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As we tipped you to yesterday,Carol Bui is spending the entire week with us in advance of next Wednesday's homecoming show at the Black Cat and she's sharing the music from her own collection that informed her upcoming 2011 release, Red Ship, out on her own Ex Oh Records.
It's Day #2!
The Beatles - Martha My Dear | Hey, I'm not the first to sing about my dogs! This song is one of my favorite McCartney compositions. I remember reading somewhere that the White Album sessions were rather excruciating for everyone involved because the band brought in mostly 'scraps' of music, and much credit has been given to George Martin as a producer for filling them out nicely.
While I love the record, it's evident that many of the tracks didn't receive as much songwriting attention and care as others. I don't know whether to credit McCartney, Martin, or Martha the dog, but I love that a song about something people may consider frivolous turned out to be deliciously satiating rather than incomplete.
EDIT - Wikipedia says that it wasn't written about his dog, but the title was taken from his dog. *shrug*
Junip: And then there were three (Swedish obsessions that begin with J.)
If you’ve ever had ‘the spins’ after a long night of drinking, or listened to Nick Drake on a hot summer night with the windows open - you get it. You have probably heard Junip’s 2005 EP Black Refuge and waited patiently for the Nordic trio to come out with a full pour of folk-intoxication.
I can face it, 'Rope & Summit' is an impossible song to dislike. It doesn’t have any of the obvious electronica interjections that 'It’s Alright' possesses—it’s catchy, and pleasant. I am caught by other onlookers wiggling to its rhythm, we exchange a knowing smile, close our eyes and return to our respective shimmy space to pitch and yaw to the synthesizing effects of 'Sweet & Bitter.'
They gave us a taste of Fields and their four track May, 2010 EP Rope and Summit, and as a result their hungry turnout at Black Cat shocked me. Only a few months after Fields' release, everyone welcomed each song intro with joyous anticipation.
Junip has waited, and ridden Jose Gonzalez’s success. His famous vocals (and guitar), Elias Araya on drums, and Tobias Winterkorn on keys and synths—gorgeous.
As I listen to the easy sounds I think to myself, Junip may have come first, but these three friends were inevitably going to create this album no matter what came of Jose Gonzalez's solo career. I myself would not want to live in a world with a Jose-less Junip, or to ever look upon my collection to find Veneer not sitting proudly, nudging its slightly weathered sleeve against a new, shiny Fields.
Junip is one letter away from being one of my favorite drinks. I sip as I create my shimmy space, losing all inhibitions listening to 'Without You' and hopefully ride the dusty spins in 'In Every Direction.'
Add Junip to my mounting "Swede Obsession"; Jenny Wilson, Jens Lekman, and Junip
Just in time for the coming holidays, our friends at Windian Records have a batch of five new 7" vinyl releases arriving on store shelves tomorrow (11/30)—for those of you with good taste.
The first 150 of each single will be pressed on colored vinyl and with this new series, the label launches a subscription service with price breaks and bonus vinyl for all subscribers.
Head over to Windianright here for all your ordering and background info. And head below to preview all five of the freshly pressed singles.
M.O.T.O. 7" EP WIN20008 KISSING ALL THE WRONG ASSES Another anthem heavy straight-ahead Rock N Roller from one of the most highly respected underground punkers from Chicago. Paul Caporino continues his 20 plus years of releasing solid singles and LPs and does not fall short on this 4 song kiss off to the industry. 500 hand-numbered copies. 150 mixed color wax singles club only, 350 black wax.
JUNGLE FEVER 7" EP WIN20009 CRYIN' BLOOD Debut single from this San Diego power punk dudette/dude trio. Ramones like 3-chord DSPM guitar thrashing and speedy 4/4 drum bashing with a Girls-In-The-Garage vibrating groove. Songs about getting screwed over by that special someone, you know, Rock and Roll. This band is up to good things, more singles on the way. 500 hand-numbered copies. 150 mixed color wax singles club only, 350 black wax.
LOVER! 7" WIN20010 HOME ALONE A couple more perfect pop tunes from Memphis/Chicago transplant Rich Crook [Reatards, Lost Sounds, Knaughty Knights]. Lover! continues to churn out garage-pop thrashers and shows no signs of slowing down with a full LP release and European tour in January, 2011. The A-Side "Home Alone" is an ultimate example of what Rich does consistently, writes and records hook filled Rock and Roll in his room, alone. 500 hand-numbered copies. 150 mixed color wax singles club only, 350 black wax.
MAYBE, BABY 7" EP WIN20011 ALL I'VE GOT Debut single from this Washington, DC barely-legal duo. Sounds reminiscent of Angry Angles/Killed by death, these 4 songs whip and slash at 45 RPM! Very youthful and fun, what Rock N Roll should sound like without being a dick about it. 500 hand-numbered copies. 150 mixed color wax singles club only, 350 black wax.
