Hundreds and hundreds of people streamed through the doors of the Fillmore Silver Spring on Sunday, June 17th for the Father’s Day Edition of the DC Record Fair.
Photographers Shairy Pabon and Alison Tremblay were there to capture the day. First, Shairy’s shots:
The “This Summer”/”Cruel Summer” 7-inch is the latest offering from classy ‘90s survivors Superchunk, and while not up to the level of the band’s finest work, that really doesn’t seem to be its intention. Instead, it’s one of the better recent examples of indie rockers gracefully adapting to middle age.
Superchunk, the enduring Chapel Hill, NC based quartet whose existence served as the impetus for the creation of Merge Records, forms one of the biggest chapters in a book that’s yet to be written, specifically a detailed documentation on the topic of ‘90s indie rock. But the Merge connection is ultimately only a portion of Superchunk’s huge relevance to said movement, with the label’s first decade taking on a life of its own through defining records from names as disparate as Polvo, The Magnetic Fields, and Neutral Milk Hotel.
No, Superchunk’s deepest importance is in how they wed classicist pop-rock songwriting to post-hardcore structures and energies and in their very no-big-dealness became very much a big deal. And clueless magazine writers were often caught guilty of misinterpreting the meaning of their early foulmouthed anthem “Slack Motherfucker,” detailing it as a celebration of calculated laziness and underachievement.
But those who loved the band already knew that one of Superchunk’s most appealing collective character traits was extra-musical, namely their tenacious work ethic; tour incessantly, write and hone songs, record albums, and then tour some more. On top of all this fruitful activity Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance somehow found time to run a label.
All words and images: Aaron Thompson
In the first segment of Thursday’s Philip Glass show at ISSUE Project Room, the notes of Metamorphosis rang through the music hall in currents, and the audience waited for each note as the silence became more palpable.
During the louder moments his head bowed down so it almost touched the keys, and then rose again as the piece receded back into soft waves of arpeggios. One piece led into another until the last note lingered against the stone walls, barely audible and broken by the applause of the crowd that filled every seat in the room. The crowd quieted, and the composer walked off the stage as a large vibraphone was moved in front of the grand piano.
I hadn’t listened to Tristan Perich’s music, and wasn’t sure what to expect from the piece including, as the program read, solo vibraphone and 2-channel 1-bit electronics. The quiet, droning layer of melodic noise created a wash of sound for the vibraphone notes to hover over, and in one of my favorite moments of the night the vibraphone player, Michael McCurdy, picked up a bow to his right and bowed a single note, then set the bow down and played under that lingering note.
In tandem with the release of The Mynabirds’ brand new LP Generals, front woman Laura Burhenn has embarked on an ambitious portrait project entitled “The New Revolutionists,” the purpose of which is to “pay tribute to the vast web of women who do various types of important work: artists, community organizers, doctors, mothers, women who embrace their lives and work to help and empower those around them. It is an awareness campaign for non-profits, women and works of art that empower.”
The week we’re turning TVD over to Laura to delve a bit deeper into the lives and inspirations of five of the many revolutionary American women the project serves to spotlight who are making a difference in their own communities across America. —Ed.
“I first met Lagusta Yearwood virtually through mutual friends and immediately fell in love with her spunk. I knew her as a vegan chocolatier and owner of Lagusta’s Luscious with a penchant for telling the online world (and beyond) just exactly how she felt about everything from presidential and local politics to celebrity culture to fashion to her Riot Grrl playlists-of-the-moment.
Her posts were fiery and endearing and ready to ruffle feathers on any side of the aisle or spectrum. I just love a woman who doesn’t ascribe to one single set of ideals, who doesn’t fit into just one category, who isn’t afraid to speak her mind—or admit when she’s wrong.
When I got to hang out with Lagusta in person (we finally met via her longtime partner Jacob Feinberg who was doing sound for Bright Eyes when I was on tour with them last year), I knew immediately we’d be lifelong friends. That she’s one hell of a human being is the most important thing. But it doesn’t hurt that she makes some of the most delicious sweet treats that you’ll ever put into your mouth — treats that just so happen to be vegan, cruelty-free and completely committed to fair, ethical trade.
Lagusta was photographed in New York City last August by Shervin Lainez at the same time we were shooting the album cover for Generals. At that point, I knew I wanted to include Avedon-style warrior portraits of women in the new album art. It wasn’t until I saw how striking the portraits turned out that I saw the potential of doing a wider photo project — tangentially-related to the Mynabirds album, but standing fully on its own — of a new generation of revolutionary American women. I love that Lagusta’s wearing her knife necklace, a symbol that’s used in her chocolate shop logo and serves as a double entendre reminder to “dish it out” as both a chef and conscientious member of society who aims to make her corner of the world better than she found it.
