“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

<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.”

The ‘There Is A Home For You’ Tour

A Singer of Songs is Lieven Scheerlinck, a Belgian who has been living n Barcelona for fifteen years. On 13 May he releases his fourth album ‘There is a Home for You’ (Hi54lofi Records), an event that will be accompanied by a tour that will be small until it gets big.

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 will take place in a Singer of Songs’ own home in Barcelona on 11 May 2013.

Is There A Home For Me?

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!”

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’.

“Folk Radio UK is very honoured to be able to offer this exclusive preview of a truly beautiful album. 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.”

Exclusive Album Preview On Folk Radio UK

(click the image to go to Folk Radio UK for an exclusive first listen of ‘There Is A Home For You’ in full)

A Singer of Songs new album won't be out for another 10 days. We've had pre-order going for a few weeks, but up until now you've only been able to hear 1 track to entice you into pre-ordering. Well, now you can hear an exclusive 1st listen of the entire album in full, only over on Folk Radio UK.

So go give it a listen and then put on your pre-ordering hats and head over to A Singer Of Songs Bandcamp page (ps - the test pressings for the vinyls came in a little while ago and they sound amazing).

Mix Tape Radio on FRUK: Episode 017

Time flies. Somehow it is already May. Two thousand and thirteen. And it has also been 2 weeks since the last episode of 'Mix Tape Radio On Folk Radio UK'. Which means it is time for another 1 hour mix of music. Episode 17 features 17 tracks. The double 17's was not planned, but if you like things like that, then you've one more extra reason for tuning in. The other reasons would be the quality of tunes (including a track off the latest HI54LOFI RECORDS release, a bunch of sweet covers from a sweet covers compilation, and… well just pop down to the track listing to see for yourself).

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

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

Monday 6/5/2013 @ 1:00 pm UK TIME (see what time that is where you are)

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

Saturday 11/5/2013 @ 2:00 am UK TIME (see what time that is where you are)

EPISODE 017 - TRACK LISTING

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 017 tag. You can also click on any of the artist tags below to see any other posts that may feature said artist.

“Thematically it’s about everything: loss of childhood innocence, love, lust and death. I guess that’s what every album ever is about.”

When We Go!

by LadyFace

released on 30/04/2013, this album was a collaborative release between HI54LOFI RECORDS and LadyFace

Available through: Bandcamp

<a href="http://ladyface.bandcamp.com/album/when-we-go">When We Go! by LadyFace</a>

Ok, first things first. LadyFace is the new name for the project currently known as The Best Friends With Wolves Club. So if you recognize some of these songs, or if the themes of wide-eyed child wonder mixed with mildly murderous undertones sounds familiar, that is why. So why the name change?

“We changed our name because no one could ever remember what we were called..LadyFace works because everyone that plays in the band have a feminine beauty to their faces.”

Now on to the album. After a string of EPs under the guise of TBFWWC, Eric and his band of merry music makers have switched names and dropped their first full length ‘When We Go!’. It is slightly 'harder' then their previous sound (i.e. louder guitars, more shouting), but the innocent darkness of the songs remain. But that being said, you'll still find that classic TBFWWC sound on tracks like 'I Need You Closer' and there was hints at the change in sound when 'Cities Vanishing' was released back in 2011. Kind of a move from ‘bedroom pop’ to ‘bedroom rock’ (although that chorus on ‘Make Me Whole / Take Me Home’ sounds much bigger than the tag ‘bedroom rock’ would imply).

“When We Go! was written over the course of a couple of years and in a way feels like a retrospective or greatest hits in a way and it felt like a good start for LadyFace. It begins with the first song recorded for the record and ends with the last song recorded and there’s a two year time span between those.”

The album is available as a 'pay what you like' purchase, with the minimum set at $0. So whether you've got a few shekels weighing down your pay pal account, or whether you're feeling a bit skint and want to grab it for free, head over to LadyFace's Bandcamp page and download the album.

LadyFace: Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp | HI54LOFI

“Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don’t make compromises, don’t worry about making a bunch of money or being successful. Be concerned about doing good work. Protect your work and if you build a good name, eventually that name will be its own currency. Life is like a roller coaster ride, it is never going to be perfect. It is going to have perfect moments and rough spots, but it’s all worth it.”

— Patti Smith

Some Good Advice From Patti Smith

(there's more wisdom in the video this quote comes from)