(Ed. note: new contributor, new feature!)Thrift Store Gems are records you should pull the trigger on next Saturday flipping through the used crates at the shop. I hid a copy for you...flip between Linda Ronstadt and Dan Fogelberg, or was it Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass? You've probably heard these somewhere along the line, or spotted them at the local Goodwill, but give 'em a second chance and they might fit like a cheap used leather jacket. No decade is spared in this series, so let's get searching.Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà vu (1970)Déjà vu is a 6th St. prostitute doused in slick perfume. Nothing more than loose demos cut up and pasted together with cocaine and weak bravado. A big-budget production that ushered in the era of corporate rock and pissed off ‘60s hippie dreamers still pissing in the woods at Woodstock. But even the occasional call girl is a nice looking woman.
Crosby, Stills & Nash would bring in a hired gun after the large success of their self-titled debut. Neil Young, the elusive rocker of Buffalo Springfield fame, left his ranch and dodged his epilepsy long enough to lend a hand. Joined by talented druggies Greg Reeves and Dallas Taylor, and the then-and-still obtuse Young, CSN managed to fuck up beautifully. The beautiful mess is even packaged in a fake leather gatefold that seems fitting.
The opening cut on Side 1 – radio friendly “Carry On” - is a put together effort probably tracked before Johnny the dealer showed up. I like throwing Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair” on when I'm alone, he wrote it after losing his then girlfriend in a car accident and you can hear it. Skip over “Woodstock”, unless you’d enjoy Joni Mitchell’s heartfelt poem of cliche clichés lathered in production and sped up too fast. “Déjà vu” is another Crosby cut that’s oozes a nice lack of cohesiveness, but the closing solo by Stills is a nice trip.Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 4 + 20 (Mp3)
While I might have been around in the late 60’s and early 70’s, I wasn’t what one might call, a good hang. I was way too into cartoons and sugary cereals and Legos and not so much with the smoking and drinking and carousing til all hours.
I missed those late night, bong laden, soul searching conversations with suburban pseudo hippies on sabbatical destined for corporate gigs and neglected housewives all the while seeking salvation within Yes lyrics or reading double meanings into Moody Blues bluster. I missed it and that was: justfinethankyou.
My contemporaries were Flock of Seagulls and Haircut 100 and that ilk, not known certainly for any depth on the bench or in books.
But David Sylvian got me reading Kundera for chrissakes.
Taa daa! I could end it there, really. That’s a victory unto itself. I mean, when was the last time someone whose music you listened to on the regular inspired you to go beyond yourself and within yourself just as the artist himself was taking the same spiritual journey? When was the last time you were intellectually challenged by music or musicians?
I took some heat for slagging The Velvet Underground yesterday but I stand by it. John Cale’s brilliant and Lou’s certainly impressed me over the years, and while they inspired countless bands...what did they inspire in you as the listener? It’s actually not their job to do anything but create and reflect, so fine.
But there’s been something, an added bonus if you will, for those who’ve followed Sylvian from pasty face pin-up to thoughtful, articulate, esoteric artist. If I knew what that was – what word to call it – I’d take a crack at it. An intangible tangibility of sonic texture and spirituality, perhaps.
I’m not sure. I’m failing here.
But David Sylvian got me reading Kundera for chrissakes. 
David Sylvian's latest Manafon is out now on his own Samadhisound.David Sylvian (with Ryuichi Sakamoto) - Forbidden Colours (Mp3)David Sylvian - Wave [Live] (Mp3)David Sylvian - Heartbeat (Tainai Kaiki II) (Mp3)Rain Tree Crow - Every Colour You Are (Mp3)David Sylvian - It'll Never Happen Again [Live] (Mp3)
A solid 97% of the time, I loathe ‘power-pop.’ The meticulousness that it takes to ape the Beatles or Beach Boys or Raspberries or Badfinger paradigm by sheer mathematics is laughable. Even when it’s done well I still think “Why f’n bother?”
Which is why we should all look up Alex Chilton and and say c’mon down to the pub, drinks are on us. And Alex, if you’re reading, you can crash at my place too. Help yourself to anything in the fridge.
The new Big Star box set ‘Keep an Eye on the Sky’ is a revelation in sheer effortlessness of creation. Or seemingly such. However enamored the band was with the previous list of pristine pop purveyors, one might not notice. Sure, there’s a blueprint of sorts and the influences are apparent, but there’s a wholly new artifact being created that’s ingested what came prior, yet exhales angelic new hues.
