twistin' The Night Away
2. Sugar Dumpling
3. Twistin' In The Kitchen With Dinah
4. Somebody's Gonna Miss Me
5. A Whole Lotta Woman
6. The Twist
7. Twistin' In The Old Town Tonight
8. Movin' And A'Groovin'
9. Camptown Twist
10. Somebody Have Mercy
11. Soothe Me
12. That's It - I Quit - I'm Movin' On

Download: mediafire

O City City, I Can Sometimes Hear - Winter Mix January 2011

I have a pet cat, his name is Wilson, he's one of my best friends. He lives in my tiny basement suite with me. He must get lonely a lot because I usually work a lot so I'm not home much. I love him a lot, but I can't imagine his life being very exciting.  My landlords, who live upstairs, also have a pet cat, I don't know it's name. I've noticed my cat hangs out at the top of the stairs a lot by the door that connects the basement to the upstairs. During these days I've had off I've heard the two cats meowing back at forth to each other. A few minutes ago I went up stairs to grab a book that I left by the doorway when I came in from the doctors clinic yesterday, and saw my cat lying next to the door, the other cat had reached his paw underneath the door, and they were holding paws.

Here's a compilation of a few songs that have got me through this fairly mild winter. Some of these are vinyl rips, others aren't. Unfortunately, I don't own a record of absolutely everything I have on my ipod, which is what I listen to music on the most. Some of these songs will have notes, some won't because I either had nothing to say or just got too tired/lazy.

Tracklist:
1. Archers Of Loaf - Step Into The Light
I've always loved this Archers of Loaf track. Perfect song to listen to while waiting in a car in the middle of winter at night time while the drivers running into a store or something.
2. The Replacements - Bastards Of Young
Classic Replacements. I probably listened to this song almost every single time I walked home drunk from the bar for the last year. 
3. Alex Bleeker - These Days
Alex Bleeker of Real Estate fame. In the fall I was really into his LP with The Freaks, and I just got his These Days 7" in the mail yesterday, and it's rad.
4. Free Energy - Something In Common
B-side of one of their 7"'s. These guys put on one of the most fun live shows I've been to in a while. The night they played here was also the most snow fall we've had so far this winter.
5. The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron
Pop music keeps me warm.
6.  Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five - Beat Street
7. Sam Cooke - Another Saturday Night
8. Great Speckled Bird - Calgary
More Ian Tyson!
9. Leonard Cohen - Tonight Will Be Fine
10. Fleetwood Mac - I Know I'm Not Wrong
11. Teenage Fanclub - When I Still Have Thee
12. Guided By Voices - Girls Of Wild Strawberries
13. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Here's Where You Belong
P.F. Sloan cover.
14. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - Save Me
15. Harry Nilsson - Subterranean Homesick Blues
16. Kid Dakota - Crossin' Fingers
17. Sloan - Bells On
I have a friend who can get really angry when he's drunk, Sloan calms him down. We listened to a lot of Sloan this winter.
18. Mogwai - George Square Thatcher Death Party
From their new album "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will". 
19. Kimtak Building - The Misled Bat
Thanks to http://moraladventure.blogspot.com/
20. The Beach Boys - Surfs Up
My favorite beach boys song ever
21. The Rabbit - Babies
This is Matt Linkous's band. Matt Linkous is Mark Linkous from Sparklehorse's brother.
22. Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentleman We Are Floating In Space
This is the original studio recording of this song which includes the "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" part.
23. Sparklehorse - Sad And Beautiful World
Live recording
24. Mississippi John Hurt - Goodnight Irene
25. Gary U.S. Bonds - Quarter To Three

Download: mediafire

Ian and Sylvia - The Best Of (1968)

I've been really into Ian Tyson lately. I'm not sure if it's because I've been reading his autobiography, or because I'm going to see him in a couple weeks with The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra backing him, or if it's just because him and his music are pretty fucking awesome. Anyways, this is a pretty self-explanatory upload. Best Of album by Ian and Sylvia.

