Monthly Archives: August 2015

Graded on a Curve:
4 x Liquid Liquid

In 1980s New York City Liquid Liquid hung at the crossroads of Downtown and No Wave but are more retrospectively notable for unwittingly laying the musical bedrock for an early rap hit and helping to pave the way for both the paradigm of post-rock and the new millennium’s indie-dance agenda. Superior Viaduct’s reissues of the group’s three EPs are hot off the griddle, as is an LP devoted to relevant prior acts Liquid Idiot and Idiot Orchestra. Folks needing all four can acquire them in a special-priced bundle exclusively from the label. Those looking to dabble can buy separately and in stores.

Featuring drummer Scott Hartley, bassist Richard McGuire, vocalist Salvatore Principato, and marimba specialist Dennis Young, Liquid Liquid announced their presence in 1981 with two EPs issued on 99 Records, a home to significant if initially neglected indigenous happenings of the period; Glenn Branca, Bush Tetras, Y Pants, and ESG were all documented on the influential venture of Ed Bahlman.

But not so fast; before Liquid Liquid’s formation the members were part of two related bands, the older of the two being Liquid Idiot. They formed circa the late ‘70s down New Jersey way at Rutgers University and migrated to Gotham to play gigs. The flyers for these events would encourage the audience to bring their own instruments and join right in, and at one of these hootenannies Dennis Young showed up, playing marimba from the floor.

Liquid Idiot recorded a 7-inch in McGuire’s living room while still in New Brunswick; offering loose, thoroughly non-pro art-inclined DIY totaling 15 minutes, its nine tracks spring from a framework of guitar and rhythm as clarinet, saxophone, and a cheap organ intermittently enter the fray. Favoring abstraction and repetition over melodious concerns, Liquid Idiot’s beginner’s stabs at free jazz/Trout Mask-era Magic Band/general avant-gardism are likeable if far from mind-blowing. Occasionally, the thrust’s comparable to the Los Angles Free Music Society.

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In rotation: 8/27/15

Virginia pressing plant to open after discovering vinyl press “motherload”: “Virginia-based Furnace Manufacturing have been packaging records for nearly 20 years, but now they are ready to expand to pressing vinyl after acquiring 10 pressing machines. It will surely be a great boost to the already stretched vinyl industry and the story of how the company tracked them down is surprising.”

New record store will always be a home to Teds, mods, punks, and rockers: “A record store, which will celebrate its grand opening this weekend, aims to create a fashion archive which will date back to the start of the Second World War. Modus, in Belper, stocks books, vinyl and posters specialising in soul, R’n’b, reggae and more.”

Vinyl Vortex! Record Swap At Volcom HQ Recap: “Sunday August 23rd Volcom Entertainment held the “Vinyl Vortex” in our very own Volcom HQ skatepark! Many vendors showed up with tons of vinyl to sell and trade.”

Record store increases security in wake of thefts: “A Providence record store is making some changes after thieves made off with more than $1,000 worth of merchandise. The owners of What Cheer? say their entire collections of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin vinyl albums were taken on two separate occasions.”

Classical Music: Princeton Record Exchange still thriving after 35 years, “For 35 years, Princeton Record Exchange has been a lodestone for music lovers. Its business model of buying lots and selling low has made for a rapid turnover of inventory and a pulse-quickening sense of adventure for treasure hunters of all stripes.”

Pittsburgh record store owner charged in running criminal enterprise that stole $2M from local retailers: “Investigators also executed a search warrant at Slipped Disc, the Pittsburgh used record store that Cicero owns. There they found approximately 1,500 suspected stolen items with a retail value of more than $44,000.”

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TVD Premiere: Oh, Be Clever, “River”

Oh, Be Clever’s latest electro epic is a majestic song about overcoming (sometimes potentially self-made) adversity—and we’re pleased to debut it today along with its free download.

“This song is about seeking validation in all the wrong places,” said Brittney Shields, the band’s singer and lyricist. She expounds on this theme over a booming production orchestrated in tandem with the duo’s other member, Cory Scott Layton. A long outspoken advocate for mental health awareness, Shields is refreshingly open and honest about feelings of depression and anxiety. “When we wrote this I was very insecure. I’d do almost anything to get someone to like me. It’s about the feeling you get when you come to terms your flaws and let go of the baggage holding you back.”

