Monthly Archives: May 2012

Richard Davies and Eric Matthews of Cardinal: The TVD Interview

By Rick Taylor | Published: May 15, 2012

Cardinal play Washington, DC’s Velvet Lounge tonight, 5/15.

The baroque, neo-psychedelia of Cardinal’s classic, self-titled debut album couldn’t have been more out of step with the indie rock world when it was released in 1994.

The album paired the prodigious talents of Australian songwriter Richard Davies, who had previously been a creative driving force in The Moles, with Eric Matthews, a bravura arranger and multi-instrumentalist who plays everything from harpsichord to trumpet and marimba.

Critically acclaimed upon its release, the record was both strangely anachronistic and remarkably prescient––it’s hard to ignore its influence on much of the chamber pop that followed (Belle and Sebastian and The Flaming Lips, in particular).

Despite the album’s unexpected success, Davies and Matthews went their separate ways shortly afterward to concentrate on vibrant solo careers and other collaborations.

Fast forward to 2012: Davies and Matthews surprise and delight music fans by announcing they have reformed Cardinal and are putting out a new album, Hymns, through Fire Records. To celebrate the album’s release, Cardinal is embarking on a short tour, which thankfully includes a stop at the Velvet Lounge tonight with Kuschty Rye Ergot and Cigarette.

To find out more about this most unexpected (and hugely welcome) reunion, I asked Davies and Matthews some questions via e-mail.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

TVD Live: Hoodie Allen at the New Parish, 5/10

By Amanda Pittman | Published: May 15, 2012

Thursday night I got off the BART and found myself lost. A couple of blocks in the wrong direction and I’d passed the same two boys a couple of times – they were 16 and equally lost. Together we found our way to The New Parish for Hoodie Allen.

When I arrived to the SOLD OUT show, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t oversold. People, while crowding the stage, still had room to move, but specifically dance. There wasn’t anyone too cool in the crowd.

Thursday night’s crowd was full of people under 21, maybe even mostly under 18, but they raged harder than most crowds of drunken twenty-somethings. And unlike the drunken twenty-somethings, they probably have better memories than we do, though I’d be curious to know how many pick up on all of his early pop-culture references from the late nineties and early two-thousands.

Posted in TVD San Francisco | Leave a comment

Cornershop’s Favourite
Record Shops

By Special to TVD | Published: May 15, 2012

Cornershop’s new LP Urban Turban, out on their own Ample Play label, hits store shelves today, 5/15, and we’ve cornered the duo’s Ben Ayres to answer the question all this week—what are Cornershop’s Favourite Record Shops?

We’ll get the lowdown on the shops the band deems the best across the globe, get the skinny on the new release, give away some gorgeous vinyl, and toss a free, rare track your way.

It’s Cornershop’s Favourite Record Shops, all this week at TVD.

Amoeba Records, San Francisco | “When Tjinder and I first went to Amoeba in San Francisco we were on tour and all we wanted to do was find the nearest record shop. In San Francisco, we first went to an incredible second hand only store where you literally had to dig through the boxes to get through the room. Fantastic place.

The other place we were advised to go to was Amoeba…the sheer size of Amoeba blew us away. We felt dizzy at the idea that there was no way anyone could have time to go through all the racks in a week, let alone a day.

So, we grabbed some used vinyl funk gems in the time we had and split down the road for a burrito, but it’s great to know it’s always there to dig a little deeper. It’s also right next to Golden Gate Park which makes it handy for a stroll afterwards where you can contemplate jazz and what the human be-in with Allen Ginsberg in that park must have been like in 1967.”

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

TVD Recommends: Heroes of Louisiana Music, tonight, 5/15

By Jay Mazza | Published: May 15, 2012

This evening, a new concert series presented by the Friends of the Cabildo and the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation begins. The series will highlight the music scenes in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Shreveport.

Tonight’s performance features New Orleans R&B musician C.P. Love. It will be held in the wonderful new performance space at the Old U.S. Mint, which is located at 400 Esplanade Avenue.

The doors open at 5:30 PM. The concert includes a 75-minute performance and 30-minute interview and question period. Read More »

Posted in TVD New Orleans | Leave a comment

Rachel Eckroth:
The TVD First Date

By Special to TVD | Published: May 15, 2012

Rachel Eckroth plays Bohemian Caverns tonight (5/15) with Mimi Jones.

“In 7th grade, I didn’t speak. Not one word. At least not to other people. I don’t think I started doing that until high school, and even then it was only under special circumstances. Such is the way of introvert.”

Being an introverted musician is complicated. Performing is a musician’s currency, and that doesn’t really go with being an introvert.

Enter my parents’ vinyl. They were a product of their generation, so I was swimming in the best of the 70s and 80s. And when it came to Pat Benatar, this introvert hit the hell out her best shot. There was no introvert when it was just me and the vinyl. The vinyl also brought out my many other hidden talents—I used to put Saltine crackers on my record player, turn it on and pretend I was a baker.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

Graded on a Curve:
Cornershop,
Urban Turban

By Joseph Neff | Published: May 15, 2012

With Urban Turban, Cornershop continue with their welcome and unexpectedly prolific return to the record racks. Collecting the fruitful results of a batch of collaborative singles, this album should easily satisfy old fans, while its playfulness, intelligence, and range will help recruit new ones.

