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Mayday Fiesta of Sound | Yes, it’s May and here in a LA it’s cause for celebration. This mix was actually created on Cinco De Mayo, a favorite Angelino holiday to simply eat tacos and get drunk on Margaritas. Maybe this should imply a Mexican inspiration but this week is more about new bands than chips and salsa.
I also like the expression “mayday, mayday” it brings to mind planes crashing in black and white WWII flicks. I looked it up and it comes from the French expression, venez m'aider, meaning "come (and) help me." ...Ok, I’ve stumbled onto something here for which I could really use some help and a shot of tequila!
To be honest, Idelic Hour’s “Fiesta Of Sound” is more of afterthought than a muse or vehicle for creating the playlist below. I started off the week driving through the canyon listening to my I-pod on “random shuffle” and in many ways this is the real muse for many of my sets. I love that warm feeling I get when s song unexpectedly enters my psyche, especially while driving a car. I’ve always said I don't believe there's a better DJ than my I-pod on random shuffle. For me as the author, The Idelic Hour, is in fact a taste of my “random shuffle” for you the audience. Ok, maybe I’ve had one too many at El Coyote (mayday, mayday!)
So, my simple plan was to play my I-pod all week and recast the best hour of music I heard. I had a great week of listening but creating this week’s show from let’s say “Monday’s shuffle” just didn’t feel inspiring, random, or spontaneous. Instead I had a little Cinco De Mayo DJ party of my own and I’m calling it a Fiesta of Sound.
In the mix are more new artists and music than I usually drop. Highlights are new Interpol, Harlem, New Villager, Sleigh Bells, The Fall, Dom. I’ve also revisited as few of the stronger April releases with songs from The National, Avi Buffalo and as well as a track from Frightened Rabbit, Julian Casablancas, whose album I’ve been digging these last few months.
Jeffrey James and the Haul is the side project of Snowglobe drummer Jeff Hulett. Snowglobe was featured on MTV's $5 Cover in 2009. —Ed.
Recording at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee with Jeffrey James and the Haul was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. How often are you allowed to perform a live show for all of your friends for free? And at the end of the day get a copy of the set you just performed? Let’s just say I’ll always remember it and I brag about it regularly.
People all around the world know about Ardent Studios and I’m lucky enough to live down the street. When I got the call from Rachel Hurley to do an Ardent Sessions I was honestly surprised. At the time we hadn’t been that active and we were trying to finish up our second album “Ride the Wind Carnival.” I think Rachel knew that and wanted to give us an opportunity to get our name out there more, and in a unique way. We are forever grateful and reminisce about that show as a band quite often.
There’s nothing like inviting all of your friends to see you play and they all show up. It was nuts. I think Rachel was even a little bit concerned about how many people we had in studio C. I was very nervous at first because it was such an early and intimate show that was going to be recorded live. But once we got started and began interacting with the crowd everything was great. We even had a bunch of friends/fans in town from Atlanta and Chattanooga that truly relished the opportunity to hang out in such a storied studio. And because it was an early show we were able to go out together afterwards and celebrate.
If I could play the Ardent Sessions again with the Haul or anyone else I would jump at the chance. It was such a fun evening that I think everyone enjoyed.
Enter to win Jeffrey James and the Haul's 'Ride the Wind Carnival' 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.
Sunday evening The Freelance Whales and the Shout Out Louds took the stage at the 9:30 Club. I had never heard The Freelance Whales before but was excited to see another band who once hailed from DC.
It was exactly the type of emo you would expect your fourteen year old little sister to enjoy, and the fourteen year olds that had made it to the front of the state were certainly enjoying it. Their long intros and vocals became monotonous. The chorus of ‘Generator 1st Floor’ was a series of “eheheheheh” that didn’t translate to their live set. It’s always a shame when someone’s recording doesn’t work well on stage, though, to their credit, they are still a young band and it was the first night of the tour.
I have been a Shout Out Louds fan since the summer of 2005 when I was wandering the aisles of a Best Buy in Arizona with my sister-in-law and liked the name of the band – Shout Out Louds. I hadn’t read about them, I was fifteen, I hadn’t yet started actively following new music, let alone new music from Europe, but I had been listening to The Cure – a lot. I bought three cd’s that day, ‘Howl Howl Gaff Gaff’ is the only one that I still listen to (the others were the Garden State soundtrack, and Anna Nalick’s first album – judge away). That album became my high school love life; I could relate each song to a different boy that I had had a crush on. I suppose this was the beginning of my catharsis. They played at the 9:30 Club in 2006, but it was a Sunday, and I wasn’t allowed to go.
They also didn’t curse very often, if at all, so when I was blasting it from my boom box, my parents didn’t mind too much.
In 2007 they released ‘Our Ill Wills’ and this time I bought it on vinyl at Crooked Beat a store my brother had first taken me to earlier that year. ‘Our Ill Wills’ again became an album that I could, and did (and still do) relate to far too many circumstances. ‘Tonight I Have to Leave It,’ ‘Your Parent’s Living Room,’ ‘Impossible’ and ‘Hard Rain’ quickly made it into heavy rotation. They played a second time in the fall of 2008, on another Sunday, and for a second time I wasn’t allowed to go.
When they announced their hiatus in 2008, I was wary of whether there would be another Shout Out Louds album. But after six months apart they came together with a new perspective and a new appreciation for what they do. They created ‘Work,’ it’s more mature and subdued than their previous albums, but in a way I have grown up with them, and it seems to have moved in the appropriate direction.