Tracklist:
1. You Were On My Mind
2. So Much For Dreaming
3. Early Morning Rain
4. Four Rode By
5. Un Canadien Errant
6. 24 Hours From Tulsa
7. Changes
8. C.C. Rider
9. Darcy Farrow
10. Catfish Blues
11. V'La Le Bon Vent
12. Four Strong Winds

Download: mediafire

Jelly Rolls Morton - Hot Jazz, Pop Jazz, Hokum and Hilarity (1966)

 

 Following yesterdays upload of The World's Greatest Minstrel Show, here's some ragtime jazz. Jelly Roll Morton, though extremely accomplished and influential to jazz, exaggerated his worth, claiming in 1902 that he was the original inventor of Jazz. Though he was not jazz's inventor, he was the first great composer of jazz. He fought his way up to the top through minstrel's and vaudeville. In 1914 he appeared in African-American Vaudeville, playing piano in a tramp costume with blackface makeup. He reached the peak of his career between 1922 and 1928 in Chicago, though when the center of jazz shifted to New York City, Morton relocated. Ultimately, his bragging ways ended up hurting him and he was often unable to get the back up musicians he desired. With the rise of the Great Depression, Morton faded into obscurity, and eventually passed away in Los Angeles in 1941.

This album is a collection of 16 of his tracks recorded between 1927 and 1930, and were recorded in Chicago, New Jersey, and New York City.

Tracklist:

1. Wild Man Blues

2. Hyena Stomp

3. Billy Goat Stomp

4. Freakish (Take 1)

5. Freakish (Take 2)

6. You Done Played Out Blues

7. Sweet Anita Mine

8. I'm Looking For A Little Bluebird

9. Sweet Peter

10. Jersey Joe

11. Mississippi Mildred

12. Mint Julep

13. I'm Her Papa, She's My Mama

14. She Saves Her Sweetest Smiles For Me

15. Tank Town Bump

16. Try Me Out

Download: mediafire

The World's Greatest Minstrel Show - Gentlemen, Be Seated! (Again!) (1959)

Okay, I lied kind of. I said I'd be doing other stuff but all I've got around to doing is more vinyl rips. Here's a rip of a record released in 1959 of an entire minstrel show in the style of those of the late 19th century ( though the songs included are more 20th century songs). Includes solos, medleys, and comic patter. An engaging study of a historic entertainment form. The entire things sounds like it's from another time, because well, it is. Some of the comedy bits are actually really hilarious, and the whole record is really fun all the way through.

Tracklist:
1. Down South/Bring Back Those Minstrel Days
2. What You Doing To Do When the Rent Come Round/Uncle Ned/Little Annie Rooney/Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight
3. Danny Boy
4. Blue Eyed Sally
5. When You Wore a Tulip/Bye Bye Blues/Goofus
6. Come After Breakfast
7. Beets And Turnips
8. She Was Bred In Old Kentucky
9. The Big Bass Viol
10. George M. Cohan Medley

Download: mediafire

Bardo Pond - Bardo Pond (2010)

First album I've posted on this blog that's been released this decade. Newest release from Philadelphia psych-rock band Bardo Pond. I've been a fan of these guys for a while. The first album I heard by them was Lapsed, which was full of crushingly heavy stoner rock. The next album I heard was Batholith, which at times was just as heavy as Lapsed, but in the middle had a slow acoustic track called Hypnotists, which I absolutely loved. This album, while still managing to sound and feel heavy, is a lot quieter than the rest, a lot of the tracks are reminiscent of the acoustic Hypnotists off Batholith, though each song creates it's own atmosphere and the sound literally surrounds and swallows the listener and takes you exactly where I think Bardo Pond has been trying to take their listeners since they started out in 1991. My room mate came out of her room while I was listening to this and said it was "trippy", I guess that's an accurate way of describing it even though I hate that word and the pot-head retard culture related to it. Pretty mind-blowing whether or not you're on drugs.

Tracklist:
1. Just Once
2. Don't Know About You
3. Sleeping
4. Undone
5. Cracker Wrist
6. Await The Star
7. Wayne's Tune

Download: mediafire

Gonna switch things up a bit.

Lately all I've been doing is flooding this blog with vinyl rips and it's about time I switch things up so I got a few things in the works to keep me occupied while I take some sick time from work due to pneumonia. First off, I'm gonna be doing a few reviews of a couple rad 7"'s I got from Group Tightener today. I'm also going to put together a compilation of some of my favorite live bootleg Bruce Springsteen tracks, I promised a friend of mine that I would do this for him a few months ago. I'm also going to either make a playlist, or my first podcast of shit I've been listening to lately. I'll also be working on a new layout for this blog because I'm not really too stoked on the stock layouts I've been using.

This doesn't mean the end of vinyl rips, I'll still be doing that, but I'm trying to make this blog be a bit more than that.

Elvis Presley - My Way 45 (1977)

Limited edition live 45. My Way is from the album "Elvis In Concert". America is exclusive to this 45.

