Rev Up the Freebies

Mercury Rev released a new record last month entitled Snowflake Midnight. At the same time they very kindly put out another work that is available for free. This co-release is entitled Strange Attractor and is available as an MP3 download from their website if you sign up for the Mercury Rev mailing list. If the freebie MP3s aren't good enough, it also looks like a vinyl release of Strange Attractor is available for pre-order from the website. Tracks on the bonus release are;

1. Love Is Pure
   
2. Taken Up into Clouds, Changed and Rained Down
   
3. Pure Joie de la Solitude
   
4. Persistance and the Apis Mellifera
   
5. Fable of a Silver Moon
   
6. Loop Lisse, Loop
   
7. In My Heart, a Strange Attractor
   
8. Incident on Abeel Street
   
9. Af Den Fader Kommer Den Sol
   
10. Because Because Because
    
11. Nocturne for Norwood
    

Striking a Nerve

Well, it has only taken over thirty years, but I am happy to find out that finally an official compilation of The Nerves material from the mid-seventies is now available. The compilation is entitled One Way Ticket and was released by Alive Records and can be purchased through Bomp Records mail order.

The Nerves were a power pop band made up of Jack Lee, Peter Case, and Paul Collins.
Case would go on to form the Plimsouls, Paul Collins would form the Paul Collins Beat, and Jack Lee would release one solo record and then pretty much disappear from the music world. It was Lee's penned "Hanging on the telephone" though that is the most well known Nerves song, if there is such a thing. Several bands have covered that song, most notably Blondie for their Parallel Lines album.

In addition to the CD, there is a limited edition LP version with a different cover photo. The LP is also pressed on yellow vinyl. Both the CD and the LP contain all the tracks from the only official release, which was an EP from 1976, as well as several demos and unreleased live recordings. Tracks are as follows;

1. One Way Ticket
   
2. Paper Dolls
   
3. Hanging On The Telephone
   
4. When You Find Out
   
5. Working Too Hard
   
6. Give Me Some Time
   
7. Walking Out On Love
   
8. Thing Of The Past
   
9. It's Hot Outside
   
10. Many Roads To Follow (demo)
    
11. Are You Famous? (live)
    
12. Why Am I Lonely? (live)
    
13. You Won't Be Happy (live)
    
14. Any Day Now (live)
    
15. Letter To G. (live)
    
16. Come Back And Stay (live)
    
17. I Need Your Love (live)
    
18. Stand Back and Take a Good Look (demo)
    
19. Are You Famous (demo - CD only)
    
20. Letter To G. (demo - CD only)
    

Coughing Up a New EP

Former Soul Coughing main man Mike Doughty, who earlier this year released a new album called Golden Delicious has released a digital only EP. The Fort Hood EP is available through iTunes and emusic. It contains one track, "Fort Hood", from the full length album and three live recordings. Two of the tracks are from an appearance on Jonesy's Jukebox, Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) radio show and the other was recorded in a New York subway like other tracks from his bonus EP Busking that was available with some initial copies of Golden Delicious. Tracks include;

1. Fort Hood
   
2. 27 Jennifers (Live on Jonesy’s Jukebox)
   
3. Grey Ghost (featuring Steve Jones, Live on Jonesy’s Jukebox)
   
4. Bottom of A Well (recorded in the subway, New York)
   

Nickel and Dimed

From the completely lame category comes the new Pretenders record Break Up the Concrete and the mulitple variations of the release. The new release has no less than four special editions, each with their own bonus tracks (there may be more editions that I'm not aware of). This was something that was done by the Smashing Pumpkins last year for their reunion record Zeitgeist, and the move was heavily criticized by publications such as Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. But, apparently that hasn't deterred the Pretenders.

What struck me as odd was that all of the bonus tracks were songs that have been released before. But, it appears that at least these are reworked versions of the songs with the current lineup (which includes Eric Heywood on pedal steel). Or at least the Best Buy version, which I bought, are reworked versions. I have read the others are different versions as well.


Here's the breakdown of the bonus tracks;

Best Buy version

1. Biker
   
2. Nothing Breaks Like a Heart
   

iTunes version

1. Tequlia
   
2. Can't Help Falling in Love
   
3. 977
   

Wal-Mart version

1. Both Sides of Goodbye (with Willie Nelson)
   
2. I Go to Sleep
   

Rhapsody.com version

1. You Didn't Have To (acoustic)
   

Quick Fill Prescriptions

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists have released a digital only EP that is available from the Touch & Go Records website. The EP is called Rapid Response, it costs $4, and all proceeds go to benefit Democracy Now! and Minnaepolis Food Not Bombs. The band is donating to these organizations to "Support true journalism, truth telling, and community service." Tracks on the EP are; Paranoia (Never Enough), Mourning in America, I Got Your Number, and Nobody's Driving.

Succumbing

In other Australian artist news, David Bridie (member of My Friend the Chocolate Cake as well as Not Drowning Waving) released his third solo album back in August. It is called Succumb and is more of a rock record than his previous solo records. A few songs that were left off the record can be downloaded from Bridie's website. The tracks are; Mesaured Best, and The Healing.

Live Liam

To coincide with his current US tour, Yep Roc has put out a live CD EP of Liam Finn that was included as a bonus when you bought his full length CD I'll Be Lightning. The live EP is entitled Live From the Wiltern and was unsurprisingly recorded 4/13/08 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The track listing is as follows;

1. I'm Liam and this is Eliza-Jane
   
2. Fire in Your Belly
   
3. I'll Be Lightning
   
4. Wide Awake on the Voyage Home
   
5. Better to Be
   
6. Second Chance
   
7. Lead Balloon
   

This EP is not the only limited edition piece available for the I'll Be Lightning album. There is also a 2LP version of the work that includes five bonus tracks. They are;

1. Turn Up the Birds
   
2. I'd Rather Waste You Than The Money On My Phone
   
3. Come Home Sam
   
4. I Found Noise At Atp
   
5. I Will Explode