News

• April 25, 2011 at 11:18 AM

  Austin Psych Fest 4 2011 --//|\\-- THIS WEEKEND!

  OK, I know you all blew your savings going to SXSW this year, but what's coming up this weekend requires cashing in your Dad's frequent flyer miles or a last minute road trip in your older brother's van! WHY??? Well: Austin Psych Fest 4! Our pals The Black Angels and Reverberation Appreciation Society proudly present Austin Psych Fest 4 | April 29 - May 1 2011 at Seaholm Power Plant. Spanning the full range of the psych sounds, the festival honors the past while magnifying the modern vanguard of mind expanding music. The festival grounds will feature a multi-stage setup and live performances from the likes of: Atlas Sound, Crystal Stilts, A Place To Bury Strangers, Radio Moscow, Prefuse 73, Spectrum, Indian Jewelry, and Bass Drum of Death and TONS MORE. Weekend passes and day tickets are still available HERE. Check out their site and spread the word!

• April 11, 2011 at 07:28 AM

  Record Store Day 2011 - The Black Angels "Another Nice Pair" !!!

  Record Store Day 2011 (Yo! April 16th! Get with it!) is shaping up to be the best yet. There are literally hundreds of limited edition releases hitting record stores across the globe. Unfortunately for us, many of these releases we can't seem to live without (Big Star Third test pressing box, Flaming Lips Heady Nuggs box, etc). I guess it's Ramen and Natural Ice for the next month! Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Just like previous years, we have some heavy awesomeness for this year's RSD:

  The Black Angels Another Nice Pair (LITA 066)

  Collecting The Black Angels’ first two EPs on a single disc, Another Nice Pair is as limited, cool and righteous as it gets. Presented as a vinyl “double EP,” the A side (The Black Angels EP) includes key tracks from the critically acclaimed debut album Passover in addition to the non-album jam “Winter ’68.” The B side flip presents the original Black Angel Exit EP which was available only as a limited edition bonus EP for those who pre-ordered the band’s sophomore Directions To See A Ghost LP. This side also includes tracks that were available only as bonus material on the limited edition 3-LP version of Directions To See A Ghost, in addition to the iTunes exclusive “Black Angel Exit/Shine,” and a ripping cover of Black Mountain’s “No Satisfaction.”

  In case you need more encouragement!:

  • RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE (Go support your local record store!!)
  • First time collection of the band’s first two EPs & First time on vinyl!
  • Unique “Double EP” with original artwork and limited promo insert
  • Limited edition pressing on RED VINYL with “Old-Style/Tip-On” sleeve
  • Download card included
  • Original artwork by founding member/guitarist Christian Bland
  • 100 inserts SIGNED BY THE BAND will be randomly packed through the pressing!

• January 18, 2011 at 09:39 AM

  Record Store of the Week - Mississippi Records (Portland, OR)

  

  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 Rodriguez Cold 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 Dalton It'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 Groove Seattle'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. --------------------- Mississippi Records 4007 North Mississippi Avenue Portland, OR 97227 (503) 282-2990

• January 13, 2011 at 10:58 AM

  Record Store of the Week: Good Records (Dallas, TX)

  [caption id="attachment_3160" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Dude's STOKED! photo by Brian Lopiccolo"][/caption] Everything's bigger in Texas, so the saying goes. But did you also know that everything is "more gooder"? That's right! Case in point, our Record Store of the Week - Good Records (Dallas, TX)! Good Records is exactly that and then some--a great store with an amazing staff and a stellar curatorial sense. This week Chris Penn (one of the dudes that makes Good Records good) took time from his busy schedule to chat with us. So next time your checkin' out the Dallas scene, make sure to swing by Good Records and try to find a bad record. We dare you! So, tell us some stuff about Good Records. Do you really only sell "good" records (sorry, had to ask)? Boy does the shop look sweet. Good Records was started February 7, 2000.  We wanted to give people an adventure in listening.  We wanted to create a store we would shop at.  We decided to carry records we deemed to be good whether it be Alice Coltrane or Alice Cooper.  We run the gamut of all musical genres but try to weed it out for our customers and only give them the bumper crop to choose from.  I think our friend Jim Fairchild from Grandaddy/All Smiles/Modest Mouse said it best, "Good people, good ears, and good curatorial sense. Good Records." [caption id="attachment_3161" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Photo by Brian Lopiccolo"][/caption] You've hosted a lot of local and national touring acts at your in-store performances. Got a favorite? Any cool ones on the horizon? Some of our past instore performances have included sets by: Grizzly Bear, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Queens Of The Stone Age, Grandaddy, Death Cab For Cutie, Regina Spektor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, Black Angels, Starlight Mints, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Beachwood Sparks, Brightblack Morning Light, Enon, Califone, Black Lips, No Age, Ariel Pink, Old 97's, Feist, Tegan & Sara, Great Lake Swimmers, Blitzen Trapper, Beach House, Centro-matic, Peaches, Dirty Projectors, The Mooney Suzuki, Danielson, Dark Meat, Fuck Buttons, Giant Sand, Heartless Bastards, Pinback, Ruby Suns, Toadies, Daniel Johnston, Demetri Martin, Of Montreal, The Polyphonic Spree, Kingsbury Manx, Long Winters, Mates Of State, Mountain Goats, Stardeath And White Dwarfs, Album Leaf, et. al. (Ed. - our jaws are on the floor!!!) Picking a favorite is like picking your  favorite offspring but if i was forced to pick one it would have to be Grandaddy. We sold so many copies of The Sophtware Slump that when they routed their tour they purposely left a day off in Dallas to reward us with a full blown instore. They played almost an hour and a half.  People overflowed into the middle of the street. [caption id="attachment_3162" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Photo by Brian Lopiccolo"][/caption] What’s your favorite record right now? One of my favorite records right now is Malachai Ugly Side Of Love.  I think a lot of people that needed to hear it didn't. What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see? One of the recent used LP finds that has come in was an original pressing of Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue in pristine shape.  Needless to say that never made it to the sales floor. What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why? I am going to pick two of my favorite Light In The Attic releases.  From modern times The Black Angel's Passover from modern times.  A friend/manager came into the store and gave us a copy of the EP and we were hooked.  We have been fortunate to have them play the store several times.  From the reissue department I choose Like a Ship... (Without a Sail) by T.L. Barrett & The Youth for Christ Choir.  This release typifies what I think Light In The Attic does best...find a killer release and give it a rebirth and allow it to find new ears.  The first time we played it in the store I immediately earmarked Like A Ship for my deejay sets.

