We’ve closed TVD’s HQ for the Presidents Day holiday. While we’re away, why not fire up our Record Store Locator app and visit one of your local indie record stores?
Perhaps there’s an interview, review, or feature you might have missed? Catch up and we’ll see you back here tomorrow, 2/18.
Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
Love her / And tell her each day / That girl needs to know / Tell her so / Tell her everything I couldn’t say / Like she’s warm / And she’s sweet / And she’s fine / Oh, love her / Like I should have done
It really wasn’t until deep into the week that I realized today is Valentine’s Day. As a holiday it’s a mixed bag. It can be sexy, fun, and romantic—but just as easily, bitter and lonely.
It was actually my years owning bars, clubs, and restaurants that brought on my love for making “mix tapes,” which in turn became the urge to DJ on the radio (KCRW) which became my obsession (call it diary) we know as The Idelic Hour.
It was an appropriately cold and snowy night Tuesday when Molchat Doma stopped by the Anthem in Washington DC. The post punk trio, from Minsk, Belarus, are in the midst of a North American tour and, despite the inclement weather, DC showed up in force.
Joining Molchat Doma on this tour is Los-Angeles based Sextile. The crowd at the Anthem was already starting to swell when the trio took the stage. Founding members Brady Keehn and Melissa Scaduto (who paced back and forth with a large flag emblazoned with “Sextile”) were joined by a standing drummer for a 40-minute, high energy post-punk/electronic set. Keehn was met with cheers when he gave a shoutout to DC and revealed he once lived in Columbia Heights. The trio were successful in getting the crowd hyped for the headliner. Sextile’s most recent album is 2023’s Push.
The Anthem’s floor was full by the time Molchat Doma took the stage just after 9PM. For the unfamiliar, Molchat Doma (meaning “Houses are Silent” in Russian) formed in 2017, in Minsk, Belarus; the current lineup is Egor Shkutko, Roman Komogortsev, and Pavel Kozlov. Their music is an amalgam of post-punk, new wave, and synth-driven sounds (a drum machine takes the place of a drummer), and is often compared to 1980s work by bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The men have also said they take influences from 1980s Russian rock bands, such as Kino.
The setlist was taken from across the band’s four LP discography; their latest album is Belaya Polosa, released last September. While their songs are sung exclusively in Russian, Molchat Doma’s modern-yet-retro sound has fueled their rapid ascent and appeal across generations and nations. In Washington, DC, the crowd, while skewing younger overall, featured a lot of Millennial and GenXers alongside the young goths.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | Tiger Style Records and The Numero Group are proud to present the epic 25th anniversary edition of Will You Find Me, the acclaimed fourth studio album by the legendary New York City indie rock band Ida. The deluxe box set arrives on Friday, April 25 on 4xLP, limited edition 4xLP “This Water” vinyl (Transparent Cloudy Clear), and 5xCD. The vinyl features 34 additional tracks, and the CD features 89. Pre-orders are available now.
The newly augmented Will You Find Me—25th Anniversary Edition 5CD Box Set collects the original 14-track album alongside a whopping 89 never-before-heard outtakes, alternate mixes, 4-track demos, and covers from Ida’s extensive archive. The accompanying 64-page booklet documents the history of Will You Find Me with stunning photographs and an extensive blow-by-blow essay by award-winning writer Douglas Wolk. Among the collection’s myriad highlights is a previously unreleased rendition of NYC singer-songwriter Lori Carson’s “Black Thumb,” premiering everywhere today. In addition, a special teaser video is streaming now.
Ida will mark the return of Will You Find Me with an eagerly awaited US tour alongside old friends and fellow indie rock icons Tsunami. Dates begin March 22 at Woodstock, NY’s Levon Helm Studios and continue through a release day show set for April 25 at Los Angeles, CA’s Lodge Room. Tickets for all announced dates and additional information can be found HERE.
