VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary kick off the new year in style with a heady cult favorite from Joe Henderson, 1973’s Multiple. Returning to vinyl after more than 50 years, the album features a world-class ensemble of musicians—including Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Willis, and James “Blood” Ulmer—while it finds the influential saxophonist at the apex of his fusion period.
Arriving March 7th as part of Jazz Dispensary’s Top Shelf series, and available for pre-order today, Multiple is cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The LP is housed in a tip-on jacket, replicating Multiple’s original artwork. Fans can also find the album on digital platforms, as it makes its debut in hi-res audio on the same day as the vinyl release.
One of the most talented tenor saxophonists of his era, Joe Henderson (1937–2001) was a prolific leader and a sought-after sideman who played alongside the biggest names in jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Kenny Dorham, Chick Corea, and Alice Coltrane. The virtuosic Ohio-born musician launched his four-decade-long career in Detroit while attending college, before relocating to New York. There, he quickly built a name for himself performing on dozens of sessions for Blue Note Records, including those for Hancock, Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, and Lee Morgan.
By the time John Lee Hooker recorded Burnin’ for the Vee Jay label in 1961, he’d been on the recording and performing scene in and beyond Detroit for roughly a dozen years, wielding a sui generis, some said anachronistic, yet surprisingly adaptable style, both solo and with backing. On Burnin’ the band consisted of the legendary Motown Records studio unit the Funk Brothers, and the results stand amongst the strongest full-length recordings in Hooker’s extensive discography.
In September of 1945 Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers scored a smash hit on the R&B charts with “The Honeydripper, Parts 1 & 2,” hitting #1 in September and staying there into the following year (18 weeks in total). Heard today and considered in the context of its time, the song’s modernity still shines: WWII is over, and with it comes a sense of optimism only encouraged by a record industry, unshackled by the ban on pressing 78rpm discs, that was cranking out musical advancements recently honed on bandstands, and as the war raged on, mostly heard via airchecks.
Flash forward to 1949, and John Lee Hooker hits #1 on the same chart with “Boogie Chillen’” (remaining at the top for only one week, but staying on the chart for 18), the debut release by this renowned bluesman, featuring Hooker solo on electric guitar in a wildly intense update of the rural “country” blues, the song’s rhythm produced by Hooker’s own foot stomping on a piece of plywood.
Hooker wasn’t the only artist to update and mutate downhome blues styles with amplification and harder and sharper edges and angles (see Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Howlin’ Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson), but he was amongst the most uncompromising in how his style developed. Simultaneously a groundbreaker and a throwback, Hooker’s early success in an undiluted style helped to establish that any changes he made were on his terms.
Lancaster, UK | Lancaster independent record store to reopen bigger than ever: An independent record store in Lancaster is about to move to a bigger premises and will now be selling drinks as well as music. Forty Five Records will reopen at 7 Kings Arcade on Thursday, January 16. The new bigger store is just a stone’s throw from the previous shop in Kings Arcade, which opened in 2023 and closed in October while the new premises was refurbished. Forty Five Records is run by Martin Collins and Liz Crane, and Martin said they have put in a “big investment” to expand the business. “The new space came up and it’s so much bigger, around seven or eight times the size of the old shop”, said Martin. “It means we can offer more records, and we can also sell coffee, other hot drinks, soft drinks and non alcoholic beers. When we first opened, our plan was to sell every genre of music. I think, over time, we have seen what works really well.”
Austin, TX | Austin’s Waterloo Records changes ownership, relocates: One of Austin’s staple record stores will change ownership and relocate to a larger location this spring, current owner John Kunz announced Jan. 2. Waterloo Records served as a home for Austin’s music scene for 42 years, including 35 years at its current location along West 6th Street and North Lamar Boulevard. The new owners, Caren Kelleher, the CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl, and Trey Watson, CEO of Armadillo Records, will move the store five blocks away to 1105 N. Lamar Blvd. “I would love this company to live on long after me, and I think we are on the runway to be able to do exactly that,” Kunz said. Kunz said he began searching for a new location in 2019 when his landlord sold the building to Endeavor Real Estate Group. He said he was not interested in signing a five-to-ten-year lease for a new building since he wants to retire soon, and if the ownership did not change, Waterloo would have to close entirely.
