Monthly Archives: November 2017

Needle Drop: Victoria Celestine, “Can You Hear The Echo?”

By Katie Moore | Published: November 28, 2017

Not only an esteemed producer with her own recording studio, Texas-based Victoria Celestine is also quite accomplished at creating her own catchy pop delights. Following the success of her previous single “Carrying On,” she’s now released another truly uplifting offering.

“Can You Hear The Echo?” is a soaring, electro-pop soundscape flowing with catchy, honey-sweet refrains alongside twinkling hooks and joy-filled romanticism. Exploring how the echo of your past will always remain and affect the relationships in your present, this new single is a wonderfully empowering, beautifully effervescent creation with shades of Ellie Goulding.

Having already received acclaim from the likes of Clash and The Line Of Best Fit, Victoria Celestine now looks set to continue charming listeners worldwide with her latest slice of vibrant electro-pop.

“Can You Hear The Echo?” is in stores now via Yellow Brick Music.

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UK Artist of the Week: Kevin Pearce

By Zara Hoffman | Published: November 28, 2017

Essex based singer-songwriter Kevin Pearce’s new single “Maria Come Home” has arrived just in time for winter, and it’s ready to warm you right up. As a result, we’ve aptly decided to make Kevin this week’s Artist of The Week.

The single is instantly atmospheric, filled with captivating strings, pretty piano notes, and Kevin’s heartbreakingly warm vocal taking centre stage. It could easily be mistaken for a Christmas song and despite its bittersweet sound in parts, it manages to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling throughout.

The single is an ode to the late, great soprano Maria Callas, an artist Kevin is personally touched by and the sadness of her story is clearly self-evident within Pearce’s widely emotive vocal. Kevin has already received support from a number of UK publications as well as BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.

“Maria Come Home” is from Kevin’s new album So On, in stores on 8th December 2017 via Dharma Records.

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Graded on a Curve:
The Searchers,
Another Night: The Sire Recordings 1979–1981

By Joseph Neff | Published: November 28, 2017

Far too frequently, when pop acts and rock bands attempt comebacks, the results register as disappointing. By extension, sometimes even good examples benefit from diminished expectations. This is not the case with The Searchers’ unexpected return to studio activity, the fruits of which are collected on Another Night: The Sire Recordings 1979-1981. Utterly avoiding nostalgia without straining for the new, they simply tapped into the period’s melodic-rock upsurge, and the albums’ meager commercial fortunes remain something of a stumper. No matter; they’ve aged quite well, and they’re out on 2CD with bonus cuts December 8 through Omnivore Recordings.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating; Rhino’s DIY compilation series, which emerged in one nine-volume splat back in 1993, delivered a consistently killer ride, and the four pop entries (two each for the US and UK) additionally served as an education for ears that’d missed out on much of the melodic action situated between ’75 and ’83. For one example, Starry Eyes – UK Pop II (1978-79) included the Yachts, Joe Jackson, Bram Tchaikovsky, Mo-Dettes, and naturally, The Records (as their classic titled the set) along with an intriguing track by The Searchers.

While familiar with and quite fond of the band’s ’60s material for the Pye label (released by Kapp in the US), I initially thought this was some other Searchers, as there isn’t another ’60s-era outfit on any of the DIY discs. Discarding the shrink wrap clarified matters, and listening to “Hearts in Her Eyes,” which opened the band’s ’79 LP The Searchers (just Searchers in the UK) drove home the wisdom of their inclusion, as they mingled with a younger generation without a snag (the song was written by The Records’ Will Birch and John Wicks) and sounded not at all like a dusted-off, reanimated relic.

Fact is, The Searchers never quit. Instead, after numerous attempts to put platters into the racks faltered post-’60s heyday, they just set their sights on the cabaret circuit, which, if far from glamourous, was preferable to desperately jumping onto a series of stylistic bandwagons in hopes of regaining lost success. That they didn’t soil their public image by going psych or hard rock or glam surely helped stoke Seymour Stein’s interest in getting them back into the studio.

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In rotation: 11/28/17

By TVD HQ | Published: November 28, 2017

Local record shop celebrates Small Business Saturday: Waterloo Records and Video is one example of everything that’s good about small business in Austin. The store has been selling records in Downtown Austin for 35 years and is one of the most successful record stores in Austin. Owner John Kunz said that he owes the success of his business to the community it serves. “Austin has always been a very supportive and boot strapping sorta place,” Kunz said. “All the indie businesses just really realized that we’d be a stronger voice together than we are separately.” Kunz is a founding member of the Austin Independent Business Alliance, an organization that supports local business in Austin. For 15 years, the organization has helped to bring more exposure to local shops like Waterloo as a way to keep shoppers buying locally.

Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz rides a vinyl wave: Sure, some folks went shopping on their phone looking for Black Friday specials but for music lovers, the happening place was Streetlight Records. The shop on Pacific Avenue opened an hour early for the RecordStoreDay.com promotion to let shoppers hunt for special release vinyl records. That’s right, records — those ebony disks that predate cassette tapes, the Walkman, compact discs, the MP3, Napster, iTunes and iPods. “Thank God for the vinyl resurgence,” said Roger Weiss, Streetlight Records store manager, who helped open the place for owner Robert Fallon 20 years ago. A new generation is discovering the value of vinyl records, with sales rising for the 11th straight year and hitting 13 million — an all-time high — in 2016, according to Nielson’s year-end report.

The Ransom Note opens record shop in East London: Online magazine The Ransom Note is opening a record shop in Forest Gate, East London, on December 2nd. Situated beneath a railway arch on Avenue Road, Ransom Note Records is a partnership between the magazine and Aiden d’Araujo, a dance music journalist and vinyl digger who’s been contributing to the site since 2014. Most of the shop’s stock will be second-hand, spanning house, techno, hi-NRG, Italo, new wave, synth, boogie, disco, funk and soul. There will also be new music, including records on The Ransom Note’s own label. Customers will also be able to book in appointments with Neil Macey, the shop’s in-house turntable technician. Ransom Note Records will launch with a party on Saturday, December 2nd. Doors open at midday.

New downtown Macon store puts a new spin on music: A city known for its musical history now has a place to recapture a bit of that nostalgia in vinyl. Falling Star Records opened recently at 362 Second St. next to the Cox Capitol Theatre, offering new and vintage vinyl for music enthusiasts, according to a release. “My parents owned and operated a record store on Vineville Avenue while attending college at Mercer,” said Wes Griffith, co-owner of Creek Media LLC, the company that owns and operates 100.9 The Creek FM, 11th Hour and now Falling Star Records. “It’s an honor to bring it full circle and open a vinyl shop in downtown Macon under the same name — Falling Star Records. “Vinyl is making a comeback, and we are excited to help grow the vinyl culture in Macon.”

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TVD Live Shots: Fall Out Boy, Blackbear, Jaden Smith at The Forum, 11/17

By Julia Lofstrand | Published: November 27, 2017

Fall Out Boy’s North American Mania tour rolled into the Forum in Los Angeles on Friday (11/17). Opening acts included hip hop artist Blackbear and rapper/actor Jaden Smith. The tour is in support of Fall Out Boy’s seventh studio album, Mania, which was originally set to be released in September. However, over the summer the band announced they would be pushing the date back because they felt rushed, and that the album was not ready.

Fall Out Boy was formed in a suburb of Chicago in 2001. Members include frontman and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, drummer Andy Hurley, bassist Pete Wentz, and Joe Trohman on lead guitar. Earlier this year the band also launched the Fall Out Boy Fund, as a way to give back to the city of Chicago. They started by donating money to Back to the Roots, a group that brings gardening and food education to elementary school children in the area.

They opened their set with “The Phoenix,” and continued with catchy and infectious hit after hit, including “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” “Dance, Dance,” and “I Don’t Care.” The band made use of a runway that stretched through the entire length of the arena—flames erupted behind them and streamers were shot out of cannons into the air. They played three songs and a drum solo on top of two large platforms that rose above the audience, the crowd cheering, dancing, and singing along with every word.