Tracklist:
1. My Way
2. America

Download: mediafire

The Zombies - Zombies '66 (2010)

Originally unissued 1966 demo recordings.

Tracklist:
1. Call Of The Night
2. A Love That Never Was
3. One Day I'll Say Goodbye
4. This Will Be Our Year

Download: mediafire

The Carter Family - Great Original Recordings (1962)

1962 compilation of recordings by The Carter Family on the Harmony label. If you don't know them, and you haven't heard them, you should. Classic American country. Heavily influential.

Tracklist:
1. Buddies In The Saddle
2. Give Him One More As He Goes
3. Meeting In The Air
4. Heaven's Radio
5. The Dying Mother
6. Sea Of Galilee
7. Kissing Is A Crime
8. I Found You Among The Roses
9. Bear Creek Blues
10. It's A Long, Long Road To Travel Alone

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Heroes And Villians 45 (1967)

The only thing officially released by The Beach Boys from the smile sessions, during the smile sessions. Also one of the greatest songs The Beach Boys ever released.

Tracklist:
1. Heroes And Villians
2. You're Welcome

Download: mediafire

Jackie Wilson - The Jackie Wilson Story (1983)

From Allmusic.com:

"If there's anyone in the history of R&B who deserved a better hand than they were dealt when it came to making records, it was Jackie Wilson. Wilson had boundless energy, unbeatable charisma, and a frankly astounding voice; just listen to "Reet Petite" and be awestruck at the rapid-fire array of vocal effects Wilson was usually saddled with second-rate songs, dunderheaded arrangements, and lame backing vocalists whose presence is the musical equivalent of putting mayonnaise on hot pastrami. Wilson's recorded career is dotted with disasters and miscalculations, but the man was simply too talented to not strike lucky every once in a while, and part of his genius was that he could make something out of the most unlikely material; it's hard to imagine why Wilson's A&R man thought it was a good idea to cut "Danny Boy," but the artist actually finds a way to make it sound soulful. And on the rare occasions when he got the right song (such as "Lonely Teardrops," "To Be Loved," "You Don't Know What It Means," or "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me [Higher and Higher]"), he was unbeatable. Longtime fans Joe McEwin and Gregg Geller sorted through 15 years worth of Wilson's recordings to compile The Jackie Wilson Story, a superb two-record set that brings together most of Wilson's hits and adds a number of top-quality also-rans, obscurities, and oddities (including that version of "Danny Boy"). The flaws that pock-marked many of Wilson's recordings are evident throughout, but his voice shines like a diamond on every cut, and if you want to know the artist was a top draw on the R&B circuit for close to two decades, one listen to this set will show you -- no one could sing quite like Jackie Wilson. reels off with casual ease. But while he was among the finest singers of his generation,"

Tracklist:
1. Reet Petite
2. To Be Loved
3. Lonely Teardrops
4. That's Why (I Love You So)
5. I'll Be Satisfied
6. Talk That Talk
7. Baby Workout
8. Please Tell Me Why
9. Doggin' Around
10. Passin' Through
11. A Woman, A Lover, A Friend
12. You Don't Know What It Means
13. Night
14. The Tear Of The Year
15. You Better Know It
16. I Just Can't Help It
17. I'm Comin' On Back To You
18. Danny Boy
19. Am I The Man
20. Whispers (Gettin' Louder)
21. Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher)
22. No Pity (In The Naked City)
23. She's All Right
24. You Got Me Walking

Download: mediafire

Happy Birthday Dav3d

Ian & Sylvia & The Great Speckled Bird - You Were On My Mind (1974)

Great Speckled Bird's second album. Ian and Sylvia Tyson wanted to keep the name as just Great Speckled Bird, but they were so well-known as a duo already, that the media rejected the name and often labeled them as Ian & Sylvia with Great Speckled Bird, so with this LP they finally gave up on just being Great Speckled Bird, and gave into the Ian & Sylvia with Great Speckled Bird name. Also, aside from Ian and Sylvia, this is almost an entirely different band than on the first LP. In the fall of 1970, Jeff Gutcheon joined Great Speckled Bird to play piano on the television show. Amos Garrett left the group to join Geoff and Maria Muldaur's new band in Woodstock. Amos was replaced by Toronto guitarist, David Wilcox. The next member to leave was Buddy Cage, who left to perform and record with Hog Heaven, Anne Murray, and The New Riders of the Purple Sage. Buddy was replaced on steel by Ben Keith. This group performed on The Ian Tyson Show for the next two years.The same players in this band also recorded for Bearsville Records as Hungry Chuck.

