Author Archives: Jon Meyers

True story: Perry Farrell personally turned me on to Jethro Tull. Well, I was among a huge crowd at the (old) 9:30 Club the night Jane’s lost the Grammy for “Best Metal Act” to Jethro Tull. (Metallica lost to them too, if memory is serving me correctly.)

Prior (to be honest) I didn’t get it. Oh sure, I knew the classics, but all that mincing about with the flute…I dunno. But Jane’s delayed their arrival on stage for the outcome of the Grammy award and upon losing and announcing such from the stage, lept into the heaviest version imaginable of “Aqualung,” and Perry, dressed in a silver body suit with orange hair and made up akin to a psychotic Raggedy Ann, and yes – mincing about – opened my eyes. I never again heard Tull as I had prior. I became…a fan.

For you guys who we’ll call the “pre-converted,” we’ve got a fantastic giveaway—Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick, the 40th Anniversary Edition, which follows the release earlier this year of the sequel to Tull’s Thick As A Brick, Thick As A Brick 2.

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It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

He’s My Brother She’s My Sister – Tales That I Tell
Starlings, TN – The Holidaze
David Bronson – The Turns
Big Harp – You Can’t Save ‘Em All
Oceanography – American Cars
GLISS – Hunting
Staygold – Video Kick Snare
ExDetectives – Farthest Star
Stevie Kalinich – AMERICA, I’m Comin Home
Bear Cavalry – Aubrey Plaza (Shields Remix)
Dr. Ozi – Beach Brains
Dumbo Gets Mad – Radical Leap

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
PVT – Nightfall

Go Periscope – Boys Like (Touch Bass)
Bow To Each Other – I Don’t Hear All the Noise
KJ Hines – Retro City (Ft. Young Day)
Matt Pond – Love To Get Used
The Presets – Promises (Plastic Plates Remix)
Redlight – Lost In Your Love (Benzi & Aylen Remix)
The 1975 – Sex (Hackman Remix)
Silver Medallion vs. Matthew LeFace, Matt Nash & Dave Silcox – King (Vocal Mix)
Skye – Nowhere (Dave Davis Remix)
Lake Effect – Suspicion
L’Orange – The Mad Writer (Ft. yU)
Youngblood Hawke – We Come Running (RAC Mix)

It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

The Rescues – Did It Really Even Matter
Lavender Diamond – Everybody’s Heart’s Breaking Now
E4RTH – It’s Where We Live
HEERO – Out of Touch
The March Divide – Still Analog
Staygold feat. Spank Rock, Lady Tigra & Damian Adore – Backseat
Lakookala – Mother Biiiirds
Vandana Jain – Stuffed
Devyn Rose – Heartbeat
El Sportivo & The Blooz – Waking World

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Mystery Pills – Anti-Pattern

The Peach Kings – Lonely
Aimee Bobruk – Two of a Kind
Moodive – Innocence
Widowspeak – Ballad of the Golden Hour
Kacey Johansing – Honey Sugar Molasses
TRANSMISSION PARTY – New Drug
Jan – All Of These Igloos
Jan – Red Crust Ow
Midnight Magic – Threshold
Atlas Genius – Back Seat (Goldroom Remix)

34 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!

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Tunji Oyelana is described by the folks at Soundway Records as “equal parts singer-songwriter, actor, bandleader, dramatist, comedian and academic.” Those that have been absorbing the label’s attempts to provide a clearer picture of the Nigerian music scene might recognize his name as one amongst many in an impressive field that for years was denied wider exposure by a variety of cultural circumstances. Soundway’s fresh issue of A Nigerian Retrospective 1966-79, a multi-format compilation with a 3LP edition for vinyl fans, does an outstanding job of bringing Oyelana’s name out of the shadows to the front of the Nigeria’s musical class.

The uncovered musical delights from ’60s-‘80s Africa that have seen retrospective rerelease over the last dozen years or so basically present the once hidden activities of its continent as being like that of an eternal onion of an unusually delicious flavor. Layers keep getting peeled off and digested but there always seems to be more underneath. This current state of affairs sits in sharp contrast to how the situation once was; if plenty of record labels both big and small were attempting to document the traditional sounds of Africa, then the popular music that bloomed throughout its many countries and even more numerous regions was definitely subject to neglect.

Yes, there was Afrobeat, but it was a form essentially dominated in the West by the notoriety of Fela Kuti, the force of nature that’s often credited with creating the style. Part of the reason for Fela’s supremacy was due to the political and social component of his music; he was an activist, and the names of his groups, first Nigeria ’70 and then Africa ’70, reflected the growing nature of his consciousness, spreading from country to continent and then becoming one aspect of a global movement of racial empowerment.

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It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

howtodestroyangels – Keep it together (Factory Floor remix)
The Little Ones – Argonauts
CStone – Been Gettin Money (feat. Slim Thug)
Daniel Romano – Middle Child
Swim – Ride
California Wives – Tokyo (Different Sleep Remix)
Sherpa – Turner
The Miracles Club – U&ME (NILE DELTA REMIX)
Pretty & Nice – Capsules
Wild International – Creeks

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Elin Ruth – Bang

Dog Bite – Prettiest Pills
French Horn Rebellion vs. Database – Poster Girl (Peter Wade Remix)
She & The Sun – Bad Lover
Trainwreck Riders – House Upon The Hill
The Clutters – Run
50 Years of Bond Mini Mix
L’Orange – Alone feat. Blu
Atlas Genius – Back Seat (Goldroom Remix)
Borgeous & Taylor Bird – Serenity
Call Answer – Parks

17 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!

