TVD First Date | Ari Shine

Ari Shine joins Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants this coming Monday night (8/9) at DC9. Watch this space for your chance to see them both and win tickets to Monday's show.


"My parents had loads of vinyl from the 60s and 70s, mostly by Israeli artists and singer/songwriters from that golden age of music. My dad harmonized beautifully with his favorites and introduced me to Simon and GarfunkeI as well as the Beatles, whose Magical Mystery Tour was so inviting. Who were these masked characters on the cover and where were they taking me? Another early vinyl memory is of staring at the cover of Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens on our living room table. I pondered his lyrics about being followed by a moonshadow and created cartoons in my mind inspired by the drawings on the sleeve. Billy Joel was a family favorite and served as my gateway drug to rock and roll. His new wave era album Glass Houses has one of my favorite pairs of LP photos. The cover features a leather jacket clad Billy raising a rock to the glass house indicated in the title. The back is a shot of his unrepentant image from behind a shattered window. From examining the artwork to putting the stylus in the groove, listening to these records provided me with a full sensory immersion experience. These albums seemed to leap off the turntable. The moments of scratching leading up to when they kicked in were an essential part of the dramatic arc.

By middle school I was playing guitar so I spent most of my free time cutting my teeth to the music of my heroes. I used Eric Clapton’s live version of “Crossroads” from the “Princes Trust Benefit Concert” as a launching pad and traded licks with him for hours. I also made journeys to the public library to borrow records. My local branch had tons of LPs, many by acts I did not recognize. I was fascinated by their quasi-mystical covers and the names on their dusty jackets. Who were Blue Oyster Cult and Earth Wind and Fire? They all sounded equally heavy to me. Then came the rumblings of puberty and I found two records there that blew my rapidly rebelling preteen mind: “Electric” by The Cult and “Appetite For Destruction” by Guns And Roses. The latter I took home to our house with the original Robert Williams artwork which was soon banned.


A couple years later I had a girlfriend a few years older than me with a college radio show. She was a purist who would rarely buy anything but vinyl. I remember walking through the station library while she was on the air. I was intrigued by the white stickers different DJs left on the albums. Their comments seemed like secrets passed down from an invisible musical mentor; older, wiser and willing to share knowledge.

In high school we congregated at friends houses and listened to Sabbath, Zeppelin, and Allman Brothers albums. It was here I was exposed to a heretofore unimagined use for gatefold sleeves. Used record shopping became a new obsession. I remember how excited I was to have found a copy of the rare Captain Beyond debut album, even with its holographic cover mostly ripped off. While heavy rock was the order of the day, it was by no means the only genre on my radar. I first heard Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew and Innervisions by Stevie Wonder on vinyl and marveled at the sonic depth of the classic analogue recordings. Syncopated 70s masterworks like these provided an important counterpoint to the sludgy riffing that was a constant part of my musical diet. Later, it was on LP that I first experienced Sunny Day Real Estate’s debut, Alien Lanes by Guided By Voices, and Urge Overkill’s seminal Touch and Go releases. Of the burgeoning Britpop scene, Pulp’s Different Class LP and the sublime debut by Gene were favorites and two of the first 180 gram pressings I owned.



So much of my musical education is tied in with vinyl that it’s difficult not to feel like I am leaving out some essential moment or memory. As a band member I can think of few things as exciting as having a box of a release on 7 or 12 inch vinyl delivered to the door. Record stores are safehouses for me when touring. I have particular affection for the Mom and Pops that continue to stock new vinyl and have supported the reemergence of the format. I like to imagine people around the world taking chances on records fueled by the same love of discovery." —Ari Shine

Find Ari at his Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Myspace

Ari Shine - Not Your Trial (Mp3)
Authorized for download!

TVD Cubicle Theatre

Thought these two paired rather nicely...

Thanks to Jeff Wells.

TVD Takeover | Jesca Hoop

Something Old, Something New-ish:

Something Newish | I heard Bon Iver for the first time in late 2008. It was the first record from a new artist that I had heard in many years that I latched on to. I love his record, 'For Emma Forever Ago.' It was written in a snowy cabin up in Wisconsin over several months. You can hear the isolation.

There isn't too much information on this record. The stories are eloquent and simple. His sonic choices are fresh. Most of all these records come from the heart. Here is a link to one of the songs from the record :




Something Old | I was introduced to the Bulgarian Womens choirs (of which there a many) first by listening to a Kate Bush song 'Deeper Understanding' from the album 'The Sensual World.' If you listen to the track...there are these soothing yet piercing voices that enter in the first chorus.

I had never heard anything like them before. I set out to find who these women are. My hunt lead me to Les Mystre De Voix Blugare. Their record titled 'Les Mystre De Voix Bulgare' is a shocking piece of work. My favourite on the record is 'Kalimankou Denkou.'

I cannot find a link for this particular song but I have found for you a rather playful performance by them on The Johnny Carson Show...back in the day.

TVD Takeover Giveaway | Jesca Hoop

Notoriously I'm out of step in general with my musical tastes. Much like Jesca it seems, and Johnny Ramone before her, I tend to think everything that came earlier on is always better. Always more inspired and genuine than something newly downloadable.

I mean, how can it not be, really? Most everything is revivalist to some degree which inherently arrives without a pedigree. . . unless there's some taste exhibited. Something new sewn into the fabric. A hint or authenticity bordering on a sense of danger or mystery. A world-weary need to reinvent. To reimagine.

Which Ms. Hoop has in spades.

And notoriously I rarely, if ever, agree with critics. But I am sensing some like minds amidst a number of them out there when it comes to Jesca's new LP, "Hunting My Dress."


“She spins a balance between play and poignancy, complexity and catchiness, without breaking a thread.” —The Observer

“In a voice that ranges from gentle, crystalline charm to edgy intensity, she’s in turn playful, bluesy, haunting, and folky. What prevents this all from becoming a mish-mash of textures is Hoop’s single minded passion, which lends a self assured cohesion to her diversity.” 4 STARS —Uncut



“A new sound that is both studied and inspired.” 4 STARS —Q

“Hunting My Dress rejoices in off-the-cuff dreamlike sensuality, pitching and rolling in all sorts of pleasingly unexpected directions.” 4 STARS —Mojo

“Veers between Kate Bush meets Bat For Lashes away-with-the-fairies pop, PJ Harvey ballsy blues-rock, and sultry folk – all done with the kind of slightly off-kilter art-house production you’d expect of Bjork.” —The Telegraph


Yet as I often say here, don't take my word for it. Hell, in this guise I'm a critic.

We have a copy of Jesca Hoop's new LP to award one among you who can pick up the thread started here and run with the baton with some well wrung words in the comments to this post. Older music/newer music—where am I wrong or right? How does Jesca fit in among this thread?

We'll choose one from the insightful bunch next Tuesday, 8/10, and important—remember to leave us a contact email address!


Jesca Hoop -Feast of the Heart (Mp3)
Authorized for download!

TVD Fresh Track | New from School of Seven Bells

Working its summer magic, shot in Brooklyn and directed by David Altobelli, School of Seven Bell's "Windstorm" video has premiered on the band's Facebook page. Like 'em and the video kicks into gear immediately.

(And for your iPod shuffling, we have the track free below.)

School of Seven Bells - Windstorm (Mp3)
Authorized for download!

TVD Takeover | Jesca Hoop

Jesca Hoop's Favorite Records on Vinyl:

Kate Bush - The Dreaming: I particularly love 'The Dreaming' because it is totally mad and completely original.

Led Zeppelin - 1, 2, 3: These records were the sound track to my high school years.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon: I found this one in my brother's collection when I was 18. It was a perfect complement to my new found fondness for recreational drugs.

Fleetwood Mac - Tusk: Thanx to my Dad I grew up on 'Rumors.' It wasn’t till later that I found 'Tusk.' The band sounds like they are going nuts on this record. You can hear how much fun they are having.

Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark and Song For A Sea Gull: I think these records are an essential for any young woman. They are such good mood records. I would draw, sip tea, sit by the fire, and gaze while listening to these records.

Tom Waits - Mule Variations: This is my favorite of all of the Waits records.

The Beatles - White Album and Rubber Soul: I was one of those kids who wasn’t allowed to listen to The Beatles. My mother wouldn’t let me....so discovering The Beatles records beyond HELP was a delicious off limits treat.

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away: Oddly enough it is rare that I like a new band enough to buy their record. The Shins are an one a few exceptions. This record was hugely refreshing.


Led Zeppelin I Can't Quit You Baby (Mp3)
Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky (Mp3)
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (Mp3)
The Beatles - Girl (Mp3)
The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Mp3)

TVD's Twitter Music Monday for 8/02/10

Kid Cudi dominated #musicmonday this week. Not only did lots of people link to him, they linked to an unusually wide variety of songs.

This week, my brother Mark, who is temporarily residing in my guest room on my floor, is lending his classically trained musician ears to this venture. (Mark tweets, hilariously, at @bad_moniker, by the by.) We listened to every one of these darn #musicmonday Kid Cudi songs. These are our thoughts.

Up Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song): “Clip” and “bud” in the first 30 seconds. Then “motherf***er,” “who gives a f***,” and the “N” word in one verse. This is not very subtle. Also, it ends in a monologue. From Mark: “The music of it sounded exactly like a Killers song, or the Bravery. And then I got distracted by the kitten playing with a dolphin.” Obviously, we are related.

David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi—Memories: Mark has started to sing “Cats” before the song even begins. When it does begin, I immediately start dancing. But, like, dancing sarcastically? I’m positive this is possible. Also, I think this song might have the MOST stupid lyrics I have ever heard in my entire life. Mark is now singing falsetto Black Eyed Peas and says “uuuueghhh.”

Mojo So Dope: “This is really bad,” says Mark. “I’m of the opinion that you should either rap or sing, and if you try to do both at the same time you do neither.” I am now unsure if I know the difference between rapping and singing, but get distracted because good heavens, Kid Cudi the naughty words! I am clutching my pearls over here, and I have a fouler mouth than...actually I’ve been out-sworn by my grandma and by a nun, so never mind.

Erase Me (featuring Kanye West): This is an overhand clap kind of song. Don’t know what I mean? Go to 2:50 of this iconic video. Mark and I are both disappointed that what could actually have been a HILARIOUS diarrhea joke gets softened (get it?) when Kudi pronounces the line “die Aria.”

Consequence featuring Kid Cudi—Buggin’ Out: The googly eyes in the music video for this song are freaking. Me. Out. Also, I was trying to find the deep meaning behind them, and then I re-looked at the name of the song. Buggin’ Out. Bug eyes. Duh. Mark charitably deems this one “less irritating.”

I Be High: Guys, guys! I think Kid Cudi likes to get high! In a remarkable coincidence, this song does to me the same thing most abusable substances do: Makes me really sleepy. As Mark says “This is so boring. Why did I ever agree to this?” One long minute later: “He was clearly low while writing this.” Ahahaha. No.

Dat New New: This song features the lyric “You guys think acute but Cudi is obtuse.” Hey Cudi? Obtuse: Not a complimentary modifier.

Mark, summing up his experience, says “I really hope he doesn’t get big.” At this point I inform Mark that Kid Cudi already is big. Mark doesn’t get out much, because I keep him locked in my apartment.

Role #mmodel: “zufanek: Dne?ní #musicmonday v?nuju mojí nejposlouchan?j?í skladb? roku 2008 od brooklynských hipík? MGMT http://post.ly/poh7” MGMT? Brooklyn? Hip? Czech!

My #musicmonday pick: I am a sucker for power pop and Free Energy’s Bang Pop (also an overhand clap song…) has been making me happy.

Mark’s #musicmonday pick: Swing, by the Bloody Hollies. He came up with a bunch of reasons for choosing this jam but I don’t feel like typing any of them.

Follow me on Twitter | Read my blog

TVD Summer Vinyl Giveaway | R.E.M "Fables Of The Reconstruction" 180g Reissue

Oh, man - I just got one of those icy spine shivvers.

(Want one too?)

R.E.M's "Fables Of The Reconstruction" ...is 25 years old.

TWENTY-FIVE. (And I bet more than a few of you aren't even that old, hm? Put that beer down.)



In celebration of time flying like you just can't believe, Capitol/ I.R.S. have released an expanded 25th Anniversary 2CD and digital edition of the R.E.M.’s classic 1985 album.

The new edition features the digitally remastered original album, plus 14 previously unreleased demo recordings, cut prior to the album’s studio sessions, including one long-sought track that has never been released. The commemorative release also adds insightful new liner notes by R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, with the 2CD package presented in a lift-top box with a poster and four postcards.


This being The Vinyl District however, we've got a copy of the remastered original album on 180-gram vinyl to mail to one of you old codgers.

We'll keep it easy because, well, you've earned it after all these years. Simply sing the praises of the band, or the release, or some far flung memory from 'back in the day' in the comments to this post and the most compelling gets a brand new copy mailed to him or her around which new memories will be borne. Or forgotten. Who knows.

Remember to leave us a contact email address—important!—and we'll choose one of you nostalgia buffs next Monday, 8/9!

TVD Takeover | Jesca Hoop

"My stitching was born to fall apart," Jesca Hoop says upon some reflection on her personal journey—and damn if the best music isn't borne of such sentiment. (And sometimes a blog or two.)

That precarious muse has lead to the release of her sophomore LP, "Hunting My Dress" out just last week on Vanguard and already the UK press has their hearts set to swoon:

“In a voice that ranges from gentle, crystalline charm to edgy intensity, she’s in turn playful, bluesy, haunting, and folky. What prevents this all from becoming a mish-mash of textures is Hoop’s single minded passion, which lends a self assured cohesion to her diversity.” FOUR STARS —Uncut

“This is a swirling, swooning album with an earthy, minimalist sound powered mainly by her delightfully shape-shifting, slippery voice that rises and falls from wistful and elegant to rich and sultry.” —NME

Declarations of praise aside, Jesca's an unabashed vinyl fan and this week between promotional jaunts for the new record, she'll be setting aside some time to turn US on to what's turned HER on and what informs her myriad of musical perspectives.

So, sit back and relax—Jesca's your DJ for this week.

A favourite vinyl moment. | I'll never forget listening to Joni Mitchell's 'Song for a Seagull' on vinyl one a misty morning while sitting on the coverd porch in a rocking chair amidst the redwood trees.


The songs, the mist, the tea, the trees all became the same thing a total environment. We listened to the record like it was a movie. And again and again. That record (and on vinyl) signifies those days of a gorgeous simplicity... of unfettered youth... of freedom.

"Jesca Hoop's music is like a four sided coin. She is an old soul, like a black pearl, a good witch or a red moon. Her music is like going swimming in a lake at night." — Tom Waits

TVD's Press Play

It's our weekly Music Monday recap of the tracks the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post - you decide.

Alex Winston - Choice Notes (Mp3)
Central Services - What God Should Do (Mp3)
Howl - Heavenless (Mp3)
Insects Vs Robots - Sacred Moose (Mp3)
Mike Patton - Il Cielo In Una Stanza (Mp3)
Mountain Man - Soft Skin (Mp3)
School Of Seven Bells - Babelonia (Mp3)
Stripmall Architecture - Drunk Girls (SMA on LCD) (Mp3)
The Books - A Cold Freezin' Night (Mp3)
The Dead Weather - Die By The Drop (Mp3)
These New Puritans - Hologram (Salem Remix) (Mp3)
Yacht - Nausea (Mp3)
Young Man - Five (Mp3)
All authorized for download!

TVD's Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel

Greetings from Laurel Canyon! | I began my journey as a free form radio DJ about a year ago. Some weeks the show feels like a hobby, some weeks an addiction. In truth, rock n roll is more my religion than an obsession.

My goal for the Idelic Hour has always been to create a “playlist” in which a cool new song can sit musically next to a classic from my collection. As many of you who’ve listened in know, each week has a theme or muse. All this said, I believe The Idelic Hour to be “free form” because really anything goes. I just try and let the music make the show and do the talking, if that makes any sense?

This past week I noticed a bunch of the blogs have posted their favorite album of the year so far. It made me realize for one, many of us dig the same shit, and for two, I’ve been playing way more “retro” sets this summer.

For this week’s Idelic Hour I thought I’d fall in line with my own playlist of 100% all new and favorite songs from 2010. I’m calling the show “ok so far” because in a world that feels so tenuous with our earthquakes, leaks, and tight pockets, our new music is still pretty fucking cool! The list contains, what I refer to (with a chuckle) as, “Idelic Hits” like The National, Ariel Pink, Best Coast, and The Black Keys mixed with some lesser known 2010 standouts, Sarabeth Tucek, Cate LeBon and Luther Russell keeping this summer cool.

By the way, we have two new features: direct streaming of The Idelic Hour and The Idelic “Hit of the Week.”

xosidealer
idelicsounds.com | @sidelic

The Idelic Hour Podcast [7/30/2010] (Mp3, 85Mg)

The Idelic Hit of the Week:
Diego Garcia - You Were Never There (Mp3)

TVD | Windian Records First Anniversary Week

SWEET SIXTEENS
WIN20016
Sweet Sixteens - Submarine (Mp3)

In celebration of Windian Records First Anniversary, this week we're looking back at the label's entire output of 7"s over the past 12 months.

Enter to win passes for Windian Records back to back First Anniversary Parties at Velvet Lounge this coming Friday and Saturday nights right HERE.
—Ed.

TVD | Windian Records First Anniversary Week Giveaway

As mentioned Monday, DC's Windian Records celebrates its first year anniversary with two back to back Anniversary Parties this Friday and Saturday night at Velvet Lounge and courtesy of Windian, we've got passes to put in your hands for both nights.

But that ain't all as they say—we've got limited edition posters and Windian shirts to toss into the mix as well.


We'll have two winners in our Windian Week giveaway—each will win passes to both nights at Velvet, the poster, and one of the tees you see above.

Now, we know you want to be there, so we'll make it easy for you. Simply plead your case in the comments to this post as to why you should be the Windian winner and the most convincing two comments seal the deal.

Make 'em good and make 'em before noon on Friday (7/30) when we'll choose our two winners. And don't forget to leave us a contact email address!

TONIGHT! | TVD Recommends: Heal, Baby, Heal: A Benefit for the Restoration of the Gulf Coast

The Rock and Roll Hotel hosts a very special Benefit for the Restoration of the Gulf Coast this evening. "Heal, Baby, Heal" boasts the talents of Typefighter, Drop Electric, DJ Smudge, and Laughing Man in an effort to raise some much needed cash for those affected by the disastrous BP oil spill in the region.

DC's independent record stores have also risen to the occasion, donating a myriad of store credits redeemable by a few very lucky raffle winners. We'd like to thank Som Records, Crooked Beat Records, and Red Onion Records and Books for their generous support of this very worthwhile cause and event.

Event organizers Lisa Reed and Ian Graham spent a bit of time in Louisiana post-spill and have taken the time to give us a first-hand account of the region in advance of tonight's benefit. —Ed.


Ian and I had been planning to visit my family on the Mississippi for the 4th of July before any of this happened (they live about a quarter mile from the beach). So following the oil spill it was decent timing for us to go down there so we could really get a sense of the gravity of the situation. Also, Ian hadn’t been to the Deep South since before he could remember. So boiled crab legs and New Orleans jazz were definitely in order for him.

We weren’t sure what to expect. I had heard that my family had suffered some headaches since the spill, depending on the ocean wind that day. There had also been dead dolphins washing up on islands, like Ship Island, a childhood vacation area for me. They had ceased fishing in the area about a couple days before we got there, so the coast was just starting to feel the real economic impact of the situation.

This is right before we rode "The Orbiter." Afterwards, Ian thought he might die. Even later, after more rides, he thought he did.

What hit us when we first got there were the clean-up areas and campgrounds set up along the main interstate next to the beach. So there were clean-up crews in orange vests on one side of the road, and on the other side there were still slabs of concrete from the houses that had been washed away from Katrina, and a decent amount of reconstruction going on.

This is still difficult to see when I go back to visit, as I had the initial misfortune of moving to Long Beach, Miss., about two weeks before Katrina in 2005. I went to one day of classes at the University of Southern Mississippi. They canceled next day’s schedule because of the impending hurricane, so I went out that night to a bar called the Firedog followed by the Waffle House. I stumbled in during the wee hours of the morning to find my mom packing two guinea pigs, a rabbit, cat and dog into the back of our Volvo station wagon. Once we returned from evacuation, both the bar and the Waffle House had washed away. I had been working at a bar/wings place/car wash (yes, those places do exist), and the car wash had completely blown away. The school that I had been to was in shambles, so I stayed for a couple weeks more before I moved an hour and a half north to go to USM in Hattiesburg.

Jazz! In New Orleans!

It’s very relevant to bring up Hurricane Katrina, because it’s just another factor that has contributed to the more heightened economic situation down south during the recession, which we can expect to see get far worse in coming days. But the people’s spirits still have proven resilient and hopeful, as they have been pushing through hard to get past the challenges presented by the hurricane, even to this day.

However, despite the oil spill, we had no problem finding entertainment:

Bay St. Louis Crab Fest: My father told me they were still able to do fishing from Lake Pontchartrain, La., when we got there (it became contaminated later in July). So the city had stocked up on an awesome amount of crabs. Ian killed some crab legs with my dad. He’s a natural. (Ian: The beer helped. If you get a chance, try Lazy Magnolia on a sunny summer day. It also helps if you have fresh boiled crabs to eat with it.)

Ian and Jay (Lisa's dad) shuck crabs at the Bay St Louis Crab Festival

Gulfport Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo: This is the fishing event for 4th of July weekend on the Mississippi coast - a big deal, with the fishing competition, bands, and carnival rides. Unfortunately, this year the rodeo competition had been reduced from a tent full of huge fish to a couple of tables. Most of the divisions had been canceled, due to the oil. Even with the sad situation, we went and looked at the fish they had, and one of the fisherman was picking up different catches and showing them to us. The large mouth bass scared me. We went on three carnival rides in a half hour, Ian got sick from them. (Ian: I had been drinking all day, I was dehyrdated, I was about to pass out.) Ok, dehydration …and the Gravitron. We never made it to the Tilt-a-Whirl, unfortunately.

Lisa shucked the day away too

New Orleans, Lousiana: I was really excited to take Ian here, as it’s such a beautiful, colorful, interesting city. Unfortunately, destruction by Katrina is still highly visible, especially in the poorer areas of town. (Ian: It looked like a war zone. There were entire commercial and industrial complexes that were simply abandoned.) First we stopped at the Redfish Grill on Bourbon Street. This place is serious with their seafood. (Ian: I ate way too much, but I couldn’t stop. Alligator gumbo is amazing.)

We stopped in Preservation jazz club for a set, then headed over to Pat O’s. After an hour in the piano bar, we decided karaoke at the Cat’s Meow was a good idea. By my 4th Hurricane and 6th drink, Run DMC sounded like a good performance pick for me and Ian. (Ian: We didn’t know any of the lyrics, just the chorus. It was a trainwreck.). After wowing the crowd (from our memory), we headed out and I forgot I had a purse, and haven’t seen it since (Ian: Eff you, guy in Chicago, or Atlanta, or wherever it was you said you were from. You’re a jerk.). The next time I’ll take Ian to some other great spots in NOLA. There is so much more to New Orleans and the New Orleans people than Bourbon Street. It only seemed right to make Ian witness it once.

