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
We’ve had a blast taking over The Vinyl District this week. To leave our mark and part on good terms, we’d like to share some of our recent and upcoming artists with you all…
I grew up in Arkansas, in a town called Malvern, a town of about 9,000 people. We had this one little record shop in town, Paula’s Records. It was the only place you could buy records. The old lady that ran it, Paula, used to chase us out of there because we’d stay all day, just looking at the records. We couldn’t really afford to buy them.
The first record I ever bought was in Paula’s, it was “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles. I bought the 45 and it was the time I’d ever bought anything with my own money. To this day, that record is the thing I credit as being the catalyst for me wanting to be in the entertainment business, particularly in a band.
When we went in there, we’d just look through everything. We would thumb through the 45s in those paper sleeves and look at the pictures. We had these fan magazines in those days, and we’d see the bands and then there we were, looking at their records. Most of the time we couldn’t afford to buy them, so we’d just stare.
I remember every label, and that’s one of the things I miss, even about CDs. CDs are fine, its what we have now, but, in those days the labels were so important to us, to see Vanguard or Columbia or RCA or Capitol or Verve or any of those.
The spirit in that store was so incredible to us. It was like walking into the Magic Kingdom. We didn’t care about going to Disneyland, but we loved to go to the record store.
She sold a few musical instruments, not much stuff, but enough for us to stare at. We’d look through the Dave Clark Five records, the Beatles, the Stones, Tom Jones, and some of the country records, but when I was a kid it was all about the British Invasion and the 60s pop rock records, and we’d stay so long that Paula would chase us out, make us leave. She’d say “If you’re not gonna buy anything, you gotta get outta here.” She was a nice woman, at least when you first got there, but she could be a little cranky. Still, that store, to me, to this day, is just a magical memory. We don’t have those stores much anymore, and the ones that are left are the only remnant of that childhood that was so beautiful.
Hopefully Independent Record Stores will stick around. I hope the corporations don’t obliterate every one of them. I’m a big fan of actual record stores. I wish they’d bring vinyl back, period. I wish we didn’t download songs, but that’s the way it is. Hopefully that spirit’s going to be here from now on no matter what we have. Just don’t close the doors. Don’t close the doors to our history.
If I had any advice for young musicians coming up it’d be to learn the history of music. Study what came before, in the 40s and 50s. If you don’t know that stuff, the foundation of what you’re doing is built on, then you’ve really got no business doing it. Rock and Roll, and music period, were created a long time ago, its not something that just came up yesterday. Music is too attached to fashion now. It always has been, but now it’s mainly the fashion, and a little music. So hopefully people are going to look back and see where it all came from. There was a period in rock and roll from the mid-fifties through about 1973 or 1974 when they did pretty much everything, so don’t try to reinvent something. Have your own mind, but do study where it came from, and the independent record store is where you can do that.
For those of you in Austin, join us tomorrow (it’s free and everyone is welcome - no badges or wristbands required) for our Vanguard/Sugar Hill Records and Paste party at The Belmont sponsored by our good friends at Ful Luggage and Arbor.
Stop by pick up some swag, take advantage of some great drink specials and oh yeah—hear some awesome artists/bands play live. Be sure to RSVP to Stephanie@vanguardrecords.com.Hope to see you there!
1:00 | Bobby Bare Jr. w/ Special Guest: Tribute to Shel Silverstein (Album coming June 8)
...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]
Myspace | Facebook |
Myspace | Facebook | Album out March 30
Myspace | Facebook | Album out April 6
Myspace | Facebook | Album out May 4
Myspace | Facebook
Myspace | Facebook
Myspace | Facebook
Myspace | Facebook
Myspace | Facebook
Myspace | Facebook