For anyone unfamiliar with Ian and Tyson or the Great Speckled Bird, this is really great Canadian country-rock, often credited as originators of the genre. 

Tracklist:
1. Get Up Jake
2. Old Cheyenne
3. Antelope
4. Miriam
5. Lonesome Valley
6. You Were On My Mind
7. Joshua
8. You're Not Alone Anymore
9. Salmon In The Sea
10. The Beginning Of The End
11. Bill (Won't You Please Take Me Home)

Download: mediafire

Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers - Rock and Real (1989)

Another artist related/similar to Bruce Springsteen. The big difference being that Joe Gruscheky is from Pittsburgh, and though critically acclaimed, he never received the same attention or success as Bruce Springsteen. American blue-collar bar rock that draws on classic R&B. This is more like the fun tracks on The River, but some of the tracks also almost sound like punk rock. I guess they were heavily influenced by The Clash as well, so it makes sense, but there's a few tracks on this that wouldn't feel out of place on a Epitaph or Fat Wrecks comp I think. This is their sixth album.

Tracklist:
1. Rock and Real
2. Memphis Queen
3. Unsafe At Any Speed
4. The Biddle Mine
5. How Long
6. Freedom's Hall
7. Out Of My Head
8. Little Marie
9. Ain't Goin' Down
10. Rebel Music
11. Daddy's Little Angel

Download: mediafire

Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes - I Don't Want To Go Home (1976)

If you're a fan of Bruce Springsteen chances are you've heard of these guys. They've played a ton of shows together, are from the same town, and Bruce Springsteen wrote two of the songs on this record, not to mention it's produced by, and also includes some stand out tracks written by Miami Steve Van Zandt of E-Street fame. The Miami Horns also play on this, who also played several live shows with Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band. Really awesome stuff, definitely similar to Bruce Springsteen in sound. The Fever would have fit right in with Kitty's Back on The Wild, The Innocent, The E-Street Shuffle, and it's been performed many times by Bruce during E-street tours, and almost every year recently during his annual Asbury Park Christmas Fundraiser, most of the time with Southside Johnny joining on stage. This is a really great white-r&b/bar-rock album.

Tracklist:
1. I Don't Want To Go Home
2. Got To Get You Off My Mind
3. How Come You Treat Me So Bad
4. The Fever
5. Broke Down Piece Of Man
6. Sweeter Than Honey
7. Fanny Mae
8. It Ain't The Meat (It's The Motion)
9. I Choose To Sing The Blues
10. You Mean So Much To Me (with Ronnie Spector)

Download: mediafire

Sam & Dave - I Thank You (1968)

Classic soul. I love their version of That Lucky Old Sun. Most of this album is arranged by Isaac Hayes.

Tracklist:
1. I Thank You
2. Everybody Got To Believe In Somebody
3. These Arms Of Mine
4. Wrap It Up
5. If I Didn't Have A Girl Like You
6. You Don't Know What You Mean To Me
7. Don't Turn Your Heater On
8. Talk To The Man
9. Love Is After Me
10. Ain't That A Lot Of Love
11. Don't Waste That Love
12. That Lucky Old Sun

Download: mediafire

Boogie Down Productions - Stop The Violence (1988)

One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite hip hop groups. Scott LaRock and KRS-One really kill it on this one.

On the back of the sleeve there's a write up I really like about the philosophy of BDP:

"This is to inform you and educate you on the movement of Boogie Down Productions, better known as BDP.


We are presently one of the most politically-oriented rap groups out right now. I say politically-oriented, not because we point fingers at political problems, but because we educate the public on how to deal with them. Our public is our fans, mainly the teenagers and 20 year olds.


Be it understood that, although we posed on the last two albums with guns, we are mainly a world peace organization. We use the concept of violence on the cover of our albums to attract the violent youth into listening to something peaceful.


We don't encourage drug use, and we don't discourage drug use. We simply take the young mind completely off the idea of drugs by trading it with clear and concise messages they can use in everyday life. We call it the concept of being "criminal minded", not criminal active. The media has conditioned the teenage mind to think that intelligence is soft, love is soft, peace is soft. We come to show these things are not soft. It is now "in" to be criminal minded and whack to be criminal active.


On the cover, it's a hardcore grim picture, yet the music teaches peace. This is the new way to think and be.


