Monthly Archives: September 2013

“I grew up on vinyl. My father, who was a musician and audiophile himself, was a major influence in my musical upbringing and the sounds of Elvis, early Beatles, Beach Boys, and Abba (yes, Abba) were the background vinyl soundtrack of my youth.”

“Ya’ know, when you’re younger and you’re forced to listen to your parents’ music, you think it’s cheesy and for old farts. And I of course was no different from any other kid and wanted to discover my own music. Which, I eventually did. But I must say, my father handed me down a gem, which opened Pandora’s box for me.

After a few spins of the hit single, “Brass In Pocket” he got tired of Chrissie Hynde and her boys and casually offered me The Pretenders’ first album.

I was intrigued. She looked tough, a little intimidating, and very different from the girls on my Dad’s Abba albums. I wanted to know more, but there was only the front and back shot, and she was wearing the same outfit in both. The album had limited artwork, and the inner sleeve had no lyrics. Well, I soon found out that the music and her red leather spoke for itself.

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Last year, Frankie Rose turned a lot of heads with her second LP Interstellar, a record that far exceeded the expectations of even those already well versed in her significant background as a prime instigator of contempo noise pop rumblings. That disc’s follow up is titled Herein Wild, her first effort for new label Fat Possum, and if lesser than the album that greatly raised Rose’s level of visibility, it still finds this indie auteur traversing a solid, if by now somewhat familiar, creative path.

A major aspect in the profile of Frankie Rose relates to her membership in Crystal Stilts, the Vivian Girls, and Dum Dum Girls, all prominent names in the indie/noise/dream pop scene. And her involvement came early in the lifespan of all three bands, with this circumstance lending Rose well-deserved credibility as an originator in this likeable and often very interesting backward-looking contempo scenario, even before she bothered to step out on her own.

But step out is just what Rose eventually did, making her initial stride with the ’09 45 “Thee Only One” b/w “Hollow Life.” And it’s a record that does tread some pretty well-trod real estate, but in a manner very similar to her stylistic cohorts, the combination of confidence and range continues to make the disc a winner.

The A-side combines an uptempo melody with strong doses of echo and guitar raucousness and then completes them with a breathy but always engaging vocal presence. In summation, it’s exactly the kind of inaugural statement you’d expect to find as part of the Slumberland Records roster, but the flip’s slower, organ-kissed examination of more classically gal-pop environs remains a highly pleasant departure from the bold indie pop-isms of “Thee Only One.”

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“My obsession with vinyl records dates back to 2005 when I purchased a bundle of records even before I owned a turntable to play them on.”

“I remember seeing a vinyl sale from one of my favorite labels at the time, Asian Man Records. It was a mystery pack, but to me the perfect starter set, since it was a dozen new records for an affordable $40 or so. I remember receiving the package mailed directly from label owner Mike Park himself with a hand-written thank you note inside.

My only experience with vinyl prior to this was coming across my parents’ water damaged records sitting on a shelf in our basement. It was refreshing and inspiring to see bands and labels like Asian Man care about pressing music on vinyl.

Over the next year, I would casually and slowly add to my record collection. A punk record here, a ska-punk record there. It wasn’t until I saw the Jamaican film Rockers, that I found a love and fascination for reggae and traditional ska music as well as Jamaican culture. If you’ve never seen it, Rockers is a cult classic film that features many of the top reggae musicians and performers of the time playing themselves; it’s a must see for anyone with even a passing interest in Jamaican culture.

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It’s a miracle that anyone survives adolescence. And I’m not talking about drugs or driving 110 mph while on drugs or any of the other healthy activities normal teens engage in—no, I’m talking about potentially lethal sperm build-up. Speaking just for myself, I was a lusus naturae of unsated lust, and often found myself leering at vacuum cleaners. One day I discovered that my skull was producing an oily discharge, and it took a physician to inform me that I was literally secreting sperm through the follicles of my hair.

