Tired Pony - World Cafe NPR Sesssion (09/09/10)

Track Listing
1. Northwestern Skies
2. Get on the Road
3. Dead American Writers
4. I Am the Landslide
5. Your Bible
6. Silver Atom

Download
NB this is a recording of part of the show they did at the London Forum

Friday Freebies

Come on Gang!
Having already been featured this week in my Scots Way-Hay feature, it's pretty obvious that there is a lot of love for the Edinburgh trio this week. They have just posted up their new single for free download on their homepage, make sure you check it out as 'Fortune Favours The Brave' is an absolute belter of an indie pop tune.

Fruit Tree Foundation
The Fruit Tree Foundation is a new independent project in Scotland led by Rod Jones (Idlewild) & Emma Pollock in partnership with The Mental Health Foundation, Scottish Wave of Change and Breathing Space Scotland. They've managed to rope together a whole host of great Scottish artists to collaborate on an album exploring mental health and wellbeing. Artists that are taking part include including James Graham (Twilight Sad), Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit), Rod Jones (Idlewild), Jill O’Sullivan (Sparrow and the Workshop), Emma Pollock, Karine Polwart, Jenny Reeve, Alasdair Roberts and James Yorkston. The album is out on the 1st of October, with gigs in Edinburgh and Glasgow scheduled for Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd respectively. Two bonus tracks are available as free downloads here: 'I Forgot the Fall' by Rod Jones & Scott Hutchison and 'Favourite Son' by Emma Pollock, Jill O’Sullivan & James Graham.

Belle and Sebastian
This week saw a very warm welcome return of the Glasgow indie royalty Belle and Sebastian, they are giving away new single, 'Write About Love' the lead track from their forthcoming album. It will be initially available from for a very limited time as a free download so make sure you're quick off the mark with this one.

Butcher Boy
In 2009, Butcher Boy released their second album 'React or Die', at the time I think I heralded it as the new 'Tigermilk', I might well have been getting a bit carried away with myself, but it was an amazing record. If it passed you by, then now is the time to do some catching up as they have posted up 'Clockwork' from it for free download on their Bandcamp. The band have a new album due out in early 2011, plus they're also supporting Belle & Sebastian at their Barrowlands show on the 21st of December.

Tired Pony
Gary Lightbody's new super group have posted up a free download of a new track not on the album, if you want to get yourself a copy of 'I Finally Love This Town' you need to 'Like it' on Facebook.

Cry Parrot
Winning Sperm Party have posted up a free compilation compiled by Scottish promoters Cry Parrot. It features tracks by Adam Stafford, Gummy Stumps and Cheers, it's yours for free, just follow the link.

Vampire Weekend
The indie super stars new album might not have been everyone's cup of tea, but hey what do the kids know these days. The band are back in Scotland at the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh on the 28th of November, folk on their mailing list were treated to a remix of 'White Sky' by Basement Jaxx, you can download it here.

Flip Banshee
Bathgate's pop-rockers Flip Banshee have posted up four tracks on their Bandcamp page for free download, just click the link and get downloading.

Sigur Ros
The Icelandic post-rockers have a whole host of tunes up on their site for free download, including some older material, more recent tunes, plus a whole host of live recordings. What a generous bunch they are, you can find all of these here.

Sucioperro
JP Reid the other half of Marmaduke Duke that isn't Simon Neil from Biffy's, main band,
Sucioperro have a free download of their song, 'Running From All That Doesn't Tempt You' in exchange for a tweet.

Dr Dog
The Americana outfit have posted a free download from their new album, 'Shame, Shame', you can get in exchange for a tweet or Facebook like.

Wintersleep
New track 'Trace Decay' is up for grabs, give them your email address and they''ll send you a link to download it for free.

Bronto Skylift
A few weeks I posted this 'freebie', then the band didn't actually upload the link, leaving me to look like a bit of a bell end (nothing new I might add). Well now said freebie is actually up for you to download, get yourself a copy of their track 'Wolf' for free on their Bandcamp page.

Kowalskiy's Komplimentary Korner

Some of you might have noticed that last weeks Freebies lacked a freebie from 'the Doc', our good friend took a week off from blogging, but now he's back with four downloads to make up for his absence. The first is from Mountain Man, who strangely enough are 3 girls from Vermont, the country-tinged vocal harmony group supported Jonsi during the week and they have two songs up for free download on their Bandcamp.
The second freebie comes courtesy of Icelandic outfit, For A Minor Reflection, they are giving away their track and video of 'Dansi Dans', taken from their new self-released album over here.
The third freebie comes from singer songwriter, Goodtimes Goodtimes, if you register for the his fan list then he will send you a free copy of The Fortune Teller Song.


The Runt of the Litter.....

