By The Sword
by Free Diamonds
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Digital Album
Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Purchasable with gift card -
More Music by Free Diamonds
1. |
Backpack Escape Plan
01:58
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always drunk at your parties, and at the disco. she's making enemies with everyone. because she's not the prettiest and she's not the sexiest. but she keeps her backpack filled with escape plans. maps for big disasters and ways to get there faster. she's got some places she can go. when she wants to be alone. hey i'm really sorry if i made you cry. like all the stupid things i keep doing… i have no reasons why. always drunk at your parties, and at the disco. she's making enemies with everyone. because she's not the prettiest and she's not the sexiest. but she keeps her backpack filled with escape plans. maps for big disasters and ways to get there faster. she's got some places she can go. when she wants to be alone. hey i'm really sorry if i made you cry. like all the stupid things i keep doing… i have no reasons why. if it's on then it's on. and if i'm wrong then i am wrong. and if she's gone then she's gone. then there's nothing i can do with this song
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2. |
Hugs & Kisses
02:01
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i couldn't shoot somebody. i wouldn't have the nerve. but her aim is much more deadly. and i know who she'd shoot first. we were all hugs and kisses. now there's no hugs and kisses anymore. i'd try poison when she's sleeping. but she always looks so nice. she's happy when she's dreaming. and i'd only change my mind. we were all hugs and kisses. now there's no hugs and kisses anymore. i couldn't shoot somebody. i wouldn't have the nerve. but her aim is much more deadly. and i know who she'd shoot first. we were all hugs and kisses. now there's no hugs and kisses anymore. i'd try poison when she's sleeping. but she always looks so nice. she's happy when she's dreaming. and i'd only change my mind. we were all hugs and kisses. now there's no hugs and kisses anymore
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3. |
Flamingo!
02:26
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loose lips sink, sink ships. and mine got me in trouble from the first time we kissed. if you'd like to take a minute and sit right there. i'll tell you how i lost the girl with the prettiest brown hair. it's not so easy to hold on. when you're sinking. it's never easy to hold on. take that, rewind it back. i wish i had a way to get my best friend back. i think she got pregnant, that's why she seemed so scared. and she moved off with her aunty and uncle, somewhere. it's not so easy to hold on. when you're sinking. it's never easy to hold on. so this here, this is my ship. and if anything should happen i'll go down with it. i thought that if all else fails what we had was rare. wait… nah forget it. yo! set sail for elsewhere. it's not so easy to hold on. when you're sinking. it's never easy to hold on. it's not so easy to hold on. when you're sinking. it's never easy to hold on
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4. |
Cobracobana
01:31
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oh! good god! you must feel so ridiculous. she rolled up to your party, shotgun in his lexus. she forgot your birthday card. and she's been fucking all your homeboys, flexing their credit cards. she's not that kind of girl… yeah right! she's like every other girl, every girl in the world. oh! good god! you must feel so insignificant. she's way out of your price range, make no mistake about it. so the sex you had was charity. (cue violins), oh what a tragedy! she's not that kind of girl… yeah right! she's like every other girl, every girl in the world. you know it's useless. you know it's wrong. but in a couple of weekends time. you'll be somebody else's sad song
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5. |
Midnight Rainbow
02:38
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i could use a holiday. winter showed up early, sunk its teeth in. and i can't shake it away. i'd like to learn how to surf. and there's a million other things. i'd better learn how to swim first. i feel stuck and i'm only twenty-seven. guess i'm closer to thirty than i am to forgiven. i could use a holiday. winter showed up early, sunk its teeth in. and i can't shake it away. i could use a cigarette. there's a million other things. i twenty years i'm gonna regret. i feel stuck and i'm only twenty-seven. guess i'm closer to thirty than i am to forgiven
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6. |
What's With The Yes?
