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
Record Store Day 2009 returns next year on April 18th and TVD is proud to announce our exclusive partnership with the Record Store Day team whose efforts underscore the unique phenomenon that is the brick and mortar, mom and pop, and independent music stores around the globe.
The Vinyl District will be the official one-stop for Record Store Day 2009 news, events, and promotions leading up to that third Saturday in April. Look to TVD for exclusives as they develop--and already there is plenty to announce. To mark the occasion, Radiohead plans exclusive vinyl pressings of EPs and tracks never before available on vinyl. The Doors are opening up their archives to release completed, but unreleased tracks exclusively for Record Store Day. And they too will be pressed on vinyl.
On the home front, DC's own independent music retailers (those guys to the left) are at work planning a Record Store Day that will hold its own share of surprises. Additional details to be announced right here.
April 2008 marked the first Record Store Day event to great success with over 300 stores participating, not only stateside, but overseas as well. Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Henry Rollins, Shelby Lynne, Tech N9ne, Raheem DeVaughn and scores of other artists and music industry luminaries all offered votes of confidence to Record Store Day which spiked revenue for indie retailers and inspired coverage in such media outlets as National Public Radio, the New York Times, Rolling Stone, the BBC, and even American Idol. In addition, retailers hosted in-store appearances and performances by both top name and local artists, including Metallica, (who started it all with the announcement of the Record Store Day vinyl re-issue of some of their classic albums, along with an in-store signing session), Panic At The Disco, Dresden Dolls, Regina Spektor, Steve Earle, and Billy Bragg.
The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) the leading trade association for music retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and record labels, has already confirmed it will sponsor Record Store Day 2009. Other event organizers include the Music Monitor Network, the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), Alliance of Independent Music Stores (AIMS) and Newbury.
Keep your browsers set to TVD for all the breaking Record Store Day 2009 news and updates as we get them in. We welcome feedback and discussion from all of you who plan to participate and patronize this significantly worthwhile event.
Record sleeves by the Modfather's favourite designer have been brought together in a new book about the former Jam frontman. Ian Burrell looks at the career of Simon Halfon, who has also worked with Oasis
When a young Simon Halfon, then one of only three mods at Durham University, went backstage to meet The Jam at a gig at Bridlington Spa Pavilion, he didn't think he was forging a relationship that would define his career.
But the conversation with Paul Weller in 1979 stood him in good stead. After Halfon dropped out of university, and returned to his native London to pursue a career in the music business, the Modfather remembered him. A quarter of a century later he is sitting on a portfolio of record-sleeve designs that span Weller's career from The Jam, via The Style Council, to his solo work.
In an era when record shops are closing in droves, as sales plummet in the face of digital downloading, smart design plays a vital role in slowing that decline. Halfon's work is so distinctive that he has been sought out by Noel Gallagher to produce Oasis covers, and has also worked for The Who and George Michael.
"Artwork for me is very important, and it's only a shame that it's becoming less important to people in the era of downloading," Weller says. "I've worked with Simon for decades, and he's a stickler for detail and has an excellent eye for order and interpretation." Much of this work has been included in A Thousand Things, a photography-based book on Paul Weller's career in which the musician and designer have worked closely with music specialists Genesis Publications. (Via the Independent. Read the rest here.)
If there's a tradition that occurs each week about this time--my time, 6:00PM EST or so--it's when I check in over at Davy's place. He's invariably posted some smooth seventies soul track and being five hours ahead over there in London, he's been given a head start on his evening when mine has barley begun.
I had asked Mr. H to DJ this Friday's Parting round, but alas with the holidays and other commitments Davy wasn't able to address 'em this week but I hope we can prod him enough to guest here when time permits.
My folks were close to forty when I was adopted and subsequently their generation either passed away or moved away, most often to Florida. Very early on I got used to sparsely attended family holidays and gatherings, almost in preparation for things as they are now--little to no family really, and little to no 'tradition' which has been the underlying and recurring theme here this week. I have a recollection however that I've been hinting at all week that I'll reveal.