Ida was founded in 1992 by NYC-based singers/guitarists Daniel Littleton and Elizabeth Mitchell, bringing together a wide variety of disparate influences into a singular minimalist brand of experimental pop all their own. Ida made their debut with 1994’s luminous Tales of Brave Ida, released on Tsunami frontwoman Jenny Toomey’s hugely influential Simple Machines label.
Celebrating Conor Oberst in advance of his birthdate tomorrow.
—Ed.
You know you’re in trouble when the most uplifting song on an LP is about a fatal airline crash. And yet in the case of the 2005 LP I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, Bright Eyes’ front man Conor Oberst somehow makes it work. This album may not be a mood elevator, but it’s lovely from spiritually charged beginning to political end, thanks in part to Oberst’s excellent lyrics and thanks in part to the melodies, doleful as they often are.
Folk influenced, but with touches of musical discord, “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” left me cold at first, with the exception of the airplane crash classic, “At the Bottom of Everything.” But it slowly grew on me, like fuzzy green mold on the animated corpse of Rod Stewart. Oberst may truck in depression, and his idea of a happy song may involve mass death, but he’s not taking life lying down.
On “Ode to Joy” (which borrows, musically, from Beethoven), for instance, he defiantly faces down the darkness at noon, raging against the futility of war to the accompaniment of some cool guitar feedback before tossing in the great lines, “Well I could have been a famous singer/If I had someone else’s voice/But failure’s always sounded better/Let’s fuck it up boys, make some noise!” If all he’d written in his life were those last two lines, I would still love the man.
“We Are Nowhere and It’s Now” boasts a lovely melody and the vocals of Emmylou Harris, dueting with Oberst. Oberst is falling apart, what with the waitress at his favorite bar looking concerned and the drugs he’s taking giving him a “head full of pesticide.” The trumpet is great, the vocals are transcendental, and somebody else’s suffering has never sounded so good.
Parthenon Huxley is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer largely known for his work with the band ELO Part II (The Orchestra).
Born in Louisiana and raised in Greece and North Carolina, Huxley began his career in the late 1970s, gaining recognition for his solo work as well as collaborations with various artists.
He spent time in the 1970s as staff writer for MCA in New York, released his first solo album on Columbia, spent many years in LA working with a wide range of artists as a producer and guitarist including extensive work with Mark Oliver Everett of The Eels. He has released over ten studio albums and has recently released his memoir entitled Electric Light Odyssey.
Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.
A half century and change down the line, it boggles the imagination to think that Flint, Michigan’s Grand Funk (with or without that “Railroad”) were one of the biggest touring acts of the early Seventies. The proof lies in this shocking factoid—in 1971 (the Chinese “Year of the Funk”) the trio of Mark, Don, and Mel sold out Shea Stadium in 72 hours. It took The Beatles (The Beatles!) several weeks to do the same.
Manager Terry Knight was a key driver of the band’s success, and his messianic belief in their world importance took a hilarious turn in his liner notes (written on parchment scroll!) to the 1972 compilation Mark, Don & Mel. Wherein he compares “the Funk” to Moses, Cleopatra, and Napoleon and writes, “From the dawn of recorded history, stemming through the lifetimes of every man, woman and child who ever walked upon the earth, there have been but a handful whose fate it was to become known as Phenomenon.” It was quite a tribute to a band whose output included songs like “High Falootin’ Woman,” but you have to admire his grandiosity.
Knight’s hype, a manic album release schedule and over-the-top promotion (a huge billboard in NYC’s Times Square) helped fuel the fire, but Grand Funk did it mostly on their own, with nonstop touring and a high-energy, “obnoxiously loud” live show that emphasized shirtless torsos over finesse, subtlety, and great songs. Guitarist Mark Farner, drummer Don Brewer, and bassist Mel Schacher were three groovy dudes fashioning clunky, workmanlike grooves that not only achieved highly amplified mediocrity but came to personify it.
They were rock populists (fans loved ‘em, critics loathed ‘em) playing sledgehammer and potatoes rock for the zonked-out kid brothers of siblings whose musical palettes were more sophisticated, which is to say they were most likely listening to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. What a horrible time.