I caught up with Lagusta to ask her a few questions about her revolutionary ways — and to give us some song picks for a New Revolutionists mixtape.”
FETCH is a band that believes in the single. Not the “what song are you going to promote the most off your record?” single, but the real deal. In what the Chicago five piece is calling “The Matchbook Series,” FETCH is giving power back to the 45.
Over the course of 2012, the group plans to release four 7” singles of original FETCH music through Pravda Records. What makes the impressive undertaking even more noteworthy is how obvious it seems. FETCH’s Americana tinged punk rock begs to be heard through the crackle of a needle, and drags you back to a day when the single was king.
The second 7” in the series, “Don’t Tell Me” b/w “The Game,” will be released tomorrow, 6/19, in a limited edition of 300, hand-numbered, green vinyl. Check out the first release as well as details on this week’s record release show, below.
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.
Tes Elations – Visceral
Michael The Blind – Who Is She?
IAMDYNAMITE – Stereo
Burning Hotels – Always
Alphanaut – Back To The Stars (Acoustic)
Bogan Via – Kanye
Brown Shoe – I’m On Fire (Springsteen Cover)
Carrousel – Idée Fixe
Chocolate Robots – Young Luff
Dntel – Bright Night
TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Richard Hawley – Leave Your Body Behind You
Fallulah – I Lay My Head (Shook Remix)
alt-J – Fitzpleasure
Flight Facilities Ft. Giselle – Crave You (The Digital Connection Remix)
Giraffage – Feels
The Bronze Medal – Go Easy
Goldroom – Fifteen
Heldin – Profungalactic
Baby Monster – Hitchhiker
Height With Friends – I Can’t Stand To Be Refused
Mornin’ Old Sport – I Dont Care If The Sun Don’t Shine
29 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!
If you’ve been reading TVD for any stretch of time, there’s been a recurring theme or two. Well, records for certain. And me and my Dad.
Five years into this endeavor, we’re delighted to announce we’ve partnered with the good people at the Fillmore Silver Spring to bring you the next edition of the DC Record Fair—The Father’s Day Edition.
Here’s your DJ Line-up for Sunday!
11:00 AM – Alex Minoff | Extra Golden
12:00 PM – D. j. Pari | Soulpower RVA, WRIR 97.3 FM
1:00 PM – Brandon Weatherbee | You, Me, Them, Everybody
2:00 PM – Raul Zahir De Leon | All Our Noise
3:00 PM – DJ Dk | Saint-Ex
4:00 PM – Gavin Holland & Chris Burns | Mysteries of the Mind
Mark your calendars!
The DC Record Fair
Sunday, June 17, 2012 at the Fillmore Silver Spring
11:00–12:00, Early Bird Admission $5.00 | 12:00–5:00, Regular Admission $2.00
This edition of the DC Record Fair will feature 40 vinyl vendors from up and down the East Coast, our patented line up of guest DJs spinning on the hour, local vintage clothing and handmade craft pop-up shops, and a screen printing station run by Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. (The Bloody Mary bar remains a constant.)
The DC Record Fair is brought you by Som Records, DC Soul Recordings, and us!
Our thanks to Anthony Dihle of Fire Studios for his …stellar poster design!
Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
This week I’ve been at a serious pow wow, a meeting of the minds—music minds actually—with the intense single-minded goal of sharing music. Attending this conference was a “music head” from nearly every country in Europe, as well as homies from Australia and Japan.
Hanging with these folks got me thinking about some of my favorite songs from countries and cultures abroad. With a smile, I’m calling this Idelic Hour playlist “Doode International.”
So please dig on this hour of songs, many of which are sung in a tongue other than English. It features classic Brazilians Jobim, Gilberto and Regina. Old school chanson française Johnny Halliday and Sullivan, as well as contemporary French cool, 1995 and Polytechinques. Also in the mix: Japan, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Portugal, and beyond.
No need for proper pronunciation just hum along.
The Idelic Hit of the Week:
1995 – La Suite
On August 21st, psychedelic pop-freak folk darlings Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti will release Mature Themes, the follow-up to their 2010 debut album, Before Today.
Unlike its predecessor, the songwriting process for the new album gave Pink and his band time to develop things without dealing with a time crunch. “We had time to develop things without the clock rolling,” Pink recently told Rolling Stone. “It’d been about five years since I had an opportunity to sit down and develop things, which is something that has been bothering me. That’s the opportunity I got with this record.”
