Swedelife!

A Western Front - Hair

Download: Hair by A Western Front

I think I posted this not too long ago, but I just encoded the video, so here we go again. This song and the video exemplify what AWF was all about. Shiny, sparkly, fun, pop for shiny, sparkly, fun people.

A Western Front - I Am Free

Download: I Am Free by A Western Front

IAMfree was the Internet Arts Museum for FREE. It was established in 1994. The Swedelife people made it. It was the first online museum, if there is such a thing. If there was there is. It presented art that was meant to be reproduced. In other words art that works in a digital format. Music, film, photography, text, and mixed multimedia. It was a cool thing. It was a museum that lets you steal the art. It never lived up to its potential, but it was still worth the effort.

This song was recorded for the A.D. album. After Dale.

A Western Front - Go

Here's another twofer. You might have guessed that I'm encoding a bunch of old video from the Quagmire days. That'd be about right. I've been handed a giant green garbage bag filled with VHS tapes of music videos, live shows, tv appearances, and the like.

This was the first video we made with some production value. It's got everything! 16mm film, a steadycam, underwater guitar solos, and lip syncing. Just like the real thing.

It was filmed on the prior Brentwood estate of the legendary Gregory Peck. We spent three days there shooting Go and a video for The Problem from the album Full Blown Dave. So just think about that for a sec. That's Gregory Peck's backyard in which we're running around. That's his pool that we defiled with our rock and roll. There was even a tiny train that went around the grounds but it was over grown and broken down. We kept thinking about lines from To Kill a Mockingbird... "Scout! We need to drain the pool!"

Download: Go by A Western Front

A Western Front - Burn The Pop Star Down

Hola and Howdy. It sure has been awhile. I truly apologize for taking so freaking long to post something. We're working on building out a whole new site, but we shouldn't neglect this one in the stead. Shame on us! Dirty dirty Swedelife!

This is A Western Front's Burn The Pop Star Down. It's about Bono back in the day. Before he was doing all that nice shit for the world and whatever, before the air was let out of his head like a sad balloon. It's not really just about bono. You could apply it to anyone really. Hows about that chick/dude person singer from that show/song/movie/video?

This is the first music video I ever made for AWF. It was 1990. This is a bonus post. It has the video and the track.

Download: Burn The Pop Star Down by A Western Front

A Western Front - California

Download: California by A Western Front

Artist:  A Western Front
Album: Full Blown Dave
California, 160 kbps 44kHz Stereo MP3 3:31

I'm 6th generation Californian. My children are 7th... naturally. Though my family has been here since before the Gold Rush, we have no land and there was no gold. The Beach family weren't the most fertile of people. They didn't have large families, nor were they very entrepreneurial. They were teachers and ministers and later, scientists. There was one orchard owned in Lake County of Northern California. But Lake County is not Silicon Valley. With that said, there's nothing wrong with any of this. My family served a purpose in those times.

California has grown into a sprawling, soulless, stucco, and ridiculously expensive place to exist. Yes, it has its beauty and weather, but that is getting increasingly difficult to notice.

I have thought many times about leaving. Moving up to Washington or Oregon. Or out to New Mexico. Where the people are a bit more real and care more about their community than what's in their garage. I have not moved, however. Something keeps me here. It's in my blood, I think. California is in my DNA. I can not leave.

"Hey loser bitch, you better get out!"

A Western Front - Hair

Download: Hair by A Western Front

Artist:  A Western Front
Album: The King Is Dead, Long Live The King
Hair, 160 kbps 44kHz Stereo MP3 3:48

Do something different with your hair, make it a natural cap to wear.

Hair is the final song on AWF's album The King Is Dead, Long Live The King. It was a last minute replacement for another song that never made it on the album. Dale's "The Waiter." Both songs are these sweeping wall of sound type tracks. But Hair was a newer recording and it was decided that it would be a good capper.

The CD had to be stopped from production in order to get the track on. A new master tape of the song was sent to the manufacturer and they stitched the album together. It turned out fine and Hair went on to be the first single off the disc. Here it is now... enjoy.

Download: Hair by A Western Front

A Western Front - Dilbert's Crown of Thorns

Download: Dilbert's Crown of Thorns by A Western Front

Artist:  A Western Front
Album: A.D.
Track 11: Dilbert's Crown of Thorns, 160 kbps 44kHz Stereo MP3 5:46

This track is from the album A.D. After Death, After Dilbert, After Dale... They're just initials. I love this song. It's a song Brian Wilson would have made. Or if you teamed Brian Wilson with Mississippi Fred McDowell. It's a swooping sprawling howl about the martyr.

I remember when this was recorded. Tim was clearly out of his head. He dove headfirst into the blues. Hard Blues. You had to let him do it. It was a dark time and that's what blues music is good for. Getting that shit out. The pain.

So listen to the story of Dilbert. Tell me what you think.

Download: Dilbert's Crown of Thorns by A Western Front

A Western Front - Rubber Room

Download: Rubber Room by A Western Front

Artist:  A Western Front
Album: Dillweed Fucker
Track 3: Rubber Room 160 kbps 44kHz Stereo MP3 4:12

From the first notes of this track, you know that this song is special. I believe this is the first track from Dillweed Fucker that I've posted. It's significant because this was the album that was in the process of being made when Dale hung himself. Dale wrote this song. "Dillweed" was a nickname we had for Dale. "Dil," "Dill," "Dillweed." Dillweed Fucker.

You promise me that you won't abandon me

You promise me that you will take care of me

Before they put me in the rubber room

Rubber room...

More photos at flickr...

A Western Front - Sun Shines Down

Download: Sun Shines Down by A Western Front

Artist:  A Western Front
Album: The King is Dead, Long Live the King
Track 14: Sun Shines Down 160 kbps 44kHz Stereo MP3 4:24

I was just listening to Daniel Johnston's "Sun Shines Down On Me" and I remembered this track from A Western Front's landmark album The King is Dead; Long Live the King. Sun Shines Down is a tribute to Daniel and his amazing and brilliant musical expression. This was during the time that Daniel was beginning to get a little more attention outside of Austin. In fact Scott McCaughey from the Young Fresh Fellows turned us on to him. Tim immediately understood that Daniel Johnston was something special. His weird home recordings blew his mind. Was this guy retarded or crazy or autistic or a genius or all of the above? At that point it wasn't clear. I'm not sure if it is now.

"Danny don't go back to Abilene. 'Cause there's vampires there that will pick your bones clean..."

Sun Shines Down is awesome, as in it fills you with awe. I think it's one of AWF's best from that period... 1990/1991. Dave's guitar playing, the chord progression, Bif and Dale's backing vocals, the Hammond organ, Bab's lyric, vocals and Les Paul... it's all there. This is a classic song and is a fitting tribute to that era and Daniel's music.

There's a new documentary that's just coming out about Daniel Johnston's life called The Devil and Daniel Johnston. Let's all go see it together.

 

Acecast Podcast Features AWF

Download: Acecast Podcast #11 by Halvard Halversen

I just discovered that the cool podcast Acecast featured the song "The Problem" by A Western Front in their 2/11 podcast. I have no idea how Hal found the track but I'm glad he did. It was nice to hear the song in his mix. I have haven't put AWF up yet, but I will soon. For now get a taste from Acecast. (And yes Full Blown Dave by A Western Front was the first album to be distributed on the Internet. In 1994.)