Aimee Mann & Ted Leo (& Friends) - 2014-12-09 - The Return of The Aimee Mann Christmas Show - Boston, MA

Aimee Mann & Ted Leo
(& featuring guests Jonathan Coulton, Susanna Hoffs, and Bill Janovitz)
2014-12-09
"The Return of the Aimee Mann Christmas Show"
The Wilbur Theatre, Boston, MA
Audience recording, good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and mp3 (320 kbps) versions

After hosting a series of what became annual Musical-Variety Christmas Shows (with guest stars, music, comedy, sketches, videos, etc.) that ran from 2006 to 2011, Aimee Mann took a few years off from the holiday affairs, but then in 2014 came back with Ted Leo, her recent partner in the musical collaboration The Both, to host another round of the popular Christmas Shows, which was dubbed, naturally, 'The Return of the Aimee Mann Christmas Show'. In this recent incarnation of the show (which always have some kind of theme), Aimee and Ted  play Rock n' Roll detectives, that is, they are musician crime solvers, they travel around the world, rockin' and rollin' and solvin' murders, but for this show, Aimee doesn't want to have to solve any murders, just have a fun, festive holiday show. But, of course, then they hear that the Backstage Santa has just been murdered. Aimee just wants to carry on with the show, but Ted thinks they need to solve the murder, setting the stage for some onstage mayhem. The songs, of course, are the main thing, though, and they play numerous Holiday standards, as well as a few of their own catalog songs, and are joined by guests Jonathan Coulton, Susanna Hoffs, and Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom), for a few songs each. And if you are not interested in the in-between song banter and antics, these are tracked separately so can be edited out, if desired (Some of those antics lose a lot without the visuals as we don't know what is happening onstage causing the audience laughter, etc.). But, overall, an entertaining show. This is from the Boston performance of the show. Also, Aimee and Ted have continued on in 2015 with a new version of the Christmas Show, which has just wrapped up its series of performances (unfortunately, I have not yet found any recorded versions of the 2015 show, which is said to have featured Liz Phair as a guest artist). Enjoy, and Happy Holidays to all.

Tracklist:
01. Murder She Sang intro Video
02. Aimee's Intro
03. It's Christmas Time (Status Quo cover) (Aimme and Ted)
04. Murder announcement > Sleigh Ride snippet
05. Nothing Left to Do (Let's Make this Christmas Blue) (Aimee and Ted)
06. Winter Wonderland (Aimee and Ted)
07. Hazy Shade of Winter (Susanna lead vocal)
08. Jonathan's Intro
09. Jingle Bell Rock (Jonathan)
10. Christmas is Interesting (Jonathan)
11. Zombie Instructions . . .
12. Re: Your Brains (Jonathan)
13. What Are You Doing New Years Eve? (Aimee, Ted, Jonathan)
14. Eternal Flame (Susanna)
15. Aimee and Ted banter . . .
16. I'll Be Home for Christmas (Aimee)
17. Intro to . . .
18. The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey (Ted)
19. Mineral  (Bill Janovitz)
20. Reason Why  (Bill and Ted)
21. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming  (Aimee, Ted, Susanna, Paul)
22. Intro to . . .
23. Nes Gadol Hayah Sham (Walk Like an Egyptian) (Susanna, Ted and Aimee)
24. You're a Mean One, Mr, Grinch (Aimee and Ted, Jonathan as The Narrator)
25. No Sir (Aimee and Ted (The Both))
26. Volunteers of America (Aimee and Ted (The Both))
27. Ted's banter about Jimmy John's
28. Bottled in Cork (Ted)
29. Save Me (Aimee)
30. Murder banter
31. There's a Murder Backstage (Baby It's Cold Outside) (Aimee and Ted)
32. Aimee and Ted interrogate suspects
33. Wonderful Christmastime interrogation (Aimee and Ted and all guests are interrogated)
34. Christmastime is Here (all)
35. Murder, She Sang outro

Aimee Mann - vocals, guitar, bass
Ted Leo - vocals, guitar
Jamie Edwards - keyboards, vocals
Paul Bryan - bass, guitar, vocals
Matt Mayhall - drums, percussion

With special guests:
Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) - vocals, guitar
Jonathan Coulton - vocals, guitar
Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom) - vocals, guitar

New Links! Updated 09/29/23

mp3: 