Remember the 'finding your roots' craze that followed the book and then later the mini-series adaptation of Alex Hailey's "Roots"? Well, it hit my dad's side of the family like crazy at the time. Soon, he was in possession of the entire familial lineage from his mother's side of the family, the Tarlers. I mean, who knew that there was a family crest and everything?! This bound family tree was sent to all of the Tarlers and their offspring who apparently poured through the document to find...
...that we were all related to the aforementioned Cornell Woolrich, "the fourth best crime writer of his day, behind only Dashiell Hammett, Erle Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler". Go figure. And not only did Woolrich pass away with his finances in disarray, but royalties from his "1942 story "It Had to be Murder", which became the basis of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie "Rear Window"" were gathering unclaimed in a bank account in New York City that the Tarlers, with family lineage in hand, felt they could get their mitts upon. It was decided that the Tarlers would hold a grand family reunion at my family's home at the Jersey Shore to see what could be done about claiming that "Rear Window" lucre.
On the appointed day, Tarler upon Tarler, a family I'd never met nor laid eyes upon, sat in my family's living room. Curiously, they all arrived with something quite interesting as they too were all meeting a room full of strangers: documentation. Each carried with them photo albums, papers, anything that would make them Tarler-legit. Photo upon photo of faces upon faces that I never met nor ever would meet were flashed before my eyes. It was silly really, but in a good way. I surveyed the room and for the first time had that feeling of: family. And a LARGE and colorful one it was indeed.
Most techno-colorful was Syd Cassyd and his lovely wife who were both into their late 80's at the time of this family reunion in the latter 80's. As I mentioned earlier in the week, Syd "established the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1946" and went on to win 3 honorary Emmy's and a Star on Hollywood's 'Walk of Fame' for his vision in founding the Academy. He was literally a walking, talking, albeit diminutive (think Milton Friedman-like) survivor from the Golden Era of the Hollywood. What he lacked in height he made up for with a grand history he epitomized.
He too had documentation in a folder but his wasn't photographs of his home or family. He'd say in passing, "...that's when Marilyn Monroe did such and such..." and pull from his manila folder a personal note from Marilyn to himself. He'd continue, "So, Hitchcock turns to me and says..." while at the same time another personal letter from the hallowed director to Syd would be placed in my hands. The anecdotes were flying...Bogie, Bacall, Edgar Bergen, Linus Pauling and each mention followed with something tangible from that folder. I was spellbound for hours, really.
Oh... so, back to the Tarlers and the plan to grab the millions from Woolrich's estate; the United States Supreme Court in Stewart v. Abend, 495 U.S. 207 (1990) subsequently decided in the case brought to the court regarding these "Rear Window" monies, that the rights to the work, although it was optioned and paid for by Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart at the time, reverted back to the original author, so the funds being held in abeyance reverted to Woolrich's estate which dispersed the money to Columbia University as his will had dictated.
Sweden’s Love Is All will be playing the Rock and Roll Hotel on December 6th and in advance of what promises to be a fine, fine show, TVD’s got a copy of their new release on ye olde vinyl to give away. ‘A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night’ is the new release and if you’ve got it in you to reveal what keeps you tossing and turning long after your head hits the pillow, spill it in the comments and we’ll choose one sleepless winner for the vinyl on Friday 12/12.
This is also a chance for TVD to give back to the readership outside of the DC border, so no matter where you tune us in, you’re eligible to win. Don’t sleep on leaving us contact info too – we’re barely awake as well... Love Is All - Wishing Well (Mp3)
Have I ever mentioned to you that I was a cousin to Syd Cassyd before his passing in 2000? "Who's he?" you're asking, right?
From Syd's obituary as reported in Variety: "(Syd Cassyd) the longtime writer and TV pioneer established the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1946 as a central library and archive to preserve the history of TV during its early years.