Bowie, MD | Bowie State University Professor Bob Bartlett Always Seeks to Innovate: Bowie State University Professor of Theatre Bob Bartlett isn’t just a playwright. He’s a visionary who brings theatre to unexpected places, making audiences see stories unfold in a whole new way. His latest play, “Love and Vinyl,” is no exception. Set in a real record store, this site-specific production is a celebration of music, memory, and human connection. For Bob, theatre is meant to be immersive, engaging, and transformative.“Whenever regional theatre is being produced in an alleyway or a bar or in someone’s home, I’m there,” he says. “Something magical and beyond theatrical happens when we take our art out of traditional performance spaces.” With “Love and Vinyl,” he taps into that magic, bringing audiences into a world where every spin of the record evokes a memory.
Chicago, IL | Terror Vision Records And Joe Swanberg Opening Pop-Up Video Store In Lakeview: The owner of Graveface Records and Curiosities and the Chicago-based director are opening Terror Vision Records and Video, a pop-up shop and video rental store next door to the Music Box Theatre in April. Two days after they were handed the keys to the place, Ryan Graveface and Joe Swanberg were standing in a mostly empty storefront on Southport Avenue surrounded by dozens of boxes filled to the brim with movies. “This is so not even barely scratching the surface,” Swanberg said, waving his arm over the thousands of Blu-Rays, DVDs and VHS tapes in the boxes, which came from Graveface and Swanberg’s private collections as well as the record store, museum, music venue and curiosity shop Graveface owns in Savannah, Ga. …The shop will be open from April 1 to Sept. 30 and not a day more. It’ll be a true pop-up, Graveface said. “We will be born and we will die,” he said.
Wenatchee, WA | Wenatchee Valley Vinyl Record Expo Founder Creates Space For Young Bands To Shine: Joel Myrene is passionate about music and creating spaces where young bands like the Wenatchee Valley’s Icarus can play to all ages. On Saturday, Feb. 8 I went down to the Wenatchee Odd Fellows Prosperity Lodge #301 on Chelan Avenue in Wenatchee and interviewed Rayce Jones, Finnegan Hart, William Rodriguez and Landon Ortiz – four teenage boys who make up the band Icarus. It was an all-age, drug and alcohol free rock show featuring Icarus and two other bands produced by Joel Myrene, founder of the Apple Valley Vinyl Record Expo. In addition to organizing that once-yearly vinyl record and music collectible expo, Myrene spends his free time producing music shows for local bands. And nurturing young bands like Icarus, giving them a stage to perform for their peers and promoting the performing arts to young folks is a priority for him.
Erie, PA | The Erie Record Riot! Over 10,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Sat March 22nd at Quality Inn & Suites: The Erie Record RIot RETURNS! It’s a GIANT vinyl record POP-UP sale at the Quality Inn & Suites. Sat March 22nd. 10000+ vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and amazing family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s. A giant record store lands in Erie! Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! LPs and 45s and CDs too. All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. DOOR PRIZES TOO! Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!
VIA PRESS RELEASE | A poignant and dramatic memoir from the lead singer and songwriter of the legendary British underground band Gang of Four.
To Hell With Poverty! documents Jon King’s story from a South London slum and impoverished working-class background to international success as core musician, lyricist, writer, and producer in the legendary postpunk/funk band Gang of Four. The reader is taken on an episodic and kaleidoscopic journey full of adventures from childhood to the end of Gang of Four’s “golden period” in 1984.
Thrown off the hit British TV show Top of the Pops; beaten by police at an anti-Nazi rally; being at the heart of the UK postpunk movement in the 1970s; fraternizing with Hells Angels and other “undesirables”; supported by bands like R.E.M., and playing with the likes of the Police and Talking Heads—King’s times with Gang of Four are rich with stories.