Seeing them live, on stage, with the lights and the fog was everything I could have hoped for. They opened with ‘1999’ the first track on ‘Work’. It quickly established their presence while inviting the audience to take part. They moved with few pauses through their set. ‘Please Please Please,’ was the first song they played off their debut album, and it became apparent who in the audience had been with them since the beginning – a lot. The movement only grew as they moved to ‘Tonight I have to Leave It.’ At least, the movement in front of the stage increased, I didn’t really bother to look behind me. They spaced the songs at just the right intervals for the crowd to dance, catch our breaths, dance, dance, breathe.
I had not yet heard the entire album ‘Work’ and was quite pleased that people were singing along to even those songs, even some of the parents and fourteen year olds. ‘Show Me Something New’ and the single ‘Fall Hard’ were among the new favorites. They closed their thirteen song set with ‘Very Loud’ a song that could easily be interpreted as being about a lost love, which is only half true, no one would guess it’s actually about the music industry.
They humbly left the stage and lingered just long enough before coming back to play a three song encore - all sing-alongs, all dance numbers. They began with ‘Impossible,’ Then ‘You Are Dreaming.’ They closed with ‘Walls’ the most recent single. It’s chorus - “Whatever they say, we’re the ones building walls. Whatever they say, we’re the ones that never say no. To get to know yourself you have to run away. Never trust anyone, run away, run, run, run.”- was shouted in earnest by fans and performers alike.
Gang of Four. Joy Division. Wire. The Fall. These are all legendary names in the pantheon of post-punk that readers of The Vinyl District blog are hopefully well familiar with by now. But as many of us serious crate-diggers know, those artists are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding this vastly expansive era and the like-minded eras that followed.
The monthly post-punk dj party “We Fought the Big One” was established so DC music fans could have an evening where this extraordinary music is remembered and celebrated. But as much as we champion the widely recognized legends of post-punk, we revel equally if not more so in drawing attention to those brilliant artists that never got the recognition they deserved. Ever hear of The Mo-dettes? How about 48 Chairs?The Homosexuals? Each of those artists recorded material arguably as brilliant as the aforementioned, more recognizable names.)
It’s thanks to crate-digging and great blogs like The Vinyl District that music fans can be exposed to such wonderful, unearthed gems. And really, discovering such songs and being able to share them makes djing even more fun and fulfilling.
When you get a bunch of die-hard record collector geeks together and they start taking turns playing records, it more often than not turns into a game of one-ups-manship. But not only do I not mind when this happens, I love it. I might be a tad biased here, but I believe it’s really the best kind of one-ups-manship—the kind where not just one person wins, but everybody does.
Earlier this year, The Vinyl District’s own Jon Meyers was guest dj at “We Fought the Big One,” and his sets were simply incredible. Track after track, he played songs that I either didn’t know or hadn’t heard in a long time. In some cases, he played songs from bands I knew, but the song altered my perception/opinion of the artist in question. It was pretty revelatory and I know the crowd enjoyed his sets too.
Jon’s djing put even more pressure on myself and Brandon to match or try and better the standard he set. Easier said than done. But I have to say, we definitely fed off each other’s picks, which raised the bar for everyone involved. And ultimately, it’s the denizens of the Marx Cafethat won out—they got to hear the end result of us putting our best picks forward. Like I said, everybody wins.
I am especially excited about the Friday, May 7 “We Fought the Big One.” With two notable post-punk parties in DC, it was only a matter of time before the djs got together to square off. Velodrome djs Scott Bauer and Ed Dudes have incredible music collections and are two of the most genuine and nicest music guys in the city. It’ll be great to feel that pressure of having to equal their selections. So with that said, let the Belgian-beer fueled showdown begin! Hope you can join us! —Rick Taylor
Hey, did you know that I'm / Always going back in time / Rhyming slang, auld lang syne my dears / Through the years / I am the backwards traveler / Ancient wool unraveler / Sailing songs, wailing on the moon
And we were sailing songs, wailing on the moon / Wailing on the moon
I go back to how this whole thing started. Let's just put vinyl into people's hands. They'll recall how cool it is. "The size! The girth!"
...and then give 'em a chance to go see the band live. I mean, that's the formula right? Authenticity.
And man, we have have a window to put both right into your lap. "The size! The... aw - forget it.
...it's a TVD/Minus The Bear 24-Hour Ticket & Vinyl Giveaway!
Minus The Bear's newest 'Omni' hits the store shelves and other outlets this week and the band plays the 9:30 this Friday (5/7). The confluence of events makes the giveaway math a real no-brainer, right?
But you've gotta act fast! You've got 24 hours to let us know why you should receive 'Omni' on vinyl and the tickets to Friday's show. Plead your case in the comments to this post (with contact info!) and the best of the bunch will be awarded the tickets and the LP.
We're choosing the one winner tomorrow (5/6) at 10AM - so, uh...act fast!
While you're contemplating your brilliant contest entry, head here to grab a free mp3 form 'Omni!'
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.
Upon turning twenty-one, I had already decided that my haunt would be The Green Mill. It had everything I was looking for in night-life: a vintage décor, a seductive ambience, low-key lighting, a sophisticated and well groomed clientele, incredible live jazz music, and the best gin and tonics in the city. The Green Mill is one of the few clubs I have ever been to where everyone is well behaved and respectful of one another and the musicians (don’t be surprised if you are “Shhhh-ed” by a neighboring table for being too loud!). Gangsters and celebrities haunted this nearly century-old club in The Green Mill’s early days. Now, well-heeled jazz enthusiasts and urban hipsters make up the scene. While the crowd has changed, the interior has not. The Green Mill drips with nostalgic character from the well-worn leather booths to the elegant, well furnished bar. Touring and local acts, from cool jazz to big band, take the stage each weekend; local performers play regular slots on weekdays. The Green Mill’s house band delivers some of the best live jazz Chicago has to offer, and their performances are always worth much more than the reasonable price of admission.
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.
