Jens Lekman - Burn Down the Avenue (Recordings 2004-2005)

[@scottwickberg413]

What are your favorite tracks? I'd love to know. Post em here!

[@michaelwickberg8909]

Really enjoying the alt version of Someone To Share My Life With - track 10...but so many gems on this

[@donie21century]

"Sky Phenomenon" is my fav song, it makes me cry without tears 🌠

[@scottwickberg413]

@@donie21century hahah. it's like someone spilled a beer...

[@beachviolence]

The Scout Niblett cover is fantastic

[@beachviolence]

I have this version and another one I can send you if youd like!

[@mistermarkdavis]

Thank you brother. This was a great era. It’s great to have all these songs in chronological order. I had the EPs that came out through secretly Canadian. Before that there was great stuff on file sharing. There was this great live recording too. Some of it got used in the original when I said I wanted to be your dog. Also the shows back then were incredible. I was at his first show in NYC I think it was at mercury lounge. He was an opener and pretty much everyone there was friends with the person whose sofa he was sleeping on. The show was so good. I was hoping to get some of the sweddish EPs or a shirt but he had no merch. I told him I had been hoping to hear a song he didn’t play. He sang the song into my ear and I was a fan for life. Second show was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It was a larger crowd. In the middle of the show he went completely off mic and into the middle of the crowd with an acoustic guitar or ukulele and sang unamplified. I remember you could hear your heart beat and other people breathing. It’s was dominant and amazing. I can’t imagine that happening today in the age of smart phones. No one was trying to document it just be in the moment. I think after that he made best new music on pitchfork and the next show was massive and sold out. I think it was Bowery ballroom.

[@dylives7667]

It's worth noting that, there are 2 versions of both Maple Leaves and Black Cab with minor, but VERY significant changes. Man, is Jens Lekman painfully underrated.

[@sverigesfantastiskaindiesc8670]

Remember listing to these song sooooo much. Know all words in all of them expect the song inside which is new to me. Still have not heard better songs in my life. This is sooo good and so much heart ❤️

[@PacificNatureTV]

legendary

[@esmerylan]

Very happy to see this, especially since Oh You're So Silent Jens isn't available officially on any streaming services (and the playlists on YT are all missing something). This is the most comprehensive collection of Lekman's early work I've seen, and an important historical document.

[@scottwickberg413]

thanks, that's why i made it honestly. I saw all this early work falling off of everything and really wanted to preserve it. Glad you enjoy and thanks for the comment.

[@mistermarkdavis]

I have most of the eps these songs were on. I think most of the best versions are the original ones. He had basicly done all these unauthorized sample and when he got better known he got in legal trouble and it changed his style. I love this early era that took certain hip hop sensibilities and applied it to bedroom indie pop. The new stuff is great, don’t get me wrong, but these early eps are what he wanted to make before lawyers got involved.

[@deesoleil]

legend

[@georgediaz7204]

A True Songwriter.

[@fitcrit]

Bless you for this! I haven't listened to Pretty Shoes for about a decade...!

[@benk9947]

Thank you for preserving these songs.

[@TomDryjanski]

Do Impossible Things has one of the best samples he's ever chosen.

[@janieswurld491]

I don't want to die alone is HELLA underrated ! Def deserved to be on an official release

[@paytonlee2074]

It was on the Opposite of Hallelujah 7-inch EP

[@vladimirmarquez2123]

Wow, I've listened to the Oh You're So Silent Jens comp dozens of times, I'm really psyched about this!!

[@littlefuku]

Kudos to you scott and ❤ you Jens

[@John_Stookey]

thank you for this!!

[@RoyPortel]

This is an excellent compilation, thank you! I only discovered Jens about three weeks ago through The Linden Trees Are Still In Blossom and finding out afterwards that the original Night Falls and You're So Silent are no longer available. I dove into The Cherry Trees last Friday and this really broadens my perception of Jens Lekman as a musician! Do you have any suggestions for other, related EPs/albums for further listening?

[@scottwickberg413]

Well this is collected across many lps and eps from the time. so not really much else you'd need from this era of Jens in my opinion. But it's always worthwhile to cruise his early EPs - www.discogs.com/artist/317007-Jens-Lekman?type=Releases&subtype=Singles-EPs&filter_anv=0

[@beginnerstapes]

Thanks for posting this wonderful compilation! I used to have a ton of Jens MP3s that Secretly posted on their site prior to releasing any of his music (if I remember this correctly) and I wonder if all of them are represented here? I truly can't remember which ones they were anymore.

[@thndrbltbuddhalovesyall]

do you have a download link to this? amazing collection of pops most underrated songwriter

[@enemycrab9229]

Do you have any information to share about how these tracks were originally released, or how you came to acquire them if through unofficial means (e.g. website promo etc.)? I've never heard Burn Down the Avenue before, even though it's lyrically the same as Do You Remember the Riots? Love the strings. Great job on this.

[@scottwickberg413]

yeah many were on tour EPs and mixtapes. Some Jens would just post for download on his website back in the day. You can see a list of most of these on discogs. www.discogs.com/artist/317007-Jens-Lekman

[@enemycrab9229]

Thank you,@@scottwickberg413 😎

[@toniusdho]

Does anyone know where to find audio recordings of these songs? I can’t find them for sale anywhere

[@AH-kq5vj]

Hej Scott, a splendid collection of songs, that's for sure, even with artwork! I didn't know all of the versions. Having said that, did you ask Jens Lekman for permission to publish these songs on youtube? Don't worry, no one will do you any harm, only wondering. Best wishes, Andreas.

[@scottwickberg413]

I didn't, I would definitely respect his wishes. None of the plays of any of these go to me in any way. All tracks on here are marked by KZbin and royalties paid to the artist. Those royalts are probably crap. But the posting of these songs is monitored and confirmed by KZbin when uploaded.

[@aaronmatson9028]

Lol did jens lekman ask before he sampled everything he sampled that ended up keeping these songs off of official platforms? No Really glad whoever posted this posted this by the way

[@mungofinalfi4480]

*Hultsfred 98