Here at THE VINYL DISTRICTwe're good consumers. All Mp3's are posted to promote and give exposure to the music and are linked for a limited time. Please download to preview, then head promptly to your local vinyl vendor (or - OK, CD store too) and fork over your hard earned cash. You'll appreciate the piece of mind.
Got something you think we should be listening to or reading? thevinyldistrict (at) gmail.com
Good morning Washington...and OW. I think I watched too much historic television last night with my trusty pal Mr. Merlot. How about some soothing tunes this morning, ok?
Growing up in New Jersey, I'd never heard what I've come to understand as real distinct pleasure -- John Peel broadcasting on BBC 1. And luckily I didn't know any better, because after a listen to this excerpt from 1979, I was certainly missing a hell of a lot. The diversity is what jumps out at me--unadulterated risk-taking that which the formatted, packaged radio in the States utterly lacked.
So again, I'm grateful to the poster over at the New Wave Outpost who uploaded this snippet, and while you're listening, head on over to Teenage Kicks to celebrate the legacy of John Peel and revel in Steve's Festive Fifty Flashbacks. Methinks I have a LOT of catching up to do.
After last Friday's request for photos of your global vinyl ventures, the responses have begun to trickle in. TVD reader CeeGee forwarded the following:
"Recently, I made a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. These pics are from a record store located in the Old Town area called Gamla Stan. A little pricey due to the store being located in a somewhat touristy area, but a nice variety of classics and hard to find albums - lots of German pressings. The owner was quite nice and laid back - while we perused the stacks he soaked up some sun outside the shop. Per Wikstrom, Swedish producer/manager in photo with his wall covering samples. "
"...Brilliant days, wake up on brilliant days Shadows of brilliant ways will change all the time Memories, burning gold memories Gold of day memories change me in these times..."
LP and turntable sales grow as fans find warmer sound in classic format (Via rollingstone.com) For his 19th birthday, Simon Hamburg wanted only one present: a turntable for his dorm room at the University of Southern Mississippi. His father bought him a portable $69 model, and Hamburg's older brother chipped in LPs by Simon and Garfunkel and the Who. "Listening to 'Baba O'Riley' on vinyl is always better than listening to 'Baba O'Riley' on anything else," Hamburg says. "You can hear every instrument. It sounds stupid, but it's like you're feeling the music. You're part of it." Read the rest here.
Bo Diddley, the musical pioneer whose songs, such as "Who Do You Love?" and "Bo Diddley," melded rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll through a distinctive thumping beat, has died. He was 79.
The beginning of a new beginning or the beginning of the end? I vote for the latter, actually. Somewhere at the time ol' Bernard was smiling while I--a fresh bottle of red having been opened and leafing through a pile of so called Brit mags on my couch--was wincing. And I don't believe its aged for the better...
Ten tracks found within the import section from the years when I toiled at the aforementioned Record World in the Seaview Square Mall in Ocean, NJ. See ya' at the food court.
It probably won't come as much of a surprise to TVD readers to learn that yours truly worked in a record store back in the day--actually two record stores to be exact. Both were among the chain of corporate record stores known as Record World--not the mom-and-pop variety mind you, but nevertheless I learned the biz first hand. First was the Record World in Seaview Square Mall in Ocean, NJ and the second was in the Georgetown Park Mall here in DC. Both don't exist any longer--the Georgetown branch having been replaced by a candy store. (Which is sort of the same thing, in a way.)
Both Record Worlds were hubs of activity and thrived on daily musical conversation and debate, which in some way I hope to have carried over to here. I like to think of TVD as sort of the virtual record store where anyone could pop in, have a listen, chime in on some topic of conversation, drop an F-bomb or six, then return the following day. Just like it was back in the mall where the doors were wide open and you couldn't imagine who'd pop in. Why, in the Georgetown Record World alone I met Madonna (in her conical breasts, 'Who's That Girl?' era, Yoko Ono (in her, I'm selling John's lithos era), fitness guru Denise Austin (in her rock-hard abs era--which they were and probably still are), Frank Langella (in his Dracula era) and Bryan Adams (who, trust me - might be the nicest guy on the planet...era.)
