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JULY 1 Is Rock Island a town or a city? Some people call this one of the Quad CITIES (Latin for 4 cities); I call these people Illinois & Iowa. Do they have a cathedral? According to a man I met in London, that's the measure (which is why Liverpool is a city not a town).
The Daytrotter Gang
Either way, what are the hippest people in town/city like? Turns out they (collectively Daytrotter) are very nice & run a pro restaurant- quality ship.
The session went nicely. 2 songs from the upcoming Discontinued Perfume record, 1 unreleased song that might've been on Discon/Fume if I hadn't had a nervous breakdown in February (Pitchfork headline: mental collapse of singer yields sweet B-side), and our "hit" (The Go From Tactical).
At Random - Specialty Drinks Since 1964
Things were fun; they had a bathroom that locked and cool equipment; tears were at a minimum; and we made some good art w/these lovely people.
On to our Milwaukee show tonight and (one hopes) some vintage porn.
Unlike yesterday's "Bad for Good" - Jim Steinman's solo LP which was planned as the follow up to Meatloaf's outrageously successful "Bat Out of Hell" (until something happened) ...I love this record. Somehow it still works for me even with all the over the top contrivances that might have doomed "Bad for Good."
Hell, it's got Todd Rundgren behind the board and the E Street Band and Utopia as the backing ensemble. Pedigree galore.
And it's a very summer, Fourth of July, Budweiser in a can, keep it low, in the back seat of a Camaro kind of record. Or it was for me way back when in steamy Jersey summers.
It's sort of a pretty record too and it's never thought of in those terms. "Heaven Can Wait" and "For Crying Out Lord" are both quite gorgeous in a way. The opening keyboard notes of "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" ring with sadness and regret. Which I know nothing about.
A little while back I found the whole LP on line, condensed into one Mp3 but reordered for some reason, as if shuffling the tracks around would breathe something new into the dusty grooves. (And it does.)
"Growing up in Portland, OR, I have to admit I was oblivious to the rich muddy history of the Memphis Music scene with the exception of a vague awareness of Sun Studios and Elvis Presley, given to me by my father and his college degree from UC Santa Cruz in the history of Country and Western Music. So when I came to Ardent, referred to the lovely Rachel by my best friend and occasional tour partner, John Elliott, I had to admit I was incredibly taken aback by the eponymous albums hanging on the brick walls of the hallway down which I was stumbling, sleep deprived.
It was February of 2009 and the International Folk Alliance was exploding in the Memphis Marriott overlooking the deep and hungry Mississippi. I am in turns either a tornado, or a responsible and clean cut grown-up... while participating in this conference I tend towards the former, often staying up til 8am, drunk and barefoot in the hotel lobby with my dear brothers and sisters in arms; comrades who understand and also subject themselves to a meager living, the world through a windshield, small stages with (hopefully) quiet eager audiences, stranger's sofas, and gas station coffee... all to play songs.
I found myself driven to Ardent by one of my heroes, Cory Branan, Memphis's prodigal son and painfully brilliant songwriter. Cory gave me the quick run-down of who had wrung the very blood from their hearts into the red brick and blonde walls of Ardent Studios... I obviously had no idea what I was getting into. The faces of famous musicians watched me pass by as I walked to a room that has the warmth of countless voices embedded in it's walls.
Weary, I played my heart out (a heart which had been recently broken and also just been stunned by the walls of Jerusalem two weeks prior) to an incredible sound engineer, Alan Burcham, the beautiful Rachel Hurley, and a few others. You can hear my voice crack like ice in a few tracks. It felt only natural to let it all go in that room. I am so grateful I got the chance to sing under the branches of that amazing family tree. Maybe it's a good thing I didn't know anything about it before I set foot there, I probably would've been a bit more nervous.
I left feeling entirely more full than when I arrived. My deep appreciation to Ardent for capturing me in this moment... It is a true honor to be included in Ardent Presents. May it continue to bring the sweat and the blood and the spit out of people, in song form, that is.
I am writing this from the shot-gun seat of the 15 passenger van I am traveling in all summer with my band—Andrew Pressman on bass, Trevor Smith on banjo and Anthony da Costa (a fantastic songwriter in his own right) on lead guitar and harmonies. We are pushing my new album When May Came which includes many of the songs I recorded in my first Ardent Session.
