Author Archives: Jennifer Carney

Could you dismiss Pegi Young as having a charmed musical life? I suppose so.

But Young’s third LP, Bracing For Impact, is an album from a woman who’s long past her first tentative steps out into the musical world. Her music is as confident as it is introspective, and Young’s skillful songwriting makes the listener wonder which songs are really tongue-in-cheek, because they all reach deeper. The transitions are seamless, and even the three songs not penned by Pegi Young (including one by her husband, Neil) fit in perfectly with the theme of survival with a smile.

Ghosts abound—from the beautiful pedal steel of the late Ben Keith, to a sad song of Danny Whitten’s, to the playful spirit of her departed dog, Carl. And still Impact is unflagging in its storytelling, embracing the tragedy and the unintentional comedy alike. It’s just life, after all. However charmed it might seem for some, there’s always another shoe waiting to drop. But we move on, we create, we laugh through the anguish and stress. Pegi Young puts it all into perspective beautifully with Bracing for Impact.

Pegi and her band of legendary musicians, The Survivors, embark on a tour today (March 21) that will include dates with Willie Nelson and an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. As I quickly discovered in our conversation, Pegi Young is herself the archetypal musician: she loves touring, loves collaborating, and loves her vinyl.

Bracing For Impact has lots of different musical elements—rock, Dixieland stuff—and maybe more blues and R&B than your previous records. Are these some of your favorite genres, or did the songs just work out the way they did?

I mean, kind of “yes” to all the above. When we brought in Kelvin Holly as lead guitar player in the band after Anthony Crawford left, he had fifteen years of experience playing with Little Richard, so y’know, he’s a solidly R&B guy. And, of course, with Spooner Oldham in the band, we also got the great Muscle Shoals sound. So, the songs ended up kind of lending themselves to that sound.

I think the Dixieland band sound you’re referring to was on “Trouble in a Bottle” and that was our drummer Phil Jones’ idea. We were recording in LA and he had a horn section down there that he knew… we just sort of heard that. And that was an older song, but we re-worked it a little bit, gave it a different tempo. We recorded it a different way back with the other band before Ben Keith passed away and Anthony Crawford left the band, so we kind of perked it up and then it sort of lent itself to the Dixieland band sound. A lot of it was kind of a collaborative effort when we were in there recording, just thinking, “What would sound cool here?”

Read More »

Honesty in music—is that where Dawes pick up the slack in a sea of wannabes? From visiting refugee camps in Rwanda to playing concerts at indie record stores to opening arenas for Bob Dylan, Dawes are traveling the world and taking names, all the while being generally nice dudes about it. Rolling Stone once called their sound as “authentically vintage,” but Dawes seeks to break the mold with their new LP, Stories Don’t End, due April 9.

Stories is their much-anticipated third album, the first single from which—the catchy yet mature “From A Window Seat”—heralds a record that is reverent to their past while setting the tone for their future. Dawes also just announced a summer solo headlining tour—after dates with Bob Dylan this spring—that begins on May 24 and stops in practically every Midwestern American city along the way (plus New York, DC, Ottawa, and Ontario along with UK festival dates).

When we chatted with bass guitarist Wylie Gelber, the band was in the middle of a ten-hour drive from Dallas to Nashville for their next in-store concert at Grimey’s. Wylie talked about Dawes’ reverence for independent record stores, the new direction the band is taking their music to and, of course, why vinyl is so important to them.

Dawes recently returned from visiting refugee camps in Rwanda, supporting Nothing But Nets to help raise awareness and fight malaria. What were the most memorable experiences you had?

It was definitely an eye-opening experience. We went to a bunch of refugee camps there; we visited a bunch of medical clinics and stuff like that. It is a horrifying way of life and quality of life of there, and it was intense to see it first-hand, but it was good to go.

What made you guys decide to team up with Nothing But Nets in particular?

