Field Report - Route 18 - HearYa Live Session

Up until a couple of weeks ago, the band Field Report were completely off my radar. And they probably would have remained off my radar if I hadn't been tempted away from my Twitter feed after seeing Slowcoustic and Wake The Deaf raving in agreement about how great something was (Twitter Tip: if you see two people, whose tastes align well with yours, both raving about the same thing… it's usually a good idea to go see what they are raving about).

That ‘something’ was the HearYa session that Field Report recorded. And they were not fooling. Too often in this ADD world we live in, I don't make it all the way to the end of a 7 minute long video, but Field Report's rendition of ‘Route 18’ had me a bit spellbound. And after the video ended (and after I downloaded the mp3's from the excellent HearYa session) I immediately hit up Google and went looking for some more on these guys.

It turns out that they released an excellent self-titled album almost a full year ago (listen / get on Bandcamp). And it is a really brilliant album, and one that I completely missed out on (even while compiling end of year lists and trying to check out countless other sites lists). Now it may be too late to turn back time and include ‘Field Report’ in any of my end of year lists for 2012, so I guess I'll just need to start making a list for all the albums I completely missed out on in the previous year: ‘The Best Of What I Would Have Included In My Previous Best Of List If My Head Had Not Been Up My Ass’. It happens ever year.

If you haven't already, go give the Field Report album a spin. It's quite a great piece of work.

You can catch the album version of ‘Route 18’ being played on EPISODE 018 of ‘Mix Tape Radio on Folk Radio UK’.

Daft Punk - Within

If you listen to track 4 on the new Daft Punk album (aka the one called ‘Within’) without staring at this picture of a sad robot the whole time, then you’re not really listening to that track properly.

Alternatively, you can also listen to the track while watching this video on mute.

Tiny Ruins - Haunts EP

<a href="http://tinyruins.bandcamp.com/album/haunts-ep">Haunts [EP] by Tiny Ruins</a>

You should all take a moment out of your day today (or make note to do so later this week) and go listen to Tiny Ruins gorgeous new EP of old songs ‘Haunts’. If you have ever heard Hollie sing before, then you probably do not need any further convincing on why you should drop what you're listening to right now and switch. There is a mesmerizing beauty to her voice and this EP is a simply magic. Just like everything else she's put to tape… although, there might be just a pinch more magic captured on this EP.

So please go to Bandcamp and listen (or I guess you could just stay here and listen). And then buy a copy and take these songs for a walk through your nearest park.

A SongDrop MixTape - Volume 001

Partly by chance, partly by procrastination, and partly because exfm isn't currently working with Bandcamp pages… I ended up spending a fair amount of time playing around with a new (to me) site called Songdrop. Basically trying to figure out if I like it enough to spend time playing around with it some more… and I think I might like it.

Now, Songdrop offers a service that is very similar to what exfm does —and that service, for those who don't know, is they both help you better keep track of the music you find and love on the internet— but there are a couple of things that Songdrop does that exfm does not. And those things happen to appeal quite a lot to the mix tape making brain that I happen to be stuck with:

You can make different playlists, including choosing song order (at the moment, exfm just lets you collect a really big list in the order that you 'heart' them)
You can embed those playlists on your site (like the mix tape I made above)
You can also keep track of videos from Youtube and Vimeo (exfm doesn't work on video sites)

Now of course, exfm does things that Songdrop does not do as well (for example, you can add a pretty sweet music player to your entire site, it is probably a bit easier 'hearting' music on exfm than it is 'dropping' in Songdrop, great phone apps, etc.), so I'm not saying Songdrop is better than exfm. All I'm saying is that I enjoy being able to keep track of the music I find online… and I'm really liking being able to easily turn those collections into easily shareable mixes / playlists. And I will admit that I had almost gone full boner for Songdrop until I realized that the arranging + embedding of playlists is more geared toward ‘20 songs or less’ playlists and not for the massive list of songs I had in mind (i.e. like a really kick ass, never ending 'Mix Tape Radio' or 'Bandcamp Radio'). But still, being able to make embeddable playlists of 20 songs is better than not being able to.

So yeah… if you like doing any of the stuff I mention above, I'd recommend you give Songdrop a test run. I think you can follow people on it as well, so if you want, you can follow me here.

“All the material is fairly new — some of them are the first recordings, other new versions of songs that are on my home demos or in soon to be released take away show vids. At any rate, they were all done in one take.”

