My podcast series ran from January through December, 2007. I managed to keep my initial promise to myself of releasing a "new" batch of music once a month for a year. Never one to not document where I've been or what I've been through, I took a look back at my personal audio archives and figured there were some interesting songs to reveal and relive. While compiling these podcasts I was reminded of a whole lot of great times, and to be honest my fair share of not so great times. Before I started my website I never really kept a journal. So these songs are just that. A lot of this stuff was previously unreleased and really never meant to be released. All podcasts run as a single mp3, sort of like a mixtape. I guess computers have fast forward buttons if you look hard enough. I put these together really for me, as a way to publicly gauge myself over 10+ years of doing the only thing I really truly couldn't live without doing.
The Unreleases, Vol. 6
Size / runtime: 35.4mb / 30:50 - Direct link
Release date: Dec 8, 2007
Tracklisting:
Song 4 - Mannequin Men cover (2006), Caught My Cape (1996), Skyrockets Needed Advice (1997), Greener Greens (2000), Mockhouse - demo (1997), Remember the Quarantine (1996), Hesitate My Love (2004), The Trilogy (1997), The Sweet States (2002), Greater Midwest (1998), Scary Sunshine (1997), Sudden Bright Suns (2005)
Notes:
Joe Ziemba played drums on "Mockhouse (demo)". He also played the drums and sang backup vocals on "Scary Sunshine".
The Unreleases, Vol. 5
Size / runtime: 30.2mb / 26:20 - Direct link
Release date: Nov 1, 2007
Tracklisting:
Stick Around (2000), The Divers (1997), No Stereo (2007), Alpha Beta - version (2000), Bloody Knuckles Champion (1998), June Comes by Car (1997), Iron Orange Iron Blue - demo (1997), The Team that Never Wins - The Eleventh Hour cover (2006), Standard Kids (1998), Telegraph Hill (1997), Up and Anthem (2004), Unicorn and the Rainbow (2000)
Notes:
Joe Ziemba played drums, bass and sang backup vocals on "Iron Orange Iron Blue (demo)". He also played the drums on "Telegraph Hill".
Wolfie: Necessary Sailing
Size / runtime: 31.1mb / 26:59 - Direct link
Release date: Oct 7, 2007
Tracklisting:
Noids #, On Your Way *, Suspension Catches +, Let's Say We Forget About It *, Life Saver Socks +, On Cinder Blocks Looking In *, Pinecar Derby *, VFW +, Looks Fine on the Ledge *, A Dumb Life +, Silent Autumn Parks +, The Long Drive Back *, Graph Chaser +
Notes:
For this release Wolfie was Joe Ziemba, RJ Porter, Mike Downey
* = written and sung by Joe Ziemba
+ = written and sung by Mike Downey
# = written by RJ Porter
Necessary Sailing was a demo tape recorded and released on our own Mid-Fi Records in 1997. It was Wolfie's first release and only cassette. According to my calculations we dubbed no more than 50 of these. We recorded this basically as a calling card in hopes to start playing shows in Champaign and elsewhere. Luckily it worked and this tape led to quite a few easily-accessible releases, tours and whatever else happened along the way.
This album highlights a wonderful time in my life. It's naive and true with absolutely no strings attached. After many emails and random questions about the availabilty of this tape over the years I finally decided to put it up. Enjoy.
Phoning It In radio performance, aired August 10, 2005
Size / runtime: 28.2mb / 24:35 - Direct link
Release date: Sept 1, 2007
Tracklisting:
Judge on the Horn, Flame Out Flyboy, Seizure to a Strobe, Fancy Forest, Iron Woman (Devin Davis cover), Oh Randomness, House/Hotel, Rats were Comrades
Notes:
Phoning It In is a weekly radio show on Brown Student Radio 88.1 in Providence, Rhode Island. As the name of the show suggests, live performances are recorded over the phone usually from the performer's place of residence. I did my set from my bedroom in Chicago. This was recorded and broadcast back in August 2005 when I was doing lots of solo acoustic shows and ready to release my debut Adventure, Bless and Don't Be Sorry, which most of these songs come from. This set pretty much captures what most of my solo shows around that time were all about. This performance was previously only available in streaming format and I'm proud to offer it up as an mp3 for anyone interested.
Phoning It In is still kickin' and they've got quite the list of performances free and available to check out. Offical site Myspace
The Unreleases, Vol. 4
Size / runtime: 33.6mb / 29:18 - Direct link
Release date: Aug 2, 2007
Tracklisting:
I'm Knocking Down (2000), Lifeboat (1996), Summer Skiers (1999), I've Got Audio (1998), In Waves (2005), Source Properties (2003), Fly their Birds (2003), Nutmeg Mariner (2006), Oh, Randomness - demo (2005), Certain Dirt Certain Streets (2006), Verse Vica (1995), Colorwheel (2003)
Notes:
"Lifeboat" is from the Yesterday Seemed Like A Sidekick cassette.
