And here are some reasons why, per Warchild ring leader Rory Sheridan:
#1 Our show is tonight at Rock and Roll Hotel ($10, doors at 8:30). That bitch Eileen [Editor’s note: It’s actually Irene] ain’t getting anywhere near us till Saturday night. Remember at the end of Point Break when Bodie was about to meet his match with the waves at the 50 Year Storm at Bells Beach? That’s what tonight is like to me. I don’t give a shit if I die, I’m going out in a blaze of glory.
First and foremost, in appearance. All of her promotional posters and album covers have her with pixie-cut blonde hair, but the woman I saw on-stage at IOTA Club & Cafe had chin length brown hair, so I was thrown off a bit from the start. Cute and coquettish, she shyly opens her lips when speaking on-stage to reveal a full mouth of girlish metal braces.
And yet, counteracting this demeanor was her very short high-waist dress and four-inch clear heels, the kind that are generally seen in strip clubs and mentioned in Chris Rock HBO specials.
Most post-graduate twenty somethings have spent time and energy distancing themselves from the bands they listened to in high school. Instead, they pursue artists that frequent trendy, underground, PBR-pushing venues, and try to block the memories of pop punk’s early days from their minds. The Chicago Vinyl District writers (Pat & Eric), on the other hand, have never denied their continued enjoyment and nostalgia of ‘90s pop-punk. In fact, we embrace it.
When it came time to buy tickets for the show, we opted for the low-priced General Admission (Lawn) tickets because we, like most of our aforementioned PBR-swilling comrades, are poor as hell. The morning that started off with torrential downpours and late arrivals, ended with a story of how we went from a night destined for rain, mud, and lots of shoving, to chilling in private sky boxes and 25th row floor seats.
Tipitina’s presents the penultimate free Friday show, sponsored as always by the Tipitina’s Foundation, and it’s a winner. Gravy, one of the hottest of the newer funk bands on the scene, open for the New Orleans Suspects.
The Suspects, a band that features ReggieScanlan, late of the Radiators on bass, have been touring in the usual places turning up in venues that the Rads used to play. This should be a great night.
Also Friday night, “Love Sessions,” “Irvin Mayfield’s ambitious 11-night fundraiser for local charities moves to theI Club in the JW Marriott Hotel. For the next four nights Mayfield’s band will battle the band of the trumpeter Roy Hargrove. This is gonna be a knockout.
There’s this band from NY that my ears have been noshing on for some time now. I know them as the Madison Square Gardeners, but a few of the band members also play in a band called Taurus which is releasing an album right now and embarking on a tour. Lead singer, Aaron Lee Tasjan will also be releasing an album this fall and hitting the road.
When these cats were in town, I had a chance to sit down with Aaron to talk a little bit about chasin’ girls to Boston, makin’ rock & roll in the big Apple, and his general badassedry. Yep, this dude’s so legit one must make up words to describe him.
Aaron, you’re from Ohio originally, went to Berklee for college. What took you out to Boston? Yeah, for 6 months. Um…a girl. I was living in Ohio, moved to Edgewater, NJ, this girl that I was dating went to BU, I decided to move to Boston to see what was going on in her dorm room…which was a lot of good stuff. Then I moved back to Ohio.
What were you studying? No major, I had a scholarship to play guitar there. That’s what I was supposed to be doing.
How’d you end up in NY? Well, basically, I had started this band when I moved back to Ohio from Boston, called Autumn under Echoes, and that band was very fun but super short-lived. Country-punk band, the aesthetic was a get up there, bash it out kind of thing. That band broke up and it was right around then that I met this kid named Justin who was a singer, a really great singer and he told me he wanted to start a rock band. And he and I started Semi-Precious Weapons together. I sort of pretended like I still lived in NY to be in the band…drove there, turned around and came back to Ohio. Stayed on Justin’s couch, for like three years…we had a really great time in that band and as we got more and more serious and were getting record deals, I all of a sudden was really young and had a decision to make, and I could tell if I decided to be in that band it was going to take up a lot of my time.
I loved the people in it, but I wasn’t sure it was the kind of music I wanted to be doing. It was rock & roll, but not the kind I wanted to be doing.