All of this to say to TVD's readership--and you're a global one, you are--where do you go in your neighborhood to flip through the records and shoot the breeze on all things: music? TVD starts a brand new feature right here and now where you're invited to send in pics and links of your friendly local record store/haunt. Witty anecdotes are a plus. So, get on it guys. Pay tribute to the lone hold-outs riding the crest of the new, old wave. We'll post 'em as we get 'em.
To wit: Neal over at Som Records has been and continues to be a fine supporter of this blog's mission and he's also an ardent supporter of all things vinyl. And he's just up the block from TVD HQ. How lucky are we?
Spin said: L.A. couple's garage pop mishmash sounds like Nina from the Cardigans singing karaoke atop your favorite '80s and '90s vinyl. Blake Hazard's button-cute voice is the duo's favorite weapon, whether layered atop xylophones and electric piano on "Swimming Pool" or Morcheeba-esque, dubbed-out trip hop on "1940."
Pop Culture Madness said: "Honeysuckle Weeks" is a glorious collage of the duo's wide-ranging influences, from old-school dub (most evident in tracks like "1940" and "Fern Beard") to intricately layered electronica (as in the psychedelic-classical "Submarine Symphonika" and "The Thorny Thicket") to vintage pop (as on "Swimming Pool" and the Santaria-inspired "Xavia").
Upon the success of Declare A New State!, which Filter described as "beautiful, sparkling tunes immersed in optimism, yet never lacking depth" and LA Weekly called "remarkable... soul-baring lyrics set to buzzy, hooky indie-pop." The Submarines spent most of 2006 on the road in the US and Europe as both headliners and support for bands like Ladytron, Nouvelle Vague, El Perro del Mar and more. Along with multiple television syncs, the band was asked to record a version of "Little Boxes," the theme song to the Showtime Emmy-nominated series Weeds, in the shows second season. The year culminated when Ryan Murphy. creator of the FX hit series nip/tuck, discovered The Submarines while listening to NPR on KCRW in Los Angeles. He approached the band about featuring the track "Brighter Discontent" in a pivotal scene in the season four finale where cast members lip-synched to the song in its entirety; the scene has since been the subject of some well-traveled nip/tuck fan renditions! on YouTube.
We say: We've got two tickets for The Submarines this Sunday night (6/1) at the Black Cat! Express your fondest desire to go in the comments section, and perhaps your wishes shall ring true. We'll choose a winner by Noon on Friday.
I'm starting to think that this is how radio should be programmed -- invite the DJ's to show up with their iPods and let 'er rip. At random. The way it actually USED to be, right? (Right.)
Y'know - I missed this feature on the blog. With all the planning for theme weeks and the like, there's little surprise here at TVD HQ as to what will be posted for any number of days. So, I'd like to turn it on its head over the new few and in turn be surprised with what the iPod shuffle play will reveal. And you too can play along at home, TVD reader. What are the first randomly selected tunes the iPod coughs up? Let us know...
I can't sing the praises of TVD's guest blogger this week any louder -- Noah, you've done a hell of a job here over the past five days and you're to be commended. And if the traffic stats and the Mp3 downloads are any indication, I'm not alone in this assessment. Cheers Noah! | Watch this space next week for some free weekend tix to the Black Cat! | TVD will return after the Memorial Day holiday on Tuesday. Til then, here are some tracks for your New Wave BBQ this weekend...
With the mega-hit Stanley Road, Paul Weller had made three number 1 albums with three different bands, each featuring a unique sound while capturing the zeitgeist of its particular era. Extraordinary really. After touring Europe and the UK for the better part of October through December 1995, Paul Weller had a relatively quiet 1996 musically. Divorcing his wife Dee C Lee, drinking heavily, and imbibing a number of substances, Weller once again returned to Woking to try to sort himself out. Looking back on that period, he recently said, “It was like having my mid-life crisis early on, to get it out the way. And I'm not moaning - apart from the emotional thing, which was pretty awful, I had a brilliant time in other ways. I just didn't want to do it for ever more.”
