Friday, July 1, 2011

Discount: Love, Billy (Bragg)


Discount were 2nd tier members of the hard-touring, wildly-prolific indie-punk underground of the nineties but by now they are just the first entry on Alison Mosshart's (The Kills, The Dead Weather) resume. So around the time they were releasing split singles with J Church, touring on the cheap and sleeping on floors the band stopped to cover five Billy Bragg songs for this 1998 E.P. on Fueled By Ramen Records, Love, Billy. The covers give a a bashing American pop-punk reading to some less obvious Bragg songs (only "Help Save the Youth of America" is from his foundational period).



You can let us know what you think of these Bragg covers in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find the Love, Billy link).
Posted by jeffen at 9:23 AM
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8 comments:

  1. jeffenJuly 1, 2011 at 9:24 AM

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    COMMENTS!

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    http://www.mediafire.com/?5vc2562pivj8vx3

    ReplyDelete
  2. joseph kyleJuly 1, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    i booked a show with them on their last US tour, and Allison said that they actually got to do a short tour opening for Billy as a result of this EP. She said that he told them that they visited the plane crash site of Buddy Holly, and as they were walking around, found some natural ditchweed growing by the memorial plaque, and that he and band promptly got stoned at the place where Buddy Holly died!

    ReplyDelete
  3. veganboyjoshJuly 2, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    my first introduction to Billy Bragg. also--potentially blasphemous spoiler alert--some of my favorite versions of these songs as a result.

    i will always cherish both this CD and the vinyl version--a split 12" with J Church on the other side doing ELO covers.

    i love the disclaimer in the liner notes that says, in effect, " we didn't ask for permission, as we felt Billy would be ok with this. fuck asking, make shit happen."

    ReplyDelete
  4. jeffenJuly 2, 2011 at 5:47 PM

    Bless MRML readers, even when a post only gets 2 comments, they're two great ones!

    j metaphor
    What a story - please let it be true (but if not, it's no big diff.)

    VBJ
    If you ever scan the entirety of that split 12' let me know and I'll post the whole thing - those J Church ELO covers are nothing short of phenomenal!

    ReplyDelete
  5. veganboyjoshJuly 2, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    when you say "scan", do you mean the cover and liner notes, or the actual songs?

    either one can be arranged. i know people who know people, etc.

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  6. jeffenJuly 2, 2011 at 6:11 PM

    Well a proper rip of the songs would be nice (though I can probably cobble together a version using different sources) but scans of all the artwork and liners etc. would really be the shit!

    let me know

    ReplyDelete
  7. veganboyjoshJuly 2, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    can definitely do the scans of artwork. possibly tonight, most likely by tomorrow.

    i don't have my ripping setup....set up, so that might be a while.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Eazy ErokJanuary 2, 2012 at 5:38 PM

    I've always had a soft spot for Discount and love Mr. Bragg- can't believe I never knew this existed! Downloading now.

    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete

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