Lima, OH | Groamy’s music store hopeful for return after fire: Groamy’s CDs and Tapes was hit by a fire early Sunday morning, causing an estimated $200,000 in damage. Lima Fire Department was dispatched to the store at 1206 W. Robb Ave., Lima, at 4:47 a.m. Sunday. According to LFD investigator and inspector Shawn Allgire, the department had the fire under control approximately 30 minutes after they arrived. The total estimated losses are $75,000 for the building and nearly $125,000 for contents inside. The report is not finalized, and investigations are still ongoing, according to the LFD. Owner Gene “Groamy” Frueh explained the uphill battle could’ve been worse. “It’s not a total loss,” he said. “People keep saying that, but it’s not a total loss.” He is encouraging the public to follow the store’s Facebook page for upcoming information as he learns it. Frueh is hopeful to re-open soon, aiming for Record Store Day on April 12.
Victoria, BC | Come for the Records, Stay for the Dad Jokes: Hang out with owner Gary Anderson at Victoria, B.C.’s The Turntable. Spend a little time with Gary Anderson and you’re apt to conclude that the guy has all the attributes of a natural-born entertainer: big smile, massive moustache, big personality, booming voice, gifted storyteller—and a huge laugh. In fact, early in his adult life Anderson spent a fair bit of time on stage—playing drums and providing backing vocals while touring with aspiring Canadian rock bands Hellhound, Fable, and Task Force. For the past four decades, he’s brought music to his customers’ ears as the owner/operator of The Turntable, a record store in the Canadian city of Victoria, B.C. And more recently, he’s added another schtick to his repertoire as the handwritten message on a piece of paper taped to the front window of his store explains: Free Dad Jokes Inside!
VIA PRESS RELEASE | Fan-favorite punk rock ’n’ rollers The Drowns have established quite a dedicated following over the course of several albums and years of relentless touring, but their debut album View From the Bottom has been tough for fans to get ahold of for quite awhile. The band have now remedied that, and a new pressing is available now for pre-order via Pirates Press Records, the band’s longtime label, with a release date of March 7th.
Rather than a simple re-pressing, the entire album sounds better than ever thanks to the expert re-mastering job courtesy of legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Murder City Devils…just to name a few)! In addition to being pressed on eye-catching 12” Marble Vinyl, the artwork has been revamped and presented in a minimalist black-on-black spot matte jacket with a metallic red foil stamped pitchfork.
With a debut album, a band generally hopes that one or two songs will stand the test of time, stick around long term, and give fans something to latch on to, relate to, and most importantly, want more of. View from the Bottom surpasses that marker handily. The Drowns came straight out of the gate guns blazing with the opening track and lead single “Eternal Debate,” which sounds just as relevant today as it did when originally recorded! In re-visiting the record, fan-favorite live set staples like the title track and buried treasures like “Faithfully, Faithless,” and “Overexposure” are just waiting to be re-discovered!
VIA PRESS RELEASE | Discogs, the world’s leading music discovery and record collecting platform, is raising funds for MusiCares to help support the artists and other music industry workers who have been affected by the devastating fires in Los Angeles.
Discogs’ sales revenue from January 17, 2025, will be donated directly to MusiCares, the non-profit charity founded by the Recording Academy providing financial aid to those in the LA area who need help with evacuation, relocation, medical care, mental health services, and more. Discogs calls on record collectors around the world to help support fundraising efforts for LA.
“Our hearts are with Los Angeles during this unimaginable time. The resilience and generosity of the music community are truly inspiring, reminding us how powerful we can be when we come together. This Friday, every record purchased will support independent sellers and small businesses worldwide while also helping a wonderful nonprofit dedicated to rebuilding and uplifting LA’s music scene. Let’s turn our shared love of music into meaningful action for those who need it most,” said Jeffrey Smith, Discogs’ Vice President of Marketing.
In the wake of any disaster, the path to recovery is rarely straightforward—but with the right support systems in place, rebuilding becomes possible. Financial aid from organizations like MusiCares provides the critical first step, offering individuals the resources they need to regain footing—whether that means covering medical expenses, accessing mental health care, or finding a safe place to stay. Yet recovery doesn’t end there. When relocation becomes necessary, having access to trustworthy moving services ensures that the transition is handled with care and dignity. It’s in this vital overlap—where financial relief meets practical, compassionate action—that hope is restored.
Each record purchased becomes more than a piece of vinyl—it becomes a step toward stability and healing for someone in need, allowing collectors and fans worldwide to transform their shared passion into tangible relief. For those facing sudden relocation due to disaster, the logistics of moving can be overwhelming. It’s not just about packing up; it’s about preserving what matters most while navigating uncertainty.
In moments when every detail counts, professional services that handle relocation with empathy and precision become essential partners in recovery. Whether someone is helping a family member evacuate or coordinating a move across the province, many have found reassurance when they visit twosmallmen.com website to explore compassionate, professional moving solutions. With teams trained to handle sensitive moves, especially under stressful conditions, they bring structure and calm to chaotic transitions—helping families and individuals not just move, but move forward.
In times of upheaval, having a dependable moving service can make all the difference, especially when the items involved require special care and expertise. Whether relocating personal belongings or more specialized equipment, the process demands precision and attention to detail to avoid damage and additional stress.
Moving fitness gear, for example, introduces unique challenges because of the weight, size, and delicate components involved. This is where professional exercise equipment movers come into play, offering not only the muscle needed to handle heavy items but also the knowledge to dismantle, transport, and reassemble machinery safely and efficiently. Their expertise ensures that valuable equipment arrives in perfect condition, ready for use without unexpected repairs or delays.
What sets trusted moving services apart is their transparency and commitment to no hidden fees or extra charges, which builds confidence during already uncertain times. Knowing exactly what to expect in terms of cost and service quality can ease the burden on families and businesses alike, allowing them to focus on settling into their new environment.
Learn more about what the Discogs community is doing to help then shop for records on Friday, January 17 to help raise money for MusiCares.
Remembering Captain Beefheart in advance of his birthdate tomorrow. —Ed.
Every Captain Beefheart fan knows that his releases Unconditionally Guaranteed and Bluejeans & Moonbeams marked the nadir of his career. Desperate attempts at commercial success, both LPs met with critical opprobrium and horrified the good Captain’s fans. Even Beefheart, aka Don Van Vliet, his critical cred in ruins, come to regret them; he labeled them “horrible and vulgar” and urged fans to take them back for a refund.
Remember that ’60s TV show Branded starring Chuck Connors, who played a soldier in the Wild West? Who, wrongly convicted of some crime, had his shoulder epaulettes ripped off and his sword broken in half during the opening credits, which ended with him standing stoically outside the closed fort gates, facing the grim prospects of surviving in the savage wilderness the best he could? Well that’s what happened with these albums. They were branded, given the bum’s rush, and left shivering in the rock wilderness, while Beefheart fans tried their level best to forget them.
But nothing attracts me like a spectacular disaster, which is why I’ve watched every Irwin Allen film like 38 times. So I was eager to listen to Bluejeans & Moonbeams, which is generally considered a bigger fiasco than Unconditionally Guaranteed, or the Titanic even, because Beefheart’s Magic Band fired him in disgust after Unconditionally Guaranteed, leaving him to round up a whole new Magic Band that was around only for Bluejeans & Moonbeams. What’s more, the untaught Beefheart, who had always counted on a musical director to realize the sounds he heard in his head, was forced to do without one on Bluejeans & Moonbeams. And finally, he was still seeking commercial success, which entailed his curtailing many of the quirks and idiosyncrasies that made his music so intriguing in the first place.
Scottish twin-sibling duo Cloth recently shared their new single “Polaroid,” and it’s a dreamy delight from the offset.
Channelling the likes of Wet Leg, Cloth combine classic indie-rock soundscapes with shoegaze and dream-pop infused sensibilities creating something truly magical. Lyrically, “Polaroid” carries a quietly devastating impact and discussion of the loss of a friendship. Vocalist Rachael Swinton elaborates, “We knew that we wanted to push ourselves outside our comfort zone and write a really upbeat, fast track which would feel great to play live. ‘Polaroid’ has such a strong, driving beat and a soaring string arrangement from Owen Pallett. We’ve never had strings on our music before so this was a real first for us.”
