Monthly Archives: September 2011

TVD Live: tUnE-yArDs, Beachland Ballroom, 9/27

Tuesday was essentially a Monday for me this week.

Everything was wrong, everything was blah, and I was wishing the day away and welcoming the night because I knew I would be inside the Beachland Ballroom getting to hear the soulful voice of Merrill Garbus, backed by the basslines of Nate Brenner and a couple of raw saxophones.

I had the utmost faith that the daring musicianship of tUnE-yArDs would save my day (and perhaps propel me through the rest of the week).

How do you describe tUnE-yArDs?

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TVD Live: Cymbals Eat Guitars with Hooray for Earth and Beige at the Black Cat, 9/24

Cymbals Eat Guitars recently released their sophomore album, Lenses Alien, to critical acclaim. They have seemingly avoided the “sophomore slump” and created an album that has something for everyone. Lenses Alien doesn’t sit still, it is in constant motion, it pushes the listener to constant motion, it’s a jumble of melodies and rhythm that borrows from many genres. Pop? It’s there. Noise rock? It’s there, too. Post-hardcore? Yep. It’s all wrapped up and rolled into a rock record.

The band’s current lineup came about shortly after the release of their first album Why There Are Mountains. It was while playing CMJ in 2009 that they, as they currently are, found their groove. They had only known each other briefly before the festival began, and used the showcases as practice. By the time they opened for the Flaming Lips in London, they had only played about ten shows together.

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TVD Live: Clean Air Clear Stars Festival
at Pappy & Harriet’s,
9/23–9/24

Since 2005, the Clean Air Clear Stars Global Cooling Festival has drawn music fans out to the dusty plains of Pioneertown to enjoy a weekend of entertainment and revelry under the expansive desert skyline.

The purpose of the festival is to raise money for ecological charities, with proceeds this year set aside to benefit the Arbor Day Foundation. Bands from all over the world (but mainly California, Portland and England) showed up to perform over two days last weekend. We were on hand to join in the festivities and attempt to document the experience.

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What Do You Get When You Cross Modest Mouse with Tom Waits? The Brilliant Sound of San Francisco’s Blisses B

This is why I love writing for The Vinyl District. The singer of San Francisco band Blisses B sends me an email and asks if I would check out his band’s sophomore release. Although I have never heard of these guys, it’s a sincere email that’s personalized so I take a listen. It’s a pleasant surprise and now I am hooked.

Having heard a lot of great bands in San Francisco, I have to say this is by far one of the finest. These guys makes brilliant unorthodox “pop” music ( I use that term pop VERY loosely) that is musically complex, remarkably catchy and falling somewhere between Modest Mouse and the legendary Tom Waits. Intrigued yet?

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Posted in TVD San Francisco | 2 Comments

TVD Live: The Rapture at U St Music Hall, 9/25

The bass was loud, and the DJs played dance-worthy beats, but the crowd was packed in towards the front by the stage, completely “Rapture-ready” for the sold-out show at U Street Music Hall.

Some hail In the Grace of Your Love as The Rapture’s “revival,” but no revival is stronger than the post-punk revival inspired by the band in 2000. Often compared to Gang of Four with vocals that tinge on the gothic wailing of The Cure, The Rapture packed U Hall on a Sunday night.

As they opened with “Sail Away,” the first track on 2011’s In the Grace of You’re Love, I admit a slight tremor of fear overtook me as I prepared myself for a set heavy on tracks from this album. Nevertheless, Luke Jenner’s Robert Smith-tinted vocals rocketed the audience along a well-crafted set of gems mined from each album the Rapture has released since the early 2000s.

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Nicholas Payton and Chris Severin to join
the Trio

This evening at the Maple Leaf Bar, two stalwarts of the jazz scene in New Orleans will join Johnny Vidacovich.

The Trio gig at the uptown club is always one of the best regularly scheduled weekly events in the city. However, sometimes you won’t know whether bassist George Porter Jr. and guitarist June Yamagishi, who developed the free form musical concept along with Vidacovich, will be on the gig until you get there.

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TVD Ticket Giveaway: Theophilus London with Ra Ra Rasputin at the 9:30 Club, 10/3

Theophilus London is bringing some of his Brooklyn swagger to 9:30 Club on Monday (10/3), and of course we have a pair of tickets for you to win.

London just released his debut full-length album Timez Are Weird These Days this past July after a string of successful mixtapes and the Lovers Holiday EP last winter. The Trinidad-born rapper’s unique, eclectic tracks have been hailed as much more than “indie-friendly hip-hop” [BBC], with influences as diverse as Morrissey and Michael Jackson often cited. Known for a fashion sense as fantastically ostentatious as his music, London has collaborated with Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio, Sara Quinn from Tegan and Sara, as well as renowned DJ and producer Mark Ronson during a Gucci campaign.

