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.
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...wherein we canvas a few Vanguard Records acts and the folks who actually line the halls for their recommendations:
Eleni Mandell, The Living Sisters | Moby Disc, Los Angeles, CA
I really miss the excitement and anticipation of going to the record store when I was a kid. My dad was a pretty avid collector. He’d go 2-3 times a week to shop. Whenever I asked if he’d take me down the hill to buy a record, he always, remarkably, said “yes”. In my neighborhood the two main stores were Moby Disc and Tower Records. I got my first Tom Waits record at Tower and my first X record at Moby Disc. I guess I wouldn’t be who I am without those experiences. The Living Sisters debut album ‘Love to Live’ is out March 30. Visit the Living Sisters on Myspace.
Stephen Brower, Marketing/A&R Development, Vanguard Records | Record Exchange & School Kids, Chapel Hill, NC
I was very, very fortunate to be in Chapel Hill, NC at a time when the town was served not only by (still thriving) live venues like the Local 506 and Cat’s Cradle, but also by three world class art house movie theaters and two great independent record stores, the Record Exchange and Schoolkids, whose doors were separated by about 100 feet.
These were classic indie record stores. The High Fidelity kind. I’d go in looking for Steve Earle and leave with Townes Van Zandt. I’d go back for more Townes Van Zandt and leave with Kenny Roby, a local artist who, as it turns out, was every bit Townes Van Zandt’s songwriting heir. I bought a Jayhawks record that led me to a Golden Smog record that led me to an Uncle Tupelo record that led me to a Bottle Rockets record. And so on. I found Luna on a homespun listening station. I’d buy $5 tickets for the Local 506’s annual ‘Sleazefest’ and end up seeing the Drive-by Truckers working out songs from what would become the Southern Rock Opera. I’d see local metal band Goatthrower summon the devil himself at a house party and run out to see if I could buy their home recorded EP.
Thanks to these stores, I could.
Trevor Hall | The Sound Garden, Baltimore
I always get a good feeling walking into record stores. I feel like they are the front lines of support for music. I've had the pleasure of performing at a bunch of indie stores...but one of my favorites is in Baltimore. It's called The Sound Garden.
We played an in store there one time before our concert with Matisyahu. It was a great vibe. They had all these good records and products for us to browse through before playing. A lot of people showed up...we were pretty surprised. We had only been there for an hour or so...but it felt like we were in some one's living room and could've stayed the night. Thats the great thing about the indie stores...it is so intimate. Visit Trevor Hall on Myspace.
Fred Jasper, TV & Film Licensing, Vanguard Records | Record Exchange, Roanoke VA
My first love will always be the original Record Exchange in Roanoke, VA, which eventually blossomed into a 15-store chain in towns across Virginia and North Carolina. I can remember happily biking mile after mile, crossing freeways and ducking down back alleys, coasting through residential streets and gliding through business parking lots as a pre-teen to enter the mecca of cool (in my mind, at least) in my hometown, the Record Exchange, and spending all of my weekly allowance on music.
Sadly, the store is no longer around, but I’ve been chasing that indie record store high ever since my formative years. I’m glad to say that I continually find and surpass those experiences with trips to usual suspects like Grimey’s, Waterloo, Music Millennium, Amoeba, Ear X-tacy, etc. to off-the-beaten path and impulse stops at random stores I chance upon when travelling in cities not my own. For me, idle, unplanned time in an indie record store is truly one of life’s most simple pleasures.
Stephen Kellogg | The Record Archive, Rochester NY
What I love about this store is two-fold. First and most important, there is none of that "High Fidelity" sh&t where you feel dumb for not knowing much about the vast ocean of music they have available. Everyone without exception is friendly and glad you're there...eases my grade school trauma of buying "Deep Purple" shirts before I knew anything the band played and being teased for it (hey a cool shirt is a cool shirt).
Secondly, I love this store because when I go in I end up picking up 10 things I didn't know I "needed". It's a great store and is always innovating what they can do for their customers...I feel proud to be one of their customers. Visit Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers on Myspace.
Ayappa Biddanda | Radio & Promotions, Vanguard Records
As a kid growing up in Knoxville, TN, a fantasy world I dreamt of was building a cool record store with hard-to-find cassettes (I’m old), vinyl, imports, and cds hosting live performances with some of my favorite artists that happened to be nestled on the edge of America looking over the Pacific Ocean. To my amazement, I found just such a store embodied in Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, CA.
Not only have I enjoyed finding some limited edition musical collections there, the live performances they’ve hosted have truly amazed me. Perhaps a standout show in a list of stellar artists including Nellie McKay, Trevor Hall, Peter Case, Greg Laswell, and The Watson Twins may be the in-store performance by Matt Nathanson. Playing to a capacity crowd who found out about the performance thanks to the store’s e-newsletter (illustrating the close connection between store & patrons), the performance captured an artist in the safe cocoon of my realized fantasy world playing not just to the riveted attention of the store patrons, but also to the lingering presence of artists like Smokey Robinson, U2, Nanci Griffith, Oscar Brown Jr., and so many others whose echos could be felt through the records lining every wall and crevice of the building.
Over the course of the next hour, Matt stunned the audience with music that resonated deeply within each of us yet buffered the experience with stories that alternately had us in hysterics or flat out disgust—while still laughin’ out loud. And that what was so special: within this haven of melody was an artist opening himself up and successfully connecting with each of us in the room. He wrapped up by doing an achingly gorgeous version of Springsteen’s “No Surrender.”
Matt stayed to say hello to each and every fan afterward and, at the end of the night, I think I could just about make out Bono in the corner applauding for a job well done. Not only do you get to experience once-in-a-lifetime moments at Fingerprints, but the staff—galvanized by owner Rand Foster—also finds a way to memorialize the experience with the coolest posters printed specifically for each event. Fingerprints creates the type of special womb necessary for true musical discovery to take place and I consider myself lucky to have them in my life…now, if they only carried cassettes…
Note: This Matt Nathanson performance proved to be so good, it was paired with Matt’s performance from Orlando at Park Avenue CDs for the Left & Right EP. A limited edition is now available at www.fingerprintsmusic.com.
Right—there are quite a number of things happening tonight competing for your attention, but can we entice you into one more?
Evan Bliss is one singer-songwriter to watch. His voice, combining effortless soul and smoky blues with undertones of Ray LaMontagne, makes his alt/rock/pop sound unmistakable. Ubiquitous despite not yet being a household name, Evan's music has been featured in commercials for surf-inspired footwear maker Reef, and he has performed in support of artists as diverse as Wyclef Jean and the Flaming Lips.
Evan is building on the groundswell of popularity he enjoyed with his former band, well-respected East Coast reggae rockers 'The Low Life'. You will be hearing much more from him with the forthcoming release 'ShhhPOW', out this Spring on the philanthropic indie label Holster Records—and the release party is tonight (3/18) at 9:00 at DC's Hard Rock Cafe.
The Living Sistersmay be the most experienced “new” group you’ve ever heard. Los Angeles-based singer/songwriters Inara George (The Bird and the Bee), Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond) and Eleni Mandell have cumulatively spent decades writing, recording and singing around the world with their respective groups. Now, after years of seed-planting, the accomplished trio has finally recorded their Vanguard debut album 'Love to Live' as the Living Sisters.
Produced by the songwriters themselves with co-production by Sheldon Gomberg, the self-titled debut nods to classic country harmony groups like The Louvin Brothers and the Delmore Brothers, but also showcases the singeres’ roots in gospel, soul and doo-wop. Connecting and anchoring these disparate styles are the trio’s harmonies themselves, which, depending on the track, can be subtly suggestive, childishly playful or earnestly heartfelt.
To record the album, each member began writing songs individually, bringing their tracks to group later on to collaborate on harmonies. After much trial and error, the trio recorded each track simultaneously using one collective microphone, adding minor vocals afterwards, and yet ensuring each song retains a raw, immediate quality.
In the little more than three years since she grabbed her acoustic guitar and took the stage for the first time, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Daphne Willis has grown from a feisty neophyte into a self-assured, marvelously expressive artist with a bracingly seductive sound. The 22-year-old’s Vanguard debut album, 'What to Sa'y documents Willis’ voyage of self-discovery, while also standing as a captivating introduction to a remarkably fresh voice with a distinctive point of view—one that both reflects and scrutinizes the social patterns of her generation.
