Author Archives: TVD HQ

“The first record I can remember getting as a Christmas present was Kiss, Double Platinum. It was a slick double record with a silver cover. Pretty freaking cool. I think I wore it out between the ages 8-10.”

“My Mother had a small but unbelievably influential record collection which I discovered in the basement as a kid and promptly brought to my room. The Beatles’ White Album, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 1, Bob Marley’s Rastaman Vibrations, Donovan’s Greatest Hits, Dr. John’s Right Place. These are a few that really impacted my life and still do.

I think listening to the White Album and Dylan’s Greatest Hits as a young teen really subconsciously brainwashed me into writing songs. Listening to those records gave me expression. Then connecting with Donovan, Dr. John, and Bob Marley gave me vocal craft and style. But it was the joyful trippy sound of the Beatles and the presence and words of Bob Dylan that changed my life…and that’s why I’m here.”
—G. Love

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The Vinyl District is honored to have been chosen by the The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoo to participate in the Endangered Song Project.

“The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and National Zoo announced today (4/22), Earth Day, the launch of the Endangered Song Project, an analog-meets-digital awareness campaign that calls upon 400 participants to use their social media strength to spread the message that there are only 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild.

The National Zoo partnered with Atlantic Records’ indie rock band Portugal. The Man to distribute a previously unreleased song titled “Sumatran Tiger.” The song was lathe-cut onto 400 custom polycarbonate records designed to degrade after a certain amount of plays. With no other copies in existence, the 400 participants are tasked with digitizing and sharing the song through their social channels with the hashtag #EndangeredSong. “Breeding” the song socially will help save it from extinction, thus raising awareness about the critically endangered Sumatran tigers and need for conservation efforts.

Created in collaboration with pro-bono services from DDB New York, an Omnicom Group, the campaign will be supported through a dedicated website, www.endangeredsong.si.edu. The site also features a real-time update of all the social conversations surrounding the project, more about the initiative and how people can help perpetuate the song.

The list of the 400 participants involved in the Endangered Song Project includes a wide range of music artists, noted bloggers, wildlife conservationists and other social media influencers who were asked to share the song, spread the message and help ignite change.

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Just when you thought another Record Store Day had come and gone and you’d need to wait another calendar year for a bunch of records high-flying into stores, along comes Semi Precious Weapons’ brand new LP, Aviation which is officially released today (4/22) but at a pressing of just 500 was offered as a 180gram, RSD2014 exclusive last weekend, bundled with a CD of the complete LP as well.

Well, actually…let us amend that a bit. 498 copies of Aviation made their way onto store shelves last weekend because our friends from LA in SPW set aside 2 copies for TVD to put in the hands of TWO of you. (And no line to wait in—imagine!)

“As a kid our entire basement was filled with nothing but a model train and probably 400 records. My dad had a jukebox upstairs that played nothing but 45s. When I was really young, I listened to a Tommy James and the Shondells record on repeat until I discovered my dad’s copy of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours—both albums still really inspire me.

We have a pretty awesome vinyl collection at our band house that includes everything from 60’s surf, noise records like Red Horse, Judy Garland Live From Carnegie Hall, and a ton of ’70s rock records that I stole from my dad.

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Press Play is our Monday morning recap of the new tracks received last week—provided here to inform your vinyl purchasing power. Click, preview, download.

Love Echo – Hope
Kavinsky feat. Lovefoxxx – Nightcall (MYNGA Remix)
Frances England – Fall Out Of The Sky
Futurecop! – Lost Love (feat. DWNTWN)
Swans – A Little God In My Hands
Trummors – Bogus Bruce
La Sera – Running Wild
The/Das – Parallel Worlds
We Are The Brave – Sparrow (Alcala Remix)
Cajita – Shake

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Smoke Fairies – Shadow Inversions

1,2,3 – Porch Swing Song
DZ Deathrays – Gina Works At Hearts
Armand Margjeka – Hummingbird
ETCHES – David
Cocktails – Tough Love
The 1975 – Settle Down (EMBRZ Remix)
Duologue – Memex
The Aston Shuffle – Tear it Down (GAMPER & DADONI Remix)
New York Trouble ‎– Light Stakeout Part 2
Orangatang – Fog Swimming

6 more FREE TRACKS on side B!

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PHOTOS: RICHIE DOWNS | Ever feel out of the loop? (I know, us too.) Yes, it seems there’s something going down at record stores tomorrow, April 19, but nobody tells us a damn thing. It’s weird. But I tell you what, we hate crowds. And lines.

Know who hates crowds too? Savannah, GA’s The Casket Girls, that’s who. The lovely women of spooky shadows with an eerily catchy soundtrack to match made their way through Washington, DC recently, and with a chill in the air and ice on the stilettos, wound their way down the stairs of DC’s Som Records to join us for a hang. And a record rummage.

“My sister and I grew up in a large, dusty clutter of hallways and staircases. Playground and prison just the same, we didn’t leave the grounds much. When you live in the middle of nowhere, nowhere is your destination and your return.”