The guy who runs it contacted us—he’s a fan of our band. It’s always good to align yourself with some charities, and it seemed like a good idea. He was super into it and after reading about it, we decided to go for it.

Read More »

We’re delighted to announce that for the third year running, TVD will be taking SXSW. In tandem with our partners Audible Treats and Flüd Watches, we’re presenting Speakers Push Air, an official SXSW artist showcase this Friday night (3/15) at Austin’s Parish Underground. We continue the introductions of the bands in our SXSW showcase’s lineup with Lightouts, the Brooklyn-based retro-ish indie/fuzz rock band co-headlining the TVD showcase and whose debut album, Want, was released on March 5th. 

Band founders Gavin Rhodes and Greg Nelson—along with bass guitarist Dean Perry—chatted with us ahead of the Austin festival. Five different singles were released ahead of Want, an epic double album that is the product of two years of songwriting and a successful crowdfunding campaign. The songs on Want are catchy, thoughtful, arty and decadent—basically everything a good indie rock album should be. The guys talked with us about their feelings on crowdfunding their debut, the current state of vinyl and the album format, and how they’ve found small-town camaraderie in the middle of New York City.

You guys met through rather old-school means—a paper want-ad on a bulletin board. Why that route as opposed to Craigslist or something?

Greg: Well it was a good thing for me because I really wanted to be local and really create the scene around where I live and where we live, which is South Park Slope and the Gowanus area, so having something super local like that was cool, so that was where I was looking more. I really wanted to be associated with the neighborhood. That area of Brooklyn is so interesting right now; South Slope and Gowanus musically is a totally different scene than Williamsburg.

Can you describe the South Slope scene a little bit? What makes it so different?

Greg: The venues have been popping up. Early on, the only venue in the area was Southpaw. But then Littlefield, Bell House, Union Hall, and Rockshop have opened up in that area. It’s a little more spread out and… just the feel of Gowanus—especially with Littlefield and Bell House being out there in the middle of nowhere—it’s different. It’s not just sort of that, I don’t even want to use the term “hipsters” or anything like that. It’s just different.

Read More »

Saying an artist’s music is simply “rock and roll” feels a little strange these days, when sub-genres have sub-genres. But rock and roll is precisely what Justin Jones is.

Justin Jones might even remind you of Bruce Springsteen, if the Boss were raised in Virginia and grew up listening to the blues, Paul Simon, and The Band. He has a great ear that makes his music sound as fresh as it is reverent to its influences. His songs have an easy charm, too: No glockenspiels, no Auto-Tune, no gimmicks—just a songwriter with a guitar and a crack band.

Jones had a precipitous rise in the music world, transcribing and transcending his demons, making a name for himself via four full-length LPs and a God-awful lot of touring. In fact, Jones so inspired Washington, D.C.-area concert promoter and 9:30 Club owner, Seth Hurwitz that he created a record label just for Jones, and Fading Light is the result. The product of over two years of songwriting, the tunes on Fading Light range from Southern-flavored rock to enchanting ballads, all driven by mature, heartfelt lyrics.

Jones appears poised for a major breakthrough, and he’s about to hit the road for his “I Can Feel It Tour 2013” which will kick off in Columbus, Ohio and take him around the U.S. through mid-March. We spoke with him between gigs, and he was full of introspection, cautious optimism, and lots of laughter. 

Are you driving back from New York?

Yes, but I’ve been eagerly awaiting your phone call, knowing that you’re probably just waking up and getting things going out there on the West Coast!

Yeah, I need to know why you’re not touring out here. I think the closest point west is Oklahoma.

You want to know why? Well, don’t go to Oklahoma! [Laughs] If you’re gonna go all the way to Oklahoma, you might as well go to Austin instead. [Laughs]

Plus, Oklahoma only has 3.2 beer, which is very sad.

