Honey - Free Download

It is still unseasonably warm although it has become somewhat cloudy.  The cloud rolled in towards the end of yesterday afternoon and even brought some rain with it last night.  The temperature however has remained in the 20s. 

Determined to make the most of the good weather I spent most of the afternoon over Solihull Nature Reserve.  Bird wise it was quiet but it was nice just to be out in the sunshine. 

The temperature is due to plummet this week but I'm determined to eek out every last ounce of summer.

One of my favourite songs of the last few months is a song called Summertone by a Scottish band called Honey.   The EP from which it is taken is available to download for free.  Follow the link below.

http://lifetastesbetter.bandcamp.com/album/taste-it-and-see

The Phoenix Foundation - Free Download

It seems that we are in for a bit of a hot spell.  It's warmer now than it has been for a large part of the summer!  Apparently it is set to last until the weekend and so whatever I end up doing it will definitely be outdoors!

This evening it was nice to sit outside in a pub garden and enjoy a gin and tonic.  This spell will more than likely be the last chance we get before Autumn takes hold and the frosts arrive.

As it's been a good evening I thought it would be nice to share some music with you.  I've mentioned this band before and I think there is a link to another free download somewhere on here.

Click on the link below and it will take you to Pop Matters where you can download the track Bright Grey by The Phoenix Foundation.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/148632-the-phoenix-foundation-bright-grey-mp3-popmatters-premiere/

Art Boys Collection - Free Download

The memories, photos and signed CDs aren't the only thing I brought back from End Of The Road. Nope, I also brought back a cold and so today, rather than head out into the countryside, I have decided to spend at home. Instead of exploring the great out doors I stayed in bed and explored the net and here is something that I found.

I haven't posted any links to music for ages and so it feel good to point you in this direction.

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Art_Boys_Collection/Stoned_Wall/

If you haven't come across FMA before have a look around. You never know what you will find!

Dandelion Radio Free Download

I've not posted any music related stuff for ages!  To make up for it if you follow the link below you can download a couple of free albums. 

To celebrate Dandelion Radio's fifth birthday Five Years is a free compilation on the Unwashed Territories netlabel. It is available until the end of July so you have plenty of time to grab it! 

I've not listened to it properly yet but I'm enjoying the bits I've heard and the Martin Carr track is fantastic!

http://www.dandelionradio.com/fiveyears.htm

How Time Flies!

Blimey, over a week since my last post!  I'd like to say I've been really busy but the truth is I just haven't got around to posting anything.

After a relatively quiet week the weekend was upon me once more and Friday afternoon I headed over to Kings Heath to celebrate a friend's daughter's first birthday. 

Rather than a traditional party she had decided to have it at All Fired Arts in Kings Heath. This is a fantastic place!  The idea is that you can go and design your own ceramics.  You buy the pottery and paint the design. When you are happy with it the shop will keep hold of it and fire it for you.  You then go back and collect the finished project about a week later.  Parties are catered for and while some people create at the front of the shop the rest can sit around in the back room.  You can take your own food and from what I can gather music is provided courtesy of Spotify.  The staff are  friendly and really good with the babies that were having their hand and footprints plastered over the ceramics.  It's a great place and if you feel the creative urge coming on you should head on down.

http://www.allfiredarts.co.uk/index.php

Afterwards we headed to the park so the kids could play on the swings.  All in all it was a lovely afternoon.

Record Store Day.  Saturday saw an early start as we caught the 8.05 train from Solihull to Leamington.  Clare had shopping to do and was then heading back to Birmingham to go to the theatre. My plan was to buy records as part of Record Store Day and head home to listen to them whilst I had the house to myself.  Head Records was my shop of choice.

With over a hundred titles to choose from, many of them limited to small quantities, I decided not to have anything in particular in mind, although I quite fancied the Tallulah Gosh 7".  Unfortunately they didn't stock it but I still came away with a few good records including stuff by Deerhoof / Xiu Xiu, Toots & The Maytals, KORT, Clinic and Edwyn Collins & The Drums amongst others.  The record shop also threw in a couple of CD samplers as well including Terminal Sales Volume 4 (a Sub Pop compilation).

After breakfast we did a bit of shopping (where I picked up a Gorky's Zygotic Mynci single and a Tapes n Tapes album from a charity shop).

