mike-downey.com » your music http://mike-downey.com/blog Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:19:17 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Guided By Voices : Anything for Free http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/08/16/guided-by-voices-anything-for-free/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/08/16/guided-by-voices-anything-for-free/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:10:49 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=535 I put together a compilation of my favorite GBV alternate versions and demos and have been listening the hell out of it. Thought maybe you’d enjoy it as well?

These songs were found on other fan-made comps, the Suitcase series, www.robertpollard.net and beyond. Research done at www.gbvdb.com. Enjoy!

Anything for Free:

01 Sleepers – early/alternate take on “Peep-hole”
02 Echos Myron [early version]
03 Wrinkled Ghost [demo]
04 Quality Of Armor [acoustic demo]
05 Damn Good Mr. Jam [different version]
06 Ha Ha Man [different version]
07 Some Drilling Implied [quiet version]
08 Rocket Head – early/alternate take on “Teenage FBI”
09 To Remake the Young Flyer [demo]
10 Sheetkickers [demo]
11 Glad Girls [early version]
12 Wondering Boy Poet [piano version]
13 Rocking Now – early/alternate take on “Wrecking Now”
14 All Hail the Weed King [demo]
15 Smothered In Hugs [early version]
16 Gleemer (The Deeds of Fertile Jim) [different version]
17 Old Engine Driver – early/alternate take on “Hey Aardvark”
18 Dancing with the Answers – early/alternate take on “Big Boring Wedding”
19 The Official Ironmen Rally Song [demo]
20 My Valuable Hunting Knife (faster rock version)
21 Things I Will Keep [demo]
22 Paper Girl [different version]
23 Atom Eyes [Sprite version]
24 A Crick Uphill [early version]
25 Coastal Town – early/alternate take on “Closer You Are”
26 Sacred Space – early/alternate take on “Office of Hearts”
27 Over the Neptune/Mesh Gear Fox/Circus World [demo]

Download zip file (Mediafire)

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/08/16/guided-by-voices-anything-for-free/feed/ 1 Astor Bell Anniversary 1 http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/06/26/astor-bell-anniversary-1/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/06/26/astor-bell-anniversary-1/#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:58:21 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=509

I sorta had my hands all over this release. I wrote some of the material that was remixed and I collaborated with my longtime pal and musical companion Dan Marsden on a song. Dan has recently been working in creating very well-produced, catchy, sexy, floor-filling remixes under the name Bright Lights. Dan and I chatted about the possibilities of him submitting a remix to the compilation and the end result included me recording a vocal for the Bubble Shield song “Speculation”, which he completely worked into his sound. It turned out really great.

Anniversary 1 is a free full length, which you can read more about, stream and download via Astor Bell.

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/06/26/astor-bell-anniversary-1/feed/ 0 Cloud Art http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/05/10/cloud-art/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/05/10/cloud-art/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 14:38:24 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=493
RETRO-02

The hardest-working CDR label is at it again. Series Two Records has just released a 5-disc retrospective. I contributed an exclusive song, Cloud Art, which found a nice home on disc 2.

From the mouths of babes:

Artists from the Series Two Records “Retrospective Compilation series” include those located in (17) different states of the USA: Ohio, California, Kansas, Nebraska, Maryland, Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Missouri, Wisconsin, Arizona, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Washington DC; International artists include those located in: Brazil, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, France, Serbia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Russia, China, Philippines.

The Retrospective Compilations are now available. If you would like to own a complete set of the retrospective compilations by Series Two Records, here is how. You may send a PayPal payment in the amount of 30 US Dollars payable to seriestworecords@gmail.com

(International & USA shipping rates already included in that price). All compilations are arriving hand numbered and limited to 100 copies only!

For if you are interested in additional releases from Series Two Records, there is a convenient easy to use order form found here: http://www.indiepages.com/seriestwo/store.html

Complete tracklisting here.

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/05/10/cloud-art/feed/ 2 Brights Lights feat. Mike Downey http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/05/07/brights-lights-feat-mike-downey/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/05/07/brights-lights-feat-mike-downey/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 09:02:37 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=488

Bubble Shield: Speculation (Bright Lights Remix feat. Mike Downey) is now streaming on the Bright Lights Myspace page.

To be released digitally via Astor Bell as part of the First Anniversary Remixes compilation early next month.

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/05/07/brights-lights-feat-mike-downey/feed/ 0 Let the Woman In b/w Some Money http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/01/26/let-the-woman-in-bw-some-money/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/01/26/let-the-woman-in-bw-some-money/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:40:26 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=464

Let the Woman In b/w Some Money : RAR002 : digital single

I was really excited when Jason Sposa let me know he was starting up his very own netlabel, called Rain Above Records. His mission is to release scrappy, rough around the edges demos and the like; the sort that sometimes get swept under the rug for various reasons. Sounded right up my alley. I agreed to a release immediately.

