THE DAMAGE IS DONE

The Features“The Beginning (Week One)”The Beginning,...

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:20:00 -0400

The Features
“The Beginning (Week One)”
The Beginning, EP release (2001)

Few other recordings capture the energy of the band’s live performance as well as this one. The title track from the band’s second EP is a raucous outpouring of pure rock and roll emotion that rolls along at a breakneck pace. The production is very straight forward, void of overdubs, backing vocals or heavy guitar distortion. This is simply the Features playing rock and roll, and that’s why it succeeds.

THIS VERSION APPEARS ON:
The Beginning, EP release (2001)
The Beginning, Fierce Panda EP release (2003)
The Beginning, Universal EP release (2004)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Live @ Bingham’s (February 1st, 2003)
Live @ The Exit/In (August 19th, 2005)

The Features“Golden Comb”Live @ 527 Main...

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:27:39 -0400

The Features
“Golden Comb”
Live @ 527 Main Street
August 28th, 2009

Sneak peeks at the band’s upcoming album are continued to be provided by YouTube. This song is much more mid-tempo, though no less rocking, than the other stuff the band is working on. It reminds me of the ballads from Lola-era Kinks records, full of narrative with a storyteller quality to Matt’s singing. “Golden Comb” made its debut in the summer of 2009 and is still being played today.

The Features“Dark Room”Mahaffey Sessions (2000)As...

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:11:00 -0400

The Features
“Dark Room”
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)

As with all the Mahaffey Sessions versions, this one is super glossy, poppy and heavy on the synth sound. The guitar sounds unlike any other guitar I’ve ever heard, very squat and zippy. Guys, I’m running out of adjectives, if you haven’t figured that out. The absolute best thing about the Mahaffey version, though, are the backing vocals on the second verse. I always sing “some are color, some are black and..” and “some are black, some are white” when I hear this song played live (which lately is never). The first version of this I ever downloaded only lasted right up to just after the solo and before the last chorus. I didn’t hear how insane Rollum went on the drums until much later. I remember that moment still and how absolutely floored I was. It’s still mind-blowing.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Exhibit A, UK album release (2005)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Live @ The Red Rose (February 28th, 2003)
Live @ Grimey’s (September 14th, 2004)

The Features“See You Through”Mahaffey Sessions...

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:07:34 -0400

The Features
“See You Through”
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)

Here it is, the version of “See You Through” that I fell in love with almost eight years ago when I downloaded the first minute of it off a shoddy MTSU-class-based website. My ears treat this version as a classic, holding it in high regard. But in all honesty, I think the Krampf version recorded during the Exhibit A sessions captures the rare magic this song shoots out when played live much better.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
There’s A Million Ways To Sing The Blues, US single release (2004)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Live @ 12th & Porter (June 21st, 2002)
Live @ 12th & Porter (August 24th, 2002)
Live @ the Red Rose (February 28th, 2003)
There’s A Million Ways To Sing The Blues, US single release (2004)

The Features“Kari-Ann”Live @ The Red RoseFebruary...

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:09:58 -0400

The Features
“Kari-Ann”
Live @ The Red Rose
February 28th, 2003

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Exhibit A, UK album release (2005)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)
Live @ Grimey’s (September 14th, 2004)
Live @ The Exit/In (August 19th, 2005)

The Features“Thursday”Live @ The Red RoseFebruary...

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:55:19 -0400

The Features
“Thursday”
Live @ The Red Rose
February 28th, 2003

You can her me yelling “hey” at the wrong time, all alone, after the la-da-da-da’s that precede the sped up tempo. I remember doing this, and I remember being embarrassed.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Thursday/Rabbit March, 10” single release (1999)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Thursday/Rabbit March, 10” single release (1999)
Live @ 12th & Porter (November 8th, 2003)

The Features“Leave It All Behind”Live @ 12th &...

