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
This week marks ten years (ten!) since my friend Anne took her own life.
The dark irony of this week's theme isn't lost on me however although it wasn't in mind as I was cobbling it all together.
You think you know a person and then they're getting dressed up to formally to come to your apartment to tell you it's all over and to retrieve their toothbrush.
You think you know a person when you're closer and even more intimate afterward.
You think you know a person when they can reveal and confide the troubled workings and misfirings of their own brain to you with clarity and humor and candor.
And you know a person when in the end, the final act was, in a way, no surprise at all.
Since yesterday's Lil' Triggers were flashbacks, we've asked TVD staff to tip us off to things they're listening to NOW, which'll become Lil' Triggers in the future. Make sense? —Ed.
Radical Face is a band comprised of one Ben Cooper, who also has many other projects that he records and tours as. I don't even remember how I discovered this guy, but a few years ago I stumbled upon his Ghosts album and fell in love. Apparently he was in DC in March playing in a basement apartment and I totally missed the boat on that one. His music is haunting, sometimes quite literally, such as one song that actually sounds like it was recorded in an old creaky house. I'm pretty sure I heard "Welcome Home" used on television recently, which almost worries me as I would love to keep this music for my own. Keep an eye out for this new album which will hopefully be released this year.
I first saw Dark Dark Dark at the now closed Brian McKenzie Infoshop in 2007. Comprised of members playing accordion, banjo, stand-up bass, clarinet and percussion, amongst other instruments, the group left me completely entranced. They're the type of people who just make beautiful things- sound, art, you name it. The band is in this film Flood, and at one point sail down the Hudson playing on a giant DIY raft. Every song they play sounds absolutely beautiful and raw and heartbreaking. Now Dark Dark Dark, whose members hail from Minneapolis, New York, and New Orleans, has a New EP out, Bright Bright Bright. It's sound is a little more polished than their older stuff, but enjoyable nonetheless. They were at SXSW this year, which means it's only a matter of time before Pitchfork starts adding them to one of their many lists.
I met Socalled* at a hip-hop workshop in the basement of a bar in Krakow, Poland. The workshop spanned two days and basically consisted of Socalled sitting at the front of this tiny dark room with 30 or so mostly Polish and American students watching him explain how a Jewish kid from Montreal took klezmer records and turned them into some of the most creative hip-hop being produced today. His hands moved like lightning across his sampler and his quirky looks had everyone at ease. His story was also pretty inspirational. Two days later he performed to a packed audience in the oldest synagogue in Poland. I have never been to a hip-hop show where I could say at least 30% of the audience were well into their twilight years. Not only did the synagogue allow for some amazing acoustics but the crowd's response was overwhelmingly positive. The place just emanated with good vibes. Three years later there's a documentaryout about him, and his fan base is continuing to expand, which hopefully means he'll start touring more often outside of Canada. *Note: He is not DJ Socalled, just Socalled and seems adamant that people get that.
Sage Francis. I can't emphasize enough how much I love this man. Sure he's been around a while, so you've probably heard of him. If you haven't, great! Start listening to him! And if you have, let this serve as a reminder to continue listening to him! SF attacks his song writing with anger, energy, and playfulness, which he in turn incorporates into his live shows. He hates corporate record labels and how effed up the music industry is and has managed to keep his indie label going while so many others have moved on to the evil recording giants. Also, he's a white dude that can actually rap. I haven't seen him perform in over two years but I'm really looking forward to his tour this summer and his new album Li(f)e.
There a facet to basic Marketing 101 wherein repetition reinforces the message.
So, yesterday I received this email:
"...a diamond among the many roughs, and in the case of Melbourne's Oh Mercy it’s the gloriously Finn-tastic/Crowded House-y-ness that won us over from the first breathy chorus to the inventive, twisty verses.
This is music, my friends, that reminds me why we got into this blogging racket to begin with." —The Vinyl District
Last Friday we streamed the new Dead Weather LP 'Sea of Cowards' right here on TVD and while you can't get your hands on it just yet, we've got the first single 'Die by the Drop' b/w 'Old Mary' that yes, indeed - we can send your way.
Want to win the 7"? We'll make it simple for you on this rainy, humid Monday in DC...
Leave us anything in the comments to this post (with contact info!) and the wonder of your very utterance will be a sufficient entry into the giveaway. How's that for easing into the week?
I was lingering on it a bit longer in the men's room at work last week.
Ever have those moments when you're just 'gone' - beyond the manufactured mundane moment and say, back in the '80s or something. (If you were around then and walking and all that.)
So, there in the gent's room - the scent of the softsoap tossed me elsewhere; the bathrooms in my folks' home, specifically the mid 80's locale. Window open, sleepy mid-Spring breeze, a look over the hill into the neighbor's yard below. The kids on their bikes and dogs barking. Plates being washed after dinner and the routine bumps and hisses of the home I knew for eons.
I try not to linger in these too much these days. I gots holes in me hearts from all the absences whose shapes haunt me.
While the Gold Motel caravan sailed through DC and Baltimore last week, we still have a few holdovers in the can we want to share... —Ed.
Chicago is often referred to as “the city of neighborhoods.” No matter what neighborhood you’re in, there is a vast amount of culture and diversity in dining, nightlife, and retail. The following list is some of my favorite restaurants, bars, and stores throughout the city of Chicago, and they all come highly recommended from me. If you’re ever in Chicago, make sure to stop by and check them out!
THE GINGERMAN TAVERN Neighborhood: Lakeview 3740 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60613
For better or worse, hearing the “last call” announcement at The Gingerman Tavern has become a very familiar sound. I have spent many afternoons and nights at this Wrigleyville haunt, sipping on whiskey and hovering over the jukebox for hours on end. The Gingerman is an extremely rare establishment – a non-sports bar hiding in the shadows of Wrigley Field. The bar host one of the hippest jukebox in the city, and it’s always a pleasure to escape the herds of Cubs fans and step into a dimly lit bar where The Smiths B-sides seem to constantly be playing. Due to it’s proximity to Wrigley Field, The Gingerman does attract the occasional fair-weather Cubs fans, but for the most part The Gingerman is populated by bikers, art students, musicians, actors, and graphic artists.
The Gingerman host a full bar with an extensive beer selection that features over 15 beers on tap and more than 100 varieties of bottled beer. The Gingerman doesn’t belong in Wrigleyville, but perhaps the stark contrast between the mellow vibe of the bar and its surrounding cacophonous environment is the Gingerman’s charm.
ODD OBSESSIONS Neighborhood: Bucktown 1822 N. Milwaukee Ave. (Between Bloomingdale Ave. & Moffat St.) Chicago, IL 60647
When I first entered the Film program at Columbia College, I heard a lot about a little video rental store in Bucktown called Odd Obsessions. According to my professors and peers, any rare, out-of-print film I could think of was most likely stocked at Odd Obsessions. Needless to say, they were correct.
Odd Obsessions is tailored to the needs and desires of hard-core cinephiles in Chicago looking for atypical cinema. Looking for a Nicholas Ray experimental film from the late seventies? Interested in rare interviews with John Cassavetes? Odd Obsession has it all – everything from low-budget smut films from the fifties to Italian horror films from the seventies. It’s imperative to do a bit of research on what you’re seeking out before stopping in. All the films are stocked alphabetically by the director’s last name, and the selection is often overwhelming.
Needless to say, Odd Obsessions is not the place to go to if you’re looking to rent American Pie or The Hangover. This is not to say that Odd Obsession is a gathering place for film snobs, but it is to say that Odd Obsessions specializes in stocking uncommon films and catering to those seeking out a cinematic experience that’s off the beaten path of your local Blockbuster.
THE GREEN MILL Neighborhood: Uptown 4802 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
When Eddie O’Keefe (the director of Gold Motel’s “Perfect (In my Mind)” music video) and I first began discussing the art direction for the “Perfect (In My Mind)” music video, one of our first reference points was the interior of The Green Mill. The neon sign that hangs outside the famous Uptown jazz club even made it’s way into the final cut of the music video.
THE MUSIC BOX THEATER Neighborhood: Lakeview 3733 N. Southport, Chicago, IL 60613
The Music Box Theater is another Chicago landmark that made it’s way into Gold Motel’s “Perfect (In My Mind)” music video. I first started going to The Music Box Theater when I was in high school to catch original 35mm prints of David Lynch films, and I still go to this day.
The Music Box Theater hasn't changed much since it first opened back in 1929. For a long period of time, The Music Box was a porno theater. After undergoing many changes in management and ownership, The Music Box is now both a historic Chicago landmark and the best art-house theater in the city. You'll still see "twinkling stars" and moving cloud formations cast on the ceilings of the two auditoriums, and hear live organ music played in between films on the weekend. Cult, independent, classic and foreign films are shown on a daily basis on the theater's two screens, and the theater often host various film festivals and one of a kind midnight showings. You don’t get too many opportunities to see a mint condition 78mm print of Vertigo, or catch an out-of-print sex-exploitation film like Telephone Book except at The Music Box. Also, the popcorn is made with real butter. What more could you ask for?
THE KIT KAT LOUNGE & SUPPER CLUB Neighborhood: Boystown 3700 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60657
When summertime hits in Chicago, there is nowhere else I would rather be than on The Kit Kat Lounge’s patio, sipping on martinis and watching drag queens dance around the bar. This Chicago cabaret/restaurant features its own roster of divas: female impersonators who dress as iconic performers and lip-synch their tunes while strolling through the audience.
The lounge features a robust martini menu of around 70 concoctions, including the Angel martini garnished with a cherry speared with a white feather. The bright interior--an homage to the supper clubs of the '40s and '50s--boasts green mosaic tiles on the bar and on the floor, off-white booths and leopard and snake print vinyl chairs, and large projection screens on the wall that show art slideshows and famous film-noirs from the 1940’s.
San Antonio's Girl In A Coma had one of our most spun LPs last year with 2009's 'Trio B.C.'and 2010 sees the band off in a brand new direction—covering some of their old favorites.
With 'Adventures in Coverland,' GIAC delve further into the band’s collective musical history, recording their own versions of seven classic songs that helped shape the sonic core of Trio B.C., a record which prompted Alternative Press Magazine to rave that the band had “really hit their stride” and the mighty Billboard to enthuse that the ladies were “full of swagger and in fine form.”
“Knowing where you come from and your roots, it’s important to not forget these things,” says GIAC drummer Phanie. “A lot of our writing style was influenced by the music we grew up on and the love we saw our grandfather had for music. If we forget who started it for us, then we forget the spirit of our music. If that's lost, then everything is hollow, fake and manufactured.”
Getting specific about the song selections for Adventures in Coverland, Phanie says, “We chose to cover ‘Walkin’ After Midnight,’ ‘Come On, Let’s Go’ and ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ because of our mother. We were raised listening to Patsy Cline, Ritchie Valens and The Beatles. It’s very raw, very real music that was the soundtrack to our mom’s life.”
The collection of songs that comprise 'Adventures in Coverland,' will be released as a series of 7” vinyl EPs as well as available for purchase online as a download on iTunes and other digital providers.
...and you saw this one coming right? We've got the first of the 3 part series of 7" releases and a pair of tickets to Tuesday night's show with Sia at the 9:30 up for grabs.
In the comments to this post, tell us why you deserve to see Girl In A Coma at the 9:30 and what the 7" might mean to you when it lands on your doorstep. Remember to leave us some contact info too! We'll choose the best of the bunch by 5PM on Monday, 5/3.
Stream the entire 'Adventures in Coverland,' series here!
Hate to Feel | I’ve seen that Courtney Love has been in the news of late. I’m a friend and fan of Hole guitarist, Eric Erlandson. For me there is no Hole without Eric. Nonetheless Courtney has just released a new album, she’s calling it Hole, and it’s in this week’s Idelic mix.
Being the former proprietor of one Hollywood’s rock n roll haunts, Small’s (bar) I had been friendly with the smart, gregarious, and trouble-making Love even “pre-hole” 90’s.
To be honest I’ve avoided Courtney these past 10 ten years. I’ve always enjoyed her company but can’t deal with the “drama and pills.” That was until a couple of week’s ago when I responded to her friend request and emails on Facebook. She was asking about a specific time period, post Nevermind, when she and Kurt were living in LA. It brought back the memories of my brief encounters hanging with Kurt and that decade serves as my muse for this week’s Idelic Hour.
The 90’s is a decade of rock n roll I have very mixed feelings about. Certainly the 2nd half of the decade gave rise to some of the least inspiring music in rock n roll history. I tired to stay focused by keeping it “real” with a sense of irony. The rise of computers, Napster the MP3, feels far more influential than the songs of the day. The story of Kurt and his tragic loss is the decade’s defining digest. It’s with a smile that I can picture Kurt and Lane Staley smoking cigarettes in heaven.
New songs of note in the mix from Band of Horses, The Hold Steady, cool Norwegian rockers Pirate Love and of course the “Queen of Grunge” is back.
Because we think you should constantly be in the know:
Starting Today at 12pm CST, Thirdman Records will begin a 24-hour listening party for the new killer Dead Weather album “Sea Of Cowards.” As we like doing things a bit different, this listening party will consist of a camera focused a turntable playing “Sea of Cowards”. I know what you’re thinking “Bor-ing! That’s not a listening party…that’s a screensaver.” First off…that would be a killer screensaver. Secondly, that turntable is located in the metaphorical heart of Third Man Records in Nashville (with eventual baton-passing to the hep folks at Warner Brothers in Los Angeles) and we will be doing everything we can to make this video feed interesting. Maybe a cat will crawl on the turntable and start scratching like Grand Wizard Theodore. Or maybe we get some special guests in house just to flip the records, in spite of our usual disdain for record flippers. Maybe we change it up and just start playing some disco records (not really). Or maybe you get a sweet sneak preview of an album that completely slays. Either way, the audio stream of the album will be coming directly from the record player you see in the shot. We’re calling it Screaming Vinyl Live because “Streaming Vinyl Live” seemed, as you the judgmental fan so clearly pointed out, sounded boring.