He served as the Academy's fourth president and in 1955 received his first Emmy, the President's Award, for his contributions to ATAS. In 1972, he received his second Emmy, the 25th Anniversary Governor's Award, and in 1991, he was honored with his third, a special Emmy.
Cassyd recruited radio and film star Edgar Bergen to be its first president; Bergen took office Jan. 7, 1947. A year later, the Academy was formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization with its primary aim being "to promote the cultural, educational and research aim of television."
Cassyd, a high school dropout, was proud of his six-month appointment in 1960 as an administrative aide to science great Linus Pauling at Caltech.
Cassyd received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Aug. 15, 1996, as part of the Academy's 50th anniversary celebration."
What the hell does this have to do with TVD's new tradition of yearly '70's theme weeks you're asking?
Why, it's a tale of intrigue, ...a chance meeting of strangers, ...millions of dollars, ...and MURDER...
Hello dear reader of The Vinyl District! Frankie from The Safes here! Our music is real! We mean it. It sounds fun and you can shake butt and sing along or just put your hands in pockets and try and look cool! We don’t care!
Influences vary and change like the weather around here. I know Patrick’s really big into Elliot Smith, Spoon, Dr Dog, The Bee Gees and Zeppelin. Michael’s usual listening to Wilco, Rancid, Guided by Voices ,Louis Jordan or Sam Cooke. I love everything! And we all agree that The Flat Duo Jets, Magic Sam, Fetchin Bones, Guadalcanal Diary, Fats Domino, Joe Jackson, The Andalusian Dogs, The Kung Fu Monkeys, Bon Scott, Brian Jones, ELO, Material Issue, The Cramps, The Lovin Spoonful, Syd Barret, Bob Wills, The Rondelles, Ringo Star, The Soft Boys, The Gossip, The Shakedowns, The Differents, Mahler, and Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant are the best ever.
Can’t wait to hit the road, playing live is the best! Our live show is high energy fun! It’s kinda like one of those church services where the people became possessed and everybody’s sweating and singing as hard as they can and really feeling the spirit! Like if an old soul band from the 60 took a time machine to today and played power pop songs through totally cranked guitar amps! Hyper space with a kick ass beat.
Have I ever mentioned to you that my cousin is Cornel Woolrich? "Who's he?" you're asking, right?
Via the Bible o' facts, Wiki: "Cornell George Hopley-Woolrich (December 4, 1903—September 25, 1968) was an American novelist and short story writer. His biographer, Francis Nevins Jr., rated Woolrich the fourth best crime writer of his day, behind only Dashiell Hammett, Erle Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler. Some of his best known works were published under the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley.
He attended Columbia University, but left without graduating in 1926, upon the publication of his first novel, Cover Charge, a Jazz Age work inspired by the work of F Scott Fitzgerald. He soon turned to pulp and detective fiction, often published under the pseudonyms George Hopley and William Irish. For example, he published his 1942 story "It Had to be Murder", which became the basis of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock movie Rear Window, under the pseudonym William Irish. François Truffaut filmed Woolrich's The Bride Wore Black and Waltz Into Darkness in 1968 and 1969, respectively, the latter as Mississippi Mermaid. Ownership of the copyright in Woolrich's original story "It Had to Be Murder" and its use as the basis for the movie Rear Window (1954) was eventually litigated before the United States Supreme Court in Stewart v. Abend, 495 U.S. 207 (1990)."
What the hell does this have to do with TVD's new tradition of yearly '70's theme weeks you're asking?
Why, it's a tale of intrigue, ...a chance meeting of strangers, ...millions of dollars, ...and MURDER...
The Washington City Paper's music blog, Black Plastic Bag is reporting this morning that DC's Crooked Beat Records' sales of new and used vinyl have topped the sales of CD's for the second straight year. BPB quotes CB's myspace blog update, "...for the second year in a row (2008) New & Used Vinyl LPs have outsold CDs at Crooked Beat. LPs now account for around 70% of our total sales. We will be increasing our vinyl selection even more in the coming months."
But as I asked over at the City Paper, is this really such a surprise? Sure, my hyper vinyl-gazing may be obscuring my vision or clarity on the subject, but do me a favor--set a Google alert for 'vinyl records' as I have and watch the flood of articles that pronounce both a renewed dawn for vinyl and final reckoning for the CD. From every corner of the globe the alerts and articles stream in--enough so that I might need to relegate them to one email a day. Which I'm ecstatic about, really.
(Via The New York Times) When Melissa Walker, 31, was growing up, vinyl records were nostalgic artifacts. But when three crates of LPs were left in an apartment she had rented, a $10 thrift store record player turned those records into a kitschy novelty. And when her boyfriend bought her a Rega P1 turntable and a Bill Evans jazz album for her 30th birthday, playing the records became a daily ritual.
“Dave brought it home, and we dimmed the lights and sat on the couch with a glass of wine, and I felt like we were in a jazz club,” Ms. Walker said. “I could hear the musicians breathing. It felt like I could hear them smoking.”
Now she holds listening parties in her Brooklyn apartment, introducing friends to the rich sound of vinyl. “There is something I like about the process of listening that way,” she said. “Having to listen to it in the order the musicians intended, and turning it over. There is something social about it.”
Sales of new LPs show that Ms. Walker isn’t the only one rediscovering vinyl. While CD sales dropped last year, sales of records were up 36 percent, although they are still a minuscule part of the music market. (Read the rest here.)
Do you guys have any holiday traditions? I hadn't realized that I truly had any until last week when I was struggling to recreate some items for Thanksgiving dinner that both my mom and dad had perfected over the years--mine with limited success, actually.
I've got the turkey down but it's the stuffing of all things that gave me the most headaches. But year in and year out at THIS point, the traditional task seems to have fallen to me with thankfully, some of my dad's directions he transcribed to recipe cards to guide me along. Sadly though, I never got one for that stuffing which he pulled together each year with celery-salted flair.
A tradition that seems to have a head start in the making is the yearly over-infusion of red wine and the subsequent sing-along to the 70's vinyl. Toss in the tambourine and the assorted other hand percussion items and you've got the makings of one good time. Either that or a noise complaint. (It's 50/50, really.)
Another thing I noticed as the four day weekend went along was indeed the nostalgia for those 70's tunes seems to reappear each year about this time. I'm not sure what it is to be specific, perhaps just the feeling of those comfort devices that re-imagine childhood and a child's soundtrack.
Far be it for me however to relegate my flared favorites to TVD HQ alone, so this week (and next week, perhaps), as we did some time last year, we'll delve into the '70's bag of tunes (randomly by year and not in sequence - just cuz) and begin a new TVD tradition at the very same time. It should also be noted that the TVD posts with the largest frequency of revisits are actually last years 70's themed two weeks, so maybe the traditional reoccurrence of all things bell-bottomed will become a tradition you guys anticipate as much as I do. We'll see...
Not feeling the holiday spirit just yet? TVD's got a cure (and tickets!) to snap you right into the season! Indie popster Rosie Thomas brings her brand of seasonal mirth to Jammin Java this Monday night (12/1) to herald the holiday happiness and to celebrate the release of her new Christmas-themed CD 'A Very Rosie Christmas'!
Per Rosie's website, "'A Very Rosie Christmas' is Rosie's Christmas Wish to you! Chock full of eggnog and grand spirits, Rosie, alongside her husband Jeff Shoop and longtime producer Josh Myers, called upon friends (Damien Jurado), family (Rosie’s brother Brian Thomas, affectionately known to his friends as BT) and alter egos (the simply hilarious Sheila Saputo) to capture all the warmth and exuberance of the holiday season for everyone to share.
