VIA PRESS RELEASE | Iron & Wine announce their film Who Can See Forever, A Portrait of Iron & Wine will be released theatrically throughout North America by Abramorama after a string of sold-out screenings in select markets. The film is both a documentary that follows Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam and a concert film recorded live in the round at the historic Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, NC.

Directed by filmmaker Josh Sliffe, Who Can See Forever captures the notoriously private Beam in a series of interviews talking about his creative process and the past, present, and future of Iron & Wine. The live performance portion of the film was recorded during the window of his two Grammy-nominated albums—Beast Epic and Weed Garden—and features a band that includes Sebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple/ Soul Coughing), Eliza Hardy Jones (War on Drugs/ Grace Potter), Beth Goodfellow (Julia Holter/ Allison Russell), and Edward Rankin Parker (Primus).

The film is being distributed worldwide by industry-leading distributor Abramorama in conjunction with Sub Pop Records. The film will play in most markets Iron & Wine will be touring later this year.

Abramorama’s President & Head of International Distribution Evan Saxon stated, “Abramorama is honored to collaborate with Iron & Wine and Sub Pop Records to bring Josh Sliffe’s beautiful film Who Can See Forever to fans around the world. Thus far, Who Can See Forever screenings have sold out in every market, proving that fans are truly enjoying this insightful behind-the-scenes experience with the band on the road. As a cinema exclusive, audiences will get to experience frontman Sam Beam’s humorous side with an exclusive introduction, welcoming fans to the screening event!”

It’s one thing to love vinyl records and to enjoy listening to them, most people stop there. But, you might even go a step further and truly embrace vinyl culture and become a serious collector, there are plenty of those folks, too. But it’s a whole other ball of wax to learn the ins and outs of actually creating discs and becoming involved in the manufacturing process. That’s just what Dustin Blocker has done.

Originally, Dustin was a musician who soon turned his attention to the record label industry by founding North Texas-based artist-centric record label Hand Drawn Records in 2011. A few years later, in 2014, he started Hand Drawn Pressing as the vinyl record manufacturing arm for the company. Dustin is Chief Creative Officer of Hand Drawn Records and Hand Drawn Pressing. Just before the pandemic hit, Dustin became interested in what other vinyl manufacturers were doing to make their businesses run at their peak levels.

Instead of being suspicious of his competition, Dustin—with a few other manufacturers—created a vinyl manufacturing collective known as The Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) which is a professional trade association of independent businesses committed to the craft of vinyl record manufacturing through collaboration, advocacy, standardization, and education. Blocker currently serves as the group’s president.

So, if you’d like a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes workings of the vinyl industry, keep listening as Dustin and I talk about the viability of vinyl as a long-term audio product, how manufacturing of vinyl has—and hasn’t—changed over the last century and how the industry works together to ensure that the polyvinyl chloride discs that we love of are of a sustainably high-quality for years to come.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

New York City was the undisputed epicenter of the disco inferno that engulfed America in the mid-1970s. It was the glitter ball and coke-spoon necklace Capital of the World, and home to such legendary discotheques as Studio 54 (natch), the Copacabana, the Funhouse, and Paradise Garage (one of the Big Apple’s first openly gay nightclubs), just to name the best known. It was where you wanted to be if you wanted to dance and be your hedonistic, do the Hustle, natural born-to-boogie self. Naturally 1977’s Saturday Night Fever, which brought disco to the great unwashed from Harrisburg, PA to Hawthorne, CA, was set there. Tony Manero would have been shit out of luck in Milwaukee.

But South Florida, and particularly the environs of Miami, was a hotbed too. And it wasn’t really late to the party—the artists signed to Harry Stones’ TK Records (and the other labels under his umbrella) created some of the earliest disco out there—George McCrae’s 1974 hit “Rock Your Baby” was just the second no-doubt-about-it disco song to top the pop charts. Other TK Records artists included Foxy, Anita “Ring My Bell” Ward, and Peter “Do You Want to Play Funky with Me” Brown, amongst others. And artists from other labels were also on the scene, including (my personal favorite) Rice and Beans Orchestra, who bequeathed us the unforgettable “The Blue Danube Hustle.”

It may have been Miami—where clubgoers thronged such legendary discos as the Limelight, Scaramouche, Pete and Lenny’s, Honey for the Bears, the Copa, and Casanova’s—that garnered all the attention, but it was in humble Hialeah, some eight miles northwest of the Magic City, where the real magic was being made. Hialeah was home to TK Records, and more importantly to the label’s bread and butter act, KC and the Sunshine Band.

Formed in 1973 by Harry Wayne Casey, a TK Records part-timer and co-writer of McCrae’s “Rock Your Baby,” the soon-to-be disco superstars were first known as KC & The Sunshine Junkanoo Band. (Fortunately that “Junkanoo” soon found its way to the disco junkyard.) Theirs was a funk-based sound, complimented by a full horn section and lots of percussion, and they were dance floor favorites from the beginning.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Beyond his achievements as a founding member of The Byrds, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gene Clark was one of the most gifted and prolific singer-songwriters of the rock era.

The Lost Studio Sessions 1964–1982, which first surfaced on Sierra Records in 2016, is a connoisseur’s collection of lost recordings from pivotal points in Clark’s career, including: “She Darked the Sun,” first recorded by Dillard and Clark, represented here by a previously undocumented version cut in 1970 with the Flying Burrito Brothers (featuring Gram Parsons, ex-Byrds Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke, and future member of the Eagles, Bernie Leadon); tracks from the 1972 Roadmaster sessions (featuring Roger McGuinn); and five tracks from 1982’s Nyteflyte project which saw Clark reuniting with Hillman and Clarke.

Now Liberation Hall, in association with Sierra Global and the Gene Clark Estate, is re-releasing The Lost Studio Sessions 1964–1982 on CD, download, and limited-edition translucent tan, gatefold double vinyl. These historic recordings are presented with the best possible sound quality, mastered from the original analog monaural, stereo, and multitrack tapes.

Both LP and CD include a deluxe booklet with rare photos, production and recording information, and extensive liner notes by compilation producer John Delgatto and Clark experts Johnny Rogan, John Einarson, and Domenic Priore.

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Third Man Records, in partnership with Canadian-born and bred blues rocker, Gordie Johnson, and his group Big Sugar, has reissued the band’s classic 500 Pounds both digitally and on vinyl today. In Third Man Records’ founder, Jack White’s own words, 500 Pounds is “the best blues-based record to ever come out of Canada,” and an early inspiration and influence on his own approach to songwriting and guitar playing. The album is available now on black vinyl. Due to popular demand, they already are in their second pressing.

Big Sugar’s well-known record 500 Pounds, first released in the US in 1995, stands as a defining masterpiece in their discography. Produced by Gordie Johnson this album marked a pivotal moment for the band, showcasing their ability to seamlessly blend blues, rock, and reggae.

Gordie Johnson’s soulful vocals and masterful guitar work, combined with the talents of the original lineup created a sonic landscape that resonated with fans. 500 Pounds is not merely an album; it’s a musical journey exploring the complexities of life and love. Tracks like “All Over Now,” “Still Waitin’,” and “Ride Like Hell” exemplify the band’s dynamic range, from heartfelt ballads to energetic, blues-infused rock anthems.

The collaborative production efforts of Gordie Johnson, Peter Prilesnik, and Tom Treumuth played a crucial role in shaping the album’s distinctive sound. This record’s impact extended beyond Canadian borders, earning Big Sugar recognition on the international stage. With its release, the band cemented its reputation as pioneers in genre fusion, influencing subsequent generations of musicians.

