Jakob Dylan - Seeing Things (6/10/08)

Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers fame (oh, and he's that guy's son) will be releasing his solo debut, Seeing Things in June. It's being released via Starbucks, kinda like that P-Mac album you should probably have. He recently posted some tracks up on his Myspace page for our listening pleasure.

The tracks are sparse, but good. You won't be hearing the lovely keys that filled the holes on Bringing Down the Horse, but the songwriting and that lovely voice are still there. Here's the two tracks we have so far. The bitrate isn't too hot since it comes via Myspace - sorry.

[mp3] Something Good This Way Comes
[mp3] Evil Is Alive And Well

Buy some music from The Wallflowers: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Jakob on the web: Official | Myspace

The French Kicks - Swimming

The French Kicks have a new album heading our way tomorrow via iTunes (you'll have to wait until may to get a copy on CD). It's called Swimming and I like what I'm hearing so far. Here's the first single, Abandon.

[mp3] Abandon

Buy some French Kicks: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Review - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings

Album Review - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows

It has arrived! Today Kraig and Brock will take you through the new album from Adam Duritz and the gang. It's a two-part album, so how about a two-part review?

Saturday Nights (Kraig)

The first half of the album (Saturday Nights) has long been referred to has the "edgier" half. Adam promised some balls-out rock and the boys deliver, right from the opening riff of 1492 and all the way through to Cowboys.

Speaking of Cowboys, while it's the last track of the Saturday Nights side, it was also the first track to leak from the sessions that became Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. I was elated, nay, ecstatic upon my first listen of Cowboys. Adam's vocals were passionate - downright pissed at times. The guitars were ferocious. The lyrical content was beautiful - definitely leaning heavily on the Recovering the Satellites days.

Sadly, the rest of the cuts from Saturday Nights are hit and miss. 1492 makes me feel like Adam is trying a bit too hard to be a "rocker". Hanging Tree almost has it, then they throw in a bit too much in the bridge. Los Angeles, Sundays and Insignificant are all fine tracks - just not up to the standard that they set with Cowboys.

While the Saturday Nights side is short, I can't really say it's sweet. I want to love this album, I really do - it just doesn't quite do it for me. Cowboys and Hanging Tree seem to be the standout tracks on this side, the rest seems to be more "filler" than "killer".

[mp3] Cowboys

Sunday Mornings (Brock)

The fierce, driving guitars of "Cowboys" give way to the delicate picking of "Washington Square," and we begin the remorse and reparations of Sunday morning. Even though Adam claims to have sold his piano in the first line, piano music provides a gorgeous backdrop to the lush arrangement. Every note is deliberate and excellent, as guitar, piano, banjo, and harmonica join together on the walk home to Washington Square. The stand-out track for me is definitely "When I Dream of Michelangelo." It is acoustic perfection, and ties together a lot of ideas from previous Crows records.

Lyrically Sunday feels to be on par with the rest of Counting Crows' catalog, and musically it feels like an acoustic This Desert Life. As you can most likely tell, I want very much to heap praise on this latest offering from my all-time favorite band. I just can't.

[mp3] When I Dream of Michelangelo

Conclusion (Kraig)

In all, the album is solid. If you're a fan of Counting Crows then you'll be pleased with the majority of the songs. The main gripe we seemed to have was that they tried to do a bit too much on this album. If this was cut down to a 10-12 track album it would probably be getting stellar reviews across the web. Instead, we got stuck with more "filler" than "killer" which left us forgetting some of the higher points of the album.

But seriously, Cowboys is good enough in it's own right for the entire price of admission. It's that good.

Order the album: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Counting Crows on the web: Official | Myspace

The Black Crowes - Warpaint

In case you haven't already heard, The Black Crowes put out an album called Warpaint a few weeks ago. I'm just now getting a chance to check it out but I like what I'm hearing so far. Definitely back to the roots I fell in love with on Amorica.

I'd recommend picking up the album if you ever fell in love with the Robinson brothers back in the 90's - it's certainly a return to form. Here's a small sampling of what you'll hear:

[mp3] Oh, Josephine - File removed

[mp3] Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution

Buy some music by The Black Crowes: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week: Guilty Pleasures

We've all been there. You're out with your friends and then, out of the blue Come Sail Away comes on your iPod. Everyone looks at you like "What the hell man?!" All you can really say is "I don't know, my brother must have been messin' with my playlists. I *DON'T* listen to this shit".

