Band In Boston

Boston’s own Antiques, back again! Song list: 1. We Don’t Dream 03:19 2. Happy 03:28 3. Family Heirloom 02:57 4. No Fortune 02:39 5. Feather in Your Cap 02:04 6. Fire Away 04:52 7. Picture Book 04:42 8. Tea of Marshall 03:32 9. The Mark/Wasting Time 06:49 10. Thunder 03:27 Antiques online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Merry Christmas everyone. Here’s a live version of Silent Night, performed by Tulsa at the Middle East downstairs on December 17, 2009!

Cambridge’s Thick as Thieves are a diverse pack of musicians. Actually, it’s a bit difficult to describe what they do, musically. Sometimes T. Rex, sometimes Television, but never boring. And they seem just as comfortable playing a song full-out on stage, or much more intimately, like here in our living room. Song List: 1. Weak End With No End 03:13 2. Here’s to Waking Up 03:34 3. Men of Letters 03:38 4. Or Other Testimony of Summer Nights 02:23 5. I Heard a Pin Snap Loose 02:15 6. Chemical Division 04:30 7. The Octopus 04:34 Thick as Thieves online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

We had so much fun the first time our favorite Texans came in that we made sure they paid us another visit. Here’s another batch of wonderful tunes! Song List: 1. Tennessee Coalmine 02:58 2. Fast as I Can 03:46 3. Don’t Waste Your Day 02:41 4. Bowling Green 03:27 5. Make a Wish 03:14 6. Image of Love 03:15 The O’s on Myspace Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Israel Darling is another great badn from North Carolina – Greensboro, to be exact. Their songs tend to start with a folky melody, and then they add layer after layer of goodness. Today, Jacob takes it all back down to the bare bones. Song List: 1. Woman God and Pity for a Man 03:58 2. Billy Walker 04:11 3. Locked in a Safe 02:45 4. Samson the Mason 03:45 5. (New one) 01:48 Israel Darling online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

When The Dead Trees did their first session (Mike solo), they were a Boston band. When they did their second session, they were a Portland (Oregon) band. These days, they are based out of LA, and in the intervening years have toured with Little Joy and Albert Hammond Jr.. They treated us to an all-too-short set, including what may be the most kick-ass Lennon cover we’ve heard. Song List: 1. New England Skies 03:09 download 2. Surprise, Surprise (Bird of Paradox) (John Lennon) 02:25 download 3. Sidewalk Chalk 02:32 download 4. Arrows 03:00 The Dead Trees online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Even at the comparatively church-quiet volume levels that they were forced to play at in our living room, Thick Shakes manage to make a lot of noise wherever they play. A perfect soundtrack to a grindhouse flick about illegal car racing. This was also a fun one for me to mix. Hopefully my attempt to make my all-digital system sound like an analog system run by a 1950’s greaser worked out. Song List: 1. (Baby) You’re a Starfish 03:05 download 2. Julie K 01:58 download 3. Neighbors Good 02:10 download 4. Aeroplane (Jonathan Richman) 02:35 download 5. Nobody’s Girl 02:10 download 6. Glass Mask 02:59 download 7. Paid to Care 02:42 download 8. Go Back to New York 02:42 Thick Shakes online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

The Mumlers are the perfect example of our ideal session. An incredibly talented 6-piece from San Jose, they mix big soulful sounds reminiscent of Otis Redding or Sam Cook (with a horn section to match – there are two more of them out of frame in the other room above) with a touch of that old fashioned Squirrel Nut Zippers or Dr. Dog kind of thing, but with a modern and fresh feel. They also put on a truly engaging live show, and are funny bastards to boot. They remind us of one of our other favorite bands, The Bees (or A Band of Bees as they’re known here in the US). Despite a near complete collapse into hysterics during the first song, they recovered so beautifully that a second take was unnecessary. Song List: 1. Coffin Factory 03:18 download 2. Raise the Blinds 04:43 download 3. Tangled Up With You 04:20 download 4. new song 05:04 download 5. Consolatrix 03:55 download 6. Don’t Throw Me Away 06:32 download 7. Shake Your Medication 04:48 The Mumlers website Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