  

  OK, now for the serious question. In mortal combat between Concrete Blonde and Blonde Redhead, which band would emerge as the victor? Blonde Redhead would win hands down at Good Records. Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons came out the first year we were open.  We still play it to this day and it elicits one of two reacions.  "Who is this?" or "This is such a great album."  We have sold tons of copy of this.  It is one of our 'High Fidelity/Beta Band' type albums. What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store? Probably our best two celebrity encounters were with Glen Danzig and Luke Wilson. Glenn Danzig bought a used copy of King Crimson In The Court of the Crimson King and Luke Wilson came in on two separate occasions. On his second trip Luke was scouring for Bob Dylan bootlegs. I told him he should just ask Mr. Dylan as I think he was filming a movie with him at the time. [caption id="attachment_3163" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Photo by Sofia Retta"][/caption] And lastly, how's the scene down in Dallas? Any cool local bands we should be on the lookout for? The music scene in Dallas is good.  We have a little bit of everything going on.  You should check out New Fumes, Leg Sweeper, True Widow, RTB2, Chameleon Chamber Group, to name a few... [caption id="attachment_3164" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Good Records...where cops and chickens shop!"][/caption] ---------------

  Good Records - http://www.goodrecords.com/ - http://www.facebook.com/goodrecords

  1808 Greenville Ave.

  Dallas, TX  75206

  214-752-GOOD

  Mon-Thurs 10am-11pm

  Fri-Sat 10am-Midnight

  Sun 11am-9pm

• January 04, 2011 at 10:47 AM

  The Black Angels LPs BACK IN STOCK!

  

  Exciting news! We finally got back in stock vinyl copies of The Black Angels Passover and Directions To See A Ghost LPs. 2010 was an exciting year for the band, what with that lil' David Letterman performance and some killer live shows, and with this restock, 2011 is off to a great start!

  To order The Black Angels Passover, click HERE!

  To order The Black Angels Directions To See A Ghost, click HERE!

• December 13, 2010 at 02:34 PM

  3rd Annual Year End Extravaganza!

  Ah...it's that time of year again. The year (2010) that we so anticipated last year comes to a grinding halt and we get all excited for the next year. It's a vicious cycle, but here at Light In The Attic, it's a cycle that we love. During the year of 2010 we all enjoyed some pretty, pretttay, prettaaaayyyy good sights, sounds, smells (?), tastes, and vibes! As in previous years, we want to thank all the people that helped us out. P.S. - if you're wondering why the above pic looks familar, it's because it's the original art made by Drew Christie  (thanks again, Drew) for our first Year End Extravaganza. Patrick just added three candles and voila...artwork for this year! So, without further delay, we give you the Light In The Attic 3rd Annual Year End Extravaganza! Stefan Prescott These are the things that helped me through the year, not necessarily all new this year or discovered this year. Film Kidulthood Irreversible Fired Up! Wheedle' Groove Documentary Music Gorillaz Alela Diane Mos Def Little Ann Andreya Triana Azari & III -Reckless with Your Love Leela James African Headcharge Chico Hamilton Seu Jorge @ Almaz Food Paseo (nuff said) Show VV Brown + Little Dragon Other Culturally Important things that helped me through the year: Record Stores Qool Marv's Mixes Chelsea Football Club ( although this has also been painful all year) Learning about the Velvet Underground from the my LITA colleagues. Gordon Parks Dust & Grooves Vinyl Record collectors photos The Onion Lukasz Lysakowski Facebook Page Rosemary Otero 1.) seeing the song "Tyrants" by Black Mountain, live November 29th @ the Showbox 2.) Jim Sullivan "U.F.O." on vinyl- BEST REISSUE OF THE YEAR!!

  3.) Buffalo Springfield reunion!!! at Neil Young's Bridge School benefit at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, CA 4.) Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute 5.) Flaming Lips live @ the Paramount on September 27th 6.) meeting Ibrahim Ag Alhabib of Tinariwen 7.) finding "I Don't Wanna Play House" by Tammy Wynette for $2.99 at Sonic Boom in Ballard 8.) Sublime Frequencies' "Jemaa El Fna" 9.) watching Jackie Brown for the first time at the Kalaloch Lodge, in Kalaloch, Washington. 10.) getting hired at Light In The Attic!!!!