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti embark on a North American tour this summer in support of their forthcoming release and will stop at the 9:30 Club on September 13th. Also taking the stage that evening will be BODYGUARD and Moon Diagrams. You can listen to “Baby” from the new album while you patiently wait for the release and then the show.
By Charles Gray and Morgan Swank
Going to Bonnaroo is kind of like being at Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. If everything around you is delicious, how the hell do you choose to what to eat your fill of?
Although it’s probably the best first world problem you could have, Bonnaroo was a long weekend full of difficult decisions of which fantastic act to catch over the other. Luckily, Thursday started things lax as the day went over without the aid of its biggest stage. With plenty of smaller groups filling out This Tent or That Tent (literally), opening day was packed end to end with a wide range of music starting with Bonnaroo’s first act, The Dirty Guv’nahs.
Somewhat folky and kind of poppy, the Dirty Guv’nahs are an outfit whose sound fits snugly in all the right places and hangs loose exactly where it’s needed. Throughout the set, they pushed their southern comfort song style and huge stage presence with many cuts off their newest effort Underneath these Southern Skies. The Guv’s went through a fast-paced hour in front of a large crowd who swayed to their tunes and sang along as the Guv’s closed with an energizing “Hey Jude” that left behind a sense of optimism for the long weekend ahead.
Hey, Memphis! Here’s another round of shots to keep you partying through the best days of the week.
This weekend features a festival for a good cause, an album release party for a much buzzed-about Memphis trio, and a low-key electropop project from a member of one of your favorite indie rock bands. Get those feet ready; it’s time to groove all weekend.
Friday (6/15) features the album release party of the self-titled debut from Hi Electric at the Poplar Lounge. Todd Bartlett is a young rock composer who’s spent time crafting a full length with drummer Henry Talbot and bassist Alan Yee. Their music is skilled low-key rock and roll with textural flourishes and dry lyricism from Bartlett. Vaun is an ethereal textural pop project from the keyboardist of The Generationals. Also billed is Good Luck Dark Star, The Sultana, and Harlan giving the show lots of Memphis love.
The Walkmen are returning to the city they grew up in for a homecoming show that’s sure to light up 9:30 Club come October 4th. Expect songs from their latest release, Heaven, the new album from earlier this year that shows off a new level of musical maturity.
It’s becoming a point of embarrassment that I make a connection to The OC with every group I write about, and true to form, my first exposure to The Walkmen was a cameo performance of “Little House of Savages” on that titular teen drivel-drama.
It’s fitting, since The Walkmen are channeling Bob Dylan all over this new album, if Dylan had spent a lot more time on the West Coast and never went on to imbibe electronic instrumentation. Make no mistake, however—sunny waning melodies aside, The Walkmen get their edge from the East Coast, representing Philly and New York. They show a preference for vintage folk instrumentation, never more so than on this, their latest work.
“I own about 1,200 LPs and each one has some place in my heart or soul. At least I think so…maybe it’s time to listen to them all again, one by one.”
“Flashback to 1981: it’s a warm spring afternoon in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a small pack of youngsters and their chaperones has assembled to celebrate the commemoration of my sixth year on this earth. It was a special day for a few reasons. Yes, I acquired many amazing new Star Wars toys, however, the thing that made this day special, more unforgettable than many other birthdays of my youth, was getting my very first record player.”
It was a Winnie the Pooh Solid State Phonograph Record Player from Sears, and it was awesome. Along with the cool little portable hi-fi I received a copy of Men at Work’s Business as Usual to test out on my new device. I remember switching on the colorful box, and watching the bright white plate spin around and around as I glazed over in bliss. I knew this thing was going to get a lot of use. And it did.
Over the years I collected quite a few gems, most of which were given to me by my father or one of his rad, seventies-looking friends. From my Sesame Street Disco LP to my heavily-played Beatles hand-me-downs, I was hooked on the crackle and instant gratification of needle-meets-wax.
With summer hanging over our heads, its arrival just under a week away, the music is growing plentiful in the streets of New Orleans. We’ve done what we can to pore through your options, so may we present to you…some TVD selects!
Previous TVD Interviewee, Micah Mckee’s latest ensemble, Little Maker, is at HOB this eve, for Friday Happy Hour. The show starts at 5pm and it’s free. This is the perfect weekend liftoff and plenty of time to get toasty before heading deeper into the quarter, if that’s your thing.
Presented by Aquarium Drunkard, local celebs MyNameIsJohnMichael are at One Eyed Jacks tonight, along with The Breton Sound. With a new teaser titled Orphans and Elders, it’s just scratching the surface of MNIJM’s forthcoming release Picture Perfect Past. Catch some of these new ditties starting at 9pm, suckahs.