Driving through the luscious hills of southern California, we just finished listening to Cory's Ardent Session which was recorded in the hour after mine that same day. I sweet talked the engineer into mailing me a copy of Cory's sesh in addition to mine. His recording has become a favorite among our friends. Shhhh!" —Raina Rose
Enter to win Raina Rose's CD "When May Came" 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 hey, who's counting?)
To hear more great Ardent Sessions please visit Ardent Presents.
Our friends The Caribbean are on the road in support of their upcoming Hometapes release "Discontinued Perfume" and with nary an arm twist, they've agreed to fire off missives from the road.
And we've agreed to only publish HALF the photos they send...because...well, y'know. —Ed.
Michael & Dave in Cleveland
JUNE 29 Road hit hard. Heading for Cleveland to escape the furnace of DC in late June. Unnecessary as furnace is traded for a lovely vornado fan. Thanks hometown. My hipstamatic & I find high art wherever we aim out gaze. Why do I need Matt & Dave. Oh shit: Matt's driving. Dave: jury's out. Good 'stache.
Green room at Empty Bottle
JUNE 30 A beautiful Chicago day greeted us. Quick trip to Dusty Groove. Hideously early load-in, but the Empty Bottle is such a fucking pro establishment. Always organized. Great sound. A spacey lighting guy who asks, "How do you want your lights." Wow: that really makes you think.
Matt in Chicago
Meeting up with Bill & Hometapes label mates, Nick Butcher & All Tiny Creatures is fabulous. Each have subtly altered elements of their live presentation that work really well. ATC have added disembodied harmony vocals that blended in perfectly. I miss their usual drummer Ben (in Europe), but Jeff, Ben's replacement, is terrific and a pretty aggressively funny guy. He's also a linguist, so that spells hijinx.
Blue housein PA
Decent-sized audience for a summer Wednesday night and a very underground group from Washington, DC. We played some new stuff from Discontinued Perfume (out 10/19) and it went over well. A little rough around the edges and some audience is video-taping us, but a good night all around. My cousin Steve showed, Tom of ATC made me drink whiskey, my beard got some love. Did discover that my friend Radley, the club cat, passed away last year, but 19 years is a nice run.
Off to Daytrotter session in Rock Island, IL and then gig in Milwaukee w/ATC. More later.
Matt of The Caribbean catches up w/the talented & dainty Nick Butcher
Girl in a Coma has been featured here on TVD before, but for those of you unfamiliar with them, they are three amazing women from San Antonio. Nina, the lead singer and guitarist, Jenn, Nina’s sister and bassist for the group, and drummer Phanie, who isn’t biologically related to her bandmates but has known them so long and is so close with them she practically is.
GIAC came through DC opening for Sia at the 9:30 Club not too long ago and they sat down with TVD to discuss touring, vinyl records and their new album Adventures in Coverland.
Kris: So this is your third time to DC? Jenn: It could be our fifth… Kris: Haha…wow…how long would you say you’ve been touring for? Jenn: Since 2004. Kris: So you’ve toured with Tegan and Sara, Morrissey, the Pogues, Social D…would you say you feel like your veterans now? Jenn:No, we’ve got a lot more work to do. We’re…right now...we’re a good opening act. Nina: We’re good bridesmaids. [laughs all around] Kris: Have you had any surprises or crazy things on this tour or any in the past? Jenn:Just our tour manager…he’s our first totally straight tour manager so we’re learning lots from him. [whole group laughs] Kris: When I heard you guys were coming to town with Sia, I was kind of surprised. Your sound is like…day and night. How did that come about? Jenn:It was actually kind of cool. We played at the Michigan Women’s Festival and we had soundcheck at like 8:30 in the morning. We showed up early and are soundchecking and their tent is inside the grounds of the festival. Sia and her friend were in a tent and they came out and were like “You woke us up!” and we said “SORRY!” and she said “No. I loooved it.” It was really cool. We played later that night and as soon as we were done she was like “We gotta tour together!” Kris: It’s funny it happened that way because I heard that’s kind of what happened with Morrissey. Jenn:Yeah he came to see us play and…we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.. We know Boz his guitarist and so he called us up and we just happened to be there. Kris: I mean I’m sure it was partly the right place and the right time but you guys have an amazing sound that stands on its own. To have an all female group that sounds like you all do…maybe it’s a little right place right time but your talent speaks for itself. So I heard you guys did South By Southwest recently. And I know you’re from San Antonio…although Austin isn’t San Antonio…did you guys feel like the whole home-town vibe? Nina:The crowds there were just amazing. The fans are so dedicated and some fans from San Antonio go to Austin and vice versa. Phanie: Texans in general are just so supportive of us. People travel around wherever we go in Texas. Jenn: The best show for us is San Antonio. It’s like no other show anywhere. It’s weird…there’s an energy there. It’s a sense of pride I think, for what we’re doing. Kris: So do you have a favorite place to play at home? Nina:213…that was the first place we ever played but that closed down… Jenn: I mean we don’t really have a favorite place because so many places come and go… Phanie: We just make sure we can accommodate people where we play. Make sure it’s all ages and there’s room. Kris: And I’m sure your fans appreciate the thought you put into your shows too. Let’s talk a little about females in the music industry. You guys are on Joan Jett’s Blackheart label which is awesome because it’s so women oriented. But a lot of the music industry will mold women into what they think consumers will buy. Have you ever had to deal with that, with people telling you to be more like one thing or another? Nina:Our label is great because they give us total creative freedom. As far as appearance and things, I mean there’s been things said but we’re not going to listen to it. We’re not going to go out there in heels…unless we’re feeling funky. We’re not out there to promote a face, we’re out there to promote our music. Jenn: Blackheart pretty much has let us do what we want to. They’re really good with us. Nina:They totally respect us and when we say “we don’t want to do that. We’re not going to compromise” they totally understand. Jenn: It’s been like a really good family. They are perfect for us right now. They’re good to us. I mean when we first got signed we were like “woah Joan Jett.” She’s one of our heroes but now it’s just… Phanie:we’re like family. Kris: So do you guys still get a little star struck? I’m mean Joan Jett, Frank Black, the Pogues, Cyndi Lauper… Jenn:Morrissey was a big one. Dave Navarro. Cyndi Lauper…I mean once you meet these people you realize that they’re people. We respect and honor what they do but we don’t change the way we are for anyone or anything like that. Kris: So is this tour as relaxed as previous tours? Jenn: Sia has been a sweetheart. Nina: But we got trained from the Morrissey tour to kind of keep to ourselves in a way and to totally respect the main act. I mean if we get invited to hang out that’s totally fine. Kris: You’ve played with all of these amazing groups. And I think you hold your own extremely well…so is there anyone in the future you want to tour with? Nina:MIKE PATTON! Jenn:Why don’t you just ask our publicist…? Nina: Because I don’t want it to happen like that. I want him to find me. Kris: Maybe you should do a sound check outside his bedroom window. Nina:[laughing]: I would totally do it, with a little battery powered amp too! Jenn: The Breeders would be awesome…they were doing some shows… Phanie:The Pixies Jenn:I mean all these bands that are still playing today that we’re influenced by- that would be amazing. Smashing Pumpkins, though not all original. Hole, though they’re not all the original members… Nina: Silverchair Jenn: Oh yeah! Even though we’re not in the same style of music. Just one show would be awesome because bands…you never know when they’re going to just stop touring, so it would be nice… Kris: Are there any lesser-known bands, bands from your home town, that you’d like to bring on tour? Jenn: Of course! Nina: Hot Pistol Phanie:Pinata Protest