  Sandy Wilson Top 10 reasons that Sandy the licensing guy didn't submit a top year-end 10 list 10. Experienced side affects including problems urinating, blurry vision, confusion, and relocated salivary glands 9. Disappeared for 6 months after drinking a case Four Loko with singer of Die Antwoord 8. Lost too much sleep worrying about William Hung's spiritual well-being 7. Felt the need to send hand-written letters to each journalist that requested an interview with Jim Sullivan 6. Was too busy inventing words like 'Fauxmosexual' and 'Procrasterbation' 5. Spent a week straight laughing when he heard a guy wearing a knit cap being referred to as a 'sweater head' 4. Had to be sedated when he thought he heard a Black Angels song on a Chili's commercial 3. Accidentally ate something called Turduckster 2. Still shook up over Farmville beastiality rap 1. His dog smoked it [caption id="attachment_2920" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="So that's where it went..."][/caption] Josh Wright A little assortment, in no particular order - - Moving Light In Attic HQ out of the ghetto and into our new office! - My new little puppy, Maggie (editor's note: not the dog above!) - Paseo and it's mighty Cuban sandwiches...you are always there for me when I need you - Mankei and it's mighty spicy tuna rolls (I ate 10 one night!) - Hawking vinyl at Pitchfork & WFMU (thank you to everyone who visited us!) - UFO, El Gusano, Ten Ragas To A Disco Beat, TL Barrett! Matt Sullivan Kris Kristofferson - Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends: The Publishing Demos 1968-72 (LITA 050) There were days and years when it seemed like this would never see the light of day.  It was well worth the wait. Staff Benda Bilili - Tres Tres Fort (Crammed Discs) The record's from '09 but I just discovered it via Henry Rollins' radio show. The tune "Sala Keba" made me literally stop in my tracks.

  

  Ellen's Soul Food (Memphis, TN) The fried chicken is to die for. The Tenth Inning (Ken Burns, PBS) Best Blog (Still) – Pacific Standard Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) (Lorber Films) Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here, Double LP Version (XL) Sadly I still haven't seen the man in concert. Come back West! Joanna Newsom - "Good Intentions Paving Company" (Drag City) One word: EPIC. Robert Wyatt - Vinyl Reissues (Domino) Finally! and done so well. Junip - Fields (Mute) The Golden State Cafe (Los Angeles, CA) Best burger on planet earth. Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker (Modular) Stop the bidding war and get this album out in the U.S. Winter's Bone, Seattle International Film Festival, May 28, 2010 Give the Oscar to Jennifer Lawrence. Wheedle's Groove, Bumbershoot, Sept. 4, 2010 One of the greatest days of my life. El Perro Del Mar - "Let Me In" (The Control Group) Mad Men, The Suitcase, Episode 7, Season 4 (AMC) Hanging with Rodriguez (Detroit, MI) There is only one Sixto. Reissue labels like Sublime Frequencies who go the extra mile, and this interview with Frank Gossner (Voodoo Funk) - Zola Jesus - "Sea Talk" Jim Sullivan on Art Bell's Coast to Coast AM, Nov. 19, 2010 Reigning Sound, Nocturnal, Memphis, TN, July 30, 2010 This show blew my head off. Erkyah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (Motown) The Black Angels & Black Mountain, The Showbox, Seattle, WA, Nov. 29, 2010 Tribute to The (real) Dude, William H. Morse II, Cal Poly, Pomona, CA, Sept. 19, 2010 Beach House - Teen Dream (Sub Pop) The Executive Inn, Memphis, TN Words can not describe. You must see it for yourself. Ted Lucas - Ted Lucas (Yoga Records) I couldn't stop listening to the song "Plain & Sane & Simple Melody" Andrew Graham & Swarming Branch - "Take It Easy On Kathy At Least She Can Dance" (Mexican Summer) Kenny Graham & His Satellites - Moondog & Suncat Suites (Trunk) Thanks to Piccadilly in Manchester for the tip. The Moondoggies - Tidelands (Hardly Art) How is this band not a household name?  Proof: new Moondoggies video by Drew Christie Dadahawh - Peace And Love (Dug Out) '74 heady-spiritual-reggae-walkabout via new reissue label set up by Mark Ainley of Honest Jon's & Mark Ernestus of Rhythm & Sound.  Look forward to what's next. Patrick McCarthy Last December, I moved from NYC (after calling it home for 10 years) to Los Angeles. Here are the top reasons why the City of Angeles is the best place to live! Dang, LA has so many good record stores. I often find myself wandering the aisles of Vacation, Origami Vinyl, Atomic Records, Rockaway Records, Records LA, Amoeba, Counterpoint (also a great book store), and Wombelton. Not to mention all the thrift stores I stop at. LA has always been a big music industry town and it's amazing how many great records (largely Promos) you can find at thrift stores. Being a musician too, it's important to have some non-corporate shops to hang out in and pick up various "necessities". One of these is Old Style in Silverlake . Owned by Reuben Cox, Old Style largely features Reuben's own Frankenstein guitars. He also has "secret" shows (The National just did one) and it's a great shop to hang out in and pull some guitar strings. For pedal mania I check out TrueTone in Santa Monica. For synths and other oddities, Future Music in Eagle Rock is kool. [caption id="attachment_2925" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Keepin' it old at Old Style"][/caption] Who says no one in LA reads? This town is loaded with great book stores. Stories in Echo Park always has great used books and nice small run art books. They make a mean coffee too. Skylight in Los Feliz is great too. A very nicely curated music section and zines. Wacko, also in Los Feliz, has all those eye-candy/coffee table books that you kinda feel stupid (intellectually) for buying but you just can't live without. Counterpoint (Hollywood?) has lots of good used books but I tend to get lost in the LPs when I'm there. Ya gotta eat, right? Can't live without burgers from Fix, In and Out, Fatburger and all the Mexican joints, Hugo's Tacos in Atwater, date night at Elf Cafe in Echo Park, Sunday afternoons at Trails Cafe in Griffith Park, daily donuts at Daily Donuts, all the food trucks, and of course the Hollywood, Silverlake, Atwater, and Barnsdall farmers markets. And at night? Great bands to check out. OFF! and Red Kross at Club Lingerie, Featherbeard at HM157, Sweaters at Vacation, Linda Perhacs at the LA Folk Festival, Atriarch at the Three Clubs (lots of ritual sage burning and really loud guitars). [caption id="attachment_2926" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="OFF!"][/caption] And the general lifestyle? Beautiful weather, Griffith Park, The Bronson Caves (Batman!), Barnsdall Park, Malibu, Lake Hollywood Reservoir (besides how much a pain in the ass it is to find), Echo Park, Elysian Park, and on and on. Randy Newman was so right, of course. Pat Thomas Winter's Bone movie and the resulting soundtrack on LITA's new cinewax imprint Southern Kitchen; soul food restaurant in Tacoma, WA drinking with Chris Estey at Linda's! lecturing at Bumbershoot about music of the Black Power era Matt Sullivan turning me onto the music of Jim Sullivan and Lou Bond

