BEEHIVE CANDY

Before forming Grin , Nils Lofgren had already played piano in Neil Young's Band (and whilst with Grin he performed on the album 'After The Gold Rush'). I understand that it was on the strength of his membership of Neil Young's band that Grin obtained a record contract and in their short history they recorded four albums. Nils Lofgren of course went on to become highly successful as a solo artist, along with his long standing membership of the E Street Band. Having discovered Nils Lofgren through his 'Cry Tough' release in 1976, I rapidly bought his back catalogue of Grin albums, and was surprised by how diverse the songs were. This is Grin live in concert at the Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University, Washington DC back on the 1st December 1972. Source: Soundboard Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@320kbps. Genre : Rock, Blues, Country Rock. Set: Full Set. Set List: 01. I Had Too Much 02. Ain't Love Nice 03. Love Or Else ...

I am told that Darla Farmer "arose from the kind of disenchantment one can only experience when living in the musical mold known as Nashville. This septet is a rousing douse of musical Discordia, who makes it their goal to sonically please, displease, and please again. Inspired by Tom Waits, The Blood Brothers, Man Man and other musical outfits alike, their arrangements include guitar, bass, drums and vocals, topped with a blasting horn section, piano and violin. Using this instrumentation to their advantage, Darla Farmer is simultaneously tumultuous and triumphant; chaotic and organized" Well having listened to them live I would have to say that's a fairly accurate summary of the whole thing, and to add my own opinion, they are best listened to fully awake otherwise you might miss something ! Listen: 'The Strangler Fig' & 'The Quotient' (both live). MP3's: HERE . Website: MySpace Buy: Rewiring The Electric Forest Darla Farmer’s first full-len...

Good quality live recordings of Siouxsie and The Banshees appear to be a bit thin on the ground, which is surprising considering they have toured regularly down the years and the whole punk & new wave scene in the early days was hardly water tight against bootlegging. So for one of my favorite bands that came out of the original punk music scene, on this occasion I will have to settle for a pretty good audience recording of a very good live show. This is the band live at Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany way back on December 12th, 1982. Source: Audience Taped Sound Quality: Very Good (for audience). Genre: Punk Rock, Post Punk, Gothic, New Wave. Set: Full Set. Set List: 01. Israel 02. Fireworks 03. Green fingers 04. Paradise place 05. Cascade 06. Melt! 07. Pulled to bits 08. Nightshift 09. Sin in my heart 10. Christine 11. Slowdive 12. Painted bird 13. Arabian knights 14. Spellbound 15. Cocoon Links: Official site HERE . Comments: Some audience recordings are awful. This one is h...

I like The Postmarks . I have always had a liking for female vocals on pop, rock, indie you name it. However it only works if the music is good, the ideas great, and the whole thing pretty much top dollar. An American band that can play with a strong retro sound, hints of France and England, well now that's just plain teasing! Their new album 'Memoirs at the End of the World' was recently released, and gets the mighty Beehive approval. The mixture of classic pop sound, with sweeping orchestration does it for me. A little more detail: 'The Postmarks are led by Tel Aviv born female singer/songwriter Tim Yehezkely, a beautiful, yet inscrutable individual possessed of a soft-textured voice that's simultaneously seductive and detached. Memoirs is the follow up to the band's 2007 debut self-titled album and 2008 covers album entitled By The Numbers . The band has a headlining tour under the ir belt, played Lollapalooza in 2007 and has toured with Múm, The Appl...

According to their press release 'New York’s As Tall As Lions ’ hard work has paid off in spades. Their heavy touring history and solid fanbase has helped land them the coveted direct support slot to MUTEMATH’s 35-date “Armistice Tour,” this Fall, starting September 22 nd in Cincinnati , OH' . “This is a great tour, we have been waiting for one like this,” said ATAL frontman, Dan Nigro. “MUTEMATH writes intelligent songs and has a passionate audience, and we like to think that we do too.” OK so I give them a listen, not sure what to expect from a band name dropping another as part of the promotion. Well getting straight to the point, I am impressed. They have the ability to both rock, and take it a little more gently, the songs are crafted in layers that certainly please my taste, so they get a share on the Beehive! Dont take my word for it, check em out. Listen: 'Circles'. MP3: HERE . Website: My Space HERE Official HERE . Purchase: Amazon UK The new album ...