01:32
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she thinks it's easy when she wears that dress. you know it! she thinks i'm frigid because i won't undress. in public! she thinks her mother doesn't understand. she doesn't! she thinks her father doesn't give a damn. he doesn't! it's the first thing that she'll take. the love you give, the love she fakes. she thinks it's easy when she wears that dress. you know it! she thinks i'm frigid because i won't undress. in public! she thinks her mother doesn't understand. she doesn't! she thinks her father doesn't give a damn. he doesn't! it's the first thing that she'll take. the love you give, the love she fakes. it's the first thing that she'll take. the love you give, the love she fakes. we've got to turn around. it's the first thing that she'll take. the love you give, the love she fakes. it's the first thing that she'll take. the love you give, the love she fakes
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7. |
A Herd Of Elephants
02:24
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oh she's went crazy. she's went and lost her mind. she's maxed out all her credit cards. on drugs and smokes and wine. some people think she's lost. some people think she's fine. some people never took the time. to get to know the girl. f r e e. oh she's went crazy. she's went and lost her mind. she's maxed out all her credit cards. on drugs and smokes and wine. some people think she's lost. some people think she's fine. some people never took the time. to get to know her mind. f r e e. when you get older. there's a change of plans. it gets easier to make a fist. and harder to hold hands. she crashed... like a herd of elephants. f r e e. when you get older. there's a change of plans. it gets easier to make a fist. and harder to hold hands. she crashed... like a herd of elephants. f r e e
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8. |
Hey Annalise
01:16
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oh my! annalise. you've got a heart so mean it should be on a leash. we've got a good connection. i'm gonna kiss that girl, gonna get a reaction. oh my! annalise. to keep her teeth so clean. she's always brushing her teeth. we've got a good connection. i'm gonna kiss that girl, gonna get a reaction. it's not so easy. oh! is it annalise? you're not so easy. oh! how i wish you were my annalise. i wish we could turn around. and you would kiss me. and we'd show this town a thing or two. it's not so easy. oh! is it annalise? you're not so easy. oh! how i wish you were my annalise
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9. |
The Little Keyboard Song
01:02
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she turned up late to your disco. she slept in late for her own funeral. i like girls who smoke cigarettes. she likes boys who ride bmx. never ever, ever again. it's happening again! she turned up late to your disco. she slept in late for her funeral. it took me five years to kick cigarettes. now i like girls who ride bmx. never ever, ever again. it's happening again! never ever, ever again. it's happening again!
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10. |
Tumbling Tumbling Down
02:44
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is this it? is it the end of the road. i'm all washed up. i'm way to skinny. i'm all flesh and bones. i'm nearly bald not even thirty. i couldn't give a damn. but you know. it just the way you look. that really makes a man. i'm a million little pieces. i'm a jigsaw waiting to be solved. you could put me back together. but you could never figure me out. i lost my grip. i let her slip. i never could hold on. i've cheated twenty times. my god. she's only twenty one. i've made mistakes. its not the first. and it won't be the last. let's keep this quiet. keep hush hush. that shits all in the past. i'm a million little pieces. i'm a jigsaw waiting to be solved. you could put me back together. but you could never figure me out
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11. |
To Russia With Love
02:00
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glossy, glossy, glossy like the magazines. i lost my girl to a russian from the fashion scene. she took her cigarettes her wedding dress. that crooked little soviet... took her to a place that i couldn't find. oh my god! i cant believe she's gone. oh my god! i cant believe it took so long. this is a rescue attempt, with no attempt. this is a rescue attempt, with fuck all intent. don't say that… unless you really mean it. don't come back… unless you really want to. don't say that… unless you want to party. don't come back… unless you want to disco. i lost my girl to a russian from the fashion scene. don't say that… unless you really mean it. don't come back… unless you really have to. don't say that… unless you want to party. don't come back… unless you want to disco
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12. |
Teen Magic
01:45
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goddamn! that girl is dynamite. her tongue is sharper than a flick knife. she doesn't like our stupid indie songs. she makes my heartbeat like a kickdrum. its me and you or me and my drums. or something like that. but its never never never enough.