  

  Barbara Manning playing at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard debut album released by Can You Imagine? featuring Pete Bagge, Steve Fisk, et al. discovering the Seattle psych band Midday Veil via Dave Segal Mushroom "Naked Stoned and Stabbed" Patti Smith's book "Just Kids" Sipreano - http://voluntaryinnature.blogspot.com/ For some reason, I can’t remember a lot of last year. It’s been a good one though, have no fear. Communing with nature has been a prime focus. Both Light In The Attic and myself count ourselves lucky to be living on the coast. At this point, my focus is on the coming year (Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown’s Mowest Story 1971-1973, LITA 064!!!), but reflecting back into the void, these are my 2010 highlights… 1) Shooting Wayne McGhie for our From Yard To Yonge-Jamaica To Toronto documentary: Breaking bread with Wayne in the cold Toronto winter of 2004 alongside LITA honcho Matt Sullivan was an occasion I’ll never forget. In 2010, co-director Darby Wheeler and myself spent more time with The Sounds Of Joy (LITA 008) main man, one of Canada’s most unique musical voices. Against many odds, we are working hard to make From Yard To Yonge a reality. Keep your eyes peeled for more news in 2011. 2) Vancouver 2010 Olympics: Though I didn’t follow the sporting action and appalled by the finances, my distaste for the Games was mellowed out somewhat via a booming influx of people (power) and overall positive vibrations. Sorta felt like this sleepy town was awoken for a spell. Basking in the sunlight on the sunny steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery while tram flyers soared across the sky kept me sane for a two-week spell this winter.

  3) Duffy & The Doubters: For me, the best new release of 2010 was easily Ladyhawk singer-songwriter Duffy Driediger’s latest project. Non-believers and curiosity seekers should peep “No Wild Horses” and “Doubters” for proof (*goes well with pudding). Scriptural Supplies is yet another incredible aside from the #1 rock group in Canada.

  4) Needles//Pins: Really hype on this Vancouver trio. DL First World Problems for free HERE. Catch their new album in early 2011. 5) The Mighty Pope recording with Sureshot Symphony Solution in San Francisco: April saw Canada’s boss soul, R&B, and funk legend (LITA 019) record 2 tracks with US crate digger and top breakbeat don Sureshot (The Sharpshooters) for a forthcoming 7”. “Mr. Fortune And Fame” will debut on CBC Radio 2’s The Strombo Show on January 3, 2011. 6) The Power: B.C.’s Sunshine Coast jewel. It’s a healing land where you can play 80’s records to seals, swim in quarries, eat oysters right off the beach, and communicate with tree spirits.

  7) Huey Lewis & The News: Live at the PNE (August 25, 2010). “Heart And Soul.”

  8) Time Cookie: Best DJ mixes of 2010.

  9) Planetarium 2010: April also saw Transmolecular, BCVCO, and yours truly hit the H.R. McMillan planetarium stage with the Poppy Family’s Craig McCaw on mind-bending visuals with all-encompassing support from Morgan Tanner and family. With friends in town from as far away as California and Toronto, the after-party was equally cosmic.

  10) Cratery: Toronto’s one-of-a-kind mix of vintage vinyl madness and music mayhem starring veteran rapper Arcee, the multi-talented Kaewonder, DJ Serious, and a motley crew of guests ranging from super producer Jake One to Alister Johnson (aka Catalist).

  See ya again next year!