SUPERDESTROYERS 7" WIN20012 YOU'RE BEING ERASED Debut single from these New Orleans punkers featuring Joe P [one of the many dudes that played keys for the SPITS]. Very cool sound with great street lyrics about NOLA, and the daily same old bullshit. 500 hand-numbered copies. 150 mixed color wax singles club only, 350 black wax.
First Laura Burhenn of the Mynabirds departs DC for the midwest and delivers one of our favorite LPs of the year.
Carol Bui swaps Washington, DC for Tacoma, Washington and subsequently is set to release her brand new LP ‘Red Ship’ in early 2011—and as evidenced by the first track we’ve offered here and others that I’ve previewed—she quite easily might have one of our most anticipated releases for the new year. The new tracks are exceptional. (And Carol's on the drums...)
So, what gives? Something in the water here?
Well, Carol returns to DC next Wednesday night (12/8) for a homecoming show at the Black Cat and in advance of that date we’re hanging out with Carol all week and going through her music collection to uncover just what she’s been playing and listening to as she put together ‘Red Ship’ (which was actually recorded at Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, so there’s hope for our region, hm?)
You’ll have an opportunity to win some tickets to Carol’s Black Cat show tomorrow, but beginning this morning, we’re counting down a few of the tracks that informed the new record.
Natacha Atlas - I Put A Spell On You | Natacha Atlas's take on the song by Screaming Jay Hawkins. I think this was the song that ultimately made me take up belly dancing. I love Natacha's more 'authentic' music, traditional Arabic arrangements and all, but this is such a fantastic fusion of blues, European drum loops, and sexualized orientalism.
The rhythmic theme of the song is a basic baladi beat I think (very common in Middle Eastern and belly dance music), and each 'dum' of the pattern punctures the song with thick, throbbing bass. Yes, I said 'throbbing'. The Egyptian bagpipe interlude and outtro are f*cking bad ass. The way she sings, even just 'la la la la', is so very hot. Amazing.
It's our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices and PR agencies want you to be hearing. We post—you decide.
Greetings from Laurel Canyon! Here is my "gratitude list" for this Thanksgiving week and my muse for this this segment of the Idelic Hour I'm calling, "fanx"!
Thanks for:
My beautiful wife and kids
Health of parents and friends
Evan's birthday in December
Nick Drake on a cold misty evening
Obscure soul records on 45
The magic of The Beatles
The words of Bob Dylan (pre-motorcycle accident)
Leon Russell's "strange land"
Al Green's love songs
Intelligentsia coffee
New albums by The National, The Black Keys, BRMC & Tame Impala
Everything about Jim Morrison
The Vinyl District (TVD), Aquarium Drunkard, Funky16 Corners
Our Seven Days of ROIR Records Vinyl Giveaways concludes today with The Stimulators' classic release, "Loud Fast Rules!"
Remember you have until next Monday (11/129) to enter any and all of our ROIR LP giveaways! Our thanks go out to ROIR for making the past seven days possible.
This record is a must for any self-respecting punk’s collection. After all, are there any three words that sum up the punk sound better than “Loud Fast Rules!”?
In 1977, after hearing The Damned, Motorhead and The Clash, guitarist Denise Mercedes returned from London and decided to start her own band. She recruited LES poet Patrick Mack on guitar and vocals, artist and fashionista Nick Marden on bass and, after trying out the likes of Jerry Nolan (Heartbreakers, NY Dolls) and Johnny Blitz (Dead Boys) on drums, settled on a then 11 year-old Harley Flanagan (Cro-Mags, Harley’s War). Soon the Stims gained a rabid fan club of the youngest rock ‘n’ rollers in the city and became regulars at legendary clubs like Max’s Kansas City, CBGB’s and Danceteria, sharing bills with bands like Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Bad Brains, Suicide, B-52s and The Cramps.
A long awaited re-issue on vinyl & CD of the celebrated ROIR cassette, the Stimulators’ Loud Fast Rules! is more than just a record; it’s a piece of New York punk history. “Loud Fast Rules!” is the Stimulators’ only full-length piece of work (their only other release being a handful of coveted 7”s) and it captures the band doing what they do best, playing a sharp, fast, energetic live set of catchy, feisty songs that mix punk with metal, reggae and good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. A perfect soundtrack to a slam dancing, pit slamming, pogo party!
The rules for our seven days of ROIR giveaways are simple—tell us your ROIR story or sell us on why a particular LP should be yours in the comments to this post and the most compelling to any degree will find the record in his or her mailbox in time for the holidays.(Please note - we can only ship within the US.)
