Thursday, December 3, 2009

TVD's Rate That Record


You can tell when a bit’s falling flat usually by midweek...like this one is.

I tell ya, the vinyl collectors and the blog frequenters are one quiet bunch. Hundreds and hundreds of these ‘Rate That Record’ downloads later—nary a peep in response. I don’t get it...

Perhaps I need to snap some pictures of my meal at some local hot spot. Shoot some kissy face photos or better yet photograph ‘The Door of the Day.’ Whee. Or ponder the nature of the struggling transit system. Or discuss PMS and shoes. That – THAT will engender comments, feedback, dialogue...

The completist I am, this feature runs the full week.

Silence be damned.


Beloved Rogue - Daysleeping (Mp3)
Beloved Rogue - Capital Sense (Mp3)
Feral Children - On A Frozen Beach (Mp3)
Matt Morris - Just Before The Morning (Mp3)
Langhorne Slim - Say Yes (Mp3)

It's a TVD Fall Vinyl Giveaway | Derek Webb 'Stockholm Syndrome'


You’ve got to hand it to Derek Webb—an artist who’s emerged from a career based initially in contemporary religious music, to an artist willing to ask tough questions of himself and his faith, which has ultimately produced ‘Stockholm Syndrome,’ an LP which moves him squarely into the electro-indie mainstream.

I’m always wary of genre and identity hopping to be fair, but ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ succeeds on its own merits, devoid of religious overtones, yet thoughtful, atmospheric, and actually damn catchy.

And wouldn’t you know it, we’ve got one to give away in all of its double-LP, 180 gram glory. Make your case in the comments to this post (with contact info – important!) and we’ll choose one winner to be mailed the record by noon on Friday (12/4.)



Derek Webb - What Matters More (Mp3)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

TVD would like to remind you to: Do Different, ThinkIndie


If you’re asking yourself this morning if we’re openly schilling for ThinkIndie.com, the answer to that question is YES, yes we are.

We’ll blatantly get behind and support any endeavor that keeps alive the independent spirit of the mom and pop record stores—and ThinkIndie’s doing just that.

There are two facets to ThinkIndie that underscore what we’ve been saying for some time now: digital files can coexist peacefully and strategically with vinyl records in the same marketplace—and ThinkIndie has a site for each under one umbrella.

Over the next few weeks, the guys behind the brand will be guest blogging here and shedding some light on the ‘Think Indie Collective’ consisting of ThinkIndie.com, the ThinkIndie stores, customers, record labels and artists whose product is carried by ThinkIndie.

This week, Tony from ThinkIndie gives us a glimpse into the digital side of things and next week we’ll delve into the vinyl end of the spectrum.


"We come to you directly from the engine room of the web ship ThinkIndie.com. Deep in the hull of this ship are two laptops, a rack full of servers, and a table covered with hard drives. Just a year ago, the two of us were both slugging away behind the counter at a large indie record store pushing vinyl, garage rock, DVDs, and digging in the used bins, but mother indie needed a couple able-bodied music fans to go rogue and jump onto their converted digital ship. Indie record stores can't go digital, can they?

I admit, I had already ripped much of my collection to hard drives and had owned several media players. Andrew is a member of Napster, Oink and other torrent sites before they were shut down as well as being an avid music collector. Much like myself he had his fingers glued to the keyboard a good portion of the day.

We both agreed that the current download store choices were a bit milk toast and it really didn't compare to going into a store. In the end, we made the leap to the dark side and the ship set sail for uncharted waters. It was in one of the seedy ports that we met the BlackSheep and hired his left for dead ass to be our mascot. He had not worked for a music related company since his Minor Threat gig back in the day.

This brings us to the here and now. ThinkIndie.com has a growing catalog of 320kbps mp3s, including exclusive stuff from our friends in bands and labels, and not to be outdone, we also give away a ton of tracks we like. Andrew picked out a few albums he’s been listening to that you may not have heard about, or ones he thinks you NEED to hear about. He’ll be back next week with another guest blog about music or something completely random."
—Tony @ ThinkIndie.com



Mariachi El Bronx - S/T
Growing up in SoCal with the Mexican border anywhere from 30-120 minutes (depending on where you live) from your house you get a special appreciation for the Mexican culture. The Bronx, a punk/hardcore band from Los Angeles embraces this culture on their new release as Mariachi El Bronx. When it comes to mariachi music you know you're doing something right when you have David Hidalgo of Los Lobos doing a guest spot on your record. I've been listening to this album a bunch since it came out and it's near the top of my "best of 09" album list for sure.

