Monthly Archives: June 2008

TVD Recommends | Wildbirds and Peacedrums @ The House of Sweden

Got a hankering for air drums and vodka? As part of the Nordic Jazz Festival at the House of Sweden, Sweden’s own Wildbirds and Peacedrums–who just might out-Bjork Bjork–will take the stage on the rooftop terrace this Thursday night (6/12) at 8PM. BYT has got all your details riiight here.

Ye olde ‘Forke went on record: “It’s easy to think that music made by relatively few people, with relatively familiar instruments, should fall under the canopy of “folk”: uncluttered, transparent, linked to past traditions. Wildbirds and Peacedrums– husband-and-wife Swedes Andreas Werliin and Mariam Wallentin– compose most of their debut, Heartcore, with Werliin’s compact drum work and Wallentin’s orbital, precise vocals; there is an arc to their work that imbues it with the austerity and heartiness (no pun) of folk music. Despite its simple ingredients, Heartcore is neither native nor instinctual. “Primal” or “sparse” miss the point, too; Heartcore, instead, is cleverly orchestrated pop music preternaturally reliant on the skills of its performers: Both Werliin and Wallentin were music school dropouts, and their technically sound playing disguises the complexity and range of Heartcore’s material.” Read the rest here.

Wildbirds and Peacedrums – Doubt/Hope (Mp3)

Official Website
Official MySpace

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TVD’s Daily Wax | T-Rex "Bolan Boogie"

An open letter to Devendra Banhart:

There’s this band I think you’d really like.

That is all.

-TVD

T-Rex – By The Light Of A Magical Moon (Mp3)
T-Rex – Hot Love (Mp3)
T-Rex – Raw Ramp (Mp3)
T-Rex – Ride A White Swan (Mp3)
T-Rex – Summertime Blues (Mp3)

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TVD’s Daily Wax | Wings "Greatest"

I think you just get to a point where you realize you’ve lead 10 or 15 individual lives. Birthdays tend to underscore that–little anniversaries of one full trip around the sun, or one look around the room of folks who’ve come to raise a glass with you–often finds you in differing universes over the years. And it’s seems seamless until the cards in the mail you’ve taken for granted all these years just stop arriving, their absence is a new letter in the mailbox. Like the card from my folks with the check and a note, “Go buy yourself some clothes, but no more black!”

I guess it was the Macca/Mills mess that had me thinking about Sir Paul not too long ago. I mean, how many lives has this guy had? I bet we can count because if there’s a more examined life out there, I’m not aware of it. So, to look back at all of my OWN incarnations, I’m a bit awed to think that Paul in one of HIS many guises rode shotgun with me all of these years. I truly can’t recall a time when The Beatles or Paul weren’t in regular rotation on my personal playlist. So Paul, thanks for remaining a constant all of these years. We’ve seen some shit, huh?

Wings – Band On The Run (Mp3)
Wings – Jet (Mp3)
Wings – Junior’s Farm (Mp3)
Wings – Maybe I’m Amazed (Mp3)
Wings – My Love (Mp3)

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 11 Comments

TVD Recommends | Sad Summer Shows

The Sad Crocodile residency at Galaxy Hut has triumphantly wrapped up but DC’s favorite mopesters still have a few shows coming up and then a little (recording) break planned. Both will continue the proud tradition of pairing themselves with some of the most exciting musicmakers out there.

Sunday June 15th at the Red and the Black bringing a big slice of the NYC Popfest right to you in DC with the always amazing Tullycraft, From Bubblegum to Sky, DC’s beloved Sprites and going on early is Sad Crocodile, so don’t be late!!!!! “Jason from Sprites wanted to set something up the day after the bands play New York and I know some of the Tullycraft gang so how could we resist. We will start things off with complicated adult issues and then the other folks will blast out about video games and vampires surrounding them with pop hooks up the wazoo,” says Sad Crocodile’s John Foster.

Thursday July 10th at DC9 will feature a special night with three of DC’s most exciting songwriters performing their very different compositions in a unique sequence. (That is long as all get out – what I am saying is don’t miss a second and it won’t be the usual set sequence type of night.) Sam Simkoff (of Le Loup), Martin Royle and Sad Crocodile will rotate short sets throughout the night and the potential is there for a transcendent evening or a complete trainwreck. “Not to be forgotten either way!” laughs Foster. “I had planned both Sam and Marty for the residency but the dates ended up not working as they had tours that ripped them away (Sam to Europe and Marty to Kentucky haha.) I sat over a drink with Marty hoping to set up a make-up show and we talked about this rotating presentation idea he had tried once before. We both only had one person we wanted to do it with and Sam was game. I can’t wait.”

