Homegrown Daytrotter Sessions

Over the past month or so a few local acts made the trip out to Rock Island, Illinois and recorded a few songs for the fine people at Daytrotter. If you don't know about Daytrotter, here's the deal. Up and coming artists and some well-established acts record usually a four song studio session, some songs off of their albums and some rare gems of covers and unreleased material you can only find there. The songs are then posted for the entire world to enjoy along with a well written piece on the band and some great artwork.

Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

Baltimore's Wye Oak made the stop recently, recording two off of the great album If Children, and two unreleased songs not found on any album. The first song, "Mary Is Mary", was written after a body was found behind the band's house in Baltimore. The second unreleased track, "Remember, Above", written right before the session, includes flood-inspired imagery after an aborted attempt to get into an underwater Iowa City. The album tracks include a great version of "Family Glue" and "Archaic Smile", usually not heard live on the road. (Session link)

mp3: Mary Is Mary (Daytrotter)

Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

DC's These United States had already done a session back in 2007. While on the Crimes release tour this fall, they made another trip to the studio during one of their midwestern swings. Putting down two from A Picture... and two from Crimes, it was a perfect balance of new and old. "Burn This Bridge" and "First Sight", a song used in the first session, but this time with a full band, are excellent versions. The new album tracks recorded include "West Won" and "We Go Down to That Corner". (Session link)

mp3: West Won (Daytrotter)

Illustration by Johnnie Cluney

Philly's folk-jam heroes Hoots & Hellmouth also ventured westward early this fall and put together a great four-song set. Three tracks come from their self-titled album, while the fourth is unreleased. Forks & Knives kicks off the set, then rolls into Home for Supper. Rattle These Bones, one of the earliest H&H creations, is the third song in the rotation, followed by an unreleased song, You and All Of Us, which tells us "Wherever you go, there you are…and so’s the rest of us! Embrace your community, wherever it may be and whomever it may include. To borrow a phrase, “Dismantle globally, renew locally.”" (Session link)

mp3: You and All of Us (Daytrotter)