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TVD Live: Tony Bennett: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Tribute at Constitution Hall, 11/15

By Roger Catlin | Published: November 27, 2017

The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song usually goes to songwriters. An exception came this year with the award to Tony Bennett, who as a singer over a seven decade career, has been a leading purveyor of the American Songbook in general and the music of George and Ira Gershwin in particular.

So a few Gershwin songs were sung back to him as he was honored on November 15 in an event at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC for a public TV special that will air in January. Then, after giving thumbs up to the performers from his box at the side of the stage next to Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, Bennett, at 91 ran (!) on stage and blew everybody away with his still commanding jazz vocals.

The thing about these all-star salutes that seem so common, especially in DC, is that the stars who gather are rarely in the same class person being honored; in almost every case you’d rather hear the honoree than the guest star sing his signature songs. Perhaps because Bennett was honored in a network special marking his 90th birthday last year, some of that show’s star power was missing—particularly Lady Gaga, with whom he has recorded and toured.

I was half thinking Bob Dylan and his Band would show up, since he does a Bennett number, “Once Upon a Time,” in his tour, which was just in town the night before at the Anthem. Alas, he too had performed it for the 90th birthday TV special, albeit from a sound studio in Birmingham while touring the South. The tribute did have Stevie Wonder, though, which was pretty grand. Led out to stand and sing rather than sitting behind a keyboard as he usually does, Wonder sang “If I Ruled the World” and stuck around for a duet of “What a Wonderful World” with Gloria Estefan, adding some flourishes on his harmonica. Wonder’s appearance came just after another highlight, Savion Glover doing his matchless tap, first solo and then to back Vanessa Williams as she sang “Stepping Out with My Baby.”

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TVD Radar: Capitol Records’ A Capitol Christmas Volume 2,
in stores 12/1

By TVD HQ | Published: November 27, 2017

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Capitol Records’ celebration of its 75th anniversary continues with the release of A Capitol Christmas Volume 2, a collection of 24 timeless holiday and seasonal classics sung by the label’s unmatched list of legends. Available now digitally and on 2CD, and December 1 as a double LP in gatefold cover, the album brings together some of pop music’s most iconic holiday songs with extremely rare recordings originally issued in very limited release. Volume 2’s list of singers includes Glen Campbell, The Beach Boys, Wayne Newton, Lena Horne, Dinah Shore, Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mercer, The Louvin Brothers and many more, with each contribution lovingly chronicled in liner notes provided by compilation producer Jay Landers.

A fitting companion to last year’s timeless collection, A Capitol Christmas Volume 2 continues to mine Capitol’s deep reservoir of holiday and seasonal standards sung by millions of celebrants each winter. The album features Wayne Newton’s jubilant takes on the rockabilly Christmas classic “Jingle Bell Rock” and perennial favorite “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” both originally released in 1966 on his first holiday album, Songs For A Merry Christmas, three years after his debut record on Capitol.

Glen Campbell was one of Capitol’s most iconic stars of the ‘60s and ‘70s, recording a remarkable 40 albums for the label. In 1968, on the heels of a string of hit albums – the Grammy Award-winning By The Time I Get To Phoenix and Gentle On My Mind and the #1 record Wichita Lineman – Campbell teamed back up with Capitol’s in-house producer and arranger Al De Lory for That Christmas Feeling. The album is showcased here with Campbell’s exquisite rendition of the Elvis Presley-immortalized “Blue Christmas” and the lesser known “Old Toy Trains,” which was written by his good friend Roger Miller and shows off a different side of the singer.

Second only to the Beatles, The Beach Boys were Capitol’s most popular recording act from the ‘60s until the end of the decade. For their fifth Capitol release, Brian Wilson turned his attention to the holidays, asking Four Freshmen’s arranger, Dick Reynolds, to write the charts for a 40-piece orchestra. The result was 1964’s The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album which featured their sunny take on “Frosty the Snowman” and Wilson’s original “Christmas Day,” which marked rhythm guitarist Al Jardine’s debut as a lead singer, both included here.

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TVD’s Press Play

By TVD HQ | Published: November 27, 2017

Press Play is our Monday recap of the new and FREE tracks received last week to inform the next trip to your local indie record store.

