The First Monthly Request Post

I think I really am going to take tomorrow off. I've thrown up a post every day for like a month now.

I've been getting emails from time to time asking me about certain bands/tracks, so yesterday I figured I'd start making a monthly request post. Think of it as christmas in march. Or maybe your birthday's in march. In that case, happy birthday.

This first track was requested about a week ago. It was actually a two-part request, and I was unable to fill the second part.

Mikka in Germany:
Could you please help me find two other rare songs? The first is called "the present" and is originally on the sampler "help: a day in the life". The other one is "american kids."

Well, "The Present" I do have. It released on Always New Depths: The Complete Silent Alarm B-Sides & Remixes. Not to be confused with Silent Alarm: Remixed.

Bloc Party- The Present

"American Kids," however, I could not find. From what I have found, all that is available is a 55 second clip. The song was recorded way back in the day, when the band was called Angel Range, and a full version of the song does not exist online.

Anyone care to prove me wrong?

The next 3three requests came just yesterday, and again, I was stumped by one of them. For a different reason.

Garrison in Oregon:
Hold Steady - "Modest isnt that sweet"
Hold Steady - "You have to dance with who you came with"

the song i would literally kill for...
OLIVER FUTURE - "Marcello Mastrioanni"

please. please please.

Well, G, I have the two Hold Steady tracks for you, but I don't know anything about Oliver Future, and can't find that track anywhere.

The two Hold Steady tracks released as bonus tracks to the Australian edition of Almost Killed Me...

The Hold Steady - Modesto is not that Sweet

The Hold Steady - You Gotta Dance (With Who You Came With)

The next request came today, and I'm pretty proud of myself, as it's the only request I have been able to fill completely.

Nate in I don't know where:
Thanks for the rare Kings Of Leon. I'm currently after "Where Nobody Knows." Do you have this song?

Yes, Nate, I do have that song. "Where Nobody Knows" came out as a bonus track on Aha Shake Heartbreak...

Kings of Leon- Where Nobody Knows

Ok, there are a couple more requests that I'm working on filling, so check back; I'll probably be editing things in throughout the weekend.

Enjoy.

And feel free to request more: denton@bornbytheriver.com

The Hold Steady...

I have always wanted my life to be like a Hold Steady song. Well, I wanted to live like Sal Paradise or Henry Chinaski long before anyone had heard of the Hold Steady. You get the idea though.

I got the Australian Retail copy of Boys and Girls in America a few days ago (it released officially January 29th), and there are a few bonus tracks to go along with the 11 from the American release. My first response when I saw this was to flip, as the first bonus track is "For Boston." I immediately thought of The Dropkick Murphys- For Boston; the opening track from Sing Loud, Sing Proud is one of my favorite songs.

The Dropkick Murphys- For Boston

Alas, it is not the same track. It is, however, still worth listening to.

The Hold Steady- For Boston

My favorite of the bonus tracks is "Arms and Hearts." It's a bit of a slower track, driven by a haunting drumline until the guitar falls in at about the 1:12 mark. It continues to creep along at the same rate until it blows up into the type of Hold Steady song that we have come to know and love at about the 2:26 mark. I'm really digging it.

The Hold Steady- Arms and Hearts

Then there is a curious departure...

The Hold Steady- American Music

Is this really the Hold Steady? I can dig it...

And just for fun... Cattle and the Creeping Things from the Hold Steady's set at Lollapalooza 2006.

(Shout out to A.J. Pierzynski?)

The Hold Steady- Cattle and the Creeping Things (Live)

That's all for now.