Kalas - S/T
The self titled and only release from Kalas is a damn good one. It features Matt Pike of High On Fire/Sleep on vocals. It's a little more melodic than the stuff he's done in the past, but that's because of the guys he's working with here. It's sort of a "Super Group" of Bay Area musicians, but I hate using that term. It's still a super heavy album, don't think Pike is capable of doing anything but heavy, and is one of my favorite finds of the year.

The Creepy Creeps - Fink About It
This is the Creepy Creeps 3rd release since 2006, but their first on Dionysus Records even though there had been talks of Dionysus releasing stuff from them as far back as 2007. Think of them as a mix of The Mummies, The Bomboras and The Ghastly Ones rolled up into a chunk of vinyl and pressed for the world to enjoy. Reverb drenched guitar, steady driving drum beats, thumping bass lines and cover it all in an organ glaze. If you are ever in San Diego and the Creeps are playing you have to catch em live. Dance Party U.S.A.

Soulsavers - Broken
The third album from the UK production team the Soulsavers. As with their second album it features vocals from Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees/Queens Of The Stone Age/Gutter Twins), but also features Mike Patton, Jimi Goodwin of Doves, Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie "Prince" Billy), P.W. Long and Richard Warren. This time around they are a little more rock n roll than spiritual like on "It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land." I hear their live shows are amazing, but I missed em when they came to town and I've been kicking myself ever since.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

TVD's The Night After


(Ed’s note: The cruel, cruel irony of this blog endeavor is that it’s allowed quite a few opportunities to present themselves—shows, events, interviews—but with scant ability to seize upon all of the offers. I mean, someone’s got to run the shop and keep things clicking along daily, so I’ve allowed some things to pass us by.

I’ve thought for a long while that I need a person in the street to run around like crazy, seize upon the free passes, interview the bands, do the shots, pass out on the floor, and send us dispatches from the night. The stuff that can be recalled or discussed, that is.

And a loyal reader of this ol’ blog has stepped up to do just that. Nicole’s agreed to seize upon the free passes, interview the bands, do the shots, pass out on the floor, and send us dispatches from the night. It’s God’s work, really.

In actuality, Nicole’s a music-obsessive, scientist by day (really) who’s recently moved to the U Street area, so she’s well positioned to embark on the missions we send her way as well as the ones she conjures up for herself. Anticipate the free flow of enthusiastic energy.

While we were prepping for this column, Nicole took in Devo and White Denim and bits from both follow below. She’ll be back with items from the current concert calendar...y’know...when the shots wear off.)

___________

Whoawhoawhoa…. quite the musically-stimulating weekend, indeed.

Saturday night Austin-based White Denim absolutely blew my mind (and my eardrums) at Rock n Roll Hotel.

I’ve been listening to this band for a few years now after they put out their first LP, ‘Work Out Holiday’ (check out, ‘all you really have to do’) and recently snatched up their newest LP, ‘Fits’. The music is kind of garage-experimental-esque and semi-reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix. Highly underappreciated, in my opinion.

I can’t even explain in words how insanely good the live show was (‘explaining in words’ isn’t a blogger prerequisite, right?). There was no freakin’ stopping the tremendous trio and they bounced from one song right into the glorious next, creating one seamless night of flawlessly intricate percussion, experimental guitar sounds and classic rock vocals. True absurdity. I’m tempted to say that this is the best live show I’ve ever seen ever…… that really means a lot.

Alsooo...the band members themselves were super-chill and manned the merch booth before and after the show, asking me what I recommended in the city and discussing their favorite cities to play. I was also really excited that they all happily signed my vinyl (which, by the way, comes with BOTH the new and old albums. Genius.)

Sunday night. Went with good ol’ papadukes to see DEVO. Mark Mothersbaugh is 59 freakin’ years old and god-damn he is good. Fortunately, the weirdness hasn’t subsided at all, either.

Anticipation was high at 930 club for this sold out performance in which Devo was to play the ‘Q-Are We Not Men A-We are Devo’ album in full. The crowd was just as you’d expect for a Devo show. I saw plenty of dudes with more grey hairs than not, various sightings of the Devo-typical red Energy Dome hats and I even saw one dude wearing a shirt that also functioned as a digital clock.