Jenn:Blue Means Go…these bands from our hometown, they’re so fantastic. And we know how hard it is to tour, especially with gas being so expensive. Phanie has always offered a hand in booking because she’s really good at it. Kris: Let’s talk a little about your new album Adventures in Coverland. I always love it when bands do a cover especially when it’s done right like you guys have. I mean your cover of Transmission… it just blows me away every time I hear it and is definitely my favorite of the album. Do you guys have a favorite on this new record? Nina:I like the David Bowie cover. [“As the World Falls Down” which they played later that night] Jenn/Phanie: Oh yeah. Jenn: But Transmission…that one is so… Nina:I mean it’s great because we pulled it off. Jenn: For me I always wanted us to do this creepy kind of song and there it is- it just happened with Greg Collins and Nina… Phanie: It just wrote itself Kris: It just sounds so natural Jenn: It is! Kris: I know you just did an entire EP of covers so I’m curious as to whether you’d do more in the future. Nina: Definitely…Eventually I’d like to cover some Jeff Buckley and Tom Waits…Especially Tom because he has such a weird raspy voice… Jenn: Elvis and Rufus Wainwright for sure because one of my favorite songs for years was “Don’t” by Elvis and she [Nina] played it for us acoustically and it like “oh my gosh…” Phanie:Nirvana! Nina: Yeah? I just always feel so weird about Nirvana…in the beginning, when I was learning to play songs I just could never touch their music…I don’t know Kris: Well, if Dave Grohl can mess things up the way he has I’m sure you guys will be fine…So are there any songs of yours that you would love to hear someone cover in the future? Nina:El Morte…to hear a guy do it would be amazing Jenn: Trio…oh but El Morte would be great, we did an acoustic show and we opened up for David Garza and the idea was to have her [Nina] sing and then switch off a line… Nina: The idea was to have it kind of like a play… Jenn: But he said “I don’t think I can sing it right!” Nina:So he just sang background… we’d love to hear a guy sing it…
Kris: I want to switch gears a little and talk about records. Vinyl is something so special for TVD’s readers…are you guys into records? Do you have a favorite one? [Whole group]: Yah! Nina: I have a record player tattoo [she shows me her arm with a gorgeous black and white piece of an old school record player]…my mom actually gave me my first record- Billie Holiday. Jenn:Yeah our mom’s funny. We live together and I’ll come home and say “look at this Elvis record I got!” and she’s says “no! I’m going to steal that!”…As for my record collection it’s, you know this big [she stretches out her arms] of Elvis Records Nina:She has doubles of things.... Jenn: And of course the bands we go on tour with, we love to get their vinyl…Phanie and I were in this big competition for a while with 80s records…and color vinyl is always cool, Phanie has some Morrissey and Smiths I’m really jealous of…and Nina just got a Beatles record on this tour and she got Mousercize! [A Disney-produced work-out record] Nina: Yeah there’s even pictures in there so that I know what I’m doing, so that I don’t hurt myself [everyone laughs]. Jenn:Everything today is so ADD, and all you have to do to listen to something is download it. But with vinyl you have no fucking choice but to relax- set it up, put it on- you don’t wanna keep switching you just want to enjoy it. And that’s what’s great about records. I got a cool stereo console, I think they have the best record sounds because it has a thick bass-yness to it. And I found it on Craigslist and I said “hey Phanie, hang out with me. We’ll get some beers and listen to records.” But she had to go so I had to do it by myself… Nina: But that’s still so nice to do… Jenn: Yeah it really is a great time. We adore records. Nina:I love hearing Tom Waits on vinyl because it sounds just so old and classic. Kris: We had a big debate in my house the other night about the difference between digital and analog and how Trent Reznor or someone hates this person because they only record in analog but I think that even when something is digitally recorded if it’s on vinyl it still sounds amazing… Jenn:Oh definitely. You’re able to pick out the instruments in a whole new way. Though Joan said it when we were recording…what did she said? Phanie: She said it sounded nerdy… Jenn: Yeah like “We’re making records. That doesn’t sound cool at all. But when you say “albums” that sounds cooler.” Kris: I, and I think a lot of people, appreciate that you sell vinyl online and at your shows. Jenn:It’s definitely been beneficial for us because Sia isn’t selling any music on this tour and we have all of our CDs and vinyls and they’ve been selling a lot more. Nina: Yeah the next tour we do we’re just going to steal all of their stuff and they’ll wonder why they’re not selling but we are [everyone laughs]. Jenn:As a matter of fact we have a new shirt on this tour that I drew that’s like the evolution of vinyl… [I have the shirt and can personally vouch for the fact that it’s great!] Kris: So you guys design your own shirts? Jenn:Yeah and then our manager helps us out. Kris: So speaking of next tour…what’s next? Nina:All of June we’ll be working on our album- just ironing it out. And a lot of little projects. Then we’re going to Poland to headline their kind of version of Woodstock. Kris: Well I think that’s it guys. Thanks for speaking with us and have a great show!
