Aaron, Jacob, and Dan are/were friends of mine and played in a band called The Carraways but when that band called it quits in 2001, the three of them formed The Moped Band. They were from Chicago’s Western suburbs and played stripped down indie rock that was as good as anything and even less flashy. They self-released a few EP’s worth of material and played a handful of shows, but never recorded a proper full-length before they called in quits in 2004 and scattered across the country. Presented here (in big part due to the persistence of one Chris Crutcher) is almost everything that the band recorded including alternate versions where appropriate. Songs are posted in chronological order with the early stuff first; 1-7 are the band’s first EP, songs 8-11 were recorded with John Emerson but not officially released, songs 12-18 are from the Business/Casual EP, and song 19 was recorded live by me (I think at the Moped Band’s final show ever in the basement of a house in Naperville, IL). These guys were amazing musicians and amazing friends. I saw Jacob last fall but haven’t spoken to Aaron in a few years and it kinda makes me sad that we’ve lost touch. Still, I’ve got this amazing music and amazing memories.
Now I realize 99.9% of you aren’t familiar with The Moped Band, and that’s to be expected, but if you value my opinion you should check this out. Really… Start with the Business/Casual EP.
MP3:
The Moped Band - Scatter My Ashes (Extended Version)
The Moped Band - Someone In Chicago Loves You
The Moped Band - Rest Of Us
The Moped Band - Dark Water Days
The Moped Band - The Letter I've Been Meaning To Write
The Moped Band - Charm
The Moped Band - Scatter My Ashes
The Moped Band - Hometown (Emerson Version)
The Moped Band - On My Way Out
The Moped Band - Coming Home (Emerson Version)
The Moped Band - A Song That I Used To Love
The Moped Band - Beliefs Are Dangerous
The Moped Band - Crosses In Pretty Rows
The Moped Band - The Equation
The Moped Band - Coming Home
The Moped Band - Knowing I Could Leave
The Moped Band - Hometown
The Moped Band - If You're Looking For Inspiration
The Moped Band - Weightless (Live)