The best example is to highlight the demos from the new set. Chilton even takes the Velvets moribund ‘Femme Fatale’ and actually finds beauty in the thing. (And don’t write me letters...however cool VU is/was...they often border on unlistenable. Without smack, anyway.)
Here’s to you Alex Chilton... (and Andy and Jody and of course, Chris.) Drinks and dinner? A cuddle afterward?
Big Star - What's Going Ahn [Demo] (Mp3) Big Star - Daisy Glaze (Rehearsal Version) (Mp3)Big Star - Femme Fatale [Demo] (Mp3) Big Star - Nightime [Demo] (Mp3)Big Star - Take Care [Demo] (Mp3)
A few weeks back we posted the trailer for the new Runaways movie which had me thinking about Joan Jett ultimately. Odd that she's become a hero of sorts - although she's eminently worthy. She just seems to be a bit of a contemporary in a sense which took me back for a sec.
I started to extrapolate a bit. Why, if this was the case...who would my musical 'heroes' be? Although I'm not prone to hero worship...the mental trail I went down was a bit enlightening and dispiriting all at once. They were all dead.
Lennon, Marley, Bolan, Lynott, Nilsson, Hendrix, Bonham, Moon, Borland, Mercury... "All dead/all dead..."
Huh.
So, I thought this week to kick off the new year and the new decade, we'd begin with a reminder that there are more than a few hero-worthy types out there one could grab a beer with. If you could get so lucky.
So...Ringo.
Right - he was a Beatle so he's garnered a bust in the Hall of All Time Greats. But hell, we'd have so much to talk about (Or, I would...) and not just the obvious stuff either.
The sessions beyond the Beatles he played on. LA in the 70's with the aforementioned Lennon, Nilsson, Alice Cooper, Mickey Dolenz. Hanging with Bolan. His 70's singles which I think were damn great with great acknowledgement of George's contributions.
He was just there, man. Through it all.
So Ringo - get in touch please? I'm buying. Ok, thanks.The Beatles - I Wanna Be Your Man ['Live at the BBC' Version] (Mp3)The Beatles - Boys ['Anthology One' Version] (Mp3)Ringo Starr - It Don't Come Easy (Mp3)Ringo Starr - Back Off Boogaloo (Mp3)Ringo Starr - You're Sixteen (Mp3)
Holy cow! It’s a whole new DECADE! 2010… where the hell is my transporter? Shouldn’t we be vacationing on the moon by now?!
Anyways, although I haven’t gone to any shows recently (sad face..), I did recently snatch this FLAMING LIPS cover of Pink Floyd’s DARK SIDE OF THE MOON that I highly recommend you check out. Yes, Wayne Coyne and all his eccentricity have teamed up with Henry Rollins of BLACK FLAG and PEACHES (weird combo, eh?) to cover the entire, mind-blowing album that is Dark Side.
Although the original is epic, I think Wayne does an excellent job reintroducing this album with his distinct, quivering voice and obscure yet minimalist instrumentation. Whether or not you’re a huge Dark Side fan or not, this album will either a) remind you of the albums existentialistic greatness and have you pulling out your old 12” (I’m talking vinyl here, get your mind outta the gutter…) or b) make you wonder why you never actually fell in love with this album in the first place.
The Dark Side album is truly mind-blowing and if you pay attention the lyrics will have you staring at the ceiling, pondering life’s big questions (sparkin the old pipe may not hurt either). Get it on iTunes! I’ve dropped a few tracks for you to download (Speak to Me/Breathe and Great Gig in the Sky), let me know what you think!!
“Long you’ll live and high you’ll fly but only if you ride the tide”
Keep these lyrics handy and if you like what you hear check out the Lips’ most recent album, Embyonic for a healthy dose of obscurity.
On another note… What shows is everyone hyped to see in 2010?? Hot Chip, the XX, Miike Snow, Yeasayer, Air, St Vincent, AL GREEN?!??Flaming Lips - Speak to Me/Breathe [feat. Henry Rollins & Peaches] (Mp3)Flaming Lips - The Great Gig In the Sky [feat. Peaches & Henry Rollins] (Mp3)
I'm not too surprised that yesterday's Regifting Giveaway was met with a resounding chorus of crickets, but today I've got a good one for you.
