The Maccabees were the first band of a doubleheader on June 10th and one of the best one-two punches we’ve ever had in the same day – contrasting and 100-percent different in mood and setting. The group from Brighton, England arrived first – just after midday having played Chicago the night before and meeting up with tourmates Bloc Party and The Noisettes in Missouri somewhere the following night. Later in the evening, we had The National in and everyone knows how that one turned out by now. As the rest of their band slept away in the Sprinter van (the same exact model of Sprinter van that the National drove and parked in the identical spot on our street hours later), vocalist/guitarist Orlando Weeks and guitarist/vocalist Felix White somberly, but excitedly climbed the steps to our studio and sang as quietly as church mice, laying down precious versions of three album tracks and one new offering. Weeks could barely be heard in the live room and White sat low to the ground on the drum riser, plugged into a tiny, baseball card-size practice amp that we had to mic. The amp was bigger than the microphone. Weeks played one of our old acoustic guitars and established a vibe that was purely enchanting and awash with such natural essence that I couldn’t help but sit inside the live room just to get closer to it. Such terrific guys. We hope we’ll have them back many times over as we discovered a kinship that will and already has made us instant, lifelong compadres: A mutual love for the English band The Coral. We can’t believe they aren’t bigger, the Maccabees can’t believe they’re bigger and we could talk for hours and hours about the very subject.

First song
First Love (The Maccabees) [3.04MB] [4784 downloads]


– original version appears on Colour It In

Kind of just does was it says on the tin.

Second song
Good Ol' Bill (The Maccabees) [2.04MB] [3946 downloads]


– unreleased
Is the story of my grandfather who gave his traction engine to a museum and then the day he died the museum phoned my
grandmother for the first time to say that it wasnt working and could Bill come and have a look at it.

Third song
Precious Time (The Maccabees) [2.19MB] [4119 downloads]


– original version appears on Colour It In
This is kind of our “gotta pick a pocket or two boys” version of the original. The song is about fighting friends.

Fourth song
Toothpaste Kisses (The Maccabees) [2.20MB] [5056 downloads]


– original version appears on Colour It In
This is an optimistic song where you think a girl is worth you improving yourself for.