The Posies - Pay You Back in Time

Just got the good news that the Posies are due to release their next album entitled Blood/Candy on September 28th. I'm extremely excited about that and a big Posies fan. I've decided to "finish" up my Posies B-Sides and rarities project. Readers of this blog will recognize that I started this project more than a year ago with my first Posies Rarities compilation "Every Bitter Drop".

This collection is part two and finishes out my collection of non-album tracks. I've only included covers or tracks not on other Posies albums. There are two tracks from the upcoming Blood/Candy album taken from a recent KEXP studio session. These new tracks are very nice and preface another essential release from the Posies.

1. 21 (Outtake)
2. Keep Me Guessing (Outtake)
3. Leave Me Be (From Australian bonus disc of Amazing Disgrace)
4. The Glitter Prize (From KEXP session)
5. Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Tell You (Bee Gees cover off of B-Side of Ontario single)
6. Magnifying Mirror (From outtake)
7. Depression Child (Demo)
8. What's Going On (Big Star cover studio outtake)
9. Dreaming (Blondie cover from 2 meter sessions)
10. Plastic Paperbacks (KEXP session)
11. Becks Bolero (Outtake)
12. Oh Michael (Demo)
13. Thinking Out Loud (Demo)
14. Surrender (Cheap Trick cover outtake)
15. Ladies and Gentlemen (Demo)
16. Now They Want Your Head (Demo)
17. Ooh Child (B-Side from UK version of Definite Door)
18. Finally See It Right (Demo)
19. Pay You Back in Time (Demo)
20. Forrest Recovery (Demo)
21. Diary of an Insecure Girl (Demo)
22. Trace My Falls (Demo)
23. Revelation to Follow (Demo)
24. Wiggly World (Outtake)
25. Christmas (from "Just Say Noël" Compilation)
26. Come Along and Dance (Demo)
27. What The World Needs Now Is Love (From Austin Powers soundtrack with Burt Bacharach)
28. Fete le Muzz (Outtake)

As usual, please let me know if you have something I'm missing in these two collections...

Bleu - Just Another American Pie

Here's one from the extremely talented and prolific singer songwriter, William James McAuley III, otherwise known as "Bleu". This is a set of early tracks by Bleu, many of which date from 2000 and 2001 before his first full length album "Headroom". Most were pulled down from an earlier version of Bleu's website "Bleutopia" several years ago.

Bleu is really great about releasing/leaking his work out for his loyal fan's to hear and enjoy but you need to stay up with it because many of these leaked tracks take years before formal release...or never get formally released at all..and then they vanish! This can help you get up to date.

Looking forward to Bleu's next release "Four" coming in October.

1. Sayonara (From early version of Redhead, left off final release)
2. Don't Leave Me Hanging (Unreleased demo from 2001)
3. Natalie (From Workaday Day EP 2000)
4. Just Another American Pie (Unreleased demo from 2001)
5. Nobody Calls It Rock n' Roll Anymore (Unreleased demo from 2001)
6. Somebody Else (Demo version of Redhead track 2002)
7. It'll Never Be The Same Again (Unreleased demo from 2001)
8. Just a Song (From Japanese version of Redhead)
9. Terrible Secret (Headroom track rerecorded for Redhead but only released as b-side of Get Up)
10. Today's The Day (From Workaday Day EP 2000)
11. The Ol' College Try (LEO Demo Version)
12. 2 Cool for School (B-side from Natural Highlights EP 2002)
13. Ursula Major, Ursula Minor (From early version of Redhead, left off final release remix)
14. Snow Day (From A Bing Bang Holidang EP 1999)
15. Jingle Bells (From A Bing Bang Holidang EP 1999)
16. Twelve Days of Christmas (From A Bing Bang Holidang EP 1999)

As always, please let me know if I have missed anything from this era. I appreciate it.

Cotton Mather - Innocent Street

This one is a response to a recent request. It's a collection a collection of demos, b-sides and compilation tracks by the Austin band Cotton Mather.