Flotation Toy Warning – Due To Adverse Weather Conditions, All Of My Heroes Have Surrendered
MELANIE? – 16 Candles
Shining Mirrors – Cardiac
TOMKAT – Teardrops
Brad Peterson – Clap Your Hands
J Hacha de Zola – March of the Hollowmen
This Way to the Egress – See No Evil
Mark Bryan – Mybabyshe’sallright

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Kitten – Strange Embrace

Matt Tarka – Time Travels
Ephrata – Tunguska
Tree Machines – Up For Air
Broke Royals – As Long As I Can See
Jahn Rome – Breathe In
Ashton Love – Counting Down The Days
CUZZINS – Irreplacable (Feat. Paige Faust)
Mighty Mouse – Nueva Vida

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Graded on a Curve:
Minutemen,
Double Nickels on
the Dime

By Michael H. Little | Published: November 27, 2017

Like Hüsker Dü’s Zen Arcade, the Minutemen’s 1984 LP Double Nickels on the Dime is a comedy album by concept. What could be funnier than tweeking hardcore’s anti-music industry ethos by birthing that most bloated of all music industry beasts, the double album?

Overweening ambition flew in the face of the entire hardcore konzept—the medium was bested suited to the EP, where you could rip off six or eight songs in six or eight minutes and be done with it (see for example the Minutemen’s seven-song “Paranoid Time” EP from 1980, which clocks in at just over five minutes). But the Minutemen pulled it off and by so doing bequeathed us one of the finest and most expansive albums of the eighties, or any time for that matter.

And San Pedro’s favorite sons produced their double LP without surrending any of their much vaunted principles. Guitarist/vocalist D. Boon, bassist/vocalist Mike Watt, and drummer extraordinaire George Hurley heroically refused to elongate their trademark abbreviated song forms to make the task of filling four album sides easier. Instead they gathered up 45 songs—most of which were less than two minutes long, and none of which broke the 3-minute barrier—and fired them at our ears in a gattling gun, no time to pause between songs blur.

The results are dizzying, giddy-making, and sometimes bewilderingly eclectic, because like SST label mates the Meat Puppets the Minutemen never allowed themselves to be straitjacketed into the loud and fast constraints of hardcore. Jazz was always an integral part of the Minutemen sound, and they weren’t afraid to go the funk, country, folk, and spoken-word poetry routes either. Theirs was hodgepodge aesthetic, and half of the joy of Double Nickels on the Dime is waiting to find out what undreamt of turn will come next.

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In rotation: 11/27/17

By TVD HQ | Published: November 27, 2017

On Record Store Day, prices vary, owners react: Bundled music lovers braving the morning chill lined northern Indiana sidewalks Friday for Record Store Day, the biannual celebration started in 2007, aimed at pulling people through the doors of independent brick-and-mortar shops. Often, it’s limited-edition pressings, unreleased material or reissues that magnetize consumers and collectors to record shops nationwide, once in April and again in November. “People started to print things just for Record Store Day and they print them in quantities in as low as 500 and up to 2,500,” said Steve Martin, owner of Ignition Music Garage in Goshen. Record Store Day organizers set forth a criteria for retailers to meet before being accepted as an official outlet. Even then, titles requested by shops during ordering are never guaranteed — a luck-of-the-draw situation for both business owners and consumers. Business owners are also held to a no-gouging pledge.

Rise Records in Crowngate Shopping Centre, Worcester will close next year: Rise Records in Crowngate Shopping Centre, Worcester has announced it has decided it will not be renewing its lease after six years in the city and will close permanently on Sunday, January 14. It comes after news that Rise’s sister store in Bristol is being taken over by Rough Trade. A celebration of the record store will be taking place at The Old Rectifying House on North Parade, Worcester on Saturday, January 13. Manager Tom George said: “It’s sad but these things happen. I don’t want it to end on a negative note, I want it to be more of a positive thing. That’s why the night at The Old Rec will be more of a celebration.