While it was from this place that Shields began composing the words of “River,” she did not want to limit its import with a narrative arc, or worse, with an explicit declaration of meaning. She noted that the song starts from a premise, “River is about accepting your flaws and living happily with them.” The band, however, invites the listener to exercise her own interpretive prerogative. “There are a million different ways a person could interpret this song, and that’s kind of the way we want to keep it. Leave it up to your own life experience and the way you relate to it.”

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Graded on a Curve:
David Bowie,
Diamond Dogs

So I was walking down the street in London one time and who do I run into but David Bowie. Give the man his privacy, I think, but in the end I can’t resist saying, “Mr. Bowie, I just want to tell you I’m a huge fan.” To which he replies, “I am a God. You are a repugnant toad and smell funny.” Then waving his hands about in the air for me to disappear, he says, “Shoo, shoo.”

Okay, so that never happened. But if it had happened I’d still be one of the biggest Bowie fans in the world. I rate him the greatest artist of the seventies, during which he didn’t put out a single less-than-great LP except 1974’s David Live. Name me another great musician about whom that can be said. Dylan? Don’t make me laugh. Lou Reed? Hardy har-har. The only band that even comes close is Steely Dan, and they’re not really in the same league and besides, they blew it in my opinion with 1977’s Aja, which they produced to death. Sure, critics had their doubts about 1979’s Lodger, the last of Bowie’s Berlin trio with Brian Eno, but over the years the album has been given a second look and deemed underrated.

Another album that was seriously underrated upon its release was 1974’s Diamond Dogs. Conceived initially as a theatrical production about George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Bowie’s ambitions foundered when the author’s estate said no way, Jose. The concept album that evolved out of that idea is as sketchy as most concept albums, and you need know nothing about Bowie’s ideas about a future dystopia to enjoy the hell out of “Rebel Rebel” or “Rock ‘n’ Roll with Me.”

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Moon Taxi,
The TVD Interview

Progressive indie jam rockers Moon Taxi are picking up steam in a variety of scenes and their relentless touring and energetic live performances have made them a fan favorite. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, the 5-piece creates a blended upbeat sound and wih a new album coming out in the fall, they are constantly pushing the envelope with their memorable vocal melodies and powerful instrumentation.

On their current summer tour which has stopped at most major music festivals, they swung through Chicago for Lollapalooza. We spent time with guitarist Spencer Thomson and keyboardist Wes Bailey to discuss life on the festival circuit, how the venue and vibe might change their set, and their methodical process to recording for a vinyl record.

Welcome, great to have you guys. How’s your Summer been going thus far?

Spencer Thomson: Wonderful. We’ve been playing a lot of festivals, getting around playing new songs off our upcoming album. Having a good time.

You guys have any favorite shows so far?

ST: We just played British Columbia for the first time for a festival called Pemberton.

Beautiful venue…

ST: Yeah wonderful. Our first time up there, that was a real standout for sure.

So, how would you say the space you’re playing might affect the way you perform? You guys play a lot of these huge, open festivals in front of enormous groups of people—how does that compare to playing a small, intimate indoor venue?

ST: Sheer volume. You know, we try to make things as loud as possible. The song selection might be a little different, you know? Especially whether it’s day or night, it might be a bit of a different set. It’s something that we like to do, consider all those things and be able to kinda modify ourselves and the set to fit the environment.

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Shell Zenner Presents

Greater Manchester’s most in the know radio host Shell Zenner broadcasts the best new music every week on the UK’s Amazing Radio. You can also catch Shell’s broadcast here Wednesdays at TVD.

“This week’s show kicks off with a veritable feast of fuzz and guitar mayhem—SO SO HYPED.

Gonna spin Rope Store, Venice Trip, Vendettas, Hidden Charms, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Heaters, Fidlar, Hinds, The Black Tambourines, JUNK, Wolf Alice, Hooton Tennis Club, AFFAIRS, Dave McCabe, Passport To Stockholm, Zibra, Oslo Parks, Kyko, Dios Mio, Avec Sans, Maribou State, Present Paradox, Deadbear, Night Games, Frett, Lost Dawn, and more!

Oh, and on this week’s show I’ll be catching up with Halifax youngsters The Orielles. Their new tracks are sounding mighty fine and they chat to me about how they got together, the first song they ever played as a band, working with Jez Kerr from A Certain Ratio, and about their Festival No 6 Plans

Total Babes are on the bandstand this week too and Elena Katrina from Popped Music tips for us too!” —SZ

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Graded on a Curve:
Sarah McQuaid,
Walking into White

Born in Madrid, the multifaceted folk musician Sarah McQuaid was brought up in Chicago, studied in France, and after a lengthy stay in Ireland currently lives in Cornwall, England. Early in 2014 she traveled to Cornwall, New York to record a follow-up to 2012’s The Plum Tree and the Rose; the result is the trimmest release of her career as McQuaid continues to push the boundaries of an engaging and increasingly personal sound. Issued in the UK/Europe this past February, Walking into White is out now on CD in North America through Waterbug Records to coincide with a September-October US tour.

Borrowing a term from the realm of organized sports, or for those who simply can’t abide the playing of games, the performing arts, Sarah McQuaid is what’s known as a triple-threat; that is, she does three things extremely well, specifically sing, play guitar, and write songs, though she initially excelled more at the interpretation of traditional and even centuries old material.

To elaborate, 1997’s debut When Two Lovers Meet examined trad Irish sources and offered a fine balance of focus between the strength of McQuaid’s playing and the power of her voice, hitting peaks in the unaccompanied six-minute “Táim Cortha Ó Bheith Im’ Aonar Im’ Luí” and “The Parting Glass,” a closing duet with the esteemed Irish vocalist Niamh Parsons.

Backed by additional guitar and ukulele, cello and fiddle, keyboard and double bass, and those Irish standbys whistle and pipes, the sound is far from monochromatic, a circumstance abetted by the sole original composition. “Charlie’s Gone Home” is a decidedly more contempo folk proposition reminiscent of a ditty heard on the countertop radio while visiting the apartment of one’s favorite fifty-something hippie librarian aunt for Sunday brunch.

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In rotation: 8/26/15

Sweet Melissa Records on the Square fueling the resurgence of vinyl records: “A fuller and warmer sound. Something to physically interact with. The ease of discovering something new. These are the reasons why the owners of Antiques on the Square say the resurgence of interest in vinyl records is more than just a passing fad.”

Your vinyl record collection deserves organization: “Have a burgeoning vinyl record collection? It’s time to get serious about organizing. Sure, you could go to Office Max and buy some cheap plastic bin. I think we both know if you’re spending the time to collect, you should make it presentable. Luckily, Jonathan Dorthe feels the same way. He has handcrafted record separators to give all that vinyl a stylish home.”

Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown Soundtrack Set for Vinyl Reissue: “Starring Pam Grier as Jackie Brown, who goes down in our book as one of the most engaging and compelling record collectors on film, the film’s iconic soundtrack will come back to vinyl this autumn courtesy of Rhino. Pressed to heavyweight 180gram vinyl, it’s packed with ’70s RnB, including cuts from Bobby Womack, Bill Withers, Pam Grier, The Delfonics, Minnie Riperton and more, interspersed with moments of dialogue from the film.”

The Godfather Part II score set for reissue on blood red vinyl: “The reissue has been pressed to heavyweight 180g vinyl and comes packaged in a gatefold sleeve. The first 1000 copies of the new run are available on suitably blood red wax. The Godfather Part II reissue will be available on September 21.”

Rare Muse Vinyl LPs now reissued for 2015: Back in stock are these reissued Muse Vinyl LPs. Original limited run copies are now selling for a premium but you can get your hands on these more sensibly or affordably priced reissues, still destined to become emminently collectable in future if retained in a mint condition.

WSIU Seeks Donations for Classic Vinyl & Media Sale: “Carbondale, Ill.: “Wanted! Your gently used stereo equipment, record albums, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, electronic games, and audio books for WSIU Public Radio’s 8th Annual SIRIS Classic Vinyl & Media Sale, coming to the University Mall in Carbondale, next to Kirlin’s Hallmark, on Saturday, September 12 from 10am-9pm and Sunday, September 13 from noon-5:30pm.”

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The Batture Boys offer free download to commemorate Katrina

Tommy Malone of the subdudes and Ray Ganucheau of the Continental Drifters have a brand new musical collaboration called the Batture Boys. They have quietly been recording a new album produced by Grammy award winner Jim Scott and are offering a free download of the first single, “The Mighty Flood.”

The two musicians have been working together for over twenty years beginning with the subdudes’ 1996 release, Primitive Streak. Ganucheau also recorded and toured with Malone for his two solo releases, 2001’s Soul Heavy and last year’s critically acclaimed Poor Boy.

Over the past month, the two musicians have joined drummer Johnny Vidacovich for two of his trio nights at the Maple Leaf Bar. I was in attendance both nights and marveled at the near-telepathic ability of the three to musically communicate.

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Alphas,
The TVD First Date

“I don’t think I realised exactly what vinyl would mean to people when I was growing up.”

“My parents and older brother both had large collections and I would play about with them like they were toys. Inevitably at some point I would experience the wrath of my Dad or brother when they came home to find their vinyl collections scattered around. “Pfft, they’re only records,” would be my stock answer, which is a bit hypocritical considering I would now spill blood if anyone ruined my music collection.

I spent a lot of time raking through record drawers and cases picking out albums I hadn’t listened to, and I always remember the feeling of finding something new and wanting to repeat it over and over; a habit which I still have to this day. I can get quite obsessive when I hear an album I like for the first time and will play it to death for weeks without listening to anything else. Radiohead’s OK Computer, Jeff Buckley’s Grace, Takk by Sigur Ros and The National’s High Violet have all got this treatment over the years.

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Chris Stapleton:
The TVD Interview

East Kentucky native Chris Stapleton is an anomaly in today’s commercial country milieu. While his songs have been recorded by some of the genre’s biggest stars—Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker—his own music is anything but mainstream. Absorbing the best of country’s past, his powerful voice reveals a prominent soul influence.

If Otis Redding had made a country album, it might have sounded a lot like Traveller, Stapleton’s solo debut. Garnering nearly universal acclaim, it is one of the best major label male country releases in recent memory.

He’s also becoming a regular on the talk show circuit, with appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The View and Late Night With Seth Meyers. TVD sat down with Stapleton before his appearance at Louisville’s Forecastle Festival to talk about recording the album, vinyl, and Tennessee whiskey.

The sound and writing on your album really stands out against most of the current country field. Was this your intention?

I was just trying to make the best record I could make. I had a single that died in October 2013 and then my dad passed away the same month. It’s part of life but it’s a rough thing and it flipped a switch in me. It helped me focus on what I was doing and what kind of music I wanted to make. It also made me think of the music I grew up on.

Then I heard Sturgill (Simpson)’s last record and I really liked the sound of it. That made me seek out (producer) Dave Cobb. I thought, “Here’s a guy who makes records the way I like them to sound.” It sounds like things I grew up on and I didn’t know that (type of production) still existed. It’s something that, sonically, I chased down unsuccessfully for fourteen years. I met with Dave and we liked each other tremendously so we started to make the record.

Again, I am struck by how different the album sounds than what commercial country radio is playing, but yet you’re having success…

Actually, the single we had on the radio didn’t work but, yeah, people like the record. I don’t know how to quantify that into what’s making the album work.

You’ve had several songs covered by artists who do get a substantial amount of airplay on country radio. What do you think it is in your songwriting that appeals to them? Have you asked them?

No, I’ve never asked that question, “Why do you like this?” (laughs), but I’m thankful that they do. The vast majority of my income over the last fourteen, fifteen years has come from being a songwriter. That’s allowed me to do other things creatively, like being in bands and make records a little outside of what (the mainstream) is. I’ve always walked in doors that were open and if someone wants to record one of my songs, I’m certainly thankful for it.

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UK Artist of the Week: Flower Fellow

Flower Fellow, also known as Colette Olive, lives up to her name in every way possible. Although she may be young, she is a child of the ’70s at heart and her latest single “Madman” expresses just that. With its hippy-folk vibes and Colette’s hauntingly wise vocals, Flower Fellow has created a sound that fits perfectly with her personality and style.

“Madman” is an enchanting tale filled with flittering folk strings and a mesmerizing vocal from Colette. Her voice has the power of artists such as Florence and The Machine, but also manages to evoke the soft, tenderness of the likes of Lucy Rose and Marika Hackman.