This is the Eurythmics live in 1999. For those who like all the details regarding the concert or bootleg on this occasion for me, it's a bit thin on the ground regarding this one. The Eurythmics undertook their 'Peace' tour from September 1999 taking in Europe, USA & the UK before the end of the year. It's from one twenty six concerts they performed that year, feel free to add any further details in the comments section below. Source: Broadcast (A&E Network). Sound Quality: Very good stereo MP3@320kbps. Genre: New Wave, Pop, Rock. Set: Edited Broadcast Set. Set List: 1) Thorn In My Side 2) Walking On Broken Glass 3) Seventeen Again 4) Sisters Are Doing It (For Themselves) 5) Here Comes The Rain Again 6) There Must Be An Angel 7) I Need A Man 8) Would I Lie To You 9) I Save The World Today 10) I'm Alive 11) Miracle of Love 12) Why 12) Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of These) Links: Official site HERE . Annie Lennox HERE . Dave Stewart HERE . Comments: Formed i...

I remember Roger Miller from the 1960's when hits such as 'King Of The Road' and 'England Swings' were often to be heard on the radio. I was of course pretty young then, and preferred The Beatles and all things pop music, but Roger Miller crossed boundaries even to a minor, and sounded great. This is a recording from his final tour, on this occasion playing at the excellent Birchmere a venue that has helped launch many musical careers as well as feature musical legends. From The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, USA, back on February 16th 1991, this is Roger Miller performing on his only ever solo tour. Source: Stereo soundboard. Sound Quality: Very good stereo MP3@192kbps. Genre: Country, country pop. Set: Full 'In concert' performance. Set List: You Don't Want My Love England Swings Tall Tall Trees Billy Beayou Dang Me You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Heard Husbands And Wives Don't We All Have The Right To Be Wrong Now And Then Chug A Lug Chug...

Vinegar Joe were a British rock band who formed in late 1970, and who were best known for their live shows. The core members were lead singers Elkie Brooks and Robert Palmer, bassist Steve York, keyboard player Tim Hinkley and guitarist Pete Gage who also played piano. Conrad Isidore played drums on their first album Vinegar Joe . Their debut LP was released in April 1972. This is the band performing live for the BBC Radio in concert series and was the second to last of the 1973 recordings (do not have precise date), and performed at Golders Green, London. Source: Stereo Soundboard. Sound Quality: Very good stereo MP3@192kbps. Genre: Rock, R&B, Blues. Set: Full 'In concert' performance. Set List: 01 - Intro - Let Me Down Easy 02 - Food For Thought 03 - Talkin' Bout My Baby 04 - Band Intros 05 - Giving Yourself Away 06 - Conversation 07 - Black Smoke Rising From The Calumet 08 - Proud To Be A Honky Woman Band Line Up: Robert Palmer guitar, vocals Elkie Brooks voc...

This is Jethro Tull live in concert at Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden, on January 9th 1969. At this time the band were only around a year old and had not long parted with Mick Abrahams who was replaced by Martin Barre. The change of line up was over musical direction, with Ian Anderson keen on developing the overall band sound and direction, rather than just a blues focus. That said the blues legacy is notable here and the songs quite different to the more definitive styles that would emerge in the coming years. This was just prior the the bands debut tour of the USA, on this occasion they were on the same bill as Jimi Hendrix. Source: Stereo Soundboard (from master reels). Sound Quality: Very good stereo MP3@320kbps Genre: Folk rock, progressive rock, blues-rock. Set: Full concert performance. Set List: 1. My Sunday Feeling - 5:48 2. Martin's Tune - 10:47 3. To Be Sad is a Mad Way to Be - 4:39 4. Back to the Family - 4:18 5. Dharma For One - 9:09 6. ...

This is Frank Sinatra performing live in concert on the 16th July 1974, in Sydney Australia. Frank caused something of a stir on this tour (see comments). This was a busy year for him, he returned to to Las Vegas, performing at Caesars Palace in January, and then after the Australian tour, he appeared at New York City's Madison Square Garden in a televised concert that was later released as an album under the title The Main Event – Live . He then went on to tour in Europe. Source: FM Stereo Sound Quality: Good stereo MP3@160kbps Genre: Traditional Pop, Jazz, Big Band Vocals. Set: Full concert performance. Set List: 1. I Get A kick Out Of You 2. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life 3. Let Me Try Again 4. If 5. Bad Bad Leroy Brown 6. Angel Eyes 7. I've Got You Under My Skin 8. My Kind Of Town 9. Send In The Clowns 10. Nancy 11. The Lady Is A Tramp 12. My Way Links: Official site HERE . Comments: It was during this tour that Frank Sinatra caused an u...