Lights went down right on schedule at 9pm to a packed venue and the video for ‘Jocko Homo’ began playing on the white screen behind the stage. This video tops the weird charts and includes oddities such as gorillas spanking the bums of ‘ugly-masked’ ladies (see video below, words do not do this video justice…). Way weird, but in a totally awesome sort of way. Post-video, Devo came out in their typical yellow rubber suits which they ripped off and threw into the crowd half-way through the night. The show was rad, indeed (granted, the show was packed and I’m a whole 5-nothing, so actually seeing the action was a bit difficult), although they ended sans-encore, and sans the hit song, ‘Whip-it’.

I’m sure many of you witnessed this tremendously-funky spectacle; I’m sure many of you with much more Devo experience than I…. What did YOU GUYS think???? How do you feel about the lack of encore or ‘whip-it’?? How was the following nights show???


White Denim - All You Really Have To Do (BBC Hub Session) (Mp3)
Devo - Secret Agent Man (Mp3)

TVD's Rate That Record

In an odd bit of timing as we're inaugurating our regurgitation of the Mp3's we're sent for your thumbs up or thumbs down (and by the way don't overload us with feedback...sheez...) Dick Clark, the originator of the concept and "America's Oldest Teenager" turned 80 yesterday. (That's a lot of Clearasil.)

I kid.


Onto the records!


Daisy McCrackin - Say You Do (Mp3)
"Daisy's been getting a lot of good press lately—including a rave of a live show from L.A. Weekly—and her sound has garnered comparisons to Beth Orton, Lisa Hannigan, Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell..."

O'Spada - Ten Strikes (Radio Edit) (Mp3)
"O'Spada was formed in Stockholm 2006 by five individuals with a very varied background in music, and forged a clash between soul and funk meeting hip hop and rock, creating their own unique sound. They gradually earned a reputation mainly through MySpace and their vivid live performances, handing them a record deal at Despotz Records in 2008. The spring and summer has been spent recording the so far untitled debut album planned for release early 2010."

Thee American Revolution - Power House (Mp3)
"Lo-fi heavy psych-pop acid rockers Thee American Revolution began as a home-recording collaboration between Elephant 6 co-founder Robert Schneider and brother-in-law Craig Morris. Schneider is best known as front-man of The Apples in stereo, and producer of many beloved records, including both Neutral Milk Hotel albums..."

TVD Recommends | Soul: The Classics (An Album Cover Art Exploration)


Without a doubt, a fine way to spend tomorrow evening. From the press release:

Soul. It’s considered by most to be a weighty word. It’s used to describe a variety of people, places, and things and even the most intangible of ideas. Soul has implications of every kind, from food to the spiritual, but perhaps none are greater than it being used to define an era and a genre of music.


Coming off the success of their previous RAP exhibition, on Wednesday, December 2, Art vs Commerce, Smirnoff Vodka, and The Source Magazine will again partner on the second installment of The Classics – with Series 2: SOUL.

Similar to the first exhibition, this version will feature a bevy of album cover art, however this one will consist of over forty classic Soul album covers, courtesy of DJ YZO. SOUL, in some ways, will actually serve as a prequel to RAP, in that a variety of the albums on display contain songs that have been sampled and used in many classic rap music records.



Taking it’s lead from RAP, SOUL will take place at Lounge of 3 (1013 U St. NW) from 5pm-9pm and will again have Nick Da 1da and DJ 2-Tone Jones providing the sounds, along with DJ YZO. Guests will also be treated to a new series of complimentary signature cocktails from 7pm-9pm courtesy of Smirnoff, which include the Stevie Wonder and Gil Scott Heron.

Monday, November 30, 2009

TVD's Rate That Record


We receive an incredible number of emails each week from bands or PR firms hoping for air time for their clients on TVD. And I say ‘air time’ because the blogs are doing the work that radio has performed in the past, that is introducing the readers/listeners to new music because, let’s face it, terrestrial radio is a Top 40 Garbage Heap at this point in the game.

So, the emails pour in and we do our best to listen to each and every one of them. Often times if a band’s up our alley, they end up in a ‘First Date’ feature or in some other capacity on the blog. But with the number of emails and Mp3s pouring in, there simply isn’t the time in the day or the manpower to feature everyone we think should merit ‘air play’ and there’s less time of course for those who are middling or not particularly within the blog’s niche—whatever that may be.

