Just in case you do not make a point of reading the post titles, this is Matthew from Fluxblog filling in for Scott while he’s off at Bonnaroo. Please right click/save as for mp3 links.
– There are times on Fluxblog when I have to literally flip a coin in order to choose between two equally worthy songs by the same band, and this cheery indie pop tune about satanism was a recent loser of one such toss-up. I ended up regretting it a bit, but here is my chance to make things right. (Click here to buy it from Parasol.) – This is a selection from The Now Sound Redesigned, a collection of remixes of songs by the twee-est band of the ’60s, The Free Design. Styrofoam and former Velocity Girl singer Sarah Shannon don’t quite remix “I Found Love” so much as cover it, recasting the tune as a syrupy alt-pop ballad for a post-Postal Service world. (Click here to buy it from Light in the Attic.) – Even though I like quite a lot of the band’s later work, it’s hard to deny that R.E.M. lost some magic after the departure of their original drummer Bill Berry. Nevertheless, R.E.M. remain a top-notch live act, thanks in part to the presence of former Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin as a mainstay of their touring band. Though Berry was hardly a slouch, Rieflin is a heavy hitter and adds some visceral power to oldies and a much-needed jolt of energy to newer material that had been dulled down by studio fussing on the albums. “Me In Honey” has always been a gem in the R.E.M. catalog, but this faster, more dynamic live version brings out a gospel flavor that had only been hinted at on the original studio recording. I’d never thought about it before, but now I find myself wishing that someone like the Reverend Al Green would cover this song. (Click here to get the entire show on bittorrent from Murmurs.com) – Like R.E.M., Iron Hero hail from Athens, GA, but are of a far more recent vintage. This is a very ambitious song from their debut EP, a collection of huge but airy art-pop anthems that seem designed to be played in large venues and open air festivals. (Click here for the Iron Hero website and here for their MySpace page.)
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interesting that the best song up there is by the only one of those four bands that ISN’T signed: iron hero.
REM’s touring band also includes Ken Stringfellow on keyboards and backing vocals. Ken is a founding member of The Posies, as well as a current member of Big Star and a pretty great solo artist in his own right.
The Posies have a new album coming out on Rykodisc, BTW.
…brought to you by the Rykodisc marketing department.
glad you put up ‘Me in Honey’ – that’s always been one of my favorites, and I was curious as to how it would come off live.
where the hell have these IRON HERO folk been hiding?…well, i guess athens. i have listened to all three of the posted tracks like 33 times! the songs just get in your viens (super classy riffs). it’s like a new genre of art/dance/psychedelic/goth/pop/rock reborn anew. well done boys.
If I was actually shilling for Ryko, don’t you figure I would have included a link to their site or something? Listening to that REM live track it just seemed to me that if one is going to talk about REMs (fairly average, IMO) new drummer, one should also point out that their touring band also features a brilliant musician on keyboards. In fact, if that track has a gospel feel to it, I think it really is more due to Ken’s organ part than it is the percussion.
It’s true, the organ part really does bring out the gospel more than anything else, but it’s the drumming that really does it for me, especially around the 2:50 mark up til it hits the chorus again.
matt, if we wanted just mp3s we’d go to your blog. we come here because we want mp3s AND pictures of britney and lindsay.
um, could we have a post about the olsen twins or brit brit? or hillary duff? please?
WOW “pilot in my head” by iron hero contains what might be the greatest OOOOO’s melody since brian wilson was writing, and they’re all pretty cute too (maybe even hot…OOOOO)
since listening to the three tracks available to those of us not fortunate enough to be in athens, ga earlier today, my afternoon activities have been accompanied by their addicting sound. these tracks rank up there with “ice, ice baby” in terms of staying with you, except in this case you never want them to leave.
I’m not sure what “iron hero” means–the colossus that bestrides the narrow straits?–but I can imagine. While trying to avoid working on my dissertation (due in two months) I was fortunate enough to run across this little gem. Please, more. And please, come to Toads’ Place. New Haven needs new blood.
MERHN! Get out, get out, get out of my head! Wait, no, don’t leave, stay in my head!
i think becca said it best “wait, no, don’t leave, stay in my head” these iron hero folks need some exposure so that a song of such caliber can be heard, enjoyed and worshipped… well atleast heard and enjoyed.
I can’t wait for the album and THE WORLD TOUR.
I believe this was posted on scissorkick a while back. Awesome track. thanks.
if the murmurs.com mods knew that you are distributing that rem song they would flip & ban you off murmurs. its strictly forbidden to download lossless files from there & then convert to mp3 & distribute. not that you care probably.
For the record, I actually made that mp3 by recording the audio stream in real time and converting my .wav to .mp3, I never downloaded anything from that torrent. Those people hardly have the market cornered on recording from streaming audio.
I can’t get enough of those Iron Hero cats…if only they were coming to my town…