30 years of BPM Records: This is the 30th anniversary for Dave Hill and BPM Records, a haven for hordes of fans of vinyl. The shop, based in the re-located and rebuilt, 15th century remnant of Newcastle House, combines the very best in 60s, 70s and 80s, rock, pop, jazz, blues and reggae within the classical attractions of Derby’s most prestigious independent shopping street – the UK’s ‘Best Shopping Street 2016’. Dave has a unique style in the second hand record retail world. He’s different, his attitude’s different. Instead of piles of albums BPM Records offers easy, methodical, customer-friendly browsing. He encourages music fans to flick through the extensive displays – all clearly, alphabetically marked – at their leisure, while the music of that wondrous era suffuses the store.

Sweat Records Helps Keep Indie Music Alive in Miami: “There’s a return to sound quality. People are into things sounding good again. People are spending money on headphones and sound systems and turntables. To me, one of the best things about it is everything is digital and the people that grew up just a generation below us have maybe never had a physical format music collection. And what better way to rebel or, you know, dive into the counterculture than by buying a giant analog piece of vinyl. And we love that we’re able to provide that service. Every time a teenager comes into the store and walks out with a great record, our hearts swell and we know we’re doing our job we’re supposed to be doing.”

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Happy Thanksgiving!

By TVD HQ | Published: November 22, 2017

We’ve closed up the shop for the Thanksgiving holiday. While we’re away, why not fire up our free Record Store Locator app and visit one of your local indie record stores for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event?

Perhaps there’s an interview, review, or feature you might have missed? Catch up and we’ll see you back here on Monday, 11/27.

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Graded on a Curve: New in Stores, November 2017

By Joseph Neff | Published: November 21, 2017

Part one of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued wax presently in stores for November, 2017. Part one is right here.

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Soul of a Woman (Daptone) The passing of Sharon Jones hit hard. A large part of why was purely musical, but Jones’ unlikely rise to fame as a modern vessel of uncut classic soul verve was also enduringly inspirational. Essential to her sustained success was a union with the Dap-Kings, the vitality of which is undiminished here as the disc’s contents continue to emphasize Jones’ versatility. Too often defined by her aptitude for belting, an ability to cover a range of emotions is on full display, with self-penned finale “Call on God” packing a wallop. A-

Mavis Staples, If All I Was Was Black (Anti) As the third collaboration (in four albums) between Staples and producer Jeff Tweedy, the comfort level is high, enough so that the Wilco leader wrote all ten songs with the veteran vocalist in mind; she immediately makes them her own, with social commentary ringing out loud and clear. Staples’ gospel-based positivity has been long-noted, but reflective of the times, the mood here is darker and angrier yet not hopeless, and the songs flourish in a cohesive small group setting descended from but never imitating socially conscious Mayfield-ish soul-funk. A-

REISSUE PICKS: Willie Nelson, Spirit & Teatro: The Complete Sessions (Modern Classics) Two underrated and contrasting ’90s efforts: the self-produced Spirit is scaled-back to the guitars of Nelson and Jody Payne, piano from his sister Bobbie, and occasional fiddle by ace Johnny Gimble. It magnifies Nelson as a songwriter of rich tradition. Teatro was cut with an expanded lineup in an old movie theater in Oxnard, CA with producer Daniel Lanois. If less intimate, the strength of the writing, playing, and singing remains high. Spirit is on wax; Teatro is on CD with a performance DVD directed by Wim Wenders A/ A

Sonny Clark Trio, The 1960 Time Sessions (Tompkins Square) The title differentiates the contents, originally issued as a self-titled LP, from an also eponymous and more well-known trio date for Blue Note three years prior. That one had Paul Chambers and Philly Joe; this expanded set features George Duvivier and Max Roach, so there’s no drop off in personnel quality. Ben Ratliff’s notes (augmenting Nat Hentoff’s original words) do a fine job of placing this record in the context of Clark’s career as a leading light in the hard-bop movement. Is it the pianist’s best? No, but the interaction is sterling throughout. A-

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TVD Vinyl Giveaway: Queen, “We Are The Champions,” / “We Will Rock You” 12″ Single

By TVD HQ | Published: November 21, 2017

To herald the arrival of the 40th Anniversary of News of the World, Queen’s monumental ’77 release and its accompanying special box set—in stores now!—a special Record Store Day Black Friday edition of the iconic double A-side single “We Are The Champions” / “We Will Rock You” arrives in shops this coming Friday. But heck, why wait and fight the lines—we’ve got 5 copies of the 12″ single to ship out to 5 of you.