To remedy this conundrum, and perhaps as an homage to Dick Clark who was running this bit on American Bandstand for eons, we’ve got a new running feature whereby we post the tracks submitted to TVD and we let you be the judge along with us in what we’re calling ‘TVD’s Rate That Record.’

Thumbs up or thumbs down, it’s your call. Feel free to use foul language, rant or rave, and/or champion the little guys who’ve made that killer track you’ve been trying to turn your pals onto for ages who abruptly and finally find their one moment of downloadibility here on the blog. Or simply decimate the wannabes.

In the future we’ll post them as they come in (within reason) among our other running features, but this week, we’re gonna give you a taste of what’s come in over the past few weeks and what positions itself in the queue this week in real time.



Beautiful Supermachines - Oakland 2008 (Mp3)
Davis Williams, “...the only person who could credibly write tracks for Terry Riley and Teddy Riley” introduces his Beautiful Supermachines."

Over a career that spans more than three decades, he’s been at the leading edge of various watershed moments of punk, post-punk, noise-rock, and hip-hop, rubbed elbows with Ice-T and Dr. Dre, played “the secret white dude” behind the scenes of The Jungle Brothers’ seminal J. Beez Wit The Remedy, and more recently settled into an in-demand role as a local producer.


Bbop & KidVid - Rapture (Remix) (Mp3)
(Emailed to us without comment or background...)

Dragon Turtle - Island Of Broken Glass (Mp3)
Haven't heard of Dragon Turtle yet? Seize the day! Brian Lightbody and Tom Asselin, the duo that is Dragon Turtle, have just released Almanac, their debut full-length last week on La Société Expéditionnaire (Lewis & Clarke, Strand Of Oaks).

The recordings for Almanac were crafted using an M Box and 3 mics in Asselin's Pocono Mountain basement, and over the course of time, acquisition of gear, and massive trial-and-error, the bunker blossomed into the One Forest Studio. An empty roller rink was even used to create reverb! “Island of Broken Glass” takes its name from Robert Smithson's sculptural work, recanting destruction and violence inherent in the relationships between nature and man. The lyrics from this song inspired the cover of the album, a spiraling double helix/DNA strand made of burning books. Smithson is responsible for creating the Spiral Jetty in Utah in 1970.


BYOB - Prescription (Videomix) (Mp3)
"...this time, I am emailing you on behalf of an artist who I am very fond of, I have incredibly high hopes for. . . . BYOB is 21 years old, from South London, he writes, produces and performs all his own material. It a fusion of many different genres and I can't really decide where it fits. The closest I can compare him to is The Neptunes.


The New Loud - Don't Dance (Mp3)
“Part weirdness of Sparks, part killer dance of The Bravery and part insistent hook craftsmanship of XTC.” —Amplifier

The New Loud is a three-piece electro/punk/new wave band from the blue collar city of Milwaukee, WI. Its debut EP, Can’t Stop Not Knowing consists of six tracks including an intense, frenetic cover of Radiohead’s “2 + 2 = 5.” The EP was produced by band member Shane Olivo and displays a tight mixture of electronic elements and natural sounds, layered obsessively with some songs using up to 80 tracks in the mix.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

TVD | That Old Familiar Moon


Our friend Ed Hamell likes to describe a bar he once worked at as if “Night of the Living Dead had a Cheers” and I like to describe Les Enfants as an Irish Bon Jovi. Both comparisons tend to elicit laughter – then a grimace.

But say what you want about this band and this LP, (yet another purchase from Yesterday and Today Records) it’s probably the MOST requested item for reposting here on the blog. I’m clueless as to why, but there you have it.

So, on this Thanksgiving Eve...from us, to you. (Now quit pestering me.)



(Suspect LP aside, pretty nice design work...)


Les Enfants - Shed A Tear (There You Go) (Mp3)
Les Enfants - Taking Your Love Away (Mp3)
Les Enfants - Dreaming Of You (Mp3)
Les Enfants - Nothing Has Changed (Mp3)
Les Enfants - Slipaway (Mp3)

And for those of you who've written and requested it, the entire LP (and more) is right here.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

TVD | That Old Familiar Moon


Actually, this really isn’t even a good record. Well, maybe it was for a few brief moments in ‘85 after its purchase (again from the sorely missed Yesterday and Today Records.)

