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DC funk/breakbeat/remix collective Fort Knox Five embark on a US Tour this week in advance of their new release ‘The New Gold Standard 2’ which sees the light of day on November 3rd. Despite its November due date, FK5 are holding a pre-release party Tuesday night (10/13) at the 9:30. Joining FK5 are Dutch DJ trio Kraak and Smaak.
TVD’s got TWO pairs of tickets AND a copy of FK5’s debut release ‘Radio Free DC’ on vinyl for the two individuals who make the most noise in the comments to this post. That’s it! Just state your case ...we’re givers.
Make sure to leave some contact info so we can get back to the noisiest of the bunch. We’re closing this one on Monday (10/12) so get at us!
(AND check back with us after November 3 because rumor has it there’ll be some fresh ‘New Gold Standard 2’ vinyl to bestow on you guys too...)
"Whatever gets you through the night 'salright, 'salright It's your money or life 'salright, 'salright Don't need a sword to cut through flowers oh no, oh no..."
Jeff from AM, Then FM delves into his stack of 70's LPs, all Rocktober-like:
Heard it’s Rocktober here at TVD. Figured I’d dig through the ‘70s vinyl to find something that rocks. Or once rocked.
Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s first album, “Bachman-Turner Overdrive,” was released on May 17, 1973. Most of the tunes on this record are familiar, but only two were released as singles. The modest success of this record – it went gold in 1974 – was driven by album cuts played on free-form FM radio and the huge success of the singles that followed from later albums.
I’ve come to accept C.F. Turner’s rugged bellowing on most BTO vocals, as well as Robbie Bachman’s stomping drumming. It’s always been about the guitars anyway. On this record, it’s Randy Bachman on lead, Tim Bachman on rhythm and Turner on bass.
The best part of “Hold Back The Water” comes at 2:25, when a long guitar instrumental bridge kicks in. There’s a variety of styles, including some nice wah-wah guitar at 3:40. This was the flip side to BTO’s fine first single, “Blue Collar,” in 1973.
“Little Gandy Dancer” is a nice roadhouse rocker written and sung by Randy Bachman. It’s one of those tunes about a woman who’s too much woman. There’s a little bit of Chuck Berry in this one – a little guitar being played like ringing a bell. This was the flip side to the “Gimme Your Money Please” single later in 1973.
“Down And Out Man” is a bit of a rarity, co-written and sung by Tim Bachman. It sounds a little bit like something the Stones might have done. Depending on which story you believe, in 1974 Tim Bachman either quit the band or was thrown out because he just wasn’t good enough to be in BTO.
I’ve posted this once before perhaps a year and a half ago, but I think it’s important to relisten to insomuch as to understand the context in which the Rocktober classics lived and breathed and spit fire and in some cases, blood.
It’s a glorious 45 minute run of classic radio out of New York City in 1979— complete with commercials.
I get misty at the 30 second spot for Crazy Eddie. A few of you just may as well.
Washington, DC’s own The Kora Records recently wrote us in regard to their new signing, London’s Stricken City who personally ensnared me right away with name checks such as The Slits and Life Without Buildings. (I mean, THAT’S refreshing.)
The notoriously fickle UK press has been gushing one better:
"If this was the early 80s, Stricken City would be label-mates of Orange Juice, as this mini-album features eight of the the prettiest, shambling C86 style pop nuggets since the Postcard era. Intentionally angular and amateurish, Pull The House Down, Five Metres Apart and Killing Time offer skittish, playful guitar lines, fidgety bass and one finger keyboards, all deliciously cut with Rebekah Raa's striking, spectral chirrup, which is more than a little reminiscent of Sugacubes-era Bjork. With gawky, naive charm in abundance, this will be an album to make many a student sigh dreamily as they lovingly scrawl 'I HEART STRICKEN CITY' onto their pencil cases in Tippex." —NME (8/10)
"In those innocent days before Pro Tools, click tracks and laptop recordings, the eighties produced a generation of studenty bands with a simple DIY ethic and only rudimentary musical skills who strummed away on effect-free jangly guitars and a simple hi-hat and snare rhythm. Stricken City are a splendid throwback to more innocent times where enthusiasm and the joy of being in a band counted for everything. Thankfully they also have some jolly tunes to back it up. Formed in the Midlands and now based in London, the quartet is fronted by the jittery, just-got-out-of-bed-haired goddess Rebekah Raa." —Q Magazine
The band’s collaborated on tales of their collective history for TVD:
"The SC have been through 3 drummers, 4 bassists and 2 keyboard players. It took us 3 years to get our act together and put our first record out and longer to actually settle on a band line up that worked. Now we are Rebekah, Iain, Mike and Kit and we're pretty happy this way. It's 13 months since someone left the band which I think is a record.
We're finally getting round to be productive, we have our first long player out now and plan to put out a cassette at Christmas, another EP early next year and another album in the Spring. We have songs and plans.
When we first started people said we sounded a bit like The Slits and Life Without Buildings. We'd never properly listened to those bands so we did and they were good and we took it as a compliment. People also said we were like Siouxsie and The Banshees, we've still not really listened to them but I heard 'Hong Kong Garden' on the radio and it was pretty good.
'Pull the House Down' is the newest song on the new record and probably our favorite, we wrote it in one practice and recorded it a week later. 'Five Metres Apart' is the oldest song on the record, it's over 4 years old. This goes back to the bit I wrote early about starting to be productive. It's a big deal for us.Our newest song is called 'Animal Festival' and it might be our best, but all bands say there new song is the best so take that how you want to."
Question of the day: Do you think if any of the tracks below were released by a contemporary act, say of the Pitchfork/Stereogum variety, that they'd garner much—if any—success?
I’ve never been a particularly picky eater. Put it down in front of me and I’ll give it a whirl and a swallow. (Now, there's a decent Friday night.)
But that doesn’t mean I’ll LOVE everything ingested. There’s a time and a place and often a season for some things—and much is the same with my tastes in...well, music.
So, last Friday night’s DJ spot at ‘We Fought The Big One? A seasonal gourmet meal, I’m thinking.
Rocktober? Simply, comfort food, and—delicious at that.
(I should thank whoever spiked my cider this morning while I’m at it...)
We’d like to point out that although Record Store Day officially came and went this past April 18th, there’s plenty new in the Record Store Day universe and more reasons under the sun than you’d imagine to keep checking back at the official website.
There’s the Record Store Day Vinyl Saturdays that fill the shops with brand new and exclusive vinyl each month. There’s been a Record Store Day Film Festival. Singer Brandi Shearer’s undertaken her own Record Store Day store-to-store performance series.
And well, there’s this on the heels of the globe re-Meeting The Beatles: The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition release of ‘Abbey Road.”
The package contains the current vinyl album of Abbey Road, along with a special t-shirt (available in Large and X-Large) featuring the artwork used on the original 7" single of "Come Together"/"Something," along with a poster that features the same artwork. This limited edition deluxe package will be released on Vinyl Saturday, November 7th in the United States and will be limited to 5,000 worldwide.
To see a list of participating stores, the Record Store Day website is the place to keep checking in.
On Friday night I DJ’d a venue other than my living room for the first time in maybe 20 years. And it’s just as they say in context to riding a bike – it all came back to me pretty quickly. I even witnessed a few people’s personal epiphanies given a particular track or something which is the desired effect I guess.
The evening’s theme was decidedly off-kilter post punk and new wave so a giant slab of the vinyl collection was put to good use while a huge other portion— the ‘rock’ stuff— stayed well-housed. Sort of a shame, really.
This week we’ll undo a bit of that. (...As we get back to sorts, post weekend.)
We're still a wee bit tired this morning from yesterday's Record Fair, so we're going to take it for granted a little bit that a.) you're familiar with The Gossip, b.) LOVE The Gossip, and c.) desire a free pair of tix to see them at the 9:30 this Wednesday night.
Get at us in the comments with the juciest rumor you've heard recently and said rumormonger will win the tickets to Wednesday's show. We'll choose the winner for the pair of tickets tomorrow (10/6) by 5:30, so start spillin' it.
Update: Fuck, I'm tired — photographed wonderfully here. A million thanks to the over 500 of you (no joke) who joined us today.
Old (now):
Som Records,DC Soul Recordings, and this very blog are proud to present our THIRD Washington, DC Record Fair which arrives Sunday!
We've got 25 dealers from up and down the East Coast—which simply translates to: crates and crates AND crates of vinyl from every genre imaginable.
We've got cocktails and great food courtesy of our wonderful hosts Comet Ping Ping. We've got DJs galore including Animal Collective's Geologist. We've got Mingering Mike signing his original poster for the event.
And well, you've got me to help you carry your vinyl to the car.
...serves today as a less than subtle reminder to put this evening's Story/Stereo event with special guests Bluebrain on your must-attend list. (Then afterward you can join yours truly at Marx Cafe as guest DJ for 'We Fought The Big One'...right?)
The brothers Holladay of Bluebrain wind up their week with us thusly:
"We finish the week with a Ten Spot playlist to hopefully get you out of bed this morning and sustain you through at least 4:00 PM Saturday afternoon. Songs about heartbreak, betrayal, obesity, sleep deprivation, getting bad directions... and whatever the hell Battles sings about should, if nothing else, should provide you with enough gumption to make it through the last day of this week and to the Story/Stereo show tonight where we promise to rejuvinate your soul. We'll try at least. Thanks for the opportunity to share some music with you these last couple days!" —Ryan & Hays Holladay
DC funk/breakbeat/remix collective Fort Knox Five embark on a US Tour this week in advance of their new release ‘The New Gold Standard 2’ which sees the light of day on November 3rd. Despite its November due date, FK5 are holding a pre-release party Tuesday night (10/13) at the 9:30. Joining FK5 are Dutch DJ trio Kraak and Smaak.))FXK012_RFDC_Cover_1200.gif)