1997 saw the release of his fourth solo LP, Heavy Soul, on June 23 (Go! Discs). Heavy Soul should have been Weller’s second straight chart topping album – it actually outsold Radiohead’s OK Computer – but a number of records were disqualified from the count because they contained too many free postcards. Consequently, Heavy Soul peaked at number 2 on the UK charts. A much rougher record than the previous one and loaded with loud guitars, Heavy Soul shows that approaching 40, Paul Weller was still the angry – if not so young anymore – man. This point is illustrated by the quote on the back of the cd booklet: “To all my people, you know and so do I. To anyone whosoever slated me – fu-k you.” Personally, if I was forced to choose my favorite Weller solo record it would be this one. I’m not saying it is a better overall LP than Stanley Road, but I really dig the raw guitars and, yes, the heaviness of this album. It is probably the one I play the most. I don’t think there is a bad song on this record, though “Brushed” is almost too loud and droning for me. The title track, selected below, starts off the record and is a good introduction to the overriding tone of the album. I’ve always loved the song’s defiant lyrics, which I think sum up Weller’s position after 20 years in the music business – That I can’t be beaten and I can’t be bought. The Heavy Soul tour made it to America and I saw the gig at the Warfield in San Francisco. The four piece band featuring Matt Deighton on guitar, Yolanda Charles on bass, and of course Steve White on drums was smoking.
There was a long wait for Weller’s next studio album, Heliocentric, which came out on April 10, 2000, on Island Records. This record reached number 2 on the UK charts probably due to Paul Weller’s reputation and fiercely loyal fan base rather than the actual merit of the music. It is my least favorite of his solo efforts, though there are some songs I like a lot. “He’s The Keeper,” Weller’s tribute to Ronnie Lane, the bass player in The Small Faces/Faces, is one song from this LP that I go back to often. I also enjoy the pacing and drums of “Back In The Fire,” selected below. The lyrical stanza – Not handcuffed to same wanker/who doesn’t know me/And doesn’t see that our lives are made/On all the efforts of the masses/And all the people who deserve a better fate – is pretty good too.
When Heliocentric was released there was much talk about how it would be Paul Weller’s last album. Nevertheless, he did tour extensively in 2000 and 2001, the latter dates solo and acoustically. Of course, the rumors proved false with the release of Illumination on the Independiente label on September 16, 2002. Really, what else would Paul Weller do then write and play music – he’s never had any other job! Illumination returned Weller to the top of the UK charts with his second solo number 1 LP. While Illumination is a much stronger album than Heliocentric, in my opinion it does not rate with Weller’s other number 1, Stanley Road. A nice collection of songs, Illumination doesn’t capture and sum up an era the way Stanley Road did. That said, I’ve got great memories of this album. I was living in Amsterdam when it came out and “One X One,” selected below and featuring Noel Gallagher on drums and bass and Gem Archer playing acoustic guitar, reminds me of riding around the damp, cold city at night on my bicycle that fall. “All Good Books,” also selected below is Weller’s post-9/11 song about religious fanaticism and features sweet backing vocals from Carleen Anderson and Jocelyn Brown and guitar from ex-Stone Roses player Aziz Ibrahim. I was fortunate enough to see the Illumination Tour in Berlin and Amsterdam that year as well as in NYC the following February.
In September 2004, Paul Weller next released a collection of cover songs called Studio 150 after the music studio in Amsterdam where they were recorded. Studio 150 reached number 2 in the UK charts and contains excellent versions of “Wishing On A Star,” originally by Rose Royce, “Birds” by Neil Young, and believe it or not “Close To You,” which was made famous by The Carpenters. All things considered, however, this album was Paul Weller biding his time until his latest bout of writer’s block passed and he had a new batch of his own tunes to record.
