Today, “garage,” “psych,” and “punk” are three overused words to say the least. They’re dropped from every direction to brand, market, and sell, but looking back to the mid-1960s, there was only one group of musical mavericks that clearly defined them. The Monks were five beat playing American GIs stationed in Germany who, after their discharge, decided to stay and continue their musical mission. Meeting up with a team of local managers, they tran… READMORE >
It's almost too much to believe...a project years in the making and there's less than two weeks before it's released unto the world. That's right, on June 14, 2011, Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown's Mowest Story 1971-1973, the first ever anthology of Motown's funk/hippie/rock label Mowest,will finally be released! Can't wait to get dibs on a copy? Well, you may pre-0rder the CD and the 2x LPNOW!
Here's the back story: in the early 1970’s, Detroit-native and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. brought his musical family to the left coast, one piece at a time. He began by launching the Mowest subsidiary in 1971, a new L.A.-based label dedicated to coastal grooves and an eye towards the top of the charts.
[caption id="attachment_3881" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Mowest" LP - Check the gloss!"][/caption]
Regardless of talent, quality, and financial backing, Mowest faced an uphill battle. With the majority of Motown’s focus on the already established names of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross,Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and their latest chart dynamos, The Jackson 5, there wasn’t as much attention being given to the diverse Mowest roster. Acts like Syreeta, Sisters Love, and G.C. Cameron seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Though the label released over forty singles and close to a dozen albums from up and comers like Odysseyto established veterans Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons the expected hits never materialized and the imprint quietly folded in 1973. While Mowest artists The Commodores, Thelma Houston, and the aforementioned Cameron continued on with Motown proper, the sub label’s catalogue quickly gathered dust in the cut-out bins of record stores throughout the States.
[caption id="attachment_3882" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Mowest" CD - No skimping on this!"][/caption]
Forty years later, it’s time for the rest of the world to rediscover what a treasure trove of soulful sounds Mowest left behind. Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love is a lovingly prepared 16-track CD, 2 LP set with epic re-mastering from the original master tapes by engineer Dave Cooley (Blue Note, Warp, Stones Throw, Now Again), extensive liner notes from project curator Kevin “Sipreano” Howes (Jamaica-Toronto series, Doug Randle, Rodriguez, Monks), and Strath Shepard’s (Pacific Standard) impeccable graphic design. This is a slice of Motown like you’ve never heard or seen before.
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Pre-order Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown's Mowest Story 1971-1973(LITA 064 | CD, 2x LP) now from LightInTheAttic.net
I'm sure it's a dream shared by all record heads--your very own house filled with records! While some have made it a reality for themselves, the rest of us must be content to make the trip to Eugene, Oregon's House of Records, our Record Store of the Week. Opened for business the same year that Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson and John Lennon's Imagine were released (how's that for perspective), House of Records is an Eugene institution and a must-see destination on your next NW record digging trip. It's the blue house, down on the right. Just follow the smells of records!
Thanks to Fred Murschal and the House of Records staff for doing the interview!
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What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
We get all kinds, but most are “typical” Eugeneans: well-educated and a little off-center. We sell some of everything, but our best-selling genres are the biggies: rock, blues, soul, country, jazz, hip hop and reggae.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
That doesn’t happen as much as it used to, but we still have some luck playing Daptone releases in the store. Also Fleet Foxes and The Obits (chapeau atilt to Sub Pop).
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?Greg & Martha:The MonksBlack Monk Time because it rocks! An all-time favorite.
Katie: Karen DaltonIn My Own Time: A nearly perfect record, each song superlative, singular.
Fred: The Free Design catalogue is still my favorite because of the band’s fearless vulnerability.
What’s your favorite record right now?
Greg: The StairstepsStep By Step By Step (Buddah 5068 - You guys need to reissue this record!)
Martha:Robert PlantPictures at ElevenKatie:Ian and Sylvia, et al Great Speckled Bird
Fred: suddenly, tammy!Comet.Warner Brothers dropped the band (and a lot of other bands) in the mid 90’s and their third album was never released. It has finally seen the light of day as an MP3 download and it is brilliant! Beth Sorrentino is an incredible songwriter.
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
Every day we field a phone call from an autistic middle-aged man with an East Coast accent named James. He wants to know what we are wearing down to the color of our socks, who else is working (Marilyn Monroe, Rumplestiltskin, etc.), and the price of 30 unspecified records (along with a litany of other enumerated formats). He always promises to bring a dollar and a penny more than the price quoted and to come in for them every day between tomorrow and Saturday! Trying to derail the trajectory of his inquiries in new and inventive ways is a challenging good time.
Greg adds: A guy with a knit cap and long white beard sold me some tapes. When I asked him for his identification he told me his name was Franz Kafka. Next time he came in I asked him to autograph my copy of The Trial. He signed it “To Greg, from the grave. May all your nightmares come true.”What is the coolest/most prized record that has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?Greg: Original pressing of Introducing The Beatles with the album ads back cover.
Martha: ChromeHalf Machine Lip Moves with the poster!
Katie: Robbie BashoThe Falconer’s Arm II Fred: Big StarNo. 1 Record white label promo (about 20 years ago).
What's the scene like out in Eugene? Do you carry any local artists?
There used to be a “Eugene scene” in the 1980’s and early ‘90’s. Now there are lots of little scenes independent of each other. We carry LOTS of local artists, and they produce music of all varieties!
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
1. Seeing LP’s rise from the dead. It’s very romantic.
2. Talking to customers about music.
3. Working in the basement in the narrow aisles of LPs.
4. I get to deejay all day long!
5. Listening and learning.
6. Making suggestions and seeing people get excited about something I love.
7. The smell of records.
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House of Records
258 E. 13th Ave.
Eugene, OR 97401
(541)342-7975
Monday through Saturday 10AM to 7PM
Sunday 11AM to 6PM
Located some 2,500 miles from its namesake state, Mississippi Records (Portland, OR) manages to exist in an old-world cloud that floats around at 78 RPMs. Although they eschew modern conveniences like credit card machines and even cash registers, their taste and curatorial sense is very modern. Not only can you find albums by contemporary artists in the shop but just turn around and there are bins over flowing with rare folk, blues, rock, punk and all the rest. Don't forget to check out their own releases on the Mississippi Records label, too. So saddle on up for this week's Record Store of the Week: Mississippi Records!
Tell us some stuff about Mississippi Records.
We're a small store in Portland that sells records, tapes, books & used stereo gear. We've been around for almost 8 years & haven't evolved much in that time - no cash register or computer or credit card machine or answering machine or any advance business tools like that. Just inventory, a notebook & a calculator. We did recently get a cat.
[caption id="attachment_3191" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="The all too familiar "downward dig" pose."][/caption]
Seems like the store's / label's motto is "Always...Love Over Gold" which is adorned above your doorway. Can you talk a bit about this...would you call it a philosophy?
Yeah - it's a philosophy. I put that above the door to haunt whoever is working & whoever is shopping to making decisions based on more pressing things than finance - like asthetics & the golden rule & all that kind of thing.
[caption id="attachment_3192" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="it's a philosophy"][/caption]
And speaking of the Mississippi Records label, can you give us a brief history of it?
The first four releases (ed. - for a discography, check this link) had little to do with what came after - they were all friends projects or me & fellow label runer Alex Yusimov's personal music projects (His being a pop LP under the name Duck Duck Grey Duck & mine being the Illegal Guardians cassette - my punk band with a 10 year old lead singer. Only 30 copies of that were made) After those two releases an audio zine about Police brutality in Portland & a memorial record for a much loved member of our community followed.
[caption id="attachment_3197" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="MR005 - Various: Last Kind Words 1926-1953"][/caption]
A year or so later me & my old friend Warren Hill decided to start putting together reissues of stuff we liked in very small pressings. Another old friend of mine Alex Yusimov got in on it & started adding more punk oriented records to the catalogue. We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time as not alot of labels were doing LP reissues of the type of things we were into back then even though the demand was there.
Thanks to timing & our practice of keeping everything relatively cheap we managed to sell alot of records fast which gave us the freedom to crank out alot of product. We've released only what is inspiring to us with little regard to whether it is salable or not. Somehow we've managed to keep selling this weird stuff. I am thankfull for that everyday. We've released 78 records & are just getting started.
What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
We get all kinds & they buy all kinds. We have every type of music except modern electric dance stuff & modern corporate shlock (But we do have some pre 1990's corporate shlock despite my problems with it).
[caption id="attachment_3193" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="I can spot at least four records on the wall that I want. "][/caption]
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
It's hard to choose between the RodriguezCold Fact(LITA 036) record & the Monks Black Monk Time(LITA 042).....but when shit comes to shovel I got to go with the Monks. It was one of my favorite rock records for many years but only pretty shoddy bootlegs were available on LP for a long while that didn't capture the true granduer of its sound.
When the Light in the Attic edition came into the store I ran not walked home with it & played it so loud the walls of my house shook. It sounded like a holy angels choir of truth shaking down babylon like a m**ther f***ker & I was so happy. It was like hearing it for the first time. Just a perfect record. (ed. WOW, we couldn't agree more!)
Special mentions got to go to the reissue of the first Karen DaltonIt's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best(LITA 045)LP which made alot of my customers very happy (by making them sad) & the Wheedles GrooveSeattle's Finest In Funk & Soul 1965-75(LITA 009)compilation because I'm a sucker for good work on documenting music scenes that haven't been properly recognized.
OK, now for a ridiculous question. In mortal combat between Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Willie McTell, who would emerge as the victor?
I believe those two gentlemen would never resort to mortal combat but would rather work out there differences conversationally. They were both very eduacated men with calm angelic demeanors despite what you might read into their personalities based on the large amount of murder ballads & lines about beating women in their song repetoires.
Musically, I think Jefferson is the more strikingly original & revolutionary guitarist (His music freaks me out a little) & McTell is the more technically impressive. I'll go with Jefferson even though I listen to McTell alot more. What the hell kind of question is this? (ed. - exactly...)What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
I once bought a copy of Buffalo Springfield's second record that my sister had scrawled her name all over 27 years ago. I remembered her doing it. The guy who brought it in bought it in New York which means it travelled from LA to New York to Portland to find me 27 years later. That tripped me out.
[caption id="attachment_3202" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="maybe that angel brought the record back??"][/caption]
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
One time a lady came in & asked if we had any Gogie Grant LPs (Gogi was a middle of the road 1950s pop singer who had a hit called the Wayward Wind). I pulled out one & showed it to here & she said, "You know, I'm Gogie Grant" I held up the record next to her & she did indeed look like an older version of the face smiling at me from the cover. We small talked a bit about her career back in the day & she left.
About 6 months later an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT older lady came to the store & asked if we had any Gogie Grant records. I pulled out the same record & showed it too her & she said, "You know, I'm Gogie Grant." Before I could ask her anything about the previous clamer of that name or the fact that she looked nothing like the women on the cover of the LP she corrected herself - 'Well, I was the original Gogi Grant. I had a huge hit with my first single, The Wayward Wind on Columbia Records. Right after that I was captured by the Turks & put in a prison. An African tribe broke me out & rode me to freedom atop a glowing albino elephant. I stayed amongst the tribe as their Queen for many years but soon grew homesick. When I came back to the states I was mortified to find that Columbia Records had hired a proxy to capitalize on my hit song. They had some other lady...the lady on the cover of this LP....recording & touring under my name. It was tragic."
[caption id="attachment_3195" align="aligncenter" width="353" caption="Gogi...where are you really???"][/caption]
Whatever the real story may be, I thought it was amazing that the two Gogi Grants would both happen to stumble into the same record store to tell their tales so close in time to eachother. I have since looked at many photos of Gogi Grant & have found a few early press photos that more closely resemble the African princess version of Gogi than the one on the LP.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
It gives me a good reason to put on a suit & tie everyday.
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Mississippi Records
4007 North Mississippi Avenue
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 282-2990
[caption id="attachment_3077" align="aligncenter" width="237" caption="clink!"][/caption]
Well, well...here we are. We strung up ol' 2010 like a big piñ and nocked that sucker to a million pieces. And what's left? Read on...
As many of you saw in our 2011 Light In The Attic Subscription Series, we have a whole bunch of releases coming out this year, plus more that haven't been announced yet!
Coming up real soon is a release from British psych-folk master Michael Chapman and his righteous 1970 masterpiece Fully Qualified Survivor. We've been working hard on this release and the deluxe gatefold old-style jacket looks so darn good. And the wax? 180 gram pure goodness. The record sounds better than ever!
Also be on the lookout for snotty garage rockers The Vagrants! Now you can finally find out what a young Johnny Ramone was digging when he was just a wee lad kicking around Queens, NY. You may also know the band from their cover of “Respect”, included on Lenny Kaye’s almighty Nuggets compilation, or their guitarist, a young pre-Mountain Leslie West.
And let's not forget the always sublime Overton Berry! In 2011 we'll be releasing a double album package of the Overton Berry Trio's landmark T.O.B.T. album with the rare At Seattle's Doubletree Inn LP. Heavy 180 gram wax and a gatefold sleeve round out this release. Come on, you just can't say no!
But wait! What's that little bit of sunshine just poking through? Well, that'd be the beautiful sunny sound of Mowest! That's right, literally years in the works is our comp of the legendary Motown subsidiary label Mowest (1971-1973). This marks the first time any of these tracks have been complied and the release will feature exellent liner notes by Kevin Sipreano (who wrote notes for our reissues of Rodriguez, Monks, Doug Randle, and the six part Jamaica to Toronto Series). Re-mastered from the original master tapes, these essential gems sound like a zillion bucks. Better put on that sunscreen!
...and there's so, so much more. Keep on the look out, as 2011 is shaping up to be our best year yet!
Happy New Year from all of us at Light In The Attic!
As many of you saw yesterday, we announced the Light In The Attic 2011 Subscription Series. If that ain't a Black Friday jam then I don't know what is. And you didn't even have to put up with this shit:
Check out the 2011 Light In The Attic Subscription SeriesHERE:
And if Black Friday weren't enough, for those of you in Seattle, we give you Black SUNDAY!
What's that, you ask? Well, LITA are moving our HQ to some new digs and we're having a big sale to celebrate. We'll be selling chairs, tables, record/CD shelves, sofas, etc and you can even pick up copies of your favorite and soon to be favorite LITA releases like Jim Sullivan, Monks, Sixto Rodriguez, Wheedle's Groove, Karen Dalton, Betty Davis, Kris Kristofferson, and hundreds of other records. Check out the Craigslist ad and stop by this Sunday, November 28th from 10AM to 4PM.
It’s that time of year again when we give you the opportunity to become a trusted LIGHT IN THE ATTIC SUBSCRIBER. “Watcha talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”, you quip. Well, it’s fairly simple. Pick your preferred musical format (CD, LP or Digital), throw down some hard earned dollars (Yes, times are tough but this is quality so forget buying your little brother a snuggie), and you’ll receive eight albums in the Light In The Attic cannon starting in January 2011. There were loads of you that subscribed in ‘09 and even more in ’10. We can’t thank you enough. You once again proved that people out there still care about music and there’s still something inherently special about that physical aspect of music.
What’s on tap for 2011? We can’t completely spill the beans, but we can fill you in on a few welcome additions to your record collection in the new year…
- Pencilled in as LITA 060 (that means our 60th release in 8 eight years) will be British psych-folk artist MICHAEL CHAPMAN and his 1971 masterpiece FULLY QUALIFIED SURVIVOR, originally released on the Harvest label and long out of print Stateside. The album can be filed alongside the best of Roy Harper, John Martyn, and Bert Jansch. FQS is mastered from the original tapes with Michael’s full involvement via some brilliant notes from Uncut Magazine’s Mick Houghton.
- We’ll be continuing our excavation of the Seattle soul scene with a gorgeous double-gatefold vinyl only release of OVERTON BERRY’s first two albums from the early ‘70s. The collection will include unseen photos and new notes by talented Seattle writer Kurt B. Reighley. Remember Overton’s infectious cover of “Hey Jude” on Wheedle’s Groove: Seattle’s Finest in Funk & Soul 1965-75 or his breakbeat sample-worthy 10 minute take on “Jesus Christ Superstar”? Vinyl fiends will be very happy campers.
- Alongside Kevin “Sipreano” Howes up in Vancouver, we’ve co-produced the first ever anthology of Motown subsidiary label Mowest (1971-73), Berry Gordy’s short lived endeavor when the Motor City crew left Detroit and set up shop on the West Coast. In the works for years, we’re relieved to finally be putting this sucker to bed for your listening pleasure. Sipreano, who wrote the liner notes for our reissues of Rodriguez, Monks, Doug Randle, and six part Jamaica to Toronto Series once again contributed an excellent essay, discussing the history of Mowest. The material has all been re-mastered from the original tapes.
- Next up: we’ll be heading to Forest Hills, New York for the music of sixties snotty garage rockers THE VAGRANTS with help from Ugly Things genius Mike Stax. A young Johnny Ramone would go see The Vagrants play before he blew our minds years later. You may know the band from their cover of “Respect”, included on Lenny Kaye’s almighty Nuggets compilation, or their guitarist, a young pre-Mountain Leslie West.
