Fair to Midland - God Help Us (unreleased demo)

God Help Us demo from the Arrows & Anchors writing sessions I found on an old hard drive. I'm pretty sure it was the only copy that existed at that point. It would be a shame if it was lost and nobody ever heard it. I always really liked this song. I believe this is all Andrew but I could be wrong. Anyway, enjoy! :)

Pretty nice, and it hardly sounds like something from the compressed mix of that record. I just dunno if it ultimately would have ended up with what sounds like a looping digital drum track. But the vocal harmonies and piano are haunting.

Fair to Midland News: Bassist Jon Dicken leaves and..

from the band's blog on wordpress

After 7 amazing years of playing with Fair To Midland, our bassist Jon Dicken has decided it was time for him to move on. We appreciate his hard work and dedication to the band, we love him, and wish him the best in all his future endeavors. Moving forward, we are excited to continue touring and making music.

Unfortunately, however, this has resulted in the cancellation of our European/UK dates in November. We want to send our sincerest apologies to our European friends and fans from across the pond. We will be regrouping in the following weeks and in the meantime we thank you all for your patience and understanding.



Like Johan Hallgren of Pain of Salvation, writing about someone leaving a band I have great interest and personal experience with, probably is not justified in a short amount of time doing so. But I guess the most I can add about this is this is sad in many ways, but not incredibly surprising. I'll admit, though, among the band, Jon was the one I had the least amount of experience hanging out with. Although I did get to talk to him on occasion, just my memory is spotty from those (compared to some of the conversations I've had with Cliff or Darroh for example).

But he was the newest member of the band, yet still 7 years, and 3 releases and all those concerts (10 of which I attended) is still a lot of history. He will definitely be missed, but hopefully his future projects, music or otherwise, will be successful. I read something on the FTM Fans forum about him mentioning in an interview with Cliff, that he had a project in the works with one of the members (or former members?) of the band Timeline. Who are not a band I've listened to, but do recall their name mentioned on the FTM fans forum a few years ago.

I may be confusing Timeline with another band, but I recall a prog metal band of that or a similar name. The project that he may end up making with said musician, who knows what it'll be like. But it should be something to keep in mind in the coming months/years at least.

As far as Fair to Midland, they announced on facebook their upcoming European Tour in November is canceled due to Jon's departure. Which really sucks for the folks in Europe, but hopefully the band will find a way back there soon, perhaps in 2012 at least.

Fair to Midland's scheduled American Tour with Australia's hardrock/collge-prog/Tool-influenced band Dead Letter Circus is still scheduled to happen in December. Although I imagine finding someone to play bass for that tour is a top priority for the band at this time. Maybe they have someone already in mind, but have not been able to announce it yet. Someone on the fans forum suggested their original bassist Nathin Seals could come back. I would expect sometime in the coming weeks an announcement will be made though.

And I guess Jon told them he was leaving a few months ago, at least, as one post on the Fans Forum mentions it back in August.

But the band also have a plan to record a live DVD at the Flint, MI show on December 17th as Cliff alludes to in this video.



however, that video came before Jon announced he was leaving, and of course it sounds like what they wanted for that show in terms of contributions, live footage and whatnot is already past?

I guess that should be something the band will also announce relatively soon. Along with Cliff mentioning the interest to re-release both inter.funda.stifle and the long out-of-print and desired-by-hardcore-fans The Carbon Copy Silver Lining.

Now, I wonder if the format of those would be VINYL. I know I will buy them one way or another, assuming the prices aren't outrageously expensive.

Some other items mentioned on the Fans forum that could come soon:

-an EP of B-sides, likely from the demo-ing/recording of Arrows & Anchors
-A Vinyl release of Arrows & Anchors

Although a b-sides thing was talked about likely coming after Fables and it didn't happen. Although that may have had a lot to do with their label situation. But I know some of it was feelings about said b-sides within the band. But hopefully history won't repeat with the potential of a b-sides.

However, personally, I can't avoid concern with probably most if not all the content recorded recently due to the compression mix of the cymbals on most of A&A, including the Itunes bonus track "Pour the Coal to 'er."