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:56:37 -0400

The Features
“Leave It All Behind”
Live @ 12th & Porter
August 24th, 2002

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Exhibit A, album release (2004)
Leave It All Behind, single release (2005)

LINEAGE:
Was “Stick Together” (same first verse)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Krampf Sessions (2002)
Live @ The Boro (May 2nd, 2002)

The Features“Circus”Rawlings Sessions (1999)Brian...

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:09:00 -0400

The Features
“Circus”
Rawlings Sessions (1999)

Brian Snyder had this to say on the Features message board about this recording:

“As to the Circus demo, I’m almost positive it was a Rawlings session recording, because I remember everyone being amused because Rollum absolutely insisted on beating on a cookie sheet on the recordings’ percussion. They weren’t really sessions per se. It was just a little thing at this guys’ house with a microphone hanging from a hole in the ceiling. Above the room with the mike, the Rawlings guy had a little attic room with a soundboard. That was the entire setup. It was mostly a handful of people sitting on a couch in the next room drinking beers, while one of the Features would be in the front room laying down a track.”

The other notable thing about this recording is that it was the only song from the Rawlings sessions to be released in any way. The song was given out at concerts in 2001 on a CD-R. The Mahaffey produced “33 1/3” also got this treatment at the same time.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Exhibit A, album release (2004)

OTHER VERSIONS:
Live @ 12th & Porter (August 24th, 2002)
Live @ The Red Rose (February 28th, 2003)

The Features“Exorcising Demons”Exhibit A, album...

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:18:24 -0400

The Features
“Exorcising Demons”
Exhibit A, album release (2004)

The album version of this classic Features song does away with the backing vocals of the Mahaffey version, but it does make up for it in terms of overall quality. This sounds like the mature version of the song that the band had been trying to make all along.

OTHER VERSIONS:
Rawlings Sessions (1999)
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)
Live @ The Red Rose (February 28th, 2003)

The Features“Lions”Live @ Cannery BallroomJanuary...

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:26:19 -0400

The Features
“Lions”
Live @ Cannery Ballroom
January 13th, 2007

It took a very, very long time, but they finally got it right. Parts of this song started out as “Stick Together” back around 2000 or 2001 and, through a couple reworkings, they eventually got this modern day Features masterpiece.

And that’s really what I consider it to be. This is the buzz song from the band’s second album, I believe. The opening vocal hook is infectious, and the explosion of propulsive pop that backs it up grabs you from head to toe and makes the former bob and the latter tap. I especially love the “aw girl, but what are you thinking” part, with that snoopy and sneaky bass line creeping underneath it. It’s coy and sly, you can picture Matt backing away from the mic and glaring at you, with a half smile (which I’m pretty sure is exactly what he does during this part of the song). The guitar solo is also masterful, an upward climbing bit of classic rock, elevating constantly.

As I mentioned earlier, “Lions” began as “Stick Together” way back when. The songs share a chorus and nothing else. “Stick Together” almost immediately became “Leave It All Behind” (as the two share a first verse) and the chorus of “Stick Together” was cast aside. That is until the band brought the chorus back in a song called “Lions Dressed In Leather” in January 2006. This version of the song lasted a brief time, as it debuted rather close to the band’s 2006 hiatus. Post-hiatus, the music of the song was reworked completely and transformed into “Lions” as we know it today. They also ditched the “dressed in leather” part which was probably for the better, as “lions dressed in leather” conjures up a very peculiar Disney/biker image in my head that I’d rather not be there. “Lions” has become a staple at shows over the last couple years from what I can gather from the few bootlegs and setlists that are out there. Rightfully so. It’s also a single from their second album, Some Kind of Salvation.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Some Kind of Salvation, album release (2008)

LINEAGE:
Was “Lions Dressed In Leather” (2006; fewer lyrics but all are the same, slightly modified chorus)
Originally “Stick Together” (2000; same chorus, slightly modified)

The Features“Rambo”Live @ Mercy LoungeOctober 24th,...