“We seemed to evade any vague adult supervision that might have made faint gestures towards securing some sense of order in our lives, and were left thoroughly content wandering about the self-made tunnels and bridges of our mind’s eye. Hoping to connect with the other worldly—in search of something more.

We were scared of the attic. We were told it was dangerous, and never to lower the ladder. Though for years we abided, we knew that one day the bravery would rise in our chests, tiny hearts pounding, breath controlled, my sister shushing me with only her glance: the ladder would be lowered. And as we believed in destiny from a very young age, we felt we had no choice in matters, we were only following our hearts up the seemingly loudest steps we had ever walked in our lives, as our aunt made tea in the kitchen below.

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We’re delighted to direct your ears to Secondary Modern’s “Dart Board Blacklist” from the Carbondale, Illinois combo’s 2014 release, Venus Birds (which you can get your hands on right here.) We also cornered the band’s David Brown to spill the beans for us on some records that influenced his and the band’s thinking.

Can, Future Days (1973) | “I bought this LP on a whim because I had heard part of Ege Bamyasi and had some idea that Can was supposed to be consistently good. It has embossed gold font on a blue sleeve, which is great for tracing mindlessly with an index finger while staring at the wall.

Musically, everything about it is unique and unreal, and it’s even more insane to break it down and realize that there are definite roles within a set band and that this is a collection of finely tuned insanity which comes off as chilled-out groove. I had a vivid dream that I saw them perform it in its entirety live with the Damo lineup. Everything was blue.”

The Velvet Underground, – S/T (1969) | “The Beatles were the first band I ever loved, but the Velvets were the first band I ever had all to myself. They were mine and they were singing to only me. Their guitars were out of tune, only slightly, for me.

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Press Play is our Monday morning recap of the new tracks received last week—provided here to inform your vinyl purchasing power. Click, preview, download.

The White Bicycles – Dust
Frances Cone – Better Man
Shambles In A Husk – Medications
Oh Be Clever – Next To You (Elephante Remix)
Cosmonaut Grechko – Anytime
Yung Lean – Gatorade (Dolphin Tears LIDO Edit)
Unicycle Loves You – Falling Off
FUCK ART, LET’S DANCE! – We’re Manicals! (Deo & Z-Man Remix)
Congi – Somnium
UNMAP – Chalk

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Linus Young – Sister

Steve Strong – Marta
Vensaire – Song Six
Ela Stiles – Kumbh Mela
Midnite On Pearl Beach – Noah
Kinky Love – Affair
Popcaan – Everything Nice (Remix) [feat. Mavado]
Astro Raph – Eternal Spirit (ft. Soulular & Wolf-e-Wolf)
Nelly – Ride Wit Me (Viceroy “Jet Life” Remix)
Blackbird Blackbird – There Is Nowhere (DWNTWN Remix)
Redvers – Laughing At Rainbows

4 more FREE TRACKS on side B!

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“As a young man I was drenched in dreams of one day making my own version of history. And to me, music was the fuel to write my own history. Every record I buy earmarks a time in my life. My 7 inches recall stories of a young hardcore punk kid looking for direction or a lack of direction, while the records passed on to me by my father recall the stories he passed on to me through the voice of Bob Dylan and John Denver.

I remember specifically the first records I bought on my own. During my freshman year of high school, I was at a debate camp in Lawrence, Kansas. We had a day to troll the town so I headed to a record shop called The Love Garden. Being from a very small town in Iowa, this quaint little record shop opened my eyes to a sea of vinyl I had never seen before. I bought three records that day. Babyland You Suck Crap, 7 Seconds Old School, and a Zipgun 7″.

I hold a few records very close to my heart. These records shaped me and made me appreciate music’s power. These records bridged that gap I felt in my life. I was finally able to relate to someone or something, to hear words that made me feel like I belong, or that I’m part of something bigger. And here they are.”

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“The song is about getting out of your comfort zone and really realizing who you are with no one holding you down. The show was a really good LA show [2/20/14 The Church on York, with Ringo Deathstarr]. It was a packed house. We were all feeling a lot of energy that night…”
—Taylor Busby, guitars, vocals

“We did that show with Ringo Deathstarr in LA at the church on York. Really cool venue. It was packed out. People were really diggin it. We were trying to rock as hard as possible cuz it seemed like the audience was really stiff. But we got them going by the end of the set. I got in trouble for stealing a beer at the end of the night. It was lovely.”
—Hanna Brewer, drums, vocals

We’re delighted to debut the 1:21 blast of pure rock and roll grit that is Purple’s “Double Nickels.” Too short for you? Listen to it back to back 3 times in a row like we do.

PURPLE ON TOUR: (with Ringo Deathstarr)
Wed, Apr 16 – Jacksonville FL at Burro Bar
Thu, Apr 17 – Miami FL at Gramps
Fri, Apr 18 – Tampa FL at New World Brewery
Sat, Apr 19 – Miami FL at Sweatstock 5 + Record Store Day 2014

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