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TVD’s Daily Wax | Japan "Tin Drum"

The point where, surprisingly, New Wave morphed into…art? Could it be? My trusty Trouser Press notes:

In one of rock’s most remarkable examples of bootstrapping, South London’s Japan pulled themselves up from lowly beginnings as a ludicrously overdressed glam-punk-pose band who (badly) emulated the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper to finish, five years later, as one of England’s most sophisticated art-rock outfits, earning the respect of their peers and branching out into such fields as sculpture and photography. . . Tin Drum presents Japan at peak form, playing subtle creations with intricate rhythms and tightly controlled dynamics. Spare but strong drumming (abetted by Karn’s rubbery bass) provides needed propulsion, and the breadth of influences — from Middle Eastern to funk — color the music a number of fascinating shades. Having almost totally escaped pop constraints, Japan’s sound here — except for a few tunes (especially “Ghosts”) that strongly resemble latter-day Roxy Music — is a willowy fabric of interwoven threads.

“A willowy fabric of interwoven threads.” I thought I heard hissing summer lawns.

Japan – The Art of Parties (Mp3)
Japan – Talking Drum (Mp3)
Japan – Still Life in Mobile Homes (Mp3)
Japan – Visions of China (Mp3)
Japan – Sons of Pioneers (Mp3)

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TVD’s Daily Wax | Harry Nilsson "A little touch of Schmilsson in the night"

Good morning Washington…and OW. I think I watched too much historic television last night with my trusty pal Mr. Merlot. How about some soothing tunes this morning, ok?

Thanks. Shh. (OW.)

Harry Nilsson – As Time Goes By (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson – I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson – Nevertheless (I’m In Love With You) (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson – This Is All I Ask (Mp3)
Harry Nilsson – What’ll I Do (Mp3)

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 4 Comments

TVD | Wide World of (Vinyl) Stores

After last Friday’s request for photos of your global vinyl ventures, the responses have begun to trickle in. TVD reader CeeGee forwarded the following:

“Recently, I made a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. These pics are from a record store located in the Old Town area called Gamla Stan. A little pricey due to the store being located in a somewhat touristy area, but a nice variety of classics and hard to find albums – lots of German pressings. The owner was quite nice and laid back – while we perused the stacks he soaked up some sun outside the shop. Per Wikstrom, Swedish producer/manager in photo with his wall covering samples. “

Keep ’em coming folks!

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TVD’s Daily Wax | Simple Minds 12" Mixes

“…Brilliant days, wake up on brilliant days
Shadows of brilliant ways will change all the time
Memories, burning gold memories
Gold of day memories change me in these times…”

Simple Minds – Glittering Prize (12” Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds – New Gold Dream (12” Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds – Someone Somewhere In Summertime (12” Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds – Waterfront (12” Import) (Mp3)
Simple Minds – White Hot Day (12” Import) (Mp3)

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 1 Comment

Vinyl Returns in the Age of MP3


LP and turntable sales grow as fans find warmer sound in classic format
(Via rollingstone.com) For his 19th birthday, Simon Hamburg wanted only one present: a turntable for his dorm room at the University of Southern Mississippi. His father bought him a portable $69 model, and Hamburg’s older brother chipped in LPs by Simon and Garfunkel and the Who. “Listening to ‘Baba O’Riley’ on vinyl is always better than listening to ‘Baba O’Riley’ on anything else,” Hamburg says. “You can hear every instrument. It sounds stupid, but it’s like you’re feeling the music. You’re part of it.” Read the rest here.

(LP cover via the always awesome LP Cover Lover.)

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 6 Comments

TVD Remembers | Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley, the musical pioneer whose songs, such as “Who Do You Love?” and “Bo Diddley,” melded rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll through a distinctive thumping beat, has died. He was 79.

Bo Diddley – Road Runner (Mp3)
Bo Diddley – Who Do You Love? (Mp3)
Bo Diddley – You Can’t Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover (Mp3)
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley (Mp3)
Bo Diddley – Who May Your Lover Be (Mp3)

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 1 Comment

TVD’s Daily Wax | Suede "Coming Up"

The beginning of a new beginning or the beginning of the end? I vote for the latter, actually. Somewhere at the time ol’ Bernard was smiling while I–a fresh bottle of red having been opened and leafing through a pile of so called Brit mags on my couch–was wincing. And I don’t believe its aged for the better…

Suede – Filmstar (Mp3)
Suede – She (Mp3)
Suede – Picnic By The Motorway (Mp3)
Suede – The Chemistry Between Us (Mp3)
Suede – Saturday Night (Mp3)

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 5 Comments
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