This is The Moody Blues recorded live in concert at the LA Forum (Los Angeles, USA) on Saturday, 3rd December, 1983, the concert was subsequently featured in full on a Westwood One broadcast first aired on the 31st December 1983. This was part of 'The Present' USA tour that included Stevie Ray Vaughn as the opening act. Source: FM stereo Westwood One broadcast. Sound Quality: Good stereo MP3@160kbps. Genre: Prog Rock, AOR, Symphonic Rock... Set: Full concert performance. Set List: 01. Sitting at the Wheel 02. Gemini Dream 03. Tuesday Afternoon 04. The Voice 05. Going Nowhere 06. Stepping in a Slide Zone 07. The Story in Your Eyes 08. Hole in the World/Under My Feet 09. Painted Smile/Veteran Cosmic Rocker 10. Driftwood 11. Talking Out of Turn 12. Running Water 13. Gypsy 14. Isn't Life Strange 15. Blue World 16. I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock 'n' Roll Band) 17. Nights in White Satin 18. Legend of a Mind 19. Question 20. Ride My See-Saw Links: Official site HER...

OK it's a double header today, with a second Beehive Candy recommendation, and this is superb (I know, in my opinion). A little record label called Casa Nueva based in Boston, USA, recently put out their first release, King Wilkie Present: The Wilkie Family Singers by the acclaimed Brooklyn-based stringband King Wilkie. I'll quote the press release because as I listen again to the album now, this kind of summarises matters.. "It’s a cinematic concept album, consisting of songs written and recorded by the fictional, dysfunctional Wilkie family as part of a music therapy program spearheaded by the mysterious Dr. Art. This haunting backdrop is brought to life with music that draws from clattering, rustic stringband sounds, while adding more contemporary and eccentric overtones – from shimmering electric guitars to wheezing, Salvation Army brass. Special guests include Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Rowan, Abigail Washburn, Sam Parton (The Be Good Tanyas), David Bromberg, and John Mc...

A quick update on one of my favorite new bands First Aid Kit . The band are touring throughout August and have just launched their new website This Is First Aid Kit . They are also recording and filming various covers following on from a very feisty version of Fleet Foxes 'Tiger Mountain Peasant Song' some months back. You are invited to suggest songs for them to perform and can do this through their website. So far covered are Buffy Sainte-Marie's classic 'Universal Soldier', Johnny Cash's 'Walk The Line' and most recent a version of Graham Nash's 'Simple Man'. All can be viewed and listened to over at their new site. Listen: Tiger Mountain Peasant Song: MP3: HERE . From the debut 'Drunken Trees' EP check out the excellent 'Cross Oceans'. Finally if you are at an event that includes First Aid Kit on the bill, don't be surprised if they turn up elsewhere for an impromptu session this summer!

I may be a little late in on The Dimes , who are based in Portland, Oregon, and made quite a splash with their 2007 debut release, The Silent Generation, getting praise and from everyone from SPIN and Magnet Magazines... to USA Today and NPR... and a ton of blogs including Large Hearted Boy, KEXP, Three Imaginary Girls, Pampelmoose and many others. Having received some promo material back in June, I kinda lost site of this one until I decided to spend some time going through each mail, and am I pleased I listened to their 'New England' EP ! Based on real stories and events born of and around Boston, Massachusetts, the four song EP is rich with texture and a consistent pastoral thread, complete with mandolins, acoustic guitars, stomps, claps, banjos, melodicas and more pop-laden harmonies than you'll know what to do with. The record reveals a glimpse of the latest material from The Dimes, as they wrap up a new full-length record based of the same themes, due out August 2009....

This is the second Nick Lowe concert to appear on the Beehive, this one some sixteen years later, and it's a superb concert Live at the London Palladium, back on October 14th, 2001. Source: Soundboard Sound Quality: Very good stereo MP3@192kbps. Genre: Pub Rock, New Wave, from rock to country to soul to pop. Set: Full concert performance. Set List: 01 Intro By Robert Elms 02 Let Things Slide 03 Intro by Nick Lowe 04 What’s Shaking On The Hill 05 Half A Boy 06 Has She Got A Friend 07 Faithless Lover 08 Man I’ve Become 09 True Love Travels On A Gravel Road 10 I Live On The Battlefield 11 You Inspire Me 12 Cruel To Be Kind 13 Indian Queens 14 Let’s Stay In 15 Band Introduction 16 Wildest Dream 17 I Knew The Bride Band Line Up: Nick Lowe - rhythm guitar, bass guitar, vocals Geraint Watkins - keyboards Robert Trehern - drums Steve Donnelly - lead guitar Links: Official site HERE . Wikipedia piece HERE . Comments: This concert was part of the promotion for the then new 'The Co...