GIAC is on tour right now. Head to their website for tour dates. If you’re in the DC Metro area they will be at Jammin Java on July 20.
Nope. No, I won't try to convince you this is a good record or some overlooked gem.
I mean, it's not a good record. It's corny. Hyperbolic. Overwrought. Chock full o' rock and roll cliches.
But it arrived at the right time when I was corny . . hyperbolic . . . overwrought: fifteen. And then it was on constant rotation. It married quite well with some high school angst, I'll confess.
But as an adult? Nah...I'm not listening to it much at all.
Until about a month ago.
It's Rory Dodd's clear tenor in place of Steinman's ...well, overwrought vocals that somehow seal the deal for me in my subconscious.
When I'm walking the dog I'm singing to myself, "Surf's up/and so am I..." ...Really.
"...And my body is burning like a naked wire I want to turn on the juice, I want to fall in the fire I'm gonna drown in the ocean in a bottomless sea I want to give you what I'm hoping you'll be giving to me And when the waves are pounding on the sand tonight I want to take your hand and make it good and make it right And now the sky is trembling and the moon is pale We're on the edge of forever and we're never gonna fail, no
How hard, how hard, how hard do I gotta try?
Surf's up, surf's up, surf's up and so am I, surf's up and so am I..."
Time to really give our motherland a big HIGH FIVE! and show our respects by consuming an obscene amount of grilled meat and booze while sweating our *balls* off and haphazardly shooting flames into all directions!! God Bless America!
This Sunday night after your daytime festivities, come celebrate with the funkiest line-up of DC’s favorite homegrown reggae/funk/DJ artists at DC’s newest [and now favorite] music venue, U Street Music Hall!
Fort Knox Five,See-I, and Nappy Riddem will all be performing with live bands along with DJ sets by Rex Riddem, JonH and Raskal and some very, very rad visual projections by John Bowen of Video Killers and Empresarios.
The new single, "Shift" by Fort Knox Five featuring the legendary Afrika Bambaataa saw its inception over Inauguration Weekend, carrying with it a revolutionary and progressive vibe, is the perfect anthem for the Fourth. "Shift" has also recently seen a cascade of stellar remixes including a dubstep mix by Sub Swara, a electro-house/breaks mix by Malente as well as others.
The show starts at 9pm so that means you still have time to have the whole day to waste before ending the holiday on a funky [and always happy] note.
Capital Hemp, who have just opened a NEW LOCATION in Chinatown/Gallery Place, are just one of the many local artists sponsoring The Big Boom. Expect a Capital Hemp bio-fuel exhibit outside as well as info about Americans For Safe Access.
Come to the show! Save some money (tix are $10 each) and cop some tickets below! The Vinyl District has TWO PAIRS to giveaway! Not only that but we are also giving out TWO double gate fold vinyl of Fort Knox Five's "Radio Free DC" sent directly to your door!
AMERICA! FUCK YEA!
TO WIN: In the comments section, let us know why YOU love America! Is it the hipsters? Our reality TV?? The fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger can be Governor?? Let us knowww and please include a) if you'd want Tix or Vinyl! and b) your EMAIL! (winners notified Saturday evening!)
Discovering the joys of vinyl has mostly been a personal pursuit in my adult life. For in childhood, vinyl played a limited role in my household. The story goes that my Father saw the future a little too early, and transferred all of his records onto cassette tape. Gone were many beautifully kept examples of albums by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Santana, Supertramp and Led Zeppelin. In their place was a rack of neatly labelled, but somehow much less attractive, BASF 90 minute cassettes. Obviously, today that rack of cassettes is worth thousands!!??
Therefore my early experiences with a turntable involved my Mother's somewhat pitiful collection of kids' records and cheap “6 Top Hits” cover version compilations from the '60s. It has to be said that there were a few gems amongst the junk, my favourite being a 1970 single by Michel Sardou which my Mother got on a French exchange trip. The song, “J'habite en France,” seemed a bizarrely perfect blend of the lyrics from Penny Lane with the music from Hello Goodbye performed in the mysteriously poetic French language, as though McCartney himself had been transported to a parallel French universe.
So... I had to play catch up on the delights of vinyl once I had gathered the means and desire to do so. This occurred when I started to visit local charity shops (that's English for thrift store) in Watford, Hertfordshire, and discovered a trove of audio treasures being practically given away. I couldn't believe my luck when I found ZZ Top's Eliminator being sold for a measly 50 English pence. And thus a new musical education ensued with the purchase of many many records by such artists as Yes, ELO, The Police, 10CC, Wings and Phil Collins. I must admit that searching through thrift store records isn't pure joy though, as I've leafed through WAY too many Barbra Streisand records, and I have no need for the countless Neil Diamond compilations one finds on every visit.
Now that my collection is ever expanding, I am firmly convinced that vinyl records are simply great. I love the physicality of having music stored on a tangible object, and indeed an object of some charm. A piece of vinyl is perfect because of it's imperfections, as though some degree of static and warp can improve a tune with mystical pops and hiss. Not only does a record sound superb, it looks like it means business, with a full square foot of pictorial splendour. I savour each occasion I can introduce a friend to some music by walking to my stereo console, pulling out a circular piece of long forgotten genius, fiddling with the turntable and wallowing in the glorious aural delight which comes only from vinyl.
We're pleased to debut (for the first time anywhere) Red Wire Black Wire's very "Omega Man"-esque "Post-Apocalyptic Love Song" which is an unreleased B-side from the Brooklyn band's "Breathing Fire" 7".
We've also got four copies of Red Wire Black Wire's new CD "Robots & Roses" to give away in exchange for your comments to this post.
Weigh in on the video with a contact email address and you're automatically entered to win a CD copy of "R&R." We'll accept your feedback until next Tuesday (7/5) and award four winners a copy of the CD then!
I believe I've had three copies of Japan's 'best-of' 'Exorcizing Ghosts' over the years. Some things you can't put your finger on and some things one needn't touch, but I've been wed to the intangibles of this LP since 1984 and its well-loved physical status reveals as much.
So, I was a bit gutted to hear the news that Japan bassist Mick Karn is suffering from what seems to be terminal cancer - although just last weekend I heard that perhaps the prognosis might not be as dire.
As many working musicians can attest however, medical insurance is rarely a given and in Karn's case doesn't exist. Recently however, having been officially diagnosed in Cyprus where he resides, he's now become eligible for some level of government funded care.
Karn's longtime friend Midge Ure is in the early stages of assembling a benefit concert to raise funds for Mick and his family and at Karn's official web page, donations are being accepted via Paypal to assist with his rising medical bills.
Amidst a week when we're pondering who cares for who and who benefits from what, I'll be making a donation. And I hope you will as well.
You guys. I have GOT to tell you about the Eric Clapton conspiracy. It’s a little complicated, so bear with me.
This week, I discovered my new favorite toy: wordle. Wordle allows anyone to make pretty, formattable word clouds out of any chunk of text. I was originally using it to word-cloud old diary entries, but quit when the most-used words were “Why????,” the names of ex boyfriends, and entirely too many adverbs (like “entirely”).
Wordle is also pretty great for analyzing Twitter hashtag trends, as long as you are a computer genius like I am. After painstakingly stripping today’s #musicmonday tweets to their most basic, recommendiest cores (what up “find and replace”?), I was able to create this majestic cloud:
Most of this is pretty unsurprising. There are topical appearances: Lady Gaga is generally a big deal on the Internet, but especially this week thanks to a just-released Rolling Stone cover and some rowdy baseball antics. Drake is all over the damn place these days, and was at Sunday night’s BET awards. Monday was the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, so “MJ,” “King [of pop]” and other Jackson-love tweets are easy to explain. Eminem just released “Recovery,” and it’s gotten plenty of buzz.
There are also perpetual favorites: Justin Bieber is the indomitable Prince of Twitter, thanks to the legions of terrifying tween girls who want to make out with him without entirely knowing what “making out” entails. And John Mayer is well loved by the Twitter universe for his scatological overshares and on-again-off-again relationship with tabloid-friendly starlets and, like, technology in general.