500 Pounds remains a timeless testament to Big Sugar’s artistic brilliance, and its enduring popularity attests to the album’s lasting impact on the rock and blues landscape. The collaborative efforts of the producers, along with the distinctive performances, make this record a cornerstone in the legacy of both Big Sugar and Canadian rock. This is the first-ever US vinyl edition.

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Alt-rock megastars Cage the Elephant have won two Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album of the year, and I think I know why: they’re boring. Toothless. Bland. Not out to make any waves. They’re the Whitney Houston of alternative rock, and proof that playing it safe is a sure-fire way to win the hearts and minds of the middle-of-the-road industry types who hand out the big prizes. Phil Collins would be proud.

It wasn’t always thus. Before they settled upon utter vapidity as cunning career strategy Cage the Elephant produced some moderately exciting blues and punk music—the Pixies get cited a lot—but time and craven ambition seem to have sandblasted what rough edges they had right off of them.

Compare their eponymous 2008 debut (and songs like “In One Ear” and “Free Love”) to 2020’s anodyne Social Cues and what you’ll hear is an elephant that decided to cage itself out of fear that running amok might impact sales or, even worse, alienate the music industry insiders who shape posterity. Just take a gander at this year’s slate of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees. Mariah Carey. The Dave Matthews Band. Sade. Lenny Kravitz. Lenny Kravitz!! When it comes to the rock industrial complex, playing it safe is playing it smart. And taking chances is chancy.

If Cage the Elephant’s grand strategy is to be out-tame Tame Impala, I congratulate them on their success. (Perfect name for supergroup: Tame the Elephant.) On the Grammy-winning Social Cues the six-piece (which was a four-piece until 2017) combine anything-but-enthralling dance rhythms (it’s telling that their real drummer does an impressive imitation of a drum machine throughout) with anything-but-enthralling pop/New Wave melodies topped by lead vox Matt Shultz’s mostly pureed vocals and depressingly generic lyrics.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Groenland Records is set to release the first Harmonia album entitled Musik von Harmonia available exclusively at participating record stores as part of Record Store Day. The release will be on double LP and contains versatile reworks and remixes by internationally renowned artists and Harmonia companions to mark the album’s 50th anniversary.

Harmonia consisted of German supergroup Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Michael Rother. Moebius and Roedelius were in the band Cluter while Rother had just left Kraftwerk to form the duo Neu! with legendary drummer Klaus Dinger. In the mid-1970s, Harmonia blew up everything that spanned the German sound corset and were so alone in the field that their innovative work received hardly any attention in Germany. Yet what emerged there in the mid-1970s represented a real momentum. Without Harmonia and groups like Kraftwerk, Can, and Tangerine Dream, entire genres would hardly be conceivable today.

Brian Eno who was already one of the most respected music artists (and biggest Harmonia fans) at the time prompted the trio to unite for the legendary recording session that became their debut LP. The trio’s sound became an inspiration for his work with David Bowie, Devo, and Ultravox in those years. Though the band was only together from ’73-’76, their work continues to have an impact to this day and is an integral part of the intricate chain that led to ambient and techno.

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Remembering Johnny Winter in advance of his birthdate tomorrow. —Ed.

Famed music critic Frank Sinatra once called rock ’n’ roll the “most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious form of expression it has been my misfortune to hear.” The crooner who liked to eat scrambled eggs off the breasts of prostitutes added it’s the handiwork of “cretinous goons,” and called it a “rancid-smelling aphrodisiac… that fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people.” Wow! Sounds great! Where do I sign up?

Good thing The Chairman of the Board never (I’m assuming) got a gander at the Winter Brothers, Johnny and Edgar. One look at Edgar Winter on the cover of 1972’s They Only Come Out at Night would have confirmed his every prejudice, and struck him dead with a coronary thrombosis as well. That or he’d have amended his comments to say, “cretinous goons.”