I'm not sure how many year-end montages I've sat through featuring the big name celebrities who passed away in 2009, but the one that hit home the most for me was the loss of Orpheus Records in Clarendon this past year. A weekend doesn't go by when I'm longing to be rifling through Rick's well stocked bins with old gems and new arrivals.
But as the store was fading and everything had to go, often times for a mere dollar, I found that I often purchased two—sometimes three—copies of the same record in a flurry of mad, mad purchasing.
So, our final Regifting Giveaway...I'll randomly pick three LPs from this stack of doubles or triples and hell, I'll even mail them to the winner who catches our attention in the comments to this post. You'll have to trust my judgment with the selections, but I'm thinking if you're visiting us with any frequency, you'll be OK with what lands on your doorstep.
You've got 24 hours...make 'em good and be sure to leave us some contact info.Action Painters - 456 (Mp3)Art Brut - Alcoholics Unanimous (Mp3)Black Lips - Stranger (Mp3)iamvexed - Be Wise (Mp3)Joe Jackson - Got The Time (Mp3)
Hello music-savvy friends. Right, so I’ve been M.I.A. for a while ‘cause I haven’t been attending too many shows recently…. Not because I don’t WANT to, but b/c the federal govt pays me like shit and I’m too damn broke. There were some good shows recently that unfortunately I did miss…. Anyone make it to Lee “Scratch” Perry/See-i? Totally bummed I had to miss it……..
Anywhooo…. I know you were all massively worried you hadn’t heard from me so I’ve decided that from now on I shall grace you with a WEEKLY dose of my mind-numbing DC/music accounts every Monday morning, in what I like to call, “The Sunday Hangover.” Please bear in mind my brain is generally functioning at a third of the capacity on Monday’s so you’ll be sure to get the most honest and possibly semi-incoherent recap of the past weekend's events. Sounds tremendous, I know…. but entertaining, none-the-less.
On another note…. Out of the kindness of my heart, as a holiday gift to you, I’ve decided to burn all of the loyal Vinyl District readers a ‘digital cd’. It’s chalk full of new indie tunes such as BEACH HOUSE who are blowing up recently (new album drops Jan 26th and if you like My Morning Jacket then you should check that out!) and the new SPOON song, ‘Written in Reverse’ which is sorta darker than you would imagine, yet incredible. Not to mention a HOT CHIP cover of JOY DIVISION (Transmission), an ARCADE FIRE cover of TALKING HEADS (Naïve Melody), and THE XX/FLORENCE and the MACHINE. I’ve also put some of my fave electro/disco jams in there to spice up your new years. Enjoy… and if you don’t…. at least pretend you do!
Caio and see you in 2010!
TVD's Sunday Hangover - Holiday Mix 2009
I like to think I'm a pretty decent gatekeeper of what and who hits the blog most times. Things need to meet a simple aesthetic or two and if not, we're not interested. Thumbs down. It's the TVD freshness guarantee—our promise to you that we won't be posting shit. Life's short, right?
So, imagine my despair one recent morning when I woke to realize I'd done something simply awful the night prior (which didn't involve cross-dressing for a change.) I kid. Sorta'.
'Twas worse...I OK'd a contest...man, it pains me to say it. (OK, deep breath.) I OK'd a contest to give away passes for ... I can't do it.
Dave Matthews. There, I said it. ...I OK'd a contest to give away passes for a 3D Dave Matthews concert movie also featuring Ben Harper and Gogol Bordello. GOGOL BORDELLO...thaaat must have been what I was thinking. Damn.
Anyway, this big box soon arrives with high quality t-shirts for the movie, heavy duty promo posters, laminates, 3D lenticular movie passes - the whole media kit. Well, F me...
I wracked my brain. How the hell can I post a Dave Matthews contest on TVD without you, the reader paying me a visit with a bat and a shovel?
So, I Tweeted it. Head hung real low - I Tweeted it. Even had an interested party who subsequently learned that 3D makes his wife hurl. (Right - there was a lot of hurling going on that week.)
Ultimately, the one week run of the 3D film came and went. But I still gots me this box which taunts me every time I turn on the light for the day here at TVD HQ.
Please. Take it. It's yours. Let me know in the comments.
Do it for the children.Snowden - Anti-Anti (Mp3)The Smiths - Miserable Lie (Mp3)Steely Dan - Dirty Work (Mp3)Talk Talk - It's So Serious (Mp3)The Hussys - We Expected (Mp3)
Here at TVD HQ, we're the happy recipients of a lot of good will arriving via the mail each day. Like, a lot of good will ...from bands, PR folks, labels, etc. SO much good will that we're passing on the clutter...to you.
Typically a record or CD arrives, we preview, burn the suggested tracks, and more often than not, post for you guys to download and spread like a healthy dose of H1N1.
But there's only so much room. So, in an effort to actually see the floor once more, during this shortened holiday week, we're offering the overflow in a series of giveaways.
Giveaway #1: Despite being The Vinyl District, we get a shit ton of CDs. I'm looking at a random stack of perhaps 15-20, all 2009 releases, that we're willing to just give to ya. Go ahead - take 'em. Just take 'em. And they're not crap either—easily major label, indie releases.
So, get at us in the comments to this post as to why these CDs should come home with you and these aging dinosaurs, er...CDs...can be yours. We'll choose our winner on Thursday, 12/31 by noon.
One catch however: the winner can come from any corner of the globe, but the aforementioned winner has to pick up his or her CDs at TVD HQ located in the heart of downtown DC. (Really, have you seen the lines at the post office this time of year?)
Two more to come over the following days...Gang of Four - Return The Gift (Mp3)Aztec Camera with Mick Jones - Consolation Prize (Mp3)Vanilla Swingers - Back To The Present (Mp3)New Model Army - The Prize (Mp3)The Wedding Present - Montreal (Mp3)
Well, here's one Pitchfork got right:
"Put on a Clientele record and you're entering a space, one crafted as much through sound as lyrical associations, which tend toward the kind of quasi-cinematic string-pulling that makes for the band's own brand of enjoyable cliché. It's lonely without tipping into alienation. It's in tune with the power of memory without being deadened by generic nostalgia. It's someplace where changes in the weather can leave people dumbstruck. And if the music itself were a hair more melodramatic, its wistfulness would probably be unbearable. But the band's restraint, skirting emotional didacticism while still providing room for listeners' own specific states, appeals to humanity's more evanescent (and maybe pop-resistant) feelings."
Simply put, the best of the year.The Clientele - I Wonder Who We Are (Mp3)The Clientele - Share the Night (Mp3)The Clientele - Never Saw Them Before (Mp3)
Every day without fail, there's no shortage of half-baked opinions here at TVD. And trust me, they'd be fully-baked if I could locate my dealer. (Hey XXXX - please get in touch - thanks!)And while we hope for your feedback throughout the year on any given rant, this week we're asking for it in a more formalized setting as we invite you to offer your best of the best or the worst of the worst for '09.It needn't even be in regard to vinyl or music. Why, give us your tired, your poor, your existential angst—and hell, you may even win a prize.
Courtesy of our friends at Factory 25, we've got a LP/DVD copy of Rosie Thomas''All the Way from Michigan Not Mars' featuring intimate live performances with fellow songwriters Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer and the DVD of the movie and soundtrack LP to 'Frownland' which the New York Times' Manohla Dargas raved as "...personal cinema at its most uncompromising and fierce" for ONE commenter on the year soon to expire who hits some sort of home run or grace note in the comments to this post.
Please remember to leave us some contact info (important!) and we'll choose our winner on Monday, January 4, 2010 as to kick your year off on a certified high.
(And, hey XXXX - please get in touch - thanks!)
The truth is coming out...I’m list-averse. Shopping or to-do, I just don’t do ‘em. And the finale of another year won’t kick me in gear.
But I do have some year-end cappers in the form of my one pick for record of the year and one for the release that I actually listened to the most. Intellectually, both could be miles apart. But are they?
The actual release most listened to in ‘09 truly breaks two ‘cardinal rules’ in a manner. Firstly, the thing came out in August ‘08. Secondly, I own this neither on LP (don’t believe it was released as such) or even on CD. I know – fuck me – just digitally. Egad.
That said, Ann Arbor’s Starling Electric released the best of 2008, which ear-wormed itself clear into my brain throughout 2009 to become the most listened to of the year.
The Posies’ Jon Auer put it the best, “Startling and superlative orchestral pop that reminds me why I fell in love with music in the first place...Clouded Staircase is to my ears one of the best records of the modern age - a bona fide stunner.”
And he’s right.Starling Electric - She Goes Through Phases (Mp3)Starling Electric - Death To Bad Dreams!/The Black Parade (Mp3)Starling Electric - Lions (Mp3)
Andrew from ThinkIndie wraps up his '09 Best Of list this morning and no time too soon. I'm getting more list-averse as we get closer to the end of the year. Is it just me? Anyway, his picks are solid. Onward!Doom - Born Like ThisMF Doom is back, but this time just as Doom. Samples from tv shows and movies are spread all over this album just like any Doom album is. He's smooth with his rhymes and has the mellow beats and such behind em. When it comes to hip hop, Doom has always sold extremely well at indie stores. The thing I love most about Doom is the fact he raps about super villains, comic books and other "nerd" based items. Shrinebuilder - S/TI wrote about this before, but can't say enough about it. They have such an awesome lineup with a huge amount of great music that each member has done on their own. You can get a bunch of big name musicians together to make a "super group" but it doesn't mean it's going to work out that great. I mean, look at Audioslave or Velvet Revolver. Yeah they were big sellers but they were never better than the bands the musicians came from. This is not the case with Shrinebuilder. You hear the bits and pieces of Sleep, Saint Vitus and Neurosis mesh together perfectly all the while the sound of the drums is perfect Melvins. It's not that long of an album, but it's still a best buy of the year. Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom LiveI've never gotten the chance to see Tom Waits live even though he tours all the time, ohhh how rad it would be if he toured more, and I think this album best represents what I've missed out on. The way in which this album was recorded is perfect cause you get to here the natural reverb of the venue. If feels like you're there watching the show. I've seen many videos of Waits performing live so I know how he get's into the performances with his body gestures and facial expressions and In my mind I can kind of see what he would be looking like at the time these songs are being performed. It's nice to hear some of the older "classics" from Rain Dogs and Bone Machine as well as stuff off the Orphans box set that was released a few years ago. Each track was recorded at a different city on the tour yet it sounds like one show. Perfect live album. 
Blackroc - S/TThe Black Keys team up with some of the biggest names in Hip Hop. Names such as Raekwon, RZA, Jim Jones of the Diplomats, Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris and Q-tip to name a few. I'm normally not a big fan of bands I like teaming up with artists in different genres, just look at how crappy the Mooney Suzuki has been since they teamed up with the Matrix production team, but this album is awesome. The Black Keys already played a style of music that was perfect for hip hop to sample so why not just have the band play it live. I think that's why I like Mos Def so much cause he uses a live band for his backing tracks. The great thing about this album is that it's an indie store exclusive, with the exception of the digital version, so go down to your local store and pick it up.Pearl Jam - BackspacerPearl Jam was the first concert I ever went to when I was just 14 years old. They will always be my Beatles and they've never let me down with anything they have ever done. This album is their first album they released completely on their own without any label support. Yes they signed a deal with Target and iTunes, but they also demanded that the album be sold to indie retail as well. They know where they are supported and know that if it wasn't for indie retail they might not be where they are today. They even played an instore at Easy Street Records in Seattle to ONLY record store owners for the sole reason of recording it and releasing it as an Indie only release. "Backspacer" is one of the shortest Pearl Jam records, but this doesn't mean it lacks any substance. It's starts off rocking then when you get to the track "Just Breathe" it mellows out a bit and "Supersonic" is just that. It's a driving track that will make you step down just a little harder on the gas pedal if your listening to it in the car. Support the band and indie retail buy buying the album.Mariachi El Bronx - S/TI spoke about this before. If you missed it, here it is again. 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.Obits - I Blame YouObits were one of the most anticipated artists of 2009 by many people out there. It's funny that a band has such a big following before they've even released any music. Their first ever show was recorded by a fan and posted on the net and it spread like wild fire. Then again, this wild fire was like if there was a field of dead grass covered in gas and then set aflame with a blow torch. Singer/guitarist Rick Froberg was previously in the bands Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes which were big names in the indie rock community because they both also featured John Reis of Rocket From The Crypt. People were really looking to see what Rick was doing music wise and the Obits didn't let em down. They released a 7" single for the song "One Cross Apiece" and it sold out extremely fast. They got signed to Sub Pop and the wheels started turning a bit faster. "I Blame You" is a great rock n roll record with 2 guitar parts going their separate ways only to end up in the same place at the end. Solid rhythm section with the bass going off on little fills here and there. To top it all off, they also released a 7" single for the song "I Can't Lose" which was released on Record Store Day and also sold out extremely fast. I'm gonna have to say that I pick Obits for band of the year. But that's just me.
We're closing out this Fresh Pick introductory week with yes, a track off Eels' brand new 'End Times' (out 1/19) and a copy of the release on vinyl for one of you guys out there. 