But then, right up there with the Biebers and the Gagas and the MJs you see: Eric Clapton. I mean, Eric Clapton is great. I frickin’ LOVE “Layla.” There are many colorful, entertaining stories associated with his personal life. Yet I can see no reason for his Twitter dominance.
So, detective work. First: all these Clapton tweets are coming from the same four usernames. TheVideoDJ, amandajones4321, wendyyoung333, and MISSBLIP2 are responsible for every Clapton tweet on Monday. If profile pictures are to be believed, amandajones4321 and wendyyoung333 are both busty, attractive young women and The VideoDJ and MISSBLIP2 both have cheesy taste in clipart. wendyyoung333 seems to post sports videos as well as music videos; the other three seem only to post about music. And while they all post some links to contemporary favorites, there’s an awful lot of Eric Clapton and James Taylor.
The VideoDJ links resolve to a concert tickets website. Ditto amandajones4321 and wendyyoung333. This particular concert tickets website also seems to provide advice about how to overcome insomnia, how to stop snoring, and where to apply for scholarships. Apparently they have a wide range of expertise. That said, Eric Clapton is on tour, and these people are clearly trying to sell tickets. Mystery solved.
MISSBLIP2, on the other hand, just posts Grooveshark links—they go straight to a streaming version of the song, rather than to a commercial website. There doesn’t seem to be any motivation for her perpetual music tweets besides a sincere joy in music. That said, she also runs a Twitter-based fan page for George Lopez (“the best comedian ever”).
Role #mmodel: “richmandoo: I'm doing #musicmonday cos I'm super bored on a bus.” I hate to break this to you, buddy, but…you’re doing it wrong. It helps to, you know, include some music in your #musicmonday tweets.
My #musicmonday pick: “Layla” by…no just kidding. I cannot stop listening to “40 Day Dream,” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It’s getting to be a problem.
It's said that the bonsai tree will on average outlive us all—to the point in its existence where it may have a handful of meticulous caretakers over the course of its lifetime—which lead me to thinking this weekend...do we care for it, or it for us?
Despite the resurgence in enthusiasm for vinyl and the plethora of acts again releasing music in the format, 95% of my vinyl purchases are pre-owned. Of the 26 LPs I bought this weekend up at Joe's Record Paradise, all of them had previous owners who unfortunately left several of their names scrawled is less than desirable locations. (Kitty Jones, I'm looking at you.)
I spent some time afterward at home scraping off price stickers, replacing inner sleeves when needed, and rebagging the LPs with new clear, Mylar sleeves. It might sound like a chore, but it's an oddly centering endeavor.
This week, for whatever reason, tracks from a few LPs that have tended to me and remain a constant over the years.
...in which we relive the spontaneity of a record purchased on a whim with, "I dunno...I just liked the cover."
Right, transparent me.
But NYC's Electric Tickle Machine are not just the sum of an eye-catching LP cover but a combo with an inspired rock and roll wallop who this past Friday appeared at Shea Stadium as part of the Northside Festival.
Their debut LP 'Blew it Again' is out tomorrow on vinyl but we have two today to offer on a delightful and sticky NSFW Monday.
Enter to win in the comments to this post with a tale of a record purchased on a lark on the strength of the cover alone and we'll choose two winners for a copy of the LP. Remember to leave us a contact email address and we'll close this one on Friday, 7/2. On a whim.
Idelic Papa Daddy O | Spending Father’s Day with both my kids got me thinking about being a “papa.” One of the first words out of 23 month old Jonah was “rocking.” Amazingly this kid is already practicing his windmills!
My hip teenager daughter Zoe is often in the car helping me click away at the i-pod, compiling songs for my Idelic playlist. When it comes to making the scene Zoe is on the dance floor with LCD, MIA and Edward Sharpe but when it comes to requests she is really about the “oldies.” She seems to go for anything on Specialty Records, go figure!
The weekend left feeling warm and loose but then I came down with a wicked 24 hour flu bug. Thank god my recovery was quick—it left me “extra loose” and grateful for the health of family and friends. A simple thought to inspire this playlist with some cool daddy swagger, soul, and a couple new bands that are filling my cup of late.
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Milwaukee: it was a good night.
