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
You've really got to hand it to Hugh Hefner. I mean, he's turned some men's singular pursuit—naked ladies—into a sophisticated, urbane endeavor replete with dapper attire, a haughty worldliness, an appreciation for the finer arts, with a taste for the unique and refined. Wiiiith naked ladies.
Take a look at these genre-bending exercises for a taste of that hip sophistication:
As TVD ages gracefully and evolves, I find myself telling people in conversation that The Vinyl District and its sensibilities, while all about vinyl and record stores, allows for a bit of an aesthetic that I like to apply to certain things beyond the initial goal posts.
I'm sure Hef said to himself at some point, "Well, what do I do AFTER I bed that millionth blonde? And brunette. Perhaps I head out for a drink? Or maybe I should read a book? I DO need a new pair of pajamas...hm..."
Because I, we, all dig vinyl and record stores and going to shows but there's more ink in the well, more depth on the bench, and to be relegated to that one note is frankly a bit un-Hef-like.
Over the course of the week, our daily 5 will be a bit of an homage to all things outside of the vinyl pursuits which in some collective manner shall evolve into some TVD-type aesthetic.
So, when I'm not here in the masturbatorium, er..."TVD HQ" ...you'll find me at the first on our aesthetic list:
By now we're thinking you know the drill: be the first to choose the show you want to see at Comet by calling it out in the comments to this post—and a pair of tickets is yours. One winner per show too. Easy, right?
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11 ArmChairs / Exit Clov / Circadian Rhythms Armchairs The Armchairs stand up for the hungry kids. Playing together since February 2008, this unlikely quartet puts on intense live shows that feature (but are not limited to) readings from the communist manifesto, hot dog costumes, light-up helmets, abrupt tempo changes, and audience participation. Drawing influence from bands such as The Kinks, The Zombies, Deerhoof, and Ween, The Armchairs have only just begun to unleash their fury on the unsuspecting public. Two DIY tours of the eastern seaboard, countless regional & NYC gigs (Pianos, Lit Lounge, Union Pool, Death by Audio, official CMJ 2009 showcase at Local 269) and a 10 song demo later, they are hard at work finishing their debut LP, "Science & Advice."
Exit Clov Exit Clov is a band from Washington, D.C. We write songs inspired by the madness of our city. Tunes of resistance, ennui and societal idiocy—music for 21st century kids. Our name, a tribute to Samuel's Beckett's "Endgame," is both a call to arms and a personal manifesto. We share a wide range of influences from Blondie to Bartok but most of all we love a good hook. Consider our choruses a respite from the soundbite society we live in. Someone once called us "kaleidoscopic pop noir," we think that sounds pretty cool.
Circadian Rhythms Circadian Rhythms LP are in the midst of putting out an untitled EP with an independent philly label called EARSNAKE. The Circadian Rhythms work to blend all of their different influences into one body cohesively and this has been said about them, "From dark delta steez to kaleidoscopic soul, The Circadian Rhythms are a wholly unique if not slightly schizophrenic musical organism."—John "wrath of the math" Morrison.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12 State Department / Imperial China / Deutschmarks State Department State Department are a super group that is newly formed and has members of heavy hitters Ra Ra Rasputin, Spiritual Machine, and Black and White Jacksons. Patrick Kigongo, is either a wind-talker of guitar technology, or the Haley Joel Osment of indie-pop–he talks to ghosts of Echo and the Bunnymen and Felt with noisy, surfy riffs that glide along the steady, insistent drums parts. Michael Medlock keeps his vocals angry and personal, which is a lot better than sassy and sarcastic. With sparklers ignited, the group even takes it way back to the Velvet Underground’s iconic song Waiting for the Man, a number that turned into an orgiastic crowd-participation sort of thing when just about anybody was allowed onstage, and just about anybody was allowed to have a microphone.
Imperial China "It would [be a mistake to think] that Imperial China is a straight-up rehash of its musical forebears... From a dynamics perspective, the three instruments constantly change allegiances, occasionally veering off in three different directions at once. But the end result is always cohesive—and, more importantly, contemporary." - Washington City Paper, July 2008.