Of course, they don't believe you. You can blame it on your bro, the wife, even the damn cat and they aren't going to believe you. Now they know what you secretly listen to when you're in your car by yourself. It isn't the super-cool indie bands, no Vampire Weekend or The Decemberists - hell, not even The Raconteurs. You're blastin' Sweet Child 'O Mine and pushing yourself into falsetto as best you can to sing along.

I suppose it's nothing to really be ashamed of. Well, yes it is. It really, really is. But this week, despite the shame, we're going to share some guilty pleasures with you. First off, I (Kraig) will share mine:

Boston - More Than a Feeling

I have a special place in my heart for the genre dubbed "Arena Rock". For those of you unfamiliar with rock 'n roll history, this is the rock that came before "Hair Bands" and just after Zeppelin.

I can't quite explain the feeling these bombastic ballads give me deep down in my insides, nor can I deny them. I just turn them up to 11 when I'm alone in my car. I don't even think my wife knows I listen to this shit.

But seriously, listen to the guitar tone in this song - it's a beautiful thing. The harmonies are brilliant. Alright, I'm done defending Boston now.

[mp3] Boston - More Than a Feeling

Buy some music from Boston: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

Here it is, the big one. The mother of all arena-rock ballads. It gives me chills when the vocals drop in over the top of the keys. I don't know why, it's nothing spectacular, but I just want those kids to meet up on those damn midnight trains going anywhere...

[mp3] Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

Buy some music from Journey: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Brock's:

Cute is What We Aim For - There's a Class for This

Definitely one of the most cutesy of the emo-pop bands (seriously, just look at the band name), these guys write undeniably catchy songs to make you tap those toes. As much as I just want to hate them, I find myself singing along to every song and secretly looking forward to their next album.

[mp3] Cute is What We Aim For - There's a Class for This

I won't tell if you buy some Cute is What We Aim For music: Amazon | iTunes

And check out their website: Official | Myspace

A Fine Frenzy - Rangers

This one definitely falls under the category of "blame on the wife." A Fine Frenzy is beautiful, haunting piano pop written by a waifish red-headed woman. I saw her perform on the Carson Daly Show, and immediately ran out and bought the cd. Of course, what I mean is that my wife did that...

[mp3] A Fine Frenzy - Rangers

Buy A Fine Frenzy's music: Amazon | iTunes

Visit the websites: Official | Myspace

Stu's:

Avril Lavigne - Naked

It seems wrong to preface a guilty pleasures post, but that's exactly what I'm going to do! I like Avril's old stuff and by "old stuff," I mean anything before her most recent album, The Best Damn Thing. I really want to make a 'worst damn thing' joke but I think you're already there, so we shall skip it.

Anyway, most think of her as a member of the pop-punk genre but at least half of her early tracks are pop-rockish, which makes it understandable that I like it, right? ...right? Ok, I'm not foolin' anyone. Oh, and I'd like to apologize to anyone who accidentally found this post while searching for porn; sorry, unintentional.

[mp3] Avril Lavigne - Naked

Buy some pre-The Best Damn Thing music from Avril Lavigne: Amazon | iTunes
The Internet's on computers now: Official | Myspace

John Mayer - Something's Missing

I think all three of us would agree that Mayer's first album, Room for Squares, was pretty alright. However, at some point between when it came out and when every teenage and pre-teen girl decided to swoon over him, I was supposed to stop liking his stuff. I never got the memo. Damn. And as much as I want to call him a sellout for seemingly skewing songs towards his teenage fans, I keep listening, sooo...

[mp3] John Mayer - Something's Missing

Buy some music from John Mayer: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Lo Fine - Not For Us Two

You don't usually see guys from the north east that can pull off alt-country, but Lo Fine does it rather convincingly.  Hailing from Massachusetts, this four-piece band uses steel guitar and soft-spoken vocals to deliver a slightly different take on the alt-country genre.

Normally you'll see a band either try to add some rock to the country, or just take out that nasty country-drawl and leave most of the instrumentation in place.  Lo Fine can do each of these in turn, but also uses a phase pedal here and there.  Wilco is about the only other band that I've heard that adds the "space" dimension in combination with instrumentation generally reserved for country or folk music.  I'm not saying Lo Fine is on the same level as Wilco - few are - but they certainly deserve props for trying to break out.