First however, some interesting factoids in regard to the seminal tracks on both sides of this special 12″ single:

1. Brian May wrote “We Will Rock You” and claimed the idea for the song came in a dream. He told Mojo magazine in October 2008 that he wanted to “create a song that the audience could participate in.”

2. “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” are Brian May’s favourite Queen songs to perform live.

3. “We Will Rock You” doesn’t contain any actual drums. The famous rhythm came about from the band, engineers, roadies, and even their tea lady, Betty—stamping their feet in London’s Wessex Studios.

4. “We Will Rock You” has been covered 45 times by many artists, as varied as Snoop Dogg, Warrant, Linda Ronstadt, the cast of Glee and Macy Gray. It has also been sampled by several artists, including Eminem.

5. Robbie Williams also provided vocals to “We Are The Champions” for the soundtrack of A Knight’s Tale.

6. The music video for “We Will Rock You” was filmed in Roger Taylor’s back garden after filming “Spread Your Wings.”

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TVD Live Shots: Hot Snakes, Duchess Says, Suicide Pact at the Rock & Roll Hotel, 11/15

By Richie Downs | Published: November 21, 2017

Wednesday night is a hard sell for any venue. In DC, it takes a band of great strength to lure mid-week concert-goers to any hall. Although when the right act shows up, rooms fill elbow to elbow just as they did last week as a sold out Rock and Roll Hotel hosted San Diego’s Hot Snakes, and with them some very impressive opening acts.

Hot Snakes are touring to support their upcoming 2018 release which, along with their entire back catalog, will be released on Sub Pop records next year. The new release has been highly anticipated and will be the band’s first since 2005’s Thunder Down Under. Their current nine stop November tour has included dates in San Francisco, Seattle, LA, Boston, Philly, and Washington, DC before the band jets off to Europe in January. It’s been five years since Hot Snakes played a show in Washington, and Wednesday’s crowd was primed with excitement before the band took the stage despite a painfully long set change between bands.

While the star of the show for many is Reis’ crisp guitar tone, it serves as the perfect punctuation for his longtime band mate Rick Froberg’s (Obits) more steady, open guitar lines and distinct throaty vocals. Hot Snakes’ rhythm section consists of Gar Wood on bass and not one, but two separate drummers—Jason Kourkounis (Delta 72) and Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket From The Crypt, Sultans)—both behind the kit for the specific songs they recorded with the band.

Just prior to Hot Snakes’ performance, John Reis leaned down toward the front of the stage where I was standing. He was plugging in guitar cords when he looked over at me like a werewolf before a full moon. “I’ll be sweating and falling all over you—you may need to pick me back up.” “It’ll be okay,” I offered. “I’ve got you—but I move around a lot too.” “But seriously,” he insisted, “you might wanna tell the people behind you—I’ll be all over here.”

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TVD Live Shots: Jake Shears at Heaven, 11/14

By Jason Miller | Published: November 21, 2017

The first time I heard the Scissor Sisters was at SXSW in 2004. I remember watching the show and thinking that this is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen at SXSW—glorious ’70s pop played with an incredible band and two flamboyant singers taking me back to the good old days of AM radio, but with a much slicker, modern production.

During the set, I ask the guy next to me who’s on stage, and he yells in my ear with a heavy British accent, “It’s the Caesar Sisters mate.” After that, I was on a mission to find out who the Caesar Sisters were and how I could get my hands on their record if they even had one. After researching further I, of course, figured out that the guy was yelling “Scissor Sisters” and I ran straight to Waterloo records and bought the album. I put the thing on, and I was hooked from the opening bouncing piano and distinctive vocals of the incredible Jake Shears.

Now the Scissor Sisters have been on hiatus since 2012, and both Shears and his counterpart, the equally brilliant Anamatronic, have been laying low with only a collaboration or two leaking out over the years. Then seemingly out of nowhere I see an ad that Jake Shears is playing two solo gigs, one in New York and the other in London. THIS is why I love living in London—you never know what or who’s going to announce a gig among the many different amazing venues that the city harbours. I immediately bought a ticket.