In the 90's Cotton Mather released three essential Power Pop albums that strongly evoked mid-period Beatles. In my opinion their second album Kontiki is one of "the" classics. Great songs, subtle and interesting production and a sequence that really hangs together. Lead singer Robert Harrison has evolved this sound in his latest project Future Clouds and Radar. He has two albums out that are well worth listening to.

The collection below is drawn from a series of postings from the sadly closed music blog Eternally Yours - so much thanks there:

1. Flying (Tribute to Badfinger)
2. Innocent Street (From Bam Balam Compilation)
3. Spin My Wheels (Electric Version Posted on Website)
4. Password (Working Demo)
5. Little Star (From French Version of Kontiki)
6. Don't Bother Me (Tribute to George Harrison)
7. Homefront Cameo (Acoustic)
8. Private Ruth (Acoustic Bonus from French Version of Kontiki)
9. Lily Dreams on (Alternative Version from French Version of Kontiki)
10. Ship Shape (From Crafty Flower Arranger)
11. Aurora Bori Alice (Live Radio B-side of Password Single)
12. Church of Wilson (Live Radio B-side of Password Single)
13. Heaven's Helping (B-side from The Big Picture)

Owsley - Singles, Bonus and Compilation Tracks

I had been working on this project before hearing the news of Will Owsley's death.

This is a collection of tracks by Owsley from singles, guest appearances, and compilations:

1. Psycho (A-side of single released in 2005)
2. Changes (EP Track from Christian Band "Blue Sky Secret", co-written and some singing by Owsley)
3. Endlessly (Demo)
4. Mess With Me (Japanese bonus track from first album)
5. Leave It All Behind (Demo for Amy Grant)
6. Upside Down (B-side of single released in 2005)
7. Got a Lot On My Head (From "Substitution Mass Confusion" Cars tribute)
8. When Lonely Comes Around (From Owsley Yahoo Group sung by Owsley and Vince Gill and written by Owsley/Gill)
9. Band On the Run (From Paul McCartney Tribute "Listen to What the Man Said")

Please fill me in if you know of any more rare tracks I've missed.So sad that there will be hearing no new work from Will.

Please support Will's family in their time of need. Donations in honor and memory of Will Owsley can be made to:

The Will Owsley Family Fund
c/o Christ Community Church
1215 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37069

Will Owsley - We'll Miss You

I'm really having a hard time with the news that Will Owsley died today. Though I only caught his performance once, Owsley exemplified the kind of powerful tuneful music that Power Pop can be. He only released two official albums, but the quality of Owsley's music was of such a high order it will influence others in the space for years to come.

Will, we are going to miss you.

Haper


http://popfair.blogspot.com/2008/01/great-lost-owsley-album.html

Mike Viola - Even More Rare Odds and Ends

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Life intrudes. Here is an assortment of rare odds and ends from Mike Viola. Some of these tracks are demos for his fabled "Blue Thumb" record. Still others date back to Mike's teenage years with his band "Snap". Each and every one of these tracks was contributed privately by the readers of this blog. Thank you!

(By the way, I'm still looking for Mike's long out of print electronic release "Temple of Static". Please let me know if anyone reading this has this ultra-rare release)

The latest news is that Mike is recording new duet tracks with Kelly Jones. Very excited to hear these when they are baked....

Jim Boggia - Acoustic Radio Show

Here's a great acoustic radio show from Jim Boggia. Most of the material is from his latest release "Misadventures In Stereo". However there is one new track and one from his all star project 4 Way Street. I continue to maintain that Boggia is one of the great Power Pop artists playing today.

Enjoy this beautifully recorded session. Great stuff.

By the way, the demise of the Snowcap music download service really impacts the availability of Jim Boggia's rare track back catalog. He had posted many of his rare demos on Snowcap and since its end the only way to get them is at his concerts.