The album interweaves relationship songs, interior dialogues and pieces inspired by the need for catharsis—her own and, by extension, that of her listeners. These dozen songs also reveal a young woman in firm possession of a supple, hyper-melodic style, writing with a sophistication that belies her age. Because of the silky, disarming ease of her songs, Willis has been described as a female Jack Johnson, but below the surface this introspective yet life-embracing young artist brings a cutting-edge liveliness to the confessional singer/songwriter tradition that recalls the music of Rickie Lee Jones at the same age. Like Jones three decades earlier, Willis is turning the conventional notion of the young woman with an acoustic guitar on its ear.
There’s another aspect of this undertaking that Willis finds especially gratifying. “My favorite part of the whole thing is the interaction,” she says. “I’ve met so many people with the same kind of ideals and interests. I love it that people are connecting through my music. Speaking philosophically, life is short, and I’m just trying to get people to calm down and enjoy these moments together.”
Daphne’s album ‘What to Say’ is available on iTunes and Amazon.
REPEAT AFTER ME: “The world may end in my life-time, but my energy will go on.”
That was the beginning of the new-age mantra chanted by party-goers at last nights YACHT show at Rock n Roll hotel. YACHT, who consist of a dude (Jona Bechtolt formerly of the Blow) and a badass chick (Claire L. Evans) are much more than just a musical duo, oh no, YACHT are a way of life!
The duo, aside from creating awesomely groovable tunes, seem to ponder the bigger picture, the meaning of life. Many of their lyrics are very liberally themed, challenging conventional beliefs about the afterlife (‘will we go to heaven, or will we go to hell? / it’s my understanding that neither are real’) and death (‘it’s not a place you go / it’s a place that comes to you). Probably not an album you wanna play for your grandma.
The band even sold a $5 booklet called ‘The Secret Teachings of the Mystery Lights’ detailing some of their far-out philosophies (which yes, I bought). (For more about the meaning of ‘Mystery Lights’ see BYT’s recent and very interesting interview and definitely check out YACHT's mission statement.
Don’t get me wrong though, this was not a sermon! Jona and Claire were also naturally hilarious, interacting with the audience to the perfect extent. A quick Q&A with the audience led to discussions about urban planning, the sleeping habits of cats (aka my new bands name) and the strange noises that come from JTT’s (Jonathon Taylor Thomas… duh.) elf-like face. Some funny cats, those two!
Despite all of that fun dissident ish, it is still the music that was clearly the highlight of the night. Think Talking Heads meets B-52’s with all of the eccentricities included (two of my all time favorite bands…. Claire definitely delivered on the Kate Pierson-esque vocals). YACHT, who are on DFA Records and will soon be touring with LCD Soundsystem, first caught my attention with their tremendously dancey tracks like “I’m in Love with a Ripper” and “Don’t Fight the Darkness”. I can honestly say the only time I stopped gettin my boogie on last night was to down my Amstel.
BOTTOM LINE: YACHT = fucking awesome.
SIDE-NOTE: I also had the pleasure of swinging by the very new and not-yet-open U Street Music Hall last night and was BLOWN AWAY. This spot is gonna be very hot, and the official opening, Wednesday night with Belgium DJ Duo Aeroplane should be out of this world. Get your tix now.
We here at TVD have been chronicling of the ascentof our pal Jess(aka Lightfoot) over the the past number of months, and the narrative takes a giant leap forward this Friday night with the debut of her full band as openers for The Junior League Band at The Rock and Roll Hotel.
We were able to corner her for a sec for a bit of a Q&A leading up to Friday’s show:
We hear you have a big full band debut coming up? You heard right! I have finally nailed down my official Lightfoot line up. I have a very talented, kind hearted, handsome group of boys playing with me. They have really brought my songs to life, and they keep me smiling.
Ha, was being a handsome a prerequisite for getting into Lightfoot? No! But it certainly didn’t hurt ;)
So, who are these good looking guys? The Lightfoot line up is…… (in ABC order so they don’t think I am playing favorites!)
