(Photo by Eric Meacham)
The Ditty Bops have made a significant impact on my recording career - these are the musicians I've seen and recorded the most in all the years I've been doing this. I've seen them in many different venues and play many different types of shows all this time. It was the first time I had seen them in awhile (June 2008), so I was definitely curious to see what they'd been up to.
However, before that, a bit of background. I first heard of The Ditty Bops in 2004, when they were opening for The Dresden Dolls on their current tour at the time. I checked out their website beforehand, and after asking whether they were worth seeing/recording (a fellow taper had sung their praises so to speak), I decided since I was going to be there for the Dolls anyway, why not run "tape." I've been hooked ever since, having seen them almost forty times in the past 4 1/2 years.
Having never seen just Amanda and Abby do a full acoustic show (well, I think the closest was
this Santa Barbara show from 2006 - I apologize for the poor sound quality, it was unplugged, outdoors, and windy), this evening's performances (there was an early show that will be posted in the future) seemed like a great opportunity. Well - okay, the show was good. However, during and after the night was over, some nagging issues came to light.
The show(s) were touted a release party for their latest album, the "Songs For Steve" EP, a tribute to their fallen friend Steve. Recorded in their living room, it featured a very mellow vibe, and upon listening have had mixed feelings about it. Conceding to the night's theme, the setlist featured songs from the new release, along with the a number of new tunes that may be featured on an upcoming full-length. With the unrecorded tunes, I had the same sort of mixed impression - their past music has had a sort of quirkiness to it, and it seems they are moving away from that, and more towards a James Taylor or current Norah Jones sort of feel (who's last album I felt very ambivalent about as well) Another telling factor was that only one song from the pre-"Summer Rains" era was featured on the setlist - "Growing Upside Down," from "Moon Over The Freeway." However, owing to the amount of time they've spent covering The Boswell Sisters in past shows, another different tune of the group's showed up - "Shout, Sister, Shout"
A part of me can't help but wonder if this type of show wouldn't have worked better a few years ago, in the era of the "self-titled" and "Moon Over The Freeway" albums - the reasoning being that it doesn't seem (with what information available) that the songs from those albums were played much acoustically. The Ditty Bops have always wavered a fine line between mellow and exuberant, but this show definitely veered heavily toward the "mellow" side (either that, or I was really tired from being in Palm Springs all day the day before)
Regardless, this recording (and the yet-posted one from earlier in the evening) both came out very well, the best I've pulled from McCabe's so far. There was heavy applause between songs, which I've tried to tame as best as I can.
Another note, the titles for the "newest" songs are not official - because I was not able to get a setlist, I just made my best guess at what they may be called. If I hear anything different, they will be updated.
For more recordings of The Ditty Bops, go
hereTo download, right click and save as.
1.)When's She Comin' Home
FLAC MP32.)Ain't No Good
FLAC MP33.)Somebody's Gone
FLAC MP34.)Seventh Ray
FLAC MP35.)The Pretty Girl Got Away (tentative title)
FLAC MP36.)Indigo Eyes (tentative title)
FLAC MP37.)Take My Hand Monchichi
FLAC MP38.)Because We Do
FLAC MP39.)King Of The Sea
FLAC MP310.)Dancing In The Moon
FLAC MP311.)Heaven Isn't For The Angels
FLAC MP312.)Sugar and Spice
FLAC MP313.)"Amanda's Ugly Art Auction" (auction/skit)
FLAC MP314.)Still In Love (tentative title)
FLAC MP315.)Heart On My Sleeve (tentative title)
FLAC MP316.)Gotta Get Out Of Here (tentative title)
FLAC MP317.)Growing Upside Down
FLAC MP318.)Skinny Bones
FLAC MP319.)The Next Best Thing
FLAC MP320.)Dreamy Doll (tentative title)
FLAC MP321.)Where Are You Now
FLAC MP322.)I'm Blue (tentative title)
FLAC MP323.)Summer Rains
FLAC MP324.)Shout, Sister, Shout (The Boswell Sisters cover)
FLAC MP325.)E: Pink Motor Helmet
FLAC MP3FingerprintMD5Text File
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