“I grew up in a home with records—LPs. I didn’t own any; I was far too young, but my oldest sister did, and both my parents did. They had one of those huge stereo systems that took up half our living room.”
“I remember that room not only because that’s where the records were played, but also because it was the same room where I made a fort out of a refrigerator box which I lived in for weeks. And then there was my pet gerbil who ran between the books on the bookshelf—and when I grabbed him by the tail it broke off in my little hand—I had never been so horrified. But I digress… The RECORDS. I remember the first I ever heard, one played by my mother, the others by my father, both playing them over and over, seemingly on endless loop.
My mother’s record? Dionne Warwick’s Greatest Hits! Boy did I love that music! Her voice, her delivery, and of course her beautiful photo on the cover. My mother could never play it too often for me! And just yesterday I had to get in the car to run an errand, where the radio must be on at all times, and I have a policy of constantly switching between stations so as to never have to listen to a commercial. And what song came on when I switched to the oldies station? Dionne Warwick, “Walk on By!” And was that the perfect song for me to hear at that moment! But I’ll keep that aspect of it private. What’s important is that her music is just as great today as it was then. No matter the format.
Love Letter To A Record: Silky Roads On Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ This song has been one of our favourite songs for years, and the record as a whole also holds a spot worthy of the pool room. The record for each of us captures a signpost for certain times in our lives. Pink Floyd was a pathway into the world of music we know now, we love everything from the structure and cohesiveness of their albums, and, more recently as we’ve grown, we have been able to understand and appreciate the political agenda they explore. The record tells a story, and marks a point in the careers of Pink Floyd. After their immensely successful release of Dark Side of The Moon, they found themselves at the mercy of many labels reaching their greedy hands out to try to get their fingers on some of Pink Floyd’s magic. The blatant groove of one of our favourite Pink Floyd songs lives in the album Wish You Were Here. ‘Have A Cigar’s assertive lyrics written by Roger Waters, and unique vocal phrasing by Roy Harper, instantaneously take you down a spiralling road of clear imagery.
Triumph To Release ‘Allied Forces’ 40th-Anniversary Box Set: Canadian rock legends Triumph will release a 40th-anniversary box set of their classic 1981 album “Allied Forces” to celebrate this year’s Record Store Day. In addition, the trio—drummer Gil Moore, guitarist/ vocalist Rik Emmett and bassist Mike Levine—has been named Canadian Ambassadors for Record Store Day, which takes place June 12 and July 17. “We’re really proud to be this year’s ambassadors,” Moore said in a video message. “When I got interested in music, my buddies and I in the neighborhood, we had a pilgrimage pretty much every weekend. On Saturday morning, we’d all get to the bus station and get ourselves downtown. And here in Toronto, we had Sam The Record Man on Yonge Street, which was the record store that was the ‘be all, end all’ of vinyl… That’s what got me started playing drums,” he explained. “So 
NEW RELEASE PICKS: Janet Simpson, Safe Distance (Cornelius Chapel) This is the first album for Birmingham, AL-based Simpson, but she’s recorded extensively, in her own groups (Delicate Cutters, Timber) and backing others (Wooden Wand, Will Stewart), and the prior experience is palpable. Gazing at the sleeve for Safe Distance, I kept imagining a mid-’70s private press LP heavily influenced by Joni Mitchell, but that’s not Simpson’s deal. Instead, think prime Lucinda Williams, but a tad more rocking, as if the players were recruited from Paisley Underground bands. Now, that isn’t to imply psychedelia, but rather Neil Young; Simpson’s Americana is appealingly tough. I also dig her preference for Fender Rhodes over pedal steel, though her use of the keyboard is nicely understated, as she’s not shooting for a retro vibe. There are a few tracks that broaden the spectrum a bit, including “Mountain,” where Simpson’s vocals conjured thoughts of Chrissie Hynde, and also finale “Wrecked,” which in its closing seconds had me thinking of, well, Joni. How ‘bout that… A-
Deniz Cuylan, No Such Thing As Free Will (Hush Hush) Based in Los Angeles, guitarist Cuylan delivers an impressive debut that manages to assemble a wide array of styles without coming off like a hodgepodge. It’s an integrated approach that’s as likely to please ears attuned to neo-classical as it’ll gently goose fans of fingerpicking. Cuylan’s folk side has some affinities with Bert Jansch (particularly circa Avocet), though his playing in “Flaneurs in Hakone” is reminiscent of the Takoma sound at its most florid. That’s great. But the sturdy patterns of “Purple Plains of Utopia” nicely back up the comparisons made elsewhere to Steve Reich and the Durutti Column, while the atmospheric swells and Brian Bender’s cello in “She Was Always Here” help to establish the connection to contempo classical gorgeousness. But fear not, for the calm beauty in these pieces is accompanied by weight and edge that easily fends off the dangers of insubstantiality. And while his playing is clearly dexterous, that’s never Cuylan’s point, which only reinforces the depth of the LP. An unusually rewarding debut. A-