Their new album, Not For Us Two, is heading our way on April 8th.  I like what I've heard from it, check out these tracks to get an idea:

[mp3] Damage Twins

[mp3] New Excuses

Buy some Lo Fine online:  CD Baby | iTunes

Visit them online:  Official | Myspace

Crushed Stars - Gossamer Days

Sometimes I like to just stare at the ceiling.  Seriously, I do.  I'm not sure why, but I do.  When one of these moods hits me I just feel more in tune with my surroundings - it's like I can feel the earth rotating beneath my feet.

I know, I know - put down the pipe, man.  Alright, done and done.

Back to my point - Crushed Stars is pretty much the best thing to listen to when one of these moods hits you.  Totally relaxing and completely hypnotic.  I'm not talking about any of that techno-trance bullshit, just listen to the layers the man puts down.  It's lovely.  Especially in headphones.

[mp3] Spies

[mp3] Amherst Incident

Buy some Crushed Stars:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Old 97's - Blame It On Gravity

I found out a little while ago that my ever-beloved Old 97's had finished recording their 7th studio album. Needless to say I was quite thrilled by the news and I'm counting down the days until I can hold the new album in my hands (or at least store it on my hard drive).

The album is called Blame It On Gravity (May 13th) and claims to be a return to form for the band that's seen quite a shift over their last three albums. I'm certainly ready for some gritty, teeth-gnashing country-rock and I'm hoping that's what they deliver.

The first single from the new album is called Dance With Me and I have it for download below. I'm diggin' it so far, there's definitely more of a growl to it than what Rhett has put out by himself.

[mp3] Dance With Me

Buy some Old 97's: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Pete Yorn & Kinky - Use Me

I really, really love it when good music pops up in my inbox. There's days where I don't mind searching high and low for new music but sometimes I just want to log into my gmail account and have the work done for me.

Such was the case for this new track from Pete Yorn & Kinky called Use Me. It comes from an album called Altered States by Robin Danar. It seems Robin is a long-time record producer/engineer. This album is his stab at a "soundtrack for a movie that hasn't yet been written". More info here - there's lots of other great contributors.

This track is certainly different than anything you'd normally expect from Pete. The most electronic I've heard him go on a proper recording is probably on Georgie Boy from Nightcrawler, but this delves far more into the electro arena. I like it, just not something that fits in on musicforthemorningafter. I suppose that's what happens when you're collaborating with Kinky. Figures.

[mp3] Use Me

Buy some Pete Yorn: Amazon | iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official | Myspace

Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart

I had a chance to listen to the new Death Cab For Cutie track today, it's called I Will Possess Your Heart. Not quite like anything I've heard from DCFC. Don't get me wrong - it has all the right elements to be a Death Cab song, it's just bout 4 minutes too long. This one clocks in over 8 minutes long and the vocals don't even make it into the mix until about halfway through the track.

All in all I like it, it's a nice step away from the 3 minute pop song. They pull it off moderately well, but it's probably not something they should be doing too often (like, say, Secret Machines do). I've put it up for download below, see what you think for yourselves.

Oh yeah, and I Will Possess Your Heart is the first single off their next album, Narrow Stairs (May 13th). Click here to pre-order it off Amazon.

[mp3] I Will Possess Your Heart

Edit 3/21/08: Song removed by request.

Buy some Death Cab For Cutie: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Songs About Home

In any form of writing you're going to hear similar themes - whether it be lost love, anger, lust, fear etc. - this is what writing is for. It's meant to channel those emotions into something relatable. One theme that continuously pops up is the yearning for home.

I'm sure there's some kind of psychological explanation for an ordinary human being's need to have a place to call his own and to yearn for the familiar since it's an emotion we all feel. As relaxing as any vacation can be, it's always good to get back home.

This week we'll be exploring a few more recent tracks about coming, or at least wanting to come home. These ones go out to the Stu-Dawg, the Asian Sensation, who brang it all back home a few weeks ago.

Foo Fighters - Home

The first track to look at comes from the latest outing from the Foo Fighers: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. I'm sure you've heard The Pretender tearing up the radio waves at some point during the past year, or maybe even Long Road to Ruin. This song takes a more subtle approach, certainly one of the more intimate songs I've heard from Grohl & Co. Check it out if you haven't already.