From a distance, Cornershop’s career trajectory doesn’t seem all that unusual, being one of many early-‘90s indie bands to jump onto a larger stage (in this case through the Luaka Bop label) and deliver a hit song that basically defines their existence for most casual listeners. After a hiatus and a label switch they released a follow up before disappearing again, only to pop back into public consciousness with renewed purpose via their own label Ample Play.

But up close it’s rather impressive just how smoothly Cornershop picked back up right where they left off, and after some consideration the reason seems to stem from the very nature of Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayers sound. Unlike many acts that had brief affairs with the ‘90’s pop charts, there is really nothing in the group’s music that defines them as a product of that decade. Indeed, in my estimation if “Brimful of Asha” had been released last week instead of a decade and a half back, it would register as freshly up-to-date with nary a trace of the throwback.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

Who the hell is
Cavan Moran?

By Laurence | Published: May 15, 2012

Can you tell us where you are from and give us a feel for Cavan Moran the artist?

Sure. I’m from one time number one most deprived place to live in Great Britain, which is the Lower Blackley, Harpurhey, Moston area. Lived in around 8 houses here over the years. Had about 15 different groups of friends and a few million tree houses. Never saw it as being that deprived when I was growing up ’cause there wasn’t much to buy.

It was only when I was old enough to start walking into town and hanging out with other kids from other areas that I realised I didn’t have as much money as the other kids and that was only ’cause they were all drinkin’ Southern Comfort and smokin’ Marlboro lights. I’d drink Bells whisky and Napoleon brandy. This one girl had a TV that came up out of a bed. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen! That was until some kids put cigarette burns all over her trampoline.

As an “artist,” I started writing songs, and general writing at around 13 when I got my first guitar after listening to some Stiff Little Fingers and Sham 69 albums that one of my uncles taped for me. I started going backwards and forwards at the same time, listening to different types of music and at that age I couldn’t think of anything else that allowed you to do that so I stayed in the abyss.

Posted in TVD UK | Leave a comment

TVD Ticket Giveaway:
2 Skinnee J’s at the 9:30 Club, 5/17

By Katie Willmott | Published: May 14, 2012

The Mayans weren’t the only ones who thought the world was going to end in 2012 – it seems 2 Skinnee J’s are feeling uncertain about the future as well. The group will be taking the 9:30 Club stage on as part of their Pre-Apocalypse Now & Forever! Tour. Also performing that night will be Royal Teeth and Sou Orchestra.

The band has gone through an assortment of line-up changes, as well as agents, management, and record labels since originally starting in 1991.

Interestingly, the band’s current manager, A.J. “Stumpy” Johnson, allegedly won the band while playing a game of cards in Las Vegas.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 22 Comments

Cornershop’s Favourite
Record Shops

By Special to TVD | Published: May 14, 2012

I caught Cornershop live at the WUST Music Hall back in the ’90s before it become Washington, DC’s venerable 9:30 Club. Twas was a night of furious, global grooves which has stayed in mind for more than a few reasons, not the least of which was that a normally staid DC audience was moving. Dancing, even.

Also self evident that evening was the breadth of musical knowledge and influence on stage. One can’t traverse genres and cultures and world instrumentation without a heady record collection and time well spent rummaging through a fair share of record stores. I became envious of a record collection I perceived as a funky source code of knowledge and a need to know the record shops from where these slabs of vinyl emanated.

Thus, in tandem with Cornershop’s new LP Urban Turban on their own Ample Play label hitting store shelves tomorrow, we’ve cornered the duo’s Ben Ayres to answer the question all this week—what are Cornershop’s Favourite Record Shops?

We’ll get the lowdown on the shops the band deems the best across the globe, get the skinny on the new release, give away some gorgeous vinyl, and toss a free, rare track your way.

It’s Cornershop’s Favourite Record Shops, all this week at TVD.

Action Records, Preston | “We used to both regularly go to Action Records while at Preston Polytechnic in the late 80s. It was opposite the Rumble Club, one of the main music venues in Preston back then that had everyone play from Ted Chippington to The Fall.

It was (and still is) run by the legendary Gordon (and at that time his sidekick Alan). Both were enthusiastic, encouraging the local youth to get into exciting new music. Most of my favourite 80s independent label records were bought from this shop.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

TVD Live: Zola Jesus with JG Thirlwell and the Mivos Quartet at
the Guggenheim, 5/10

By Nathan Jurgenson | Published: May 14, 2012

My fourth time seeing Nika Roza Danilova play live under the Zola Jesus moniker, and, finally, everything seemed right.

Always a big fan of her records, I had yet to feel the music fully captured in a live performance. I’ve enjoyed the previous shows if for no other reason than watching someone express something that is real, and genuine always trumps perfect instrumentation or the right mix. But this show at the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan captured the power of Zola Jesus as none before.

