TVD's Daily Wax | T-Rex "Bolan Boogie"

An open letter to Devendra Banhart:

There's this band I think you'd really like.

That is all.

-TVD

T-Rex - By The Light Of A Magical Moon (Mp3)
T-Rex - Hot Love (Mp3)
T-Rex - Raw Ramp (Mp3)
T-Rex - Ride A White Swan (Mp3)
T-Rex - Summertime Blues (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Wings "Greatest"

I think you just get to a point where you realize you've lead 10 or 15 individual lives. Birthdays tend to underscore that--little anniversaries of one full trip around the sun, or one look around the room of folks who've come to raise a glass with you--often finds you in differing universes over the years. And it's seems seamless until the cards in the mail you've taken for granted all these years just stop arriving, their absence is a new letter in the mailbox. Like the card from my folks with the check and a note, "Go buy yourself some clothes, but no more black!"

I guess it was the Macca/Mills mess that had me thinking about Sir Paul not too long ago. I mean, how many lives has this guy had? I bet we can count because if there's a more examined life out there, I'm not aware of it. So, to look back at all of my OWN incarnations, I'm a bit awed to think that Paul in one of HIS many guises rode shotgun with me all of these years. I truly can't recall a time when The Beatles or Paul weren't in regular rotation on my personal playlist. So Paul, thanks for remaining a constant all of these years. We've seen some shit, huh?

Wings - Band On The Run (Mp3)
Wings - Jet (Mp3)
Wings - Junior's Farm (Mp3)
Wings - Maybe I'm Amazed (Mp3)
Wings - My Love (Mp3)

TVD's Weekend Shots

No, TVD readers, it's not an early weekend bender. Your eyes aren't deceiving you...yes, it's your Weekend Shots quite early in the morning. It's because, well...(come in, come in closer...see, um)...it's my first blog birthday on Saturday. Not THE birthday of the blog (although that looms) it's well, mine! And I'm calling in sick tomorrow...(*cough -- hack!*) Or taking a vacation day - whichever gives me more vacation days in the future. (Note to TVD HR.)

So, if you would, come take a swim in Lake Me. These ten tracks, for whatever reason all spent some time embedded in the cranium for some portion of the first half of '08 and have become my birthday mixtape. Please download all 10 together and play in order. Loud. Like I will this weekend.

(Fast note about the Nick Gilder track that kicks off this 10...I have played this tune NONSTOP all year. I don't know what it is. There's something that just kills here...it's dated, sure...but dammit, man...where's the band ripping this sound off? Straight up the center - no mathrock time changes - just eager and angst. It's simple really. But this is a lousy Mp3 conversion that I found on the net...I'll get to an official one next week...think of it as if coming through your AM radio. Together we'll work on the harmonies on the chorus part..."...love we're sharing...!")

See ya Monday!

Nick Gilder - We'll Work It Out (Mp3)
Todd Rundgren - Couldn't I Just Tell You? (Mp3)
The Sound - Under You (Live) (Mp3)
The Comsat Angels - Independence Day (Mp3)
MGMT - Electric Feel (Mp3)
Sniff 'n The Tears - Driver's Seat (Mp3)
Guillemots - Get Over It (Mp3)
Stereophonics - Dakota (Mp3)
Rainbow - Since You've Been Gone (Mp3)
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes - I Don't Want to Go Home (Mp3)

TVD Recommends | Sad Summer Shows

The Sad Crocodile residency at Galaxy Hut has triumphantly wrapped up but DC's favorite mopesters still have a few shows coming up and then a little (recording) break planned. Both will continue the proud tradition of pairing themselves with some of the most exciting musicmakers out there.

Sunday June 15th at the Red and the Black bringing a big slice of the NYC Popfest right to you in DC with the always amazing Tullycraft, From Bubblegum to Sky, DC's beloved Sprites and going on early is Sad Crocodile, so don't be late!!!!! "Jason from Sprites wanted to set something up the day after the bands play New York and I know some of the Tullycraft gang so how could we resist. We will start things off with complicated adult issues and then the other folks will blast out about video games and vampires surrounding them with pop hooks up the wazoo," says Sad Crocodile's John Foster.

Thursday July 10th at DC9 will feature a special night with three of DC's most exciting songwriters performing their very different compositions in a unique sequence. (That is long as all get out - what I am saying is don't miss a second and it won't be the usual set sequence type of night.) Sam Simkoff (of Le Loup), Martin Royle and Sad Crocodile will rotate short sets throughout the night and the potential is there for a transcendent evening or a complete trainwreck. "Not to be forgotten either way!" laughs Foster. "I had planned both Sam and Marty for the residency but the dates ended up not working as they had tours that ripped them away (Sam to Europe and Marty to Kentucky haha.) I sat over a drink with Marty hoping to set up a make-up show and we talked about this rotating presentation idea he had tried once before. We both only had one person we wanted to do it with and Sam was game. I can't wait."