Gang of Four’s Entertainment! LP is consistently ranked as one of the greatest debut albums of all time and continues to inspire new generations of musicians today. The band has influenced numerous bands, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and INXS, to 2024-era hip-hop giants Run the Jewels, whose hit song “The Ground Below” is built on samples from the Gang of Four’s song “Ether.” Gang of Four have been championed by the likes of Flea, Sofia Coppola, Massive Attack, Damien Hirst, Greil Marcus, and many more.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | Celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of rock music’s most legendary live collaborations, newly announced Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees The Black Crowes and global rock icon Jimmy Page are pleased to announce the re-release of their iconic live album, Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes: Live at the Greek.
Recorded during unforgettable nights of rock and roll in October 1999 at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre and Jones Beach in August 1999, this album features powerful renditions of Led Zeppelin classics and The Black Crowes’ staple blues-rock jams. The 36-track anniversary album was produced, mixed, and remastered by Kevin Shirley and includes 16 previously unreleased tracks, exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, video, and much more. Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes: Live at the Greek is set for release on March 14 via The Orchard. Pre-save the album HERE.
Ahead of the re-release, Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes dropped a two-track single, “No Speak No Slave” and “Bring It On Home.” Available to stream today, The Black Crowes’ fan favorite “No Speak No Slave” delivers a roaring performance by Jimmy Page in the new, remastered release. The song is accompanied by a new music video featuring never-before-seen footage of the unforgettable performance.
The second song available today is never before released, “Bring It On Home,” the blues classic that was famously reinterpreted by Led Zeppelin on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II and reimagined again live in 1999. Jimmy Page’s iconic guitar, the soulful energy of Rich Robinson and the gritty vocals of Chris Robinson made this performance one of the greatest in rock history.
Celebrating Peter Gabriel on his 75th birthday. —Ed.
When Peter Gabriel split Genesis to venture out on his own in 1975, his first solo album was 1977’s eponymous Peter Gabriel. In hindsight, he would judge it overproduced. But artists rarely prove the best judges of their own work. Come the end of his life Picasso would say, “What’s with the weird faces? Nobody looks like that.” Or maybe it was me who said that.
Gabriel featured an odd cast of characters. Gabriel brought King Crimson and art rock guitarist Robert Fripp and synthesizer innovator Larry Fast on board, while producer Bob Ezrin—best known for his work with Alice Cooper–lassoed Cooper guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner, as well as bass player Tony Levin. Art rock met lowbrow shock metal on Gabriel, and it was Ezrin’s responsibility to make it work.
And he did, for the most part. One of the LP’s songs sounds like it crept in through a studio side door and bribed its way onto the record. But overproduced or not—and I fall into the camp that believes it isn’t—Gabriel is a powerful piece of work, and a move in the right direction by a guy who, come the punk revolution, would later say, “prancing around in fairyland was rapidly becoming obsolete.”
By “prancing” he might have been referring to Jethro Tull, or his band Genesis for that matter. At the close of each show of the live tour promoting 1975’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Gabriel would appear on stage in a ridiculous yellow body sock festooned with buboes that made him look like a day-glo leper. Prancing? More like dada gone horribly, horribly wrong.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | “We decided to write the album in a rehearsal situation, everybody had ideas in their heads but not many of the songs were written before we rehearsed, and we wrote one song in the studio. It wasn’t the kind of album where you put tracks down bit by bit. We’ve done the album like a live show and what is there is there. We want to present this record as a band—the idea of six people playing together and using traditional sounds.” —Michael Hutchence, Rolling Stone, October 1985
Listen Like Thieves was a hugely significant and pivotal album for INXS. Having already built a reputation for their unique sound, incredible live shows (built out from an unmatched global touring schedule) alongside growing but maybe pocketed success (in the grand scheme of things) with their previous four albums—INXS (1980), Underneath the Colours (1981), Shabooh Shoobah (1982), and The Swing (1984)—it was the release of Listen Like Thieves in 1985 that saw them become one of the biggest and captivating bands of a generation.
Paul Sexton: “This lavish remounting of Listen Like Thieves is a testament to a band whose resolute focus on achieving international renown was rewarded that year with serious sales, a heavyweight hit single and their consecration as flagbearers of the MTV generation. Forty years on, this staging post album—their first in a fruitful relationship with hallowed producer Chris Thomas—is there to be savoured by original fans and new admirers alike.”