Yet when it crops up in rotation on iPod shuffle, I’m reminded of some very good times indeed. Clearly a case of the messenger over the message.

I AM a fan however of the manner in which Trouser Press dismissed it:

“The good news about this California-based Scottish-American trio is that they're not as pretentious or as distant as the name. The bad news is they're close to it. Utterly without personality or purpose, the eleven slickly produced tracks (with titles like "Heartache Feeds Heartache" and "Past Your Frame") blur into one another, with the smooth, modern sound of guitars and keyboards approximating an updated Moody Blues. Except for Dan Phillips' cloyingly over-emotional and gimmicky vocals, these sculptures are faultless to a fault.”

“Utterly without personality or purpose.” ...I’ve got a new catch phrase.

You’ve been warned:



A Drop In The Gray - All The Same (Mp3)
A Drop In The Gray - Wide Eye One (Mp3)
A Drop In The Gray - Fall And Cry (Mp3)
A Drop In The Gray - Heartache Feeds Heartache (Mp3)
A Drop In The Gray - Turn Me Round (Mp3)

TVD Live Tease | A Night with Chris Grier, Friday, November 27th, Comet Ping Pong


Chris Grier has been making brutal and beautiful music here and abroad since 1988, primarily with guitars and their assorted accoutrements, with results that skitter along that rarely glimpsed border where "wildly seductive" meets "what the hell?" He has publicly been called everything from "inscrutable" to an "inhuman guitar abuser," sometimes in reaction to the same performance.

He has collaborated, recorded and performed with some of the planet's most interesting and inventive musicians, including Thurston Moore, Mike Watt, Andrew W.K., Tom Smith, Don Fleming, Matthew Wascovich, Hugh McElroy, Ian Wadley, Little Wings and Little Howlin' Wolf. Since 2004, he has been a member of the long-running avant-garde collective To Live And Shave In L.A., and he is also a member of the Cleveland-based art-punk ensemble Scarcity of Tanks. With Kohoutek's Scott Verrastro, he created the terrifying drums-and-guitar duo Ultimate VAG, which toured with legendary psych-rockers Ya Ho Wha 13 in 2009. He was also recently tapped to be the guitarist for punk legend Jayne County's new band.

With Thurston Moore, Grier curated the 2005 "Noise Against Fascism" festival in DC and recently, he played on Sean McArdle's debut solo LP, "Northern Charms," some of which can be heard, oddly enough, being piped through the ceiling speakers of every Starbucks outlet in North America. As a group and solo artist, he has appeared on bills with the likes of Faust, Bob Pollard, Dan Higgs, Max Ochs, Grey Daturas, Flower Travellin' Band, Ya Ho Wha 13, Wolf Eyes' Nate Young, Sightings, Magik Markers, Wooden Wand, Religious Knives, Six Organs of Admittance, MV+EE, and many other fellow adventurers in the world's rock and underground scenes. Recordings featuring his solo and group work have been released on a plethora of labels in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.

He is also a violent karaoke enthusiast.

Grier is currently writing and recorded a vinyl-only LP to be released in 2010 through the Sockets label.


(The above from the official press release...)

Monday, November 23, 2009

TVD Live | Langhorne Slim, The Rock and Roll Hotel, 11/17/09


Langhorne Slim and I have an interesting history. I first discovered him (him being Sean Scolnik) a couple years back and I enjoyed the folksy upbeatedness of the songs and singer Scolnik's interesting voice. Half a year after I started listening to the band, I was driving with a friend of mine and had Slim's self-titled album playing. My friend turned to me and suggested that if I enjoyed what was playing on the radio I should check out Langhorne Slim. After informing him that it was Langhorne Slim's new album my friend proceeded to tell me how he went to SUNY Purchase and his friend Lucas and Langhorne made some whacky music (one song he played me was all about water) together. Long story short, I always figured that if the few people I've met who knew Scolnik were awesome, then he must be too. And after seeing him in concert there definitely is a strong and honest connection between his on-stage persona and the first-hand accounts I've heard about him.