“I was a little nervous about the idea because I think adding strings can sometimes go one of two ways—they can sound great or they can overpower the nuance of everything going on underneath. I can still remember hearing Owen’s arrangement for the first time and just turning to Paul with the biggest smile on my face—they absolutely nailed it. ‘Polaroid’ is quite different to anything we’ve done before, but I think it’s one of the most exciting songs we’ve made.” “Polaroid” was produced by Ali Chant (Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey, Yard Act).
“Polaroid” is in stores now via Rock Action. It’s the band’s first release since their 2023 album Secret Measure.
Described as a fully-collaborative quartet, Sun & Rain consists of Nathaniel Morgan on alto saxophone, Travis Laplante on tenor saxophone, Andrew Smiley on electric guitar, and Jason Nazary on drums. Co-composed by the four members when they were all together in the rehearsal space, their first album was built across a span of six years. An expansive work comprised of five sections, the music thrives on a collective precision that is in key intervals astoundingly intense. Waterfall is out now on vinyl in an edition of 500 copies through Out of Your Head Records.
The members of Sun & Rain have played in numerous ensembles but the most pertinent to Waterfall is Little Women, a four piece led by Laplante that featured Darius Jones on alto sax, Nazary on drums, and Smiley on guitar (replacing Ben Greenberg). Little Women recorded three albums between 2007 and 2013; the second and third, Throat and Lung, were released by Aum Fidelity with Smiley in the lineup.
The relationship between Little Women and Sun & Rain isn’t difficult to discern, but listening to Waterfall, it’s just as clear why Laplante chose to differentiate this fresh incarnation with Morgan stepping into the alto sax position. The rise in compositional rigor is palpable throughout the continuous piece (the sections are titled “Waterfall I” through “Waterfall V”), with jazz a vital component in the foundation. However, the overall structure is just as rooted in art-rock that radiates an appealing European vibe.
One could also cite Sun & Rain as having a non-noodlesome prog inclination, or just say they’ve honed an especially cerebral strain of experimental jazz-rock. The sound of Waterfall is likely to give a good goosing to fans of Soft Machine and ears attuned to the band that shape up the Rock In Opposition scene, while lovers of burly free jazz throwdowns won’t be disappointed, as the intertwined lung power of Morgan and Laplante is substantial.
Berlin, DE | New record shop BIG CHOON to open in Berlin’s Zemin Art Gallery: A new record shop is opening in Berlin. Located within Zemin Art Gallery in Kreuzberg, BIG CHOON is a project that’s been started by two members of the Auslanderbehorde collective: DJ Regret and Potkid. The shop aims to cover a wide range of genres and styles, “from proper electro to IDM, acid techno to ’00s minimal, early rave to ’90s tech-house,” the team told Resident Advisor. “We’re aiming to be a tiny room full of well curated underground electronic music records, and offer a more intimate and unique digging experience.” BIG CHOON also plans to host regular in-store events, parties and workshops.
Stroud, UK | Record shop of the year says vinyl ‘here to stay.’ A Gloucestershire-based record store has won Record Store of the Year 2024. Sound Records, in Stroud, won the accolade despite being up against well-established independent shops such as Rough Trade and Piccadilly Records in Manchester. Owner Tom Berry said he thinks the success of his store lies in selling cheaper records. He said: “The key is having good records—new released and second-hand stock—and making sure we price our records fairly.” Sound Records have been trading for about six years in Stroud and now has three stores. Mr Berry told BBC Radio Gloucestershire he sees people of every age coming into the shop. “We get the 50-something man that comes in and he’s buying the records from his youth,” he said. “But we do actually get an awful lot of young people now as well.”
Manistee, MI | Manistee DJ spins vinyl into thriving resale business: From vinyl records to vintage VHS tapes, local resident Nate Markham is breathing new life into old media. Markham, a DJ and longtime music enthusiast, has turned his passion for records into a thriving business, called Nate’s Records. Operating out of his mother’s booth at Maryann’s Antiques, he has quickly become a go-to source for vinyl enthusiasts in the area. “I started this in March,” Markham said. “I got into it because my mom has an antiques booth at Maryann’s Antiques. She’s been doing that for 10 years, and one day I was like, ‘Hey, how about I put a crate of old records in your antiques booth?’ They ended up selling like hotcakes, and now I can’t buy records fast enough to keep up with how fast I sell them.”
Salt Lake City, UT | How 2 record stores are fostering Salt Lake City’s all-ages music scene: They’re part of an effort to establish “third spaces” for people under 21 to hang out and create community. A crowd of young adults nod their heads in time to a jazz trio as it weaves through its set on the stage at Fountain Records. The dimly lit underground venue at 202 E. 500 South in Salt Lake City buzzes with energy. The place is small enough to create an intimacy that seems to unite the room. While timeless music and old brick walls elicit the past, the space allows young adults to connect, live and in person. …Terry, the store’s owner and founder of the creative label FOUNTAINavm, said bringing musicians and audiences back together has been crucial to redeveloping a community around music after the pandemic pulled many people into solitude and dependence on technology. “I hope these third places get you off your phone and into the world more,” he said.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | Iconic hip-hop group De La Soul continues to celebrate their enduring legacy with exciting announcements for 2025. Fans of the group will soon have access to one of their most coveted releases, as their legendary EP “Clear Lake Auditorium” arrives on March 7, 2025, in digital and on limited-edition CD and vinyl in a sea green gel sleeve. Pre-order available here.
Originally pressed in 1994 as an exclusive promotional release for select DJs, “Clear Lake Audiotorium” has achieved near-mythical status among collectors. The album includes four tracks from De La Soul’s Buhloone Mindstate era, with two rare collaborations: “sh.Fe.Mc’s” featuring A Tribe Called Quest and “Stix & Stonz” with contributions from Tito of The Fearless Four, Grandmaster Caz, LA Sunshine of the Treacherous Three, and Prince Whipper Whip. This limited-edition release is a chance for fans to own a piece of hip-hop history.
Ahead of the release, De La Soul will bring their signature sound to Lincoln Center in New York City on January 17, 2025, following in the footsteps of an already legendary 2023 memorial celebration at New York’s Webster Hall around their catalog release. De La Soul’s headlining debut at David Geffen Hall represents their first major show in NYC in 16 months and a landmark moment for the future of hip-hop.
Adding to the excitement, Posdnuos of De La Soul is gaining Grammy buzz for his featured performance on the track “When the Sun Shines Again” alongside Common and Pete Rock from their album The Auditorium Vol .1, a collaboration that underscores the continuing relevance and influence in the hip-hop world. The band’s momentum extends internationally as well with a concert at X-TRA in Switzerland on February 17, 2025.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | Rhino will unveil a very special David Lee Roth boxed set, The Warner Recordings 1985–1994, on February 21, 2025. It includes the first five solo releases recorded by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® Inductee and original Van Halen lead vocalist in one comprehensive collection for the very first time.
Spanning one of the greatest runs in rock ‘n’ roll history, the set offers lifelong fans and newcomers alike the chance to experience “Crazy from the Heat” [1985], Eat ‘Em and Smile [1986], Skyscraper [1988], A Little Ain’t Enough [1991], and Your Filthy Little Mouth [1994] in succession. The Warner Recordings 1985–1994 arrives in multiple configurations, including 5CD.
40 years ago this month, on January 28, 1985, Roth officially debuted as a solo artist with the “Crazy from the Heat” EP. It crashed the Top 15 of the Billboard 200 and reached RIAA Platinum status. Plus, he logged a pair of Billboard Hot 100 hits—the medley of “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody” vaulted to #12, while his take on “California Girls” by The Beach Boys soared to #3, replicating the 1965 chart success of the original. Meanwhile, “Crazy from the Heat” would later serve as the title of his New York Times best-selling autobiography in 1997.
The EP paved the way for his first full-length solo LP, Eat ‘Em and Smile. Released on July 7, 1986, it bowed in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 and eventually went RIAA Platinum. Roth hyper-charged his sound, accompanied by an all-star band consisting of Billy Sheehan [bass], Gregg Bissonette [drums], and Steve Vai [guitar]. Together, they served up anthems such as “Yankee Rose,” “Tobacco Road,” “That’s Life,” and more. KERRANG! notably christened it ”Album of the Year,” and he launched the seminal Eat ‘Em and Smile Tour in its wake.
Celebrating Wayne Coyne on his 64th birthday. —Ed.