TVD's Daily Wax | Japan "Tin Drum"

The point where, surprisingly, New Wave morphed into...art? Could it be? My trusty Trouser Press notes:

In one of rock's most remarkable examples of bootstrapping, South London's Japan pulled themselves up from lowly beginnings as a ludicrously overdressed glam-punk-pose band who (badly) emulated the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper to finish, five years later, as one of England's most sophisticated art-rock outfits, earning the respect of their peers and branching out into such fields as sculpture and photography. . . Tin Drum presents Japan at peak form, playing subtle creations with intricate rhythms and tightly controlled dynamics. Spare but strong drumming (abetted by Karn's rubbery bass) provides needed propulsion, and the breadth of influences — from Middle Eastern to funk — color the music a number of fascinating shades. Having almost totally escaped pop constraints, Japan's sound here — except for a few tunes (especially "Ghosts") that strongly resemble latter-day Roxy Music — is a willowy fabric of interwoven threads.

"A willowy fabric of interwoven threads." I thought I heard hissing summer lawns.

Japan - The Art of Parties (Mp3)
Japan - Talking Drum (Mp3)
Japan - Still Life in Mobile Homes (Mp3)
Japan - Visions of China (Mp3)
Japan - Sons of Pioneers (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Harry Nilsson "A little touch of Schmilsson in the night"

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?

Thanks. Shh. (OW.)

Harry Nilsson - As Time Goes By (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson - I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson - Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You) (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson - This Is All I Ask (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson - What'll I Do (Mp3)

TVD Radio Hour

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.

John Peel Show - BBC Radio 1, 1979 (64MGs) (Mp3)

TVD | Wide World of (Vinyl) Stores

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. "

Keep 'em coming folks!

TVD's Daily Wax | Simple Minds 12" Mixes

"...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..."

Simple Minds - Glittering Prize (12'' Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (12'' Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds - Someone Somewhere In Summertime (12'' Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds - Waterfront (12'' Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds - White Hot Day (12'' Import) (Mp3)

Vinyl Returns in the Age of MP3

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.

(LP cover via the always awesome LP Cover Lover.)

TVD Remembers | Bo Diddley

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.

Bo Diddley - Road Runner (Mp3)
Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love? (Mp3)
Bo Diddley - You Can't Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover (Mp3)
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (Mp3)
Bo Diddley - Who May Your Lover Be (Mp3)

TVD's Daily Wax | Suede "Coming Up"

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...

Suede - Filmstar (Mp3)
Suede - She (Mp3)
Suede - Picnic By The Motorway (Mp3)
Suede - The Chemistry Between Us (Mp3)
Suede - Saturday Night (Mp3)

TVD's Weekend Shots

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.

Robert Wyatt - The Wind Of Change (Mp3)
Love & Rockets - Ball Of Confusion (Mp3)
The Fall - Cruiser's Creek (Mp3)
Billy Bragg - New England (Mp3)
Woodentops - It Will Come (Mp3)
Red Guitars - Be With Me (Mp3)
The Men They Couldn't Hang - Ironmasters (Mp3)
Blue Aeroplanes - Action Paintings (Mp3)
The Loft - Up The Hill And Down The Slope (Mp3)
Rain Parade - You Are My Rriend (Mp3)

TVD | Friday @ Random

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?

Take 5 USA visits Som Records DC


From some recent Som purchases:
The Chameleons - Don't Fall (Mp3)
The Raspberries - Go All The Way (Mp3)
Small Faces - Itchycoo Park (Mp3)
The Stooges - Loose (Mp3)
Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth (Mp3)

The Submarines and TVD. Now, that's a night out...

...and we're giving away two FREE tickets...

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.

The Submarines - You, Me, & The Bourgeoise (Mp3)


Official Website
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TVD Shuffle Bored | May 29, 2008

The Grays - Nothing Between Us (Mp3)
Radiohead - House Of Cards (Mp3)
Pat Travers - I La La La Love You (Mp3)
Neil Finn - Addicted (Mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw - Our Town (Mp3)

...and now you've just shared today's walk to work with me. (Nice day, huh?)

TVD Shuffle Bored | May 28, 2008

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.)

Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (Mp3)
Todd Rundgren - The Ballad (Denny & Jean) (Mp3)
Blonde Redhead - Water (Mp3)
The Cars - You're All I've Got Tonight (Mp3)
Joe Jackson - It's Different For Girls (Live '79) (Mp3)

TVD Shuffle Bored | May 27, 2008

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...

Manic Street Preachers - Crucifix Kiss (Mp3)
Big Star - The Ballad Of El Goodo (Mp3)
Fossil - Fall (Mp3)
Shudder to Think Feat. Nina Persson - Appalachian Lullaby (Mp3)
Jellyfish - The King Is Half Undressed (Live) (Mp3)