We'll close all seven contests on Monday, November 29 and remember to leave us your email/contact info—important!—so we can notify winners!
Given the number and frequency of our ticket giveaways, I've often felt remiss that after a week or so of a build up, there's been scant follow through here—most likely stemming from not wanting to be just another review and photo site.
But if you've ever wondered, "Hey, how was that?" we'll try from time to time to provide some documentation.
This time, we've sent our friend and intrepid photographer, Erica Bruce over to The Posies show last week at the 9:30:
Alex Chilton was said to be rather cantankerous, but it's fair to say his ghost was smiling brightly on the 930 Club last week. His old Big Star bandmates, The Posies and their catchy power pop stylings were in town Wednesday night with another Big Star-influenced performer, Brendan Benson. The Posies, brought their usual energetic and interactive live set in support of their latest release, BLOOD/CANDYand supported Benson as his backing band.
Power pop bands should never travel far without a little Big Star, so it was nice to hear Benson, and Posies guitarists/vocalists Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer deliver a mighty fine version of "September Gurls" during Benson's encore. In the wrong hands, power pop can be schmaltzy and ear-cringing. But when it's done right—as was the case Wednesday night—it showcases how, in the right hands, you can be reminded of all the reasons you love music.
It’s like watching horses run in slow motion, losing your footing while listening to waves crashing, like having your record player needle touch the surface of Suburban Nature.
Sarah Jaffe steps on stage. I'm pretty excited (hoof-beats in my head) at this point grinning in anticipation of one, a performance worth writing about, and two, the chance to see if her live performance inspires like my music-hunch-organ told me.
I love being right.
I love being pleasantly surprised.
Sigh. Both.
Her voice was everything I'd hoped. Clean, melancholy, and a little raspy when strained. It was lovely. The crowd was receptive as well—you could hear beer moistened lips mouthing her words, excited like me, to see her out of Denton,TX, out of Europe, and on our coast.
The Living Room is an institution in New York City and I've seen less than my desired share of shows here. I'll make the trip up again, however. Very soon. With her in mind. And I look forward to a full and beautiful set. (Thanks NYC, CMJ 2010, and The Living Room...)
Suburban Nature, Sarah Jaffe'sfirst full length album (available on vinyl this summer after its May, 2010 release)awards the listener with lovable, bedroom-strumming mixed with a voice that grips us like Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries) and thoughtful, stinging lyrics that folk so sorely misses. Sarah manages to take me places I didn't think to listen, unafraid to play one string and rely only on her voice—her confidence is disarming.
Check out her video for "Clementine" which officially debuted September 16th.
We all deserve a second chance and you're being granted that chance. Sarah Jaffe plays The Living Room (again) on Friday, December, 3rd and The Rock Shop(in Brooklyn) on Saturday, December, 4th.
You don't have to leave DC to catch a good show but, you will have to catch a bus to catch the next big thing in folk music this calendar year. This is clearly an ongoing love-affair. I'll report back December 7th.
TVD and the folks behind Record Store Day would like to remind you that Black Friday needn't be spent at a dreadful, overcrowded mall. Your local mom and pop record retailers should just as easily be considered among your 'must shop' stops this coming Friday—and Saturday on something called "Small Business Saturday."
The Record Store Day team has assembled a number of exclusive vinyl releases for the day and you can find that list right here.
Here's some background direct from the RSD site:
"Word is out that your local indie record store may just be the place to be this Post-Thanksgiving-Shopping-Melee-Day, also known as Black Friday. And that’s because indie stores across the country will be the place to get special releases created just for you, for giving and getting this holiday season, and they’re scheduled for release on Black Friday.
Now, this is not Record Store Day, Jr. or RSD 11 or Son of the Return of Record Store Day. This is just a group of special releases that you can only find at record stores. Some of them are uber-limited, some of them are available at record stores before they’re available anywhere else. But they’re all special, and they kind of fly in the face of what Black Friday has become, which is “I have to shop, let’s see how fast and cheap I can get it over with.”
The magic of these pieces is that every one of them is something someone will really LOVE to get, and you’ll really ENJOY giving. And you’ll have the extra nice feeling of supporting a local independently owned business during the holidays."
At the moment it's a bit unclear whether DC's shops have been able to put their hands on any of the Black Friday exclusives, but why not pay the stores over there in the left column a post turkey visit and find out?
Our Seven Days of ROIR Records Vinyl Giveaways continues today with Suicide's classic, "Half Alive."