Lastly we have a track which neither of us want to put our names to, but hey fuck it, it's free, it comes from hottly tipped (I fucking hate that phrase - as it's usually turns out to be something pish like Florence and her cunty Machine or the like) singer Florrie (that sounds familiar, can't she think of an original name?) who is giving away some free tunes on her homepage.

Tired Pony - 6Music Session (16/07/10)

Track Listing

1. Point Me At Lost Islands
2. Dead American Writers

Download

Tired Pony - BBC Radio 2 Session (14/07/10)

Track Listing

1. Dead American Writers
2. Into The Mystic (Van Morrison cover)

Download

Friday Freebies

The Twilight Sad
The 'Sad boys recorded a session for LimeWire (when did LimeWire go legit?), they're currently giving away “Cold Days From The Birdhouse (Live At Lime)” as a free download here.

Jenny & Johnny
Perhaps you might know them better as Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley fame (does anyone know if they've officially split up?) and her Glasgow born boyfriend, Jonathan Rice. Well they've decided to make an album together, as a wee preview they're giving away a free download of their song 'Scissor Runner'. Pleasant enough it is too, although I must admit that it did make me pine for another album from Jenny's 'old' band.

Pink Nasty
Now here's a blast from the past, I haven't listened to Pink Nasty in years. In fact I must admit that I had totally forgotten about her, I must admit that I do feel kind of guilty about that, as 'BTK Blues' featuring Will Oldhan is one of my all time favourite songs. I guess she must have a new album coming out soon, as she's giving away her album 'Mold the Gold', featuring the latter song. Absoloutley gorgeous stuff, I'd be chuffed to hear what you all think of it.

Eels
With a new up album in the offing 'E' and his boys have posted new song 'Looking Up' for free download over on their homepage.

Any Color Black
The Glasgow electronica duo have posted a free download of their cover of Britney Spears '3', get yourself a copy here.

Tired Pony
Gary Lightbody's new supergroup, featuring folk from REM and Belle and Sebastian, have posted a free download from their forthcoming album, 'The Place We Ran From'. I think this was a US only download, but I'll save you all the signing up nonsense, just click here to download a free MP3 of their song 'Point Me At Lost Islands'

British Sea Power
They're not the kind of band that you'd expect to write a World Cup, but they have, it's titled “Football (Kick It In The Goal),” and it is available to download for free on their website.

Superchunk
Amazon have posted an MP3 of 'Learned to Surf' from the bands 'Leaves In The Gutter' EP up for free.

The Good Gods!
The Londoners are giving away an MP3 of their new single "Lying On Our Bright Red Backs", in exchange for your email address.

The Giving Tree Band
The folksy eight-piece Americana band are giving away a free copy of their song “Circles”, just sign up for their mailing list and they'll send you it (scroll to the bottom to find the widget).

Earthtone 9
I don't know anything about these guys, apart from the fact that they're giving away a collection of their songs from 1998-2002. If you know who they are, or your just plain curious, find out more here.



Kowalskiy's Komplimentary Korner

Beerjacket

This weeks offering from the 'Doc' are a couple of cracking live shows from Beerjacket recorded live at King Tuts. He hopes the it might console some of you folk out there who missed out on seeing him at last weeks postponed gig.

Gary Lightbody's Buck-ing Pony

As some of you may already know, Gary Lightbody, lead singer of Snow Patrol is working with a new band called Tired Pony to record a country-tinged album. He's roped in a fine selection of artists to work with him including R.E.M.'s guitarist Peter Buck, Iain Archer and his wife and singer Miriam Kaufman, Belle and Sebastian's drummer Richard Colburn. In a recent interview with Vic Galloway, Lightbody revealed that he had managed to rope in two more members whom he was very excited about, but didn't name them. One of which we now know to be Peter Buck, the other remains a mystery

The meeting of great musical minds is taking place as we speak in the US. Gary Lightbody has revealed that the superstar guest on his R.E.M.’s Peter Buck. Gary recently told
Q magazine that “Peter is one of my all-time heroes, “I admire his versatility, he can play any stringed instrument and more besides. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with! He’s a real innovator, which is great because this is a whole new project.”
Having previously managed to gather a host of Glasgow indie stars to record his Reindeer Section side project, I am quite intrigued to see who the other special guest is going to be. They toured with U2 and Coldplay in recent years, or am I thinking too big? Perhaps some of Granddaddy? They toured with them just before 'Run' broke, so perhaps that's a possibility. Anyone else got any suggestions?

Also, being the busy little bee that he is, once the Tired Pony sessions are completed, Lightbody and Lee will head to LA to record an electronic album under the Listen… Tanks! banner. The last time Lightbody worked this hard we got two Reindeer Section albums and 'Final Straw', am I excited, fuck yes.

Tired Pony - Untitled Demo
Listen... Tanks! - Black and Silver
The Reindeer Section - The Last Post Until The Heart Gives Away

Gary Lightbody - Tired Pony (Portland 2009)