"Verse Vica" is from the A Fire Breathing Dinosaur by Tim cassette.
Mathlete: The Household Frequencies EP + 3
Size / runtime: 19.6mb / 16:59 - Direct link
Release date: July 12, 2007
Tracklisting:
Bring Me Down I'm A Fader + (1999), Asteroid Police * (1999), Plexiglass Girls + (1999), 213 Arcade Lane + (1999), Technology, Technology * (1999), Record and Play + (1999), The Reverend's Organ + (2000), The Capsule OK + (2000), Overhead Repairs + (2001)
Notes:
* = written, recorded and sung by Dan Marden
+ = written, recorded and sung by Mike Downey
The Household Frequencies 7" EP (Ojet, 1999) was Mathlete's only vinyl release and is represented here in its entirety. The songs were transfered by Dan Marsden directly from the vinyl as to duplicate the intended listening experience. I've always loved this EP and it reminds me of the first tour we did in 1999 because the box of records showed up on my door step from the pressing plant about 2 hours before we left town for our first show. A few kids in Alabama who've seen ghosts in the backyard throwing around power tools own this record.
The 3 extra songs are all of Mathlete's compilation offerings.
"The Reverend's Organ" - Intellectos Manifesto compilation CD (Intellectos)
"The Capsule OK" - Microblast #4 compilation CD (Blackbean and Placenta)
"Overhear Repairs" - Build Your Own Radio compilation CD (Bumblebear)
The National Splits: Sent for Clover
Size / runtime: 34.6mb / 30:09 - Direct link
Release date: June 1, 2007
Tracklisting:
Slowboat (2004), Own It, Double It, Dig It Up and Bury It (2004), Heart Red Phone - acoustic (2003), Pentwater (2003), The Revival of an Evening (2003), Sun Valley - demo (2003), Old Gods (2001), Your David Starship (2001), The Time It Takes To Get Back To You (2002), Fresh Creeks (2003), 1,000 Yards (2003), No, I Don't Hang Out Like That (2003)
Notes:
The National Splits began in 2001 as a duo of myself on guitar and vocals and Dan Marsden on drums and vocals. For a while we both contributed songs and performed together live. TNS was simply Mathlete morphing into a different set up and thought process. By 2002 it had made the most sense that I continue on as TNS as a solo project, which I did with regular output up until 2004. The complete discography can be found here.
These are some of my favorite songs from the EPs and compilations, all of which I recorded solo as TNS. The Asaurus Records EP and the Frick Panther Park EP are represented here in their entirety.
"Slowboat" - Homemade Hits, Vol. 1 compilation CD (Kittridge)
"Own It, Double It, Dig It Up and Bury It" - Hey! Where'd the Summer Go compilation CD (Humblebee)
"Heart Red Phone (acoustic)" - EP Club #2 compilation EP CDR (Asaurus)
"Pentwater" - EP Club #2 compilation EP CDR (Asaurus)
"The Revival of an Evening" - EP Club #2 compilation EP CDR (Asaurus)
"Sun Valley (demo)" - EP Club #2 compilation EP CDR (Asaurus)
"Old Gods" - Blue Diamond Phillips Vol. 1 compilation CD (MOC)
"Your David Starship" - Crayola Catastrophe compilation 7" (Kittridge)
"The Time It Takes to Get Back to You" - Grab the Bottle and Run to the Hill 7" EP (Bumblebear)
"Fresh Creeks" - Frick Panther Park 3" CDR EP (Elements of Obscurity)
"1,000 Yards" - Frick Panther Park 3" CDR EP (Elements of Obscurity)
"No, I Don't Hang Out Like That" - Frick Panther Park 3" CDR EP (Elements of Obscurity)
The Unreleases, Vol. 3
Size / runtime: 25.8mb / 22:28 - Direct link
Release date: May 7, 2007
Tracklisting:
I Make Me Nervous (2002), Barkley Evergreen (2003), V.F.W. (1995), Literature Blink (1999), And I Produced a Queen (2000), Naked Eyes (2006), Ring Ring (2004), All Vietnam (1998), See Saw (1995), My First Motorbike (1998), Couch Hours (2006), Get Back Beta Black (1999)
Notes:
"V.F.W." is from the A Fire Breathing Dinosaur by Tim cassette.
"See Saw" is from the Gentle Anarchy cassette.
Wolfie: 4 Track Rarities
Size / runtime: 30.7mb / 26:44 - Direct link Individual files as a .zip
Release date: Apr 2, 2007
Tracklisting:
You Have to Leave * (1998), Can I Dig an Audio Grave? + (1998), Your Kind of Happy * (1997), Citizen Song + (1998), I Wish I Could Navigate * (1996), Phoneman + (1999), Let's Say We Forget About It * (1997), Down, Out and Waiting + (2000), Hope You Have the Time * (1997), The Orange Glow + (1999), Time Can Do for You * (1997), Sun, You'll Bring My Love + (2000)
Notes:
Wolfie was Joe Ziemba, Amanda Lyons, RJ Porter, Mike Downey. I was in this band from 1996 - 2000. Our discography can be found here.
* = written, recorded and sung by Joe Ziemba
+ = written, recorded and sung by Mike Downey
The way Wolfie operated on the songwriting front wasn't to "get together and jam." We were way more prepared than that. Joe and I would write our songs separately and record demo versions of them on our 4 tracks and then trade songs and decide which ones we wanted to bring to the band to work on and flush out. These songs never made any of our official releases but I do remember playing some of them live. This is a good representation of our prolific and constant work-in-progress existance as a band.
4 Track Rarities was an mp3-only self released album that came out in 2003. It was, for a time, available on The Wolfie Archives website which no longer exists. So I'm happy to bring this album back to life. The original downloadable artwork is available here.
Let Me Put My Goggles On: The Mathlete Mix
Size / runtime: 44.4mb / 38:44 - Direct link
Release date: Mar 1, 2007
Tracklisting:
Turn Me Up * (Lincolnwood Tech), Geekout + (Telstar Parthenon), Alpha Beta + (Mathlete Leaves the Lab, Lincolnwood Tech), We Want to Tell You * (Telsatar Parthenon), Steel Wheels '89 + (Telstar Parthenon), A Couple of Ohms * (Mathlete Leaves the Lab, Lincolnwood Tech), You Say I'm a Wreck + (Lincolnwood Tech), Coat of Arms + (Telstar Parthenon), You Wind Up All Wrong * (Mathlete Leaves the Lab, Lincolnwood Tech), (I Don't Wanna) Technical Direct + (Telstar Parthenon), Oh How We Get Let Down # (Teleport, Lincolnwood Tech), Right Tape Wrong Fader + (Lincolnwood Tech), Project Stereo Set * (Teleport, Lincolnwood Tech), Tape Machines and Tambourines + (Teleport, Lincolnwood Tech), Fix My Machine + (Telstar Parthenon), I Think I'm Power Down + (Telstar Parthenon), We're Moving to Germany * (Teleport, Lincolnwood Tech), Bought an Engine + (Teleport, Lincolnwood Tech), Feel Alright * (Telstar Parthenon), Surveillance + (Telstar Parthenon)
Notes:
Mathlete was Dan Marsden and Mike Downey. We existed as a band from 1997 - 2000. Our complete discography can be found here.
* = written, recorded and sung by Dan Marden
+ = written, recorded and sung by Mike Downey
# = written, recorded and sung by Dan Marsden and Mike Downey
Lincolnwood Tech was a cd released by Blackbean and Placenta in 2000 and was a compilation of select songs from the two cassettes that Mathlete released plus a handful of previously unreleased songs. Those two cassettes were called Teleport (In a Lighthouse, 1998) and Mathlete Leaves the Lab (self released, 1999). Telstar Parthenon was the final Mathlete full length and was released on Plastique Recording Co. in 2000.
Curt Swank edited a video for the song "Surrender" which currently exists here on YouTube.
The Unreleases, Vol. 2
Size / runtime: 29.3mb / 25:33 - Direct link
Release date: Feb 1, 2007
Tracklisting:
Exploder - version (2002), The Real Knockouts (2000), Melt the Ice Pond (1995), Flock at My Feet (2003), Owned You (2006), Get the Flashlight (1999), Password (1998), Portable Archive (2002), Milk and Farm (2003), Mood Swing King (1996), Frequent Phoenix (2002), Heartphone (1998)
Notes:
"Melt the Ice Pond" is from the A Fire Breathing Dinosaur by Tim cassette.
"Mood Swing King" is from the Yesterday Seemed Like A Sidekick cassette. Joe Ziemba on backup vocals and drums.
Little clarification...the A Fire Breathing Dinosaur by Tim, Yesterday Seemed Like A Sidekick and Gentle Anarchy cassettes were self-released albums that were made in 1995 and 1996. They represent my earliest efforts of recording my own songs on 4-track. I made about 20 - 30 copies of each and passed them out to my close friends. Because of their small scale distribution (the Greater New Lenox, Illinois area), they are being considered as part of my unreleased batch of songs.
The Unreleases, Vol. 1
Size / runtime: 27.6mb / 24:01 - Direct link
Release date: Dec 10, 2006 (publicly announced Jan 5, 2007)
Tracklisting:
Wished to the Fields (2003), Nautilus (2000), Tired Lights (2000), In a Natural Mirror I Look Fucking Gold (2006), Start (2004), I Simply Couldn't Move (2000), Green Star for New Day (1999), Do the Vibe (2003), Classic Settings (2003), It's Only Everyday (1999), Gone Finching (2003), Bonfire (1996)
Notes:
"Bonfire" is from the Yesterday Seemed Like A Sidekick cassette.
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