Exactly! I was just explaining that to someone last night! I have toured out there, but it’s hard to repeat visit because it’s so far and there’s such a vast area of uninhabited space. I love playing out there; Oregon is probably my favorite place in the world, but it’s just too expensive. You get to understand where I’m at… I mean, I’d come out there to play a show just for you. I mean, literally—you’d be the only one there, and that just does not play the bills. [Laughs] On the East Coast, you can hit a dozen major cities in a day.

Read More »

TVD took to the road with Everest last November and December as they opened for Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Patti Smith. They were as welcoming as they are talented—and more than a bit introspective. Part one can be found right here. —Ed.

“Without music, life would be a mistake.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

BRIDGEPORT

Talent, like talk, is cheap. Everyone wants talent for nothing in the 21st century. If you’ve got it, you’ve got to keep moving, keep pushing, keep creating.

“I know it takes a long time; we’ve been killin’ it for a long time,” Jason tells me, taking a drag off a cigarette. “ I’ve been in bands forever, but also music isn’t worth anything. It’s not a commodity anymore. We spend all this money on equipment, and going into the studio, and making records… you spend all this money and time making this product and they give it away.

“I don’t want you to think it’s all the label’s fault. Somebody told me a long time ago that anytime something isn’t working, the band is responsible for all that in one way or another.”

Bridgeport marks the last official date of the “Alchemy” tour, and Everest asks Neil Young and the Crazy Horse guys for a photo together. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, but word comes that Neil has agreed and it’s go time. They stand in front of the Rust props in a line. There is a mutual respect. There are also eggshells. In under ten minutes, the photos are done and Everest are left to do their sound check. Jason walks past me and smiles. “Pretty cool!”

Read More »

TVD took to the road with Everest last November and December as they opened for Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Patti Smith. They were as welcoming as they are talented—and more than a bit introspective. —Ed.

“It’s an impossible way of life. No doubt about it.”
—Robbie Robertson, The Last Waltz

Eli Thomson drew the short straw in Brooklyn. He would sleep in the van instead of a warm apartment with friends. Someone had to. The occupants of the apartment told Everest that their cars had been broken into multiple times.

“But it’s right outside your door.”

Their friends winced. It was decided. The temperature was already in the 20s. Eli grabbed a samurai sword hanging up in the apartment and took it with him. He waited for his moment to hear someone trying to pop the lock. The unfortunate thief would be met by a wild-eyed, bearded bass guitarist bursting out the side door, dragging pillows and blankets behind him, swinging a samurai sword over his head.

But nothing happened except a very cold night under dirty blankets on a bench seat. The text came at 6am—the apartment had flooded. Laptops, ruined; shoes, floating by; no hot showers for anyone. There’s nothing to do except wring out what they can and eat a greasy breakfast. Within a few hours, the band are in a cushy Atlantic City casino dressing room. Their previous tour of bars, clubs, and street fairs in support of their latest album, Ownerless, feels like a distant memory.

Joel Graves, guitarist and de facto tour manager quipped, “I don’t think of us as having really a career because we’re doing this solely for the passion.

“We love doing it. Our families think we’re crazy, probably, at this point.”

Read More »

To say that Ken Stringfellow is intense is an understatement. The co-founder of The Posies is relentlessly honest, self-critical, and he’s released one of the finest under-the-radar albums of the previous year, Danzig in the Moonlight. He says it’s his best work, and it’s hard to disagree with him. The album’s great strength lies in its diversity, which is a virtue the multifaceted Stringfellow takes to heart. Danzig is a masterful collection of songs, from power pop to the blues to soul to country, woven together by Stringfellow’s sage storytelling and set to his distinctive, otherworldly vocals.

Despite an eight-year break between solo albums, the music never stopped for Ken. He has been in constant collaboration with artists worldwide, from Norwegian garage rockers to Dutch film stars to R.E.M. to a re-formed Big Star. Currently residing in France, Stringfellow is Stateside through early spring on tour–first with The Posies at the Todos Santos Music Festival, then with The Maldives as his backing band before crossing the country solo. When TVD spoke with him, we got a glimpse into the thoughts of an artist who is ambitious, unapologetic, and one of the most unique singer/songwriters of the last three decades. 