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:08:00 -0400

The Features
“Rambo”
Live @ Mercy Lounge
October 24th, 2008

Not many people seem to be making audio recordings of Features shows, but YouTube seems to be overflowing with videos lately. This means that I can’t listen to great songs like “Big Mama” or “Rambo” on my iPod (yet), but I can post them here. I was actually worried that the great material that the band is currently cooking up for their upcoming third album would get lost in the shuffle, but this is a great way to remedy that.

I obviously love where this band has been, but I’m constantly thrilled by where they’re going.

“Rambo” is a good tune, and from my vague recollections of the couple times I’ve heard it this year I’m pretty sure it’s gotten even tighter. I especially love the thick rhythm the band puts down at the top of the song and during the verses, with the drums and bass providing a solid foundation for the churning guitar part, all topped off with excellent keyboard flourishes. The song actually reminds me a lot of Spoon, which is something I never thought I’d say about the Features. It’s not very dynamic in terms of pace and varying melodies, but the one that is presented is incredibly catchy and empassioned. I could listen to it on loop for a good long while.

As I said earlier, “Rambo” debuted sometime in 2008 and is currently being performed by the band as of fall 2009. “Rambo” was the song’s working title and, from what I hear, this has become the official title.

The Features“Big Mama’s Gonna Whip Us...

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:57:25 -0400

The Features
“Big Mama’s Gonna Whip Us Good”
Live @ Monolith Festival (Red Rocks, Colorado)
September 13th, 2009

“Big Mama” debuted earlier this year in the Spring and has been a constant presence on the band’s 2009 tour. It’s tight, punchy, and unlike a lot of what the band has done before. I’m amazed by the audio quality of this video. It sounds a lot better than some of the bootlegs I have. Also, it looks like the band is playing for the team of archaeologists in “Jurassic Park.” Alan Grant enjoys “Big Mama.”

So here we are...

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:48:41 -0400

As you’ve noticed the site has been pretty stagnant as of late. That’s mostly due with me having a lot more to do in the work and comedy areas. It’s also due to me not wanting to just post songs every day, letting them all back up with no entry attached to them. Staring at a site with ten songs that all need entries is way daunting to me, I’ve discovered. But don’t worry, I’m working on getting my schedule back on track.

As of today, I have written about 61 songs in 84 entries. There are still 36 Features songs that have not received an entry yet. I will be tackling those soon, but please request away! I have some theme weeks in mind, like the ten most played Features songs of all time, covers week and acoustic week, so I will hopefully get to those soon.

This tumblr isn’t over yet, folks, it’s just taking some time to regroup!

lakefeversessions: outtheother: The Features - LIONS (via...

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:07:52 -0400

lakefeversessions:

outtheother:

The Features - LIONS (via 429Records)

New music video from Lake Fever Sessions alumni The Features

Check it out! Video for “Lions” from Some Kind of Salvation.

The Features“Button My Shirt”The Features, EP...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:04:00 -0400

The Features
“Button My Shirt”
The Features, EP release (1997)

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that “Button My Shirt” is the most old school Features-y of all old school Features songs. Simple yet clever lyrics, comfortingly technicolored sentiments, a rocking chorus with a hyper alternative guitar riff, awkward solos and passionate screaming. Yep. None of this is bad by any stretch of the imagination, I just think that songs like this show how far the band has gone. It’s also amazing that they have enough documented material that you can actually follow them from being a bar band like every other bar band in America (like here) to being the most underappreciated band in the country that has been hailed as “the best band you’ve never heard of” more times than I have digits to count. The distance between this and “Hold (You Alone)” is staggering.

Still, I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane.