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“My earliest memories of music are symbiotic with vinyl.”

“I remember being about 3 years old, sitting on the floor in front of my grandpa’s stereo (or ‘box’ as he called it) flipping through his amazing jazz vinyl collection and admiring the vivid covers while music blared above my head.

The artwork, the warm crackle of the needle hitting that vinyl…it’s as nostalgic and comforting as hot cider on a cold winter’s day.” —Jack Davey

Election Day, 2012. We closing up shop a bit early to make sure all our staffers and interns are freed up to head out to the polls. (And to …uh, v-O-te.)

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It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

howtodestroyangels – A1 Keep it together (Factory Floor remix)
Petite Noir – Disappear (Radio Edit)
Sambassadeur – Memories
Clare and the Reasons – The Lake
Trainwreck Riders – Gypsy Stealin’
Petite Noir – Pressure
Social Studies – Terracur
Go Periscope – Silver Wings
The Sweet Serenades – Can’t Get Enough
DaVinci – Cheeba (Ft. Ammbush, Main Attrakionz & The Jacka)

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Dot Dash – Countdown

Karthala 72 – Dans le Coeur du Feu
Von Haze – Mother Mountain
Sleeping Bag – Walk Home
Bam Spacey – Dessa Bränder (CHLLNGR Remix)
Bela Tar – Black Mark
Benzi & Willy Joy – This Is Paradise (Get Right Records)
An21 & Max Vangelli – Bombs Over Capital(Landis Remix)
Bonda – Killin Em Freestyle
Ceremony – Everything Burns
Chrome Canyon – Memories of a Scientist (Matthewdavid Remix)

28 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!

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True story: years ago, Leerone was the very first working musician to guest write a piece at TVD, setting about a hallmark and a standard for many, many more to come.

Heck, it might be our brand at this point.

Taken from Leerone’s The Lost Records: Vol. 1, a collection of covers to accompany her brand new release, Heart Shaped Bullets (which arrives on November 13) is this particularly timely cover of Donovan’s “Season of the Witch,” with which we’ll send you off ’til Halloween.

(Boo!)

“My earliest record collection included classics such as Run DMC, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Village People, Hendrix, even the Godfather soundtrack—thanks to my oldest brother’s budding relationship with CDs.”

“But it was at (now defunct) Twelve Inch Dance Records in Dupont Circle and Yoshitoshi (now only a record label) in Georgetown that I remember how eager I was to mix Sasha’s “Be as One” with all of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Of all the material possessions I’ve ditched over the years, I still have these (and a box of old 45s I adopted) even though I haven’t owned a working record player in years!
—Carolina Hoyos

“My first job was at the long gone but not forgotten Tower Records in the Castro district of San Francisco.”

“I probably shouldn’t admit to this, but my music education began here when I stole a copy of Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions. Don’t ask me how I did it (there was a blind spot near the magazines) but I began to build a small collection of CDs (remember those) and vinyl, thanks to the good people at Tower Records.

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“Vinyl is increasingly important in a world where music is consumed and tossed out in minutes.”

“These days are quite different from my high school days where our band spent what little money we earned from part-time jobs to put out 500 7”s with Kinko’s photocopies for covers. Even to this day, other musical projects I’m involved with rely on the use of samples from obscure vinyl releases of the past.

Vinyl remains a tangible representation of all the hard work that goes into creating music. I hope Midway in Wake is able to release something on vinyl in the future. Certainly, I’m hoping enough people like the record to make pressing it to vinyl an option. With a limited indie label budget and a debut album, it’s quite difficult to put an album out on vinyl unless the its economically feasible to do so.” —Greg Reynaud 

We’re delighted to premiere “Urban Vermin” from Greg Reynaud’s Midway in Wake. The track is taken from the brand new, self-produced and arranged album We Will Remain Sedate, slated for release in late 2012 on Lowatt Records. 

Midway in Wake Official | Facebook | Bandcamp

It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

Rubblebucket – (Focus) Oversaturated (Geographer Remix)
Elephant 12 – Holidaycd
California Wives – Marianne (No Ceremony Remix)
Daniel Romano – Middle Child
Thomas Azier – Fire Arrow
Bear Cavalry – Aubrey Plaza
The Sea and Cake – Harps
David Bronson – Times
Ampersands – Try This
Rush Midnight – Crush (Prod. Twin Shadow)

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
of Montreal – Feminine Effects

DeVotchKa – Along The Way
Egyptian Project – Anta Ana
Verse Metrics – Aches (Radio Edit)
The Twilight Sad – Not Sleeping (Tom Furse Dub Mix)
Empresarios – Rompan Fila
Woollen Kits – Susannah
Alex Kelly – Catalyst
Jan – All Of These Igloos
Prince Rama – Welcome To The Now Age
DaVinci – Nothin Finna Stop Me

28 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!

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