This is Ry Cooder performing live at the Record Plant, Sausalito, California, USA, on the 7th July 1974. This recording is from KSAN's broadcast series, and is also available in the excellent Wolfgangs Vault. Ry is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in the American roots music, and, more recently, for his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries. Ry Cooder was ranked number 8 on Rolling Stone 's "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." Ry remains one of the very few studio icons who has gained the reputation as a "musician's musician." Source: Pre FM Master. Sound Quality : Extremely good stereo mp3 @320kbps. Genre: Rock , roots music, folk, blues, soul, and more. Set: Complete performance Track List: 1. Police Dog Blues 2. FDR In Trinidad 3. If Walls Could Talk 4. Tamp Em Up Solid 5. Ax Sweet Mama 6. Billy The Kid 7. Vigilante Man 8. How an A Poor Man Stand Such Times & Live 9. Tattler...

This is Talking Heads live at The Stardust Room, Las Vegas, NV in the USA way back on the 29th September 1979. David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were 'alumni' of the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. There David Byrne and Chris Frantz formed a band called "The Artistics" in 1974. Tina Weymouth was Chris Frantz's girlfriend and often provided the band with transportation. The Artistics dissolved within a year, and the three moved to New York, eventually sharing an apartment. Unable to find a bass player in New York City, Chris Frantz decided to encourage Tina Weymouth to learn to play bass. They played their first gig as "Talking Heads" opening for the Ramones at CBGB on June 8, 1975. In a later interview, Tina Weymouth recalled how the group chose the name Talking Heads: "A friend had found the name in the TV Guide , which explained the term used by TV studios to describe a head-and-shoulder shot of a person talk...

The Flaming Lips formed back in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma, USA in 1983, and have enjoyed varying degrees of critical, and popular success down the years, perhaps this past decade has been the best one for them. This recording gives those yet to see them live an audio taster, however there is no substitute for the real thing so 'catch them if you can'. If you are new to the band check them out, fans either have a copy of this, or will love it! This then is The Flaming Lips live on the 2nd May 2006, at Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden. Source: FM recording. Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3 @192kbps. Genre: Alternative rock, Indie rock, Neo-psychedelia, Space rock, Experimental rock. Set: Full Set (possibly edited for broadcast, cannot confirm). Set List: 1. Introduction 2. Race for the Prize 3. Free Radicals 4. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt.1 5. Vein of Stars (Introduction) 6. Vein of Stars 7. Yeah Yeah Yeah Song... 8. In the Morning of the Magicians 9. The W.A.N.D. 10. The...

I did not realise until checking out some background for this recording that ZZ Top originally formed in 1969. The band holds the distinction of being among the few rock bands still composed of its original recording members, (and for nearly 40 years until September 2006, the same manager producer, and image maker, Bill Ham) . I suppose it is yet another 'how old do you feel' moment, as at the time of this concert, the band had already released seven albums including a 'best of' good thing they still look pretty much the same! This is ZZ Top live at The Capitol Theater, Passaic, New Jersey, USA on the 30th August 1980. Source: Soundboard recording. Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3 @192kbps. Genre: Rock, Blues Rock, distinct and oh so ZZ Top! Set: Seems to short for full set, includes all final songs. Set List: 1. I Thank You 2. Waiting For The Bus 3. Jesus Left Chicago 4. I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide 5. Low Down In The Street 6. A Fool For Your Stockings 7....

This is Squeeze back in 1981, and to make you feel as old as I do, this concert was performed a couple of years after 'Cool For Cats' was released, and almost a year after Jools Holland left the band, you know the score 'oh how time flies'. This includes some of the best Squeeze songs from their early years, and goes to show just how good a live act they have always been. This concert was performed at the Oxford Polytechnic on the 15th May 1981. Source: BBC radio FM broadcast. Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3 @320kbps. Genre: New Wave, 'Indie' pop & rock. Set: Almost the complete set recorded by the BBC (two songs missing). Set List: 1. Take Me I'm Yours 2. Another Nail In My Heart 3. Separate Beds 4. Slightly Drunk 5. Out Of Touch 6. I Think I'm Go Go 7. Is That Love 8. Heaven 9. Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) 10. Yap Yap 11. Cool For Cats 12. Up The Junction 13. Messed Around 14. Goodbye Girl ('To Many Teardrops', and 'I'v...