Diytrotter Sessions: 008

w/ Wes Tirey

Available for FREE on: Bandcamp

<a href="http://hi54lofirecords.bandcamp.com/album/diytrotter-008-wes-tirey">DIYtrotter: 008 - Wes Tirey by Wes Tirey</a>

The 8th instalment of our ‘ask an artist to record their own ‘daytrotter-esque’ session in their own bedrooms / homes / DIY surrounding’ returns this week with the talented Wes Tirey sitting down and recording 4 tracks in his dining room in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Some of these tracks are new, some are old, one doesn't even have a title yet, but all 4 were recorded in one sitting while his cat Tonto looked on from the living room. And now, through the magic of technology, you get to hear the same thing that Tonto heard.

As with all the past sessions, you can hear one track on the latest episode of Mix Tape Radio On Folk Radio UK (episode 18 airs today) and you can download the whole session for free over on Bandcamp.

And while you are over filling your pockets with Bandcamp treats, make sure you pop over to Wes Tirey's Bandcamp and grab his excellent EP ‘I Stood Among Trees’.

Wes Tirey: Site | Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

You can catch a track from this Bedroom Session on EPISODE 018 of ‘Mix Tape Radio on Folk Radio UK’.

Mix Tape Radio on FRUK: Episode 018

After 5 lovely days spent in Barcelona, I am back in grey England nursing an amazing head cold (you wouldn't think it would be possible to blow my nose as much as have this morning) and announcing another episode of Mix Tape Radio On Folk Radio UK. The 18th episode —listen to the other 17 over on Mixcloud or in iTunes— is a mix of some artists that I've played before and some artists that I haven't played before… and it also features a track from a brand new DIYtrotter Session (from Wes Tirey).

So put the below dates and times into your memory banks and tune in to another episode of hand picked musical goodness…

Sunday 19/5/2013 @ 9:00 pm UK TIME (see what time that is where you are)

Monday 20/5/2013 @ 1:00 pm UK TIME (see what time that is where you are)

Thursday 23/5/2013 @ 5:00 pm UK TIME (see what time that is where you are)

Saturday 25/5/2013 @ 2:00 am UK TIME (see what time that is where you are)

As always, for the first week, the only place to listen to the episode is by tuning into Folk Radio UK at the above dates / times (you can listen to it in more than a few ways, one of which being directly on Facebook). And if you missed any of the previous episodes, you can listen to them all over on Mixcloud or find them in the iTunes Podcast directory (and in about a weeks time, you'll be able to find this episode in those two places as well).

EPISODE 018 - TRACK LISTING

Besides searching for whatever tracks / artists tickle your fancy on whichever music site you prefer to use / are available in your country, I've included links to listen to each track individually over on exfm (as exfm is not only one of my favourite sites, but also available across all borders).

On top of that, I will also be posting more about the music included in this episode throughout the week, and you can filter all those posts by clicking on the Episode 018 tag. You can also click on any of the artist tags below to see any other posts that may feature said artist.

‘Little Sin’

Well… the mini vacation in Barcelona is over.

I'm now officially back in rainy Nottingham (although, to be fair, it did rain a fair bit in Barcelona too). Have spent today recovering from a sore throat and trying to finish the next episode of Mix Tape Radio (which has its first airing this Sunday)… but mostly I've been doing a lot of reminiscing. Like looking at pictures and watching videos from the past few days (like this video of Lieven and Laura serenading the crowd at Heliogàbal). And then repeating.

And, ok, I've also been catching up on Survivor and Game Of Thrones and eating lots of bags of crisps. I guess that would be my little sin.

This Is Water - David Foster Wallace

This video, stylishly put together by The Glossary, seemed like a fitting post for a Monday morning… but A Singer Of Songs new album officially came out yesterday, so that post kind of trumped this one. Plus, I'm currently taking a break from the rat race and lounging in lovely Barcelona. So I didn't really have the Monday morning blues. I guess I don't really have the Tuesday morning blues either.

Here's a bit more on the video from the folks who made it:

“In 2005, author David Foster Wallace was asked to give the commencement address to the 2005 graduating class of Kenyon College. However, the resulting speech didn’t become widely known until 3 years later, after his tragic death. It is, without a doubt, some of the best life advice we’ve ever come across, and perhaps the most simple and elegant explanation of the real value of education. We made this video, built around an abridged version of the original audio recording, with the hopes that the core message of the speech could reach a wider audience who might not have otherwise been interested.”