Now, I said I've always liked the music. Have I ever loved it to the point of screaming out the lyrics at his show? No. But I've enjoyed it. So, I was slightly anticipating Langhorne Slim's newest album, Be Set Free, which came out a month and a half ago. His first album came out 5 years ago and while his two LPs definitely exhibited a slowly evolving style, they weren't so different that I expected (not optimistically nor pessimistically, just expectantly) this latest one to be too far off par. While I've read reviews that have called it "cohesive work" this and praising it for its straightforward simplicity. I call bullshit, friends. It's just too simple. Too sappy. And frankly, too slow for my liking. Perhaps the only song on the album I actually enjoy is the piano-heavy call-and-response "Cinderella." I also rather like "Back to the Wild" as the kind of song you'd use as an accompaniment to a film's train-riding montage and "For a Little While" because it embodies that type of sound (a-la-Jeff Buckley) that makes me want to make out with someone for a few hours. I can't say I love, or even really like, the rest of the album. It feels as though he is going through the motions, trying to continue on with a sound that he began playing around with years ago.

I last saw Slim at Iota this spring. There was a pretty good sized crowd compared to other shows I'd seen at the venue, so I expected there to be a large number in attendance at his show at Rock & Roll Hotel this past Tuesday. In fact, the entire downstairs was packed to the exit with concertgoers. My boyfriend and I arrived for the Dawes in the last few songs of their set. I knew nothing about them going in and, although they clearly had a strong following at the show, their music wasn't really for me. At the last Langhorne Slim show there was no drummer- something was mentioned about how he was sick or hurt and wouldn't be playing, which for one lucky fan who got to accompany a few songs was probably a dream come true. On Tuesday there was not only a drummer but a pianist/banjoist and an upright bassist. Despite having just released an album, a good portion of the set list featured music from previous albums, which I was more than grateful for. I probably zoned out for any of the songs off of the new album, except for when they played "Cinderella," "For a Little While," "Blown Your Mind," and "Land of Dreams." The latter song I don't like and after reading a review comparing its lyrics to a Hallmark card, I like it even less.

Say what you will about Langhorne's music, but you can't really knock his stage presence. He and his band interact beautifully together and it's really refreshing to see everyone on stage clearly enjoying themselves. They played some of the more vigorous songs like "Honey Pie" and "Hello Sunshine" and "And If It's True" along with some other crowd pleasers like "Rebel Side of Heaven" and "Colette." It wasn't a bad show, and Scolnik really knows how to engage his audience (note- to the guy who shouted most of the lyrics and then during an interval where Scolnik was talking shouted "TESTIFYYYYY"- please, shut up. No matter how many times you apologize for screaming into the ears of the girl next to you, that doesn't give you carte blanche to continue doing so for the rest of the show, especially when it's things that make everyone around you feel completely awkward.).

All in all it was a pretty decent show, and if you've never seen Langhorne Slim in concert, you should the next time he rolls through before he gets picked up to play in a bigger venue and ticket prices double. As for me, I think I'll be setting my Tuesday night free.

TVD | That Old Familiar Moon


Walking through downtown DC’s rush and push of office workers hitting the pavement on their commute home last week, I lingered a bit on the moon above, hung wistfully low and large in some forgiving November temperatures. If you ever care to feel truly big about yourself, remember that all who’ve ever lived or will live gaze upon the same luminous face above. It’s a familiar equalizer, I tell you.

Our pal Davy H found a vinyl gem by sheer happenstance last week and posted a few tracks in celebration of the find: The Lotus Eaters ‘No Sense of Sin,’ an LP I’ve had since ‘85 or so from one of my very first trips up Rockville Pike to Yesterday and Today Records (RIP).

‘No Sense of Sin’ has remained one of those odd constants ever since and its ‘well loved’ condition speaks to that. Yet it’s this sort of obscure gem that I too found and purchased by luck and happenstance—yet it’s familiar as can be all these years on.

It’s no secret either that as much the vinyl nerd I’ve become and stayed, I too have an iPod to keep me company on those walks to and from work AND to make it appear as if I’m totally oblivious to the numerous panhandlers who attempt to shake me down me daily.

With consistency and frequency, these obscure yet familiar gems make themselves known once more on shuffle—among the more common tracks from rather non-obscure bands. Sort of like the moon appearing yet again in the sky above, hung wistfully low; its relationship with me an oddly personal one. Just like your own with it.

This (short) week some atypical standard bearers.