[mp3] Home - Foo Fighters

Buy some Foo Fighters: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

M. Ward - To Go Home

This is probably my favorite track from Post War. The rollicking drums, the constant buildup that never quite releases into the full out assault you'd expect, the lyrics tackling life & love - it's breath taking, beautiful music.

[mp3] To Go Home - M. Ward

Buy some M. Ward: Amazon iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official Myspace

Dishwalla - Home

This track comes from Opaline, one of the most severely under-appreciated albums of the '00s. The entire album is filled with these lovely pieces of alternative-pop perfection. If you've never heard the album, I highly recommend taking a peek.

[mp3] Home - Dishwalla

Buy some Dishwalla: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

The Decemberists - Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home)

Another song that really strikes a chord with me. I love the entire album (The Crane Wife) but this is a stand-out track in my mind. The duets throughout the whole song tear my little heart to pieces and the combination of the keys, the male/female vocal harmonies and well placed guitar work make this song an essential on anyone's iPod.

[mp3] Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home) - The Decemberists

Buy some music from The Decemberists: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

Collective Soul - Home

The rest of the songs follow more into the area of "tear-jerkers". This one by Collective Soul is more the type of song I'd like to hear blare through the speakers when I walked into my house after a long trip. Rockin' and catchy, this one comes off of one of their more recent albums - Youth.

[mp3] Home - Collective Soul

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

Band of Annuals - Follow Your Headlights Home

Now, back to the delicate songs. The Band of Annuals is probably a band you've never heard of. They're a local band in SLC that plays alternative-country about as well as any band I've ever seen. This one's quite slow until about 1/2 way through, wait for the double solo with the slide guitar and electric guitar - it's a thing of beauty that you'll rarely hear matched.

[mp3] Follow Your Headlights Home - Band of Annuals

Buy some music from the Band of Annuals: CD Baby iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

***Bonus Song***

Collective Soul - Reunion

Well, we missed the Six Pack last week and this week we're a day late. I know it's not TOO much, but here's an extra song to help make up for it.

I know, we already posted a Collective Soul song but I REALLY felt like I had to include this one too. This song really captures the feel of coming home to me. The acoustic slide guitar solo and the gospel-inspired backing vocals make this a tune that doesn't really fit with most people's preconceived perceptions of Collective Soul.

This one harkens way back to their self titled album, probably one of the songs you skipped so you could hear The World I Know or December again. Slow down next time through and take a listen to the whole last half of the album, it's ridiculously good.

[mp3] Reunion - Collective Soul

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

Delorentos

If there's one thing I've learned in my post high school years, it's the indie-pop is a hard thing to pull off.  There's a fine line between a song that's "too poppy" and one that people just won't "get".  If you're songs are too poppy it's hard to build a loyal fan base.  If you aren't accessible enough then you'll have a hard time sticking out from the crowd.  Balancing the two is the key to surviving in the underground world without having labels like "sell-out" thrown at you and having your fan base split before your eyes.

Sadly, a lot of bands can't seem to balance the "indie" side and the "pop" side of things.  Delorentos is one of the first bands I've heard in a while that pulls it off well.  They mix the ferocity of The Pixies with the pop sensibilities of The Strokes and come out with a nice result.  Take a listen to these two songs from their full length debut, In Love With Detail.  They'll make your knees shake even if you're not normally prone to movin' and groovin'.

[mp3] Basis of Everything

[mp3] Any Other Way

Buy some Delorentos:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit Delorentos on the web:  Official | Myspace

About a Son

When I first heard that About a Son was being released a few weeks ago I had a few thoughts pop through my head.  First, excitement, then the overwhelming thought:  do we really need another DVD depicting the life and times of Kurt Cobain, the formation of Nirvana and his eventual suicide? I'm happy to report that this film far exceeded my expectations.

Rather than dwelling on how Kurt went about forming Nirvana and their time on stage together, this film focuses on Kurt himself.  The film basically just a conversation between Kurt and Michael Azerrad, the author of Come As You Are:  The Story of Nirvana.  The conversation was taped and recorded over a few weeks about a year before Kurt's suicide.

