The Bicycles Unmastered Album Mixes (2005) torrent

The Bicycles
Unmastered Album Mixes

These are mixes of recording sessions The Bicycles recorded with Dan Byrk and Robert Sledge (of Ben Folds Five) in North Carolina.

Seven songs from these sessions showed up on the Bicycles' 2006 CD "The Good The Bad and the Cuddly" but all 17 songs were apparently shopped as publishing demos.

Judging by the photo, the band as at the time was (l-r) Drew Smith, Dana Snell, Matt Beckett and Randy Lee.

Some of these unreleased songs sound a little sedated compared to the hyperactive magic of their CD, but you can hear how their songwriting has really progressed from their first EP. While Matt's singing is excessively twee in places, Drew definitely makes up for it with his tender balladry. Very cool is that all four Bicycles sing at least one song each!!

Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of Rufus Wainwright, Stephin Merritt, Kings of Convenience, Elliott Smith, Belle & Sebastian, The Pastels, Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal and Elephant Six stuff in general.

Sleeve Notes:

the bicycles
unmastered album mixes

1. hello shelly
2. paris be mine
3. homework
4. the young basketball player
5. longjohns & toques
6. you got tired
7. breafast for two
8. gold pieces
9. dreaming of you
10. let's drive around
11. this song is it
12. i will appear for you
13. without you
14. home
15. let's be together
16. sunday
17. randy's song

produced by dan bryk
recorded by dan bryk & robert sledge