Listen Like Thieves (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) is a deep dive celebration into the album. Releasing on May 9, it is available as a Deluxe Edition 3CD/LP set containing a brand new 2025 remix by Giles Martin and Paul Hicks on CD and vinyl, extensive previously unreleased outtakes and demos, a rare BBC Recording, Live From The Royal Albert Hall, London, 1986 and a brand new interview with the band by acclaimed writer Paul Sexton. The Extended Edition 2CD contains the new mix, whilst the CD-2 has a selection of B-sides, remixes, and live recordings; the 1LP 40th Anniversary Edition vinyl contains the new 2025 mix. Pre-order HERE.
Tone Scientists are vocalist-guitarist Bucky Pope (Tar Babies), bassist Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose, Stooges), and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise), with flautist/sax player Vince Meghrouni and keyboardist Pete Mazich, both longtime Watt associates, filling out the band. They released a 45rpm 7-inch for Record Store Day Black Friday in 2018 and now they are back with a 5-song EP, “Kiiroi Tori,” that solidifies the outfit as a blend of punkish rock, robust jazz, and hearty R&B. And good news for those just getting hip to the sounds Tone Scientists are laying down: the 7-inch (black vinyl) and the new EP (banana peel vinyl) are available as a bundle via ORG Music’s website while supplies last.
The Tone Scientists 7-inch drops “Nuts,” an exuberant bit of hard driving flute heavy business onto its A-side, the gist a bit like a gang of art-punk-wavers striving for a Booker T & the MG’s sort of groove. It served as an inspired harbinger of what has just arrived on the new EP, as did the flip side, a killer version of “Tiny Pyramids,” a Ronnie Boykins composition heard on Angels and Demons at Play by Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra.
The motifs established on the single are given room to productively expand on the EP, as the opener “Excuse Yourself” and the cut that follows “Struggle Bus,” both Pope compositions, spring from the longstanding mutual desires of Pope and Watt to broaden the possibilities of punk rock by delivering judicious injections of funk to the style.
The punk connection is deepest in “Those Isthmus Blues,” a co-write from Pope and Watt, which ushers a post-Beat punk-aligned spoken word sensibility (Pope dropping the names Dan Peters from Killdozer, Doc Dart from Crucifucks, and Clyde “Funky Drummer” Stubblefield, amongst others) into the utterly non-clichéd groove scheme as Mazich is given ample room to beautifully go off with his organ solo.
Tallahassee, FL | 3 Tallahassee record stores you need to check out: This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter. If you’re anything like me, you love music. Whether you have a Spotify playlist curated for any situation or love going to concerts, Tallahassee has a great music scene for anyone. Tallahassee has some fantastic record stores that anyone will love; whether you’re a seasoned Long Playing (LP) vinyl collector or want to explore some cool spots, here are a few Tallahassee music gems to check out! Rearview Vintage and Vinyl: Located just outside the heart of Midtown, Rearview Vintage and Vinyl is an ideal place for a casual day out with friends. Rearview frequently has CD and record drops (with CDs on Fridays and records on Saturdays), which they promote on Instagram. Rearview also carries a wide selection of genres, including R&B, classic rock, rap, and pop, so no matter your taste, you’ll be sure to find something you’ll like. They also have sections in the store dedicated to rare vinyl finds…
St. Louis, MO | Inspired by Japanese record bars, HiFi by Upshot Coffee finds a home in Clayton: Clayton has a new community-oriented coffee shop that celebrates music and conversation. HiFi by Upshot Coffee debuted in late November, featuring coffee, tea, breakfast and lunch items, and pastries in a refreshing atmosphere inspired by Japanese record bars. As reported by Feast in November, the concept comes from Upshot Coffee founder Conor VanBuskirk and co-owner Eric Peters, a St. Charles native who recently made a homecoming to the St. Louis area after working in the Los Angeles coffee industry for the past eight years. As the former president of Coffee Commissary, Peters grew the cafe business from three to eight locations, along with a food truck and roasting program. “My goal with coming in as a partner with Conor is just to help with some of my experience from growing my business in LA…”
Washington, DC | Discover B Side: where vintage vinyl and eclectic eats create a vibrant dining experience: Chef & Butcher Nathan Anda joined Good Morning Washington to describe the experience of eating at B Side—a vibrant bar and restaurant that puts an eclectic twist on classic dishes. B Side, named after the B Side of a record, combines culinary love with pop culture, vintage vinyl, and iconic tunes. Vinyl records, one of Anda’s passions, are featured throughout the combined bar and butcher shop. The Mosaic in Merrifield vinyl bar offers a charcuterie selection of smoked meats and butcher’s cuts. Anda showcased his twin smash burger, seared steak frites, pig wings, and a crafty selection of mixed drinks, wines, and beers.
