MP3 Truffles: Rare live recordings and crazy fun music from around the internet

The mp3 blog Kwaya Na Kisser is a great place to pick up some rare live and demo recordings. Two incredibly popular recent posts sapped their bandwith, but a little jiggering and now they seem to be back and working fine. So head over there while you still can and pick up Lou Reed & Nico - The Bedroom Tapes, the informal rehearsals for the V.U. & Nico album (which makes a nice companion to this). You can also nab a master at the height of his powers with Leonard Cohen's Live BBC television concert from 1968. Or, if you really don't want to impress anyone, then try Leo Sayer live at a small Boston venue in 1975. Try the clap-along anthem One Man Band, or if you're a sucker for that Styx-style organ sound like I am check out Telepath as well.

After a hiatus, the wonderful Bubblegum Machine is back! They share a mere two songs a week, but the level of quality and variety is always top notch. As their manifesto says: "If it features hand claps, cow bells, syrupy orchestration, walls of sound, wrecking crews, sha-la-las, toothy teen idols, candy-based metaphors for carnal acts or lyrics about hugging, squeezing and rocking all night long, it's in." Start by getting hyped to Wayne Cochran's scortcher Goin' Back To Miami, then listen to Gene Pitney make one last desperate (and awesome) gasp to stay relevant, then mellow out to the female version of God Only Knows. Better yet, download everything - there's not a bum song in the bunch.

Many more finds after the jump.

Music For Maniacs would like to remind you about Rael - the French singer/songwriter turned ~~cult leader~~ messenger of Elohim. Yes, worshiping UFOs can destroy your Jacques Brel-inspired French pop career, but that doesn't mean you can't still crank out some great songs! Head over to Rael's website for a bevy of downloads, including songs, a video, and several compellingly insane e-books (might I recommend Yes To Cloning, in which Rael offers a view of our multi-self futures). Oh yeah, and did I mention that he is also a champion race-car driver? Now that is a Renaissance man!

Every time there's a new post at Dinosaur Gardens it's a cause for celebration - even if what you're celebrating is an over-enthusiastic read-along story about John Deere Manure Handling Equipment. Correction, especially when that is the case.

Queens' own Tony & Kelly Rich make me long for a simpler time of much less simple fabric designs. Their lounge-vocal version of Miserlou is not to be missed. One of the many gems available at the Belly Bongo LP Archive.

I really should stop sending you to the Record Robot every week, but I can't help it - they have Heino! Any you all know how we feel about Heino around these parts.

Ever have one of those great "WTF" moments while listening to your shuffle? Spiked Candy's culprit was this totally fuzzed-out Francoise Hardy cover of Je N'attends Plus Personne.

After my own heart: classic recordings of Coney Island carnival barkers.

For kiddie and novelty records, make sure to stop by Way Out Junk, who has been re-posting all of his previous shares. Now is the time to load up on those musical memories you've been trying to forget: like that rip-off Electric Company record that your parents bought you instead of the real soundtrack you wanted. Compare the Disneyland records version of Easy Reader with the official Morgan Freeman version if you really want to know sorrow.

WFMU's own Laura Cantrell is all the rage in France. But we had her right back here in the studio for a special New Year's return show of Radio Thrift Shop.

The mash-up kings at M-1, who brought you Ken's 2007 Top 10 pick Dirt Bacharach, have just re-started Sonic Reclamation Industries. This "on-line reissue label" features un-mashed compilations of classic vinyl-only finds, including a collection of early L.A. Punk and New Wave, and the incredibly funky Moog Breakbeats.

My favorite on-line find this week is Hoyt Axton's 1969 album My Griffin Is Gone. Why? Two words - Beelzebub's Laughter.

And while they may not have any mp3's, you may still want to visit Ruined Music, which is chock full of painful personal stories wherein music played a vital role. Ever tell you about that time I drove around crying my eyes out on the 4th of July as fireworks burst on the horizon and Elvis' "Suspicious Minds" boomed out of the car speakers? Well, someday it will probably be posted here.