- Then we’re off to South Korea for a deep look at SHIN JUNG-HYEON, who many call Korea’s Godfather of Rock. Since 1958, Mr. Shin has produced, written, and released hundreds of killer sounds from bring-you-to-tears female fronted acid folk to 20-minute psych-drenched shards of guitar beauty. We’ve spent the last few months holed up in South Korea with Mr. Shin and an exhausted translator, filling us in on the life and times of the man, direct from the man’s mouth. He is a living legend, literally sent to prison in the ‘70s for not adhering to the ideals of the then current Korean dictator. Decades later, he’s going strong at 72 years old. Our psychic tells us the Hollywood biopic is just around the corner.
- Over the 2010 summer, we once again crashed in the greatest city on earth, MEMPHIS, Tennessee, uncovering a sea of southern gems. That means 2011 will see the continuation of our Memphis Series, which started with Lou Bond’s 1974 album Lou Bond on Stax imprint We Produce.
And we promise that there will be a lot more rolling out over the next twelve months.
Other than Overton Berry’s vinyl-only release, everything above will be released on both CD and Vinyl. Unfortunately due to licensing restrictions not everything will be available Digitally. The subscription guarantees you the first 8 CDs, 8 LPs, or 5 Digital releases from Light In The Attic in 2011.
Give the ultimate gift this holiday season for a loved one, or screw them and get the goods for yourself. All we know is that 2011 is going to be our best year yet. We certainly won’t be sleeping to pull this off, but that’s OK. We’ll sleep when we’re dead. See you in 2011.
PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING
For more info and to purchase, click HERE!
What’s on tap for 2011? We can’t completely spill the beans, but we can fill you in on a few welcome additions to your record collection in the new year…
- Pencilled in as LITA 060 (that means our 60th release in 8 eight years) will be British psych-folk artist MICHAEL CHAPMAN and his 1971 masterpiece FULLY QUALIFIED SURVIVOR, originally released on the Harvest label and long out of print Stateside. The album can be filed alongside the best of Roy Harper, John Martyn, and Bert Jansch. FQS is mastered from the original tapes with Michael’s full involvement via some brilliant notes from Uncut Magazine’s Mick Houghton.
For this week's Record Store of the Week, we give you Other Music (New York, NY)! Other Music is an essential stop on any NYC trip (hey, it's an essential stop online too!!) and a part of the daily routine for tons of New Yorkers. Their selection is stellar, the staff is knowledgeable and helpful and their in-stores are not to be missed. Co-owner Josh Madell was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to have a chat.
So Josh, tell us some stuff about Other Music.
We are a NYC-based LP and CD shop, open since 1995 - we've been on East 4th Street in Manhattan for 15 years now! We also do mailorder and MP3 downloads.
Some Other Music alums have gone on to have success making records as opposed to selling them. I remember hearing that Animal Collective was one such case...any current employees making killer sounds?
Yeah Noah and Dave worked here, and we've had so many staff go on to successful careers as musicians, DJs, label jobs, fine arts - we're a great temporary thing until you hit it big! And there are, of course, several talented musicians on staff right now.
In 2007, Other Music was one of the first independent record stores to create an online digital music store. How has that been going?
Though I can't say that our download store completely takes up the slack from shrinking physical sales, it has been great for us, and we definitely feel like we need to have a foot in that world to stay relevant if we want to carry new music.
[caption id="attachment_2717" align="aligncenter" width="342" caption="...yerTunezzz"][/caption]
What records are on heavy rotation in the store right now?The Psychedelic AliensPsycho African Beat on Academy LPs is amazing. Alva Noto & Blixa Bargeld's new project ANBB has been spun a lot the last couple of weeks. And the Gonjasufi remix record has been in heavy rotation for awhile now. Dam-Funk's Adolescent Funk keeps popping up too - so fun!
Other Music is known for its awesome and well attended in-store shows. You've hosted so many bands/artists over the years, do you have a favorite?
That's tough, we have had so many special shows. Tinariwen was pretty incredible. I was just reminiscing about the Elliot Smith/Softies show. The very first Digital Hardcore show in the States, when Alec Empire and Shizuo kept blowing our circuits. The Breeders was pretty crazy - in so many ways! Boredoms!!!! It goes on and on, I always forget all the great bands that have played our store. Bill Callahan on Record Store Day a few years back was really beautiful. Ya Ho Wa.
[caption id="attachment_2714" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Dirty Projectors in-store. Photo by Mikey "IQ" Jones."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2712" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Tinariwen burning up Other Music - Photo by Tim Soter"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2713" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Boredoms perform In-Store at Other Music. Photo by Tim Soter"][/caption]
Also, in the last few years, you've started filming select in-stores and streaming them for free on the Digital Music Store site. How did that come about?
Out of the blue I was approached by Natalie Johns of Dig For Fire, which is a music film production company, because she loved our in-stores, and within a month we had filmed Vampire Weekend, No Age and St. Vincent. Those films are really fun to make, because I sit down and interview all the artists, and the final product is a really intimate and special document of these tiny shows by some pretty big names. Natalie's work is just beautiful, great sound, 3 or 4 HD cameras. But they can be quite expensive to produce because of that, so we've been taking a break from filming as we look for sponsors. Other Music and Dig For Fire also collaborate on a couple of big SXSW events every year, great big outdoor shows - this year our two days were headlined by Thurston Moore and The xx, with a ton of other great bands.
NO AGE in series: Live At Other Music from Dig For Fire on Vimeo.
[For more from the series, check out the Other Music Digital Store or Dig For Fire!]OK, shameless self-promotion time! What is your favorite Light In The Attic release...and why?
Oh there are so many, I often think Light In The Attic is making records just for our customers; SergeGainsbourg, Betty Davis, Rodriguez, Monks, Karen Dalton, The Free Design... the list goes on and on. All of those artists were huge sellers for us as expensive imports or even more expensive rare LPs. LITA is doing a public service making great albums available in great packages, for the whole world to hear!
Any funny/weird/strange encounters with customers over the years?
Um - all of them - have you ever met any record collectors? We get all types here, crazy collectors, industry types, all of our favorite musicians. We love them all!
How about celebrity musician sightings?
Yeah, we get all of them, and besides all the great musicians who shop at our store, it turns out a lot of actors have pretty adventurous taste in music too. But recently Laurie Anderson was performing in the shop, and she was having some trouble with her gear - all of a sudden Lou Reed slinks in in his sweatsuit straight from the gym. He couldn't really help Laurie with her pedal, but he gave her some sort of pep talk. Lou's love - inspirational! [ed. - OMFG!]
What are your thoughts on the record store scene in NYC right now.
It's rough - the collector's spots like Academy and A-1 seem to be holding up, but so many great shops are gone.
And lastly, Other Music has been around for some time, how do you see your role in the greater NYC music scene?
So many things have changed in New York in the 15 years since we opened, and as far as the music world goes, many changes are for the worse, but there is a great scene of young bands right now - we support each other I guess. They keep making great music, we'll keep telling people about it!
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Other Music
15 East 4th Street NYC
www.othermusic.com
212.477.8150
M-F 11-9
Sat 12-8
Sun 12-7
Independent record stores provide many things - information, community, inspiration...and of course records! It's along these lines that we bring you this week's Record Store of the Week, Salt Lake City's Slowtrain Music. Opened in 2006 by Chris and Anna Brozek, Slowtrain Music has established itself as the heart of SLC's independent music scene by providing a space for in-stores from local and national artists, a label showcasing local talent, and a great place to score awesome CDs and vinyl records. We hear even "members" of the Allman Brothers Band frequent the shop!
Tell us some stuff about Slowtrain Music.
Slowtrain opened in 2006 in downtown SLC. We carry CDs and LPs - new and used along with turntables, DVDs, silk-screened posters, concert tickets, t-shirts, and more. We love local music, vinyl that comes with a CD inside, dance parties, and beer.
How many people work at the store?
There are 4 of us total, two owners, Chris & Anna, and two staffers, Matt & Vanessa.
What kinds of records to you specialize in?
We carry mostly independent artists/labels spanning most genres (rock/pop/country/hip hop/jazz/etc).
What’s your favorite record right now?
Lately I've been stuck on the newest LP from White Hinterland called Kairos. It has been my ideal summer album - although I'm not sure what I'll do when the weather starts to turn and snow starts to fall.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
This year the easiest album to sell by playing it is Beach House'sTeen Dream. There is something magical about it.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
This is really really hard. Let's just say that in the last few weeks I've been obsessively listening to the Monks' Black Monk Time. It is just so good. The story behind the music is incredible, the packaging is beautiful, the sound is raw and dirty, the songs are catchy and intriguing. This is a must have LP for any youngin' walking around listening to the Black Lips or Thee Oh Sees - etc.
What’s the music scene like in Salt Lake City? Do you carry releases by any local artists?
We've got a pretty nice music scene in SLC. At the moment we're in a bit of a transitional period as young bands are picking up steam, and older bands are throwing in the towel. But it seems there is always good growth in what Salt Lake produces musically. Slowtrain does have an extensive selection of local releases, even some on LP.
Do you have in-store performances? If so, who is your favorite band/artist that has played your store?
We have in-stores as often as we can. It is SO hard to decide who is our favorite. The most recent one that was exceptionally special was Damien Jurado. The store was dead quiet and Damien played for about 40 minutes. Songs from his newest record as well as oldies that he usually doesn't play live. He was charming and humble. I like to think that everyone in the shop that day left a better person
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
I was once interrupted (pet peeve) by some guy wanting to know if I was listening to a Dylan record overhead (it wasn't, it was The Felice Brothers). When I told him I'd be with him in a minute after I'd finished up with the customer I was with he flipped out. Started screaming at me that he wasn't some bum of the street that he was in the Allman Brothers Band. After a bit of a yelling match, he slammed a wad of $100 bills on the counter and said "I was going to buy stuff but I'm insulted" to which I said "If you were really in the Allman Brothers Band you should know this isn't Bob Dylan overhead." I later found out he pulls that shit at little shops all around town. What a life.
What is the coolest record that has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
For me personally it was a used copy of the Back to the Future soundtrack. This was the first record I ever owned - my parents bought it for me for my 4th or 5th birthday. It has been lost in many family moves and Chris and I have always been on the hunt for it in other record shops. Recently a sweet customer brought it in for me so I could have it back in my life.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
What is not to love? I'm constantly surrounded by amazing music and incredible people. I get to see bands I love and a lot of them become good friends. We met David Byrne. I mean, record stores are the best.
Slowtrain Music221 E BroadwaySalt Lake City, UT 84111(801) 364-2611www.slowtrainmusic.comHOURS11am-7pm Mon-Sat12PM-6PM Sun
When you are a record store in close proximity to the finest Ivy League colleges money can buy, you can't help but pick up a little bit of that nerdy, scholarly vibe. Cambridge, Massachusetts own Weirdo Records is the Ivy League record store for the most adventurous listeners in the region (and beyond), and we're happy to make them this week's Record Store of the Week. We picked the brain of head Weirdo Angela Sawyer, and came out feeling a little bit smarter.
Tell us about Weirdo Records, and it's history.
Weirdo was started in 2006 in the bedroom of an apartment, and moved into a tiny storefront in Feb. 2009. Shop's open for browsing 11am-9pm 7 days a week & also does mailorder worldwide. Weirdo has weekly in-store performances, events hosted at local bars, a monthly blog dedicated to Catonese Opera cassettes, a lending library of music books, a free online radio station that runs 24 hours a day. The store's website is updated every single day of the year, and the door's open with free beer inside on holidays. There are currently about 5000 titles here, about half vinyl/cd & about half new/used.
How many people work for Weirdo?
Weirdo is about the size of a dorm room and is mostly run by one person, & that's me, Angela. The shelves here are on wheels, so a little space can be made when needed. Running any sort of store by yourself is next to impossible, so a few subs, part-timers, volunteers, & Boston's generous community of record collectors all help take up the slack. I'm a very lucky girl. Summer of 2011 will mark 20 years that I've been working in one record store or another here in Boston, and I can't even think of enough good things to say about the folks around town who- and here's the bottom line- are the people who really make this place happen.
What kind of records to you specialize in?
Saying that Weirdo is a specialty shop is a bit of an understatement: Wiggy garage psychedelia from Bolivia; Soundtracks to Spanish VHS pornos; Flemish housewives in green pancake makeup sitting on the floor of their kitchens, banging pots & pans & shrieking at the top of their lungs; One sided 78s about baseball from 1904; Cocaine-damaged open-mike-night songwriters who wish they were rock stars; Singapore's answer to Nancy Sinatra or Jakarta's answer to George Harrison; Field recordings of diseased babies or bugs chewing food or lamps on the fritz... That's my meat & potatoes around here.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
Light in the Attic's deee-luxe reissue of the Monks record (chirpy art-school nihilistic garage by American expat soldiers living in Germany!), is just the sort of thing that I think every pair of ears needs to hear.
Do you do instore performances?
Weirdo has weekly in-store performances. Social spaces that encourage people to awaken their inner metaphysician, epicurean, art historian, archeologist- or even just their inner head-scratcher- are becoming increasingly rare anywhere in America. Yet citizens generally & musicians specifically need to be all of these things and much more. Weirdo is a tiny shop, but I like to think it's a sorely needed one. I love EVERYTHING about running it. Even the accounting & the plumbing fiascos are pretty entertaining.
What record do you always find yourself listening to in the store?
When people ask me how I got to be where I am, I usually answer: one wonderful record at a time. But year after year of 'em makes it tough to be specific about which one is the very best. People who know me well know that I had a raging Beach Boys phase that lasted several years (those things never really end, but I guess they mellow eventually). Ditto for Glenn Gould & the Sun City Girls. When I have to narrow things down, I usually pick either Sonny Bono's Inner Views or Jan & Dean Meet Batman as early discoveries that've remained heavy perennials. I still pull out the Mickey Mouse record I've loved since I was 5 years old every once in a while too. Here's a bunch of top tens from the end of last year, both by me & some regulars.
What is the coolest record that has come into your store that you never thought you'd ever see?
Rarities that I've seen since the shop started include previously undiscovered foreign language 78s, a few Fluxus items that are very difficult to find, a high-end psych collectable or two, some outsider classics, couple of free jazz holy grails, loads of tiny edition noise cassettes & 1 of 1 art covers/prints. I don't sell on ebay as a matter of policy, so they almost entirely went to good pals who live close by.
What sort of things have you done for your customers that you really didn't have to? What have you gained from it?
Over the years I've traded a record for a car, for drawings, for cookies & for carpentry. I've rescued customers from drunken/drug blackouts, driven them from/to jails/hospitals, dug them out of snow/floods/avalanches of trash, been asked to note someone's special order requests while I was inside the stall of a public bathroom & plenty of other ridiculous adventures. I've also learned most of what I know about world geography, psychology, economics, the local halfway house system, political conspiracies & crime by way of reading or talking about records.
What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
The people who shop here come in all shapes & sizes, but they always bring their curiosity. Weirdo is not meant to be a store for everybody. Because even though everybody likes music, not everybody is kept awake at night because they're not certain whether it's possible to write a song that is both musically and politically urgent. Not everybody spends years on end hunting for the secret ingredient that turns a mess of unformed noise into something meaningful. Only some folks have arguments over whether dancing is a mode of appreciation or a detriment. There are lots of questions for people like this: Can a serial killer write a good song? How about a two year old? Are some chords better than others? Are some guitar sounds always cooler than others? Are funny songs automatically less profound? What about the different kinds of listening that you do when something is live vs. when it's recorded? Or when something is a hundred years old vs. released this week? Memorized it from when you were a kid vs. never heard it before? These questions are not rhetorical. They have answers. Long, detailed ones. And even if they never speak such questions out loud (some of them are nearly autistic, after all), record collectors define & delimit good music to themselves, by saving the worthy & pushing away the dross. Like gardeners, little by little, they weed garbage, plant seedlings, expand, upgrade, re-landscape, and continually re-focus & savor, on the myriad number of ways that good music takes place.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
Record store employee games are one of my favorite things and I occasionally still get to play them. There's always plenty of fake bands to be named, unique song titles to be squirreled away on little pieces of paper, questions to be batted back & forth. One excellent game is called 'Less Than 5 Minutes'. In this game, you put on a record, and try to get a reaction out of a stranger, either positive or negative, in less than 5 minutes. Only two artists are banned from the game: Santo & Johnny and Yoko Ono. I advise everyone: Have a listening party at your house sometime & see what happens when you play interesting sounds for people!