I left Clare on the train to go to the theatre whilst I headed home to spend an afternoon with my vinyl, cds and mp3s.

Speaking of mp3s, over at North Country Bhoy blogspot you can download Toots & The Maytals Live At Jamaica World Music Festival circa. 1982. Get it here. 

Japan Relief Download

The news over the last couple of weeks has been dominated by two stories.  The uprising in Libya and the subsequent descent towards civil war.  The genocide that followed and now the introduction, by the UN, of a no fly zone. Britain, France and America have taken the lead and have targeted some of Colonel Gaddafi's military infrastructure.  There has been divided opinion on whether or not the west should intervene. This is due in no small part to what happened in Iraq when there was no clear strategy.  At the moment there are no plans to send in ground troops but I can see that changing in the coming months.

The second news story has been the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan.  The footage of the earthquake and tsunami has been staggering and the scale of the devastation is unbelievable.

The details about the nuclear plant at Fukushima seem to change from one day to the next with 4 out of 6 of the reactors in various states of meltdown.  The small team of workers still there are constantly being withdrawn as there seems to have been some radiation that has escaped.

Due to the nuclear problem there seems to be less aid agencies on the ground and Japan now needs all the help it can get.  This is why Audio Antihero have put together an album that can be downloaded for £3.99.  The proceeds of which go to a number of charities including Red Cross, Save The Children and The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund.

Details can be found here.

SXSW Free Mixtape

Spring has arrived and although it is still a little on the cold side the first signs have been around for a couple of weeks with daffodils and snowdrops starting to bloom. Another sign of spring is the announcement of line ups for the summer festivals and, although one or two of the smaller festivals seem to have been lost this year, there is still an abundance to chose from.

Obviously, I will be heading for Moseley Folk Festival and each day finds me checking to see if any acts have been confirmed.  As yet it is all quiet.

Over in the United States SXSW is about to get under way in Texas and to celebrate FreeIndie are giving away a mix featuring a handful of the bands playing.  You can get it here.

Let England Shake

I haven't posted any music for quite a while now and with some great things due for release in 2011 it's time to rectify that.

PJ Harvey's eighth studio album, Let England Shake, is due for release next week (14th February) and from the bits I've heard it sounds fantastic. Taking two and a half years to write it was recorded in a church in Dorset over a five week period in April/May of last year.

Here she is performing the title track on the Andrew Marr Show, last year, in front of Gordon Brown (then Prime Minister) who was a guest that day.

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake MP3

January Songs - Darren Hayman

As I mentioned the other day Darren Hayman is writing and recording a new song each day throughought January. You can download them free of charge here.

Along with the song there are diary notes and videos.  Here is the video for Isle of Eigg (January 4th), written by Darren and sung by Gordon McIntyre from Ballboy.


Isle of Eigg (sung by Gorgon McIntyre) from Darren Hayman on Vimeo.

Happy New Year!

I quite like the New Year.  I'm not one of those people that mourn the loss of another year nor am I one who makes unrealistic promises to themselves about the future. I do however have a certain amount of optimism.

Now that the whole Christmas thing is over and Spring is still a long way off, January can feel like a long month but there is a ray of light.  Darren Hayman will be writing, recording and releasing a new song every day throughout January!  He will be posting them on Soundcloud and you can download them free of charge for a limited period.

You can get all the info and relevant links from the page below.

http://januarysongs.tumblr.com/

Northern Light Orchestra - Free Download

With less than 2 weeks to go the weekend was spent Christmas Shopping.  I had been expecting the worst but to be honest it was quite painless (an early start helps). It's nearly done now with only one or two things left to get.

If you are still struggling to get into the whole Christmas thing then perhaps some music will help (although I'm not sure this will - it's pretty bad).

The Northern Light Orchestra seems to be some sort of super group, featuring members of Whitesnake, Sly and The Family Stone, Sister Sledge and Survivor amongst others.  You can download their version of Away In A Manger/Come Let Us Adore Him here.  If you like it you can download more of their Christmas stuff from the site below.

http://www.carangel.com/northern-light-orchestra/freechristmasmusic.html

Mogwai - Free Download

Mogwai release their new album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will in February of next year.  In the meantime you can download one of the tracks, Rano Pano, by popping across to The Quietus.

They will also be embarking on a massive UK tour.  Nip over to their website to see if they are appearing near you.

http://www.mogwai.co.uk/

Download Rano Pano from The Quietus by going here.

On a completely unrelated note, yesterday I visited friends who introduced me to the world of geocaching.  How have I managed to get this far without hearing about it?  Anyway, my friend signed me up and on the way home I did my first one!

British Sea Power - Free Download

Living Is So Easy is the first single from the album Valhalla Dancehall and will be available for download next week. However, an edited version is available for download now.

I've had a quick listen and it seems they have taken a more electronic route. I wonder if the rest of the album will be the same?

You can get Living Is Easy from their website below.

http://www.britishseapower.co.uk/livingissoeasy

The Phoenix Foundation Free Download

Pot is a good little song from New Zealand's The Phoenix Foundation. It is their first release in Europe and is taken from their forthcoming album Buffalo which will be released in 2011. They are also arranging a tour apparently.  If this is anything to go by then I will be popping along to see them in the New Year!

You can grab the track off the NME site here.

myspace - The Phoenix Foundation

Autumn and The Homemade Lo-Fi Blog

I miss Summer,  long hot days and warm nights. Autumn brings with it it's own rewards though.  The trees look great at this time of year and with a little less foliage you can make out more wildlife. In fact, as I write there is a Nuthatch climbing the tree outside my window.

Things have been quiet of late and if I'm honest I've quite enjoyed the cosy nights on the sofa in front of the TV (not that there is much on at the moment). Saying that though, the diary is starting to fill up over the next couple of months which I'm glad about.  I do enjoy cosy nights in but I'm not quite ready for hibernation just yet. I'll save that for the depths of winter.

If you are having a quiet night in and you want some music to chill out to then go here. The Homemade Lo-Fi Psychedelic Blog Spot.  I have to admit I haven't really listened to much of the music on the site but the bits I have are quite interesting.

Fortuna Pop! - Free Downloads

Fortuna Pop! is an indie record label from London.  Over the last 15 years or so they have put out some great records.  Current artists on the label include the likes of Darren Hayman, The Pipettes, Tender Trap, Allo Darlin', Milky Wimpshake, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart and Airport Girl.

If you are not familiar with the label or the bands then you can try before you buy.  Go here to download some great songs!

Stereogum's 40 Best New Bands of 2010 Free Download

Here's  a great compilation. Posted on Stereogum.com at the start of the month it features 40 new bands from this year.

Although some of these bands may have been around for a bit they have all come through in 2010. You might not like them all but I'm sure you
will find something of interest.

Side A

Side B

Darren Hayman - Calling Out Your Name Again Free Download

What a nice way to start the weekend. A Darren Hayman and Emmy The Great duet. Calling Out Your Name Again is released next month on Fortuna Pop.

It's a great tune and I am looking forward to the album release although I believe he is already selling it at his gigs.

You can watch the video and download the track here.

The Wedding Present Download

I'm a little out of touch.  For example, I had no idea that Belle and Sebastian were playing Birmingham Symphony Hall in December until Clare told me yesterday. Luckily we were able to get tickets. 

Having bought those we also bought tickets to see The Wedding Present at The Assembly in Leamington.  It's 21 years since the release of Bizarro and to celebrate they are playing the album in it's entirety.

I love The Assembly.  It's a great venue and have seen some good bands there since it's launch.  Pete Doherty, Spiritualized, Razorlight and Half Man Half Biscuit.   The venue itself was redesigned by Lawrence Llewelleyn-Bowen and has won the Music Week Award for 'Best Live Music Venue' in 2010 and the award for 'Best Live Entertainment Venue' at the 2009 Godiva  Awards.

Anyway, to celebrate seeing my favourite band at my favourite venue here is a track taken from Bizarro.

Recorded live in Zagreb, earlier this year, this is Take Me!

The Diggs - Everyone’s Starting Over Free Download

I quite like this. I found it on freeindie.com. It's also quite appropriate for me this week as I'm packing up and moving out.  I am starting over. Apparently everyone's doing it!

I don't really know much about the band but if you'd like to learn more you can check out there Myspace page below.
http://www.myspace.com/thediggs

Everyone's Starting Over - The Diggs mp3