Yeah, yeah, I know. The Flaming Lips’ 1999 LP The Soft Bulletin is brilliant. A masterpiece released just as the sun was going down on the Twentieth Century. But for my money—which unfortunately happens to be in worthless depression era German Reichsmarks—the Oklahoma band released its finest work between 1986 and 1995, before they went and got themselves domesticated.
The Soft Bulletin is a warm and fuzzy album for warm and fuzzy people looking for an uplifting musical experience. Earlier Flaming Lips albums featured songs like “Talkin’ ‘Bout the Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants to Live Forever),” Unconsciously Screamin,'” Jesus Shootin’ Heroin,” and “Evil Will Prevail.”
If The Soft Bulletin is a hug-your-neighbor ecstasy trip, LPs like 1989’s Telepathic Surgery and 1992’s Hit to Death in the Future Head are LSD trips—you might find instant enlightenment or, conversely, locked in a Porta-John at your local music festival, because demons are pursuing you and you need somewhere to hide.
I attended a few Soft Bulletin-era shows, and they were joyous affairs—Grateful Dead concerts minus the home tapers. The concertgoers around me had the glassy-eyed look of true converts. The only song that’s ever left me glassy-eyed is Sammy Johns’ “Chevy Van,” which ought to qualify as a world religion. Your Flaming Lips idolater is a fanatic, and fanatics can be very dangerous people.
Which is why I prefer albums like 1989’s Telepathic Surgery. It doesn’t hurt that the LP’s title sounds like the name of a Blue Öyster Cult song. But what really wins me over are song titles like “Hare-Krishna Stomp Wagon,” “Hell’s Angel’ Cracker Factory,” and “Redneck School of Technology.” And the songs are as strange as the titles. A fair number of Flaming Lips fans would hide in a Porta-John to escape them.
VIA PRESS RELEASE | High Moon Records is heralding the upcoming arrival of enigmatic 1960s San Francisco singer Jeannie Piersol’s eagerly awaited anthology, The Nest, with today’s premiere of the psychedelic soul standout, “Gladys,” available everywhere now.
Originally released in 1968 as Piersol’s debut single, the track—which features backing vocals by iconic soul singer Minnie Riperton, drums by Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, and orchestral arrangements by Charles Stepney (Rotary Connection, Ramsey Lewis)—is joined by an official music video streaming now at the official High Moon Records YouTube channel. The clip is a new transfer of an original 1968 16mm film, directed and produced by Ray Andersen, to promote the single. Andersen, along with his wife Joan, were founders of the legendary “Holy See” light show in San Francisco that ran light shows at the Fillmore in the late ’60s, and he employed some of Holy See’s hypnotic visuals as backgrounds in the promotional film.
“Gladys” was written by Piersol and she sent a demo of it to Jefferson Airplane for potential inclusion on After Bathing At Baxter’s. When the band decided not to record it, she re-recorded it for herself and released the new version as her first single. Both the demo and recorded versions are available on The Nest anthology.
The first-ever full-length compendium of Piersol’s distinctive, rarely heard body of work, The Nest, arrives Friday, January 24 on CD, vinyl LP, and digital download, accompanied by an extensively illustrated booklet that includes liner notes from 5x GRAMMY® Award-nominated compilation producer Alec Palao (featuring exclusive interviews with Piersol and many of her musical collaborators), plus lavish artwork, never-before-seen photos, memorabilia, and more. Pre-orders are available now.
Who put out the first yacht rock album? It’s not just an academic question—it’s a lethal one. Since 2005 thirty-six music critics have died in pitched fights over the question, six alone at a yacht rock symposium in San Diego, California in 2019. One was killed by a harpoon, another by a great white shark. Great whites take their yacht rock very seriously.
Most yacht rock scholars place the birth of yacht rock at 1975 or later, but that time frame has always struck me as both arbitrary and wrong-headed. But not as wrong-headed as some of the songs I’ve seen listed as yacht rockers. The Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane”? Seriously? Boston’s “More Than a Feeling”? Great Poseidon’s beard! Blues Image’s “Ride, Captain, Ride”? A hearty yar and a fuck you! No wonder people die in these debates. I would gladly force the moron that came up with “Life in the Fast Lane” to walk the plank.
