Joel R.L. Phelps - finally! (a favorite of mine...)

Faithful readers will recall the time in the past when I posted some Joel R.L. Phelps : The Downer Trio records, ones long out of print, and got into a ... discussion with Joel's label owner about hosting music for download without the artist or label's permission, and ethics of file sharing, etc.  I eventually took down the post and I still respect Mr. Cook and Joel's right to release their music the way they see fit.

Joel hasn't put out a record since 2004.  He's virtually unknown, and if he's even known at all it's as the guy who left Silkworm (another criminally neglected band).

That said, he's easily one of my all-time favorite artists, both in terms of songwriting and style/performance.  There's something grossly unique about his vocal style - and I don't mean "grossly" in terms of disgust, I mean it in the sense of exaggeratedness.  If that's a word...  He's also a fantastic guitarist.

So imagine my surprise - when largely not a peep has been heard from Joel since 2004 - to come across a Facebook post of his yesterday announcing a bevy of new tracks on Soundcloud, and also mention that there may be possibly *two* new LPs this year. (!)  So, since he's posted these himself, enjoy yourself some JRLP.

All but "Darla Don't You Go", "The Way Down", "Counsel" (a track very high in my all-time favorites list, by any artist...), "Unless You're Tired Of Living" and "Good Advice For Dogs" are brand-spankin'-new.

Enjoy - and thank you Joel!

JRLP on Soundcloud


JRLP's Facebook group

Paris Angels, blog updates, news, etc

It's been a while.  So, here be some music updates, blather about the IFPI and blog future, and exciting news for your humble blogger!

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First, I've tracked down two additions to the Paris Angels compendium I posted a couple years ago.  Get yer lossless FLACs here.

1.  "Muffin" - the B-side on the original Perfume 7", it's essentially an edit of "Muffin 2" which we've already had
2.  "Scope" - from the 27 September 1990 Peel Session broadcast (record date 26 August 1990), taken from an archived broadcast of the actual Peel program which debuted the session, it sounds spectacular.

I think we now have every released Paris Angels track, on any format.  "Give Me...Scope" from the Scope 7" is apparently a re-titled "Scope Two" which we already have.  What's left? The third track from the 1990 Peel session ("Smile"), and the entirety of a 1991 session ("Slippery Man", "Chaos", "Breathless", "GBF"), and an unknown number (probably 3) remaining from a January 1991 Mark Goodier session.  Of course there could be other radio sessions as well for other Beeb DJs, all we know about for certain are the two Peel sessions, and the Goodier session.

Moving on...

The heightened awareness of this endeavour by critters no less overlordish than the IFPI has really made me question my purpose here.  Obviously we are on someone's radar and while I've only been subject to two DMCA takedowns (the REM Cassette Set FLACs, and the Wedding Present), I really don't want any more.  Really.  It's pointless to blather on about something, which I feel strongly enough to take the time to compose said blather, to have it then unceremoniously yanked from underneath me.  I can understand the issue with things in print, which is why I've not posted currently-available material in ages and in fact removed the links myself to most other in-print things I've previously posted.  But where's the harm in stuff given away for free in the first place?  Who is losing money?  In the REM case, not the label, publisher or band.  There's no label, there's no royalties to be had for the publisher (I'm not putting up a PA at a renegade coffee shop and playing these without a BMI/ASCAP license), there's no fees or payments at all associated with free giveaways.  If the band has this in a release schedule, that is understandable and in that case I'd not only self-edit the post but be the first one to post the news and the link to where-it-can-be-bought.  But I've heard nothing about any possible release and in fact the band themselves has not - as far as I am aware - made one public peep about this at all.  And I've not heard anything privately either.

I do have some other less-downloady things in the pipeline - I made a promise to my friends at Chunklet to conduct and host another interview of a favorite band of mine and theirs, which I've been slack in arranging due to other time constraints - but as little life as this blog has had lately, do not be surprised if there's less downloads.  Or if there are, they are not entire records but rather "radio show special"-type compendiums focusing on a particular scene, movement or what-have-you (such as a long-promised early Chicago punk sampler).  Regardless, we are not going away.

Moving on, again...

Your blog host has now officially begun his nascent mastering career, as a paid mastering engineer.  Friends of the program reached out to me, and hired my services to master their latest record (release date TBA, and until they announce it, band name/project will remain anonymous here, for now).  That project is now done and delivered, the band is THRILLED with the results, and so I officially fling my door open to all comers for (non-vinyl) mastering services.  I am about as cheap as you could want, and my promise to you is to deliver a record that you yourself will want to listen to daily, on repeat play.  Which means comfortably loud, if that is what the client wants, but clear, precise, and not fatiguing.

Send your queries to DCmastering AT gmail dot com and we'll talk.