All in all, our trip was very bittersweet for me. It’s hard to see a place I’m so attached to getting hit with one misfortune after another. With the case of Hurricane Katrina, it came and went within several hours. With the oil spill, the damage is going to continue until there is no more oil in the water. What’s also very damaging to the Gulf Coast in general is the halt in the tourist industry. Even before it was unsafe to eat the food there, business had slowed a great deal. I’ve never liked the casinos in Mississippi, but right now I think they are one of the stronger points of the Gulf’s economy.

Floating construction platforms are building a new bridge across Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. The previous bridge (seen in the picture) was covered in water and heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina.

When people ask how they can help, I might encourage them to visit the coast, contribute to the economy, get to know the awesome people there, and bring back stories.

I just hope that people realize we need their support in the south right now. Forget about the politics, forget about the finger pointing – because nothing’s getting better while we do that. Continue to put pressure on the government and BP to fix this sickening mess, but put more effort in opening your hearts and lending a hand to a part of our country that has contributed so much culturally to this country, like, I don’t know… rock ‘n roll…

“That Mississippi sound, that Delta sound is in them old records. You can hear it all the way through.” —Muddy Waters

TVD | Windian Records First Anniversary Week

TESTORS
WIN20007
Testors - It's Only Death (Mp3)

In celebration of Windian Records First Anniversary, this week we're looking back at the label's entire output of 7"s over the past 12 months.

Enter to win passes for Windian Records back to back First Anniversary Parties at Velvet Lounge this coming Friday and Saturday nights right HERE.
—Ed.

TVD First Date (and vinyl giveaway!) Möbius Strip

Möbius Strip's record release show is on Saturday, July 30, at Comet Ping Pong, located at 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. It's a free show with Boston's Sidewalk Driver opening. Doors open at 10:30.


Pitt: Vinyl brought us together.

Mark: It's true. Pitt and I met at work, but we were in different departments on different floors, so our paths didn't cross that often at first. It took months for us to figure out that we listened to the same stuff.

Pitt: He's never the one to bring it up, but Mark is a living music history almanac, especially when it comes to the underground scene in '80s-era DC. He knows every band, every member of every band, every side project. One day at work, Mark shared his most recent discovery with me: our straight-laced boss had been the guitarist in an early '80s DC band that used to open for Government Issue or something. Better yet, Mark had managed to get his hands on a sealed copy of the band's only LP.

Mark: At the time, I didn't have a record player of my own anymore, but I had to hear to this record. I figured Pitt had to as well.

Pitt: My record player was a bit of a Frankenstein, but I loved it. I got it from a friend who had hardwired his turntable to a boombox that played CDs and tapes. He'd cut the wires that connected the tape deck to the speakers and spliced in the output from the record player. It was so loud and so raw—I always felt like the band was in the room with me when I played records on that thing.


Mark: After work one night, we took the bus to Pitt's apartment for the album's inaugural playing. In almost ceremonial fashion, we inspected the jacket, the insert, and then the vinyl. Yes, that appeared to be a photo of our boss on the back cover. And yes, that was his name printed on the jacket, insert, and center label. But was it really him?

Pitt: I had no idea what to expect, but what we heard was a collision of new wave and jazz fusion. Even though the vocals were in multiple languages, there was no mistaking our boss's voice. That was the beginning of my friendship with Mark--we had breached the bounds of office camaraderie, and we had learned our boss's secret.

Mark: It was a pleasant surprise to meet someone else who still appreciated vinyl. Like everyone born in the mid-70s, I grew up with it. When I was a kid, my parents' records were on constant rotation, especially on the weekends when my dad loved to blast the instrumental portion of Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time." Another repeat offender was "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band, one of the few DC bands to have a big radio hit. My first record was the "Ballad of Davy Crockett" single, which I listened to over and over again on my portable Mickey Mouse record player. Appropriately, one of my first full-lengths was the Mickey Mouse Disco record. I still have that one--it's a classic.