The Jack Stafford Foundation is really just Jack Stafford, a man with no fixed address. Originally from the UK, he is now based out of Amsterdam, but one look at his tour schedule makes it clear that he is a man that doesn’t stand still for long. With an album devoted to ex-loves, an album devoted to love itself, an album devoted to the people of Amsterdam, and a few EPs for good measure, he can be heartbreaking, uplifting, or bitingly sarcastic. We largely got the latter when he stopped by, so be sure to check out his other songs as well to get a full feel for his range. Song List: 1. PDD 02:34 2. Mother Feeder and the Homecoming Kid 03:15 download 3. The Debt Train 01:56 download 4. Dreams of Plenty 02:07 download 5. Cold Cold World 03:42 download 6. Anywhere But Here 05:14 download 7. Mr. Pleasureman 03:45 Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Young Mammals stopped in on Andy’s birthday, all the way from Houston. Angly, hard driving indie pop. Good stuff. Song List: 1. Dragon’s Wagons 02:39 2. Doctor Doctor 05:15 download 3. Analogue 04:35 download 4. The 848 05:06 download 5. Confetti 02:13 Young Mammals on MySpace Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

This marks Eldridge Rodrigues of The Beatings’  6th visit to the Flophouse: once before with The Beatings, three times with his “solo” project, and once with E Adams. We are told to keep him posted if anyone approaches his record. Speaking of records, The Beatings’ Late Season Kids is certainly one of our best albums of 2009, so go buy it! Song List: 1. Youth Crimes 03:34 2. Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained 03:57 download 3. All the Things You’ve Been Missing 05:19 download 4. Ways and Means 02:39 download 5. The Sleeper Is No Fool 03:00 download 6. Dreams of the Waking 02:42 download 7. Bury You 03:54 The Beatings online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Heavy Hometown came to our hometown (their hometowns are spread between Louisville and Indianapolis) to treat us to 11 wonderful slices of hooky lo-fi cake. Wow, my metaphors are really getting strained. Just listen, you’re going to love it. Song List: 1. Ready Your Saucer 02:14 2. Glue and Tape 01:42 3. Tugboat 01:38 download 4. More Than All That 02:07 5. The Haircut Chair 03:10 download 6. Be Out Tonight 01:24 download 7. Black Bikini 02:58 download 8. Stakeout 02:13 download 9. Hold Hands Plans 02:39 download 10. Strange Wave 02:26 download 11. Headphones Time 01:45 Heavy Hometown on the web Download individual tracks here,

In homage to today’s sort-of-kind-of first snow of the winter, we present Boston’s The Points North. Their songs are the musical equivalent of a Robert Frost poem. Throw a log on the fire and contemplate life’s meaning with us. Song List: 1. New England’s Daughters 02:27 2. Swift River Lament 02:38 download 3. Where Rivers Begin 03:33 download 4. Cape Tryon 04:02 download 5. Tires & the Pavement 02:15 download 6. Our Humble Cross 03:20 download 7. Stone Walls 03:32 The Points North on Myspace Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

There are certain bands that we will have stop by every time they’re in town. Low Red Land is just such a band. Check out their first two sessions as well! Song List: 1. Dreams That Heroes Dream 02:50 download 2. Better Angels 03:21 download 3. The Longing 03:58 download 4. Abraham 04:32 download 5. The Beast 03:02 download 6. Landmark 02:35 Low Red Land online Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Oops, we forgot to take photos when Sleeping in the Aviary visited from their home base somewhere near Minneapolis. We’ll just let that add to the mystique. And now that I’ve looked at their website, my brain has ceased functioning. Song List: 1. Maria’s Ghost 02:41 download 2. My Body is a Basement 02:19 3. Chase’s Girlfriend is Pregnant 02:55 download 4. Deep Sea 02:26 download 5. Windshield 02:53 Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing: