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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"An upper level low pressure system spins over the region today and will keep it overcast with limited sun. Areas of rain and some late-day storms are possible. Highs will climb into the low to mid 80s. Overnight, expect partly cloudy skies and an isolated shower/storm and lows in the mid to upper 60s.
This unsettled pattern will continue through the remainder of the week as high pressure sets up off the Atlantic coast. This will make for a chance of showers and thunderstorms each afternoon through the weekend. Highs should reach the low to mid 80s each day, finally bumping back into the upper 80s late into the week and into the early part of the weekend.
Though we may not want a rainy week in the summer, the region desperately needs it, as our region is averaging about 2 inches below normal for rainfall in the month of July. So while showers and storms are forecast each day, by no means will it be a washout. Have a great day."
After the Beatles conquered America in 1964, many other British groups found transatlantic fame and fortune. The first song of this British invasion to top the American charts was Peter and Gordon's A World Without Love, composed by Paul McCartney. The duo were Peter Asher (brother of Jane Asher, the actress) and Gordon Waller, who has died aged 64 of a heart attack.
I was commenting recently in regard to growing up that I think the best gift parents can give their children is the gift of fond memories and peace of mind. I know – often a tall order, but I stand by it.
And I can’t help it...summer comes around and I’m nostalgic for summer times that don’t involve the city, or a commute, or a day job, ...or anything else but Sweet FA. And the score to those daydreams is sweet, sweet 70’s AM radio goodness.
So, this week as we did last summer, it’s a dip into the ol’ ‘70’s box of 45’s. But if you had been keeping score previously, we’re endeavoring to not duplicate last year’s flashback in our pursuit of pure 70’s mellow gold. (I mean, have YOU ever been mellow?)
Sometimes you ache for a person, other times for a place. A fragment of your past where you left memories and friends. You may be glad you've gone, but you still wish once in a while that you could go back. Home.
I've seen Stellastarr* twice now and both times I've thought that the band's the real deal—melodic and ethereal, and miles beyond their contemporaries and the post punk purveyors they're lumped alongside in the press.
Stellastar* is back this month with their new release, "Civilized" and play The Rock and Roll Hotel this Friday night. And you, lucky TVD reader, have an opportunity to be right next to us, ON us, because we've got a pair of tickets to put in your hands.
Because we're givers, we're going to make it even easier for you guys to enter our weekly giveaways here at TVD. Staring today, you can Twitter your entries into any contest via regular Tweets or direct message via Twitter to us. Of course you can still enter in the comments below, but we need some contact info if you choose to do so.
It's a subtle way to get you guys to follow TVD on Twitter where we're often giving away additional tracks, new and old, not featured in the daily blog posts. And don't worry - it's pertinent stuff, not what we ordered in for lunch here at TVD HQ. (Not to mention, we could give a shit that The Real World's filming around the corner. So there's that.)
So, Stellastarr*! Friday night! Rock and Roll Hotel! A pair of tix with your name on 'em! Get at us!
Anyone who has done any real living has a dark side...
The old man used to call it burning the candle at both ends. I'm not sure what I'd call it, but I am sure that I've seen 3 a.m. too many times with just a coffee cup of whiskey and these songs to keep me company.
Am I out on a limb when I state unequivocally that Girl Loves Distortion might be the last and best band conjuring what I’ll call the ‘sound of DC?’ (Yea, Go Go notwithstanding.) The polyrhythms, the lacerating guitar lines, the twisty bass below have all been rumbling under the surface for a number of weeks now at TVD HQ and lucky us, we get to catch them tomorrow night when the band plays Fort Reno alongside Godisheus and Laughing Man.
GLD are releasing the brand new ‘You Better Run, Your Highness’ on vinyl this month (via Etxe Records) and as such we caught up with guitarist Christopher Goett who CLEARLY embraces the medium.
"Vinyl. Is there really any other way to experience recorded music? We don’t’ think so. The sound quality is unparalleled: deeper lows, warmer range of tones, great expression of nuance. In today’s times music quickly slips into the ether . . . it becomes a part of file sharing, compressed on a convenient iPod, or streamed online somewhere. We aren’t snubbing our noses at these modern twists and turns on the music listening experience. Most of us own an MP3 player for the convenience of it – particularly when riding the Metro around town or when we are on the road touring.
However – the thing about listening to vinyl is that it is a very deliberate experience. We aren’t trying to multi-task to something when dropping the needle down on our favorite piece of wax. It is a conscious decision to absorb the collection of songs presented by the artist. It is a tactile as well as an aural experience: perusing the artwork, pulling out the vinyl, placing it on the turntable, dropping the needle, flipping the record, etc.
Girl Loves Distortion was absolutely psyched to hear about our record label (Etxe Records) pulling the trigger on releasing our new album (You Better Run, Your Highness) on vinyl. In fact, Etxe Records has really put together a nice vinyl package - heavy grade, multi-color clear vinyl, and reverse-board LP jackets. It is record we put together thinking about vinyl, and we are hoping vinyl nerds out there like us enjoy it."
Also catch GLD this Friday, July 17, at The Trash Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The band also headlines their own CD/Vinyl release party for the new ‘You Better Run, Your Highness’ on Friday, July 24 at The Velvet Lounge with Trophy Wife (DC), Thee Lexington Arrows (Baltimore), and Fangs Out (Toledo.)
We've been singingthe praises of Elizabeth & the Catapult for some time now, but if you're STILL among the unconverted we have a pair of tickets to catch the band this Thursday night at The Rock and Roll Hotel to, y' know... get you to see things our way. Clearly.
And, because we're givers, we're going to make it even easier for you guys to enter our weekly giveaways here at TVD. Staring today, you can Twitter your entries into any contest via regular Tweets or direct message via Twitter to us. Of course you can still enter in the comments below, but we need some contact info if you choose to do so.
It's a subtle way to get you guys to follow TVD on Twitter where we're often giving away additional tracks, new and old, not featured in the daily blog posts. And don't worry - it's pertinent stuff, not what we ordered in for lunch here at TVD HQ. (Not to mention, we could give a shit that The Real World's filming around the corner. So there's that.)
So, Elizabeth & the Catapult! Thursday night! Rock and Roll Hotel! A pair of tix with your name on 'em! Get at us!
You know, I’ve always liked this room. With the lights out like this, the street lights just flood through the trees and slither up the walls. See? Oh yea, when it rains, there’s no better bay window, I tell you.
OK, sure – I’ll have another. No, you sit, I’ll turn the record over.
I have to laugh, all the years I sat here alone it’s actually nice to have some company. Thanks for stopping by. I mean that.
I've been obsessively repeating Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" all morning. The party line is that he wrote this song for the film of the same name (If you haven't seen it, do), about Mickey Rourke's Randy "The Ram" Robinson. But the song can just as easily be heard as a lament on Springsteen's own struggle to stay relevant after 37 years.
Go ahead, make all the relevant criticisms of The Boss - He's a one trick pony. He's repetitive - only 2 of his 15 records depart from his tried and true arena rock template. He's technically a shitty singer. He's technically a shitty guitar player. He's become a caricature of himself. Levy them all, I can't argue. But the fact is that the man has a unique ability to tap into that level of human emotion that actually resides below despair better than any artist I've heard. He is actually able to write from the perspective of people so bleak, the rest of us can't even fathom their desolation.
It's a talent that has kept me coming back for more despite all the things that should have driven me away. But he can't shake me, because in my opinion there are only 2 acceptable answers to the question - "Who is the greatest American songwriter?" Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
My old landlord Big Andy would tell you I made a pretty solid career of it a while back. Red wine, brooding candles, late nights, quiet music played loudly. And nightly.
You dredge up more with angst and ache than on the dance floor I’ve always thought. Little pin pricks of emotive melodies that’d do a porcupine proud. Triumphs, disappointments, loss. Impossible situations work themselves free. A bellyful of ache becomes a sweet soup for two. And gee—look...the wall needs to be painted.
So, hey... take a seat. I’ll slide over. Might as well open another bottle. We’re in for a long night.
The lovely ladies on Charlie's album covers always got our attention.
Charlie was a British rock band that got occasional FM airplay in the late ’70s.
Charlie's music had plenty of sharp lyrics, lots of hooks and crisp vocals. A bit like ELO mixed with Foreigner and just a dash of Queen, if you need a guide. It was a bit deceptive, though. It often sounded sunny when the subject matter was anything but.
Take today's tunes from "Fight Dirty," Charlie's 1979 album.
"Killer Cut" voices the desperate need to write that one great single to make it in the music business ... and then get the radio to play it. Which is exactly what happened.
"Heartless," about a woman who's just that, and "Runaway," about a girl who at 16 already has seen and done too much, seem rock video-ready, if not rock opera-ready.
So, surprise! I’ve been thinking a little about Michael Jackson lately. I know, I’m nothing if not a pop culture vulture.
And as to take a sweet, sweet dive into Lake Me (the shallow part) I was reminded that MJ was ultimately sandwiched in between a lot of other stuff on MTV after he broke down several million barriers and solidified himself as a pop culture AND African American icon. (And fuck you, Bill O’Reilly. Just suck it.)
So, while MJ was working his magic with my subconscious, I was consciously listening (and watching on MTV) quite a playlist from different corners and found myself, as MJ sang, remembering the time. And perhaps now you shall too.
Even if you’re a regular here at TVD, you may not know there’s a gatekeeper of sorts. But there is – hi, I’m Jon (your host) and as such the email in-box gets filled to the rim with very nice solicitations for coverage. And thank you, we love hearing from y’all.
But, ...how do I put this...sometimes the acts in the in-box, to use a summer analogy, just ain’t ripe yet.
In stark contrast to the aforementioned, Annie Crane’s arrival in the email reminded me of the crystal clear voices that used to echo through my folks’ house in NJ. The radio was continuously tuned to WQXR-FM, the radio station of the New York Times, which ostensibly is (was?) a classical music station but on Saturday evenings would air a show called ‘Woody’s Children.’ Woody, as in Guthrie, his ‘children’ as in the folk music legend’s prodigy.
But only the best of the best would make the airwaves then. So, if ‘Woody’s Children’ is still being aired (and if QXR is still around—I read that the Times was considering its sale) then Annie Crane’s a natural fit. Got that ‘QXR?
"When I was 19, my family of 6 picked up and moved to Manhattan from Rochester NY. We were moving from a 3 story house to a 3 bedroom apartment whose most raved about feature was a window in the kitchen. My mom, being the minimalist that she is, made it her mission to get rid of everything she deemed “not worth lugging to NYC”. In this category she put her & my dad's hefty record collection. Yes... it’s true. She sold them in the neighborhood garage sale along with our old dolls, trophies, roller blades and bunk beds. I was appalled when I went home (to my new home) for the summer from college. It was just before that 19th year of my life that I started falling hard for the wonders of vinyl.
The record player I got back then & still use today is my portable vintage player... it looks like an old suitcase until you open it up to find a 3 speed record player inside. It’s pretty sweet. I’ve lugged it from Rochester to Toronto to Manhattan to Brooklyn and back again. And as I’ve moved from place to place, I’ve carried with me my milk crates of records. Forever hounding estate sales, thrift shops and stoop sales, I think I’m trying to rebuild that collection so thoughtlessly discarded and experience it with the zeal of fresh ears.
There are few times I can think of when I’m as content as when I’m at home listening to my records while putting and puttering. The crackle and waver, the flip from side one to side two, listening to Pavarotti & Frank Sinatra in the same way that my grandma did - moments of captured nostalgia.
From my record crates, I am currently enjoying: Paul Simon: Paul Simon; Aretha Franklin: Queen of Soul; Joan Baez: Blessed are... ; Neil Young with Cray Horse: Everybody Knows this is Nowhere; Odetta Sings Folk Songs; Doc Watson: Memories"
I worry too much about the big picture. I get in the way of myself often, focusing on direction rather than the immediate. I worry that the immediate’s fleeting and direction’s deflection. I follow the numbers too closely. Where are they coming from? Where are you coming from? Why am I putting in all this time? Why is everyone so quiet? The downloads exceed bandwidth. I’m planned out weeks in advance. Sometimes it’s by the seat of the pants. Sometimes it lands in my lap and I just give ‘em away. I’m uploading. I’m downloading. Processing. Color correcting. Fact checking. Checking syntax. Saying what I mean but barely.
In the name of . . . . music.
I’d say that’s 'it' but after yesterday’s MJ spectacle, love him, hate him, or someplace in the center like me—it’s the one common denominator between us. Some say love, or life, even liberty—but that’s horseshit. The grace notes are binding.
"An upper level low pressure system spins over the region today and will keep it overcast with limited sun. Areas of rain and some late-day storms are possible. Highs will climb into the low to mid 80s. Overnight, expect partly cloudy skies and an isolated shower/storm and lows in the mid to upper 60s. 
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