Warchildare kind of a big deal. It’s inevitable that one day they’ll be laying down tracks, busting out their new album for all their dedicated fans, and you can bet it will pretty much just be a non-stop party. The boys have rounded up a list of must-have items to take with them to the studio that will keep them going till the break of dawn.
But first, a brief interview with the band.
RORY: Bud Lite, a green loofah, Adderal, Bud Lite lime, freshly-picked kale, coconut water, life-sized cardboard cutout of James Hetfield to throw darts at, darts.
Beef jerky, the latest issue of GQ, VHS copy of Leanord 6, a picture of Andrew Telford’s ponytail, personal champagne bottle, personal champagne flute with “Party Wolf” engraved in the glass.
A Number 4 Super-Sized, the Bible, the Koran, Redskins jersey, Jäger pump, air horn, black crayon, zumba pants, hairbrush, lava lamp, Bud Heavy, electric alarm clock, any t-shirts I have stolen from Billy Rosser.
A walkie talkie so I can communicate with any other Warchild while they are in the bathroom, autographed picture of Dave Mustaine, and a pair of loafers.
Well, it looks like The Vinyl District is gettin’ a little more country this month, y’all. Yep, we’re headed south for The Music City Festival & BBQ Championship in Nashville, Tennessee tomorrow and Saturday (8/26-27)! Not only are we fully going to partake in the delicious BBQ eating competitions, but we will also be checking out the Music City Car Show and of course ALL musical events happening around the event as well.
Who is expected to grace our presence on the Grand Ol’ Porker Stage this year? Glad you asked.
September 6 will see the physical release of Ghosts Outside (already available digitally) – a dub reworking of Steve Mason’s (ex-Beta Band) 2010 album Boys Outside. The album was recorded earlier this year in Livingston Studios in partnership with UK reggae legend Dennis Bovell.
The album is on sale digitally now and will be available on CD and LP from Domino Records from September 6.
The fall concert series in Lafayette Park, which is sponsored by the non-profit Second Harvest Food Bankof Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, has become a big hit with locals looking for some live music on Wednesday evenings.
The series commences on September 14 with Big Sam’s Funky Nation plus Mia Borders. The concerts begin at 5PM and last until 7:30 PM. Besides our standout local bands, the organization has booked the Blind Boys of Alabama (pictured) and Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory.
Also of note, is an appearance by Dave Malone of the recently disbanded Radiators with Bonerama on September 28. His brother Tommy will be the supporting act for Buckwheat Zydeco on the final evening of the concert series on November 2.
Jones Street Station is a Brooklyn-based band consisting of mandolinist/singer Danny Erker, harmonica player/singer Jonathan Hull, keyboardist/singer Jonathan Benedict, bassist/singer Walt Wells, and drummer Vin Scialla.
Their blend of Americana, country-folk, and harmonies reminiscent of the Old Time style remind me of bands like Wilco and The Avett Brothers but with more rock. Add to that sad-but-poppy songs like “Evergreen,” and you’ve got a band unique unto itself. Jones Street Station offer listeners a wide range of musical influences, reaching out to fans of everything from bluegrass to pop.
You can check them out at tonight’s show at DC9, but in the meantime, give them a listen and grab their newest single “The Understanding” on bandcamp.
This show might seem a little odd for The Vinyl District. And you may not have the 70 bucks to go see it. But I get to pick the shows, so get over it. You may not like Alison Krauss, but there’s no denying her incredible talent (don’t even try, you pretentious punk). I mean, Krauss and co. in Union Station isn’t really my bag either, but dude, I have to admit when I hear her voice and look at all the badass stuff she’s done and accomplished I’m pretty blown away. I mean, twenty-six Grammys? Are you effing kidding me? I’m no believer in that the Grammys infer great talent, but when you win twenty-six of them, I’d say you’re doing something right.
Anyway, Krauss and her infamous backup band Union station are playing at our beautiful Orpheum Theater tonight, August 25th. They’re on the road promoting their new record Paper Airplane that released in April. Check out a video of the band playing the title track from the new album on the Today Show after the jump.
