Matthew Ryan - Dissent and Hopeless

I've already gone into some detail about how much I love Matthew Ryan's music. So I'll spare everyone that for now and get down to business.

Between releasing 2001's Concussion and 2003's Regret Over The Wires, Matthew recorded two albums of 4-track demos in his home. The two albums, Dissent From The Living Room and Hopeless To Hopeful, were made exclusively available through his website. Unfortunately, they are no longer available and practically impossible to find, even with hours of tedious googling. But you can buy the album Happiness, which is collection of 12 songs taken from the two albums. The two albums are full of early versions of songs to be released on later albums, different takes on previously released songs, and songs which still have yet to find a home on a proper release. Who knows if they ever will? So these two albums are real gems for fans of Matthew's music.


Some of the songs are a bit abstract. You kinda get the sense that Matthew was just trying out different stuff in his home studio. Or perhaps just starting to record and seeing what came out. But either way, you still get a sense of how significant the music is to him. As abstract as "Emergency Room Machines Say Breath" is, it's hauntingly beautiful. The two collections also show the beginning of Matthew's dabbling with more electronic sounds that would become more prevalent on his following albums. I particularly love listening to the early versions of songs that would later appear on Regret Over The Wires, such as "The Little Things" and "I Can't Steal You," which is my favorite Matther Ryan song. All in all, these two collections are worth adding to you Matthew Ryan collection. And if you don't have a Matthew Ryan collection, now would be a good time to start one.

Dissent From The Living Room
1. The Little Things
2. Such a Sad Satellite
3. Fd29yrblues
4. After the Last Day of a Heat Wave
5. Demoland Part 1
6. Emergency Room Machines Say Breathe
7. No Going Back
8. The Ballad of So and So
9. Anymore
10. Happy for You
11. Into the Sourdays
12. Demoland Part 2
13. Elise Is the 13th Disciple?

Download Here

Hopeless To Hopeful
1. Rain, Rain, Rain
2. Song for Sons
3. Veteran's Day
4. I'm an American
5. Everybody Always Leaves
6. I Can't Steal You
7. This Side of Heaven
8. Postcard to Useless
9. Little Drummer Boy
10. From the Floor

Download Here

Thanks to Bobby Z. for sending me the files!