"Imperial China, a trio from DC, carry on the city's long and proud legacy of slashing, experimental post-punk that's equally brainy and ballsy. They create fierce grooves, turn on a dime, throw some weird electronic flourishes in for good measure, and shimmy about on stage like they took dancing lessons from Guy Picciotto." - Philadelphia Weekly, January 7, 2009.
Deutschmarks Deutschmarks is Chris DeWitt's solo music project. The live group includes members of DC bands Pree, Frau Eva and Wild Fictions. Deutschmarks sits on a pier of pulsing rhythms and and freewheeling melodies and throws little pebbles of misplaced nostalgia and Catholic mysticism into a big ol salty sea. Owing as much to early Who and CCR as he does to Les Savy Fav and Jens Lekman, helmsman Chris DeWitt barks and hollers and croons his way through a lively and energetic set of barn-burners
One of our favorite DJ nights, Rick and Brandon’s We Fought The Big One returns this evening AND with a special live event tomorrow night. Some details from Rick’s press release:
The stew has been brewing for awhile now, but this weekend makes it official: “We Fought the Big One” is expanding beyond the monthly confines of the Marx Cafe to include special live shows that will take place at DC-area venues!
Needless to say, we couldn't be more excited. To tie in with this Friday's dj night at the Marx, Brandon and I have curated a unique live event at the Velvet Lounge which will take place Saturday evening.
Brooklyn's Outpost, a relatively new band that features Stuart Argabright from Factory Records' act Ike Yard, Mark C from Live Skull and Kent Heine from Holy Ghost, will be our guest djs Friday evening at the Marx and performing Saturday at the Velvet.
All three members of Outpost have an unabashed obsession with J.G. Ballard. The group's eerie sounds, which teeter between song and ambience, structure and formlessness, confirm that the collective agenda here is to make music as evocative and atmospheric as Ballard's unimitable prose. We encourage you to hear for yourself.
Also on Saturday night’s bill areDC’s Screen Vinyl Image, The Plums, and our pal Blue Sausage Infant!
Brandon, who also writes TVD’s Musique Non Pop, has assembled ten tracks for us this weekend to set the mood:
Ike Yard - Loss (Mp3) For a synth band set down in the middle of trendy 1982, these guys didn’t groove along with much of their native NYC club scene. Neither did they march along with all the dispossessed children of the European New Wave musical Cold War. Instead Ike Yard oozed with a sort of funky menace. Something that bands wouldn’t relearn how to do until the 90’s. From their “1980-82 Collected” CD available on Acute Records.
Live Skull - Corpse (Mp3) Unfortunately mostly overlooked when the New York No-Wave scene is discussed, Live Skull is in desperate need of a good reissue program. Perhaps people misunderstood them because of their later (excellent) work with Thalia Zedek, which would be a shame. This song is from a classic Tellus compilation cassette released in 1983.
Skat - Just a Word (Mp3) Shifting gears, Skat were a short-lived later incarnation of Brighton, UK’s The Chefs (themselves short lived.) Fronted by the wonderful (and wonderfully named) Helen McCookerybook, this is an unreleased song taken from a Peel Session circa 1983.
Furious Apples - Belladonna (Mp3) This band was from Coventry, UK and released only a few singles and a couple of songs on a compilation before disappearing. Reminds me for all the world of Creation band, Felt or a little bit of The Church. From a 1983 single.
49 Americans - Don’t Sing The Blues (Mp3) 49 Americans went from the worst of the best late 70’s East London DIY, amateur, charming scruffy and funny as hell bands to a band suddenly playing with serious avant-garde types like David Toop and Steve Beresford. This is what they decided to do with their new situation. From their 1981 E Pluribus Unum LP.
Occult Chemistry - Water (Flexi Version) (Mp3) A one off band made up of members of Twilight Zoners from Cardiff, Wales and Martha Tilson who would later end up in A Certain Ratio for a short while as their singer. This is taken from the latest Messthetics compilation put out by Chuck Warner and his wonderful Hyped2Death Label. To say that the Messthetics compilations have changed We Fought The Big One’s musical lives is an understatement.