It'll take a lot more than two albums to complete the movement of thinking criminal minded in a criminal active country, but the success of our work so far encourages us and others to educate the young mind through fads and trends. I urge those of you who are students of communication to communicate to the young minds in a positive, truthful sense. If all we do is communicate murders to the young mind we can expect nothing more in return.


Do not fall into stereotypical rut of judging us at face value. Find out more and communicate positive messages to receive positive responses.


Peace & knowledge,


KRS-ONE"

Pretty cool shit.

Tracklist:
1. Stop The Violence (extended mix)
2. Stop The Violence (single edit)
3. Jimmy
4. Stop The Violence (instrumental mix)

Download: mediafire

Superchunk - The Majestic/Reg 7" (1999)

Classic Superchunk. In the sleeve there's a piece of paper to order other Merge Records records that were new at the time, and the description for this says " two poppy, guitar driven numbers; it's a teaser to rock out to until there's a new LP". Aside from the fact that the "new LP" came out a long time ago, I don't think there's a better way to describe this.

Tracklist:
1. The Majestic
2. Reg

Download: mediafire

Creeper Lagoon - Vs. The Dead C 7" (1995)

I don't know too much about this band. I ordered a Superchunk 45 off e-bay and they sent this with it. I downloaded Creeper Lagoon's first LP off a blog a year or so ago and I couldn't dig it, but this 7" is really good. Slow emo/indie stuff. Reminds me a bit of Mineral, Pedro The Lion, and Kid Dakota. I guess David Cross likes this band so that makes them kind of cool I guess.

Tracklist:
1. Tonight Was Fun
2. The Girl Who Fell To Earth
3. August Pascal
4. Fucking Snob

Download: mediafire

T.S. Bonniwell - Where Am I To Go/Sleep 45 (1969)

Sean Bonniwell post-The Music Machine. Only 5000 copies of the LP were ever pressed, and it was only issued in California. Vic Briggs (guitarist from The Animals) was the producer on this. I think Sean was trying to compete with Gary Usher and Curt Boettcher with this record because a lot of his members from The Music Machine quit to join Sagittarius, and The Millenium. I really like this 45, it reminds me a lot of Simon and Garfunkle. Sean Bonniwell described it as "Kind of like, if Neil Diamond did an imitation of Johnny Mathis".

Tracklist:
1. Where Am I to Go
2. Sleep

Download: mediafire

The Beach Boys - Surfin 45 (candix) (1961)

The Beach Boys very first single (credited just to Beach Boys, no 'The'). This is what made them famous and got them the deal with Columbia. Originally released on X records, this is ripped from a second pressing on Candix Records.

Tracklist:
1. Surfin'
2. Luau

Download: mediafire

P.F. Sloan - From A Distance Japanese 45 (1965)

Japanese P.F. Sloan 45 with songs from his first album. Eve of Destruction was a huge hit for Barry McGuire, but this version is better.

Tracklist:
1. From A Distance
2. Eve Of Destruction

Download: mediafire

Runt - We Gotta Get You A Woman (1970)

Post-Nazz Pre-solo Todd Rundgren. Really good.

Tracklist:
1. We Gotta Get You A Woman
2. Baby, Let's Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don't Tie My Hands

Download: mediafire

David Lee Roth - California Girls 45 (1985)

More super cheese. Terrible 1980's cover of California Girls, even worse remix.

Tracklist:
1. California Girls
2. California Girls (remix version)

Download: mediafire

California Music - I Can Hear Music 45 (1978)

Super cheesy disco produced by Curt Boettcher. I think Bruce Johnson and Carl Wilson are singing parts on this. Kind of fun.

Tracklist:
1. I Can Hear Music
2. Love's Supposed To Be That Way

Download: mediafire

California Music - Why Do Fools Fall In Love 45 (1975)

1970's super group. As far as I know this is the only single Brian Wilson produced for them. I think Terry Melcher is singing. I can't find much out about this, but it's really fucking good. Sounds like a missing track from The Beach Boys Love You album.

Tracklist:
1. Why Do Fools Fall In Love (mono)
2. Why Do Fools Fall In Love (stereo)

Download: mediafire

Free Energy - Free Energy 7" (2010)

2010 Power Pop on DFA. Got drunk with these dudes when they played in town. Super cool dudes, super fun tunes.

Track list:
1. Free Energy
2. Something in Common

Happy New Year!

I'm back now, and I got my new computer and usb turntable hooked up so for the next while I'll be in the process of putting a ton of music up here that isn't stolen from other blogs for once. Expect a ton of 45's over the next few days.