Aimee Mann & Ted Leo_Return of Aimee's Christmas Show-2014-12-09-Boston.mp3.part1.rar

Aimee Mann & Ted Leo_Return of Aimee's Christmas Show-2014-12-09-Boston.mp3.part2.rar

FLAC
Aimee Mann & Ted Leo_Return of Aimee's Christmas Show-2014-12-09-Boston.FLAC.rar

The Smithereens - 2007 - World Cafe Live (2 radio shows), Philadelphia, PA

The Smithereens
2007-03-16 and 2007-12-21
World Cafe Live (2 radio shows)
Philadelphia, PA
FM Broadcast (webcast) Recordings (WXPN-NPR), very good quality
mp3 @320 kbps

Here's more from The Smithereens, from several years later (2007), two separate shows done at World Cafe in Philadelphia for WXPN and NPR radio, one in Spring (March 16), featuring songs from their Beatles cover album, Meet the Smithereens, and one in December (12-21), featuring songs from their Christmas album, Christmas with the Smithereens, as well as some older favorites at each show. I also threw in a couple bonus tracks from another 2007 show I had (07-22, Camden, NJ) to round out the show (and ends with the Who's 'Behind Blue Eyes', which foreshadows what their next cover project would be, The Smithereens Play Tommy, in 2009.  Some great stuff here, and even some holiday songs for the Christmas season.

Tracklist
01 Only A Memory.mp3
02 House We Used To Live In.mp3
03 Band Intros.mp3
04 Behind The Wall Of Sleep.mp3
05 Yesterday Girl.mp3
06 Interview.mp3
07 Don't Bother Me.mp3
08 I Wanna Be Your Man.mp3
09 Hold Me Tight.mp3
10 I Wanna Hold Your Hand.mp3
11 Waking Up On Christmas Morning.mp3
12 Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me).mp3
13 Run Rudolph Run.mp3
14 Only A Memory.mp3
15 Interview.mp3
16 Top Of The Pops.mp3
17 Time And Time Again.mp3
18 Behind The Wall Of Sleep.mp3
19 Blood And Roses.mp3
Bonus tracks (2007-07-22 - Camden NJ)
20 A Girl Like You (with oldies medley)
21 Behind Blue Eyes

Tracks 01-10, World Cafe Live 2007-03-16
Tracks 10-19, World Cafe Live, 2007-12-22
Tracks 20-21, Camden, NJ, 2007-07-22


The Smithereens_2007_World Cafe radio shows.rar
New link! (12/17/24)

The Smithereens - Westwood One In Concert Radio Compilation (1989, 1990, & 1994 shows)

The Smithereens
Westwood One In Concert Radio Compilation
1989, 1990, and 1994 broadcasts (from shows #89-10, 90-06, 94-40)
Pre-FM and FM Broadcast recordings (#89-10 & 90-06, PFM; 94-40, Broadcast)
Available in both Lossless (FLAC - except tracks 17-19) and mp3 (320 kbps, all tracks) versions


Keeping with the theme of great underappreciated power pop bands, we move from the UK back to the US, and to New Jersey, for The Smithereens. The Smithereens first started around 1980, with Pat DiNizio (lead vocals, guitar, & primary songwriter), Jim Babjak (guitar, vocals), Mike Mesaro (bass, vocals), and Dennis Diken (drums), as a local band, releasing a couple of independent EPs through the mid-80's, but then burst on the national scene in 1986 with their first full-length LP, Especially For You, featuring the powerful singles 'Blood and Roses' and 'Behind the Wall of Sleep'. They followed this powerhouse debut with a couple more great albums, Green Thoughts (1988) and 11 (1989). Over the next several years the band was up and down, experimenting with some different styles and approaches, and then doing a series of theme cover albums (Meet The Smithereens-2007, B-Sides the Beatles-2008, The Smithereens Play Tommy-2009, and Christmas with The Smithereens-2007), but they have always been entertaining and a great band to see live. Their most recent studio album was 2011 (2011), and they continue to tour and perform regularly, and are certainly worth checking out if you get the chance.
This compilation comes from 3 separate Westwood One radio shows over the years 1989-1994. The first show (1989) has the best sound (PFM from radio discs) so the entire show from here is included. The second show, only the songs that were unique (not repeated) from the earlier show were included. The final show (1994) I only have in mp3 format, and is from a broadcast recording rather than Pre-FM, but still has good sound, and includes songs from their most recent album at that time, A Date with the Smithereens. All together, this compilation makes a really good full CD-length show covering a range of great material.