Blanket of Secrecy - Say You Will (Mp3)
Blanket of Secrecy - Close To Me (Mp3)
Blanket of Secrecy - Love Me Too (Mp3)
Blanket of Secrecy - Something I Don't Need (Mp3)
Blanket of Secrecy - Tell Me Baby (Mp3)

Friday, November 20, 2009

TVD's Parting Shots


Lest any of you think my pining away this week for a real brick and mortar version of The Vinyl District was some Yoko Ono-like 'wish poem'...well, you’re only partly right. Some interesting offers did come our way, although all best seized upon when the thing actually exists.

But I don’t need this to happen today or tomorrow. Or next week or next month. Longer range is fine.

While I in fact hone the meter to that wish poem.



Wah! - Seven Minutes To Midnight (Mp3)
Nightmares in Wax - Birth Of A Nation (Mp3)
Holly & the Italians - Tell That Girl To Shut Up (Mp3)
Associates - The Affectionate Punch (Mp3)
It's Immaterial - Young Man (Mp3)
Frantic Elevators - You Know What You Told Me (Mp3)
Q Tips - SYSLJFM (Mp3)
The Tea Set - Parry Thomas (Mp3)
Swell Maps - Let's Build A Car (Mp3)
The Fall - Totally Wired (Mp3)

TVD Video Premiere | Paul Michel 'Surround Me'

In September we tipped you to the alcohol infused Saturday brunch that was Paul Michel's video shoot for the track 'Surround Me' and today TVD's proud to premiere the finished gem:



Our friends at All Our Noise shot some behind the scenes footage and also chatted with Paul before the cameras rolled. Check that here.

It's a TVD Fall Vinyl Giveaway | Little Fish, 'Darling Dear' Maxi-Single 7"


My mom used to run that old line on me all the time, “Well, mister – if EVERYone jumped off a bridge, would YOU?” To which the answer was always no, I guess.

But if EVERYone was talking about a new band you HAVE to hear...would you? To which the answer is well, ...sometimes.

So, let’s get you ahead of the curve and introduce you to Little Fish — before they make their big splash:


"Great to see a rock band focusing on melody rather than senseless riffery….they certainly pack a punch."
—London Daily Star

"Everybody's new favourite band Little Fish."
—Oxford Mail

"My new Patti Smith. Juju has an amazing voice"
—Gaz Coombes, Supergrass

"Twice as good as the best unsigned act you've ever heard... and then some."
—Tim Bearder, BBC Radio Oxford



"When it comes to hearing good new bands for the first time, there's sit-up-and- take-notice music and there's jump-up-and-accidentally-bang-your-head-on-the- ceiling music. Little Fish are the first, immediately transposed by the second."
—Dave, BBC Radio Oxford

"Little Fish are destined to rule the airwaves."
—BBC Radio Oxford

"It took Juju 6.9 seconds, wearing a wife-beater suggestively perked in two places, her brilliant vocals, wicked guitar playing and hard accompanying drums to turn us all into a Sex Pistol. Little Fish is music's missionary position and why they're NOT on NME's list of New Bands to watch in 2008 is beyond me. I would definitely make space for Little Fish."
—Hugh Tomasz, Tavern Times


Little Fish is a duo; one half is guitarist, singer, and songwriter Juju, the other half is Nez, powerhouse drummer. They release their Linda Perry-produced LP ‘Baffled & Beat’ in 2010, but we’ve got the advance single for one savvy commenter to this post who’s 180-degrees ahead of the curve.

Download the single below and shoot us your raves about that band in this post’s comments (with contact info—IMPORTANT!) and we’ll award the single to the most insightful of the bunch. You’ve got ‘til Friday at noon...



Little Fish - Darling Dear (Mp3)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

TVD's 401K


I receive links to articles of this type almost daily, but it’s important to reiterate some facts when considering just what star to hitch your retirement wagon onto.

From an ABC News article from this past April, “Though vinyl sales account for less than 1 percent of sales, Rollingstone.com reports that the number of records sold last year jumped to 1.88 million from 988,000 in 2007.

The Recording Industry Association of America officially acknowledged a resurgence of vinyl records when statistics proved it in 2007. That year, the American music industry saw a 46.2 percent revenue increase for vinyl sales. By comparison, CD revenue sales dropped 20.5 percent in the same period.”

Savvy investors, take note.



The Cars - Moving In Stereo (Mp3)
The Plimsouls - I'll Get Lucky (Mp3)
A Certain Ratio - Life's A Scream (Mp3)
I Am Vexed - Be Wise (Mp3)
Martial Arts - Finale (Mp3)