  Sipreano

  http://voluntaryinnature.blogspot.com/

  For some reason, I can’t remember a lot of last year. It’s been a good one though, have no fear. Communing with nature has been a prime focus. Both Light In The Attic and myself count ourselves lucky to be living on the coast. At this point, my focus is on the coming year (Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love: Motown’s Mowest Story 1971-1973, LITA 064!!!), but reflecting back into the void, these are my 2010 highlights…

  1) Shooting Wayne McGhie for our From Yard To Yonge-Jamaica To Toronto documentary: Breaking bread with Wayne in the cold Toronto winter of 2004 alongside LITA honcho Matt Sullivan was an occasion I’ll never forget. In 2010, co-director Darby Wheeler and myself spent more time with The Sounds Of Joy (LITA 008) main man, one of Canada’s most unique musical voices. Against many odds, we are working hard to make From Yard To Yonge a reality. Keep your eyes peeled for more news in 2011.

• November 24, 2010 at 09:05 AM

  The Black Angels and Black Mountain on TOUR!

  

  Not too long after their television debut on David Letterman, Light In The Attic's The Black Angels are touring the country! Check 'em out up in Vancouver with Black Mountain and Sipreano! Get your tickets now...the first night sold out and they've added a second. Details below:

  Tue.Nov.30.10 Black Mountain

  The Dropout Boogie Tour Black Mountain, The Black Angels, Sipreano :: at The Commodore Ballroom :: Doors at 8pm :: $20 advance +s/c Sold Out

  Tuesday November 30 2010: The Dropout Boogie Tour - Black Mountain, The Black Angels, Sipreano :: at The Commodore Ballroom :: Doors at 8pm :: $20 advance +s/c Sold Out Wednesday December 1 2010: SECOND NIGHT ADDED!! The Dropout Boogie Tour - Black Mountain, The Black Angels, Sipreano :: at The Commodore Ballroom :: Doors at 8pm :: $20 advance +s/c :: Advance tickets on sale now at: Live Nation, Red Cat Records, Zulu Records, and Ticketmaster.

• October 11, 2010 at 09:25 AM

  Record Store of the Week: Vacation (Los Angeles, CA)

  

  For this week's Record Store of the Week, we find ourselves at Vacation in sunny Los Angeles, California. Located on a strip of Sunset Boulevard known as Sunset Junction, Vacation is a music mecca for record heads that serves up a fine array of new and used vinyl, not to mention a calendar packed with awesome in-stores. So I hope you brought a suitcase, cuz we're going on Vacation!

  You've recently moved your location from the Hollywood/Los Feliz area to the heart of Silver Lake (Sunset Junction), how's that worked out?

  The move has been great for us. We immediately saw more foot traffic and overall exposure for Vacation.

  How many people work at the store?

  We pretty much are operated by myself and George Jensen who recently joined us last July.

  

  What kind of folks frequent your store and what sort of records do they typically buy?

  We see a cross section of shoppers.  We have the young crowd of collectors looking for rare (just about anything).  Then we see customers of all ages who heard of us through Hydra Head Records and/or Secret Headquarters (Comic Shop Next Door).  They both co-own Vacation and have such an incredible following and reputation that precedes them.  Then I see the unassuming shopper who stumbles upon us and loves our niche and aesthetic.  It peaks their curiosity in music again.  This is a crowd that really loves the reissues of classic records and solid compilations.

  What's the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you've had with a customer in the store?

  Wow, kinda of too many to choose from. Keep in mind we were on Hollywood Blvd for almost a year and a half. Let's say I learned to dread a full moon.

  You had in-stores at your previous location, are you still doing them at the new one? What's your favorite artist/band to play the store?

  Absolutely!  We've already had Nails, Black Breath, Night Horse, White Hills, Torche & Mount Carmel play at the new location.  My favorite in store would have to be Red Sparowes last year.  The old location's high ceilings allowed for their incredible visual projection show during the live performance.

  In your shop, you have a giant photograph of a stage strewn with amps/drums etc and beer cans. What's the story behind that? Hahaha, yeah that's a rad shot of the stage after Fear performed a show in S.F. around 1983.  The photo was taken by Brian Tucker (Fer Youz) who is notorious for his punk rock photography from the L.A. punk scene during 1980-85.  He just recently had an art opening at the New Puppy Gallery.  His work will show there until Nov. 2nd. Is there a record you play that someone will usually buy/inquire about every time? I usually get a comment or inquiry any time I play the Colin Newman 'A-Z' album. What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why? I have to admit amongst the many great reissues that my favorite is still the current band on the roster...The Black Angels album 'Passover'. What do you think of the LA music scene and how do you see Vacation Vinyl's place in it? I love it!  It so diverse and open for anyone to create and experiment in vast fields, styles and genres.  I think Vacation provides a cool all ages spot to experience some heavy and unique bands that we enjoy and support. Lastly, what do you love about working at a great independent record shop? I love the freedom to create something unique.  A shop that breaks the molds of most record stores.  I love building this store with the owners who have exceptional taste and vision for music and the retail experience.

  ----------------------

  Vacation

  3815 W Sunset Blvd
  Los Angeles, CA 90026
  323.666.2111

  
  Mon-Sat 11-9pm, Sun 12-7pm

  www.vacationvinyl.com

• September 09, 2010 at 03:51 AM

  The Black Angels on Letterman (9/8/10)

  The Black Angels made their network television debut last night on the Late Show with David Letterman, performing "Telephone" off their new album, Phosphene Dream (out next Tuesday, 9/14). They didn't phone it in either. Congratulations to one of our favorite Austin bands! If you haven't stocked up on the Black Angels back catalog, Light in the Attic can help you out right HERE.