Kurt makes some rather interesting comments throughout the film, among other things he talked about the effect the divorce of his parents had on his childhood (and his friend's childhood).  It was a really interesting look into Kurt's head.

I've read up on Kurt through the past few years and I've never seen or heard anything that compares to the intimacy of this film.  Now, if you're not a big Nirvana fan you may find yourself bored with this (I know my wife was) but if you want to see a personal view of one of the most important icons in the past 20 years then I suggest checking this film out.

Here's the trailer:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/cobain/trailer.asx

and a clip:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/cobain/dvd_clip.asx

Order the DVD here.

Rodney Parker & The Fifty Peso Reward

I had a pleasant surprise in my inbox a few days ago notifying me that Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward are set to release their second album called The Lonesome Dirge on April 8th.  For those of you unfamiliar, these guys combine elements of folk, rock, country and mash it all together with a slice of punk.  Some call it alt-country, some call it awesome.  These guys have a nice, raw edge that you don't see very often in the alt-country scene.  It's usually more rock than this or more 'twang - Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward mix it all quite well.

Comparisons to the Old 97's will be hard to avoid for this Texas four-some.  Their sound comes from the same area and draws on the same influences, so obviously there's a similar vibe to it all.  Rodney's vocals are a bit more raw then Rhett's, but musically there's a lot of similarities.  If you enjoy the Old 97's then I highly recommend checking out Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward.

[mp3] Firefight

[mp3] Brother

Buy some Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web:  Official | Myspace

Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts (I-IV)

In case you haven't heard the word, Nine Inch Nails has released a 4-part album exclusively over the internet.  The album is titled Ghosts and the first portion (Ghosts I) is available for free at their website.  The whole package is available for 5 bucks (plus there's a few more options too).  Before you get too excited, the whole shebang is instrumental, no vocals from Mr. Reznor on this outing.

The site should be working well now - I delayed posting this for a few days because NIN couldn't handle the traffic they were getting.  That seems to be resolved now, so happy downloading!

I must say, I like what I've heard so far.  I'm still getting a feel for the album, but I like it.  Obviously it's lacking Trent's screeching/soothing vocal chords but it certainly still feels like NIN despite this.  Of course, I always loved the instrumental parts of The Fragile (my favorite NIN album) so this isn't much of a leap for me.  

Casual fans will certainly find this a little lacking, but sometimes you just want something to listen to that doesn't drive a hook into your head.  If that's what you're into - look no further.  My recommendation - download Ghosts I, it's free.  Who doesn't like free?  If you like what you hear, what's five bucks?  Seriously, he's not askin' for much here.

[mp3] 7 Ghosts I

[mp3] 9 Ghosts I

Buy some NIN:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web:  Official | Myspace

Feature - Amateur Night!

Amateur Night is a new feature we're trying out here at Sell the Lie. Basically, I will arduosly pore over literally several videos of random acoustic songs on YouTube to find the best, strangest, or most otherwise noteworthy that the vast webs of Internet have to offer. All out love for you, the reader.





First on the list is a young man named Daniel Choi covering "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. You might be turned off by the way he sings the actual "crazy" hook part, but, seriously, that's a tough note to hit!







Buy some Gnarls Barkley on iTunes

Next is a song originally by one of my favorite bands, a little group called Fall Out Boy. This song is from the album Take This to Your Grave, which is absolutely one of the best rock records I've ever heard. The official title of this song is "Tell That Kid Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today," and it's a perfect example of why I love Fall Out Boy; great melody and hook, and when you finally realize what the actual lyrics are it's like a gift for your brain. I won't spoil it for you, but after "Let's play this game/" is especially delightful.

Buy some FOB! iTunes

So just to keep things balanced, I figure we should now feature a male singer covering a song originally done by a female. So this song is called "Samson," originally by Regina Spektor. Regina writes quirky, beautiful pop songs, and you should certainly give her a listen. But first, give this a listen!

Buy some Regina Spektor! iTunes

That's all for this session, but be sure to join us (possibly) next time for more Amateur Night!

Joseph Arthur - Could We Survive

I've got my fingers crossed about the news coming out of Joseph Arthur's camp. It looks like he's set to release 4 EPs this year, and possibly a full length LP to go along with it. The first taste we have of any of this new music is below, a little track called Rages of Babylon.

I've been a big fan of JA for quite a while, this track seems to fit in with some of his earlier work (think Redemption's Son). Enjoy!