Strike Under - Sunday Night Disorientation (Mp3) Chicago’s Strike Under only lasted for this one 12” single before disintegrating in to Breaking Circus, Naked Raygun and later Pegboy. This is considered important in some circles as far as the evolution of Chicago Punk is concerned. It is also the first record on Wax Trax! Records. 1981. Sorry for the crappy transfer and minor skipping. It's vinyl and this is why we love it.
B-People - Give Up (Mp3) Another criminally forgotten band (of course they are,) Alex Gibson’s B-People from LA only lasted a few years in the early 80’s. They traded in music that was artfully jaded, distant but not foreboding and sometimes even moving. Take for example Mr. Gibson’s delivery of the line “My heart’s not in it anymore.” Simple, but it gets me every time. Circa 1981 or about there and originally on a cassette compilation.
Snatch - Hey Joey (Mp3) Snatch were two ladies from New York, Patti Palladin and Judy Nylon whom left and moved to the UK in the early 70’s. They started off as rather thrashy punkettes, but gradually started to develop their sound. This song was recorded in 1977(!!!!) and released on a single. I swear this has everything to do with Brian Eno as they were working with him at the time, but can’t find any confirmation of such. Desperately needs a re-release.
Conrad Schnitzler - Gelb 1 (Mp3) German avant-garde composer type started musical life in the early 70’s in a band called Eruption before moving on to his own solo work. This track was recorded in 1974 (again !!!!!!) and was only on cassette originally before being re-released a few times since.
The third edition of Story/Stereo is TONIGHT. Co-curator Matt Byars gives us an overview...
"I was going to write about Zomes' show tonight for Story/Stereo #3 at the Writer's Center in Bethesda (8:00 PM, with authors Dylan Landis and Brian Gilmore), but I'm coming up blank. After full days of explaining things to 6th graders (I'm a middle school teacher), I treasure things that don't need explanation, and that elude language; Zomes fit the bill.
Their "Fig Newtons of grainy Krautrock" (as described by one reviewer), just are, in the simplest sense of the word; what could I say that would embellish that? I admit that the backstory builds interest — Asa Osborne, who effectively is Zomes, is best-known for his work in the legendary Dischord outfit Lungfish — but shut off the critique and comparison parts of your temporal lobe and just let Zomes' gritty, swirling drones wash over you." —Matt
“It’s so hot my bass is sweating!” This sentiment echoed by Elvis Perkins’ bass player, Mr. Brigham Brough at last nights show at Rock n Roll Hotel, wasn’t a far stretch from the truth. I can describe this show in three short phrases: a) hot b) crowded and c) folk-gospel. Yep, that’s about it.
So I might be a bit biased in writing this review since in recent years my musical tastes have outgrown the folky likes of Wilco and Bright Eyes and have evolved to a more electronic persuasion. However, I shall do my best to maintain impartiality.
Although it may not be my cup of tea, it is clear that Elvis and the crew are definitely not lacking on fans, as this was the most crowded show I’ve been to at the Hotel. The Hotel consisted of quite the young, innocent and flannel-clad audience, many of whom admitted (once asked by Perkins) to seeing Perkins recently at Club Iota in Virginia. The progression from Iota to an overloaded Rock n Roll suggests Mr. Perkins is moving right up the ladder to… could it be?... 930 club stardom? I guess we shall see.
To begin the show Perkins and his troupe of heavily-bearded band members entered from the back of the venue, forcing the already tight crowd to get a little bit tighter, as their brass procession made its way to the stage. Many of Perkins’ songs evoke visions of a rainy New Orleans funeral procession (I may have fallen asleep with my eyes open once or twice…) except those in which the drummer busted out his big ass drum and threw a more funky-vibe into the mix (which was awesome). At the end of the show, Elvis so graciously took requests from the audience and immediately played not one but TWO encores. He then told the crowd to meet him upstairs for drinks or ‘a pat on the back’, whichever they preferred.
So bottom line, I can’t say anything about the band themselves, and you folky cats would have definitely enjoyed it.
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.
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.)
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.
(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???
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..."
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