• February 19, 2010 at 06:45 AM

  In Memory of Jack Stoughton

  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.

• February 02, 2010 at 03:00 PM

  THE BLACK ANGELS ... LIVE IN TILBURG, NETHERLANDS!

  Sometime last week the amazing Black Angels played to a packed crowd in the Scandinavian climes of Tilburg Netherlands.  This is damn fine footage of an incredible live band and this footage features what we know you hungry Black Angels fans love: new songs. Personally, we prefer the raging guitar solo on the opener "Nowhere to Run".  Show-stopper. Make up your own mind though: Check out The Black Angels at Light In The Attic.

• December 31, 2009 at 02:58 AM

  LIGHT IN THE ATTIC 3RD ANNUAL YEAR END EXTRAVAGANZA!

  

  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,:

  READ YEAR ONE HERE!

  READ YEAR TWO HERE!

  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!

  Our Light In The Attic Brethren: Robbie Hill, Black On White Affair, Robbie Hill’s Family Affair, Wheedle’s Groove

  

  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 Wanted Stephen 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.

  

  Isabel Toledo at FIT. This Miranda July and Roe Ethridge photo series for Vice Magazine. RIP, Irving Penn, Dash Snow, Sam Haskins, et al. Jake One "Home" video (directed by Zia Mohajerjasbi). Lil' Bacon. Sipreano, DJ, writer, producer, Light In The Attic, beyond

  

  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 Standard Still 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 Thomas Top 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 Attic I 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 90210 The 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 Boomers Best 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 Boom Top-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 Terribles Top Ten Lessons for New Zombies 1. Braaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiins. (Actually, that's pretty much it.) Kyla Fairchild, No Depression Favorite 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 Films Top 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 Weekly The 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 Zone TOP 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 Snitch Favorite 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 NYC Top 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 Music Vegas 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, again 4. The Public Collectors Tumblr 5.  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 Light Michael 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 Shadows Jon 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, Alibi Favorite 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 Pavilion Megan Petty, Les Enfants Terribles 1. 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 Festival TOP 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 - Dominos Stuff 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.com Top 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 Reality Fashion:

  

  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. Woo Nightclubs: 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 Foer Adam – Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov Pish - Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley Novels Exhibitions/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 Group Five 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, Writer Top 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, Billions Top 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 Records Some 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 Post National 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 Ignorant Albums 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 – Churchill Michelle 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 Zax Top 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.

• October 19, 2009 at 04:00 PM

  LOOK WHAT'S BACK ... ON VINYL!

  We've produced some albums we're mighty fond of in our tenure as a prestigious record label for the reissue loving masses. You know, some solid gems, that due to one reason or another we had to pull from the sagging shelves of vinyl love and relegate to the shiny, spinny world of the compact disc. But, two of our hands down most favorite releases we've ever dropped on the wide world of discerning listeners. What are they, you discerning listener, might ask? Well, let us tell you:

  

  The Black Angels, drone psych masters they are, released Passover in 2006, melting the minds and faces of fans the world over.  C'mon, this album has the growling, acid-fueled road trip of "Young Men Dead", the low-end blast of "Manipulation", and a host of other guttural odes to the cracked psychedelic deserts that populate their songs.   People have been clamoring for this for years, and we, your drone psych dealers are peddling it again.

  Buy it HERE.

  Jamaica to Toronto - Soul, Funk & Reggae: 1967 - 1974

  

  Reggae, funk, soul - all from the wild woods of 1960s and 1970s Canada?  Indeed.  There's a huge amount of history poking out of the slow-talking forests of the Great White North, and we, after kicking around a few other, more different releases, compiled this, the first of a two definitive compilations of the bumps and beats of Toronto.  We're so happy to see it back on vinyl we're soul clapping and rump shaking.  Seriously, Matt Sullivan rump shaking, has got to be seen.

  Listen to the single: Jo-Jo & The Fugitives - Chips-Chicken-Banana-Split

  Buy it HERE.

• September 11, 2009 at 04:00 AM

  A COUPLE OF LIGHT IN THE ATTIC CLASSICS ARE BACK ON VINYL

  What could they be? Let us build the suspense through a fascinating picture essay: Someone dropped a box of special goodies on our front porch.  This friendly, well-dressed homeless man assisted in opening the boxes.  We only had to pay him in stale potato chips and a scratched up copy of the Miami Vice soundtrack.  The one with Don Johnson.

  

  Once the man had left, we sorted through the goodies.  To maintain suspense we will show you one album and the side of the other album.  Feel the suspense, it burns a little.

  

  VOILA! WHEEDLE'S GROOVE AND THE BLACK ANGELS ORIGINAL ALBUM PASSOVER FINALLY BACK ON VINYL!  LIKE MAGICIANS WE ARE!

  

  Buy Wheedle's Groove vinyl here!

  Buy Black Angel's Passover here!

• July 09, 2009 at 03:36 PM

  WHAT IS SWEET TEA? AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH THE BLACK ANGELS AND THE HEARTLESS BASTARDS?