Tracklist:
01.  Drown In My Own Tears
02.  Green Thoughts
03.  Groovy Tuesday
04.  Something New
05.  Cigarette
06.  Behind The Wall Of Sleep
07.  Only A Memory
08.  Blood and Roses
09.  House We Used To Live In
10.  Room With A View
11.  Marie Elena
12.  Cut Flowers
13.  Blue Period
14.  William Wilson
15. A Girl Like You
16.  Blues Before And After
17.  War For My Mind
18. Everything I Have is Blue
19. Miles From Nowhere

Tracks 1-09, show#89-10, Coach House, San Capistrano, CA, broadcast, 5/1/89
Tracks 10-16, show#90-06, Coach House, Ventura, CA, broadcast 3/19/90
Tracks 17-19, show#94-40, San Diego State University, broadcast 9/26/94 (mp3-only)

mp3 - The Smithereens_WW1 radio compilation_1989-1994_mp3.rar
Links updated 12/17/24
FLAC (only tracks 1-16) - The Smithereens_WW1 radio compilation_1989-90_FLAC.rar

Thanks to draftervoi for the hi-quality digital FLAC versions of the 1st 2 shows.

Del Amitri - 1995-04-30 - Silm's, San Francisco, CA

Del Amitri
1995-04-30
Slim's, San Francisco, CA
FM Broadcast recording (KFOG-FM), very good quality
Mp3 @320 kbps

Here's one more show from the underrated power pop band Del Amitri. This one, a great full-length radio broadcast show (plus some bonus tracks) from around the height of their popularity, on the tour promoting their 4th album, Twisted (1995), which featured some of the band's best-known songs. Thus, this show features most of the songs from Twisted, as well as many songs from earlier albums, for a wonderful show. The bonus tracks add a few different songs from other shows from around that same time period, also with very good sound quality.

Tracklist:
1. Intro - Food For Songs
2. Just Like A Man
3. When I Want You
4. Start With Me
5. One Thing Left To Do
6. To Last A Lifetime
7. Hatful Of Rain
8. Roll To Me
9. Crashing Down
10. Come Together
11. Move Away Jimmy Blue
12. The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere
13. Always The Last To Know
14. Being Somebody Else
15. Improv
16. Driving With The Brakes On
17. Medicine
18. Here And Now
19. Ace Of Spades
20. Be My Downfall (with bits of Like a Virgin and Kiss This Thing Goodbye)
Bonus live tracks:
21. Tell Her This (1996-07-07 - Cleveland, FM)
22. It Might As Well Be You (1995-08-06 - Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, PA, FM)
23. Scared To Live (1995-08-06 - Philadelphia)

New link! 12-17-24

Del Amitri_1995-04-30_San Francisco.zip

Del Amitri - 1990-06-23 - Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, UK

Del Amitri
1990-06-23
Glastonbury Music Festival, Worthy Farm,
Pilton, Somerset, UK
FM Broadcast recording, very good quality
Mp3 @ 320 kbps

Here's more from Del Amitri, this time from a bit earlier in their career, at Glastonbury in 1990, fresh off the success of their breakthrough album, Waking Hours (1989). Here, they get their first taste of the big-time, as they feature many songs from that current album, as well as few lesser known gems. 

 Tracklist:
01 Opposite View
02 Hatful of Rain
03 When I Want You
04 As Soon As The Tide Comes In
05 Don't Cry No Tears
06 Nothing Ever Happens
07 You're Gone
08 Stone Cold Sober
09 Spit In The Rain
10 The Ones That You Love Lead You
11 The Return of Maggie Brown
12 Kiss This Thing Goodbye

Link Updated 12/17/24
Del Amitri_1990-06-23_Glastonbury.rar

Del Amitri - 1997-10-08 - Herisau, Switzerland

Del Amitri
1997-10-08
Unknown venue, Herisau, Switzerland
Audience(?) recording, very good quality
Mp3 @ 320 kbps