I am wondering how I escaped 2012 without listening to Danzig in the Moonlight. You’ve said it’s your creative apex and that you want it to be heard by “everyone, everywhere, as soon as possible.” I get that, but I’d love to hear why you feel it’s so important to you.

Well, I think because of the amount of information that’s out there in the world, people have a lot to sort through. Often, and this has been true even before the information age, people sometimes go with what’s easy. They go with preconceived notions or they go with hearsay; few people ever have the time or the access to information to get really in-depth into something. Any musician, and this is true even for the biggest at the top, there might be someone out there who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

And then there’s me, who’s a small fry… for example, if I see something about The Posies in an article or even me… if they’re writing about me, they’ll sometimes say, “’90s alternative musician, Ken Stringfellow.” That’s like a horror story for me. I mean, I’ve made so many records—so many more records—since the ’90s than during them and I’ve grown so much. I’m sort of mortified that people might be directed to not even look at those things and see that they exist. That’s kind of the danger of having even the tiny success that [The Posies] had back in the day, that becomes the reference point and then everybody just goes there and says, “Oh, that’s what he does. I understand and, whatever, it’s out-of-date.”

Read More »

Sandy be damned! The storm may have thwarted last November’s Power Pop-A-Licious II festival in Asbury Park, NJ, but the rock and the Ricks’ will rise anew this February 1 and 2 at the Cake Shop in grand ol’ New York City as we noted earlier today. We’re rerunning last Fall’s chat with festival curator Paul Collins to set the stage once more. —Ed.

Paul Collins shows no signs of slowing down. The current king of power pop got his start in the iconic combo The Nerves — with Peter Case and Jack Lee — a band that grew out of the late-’70s Los Angeles power pop scene. From there came The Breakaways and, finally, The Beat — one of the most beloved original American power pop bands.

After years of on-and-off touring and recording with The Beat and as a solo artist, Paul is gearing up for multiple dates with Paul Collins’ Beat and The English Beat through November, and is putting together the Power Pop-A-Licious II festival November 16-17 in Asbury Park, New Jersey as a showcase for bands from all over the power pop spectrum to show their stuff. 

A relentless promoter and champion of power pop, Paul not only wants to keep playing the music he loves, but he also wants to make playing music viable for all other bands that fall under his gaze. He creates concerts and networks that help artists and small venues earn a living, which is the next “F-you” to record labels — right along with free album downloads, direct-to-fans ticketing, and self-producing records. When I spoke with Paul, his enthusiasm for music and supporting independent bands and record stores was obvious. Paul Collins is a man possessed by music. 

Hello, Jennifer with The Vinyl District. How are you?

I’m great! Is this still a good time?

It’s still a good time. It’s a gorgeous day here in New York. Where are you calling from?

I’m calling from sunny San Diego.

I love San Diego! It’s my favorite part of California. You know, back in the day, we played San Diego maybe three or four times. It’s just not… I don’t know. For some reason, it just wasn’t one of our stops. And then in the last, I would say, four or five years I’ve been [going to] San Diego. I’ve been playing at the Soda Bar. Do you know the Soda Bar?

I don’t, unfortunately, but I already feel like I should.

Well, it’s a great – I don’t know where it is, but we now have a real following in San Diego. Last time I played there, I played at a bar called Pink’s, which I did not like at all.

A venue that I love and that I’ve heard is always good to bands is The Casbah.

You know, they’ve been around forever and I’ve never played there! I don’t know – it’s just never worked out.

Read More »

Cheryl Pawelski, co-founder of Omnivore Recordings, summed up her label thusly: “I turned my obsession into a profession.” The Grammy-nominated producer and archivist is a big-label refugee and a self-professed “record nerd” who wants to continue the legacies of artists and bands she loves. Over the last two decades, she’s been responsible for the compilation and curation of demo tapes, boxsets, and reissues from some of music’s biggest names—from The Beach Boys to John Coltrane—mostly for labels like Capitol Records and Rhino.

