Free "half record" by the Lashes

I just got the following note from Ben Lashes about free mp3s available on The Lashes myspace page.

hey, let your readers know that in honor of record companies falling apart, the lashes are giving away their entire new half-record "thank you" side a for free on our myspace page. The hard copies are still available exclusively at sonic boom records or sonicboomrecords.com but for all those people who believe record shopping is a thing of the past, the mp3's are our treat to them! It's the best power pop half-record put out by the lashes this year!

A bevy of free downloads from Shake Some Action!

Yes, yes. I know I'm in this band. But, we've just made a whole buch of mp3s (26 to be exact) available for free download on our site today. So, if you're in the mood for some live SSA!, just head on over there and get to clicking.

Now you can get free Llama mp3s

A few weeks ago I posted about Llama's new record being available for free download, and it looked like I had misreported.

Well, NOW it's out there for you to grab. In fact, they've made the first record available, as well. Act fast, because who knows how long this page is going to be available.

While you're downloading

I just happened to be out on the Color Bars' myspace page, and it looks like they've got a handful of songs set for download now, including "Id Incinerator," which is a strong contender for my nomination as "song of the year."

New download from Young Sportsmen

Fans of the Young Sportsmen should jump over to their myspace page and grab their latest addition to their music player. They've added "Trucks and Snakes" and made it downloadable! It's a quality fave from their live show that didn't make their latest album. So, it's great to grab a recording of it.

[blogger edit... turns out it's NOT downloadable. But, you should go listen anyway]

[Blogger Edit #2... Now it's dowloadable again. YS are messin' with me!]

The Cops sign to new label (and an mp3)

Hat tip to Three Imaginary Girls for spreading the word that The Cops have signed to The Control Group label and are slated for a November release for their new disc.

The Cops have an mp3 for the snagging, available >here<.

Stuporhero CD release & free mp3

The folks in Stuporhero (assuming "folks" is an apt word to describe a guy, a gal and a mannequin) are using the International Pop Overthrow as their official CD release party. So, be sure to head to the Sunset Tavern on Friday to show 'em some love -- and, frankly, Friday night at the IPO is going to rock hard from start to finish.

In the meantime, they've made an mp3 of their song "Wind-Up Dolls" available for download on their website. So, go grab it. It's a cool tune. You can also download a couple of other tunes from their myspace page.

Sgt. Major mp3

Just for giggles, here's an mp3 for one of my favorite Sgt. Major tracks, called "In the Garden."

And here's a shot of them at the Sunset, taken back in '03.

Model Photographer tonight at Mars Bar

Alex Rose is a busy man. Last I checked he was playing with Heather Duby, Minus the Bear and Model Photographer. The latter band is his own songwriting. But, due to the hectic schedules of the former, the latter hasn't been playing much lately.

But, that changes tonight as they are playing at the Mars Bar with The Scheme and M Bison (full disclosure: I play bass in The Scheme).

Model Photographer made a record that was intended to be a regularly released disc. But, as Alex got more and more busy with Minus the Bear, they decided to release it for free on the web. I posted about it about a month ago. But, here are some links to my favorite tracks.

Before You Drive Away

Secret Club

Jon Auer in live version of Radio 8 Ball (& mp3)

Tonight is another live performance version of Radio 8 Ball (the "sanctioned" one with Andras Jones), featuring Jon Auer. It's happening at the Capitol Hill Arts Center tonight at 7:30pm (doors at 7pm). It's $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

Here's an mp3 from Jon's song "Six Feet Underground" to listen to while you surf over to buy tickets.

Green Pajamas wma & mp3 files

I like to think I'm relatively up on what's going on with Seattle pop music, especially of the power variety. But, occasionally something happens that makes me realize how much of idiot I really am. For example, I didn't realize that Green Pajamas were still playing shows. But, darned if they aren't playing at the Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater on Saturday June 23.

The folks over at Parasol have a handful of Green Pajamas wma files, as well as one mp3 that you can snag. The links are to the collection of unreleased material that Parasol put out last fall. Here's a direct link to one of my favorites, called "She Turns Me On."

In semi-related news, at the Seattle Powerpop Blog anniversary show on June 29 (Sunset Tavern) each of the six bands on the bill is going to be doing at least one song by another Seattle pop band. The Small Change has chosen Green Pajamas. Will they go the classic route of doing "Kim The Waitress," or will they go more obscure, or both? Come find out.