It was a lonely and demeaning condition, but fortunately I had The Raspberries. They were more than just the greatest power pop band ever—they were the Masters and Johnson of Rock. No other rock band has ever given more eloquent voice to the victims of adolescent hormonal overload. In such ardent and urgent songs as “Go All the Way,” “Tonight,” “I Wanna Be With You,” “Ecstasy,” and “Let’s Pretend,” The Raspberries spoke to the only subject that really mattered to poon-crazed teens like me—namely getting some, and preferably tonight.

The Raspberries formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1970, the year after the Cuyahoga River caught fire: an ill omen in hindsight, for despite their polished Beatles and Mod-influenced sound, irresistible melodies, arresting guitar hooks, and heavenly vocal harmonies, The Raspberries never scored a No. 1 hit on the singles or album charts before breaking up in 1975. The band’s first single, 1972’s brilliant “Go All the Way,” rose all the way to the No. 5 spot. They were never to come as close to the top of the pops again.

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Press Play is our Monday morning recap of the new tracks received last week—provided here to inform your vinyl purchasing power. We post, you click.

Junior Astronomers – Before Crimes
Color War – Obelisk
Brother Dege – The Black Sea
The Bynars – Dancing on a Dream
Las Kellies – Melting Ice
Leerone – Cherry Red
Wild Ones – From Nothing
The Royal Oui – Actual Size
Bailterspace – Films of You
Beachwood Sparks – Make It Together

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Big Deal – Swapping Spit

Holychild – Best Friends (DADO remix)
SETH – Dont Open Your Make
La Luz – Pink Slime
Left & Right – Rabbit
Running Red Lights – Mulberry Love
Skanky – 1 More Night (Amtrac Rave Dub)
SWF – Let It Be Told
Teen Daze – Listen
Black Hearted Brother – This is How it Feels
Vieux Farka Touré – Allah Wawi

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

My road trip this week continues from NYC to the great state of Tennessee. They call Nashville a “music town,” and there is certainly something to be said about that. Trusted music heads have been telling me about this Americana Music Conference, so I booked a trip down south to take a look-see.

Wednesday night’s AMC awards show was a surprise, a shocker in fact. The honorees, presenters, and live performers were a super cool mix of new bands and legends.

Highlights were Robert Hunter’s touching speech and performance of “Ripple,” Duane Eddy shredding “Rebel Rouser,” the Milk Carton Kids harmonies and humor, Emi Lou and Rodney, and the night’s winner Shovels & Rope.

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“So, you know when you find the PERFECT mate on your favorite online dating site? So, you go on a date. And it’s the most boring night EVER. Cleaning your toilet is more exciting.”

“So, you know when you’re out and happen to meet the eyes of a mysterious stranger. You immediately feel an inexplicable chemistry. You speak to one another and immediately realize NOTHING can stand in the way of the connection you feel.

So what if he/she lives halfway across the country, has a couple of kids, drinks a little too much, his/her face isn’t entirely symmetrical, etc., etc., etc…WRONG, right? And you go on to have the hottest sex EVER in the world.

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“Call me romantic, call me poisoned by one too many viewings of Almost Famous, but for me, the act of listening to a vinyl record—the ritual itself—choosing the record, undressing it—it’s calming.”

“It’s the equivalent of enjoying a great novel. The cover and sleeve may be crisp and sleek, or tattered and hanging by threads of broken cardboard, paper and memories. They have their own kind of wonderful, unique scent to them. If the scent is strong enough, you can probably taste it too. Your eyes lock onto the artwork, inviting you into its world. The grooves can get you—the sight of the needle gracefully running against the grooves until its reached its final destination—the sight of the record itself simply revolving. They all have hypnotic qualities.

Personally, I think there’s a special relationship between listener and vinyl record, just as there is between audience and performer. You can feel the warmth and spirit, just as you could experiencing the music live. It’s very personal, intimate, direct. The turntable is this tiny revolving stage upon which someone or some group gets to tell their story. I think that there’s something in the sound and production—whether the album be new or old—that transports you to this dimension where music is at its purest. It doesn’t belong to any one age or time period. There’s something in a vinyl, a record that transcends time.

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