Pitt: My earliest memory of vinyl is from the late '80s or the early '90s. I guess my older sister had these 7-inch Star Wars records--or, I don't know, maybe they were mine. Anyway, there was this kid down the street who I was always getting into trouble with. I don't remember much about it except that we were slinging them at each other like ninja stars. We threw them so hard that the edges stuck in the walls. You couldn't pull the records back out; you had to break them off. I bet there's still painted-over vinyl in the drywall of my sister's old room. My parents were pretty pissed.

Mark: When I was maybe six years old, my mom told me that when I got to be a teenager, I would sit in my room for hours with the door closed, listening to records. At the time, I thought she was nuts. But sure enough, that's just what happened.

Pitt: I didn't come to really appreciate vinyl until I was much older. CDs had already taken over the world when I became interested in music. I know it's weird, but for a long time I didn't like any music at all. I don't know if I liked being different or what, but I was the kid at school who out-obscured my indier-than-thou classmates by eschewing music altogether. I just didn't like any of it... until I heard They Might Be Giants. The Johns became my religion. I actually felt betrayed when I learned that some of my friends were listening to bands other than TMBG.

Mark: The centerpiece of my record collection was a complete set of Kiss albums that I kept up-to-date through the mid-90s. I had the U.S. first pressings with all of the inserts intact, along with a few radio-only promo samplers, all in nearly mint condition. Those records were as much fun to look at as they were to listen to. The flashy artwork, gatefold sleeves, and gimmicky inserts made for an interactive experience that no other musical format offers. I can't tell how you much fun I had with one oddball--it was a 12-inch single with a double-grooved A-side and autographs, but no music, etched into the B-side. When I later discovered The Misfits and other more obscure music, I moved on to increasingly expensive purchases of limited edition colored vinyl in hand-numbered sleeves. I loved that it was possible to personalize every single copy of a DIY release.

Photos: William Rivas-Rivas

Pitt: For me, I think the original appeal of vinyl was economy. 7-inches were a great way to check out a band you'd heard about without committing to the price of a full album. Split releases were even better. You paid to hear the band you already knew and loved; then you got to flip over the record and discover something new. The other side of the 7-inch was like an unopened pack of baseball cards. Would you end up with a bunch of commons; a Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie card; the rare Billy Ripken "fuck face" card? It wasn't long before I was hooked: colored vinyl, marbled vinyl, the buzzsaw-shaped "Coup d'État"/"Amoeba" 7-inch split I ordered in the early days of online mail-order (it never arrived). I spent a fortune collecting Servotron 7-inches--they had so many songs that never made it to CD, and the album art alone was worth the astronomical price. On at least one occasion during college, my record spending went so far as to endanger the monthly rent check. I guess it was sort of a reaction to the Napster thing. I needed to have something in my hand.

Mark: People have been listening to music in this format for more than a century because it provides such a great listening experience. I had a strict vinyl-only policy for years, and I always assumed that my band, if I ever had one, would release its stuff on vinyl. Thankfully, I wasn't alone.

Pitt: Had to be vinyl. There was never any doubt that whatever we released would have to appeal to the record nerd in me. Our debut album is a limited edition release on 180-gram marbled vinyl with a full-color insert, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

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Möbius Strip - My Museum (Mp3)
Möbius Strip - Pez Dispenser Head (Mp3)
Authorized for download!

Enter to win Möbius Strip's brand new 'A Knee in the Back' on vinyl by simply asking for one in the comments to this post. We'll award one winner a copy who suitably impresses us and the band. Remember to leave us a contact email address—important!—and we'll choose a winner a week from today, Wednesday, 8/4.

TVD | Windian Records First Anniversary Week

THE SHIRKS
WIN20006
The Shirks - Negative Reaction (Mp3)

In celebration of Windian Records First Anniversary, this week we're looking back at the label's entire output of 7"s over the past 12 months.

Enter to win passes for Windian Records back to back First Anniversary Parties at Velvet Lounge this coming Friday and Saturday nights right HERE.
—Ed.