The new songs did come and they were released by V2 on October 10, 2005. As Is Now was hailed as a return to form for Weller, but it only climbed to number 4 in the UK charts. A solid LP, As Is Now has got a little of everything for Weller fans: some all-out rocking stompers, such as “From The Floorboards Up,” “Blink And You’ll Miss It,” and “Come On/Let’s Go,” the return of Jacko Peake and horns, a string section, and some funk on the aptly titled “Bring Back The Funk (Parts 1 and 2).” “Savages,” selected below, is about the Beslan school massacre in Russia. I tend to think As Is Now is a bit overrated, but maybe I’ve come to expect greatness from Paul Weller, and I don’t think this record is up there with his 90s output.
So, as we await the new double album 22 Dreams, which is getting excellent reviews in England, I can’t help but wonder what it is going to be like. Is it going to be simply good, on a level with As Is Now, or will Paul Weller deliver another transcendent record on par with Stanley Road? If I had to bet, I’d say he is due for another amazing, career-defining moment. Either way, it is going to be nice to have a new batch of Weller songs to listen to.
It certainly has been fun breaking out all the old records this past week, revisiting his incredible body of work with The Jam, The Style Council, and as a solo artist. Thanks for indulging my trip down memory lane – hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
After the release of the disappointing Confessions of A Pop Group, The Style Council –without drummer Steve White – returned to the studio to work on another album. Paul and Mick had been getting into House music and the sound and energy of this scene completely influenced what they recorded. Described variously as Garage or House (I’m not versed in the nuanced differences of these styles to know the difference) Modernism: A New Decade was delivered to the record company in early 1989. The executives at Polydor were shocked by what they heard and sensing they had a commercial bomb on their hands activated a clause in Paul Weller’s million pound per album contract. Stating Modernism did not have two singles on it, which was required of every LP, they rejected the record. Weller was livid, stating, “I’ve made all those fu-kers millions of pounds.” It would now be up to the attorneys to sort out the termination of his contract with Polydor.
The expression the British use is that Weller had “lost the plot” by this point. As I listen to Modernism now (the album was included as part of The Council’s 1998 box set), I don’t think it is THAT bad. The songs have a groove and you can definitely imagine dancing to it in a club (if that’s the sort of thing you got up to 18 or 19 years ago). But, I can understand why Polydor refused to release it and do agree to a certain extent with the view that Weller had lost his way. While you have to respect his commitment to continuing to experiment and explore different musical styles, the lyrics to Modernism’s songs are Paul Weller’s weakest. The Council did a few Japanese gigs in the early summer, and then on July 4, 1989, they played their final concert at the Royal Albert Hall. They officially called it quits in August.
By all accounts the demise of The Style Council left Paul Weller in a major depression. Without a band for the first time in his adult life, no record contract, unable to come up with any new material, and unsure of what direction to go, Weller spent most of his time at home with Dee and their two young children. In late 1990, after about a year and a half of doing nothing musically, Weller was finally able to write a couple of new songs. The Paul Weller Movement originally released “Into Tomorrow,” selected below, in 1991. One of the first things noticeable about “Into Tomorrow,” compared with the songs on Modernism, is the prominence of the guitar. Weller had finally gotten over his hang up about being considered a guitar hero. Instead, he returned to playing the instrument that had always been one of his strengths and this, along with the return of Steve White to the drums, helps to give this record a raw feel that had certainly been lacking in later era Council.
Late 1990 and 1991 saw Weller hit the road to test out his new songs and to recapture his feel for playing live again. I remember seeing The Paul Weller Movement at the Ritz in New York City in December 1991. Since he didn’t have enough new material he also dipped into his back catalogue of songs from The Jam and The Style Council. At the end of “That’s Entertainment” Weller mockingly reeled off a few lines from The Smiths’ “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” as Morrissey had just covered the classic Jam song.