Since 2010 she’s been at the helm of Omnivore Recordings, an independent catalog label responsible for painstakingly curating legacy, historical, and heritage albums for true fans and music lovers. She and the co-founders of the label come from a variety of major music industry backgrounds and bring their love of music to Omnivore. Their mission? “Create, devour, repeat.”

Cheryl would tell you that Omnivore exists because the world deserves to hear fantastic music. Period. The records Omnivore curates are all over the musical map, ranging from classic soul to new wave to indie rock to unheard gems from some of the biggest names in music—like Bert Jansch, The Knack, Leon Russell, Richard Thompson, Big Star, Wanda Jackson, Merle Haggard, George Jones, the Old 97s and so many more. And the Omnivore crew aren’t stopping with albums. They’re spearheading CBGB, a movie about the legendary New York City rock club, and a documentary about perennial rock and roll influencers, Big Star. 

Cheryl’s deep knowledge and love of music is evident in the reverent way that Omnivore delves into artists’ catalogs. She loves the album format and she loves telling the stories of the artists and bands she champions. If you’ve ever wanted to see what a label would look like if it were run by record collectors and vinyl enthusiasts, read on about Cheryl’s journey through the many facets of the music industry and the work that Omnivore Recordings does on a daily basis.

I love that your personal tagline is “Music in every possible way.”

[Laughs] It’s just always been that way. I’m hardwired that way. When you’re passionate about something and you get to do it as a profession, that’s just the best thing.

And you started out in the music biz working in a record store?

Yep. [Laughs] Ye olde record store! Actually, when I was in school I was studying advertising through a journalism sequence. First I thought I was gonna be a teacher, then I thought I was gonna be an advertising person. But I quit all that and went to work at the record store because I felt like I needed to more about important things like distribution! [Laughs] One thing kind of led to another, but even the stuff I did in school kinda worked its way into all this stuff; really, it’s one discipline to make records, and it’s another one to sell them. So, one thing informs the other.

Read More »

Don’t call it a comeback, and don’t call it nostalgia. It’s not often that I am intimidated by an interviewee, but Richard Barone has a musical resume like few others. Frontman of indie/new wave darlings The Bongos, Barone is probably best known for his iconic solo album, Cool Blue Halo, which was a critical smash in 1987, and effectively introduced chamber pop to the indie world. Richard recently gave Cool Blue Halo a box set re-release in honor of its 25th anniversary. But he didn’t stop with the usual re-mastering. Barone performed the entire album at one-night-only 2012 tribute concert, working with the same musicians, adding special guests Tony Visconti and Garth Hudson, and chronicling everything for a documentary, I Belong to Me: The “Cool Blue Halo” Story, which will see a special screening in New York City on December 10. 

But Richard is more than an indie darling. So much more. He is a producer, director, songwriter, NYU professor, and author of a killer rock ‘n’ roll memoir, FRONTMAN: Surviving the Rock Star Myth. He has collaborated with everyone from Lou Reed to Moby to Donovan. And he continues to push the limits of his creative abilities by working on incredibly diverse projects—from scoring a documentary about Anna Nicole Smith to working with Pete Seeger. 

“Never assume your fears are justified.” So says Professor Barone. In the face of one of the most devastating storms of the last century, I talked with Richard as he was walking around midtown Manhattan in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. His thoughts on music and creativity were positively inspiring, and his love of vinyl is evident the moment he speaks. The man even has dreams where Marc Bolan directs his life. You’ll seldom meet someone as passionate about music—and dispelling rock and roll myths—as Richard Barone.

A friend of mine was saying that he knew that things were starting to get back to normal when people in their cars were lined up behind a utility truck that was trying to make repairs, honking at it.