  

  So you love The Black Angels right?  Their big, ballsy, at time bluesy crush of psych-rock that just burns huge fucking holes in your ears and has you waking up from a drug-induced coma at six in the morning with nothing but a blood-spattered loin cloth on wondering just where the fuck you've been?  Yup, you love the shit out of them. And you love Heartless Bastards too right?  Erika Wennerstroms big, brassy beautiful voice that just cuts right through your heart, leaving you all gooey and watery, in need of assistance from a helpful youth or perhaps your befuddled significant other?  Yeah, they're fantastic. Well what if Alex Maas (lead singer of The Black Angels) and Ms. Wennerstroms came together in to one harmonious coupling and referred to themselves as Sweet Tea and played country duets?  You'd be pretty impressed right? Hot shit then, 'cause they have! The two beloved leads have taken a break from their usual duties of kicking ass to come together as a super duo of even more ass-kicking. And we've got an .mp3 for you - re-working of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter" - soon to be released on Fat Possum.  There's more coming from these folk too, and you should be watching, eyes agape. Sweet Tea (Alex Maas & Erika Wennerstrom) - If I Were A Carpenter

• June 28, 2009 at 04:02 PM

  MATT SULLIVAN TOURS THE WEST COAST WITH RODRIGUEZ - DAY 3: Seattle, The Triple Door

  The tour might be over, but Matt Sullivan, founder of this glorified juke joint presses on, recording the day to day events of this amazing trip.

  We're already sad to see it come to an end.

  Keep it coming Sullivan, the fans are hungry!

  

  As Rodriguez wisely reminds us, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We need our nourishment." Rodriguez, along with the Fresh & Only's, Josh from Light In The Attic, Jennifer Maas, and I cruise on over to Ballard breakfast spot Hi-Life. After scarfing down our much needed morning nourishment, we roll to the Triple Door, a plush Seattle venue that hosts two Rodriguez gigs today and this evening. It's going to a magical day/evening. At 3 PM he plays a special day time show for Seattle radio station KEXP and listeners who donated $500. Anyone who donates over $500 gets to check out free, exclusive VIP shows at the Triple Door. Past performers include - The Black Angels, My Morning Jacket, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Interpol, The Concretes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Billy Brag... Lots more here. KEXP records the show and then broadcasts the set on the radio later that day. The Triple Door make all the stops. Backstage is a palace compared to our previous evening backstage at Richard On Richards in Vancouver. ROR had some grimey class though.

  

  KEXP's Greg Vandy gives a nice introduction for the show and the seven song set goes off super well. There are a few hours before the evening show so we stop by Easy Street Records on Queen Anne and introduce Rodriguez to Gary, Troy, and Bob at the store. Photos, autographs and more good times unfold. Head back to the house so Rodriguez can freshen up and eat a light dinner before show time. Our new intern Andrew (bless his kind soul!) hangs out as well. The man relaxes for a few and we depart for the Triple Door. What ensues next was a dream I've waited for for over four years. A rapturous response from the crowd while Rodriguez and band completely on fire. I have to hand it to the horn players - San Francisco's Marc Capelle on Fluegel Horn & Trumpet, along with local Seattle players Greg Larson - Trombone, Clark Gibson - Flute (Sax, Clarinet), and Galen Green - Sax, Clarinet (Flute). A big thanks to Galen for putting together the Seattle players. Girls screamed out "I love your smile" but the man, like always, was as humble as ever. Best line though - "There's only one age: You're either alive or dead." The man was certainly alive. He did a brilliant solo cover of "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" which Sinatra and a host of others recorded back in the day. Currently my favorite Rodriguez live tune. After the show, we headed back and the Seattle after-party ensued, lasting deep into the night. A few South Africans swung by. Bless their hearts! They've kept the Sixto fire alive all these years.

• April 16, 2009 at 03:14 AM

  RECORD STORE WEEK DAY 4 #2: SLOWTRAIN RECORDS, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

  Oh sure, you can't drink a real beer in Salt Lake City, but if you're cruising in the land of the Latter Day Saints come Record Store Day, or any day for that matter, you can peruse the aisles of one of our favorite record stores in the continental U, S, of A - Slowtrain Records. With those words imparted, we pass this torch of internet communication to you. STORE OF THE DAY: Slowtrain Records, Salt Lake City, Utah

  

  1.  Store Description, history...etc- We are Slowtrain. A small, independent, music shop in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. We've been around just almost 3 years keeping independent music pumping through SLC. 2.  What is your favorite record right now? Picking a favorite is so tough - Anna's pick would be the new Dan Auerbach record, for now. If I were to guess what Chris's was...I'd say, the new Casiotone for the Painfully Alone record. 3.  What is your favorite LITA release?

  

  I think, depending on my mood, it is a toss up between Passover by the Black Angels and the Rodgriguez record. 4.  Favorite record to play in the shop? Norfolk & Western's Unsung Colony - someone buys a copy everytime we play it overhead, it is crazy. 5.  What is the best in-store performance? Oh man! I have to pick!? I'd have to say the best was when Shearwater stopped by last August and loaded all their gear into the back of our little store and played their entire new album, Rook, from front to back and were gracious enough to thank us for letting them do it. I had goosebumps the entire set and felt honored to host them. It was a magical night.

  

  6.  Funniest story about the shop? The Drunk Republican - we don't see this guy too much anymore, but when he used to come in it was always a clusterfuck. Sometimes he'd be crying - we sold him the same Love Sucks compilation twice (because love sucks so much he needed more than one apparently). He'd bitch about the democrats and tell us how his neighbor called the cops when he was playing Jefferson Airplane too loud at 3am (evidently he was in the shower and needed to turn it up to hear it from the bathroom over the running water - this, oddly, was the story that brought him to tears).