[mp3] Rages of Babylon

Buy some Joseph Arthur: Amazon | iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official | Myspace

Dear and the Headlights

So it amazes me that these guys are not more well-known. Excellent lyrics, some nice guitar riffs, and good drumming; what more could you ask for? This is a rhetorical question, of course, but if you think of a good answer let me know.

Anyway, the point is somehow the masses have yet to catch on. They played at Lollapalooza in 2007, but then again so did 80+ other bands, so it's probably hard to stand out in a crowd that large. Maybe being "hand-picked" to be the sole opening act for the Jimmy Eat World/Paramore co-headlining tour this spring will get them on the map. I'm not a fan of Paramore, but I like JEW, and a JEW/DATH combo will probably get me to the concert, especially since they're coming to 'lil 'ole Utah.

I think these 3 tracks are my favorites from their debut album, Small Steps, Heavy Hooves. I'm Bored, You're Amorous is outstanding; it was the first track I heard from DATH and it instantly made me want to find more. Just listen to the first 15 seconds and tell me you don't like it. Go on, do it! Grace is a nice rockin' song that also sport's great lyrics: "Taste the regret as it leaves your stomach/Coating your tongue with every noun," 'nuff said. And I love trying to figure out what's going on in Oh No! You know something's going on, but what is it?

[mp3] I'm Bored, You're Amorous
[mp3] Grace
[mp3] Oh No!

Buy some Dear and the Headlights: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace | Purevolume

Of Fate and Chance

Check out Of Fate and Chance, a rocking little band from the East Coast. They're a young band with a polished sound; heavy and melodic and catchy. I love the way "Bravery" seems like it's building to a pre-chorus, then the chorus just takes off. Also keep an ear out for the excellent vocal harmonies in the 2nd verse. I think you'll agree that it's quite nice.

[mp3]Bravery

[mp3]Post Explosion

Buy some Of Fate and Chance: Big Cartel Tripod

I miss Flickerstick :(

Flickerstick has long been one of my favorite bands.  I was instantly hooked on the 'stick after watching the first episode of Bands on the Run on VH1.

Their brand of short, sweet alt-pop with a sweet slice psychedelia captured my ears and Rex's insane live stunts along with the band's total bad-ass attitude brought it all together.  I still remember thinking of how pissed off the other bands must have been since the guys in Flickerstick skipped most of the competitions, came in late to shows then kicked ass in every Battle of the Bands, thus granting them immunity.  

The only negative thing I have to say about those early Flickerstick days was that they effectively broke the model VH1 put into place, thus ending Bands on the Run after one short season.  The show wasn't supposed to let the drunken slackers win but they were just that much better than the competition.  They broke all the rules and still came out on top - what's not to love about that?

Of course, Bands on the Run was just the beginning.  After winning the competition Flickerstick was signed to Epic records where they re-recorded their debut album, Welcoming Home the Astronauts.  The record took quite a while to see a release which ended up effectively crippling the album sales.  Most of the public had already forgotten about the guys by the time they were ready to rock, so the short term popularity gained by Bands on the Run was more or less lost due to delays getting the re-done music out the doors.  Due to the poor sales of the album, Flickerstick was cut and they've been flying solo every since.

A few years later they released Tarantula, another fantastic outing with less-then-stellar sales.  They've also released 2 live CDs, Causing a Catastrophe and Live From Atlanta and an EP prior to Tarantula, To Madagascar and Back.

At the end of 2007 Flickerstick announced that they'd be taking a break for the first part of 2008 (until around May).  Needless to say, this has me a little antsy.  After two lackluster outings (sales-wise) a lot of bands would have called it quits.  I'm hoping this isn't the case, I'll keep one ear to the ground and let you know what I find.

For now, I have 4 studio tracks/demos of new(ish) songs.  These were all written and recorded after their last studio album (Tarantula) and 3 of the 4 songs were recorded live and released on the Live from Atlanta album.  The fourth was also included as a bonus track on the same album.  Hopefully this will give you the fix you need until more music heads our way.

[mp3] Clocks Run Backwards (Demo)

[mp3] Do You See the World? (Demo)

[mp3] Contract Killers (Demo)

[mp3] Helicopter

Buy some Flickerstick:  Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online:  Official | Myspace