Kent, OH | Dropping needle—and stream—Gen Z loves vinyl: Gen Z’s love of vinyl based on aesthetic, novelty and a little prestige. Vinyl record collecting has been a hobby since the first needle hit those grooves, but today’s college-age generation may be single-handedly helping keep this trend alive and thriving. Generation Z is now the driving force behind vinyl’s current popularity, says the Vinyl Alliance, the world’s leading industry collective for vinyl. Gen Z commonly refers to people born between 1997 and 2021, which includes today’s traditional college students. But what is the draw to vinyl over more accessible and portable media such as MP3s and streaming services? “I started collecting vinyl because I saw other people have them, and I loved the aesthetic,” Gavin Barnhouse, a junior accounting major told Kent State Today. “Vinyls have a vintage and old feel to music rather than on Spotify or other platforms.” For others, parents influenced their children into loving vinyl.
The House of Blues transformed into a vibrant time capsule on Saturday night, as ’80s new wave icons Howard Jones and ABC were set to take the stage for a sold-out show brimming with excitement and neon-lit nostalgia. Fans from every generation, from lifelong devotees to curious newcomers, filled the iconic venue, ready to celebrate the timeless energy of an incredible era in music. After a brilliant set by ABC, the night took an unexpected turn when a significant gas leak at the Anaheim GardenWalk forced the evening to unravel in ways no one in attendance could have anticipated. What began as a celebration of music and memories quickly became a surreal and chaotic experience that left many wishing they could rewind the night in its entirety.
Opening for Howard Jones and ABC was the true Godfather of ’80s music, Richard Blade. He has been involved with New Wave music since its inception and is known for promoting bands like Billy Idol, Duran Duran, and Depeche Mode during tenures on the World Famous KROQ and Video One. Blade’s 45-minute set included a history of 1st Wave music, highlighting the importance of bands like Kraftwerk, OMD, and U2. He shared stories about each band and showed original videos, which engaged the audience and encouraged crowd participation. Like many, I had actual goosebumps throughout his New Wave history lesson and couldn’t help smiling and dancing the whole way through.
After a brief intermission, Blade one again took center stage and introduced a band that really needed no introduction, the legendary ABC. The 13-song masterclass opened with a bang as the unmistakable synth intro to “When Smokey Sings” filled the air. Fry, clad in a slick gold suit that shimmered under the lights, walked out to deafening cheers. His commanding presence and smooth baritone instantly captivated the now packed room. Though four decades removed from the release of their iconic album The Lexicon of Love, Fry proved he still commands an undeniable aura of charm and sophistication.
ABC’s performance on Saturday night was tight, polished, and every bit as lush as one would hope. Supported by a talented ensemble of amazing musicians, the sound was clean, layered, and provided a perfect balance between the nostalgic warmth of the ’80s production style and a crisp modern edge. Songs like “(How to Be a) Millionaire” and “Tears Are Not Enough” had the crowd swaying and singing along, their infectious melodies rekindling memories for long-time fans and introducing newcomers to the magic of ABC. “Poison Arrow” was one of my favorites from the set and was absolute perfection.