Weirdo Records
844 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139
(857)413-0154
http://www.weirdorecords.com
HOURS
11am-9pm daily
We love our partnerships with like-minded labels in the reissue game. Munster Records is among the labels we distribute, and one of their most recent offerings (available now from our catalog) is this rare collection of singles from Los Saicos, an influential Peruvian band whose output is limited to six singles released between 1965 and 1966. This compilation represents the entirety of the band's recordings. Here's Munster's description of the title:
With only six singles released between 1965 and 1966, and from an apparently remote place such as Lima, Peru, Los Saicos created a raw, wild and visceral sound, the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the garage rock that was coming out of the US North West at the same time. Theirs is the same DNA shared by The Sonics, Rocket From The Tombs, The Cramps and Black Lips.This set of all six 45s recorded between 1965-1966 by what must have been the grooviest Peruvians in existence is pretty revelatory. Sure, it’s easy to call yourself Saicos, but to back it up with primitive garage rock, growling Halloween vocals that sound like Lord Sutch before he has his coffee, and genuine strange guitar sounds makes them the real deal, and this a real discovery. Available as a CD or a 6 single box set, this is pretty much a must have.This band may be the Monks of Peru (although, for all I know Peru may be swarming with monasteries and there may be some kind of incredibly negative connotations — pardon my ignorance). Despite recording what on the surface should be pretty standard garage tunes, the energy, weirdness and dark joy in this tunes makes Los Saicos the most original South American rock n roll band ever!!
And here's a trailer for a documentary about the band:
Jack Stoughton, who founded California-based Stoughton Printing Company, which since its inception in 1965 has worked closely with the music and entertainment industries (Light in the Attic is a client), died Tuesday night. He was 84.
Stoughton retired from the company in 1990, and his sons, Jack Jr. and Clay, took over operations from their father.
The manufacturing side of the music business is hardly glamorous, and for many, fans and insiders alike, rarely thought of. But it takes skill to craft a well-designed record sleeve or ensure a final package is eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing. LITA's Matt Sullivan had the following to say about the work produced at Stoughton:
"Stoughton is one of the best printers on the planet. They manufacture those gorgeous old school 'tip on' vinyl LP jackets that are heavier than a Monopoly board - The Free Design, Rodriguez, Wheedle's Groove, The Monks, Black Angels' Directions To See A Ghost, Serge Gainsbourg, etc. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail and endless quality of these guys is unmatched. They're the best."
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Jack Stoughton, and everyone at Stoughton Printing.
It's happened again, the year, slow and ponderous, has churned to an inevitable conclusion. It's been a year of vast changes in the world and right here in the underground liar of Light In The Attic. And so much change has occurred - from the death of pop stars to the election of an African-American president - we knew that our little lists couldn't do it justice. Thus, as we've done now two years running we've reached out the good folk that we love the world over and asked them for their top ten lists. And we've deemed it, again,:
We've got lists from musicians, writers, editors, bloggers, co-owners of certain record labels, Spanish music curators, and on and on and on and on ... there's a staggering pile of information below and we implore you, dig in, it'll be well worth your while.
This year we'd like to thank our main man Strath Shepard for bringing together that fantastic image above. You're a gem Strath Shepard, a goddamn holiday gem.
So please, order some pizza, cracked three or four beers and get ready ...
IT'S THE 3RD ANNUAL LIGHT IN THE ATTIC YEAR END EXTRAVAGANZA!
Favorite Things of 2009
All Time Entertainer/Performer - Michael Jackson
Movie -
a. Wheedle's Groove, the Movie
b. The Temptations
Food - Mexican
Club to Perform In - The Triple Door
Holiday - Christmas
Music - ANYTHING by Michael Jackson
Candy - Butterfingers
TV Show - America's Most WantedStephen John Kalinich,
Poet
5 Favorite Poets…
Walt Whitman
Rainer Maria Rilke
T.S.Eliot
Shakespeare
Edwin Markham...
5 Favorite LA Restaurants
Spago
Peppones
Le Votre Sante
Pacific Dining Car
Saketini
5 favorite Home Run Hitters
Ted Kluszewski
Mickey Mantle
Hank Aaron
Babe Ruth
Willie Mays
Ever Kipp,
Tiny Human Publicity
1 The Sheng: It’s a bowl of flutes!
2 Chipotle peppers: Still awesome despite media oversaturation.
3 Milt Jackson: So vibey!
4 Eggs over easy
5 Pre-verbal toddler-speak: language of the nitrous-huffing wood elves.
6 Owen Roe
7 Starting your own company: terrifying, and terrifyingly gratifying.
Eddie Shaw,
Bass, Monks
Happy New Year, Light in the Attic.
Having had my first fifteen minutes of fame and now my second fifteen minutes, to be a Monk does not feel all that bad. The group survived because the Monks are a “we” group, not an “I” group. There was no “I” until there was a “we.” Let’s face it. I’m a monk. You’re a monk. We’re all monks – just like the people monking around, above.
For 2010, I am finishing a new book PASSING THROUGH MINNESODA AND OTHER ALTERED STATES (732 pages). There are a couple of chapters about the monks in it, but basically it’s about a trumpet player who thinks he’s a pigeon.
Even as I do a lot of text writing, music is still the defining activity for me. I don’t like to listen to old music because the moment of its relevance is normally past. I’m always looking for the new. I’m looking for salvation. I’m looking for an answer.
FAVORITES FOR 2009 Favorite places to hear new music: Austin, TX (naturally) and Buffalo, NY
Favorite new groups: (changing all the time) Here’s a couple –
1. Ghostland Observatory – Two zany/weird guys prove that the smallest group possible, is not a trio. They’re way out there – probably causing a lot of people to scratch their heads and say, “Huh?”
2. Phoenix – There are a couple of different versions of them.. When they test the limits they go somewhere.
3. And there are my friends: The Nuns – Them Bird Things – Kelley Stolz – Grave Brothers Deluxe – 5,6,7,8s – Mike and The Ravens. - Nista Niji Nista – The Raincoats - I have forgotten a few, I know.
Favorite older groups: 1. Nine Inch Nails – I saw Trent Reznor live in Reno. It was my favorite live performance; better than Charles Aznavour who I saw in L.A. (even through I did like his performance). Who says French Chanson singers are not interesting? NIN was over the top. “I want to Fuck You Like An Animal” made me hide underneath my seat.
2. Radiohead – Their pop music always sounds new, even as the singer often sounds like he’s whining. That’s a compliment because there is a lot to cry about.
3. Faust – Klangbad never gets old - so perhaps the context from which it came was ahead of its time.
4. Masserati – A group of guitar players who know how to arrange and play. Great guitar music.
5. Propelerhead – for hip hop, of course – as well as Chemical Brothers - and Eminem – don’t tell anyone.
6. And there are my friends: Henry Rollins – Wayne Kramer - Mark E Smith – Genesis P’Orridge - I have forgotten a few, I know.
Favorite jazz:
For me, jazz lasts longer than pop-rock-country-folk. At one time or another almost all the jazz musicians were my favorites. My favorites change from day to day. For today they are:
1. Flatland – interesting arrangements
2. Brad Mehldau – jazz piano – rock drums – rough on purpose.
3. Mathias Eick – German trumpet player who plays sparse long notes. On a long rough airplane ride from Warsaw to NYC, he kept me totally in one piece (meditating).
Favorite Country: I haven’t been near a cow or a pig in a long time.
1. Charlie Haden’s new release, Rambling Boy - Charlie is also a great jazz bass player - best known as working with Ornette Coleman.
Favorite Classical:
1. Still it’s Henryk Góki – perhaps classical music has a longer shelf life.
Favorite Light in the Attic Recordings: I haven’t heard all the Light in the Attic artists.
1. Karen Dalton – LITA’s Billie Holiday. My wife listens to it constantly.
2. Wheedle’s Groove – reminds me of a group I used to work in. “Jesus Christ Pose” got my attention.
3. Black Angels – Rough, raw – in your face. I could get in a barroom fight with this music in the background.
4. Oz Mutantes – a lot different than Milton Nasciemento (one of my favorite Brazilian singer/songwriters. These songs make me think because they have so many different influences.
5. Free Design – They were too good to make it in NYC – part jazz, part Hi-Lo’s, part ABBA; good singers. Some groups sound better live. Free Design is one of them. They have great back-up musicians. One of my favorite cuts is an old Duke Ellington tune, “I Like The Sunrise.” I first heard this song, many years ago, sung by Mahalia Jackson. Yes, they are too good to be pop/rock stars.
Noah Sanders,
Mr. Blog, Criterion Quest
It's been a hell of a year folks. Big moves, upheavals aplenty on the emotional front, and hell, I moved in with a lady. Along the way I've listened to a whole lotta tunes, eaten a whole lotta good food, and seen a whole lotta good shit on various sized boob-tubes.
It's been a challenging one, but let me agree with Matthew Sullivan when I say, one of the best.
Hope it was just as hard and just as rewarding for you.
Top of the Pops - 2009
1. Justin Vernon. The man does nothing wrong. Call me a softy, call me a sell-out, this man makes my heart swell and my pants short. You, you're a cold-hearted grinch.
2. San Francisco. Fuck bread bowls and rice-a-roni, this is the wackiest city in the U.S. of A. Nicknamed the "City of the Perpetual Teenager" and for all the right reasons.
3. The Sandwitches. A late entry to my playlist, but this trio manages to ride the line between 50s doo-wop, Neko Case and oh, I'll say it, Dolly Parton. Matt Sullivan poo-pooed this, but I poo-poo him.
4. Discovering the ones I previously spited. My brother used to try and push his twangy country crap on me and I rebuked him at every turn ... turns out the dirty bastard was correcto and now I'm swimming in the seas of Cohen, Waits, and Bill Callahan. Justin, you're not so much a wanker after all.
5. Garage rock's gritty revival. Perhaps I'm a little deeper 'cause of the SF scene, but Jesus I dipped myself baptismal style in to modern garage rock this year, and for every cigarette burn, I found a gem or four. Call it hipster music, I call it rock 'n' roll.
6. Upheaval - emotional, locational, whatever - it's good for the soul.
7. Alex Healy.
Strath Shepard
Art Director/Graphic Designer, Pacific Standard
Eirik Johnson at the Henry (up through the end of January).
No Age playing a live score to L'Ours (The Bear), the 1989 film by Jean-Jacques Annaud at the Triple Door.
The early-'70s d.i.y. architecture influences in this Hussein Chalayan ad campaign, the color in this Miu Miu campaign, and the vast minimalism of this Jil Sander campaign.
Richard Avedon at ICP.
The opening of the Highline.
1) The Sadies featuring The Mighty Pope - Wow! Late addition y'all. From the ashes of Jamaica to Toronto comes Canada's #1 soul brother with holy musical backing from cosmic country/rock/garage/R&B brothers, The Sadies. LIVE on this year's The Hour Christmas Special (CBC, airing late December 2009, check your listings for local airtimes)! More history in the making!
2) Vancouver - Returned to the coast after 3 years living in Toronto. Loving the beach (Third), ocean (Pacific), mountains (North Shore), Power River (Haslam Lake), friends (you know who you are), family (ditto), food (Chinese, Japanese mostly), and nuff music (Sports, Lightning Dust, and Pink Mountaintops all released new albums in 2009!)
3) Sweet Grass Music - Was stoked to lay down a new 2009 mix ("Sweet Grass Music") for long time homies, Sandinista/2Step from Tokyo, Japan. All-Canadian folk, rock, and psych from the archives.
4) Rodriguez in Vancouver - June saw Vancouver's first taste of Detroit-singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez at the dearly departed Richard's On Richards. Was lucky enough to play vinyl at this event (which also included a solo set from Stephen McBean's Pink Mountaintops and more than able backing from SF's The Fresh & Only's).
5) Vinyl recap - Well, my passion for vinyl has ebbed and flowed quite a bit over the past year. Blogs and Ebay have killed many musical mysteries for us. At this point, I'm looking for the unknown. All genres. Listening with open ears. Biggest find of 2009 is easily Art Snider's Corny Songs I Play On My Organ (Sound Canada). Here's to more...
Matt Sullivan,
Co-Owner, Light In The Attic
No question the best year of my life…
Tying the knot
When the economy hits bottom build a bar in your garage
Leaving South By Southwest at 8 AM to visit Snow’s BBQ
The year of Sixto Rodriguez – seeing the man play at the Barbican in the UK, then having the honor to tour manage the West Coast jaunt
Wheedle’s Groove film wraps. Soon after wins Audience Award at Indie Memphis Film Festival
A Great Day In Seattle, Garfield High School, September 27, 2009
Kris Kristofferson & Merle Haggard at The Paramount Theater, Seattle
Visiting Stax Museum and meeting Stax alum Lou Bond, Deanie Parker and Al Bell, along with Communications Director Tim Sampson.
2009 Light In The Attic Road Trip – once again we embarked on a fruitful journey. 3,000 miles, 10 days, 50 record stores. Sandy, Cody, Troy & Tyson: THANK YOU!
Deep Water – Film Documentary
Eating the best meal of my life at Table, Asheville, NC followed by good times with the crew from Harvest Records
Leonard Cohen at WAMU Theater, Seattle
Big S Bar, Memphis, TN with the one and only Andria Lisle
The Story of Anvil
Big Star – Keep An Eye On The Sky
WFMU Record Convention – every record you’ve ever wanted under one roof
“Song of a Sinner” by Top Drawer from the compilation Forge Your Own Chains(Now Again) – highly recommended when cruising the Los Angeles highways. Put on repeat and float away
New sounds… Bill Callahan, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Soundcarriers, Naomi Shelton, The Amazing, Heartless Bastards, Fruit Bats, Animal Collective, The Fresh & Onlys, Phosphorescent, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Malakai - Snowflake 12", El Perro del Mar, Strange Boys…
Best Blog – Pacific StandardStill Bill – I could sit and listen to Bill Withers talk for hours.
Seeing the premiere of Twilight: New Moon in Houston, Texas with my wife, her two girlfriends, and thousands of fanatical teenagers and forty year old ladies. 8 sold-out screens in one theater all at 12:01 am. Could this be the end of the world as we know it?
And working on our 2010 release schedule. Thanks for making this far and away the greatest year at Light In The Attic. All of us here at the label are incredibly grateful for your continued support!
The Mighty Pope,
Jamaica to Toronto
Calgary Folkfest. working and meeting great people/artists
Working with Jason Wilson and friends
Road trip to Montreal in the summer
Hanging with the Mighty Sip
CBC The Hour
Discovering a new way to cook salmon
Grateful for good friends and family
Pat ThomasTop 5 releases of 2009:
Big Star - Keep An Eye On The Sky - Rhino
Neil Young - Archives (Volume 1) 1963-1972 - Warner/Reprise
Rolling Stones - Get Your Ya-Ya's Out! (3 CD box & DVD) - Abkco
John Martyn - Solid Air(2 CD deluxe edition) - Island
McCabe & Mrs. Miller - Time For Leaving - Magnetic
Sandy Wilson,
Film & Television Guru, Light In The AtticI had a lot of things to be grateful for in 2009, here are a few of them in no particular order;
The Monks "Boys Are Boys And Girls Are Choice" on Californication
The Black Angels "Bloodhounds On My Trail" in the Harley Davidson Iron 883 commercial
The Black Angels "Manipulation" in Drew Barrymore's Whip It starring Ellen Page
The Black Angels "Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven" on CBS' Numb3rs
Finally getting to see The Black Angels "Black Grease" in the film No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos air on PBS' Independent Lens. I'm a HUGE fan of both of those guys, and it was awesome that our music was a part of that film.
The Free Design "Love You" again rocking the global ad world in 2009 with a Toyota spot that spanned the EU
The Free Design "Love You", in addition to being the closing song for the WEEDS season 4 finale, also appeared on the 2009 soundtrack release along side The Soul Swingers "Brighter Tomorrow" (Wheedle's Groove). So yeah, that's two of our songs on the WEEDS soundtrack release. Damn.
Patrinell Staton's"I Let A Good Man Go" (Wheedle's Groove) appeared in film Fighting starring Terrance Howard (Hustle & Flow)
Sleepy Sun "Lord" (for ATP Recordings) on Showtime's Californication, also appearing on the soundtrack release.
The Blakes "Don't Bother Me" appearing on 90210The successful completion and release of 3 films that I worked on this year, True Adolescents (Mark Duplass, Melissa Leo) which premiered at SXSW this year, The Wheedle's Groove documentary that won the Audience Choice Award at the Indie Memphis premiere, and Funky Prairie Boy which is still tearing up the festival circuit.
The LITA 2009 Road Trip with Black Daisy. From what I remember (i.e. whatever was filmed) we had one hell of a good time. How could you not have a good time with that crew while spreading the gospel according to LITA. Hallelujah!
And last but not least, another wonderful year with my amazing girlfriend Leigh. I'm grateful for every day that she puts up with me. Thanks baby!
=> end transmission, Kirk out <=
And the rest of you beautiful people ...John Ballon,
Must Hear, liner notes writer for Betty Davis’ Nasty Gal
10. The Beatles Box
9. Barack Obama
8. The L.A. Food Truck Scene
7. Lacoste Red! Collection
6. Green Shoots In The Economy
5. 3 weeks in France
4. David Weidman's art
3. Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Stud Turkel
2. Elizabeth Vitanza (and her pizzas)
1. My dad, William Ballon, my he rest in peace
Brian James Barr
1) My Cameras: Nikon F2 and Canon AE60. This is gonna sound dramatic, but taking pictures literally changed my way of thinking and, more so, changed the way I see everything.
2) Visiting Ernest Hemingway's Birthplace in Oak Park, Illinois: According to Hemingway himself, Oak Park was a place of "wide lawns and narrow minds." He had no great love for the Chicago suburb as he did for Paris, Key West, Venice, and Idaho, but standing there in the very room in which he was born, everything about the man made sense.
3) Bob Dylan @ WaMu Theatre 10.5.09: The man was on fucking fire this night. Hunched like a vulture over his keyboard, oggling the ladies as he traded licks with Charlie Sexton on "Lay Lady Lay", striking Bobby Darin poses during "Beyond Here Lies Nothing", and that voice...it's not about delivering words anymore, but about pure raw energy and emotion, siphoned up from his charred lungs through a rusty tailpipe of a throat.
4) Duke Ellington - Indigos: Coming home from work one night, my wife said, "Life would be so much nicer if I could walk through the door and hear this every night." From 1957, Indigos is music that lowers the blood pressure and relaxes the shoulders. And like all Ellington's work, it is smooth and utterly cool. Though not considered a high water mark in Ellington's catalog, I think that criticism is unfair and lazy. Anybody who listens to this record and comes to that conclusion must despise beauty. Indigos is as lovely as autumn leaves falling.
5) White Center and Richard Hugo: Middle of this year, I learned my wife and I live two blocks from where the writer Richard Hugo was born and raised, in the South Seattle neighborhood of White Center. Seattle loves to claim Hugo for itself, but he is a White Center boy through and through and I am very proud to live in his hometown. The house was torn down in the 80s, the New Nick is now the Triangle Tavern, the grassy boulevard on 16th Ave SW ripped out and paved over, but much of Hugo's White Center remains intact.
6) William Eggleston: I never would have considered photography had I not seen the work of Bill Eggleston. Pure fucking art, period.
7) Mushrooms: My wife brought home a pocket guidebook called All That The Rain Promises And More and a massive shroomopedia called Mushrooms Demystified. Walking in the woods became a whole different experience thanks to these books.
8) The Interrogative Mood by Padgett Powell: The most important writer in the country right now, Padgett Powell actually brings something new, awe-inspiring, and, most importantly, fun, to the stale fiction market. The Interrogative Mood is a wild ride driven by Powell's own impulses. It's a prose work of nothing but questions, each one telling multiple stories. Do you miss Tab and do you fully understand its disappearance? Do you regard yourself as a connoisseur of anything? Do you anticipate having sex again? Assuming you might have as a child, could you eat Chef Boyardee canned noodles today? Are you lazy?
9) Glacier National Park: We hiked to the tops of mountains where Bighorn sheep looked at us, blankly. We drank beer as we drove. We stood with an Australian couple peering at a mother grizzly and her cubs in the valley below. We ventured to Polebridge, the end of the line. We ate dinner alongside Blackfeet Indians. We did not see any buffalo.
10) Turning 30: For whatever reason, this one felt important-feeling in a way that I cannot quite describe but don't really need to.
Bill Bentley,
Sonic BoomersBest of 2009
Mayer Hawthorne, A Strange Arrangement (Stone’s Throw)
Wilco, Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)
Mulatu Astatke & the Heliocentrics, Inspiration and Information (Srut)
Dawes, North Hills (ATO)
Staff Benda Bilili, Tres Tres Fort (Crammed Discs)
John Fogerty, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (Verve-Forecast)
James Hand, Shadow on the Ground (Rounder)
Jesse Winchester, Love’s Filling Station (Appleseed)
The Avett Brothers, I And Love And You (American)
Long John Hunter, Looking for a Party (Blues Express)
Peter Blecha,
Author, Sonic BoomTop-5 Fresh Local Artists:
1. The Fabulous Hammers: A band that has captured the old-school "Northwest Sound" with their all-original instrumental tunes. In a day & age when the sound of this region's first strains of rockin' R&B are essentially extinct on the live-music scene, this quintet suddenly appears & brings the form back to life with a vengeance.
2. Lion's Ambition: A hip-hop group whose original tunes boast endless pop hooks, & whose blend of raps & melodic vocalizing are simply magic. It was my pleasure to serve on the judging panel that awarded them top prize at last summer's exhilarating Battle of the Tech Bands event produced by the Washington Technology Industry Association.
3. Out From Underneath: Far from being just another same 'ol everyday rap-metal band, OFU brings it all to the table: pounding rhythms, punishing riffs, excellent musicianship, great vocals, & memorable melodic hooks. Did I mention scary lyrical themes? Great rock (with some addictive hip-hop inspired beats) -- & nice guys too!
4. Gameboy: I'm no hip-hop expert -- only been studying the music since I first stumbled across KNHC back in 1982 -- but I do know what I like. Met Gameboy at the U District Street Fair last May, got his brand new It's Already A Classic CD, & was immediately impressed by his pop sensabilities. You wanna hear hooks? Try spinnin'' Gameboy. In my mind, he's already a Northwest classic.
5. The Flanagan Precept: It would be forgivable to presume -- based on their name alone -- that these guys are an Irish band. However, this rock crew are a Seattle-based group whose collective musicianship, winning vocals, & superior songwriting skills should see them in the town's top ranks before, I predict, next St. Patrick's Day.
Zach Cowie,
DJ Turquoise Wisdom
1. california
2. fitzy's DOODcast.
follow these instructions:
go to your itunes
at the top click ADVANCED - select subscribe to podcast - copy
paste this URL
and get ready to party!
3. the first showing of STAR TREK at the arclight dome in los angeles. best vibes ever. 4. selected DJ'ing highlights:
the weddings of kevin & amy and ben & zooey. touring with animal collective and then the fleet foxes. every guest spot i jammed at DR WHO. the animal collective big sur after party with me, all the a/c dudes, fitzy, braddax, and cabic all throwing tunes (and getting wasted enough to play the moonshake 45 twice!). the dublab 10 closing party. hearing votel & sheep at hollywood forever. the bobb trimble show in brooklyn.
5. must plays:
darrow fletcher - now's the time for love pt 2 45
philwit & pegasus - elephant song 45
chico magnetic band - my sorrow 45
affinity - s/t LP
brigitte fontaine & areski - ca va faire un hit 45
u.s. warren & the genghis pea - hard headed woman 45
pentangle - i saw an angel 45
shoes - black vinyl shoes reissue LP
larry sanders - child of december 45
circuit rider - s/t reissue LP
raekwom - only built 4 cuban linx II LP
fairfield parlor - bordeaux rose 45
forever amber - love cycle reissue LP
lifetones - for a reason DIGITAL
john kongos - he's gonna step on your again 45
mario ft gucci mane - break up DIGITAL
cold sun - dark shadows reissue LP
amon duul II - archangels thunderbird 45
jay-z - the blueprint 3 DIGITAL
alasdair roberts - spoils LP
elephant's memory - mongoose 45
3 hur el - hurel arsivi reissue LP
the sweet - juicer 45
both the b-music/finders keepers well hung and drive in, turn on, freak out double LP's
alessi bros - seabird 45
breakout - na drugim brzegu teczy LP
stones throw's forge your own chains double LP
anything j dilla
anything brian eno
anything kanye (still!)
Chris Daly,Les Enfants TerriblesTop Ten Lessons for New Zombies
1. Braaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiins.
(Actually, that's pretty much it.)
Kyla Fairchild,
No DepressionFavorite Albums of 2009
Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers - S/T
Vandaveer - Divide and Conquer
Gregory Alan Isakov - This Empty Northern Hemisphere
Amanda Shires - West Cross Timbers
Sam Baker - Cotton
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Cave Singers - Welcome Joy
Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk Andy Fischer,
Vinyl FilmsTop Five U.S. Craft Beers of the year (in no particular order):
Duck Duck Gooze - The Lost Abbey Brewing Company, San Marcos, CA. A Belgian-style sour, this is one of the greatest summer beers ever. Crisp, tart, refreshing and delicious.
Nelson - Alpine Beer Company, Alpine, CA. They call it a Golden Rye IPA, I call it the hoppiest loaf of Rye bread you'll ever drink. Insanely great and probably my beer of the year.
Theobroma - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, DE. I may be cheating on this selection since it may have come out in 2008, but it is by far the most complex, incredible beverage I've ever tasted. Hints of cocoa, chilies... it simply has to be tasted to be believed.
Consecration - Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA. This Cabernet barrel-aged monstrosity is another genius addition to the Russian River slate of Belgian-style Ales, this one brewed with Currants. Complex, complicated and amazing - and for me definitely a sipping beer at 10% abv.
Sculpin - Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, CA. As tasty as an IPA gets, this limited edition single is happy with hops - do whatever you can to get your hands on a few of these.
Matt Grady,
Factory Twenty Five
Julian Cope - POSTPUNKSAMPLER...A streaming album of the month on Cope's Head Heritage site.
Stone Roses 20th Anniversary Limited Collector's Edition...One of the best Box sets of all time w/Vinyl, Prints, CDs, a lemon shaped usb, and a DVD.
92nd Street Y in Tribeca...It may be a pain to get to but has turned into the film venue with the best curation in NYC.
Food at the Brooklyn Flea...Papusas, Fish Tacos, Brick oven pizza (from a home made portable oven) and so much more...best food and deal in town...I've waited 45 minutes for a Papusa-and it was worth it.
WFMU's Free Music Archive...So many discoveries made on this site (which did lead to many vinyl purchases)
FAVORITES OF 2009
Currin Grayson,
Independent WeeklyThe Twilight Saga: New Moon (Team Edward forever, y'all.)
The bands in my particular area of North Carolina (So crazy right now, y'all.)
Andrew WK (His thoughts alone are worth the soul-evaporating cost of signing up for Twitter, y'all.)
Touring with The Avett Brothers for some magazine (Nicest dudes, y'all. Greatest live band at the moment, y'all?)
Inauguration Day (Snow in North Carolina. No work. Outdoor hot tub party? Barry O)))bama, y'all)
The prolificacy of Tiger Woods' "one-iron" (Hopefully he'll be on Season 8 of VH1's terr(ific/ible) Sex Addicts, y'all.)
Big Ears (Knoxville, Tenn., experimental festival with P. Glass, Antony, Matmos, The Necks? Fuck yeah, y'all. KNOXVILLE!)
Counter Culture's Ethiopia Idido Misty Valley (Blueberries-n-coffee via Ethiopia via Durham, y'all.)
Barista (Revolutionary Portland coffeeshop, y'all.)
Meeting Neil Young (at a gas station in Texas, y'all.)
Hometapes (This label's killing it, y'all. Best SXSW party people, too.)
The Jazz Loft Project (And we thought we knew jazz, y'all.)
Alice (the name of my dog, the name of the remarkable finale on Sunn O)))'s new record, and the hottest Twilight character, y'all! )
Cable "Five Inches of Pain" Griffith
Top 5 Things with "5" in the Title (in no particular order):
The Jackson 5 (1964 - 1976)
Full Fathom Five, Jackson Pollock (1947)
Take Five, Dave Brubek Quartet (1959)
Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
Five Fingers of Death, Chang-hwa Jeong (1972)
Nancy Guppy,
Art ZoneTOP TEN THINGS FROM 2009
Herb & Dorothy, a documentary film about a librarian and postal worker from New York who amassed a world-class art collection
The awesome SuttonBeresCuller exhibit at Lawrimore Project
Working with Greg Pecknold, the phenomenally talented creative director of SHOUT, on a new open for ArtZone
Breaking a King Size Nestle Crunch Bar into approximately 32 equal sized pieces, placing them into a small blue bowl, and savoring each chunk while watching old episodes of Perry Mason
Local actress Amy Thone in absolutely anything
Eric Elbogen's new record Oohs and Aahs
Attending the first annual Theatre Puget Sound Gregory Awards
Serving Cafe Lago lasagne at my husbands 54th birthday party
The debut of Humpday from the wonderful writer/director, Lynn Shelton
The seriously talented Reggie Watts & Tommy Smith in Transition @ On the Boards
Iñ,
Vampi Soul
Music wise. Stuff that keeps repeated again and always. In no special order:
1- BIG STAR BOX SET . The due is paid, and the set is awesome. None can ever get tired of that stuff, listening to that thousands of times.
2- KAREN DALTON VINYL. The first album delivers so many THINGS that is priceless. You can just play that over and over and get hit harder and harder
3- FRED NEIL - ELEKTRA LP on Sundazed. Released a long time ago but still gets played over and over again. No folk revival gets any better than THIS.
4- JONATHAN RICHMAN LIVE. Nowdays hes giving much better shows than in the past 20 years. He's even playing Modern Lovers songs
5- THE RATIONALS REISSUE. One of the best groups of the 60’s finally reissued properly. All you would expect from white kids from Detroit loving the Kinks and Motown. NOW its time for a BOB SEGER plan.
6- WAU Y LOS ARGGGHS LIVE. Not so many bands deliver so mucho on stage these days. Imagine Jello Biafra fronting We The People.
7- 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS - SIGN OF THE 3 EYED MEN. The Box set
8- STRANGE BOYS LP. From Austin Texas, same as the 3 Eyed Men. Very good debut album with all the elements that a juvenile rock & roll combo must have.
9- FATAI ROLLING DOLLAR. A master of African music that must be reissued no later.
10- PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE. From Prague. The definition of Underground . You got to learn the lesson.
Michael Jaworski,
Mt. Fuji Records
Favorite 10 records of 2009 (that I can remember, and in no particular order)
The Intelligence - Fake Surfers - I really wish I could have played guitar on their fall tour. Amazing record. How does Lars do it?
Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another - Best live band going today. Best live show of the year x 2. Great record. I miss Mclusky less now.
Box Elders - Alice and Friends - One of the funnest records of the year. Great songs, super catchy rock n' roll.
Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T - horrible live band, but this record kills me. Blissed out pop gems that are so infectious.
The Dutchess and The Duke - Sunset / Sunrise - someone called them campfire punk. I just call it great folk, rock n' roll.
Obits - I Blame You - I am such a sucker for Rick Froberg's songs. Great record but I still miss the Hot Snakes
Reigning Sound - Love and Curses - Like a lot of folks, I couldn't wait for this one. Greg Cartwright and crew delivered again. Great rock n' roll album.
Cass McCombs - Catacombs - Beautiful record that got a million spins on my turntable.
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug - I never knew I liked the Arctic Monkeys. Maybe it has something to do with Josh Homme producing. Killer record.
Sonic Youth - The Eternal - Arguably the most important band of my generation makes yet another classic record.
Lauren,
Music SnitchFavorite Albums of 2009: (No particular order)
Passion Pit – Manners
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Freelance Whales – Weathervanes
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Say Hi – Oohs & Aahs
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
The Xx – Xx
We All Have Hooks For Hands – Made Up Of Tiny Lights
Noah and the Whale – The First Days Of Spring
Favorite Artists/Bands of 2009:
Sunbears, Princeton, The Middle East, Animal Collective, Micachu & The Shapes , Girls, Cold Cave, Mumford And Sons , Spiral Stairs, Lost In The Trees, The Avett Brothers, Yacht, Nurses, Dirty Projectors, Florence And The Machine, The Drums, Port O’Brien, Fever Ray, The Antlers, Sunset Rubdown, Tempo No Tempo, The Cave Singers, Winter Gloves, Electric Tickle Machine, Free Energy, Neon Indian, Banjo or Freakout, Washed Out, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Cribs, New Ruins, Matt & Kim, Cursive, Hot Panda, Memory Tapes…
DaVe Lipp,
Short and Sweet NYCTop Singles of 09
Solid Gold – Get Over It
Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
Papercuts – Future Primitive
Hockey – Too Fake
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Silversun Pickups - Panic Switch
St. Vincent - Actor Out Of Work
Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind
Franz Ferdinand – No You Girls
Brent Locke,
Universal MusicVegas Faves
My business travels this year took me to Las Vegas 5 or 6 times (lost count…go figure).
Here are the top places I enjoyed (or remembered). There is “another” list but I can’t post it in public
XS Nightclub at Encore
Lavo Nightclub at The Palazzo
The Foundation Room at House of Blues Mandalay Bay
N9NE Steakhouse at The Palms
Koi Restaurant at Planet Hollywood
Mon Ami Gabi Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas
Pho Kim Long (Vietnamese restaurant in a strip mall away from the main strip)
Mairead Case
1. The Megabus – Get most anywhere in the Midwest, for cheap. Sometimes the bus is late and sometimes you get stuck in a corner and can’t open the windows, but it’s always cheap. Why argue with cheap?
2. Seeing Your Friends Dress Up – So we used to dress all punk whatever, right? But a couple of times this year – weddings, funerals, elections, etc. – we’ve dressed for reasons other than Immediate Self-Expression. Other than Getting Laid. It’s not selling out! It’s getting better at listening and lasting and coming home. Plus it’s not like we got rid of the combat boots or anything. I’m really proud of us
3. This poem, again4. The Public Collectors Tumblr5. Kate Greenstreet reading her poetry – holy shit, man. If she was a band and I was sixteen, I’d wait in a block-long line and buy the t-shirt, too
6. The Martians Meet the Clock – as my sister pointed out, it would be nice if we could hide our eyeballs in our lips every time we got scared
7. At Random – There’s this bar in Milwaukee and it has mirrors and mood lighting and waitresses who say “Sweetie” and a chandelier and statues of naked people and ice cream drinks with liquor in them. Amazing!
8. Steel Shavings, a journal publishing oral histories from Calumet, IN
9. Kristine McKenna, asking Iggy Pop which songs make him cry. "Dionne Warwick's," he says.10. John Ashbery on A Wave. Molotiu on Blogspot. Woodring on Youtube. My So Called Life on Hulu (“Life of Brian” especially). Beth Ditto and Lady Gaga, owning weird on national television. Asterios Polyp. Wave Books. The Raincoats! You. And the bells in Los Jaivas’ “Foto de la Primavera Comunion”
Steven Matrick,
Kepler Music
1. The Decemberists- Hazards of Love
2. God Help the Girl- God Help the Girl
3. A Place to Bury Strangers- Exploding Head
4. Sharon Van Etten- Because I Was In Love
5. Au Revoir Simone- Still Night, Still LightMichael McDonald,
Music Lover, Vinyl Junkie
1. Famous as The Flying Sweet Angel of Joy LP.
2. Sensational Brown Brothers - Stand By Me: A Tribute To Mother
3. Carol Kleyn - Love Has Made Me Stronger LP
4. Guitar Ensemble - The You-N-You LP
5. Ronaye Shandler - Affinity LP
6. Ed Hartman - The River LP
7. Gabrielle - Time Journey 7"
8. Alice Baze - The Gift 7"
9. Daniel Schell & Dick Annegarn - Egmont and The ff Boom LP
10. Little Ann - Deep ShadowsJon Naito,
Furloughed writer/bar stool pundit
Random things I generally enjoyed about 2009
1 - Weddings. I'm not a romantic by nature, but the three weddings I attended this year were soirees of the highest caliber. A tip of the hat to each party, ace gents and fine dames all.
2 - Old Overholt. Economical and Don Draper approved. I take mine in an Old Fashioned.
3 - Mad Men. The finale was worth watching the entire season alone. Wow.
4 - Tacos El Asadero. LITA co-jefe Matt Sullivan will beg to differ, but my vote for best taco truck (it's actually a school bus painted white) in the city.
5 - The French Onion soup at Cafe Presse. Nothing hits the spot better on a fall evening in Seattle.
6 - The 69 series at Northwest Film Forum. Great idea, perfect execution.
7 - Wallace Stegner. Can't believe it took so long for me to discover him. A true Western writer (in the best sense), and criminally unappreciated.
8 - The Roanoke Tavern. For being the quintessential neighborhood bar (in the best sense), and also within two blocks of my house.
9 - Girls, Album. I don't know if this was the best record I heard all year, but I listened to it more than any other. I'm listening to it right now.
10. Kanye West. Pop stars don't act like stars anymore. Kanye, I love you for your unabashed narcissism, rampant egotism, and doing your damnedest to personally embody all the excesses and untoward behavior of pop stars past.
Adam Perry,
Boulder Weekly, Westword, AlibiFavorite albums of 2009:
1. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (Deluxe Edition)
2. Alela Diane - To Be Still
3. Cotton Jones - Paranoid Cocoon
4. British Sea Power - Man of Aran
5. Flaming Lips - Embryonic
6. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain
7. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
8. Phosphorescent - To Willie
9. Dodos - Time to Die
10. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post PavilionMegan Petty,
Les Enfants Terribles1. Alabama football: As an Alabama alum, I couldn’t be more thrilled about the season my beloved Tide has had. Undefeated and gunning for a national title (#13?), and the school’s first Heisman winner to boot (yay Mark Ingram). 2009 was a great year to be Crimson.
2. SXSW 2009: For a first-timer it was daunting, but a thrill. I loved my introduction to Austin's biggest fest, from the numerous Bang! Bang! Eche! sightings to the crazy intimate and amazing Ringo Deathstarr gig at Headhunter's, to the walking all over downtown Austin in not-yet-broken in cowboy boots. Visting Waterloo Records was an added bonus.
3. Records: Records make my list for the second year in a row. I've accumulated several hundred over the past year, and am still convinced vinyl is just better. I'm obsessively collecting Rolling Stones records, and seem to keep buying Leon Russell. Send recommendations, please.
4. Netflix: I tend to be behind the curve on things, but this year I signed up for Netflix and have been constantly glad I did so. My queue always hovers around 400 things, so I'm probably way behind the curve seeing movies, too.
5. Turning 30: It's the new 20, I hear.
6. Living on Richmond's Monument Avenue: Sure, my apartment leaks and the heat doesn't really work, and I don't have many mod cons, but living on THE poshest (and very historic) street in Richmond makes me really happy.
7. The Nine Inch Nails/Jane's Addiction Tour: Seeing both of these bands together in June (in Maryland) was so very special. Definitely one of the best shows of all of 2009. And of course, meeting one Mr. Reznor, didn't hurt either.
8. Trysts: probably shouldn't require explanation.
9. Music Trivia at Cous Cous: One of my favorite activities in Richmond happens every Tuesday night, at my favorite Richmond watering hole. Music trivia, not for the faint-of-heart (or light of knowledge) at its most unfailingly entertaining, especially when my former team, David Bowie's Nipple Antennae, was constantly emerging as champs.
Chris Porter,
One Reel, Bumbershoot FestivalTOP 5 LIVE SHOWS IN SEATTLE
Leonard Cohen - WAMU Theater (one of my Top 5 for the decade!)
Raphael Saadiq - Bumbershoot Festival
Paul Weller - Moore Theatre
Motorhead - Showbox SoDo
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tractor Tavern
TOP 5 CD RELEASES
The Clientele - Bonfires on the Heat
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
Shawn Lee - Soul in the Hole
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is
Various Artists "Where The Action Is! - Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968
Honorable mentions to Atlas Sound, Devendra Banhart, The Heavy, and The New Mastersounds
Steve Quenell
Top 21 list of the best psyched-out, sitar-laden, organ jams and library sounds I stumbled upon in 2009:
1) Affinity "Night Flight" (1970)/Brainticket "Radagacuca" (1972)/Julian's Treatment "6th Chapter: Altarra, Princess Of The Blue Women" (1970)
I'm a sucker for any psych with floating, sometimes Leslie-soaked, female vocals and these three tunes are prime examples. They're what you'd expect to hear while going down the rabbit hole.
2) Al Stewart - "Turn To Earth" (1966)
Yes, THAT Al Stewart. Mr. Year-of-the-Cat started as a psychedelic goof ball. Regardless (or because of that), this Yardbirds cover eclipses the original with its haunting vocals and jazzy instrumentation. Broadcast (who I love) totally ripped this song off!
3) Annie Girardot "La femme faux cils" (1968)/Delphine "La fermeture éair" (1966)/France Gall "Laisse Tomber Les Filles" (1964)
I thought I'd had my fill of the French pop ladies, but there are still a few nuggets out there that ruled my world this year. Each one of these sends me into fits of yééages.
4) Aphrodite's Child "The Four Horsemen" (1972)/"Altamont" (1972)
If The Who were a Greek proto-prog band that did Kenneth Anger soundtracks? Yes! Both songs are off the album "666." Yes!
5) Roger Roger "Safari Park" (1972)
Library music master "Roger Roger" wrote countless songs, background music and themes for the BBC and Chappell studio. Not all of them are great, but this sleek, dirty and downright funky song may be his finest moment.
6) David Axelrod "The Smile" (1968)/The Electric Prunes "Holy Are You" (1968)
Axelrod's production always floors me and these two songs of his are at the top of this year's most-played list.
7) Ennio Morricone - "Svolta definitiva" (1970)/"Fruscio di Foglie Verdi" (1968)
In my constant search for more of his work, El Maestro never ceases to astound me with his output from the 60's & 70's. "Svolta definitiva" grooves hard ala Vampyros Lesbos and "Fruscio di Foglie Verdi" with its haunting mix of Italian choir vocals atop a go-go beat shakes the senses.
8) Los Bravos - "Getting Nowhere" (1967)
Los "Black Is Black" Bravos top their more famous hit with this sweet, fuzzed-out rave up. Imagine Gene Pitney doing "My Little Red Book" or just see for yourself.
9) John Cameron - "Swamp Fever" (1973)
All around amazing British studio composer, arranger and musician, Cameron did it all including this brooding, flute-filled solid groover. One of the best library tracks ever written.
10) Ozdemir Erdogan Ve Orkestrasi - "Uzun Ince Bir Yoldayim" (late 60's/early 70's)
If Procol Harum were Selda's back up band you'd have something closely resembling this sun-soaked, Turkish instrumental delight. Thank-you Ozdemir Erdogan Ve Orkestrasi!
11) Piero Umiliani - "Nostalgia" (1975)/"A New Experience" (late 60's/early 70's)
Like fellow composer Morricone, Umiliani was also cranking out some of the sweetest soundtracks and library jams back in his day. These songs both represent what Piero did best: his own brand of hazy, mellow early 70's synth sounds.
12) Marc Moulin/Placebo - "Humpty Dumpty" (1974)
Sounding like the theme to a gritty 70's crime drama, Moulin (with his band Placebo) laid down some serious Herbie Hancock-style, punchy horn/smooth rhodes jazz with this mind-blowing track.
13) Serge Gainsbourg - "La Horse" (1969 with Jean-Claude Vannier)
I really can't believe how fantastic this Serge instrumental is. It starts off sounding a bit like a John Barry espionage thriller until the beat drops around the 30 second mark and then it's all over. It grooves so hard (fleshed out by a sweet bass line and Vannier's string section) and then, when you think it can't get any better, the drums break it down, followed by a moment of silence, a BANJO SOLO(!), and then it kicks right back into the original jam. My favorite song of the year.
Pat Riley,
Domino Records
That Petrol Emotion live at The Bellhouse, Brooklyn, NY- the band rocked, jumped, wailed and thumped like it was 20 yrs ago. There was kicking of ass AND fun!
Animal Collective live at Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY- I got to work their merch booth with my pal Adam and give away posters to fans on a perfect summer night.
Dirty Projectors live with guests The Roots and David Byrne at Bowery Ballroom, Manhattan, NY- It just felt like a special night even without the guests.
Jesus Lizard live at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, Manhattan, NY- 15 or so years since I last saw them and Yow is still in your face incredible while being quietly funny.
Tour Managing Max Tundra at SXSW and meeting his Japanese superfan. He spoke to her in Japanese sending her into an ecstatic laughing fit where all she could say was "Oh, Max Tundra! Oh, Max Tundra!" then ran away.
Rainbow Bridge - Big Wave Rider
Atlas Sound - Walkabout
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Jay Z - Empire State of Mind
The Big Pink - DominosStuff that I can't exclude
Guest spinning with DJ Mona D on East Village Radio
The Beastie Boys reissues
Nirvana - Bleach reissue
Stuff I came to late
Q-Tip - The Renaissance
Various - Born Bad Vol 1-7
Robert Wyatt - The EPs
I will deeply miss Jim Carroll and Lux Interior
Kevin Serra,
Writer, Kevchino.comTop 13 Albums of 2009
001 | Natureboy - Natureboy Self Released
002 | Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse Self Released
003 | Masterface - Freedom Tower Self Released
004 | Real Estate - Real Estate Woodist
005 | Cass McCombs - Catacombs Domino
006 | The Antlers - Hospice French Kiss
007 | Sharon Van Etten - Because I Was In Love Language of Stone
008 | Beat The Devil - Idiot’s Guide Self Released
009 | Grizzly Bear - Vecktimest Warp
010 | Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - A Fish Hook An Open Eye Self Released
011 | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - S/T Slumberland
012 | Volcano Choir - Unmap Jagjaguwar
013 | Wildbird & Peacedrums - The Snake The Control Group
Steven Severin,
Neumos / Wake Up Productions
(in no particular order)
The Avett Brothers
Bourbon and Ginger
The Wire
Matts in the Market
Vacation
NBA season
Matthew Smith,
Outrageous Cherry
1. Dennis Coffey every Wednesday night at Northern Lights Lounge in Detroit...jamming from 7 to 11 PM...four hours of funk and fuzzbox freakout.
2. Amboy Dukes reunion...4/17/09 in Detroit...Ted Nugent's feedback-drenched solos blaze like an expression of anarchistic hippie idealism that threatens to undermine Ted's weird political notions...especially on "Baby Please Don't Go"!
3. Rhys Chatham's "A Crimson Grail", performed at Lincoln Center, NYC, 8/8/09 with 200 electric guitars...an incredible experience...and Liquid Liquid was on the bill too!
4. Throbbing Gristle in Chicago 4/26/09...the "hits" set was cool, but the film/improvisation set was T.G. in full flight.
5. Flower Travellin' Band live at SXSW...the guitarist plays an instrument that looks like a giant cinnamon roll.
The Soundcarriers
Records:
There’s been a fare few releases, re-releases, re-visits and purchases this year, which have given The Soundcarriers camp a tilt in their kilts. Well worth mentioning include:
Pish – Inner Space LP (Akarma/Wah Wah Spain LPS061)/ Various Artists, The Sound Of Wonder (Finders Keepers FKR023LP)
Martin – Sly Stone, Rock Dirge 45 (Woodstock Records WOO001) / Serge Gainsbourg, Historie De Melody Nelson LP (Light In The Attic LITA040)
Leonore – Mazzy Star, Among My Swan CD (Capitol 7243 8 27224 2 7) favourite track: "Rhymes Of An Hour"
Hazel – Rodriguez, Coming From RealityFashion:
Since 1784, John Smedley have been producing the finest quality knitwear in the beautiful setting of Lea Mills, Matlock, not far from the breathtaking Peak District, Derbyshire - And in 2009 have been keeping The Soundcarriers warm in winter and cool in summer.
John Smedley knitwear is truly sublime, the finest 30 gauge knit is fully-fashioned and hand-linked in the most luxurious Merino wool and Sea-Island cotton.
Pish wears - Hepworth in muscovado
Adam wears - Elliot in pine needle
Dorian wears - Tarquin Cardigan in navy
Leonore wears - Dolly in charcoal and Gabo gloves
Bands:
Adam - Fraser King – The Witch and Mr. WooNightclubs:
Two fantastic nights we’d like to mention:
Martin - A good few beers were sunk, and some great 45s spun at Rock’n’Roll Soul. Downstairs at the deliciously loungey club The Phoenix, Cavendish Square, just off London’s glittering Oxford St, there’s a great night happening once a month; previous guest DJs include Acid Jazz legend Eddie Piller, Jazzman Gerald, The Bees, Andy Lewis and a couple of drunk cats who go under the tag The Soundcarriers DJs. Reputed to have ‘More Soul Than A Shoe Shop’ – and endorsed by the late Arthur Lee – this is a top night! London Pride served on draught in proper mugs, too. Expect to hear: Johnny Jones & The King Casuals – ‘Purple Haze’; The Faces – ‘Stay With Me’; Pigmeat Markham – ‘Here Comes The Judge’
Pish – Raw Rockabilly, Blues Stompers, Surf Instros, Garage & Frat, New Orleans R&B and anything Titty Shaker related... all on 45. Not a compact disc insight? Then, that’ll be Nottingham’s strictly dancefloor rock ‘n roll night The Rubber Room
Heavyweight collectors Martin Lawrie and Nick Smith spin the wild sounds up at The Maze, creating a soundtrack made for nipple tassels and leopard print.
Books/Publications:
Martin – It’s been a real honour to have been featured in some brilliant magazines this year, and none more so great than the fab and happening Shindig!.
Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills and crew have a really good thing going on here. In-depth and informative articles on everything great in this musical world of ours. Highlight – Julie Driscoll feature. Fab!
Leonore – Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran FoerAdam – Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov
Pish - Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley NovelsExhibitions/Galleries:Pish –The Museum Of Brands, Packaging and Advertising. Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London
Martin – I really drew the short straw here! I couldn’t handle the 30 minute queue at The Royal Academy Of Arts, so left George to enjoy the magical delights of Anish Kapoor on his own, whilst I spent 30 minutes on the tube, and 20 mins in heavy rain to get to the Tate Modern to view Pop Life: Art In A Material World, which I’m not going to even say one word about in case I’m mistakenly accused of promoting this travesty of an exhibition. Whereas George had a time of his life! The towering pile of large chrome balls (Tall tree and the eye) reaching for the sky in the museum’s courtyard: reflecting buildings, people, sky, is breathtaking alone, and sets the standard for a fantastic exhibition of modern, ingenious and challenging sculpture.
Hazel - Passion for Fashion & Fine Textiles including an Important Audrey Hepburn Collection – Kerry Taylor Auctions - Fantastic pre-Auction viewing of Audrey Hepburn’s infamous wardrobe.
Blog:
Martin – Paul Smith. Love this man’s blog! It’s just hard not to feel lazy when you read how much he gets up to!
Film:
Adam- A Serious Man – The Coen Brothers
Event:
Martin - Got to be really self-indulgent here, but the event of my year has to be my wedding to my beautiful new wife Hazel. It was an unbelievably special, emotional day. Set in the home where Hazel grew up in Braunston, a historic canal-side village, we were so touched by how many people dear to us traveled great distances to share our special day (cheers Jules for coming all the way over from Japan), eat fresh North Sea lobster, dance to some of the greatest records and drink some of the finest ale. And huge thanks to The Soundcarriers for rocking the World War II marquee!
Pish - This time last year, we were still celebrating the continued success of legendary independent record store, Selectadisc, Nottingham. Sadly, but with dignity still in-tact, Selectadisc ceased trading earlier this year. Ex-staff from all over the shop’s 43 years of supplying records to the residents of Notts and further afield, came along on its last day and leant their services in what can only be described as a wake. As the shutters came down for the last time on this much loved shop, tears in many people’s eyes, the partying continued into the small hours, with many of the staff DJing their record collections purchased over the years from one of Nottingham’s institutions, Selectadisc. Much missed.
Gigs/Festivals:
We all had a fantastic time at the superbly organised, super friendly festival The Green Man. It was a real treat to open the main stage on the Saturday. Other highlights include:
Leonore – “The Dirty Three live was one of the best things I’ve seen in years”; Joe Boyd reading and expanding on extracts from his book White Bicycles; having a ‘Gong Bath’; Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve slick DJ set... A brilliant festival set in the beautiful Welsh Brecon Beacons
Martin - The Godfathers Of Groove, Jazz Cafe, London. Rueben Wilson, Bernard Purdie and Grant Green Jr. The line-up and title says it all. Legends! Pure Hammond and guitar groove from the originators. Witnessing Wilson’s effortless B3 style was worth the ticket price alone, whilst Purdie’s a complete all round entertainer. Just a shame Purdie’s kit has lost that baggy Blue Note sound and raspy snare – instead a bit flat and Rock School sounding. Apart from that minor gripe, a night in groove heaven. Sookie Sookie
People:
And finally, we’d like to mention a few names who have helped to make 2009 a year to remember in the Soundcarriers world: Dave Cooper at Melodic, Will Lawrence at In House Press, Matt Sullivan at Light In The Attic, Chris Dedrick, White Denim, Justin 'The Professor' Spear, Jon 'Mojo' Mills, George Vedmore, Jim Cooke, Jo and Danny at The Green Man, Charlotte Foy at John Smedley, Jon Matthews, Keith Haworth, and Kieron Tyler for voting Harmonium as album of the year
Gabe Spierer, Beggar's GroupFive things I liked this year (not the definitive year-end list, but a LITA exclusive):
an album: The Horrors - Primary Colours
a dog: one specific Dachshund named Dorothy
a country: Brazil
a rookie: Brandon Jennings (got to watch him for the first time last night on my just-purchased NBA League Pass. Milwaukee, who's psyched?)
a concert: Nine Inch Nails live at Bowery Ballroom
Jeff Terich
Editor, Treblezine.com
Top 10 events/albums/songs, etc. of 2009
1. Getting married
2. Dining on Octopus, tuna and patatas bravas at Inopia in Barcelona
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
4. Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" (but not so much the rest of Blueprint 3)
5. covering Fugazi's "Waiting Room" with a tuba player for Musical Pursuit at the Whistle Stop
6. Baroness at The Casbah
7. Baroness' - Blue Record
8. Raekwon's - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II
9. 30 Rock
10. Grizzly Bear at The Belly Up, incorporating mason jars as lights into their stage setup
Kieron Tyler,
WriterTop Eleven Albums Of The Year
The Soundcarriers - Harmonium (Melodic)
1. The Amazing – S/T (Subliminal Sounds)
2. Benjamin Biolay - La Superbe (Naï)
3. Shogun Kunitoki - Vinonaamakasio (Fonal Records)
4. Blk Jks - After Robots (Secretly Canadian)
5. Oh No Ono – Eggs (Morningside)
6. Soap & Skin - Lovetune For Vacuum (PIAS Recordings)
7. Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want (Memphis Industries)
8. Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw)
9. Pierre Lapointe - Sentiments Humains (Audigram)
10. MúSing Along To Songs You Don’t Know (Morr Music)
Top Eleven Reissues Of The Year
1. Various - Where The Action Is (Rhino)
2. Harmonia & Eno ’76 - Tracks and Traces reissue (Grönd)
3. Various - Clap Your Hands Stamp Your Feet (Excelsior Recordings)
4. 13th Floor Elevators - Sign Of The 3 Eyed Men (Charly)
5. The Inner Space (i.e. Can) - Agilok & Blubbo (Wah Wah)
6. Various – Saint Etienne Present Songs For The Dog & Duck (Ace)
7. The Master’s Apprentices – S/T (Aztec Music)
8. Various – Britain Learns To Rock (Fantastic Voyage)
9. Jacques Dutronc – Et Moi Et Moi Et Moi (RPM International) – I know it’s one of mine, but it’s great, so there.
10. Heldon – S/T (Wah Wah)
Pari Zangeneh – The Series Of Music For Young Adults Iranian Folk Songs (Institute For The Intellectual Development Of Children And Young Adults) – ok, it’s a bootleg, but how else are you going to get an Iranian album for 1976?
Greg Vandy,
Host, KEXP - The Roadhouse
Pickathon (in Portland): the heat! the dust! the music!
Cliff Lee trade to M's: solid one-two in the rotation!
Frank Fairfield LIVE In The Roadhouse: time travelin'!
Mad Men: the set designs alone....
Rodriguez @ Triple Door (& party at Sully's pad): sugarman!
No Depression Fest @ Marymoore Park: rapping with the stars!
The Roadhouse Summer Sell-Out Radio Show: cuz it's summer and it feels good...
Breaking Bad: tuco! ring!
Wheedle's Groove Documentary: bold soul sister!
Alela Diane: #2 album- super sweet
Fire In My Bones Compilation: #1 album- old rare raw black gospel!
My Wedding @ Sodo Park: featuring performances by Michael Vermillion, Mark Pickerel, Shane Tutmarc, & Zoe Muth! thank you!!
Adam Voith,
BillionsTop 5 Cheats While Trying to Lose 25 lbs:
5: Entire package of Pinwheel Chocolate Covered Marshmallow cookies
4: Large Double Chocolate Fudge milkshake from Steak n Shake
3: Twelve 100 Calorie Packs of Chips Deluxe cookies in one less than one hour
2: Two Limited Edition Fudge Snickers candy bars in less than twenty minutes
1: Wendy's Double w/ Cheese for lunch, Steak n Shake Double w/ Cheese for dinner
Geoffrey Weiss,
Hollywood RecordsSome highlights of 2009:The Hunches - Exit Dreams. Oddly emotional, completely vicious, the Hunches were a unique band, and this swan song is worthy of the titanic legacy that will grow up around them.
Cold Sun - Dark Shadows - I don't know when the fancy new version actually came out (the '80's version on Rockadelic was awesome, but this is even better), but I played it a lot in 2009, and it really is that rarest of things, a lost psychedelic masterpiece. If it had come out when it was recorded, there would be bad tribute albums to it. Get the vinyl, get the CD, download it, or sing it to yourself.
Francis Harold & the Holograms - Who Said These Were Happy Times? An illustration of the subjectivity of the listening experience. I play this, and feel waves of bliss like when Loveless was new, I play it for other people and they cover their ears and run away. Folks compare FHH to other things and I just don't know what they're talking about.
Lost Abbey - 10 Commandments Ale - Event Beer. If I've got one in the fridge, II look forward to opening it all day. I should also mention Golden State on Fairfax, because Jason there has real enthusiasm for what he does, and he always has great beers on tap.
The Thomas Function - I love "In the Valley of Sickness." The words that come out of Josh Macero's mouth surprise me every time.
Lucky Luke - Traveling for a Living- As mossy and flinty as the best UK folk, with real forward momentum. This album has been a few years coming, but when you play it it's whenever you want it to be. Harvest, Vertigo, Trailer, Transatlantic, Mexican Summer.
Ed Solo- Watch Your Eyes - Maybe there is lots of electronic music this odd and immediate, if so please tell me. At my house, this is a game ender.
Scrotum Poles- Auchmithie Forever - I haven't actually played the vinyl yet, but just the idea that this came out in 2009 makes me happy. And I have all the songs, and they're all great, so it's not a complete abstraction.
Where the Wild Things Are - (the movie). Beautiful, odd, soulful. A great, insightful film. I don't know if it's for kids, but it's for me.
John Wenzel,
The Denver PostNational albums:
1. Metric – Fantasies (PIAS/Metric)
2. Smug Brothers – Fortune Rumors (self-released EPs)
3. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic (Warner Bros.)
4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Glass Note)
5. Siriusmo – The Uninvited Guest (Monkeytown Records)
6. Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey)
7. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career (Merge)
8. Telekinesis – Telekinesis (Merge)
9. Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence (Astralwerks)
10. The Mountain – Heartless Bastards (Fat Possum)
Runners-up:
Jawbox – For Your Own Special Sweetheart
Headlights – Wildlife
Boston Spaceships – Zero to 99
David Bazan – Curse Your Branches
The Thermals – Now We Can See
The Appleseed Cast – Sagarmatha
The Cribs – Ignore the IgnorantAlbums from Denver bands:
1. The Jim Jims – Bottom of the City EP
2. Everything Absent or Distorted – The Great Collapse
4. Houses - Summer EP
3. Wentworth Kersey – (O) EP
5. Bad Weather California – Young Punks
6. d. biddle – Beds and Monsters
7. Aakash Mittal – Videsh
8. Pacific Pride – Pacific Pride
9. Meese – Broadcast
10. Pretty Lights – Passing Behind Your Eyes
11. Everything Absent or Distorted – The Lucky One
12. Gregory Alan Isakov – This Empty Northern Hemisphere
13. Houses – Spring EP
14. Paper Bird – A Sky Underground
15. Churchill – ChurchillMichelle Witten,
Editor/producer, Wheedle’s Groove, Editor, Scout’s Honor
Favorite meats I have eaten this year after 18 years of vegetarianism:
1. roasted duck with creme de foie gras
2. oxtail stew
3: lamb birra tacos
4. wild boar sloppy joe
5. uncured applewood smoked bacon
Andy ZaxTop 11 Experiences of 2009:
Getting yelled at on the phone--twice!--by Country Joe McDonald (who later apologized)
Flying 3000 miles to see Van Der Graaf Generator
"Take Me Round Again" by The Fiery Furnaces
Everything that has ever been--or will ever be--released on Ghost Box
The Experience Music Project Pop Conference
Being nominated for a Grammy
The Tuscan Vegetarian sandwich at Columbine in Tribeca
Stumbling across Noveller's "Brilliant Colors" on a rental car radio while driving through the middle of nowhere
Tearing the shrink wrap off of a sealed original of David Axelrod's Earth Rot
The ceeFrenzy iPhone app
Ommegang Rouge sour ale
Jonathan Zwickel,
Freelance Writer
Ed. Jonathan Zwickel threw together a list for you and yours this holiday season. All you need to do to download it is send an email to zwickelicous@gmail.com. Well worth the small bit of effort. We promise.
It's nearing the end of 2009 for you, our amazing customers, and for us, Light In The Attic and that means a couple things. First, we've been downing brandy soaked egg nog like it's our job for the last six days and co-owner Matt Sullivan has already put on his "naughty" reindeer outfit more than enough times. Second, we're about ready to start signing up folk for the 2010 Light In The Attic Subscription.
What might you ask is that?
Starting last year we, the good folk of Light In The Attic, allowed you, again amazing customers, the opportunity to pay us a flat rate, and in return for that flat rate, you'd receive each and all of our releases, plus a slew of exclusive goodies. And oh what a package we presented: Rodriguez, Serge, The Monks, Karen Dalton, and much, much more. All of these, in your hands (plus exclusive goodies), snug and cozy, ripe to keep you warm through this daunting winter season.
Now, as the holidays swoop down upon us like carrion birds of prey we present to you the Light In The Attic 2010 Subscription Service. Perhaps you're sweating bullets as we speak, wondering what to ply your family with this year. The tins of stale popcorn and two-person body condoms just didn't cut it last year and now your struggling to make amends. You folk who've already blown your Yuletide Budget on inflatable Rod Stewart dolls and life size wax sculptures, we're sorry, but for the rest of you, pockets still bulging with holiday dough, this is the gift for you. A selection of our releases (explained below) in a variety of formats (CD/LP/Digital) featuring, for you our most devoted fans a plethora of bonus exclusives (hand numbered, limited edition posters, wisps of Serge's beloved hair, etc.) all delivered prior to the release date. We've been tweaking and turning the final deets of our brand new, absolutely mind-bending new website, thus we gush with apologies for the late arrival of this, our epic subscription service.
Apologies aside thought, here's a few hints on just what we're cooking up for the big 2010:
Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin - Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus)Recorded as a series of duets and solo performances with lover, actress, and model Birkin, the pairs chemistry-enhanced collaboration was thrust upon the record buying public to much shock and horror, but indeed found global sales. The disc quickly shot its cigarette brandishing author and fresh-faced vocalist into the international spotlight; and although leadoff single "Je t'aime" and its seductive purrs reached top slot in the UK charts, none other than the Pope branded the tune offensive and blasphemous. Ever the conversationalist, Gainsbourg wittily replied, "we couldn’t have gotten a better PR man!"Lou Bond - S/T1974's self-titled Lou Bond – released on the groovy yet little-known Stax imprint We Produce – was left to languish in cutout bins and vinyl graveyards across the US. Still, the soulful troubadour, acoustic guitar slung over his lanky frame, kept on trucking, rocking and rolling though life's many ups and downs. Once you hear Lou's 10-minute plus "To The Establishment," with it's hypnotic strings, rocksteady backbeat, and "tell it to the people" lyrics, you may find insight into the world in which we live. Kris Kristofferson - Please Don't Tell Me How The Story EndsOver 5 years in the making, and with the attention to detail and elaborate packaging the label is known for, LITA 050 is none other than the never-before-released 1968-1972 demos of Texas-born Renaissance man and maverick songwriting pioneer, Kris Kristofferson. With the outlaw Highwayman's full blessing, Light In The Attic is honored to present Kristofferson’s honest and upfront formative takes on the tunes that would eventually become part of the great American songbook.And that's just the start ...Purchase the 2010 Light In The Attic CD Subscription HERE!Purchase the 2010 Light In The Attic Vinyl Subscription HERE!Purchase the 2010 Light In The Attic Digital Subscription HERE!
Full on sale details after the jump.
So what are the details and how much are we charging for 'em:
8 CD's
US Orders - $100
Canada Orders - $120
International Orders - $150
8 LP's
US Orders - $130
Canada Orders - $150
International Orders - $200
5 Digital Albums
$40 plus free 2010 Light In The Attic Digital Compilation
There we have it, a dump truck full of amazing releases, parachuted to your front door. Does life get any better than this? No.
Matt Sullivan and Josh Wright (co-owners of this loverly place we call Light In The Attic) boarded a Concord made of gold this last weekend and shot over to New Yawk Citay for a little thing called the WFMU Record Fair. Matt Sullivan, good man that he is, jotted down a telling tale of his time there.
Mr. Sullivan, it's so good to see you back on the printed page.
Finally coming down from a weekend high of vinyl, pizza, beer, sore feet, and Jewish delis (I vote for Katz's, Josh votes for 2nd Ave Deli). Translation: the WFMU Record Fair in New York City. Some of the world's greatest dealers, collectors, record freaks, and transvestites converge at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan for this annual event which raises money for non-commercial radio station WFMU out of Hoboken, NJ. And lots of music on the loud speaker spun by WFMU DJs as well as some live bands - from the The Trashmen to Jon Spencer's new band Heavy Trash. Oh, and cool docs being played like the Bill Withers film Still Bill. It's the best, most interesting, and all around awesome record show in the States. For three days, just about every record I've ever wanted could be found within these walls. And for the first time, Light In The Attic set up a table, selling our latest LP and CD reissues and distributed titles, and giving away loads of freebies.
Before we flew out of Seattle last Thursday, local carpenter Jason Hansen built us a stand to hold our vinyl, while Drew Christiecarved us the greatest Light In The Attic logo ever. Bless their souls, and a big thanks to Strath Shepard for helping to coordinate the record stand. But... we didn't bring enough wax. We learned that the world wants more Rodriguez, more Monks, more Serge, and more Karen Dalton. We will redeem ourselves next year. Promise.
But about this year... the show was a blast, launching Friday afternoon (folks could throw down $25 for early entry from 4 to 7pm - and the freaks took over the asylum!), and going until Sunday evening. All this vinyl meant it was tough to not spend your kids' college fund. Met some cool people over the weekend and saw some familiar faces. Our booth was sandwiched between Wax Poetics and wicked NYC reggae store Deadly Dragon Sound System - they took lots of photos which they'll be posting on their blog in the coming days. Super kind man David Fricke picked up a couple LPs even though he wanted Monks and we were sold out. Other kind folks... The guys from ESP, a man named Phil who could have been Lenny Kaye's long lost twin, a Boston friend of the almighty Dave Perry of the Lowell Sun (the biggest Light In The Attic supporter on planet earth and just about the first guy who ever wrote us up), John Wyatt, Mr. Finewine, Rob from Numero Group, Sharan at Wax Poetics, Karen Dalton guru Nicholas Hill, Matt from Factory Twenty Five, the lovely girl who said the secret word "Bellevue" and got 20% off... Found some killer records from The Record Exchange in Salem, MA. Thank you Paul.
