"I came to realize that, because of him, drumming no longer was just time, it was music."
Thursday, August 16, 2007
TVD: For the Vinyl Voyager
Our pal JC points us toward a damn fine link to a damn fine site -- Record Store Review, "the worldwide directory for serious music buyers featuring stores from over 600 cities."
As they explain on the site, "The premise is simple. Most record buyers travel around from time to time and their first concern in a new city is to find where the best stores are. Often, this isn't even about the records themselves, but the fact that record stores are often located in the more interesting parts of town and are run by people knowledgeable in local fringe interests."
A search for DC area stores reveals some hits and misses...while they locate the new-ish Red Onion Records, they still have Smash in Georgetown, two (?) listings for the defunct Revolution Records, while there's no listing for Som Records at all. But, all in all, minor quibbles for such an exhaustive global resource. Cheers to Gunnar Van Vliet for his efforts. Go show him some love and hell, buy a shirt while you're at it.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Prefab Morning:
Prefab Sprout - Dragons (Mp3)
Prefab Sprout - Goodbye Lucille #1 (Mp3)
Prefab Sprout - He'll Have To Go (Mp3)
Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down (Mp3)
Prefab Sprout - The Devil Has All the Best Tunes (Mp3)
The: Heads or tails once I forget / I'm trying to master a new alphabet / Far too obliging to ever admit / I've never been keen on this 'here boy' and 'sit' ...Edition
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
...with a mega-pixel look at the cover art for "Wings Over America." Those were the days, kids.
Paul McCartney & Wings - Maybe I'm Amazed (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson - Without You (Mp3)
Jim Croce - Operator (Mp3)
10cc - I'm Not in Love (Mp3)
Elton John - Blues For My Baby And Me (Mp3)
Sunday, August 12, 2007
The Vinyl District Remembers Tony Wilson (1950-2007)
Tony Wilson, co-founder of Factory Records, has died at the age of 57.
Born Anthony H. Wilson on February 20, 1950 in Salford, England, he went on to become a renowned broadcast journalist, band manager, record label executive and night club owner. As the Factory Records boss, he was responsible for signing legendary bands including Joy Division and New Order to his label. Also, as owner of the renowned Hacienda nightclub in Manchester, he played a key role in the Madchester scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s that mixed indie rock and dance music and included artists such as Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses.
The Hacienda, which hosted Madonna's first UK television appearance in 1983, was forced to close in the late 1990s as it was losing money allegedly because its patrons were taking ecstasy rather than buying drinks at the club. Wilson reportedly became involved in the Manchester music scene in the 1970s when hosting the culture and music programme 'So It Goes' on Granada Television. After covering a Sex Pistols performance at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall in June 1976, he described the experience as "nothing short of an epiphany" and booked the band for one of the first television broadcasts of British punk rock.
These aspects of Wilson's life were later chronicled in the semi-fictional 2002 feature film '24 Hour Party People', in which he was portrayed by British actor Steve Coogan. More recently, Wilson was involved in In The City, a yearly music festival and conference that takes place in Manchester and New York City, which he co-founded with his partner Yvette Livesey.
In 2005 he launched F4, the fourth incarnation of the Factory Records label. Earlier this year, the music mogul was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery to have one of his kidneys removed. From signing the likes of Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays, to being a general support of exciting an innovative music, Wilson established himself as a true indie hero.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Indeed, I can hear the collective gasp now. You've come here expecting your Morning Dose only to be met with the Weekend Shots. What gives?
Tis true...the Vinyl District is taking a few days off for some R&R in NYC. We'll be taking in Crowded House Thursday night at the Beacon, then rummaging through the Village's record stores on Friday. Hopefully we'll document all.
And there's also plenty planned for this lil' blog as the weeks unfold, so stay tuned.
Double Dose of Weekend Wankery Edition:
Ace Frehley - Back In The New York Groove (Mp3)
Auteurs - Subculture (Hidden Track) (Mp3)
The Elected - Not Going Home (Mp3)
Portastatic - I Wanna Know Girls (Mp3)
Bram Tchaikovsky - Girl of My Dreams (Mp3)
Plimsouls - Everywhere at Once (Mp3)
Tommy Keene - Places that are Gone (Mp3)
The Records - Starry Eyes (Mp3)
Ian Gomm - Hold On (Mp3)
Phil Seymour - Precious to Me (live) (Mp3)
Hey Kids - Mark Your Calendars...
...it's Vinyl Record Day on August 12th, commemorating the date Edison invented the phonograph in 1877.
Per the link, I plan as an INDIVIDUAL to "get together with friends or family and have a Vinyl Record Day party. Everyone who has them brings two or three of their favorite albums. Have fun with it. If you want, have a Twist or Limbo contest for kids and adults Or have someone play DJ, perhaps have dedications, or tell why a certain song is important to the person who brought it, what are the memories (the secrets!), the people, the places associated with the music. You can decorate with a music theme, make it festive with balloons. Or you can just simply play the music, heck move the furniture and make room to dance. Whatever you do, make it a point to celebrate the music you and friends or family most enjoy. There is no other purpose except to have a good time and let our favorite music remind us regardless of national news or personal challenges, life always has its goodness."
I'll try to remember that as I "Shout at the Devil."
(More like Lunchtime Wax today, eh?) Five for Noah:
The Jam - Away From The Numbers (Mp3)
The Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight (Mp3)
The Jam - Strange Town (Mp3)
The Jam - Thick As Thieves (Mp3)
The Jam - Going Underground (Mp3)
(Anyone out there actually think The Jam were a punk band...?)
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
From the District Vaults: Sweet/Desolation Boulevard
Capitol ST-11395
Released: May 1975
Chart Peak: #25
Weeks Charted: 44
Certified Gold: 5/25/76
The first side of Desolation Boulevard (actually a compilation from two English LPs) is devoted to material written by producers Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn -- five reasonably timed, concise and overwhelmingly direct assaults on the senses. The song structures are played with almost military precision with an emphasis on repeated guitar riffs and catchy hook lines. The production is designed to capture the electricity and raw energy of live performances, succeeding quite well in conveying a sense of explosive immediacy during the proceedings. The lyric content mimics some of Peter Townshend's finest mid-Sixties moments, displaying a remarkable lack of self-consciousness during humorous numbers like "A.C.D.C." (the story of a bisexual girlfriend) and "I Wanna Be Committed." The effect is not unlike The Who Sings "My Generation" recorded on sophisticated Seventies machinery.
Side two is devoted to Sweet's own compositions, reinforcing their tag of "a bubblegum Led Zeppelin." Guitarist Andy Scott is given much more freedom in the band's lengthier, more experimental format, bending his axe into bizarre contortions à la the Yardbirds-era Jeff Beck on "Sweet F.A.," riffing out submachine gun riffs on "Set Me Free" and using intervals to create a full, forceful and effective solo on "Into the Night." Were the Yardbirds alive today with no change in their musical direction, I'm almost certain this side of Desolation Boulevard is what they'd sound like.
The Sweet has combined two divergent musical styles -- the tight, restricted control of Chapman and Chinn and the guitar-based experimentalism of their own compositions -- into an explosive package. Desolation Boulevard is decidedly English in tone, decidedly hard rock in approach, and to these ears a decided success from a band with a future a mile long.
(Gordon Fletcher, Rolling Stone, 7/31/75)
Sweet - Fox On The Run (Mp3)
Sweet - Teenage Rampage (Mp3)
Monday, August 6, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
I <3 New Wave, Post Punk...Whatever-you-wanna-call-it Edition
Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric (Mp3)
Heaven 17 - Let Me Go (Mp3)
Icehouse - We Can Get Together (Mp3)
Fiction Factory - Feels Like Heaven (Mp3)
The Blue Nile - Stay (Mp3)
George Harrison - My Sweet Lord.mp3
Chicago - Saturday in the Park.mp3
Al Stewart - Year Of The Cat.mp3
David Cassidy - I Woke Up In Love This Morning.mp3
Donny Osmond - Go Away Little Girl.mp3
(...and yes, that blue round thing up there really was my radio back in the '70's -- a bit of a novelty at the time made by Panasonic. Oh, the nights we spent curled up together...)
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