Ian Graham - Bass, hats and well fitting pants (of Deville) Sean Madden - Auxiliary, beards and sushi Lex Paulson - Wurlitzer, Vox, scarves and poetry (of Child Ballads) Erik Sleight - Lead Guitar, dork glasses and an occasional moustache (of Mittenfields) Drew Thiemann - Drums, funk and wit (of These United States)
You seem to have a lot of blog coverage (from HipsterWifeHunting to ReadySetDC to Brightest Young Things) / Lightfoot websites (vimeo, facebook, tumblr, myspace, twitter, etc.) but I can’t seem to find much music online, are you in the process of recording? Funny you ask that, recording has been sort of this Everest like task for me. Putting my music to tape is intimidating and although I enjoy the process of recording, it seems so final. My music has been organically developing for a few months now. I have a very particular sound I want for my first EP and now that I have an official band by my side I think the timing is finally right. I didn’t want to rush into recording while my project was still in the birthing stages. I am a completely different musician now then I was, say three months ago. And the same goes for my song writing.
What type of musician were you three months ago versus now? Ha! I wasn’t one at all! Well, maybe I was. I’ve really only been playing guitar for a few months now. Actually learning how to play has been a total game changer for my song writing process. Look at my hands! They’re super gnarly, I show off my calluses and blisters with pride. It’s also killing my social life though, because ever since I bought my first guitar all I want to do is stay in and practice!
What type of guitar did you buy? I have a small bodied Larivee. It once belonged to a local musician who I adore (who shall remain nameless for now); I bought it at Atomic. I love it. I take it on dates. I shower with it. I cuddle with it at night.
What else do you play? Auto-harp, recorder, some piano, ukulele, glockenspiel, tambourine, flute, saxophone, kazoo, lap drum, finger snaps, and hand claps. Oh and harmonica! And bells. And the egg shaker. And spoons!
So you have plans to record then? Of course! I am putting out an EP this summer, followed by a tour. I am also wrapping up a very simple, basement recording style demo to be released March 19th. Doing it myself just to flush out some songs that have been eating at my heart for a while now. I am only doing 150 pressings and each one is being hand silk screened/crafted by a local artist, so it will double as a limited edition piece of art. I’m pretty excited to see how it turns out!
Where can we buy this demo? You can buy it in person at my show on March 19th with The Junior League Band at Rock and Roll Hotel. After that they will be sold on-line and at shows until they are all gone!
And just for fun, what’s on your record player right now? Oh! This amazing classical piece, “Light Over Water” by John Adams. I just started taking ballet lessons (please hold your Lightfoot, Lightfeet jokes) and I would love to do some sort of routine to this album.
If you're on Facebook, RSVP for Lightfoot's full band debut right here.
(...is it me or is this one of the finest giveaways we've ever offered? Well, ...no - it's not me.) In celebration of our 60th Anniversary, and Record Store Day on April 17th, we at Vanguard Records are proud to present an exclusive vinyl re-issue of five seminal Vanguard Titles: Joan Baez ‘Joan Baez’, Mississippi John Hurt ‘Today’, John Fahey ‘The Yellow Princess’, Doc Watson ‘Doc Watson’, and Buddy Guy ‘A Man and the Blues’. Each title will be re-issued with original vinyl artwork.
One reader of The Vinyl District will be awarded a Vanguard Records 60th Anniversary Package of all fiveof the LPs in our exclusive TVD/Record Store Day Giveaway.
The rules are simple: in the comments section of this post, let us know what Vanguard Records or these individual artists have meant to you over the years. Suitably inspire the kind folks at TVD (who'll be choosing the winner) and the collection of all five LPs will be yours.
Remember to leave TVD your contact email address and they'll choose one winner for all fiveof the LPs on Monday, March 22.The complete set will mail to the winner during the week of Record Store Day.
“At the time of its release, Joan Baez’s debut album was something of a revelation… presenting a brace of traditional songs with an urgency and sincerity that makes the listener feel as though they were being sung for the first time” —All Music
“'Today' is Mississippi John Hurt’s first and finest studio release since his “rediscovery” on his Avalon farm by folklorist Tom Hoskins in 1963… Hurt himself never could explain his guitar playing, as he used to say, “I just make it sound like I think it out to.” Regardless, that sound along with a mellow and heartfelt voice, wizened here by decades, combine to make ‘Today’ an unforgettable whole. A truly essential album of the folk revival, unrivaled in its beauty and warmth.” —All Music
“If one were looking to own only one album by this unique guitarist, “The Yellow Princess” could be the one. The recording is among the best of his many releases; at the proper volume, the effect is as if one had taken up residency inside the sound hole of a giant acoustic guitar. The program of pieces if marvelously emotional and varied…” —All Music
“Watson’s arrival on the folk scene of the ‘60s was a major event in American music due mostly to his appearance at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival and the release of this self-titled album the following year. Not only did it revolutionize folk guitar picking, but it set the standard for the rest of his career with its mix of old-timey numbers, blues, gospel, and adapted fiddle tunes.” —All Music
“The guitarist’s first album away from Chess - and to be truthful, it sounds as though it could have been cut at 2120 S. Michigan, with Guy’s deliciously understated guitar work and a tight combo anchored by three saxes and pianist Otis Spann laying down tough grooves on the vicious “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” I Can’t Quit the Blues,” and an exultant cover of Mercy Dee’s “One Room County Shack.” —All Music
Born from bar room conversations among old friends, Chapel Hill, NC-based Aminal is kinetic: buzzing with extra energy resulting from frenzied motion. Gentle verses of love and loss and horsely-growled declarations of frustration and dissolution mashed against an explosive rhythm section.
The three-piece Aminal who play their very first DC show Thursday night, features musicians from popular touring acts like Black Skies, The Comas, the Honored Guests, and Jennyanykind. Aminal released its first two EPs, 'A Face to Fight' and 'A Will To Fight' (now being reissued as 'The Fight EPs') last summer. They're now putting the finishing touches on their first full length release, 'Bang All Our Drums.'
In addition to the free tracks for Vinyl District readers, Aminal has other goodies to giveaway. The band is three weeks into a month-long song giveaway to people that join their Reverb Nation or Band Camp fan lists. New songs post every Sunday; sign up on Reverb Nation to download tracks or at Band Camp.
Despite being beaten to the post by the Washington City Paper with its feature, your humble all-stars proceed undaunted:
Last January when we spent the week with Emily and Susan Hsu from Exit Clov in anticipation of the release of their latest, 'Memento Mori' they lamented the fact that it wouldn't be available on vinyl—but they shook their fists me and said, "Oh yes, we will have vinyl soon, Jon. You'll see!"
And wouldn't you know, they've done it and as a Record Store Day exclusive. The 'Cover Boy EP' 7" collects the band covering Morrisey, Peter Tosh, The Ramones, and Devo in what can only be called and exercise of excellent taste and execution.
The band plans a string of dates in support of the release in April and specifically a Record Store Day performance in Philly. Pick up the 'Cover Boy EP' at Som Records and Crooked Beat Records exclusively on 4/17, Record Store Day.
TRACKLIST: Side A 1. Sing Your Life [Morrissey] 2. Steppin Razor [Peter Tosh] Side B 1. The KKK Took My Baby Away [The Ramones] 2. Mongoloid [Devo]
After a brief hiatus last week, we’re back with our record label spotlight series in anticipation of the day that celebrates the purveyors of their product—Record Store Day—arriving on April 17, 2010 this year.
First up in our series was Seattle’s indie upstarts, Sarathan Records, and we’re delighted to spend this week with the venerable Vanguard Records.
Founded in 1950 in New York City by brothers Maynard and Seymour Soloman, Vanguard Records has long held a reputation for eclectic, distinctive, and groundbreaking recordings, a tradition that holds strong today. The Vanguard Records catalog reads like a chronicle of American popular culture since the 1950s. The blues of Chicago, the folk of Greenwich Village, the earliest electronic experiments, the dance music that inspired a generation of DJs, and the most renowned singer-songwriters of today all trace their roots to Vanguard.
