Happy Holidays from the folks at Postcard From Hell

There are many talented individuals who are regular contributors to the Postcard From Hell Music Listserv. As we look forward to 2011, these friends have created a mix of original compositions as well as some favorite cover tunes. Some of these groups are still very much active, while others have disbanded and explored new paths. Some of the music has been released before, and other songs are being released for public consumption for the first time. There's a little bit of everything here: roots, pop, folk, country, rock, punk, and a touch of soul.

We're offering up this music mix free of charge, with the hope that many of you will make a small donation to Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, during this holiday season. For every $1 you donate, Feeding America can provide up 7 meals to hungry men, women and children. The good folks at that organization have provided us with our own dedicated link, so click here and make a contribution: http://help.feedingamerica.org/postcard.

You can stream the songs below, download each song individually, or download the entire set as a zip file here



The players:
Analog Revolution - Bowling Green, Ohio http://analog-revolution.com/
The Bobby Drivers - Fayetteville, Arkansas http://www.bobbydrivers.com
D. Bruin - Brooklyn, New York
Roger Bryan and the Orphans - Buffalo, New York http://www.myspace.com/rogerbryan
Horse To Water - Miami, Florida http://www.horsetowater.net
Lowery 66 - Lafayette, Louisiana
Magnolia Mountain - Cincinnati, Ohio http://www.magnoliamountain.net
Mondo Topless - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.mondotopless.com/
Naked Omaha - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.myspace.com/nakedomaha
The Old Sweethearts - Buffalo, New York
The Otis Problem - Chicago, Illinois
Pike 27 - Kent, Ohio http://www.pike27.net/
Preacher Roe - Ashland, Massachusetts http://www.myspace.com/preacherroe
Semi-Tough - Buffalo, New York


A few words about the tracks by the participants:

Erik Roesser on Fastener - This is a rough version of a tune off our record coming out in the spring of 2011. The record will be titled 37. After Newman's prison number in Cool Hand Luke.

Tim Peters on Division St. (West Bound & East Bound) - Here are a couple of versions of a tune I wrote for my band's second album - The Places In Between...some decent songs made it on there with four of us in the band writing for the album at the time.

Dave Purcell on Wrecking Yard - Wrecking Yard is the best-known song from the Pike 27 record, and one of our more rocking tunes.

Joe Carver on Family Tree - My song, from my debut album Junkie, was recorded at Joey Kneiser's house in the fall of 2010. James Toth, Joey, Brian Lowery and I sing on it. I hope you all enjoy it.

Steve Kirsch on Six Lights - From our 2005 album The Blue Route. This was always a fun one to play live.

Mark Utley on One Waking Moment - This track was recorded at Ultrasuede Studio with John Curley in September and October 2010, at the same time we recorded our tune for the Music for the Mountains compilation (http://www.facebook.com/musicforthemountains). It's the first song specifically recorded for our upcoming third album (tentatively titled Town and Country).

Donny Kutzbach on Charity Skull - This rough and shitty song has an opening which is sorta homage-y to Holidays In The Sun. And a fitting title for this compilation.
Editor's Note: The song is not rough and shitty in any way.

Mike Orr on Esther Wood - A remix of a tune (Esther Would) from Preacher Roe's Blood Root Remedy record that was released 11-18-10 on Maiden Voyage Records.

Mike DuBose on Taking Things - Taking Things comes from a weird attempt at guitar noodling in a pseudo-Arabic style (whatever that means), just something I really used to do while mindlessly watching television. I rocked it up by running the riff through AC/DC, and my marvelous bass player wrote the awesome lyrics. This is our first recording attempt, and this version might end up on our debut EP entitled Rotation of the Sheep (watch the website for details).

Caleb Rose on Unraveling - This is an early "band version" that the Bobby Drivers released on the Isolation Sessions EP. This version will be re-recorded for the forthcoming Bobby Drivers LP so that the version for this compilation will be unique.

Dave Purcell on Kentucky's Calling - This is a solo version of a song that was on the Pike 27 record, Falling Down Hard. I recorded it for a benefit comp for a food bank, fittingly enough.

John Troutman on Tiger Truckstop - I wrote and recorded this song to 8 track several years ago, long before I knew I was to move just down the road from the Atchafalaya basin bridge and surrounding attractions--what the song is about. I never did anything with the song but it's taken on a new significance for me due to my new digs.

Erik Roesser on What You're Waiting For - This tune is from the album we were recording around the time that the Old Sweethearts broke up. The record was to be called Dead Summer Songs.

Steve Kirsch on Loose - This version of the Stooges classic was recorded at a show in June 2009 at Johnny Brenda's in Philly. I hope what it lacks in audiophile-friendly goodness it makes up for with grit and spunk.

D. Bruin on Mama's Eyes - Here is a Justin Townes Earle cover that was recorded at home on my iPhone early in 2010 while rehearsing the song to play for my Mom at my parent's anniversary party.


Big thanks to all my music-loving friends who donated their time and their wonderful songs to the project. Special thanks to Mark Utley for the lovely artwork to accompany the music. Happy listening everyone, and remember to lend a hand this holiday season.

Enrico