THIS VERSION APPEARS ON:
The Features, EP release (1997)

The Features“Jurley”Mahaffey Sessions (2000)Here it...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:35:00 -0400

The Features
“Jurley”
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)

Here it is, the guiltiest pleasure a Features fan can have. A lot of people scoff at “Jurley,” mainly due to the name “Jurley” (that’s not a real girl’s name, right?) and the purposefully contradictory lyrics (“Jurley has many things that she likes to do/Making pottery is one of the few”). I, however, love it for both of those reasons and more. If you listen to the song and judge it on its musical merits, I really press you to not come to the conclusion that it’s one of of the band’s best and most fun songs. The acoustic intro hooks your ears, and the lyrics just start reeling you in. Your mouth is now in a smile shape guys. And then that chorus! It’s so thick and start/stop-y (a recurring theme on this tumblr now being how much I love start/stop bits in songs) with a grinding bass line. How can you not love that? The second half of the second verse, too, features one of Roger’s best bits as a bassist. The entire melody, the entire everything of the song, is tossed to Roger in that part and he scores a touchdown with that funkified line. Then the bridge and solo. Wow. As if this song didn’t already have enough stand out killer parts, they added that galloping bridge with the earnest vocals and that finger-pickin’ psycho solo that would make guitar virtuoso Prince blush. Okay, maybe not…but still.

“Jurley” is a great song.

I don’t know when “Jurley” debuted, but it is one of the Features oldest songs. It was already at least four years old at the time of this recording. The song survived the departure of Taylor and Sergio and the addition of Rollum in 1999. I don’t even think that the song was a regular around the time it was recorded for the Mahaffey sessions, as a bootleg of the song I have from 1999 has the song being played by request. Of course it was already out of rotation by the time I started seeing the band in 2001. I only heard it live once at the all-request show, and for that I had to petition for it.

The Features“Blow It Out”Live @ The BoroMay 2nd,...

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:26:00 -0400

The Features
“Blow It Out”
Live @ The Boro
May 2nd, 2002

This is a baby photo of the Features biggest (?) song, which was only a bit over two months old at the time. Aside from a very undefined second verse (just listen to Pelham make those words up on the spot!), it’s interesting to note that this song was pretty much a done deal from it’s debut. No tinkering or re-working, the band knew they had a pop gem on their hands. With a chorus that borrows from the classic kiddie ditty “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and relates it to love of a girl/music (much like “33 1/3”), “Blow It Out” could actually border on insufferable if it wasn’t for that killer crunching back and forth rock sway that the band does underneath the chorus. Plus any song where Pelham gets to scream “yeah!” I’m down with. This song is easily accessible, sweet and unoffensive, even moreso than the band’s other heavily ’60s inspired singles “Kari-Ann” and “See You Through.”

Irresistibly poppy and undeniably clever, “Blow It Out” instantly became a fan favorite and regular at Features shows after its debut at the Red Rose on February 28th, 2002 (odd note, the band played one of their best shows there exacly a year later, and I post the bootlegs from it often…I just realized this). It enjoyed a consistent run where it was played at almost every show until the start of September 2002. The song drastically dropped off for the rest of 2002 and became something of a rarity. The song picked up again around the date of its birthday in 2003, but then trailed off as Summer 2003 rolled around. The song was not played from May 2nd, 2003 to March 12th, 2004. This was, based on conversations I’ve had, because around this time the band started getting a lot of attention from labels because of this song. I know the band feared getting signed based on one song and then becoming a one hit wonder. The fans also caught onto this and, at least in my group of friends, started disliking “Blow It Out” because of the one hit wonder status it might bestow upon our beloved Features.

The song was included on Exhibit A and became a single. Almost five years after the fact I can say that it didn’t turn the Features into one hit wonders, mainly because they still haven’t had any huge hits. I mean, if there is one Features song that people have heard, it probably is “Blow It Out.” It was included on a ton of samplers and I’ve had people reference this song without knowing of my love for this band. But still, the band performed “The Way It’s Meant To Be” on Jimmy Kimmel Live and that song was also put into the background of numerous MTV shows (including The Ashlee Simpson Show). And now that the Features have parted ways with Universal and are on 429 Records, there’re really no worries about them having been signed based on one song. I know Kings of Leon signed them based on their body of work, not the pop sensibilities of the great “Lions.”