• April 15, 2009 at 03:32 AM

  RECORD STORE WEEK DAY 3 #2: RAINBOW MUSIC & BOOKS, NEWARK, DELAWARE!

  We've been dipping dip in to the international aspect of our good friends in the shady world of record store dealings as of late, and we wanted to bring all back home to you.  There's so many goddamn amazing record stores in this great country of ours that it's been downright difficult to pick five, let alone one to showcase. But when the call when out the good folk at Rainbow Music & Books responded with a fervor that belies their amazing verve.  Thus, we couldn't help but give them the spotlight for a bit.  We were seduced, downright charmed. Take it away maestro. STORE OF THE DAY #2: Rainbow Music & Books, Newark, DE

  

  1.  Store Description, history...etc- Rainbow Records has been around since 1977.  A simpler time, when you could open a record store for the fun of it and take a hit without getting knocked on your ass.  The current owner, Chris "Vinny" Avino, bought the store from the original owner in August 2005.  Rainbow joined CIMS (Coalition of Independent Music Stores) in February 2008. The store started by selling records.  Inventory variety grew and contracted through the years. These days, Rainbow sells New and Used CDs, New and Used DVDs, Used books, a highly curated selection of New books, musician supplies (including strings,sticks,picks,cables, and various other necessities), posters, headphones, turntables, and a shit-ton of New and Used Records.  It's all back to where it started. 2.  What is your favorite record right now?

  

  At this instant, my favorite record is The Hold Steady-Almost Killed Me.  I was in the car for like 10 hours last weekend and I think I played the thing 8 times straight through.  Every time I listen to it a different lyric makes me laugh.  All I want to do is drink and smoke and reminisce about times when those things didn't have consequences the next morning.  Ahh, good times. 3.  What is your favorite LITA release? This is a tough one.  The Black Angels - Passover has to win. (Rodriguez - Cold Fact is a close second).  Passover is on my all-time top album list, and probably will be forever.  I'm not exaggerating.  Every song on this album just creates a rumbling in my gut that disperses upward and outward until my entire body is full of unbelievable euphoric energy. 4.  Favorite record to play in the shop?

  

  Led Zeppelin II.  I turn the volume up to 11 and just fuckin' rock it.  It always puts everyone in a good mood. 5.  What is the best in-store performance? The best in-store performance was by far the Black Angels in November 2006.  It was a crisp Sunday morning.  We had completely cleared the sales floor to make room for the band and the anticipated crowd.  The equipment we brought in was ridiculous. Speakers floor to ceiling - no lie.  The band was a half hour late because they took a left instead of a right. The band was opening for the Black Keys and had played Philly the night before and were playing D.C. that night so we had the show set up for noon.  Since they were a little late, they wanted to do a stripped down set.  This mearly meant no drone machine and not a full kit, because they were still completely plugged in.  This was not a sit-on-your-stool-with-an-acoustic-guitar-MTV-unplugged thing.  They played for close to an hour, which was longer than their set the night before, pulling out 2 or 3 new songs not on the album.  The 100+ people that saw the show spent most of it with their jaw on the ground. If the earth had swallowed the store that night my response would have been "Ehh, whatever. The Black Angels played at my fucking store." To this day, people see the signed event poster that we have hanging by the front register and say "You had the Black Angels here?!?! How did I miss that?" 6.  Funniest story about the shop?

  

  The other record store in town also is painted white with bright red trim and has been around for at least as long as Rainbow.  It is also one of the headshops in town.  About once a week someone calls or walks in asking for whippits. "We don't have whippits." "Dude, I have absolutely, definitely bought whippits here before." Rainbow has never sold whippits.

• March 19, 2009 at 05:03 AM

  MATT AND JOSH'S SXSW UPDATE!

  The boss fellows are in Austin right now soaking up the tunes and burritos and films and everything else that amazing world of SXSW magic has to offer.  The little fellows got so damn excited they just wanted to send over a wee little update. Update away gentlemen: REPORT FROM THE TRENCHES OF SXSW 2009... Mid-70s and sunny Been seeing some great films. "Still Bill" www.stillbillthemovie.com Why can't we all be Bill Withers. Forget Dr. Phil. Bill is my new life coach. An inspiring film. "Hump Day" Laughed my head off. We all need more dood luv. And from the music side... - Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers - Tony Joe White - Black Angels with Roky Erickson - Heartless Bastards Long live Austin tacos! We're missing March Madness though which is never easy to cope with. Over n out, Matt and Josh

• February 12, 2009 at 01:40 PM

  THE BLACK ANGELS + HARLEY DAVIDSON

  We can't attest that the addition of a Harley Davidson motorcycle will do anything to increase your man/lady hood.  We can't say we have any idea what a "straight-cut shortie"  is (though we're pretty sure we've seen some videos on the internet involving them, if you know what we mean).  We certainly can't claim that there is any small yearning in our collective souls to strap ourselves on to a roadhog and go cruising through dusty climes near and far. Nope, we're Seattle born and bred. We can say this: there's something about the throaty drone of The Black Angels that evokes flat expanses of endless black-top baking in the sun, and hell, maybe that's just what Harley Davidson folk are looking for. See for yourself: