Record Store Day is right around the corner and the good folks at Grimey’s have announce some of the exciting things they will have going on in the store, downstairs in The Basement and out in the back parking lot. After you check out the top twenty-five best sellers below, scroll down to the bottom for the Grimey’s RSD2011 update, and make sure you check out the great in-stores they have lined up to placate you until the big day is here!
“We are very proud to be releasing our debut EP ‘Robots’ on vinyl as part of RSD2011. The four-track EP was recorded especially with the side A/ side B vinyl format in mind. The record explores themes of solitude, mind control and living in a dystopian world.
Because of the vinyl format we decided to record four songs we felt would work together as conceptual piece of work. Robots and Dark Clouds of London make up side A and describes an external view of a manipulative and totalitarian world… where Side B includes the songs House of Make Believe and Sharks and this focus’ on a more internal, human perspective on emotions in respect to this. —Mozzy Green
Anna | I remember the record player in the sitting room when I was growing up, we had our dad’s vinyl collection at our disposal so my brother and I would spend afternoons sat crossed legged in front of it leafing through the records and giggling as we negotiated putting the stylus on the record. The favourites were the Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album and Alice Cooper’s ‘Love it to Death’. I loved learning exactly where your favourite bit of a song was and knowing which groove to go for. I love looking at the sleeve artwork as well, especially those covers that, each time you look you see something you hadn’t noticed before.
For all the technological advances since then, digital simply doesn’t compare to the sound of a well loved and well played record. When I went round to a friend’s to listen to the ‘Robots’ EP white label when it came through, it was a thoroughly different experience – it’s our first release on vinyl and there was something so physical and kind of romantic about it, not to mention the sound quality – it was a little emotional! Needless to say, I’m scouting around for a record player now.
“We are very proud to be releasing our debut EP ‘Robots’ on vinyl as part of RSD2011. The four-track EP was recorded especially with the side A/ side B vinyl format in mind. The record explores themes of solitude, mind control and living in a dystopian world.
Because of the vinyl format we decided to record four songs we felt would work together as conceptual piece of work. Robots and Dark Clouds of London make up side A and describes an external view of a manipulative and totalitarian world… where Side B includes the songs House of Make Believe and Sharks and this focus’ on a more internal, human perspective on emotions in respect to this. —Mozzy Green
Anna | I remember the record player in the sitting room when I was growing up, we had our dad’s vinyl collection at our disposal so my brother and I would spend afternoons sat crossed legged in front of it leafing through the records and giggling as we negotiated putting the stylus on the record. The favourites were the Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album and Alice Cooper’s ‘Love it to Death’. I loved learning exactly where your favourite bit of a song was and knowing which groove to go for. I love looking at the sleeve artwork as well, especially those covers that, each time you look you see something you hadn’t noticed before.
For all the technological advances since then, digital simply doesn’t compare to the sound of a well loved and well played record. When I went round to a friend’s to listen to the ‘Robots’ EP white label when it came through, it was a thoroughly different experience – it’s our first release on vinyl and there was something so physical and kind of romantic about it, not to mention the sound quality – it was a little emotional! Needless to say, I’m scouting around for a record player now.
It’s a mere 16 days until Record Store Day 2011, and the savvy collectors among you probably have a plan of attack already in place for which shops you’re going to pilfer on April 16th. But, if you are still figuring out where to go, allow us to make a small suggestion.
Record Room – the vinyl/cassette-only shop in North Portland that features live music, DJs almost every night, pinball machines, and a selection of tasty microbrews and wine to enjoy as you crate dig – has a smashing looking lineup for their Record Store Day celebration.
They’ll have two bands performing, DJs spinning wax all day long, and – perhaps best of all – food carts that will be parked outside the shop and filling up hungry shoppers with BBQ and cupcakes. I’ll definitely be stopping by…will you?
Here’s the full schedule and information from the fine folks at Record Room:
Come celebrate independent Record Store Day with us! Tons of limited vinyl releases, free prizes, food carts and live music all day!
Aussie Darren Hanlon writes wistful songs about unrequited love and about wanting presents. Actually, he’s a pretty great and witty songwriter who tells a hell of a story. Hanlon has been criss-crossing the United States for the last 7-8 months promoting I Will Love You At All, released on Yep Roc last September. It doesn’t hurt that he also looks like Russell Crowe.
Hanlon kicks off The Casbah’sacoustic songwriter series Thursday. Expect an intimate night of storytelling put together by The Casbah’s Steve Gardner, who a decade ago was the man behind the well-regarded Pine Hill House Concert series, which brought bands like Drive-By Truckers to an intimate living room in Durham. Hanlon took a pit stop on the road earlier this week to answer a few questions:
How do you describe the songwriting process? You have a lot of wistful songs about unrequited love, etc. Are these songs that you draw from your own experience?
I carry a notebook and jot little thoughts down but it mainly happens in huge chunks. I’ll stop moving for a few months and write a batch of songs. As for the unrequited love songs… some of them are for friends, some from stories I’ve heard or read, the rest are from my life and the difficulties of maintaining a relationship with someone when I’m always away.
You’re on the road a lot so you must meet a lot of characters. Any favorite stories from this latest tour? Any characters whose stories you may use for future songs?
I used to meet a lot more characters when I troured on public transport more. I once met an 80-year-old man who was getting the overnight bus from LA to San Fransisco. I’ve thought about writing a song of the experience. We sat up all night an talked like old friends. He told me in detail his family history that had roots in Mexico and could be traced back to Pancho Villa and further to the Spanish army. His parents were inseparable since they met at the age of 5, “like turtle doves,” he said. I tried to dictate it all down on a napkin as he spoke. In fact we got in trouble from the driver for talking and keeping people awake. When we got in to the depot I knew I’d never see him again and I already missed him. I gave him a hug and left and then when I got home to Australia sent him a postcard but never heard anything back.
What are your creature comforts on the road? Anything you can’t live without?
I always go on about it but pinball is the big one. If I feel a bit intimidated by a place I try to find a machine somewhere. If I know I can get to it if I need it eases my mind. Other things? I’d say a warm bed but after about 2 weeks on the road I can just about sleep anywhere.
Little Tybee‘s sophomore album Humorous To Bees will be released on April 5th by Paper Garden Records. You can check out John Hampton’s Song by Song Review here.
Pop Genius have named it their track of the year so far. They might just be right. An infectious groove, driven by mighty beats, nails the whole thing down, as the band drive into lysergic territory, with absolute conviction and total mastery of this always relevant genre. Listen to this glorious 6 minutes and forty seconds of danceable psych here:
The Mountain Goats have been around since 1991 with each recording ranging in quality and instrumentation. John Darneille’s new effort pleases the senses with guitars, piano, strings and delicate rhythm tracks. With the exception of “Estate Sale Sign” and “Prowl Great Cain” most of these endevors are slow to medium tempo movements. You tend to get that warm feeling as the strings and or piano push the vocals back and forth at just the right times. A genuine laid back indulgence to enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon with the windows open.
“Damn These Vampires” – Nice intimate drum shuffle crawling along with a piano and acoustic rhythm. The vocals carry on about a story of how life can change you. – “let the whole world hear your knuckles crack”
“Birth Of Serpents” – Upbeat acoustic driven song with a slow build that completely opens up after the bridge. – “clutch you birthright in your wrist”
“Estate Sale Sign” – Explodes on the first beat and doesn’t slow down till the end. This song makes you think about the evolution of society and culture.
“Age Of Kings“- Drops down to an slow-tempoed acoustic being carried by strings for an intimate setting and tells a story of love for a lot of things but mainly for someone special.
“The Autopsy Garland” – This is a short ditty about corruption and indulgence. – “you don’t want to see these guys, without their masks on”
NYC natives Holy Ghost! have been keeping busy with remixing basically any band you’ve danced to lately (Cut Copy, Friendly Fires, Mark Ronson), DJ-ing across the globe, and now have their self-titled debut album come April 12th. Sticking to theDFA label’s brand of analog and electro-tinged disco-funk, Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser are supporting their debut with a full band tour opening for Cut Copy, which brings them to Seattle on April 12th where they’ll play at the Showbox SoDo. Their new track “Wait & See” recently premiered.
