As we noted upon the launch of our first of 9 weeks of vinyl giveaways, it’s easy to forget that going on 8 years now when TVD was in its year one (as was Record Store Day) the vinyl medium wasn’t “back,” sales weren’t stellar, and indeed record stores were a fading lot. No, worse actually. Shops we’re closing at such a clip, their disappearance literally informed the launch of the site you’re reading at present.
And as we’ll repeat for 9 weeks—vinyl and record stores go hand in hand. Their shared intrinsic value is the cultural commodity and the bedrock of any local music scene. Don’t believe us though…hit up your locals and the marriage becomes crystal clear.
But we too have been overwhelmed with the resounding popular and prevalent headlines as to vinyl’s big resurgence, yet they also arrive in tandem with far less rosy headlines such as “Starbucks to Open in Former Bleecker Street Records Space”—and worse, some very bad ideas when one advocates for record shops have, of late, become internet fodder. (Seriously, vinyl subscription clubs are the Carson Daly of record collecting.)
As such, picking up with an old TVD favorite, we’ve lined up 9 (count ’em, 9) weeks of vinyl giveaways as we count down to Record Store Day 2015 to redouble our efforts to underscore the viability and the inherent need for your local brick and mortar record shops to remain the vibrant community touchstone that they intrinsically are. And while we kinda hate hanging out by the mailbox waiting for a record to show up (unless you’ve ordered it from a mom and pop or directly from a label!) we’re shipping out records for 9 weeks straight as sweet reminders that record stores are literally where it’s at.
“Most people know about the Neville Brothers, if only because of the tremendous success that one of the brothers—we speak of Aaron, of course—has had as a solo artist, but before the Brothers formalized themselves as a musical unit, Cyril and Art Neville were busy making music as members of The Meters.
Some may remember the group predominantly for their singles “Sophisticated Cissy” and “Cissy Strut,” which did big business on the R&B charts, but they also made a name for themselves as a backing band for other artists, including Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer, Labelle, and Dr. John. If you only own one non-compilation album by the group, though, Fire on the Bayou is the way to go. It is, in a word, funky, from start to finish, and this reissue is the coolest possible way to add it to your collection, as the vinyl is done up in a starburst swirl of red and orange.”
Enter to win The Meters’ Fire on the Bayou by citing in the comments below your favorite Meters track from any point in their storied career, and briefly—why.
We’ll choose one enthusiastic brick and mortar supporter with a North American mailing address for the LP a week from today, March 30. Our winner will be notified directly via email.
