Backstage Sessions : The First Ten Episodes – An Audio Recap

I realized today that the posting of the second installment of our session with Ingrid Michaelson marks our tenth episode of The Backstage Sessions. I know some of you have not yet hopped on board, so I wanted to post a little easy to download sampler zip. The zip contains my favorite performance from each of our sessions, and for your convenience you can also download each track individually. Of course you can see the HD video of these performances and grab the mp3’s not included on the mix by clicking on that shiny “Backstage Sessions” tab above you.

Don’t worry, we’re still in full-swing, I’m actually working on editing the wonderful Centro-matic session as we speak for your consumption.

[Zip] Hard to Find a Friend’s Backstage Sessions Sampler [Episodes 1-10]

[mp3] The Lonely H – Rollin’
[mp3] Headlights – Towers
[mp3] The Whigs – Like a Vibration
[mp3] Bon Iver – Creature Fear
[mp3] Fleet Foxes – Katie Cruel
[mp3] John Vanderslice – Numbered Lithograph
[mp3] Via Audio – Lizard
[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Oceanographer
[mp3] Sea Wolf – Middle Distance Runner
[mp3] Ingrid Michaelson – The Way I am

See & Hear more Backstage Sessions here

What do you think of the series so far?

The Whigs : Hard To Find a Friend’s Backstage Sessions

Hard to Find a Friend Presents : The Backstage Sessions

Featuring : The Whigs
Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN

The Whigs are in the middle of a pretty exciting tour. Last week found them playing Conan, last month found them performing on Letterman, and they are now in the middle of a month long jaunt which combines headlining dates and support for the Drive By Truckers.

You wouldn’t know that, however, if you met the three gentleman without any previous knowledge of them. You’d probably know that they liked cookies and salsa a lot, that they get super excited over having acoustic guitars, and that they are without doubt their own worst critics.

Before playing to a packed Mercy Lounge, the guys found time between soundcheck and doors to sit down with us and play a few songs : Voice, Acoustic Guitar, Tambourine, & Maracas only!

[mp3] The Whigs – Like a Vibration (Live – Backstage Session)
[mp4] The Whigs – Like a Vibration (Live – Backstage Session – iPod/iPhone Video)

[mp3] The Whigs – Hotbed (Live – Backstage Session)
[mp4] The Whigs – Hotbed (Live – Backstage Session – iPod/iPhone Video)

Buy The Whigs’ Mission Control at Insound.

New Backstage Session : The Whigs

That’s right, tonight Jeff & I will be packing our gear and heading down to Mercy Lounge to record a last minute Backstage Session with new Radiohead label mates, The Whigs. Nashvillians should show up at eight, non-Nahvillians should check for the date nearest them.

[mp3] The Whigs – Right Hand on My Heart

All the fallen leaves will find their branches again

Before Thursday I’d not yet listened to Athens, GA trio The Whigs. I’d heard of them, sure, a few times actually, but “The” bands are by name only not appealing to my tastes nowadays, and neither is the term “power-trio,” a mantra tossed around like it’s going out of style in press material for the band.

This is of no consequence, though, because if you’re like me then you’ve slept on a real treat. Thursday I was doing my mother a favor and picking up my kid brother from school. With 15 minutes to kill in queue to pick him up I opted to drain my battery and listen to WRVU, and that’s when it happened. Thundering drums came thud-thud-thudding over my speakers followed, after several measures, by an electric guitar strummed as if it were the last time, neck bends and all. My ears perked up and heard the rather pleasing lyric “All the fallen leaves will find their branches again,” and was sold pretty fast.

The song was Right Hand on My Heart, and Lucky for you I’ve got an mp3 for you so you needn’t wait on the radio. You’ll remark at how good your luck is today when I tell you that The Whigs are on tour, and the album from which these tracks are culled, “Mission Control,” is available at Insound for a mere 10 dollars and if that’s not enough you get a CD & a Vinyl version! Buy it here.

[mp3] The Whigs – Right Hand on My Heart
[mp3] The Whigs – I Never Want to go Home

Buy The Whig’s music.