You’ll find all their holiday favorites such as "Christmastime Is Here", "O Come Emmanuel", and "Winter Wonderland", cozy up next to the playful original "Why Can’t It Be Christmastime All Year?" and the Prairie Home Companion style radio sketch “Sheila’s Christmas Miracle”. So light the fire and mosey over to cuddle in front of the tree and experience 'A Very Rosie Christmas' and we hope it will give you that special Christmas glow throughout the holiday season!"
TVD's got a pair of tickets for this Monday's show, a copy of the new 'A Very Rosie Christmas,' AND Rosie's last record 'These Friends of Mine' (recorded with Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer) to bestow upon one Christmas-y commenter! Make it festive and holiday themed in the spirit o' the season and we'll choose one winner by noon on Monday for the stocking filled with stuff. Remember to leave us some contact info too. "Santa @ North Pole" just won't cut it... Rosie Thomas - Why Can't It Be Christmastime All Year? (Mp3)
Som Records and TVD have conspired to shake you from your post-Thanksgiving tryptofanatical malaise with a contest sure to get you off of your couch Saturday night.
Som and TVD welcome Peasant to the Velvet Lounge for the third date on his 3-week journey across the Northeast which heralds the release of his debut “On The Ground” which arrives with some help from Team Love (yes, Conor Oberst’s label). He's played shows with Delta Spirit, Takka Takka, Bodies Of Water and most recently at the Brooklyn Vegan CMJ party (The Muslims, Friendly Fires, Crystal Antlers, Sebastian Grainger, Japanese Motors).
Peasant has been the recipient of 6 posts on Brooklyn Vegan within 2 months, a feature in Magnet Magazine, a Food Network video feature, a Spin.com video feature, and a featured slot at WXPN's World Cafe Live, not to mention he also just finished up a session at Daytrotter and is on his way over to Cincinnati shortly for a WOXY session and a LaundroMatinee (My Old Kentucky Blog) Session. In addition, he was recently featured on the season premier of Fox's "Bones" television show.
“DeRose’s vocals float above acoustic guitar melodies, evoking the lyrical eloquence and delicate arrangements of Rogue Wave and the late Elliott Smith.” - Magnet Magazine
“It's a good feeling to come across an artist you instantly like, sort of by accident. That happened to me with Peasant a few weeks ago when I randomly selected his CD 'On The Ground'…” - Brooklyn Vegan
"...we actually enjoy this album more than most of the stuff we've heard by [Elliot] Smith. Every one of the thirteen tracks is lovely, melodic, catchy, and deeply felt." - Phillyist
But enough of the glowing quotes you're saying, TVD whatcha' got in this Ticket Giveaway? Well, in addition to a pair of tickets, the one winner will receive an autographed CD. (Wha, need more?) Neal's kicked in $30.00 of store credit over at Som Records to make this deal really special.
Let's hear from you in the comments and the whole post-turkey shebang is yours! We'll accept your well-phrased pleas for tickets until Friday (11/28) and kindly remember to leave us some contact info.
TVD readers might recall Emily Easterly from her first 'First Date' appearance alongside J Seger last month. The Brooklyn based songwriters teamed up to release the first in a series of 45rpm split singles with “Please, Please Say Goodnight”/ “City Love Is Strange.” Emily returns by her lonesome this week with a glimpse into her creative process:
"When I moved up to New York from Richmond, VA I knew that I wanted to do a new recording but I didn’t know where or with who. After gigging around the city for a couple months I met Chris Cubeta who has a band, Chris Cubeta and the Liars Club as well as a studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn called Galuminum Foil. We worked out a deal to go into his studio and do one song together to see how well we worked together and then go from there. In that day we finished, “Shadows (Oh Honey)”. I felt such a renewed sense of excitement and energy in what I was doing after recording this one track with Chris. I knew that this would be the place to do the whole record. I have never been happier with the way a recording turned out as I was with “Heart Comma Heart”. “Shadows (Oh Honey) is still one of my favorite tracks on the record. I am most proud of “Heart Comma Heart” out of the four releases that I have done".
Last February or thereabouts, I assembled a folder that contained Mp3's sent to me by bands hoping for some coverage on TVD. My plan was to do a theme week to coincide with the SXSW music festival held in Austin, Texas each year and this folder would ONLY contain acts I felt had great things ahead of them. From the literally hundreds of notes received, my folder contained--FIVE bands. That's it--five. (Which I actually think IS pretty decent, all things considered...)
London's The Joy Formidable was one of those five acts. 'Austere' got me right away. Punky, hooky, well-played, and teeming with an energy and a sound that I hadn't realized I'd been missing 'til then. And thus, TJF joined the SXSW TVD theme week.
A week or two later I was over at my favorite watering hole, The Fox and Hounds and Chris the bartender who's a bit of a vinyl fan himself I come to find out, says "Hey Jon, that band in your SXSW line-up, The Joy Formidable, they used to be in here all the time talking about starting a band..." Apparently, good taste knows no bounds AND frequents the same venue for a pint (or six).
Later on I emailed Ritzy from TJF about our shared venue of choice in DC and soon we were sharing stories about the place and catching up on the goings-on of some of the regulars. As if it even needs to be said, music does indeed bring people together--and a cocktail among them doesn't hurt, right?
So, with the release of their new single, 'Cradle' (on VINYL, I might add) I thought it was a good time to check in with the band. Take 'er away Ms. R: "Greetings from The Joy Formidable! Our next single 'Cradle' is released on January 12th through Try Harder Records. We're delighted to unveil that it's on double 7" with new track 'The Last Drop' and remixes by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Kyte. It's available now to pre-order from our myspace page and if you do, you'll get a CD of the tracks, a signed 7" vinyl AND signed artwork. You'll also be entered into a competition to win one of 5 copies of our exclusively Japanese album 'A Balloon Called Moaning'". Love to all at the F&H! XXX
I heard a term over the weekend which was a new one on me: "rumspringa".
Via Wiki, "Rumspringa generally refers to a period of adolescence for some members of the Amish community. . . Amish adolescents may engage in rebellious behavior, resisting or defying parental norms. In many cultures, enforcement may be relaxed, and misbehavior tolerated or overlooked to a degree. . . A view of rumspringa has emerged in popular culture that this divergence from custom is an accepted part of adolescence or a rite of passage for Amish youth. During that time a certain amount of misbehavior is unsurprising and is not so severely condemned."
"A minority of Amish youth do diverge from established customs. Some may be found: wearing non-traditional clothing and hair styles, driving vehicles instead of horse drawn buggies (for communities that eschew vehicles), not attending home prayer, drinking, smoking, and/or drug use."
Now, forgive me...isn't that called a four-year college degree? (Also, I find it odd how 'starting a band' didn't make that list up there...)
So, five from the weekend of rumspringa just concluded:
Guy Peellaert, 74, a Belgian painter-collagist whose fervid imagination produced surreal album covers for John Lennon, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, as well as images for a seminal book about rock mythology, "Rock Dreams," died of kidney cancer Nov. 17 at a hospital in Paris.
The book was a collaboration with the prominent British rock journalist Nik Cohn, who wrote how they intended to convey a "cinematic approach" to pop history and "approached the project, not as commentators or fine artists, but primarily as fans. Even more than the actual music, we were both obsessed with pop mythology."
"Rock Dreams" was published in the early 1970s and reportedly sold more than a million copies. It featured a bloated Jerry Lee Lewis clutching a bottle to his chest and stumbling along a neon-lit street; the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, drug-dazed and muse-abandoned, sitting alone in a garbage-strewn practice room; Ray Charles, his arm cradling a woman, cruising behind the wheel of a convertible.