Hailing from the outskirts of London, Colette grew up in a quiet town heavily influenced by a range of artists such as Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin—as well as writers including Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. She found inspiration from these authors and artists and then went on to attend the London Art College and begin her journey as an artist in her own right.This girl is going places, so you’d better watch this space.

“Madman” is out on September 4th via Circus City Records.

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Graded on a Curve: Nirvana, Nirvana

In 1991 a Pacific-Northwest three-piece changed the direction of the record industry, securing a spot in music history as the spearhead of Grunge. In 2002 a self-titled album attempted to sum up their essence; rather than electing to represent the trio’s actual range, Nirvana is dominated by chart entries, a handful of non-surprises, and a (then) previously unreleased track. On August 28 it’s available on LP through Universal as either a 45rpm 200gm double or a 33rpm 150gm single, each with accompanying download.

To obtain a full grasp of how well Nirvana succeeds in offering a tidy retrospective of an important, oft volatile, and enduringly polarizing act required getting reacquainted with their discography from ’88 to ’94. With time spent the verdict is in: first hitting racks roughly 8½ years after Kurt Cobain’s suicide and a little over a decade removed from the band’s unexpected runaway success, Nirvana ultimately falls short of top-tier.

This assessment comes not by any fault of the group but through unimaginative assemblage and a problematic title. Leaving the occasional sarcastic usage aside, the words Greatest Hits summarize an objective truth, and the use of Best Of, while potentially arguable, is a nomenclature making its intentions plain. The eponymous treatment employed here is merely ambiguous.

If the purpose behind Nirvana was to encapsulate its subject’s breadth and heights on one record the results don’t meet the goal. Far too safe to accurately embody the Best, it essentially flirts with Greatest Hits; perhaps the term was just considered tacky when applied to retail achievements stemming partially from a perceived lack of calculation and even borderline disinterest.

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In rotation: 8/25/15

Vinyl, an old medium, gets new following: “23-year-old Sean Franks said he prefers vinyls over streaming. ‘There is something about the physical side of it, isn’t there? Instead of just surfing through names and titles and all that and actually holding a piece of something that you physically put on, that is better than clicking a flat screen,’ said Franks.” (Ed. note: don’t say “vinyls.” It’s incorrect.)

Watch This! ’80s Car Had A Tiny 3″ Record Player Built In!: “Nissan’s Datsun 810 Maxima had a three inch vinyl record under the dashboard…Believe it or not, the voice was played off a 3″ white plastic record. Tucked under the dashboard, the tiny phonograph record would play one of six parallel grooves each cut with a warning about the current state of your Datsun. There was even a stylus and tonearm of sorts that tracked along the record whenever each command was triggered by the car’s control circuit.”

Acadiana Vinyl Haul’s First Record Signing Party: “Two of Acadiana’s top local artists were at The Grouse Room for The Acadiana Vinyl Haul‘s first ever Record Signing Party on Sunday, August 23rd. Fans had a chance to meet Sonny Landreth and Brother Dege and have the opportunity to ask them some questions, take photos and get records signed.

Thefts of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd LPs baffle Providence record store owners: “Thieves this year in at least two separate incidents robbed What Cheer Records on Providence’s College Hill of its entire catalog of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin records, a serious blow for the independent record store. ‘It seems like someone really wants to have a big classic rock collection‘…”

The List: 3 places to get your vinyl records,”Much like print journalism, vinyl records and record stores have long been considered dead or dying. But despite the world going digital, three record stores in Eastern Connecticut are keeping the music alive and serving as a lifeline for vinyl records and those who play them.”

Vinyl addicts flock to charity shop’s biggest record sell-off: “Vinyl addicts flocked from miles around at the weekend to a tiny Oxfam store in Chipping Norton which held its biggest vinyl sell-off since it opened five years ago. In May and June the shop received two major anonymous donations of 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s gold – a total of 570 LPs and 340 singles. Staff estimated the sale could net the charity more than £5,000.”

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TVD Live Shots: The
6th Annual Gwar BQ at Hadad’s Lake, 8/15

It’s not every day that we run 2 features back to back on the very same event—but every event simply isn’t the annual Gwar BQ, now is it? You can catch a full recap below this feature—and highlights of the live sets right after the jump. —Ed.

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  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


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