A revisiting should be required on my part with the new record, but I guess given I've been through this before with other albums/bands, I am content, even with a band like Fair to Midland who I've been addicted/attached to for a good chunk of time. Not every record by every band you love will be re-listenable, at least for awhile. Rush's Vapor Trails for example.

But I certainly will post something and will want to check out any b-sides or other unreleased music from these guys, clipping-cymbals included.

I guess certainly the show at the Varsity Theater on December 13th will be even more significant with all this news coming out about the band. It will be weird to see them without Jon on stage, but the same can be said about a lot of bands with lineup changes.

Fair to Midland - Arrows and Anchors (2011) (1.0)

7/11/11 12:30AM

here's the shitty web stream

I suppose for those who don't read the board religiously (who may only find this blog, which as I've said before, is rather scary and frightening to me, but 80-90% of those finding this blog I suspect are only looking for a leak/link which they won't find of course), it's worth passing along.

I could have a lot to say about this, good and/or bad. But as I posted on twitter, my fears and now just acceptance of the production issues with it sound true from it. No matter, I shall be purchasing a copy at Cheapo on Tuesday (along with the new Yes album, and cost-free thankfully, thanks to the gf's bday gift).

no matter how good or bad it is, i am excited about my 10th time seeing them in concert in Minnesota on Saturday July 16th. Despite the sauna at Station 4 and not spending the evening with my best friend on his bday (we'll be hanging during the day at least).

5/31/11 8:14PM

Samples of every song including the Bonus track "Pour the coal to Er"

Or someone needed to webrip them and throw them up on Youtube of course.


I'm gonna be brutally honest here. And this is a BROKEN RECORD of course since I've been suffering/saying/noticing etc yadayadayada this since 2008. Here's what I posted on the Fans forum a bit ago.

CLIPPING FROM COMPRESSED SPLASH AND CRASH CYMBALS.

So many modern rock and metal albums have to varying degrees, this problem, that can stand out like nails on a chalkboard for me.

I sincerely hope (pray) the frequent cymbals clipping evidence on many of these is purely a result of the Compression from the mp3's. I.e. the final LOSSLESS versions, the tambourine-toned cymbals will be scarcely heard if at all.

I REALLY hope this album doesn't turn out like Karnivool's SOUND AWAKE.

But the jury is still out, as compressed samples from Amazon could quite possibly have something to do with that. However, the clipping is darn clear on the mp3 download of Amaraillo, so I'm not sure how much these clips on Amazon actually could have to do with it, which worries me :x :cry:

So, my prediction now, is the production at least on a percentage of this record, will hurt if not entirely ruin a number of these songs for me. O well, glad I'm aware of that now instead of when I 1st, 2nd, 3rd time hearing it.

But to say its Album of the Year chances has dropped a lot would be an understatement. So be it, I can't do anything about it now. I'm sure there will be a lot of music on it I'll love regardless. There was on Sound Awake as well, it still didn't avoid the Turkey Blog territory in 2009 though. I guess the jury will be deciding more of this stuff soon as the drop date is not much more than a month away. I'm skeptical many if anyone else will share the same issue with the cymbals as I do, like many didn't/haven't with Sound Awake of course.


5/19/11 11:37AM


My latest twitter post:
new @Fairtomidland song "amarillo sleeps on my pillow" downloadable http://ftmband.com/

4/28/11 1:50AM

this is apparently the official track list for 1 version that is being sold in Europe. Which has now been modified to a July 11th release date.



