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Sandy Denny and The Happy Blunderers - Lincoln 1971.

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This is Sandy Denny and The Happy Blunderers live at the Lincoln Folk Festival (England) back on the 24th July 1971. She's backed by the self named Happy Blunderers, consisting of Fairport members Richard Thompson, Dave Pegg and Jerry Conway. Richard plays guitar throughout and sings backing vocals on the third song (Crash On The Levee - a Dylan song). The first solo album by Sandy Denny 'The North Star Grassman and the Ravens' was also released in 1971 and is distinguished by its elusive lyrics and unexpected harmonies. Highlights included Late November, inspired by a dream and the death of Fairport band member Martin Lamble, and Next Time Around a cryptogram about Jackson C. Frank, one of her many portraits in song. Both songs were included in this short set. Also on the bill at the festival were The Byrds, Dion, Tim Hardin, the Incredible String Band, Ralph McTell, Pentangle, Tom Paxton, Steeleye Span, Dave Swarbrick & Martin Carthy, James Taylor, and Sonny T...

2012Candy April's Second Helping

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Background: Lila Rose has always stood out from the crowd - In substance, style and appearance she has never been average. Born with “ultra sound sensitivity”, Lila’s experience of the world around her has been quite out of the ordinary, and very much sonically based. Lila is both blessed and afflicted with sounds that most people cannot hear; while this is a gift when it comes to making music, it can also lead to great personal discomfort at times. Last fall, Lila released her debut, full-length album, HeartMachine, which she co-produced with David Earl (AKA LogicNinja.) Shaping up to be a masterpiece of sound, song craft and technology, HeartMachine bends the genres of Electronica, Indie pop, trip-hop and alternative rock around an emotional core, finding a critical musical mass that is explosive in its intensity and brilliant in its light. Lila writes from the well of her experiences, building on the pain of human existence to create songs that speak to the human heart. Out of...

Peter Gabriel - Paris 2002

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This is Peter Gabriel performing live with a sizable studio audience at Maison De La Radio, Paris, back on the 24th October 2002. This performance was in support of his then 7th solo studio album 'Up' which had been released the preceding month and half the songs performed at this gig were from that album, including a stunning performance of 'Darkness' (a song about overcoming fears) which is the opening song both on the album and at this performance. Peter talks to the audience in French and the station announcer adds commentary occasionally, however this seems to add to the whole show giving it a very personal feel and a reference in time. In the Spring of 1995, Gabriel began work on the album. Its name was Up from the start, though at one point it was considered to be called I/O. Gabriel began saying the album was near completion somewhere around 1998 but did not release it until September 2002. In the months preceding the album's release, video clips of G...

2012Candy - April At Last

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Background: John Seeger was definitely born a musician. Learning, practicing and mastering guitar was as much an everyday occupation to him as speaking Japanese and Spanish fluently, obtaining his black belt in karate, creating and building his successful NYC-based construction company, raising his 19 year old daughter and tending to his home and family. It may have seemed at times, even to John, that music was just another one of his passions and thirsts. Except that this one was impossible to quench. John sets the bar high in every aspect of his life, music is no exception. Over 15 songs on his roster to date, all written over the past year, John’s songs are like paintings, a depiction of life’s tales in each one. The mixture of his musical style is as diverse as the man. Sometimes bluesy with a hint of funk, sometimes pop or folk rock, always about a love lost or soon to be found, relationships and friends, but mainly about a man’s journey to find and keep his heart’s desire. ...

Tom Scott - Huntington Beach USA 1979

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This is Tom Scott live at The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, CA, USA back in 1979. These are the notes in full that came with the recording (grateful thanks to the person who penned them) - This recording comes from the archives of the Golden Bear night club in Huntingon Beach, California. At the time, the Golden Bear was the oldest running night club in America open since the mid 1920's. Eventually earthquake building codes made it too expensive to upgrade, and it was eventually torn down.  Everybody from Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Doors have played at the Golden Bear. I was a frequent patron of the Golden Bear, and I recorded many shows at the venue.  Eventually I became friends with the sound board guy, and we began trading some tapes.  This recording is one of those tapes. Like many of the Golden Bear tapes, this one isn't a complete show.  After 47 minutes, it cuts off. Since the Golden Bear usually ran 60-70 minute sets, it's very likely that the las...

Traffic - Capitol Theatre NY - 1970

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This is Traffic live in concert at the Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, New York, USA back on the 26th June 1970. The concert was broadcast live on the excellent WNEW-FM. In late 1968, Traffic disbanded, guitarist Dave Mason having left the group for the second time prior to the completion of the Traffic album. In 1969, Steve Winwood joined the supergroup Blind Faith, while drummer and lyricist Jim Capaldi and woodwinds player Chris Wood turned to session work, Wood also joining Blind Faith's drummer Ginger Baker in his post-Blind Faith group Ginger Baker's Air Force for their first album. In the beginning of 1970, after the demise of Blind Faith, the band having lasted barely six months, Winwood returned to the studio ostensibly to make his first solo album, originally to be titled Mad Shadows. He recorded two tracks with producer Guy Stevens, "Stranger to Himself" and "Every Mother's Son", but yearned for like-minded musicians to accompany. Inviti...

2012Candy - March Means More!

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Background: This is the second single from Australia's Pets With Pets , titled "Acid Girls." Recommended for fans of Ratatat, Wavves, Japandroids and Sonic Youth. The group are currently making their first rounds in the U.S. including last week at SXSW, before heading to New York City to play the Aussie BBQ at the Bell House in Brooklyn. Staring in late 2006 with a home recorded EP, Zayd Thring is Pets With Pets. In 2007 he took on a drummer, the first of many that define the group over the years, and started playing shows as a band.  From the start, Pets With Pets have garnered attention from the likes of NME, and have gained a cult following. Last year saw the band releasing Saturday Aquatic Pixie Acid, released on Sensory Projects, to critical acclaim. Alongside Zayd is bassist Ash Buscombe from Witch Hats, Will Macfarlane on synthesizer from The Shocking Pinks (who were signed to DFA Records) and Alex MacFarlane on drums. The Candy Opinion: What a modern day ...