— The Glossary

If you're interested, you can read the full speech David gave here.

“Not only is the new album ‘There is a Home for You’ about homes -making and unmaking them, searching and leaving them- but it is also one hundred percent home made.”

There Is A Home For You

by A Singer Of Songs

released on 13/05/2013, this album was a collaborative release between HI54LOFI RECORDS and A Singer Of Songs. It is available digitally, on CD, and —a HI54LOFI RECORDS first— on 12" vinyl.

AVAILABLE ON: Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Rdio

<a href="http://asingerofsongs.bandcamp.com/album/there-is-a-home-for-you">There Is A Home For You by a Singer of Songs</a>

I'm super excited to finally announce A Singer Of Songs new album, 'There Is A Home For You'. The album is officially available today on Bandcamp (and should be popping up on iTunes, Spotify, etc any day now), and you can get it digital, on CD (with artwork and layout by the brilliant Benjamin Shaw), and —for the first time for HI54LOFI RECORDS and A Singer Of Songs— available on 12" vinyl (limited pressing of 250, with artwork and layout also done by Benjamin Shaw).

“It was summer, almost thirty years ago. I must have been seven or eight. I was playing football in the garden when I saw the neighbors carry large bags and suitcases out of the house and into their car. She carried a big hat, he had stylish sunglasses on, the little boy had a stack of comic books under his little arm. They waved at me, got in their car and drove out of my life for the next three weeks. I sat down on the grass and forgot all about the ball and the fantasy league I had been playing in my head all year long and I thought of what it would feel like to travel. To head into the world, far away from the little village I called my home. Drive across borders, through cities and deserts. Move day and night, sleep in unknown beds. Talk to people whose names I don’t know and whose lives I don’t understand. See places that are too fantastic to imagine. Travel until I forget all about this. The little garden, the ball, the fantasy league, my home. Because only after you have lost it can you be certain that there is a home for you.

My mother yelled from the garage door. Lunch was ready. And I got up, kicked the ball and scored the most beautiful goal ever. That year I won the fantasy league.”

What Others Are Saying:

Folk Radio UK: “It’s music like this that brightens my mind and makes me walk lighter through the day. Set aside some time to listen and indulge yourself…fully.”

Le Cool Barcelona: “Like getting up at dawn and enjoy a coffee and a cigarette in the sun with a terrace, before the chaos of the day begins. The music of A Singer of Songs has that same air ethereal and melancholy.”

Enzo Baranelli: “Lyrically remarkable, a beautiful album. Don't miss it!”

Novemagazine: “One of the great pleasures of this job is to receive an album by an artist you've never heard of and who conquers you as soon as you press 'Play'. The melodies sound like melancholy, like happy days from the past, like missing somebody, like being home. (...) He achieves to give you goosebumps with every song he writes, without any exception.”

Bsides: “Beautiful songs, warm and soothing landscapes and a surprising sensation of peace and well-being arise from Lieven's guitar and voice. He is certainly a singer to follow."

Onda Rock: “The painful intimacy of the songs by Lieven Scheerlinck is offered to new reflexes, able to make them shine with an unprecedented wealth of nuances.”

The ‘There Is A Home For You’ Tour

Not only is the new album ‘There is a Home for You’ about homes -making and unmaking them, searching and leaving them- but it is also one hundred percent home made. This is why it seemed like a good idea to do home shows as well. Travel around Spain and Europe from home to home, like squirrels that travel jumping from tree to tree. Play the songs in the intimacy of a living room or the fresh air of a garden. Without special effects or sponsoring beer brands. Everything small, everything simple.

The official presentation of the album took place in a Singer of Songs’ own home in Barcelona on 11 May 2013, and carried on all the way to Madrid.

Is There A Home For Me?

Episode 017 - Now Streaming On Mixcloud

Mix Tape Radio on Folk Radio UK | EPISODE 017 by Hi54lofi on Mixcloud

You can see the full track listing (with links for each individual track) on the original post about this episode. You can also filter out all the blog posts pertaining to the music featured on this episode by clicking on the EPISODE 017 tag.

Listen to the episode above, or jump over to Mixcloud and listen to it there.

Also, you can find this and all previous episodes over in the iTunes Podcast directory (so subscribe for free and stuff).

“One failed attempt at a shoe bomb and we take off our shoes at the airport. Thirty-one school shootings since Columbine and no change in our regulation of guns.”