Nick Millhiser chats with TVD ContributorBQ Nguyen about their start, influences, and why his boss’ band, LCD Soundsystem, is the best.
Holy Ghost! | Wait & See
TVD: So you guys have 20 dates opening for Cut Copy between Europe and their North American tour; I assume you’ve been friends since they recorded In Ghost Colours at DFA with Tim Goldsworthy a few years ago.
NM: Yeah, they came to New York to do their last record with Tim, and I met them, I believe, on their first day in New York because they needed to borrow a drum set to use on their record. So I loaned Tim and them one of my kits. After that, with theJuan MacLean we did a pretty long tour in Australia opening for them and so we’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the years.
TVD: But your first live gig as a 4-piece band was just last May at Under 100 in NYC?
NM: Yep. Since then we were basically on tour up until early December and had a little break until recently. Although the past month has been pretty busy gearing up for the release of the record, and we spent a fair amount of time re-tinkering the live set.
Today’s Package Deal is based on a recommendation by one of my readers, “Evie,” requesting that I feature local artist Margot MacDonald, who “does a ‘Teardrop’ cover that’s like nothing I’ve ever heard.”
Well Evie, you were right. I had the privilege of hearing Margot sing the 1998 single originally by Massive Attack Monday night when she played “Teardrop” at IOTA, and you’re correct. It’s like nothing I’ve heard—thanks.
Margot is most commonly likened to Amy Lee from Evanescence, but I heard more guttural Ani DiFranco-esque freedom and smooth Imogen Heap, whose utilization of the looping pedal technique Margot repeatedly imitates and respects. When asked about Imogen Heap’s new organic concept on song-composition (“LifeLine,” released March 28, 2011), soliciting the input of her fan’s sound clips to compile a song, excitement spreads across Margot’s face as she answers, “It’s interesting and inspiring, and it’s definitely something I would consider doing.”
Margot MacDonald | Colorblind
Margot admits to having only been using the loop pedal for a year, but her utilization of this tool is polished and moving to watch. The concept of recording sounds and layering them is not a new one, but the art of doing this on-the-spot and live is a style that requires practice and precision.
Fujiya & Miyagistopped by Rock and Roll Hotellast Thursday during their tour in support of their newest album Ventriloquizzing, which was just released January 25th on Yep Roc Records. It was a night of hesitant submission.
The sparse crowd formed a line of demarcation that began at the bar and extended to the back of the room during the ultra-loud, trippy performance by first opener, NYC duo Warm Ghosts. They have an apparent obsession with Hoobastank, singing first a song about them, lamenting that Hoobastank would not tour with them, and then closing with a cover. They appeared to be having more fun than the staid crowd.
The audience crept a bit closer, and the second opener, Brooklyn’s BRAHMS, warmed them up a bit more with a short set. A decent amount of head bobbing began, and their enthusiastic beats made me wish that this were a city that actually enjoyed dancing. Oh DC, you’re much too serious.
Even as Fujiya & Miyagi began, the venue was only about half full, which perhaps was the result of an unusually great Thursday night of concerts around town, including Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears and OFF! both playing in other parts of the city. As they launched into a particularly drum-tastic rendition of “Cat Got Your Tongue,” the head bobbing eventually gave way to dancing, and David Best’s whispery, raspy voice started seducing the audience.
It pleases me to no end to see blogs yakking tirelessly lately about The Joy Formidable, a band we’ve been championing for close to three years now.
But I mean, it’s no big feat at all to be first. With the plethora of marginally serviceable bands whose sole claim to any significance is being embraced by a marketer or PR firm with their finger in the wind, it’s damn easy to be first.
Far harder it seems is to find the rock amidst the ruck.
I often think it’s important to curate with some smarts around here and not just say yes to every press release and request for coverage by bands whose sole piece of credibility isn’t even the music. Better first to learn your craft, then come knocking.
It also pleases me to no end to have witnessed TVD intern Haley Plotkin fighting her way to the front of the crowd last Friday night at the Black Cat and snapping away at Ritzy and the boys.