I had no idea the Chambers Brothers ever made a record with Barbara Dane for Folkways, and had to snatch up the debut LP by the Equals. Drooled over loads of private press records, an original copy of "Power Fuerza" by the almighty Ghetto Brothers (only $1,000) from some guy that had hundreds of original African funk/soul/afrobeat LPs (dood should make a coffee table book with all those album covers). Oh, and a signed Beatles "Butcher Cover" (only $12,000). I think it was missing Lennon's signature though. Offer 'em 11k. Come on, you cheap bastards! Picked up some dreamy Brasilian wax from a couple sellers - a lovely Brasilian-NYC transplant who's name I sadly forgot, and Joel & crew from Tropicalia In Furs.
Big thanks to everyone who stopped by the Light In The Attic booth. Must say, it was a bit sad when the festivities came to an end on Sunday evening - even though I felt like I just ran a marathon and needed some rest. Well, we hope to see you all again next year. If you weren't there, come on out. You won't regret it. And... go Phillies. The Big Apple rules but down with the Yanks. Earlier today I found some WIFI at Starbucks in Manhattan (are there any mom-n-pop coffee shops in mid-town Manhattan with wireless?). While I'm surfing away, who walks in, but Derek Jeter. The place erupted. The man took some photos with giddy female fans. Funny moment. GOOOO PHILLIES!
We came, we saw, we conquered!
Matt Sullivan, co-owner and ticking brain of Light In The Attic, is on the road playing tour manager with the best there is, Rodriguez himself. He's in a mess of excited blogging and we're here, ready and willing to continue to broadcast his adventures.
Today: Rodriguez journeys to the seedy holy ground that is LITA Headquarters.
Sirs, please take it away.
Wake up early in Seattle, Rodriguez and Marc grab some tea, and we're quickly off to the office to pick up the tour merch. Rodriguez at the LITA HQ on Aurora Avenue?! Another beautifully surreal moment. We all geek out, grab some photos, and we're soon on the road, heading north for Vancouver to kick off the West Coast Tour. This marks Rodriguez's first ever Canadian show in his entire life. The man never even played Toronto or Montreal in the 60s/70s.
We stop by Avalon Records in Bellingham to say hello and meet Chris and Nils. Good people and store. Rodriguez loves meeting the people. Another reason why he's a truly special soul.
Fairly smooth sailing into the Canadian border (surprisingly much stricter and less friendly than the U.S. side). We scan through the radio but don't find much. I remember that Stefan at PIAS France, our fine French distributor told Rodriguez all about Serge Gainsbourg's "Historie de Melody Nelson" LP during Rodriguez's recent trip to Paris. We put on the disc and wig out over the brilliant arrangements and production.
Roll into Vancouver and hit the club Richard On Richards. A family reunion ensues... Rodriguez and I reunite with San Francisco band The Fresh & Only's. I love these guys! They're Rodriguez's band for the West Coast dates + the almighty Marc Capelle. The only other time they've been together was during Rodriguez's 36 hour magical trip to San Francisco last November - performing at the Great American Music Hall and an in-store at Amoeba. Bless their hearts. Guitarist Wymond Miles and his wife just had their first son last month but the man is here! Soon in walks Kevin "Sipreano" Howes - liner notes writer for Cold Fact, Coming From Reality, the Monks, and the mastermind behind the Jamaica to Toronto series. Another man that I must say, bless his heart! After a few years in Toronto, Kevin just moved back to Vancouver last month. It's good to see the man. And Kevin brings Stunt Man, mastering wizard behind the Summer Records Anthology and "Innocent Youths" by Earth, Roots & Water. I finally meet the Stunt Man. He is for real.
Sound check goes well and we roll over to Zulu Records for a signing. Good crowd and the staff at Zulu were super cool as always. We grab a quick bite at a diner up the street. Rodriguez scarfs down his favorite meal of choice - soup, soup, soup - while the rest of us grab some sandwiches and tacos. Head back to venue and meet Stephen McBean (Black Mountain/Pink Moutaintops), another man that can do no wrong. I geek out again while meeting Stephen and then once more hanging out with both Rodriguez and Stephen. It's Bushmills, red wine, and smoke. Everyone is all smiles in anticipation for showtime. You can feel it in the air. Side note - pick up Black Mountain's "In The Future" LP if you don't already have it. The world's tightest band and my favorite LP of 2008. This is truly the greatest Canadian welcome - McBean as Pink Mountaintops (Solo) opens the show and Sipreano spins endless 45 gems - psych (Painted Ship), soul (Eddie Spencer), and various other recent finds.
Rodriguez backed by the Fresh & Only's hit the stage around 10:45 with "Inner City Blues" - such a wicked opener. The crowd loved every minute of it, especially the South Africans in the house. And bless their hearts! "Crucify Your Mind" was a personal highlight. I never tire of hearing the tune. Continue to get goosebumps and teary eyed throughout the set and having a hard time comprehending this is reeeeaaaaaliteeee. A big thank you to Rob at Neptoon Records for holding down the fort on the merch table. After the show, Rodriguez came out to say hello and thank everyone that saw the show. Serious class. It quickly turned into a beautiful mob scene, endless autographs and photos. The highlight - a lovely South African family got to meet their hero ("You don't understand, you changed our country. I have listened to Cold Fact every day in my car for over 19 years."). These moments can bring you to tears. And the man is so humble about all the adoration.
The next day is a special KEXP radio session in Seattle, so we drive back after the madness dies down. Head out by 2 AM, listening to AM loony toons talk radio (Coast to Coast AM. We need Art Bell back though!). U.S. border guard looks at our passports and asks Rodriguez, "What's your music sound like? Why do you go to South Africa so often?") Good times continue. On the other side, hit the first gas station which happens to be in Blaine, WA. Not a soul in sight and 1920's jazz playing on the gas station speakers. Surreal. An hour later, eyes are getting heavy so we stop at McDonald's for a big ass cup of joe. Who ever told me that McDonald's had good coffee may need a lobotomy (Yes, I can't believe I believed them either). Quite possibly the worst coffee on the planet. But... it got us home. Pull into Seattle at 4:30 AM and we slept like a rock. The next day IS-THE-DAY!
Follow the whole thing live on Twitter
Steve Krakow, the amazing editor of Plastic Crime Wave and the Galactic Zoo Dossier has done some really nice work for us (such as our amazing Monks Limited Edition posterwhich honestly you should already probably own) and this nice fellow is going to be in Seattle at Gainsbourg (that's on 85th and Greenwood for you folk who haven't yet experienced the wonders of deep North Seattle) spinning a DJ-set.
The show begins at 9PM and also features Willie and Pete of Red Telephone magazine.
We not only implore you to be there, we absolutely demand it. Rumors abound that alcohol will be served.
Matthew Sullivan's final blog post from London, sweet London. We believe more pints are drank, more bangers and mash consumed.
Matthew, please, take it away.
SHOW DAY IS HERE!
Woke up early and jet lag is about gone. Outside - rainy like Seattle and peaceful. Opened the boat hatch to see a family of tiny ducks swimming on by. This place is like heaven. Started the morning right with a fresh pot of tea brewed by Martin. Learned that a good brew consists of "one tea bag per person plus a fourth for the pot" while Martin and Hazel debated how long to brew - "5 minutes" (Hazel) or "10 minutes" (Martin).. It was a battle. Being American and not knowing my tea, I kept quiet.
We walked down to Camden Market - checked out some over priced records, nice smelling fried food, and some giant robot statue (kinda like a 20 foot Robocop). Time flew by so headed for the tube and grabbed a prosciuto sandwich. The tube was all f'd up - no trains heading east and I tried jumping on the Northern Line but went the wrong way, turned around, and got off at King's Cross. Picked up a copy of Time Out London with a glowing preview of tonight's show! The guy at the newstand pointed me to the #63 bus which was packed due to the tube madness. Climbed on board and met some locals who helped a brotha out. Brits really are some of the nicest people on the planet. Finally hit Rodriguez's hotel. He looked great. Big smile and a fresh haircut ("I invited the hairdresser to the show, she's bringing her husband once she finds a babysitter. Do you have an extra CD for her!" Me: "of course!). The dood is an angel. We grabbed his guitar and hit the taxi for the Barbican and sound check!
Met Chris, Charlie, and Allison who run the Barbican and they kindly filled us in on the history of the place - built on a piece of land that was heavily bombed by the Nazis around '41. Years later, the city decided to make an artist center as a gift to the city - multiple concert halls, film theaters, museums... Impressive spot. Kinda like a beautiful concrete jungle. Hard to imagine.
Sound check went well but I ended up missing most of it. Rodriguez pulled me aside asking for one big favor - if I could rush out and grab some roses so he could say thanks to his daughter, Tinku, and Allison. I wandered on out and found a flower shop in a local mall. Grabbed the roses and quickly split. Charlie, thanks for the help with the flowers. I woulda been up shit creek without your mad flower skills.
We chilled for a bit, pizza with Will at In House Press and his super cool girlfriend Amra. Will works at a brilliant Manchester based pr company who handle the UK publicity for many of our releases - Rodriguez, Monks, Stephen John Kalinich, Black Angles... In the past 9 months, Will lined up more Rodriguez press than humanly imagineable - MOJO, Uncut, Guardian, Independent on Sunday, Evening Standard, Time Out London, Dazed and Confused, Record Collector, Shindig, the Observer Music Monthly... There's nothing even left. The guy is a madman, incredible publicist and one of my favorite people on the planet. He gives crap directions if you're lost though so stick to your map. Before the pizza hit the table, I realized that I needed more flowers so found the coolest cab driver - nice man from Bangladesh who has been in London for 20 years. He drove like the wind and finally found an open Sainsbury's grocery store. Got the goods and we took off for pizza time. We chowed down on Will's favorite, Hawaiian Pineapple (good stuff and recommended for LOST season finales).
Looked at the time and it was 730 so we grabbed another black cab and hit the venue. Worked out the merch - thanks to Harry from our uk distro SRD for bringing the CDs. Fujiya and Miyagi were playing at 815 and sadly I missed their full set, running around like a psychopath. Called Regan to check in. Rodriguez was chilling at the hotel before the big gig, thinking he had until 935 while actually scheduled for 905. They rushed on down. At the venue, we nervously paced but in classic Rodriguez fashion you never know what to expect, other than spontaniety. Gotta love it. And the man ends up playing one of the greatest gigs of his life. Incredible turn out. Before he came on, the crowd was screaming, cheering him on. The vibe was out of this world. The man walks on stage and everyone goes absolutely mental. He grabs the mic, says thank you to Regan, Tinku, and Allison who come out and grab the flowers. Allison hid under a table backstage so her co-worker wandered out and picked up the flowers.
The show kicked off with "Can't Get Away", a bonus cut on the Coming From Reality reissue. Magical! I felt like I was about to start bawling like a baby but these are tears of joy, matey. I have never heard Rodriguez's voice sound so perfect in a live setting. Literally just like the fucking record! He played them all... "Like Janis", "Forget It", "Inner City Blues", "I Wonder", "Sugar Man"... And a few with some killer live horns - London based guys Jimmy, Sid, and Harry - true professionals. "Crucify Your Mind" was especially gorgeous. Really dug the drummer of the band as well. I spent most of the show either screaming or drooling with my mouth open. I think people were blown away that a man well into his 60s who recorded these songs 40 years ago was still this good. He ended up busting out two encores, including a Duke Ellington cover (I asked Rodriguez the name of the song but he couldn't remember. Will find out though). Fantastic cover! The crowd gave him an enormous standing ovation. Truly a beautiful moment.
Backstage was the usual good times - smoke, drink and plenty of smiles. Met Juan from !K7 and Quinton at Strut - nice guys. Tried heading back to the hotel bar but we got horribly lost. Finally found the hotel and hotel bar. In the bar, Rodriguez played a few songs with friend and fan Paolo Nutini. Bar closed so we all headed upstairs to hang out. More insanity ensued until 430 or so. 6 hours later, Rodriguez and Regan flew back home to Detroit for a quick break before he lands at Sea-Tac airport in 2 weeks. Cannot fucking wait. Well, we headed back to the boat, listened to some records, ate some toast and slept like a rock.
What a fucking night! Still reeling from it all and so thankful I flew out. Tempted to somehow get back for his UK summer festival appearances at Green Man and Big Chill.
Well, this is it people. Our final day, our final blog. WE MADE IT!!! Ten days of hauling vinyl crates. Ten days of being cramped in a van. Ten days of not always knowing what town or city we were in. Ten days of virtually no internet connection. Ten days of following directions and getting lost. Ten nights of drinking in hotel rooms. Ten days of meeting up with friends in each city. And ten days of letting people know how committed we are to this catalog of music we are carrying with us from Seattle to San Diego and back.
Seeing all the record stores' employees faces light up when we walked in was so cool, they too have been following this blog awaiting our arrival. Seeing all these different record stores has been exciting and most of all, informative. These people care about music as much as we do, and it's nice to know that these stores exist in these times. Vinyl is the future, again. That may sound strange, but it was proven through and through. In this age of digital domination, true music lovers still want to have a physical product in their hands. They still care about album artwork. They still care about fidelity. And most importantly, they still care about that sound that comes out of the speakers when they set that needle down. We had our last stops in Sacramento today with the sun blasting down on us harder than it has this whole trip. As I'm writing this, I can feel my sunburn slowly starting to make it''s presence known.
We stopped at R5 Records first thing after breakfast. This store was way bigger than I imagined, and the employees were extremely friendly and excited. They took about one of everything! Thanks R5!Stop one was definitely not a bust. We headed over to Time Tested Books, which is a book store AND they sold some vinyl there. They were happy to re-stock their Serge Gainsbourg and Monks vinyl, and we were happy to do that for them. Man, Sacramento is a pretty cool city. There's cool art everywhere, whether it be graffiti or modern art. Cool little clothing stores, coffee shops, and record stores.
The sun was blasting our asses so hard, we had to cover up the vinyl in the van with our heat resistant blankets that we bought way back in Seattle. We all looked like we walked through 45 miles of desert. It doesn't help that none of us have done anything remotely close to working out since 5th grade, aside from lifting these damn boxes!Sacramento was a great ending to this journey. They bought stuff, they appreciated what we were doing, and we ended on such a great note.It felt strange to know that our next drive in the van was going to be the one that would lead us home to Seattle. We would love to stay out here and keep bring records to the people, but I guess we have to get back to our day jobs.Thank you all so much for following our progress, and thank you to all of the AMAZING record stores for your hospitality.You give us hope.Also, thanks to all the great people we've met along the way, this trip would not have been half as fun if we did not run into you.Most of all, thanks to Light in the Attic for making this happen. Great idea, great label, and great people with endless integrity and love for music.We hope we done you right.And hey, we didn't end up in jail.Well, we're still 6 hours from Seattle, so you never know.Much love to you all.The boys,
Man, these roads in California just don't stop twisting and turning. I think we keep taking the scenic route, when really we should just be on some other highway. Yes, the scenic route would be the prettiest view, but we keep hitting the scenic routes at night! One wrong turn and we'll be tumbling down a cliff. But hey, we made it and here we are, and it's been great so far. Woke up in San Francisco, we stayed at Troy and Cody's friend Matt's house.
1st stop for Saturday morning was Streetlight Records. This stop was nice and easy, super fast. Within a blink of an eye we were sitting down having some breakfast at a cool little joint called Knead or something. We needed some food since San Francisco kicked our asses only a little the night before. OK, back to normal and ready for stop number two, Groove Merchant. This place was all vinyl, and they mostly specialized in soul, jazz, blues and cool re-issues. Perfect for us, because we've gots lots of that stuff. They pulled a bunch out and made this yet another successful stop. This also was our last stop in San Francisco, which it was sad to say goodbye to our friends Jeremy, Sakura, and their daughter Brown. They are childhood friends of Troy and Cody's, and they had been riding around with us for these stops in San Fran. We did not say goodbye to Matt though, the dude who let us stay at his house, he was ready to tag along to LA and help us out!
Yes! Thanks Matt!! The more the merrier.
So we piled into our van which is now a tiny bit less crowded, thanks to these great record stores buying our product. Off to Santa Cruz to stop at yet another Streetlight Records. This town was interesting. Very much a beach town with lots of cool stores and places to eat. Streetlight is a BIG store and they were awaiting our arrival. This stop took some time because they wanted to see everything, which is good because, well, that's what we're here for. They bought alot, making us happy, and the feeling was mutual. We left them with cool psych stuff, Monks, great compilations, and much more. We found a Mexican restaurant to have some dinner, and I (Troy) bought yet another pair of American Apparel underwear (and no, I wasn't paid to say that) I'm just trying to collect all colors for some dumb reason. Time to load back into the van and head to San Luis Obispo.
