Live Mp3s: Loney Dear in Allston, MA
Posted on October 13, 2009 at 11:50 pm | No Comments
When I eventually sit down to figure out my favorite live shows of ’09, there’s one spot filled for sure: Loney Dear‘s springtime set at Allston’s Great Scott. It wasn’t my first time seeing Sweden’s Emil Svanangen and his wonderful backing band, but it was easily the most intimate, and most moving, so far.
There’s something very special about Emil, a welcoming, warm demeanor that brings you into his world, that allows easy access to his hopes and heartbreak, that lets you ride the rise and fall of his gorgeous songs and their breezy melodies. There are pop songs with heart, speedy tunes that propel perfectly forward, and delicate numbers that build like spiderwebs and disappear in the wind of their final chords. There was one particular moment that May evening, just after the first few notes of “I Love You“, that Emil stepped to the front of the small stage, almost into the crowd, leaving the microphone behind him. His voice unamplified, accompanied only by his guitar, singing directly to those of us up close… it felt like we were being let in on a secret. The band joined in subtly – a light cymbal wash, some soft keyboard, light floor tom – and the secret spread as he stepped back to the microphone and the music swelled behind him. Just magical.
And lucky us, we get a chance to experience these moments of magic again this very night, when Loney Dear returns to that same venue on the tail-end of a two-week cross-country tour with Asobi Seksu and fellow Swede Anna Ternheim. If you don’t already have a ticket, take a listen to the shared songs below, and head over here to remedy that. I’ll see you at Great Scott tonight, and if Emil asks you to hang around for a ‘minor party’ after the show, take him up on it.
Live at Great Scott
in Allston, MA
on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
01. I Was Only Going Out
02. Everything Turns To You
03. Harsh Words
04. Under A Silent Sea
05. Airport Surroundings
06. Carrying A Stone
07. I Love You (In With The Arms)
08. Saturday Waits
09. Hard Days
10. Violent
11. any questions?
12. The Meter Marks OK
13. Sinister In A State Of Hope
14. banter
15. Dear John
Some Loney links…
His official site, regularly-updated Blog, MySpace page, Wikipedia entry, and Polyvinyl label page. Additional Audio: There are a couple of mp3s (“Airport Surroundings” and “Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl“) available on the Polyvinyl page. The later song can be found on Polyvinyl’s upcoming re-release of Loney Dear’s excellent 2004 “Citadel Band” album. The disc was a relative rarity until now, and will be available on vinyl for the first time ever. Pre-order it here for arrival next month. And while you’re there, purchase Loney Dear’s latest, “Dear John”, which arrived last January and still sits squarely in my ’09 faves list. Video: There are, of course, a number of videos on YouTube, including official clips for “I Am John“, “Airport Surroundings“, and “I Was Only Going Out“. Baeble Music welcomed a four-piece version of the band to their Manhattan “Guest Apartment”, where they performed the seldom-heard “Here Comes The Lonely Ones” and live set highlight “Violent” on a comfy couch. OPBMusic had them in their studios for a five song performance and interview session. Photos: My Flickr-hosted shots are here. Check out the full Loney, Dear Flickr search. Upcoming tourdates: Just a few dates left on the current tour…
Tonight, 10/14/09 @ in Allston, MA at Great Scott
Thursday, 10/15/09 in Hoboken, NJ at Maxwell’s
Friday, 10/16/09 in New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom
Saturday, 10/17/09 in Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’sEasily stream any and all ‘Nac-hosted Mp3s at the Hype Machine.
the fine print… If anyone has an issue with these tracks being made available, just let me know (my contact info is in the ‘nac faq linked above). Live sets are captured with a Sony minidisc recorder, converted to .wav, then edited to 192kbps Mp3s. Files are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.
Vinyl Giveaway: Celebrate Mission of Burma Day! (free show, free wax!)
Posted on October 4, 2009 at 2:04 am | No Comments
Happy Mission of Burma Day, everyone! And I’m not just sayin’ that – it’s freakin’ official. In case you hadn’t heard, the Boston City Council (thanks to a resolution drafted by Councillor John Tobin, a man with apparent good taste) has declared today, being Sunday, October 4th, 2009, “Mission Of Burma Day”. How about that? The text of the resolution:
WHEREAS: The City of Boston is the birthplace of some of the world’s best musical acts over the last few decades; including the legendary and influential post-punk group group Mission of Burma; and
WHEREAS: Mission of Burma have been covered and acknowledged over the years by the likes of R.E.M., Nirvana, U2, Moby, Sonic Youth, The Pixies and numerous other bands since their start in 1979; and
WHEREAS: Since their reunion in 2002, Mission of Burma have continued to make inspiring music while remaining lyal to the city in which they got their start; and
WHEREAS: Mission of Burma will be releasing a new album, “The Sound The Speed The Light” on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED: That the Boston City Council proclaim Sunday, October 4th, 2009 as Mission of Burma day in order to recognize and celebrate the institutions that have consistently provided their city with art and entertainment.
How to celebrate? Well, at the very least, spend some time listening to a little MoB, but if you’re in the Boston area, there’s no better way to mark the day than a free, all-ages, outdoor show with the men of Burma themselves.
This afternoon, on MIT’s Cambridge campus, the trio will take the stage (with fourth member Bob Weston hopefully at the board doing sound and tape loops) after opening performances by Eula (who earned the right to play though a ‘Battle For Burma’ contest) and Big Bear. The music should kick off around 2:30pm, the location is right here (take the T or your bike – parking won’t be easy around there), and the doppler radar looks pretty clear. Newbury Comics will also be helping you celebrate by selling copies of the new album, “The Sound The Speed The Light”, two days before it’s official release date this Tuesday, so bring some extra cash as well.
Or save your cash and try your luck: In honor of the day, I’m giving away not one, but two copies of the new album on vinyl, each with a copy of the band’s brand new, non-album “Innermost”/”Here It Comes” 7″. Yup, two winners, two slabs of wax each. For a chance at them, you know the drill: Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, title it “MoB!”, and make sure it hits my inbox by 9am on Thursday the 8th (also make sure you’re in the continental U.S.). As usual, I’ll just pick a random name from all entrants, get in touch with them Thursday to get a mailing address, and have the label send them along.
Have yourself a good Mission of Burma Day, everyone. And Bostonians, I’ll see you this afternoon…