If you’ve been before, you know the Guggenheim is a beautiful, spiral, white building famously designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, an aesthetic fitting with Zola Jesus’ blonde hair and all-white attire; most notably consisting of an eye-catching LED-lit neckpiece designed by Jenni Hensler that drew immediate cheers.

Posted in TVD New York City | Leave a comment

TVD’s Press Play

By Jon Meyers | Published: May 14, 2012

It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

RØSENKØPF – Light the Way
Ice Choir – Teletrips
The Intelligence with Kelley Stoltz – (They found me in the back of) The Galaxy
A Lull – Summer Dress
Bravestation – Tides of the Summit
Phèdre – APHRODITE
Giant Giant Sand – Detained
arrange – Caves
Mike Scheidt – In Your Light
Future Twin – Situation

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Marissa Nadler – Apostle

Lux – The Window
Erik Gundel – Then I Noticed the Time
Alekesam – Summer Jams
Tango In The Attic – Mona Lisa Overdrive
Noah and the MegaFauna – On and On
Sean Bones – Cobra Trips
Onuinu – Happy Home
John Butler – Mystery Man
The White Panda – Bittersweet Donald (Mac Miller / The Verve)
These United States – Born Young

30 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

TVD’s The Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel

By Jon Sidel | Published: May 11, 2012

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Last Friday, shortly after I sent in my Idelic column, I heard the news that Adam Yauch had sadly passed from cancer at the age of 47. MCA was the quietest of the Beasties. He was the kid who I knew the least, but the voice I respected the most.

Not only did MCA have “rasp and grit” but he was the first, and maybe the only, white rapper who made absolutely no attempt to sound “black.” The kid was not from the projects but he was street. As MCA eloquently put it, “While I’m making my record, your mother is sucking my mother fucking dick.”

It’s the way we grew up; upper class Jewish kids on stoops smoking joints and downing quarts of malt liquor. Although years later he would retract and apologize for his rude and sexist lyrics, MCA’s delivery and lyrics brought us and our cultures crashing together.

So, this week’s Idelic Hour is dedicated to MCA, Mike D, Ad-Rock, and all of us Beastie friends—a bi-coastal crew. Props to us New Yorkers who brought our “hanging on the stoop-graffiti” culture West.

Props to Drakulis and Rick, Sunny Bak, Haze, Matt Dike, Fab 5 Freddy, Ricky Powell, and others. And those LA dudes with their skateboards and laid back lingo (dooode!) Props to the Emquies brothers, Glen Friedman, Lyor, Fredco, B Dub, Kim White, and the Double B.

Over the years I’ve thought about the day The Beasties would turn from boys to men. Now the Beasties live with the Beatles and The Doors. Call the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame what you may, but it was great seeing them honor us all.

Love live MCA, long live The Beatie Boys, New York City rules the world—and I love LA too!

The Idelic Hit of the Week:
The Neighbourhood – Sweater Weather

Posted in The TVD Storefront | 1 Comment

The Black Seeds:
The TVD First Date

By Special to TVD | Published: May 11, 2012

“My favourite record store in New Zealand is called Conch, and it’s located in a suburb called Ponsonby in Auckland.”

“I like it for several reasons. Ultimately, they stock the kind of music I like: reissues of 60’s/70’s world music obscurities and the like. And they are great sales people for the music I’ve put out under different monikers, especially when it comes to putting it in the hands of people from out of town that come through the shop.

It’s also a great hub for the musical community I tend to associate with in general, so it’s nice to know I’m likely to bump into some friends there when I’m in town.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

Weekend Shots!

By Charles Gray | Published: May 11, 2012

Hey Memphis! Last weekend’s Music Fest brought lots of great acts through our town. Although you probably had your agenda set for this weekend for recovery, I’m compelled to tell you why you’re gonna have to scratch those plans. Short and simple, this weekend’s line up will be a refresher course on some of Memphis’s most talented natives.

Friday (4/11) at The Hi-Tone Cafe, Megan Reilly will be performing tunes all night, featuring a few from her new album The Well. Reilly is notable for heartfelt americana and her voice which has an impressive range and often runs through elaborate lines of decorated melodies.

The Well being her first effort in 6 years, the album has a lot to say in just seven songs making complex arrangements and composition ideas equal weight with poppy sounds and catchy choruses. Also, she’s gorgeous so that alone makes attendance almost compulsory.

Posted in TVD Memphis | Leave a comment

Weekend Shots!

By Amber Patrick | Published: May 11, 2012

Second weekend in May and you need ideas on where the music’s at, right? Cleveland’s brimming with possibilities and unlike our sports teams, our musicians always deliver. If you’re a college student you probably just wrapped up finals week and you need a little music to unwind. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered, too.

We’re going to tip our hats to some visiting musicians from New York as our featured show for the weekend. Just a little band by the name of Pearl and the Beard.

Alright, little is an understatement. This three-piece is quickly gaining speed as they tour the United States, spilling forth soul-filled tunes that exude such brilliance and hope. Tonight they’ll be playing at The Winchester in Lakewood. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, OR if you’re a student and you’ve got a valid ID, just $8! Don’t miss out on this band! They’re the perfect way to kick of summer vacation.

Here’s the best of the rest for the weekend: