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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Chloe Chaidez is fronting L.A.'s Kitten, a band that hit my radar at some point last Winter when a rep from Atlantic shot over a demo of "Kill the Light" for my reaction - up or down?
I loved it.
So much so that the track was up on TVD in no time and my enthusiasm for the band was confirmed when more than a few who caught their set at this year's SXSW wrote to underscore that my immediate reaction was spot-on. They simply killed.
That demo is posted below and the balance of the demos on their Myspace made it clear that "Kill the Light" wasn't a fluke—channeling Cat Power via the Cure—with an edge and an urgency that vocalists twice Chloe's age would kill for.
So, the stars have aligned and the band is off to NYC this week to play several CMJ showcases, and if I haven't been clear, we think this is the band you fans and industry suits should go check out.(Then you're free to write and let us know how right we remain.)
'Til then, we've handed over the keys to Chloe all this week here at TVD. It's Chloe's and Kitten's Vinyl District:
Hey Vinyl District. What's up in vinyl land.
Let's just start with me saying how flattered I am that a respected music blog would actually want to broadcast the rambling diary of a 15 year girl. Prepare for catty histrionics, silly insecurities, heavy drama, shameless selfishness, and Justin Bieber. Mostly Justin Bieber. Just kidding. Maybe.
Anyways, we just finished our first EP "Sunday School" and when I say "just", I really mean 3 1/2 months ago but I'm pretty sure that's what you're supposed to say when it's finally out there. The time between actually finishing a record and getting that little black disk is usually longer than you'd ever expect. It was a tedious but most definitely rewarding process.
Now we're ready to jump in our sweaty Dodge Sprinter and live on rest stop Taco Bell again. Oh, the glamour. That said, if I could just live my life on the road playing stinky beer soaked bars every night, I'd do it faster than you can say illegal minor.
Though there will be no fast food for Kitten these next two weeks in New York and London. Only crazy cabbies (NY) and lots of classy black guys in pea coats (London) with even classier accents. " You are depressed, but you're remarkably dressed..."
I've been to New York but never for CMJ. If it's anything like SXSW, I know I'm going to have a blast.
And London! Home of the tasteful, yet non-pretentious music lover, or to quote Morrissey, (again) "Home of the brash, outrageous and free." Not to mention clean, chilly air (a nice break from the LA sun) fabulous haircuts and a show with Pitchfork's latest sweet heart, Twin Shadow!
I really dig his sound. Kind of like The Smiths and The Cure meet Prince with a drum machine. I had a chance say hello at a Drums/Surfer Blood show in LA and then later caught his show at Bardot. Live he definitely hits the Prince vibe more. Full band, epic 80's solos awash in delay...
We did a warm up show for NY in our garage Friday night. A little party for friends and the stray homeless guys that might want to hear a little Kitten. It was cool. A couple of DJ's hitting the Crystal Castles/Washed Out vibe, us and our angry neighbors. Which leads me to the Dave Sitek Kitten mixes that'll be out soon. Stoked on that. He's without a doubt one of my favorite producers ever, which is why I still can't wrap my head around the fact that he's working on my music. It's going make a rad 7"...
Funny. All the label folk warned us that he was going to be this "mad professor" type. Twiddling knobs and lacking in basic social skills as only a genius producer could. Couldn't be further from the truth. Dave's a cool guy. A straight talker who grew up in hardcore bands and actually working for a living. I though he'd be non stop about the latest underground electronic band, instead he's shooting the shit about Nina Simone, Prince and his favorite cooking recipes.
Well, its Sunday morning and I've got to ready for an 8 hour red eye and some crazy shows. And when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY because we just got two new members (bassist, keyboard) and I don't think that Sam and Chris know how I like to body slam my fellow musicians when I'm in the "moment." For realz. Get ready for a fist fight NY….
Kitten also has the new Sunday School EP out tomorrow and all week we'll be giving away all the tracks free here at TVD - one a day. Keep checking back.
It's our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices and PR agencies want you to be hearing. We post—you decide.
Ever since we crossed the millennium, consumer cycles seem to move at us so quickly. At some point a week or two ago, everything went orange and black. I looked Halloween up on Wikipedia, and was informed that the holiday is linked to Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the final harvest and end of the summer. It’s the celebration of moving from the “lighter half” to the “darker half” of the year.
I’ve always loved the month of October and I thought it would be an interesting idea to do something to get into the Halloween mood.
Over the years I’ve encountered a number of witches. I’ve always found them kind, although I caution anyone casually toying with the super natural. “Magic spells" need to be taken seriously. With flying broomsticks in mind I’m calling this week’s Idelic Hour, The Witching Hour.
More so than witches, warlocks, goblins and black cats, this week’s playlist is about a time of day, or should I say an hour of the evening when the world quiets down enough to let the supernatural exist.
Strangely “strange” indeed, but will our world of 2010 give these supernatural beings an hour? I thought I might try. Best to be listen to by candle or moon light...
Since January, Yep Roc Records has been operating under the expanded guise of the Yep Roc Music Group (YRMG). Founded in 1997, the veteran indie label been marketing and promoting UK-based Bella Union Records' releases in the United States, with Denton TX indie rockers Midlake leading the charge with their critically-acclaimed album The Courage of Others. Since then, Yep Roc Records has continued to turn up the volume on its work with developing artists (Jukebox the Ghost,Drink Up Buttercup,Peggy Sue, Darren Hanlon) the Yep Roc label as well as continuing to expand its relationship with Bella Union with albums by: John Grant, Lawrence Arabia, The Kissaway Trail, The Acorn and Alessi's Ark.
The musical avatar of Alessi Laurent-Marke, Alessi’s Ark might begun as homework but the 20 year old’s quirky, blade-sharp folk pop is mature far beyond her years. Required to play an instrument in school, Laurent-Marke took up the drums at age 11 and by her 17th birthday she had quit school to focus on music, become a Myspace sensation and signed with Virgin Records. Her debut album Notes from the Treehouse was produced by Bright Eyes/Monsters of Folk member and Rilo Kiley producer Mike Mogis, and was released on Virgin in 2009. Alessi reaped word-of-mouth support and acclaim, touring relentlessly and receiving plaudits for some stand out appearances at South by Southwest in Texas. Following parting ways with Virgin, Alessi signed with UK indie label Bella Union in 2010. Her new EP Soul Proprietor signals a new beginning for an already unusually experienced young artist.
I'm afraid I missed the vinyl boat growing up. Cassettes, CD,s and listening to the chart show on the radio every Sunday night are what I remember best.
When I started secondary school I picked up playing the drums and joined the school bands. Discovering live music and being excited by it, I started a zine inspired and encouraged by my family's love of music.
A special memory I hold close is of the afternoon my parents dug out old records from a cupboard under the stairs and showed us (patiently) how to lay the needle down carefully on their record player.
Seeing their hands handle records with such ease was lovely. I could imagine them playing these very same records in their bedrooms and it was such a warm feeling.
With shaky hands I persevered and eventually felt more comfortable choosing tracks and setting up the songs to play. Every detail is so special. Even slipping out vinyls from their sleeves and being able to read album credits and see the artwork on a bigger scale in the big booklets got me excited. CD booklets are minute in comparison!
Together, we got through a big stack of their favourites but the discoveries that really stuck with were 'On My Mind' by the Marine Girls (chosen by Dad) and 'Trouble' by Lindsey Buckingham (chosen by Mum.)
Parents know the good stuff!!
Though still more comfortable handling CDs and cassettes, I look forwards to sharing favourite albums with friends and family in the future, sat on the floor around the player with albums stacked around us - a picnic of sounds.
Some favourite songs of late: Give Us Your Blessing - Shangra la's Don't Mind Me - O Emperor If You Can Wait - Jake Bellows Goldfish - Roy Harper Elephants Swimming - Rachael Dadd
Ardent Studios is a time capsule thousands of miles below the earth’s surface…or at least that’s the way it feels every time I have the privilege of walking through the door. I love everything about it. The smell (which they should bottle and sell in both spray and rear view mirror hanging formats) the random echoing conversations you catch the beginning, middle, or end of that make you stop walking and pause for brief reflection on what was just said, the ridiculousness that is the way that on any given day some super famous person is just roaming the halls. And that’s all before you start setting up your gear because you’ve gotten the magical phone call from Rachel Hurley that you are scheduled to play The Ardent Sessions!
We setup in studio C, which is my personal favorite of the 3 studios at Ardent. It’s the furthest away from the “hubbub.” For being a decade Memphis music person with mixed reviews, to be able to be on sacred ground with the ghosts of greatness all in the name of rock ‘n’ roll, is pretty f@#$*&% cool. We had a wonderful turnout of close friends, family, and fans that thought they were at a different band’s session…ha.
We played rock ‘n’ roll and it felt like a really rad sleepover or lock-in or like we were in a tree fort planning our late night invasion of wherever the girls we knew were (which we would always chicken out of and I never had a tree fort). Somewhere between the Goonies and walking around Hobby Lobby (which I love) is the best way I can describe the feeling of playing the Ardent Sessions. I guess what I’m getting at is it felt right and good and like home and, I’m sure all other performing artists can relate, rarely ever happens.
I’ve spent many unforgettable hours in Studio C. I always tell my friends or anyone that will listen that I want to either a: in the middle of the night, hire a crew to airlift all of studio C and set it in a super secret location, where I would spend the rest of my days recording and eating (if they still had snacks…c’mon guys!) mini Oreos, mixed nuts, and Cheez-its or b: hire an amazing studio architect and Hollywood set designer to build an exact replica of it. The layout, the feel, the lighting, and again…the smell is all just perfect and it pulls out of me the best I have to offer the world in music. Most artists either never find that place or kind of do And…..they film it and put it on internet radio for you after your Disney experience! Like those rides where they take your picture at the scariest moment and then sell you your picture of your ugly face and your family’s ugly faces to you in a frame for $30, surely that’s not what Walt had in mind.
To hear more great Ardent Sessions please visit Ardent Presents.And to continue to hear the Ardent Sessions in the future, please consider donating to Ardent's Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for the series.
Sure, sure...some of you will be there for the vintage clothing, vintage cookwares, vintage furniture, handmade jewelry, artist prints and refurbished vintage clothing from local artisans. OR the funky furniture and home decor—big items like couches, beds, tables, lamps, chairs, armor, mirrors, bedding, quilts, ottomans, art and an awesome FOOZE BALL table. All in good shape, mostly vintage, reasonably priced.
School of Seven Bells have been on the road since early September, touring in support of their latest release Disconnect From Desire and a newer digital EP Heart is Strange. The tour stops at the Rock and Roll Hotel this coming Thursday night (10/21) and as such we've got a few things to throw at you—free. First up, in addition to the Mp3s below, we've got Phantogram's remix of SVIIB's "ILU" for you right here.
And oh yea—we have a pair of tickets to give to one of you for Thursday night's show...
Let us know why you should be chosen for the pair of tickets in the comments to this post and the most convincing of the bunch will take home the pair.
We'll choose our winner on Monday (10/18) at noon—and remember to leave us a contact email address with your entry.
Remember, we've teamed up with ReadysetDC for all of our ticket giveaways so you can enter to win either here at TVD or at ReadysetDC.
By day, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone are members of rock standard-bearers Wilco, but for over a decade the pair have fronted passion project The Autumn Defense, whose Yep Roc release 'Once Around' hits stores on November 2nd.
John joins us today with a few thoughts on—you guessed it—vinyl.
Cool older sisters. The unsung muses that launched a thousand bands. I can still see the Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy poster, feel the shag pile underfoot as I asked for the umpteenth time what the significance of this POW bracelet was. "Well, it's a remembrance of a soldier who is captured over there, and if he's returned home, you break it in half." Over where? Breaking the bracelet was fine, but don't touch the record player, and I'm sorry, but you're a little too young to handle the... records.
These records Elizabeth had were not groundbreaking - at the very least MOR: Beatles, Queen, Stones, James Taylor, Elton... but the time spent in that room staring a hole into the jacket, spending large amounts of time listening to what was the real golden age of analogue recording - that was a shared, communal experience that so many people of my and earlier generations had in common, and for different reasons, what later generations didn't.
The experience wasn't only about 'simpler times' - it seemed long gone even during the pre-internet /gaming mid to late 80's when it seemed that stereos got crappier, listening went inside the car. It had something to do with the large artifact of vinyl, the visual.
My first record: Band on the Run - 1973, and I remember growing up in the New Orleans area and hearing the single alongside other regional hits on the radio - 'They All Asked for You' by the Meters was all the rage that Carnival season in February-March 1975, but I guess local NO radio was still playing 'Jet' a year later. Anyway, I asked my parents for it - and they got it for me. I still have it, and I feel like I'm in a time machine looking at the 3-peice Wings, with the coffee-stained passports and pre-mullet do's.
