The Downsiders were yet another band to quietly emerge from the "new south" in the mid-80s, which makes the fact that Mitch Easter's omission in the credits as something of a surprise. The North Carolina quartet plays ringing, collegiate guitar-pop with the best of them, but tend to emanate to the more "downcast" side of the fence, in league with the likes of Dreams So Real and the Rain Parade. Over the course of what feels like a very lengthy nine-song album, The Downsiders grows a little redundant, but if you're an aficionado of this stuff, there's plenty of decadent nooks and crannies to excavate and revel in. The band released a second album, All My Friends Are Fish, on Mammoth Records in 1989.01. Another Horn's Cry (Count on Your Hands)
02. Fourth Falling
03. Curl of Hair
04. My Only Reply
05. Or So He Said
06. Mudslide
07. Ugly History
08. Goodnight Troll
09. How We Used to Play
Hear
13 comments:
In fact the Downsiders were Cole Marquis' (28th Day) group from San Francisco/Chico, CA. Cole is still active, released 2 solo records.
"All My Friends Are Fish" was posted at http://lost-in-tyme.blogspot.com/2006/12/downsiders-1988-all-my-friends-are-fish.html (blog deleted by you can still find the posts in 100 Mirrors), where there more about this great band.
As for their sound, they sure were a bit jangly, but I think they had strong doses of acid/psyche as well.
Thanks for this one! There were some really great songs on this -- I seem to remember "Mudslide" as a personal favorite.
So, the Downsiders were actually from SF? Thanks for straightening me out.
Just to clarify, the Downsiders were from Chico, CA, far north of SF. Cole Marquis moved to SF shortly after the demise of this band.
The records are good, but the live shows were amazing drony, stoney freakouts. The Open tunings, amps cranked up to 11, and tinges of Pink Floyd with louder drumming weren't captured on vinyl. There are demos around, but all of my video was stolen before I could share with everyone online!
This was my favorite band from age 16 to 18 :)
Just to clarify, the Downsiders were from Chico, CA, far north of SF. Cole Marquis moved to SF shortly after the demise of this band.
The records are good, but the live shows were amazing drony, stoney freakouts. The Open tunings, amps cranked up to 11, and tinges of Pink Floyd with louder drumming weren't captured on vinyl. There are demos around, but all of my video was stolen before I could share with everyone online!
This was my favorite band from age 16 to 18, bar none!
Yeah, I still live in NC and I can't say the Downsiders were an NC band.
It is unfortunate they left Mitch off the credits, but honestly if you've EVER dealt with typesetters, designers and/or record labels, this is not surprising.
Reminds me I need to go downstairs and organize my vinyl...awesome blog and that's not just the Ancient Ancient Age talkin'!
When I was a HS student, the Downsiders came to the local college radio station in Lowell, MA..guessing it was 87 or 88. I recall them playing Mudslide and My Only Reply, changing tunings and talking between songs joking about the "tiny bedroom studio" they were in. I recorded their set on a cassette and listened to it for years until CDs came etc. For some reason, they popped into my head today, I googled them and found this. Man, I feel old! They were great though.
We're all old, NETT, and I have this EP on vinyl in the basement somewhere, but the rar linked here is more convenient these days if only for Mudslide, which is college radio nirvana for 80s NoCal kids who couldnt get close to much better than this or 28 days. When you made a mixtape in those days you meant it.
Thanks to the host for the file!
The Downsiders were one of my favorite bands when I was in Chapel Hill. They seemed to hang out there my senior year, 1989-1990...i saw them as much as I could: at the Cat's Cradle, the Durham coffeehouse, even a frat house party I think...they loved to trash their equipment at the end of the shows, they did truly rock live and I agree that some of that energy doesn't come across on that first record. But I still love that album, and I have great memories of getting the band really stoned before or after the shows...
The Downsiders were one of my favorite bands when I was in Chapel Hill. They seemed to hang out there my senior year, 1989-1990...i saw them as much as I could: at the Cat's Cradle, the Durham coffeehouse, even a frat house party I think...they loved to trash their equipment at the end of the shows, they did truly rock live and I agree that some of that energy doesn't come across on that first record. But I still love that album, and I have great memories of getting the band really stoned before or after the shows...
Any chance of a reupload??? Thanks!!!
Can you please reupload?
This album was not recorded by Mitch Easter, thus he isn't given credit. Their second album was released on Mammoth Records, which was based in Chapel Hill, NC.
Post a Comment