So, since we’re speaking of being smart and first and cutting your teeth and curating an experience, I should mention we’re looking for interns to get involved here at TVD—to do what it is you do best—writing, design, or photography. Or marketing. Or social networking. Join us and put those strengths to work.
It’s midnight. You’re out of gas. As you veer from the country road, your headlights scan the empty field. Suddenly, a lonely, masked figure fills the light. You try to scream, but all you hear is your pulse in your temples as the Toxic Avenger yanks the rip-chord of a rusty chainsaw.
The Toxic Avenger (a.k.a. Simon Delacroix) is a man of many talents: A twisted-electro producer; a world-renowned remixer, (Ladytron, Peaches, Late of the Pier, FF5, Chromeo, Benny Benassi featuring Kelis) and a DJ in demand. In addition he’s a diabolical hero in his own right.
This Parisienne – who takes his name from an all American cult character who fell in a vat of toxic waste and was transformed from puny weakling into a disfigured monster/hero – takes no dance-floor prisoners, with his ruthless beats, punky electro edge and gut wrenching crime scene noir imagery.
Previously named as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s Artists to Watch, the story of The Toxic Avenger is only just beginning…
We stuck him seven toxic questions to test his metal…
Your video for Angst one is pretty startling. What was the thinking behind it?
Well as you may not know, angst is also a German word, that symbolises a duality between anger and fear… antagonism … and the music video is just representing the antagonism… love and hate.
You’ve played with a whole host of diverse acts does anyone in particular stand out?
Well I’m on tour right now with The Subs, and I might say that they know what they are doing!!
The Vinyl District is the official blog of Record Store day and a site for all things vinyl. Whilst we support music in this digital age I must ask, does vinyl have a place in your heart?
It does! I’m a huge vinyl collector… since I was… wow, something like 13 years Old. I particularly love to put an old Tommy Dorsey vinyl on at night with a cup of coffee. It makes me feel like I’m in a Woody Allen Movie! I’ve got some super rare pieces in my collection… like a David Bowie Heroes LP, sang in French … and it’s … pretty bad I must say! (” On peut etre des heros / juste pour un jour”)
Name three massive tunes that influenced you.
Morrissey – ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’
The Streets – ‘Too Much Brandy’
Sufjan Stevens – ‘John Wayne Gacy, Jr.’
What’s the plan for you for the rest of 2011?
Finally release the album (mid may), touring the world with my live formula (I play synths / guitars and I’ve got a guitarist and a drummer )
Are you coming to the UK soon?
May 6th in Glasgow. But I guess the UK doesn’t like me a lot!
You and Sasha in a celebrity death match – who’d win?
Guess ?
Discover an unreleased track “Angst : Zero”, genesis of the LP “ANGST”, in exchange an email address HERE
Cue weekly mantra: As we’ve pointed out over the past few weeks (rather broken record-like) one of the happy coincidences of being The Record Store Day Blog For 2011 is that we’re afforded the opportunity to underscore one of our main themes—namely that vinyl is a contemporary medium which is thriving and more vital than it has been in some time—DJ’s, purists, and collectors notwithstanding.
So, to that end, we’re spending the next eleven weeks straight putting records into the hands of TVD readers as we count down to April 16, 2011—Record Store Day.We’ll have a giveaway for you each and every Tuesday as well as sporadic surprises throughout the forthcoming weeks.
For Week #9 we’ve got Starfucker’s Reptilians, which was just released a few weeks ago viaPolyvinyl.
“In the past, Portland, OR-based Starfucker (STRFKR) has received almost as much attention for its not-always-accessible moniker as for its immensely accessible dance hooks. But, having flirted briefly with a couple of name changes, the group is now firmly settled on Starfucker and so the focus can rightly return to what got people talking in the first place: the quartet’s endlessly catchy, hook-laden pop.”
Remember when they were Pyramiddd?
The rules can’t be any easier to enter our Eleven Weeks of Record Store Day Vinyl Giveaways: simply leave us a comment in the comments section to the contest letting us know why you deserve to win that particular LP. Be creative, funny, incisive—whatever it takes to grab our attention.
Winners of our Tuesday giveaways will be notified upon the launch of the next giveaway and must have a mailing address within the US and Canada.
