TVD First Date | Jesse Malin

"Some may say it's a dying breed, or a dying business, but I still love the ritual of going to record stores or junk sales and buying vinyl. I love the warmth of the analog, the size, the artwork, and I love the experience of having to get out of the house and shop spontaneously.

The first records I got as a kid were records that my babysitters were playing. I would read the lyrics, stare at the artwork, and dream of a better life and other places than my tiny apartment in Queens, New York. Music gave me the confidence to not feel alone and like a total freak in a suburban middle class mainstream world. It is my favorite format to hear music.

Just when I get tired of schlepping my record collection around in apartments in New York or storage spaces, I have that night when I hook up the turn table, plug in, and once again clearly see the sonic difference.


I dig the idea of having an iPod when I'm in the gym or sitting in the van or airplane. My favorite program on there is "shuffle" because it feels like one of my friends or somebody came into my house at a drunken party and started playing my records, picking their own choices, and making me hear my collection in a different way. Nonetheless, looking at an album cover on a tiny MP3 player really does not turn me on, even though for my own records the little image makes my nose look smaller.

I always release all of my records on vinyl and sell them at the live shows. Me and the band love playing in stores & as many mom and pop shops as we can in this country. Traditionally, on release day, I play one of my favorite shops, Vintage Vinyl in New Jersey. There are many of these cats still out there. They are the real lovers, passionistas, and outlaws.

The idea of going into a store looking for one thing, and maybe something else catches your eye—a person to fall in love with, become friends, start a band, or buy a record you weren't planning to. As a kid we went to record shops and some of the cool folks behind the counters would suggest things to buy. Sometimes these were life changing records. We would travel hours on trains and busses to find a certain shop or record. When we found what we needed it made all the difference.



I'm an advocate of showing up and being in person. I'm not religious, but I believe in people and life. Going to live shows, bookstores, movies, and record stores are all part of the experience. To sit at home on one's couch and be told by shopping networks, "if you like this, you'll like that, etc. etc. etc." seems very big brother.

Favorite things to listen to include: Bad Brains "Pay to Cum" 7 inch, anything by The Kills, The Hold Steady "Boys and Girls in America," Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road," Elton John "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (double album with gatefold and lyrics), Chuck Berry "The Great 28," Suicide's debut album, Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" on 180 gram vinyl, Sam Cooke "Nightbeat," The Dickies "Dawn of the Dickies," and Bob Dylan "Blonde on Blonde."
—Jesse Malin

Jesse Malin & The St. Marks Social play DC9, this Sunday (9/12) with Moneybrother.

Find Jesse at his Official Website | Myspace | Facebook

Jesse Malin - All The Way From Moscow (Mp3)
Approved or download!

TVD's Twitter Music Monday for 9/6/10 Part Two

Although one anonymous commenter all but pleaded for the Music Monday Kanye Obsession to end, there are more tweets and more responses left to trudge through. C'mon, you know you want to read a very obvious reference to a played-out joke from the first season of Saturday Night Live. Here, then, is Music Monday's tweet-by-tweet response to Kanye's Twitter meltdown, part the second.


K: It feels like the movie Heat when you wanted Deniro to make it... You want the bad guy to make it.
A: I thought you were the misunderstood good guy?

K: These tweets have no manager, no publicist , no grammar checking... this is raw
A: And yet, you broke out the serial comma (sort of) for this one.

K: Humanity and Empathy are 2 of the 4 principles at facebook. Those were the 2 principles I was missing on that evening
A: Did Justin Timberlake tell you that? Just because he’s in the Facebook movie doesn’t mean you should listen to him.

K: Why are there so many tweets? Well this isn't a simple subject. There are layers to this beyond me running on stage.
A: THERE ARE SO MANY.

K: You've got the top layer... Kanye's rude!
A: Yup.

K: If I speak in 3rd person it's because I'm quoting people sometimes I forget to put the quotations you know my grammar.. #ITSAPROCESS
A: How did you get your hair SO blonde? #ITSAPROCESS

K: You've got a layer of order... this is how things are spose to go this is how it's always been etc.
A: Ugh I don’t even know.

K: You've got a layer of... What is reality? You really want this guy to die over an award show???!! wooooooow .....
A: No, no one sane really wants that. Geez.

K: You've got the Media play... Who benefitted off of the moment?
A: YES KANYE, WHO DID BENEFIT?

K: MTV? JAY LENO? BEYONCE? ALL FORMS OF MEDIA? TAYLOR? KANYE WEST? Who gained? Who lost?
A: I’m pretty sure the print newspaper industry is still dying, but other than that, yeah, you’ve hit on most of the major profiteers, including yourself.

K: Walk with me people... let's break this down for real now. I might get in trouble again lol?
A: lol indeed. Funny that you’re doing this just as you’re releasing all kinds of new music that is for sale.

K: WHO BENEFITED FOR REAL PEOPLE???!!!!!!!!
A: Ooh ooh I know pick me! YOU DID!

K: A year later where do we stand?
A: Um…you’re still talking about it, and everyone else has moved on.

K: There's a layer of... hey Kanye said what I was thinking
A: You’re a regular Id, Kanye.

K: There's a layer of... Entertainment... we are entertainers and this is only TV... not the War
A: Correct.

K: Why was it made into such a race issue. Taylor loves rap music... I love country music.
A: Those are genres, love, not races.

K: TAYLOR LOVES RAP MUSIC... I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC
A: AND NOW THE NEWS FOR THE HARD OF HEARING…

K: When I right songs like Heartless I always say "is this melody good enough to be a country song or a broadway song?"
A: “The answer is usually ‘heck no’ but I have to put out a song a week, so I go ahead and record it anyway…”

K: I've hurt, I've bled, I've learned. I only want to do good. I am passionate I am human I am real. I wish I could meet every hater
A: Come visit me! Seriously, I’ll set it up. Have your people talk to my people. Not even joking.

K: I wish I could talk to every hater face to face and change there a opinion of me one conversation at a time.
A: You’re more than welcome to try, but know that some people are actually entitled to dislike people, even after speaking to them.

K: I wish they all knew how much I really cared about music and pop culture and art and peoples feelings.
A: And making money.

K: I wish they could accept that I've grown and only want to do good for the world. I want to help as many people as I can.
A: Good. Quit talking and go go gadget do-gooder.

K: I want to help starting with the music and ending with the smile.
A: Man, musicians always say that their music is going to do good for the world. Has that ever happened? That is some mystical stuff, right there.

K: I want to win there hearts back so I can continue to bring my take on culture to the masses with a clean opinion.
A: Your take on culture is too expensive for the masses, boo, nothing to do with hearts.

K: It starts with this...
A: I’m on the edge of my seat.

K: I'm sorry Taylor.
A: Wait, really? You just apologized again? I thought for sure you were going to announce the foundation of some philanthropic organization devoted to teaching etiquette or something. Get over yourself. We all have. Except for me, obviously, because I’m rising to your bait, but SERIOUSLY this whole diatribe is too tacky to ignore.

Follow Allyson on Twitter | Check out her blog