Huge bonus! Local heavy-hitters and 9:30 Club regulars Ra Ra Rasputin will start the night off with some genre-defying jams of their own. Is it electro-pop? Dance-punk? Afrobeat-synth-disco? Appropriately, their track “Montroy,” inspired by front man Brock Boss’s trip to Montreal, is a creative take on the pronunciation of the city’s name. Why play by musical rules in Quebec when they can’t even define your sound in your hometown of the District?

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Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 34 Comments

Memphis Means
Music Month

Join the Memphis Music Foundation for a special South Main Trolley Tour reception celebrating the opening of Memphis Means music Month. Enjoy complimentary food, beer, wine, and of course—Memphis music. www.memphismeansmusic.com

Memphis Means Music Month Kick-off Reception
When: September 30; 5:00-7:00pm
Location: Memphis Music Foundation, 431 South Main St.
Cost: Free Admission

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Shell Zenner Presents

Greater Manchester’s most in the know radio host Shell Zenner broadcasts the best new music every Thursday at 9pm and Sundays at 5pm on Salford City Radio.

You can also catch Shell’s broadcast right here at The Vinyl District, each and every Thursday.

15/09/11 with Other Lives by Shellzenner on Mixcloud

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5 Questions with Filthybird @hopscotchfest

Filthybird was a band our friend Alyssa DeHayes from Team Clermont suggested that we check out. We are very proud of ourselves for taking her advice.

The band is definitely one of our favoroite finds at this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival. Even though we did not get to see them play live in Raleigh, we’ve been listening to their album Songs for Other People non-stop.

It doesn’t look like they are touring much right now, but hopefully they will be on the road again soon. For now check out this episode of 5 Questions With featuring questions from Aunt Martha, Jeff the Brotherhood, Parachute Musical and Jamie Randolph and the Darkhorse.

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SoundLand Music Festival 2011 Part Three: Start with a Bang, End with a Boom!

The time has finally come. So far I’ve brought you two out of three parts of coverage from SoundLand, but now it’s time to say goodbye. I give you the final installment of my musical journey through the last day of SoundLand 2011. A moment of silence please…

Actually there’s no reason to be sad over the third and final review of my SoundLand experience, because the final day was actually the BEST day of the entire festival in my opinion. Not to mention every single act that I saw was Nashville based. I’ve got to hand it to SoundLand; they really know how to bring a festival home. See what I did there?

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TVD Vinyl Giveaway: The Pack a.d. Unpersons

Hard-hitting Vancouver duo, The Pack a.d., just released their fourth album, Unpersons, earlier this month, and they have taken their infectious garage-rock on tour. They will be heading to Chicago on October 6, to play at the Empty Bottle.

The show is FREE with an RSVP to rsvp@emptybottle.com, but if you’ve got extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, you can also pick up tickets for $8.

In anticipation for the show, we talked with Pack a.d. drummer Maya Miller about vinyl, the new release, and the tour. On top of that, we have a chance for you to win a SIGNED vinyl copy of Unpersons below!


The Pack a.d. | Sirens

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Posted in TVD Chicago | 10 Comments

TVD Live: Foster the People at 9:30 Club, 9/26

On Monday, L.A.-based American indie rock band Foster the People gave D.C. residents the opportunity to dance all night long with back-to-back sold-out shows at the 9:30 Club.

The Vinyl District caught the late show, opened by the Cults, a female-fronted indie-pop group from New York.

As the staff quickly ushered early show concert goers out, scrubbed the floor, and reset the stage for Round Two of Foster the People, a massive line formed around the block on V Street NW.

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Show of the Week: Dave Malone of the Radiators Joins Bonerama

This afternoon at Lafayette Square, the front man and guitarist teams up with a band that has been performing his music for some time now. He also has a new web site.


Mark Mullins, one of the three trombonists that make up Bonerama, has arranged a number of Radiators songs for a horn section. He has also performed with them numerous times over the years. Now it’s Malone’s turn to return the favor. It is his first local high profile stage appearance since the iconic rock group broke up in June after over 33 years together. The two are pictured together above.

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Vinyl Vision at
The Vinyl District

Vinyl Vision is an original weekly series at TVD produced by AmusicChannel.tv.

It takes an understanding of the vinyl sound to truly appreciate the vinyl record. Back in its day, vinyl was the de facto choice for anyone and everyone trying to own music. Today, for audiophiles and vinyl fanatics, it’s not just about the music – it’s the sound of vinyl, unique in itself, which is truly something special.

Crooked Beat in Washington, D.C. is one of those record stores that vinyl aficionados flock to.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment
  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


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