to keep me happy. she had a baby son. wraps me round her little finger just like bubblegum. she's gonna start her own rock band. boys are heartless how could they understand? its me and you or me and my drums. or something like that. but its never never never enough. to keep me happy. goddamn! that girl is dynamite. her tongue is sharper than a flick knife. she doesn't like our stupid indie songs. she makes my heartbeat like a kickdrum. its me and you or me and my drums. or something like that. but its never never never enough. to keep me happy. she's got a new boyfriend now
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13. |
Whip Crack Away
02:22
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you could have been this, you could have been that. if you'd have just picked up the slack. she's picking up all the pieces that you made. and she's putting them back. she's gonna show your photograph. to all the rest of the girls. because on the day that you met. she became the happiest girl in the world. i mean, oh my god. enough is enough! i'm never gonna be the guy she's dreaming of. so my cigarettes keep making you sick. well i'm allergic to your perfume. but you don't hear me bitch about it you could have said this, you could have said that. if you only had held it all back. you took everything nice she did for you. and turned it to crap. you wasted all your money on cigarettes. and on the day that you met. you became the luckiest boy in the world. i mean, oh my god enough is enough! won't she realize that without me she'd be better off. so my cigarettes keep making her sick. well i'm allergic to her perfume. but you don't hear me bitch about it. we've gone and thrown it all away. two years and a month lost in a day. she 'll take it easy anyway. whip crack away. you could have been this, you could have been that. if you'd have just picked up the slack. she's picking up all the pieces that you made. and she's putting them back. she's gonna show your photograph. to all the rest of the girls. because on the day that you met she became the happiest girl in the world. i mean, oh my god. enough is enough! i'm never gonna be the guy she's thinking off. so my cigarettes keep making her sick. well i'm allergic to her perfume. but you don't hear me bitch about it…
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14. |
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he's got his bags packed. and he ain't coming back. there's still some places he can go. when he feels under attack. first she tried to kill him. she really shot him down. she's not one for mixing words. she likes the way that they sound. and she'll kiss you and you've got some enemies. and then she'll love you and you've got some enemies. he's got his bags packed. and he ain't coming back. there's still some places he can go. when he feels under attack. and she'll kiss you and you've got some enemies. and then she'll love you and you've got some enemies. the sun will come out tomorrow. bet your bottom dollar. that tomorrow rain or shine… forget about it
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15. |
Jealous Panther
02:07
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she can't believe it. she must have seen it. it's like the beating of her heart skipped. one two three four. why cant it rain. and just wash all this away. she cant believe it. she must have seen it. we're gonna dance at your funeral. why cant it rain. and just wash all this away. we're gonna dance at your funeral
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16. |
My Boxing Days Are Over
02:31
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i drove home to the countryside. just so you won't be alone. i left the biggest city behind. just so you won't be alone. i'll keep working this city. all night long. and when it snows i'm gonna get me a plow. just so you won't be alone. i'm gonna get me the fastest car. just so you won't be alone. i'll keep working this city. all night long. the city never looked so far away
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17. |
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about
Free Diamonds has always been a band that toes a precariously seductive line; you're either already infatuated with this three piece's off-kilter, quirky post-punk, adrenaline-fueled freak-outs, or you soon will be! Anything less than total dedication to herky-jerky pop abandon from the Starship FD and their songs wouldn't have nearly the charismatic, careening-around-the-dance-floor punch we've come to know and love. Their sophomore full-length, By The Sword, is no different. Free Diamonds are who they are - unhinged, sassy and boisterous and don't think for a second that they're going to apologize for it. Of course, that doesn't mean the over-caffeinated, fun-filled formula hasn't been tweaked on By The Sword. After all, no matter how unpredictable, acrobatic and dizzying the song structures, Free Diamonds has always shown a strong affinity for an undeniably catchy melody. It's the reason why their music brings a mischievous smile to our faces as we allow the palatable sass to somersault around our brains before it sweetly stings our ears. If their 2005 debut There Should Be More Dancing was Free Diamonds' frenzied, pogo-punk spazz-out, then By The Sword is a weird calypso two-step smashing into a sexy rumba, played double-time at a Degrassi Junior High sock hop. It's a shake-and-shimmy for the cool, nerdy kids while the jocks stand around, totally confused. Or maybe vocalist / guitarist Scott Anderson nails it when he says "Free Diamonds is the sound of two cousins kissing; they know its wrong, but it feels dangerous and sexy." Maybe we should all live by the sword. (DER-463)