This drive was intense. This is the drive that had the curviest roads we've seen, and it was pitch black outside. Tyson is such a fucking champion, he has pretty much driven this entire time. I think he's even starting to get used to having tunnel vision when he drives. We kept ourselves entertained with our 3rd grade humor and our strange playlist of everything from M83 to Tenacious D. We arrived in San Luis Obispo to meet up with a cool dude named Malik. Malik is the man who is letting us stay at his pad. He is so cool, we pulled up at midnight and he said, "make yourselves at home, I'm going to stay at a girlfriends house, so have at it". WOW! None of us have ever met him and he is cool enough to let 5 guys crash at his house without him even being there! That's trust. Thank you Malik!!!!
Anyway, it's bed time, LA is just around the corner, and we are hitting so many record stores in the coming days that it's frightening.
Frighteningly badass.
Stay tuned for day whatever it is.
Love,
Troy, Cody, Sandy and TysonFollow all these boys shenanigans on Twitter.
Oh boy, this has been amazing so far, but now we're really getting into the thick of it. Today we hit 2 stores in El Cerrito and off to San Francisco!!
Stop one is Mod Lang. We pulled into the ally and fell right into our usual routine. Get out of the van and start unloading and displaying the crates and boxes of wax. They came out and started sifting through, pulled out their favorites, wrote a check and BAM, we're off. Total stop time, 20 minutes. Our fasted stop yet! This was good because we have allot to do today. Next stop, Down Home Records. We were hoping that this stop would be as fast as the first, but these guys wanted to REALLY look at everything we had, and we were more than happy to show them. They grabbed a bit of everything making this stop one of our most successful. Since we were in such a hurry to get to the big city, we had to eat Jack in the Box for brunch. And yes, it sounds strange to call it brunch when you're eating at Jack in the Box (or as we call it, Jack in the crack) but hey, we're on the road and ya gots to eat like this sometimes.
We jumped in the van, blasted that catchy ass MGMT record, and we are almost to San Francisco. Pulling into the city was amazing. All of us haven't been here in a long time, so to see the amazing skyline, bridges and architecture was fabulous. We pick up our friend Matt, who lives here, and he leads us to Aquarius Records! These guys (as well as many of these record store dudes) love the Monks and Serge Gainsbourg vinyl, so the grabbed a bunch of that. This stop was fast because they had already called ahead and let us know what they wanted, so we had some pre-packaged boxes for them put together before we pulled up. This stop was also particularly awesome because we finally got to meet Noah, the guy who is putting together these blogs! We've been in touch with Noah this whole trip, and we were excited to run into him (he lives in San Francisco) and he was just as cool as we thought he would be. So yes,this stop was nice and easy, and now we have to go to Groove Merchant Records.
We pulled up to a place called Grooves Records, thinking that this must be Groove Merchant for some reason, and we went in and said, "hey, we're from Light in the Attic", and they looked at us confused. We immediately realized that we were in the wrong store, and before we could apologize, the owner, Kelley, said, "I'll take a look at what you've got." Yes! He started grabbing our vinyl when we were informed that the guy that was grabbing these vinyl was none other than Sub Pop Recording artist Kelley Stoltz!! This is amazing because Troy and Cody are HUGE Kelley Stoltz fans and have been for years!!!! So he bought a bunch of stuff, and of course Troy had him sign a vinyl and grabbed Cody to take a picture with him. He was so cool, he invited us to his show and said he's put us on the guest list tonight! Take a wild guess what we'll be doing our first night in San Francisco.
We hauled ass over to the original destination we were supposed to be at, Groove Merchant, but they wanted us to come back the following day so that they could spend more time looking through the product since they were going to close fairly soon. No problem, we've got some time tomorrow. So now we're parking the van for the night, finding a place to eat, and getting ready to see Kelley Stoltz tonight.
In other words, can't complain.
Troy, Cody, and Sandy
Follow the whole damn rodeo on Twitter.
Listen & Buy
Monks
Black Monk Time (CD,2xLP,MP3)
LITA 042
Light In The Attic is ecstatic to present the Monks recorded legacy through two lavishly packaged and lovingly researched reissues (available on CD, LP, and digital download): The Early Years 1964-1965 as well as their landmark studio album Black Monk Time. Numerous period photographs (many unseen) and an extensive two-part essay by Canadian music journalist Kevin Howes (Jamaica-Toronto series) accompany both releases and tell the Monks story like it has never been told. Bonus material dating back to pre-Monks Torquays and up to post Black Monk Time 45s are also included.
Light In The Attic is ecstatic to present the Monks recorded legacy through two lavishly packaged and lovingly researched reissues (available on CD, LP, and digital download): The Early Years 1964-1965 as well as their landmark studio album Black Monk Time. Numerous period photographs (many unseen) and an extensive two-part essay by Canadian music journalist Kevin Howes (Jamaica – Toronto series) accompany both releases and tell the Monks story like it has never been told. Bonus material dating back to pre-Monks Torquays and up to post Black Monk Time 7"s are also included. From “Shut Up” to “Boys Are Boys”", “Complication” to “Cuckoo,” worlds will collide before your very eyes. Press play, drop the needle, zone in, and see for yourself. And while there’s no need to shave your head, you’ll certainly flip your wig. Come on everybody, it’s Monk Time!
Black Monk Time (by Thomas Edward Shaw & Anita Klemke) ()
LITA-LTD5
Black Monk Time tells the band’s story, from its origins as a GI cover band endlessly cranking out “Green Onions,” through its constant stumbling onto genius (they basically did what they did to meet girls), to its break-up right before a proposed tour of Vietnam. What the book is most valuable for, though, is its look at the grueling life of a touring band then, when a group would take up a residency at a club for a month and play 8 hours a day, 7 days a week – the same crucible in which the Beatles and dozens of other better-known bands were forged. And if you see a copy of the Monks’ album, also called Black Monk Time, grab it – it’s amazing stuff.
It's almost too much to believe...a project years in the making and there's less than two weeks before it's released unto the world. That's right, on June 14, 2011, Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown's Mowest Story 1971-1973, the first ever anthology of Motown's funk/hippie/rock label Mowest, will finally be released! Can't wait to get dibs on a copy? Well, you may pre-0rder the CD and the 2x LP NOW!
Here's the back story: in the early 1970’s, Detroit-native and Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. brought his musical family to the left coast, one piece at a time. He began by launching the Mowest subsidiary in 1971, a new L.A.-based label dedicated to coastal grooves and an eye towards the top of the charts.
[caption id="attachment_3881" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Mowest" LP - Check the gloss!"]
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Regardless of talent, quality, and financial backing, Mowest faced an uphill battle. With the majority of Motown’s focus on the already established names of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross,Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and their latest chart dynamos, The Jackson 5, there wasn’t as much attention being given to the diverse Mowest roster. Acts like Syreeta, Sisters Love, and G.C. Cameron seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Though the label released over forty singles and close to a dozen albums from up and comers like Odyssey to established veterans Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons the expected hits never materialized and the imprint quietly folded in 1973. While Mowest artists The Commodores, Thelma Houston, and the aforementioned Cameron continued on with Motown proper, the sub label’s catalogue quickly gathered dust in the cut-out bins of record stores throughout the States.
[caption id="attachment_3882" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption=""Mowest" CD - No skimping on this!"]
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Seems like the store's / label's motto is "Always...Love Over Gold" which is adorned above your doorway. Can you talk a bit about this...would you call it a philosophy?
Yeah - it's a philosophy. I put that above the door to haunt whoever is working & whoever is shopping to making decisions based on more pressing things than finance - like asthetics & the golden rule & all that kind of thing.
[caption id="attachment_3192" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="it's a philosophy"]
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And speaking of the Mississippi Records label, can you give us a brief history of it?
The first four releases 
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A year or so later me & my old friend Warren Hill decided to start putting together reissues of stuff we liked in very small pressings. Another old friend of mine Alex Yusimov got in on it & started adding more punk oriented records to the catalogue. We were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time as not alot of labels were doing LP reissues of the type of things we were into back then even though the demand was there.
Thanks to timing & our practice of keeping everything relatively cheap we managed to sell alot of records fast which gave us the freedom to crank out alot of product. We've released only what is inspiring to us with little regard to whether it is salable or not. Somehow we've managed to keep selling this weird stuff. I am thankfull for that everyday. We've released 78 records & are just getting started.
What kind of folks frequent your store, and what sort of records do they typically buy?
We get all kinds & they buy all kinds. We have every type of music except modern electric dance stuff & modern corporate shlock (But we do have some pre 1990's corporate shlock despite my problems with it).
[caption id="attachment_3193" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="I can spot at least four records on the wall that I want. "]
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What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
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What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
One time a lady came in & asked if we had any Gogie Grant LPs (Gogi was a middle of the road 1950s pop singer who had a hit called the Wayward Wind). I pulled out one & showed it to here & she said, "You know, I'm Gogie Grant" I held up the record next to her & she did indeed look like an older version of the face smiling at me from the cover. We small talked a bit about her career back in the day & she left.
About 6 months later an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT older lady came to the store & asked if we had any Gogie Grant records. I pulled out the same record & showed it too her & she said, "You know, I'm Gogie Grant." Before I could ask her anything about the previous clamer of that name or the fact that she looked nothing like the women on the cover of the LP she corrected herself - 'Well, I was the original Gogi Grant. I had a huge hit with my first single, The Wayward Wind on Columbia Records. Right after that I was captured by the Turks & put in a prison. An African tribe broke me out & rode me to freedom atop a glowing albino elephant. I stayed amongst the tribe as their Queen for many years but soon grew homesick. When I came back to the states I was mortified to find that Columbia Records had hired a proxy to capitalize on my hit song. They had some other lady...the lady on the cover of this LP....recording & touring under my name. It was tragic."
[caption id="attachment_3195" align="aligncenter" width="353" caption="Gogi...where are you really???"]
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Whatever the real story may be, I thought it was amazing that the two Gogi Grants would both happen to stumble into the same record store to tell their tales so close in time to eachother. I have since looked at many photos of Gogi Grant & have found a few early press photos that more closely resemble the African princess version of Gogi than the one on the LP.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
It gives me a good reason to put on a suit & tie everyday.
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Mississippi Records
4007 North Mississippi Avenue
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 282-2990
Check out the 2011 Light In The Attic Subscription Series 
Some Other Music alums have gone on to have success making records as opposed to selling them. I remember hearing that Animal Collective was one such case...any current employees making killer sounds?
Yeah Noah and Dave worked here, and we've had so many staff go on to successful careers as musicians, DJs, label jobs, fine arts - we're a great temporary thing until you hit it big! And there are, of course, several talented musicians on staff right now.
In 2007, Other Music was one of the first independent record stores to create an online digital music store. How has that been going?
Though I can't say that our download store completely takes up the slack from shrinking physical sales, it has been great for us, and we definitely feel like we need to have a foot in that world to stay relevant if we want to carry new music.
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[caption id="attachment_2712" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Tinariwen burning up Other Music - Photo by Tim Soter"]
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[caption id="attachment_2713" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Boredoms perform In-Store at Other Music. Photo by Tim Soter"]
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Also, in the last few years, you've started filming select in-stores and streaming them for free on the Digital Music Store site. How did that come about?
Out of the blue I was approached by Natalie Johns of 
Independent record stores provide many things - information, community, inspiration...and of course records! It's along these lines that we bring you this week's Record Store of the Week, Salt Lake City's Slowtrain Music. Opened in 2006 by Chris and Anna Brozek, Slowtrain Music has established itself as the heart of SLC's independent music scene by providing a space for in-stores from local and national artists, a label showcasing local talent, and a great place to score awesome CDs and vinyl records. We hear even "members" of the Allman Brothers Band frequent the shop!
Tell us some stuff about Slowtrain Music.
Slowtrain opened in 2006 in downtown SLC. We carry CDs and LPs - new and used along with turntables, DVDs, silk-screened posters, concert tickets, t-shirts, and more. We love local music, vinyl that comes with a CD inside, dance parties, and beer.
How many people work at the store?
There are 4 of us total, two owners, Chris & Anna, and two staffers, Matt & Vanessa.
What kinds of records to you specialize in?
We carry mostly independent artists/labels spanning most genres (rock/pop/country/hip hop/jazz/etc).
What’s your favorite record right now?
Lately I've been stuck on the newest LP from White Hinterland called Kairos. It has been my ideal summer album - although I'm not sure what I'll do when the weather starts to turn and snow starts to fall.
Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time?
This year the easiest album to sell by playing it is Beach House's Teen Dream. There is something magical about it.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
This is really really hard. Let's just say that in the last few weeks I've been obsessively listening to the Monks' 
Do you have in-store performances? If so, who is your favorite band/artist that has played your store?
We have in-stores as often as we can. It is SO hard to decide who is our favorite. The most recent one that was exceptionally special was Damien Jurado. The store was dead quiet and Damien played for about 40 minutes. Songs from his newest record as well as oldies that he usually doesn't play live. He was charming and humble. I like to think that everyone in the shop that day left a better person
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
I was once interrupted (pet peeve) by some guy wanting to know if I was listening to a Dylan record overhead (it wasn't, it was The Felice Brothers). When I told him I'd be with him in a minute after I'd finished up with the customer I was with he flipped out. Started screaming at me that he wasn't some bum of the street that he was in the Allman Brothers Band. After a bit of a yelling match, he slammed a wad of $100 bills on the counter and said "I was going to buy stuff but I'm insulted" to which I said "If you were really in the Allman Brothers Band you should know this isn't Bob Dylan overhead." I later found out he pulls that shit at little shops all around town. What a life.
What is the coolest record that has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
For me personally it was a used copy of the Back to the Future soundtrack. This was the first record I ever owned - my parents bought it for me for my 4th or 5th birthday. It has been lost in many family moves and Chris and I have always been on the hunt for it in other record shops. Recently a sweet customer brought it in for me so I could have it back in my life.
What do you love most about working at a cool independent record shop?
What is not to love? I'm constantly surrounded by amazing music and incredible people. I get to see bands I love and a lot of them become good friends. We met David Byrne. I mean, record stores are the best.
Slowtrain Music
221 E Broadway
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 364-2611
When you are a record store in close proximity to the finest Ivy League colleges money can buy, you can't help but pick up a little bit of that nerdy, scholarly vibe. Cambridge, Massachusetts own Weirdo Records is the Ivy League record store for the most adventurous listeners in the region (and beyond), and we're happy to make them this week's Record Store of the Week. We picked the brain of head Weirdo Angela Sawyer, and came out feeling a little bit smarter.
Tell us about Weirdo Records, and it's history.
Weirdo was started in 2006 in the bedroom of an apartment, and moved into a tiny storefront in Feb. 2009. Shop's open for browsing 11am-9pm 7 days a week & also does mailorder worldwide. Weirdo has weekly in-store performances, events hosted at local bars, a monthly blog dedicated to Catonese Opera cassettes, a lending library of music books, a free online radio station that runs 24 hours a day. The store's website is updated every single day of the year, and the door's open with free beer inside on holidays. There are currently about 5000 titles here, about half vinyl/cd & about half new/used.
How many people work for Weirdo?
Weirdo is about the size of a dorm room and is mostly run by one person, & that's me, Angela. The shelves here are on wheels, so a little space can be made when needed. Running any sort of store by yourself is next to impossible, so a few subs, part-timers, volunteers, & Boston's generous community of record collectors all help take up the slack. I'm a very lucky girl. Summer of 2011 will mark 20 years that I've been working in one record store or another here in Boston, and I can't even think of enough good things to say about the folks around town who- and here's the bottom line- are the people who really make this place happen.
What kind of records to you specialize in?
Saying that Weirdo is a specialty shop is a bit of an understatement: Wiggy garage psychedelia from Bolivia; Soundtracks to Spanish VHS pornos; Flemish housewives in green pancake makeup sitting on the floor of their kitchens, banging pots & pans & shrieking at the top of their lungs; One sided 78s about baseball from 1904; Cocaine-damaged open-mike-night songwriters who wish they were rock stars; Singapore's answer to Nancy Sinatra or Jakarta's answer to George Harrison; Field recordings of diseased babies or bugs chewing food or lamps on the fritz... That's my meat & potatoes around here.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
Light in the Attic's deee-luxe reissue of 
Jack Stoughton, who founded California-based Stoughton Printing Company, which since its inception in 1965 has worked closely with the music and entertainment industries (Light in the Attic is a client), died Tuesday night. He was 84.
Stoughton retired from the company in 1990, and his sons, Jack Jr. and Clay, took over operations from their father.
The manufacturing side of the music business is hardly glamorous, and for many, fans and insiders alike, rarely thought of. But it takes skill to craft a well-designed record sleeve or ensure a final package is eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing. LITA's Matt Sullivan had the following to say about the work produced at Stoughton:
"Stoughton is one of the best printers on the planet. They manufacture those gorgeous old school 'tip on' vinyl LP jackets that are heavier than a Monopoly board - The Free Design, Rodriguez, Wheedle's Groove, The Monks, Black Angels' Directions To See A Ghost, Serge Gainsbourg, etc. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail and endless quality of these guys is unmatched. They're the best."
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Jack Stoughton, and everyone at Stoughton Printing.