I have been lucky enough to get to work in Ardent Studios on a couple of occasions, and I can attest that it is a very special place. They just don't make 'em like Ardent anymore.
Usually, a studio falls under one of two categories: A.) funky and cool but a little less than state-of-the-art, or B.) top notch technologically, but sterile, with no atmosphere. Ardent Studios is the only one I've ever worked in which is both first-class sonically and incredibly cool, vibe-wise. You feel like you can get as artistic and esoteric as you want, without compromising any sound quality. That's a very rare combination.
We recorded part of our debut album there, 'Spills And Thrills,' and we tracked completely live in the huge, almost church-like A-room. We wanted that “high ceiling” room sound on the drums, which would not have been possible in a smaller studio. I was in a vocal booth and my guitar amp was isolated with baffling, but other than that, we were all in the same room at the same time, cutting live just like at a gig. The intention was to overdub nothing but backup vocals, if at all possible. Of course, we did end up overdubbing a few things, but all in all, those tracks are still about 80% live. We could have done that in other studios, but certainly not with the relaxed, artist-friendly attitude you get from all the Ardent staff.
We live in an era when most recording is being done at home, on computers, and one of the arguments for this is that the artist is completely empowered and independent, and is not forced to sell an arm and a leg to pay for studio time. While this is certainly true, it is a tradeoff. For one thing, there's no substitute for the kind of classic analog equipment and acoustically tuned rooms found at Ardent. And recording the way we did, with the full-band-live-in-the-studio approach, would be impossible to do in a home studio.
At Ardent, you feel just as free to get creative and take risks there as you would in front of your demo rig at home, but you can do it with a full band, live on the spot, and the results you will get on tape (or hard drive) will have all the warmth, richness, and complexity of the classic records we all grew up on. And no other studio gives you that almost mystical feeling of being close to greatness; if you're a Big Star fan like I am, it's always in the back of your mind while working there. (Of course, it's hard not to think of Big Star when Jody Stephens drops by the session to say hi!)
For some kinds of music, you have to use a real studio. And for those kinds of sessions, I've never encountered a better facility than Ardent. It was an honor and a pleasure to get to work there. —John Paul Keith
Enter to win John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives' 'Spills and Thrills' on vinyl by simply leaving a comment, your name, and a contact email address in the comments to this post. We'll choose one winner each Friday for that week's giveaway which ALSO includes the entire Ardent Music catalog. (That's just 2 artists at this point, but who's counting?)
To hear more great Ardent Sessions please visit Ardent Presents.
I have a strong passion for film and – like pop music – I acknowledge the kitsch and novelty of the medium as much as I embrace it. An example of this is dance sequences, which is like the film equivalent of having a spoken word bridge in a pop song; it’s a stylized technique that adds another layer of genre to the overall piece.
Film has a long history of illustrious dance sequences, most recently including Marc Webb’s Five Hundred Days of Summer (2009) and Tom Ford’s A Single Man (2010). Often, dance sequences become the most memorable scene of a film. They somehow always manage to steal the show, and leave a lasting imprint on the audience’s memory.
I have come up with a small list of some of my all time favorite dance scenes in film history. —Eric Hehr
The seasoned TVD reader probably saw this coming from a mile away: theme week = sweet, sweet giveaway. . . and our stay with Gold Motel will be no different.
As we mentioned yesterday, Gold Motel's playing two nights in our backyard and we've got tickets for both of them as well as the debut EP for two select winners. You've got your choice between Thursday's (4/29) show at DC9 here in the District or Friday night (4/30) at M.I.C.A. in Baltimore.
We're just going to ask you to plead your case in the comments to this post as to why you should win the tickets for the night of your choice as well as the EP. Let us know in which city you'd like to see the band (and leave us some contact info!) and we'll choose a winner before noon on the day of each gig. Now. . . go!
Brooklyn, New York, Austin, and Nashville are all major musical cities with very recognizable musical sounds.
Chicago, however, still seems to be searching for a musical identity that reflects the city's up-beat, classic, easy going nature. There's a smart, quirky pop movement happening in Chicago and the rest of the US deserves to be let in on all the fun we're having. Here are the five songs I feel best represent the Chicago pop scene:
As much as I'm often loathe to admit it, Pitchfork was spot-on this morning with their reviewof DC native Laura Burhenn's new release asThe Mynabirds,'What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood.'
A despite the title of the new track, you can count us among the cheer-leading hordes as well.
