TVD First Date | The Joy Formidable

Last night while taking in the fabulous Clientele, I started counting the number of bands that exist now, who are currently out there making music—that I just adore. And I got to five.

The Joy Formidable was at the top of that list.

Rumor has it that the band will make it to DC this year and I urge you to fall in love with them prior as I have, so you all can join me right up front.

We chatted with Ritzy a little while back about her inspiration behind some of the TJF vinyl that frequents the TVD turntable:

"It can go either way when you grow up in a family of bootleggers and record collectors; you either catch the bug and join in or snub music completely. I was in cahoots from the start and absolutely reveled in my parents near library of vinyl, cds, cassettes and reel to reel. The vinyl section covered 2 walls and stacked on top were four large boxes of 7" singles.

I decided that this would be the starting point of my listening habits, I'd try and listen methodically to every single in every box. Black Coffee in Bed, Say a Little Prayer, Sex Machine, Family Affair, Fire, Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart.... so many brilliant tracks. I got quite far in the quest of going through every box; the joy and calamity of being an only child.



My favourite 12" was Elvis Costello's 'Armed Forces,' not only for the musical contents, but for the artwork by Barney Bubbles. I loved the folding flaps of the back panel that peeled out to reveal more artwork and postcards.

Aged 8 I had a musical epiphany whilst listening to Yes' 'Close to the Edge' and roused the warning of Mum and Dad that I'd ruin the needle if I kept lifting it up and down to repeat the phrase. I always was a bit cack - handed when it came to the record player.



I guess with so much choice at hand, buying my own vinyl came a lot later. My first purchase was at a record fair in London, where I no doubt paid over the odds for the Drill E.P by Radiohead. College and University I was minus a turntable, so it was CDs, then downloads and now, in the band, I'm very happy that vinyl makes up a big chunk of our modest back catalogue.

We started with Austere on 7" - and fell about laughing when it dropped through the door in purple rather the midnight blue we'd designed. We upgraded to double 7" vinyl for Cradle , next - it's coloured vinyl and down the line I'm hoping picture disc, vinyl boxset , maybe even something with an expanding back panel , a tribute to Barney. "

The Joy Formidable - Austere (Mp3)
The Joy Formidable - Cradle (Mp3)
The Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade (Mp3)
The Joy Formidable - Cradle [Kyte Remix] (Mp3)

TVD's Ten Weeks of Record Store Day Vinyl Giveaways - Week 3 | Sub Pop Week, Day 3

It's Day #3 of our Record Store Day Sub Pop Week of vinyl giveaways and next up are the purveyors of Drooling Hillbilly Metal, Sea Urchin Psychedelia, Yukon Freak Thrash, and Beatnik Swamp Drone, or whatever else you want to call them—AFCGT.

The cretinous calliope that is AFCGT descends from a decrepit longhouse on the shores of a dark lake where the self-inflicted wounds from a windy forest of flailing, whipping branches gave birth to the white heat oddities from their self-titled new album on Sub Pop Records.

Conjoined a little over two years ago, the group has already been dishing out vinyl; recording a 10” EP, a full-length LP, and appearing on a 7 inch compilation not to mention a few super-limited CDRs thrown in for kicks. With 3 electric guitars, a bass guitar, and a drum kit they manage to emulate the decaying soundtrack of an international airport with all the trimmings.



The rules can't be any simpler for our Sub Pop LP Giveaways this week: each day this week we'll be launching a new Sub Pop RSD2010 Vinyl Giveaway and all you need to do to enter to win is to leave a comment in the comments section to that week's giveaway letting us know why you deserve to win that week's LP.

Be creative, funny, incisive—whatever it takes to grab our attention to deem you the winner. Most important however is to leave us a contact email address! You can be brilliant as hell, but if we can't track ya' down, you're out of the running.

All winners will all be notified on Monday (3/1) upon the launch of the next RSD2010 Vinyl Giveaway!