Friday, April 16, 2010

TVD's The Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel


Record Store Daydream | With half-damp eyes I stared to the room / Where my friends and I spent many an afternoon / Where we together weathered many a storm / Laughin' and singing 'till the early hours of the morn'.

This afternoon I went to Records LA, a record shop located on an unlikely block in south LA. The joint is owned and run by a cool guy from Detroit named Scott. He sells only vinyl collectibles with a preference towards funk, soul and anything obscure preferably on 45. Heavenly!

Vinyl records, for me, are like old out of touch friend that I’m glad to see. They bring back memories and inspire me to chat about rock n roll days gone by. And why not, Record Store Day is upon us and really nothing much else is making me the happier!

I left with a warm heart and a copy of Jethro Tull’s “A Passion Play”— it was calling me to take her home at 5 bucks.

Appropriately with record shop memories in mind I created this week’s Idelic Hour mix. There are a number of new artists who press vinyl but only a small crop who I would call “vinyl worthy.” Of course anything with Jack White playing guitar, keys or even drums would be worth adding to a cool collection. I like the new Deer Tick, Beach House, and Best Coast while still digesting MGMT’s latest. Simon from Bella Union in London sent me a new album by offbeat, songwriter, John Grant which I will also gladly add to my collection of “old friends”.

Enjoy,

xosidealer

idelicsounds.com | @sidelic

The Idelic Hour [4/16/2010] (Mp3, 87Mg)


TVD Sunday Hangover | Win Fort Knox Five Vinyl and Tickets to the Capitol Hemp Anniversary Party, Tuesday (4/20) at the Rock and Roll Hotel


The reggae vibe in Washington, DC is currently in full effect. With the recent addition of Patty Boom Boom, you can always find a true reggae spot in the District to get your rocksteady on.

See-I
at Eighteenth Street Lounge has become a true staple of this scene, filling in all the gaps in these never-ending 9-5 workweeks with just a little bit of zen happiness, and for just a few hours, letting us forget all the other bullshit in this world.

For the past 4 years, brothers
Rootz and Zee (aka See-I) have been bringing down the house once a week, aggregating the most eclectic mix of DMV party people to the three-floor Dupont venue to groove in unison to the funkiest of reggae vibes. The occasion has become a weekly necessity for many people, nearly a religion, that provides us worn-out Districtonian’s the outlet we need to get past that Wednesday hump and closer to the weekend. Friends are made, Red Stripes are drunk, and people get very, very… happy.


See-I has been making music for 20 nears now, living in the Caribbean and moving to DC in the 80's when the sound of Dancehall was booming in the District. Joining forces with Eric Hilton, the brothers toured with Thievery Corporation which took them internationally and now to DC, where everyone couldn’t be happier.

4/20: See-I will be twisting their way through the Rock n’ Roll Hotel with Fort Knox Five and Nappy Riddem to celebrate the new Chinatown location of Capitol Hemp.

Yes! That is correct, located at 13th and H in Gallery Place / Chinatown, the new Captitol Hemp location shall be very sweet indeed... some of the truly finest hemp products to be had.


So JOIN US, ROCK WITH US, GET HAPPY WITH US; enjoy a bit of zen happiness, and forget all the bullshit with us. We will get our reggae on, and laugh/boogie like fools.

We've got really sweet limited edition Fort Knox Five official Bob Marley 7" remixes and tickets to the Capitol Hemp Anniversary Party …. that two of you could win.

Comment and tell us, why you love Earth Day so much (earth day = 4/22). The very best Earth Day tradition will receive word on 4/20 and a copy of this grand 45 in the mail soon after. Ready set GROW. I mean GO.


STAN !! RSVP ON FACEBOOOK. WOOOOO !!!!

See-I - Dinner of Herb (Mp3)

TVD's The Ardent Sessions Presents: The Black Hollies


The Vinyl District is delighted to announce that our partnership with Ardent Studios is extending well beyond our Record Store Day Week spotlight with a weekly The Ardent Sessions Presents feature.

Each Friday Ardent will be handpicking for TVD a live session from the bands that swing through their studios AND in tandem with the live set, we'll have a giveaway each week, and of course vinyl when possible.


Kicking off TVD's very first Ardent Sessions Presents are one of our favorites, New Jersey's The Black Hollies.


Like a child left alone inside of an eggshell colored room, armed with only an assortment of poster paints, my journey to Ardent Studios begins with the echoes of yesterday decorating the walls of my mind. Collectively, we can all agree that it was one great big buffet table, with every visible inch of the surface area filled with sterno fueled aluminum trays. When the trays were opened, The Black Hollies were quite more than pleased to see the contents inside contained genuine enthusiasm and most importantly, sincerity and LOVE.

Ever since that first visit back in the Summer of 2008, Memphis, TN has solidified its status as being the band's second home. When you're traveling the way our tiny little band does, time passes by rather quickly and memories are sewn into one's heart, but on those rare occasions, magical moments carve out their place within you and bury themselves deeply inside your soul. A dear close personal friend of mine, Eric Christ, always spoke to me in high school about the Box Tops and Big Star. Little did I know that one day I would find myself positioned inside the embryo. I speak on behalf of the four of us when I say how grateful we are for the staff making our time at Ardent a hospitable and enjoyable one.

P.S. Thank you for not only showing me the velvet cloak Jimmy Page wore throughout the mastering of Led Zeppelin III and the now bronzed bottle of queso dip Billy Gibbons used to dip his Mexican peso in for that solo on "La Grange" but for taking me on the blindfolded path to the secret Echo-Chamber.
—Justin Angelo Morey


(To be read in ones best Elvis accent...) Hell, if Memphis 'aint The Black Hollies' favorite city then my baby's Montgomery glands aren't protected by pink areola. We like peanut butter, bananas, and karate too man. When The Black Hollies arrived to cut our Ardent Sessions, two things were on MY mind, the year 1988 and the Cocktail Soundtrack. I was always a huge Fabulous Thunderbirds fan ever since "Tuff Enuff" was featured alongside Michael Keaton's struggle as Hunt Stevenson in the 1986 hit film, "Gung Ho." Yeah, I know all about YY Bottom, Hookey B and the No MSG's, Mickey "Mouse" Funn, and Reve Bopper. Man, it's even rumored that Gilly Bibbons from Bottom used to bring in special lighting rigs to illuminate the live room at Ardent in order to capture that perfect feel for when he was tracking. And what about them tones captured on Zep III? But something about Jimmie Vaughan's playin' always spoke to me. For me "Powerful Stuff" was not just a clever title for a Fab T-Birds record. It really rang true with its namesake. For me, that record was, and still is, VERY powerful stuff. I wonder if any of it was recorded at Ardent. It had to be. Anyone? With much respect, gratitude, and love to all our friends, the beautiful people of Memphis, and everyone who works at Ardent, the Black Hollies are much obliged for all you have done to support our little band.
—Jon Gonnelli

The Ardent Sessions were a joy. We were plied with as much Red Bull as we could drink then banged out a set, complete with our requisite comedic interludes, in Studio B (I think?). Everyone who works there is friendly, profesh, and totally used to dealing with a band on tour. Their hospitality is staggering. We were able to wander the hauls of the studio agape at all the amazing records that were created there, as well as annoy the staff by constantly entering rooms we weren't supposed to be in. Staring at the covers of Tres Hombres, Led Zeppelin III, and the Soundtrack from Cocktail got me super-psyched to beat the shit out of some drums and it was awesome to play a set in such an amazing studio for some of our best friends in Memphis, including the guys from The Bulletproof Vests (great band!)
—Nick Ferrante



The Ardent Sessions Presents: The Black Hollies | The Vinyl District Podcast [96Mgs] (Mp3)

Enter to win The Black Hollies' 'Softly Towards the Light' 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!