"By The Sword is a logical, if unexpected, follow-up to Free Diamonds' debut There Should Be More Dancing. Where Dancing was the sound of a hyperactive party, this is the sound of the party mellowing out as the night goes on. While Free Diamonds haven't abandoned the complicated rhythms, incredible bass riffing and hyperactive vocals that are their trademark, songs like Hugs and Kisses more properly establish the tone of the album. It may be the most infectious song that Free Diamonds have ever written. Every song reveals something new about the band's sound. With By The Sword, Free Diamonds prove that they do not comprise a one-trick pony, and even though this album is definitely calmer than its predecessor, its difference is what makes it succeed. By The Sword doesn't try to repeat the sugar rush; it gathers the best parts of that sound and adds in new elements. It will make you dance because of the grooves, and that's totally awesome...just as awesome as There Should Be More Dancing. And that makes Free Diamonds really fantastic." - Independent Clauses
"Free Diamonds has more in common with the insanity of Blood Brothers and Q and Not U. With Scott Anderson's crazed delivery, Gemma Andrews' laconic drawl makes a big difference. There's some creativity being welded together on By The Sword in increasingly angular and confusing shapes. It absorbs punk energy in the scattergun vocals, drags folk guitars in to anchor it to Planet Earth and provides quirky indie-pop synths and metronomic drumming to drive everything on all four wheels. The oddness on these sixteen tracks is endearing and enjoyable. With flourishes of fast flurrying bass and guitar plus some clever twists and turns, Free Diamonds becomes more worth shouting about." - Subba-Cultcha
"Free Diamonds have been deemed 'pogo-punk' because they've got enough bounce in them to get any would-be head-banger interested. Therefore, By the Sword should tickle my fancy enough to recommend it above everything else this month, right? Absolutely. I would totally have dirty, dirty sex with tracks like Hugs and Kisses if it was possible. This band's charm is just so contagious. Paul Cosgrove's bass bubbles over every song's surface like the froth of a milkshake you can't help but take a sip of. Scott Anderson's vocal work gives the album that strangely unique kick to set Free Diamonds apart. The energetic vibe he radiates is just so undeniably fetching. Whether I was destined to come across Free Diamonds' By the Sword to quell my fear of dancing or to lighten up my summer, it has successfully managed to accomplish the latter. As for dancing, it may take a little bit longer to throw my self-conscious shit out the window, but Free Diamonds have certainly helped me reconsider such. Figures it'd be an English band to do so, because God knows I haven't heard such a wonderful dance-infused album come out of this stiff scene." - Absolutepunk
www.deepelm.com/freediamonds
"By The Sword is a logical, if unexpected, follow-up to Free Diamonds' debut There Should Be More Dancing. Where Dancing was the sound of a hyperactive party, this is the sound of the party mellowing out as the night goes on. While Free Diamonds haven't abandoned the complicated rhythms, incredible bass riffing and hyperactive vocals that are their trademark, songs like Hugs and Kisses more properly establish the tone of the album. It may be the most infectious song that Free Diamonds have ever written. Every song reveals something new about the band's sound. With By The Sword, Free Diamonds prove that they do not comprise a one-trick pony, and even though this album is definitely calmer than its predecessor, its difference is what makes it succeed. By The Sword doesn't try to repeat the sugar rush; it gathers the best parts of that sound and adds in new elements. It will make you dance because of the grooves, and that's totally awesome...just as awesome as There Should Be More Dancing. And that makes Free Diamonds really fantastic." - Independent Clauses
"Free Diamonds has more in common with the insanity of Blood Brothers and Q and Not U. With Scott Anderson's crazed delivery, Gemma Andrews' laconic drawl makes a big difference. There's some creativity being welded together on By The Sword in increasingly angular and confusing shapes. It absorbs punk energy in the scattergun vocals, drags folk guitars in to anchor it to Planet Earth and provides quirky indie-pop synths and metronomic drumming to drive everything on all four wheels. The oddness on these sixteen tracks is endearing and enjoyable. With flourishes of fast flurrying bass and guitar plus some clever twists and turns, Free Diamonds becomes more worth shouting about." - Subba-Cultcha
"Free Diamonds have been deemed 'pogo-punk' because they've got enough bounce in them to get any would-be head-banger interested. Therefore, By the Sword should tickle my fancy enough to recommend it above everything else this month, right? Absolutely. I would totally have dirty, dirty sex with tracks like Hugs and Kisses if it was possible. This band's charm is just so contagious. Paul Cosgrove's bass bubbles over every song's surface like the froth of a milkshake you can't help but take a sip of. Scott Anderson's vocal work gives the album that strangely unique kick to set Free Diamonds apart. The energetic vibe he radiates is just so undeniably fetching. Whether I was destined to come across Free Diamonds' By the Sword to quell my fear of dancing or to lighten up my summer, it has successfully managed to accomplish the latter. As for dancing, it may take a little bit longer to throw my self-conscious shit out the window, but Free Diamonds have certainly helped me reconsider such. Figures it'd be an English band to do so, because God knows I haven't heard such a wonderful dance-infused album come out of this stiff scene." - Absolutepunk
www.deepelm.com/freediamonds
credits
released July 24, 2007
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Deep Elm Records
With nearly 280 releases in its catalog, fiercely independent Deep Elm Records continues to build a better label - one that operates for glory, not gold. Deep Elm is about bands and fans coming together as one and experiencing music's awesome ability to inspire, comfort and console. We're not just making music together, we're making history. Dream / Create / Record / Release - Now for 27 Years. ... more
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