Look, I’ve been yachting (musically speaking) since I was a teen, and I know of what I speak. And I am here to tell you without the slightest smidgeon of doubt that yacht rock first set sail in October 1973, when Loggins & Messina released their sophomore album Full Sail. There are those pina colada-addled landlubbers who will tell you different—who will try to write off Full Sail as “proto-yacht rock,” but these are the same dunderheads who will try to convince you that Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” is yacht rock.
Defining yacht rock isn’t as difficult as some would have you think. It’s smooth, mellow even when up-tempo, slickly produced, and most importantly soothing to the mind and spirit. To listen to yacht rock, true yacht rock, is to find yourself on calm seas on a sunny day on a yacht or expensive sailboat, surrounded by frolicking dolphins, the sea breeze in your hair, and the smell of salt in the air. There can be no city in the yacht rock sound, for the simple reason that there are no cities in the middle of the goddamn ocean.
San Antonio, TX | San Antonio’s Friends of Sound open new record shop after being priced out of old location: Owners blame gentrification for nearly doubling the record store’s rent at its former Beacon Hill location. Beloved San Antonio record shop Friends of Sound has reopened at a new location after being priced out of its former space. Previously located at 700 Fredericksburg Road, the wax emporium secured a new, larger space just a quarter mile up the street at 823 Fredericksburg. The business started moving after Christmas and turned in the keys on New Year’s Day, co-owner George Mendoza told the Current. The relocated shop held its grand opening Sunday, Jan. 5, though Mendoza said it’s still getting into the groove at its new digs. And after the tumult of the past few months, the dust hasn’t quite settled yet. Mendoza said Friends of Sound’s change of venue was necessary after a substantial rent increase at the old location. “I just saw the whole gentrification thing happen right in front of my eyes,” said Mendoza. “It was pretty wild.”
Washington, DC | Adams Morgan’s Smash Records celebrates 40 years of being a communal hub for the D.C. punk scene: When Bobby Polsky opened Smash Records on July 17, 1984, Prince’s “When Doves Cry” was the number one song in the U.S. and Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA was the top album. While conventional retail strategy might say opening up a record store devoted to the burgeoning punk and new wave scenes in the era of these 80s music blockbusters was risky, convention has never been the punk ethos. Smash first set up shop at 3324 M Street NW in a 300 square foot storefront, now occupied by a custom window treatment retailer. …Ian MacKaye, co-founder of the D.C. punk label Dischord Records and seminal bands like Minor Threat and Fugazi, recalls that the neighborhood was full of pizza parlors, movie theaters, and new wave spots like the iconic Commander Salamanders that made it an ideal after-school hub for latchkey kids, young rebels and misfits.
Waterford, CT | Crystal Mall’s FYE store to close, leaving Trumbull as its last Connecticut location: The Crystal Mall in Waterford is losing another one of its tenants. The mall’s FYE store will be closing in the next month or two, according to a store employee, who spoke on the condition that he not be identified for fear of being disciplined. The store, which is located on the mall’s upper level near the former JC Penney anchors store, will close when the sale of its inventory has been completed, the employee said. FYE — which sells record albums, compact discs, videos and collectibles—has deeply discounted the merchandise at the Crystal Mall store and posted signs stating all sales are final and no exchanges are permitted. The closing of the Crystal Mall location would leave the FYE in the Trumbull Mall as the chain’s only store remaining in the state. Stores in the Waterbury, Danbury and Meriden malls are in the process of being closed, employees in those stores have previously told Hearst Connecticut Media.
US | 5 Must-Visit Record Stores In The US: The humble record store never really left the high street. Sure, many of the big names, like Sam Goody’s, have closed their doors forever, but there are still some indies left. If you want to pay homage to the home of music culture, then check out some of these must-visit record stores around the US. The record shop has doubled down on what it is that made them great in the first place. Where the large commercial chain record stores focussed only on sales, indies remembered why they were so special in the first place. A great record store is a hub for music lovers to rub shoulders with peers. Record stores today, to remain successful, need to offer the full package. Not only do they need to sell the best and rarest of new and second-hand records, but also host events, advertise local shows, and introduce their shoppers to new music. This is what makes for a must-visit record store for me.