But to hell, says I, with Frank Sinatra. And God bless dem low-down pink-eyed blues. The Winter Brothers have given us so much great music over the years you’d need a fleet of dump trucks to haul it all away. And it hasn’t been all blues by any means. Edgar, an inveterate dabbler, has recorded pop, blues, rock, boogie, jazz-fusion, and whatever the hell you call “Frankenstein,” while Johnny has played his fair share of straight-ahead hard rock.

In any case, I had a heckuva time deciding whether to review They Only Come Out at Night or Johnny’s 1973 classic Still Alive and Well. I finally opted for the latter because (1) Edgar’s a Scientologist, and I’m a bigot and (2) while Edgar boasts one fantastic set of mutton chops, Johnny has better hair. And a less flamboyant taste in neck bling. The choker Edgar sports on They Only Come Out at Night looks like a Versailles chandelier.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | London Records are to reissue Flowered Up’s debut album A Life With Brian for the first time since its original release in 1991, newly remastered and available on double LP and CD, extended digital, and limited coloured double LP on 19th April. Pre-order here.

Including new sleevenotes by Heavenly’s Robin Turner, the reissue adds their seminal 1992 single “Weekender” to the album package plus a host of previously unreleased tracks and remixes, including newly commissioned remixes by Everyone You Know and Beyond The Wizards Sleeve.

Upcoming duo Everyone We Know’s thrilling contemporary take on “Crackerjack” is available now. They comment: “Taking inspiration from some late ’90s Ibiza tunes and early rave stuff, this is our remix of “Crackerjack.” We were honoured when Flowered Up reached out to us for the remix. At first we weren’t sure what direction to take it in but the longer we sat with the stems it became obvious it needed something for the clubs and DJs.”

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve remix “Weekender,” the first remix in seven years from DJ/Producer duo of Erol Alkan and Richard Norris. They comment: “Flowered Up’s ‘Weekender’ is a work of a very special magic, of a particular time, place, feeling that you can hear busting out of the speakers. It was a challenge to take on such an iconic work, but we attacked it and pulled it into a few new shapes which nod to the original while taking it someplace else. Do you believe in magic?”

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Formed in 1991 in Philadelphia, PA, the enduring heavy psych specialists Bardo Pond have amassed a substantial and consistently rewarding discography on a variety of physical formats in the years since. A significant portion of that output is a series documenting assorted jam sessions; Volume 9 is the latest entry, available on vinyl with accompanying download card February 23 through Fire Records. The sounds captured will appeal to lovers of drone-friendly psych at its most raw and fans of stoner-sludge-doom at its most expansive. Noise hounds and La Monte Young heads should find much to dig, as well.

For this record, recorded by Bard Pond in 2005–2006 in their compound-studio-warehouse space The Lemur House in Philly, the band consisted of Isobel Sollenberger on flute and viola, John Gibbons on guitars, his brother Michael Gibbons on guitars and synth, and Michael Zanghi on drums and percussion. Known for his work with Kurt Vile and The War on Drugs, Zanghi is something of a guest collaborator here, deepening an already rigorous sonic approach.

Bardo Pond began documenting their sound with the self-released cassette Shone Like a Ton in 1992. Although Fire is the band’s current and longtime label (others have included Drunken Fish, Siltbreeze, Three Lobed Recordings, ATP Recordings, and Matador), much of their output has been assembled by the band themselves, in large part because they excel at raw outward bound abstraction rather than trad song variations and innovations. Structure is part of the Pond’s equation, but it never dominates and often fades into the background.

The band’s growth coincided with a sort of renaissance in self-releasing. During this period the CDr joined the cassette and lathe-cut vinyl as options for underground bands grappling with inspiration that exceeded the norms of music distribution. The series that continues with Volume 9 began in 2000 with a CDr titled (what else?) Vol. I. The first installment to get the vinyl treatment upon release was Volume 8 in 2018 (Vol. I, Vol. II, and Vol. 3 have been reissued on wax, all by Fire).

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