1 Heavens to Murgatroyd 0:44
2 Whiskey and Ritalin 3:37
3 Musical Chairs 3:32
4 Uh-Oh 4:16
5 Amarillo Sleeps on My Pillow 4:42
6 A Loophole in Limbo 3:39
7 Typhoid Mary Sends Her Best 0:56
8 Short Haired Tornado 4:19
9 The Upset at Bailey Bridge 0:52
10 Rikki Tikki Tavi 3:25
11 Golden Parachutes 3:44
12 Bright Bulbs and Sharp Tools 3:57
13 Coppertank Island 3:10
14 Three Foolproof Ways to Buy the Farm 2:47
15 The Greener Grass 10:57
16 Pour the Coal to 'er [bonus track] 3:32


Pour the Coal to 'Er = MIA. But a few comments on the fans forum suggest that track may still be included on one of the versions (or at least a b-side).

edit: Pour the Coal to 'Er: Bonus Track
4/25/11 12:41AM

The Street Date has apparently been pushed back to July 12th.

post on their site

although this link lists a street of June 20th. But maybe that's for Europe?

edit:
July 12th = US.
June 20th (my bday, lol) = Europe



a listed track list from some DJ who received a promo THIS IS NOT FINAL.

1. Whiskey and Ritalin
2. Musical Chairs
3. Uh-Oh
4. Amarillo Sleeps on My Pillow
5. A Loophole in Limbo
6. Short-Haired Tornado
7. Rikki Tikki Tavi
8. Golden Parachutes
9. Bright Bulbs and Sharp Tools
10. Coppertank Island
11. The Greener Grass 10:58
12. Pour the Coal to 'Er


but a comment with that on their fans forum suggested "Pour the Coal to 'Er" is not going to make it based on how the Musical Chairs single mp3 is tagged with a "Track 3."

4/4/11 5:08PM
Musical Chairs: nice added guitar solo, but not so nice tambourine-toned cymbals in spots. I'm hoping it's due to compression of the stream and now how the finished product will sound.

no embed at this point.

Musical Chairs by Fair to Midland @ ARTISTdirect.com

3/8/11



article

Top 15 Unofficial Rumored FTM Album Titles

1. “Courtiers and Cutthroats”
2. “Azullorojo Dream”
3. “My Mother Took Two”
4. “I Have Reason to Believe She’s Make Believe”
5. “I Like That Panda!”
6. “I Have Disabled The Robot Professor And This is My Victory Dance”
7. “The Epic Odyssey Of A Tapdancer With A Grudge”
8. “Rumors and Whispers: The Title of Mystery”
9. “The Title That Can’t Decide Itself”
10. “Wheels in Place of Horses”
11. “Man Made Moon Lander”
12. “How To Destroy a Band”
13. “A Thousand Sons”
14. “Weights and Projectiles”
15. “Powerfist”

there's supposedly some video that confirms the release date of June 7th (same day as the The Dear Hunter The Color Spectrum EPs and Battles album Gloss Drop).

I'd love to find a link to said video, and when I finally do, I'll have to add it here. But this was announced last Friday I guess. I saw their post about the album titles that didn't make it, but it took me going to their fans forum to finally see it posted/confirmed officially, lol. Can you say CRYPTIC?

Well, regardless, the title is nice to be shorter. That article/interview with Darroh has me curious how different some of these songs will sound, even from the live versions. "Amarillo Sleeps on My Pillow" in particular, they stress about.

But as far as the songs on it, 11 of these titles below, in all likelihood will be on it. here are are the bolded tunes in a playlist (assuming it's still up)

"Pour the Coal to 'Er"
"Bright Bulbs and Sharp Tools"
"A Loophole in Limbo"
"Musical Chairs"
"Rikki Tikki Tavi"
"Uh-Oh"
"Coppertank Island"
"Amarillo Sleeps on My Pillow"
"Bravo Sierra"
"The Greener Grass"
"The Dead Sea"
"Golden Parachutes"
"Whiskey"

Fair to Midland - Arrows and Anchors (artwork background)

Kind of cool to learn about how they made/came-up with the artwork. The artist I met at 1 of the shows at The Rock "Eye Sack" I recall is his screen name on the fans forum.

Fair to Midland - Musical Chairs (Official Video)

not a ton to say really, other than the smashed/smashing of the keyboard/piano. I haven't heard it with the music yet though. Plus within the album I suppose. But otherwise, it looks like just a straight up, rocking-out video. Which actually, the video(s) the band have done, they've never had before, which is nice in some ways. Just not too arty I suppose.