Plankton Wat, Future Times (Thrill Jockey) Like a lot of folks, guitarist Dewey Mahood started out playing in a punk band. He’s come a long way since then, collaborating and contributing to numerous contexts, with the prolific outfit Eternal Tapestry having the highest profile (alongside Plankton Wat), but I mention those punk beginnings because Mahood’s inclination for cosmic drift and psychedelic expansiveness possesses a bit more bite when compared to many other like-minded practitioners. Indeed, for extended portions, Future Times gets downright strange as the guitar is as agitated as it is exploratory. There is a substantial thread of darkness spanning across the record as well, which is fitting given Mahood’s focus on the state of the planet as revealed in track titles “The Burning World,” “Modern Ruins,” “Dark Cities,” and “Defund the Police.” But I’ll emphasize that Future Times is still a highly transportive experience, and ultimately quite positive, especially as it concludes with the fuzzed-up beauty move and slow fadeout of “Wild Mountain.” A-
REISSUE/ARCHIVAL PICK: Knoxville Girls, In a Ripped Dress (Bang!) Featuring Jerry Teel (Honeymoon Killers, Boss Hog, Chrome Cranks), Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps, The Gun Club, The Bad Seeds), Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore, Bewitched), Jack Martin (Five Dollar Priest) and Barry London (Oneida), this bunch, who cut three records for In the Red from ’98-’01, aren’t girls, and neither are they from Tennessee (the name likely derives from a murder ballad, recorded by, amongst many others, The Louvin Brothers, The Country Gentlemen and…The Lemonheads). These demos of songs that mostly turned up in finished form on third LP In a Paper Suit sound like they were cut in a shack on the outskirts of a swamp but were actually recorded in NYC. Rubbing scuzzy, fuzzy R&R against damaged hick sensibilities, greasy sparks do fly. Hank Williams and Hasil Adkins get covered, but so does “Sophisticated Boom Boom” by The Shangri-Las. London’s organ brings some garage zest to the party, and the fiddle in opener “Any Reason to Celebrate” sparked thoughts of the Mississippi Sheiks. A-
Chicago, IL | The much-needed affection of Neji the record store dog: The excellent record/vintage clothes shop Wild Prairie is one block from my pad and has been a godsend during quarantine. The small, very-easy-to-distance-within store has always felt safe, often with just one shopworker present (usually of the wonderful owner couple of Alex Gonzales and Natasha Rac) and there’s usually a shopper or two perusing the bins. They have a great selection of vinyl including house, jazz, soul, and loads of 60s psychedelia (making this guy VERY happy). Despite this plethora of ideal factors, there’s a running joke over at WP that people come into their establishment just to see their awesome pooch, and it’s hard to deny. The pup in question is a sweet, gentle Shiba Inu (one of my favorite breeds) named Neji. Neji used to sleepily hang in the back when I’d enter the shop, so I’d come to him for some petting-time, but these days he will run up and greet me as I enter the door (
Tokyo, JA | Vinyl record sales up more than 10 times from decade ago: On a recent Sunday afternoon in February in the young and trendy Shibuya district, Akira Nagai is one of the many customers record hunting at HMV Record Shop Shibuya, which mainly deals in vinyl. 
A band’s debut record can serve a variety of different functions. At the time of release these documents will reliably stand as a tangible marker of achievement for the musicians involved, indicating that they’d transcended the realm of the practice space and low-to-no paying local live gigs to actually produce something permanent.
UK | 100 not out: Label execs look ahead to HMV reopening its doors and the centenary celebrations: HMV is set to reopen its doors on April 12, as the government eases Covid restrictions on non-essential retail. But what does the future hold for the retail chain after a challenging 12 months? While the retail sector has been hit during the pandemic, label execs Music Week has spoken to are still optimistic about the future of HMV. It’s also set for a huge boost with the 100th anniversary celebrations in July. Following a switch to online-only sales in during the third lockdown, the stores will once again return with Covid measures in place according to the latest guidelines. “We are looking forward to welcoming customers back into our stores, and we are working hard on getting them ready so that we can offer 
Roseburg, OR | The Record Loft: Vintage vinyl: The Record Loft is a designated area upstairs at Good Vibrations where 2 channel audio, turntables, and vinyl are celebrated, according to owner John Hooper. “On the new side, we stock 400 to 500 typically, and on the used side, I’d guess somewhere around 4,000,” he said. “Inventory is constantly changing though, as we are always buying new collections, grading and sorting. Not to mention I have thousands of records at home that aren’t technically part of our inventory here at the store.” Hooper’s favorite album from a collectability standpoint is the Beatles’ White Album. “They were individually serial numbered,” he said. “Also the Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers, because it has a working zipper, I mean how cool and crazy is that for a record?” The Record Loft was installed after Good Vibrations opened. “Good Vibrations has been in business since 1996,” Hooper said. “I moved it to the current location in 2004, and the 