— John Oliver

Off To Barcelona…

I'm flying out to Barcelona today —A Singer Of Songs is holding a release show for ‘There Is A Home For You’ at his home this evening— and as I move all my cleaning products from not small enough containers to really small containers, and then try and fit all those little containers into a small plastic ziplock bag, I can't help but think of the above John Oliver quote.

Now, I am not American (I'm Canadian) and I don't even live in America (I live in the UK), so in theory, “our regulation of guns” doesn't really apply to me. But I watch every episode of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, so it's hard for American political hypocrisy not to feel like it has a direct effect on my life. And maybe it does. After all, I just moved all my cleaning products from not small enough containers to really small containers, and then crammed all those little containers into a small plastic ziplock bags.

Ben Kweller - Sha Sha

Everyday is always a good day to listen to Ben's classic album 'Sha Sha' (listen on Spotify). Which is exactly what I am doing right now. There are so many great songs on it, that it is a bit disheartening to know that he was only 22 when it was released. Although every track is an outright gem, ‘Lizzy’ has always been (and still is) my favourite track.

It's just a lovely little ditty. And if you are one of those folks that dabble on the guitar, it makes for a great song and to learn how to play. The intro is both cool and mildly easy to learn. And playing it in front of others can make you seem like you are better at the guitar than you really are (or at least it has worked for me before).

Of course, the real key to pulling of this song right is capturing the longing tone of Ben's voice. And that I've never been able to get right.

You can catch this track being played on EPISODE 017 of ‘Mix Tape Radio on Folk Radio UK’.

Wes Tirey - The Time Leaves So Soon

The trickiest thing about attempting to write about music is that I'm not really a guy that likes to write about music. I like to listen to it. When I come across something that I enjoy, like Wes Tirey's EP ‘I Stood Among Trees’, I like to listen to it a lot. And those albums sort of become mini soundtracks for my very un-cinematic life.

But beyond me suggesting that I think you should all check this EP out (available on CD or ‘pay what you like, no minimum’ digitally on his Bandcamp), I'm not sure what else to articulate. If you haven't already, listen to my current favourite on the EP ' The Time Leaves So Soon'. And if you like the sounds of that, you'll definitely like the whole EP.

I'll just add that there is a lovely little DIYtrotter session coming from Wes in the very near future. So go check him out and then be ready for some more lovely porch-friendly folk in the upcoming weeks.

Wes Tirey: Site | Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud

You can catch this track being played on EPISODE 017 of ‘Mix Tape Radio on Folk Radio UK’.

Igloo Backpackers Hostel in Nottingham

You might not know this, but I help run a backpackers hostel in Nottingham called ‘The Igloo’. So if you're ever in Nottingham…

Click Here To Visit The New Igloo Hostel Website

But, even if you never come to Nottingham and have no intentions of doing so (you should, it's a pretty cool city), you can still swing by and check out the new website I built°. I'll be making tweaks and adding things as we go —as there re a million pieces of content that a hostel website can try to include on their site— but yesterday we got it ready to the point where we decided it was time to replace the old site (which was perfectly nice, but relied heavily on that dreaded FLASH).

Of course, right after we launched the new website the email went down (it's since been fixed, but a minor bit of scrambling around and saying 'shit'). And we're still waiting for the magic google elves to finish combing over the interent and update our search listings (Google uses magic elves, right?), but that doesn't mean you can't go visit the new Igloo website and let me / us know what you think.

Maybe even share a link to it with some other people who might be interested?

Or book a bed?

If you hang around HI54LOFI at all, you'll definitely recognize some of the music being played over at the hostel.

° DISCLAIMER: I am not trained in the art of web design, but Squarespace is a pretty sweet service for those like me who like to pretend (I also built HI54LOFI using it)

Wake The Deaf - Covers Mix #7

3 of the tracks on the upcoming episode of ‘Mix Tape Radio On Folk Radio UK’ (including the Shovels & Rope one above) can be found on this great covers mix from Wake The Deaf (although, I did already snag the Dinosaur Jr cover awhile back). They've compiled 21 tracks and you can download the whole thing for free. So I'm not sure why you haven't gone over there and downloaded it already.

It's not like I have anything else to say over here. Well, except that this covers mix is their 7th so far, so you'd probably be wise to also check out all the other mixes.

You can catch this track being played on EPISODE 017 of ‘Mix Tape Radio on Folk Radio UK’.