Oh yeah. I’m walking by a lot of that right now! Honking horns is usually the domain of cab drivers from other countries, mostly. [Laughs] I’m walking by a lot of Con Edison guys in fluorescent suits. It’s kind of interesting. It gives me an idea of how I should dress my band, actually. [Laughs]

Like a new DEVO thing going on.

Yeah! DEVO 2012!

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of your box set—

Was it the complete box set or just the discs?

Just the discs.

There’s a massive box set with a tee shirt, two CDs, one DVD, a vinyl single and a hardcover book.

What made you decide to do the 7” vinyl single?

Well, I love vinyl. Of course, I started on vinyl and the 7” was the format I always loved. When we formed The Bongos, our goal—our concept—was never to release 12”, only 7” records. Because I like the way you compress the sound on the 7”; I like the 45rpm speed. When we did Drums Along the Hudson, our first album, it was really a collection of our British vinyl singles. That was the idea, because I like the format. I grew up on Top 40 radio and the idea of the song single on a 45 that’s compressed sound-wise and compressed time-wise to fit into a time slot was what intrigued me, so that’s why I like the 7” single. That’s a little nostalgia thing for me. But that’s the only nostalgia part of the box set for me—the vinyl—because that’s how I started; I wanted to make vinyl singles.

Read More »

I spoke with David Johansen as he was surrounded by devastation from Superstorm Sandy. “I’m doing good for being in a disaster area,” he said in his distinctive growl. He knows the City will make it. Johansen is a New Yorker through and through: resilient, creative, irreverent.

The frontman for The New York Dolls—one of the most quintessentially New York rock bands that has ever existed—strutted his way into the chaotic music scene of the ‘70s, and stuck around as an inventive and genre-defying solo artist. The Dolls dissolved after a handful of furious years, yet despite a decades-long hiatus the proto-punk/glam/dirty rockers are riding a resurgence in acclaim and popularity. In fact, the band (whose surviving original members include Johansen and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain) have released more albums since their 2005 reunion than they did during their early ’70s heyday.

In the face of historic hurricanes and ever-changing musical landscapes, Johansen remains an all-around hard-working, genre-bending, perma-touring musician. While the Dolls are on a break from touring, Johansen’s bringing a solo acoustic show to The Hamilton in Washington, DC on Monday, November 12th. He has a wry sense of humor about it all, and he talked to us about his career, his early influences, and why you won’t find him hanging out online.

You’re taking a break from touring with the Dolls and doing some solo club shows. Why did you decide to stay out on the road?

Oh, I’ve been doing it for a while when the Dolls are down. So, it’s just something I like to do. I like to sing.

And you have an opportunity to sing different songs than you do with the Dolls?

Yeah. Exactly. I do songs from my solo career, and I do songs from when I had the Harry Smiths. I do some other songs that are from neither here nor there. And some of the Dolls’, like, ballad-y kind of songs that we never do on stage. It’s gonna be a great show—I really enjoy doing it, and the audiences have been really great.

Read More »

When your producer says your side project is “everything I’ve ever loved about Rock,” it’s safe to assume that Joe Bonamassa is involved. The guitar virtuoso has been making a name for himself since his early teens and continues to indulge his virtuosity in a variety of solo projects and collaborations, including a three-album stint with the rock “supergroup” known as Black Country Communion.

Following proper “supergroup” tradition, the collaboration has not been without its internal strife and clashing personalities. Comprising Deep Purple legend Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian of Dream Theater, and Jason Bonham (son of late Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham), Black Country Communion created a bombastic new album, Afterglow, which is preemptively considered one of the best hard rock releases of the year (it’s released on October 30).

Bonamassa’s reputation as one of the greatest living rock guitarists is as secure with this record as it is with every project he undertakes. He takes particular delight in being a multi-faceted player, exploring a wide variety of genres, and a self-proclaimed “guitar geek” with a mind-boggling collection of axes.

