It's The Dig's Vinyl District!

A vinyl piece that we picked up recently worth mentioning is "Vitoria" by The Lords. This is a 45 that our drummer Jamie's father and uncle released in 1974. The Lords are a Portuguese pop band from the '70s and '80s from Cambridge, Ontario (a stones throw away from Stratford Ontario, hometown of legend Justin Bieber.)

While playing in Toronto with The Joy Formidable last month, we all stayed with Jamie's family and they played us old Lords LPs and 7"s. We each took home a copy of "Vitoria" and have been spinning it ever since.


None of us have spacers on our turntables to accomodate the larger hole in 45s so we have to place the record perfectly in the center and it can get a little pitchy but sounds amazing nonetheless.

To pick up your very own copy of The Lords "Vitoria" all you have to do is drive to Cambridge Ontario and go to a Portuguese bar called Cabana Bar and ask Carlos Alegre for the midnight special. While your there, try the Bifana sandwich, and if you've got time check out the recording studio across the street called Alegre Brothers Recording. We recorded this legendary version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me" with The Joy Formidable there.
—Emile Mosseri - Bass, Vocals



The Dig Top Twelve Records of the Moment

1. Velvet Underground - Self Titled
2. Betty Harris - Lost Soul Queen
3. The Cars - Greatest Hits
4. Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind
5. The Ventures - Greatest Hits
6. Emitt Rhodes - Self Titled
7. Paul Simon - One Trick Pony
8. Al Green - I'm Still In Love With You
9. ZZ Top - Fandango!
10. Eagles of Death Metal - Peace, Love and Death Metal
11. Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway - Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
12. T. Rex - Electric Warrior

The Velvet Underground - All Tomorrow's Parties [Single Version] (Mp3)
The Cars - Moving In Stereo (Mp3)
T. Rex - Cosmic Dancer (Mp3)

TVD First Date (...and a Giveaway!) | Alex Kemp

Rhode Island native and Simple Machines alumnus, Alex Kemp underscores a notion we underscore often ourselves: music distribution is best served via a tangible, physical, and personal medium, whether it's on vinyl or (gasp!) ...CD.

"When I first started putting out music, bands were doing a lot of 7" singles. I think we did about 5 of them, and I loved that format—big enough for some artwork, small enough to fit in a back pack, cheap-ish to make and the turn-around was relatively quick: you could have your song on a single in about 6 weeks.

With the new RAT D'HOTEL CD/EP series, we're trying to get the same emotional quality of handing someone a 7"—that "hey, we just made this, check it out" feeling that's so awesome. But also, we wanted to continue the spirit of the democratic nature of the 7": that everyone could afford it and enjoy it. Now that vinyl has started to take on a premium, high end connotation, and not everyone has a record player, it simply doesn't have quite the same "medium-for-the-people" presence that it used to.


So, that's the thinking behind the series of hand numbered, hand screened, individually treated CD/EP series. The second one (called 'Rat Hears Love Through Thin Walls') is coming out in the next few weeks. I hope I get to hand you one personally, because that's the way they were meant to be delivered!"

And we have one to deliver to you. Personally. Enter to win a hand numbered, hand screened, individually treated RAT D'HOTEL CD/EP by leaving a comment to this post. The most effusive and well, personal one will find the CD in his or her mailbox. Remember to leave us some contact info (important!) and we'll choose a winner one week from today, 6/17!

Alex Kemp - On Your Side (Mp3)
Approved for download!