A reviewer for the London Independent described Mr. Peellaert's images as rock iconography -- "almost as thrilling as the music itself, but obviously not the same thing. It was the pornography of rock. It was also its stained-glass window."
Direct from the Orpheus website as posted very early this morning: "I'm taking the leap of faith that if you are watching this site, this will be good news.... WE WILL BE OPEN IN DECEMBER..WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS.!!!!..We will be Open this WEEKEND. Friday Nov 21 & Saturday Nov 22 Noon til 10PM & Sunday the 23rd Noon til 6PM..We will also be open next weekend November 28, 29 & 30..stay tuned for specific hours & days in December. The new release & re-issue lps that have never been part of the sale are back out, still FULL PRICE. MOST OTHER LPS IN THE STORE ARE ONE DOLLAR. THAT MEANS: if the sticker says it's 99 cents it's a dollar, if the sticker says it's $9.99, it's a dollar, if the sticker says it's $29.99 or even more (not likely) it's still one dollar. ,Come on in, stack 'em up and buy as much as you can afford, or more, for ONE DOLLAR EACH. Please bring boxes if you need them, we're out..."
"Stay tuned for the Second Annual Going Out of Business Sale in January," Rick remarked to me this afternoon...only HALF joking.
Mega-talented Minnie Murphy returns to TVD after her 'First Date' appearance a few weeks back with a list of some favorites to kick start your weekend. Take 'er away Minnie:
The Steeldrivers – If It Hadn't Been for Love (Mp3) The Steeldrivers are the best thing going on in Nashville right now! The lead singer Chris Stapleton is an incredible singer and the songs are really powerful. This one is one of my favorites but all of their work is great!
Amy Winehouse – Wake Up Alone (Mp3) It takes a lot for me to buy an album these days but as soon as I heard Amy I felt a depth from her music that made me want more. I love the line, "This face in my dreams seizes my guts, he floods me with dread."
Aerosmith – Jaded (Mp3) Steven Tyler is another astounding vocalist. This song just makes you feel good. It's like speeding down a highway in the summertime with the windows down. I love him!
Bjork – Venus As a Boy (Mp3) Bjork is truly my idol. I think there's a lot of people that don't get her because she is so different but I absolutely love her. This song is so cool because it's almost got a reggae twist and her voice is just amazing!
James Brown – I Got the Feelin (Mp3) James Brown is such a musical giant. Even if you can't dance you can't help but want to move when you hear this song!
Alison Krauss – Could You Lie (Mp3) "Could you lie and say you love me just a little?" What a heartbreak. Alison is the best and her arrangements are always gorgeous.
Vince Gill – Pretty Little Adriana (Mp3) Vince Gill is a living legend in country music. I feel so blessed that he is singing harmony on my first single "Take Me To Texas Tonight." He is such a humble artist who's only motive is blessing people with his music. This song was inspired by the tragic killing of a young innocent girl.
Todd Rundgren – Johnee Jingo (Mp3) "Johnee Jingo" comes from the "A Cappella" album Todd Rundgren released in 1985. I literally grew up dancing and playing with my brother to this album. Thankfully, my mom was bit of a hippie in her day and had great taste in music. I also love this song because it's about a soldier.
Bob Dylan – I Threw It All Away (Mp3) Bob Dylan is an awe-inspiring songwriter. This is my favorite song from his country album, "Nashville Skyline."
Jeff Buckley – Grace (Mp3) Jeff is one of my all time favorite artists and even though his body of work is small due to his unfortunate young death, his work is incredible and seems to make up for that in a way. I still listen to the album and song "Grace" all the time. He was an incredible artist with a beautiful and innovative style.
Record Store Day 2009 returns next year on April 18th and TVD is proud to announce our exclusive partnership with the Record Store Day team whose efforts underscore the unique phenomenon that is the brick and mortar, mom and pop, and independent music stores around the globe. 