On Twitter last week, Bonamassa quipped, “[I]t is really interesting and wonderful to hear how organic and dynamic music played by humans keeps your attention.” This commitment to a high level of authenticity in his music and appreciation for the album is filling concert halls worldwide with a rapidly-growing fanbase. When I spoke with him, Joe had lots to say about where he thinks music is going, how he beats the system, and why he takes his own music in so many different directions.

I’ve been listening to the Afterglow all week and I’ve got to say — it’s pretty damn rockin’.

Well, I appreciate that!

You are already a champion of the blues. Now, Black Country Communion is billed as the “saviors of Classic Rock.” Is that something you came up with? Do you feel like a savior?

Oh, no – that’s something you read in the newspapers. [Laughs] I’m not the savior of anything. A good interpreter? Yeah, I’ll take that. I have a day job that I’m happy with; I’m a solo artist that tours. I just got back from Southeast Asia and Australia and everywhere else.

We got involved in this thing – all of us, Glenn [Hughes], Jason [Bonham] and Derek [Sherinian] and myself and Kevin [Shirley, producer] – we wanted to make an old school record because we saw an opportunity to do “new classic rock”. Basically, using the recipes of yesteryear, but with new songs, and record it like it was Deep Purple, 1971. And that was because people would flirt with [classic rock and] the lo-fi thing, but there wasn’t the dais of players that would substantiate it. That was the whole point of it. We did one record, then did another record, then did a tour. And then we did this third record [Afterglow], and I think the third record’s good. I think the first one’s the best, but I think the third one’s good. But everybody’s going to have a different opinion, and that’s the beauty of music. I just got off the phone with someone who thought the third one is the best. And that’s great! Everybody has their own opinion.

Read More »

When MTV started re-broadcasting The Monkees in the ’80s, my parents were amused that I latched onto their music so strongly. I never got that The Monkees weren’t a band. All I knew was that I loved their show and I loved their songs.

And why wouldn’t I? They had the best songwriters in the industry writing their hits, and they set the standard for music television that pre-dated MTV by nearly two decades and Glee by nearly four decades. Hell, The Monkees out-sold most of the biggest acts of the ’60s — including The Beatles. Despite pressure to tour as a “real” band, artists from John Lennon to Jerry Garcia to Frank Zappa loved The Monkees for what they were: talented actors who could sing and play their own instruments, shining a humorous light on the travails common to all rock bands.

When I spoke with Micky Dolenz in Los Angeles, it was forty years nearly to the day that “Last Train to Clarksville” hit the Top 40, and just one day after his new album, Remember, was released. While perhaps officially a “nostalgia” album of some of his favorite tunes, Dolenz and producer David Harris have gone to great lengths to re-imagine those songs. Remember includes a countrified “I’m a Believer,” an incredibly cool “Good Morning, Good Morning” with swapped time signatures—even “Sugar, Sugar” sounds fresh as a tongue-in-cheek lounge lizard “standard.” But it’s the title track, written by Harry Nilsson—completed prior to Davy Jones’ untimely passing in February—that makes the record feel more wistful than he perhaps intended it to be—especially as Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith prepare for a 12-date Monkees tour beginning next month.

But what Dolenz does best and, perhaps, has always done best is move forward in his own way. His passion for the music that moves him seems to be his big motivator, but he talked to me about his time in musical theater, his thoughts on digital vs. vinyl, living in Laurel Canyon, and what his passions are today (hint: they include singing Monkees songs).

I have kind of a funny story. The first rock concert I ever saw was The Monkees when I was a kid – probably 1986 or so at Great Woods outside of Boston.

Oh, really? Gosh!

I grew up watching the show and thought it was the greatest thing. At the same time, my brother and I would do fake radio shows and record them on our tape deck. After the concert, I made him pretend to be you and I interviewed him.

[Laughs] So here we are! That’s great!

I hadn’t even thought about that until I found out I’d get to talk to you today!

