Giveaway: The Songs of Silkworm
Posted on December 3, 2006 at 1:40 pm | No Comments
This week marks the bittersweet release of Silkworm’s final studio recordings, an EP titled “Chokes!” from the 12xu label. Basic tracks for five of the songs were laid down before the senseless loss of drummer Michael Dahlquist last year, and fittingly, he provides vocals on the EP’s closing number, a live cover of Dylan’s “Spanish Harlem Incident” by the Crust Brothers (Mike, his SKWM mates Tim and Andy, along with Stephen Malkmus).
12xu was generous enough to send along a couple extra “Chokes!” EPs for giveaway here on the ‘Nac when I ordered up my own, and I’ve also got a few copies of “An Idiot to Not Appreciate Your Time: The Songs of Silkworm“, the stellar double-disc Silkworm tribute that came out a few months back (and I wrote up here), courtesy of compilation curator Ike and his Genuflect Records.
To enter, send your snail-mailing address to [giveaways[-at-]bradleysalmanac[-dot-]com] with a subject of “SKWM!” anytime before midnight on Thursday, December 7th. Two randomly-picked winners will get a copy of both the “Chokes!” EP and the Silkworm tribute collection, two others will get the tribute on its own. U.S. and Canada only, unfortunately. Non-North American’s would do well to order the discs here and here.
The liner notes for Silkworm’s last songs end with these words…
“It was a great, long run. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.”
Right back atcha, guys. For so many great songs, for the never-disappointing live shows, for everything. You were the only band that every inspired me, after a mind-blowing Friday night set here in Boston, to get up the next day, jump in my car, and make a totally unplanned drive down to NYC for a second helping on Saturday night. The power of Silkworm compelled me, and it was worth every mile. So thank you.
[Live MP3s] The Album Leaf in Cambridge, MA 2006
Posted on November 28, 2006 at 1:10 pm | No Comments
I’m not sure I’ve ever met an Album Leaf song I didn’t like, and I’ve met so many that I flat-out love. Whenever a new album from Jimmy LaValle arrives, it becomes my personal soundtrack for the season, and it’s been no different since “Into The Blue Again” came out in a couple months back. My gateway fix was “The MP” off 2001’s “One Day I’ll Be On Time“, and everything since has had me looking forward to release dates and tour schedules. He can change up keyboards, add supporting players, even throw in the occasional vocal; it all works for me.
And the live shows have never failed to inspire, even this most recent one, during which some in the crowd tried their blabbering best to ruin the mood. The more popular the A.L. becomes, the larger the audiences get, the greater chance for chatterboxes… it’s a whiny broken record I’ll resist playing again. Just bummed that my best live Album Leaf experiences may be behind me, and it’s no fault of LaValle’s… comes with the territory and the talent. My ability to mentally block out the blather was challenged, but I prevailed (if only there was such a filter on my recorder).
Here’s their set from a few weeks back in Cambridge, MA, which featured maybe the best live A.L. lineup I’ve seen yet, and drop-in appearances from the guys in the excellent Lymbyc Systym, who opened for them on the just-finished U.S. tour…
Live at the Middle East Downstairs
in Cambridge, MA
on Tuesday, November 7th, 2006
[ download the 15 tracks in one zip file ]
01. The Light
02. Always For You
03. Shine
04. Writings On The Wall
05. Twentytwofourteen
06. The Outer Banks
07. Red Eye
08. See In You
09. Brennivin
10. On Your Way
11. Into The Sea
12. Wherever I Go
13. Thule
14. Micro Melodies *
15. Malmo
* thanks to ‘Nac reader Mark for letting me know that “Micro Melodies”
can be found on the Album Leaf’s out-of-print “Red Tour Ep 2005”
A few related links…
and just in case… If anyone has an issue with this live set being made available, just say the word (contact info in the ‘nac faq). Recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps mp3s. Mp3s are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.