Green Pajamas then


Green Pajamas now

mp3 from new Shake Some Action live disc

It might be lacking in class for me to pimp my own playing here. But, what the heck. It's Saturday night and I'm online looking for stuff to post. So, why not.

Shake Some Action has a new live CD coming out in a few weeks. The disc was recorded at our third show ever at the Crocodile Cafe back in December 2006, and it sounds pretty cool -- full of jitters and beaming with a raw, what-the-hell-are-we-doing feeling.

The disc will be available via iTunes on June 26. You can go out to our website to see some artwork and read more about the show and the release. You can whet your appetite with this mp3 of "I Can See Where This Is Going Now."

Fully downloable album by Model Photographer

This is completely old news, since they posted a blog about it on their myspace page back in January. But, it is somehow only now, a full three months later, landing on my radar. So, perhaps I'm not the only one who didn't know that you can download the full album by Model Photographer for free simply by going to their website.

Here's what they say on the site:

In late 2006, Model Photographer finished recording an album they had been working on for over a year. After spending far too many days, weeks and months obsessing about the less glamorous "business" side of releasing an album, fate intervened and the band became a side project by default when the members began to spend more time focusing on their other bands. At approximately the same time, the idea of doing the standard "PROMOTE! PROMOTE! SELL! SELL!" method of getting the word out about this album became increasingly repulsive and exhausting to think about. All they really wanted was for you to hear it. So without further ado and with little regard for repercussions, the band would like to offer you their first album, in it's entirety, free of charge. Consider it an experiment. Feel free to participate.

So, on one hand we should lament that Model Photographer is totally on the back burner. On the other hand, rejoyce that you're getting some great music for free... legally free!

Elf Power, Lillydale & Patience Please mp3s

There's a good show happening tonight (4/26) at The Crocodile with Elf Power, Lillydale and Patience Please. So, in celebration and preparation, I thought I'd post some mp3s from those bands.

Elf Power's "An Old Familiar Scene"

Lillydale's "Broken Stereos"

Patience Please's "Antediluvian"

Monday Morning mp3

I usually do the "monday morning mp3" each week simply by scanning the sites of great bands in the area. Well, I think I'm officially running out. Not because I've depleted the supply of great bands, but rather because most of them don't have downloadable mp3s linked from their pages. So, I might move to getting bands' permission to rip things from discs for the weekly posting.

But, in the meantime, I think I'm down to what may be the last Seattle pop mp3 on the web. :) But, at least it's a doozy.

Enjoy Friday Mile's "Curtain Call." Great song.

Really freaking late mp3

It wasn't Monday morning, it wasn't even Tuesday morning this week. Nope, this week it's the Tuesday Evening mp3. That's not as catchy as "Monday morning mp3," but it will have to do.

So, here's a great song by Kurt Hagardorn, out of Portland. Kurt is going to be opening the next SPB Powerpop night, which is March 10 at the Mars Bar. He's got this great roots pop thing happening that seems equally influenced by the Beatles, the Everly Brothers and some of the modern-day alt.country folks like The Jayhawks (with perhaps a bit of 1990s indie pop a la Portastatic thrown in for good measure).

The song I'm linking here is called "It's Okay, It's Alright," and it's a more delicate number. Altogether pleasant, while still aching with sadness and ending with an unexpected layer of guitar feedback.

You should pick up his record, titled Ten Singles, because it's really chock full of tunesmithy goodness.

Monday Morning Powerpop mp3

It's just barely still Monday morning (11:55am). So, I'm getting this in under the wire. It will, however, definitely be afternoon by the time you finish listening to this, because it's a nearly 14-minute long live medley by The Posies.

It's rugged and rough and perhaps a little drunk. But, totally fun.

(and I doubt I have any easily offended readers, but if you are, you might not listen to the lyrics too closely....)

Monday Morning Powerpop mp3

The dudes in Vanilla have made a track available on their website. The song is called "Black Minus Saturday," and it's got a late-period Beatles mixed with High Llamas (which is in itself is a Beach Boys meets Beatles thing) kind of vibe.

Download a full Llama album

I just got a note from Rusty of Llama in which he informed me that Llama not only has a new website, but also that one can download an entire album there. I suggest you head over there now and partake in the poppy goodness.

Monday Morning Powerpop mp3

Happy Monday, y'all. Here's an mp3 from Oregon's The Visible Men. It's from their 2001 record titled "In Socks Mode", and the song is call Poker Face. The cover from this record is humorous.