So just today in fact, Rain Above Records launched with 2 releases. The first being Jason Sposa’s Hush Demos and the other being my digital single.

These two songs were at one point the beginning to a new album. After these were finished I decided to change directions ever so slightly (details on that some other time). I still liked the songs though and wanted to let people hear them. This seemed like a great chance to put them out.

These songs, like all other songs in the universe, are free.

Best,
Mike

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/01/26/let-the-woman-in-bw-some-money/feed/ 1 heartphone newswire: Codes for Go comp! http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/01/03/heartphone-newswire-codes-for-go-comp/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/01/03/heartphone-newswire-codes-for-go-comp/#comments Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:04:09 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=456

Starting out 2010 with a big old BANG! Today the Codes for Go compilation came out over at heartphone.

What a blast this was putting together. It ended up as a really solid 15-song romp. Of course I’ve got an exclusive song on there and I’m in the company of many other amazing artists. All in all, I’m super proud of it.

Please check out the entire tracklist at heartphone. Or if you’re antsy, you can snag the download by clicking on this thing.

xo,
Mike

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2010/01/03/heartphone-newswire-codes-for-go-comp/feed/ 0 ‘Tis the season, for a re-release! http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/12/08/tis-the-season-for-a-re-release/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/12/08/tis-the-season-for-a-re-release/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:48:37 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/?p=436 In the back of my mind I’ve been wondering where I was going to find the time to put together a holiday mix. I really had the urge to put one together this year. Time is running out, and luckily my good pals from bumbleBEAR and Planting Seeds Records saved me!

Here’s the story, straight from the mouth of baby Jesus….

“Back in 2001, bumbleBEAR records teamed up with Planting Seeds Records to release a holidays compilation entitled “Christmas Underground” featuring several artists from both labels’ rosters (and some close friends) playing a smattering of traditional classics plus some seasonal originals. The CD has been sold out since its release in 2001 but usually around this time we get several inquiries about its availability. So bumbleBEAR and Planting Seeds have decided to re-release it this year as a free gift to you, the people of the digital age. We hope you enjoy the tunes and that they put you in the holiday spirit. Happy Holidays from all of us at bumbleBEAR and Planting Seeds.”

Head over here to download.

Oh, and yeah btw, track 7:The National Splits, that was me in 2001. I don’t remember anything from that Christmas except for this comp.

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/12/08/tis-the-season-for-a-re-release/feed/ 0 The Same Heart split EP is out today http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/09/10/the-same-heart-split-ep-is-out-today/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/09/10/the-same-heart-split-ep-is-out-today/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:15:06 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/09/10/the-same-heart-split-ep-is-out-today/ The Same Heart

Jason Sposa and I collaborated on a song over the summer and then picked some other songs of ours to bring it up to EP size. We’re both really happy with the result.

heartphone : hrtph013

1. Bullets (Jason Sposa)
2. Directions of You and Me (Jason Sposa)
3. Things Have Gone this Way (Jason Sposa)
4. The Same Heart (Jason Sposa and Mike Downey)
5. Leaf and I (Mike Downey)
6. Owned You (Mike Downey)

320kbps zip file is available here (archive.org)

Jason also has the EP up on his site where it’s available in lossless and other various formats.

Enjoy!

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/09/10/the-same-heart-split-ep-is-out-today/feed/ 0 Towering stacks of sound things http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/04/05/towering-stacks-of-sound-things/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/04/05/towering-stacks-of-sound-things/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:11:59 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/04/05/towering-stacks-of-sound-things/
Mix disc

At one point I was making a lot of mix cds for friends. I then started making mixes as mp3s and releasing them here and there. When I was going through a big towering stack of cds today I found this and it reminded me I should put together another mix soon! i have added it to my list of things to do…which is a long and involved list. But I will get to it and share some stuff I’ve been into as of late.

In the meantime, if you haven’t been already, please frequent my Tumblr blog. I’ve been streaming a bunch of my favorite stuff there as of late. Ok?

]]> http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/04/05/towering-stacks-of-sound-things/feed/ 0 Astor Bell! http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/02/12/astor-bell/ http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/02/12/astor-bell/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:25:21 +0000 Mike http://mike-downey.com/blog/2009/02/12/astor-bell/

Sometime last Spring my good pal Simon and I were drinking beer in Vasastan, Stockholm getting pretty lit. We, as usual, were talking shop. And by shop I mean notes pounded into a keyboard, through a chainlink mesh of effects and out through the hifi.

We both had instrumental, electronic-based projects in the works. And neither of us had any clue as to what to do with these songs we’d been recording.

Skip to right now. After months and months of planning, programming and plotting we are happy to announce that our little corner of the web is public.

I would like to present www.astorbell.com.

Currently we’ve got 3, what I feel, really solid releases right out of the gates.

So go poke around and have a look around.

If you’d like to stay up to date you can follow along with our blog or subscribe to the newsletter by sending a blank email to newsletter-subscribe@astorbell.com.

See you over there.

xo,
M

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