Here's another great UK Power Pop Band that never quite got the success they deserved, especially here in the US. Del Amitri, from Glasgow, Scotland, started in the mid-80's and are lead by their primary songwriters Justin Currie (vocals-bass) and Iain Harvie (lead guitar). Currie has a great pop-rock singing voice, and their catchy, melodic songs feature (at least to my ears), a more bluesy/rootsy sound/feel then alot of other pop-rock of that time. Their first major success came with their 2nd album, Waking Hours (1989), which reached #6 on the UK charts, and their single 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye' received major radio airplay (but only marginal chart success) in the US. Although the supporting band around Currie and Harvie changed multiple times through the nineties (keyboardist Andy Alston was the only stable member throughout), subsequent albums Change Everything (1992) and Twisted (1995) were hits in the UK, but barely cracked the Top 200 in the US, despite radio airplay for songs such as  'Always the Last to Know', 'Driving with the Brakes On', and even a Top 10 single with 'Roll to Me'.  After their next album, Some Other Sucker's Parade (1997), more upheavals in personnel, record labels, and mounting pressure forced a 5-yr gap before their last album, Can You Do Me Good? (2002) was released. And although it rose to #6 on the UK charts, disappointing record sales resulted in the dropping of the band from their label, and virtual dissolution of the band. Currie and Harvie worked on some solo projects for a few years, but then in 2013 announced a Del Amitri Reunion, and the band has been back to touring ever since. The reformation of the band was also followed by deluxe edition reissues of most their albums, including many B-sides, rarities, and previously unreleased tracks (Del Amitri was one of those bands that seemed to have as many or more songs that were not on their albums as were on them, through numerous extended singles, B-sides, and various non-album tracks), and there seems to be much greater appreciation for their music now than there was in their original heyday. Even if you are not familiar with them or their music, most likely there are several songs of theirs that you've heard (and probably liked), but just didn't know who it was by.  Here is a fine full-length concert from 1997 that features several songs from their most recent album (Some Other Sucker's Parade), but also provides a good cross-section of songs from throughout their career as a nice sampler of their music. Check 'em out.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Some Other Sucker's Parade
3. Just Like a Man
4. Always the Last to Know
5. Cruel Light of Day
6. Not Where It's At
7. Paper Thin
8. Here and Now
9. What I Think She Sees
10. Roll to Me
11. Move Away Jimmy Blue
12. The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere
13. Hatful of Rain
14. Mother Nature's Writing
15. Start with Me
16. Stone Cold Sober
17. Medicine
18. Be My Downfall - Drowned on Dry Land
19. Driving with the Brakes On
20. Kiss This Thing Goodbye

Link updated 12/17/24
Del Amitri_1997-10-08_Switzerland.rar

Pugwash - 2015-10-16 - Whelan's, Dublin, Ireland

Pugwash
2015-10-16
Whelan’s Pub, Dublin, Ireland
Audience recording, very good quality
Mp3 @ 320 kbps

Pugwash is a wonderful power pop band from Ireland lead by songwriter-vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Thomas Walsh. They are known for their melodic, retro-styled songs and harmonies reminiscent of classic 60's and 70's pop, but also sporting a contemporary flair. Although they have been around since 1999 and have released six critically-acclaimed studio albums and various compilations over the years, they have been virtually unknown in the US (until quite recently). None of their earlier albums have been released in the US, but, finally, in 2014, a new record deal ensured US and worldwide releases. So, in 2014, a new compilation album (A Rose in a Garden of Weeds) was their first release in the US, followed by their first US tour. Then, this year, in September 2015, their latest album, Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends) was released (to much acclaim). For those not familiar with the band, their main influences include XTC, ELO, Jeff Lynne, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, and, of course, The Beatles. And they have collaborated and performed with artists such as XTC's Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory, Jason Falkner, Michael Penn, Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy), and Ben Folds.  Here is a very recent show in their native Dublin that features several songs from the new album, as well as selections from their catalog in a fun and informal Pub setting. Check 'em out.

Tracklist:
01 intro, tuning, stage nonsense
02 Kicking & Screaming
03 Kings & Queens
04 Keep Moving On
05 Hung Myself Out to Dry
06 Finer Things In Life
07 Apples
08 Be My Friend a While
09 Kids in America
10 There You Are
11 You Could Always Cry
12 selling albums from stage
13 Here
14 Answers On a Postcard
15 Anyone Who Asks
16 It's Nice to Be Nice
17 encore break
18 Take Me Away

Link updated 12/17/24
Pugwash_2015-10-16_Whelans_Dublin.rar