What the critics said when "Half Alive" was released on ROIR cassettes close to 30 years ago:
“Suicide recorded some amazingly seductive and terrifying music. Their profound influence on a generation of younger bands is readily apparent. They are the source point for Soft Cell, Erasure, Bronski Beat, Yaz, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, you name em’.” —All Music Guide To Rock
“Half-Alive consists of live tracks circa 1978, plus a hand full of unreleased lo-fi studio gems from 1974-1975. Suicide warrant legend status. They found their most fertile reception outside America in the form of Soft Cell, Woodentops, Spacemen 3, Sigue Sigue Sputnik. They should have been the American “Kraftwerk.” —Spin Alternative Record Guide
“They were ahead of their time. Rev’s repetitive wall-of-noise keyboard and pneumatic rhythm machines with Vegas’ Presleyish vocals provide a link to the rock n’ roll tradition, with a form of controversial art performance on stage.” —Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of RN’R
“A pounding reminder of industrial dance music’s early beginnings. They produced a unique obsessively American electronic music of enormous energy and enduring influence – throbbing sequencers and “Morrisonesque” vocals: Awesome.” —Trouser Press Record Guide
“Suicide’s acid triggered visions from the NOO YOIK gutters. Electro-boogie rears its psychic-savage walking bass head.” —Sounds, UK (FOUR STARS)
“The most interesting ROIR cassette yet. Contains tracks from their live assaults, including the London Marquee in ’78 when they were probably at their most psychotic.” —Zig Zag, UK
“The first real IRT-lurking move anybody had made since the Velvet Underground. Suicide’s music is truly the sound of NYC for me.” —Lester Bangs (from Liner Notes)
“One of the half dozen most important acts in rock n’ roll. They are the real thing.” —Roy Trakin (Now an Editor of Hits)
“Lester Bangs liner notes place Suicide in its proper historical context: A document of a force of nature – the filthy loud subway station heart of NYC. Suicide pioneered everything from synth-pop to industrial disco – low rent electronic angst-fest. Vega runs rough shod over the whirring blast of Rev’s homemade synth.” —Rolling Stone Record Guide
The rules for our seven days of ROIR giveaways are simple—tell us your ROIR story or sell us on why a particular LP should be yours in the comments to this post and the most compelling to any degree will find the record in his or her mailbox in time for the holidays.(Please note - we can only ship within the US.)
We'll close all seven contests on Monday, November 29 and remember to leave us your email/contact info—important!—so we can notify winners!
It's our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices and PR agencies want you to be hearing. We post—you decide.
Greetings from Laurel Canyon! These last few days have been very busy. As the week wore on I didn’t have a clue where my inspiration would come from for this week’s Idelic Hour. It’s often hearing a random song that provides the “spark” for many of my shows. I refer to these welcome songs as “friends” who guide me into a playlist.
Friend is a loaded word. Certainly for many of us the meaning of a friend has been highlighted by experiencing Facebook. Maybe some of us now appreciate or question what our friendships are a tiny bit more? I don’t know? Most of the time I use the term loosely and with ease. Sometimes on the Idelic Hour I refer to someone as a “pal.” For me it’s a category of “friend,” someone I know personally but would not be too bold in stating a deep connection. One thing I do know is that it’s good to have friends. Fuck man, I’m lucky enough guy to have many.
Originally when I started putting together this week’s mix I thought I’d pull out a bunch of records that my friends in bands had made over the years. As I started getting this playlist together it became clear that a set with all songs about friends was possible.
Four songs immediately came to mind. Joe Cocker’s version of “A Little Help from My Friends,” War’s fun and silly “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” Best Coast’s blogger anthem “Boyfriend” and Dylan’s haunting cover of “He Was a Friend.” I even got to drop a few of my pals into the mix. All in all I guess I’m giving you a prelude to Thanksgiving. Grab an old friend and wish them a cool weekend.
Spaniards Delorean play the Rock and Roll Hotel next Tuesday (11/23) but before they have you dancing and sweating the night away, they're holding a fan meet and greet at the Sweetgreen location on Capitol Hill.
We've got an opportunity for one of you to score their latest True Panther release, Subiza on vinyl—and if you're here in DC—to come by the meet and greet and have your LP signed in person by the band. If your not in DC (or can't get to the Capitol Hill Sweetgreen) you can still win the LP and have it personalized by Delorean.
First, the info on the meet and greet:
Meet Delorean at Sweetgreen on Capitol Hill Tuesday, 11/23 at 4PM 221 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20003
Let us know why you should be chosen to win Delorean's newest on vinyl and have it personally autographed by the band in the comments to this post and the most convincing of the bunch will have a new autographed LP to add to his or her collection.
We'll close this one on Tuesday (11/23) at 9AM to give you plenty of time to conjure up your response—and remember to leave us a contact email address with your entry.