The number of historic and influential Vanguard releases is far too great to be discussed, or even listed, individually, but several landmark projects do demand special mention. In the mid-sixties, "Chicago/the Blues/Today" exposed the fiery urban blues of Chicago's clubs to a national audience for the first time, introducing prodigious talents such as Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, and influencing a generation of blues players including Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix. Likewise, John Hammond's landmark "Jazz Showcase Series" spotlighted some of the most gifted practitioners of this quintessentially American genre.
Vanguard artists Joan Baez, Ian & Sylvia, Buffy Saint Marie, and Mimi & Richard Farina spearheaded the folk music revival in the 1960s, with Baez becoming the genre’s first true superstar. Baez, alongside Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Bob Dylan, and many others, gave some of the most famous and lasting performances of the era at the Newport Folk Festival all of which were captured by Vanguard Records (to include Dylan's infamous "plugging in," a moment which ushered in a new era of pop music). Finally, dance and proto electronic records from Vanguard artists like,Jean-Jacque Perrey, Twilight 22, Camille Yarborough, and Alisha would later provide the indelible hooks for artists such as the Beastie Boys, Fatboy Slim, and DJ Shadow, helping to usher in the sampling revolution in hip-hop.
In recent years, Vanguard has continued its tradition of developing talented songwriters and performers within the music marketplace. Artists such as Matt Nathanson, Mindy Smith, Greg Laswell, and The Watson Twins, amongst others, have risen to national prominence on the strength of their respective Vanguard debuts. That tradition of artist development, alongside the continued viability of iconic Vanguard artists such as Levon Helm, Merle Haggard, and Robert Cray, form the basis for what Vanguard Records is in 2010.
We’ve been Fanfarlo fans since their First Date with us last summer and now you have your opportunity to catch them on the road at the moment with Robert Francis in tow.
As an homage of sorts to the teamed tour, our second Record Store Day Vinyl 2010 Giveaway this week is the pairing of Fanfarlo’s debut LP, ‘Reservoir’ and an autographed 7” of Robert Francis’ ‘Junebug’ single off his ‘Before Nightfall’ album.
The rules can't be any simpler for our RSD2010 Vinyl Giveaways. All you need to do to enter to win is to leave a comment in the comments section to that week's giveaway letting us know why you deserve to win that week's LP.
Be creative, funny, incisive—whatever it takes to grab our attention to deem you the winner. Most important however is to leave us a contact email address! You can be brilliant as hell, but if we can't track ya' down, you're out of the running.
All winners will all be notified on Monday (3/22) upon the launch of the next RSD2010 Vinyl Giveaway!
Feel that? It's the shifting sands of the music industry bending and bowing under your feet.
For further evidence that indie is mainstream and transparently so, Pitchfork - Pitchfork! - has not just offered a review of the new Sade LP, 'Soldier of Love' but they've lauded it with a strong 7.0.Wha?
"...Soldier of Love is unsurprisingly of a piece with the five previous Sade albums. Songwriting-wise, it could have been released at any point in the band's career. The production only occasionally draws attention to itself—the dub-esque snare crashes on "Babyfather" are a bit of a surprise—and you can forget any gauche stabs at currently hip sonic tricks. The idea of singer Sade Adu robo-warbling through Auto-Tune would be laughable if it weren't impossible even to conceive. Even the album's curveball first single, title track "Soldier of Love", with its strident marching band snare rolls, doesn't so much deviate from Sade's core sound as cast it in a new light: What better to emphasize Adu's sense of control than a rhythm with the stiffly regimented forward momentum of a parade ground drill? And if "Soldier of Love" seems "hard," it's only because the surrounding tunes are once again delicate to the point where nuance is all..."
For me, you could even slide Sade right between The Blue Nile and The Bathers seamlessly.
You needn't take my (or Pitchfork's) word for it, find out yourself as 'Soldier of Love' is our first LP giveaway this week in ourRecord Store Day 2010 Vinyl Giveaways.
The rules can't be any simpler for our RSD2010 Vinyl Giveaways. All you need to do to enter to win is to leave a comment in the comments section to that week's giveaway letting us know why you deserve to win that week's LP.
Be creative, funny, incisive—whatever it takes to grab our attention to deem you the winner. Most important however is to leave us a contact email address! You can be brilliant as hell, but if we can't track ya' down, you're out of the running.