It's hard for someone who grew up with vinyl LPs to not be nostalgic about the medium, but the fact that the technology remains superior - even with higher sample rates - is some weird comfort to me, that things weren't improved upon. And like the streetcar, it remains an example of perhaps a slower paced, but richer point in time.
It's our Thursday flashback, culled from the rare and (ultra) obscure crates of 80’s vinyl, curated by our pal Gil:
KIM CLARKE – It’s A Grey Day LP
We head to British North America for another underappreciated indie obscurity. This post starts with an imposing front album jacket picture of artist Kim Clarke wearing a gas mask. Kim Clarke has spent the majority of his time in Vancouver, BC. In his early days, he was a skilled guitarist by trade and even taught guitar lessons.
He played in a variety of bands in the mid-late 70’s and then in the early 80’s he joined the obscure guitar post punk band Mocassin Telegraph. Kim then struck out on his own in the mid 80’s to record and produce this only solo full length effort. The main driving force behind this energetic album comes from the multi-talented Al Rodger, who was producer, engineer and instrumental guru. Al would go on to work with major Canadian music talent and have his own production studio.
By the looks of the front album jacket, one would expect an apocalyptic type of session here. Well, Kim does deliver the goods in an ominous post punk style with some of the more notable tracks being provided below. Other tracks move into a guitar oriented alternative rock sound that works with the overall theme. Overall - this is a worthy addition to a post punk angled 80’s vinyl collection.
Go visit Kim, he’s got a presence in the online w.orld….you can find more detailed info, bio, videos and songs here.
If you thought for a moment you wouldn't get an opportunity to grab Jukebox the Ghost'sbrand new Everything Under The Sun on vinyl—well, you'd be mistaken. We indeed have a copy to give away to one of you. First up however, the official background-y stuff via Yep Roc:
"Jukebox the Ghost have passionate fans. Fans who've gone so far as to tattoo the band's name on their body or drive for days to see their shows, or post lovesick monologues dedicated to their glory on YouTube. Through a dogged work ethic and near-obsessive touring — headlining and alongside heavyweights like Ben Folds and Adam Green (The Moldy Peaches) — the band managed to sell over 10,000 copies of their debut album and cultivated the aforementioned rabid fan base.
Now, with a fully developed sound and a songwriting and live performance approach seasoned by hundreds upon hundreds of gigs, the band are set to turn heads with sophomore effort Everything Under the Sun, produced by Peter Katis (Interpol, The National). The trio is looking to spread their gospel of hook-stuffed, melody rich pop to the world at large. Beatles and Brit pop influences abound on Everything and the band provides a nod to those influences with their attention to filling the album with great songs beginning to end, not building an album around just a few great tracks. In the words of Yep Roc Records co-founder Glenn Dicker, "Most records have three great songs, this one has 11."
Now it's time for your schpiel. Sell us on sending youEverything Under the Sun, in the comments to this post, and the most convincing one of the bunch will find the LP on his or her doorstep. You've got a week to conjure your missive to us—we'll close this one next Thursday, 10/21 and don't forget to leave us a contact email address!
We'd be remiss if we didn't point out that the fantastic Elizabeth and the Catapult open for Jukebox the Ghost this coming Saturday night (10/16) at the Black Cat. So, if you were to enter and win our ticket contest for the show, you'd find yourself with a pretty sweet two-fer.
We've got the new single from their brand new release 'The Other Side of Zero' below and check out our First Date with the band here.
In a bit of synchronicity with Yep Roc Week here on the blog, Jukebox the Ghost have a bit of a homecoming show this coming Saturday night (10/16) at the Black Cat, and wouldn't you know, Yep Roc's given us a pair of tickets to give to one of you.
Let us know why you should be chosen for the pair of tickets in the comments to this post and the most convincing of the bunch will take home the pair.
You need to act fast though—we need to close this one out on Friday (10/15) at noon—and remember to leave us a contact email address with your entry.
Remember, we've teamed up with ReadysetDC for all of our ticket giveaways so you can enter to win either here at TVD or at ReadysetDC.
Polyvinyl Heart I have been wondering for well over ten years now why my father hasn't invested in a more structurally sound, or at least a more youthful bookshelf to house his precious record collection that is nearly double my age (I am currently 24 years old) and easily seven times my size.
I'm not boasting - I'm sure your dad was hip too in his day. My point here is really just that the shelves of this bookcase are sinking at the middle. Think about the material value, not to mention the perfectly-aged nostalgia that could be shattered from such faulty shelving in the event of a sudden polyvinyl avalanche! You know, this unassuming piece of furniture has continually made me more nervous, more frightened, than the Fung Wah bus I am writing this from ever has (except for that time one flipped over while my dad was aboard, but that's a story for a different shelf.)
Perhaps there is hidden meaning in these saggy old shelves. They have lost their youth but still remain standing, rather, shelving, to fulfill their duty: To protect the music of decades past and it's cathartic, turbulent, funny, erotic, and revolutionary message and to 'carry that weight a long time'... Now to bring things up to speed (45 or 33 rpm? I can never remember)... if we want a record today we have a serious decision to make: CD, LP, or Mp3s (the last being the most environmentally friendly and hence preferred method of music listening for ecoterrorists, despite the fact that digital avalanches are the leading annual cause of music loss and pose a far greater threat to music collectors than does the much rarer occurrence of a Polyvinyl Catastrophe (see above.)
Well before I was wearing opaque the once reflective back of Rancid's "...And Out Come The Wolves" or pondering over the context of the word "beaver" in Adam Sandler's "They're All Gonna Laugh At You", there was my dad's red-convertible-mixtape. During a period of my childhood it seemed the only suitable soundtrack for a journey in my father's red Pontiac convertible was his favorite (and my favorite) mixtape - and the stereo blasted and the rooftop remained down despite the drizzle that any traditional parent would take as a clear sign that the interior was going to get soaked or someone was going to catch a cold- but not mine. Was the music our soundtrack and the road our path or was the road our soundtrack and the music our path? Regardless, this mixtape showed me the power of music and if that power alone could sing, it would likely sing the word "freedom" as off-key and as off-time as it felt. And so daddy's random selections sang to me: I'm not a girl but I just want to have fun! I don't know what "sedated" means but I want to be sedated! I can't whistle to save my life but damnit, I want to walk like an Egyptian!
Continuing, I grew up on the Compact Disc. At age nine I bought my first one - Green Day's "Dookie." Offspring's "Smash" and Silverchair's "Frogstomp" followed soon after, though I have no chronology after my first three since my collection boomed skyward thereafter as a result of my brother and myself developing the naughty habit of subscribing to Columbia House (12 records for a buck! What a steal!) and then ignoring the notice that came requiring the purchase of ten records at full price. If my mother hadn't canceled the account within the following year, she probably would have been ten copies of "Tragic Kingdom" richer. Of course, the high school and college years came and with them the technology to copy, burn, and yes, even steal music- the Napster Years. Gradually it became harder and harder to find an original CD among the ocean of sharpied up CD-R's in my and my friends' CD binders. Then came the portable mp3 player, which of course, ushered in the infamous iPod Era (which still exists today, kids.) You bet I have mine. The iPod - it's portable, quick, and won't cause you to run anyone over while changing records in the car (unless you are really indecisive). But what about today's obsession with vinyl?
Well, an explanation for the resurgent popularity in vinyl might vary depending on who you ask but I personally feel like the explanation is quite simple. Music lovers miss the physical experience of music: walking into a record store and not being able to leave without at least three records in your hands, unwrapping, sitting in your room and listening. Maybe doing a few other small tasks, bust mostly just listening. Really listening. Specifically, with listening to vinyl LPs: participating in that generations-old ritual of letting the needle drop, watching, waiting, listening for it to catch. Maybe putting your ear up to the phonograph before even turning up the volume to hear the natural vibrations perform the recorded song for you. No need to mention the inexplicably charming crackles and pops - they speak for themselves.
I have a nice vinyl collection of my own which I started casually accumulating about five years ago. It's nothing like my dad's but it's slowly growing depending on when its humble protector has some money kicking around or discovers an album that's just simply too good for good old digital listening. I probably have about 80-100 LPs, ranging from Salvation Army budget finds (Simon & Garfunkel, Willie Nelson) to to store-bought must-haves (Harry Nilsson, The Smiths), to current and reissue indie classics (Built to Spill, Wilco). My records are here to keep me company and serve me when I need them, and I admit, it feels quite good to have something substantial to look at and flip through after my dubious involvement in the Napster Years and the more innocent iPod Era. There's a real emotional, nostalgic presence to these records that sit upon my recently-bought, youthful-looking bookcase- and although they only occupy one modest shelf, I can't help but smile warmly at the fact that this shelf has already begun to sink at the middle. —Jesse Kristin, Drums, Jukebox the Ghost
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