TVD is a proud supporter of Greater Manchester’s finest, Shell Zenner. Shell broadcasts the best new music every Thursday at 9pm and Sundays at 5pm on Salford City Radio. You can also catch her on Wednesday at 12am (ET) and Saturdays at 8pm (ET) on 90.3 WXLV Radio, US on wxlvradio.
Starting today you can also tune into Shell’s radio show from the comfort of your office cubicle each and every Thursday at The Vinyl District.
And of course you’d assume Shell’s got a thing for vinyl, right?
Something Old, Something New, Something Blue?
Hello fellow lovers of the vinyl persuasion! Well, its been a long time since I last checked in, but my vinyl addiction has not waned in the meantime you will be pleased to hear. I’ve just been a little busy on the radio front after doubling up my hours across two different stations. As for the title of this blog, no I’ve not got married! It just seems very apt for the vinyl I have to talk about at the moment.
When a friend said on Twitter said he was selling some of his old vinyl for cash, I immediately asked him what he was selling. He promptly sent a list over and three classics called out to me straight away. After seeing The Smiths – ‘The Queen Is Dead’ released again in a special form for Record Store Day but deeming it a touch too expensive, I managed to pick up a vintage copy. I also managed to purchase The Smiths – ‘The Smiths’ too. I’m not sure if they are the first pressings but I’m not too concerned. The sleeves were worn but still in a pretty good condition which pleases me somewhat.
The Rock and Roll Hotel was in full party swing last Friday night in celebration of the Hotel’s 5 Year Anniversary, and who better than Raleigh’s The Love Language to kick off the weekend’s festivities, with their infectious lo-fi indie pop rock. Despite the torrential rain earlier in the evening, the crowd was undeterred and cheerful, and The Love Language returned the sentiment with recognizable pleasers, the kind of songs you’ve been playing all summer at weekend barbecues and during long car rides to the beach.
While they did play a couple of new tracks towards the end of their set, including a song dedicated to Cody Votolato of Telekinesis (and The Blood Brothers), with whom they just toured last spring, the majority of the night was spent showcasing favorites from both their eponymous debut album and last year’s excellent Libraries release.
Tiger High is Pick Three’s first all-band effort. As a group, the Memphis-based Tiger High (Jake Vest, Toby Vest, Greg Faison, and Greg Roberson), tell us three things that they all agree upon.
The bands new Digi-Single,“Riding The Wave” b/w “Hot Black Honda”, as well as their debut album “Myth Is This” are available for download from Trashy Creatures Records secure store . “Myth is This” is also available as part of a 250 count limited edition cassette release. Hear Tiger High previews on Trashy Creatures Radio on the Trashy Creatures Records home page and on Tiger High’s Bandcamp Site .
Toby Vest and the members of Tiger High stay pretty busy recording and producing records for local and national acts at Tiger High’s home base studio High/Low Recording.
This is one of the few albums we put on before rehearsal or a recording session. The whole thing is perfect, but it’s no surprise, because it came from San Francisco. Most of our favorite, current bands are from there: Thee Oh Sees, Sonny & The Sunsets, The Fresh & Onlys, Mikal Cronin, etc… Another great thing about “Goodbye Bread”: the first side is the exact amount of time it takes Toby to get motivated to do any actual work.
Formed in Los Angeles, the White Arrows’ story seems like it could have been written by one of the city’s many screenwriters. Mickey Schiff was born legally blind, and spent his childhood sharpening his auditory senses and teaching himself music. Suddenly, at age 11, Schiff amazingly gained sight, and his world came alive in a burst of Technicolor light. After studying ritualistic shamanism at NYU, Mickey returned to L.A. to start White Arrows with brother Henry Schiff and childhood friend J.P. Caballero. However, unbeknownst to the brothers then, J.P. was literally family, courtesy of a sperm donation by his dad to help some friends conceive.
Curious what a band with that story sounds like? The band describes their sounds as “a joyous burst of kaleidoscopic beats, genre-hopping and psychedelic textures,” all with a little bit of L.A.’s Eastside sound thrown in to make it feel like home. Hometown heroes, Airborne Toxic Event, have already embraced them by having them open up for their big El Rey show this past April.
If you like what you hear, the White Arrows are headlining The Bootleg Theater this Thursday, August 25th. Tickets are only $8 and doors are at 9pm.