[Laughs] Well, thanks so much for your time!

So, I wanted to keep things kind of loose, but since I write for The Vinyl District I’d love to get your thoughts on the format, your record collection – things like that.

You mean there’s something else besides vinyl? [Laughs] I don’t know what to call it now when I talk about my new project; is it my new CD? My new album? My new digital dump? My new download? It’s kind of crazy.

The thing I miss the most is the artwork, you know, when you could have this beautiful piece of art. Now you’re cramming everything… if you’re lucky, you get a CD, and it’s all crammed down into this little thing.

Read More »

Paul Collins shows no signs of slowing down. The current king of power pop got his start in the iconic combo The Nerves — with Peter Case and Jack Lee — a band that grew out of the late-’70s Los Angeles power pop scene. From there came The Breakaways and, finally, The Beat — one of the most beloved original American power pop bands.

After years of on-and-off touring and recording with The Beat and as a solo artist, Paul is gearing up for multiple dates with Paul Collins’ Beat and The English Beat through November, and is putting together the Power Pop-A-Licious II festival November 16-17 in Asbury Park, New Jersey as a showcase for bands from all over the power pop spectrum to show their stuff. 

A relentless promoter and champion of power pop, Paul not only wants to keep playing the music he loves, but he also wants to make playing music viable for all other bands that fall under his gaze. He creates concerts and networks that help artists and small venues earn a living, which is the next “F-you” to record labels — right along with free album downloads, direct-to-fans ticketing, and self-producing records. When I spoke with Paul, his enthusiasm for music and supporting independent bands and record stores was obvious. Paul Collins is a man possessed by music. 

Hello, Jennifer with The Vinyl District. How are you?

I’m great! Is this still a good time?

It’s still a good time. It’s a gorgeous day here in New York. Where are you calling from?

I’m calling from sunny San Diego.

I love San Diego! It’s my favorite part of California. You know, back in the day, we played San Diego maybe three or four times. It’s just not… I don’t know. For some reason, it just wasn’t one of our stops. And then in the last, I would say, four or five years I’ve been [going to] San Diego. I’ve been playing at the Soda Bar. Do you know the Soda Bar?

I don’t, unfortunately, but I already feel like I should.

Well, it’s a great – I don’t know where it is, but we now have a real following in San Diego. Last time I played there, I played at a bar called Pink’s, which I did not like at all.

A venue that I love and that I’ve heard is always good to bands is The Casbah.

You know, they’ve been around forever and I’ve never played there! I don’t know – it’s just never worked out.

Read More »

Donovan has been doing more with music than you might think. The 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and ’60s folk rock icon has played SXSW, released several internet-exclusive albums through his website, been honored as a BMI Icon, re-wrote one of his songs for Futurama, and supports the musical wing of the David Lynch Foundation by putting together exclusive musical collaborations — featuring musicians like Peter Gabriel, Moby, Ozomatli, Amanda Palmer, Ben Folds, Tom Waits and many others — that fund rehabilitative Transcendental Meditation programs (techniques that, incidentally, he learned in India with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and The Beatles).

Whew!

Any of this would be cause for celebration, but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction was a long-overdue honor for one of the world’s greatest songwriting treasures. And so Donovan is celebrating in his own way — by treating his fans to three shows this weekend in the D.C. area (and an upcoming tour) and writing new songs with bigshots in Nashville.

How do you do? You’re from a thing called The Vinyl District – what’s that?

Well, we’re an online music magazine that’s dedicated to supporting independent record stores and the vinyl/analog format.

Wow, that’s great! That’s good news, because that’s where I started.

Yeah! I understand you have the distinction of releasing the one of the first double LPs in rock music.

Isn’t that amazing? Yeah, I’ve heard that story that I was the first double in popular music. I guess you would know more than I about that! [Note: Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde was the first rock double LP; Donovan’s A Gift from a Flower to a Garden was one of the first box sets.]

Read More »