By the following spring Paul Weller had enough new songs to record an album. The eponymous named LP was released by Go! Discs on August 31, 1992. Paul Weller reached number 8 on the UK charts. Like the old days with The Jam, Paul Weller was back out on the road touring the new album extensively, playing Japan, America, Europe, and the UK (in contrast The Style Council played just 4 shows total in the USA: 2 each in LA and NYC). “Above The Clouds,” selected below from the album, is one of my all-time favorite Weller compositions. A song about self-doubt, it has got a great sound with flute from Jacko Peake and jazzy guitar playing from Weller. Overall, Paul Weller’s first solo album has a coherence and really cool vibe that I’m sure has much to do with co-producer Brendan Lynch’s touch as well as the talented musicians and vocalists, who included Steve White, Marco Nelson, Camelle Hinds, Dr. Robert (of The Blow Monkeys), Carleen Anderson, and Dee C Lee.
After the relative success of his debut solo record, Paul Weller returned to the studio to make another album. In 1993, the songs were really starting to flow again – marking the beginning of another incredible period of creativity for Weller. Wild Wood was recorded at The Manor in Oxfordshire with much of the same personnel from the previous sessions – Steve White, Marco Nelson, Jacko Peake, and Brendan Lynch. Steve Cradock, who would subsequently become a regular member of Paul Weller’s band, made his first appearance on the song “Shadow Of The Sun.” Wild Wood also features a Style Council reunion of sorts with Mick Talbot and Dee C Lee joining Steve White and Weller on “5th Season.” Released by Go! Discs on September 6, 1993, Wild Wood rose to number 2 in the charts and is considered by some to be Paul Weller’s finest solo record. It is an earthy album with fantastic lyrics and tremendously cool sounds courtesy of the Mellotron, Moog, and mini-Moog keyboards. Selecting just one song from this LP for a download is tough, but I’m going with “All The Pictures On The Wall” for the lyrics: There was a time I really loved you/But when that was I just can’t say. I saw him touring Wild Wood at Lupo’s Heart Break Hotel in Providence, RI in December 1993 and it was amazing.
Wild Wood was a critical success as well. Weller won best British Male Solo Artist at the 1994 Brits, but declined to pick up the prize. He was also awarded an Ivor Novello Award for outstanding song writing. Additionally, this was the period when Britpop ruled the airwaves and everyone was naming Paul Weller and The Jam as major influences. It was fashionable again to be Paul Weller and he was dubbed the Modfather at this time.
Weller returned to The Manor to record his follow up to Wild Wood.Stanley Road, named for the street he grew up on in Woking (it was actually Walton Road), became his biggest selling record ever – surpassing anything ever put out by The Jam or The Style Council. Going straight to number 1 on the charts after its May 15, 1995 release, Stanley Road made Paul Weller absolutely huge again in the UK. And rightly so! Stanley Road is a brilliant LP. There are so many great songs on this record, beginning with the first single, “The Changingman.” “Out Of The Sinking, ” selected below, is Weller’s song for London and the Thames. As he has said, “I wanted to write my ultimate mod-soul love song… the middle eight is pure Small Faces but I’m really proud of it. It’s a great love song and a London love song for me.” The other song from Stanley Road below is “Broken Stones,” which features Weller on a Hammond joined by Mick Talbot on a Fender Rhodes. “Broken Stones” has been a regular in his live sets ever since it came out in 1995. I love the opening lyrics, Like pebbles on a beach/Kicked around, displaced by feet/Like broken stones – all trying to get home. The album cover is also fun to study, featuring artwork by Peter Blake. If you don’t own it already, head to your local record store immediately. Stanley Road is a must for any record collection.
(Dates, stats, and quotes for this section of Wellerweek derived from The Complete Adventures of The Style Council, Shout To The Top: The Jam And Paul Weller, and Stanley Road Deluxe Edition)
Good morning Washington...and OW. I think I watched too much historic television last night with my trusty pal Mr. Merlot. How about some soothing tunes this morning, ok? 
Growing up in New Jersey, I'd never heard what I've come to understand as real distinct pleasure -- John Peel broadcasting on BBC 1. And luckily I didn't know any better, because after a listen to this excerpt from 1979, I was certainly missing a hell of a lot. The diversity is what jumps out at me--unadulterated risk-taking that which the formatted, packaged radio in the States utterly lacked. 
After last Friday's request for photos of your global vinyl ventures, the responses have begun to trickle in. TVD reader CeeGee forwarded the following:
"...Brilliant days, wake up on brilliant days
Bo Diddley, the musical pioneer whose songs, such as "Who Do You Love?" and "Bo Diddley," melded rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll through a distinctive thumping beat, has died. He was 79.
The beginning of a new beginning or the beginning of the end? I vote for the latter, actually. Somewhere at the time ol' Bernard was smiling while I--a fresh bottle of red having been opened and leafing through a pile of so called Brit mags on my couch--was wincing. And I don't believe its aged for the better...
Ten tracks found within the import section from the years when I toiled at the aforementioned Record World in the Seaview Square Mall in Ocean, NJ. See ya' at the food court.
It probably won't come as much of a surprise to TVD readers to learn that yours truly worked in a record store back in the day--actually two record stores to be exact. Both were among the chain of corporate record stores known as Record World--not the mom-and-pop variety mind you, but nevertheless I learned the biz first hand. First was the Record World in Seaview Square Mall in Ocean, NJ and the second was in the Georgetown Park Mall here in DC. Both don't exist any longer--the Georgetown branch having been replaced by a candy store. (Which is sort of the same thing, in a way.) 
Take 5 USA visits Som Records DC
...and we're giving away two FREE tickets...
The Grays - Nothing Between Us (Mp3)
I'm starting to think that this is how radio should be programmed -- invite the DJ's to show up with their iPods and let 'er rip. At random. The way it actually USED to be, right? (Right.)
Y'know - I missed this feature on the blog. With all the planning for theme weeks and the like, there's little surprise here at TVD HQ as to what will be posted for any number of days. So, I'd like to turn it on its head over the new few and in turn be surprised with what the iPod shuffle play will reveal. And you too can play along at home, TVD reader. What are the first randomly selected tunes the iPod coughs up? Let us know...
Guest blogger Noah has some, ...well, parting Shots:
I can't sing the praises of TVD's guest blogger this week any louder -- Noah, you've done a hell of a job here over the past five days and you're to be commended. And if the traffic stats and the Mp3 downloads are any indication, I'm not alone in this assessment. Cheers Noah! | Watch this space next week for some free weekend tix to the Black Cat! | TVD will return after the Memorial Day holiday on Tuesday. Til then, here are some tracks for your New Wave BBQ this weekend...
With the mega-hit Stanley Road, Paul Weller had made three number 1 albums with three different bands, each featuring a unique sound while capturing the zeitgeist of its particular era. Extraordinary really. After touring Europe and the UK for the better part of October through December 1995, Paul Weller had a relatively quiet 1996 musically. Divorcing his wife Dee C Lee, drinking heavily, and imbibing a number of substances, Weller once again returned to Woking to try to sort himself out. Looking back on that period, he recently said, “It was like having my mid-life crisis early on, to get it out the way. And I'm not moaning - apart from the emotional thing, which was pretty awful, I had a brilliant time in other ways. I just didn't want to do it for ever more.”
After the release of the disappointing Confessions of A Pop Group, The Style Council –without drummer Steve White – returned to the studio to work on another album. Paul and Mick had been getting into House music and the sound and energy of this scene completely influenced what they recorded. Described variously as Garage or House (I’m not versed in the nuanced differences of these styles to know the difference) Modernism: A New Decade was delivered to the record company in early 1989. The executives at Polydor were shocked by what they heard and sensing they had a commercial bomb on their hands activated a clause in Paul Weller’s million pound per album contract. Stating Modernism did not have two singles on it, which was required of every LP, they rejected the record. Weller was livid, stating, “I’ve made all those fu-kers millions of pounds.” It would now be up to the attorneys to sort out the termination of his contract with Polydor.