All winners will all be notified on Monday (3/22) upon the launch of the next RSD2010 Vinyl Giveaway!
Our pal John Sidel returns with a one hour slice of his radio show for your rainy Friday eve's download and rev-up:
The warmth and comfort of classic rock...
As nature has it, Californian winters are extremely pleasant. This past month, we had some of the worst cold and rain in recent memory. My neighborhood, Laurel Canyon is like a fair lady, she doesn’t necessarily agree with foul elements. The result is a distinct sound, a mixture of gusty winds and running water. For me it’s a trigger to thinking about winters past and reaching for that, dare I say, “classic rock”. Starting with the basics, I made a mental list of ten artists who came to mind and started listening from there.
The challenge for me is “dropping” a new artist or song into a mix of material that contains so much sentimental value. Listening back to the playlist I’m most happy and surprised to hear how these four contemporary artists, Edward Sharpe,Favorite Sons,Sarabeth Tucek, andSean Rowe, hold their own.
Some revelations: I put Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros in the mix because they recorded much of their album in a house across the street from the Zappa’s down the street. I’ve always thought Sharpe & Co reminded me of pre glam Bowie.
I had no intention of using “Great Gig In The Sky” in this program. Playing “Dark Side” felt too obvious for my style. I was looking to grab 45 seconds of Floyd's “spacey” side for my radio bed. It was late at night and I was overcome by the epic beauty of this recording. It made me reflect on the music bizz and what it really takes to sell millions of albums?
It also dawned on me that both the Floyd and Sharpe songs were mixed on the same EMI recording console. The “board”, now resides at Fairfax Recording Studios, down the hill in North Hollywood. That legendary console moved from Abby Road that gave birth to many Beatles recordings but I don’t think was used to make, “I got a Feeling” my Beatles selection for this mix. I’m going to have to check that.
It also meant a lot to drop a Jethro Tull song from the “Benefit” album at the top of the set. A first encounter with a piece of vinyl is often memorable and this was one of the very first purchases. It’s also one of my earliest memories of the magic of shopping in a record store.
I believe it was the winter of 1974. I was 12 and looking to have my own collection. I believe this little shop sold mostly opera and classical. I was playing on a basketball team with older kids who turned me onto Zeppelin. I think my mission was to buy another Zeppelin release and I believe it was Zeppelin 'II' I bought. I remember searching the bins to find a 2nd purchase but knowing very little, I inspected the record covers very closely. I believe I choose Tull because the name simply felt like a band that would sound or be like Led Zeppelin. I’ve loved and owned those two releases from that very day so it’s only fitting both are in this mix.
So enjoy the warmth and comfort of classic rock... xo, —sidealer
Amon Duul – Wolf City Jethro Tull – With You There to Help Me
"...That was Jethro Tull with the appropriately titled “With You There To Help Me” indeed from the ‘Benefit’ album. It’s actually one of the first record I bought way back when. A very underrated treat.
Before that Amon Duul – little Krautrock Classic there with “Wolf City.” Saw online that thise guys are getting back together. WVUNDERBAR!
It’s cold and rainy in Laurel Canyon making me want to reach for the warmth of Classic Rock. Here’s a new band from the Canyon carrying on the tradition of classic rock..." Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Blackwater Cream – Those Were The Days Bob Dylan – It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry Favorite Sons – Things That We Do To Each Other The Beatles – I’ve Got a Feeling David Bowie – She Shook Me Cold Sarabeth Tucek – Ambulance
"...You’re listening to the Idelic Hour. Your host Jon Sidel reaching for the warmth and comfort of The Classics. Greetings to our friends at The Vinyl District.com!
That was a new artist, Sarabeth Tucek..."
Pink Floyd – The Great Gig In The Sky Alice Cooper – Generation Landslide Rolling Stones – Ventilator Blues Sean Rowe – Surprise Jeff Beck Group – I Ain’t Superstitious Neil Young – I Believe In You
That was ol’ Neil Young with I believe in you…….this is Jon Sidel your host. We’re approaching the end of this Idylic Hour. I want to thanks our friends at The Vinyl District and you for listening. Dial us in next week. We’ll be headed south for SXSW in Austin bringing you sounds from the big, bad Lone Star State.