After its inclusion on Exhibit A, “Blow It Out” came back into rotation heavily. It was regularly played for the rest of 2004 and all of 2005, but I don’t think it survived the band’s lineup change in 2006. It was most recently played at the band’s June 19th, 2009 show in Nashville.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Exhibit A, album release (2004)
Blow It Out, single release (2005)

The Features“Exhibit A”Live @ The Red RoseFebruary...

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:07:42 -0400

The Features
“Exhibit A”
Live @ The Red Rose
February 28th, 2003

The title track to the Features’ debut album sounds exceptionally ferocious in this bootleg, which makes sense as the song was barely over three months old at the time. The jangling guitar riff sounds like a punk rock buzzsaw and the cymbals, if they were a bit anthropomorphic, would definitely be left with some bruises on their noggins from Rollum’s pounding. The song itself, in all of its forms, is one of the more impassioned ones as the subject of the ditty tries with all his might to prove just how strong his love is. At just over two minutes, “Exhibit A” was the first of a group of fast-paced rockers that showed just how strong Pelham’s editing had become. With this, “Million Ways” and “The Way It’s Meant To Be” Pelham perfected presenting killer riffs, strong emotion and frenzied rhythms in just a scant amount of time. “Exhibit A,” both the song and album, is power pop perfection.

Of the 80 concerts I have in my database after this song’s debut on December 13th, 2002, “Exhibit A” has been played 70 times. It has never fallen out of rotation and, as the number’s indicate, it has rarely not been played. This made the song a no-brainer for inclusion on the band’s debut album in 2004. The song is still a regular at the band’s shows.

A VERSION APPEARS ON:
Exhibit A, album release (2004)

That Lake Fever Sessions video has reignited my fandom. The...

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:59:33 -0400

That Lake Fever Sessions video has reignited my fandom. The bio/essay/words written on the website (click the pic in the post below) accurately describes my feelings for this band, but not the Decemberists…who I love. Anyway, here’s an oldie and a goodie. Get obsessed with it.

The Features
“Oh My Love”
Mahaffey Sessions (2000)

The song starts with Rollum pounding on the drums at breakneck speed, and the song doesn’t let up from there. The verses are filled with tension-filled drumming and an extraordinarily tight bass line, all smothered under a darkly ominous keyboard buzz that starts churning out synth-based noises as the verse progresses. The vocals, with the elongated titular line, take the song to new heights just before that manic bridge. Matt Pelham has rarely sounded as intense as he does here and the backing vocal “ooh la la la”s compliment the intensity perfectly. This has always been one of my favorite Features songs and it’s especially great when done live. The song instantly elevates the energy off the charts. I should just listen to this instead of spending all my money on Red Bulls.

“Oh My Love” was first demoed during the Rawlings sessions in 1999 and would go on to be included in the more polished Mahaffey Sessions. The song was a staple at shows up until 2002, which is when it started falling off in popularity. The song was included as the b-side for the song “Buffalo Head,” which was released as a 7” single that year. The band would play the song at a few shows back to back to back and then forget about it for a few months. It does have the honor of being one of a few songs played at both the all-request show on November 7th, 2003 and at the normal concert that followed on November 8th, 2003. The song became a rarity in 2004 and was only played 3 times. As far as I can tell, the song hasn’t been played live since April 1st, 2005.

THIS VERSION APPEARS ON:
Buffalo Head, 7” single release (2002)
Blow It Out, single release (2005)

yewknee: lakefeversessions: The Features Lake Fever Session is...

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:14:32 -0400

yewknee:

lakefeversessions:

The Features Lake Fever Session is live! Watch it!

I have been listening to this band for approximately twelve years and I have yet to hear them write a bad song. They are, without a single doubt, one of the most talented AND enjoyable bands I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. Please enjoy their Lake Fever Session.