All Things Must Pass - George Harrison

This is the 2000 remastered version of "All Things Must Pass" George Harrison's first real solo album, in fact this is the first solo album by a Beatle. Phil Spector's classic Wall of Sound effect is in full force on this album. There is a bonus track "My Sweet Lord 2000". George's personality is all over this album, from his mysticism and faith, songwriting, and his awesome guitar work. Remember, he was the Beatles lead guitarist. Give it a listen, it is a classic. I have his last album "Brainwashed" if anyone is interested.

Rather Ripped-Sonic Youth

A straight up rock and roll album with the classic Sonic Youth sound.

Mi and l'Au

This self-titled debut is the product of a French model and a Finnish music-industry employee falling in love and hiding away in a remote cabin in the Finnish countryside. Fans of múm and Low will appreciate the sparse music and somber tones of Mi and l'Au. Enjoy.

**UPDATE**

I think I've finally uploaded working files for both Mi and l'Au and Cat Power. Sorry about the delay. Give 'em a try and let me know if they work. Both albums are worth the download.

Updated while listening to Paper Scratcher by Blind Melon .

Cat Power - Myra Lee

Chan Marshall is know for her shaky and quiet vocals, sparse acoustics, and haunting piano. Often she is so overwhelmed emotionally that she can't finish her live shows. Myra Lee was her second release and displays a rockin', fully bodied side to Cat Power. There is a great cover of Hank Williams, Still in Love. Her last two albums are also fantastic. If you would like me to post either You Are Free or The Greatest, let me know.

AM Demos - Wilco

Here is a copy of the 8 song demo of Wilco's first album AM. Not much new, some slightly different versions of classic AM tunes. There are a couple of tracks that did not make the album. They are a bit more fun. I especially like the Replacement-esc "Lets Here it for Rock."

With these demo's and the official version of AM you can defiantly hear how Jay Bennett made Wilco. If you really want to hear some good Wilco do yourself a favor and listen to Being There.

As a side note I do have a copies of the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot demos (both engineers and original) and Summerteeth Demos if anyone is interested. The YHF demos are a lot better and you can actually hear the progression of the songs.

This post updated while listening to Elliot Smith's Figure 8.

The Beatles White Album (mono)

Yes, folks, you read it right: mono. Original, glorious mono.

Stereo was a newfangled fad back in the 1960s, so the boys spent most of their time personally working on the mono mixes and left the stereo mixes to the engineers who would typically toss them off in a few hours. That accounts for the annoying experience we get now listening to the Beatles with headphones: drums in the left channel, voice in the right channel, etc. In "Eleanore Rigby" they even mess up the stereo placement of Paul's voice when he begins singing the first verse and sloppily correct it. But the mono versions of their albums have no such distractions.

The White Album, actually, was the first album, I think, that they spent a lot of time on the stereo mix, so the mono mix was put out only in England and only for one pressing (I think). This is why I choose to upload it: it's rare.

You'll hear a lot of little differences. No handclaps in "Why Don't We Do It In The Road," the original, messed-up fiddle ad-lib at the end of "Don't Pass Me By," and lots of other things you may not have noticed in stereo. It's fun to compare.

Also included are 20 bonus tracks of outtakes, also all in mono.

If you want, I can also provide the mono mixes of "Revolver," "Yesterday and Today" and "Sgt. Pepper". Those (especially the former two) reveal many interesting mixing changes that will change the way you listen to these albums. Let me know if you want them, and I'd be glad to post.

Wilco and the Mash-up Revolution

I don't know what you all know about mash-ups, but I am sure you have heard at least one. There is the ever popular Grey Album blending the music of the Beatles White Album and Jay-Z's the Black Album. Which is actually quite good. Also the '80s really saw the first mash-up of sorts with Run DMC's, "Walk this Way."

There have been mash-ups of all kinds of music, some of really cool, but most of it bad (from what I have heard.) Generally a mash-up are two seemingly polar opposite types of music. The genius of DJ who creates the mash-up is blending these songs/artists into something that is good and fun to listen to.

There is a fellow, by the name of iDigworms, who thought it was good idea to do a couple of Mash-ups of Wilco and the Beach Boys. I have found two tunes that he created, "That's not War" (That's Not Me and War on War) and "You Still Believe In Trying to Break Your Heart" (You Still Believe In Me and I am Trying to Break Your Heart). The songs are taken from Pet Sounds and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. If you don't have either of these albums, I suggest you turn in your music listener card and buy yourself Coldplay's X&Y. Yeah, cause that is a good album. I digress.

After a couple of listens, the songs are ok. But here is the thing, Wilco basically did a Beach Boy's record with Summerteeth, and have been toying with similar pop harmonies ever since. So there is not much of a wow factor with these songs. Yes the songs are 30 or so years apart, but musically are they that different? The interest factor just isn't there to keep me listening to these songs over and over again. Now if someone could do a mash up of Coldplay and Chicago, that would be cool, (just think horns of "25 or 6 to 4," with the awesome lyrics of "Clocks").

this post edited while listening to, "40 Grand in the Hole." By Mike Doughty

Theme Time Radio Hour w/ Bob Dylan

So apparently Bob Dylan has a weekly radio show on XM radio, called Theme Time Radio Hour. I was able to get my hands on a copy of the first show, which aired on the 3rd of May. Of course it is up on the iDisk. I figured the Dylan freaks on the site (Colin and Vocarl I am pointing at you) would want this. If I am able to get the others I will of course put them on the iDisk.

I am glad to hear this so I don't have to pay 12.99 a month for XM. I had XM in a rental car once. It kinda sucked because I was flipping around the 100 plus stations, and not settling on one. Enjoy

This post updated while listening to "Down to This" by Soul Coughing.

Fambly Cat WANTED

Does anyone have the new Grandaddy, "Just Like the Fambly Cat"?
If so I would like to give it a listen.

Also, who the hell are Gnarls Barkley . . .and why do people keep talking about them?

Less Folk - More Music from British Comedians

So I came to the realization that there was way too much folk being placed on the iDisk. So I thought I would counter act this by putting up the opposite to folk, a failed music venture from British comedy legend, Ricky Gervais. Apparently Ricky, like every effeminante Brit was in a 80's new Wave band called, Seona Dancing. From what I have cobbled together from allmusic.com and SeonaDancing.com, The music is like all 80's new wave, pretty much crap. I guess it sounds kinda like a New Orderish, Suede, Cure type of thing. I was only able to get through two of the four songs, so I guess I am not the best person to give an honset oppinion. I admit I use to love me some Cure, Depeche Mode, and Information Society, but I was 14 and weird. Seona Dancing is worse then all of those bands. Which is a good thing since Ricky gave us "The Office" and Karl Pilkington. So we can laugh at that rather then seeing Seona Dancing on some god awful VH1 special.

But hey, here it is for you guys. I figure you can go to a party and when "The Office" comes up in conversation you can say, "Hey did you know Ricky Gervais was in a new wave band in '83 called Seona Dancing? I just happen to have it hear on my iPod, wanna listen?"

Put it on, and then sit back drink your Blatz from a can; adjust your trucker hat ever so slightly; unsnap your plaid cowboy shirt to show more of your ironic faded '80's rock tee; gain mega hipster points. Enjoy!

New iDisk URL

Apple has just made it easier for us to share music. Now you can access the iDisk public folder through your web browser. I'm not going to post the actual URL here because I do not want that information public, but you can find it by going to "idisk.mac.com/membername-Public" Try it out and let me know how it goes.

Please, as with the iDisk info, do not share this URL with anyone without first asking me. I really like our little music sharing club and I'd rather not put a password on it. Here's the info from Apple, note their mention of "legal sharing." Ha!

New easy iDisk Public folder web address

We're pleased to announce a new simpler way to access iDisk Public folders with a browser. Simply entering the URL idisk.mac.com/membername-Public now produces a page that automatically includes download links for whatever's currently in membername's Public folder. All you need to do is give the URL for your iDisk Public folder to the friends and colleagues you share with. They'll see and be able to download whatever you put in there, whenever they visit the page.

You can also let friends and colleagues use your iDisk Public folder page to upload and share files themselves. Just select the iDisk pane in .Mac System Preferences and pick the Read/Write option for your Public Folder. You can even add password-protection if you want to limit access only to those you give the password to. If you add password-protection, your visitors will be prompted for a password when they first visit your Public folder. Note: your visitors should enter "public" (without the quotes) in the Name field when prompted for the Name and Password by Safari. Finally, it goes without saying but we're going to say it again anyway: You can only legally share what you own and have the right to share.

More Guthrie than is good for you

Since we are getting all folksy at the moment I uploaded “Woody Guthrie, The Asch Recordings Vol. 1-4”.

This 4-album, 105 song collection of some of Guthrie’s most influential work was recorded by Moses Asch in the 1940’s. The collection was compiled and released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.



Vol 1 - This Land is Your Land
Vol 2 - Muleskinner Blues
Vol 3 - Hard Travelin’
Vol 4 - Buffalo SKinners

Living With War

Living With War, the new album from Neil Young criticizes government policy and makes the assumption that America is a fundamentally good, freedom-loving nation being led astray by corruption, and the misguided leadership of George Bush and his cronies. Give it a listen it is vintage Neil Young.

Pete Seeger

I made a playlist of nearly all the songs (all but one) from Springsteen's Seeger album done by Pete Seeger himself.

So, if you're curious about where it all came from, how the Boss changed them, or just what the big deal is about this skinny banjo picker who traveled with Woody Guthrie and presided over the folk revival of the 1960s, look no further.

(If you like and want more, I have tons of Seeger's music. Or Woody Guthire. Or Jack Elliot....)

Hi, We're the Replacements

So, if you didn't know the Replacements are coming out with a best of album which comes out on Rhino Records June 13. The album is a called, Don't You Know Who I Think I Was? - The Best of The Replacements, any music fan worth his salt has a majority of these songs, if not all. However there are two newly recorded tracks, Message to the Boys, and Pool and Dive. You can sample all the tracks here. But because I like you guys, Scott Vocarl, notwithstanding, I have posted on the iDisk, Message to the Boys. I received it from Minneapolis music guru Kyle "Solace" Matteson. Don't ask how I know this guy it is too embarrassing. But needless to say he always comes through with music and information, has a cool blog, if you live in the Twin Cities, and is a pretty nice guy.

Also on the 'Mats front, some guy put together a Replacements bible, with every article ever written about them. If you have a couple of hours you can read it all here.

This Post was updated while listening to the Penn Jillett radio show from 5/5/06.

Seeger Sessions

Howdy, fellas. Thanks for inviting me.

I've posted the new Bruce Springteen album, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Good Americana. The Boss does American Folk Music, a la Pete Seeger.

Enjoy.
Colin.

Death Cab for Cutie

Per Mr. Hartzell's request, I'm posting two Death Cab for Cutie albums, Plans & The Photo Album. I don't listen to Death Cab for Cutie, so I make no claims about either album.

Enjoy. Or don't.

Gomez - How We Operate

Apparently they operate like Wide Spread Panic. I have always thought that Gomez sounds like a better version of WSP. I like Gomez. "Get Myself Arrested" from their album Bring It On, is one of my favorite songs of all time. They even won the Mercury Prize back in 1998.

I know some might find them boring and the vocals a bit grating, but I really dig 'em. How We Operate, is the latest from the band out of Manchester. I have only listened to it a couple of times, and although good, it doesn't have the humf or power as their earlier work. Though, I have a feeling this one might be a grower. So needless to say it will be up on the iDisk Friday morning.

That is all for now

This blog entry was updated while listening the Chicago Cubs get beaten by the Diamond Backs 5-0 in the bottom of the 6th.

New Golden Smog - My Space

Hey kiddo's Golden Smog has four tracks from their forthcoming album, "Another Fine Day" on their my space page. I don't know what I think about them yet.

Golden Smog - My Space

Raconteurs free iTMS download

In the iTunes Music store (iTMS) they often do free downloads. Most of the time it is not any band that I care about. This week's free download is from the Raconteurs. It is an "acoustic" version of the single, Steady as She Goes. It is an ok version. It is very sloppy. But hey it is free. I thought you all would to know about it.

Here is the link:


Steady as She Goes (acoustic)

Gay Cowboys Eating Pudding

because I am on an uploading spree, and I love this blog thing, I am putting up the Brokeback Mountain Soundtrack.

In recent months, the movie and the music from it have become a cliched joke. When you hear the opening notes of Gustavo Santaolalla Brokeback "theme" you can't help being reminded of every stupid, lame Brokeback joke you have heard. Which is unfortunate. Santaolalla's music is truly great and a perfect accompaniment to a great movie. There are also several great songs, by Rufus Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, Willie Nelson, and others. This album is worth the listen. If you haven't seen the movie, do so, if you have see it again.

Songs for Children

I have uploaded two albums to the old iDisk.

1) They Might Be Giants - Here Come The ABC's
2) Jack Johnson - Sing-a-long and lullabies, music from the motion picture, Curious George

They are not the greatest albums but they are a fun listen. Say what you will about Jack Johnson, but the album is fun and a lot better then 85% of the kids albums out there. My son, and Kyle's nephew, love to dance to the first track. It is quite funny.

The TMBG album is just plain weird. It as you may have guessed an album about the ABC's . TMBG continue their geek/children dominance with this album.

So I thought if any of you have kids, or know kids, or you are a kid you might enjoy these albums.

My Friend

I have invited a friend of mine, to the iDisk. He will be using the blog to notify us all of the great new music he will post. My Friend is a pretty cool guy. He taught me the limited guitar cords I know. He also is a Dylan fan so Scott Vocarl will have someone to freak over Dylan with. His music collection is wide an varied. Hopefully he will put some good stuff up there for us. Thank is all

*note all names have been removed to protect the innocent

Kevin out

The Walkmen

Posted the Walkmen "everyone who pretended to like me is gone". Good stuff. NY band, apparently after mild success they saved up money and bought a studio so they no longer have to pay the Man.

Hope y'all like it.

M