The TVD Storefront

TVD Radar: Laurie Styvers, Let Me Comfort You: The Hush Rarities
in stores 10/25

VIA PRESS RELEASE | High Moon Records is proud to announce a new vinyl collection of rare tracks from cult singer-songwriter Laurie Styvers. Let Me Comfort You: The Hush Rarities arrives Friday, October 25, 2024 exclusively on vinyl LP, joined by a 4-page lyric insert with liner notes from 5x GRAMMY® Award-nominated compilation producer Alec Palao. Pre-orders are available now.

Let Me Comfort You: The Hush Rarities follows High Moon’s 2023 release of Gemini Girl: The Complete Hush Recordings, the first-ever comprehensive anthology of Styvers’ remarkable body of work, including her two deeply moving solo albums, Spilt Milk (1971) and The Colorado Kid (1973). Akin to a lost third album, the new collection now gathers 11 alternate takes, demos, and previously unissued songs from the original album sessions, further showcasing the enigmatic Texas singer-songwriter’s honey-voiced intimacy and intangible magic, its lovelorn gems like “Let Me Comfort You” and “Crazy Rainy Spring” equal of anything on either now-rightfully acclaimed albums.

Laurie Styvers may be amongst the lesser-known names within the milieu of 1970s cult singer-songwriters, but anyone who experiences the bewitching innocence on display within her two deeply moving solo albums, Spilt Milk (1971) and The Colorado Kid (1973), will surely fall in love with this enigmatic figure.

Born in Texas, Styvers was a student at the American School in London when she joined the legendary 1960s psych-folk outfit Justine, guesting on their eponymous 1970 debut LP before heading back to the US to attend college in Colorado. She soon returned to the UK, embarking upon a solo career after signing with Hush Productions, founded by legendary producers Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, Small Faces) and Hugh Murphy.

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The TVD Storefront

TVD Radar: The Fire
Still Burns: Music Inspired by the Post-Punk Message
by David Gamage in stores 11/22

VIA PRESS RELEASE | “The story of people finding their own voice and doing something because they believe in it.”Fear and Loathing

The Fire Still Burns is a story of post-punk adventure, packed full of anecdotes, inspiration and tales from the road with an insightful narrative on what keeps these bands plugging away with such heart; gigging, touring, recording and playing in a rough and ready scene.

With a brief history of the independent, alternative label, Engineer Records, and input from eighty of its bands. You’ll read about Canaan and Crosstide, Fat Heaven and Flyswatter, Kid You Not, Kover, and Kyoto Drive, as well as many more. A follow-up to 2023’s A Hardcore Heart and a must-read for all tuned-in punk-rockers and hardcore kids, especially if they’re forming a new band.

David is a musician and author. He’s played in bands since his teens, including Couch Potatoes, Joeyfat, Rydell, Come The Spring, and The Atlantic Union Project, and is an active part of the alternative music scene, having promoted gigs, edited a fanzine and run a record label. He established his current label, Engineer Records, back in 1999 and continues releasing great records to this day, with well over 400 releases and counting.

His first two books were, Punk Faction, a collection of BHP fanzine excerpts that cover a range of subjects important to the youth of the ‘90s and still relevant to the alternative scene of today, and A Hardcore Heart, a semi-autobiographical account of the UKHC scene in the ‘90s focusing on the artists, promoters, venues, and labels involved. David lives with his wife and two sons in East Sussex, and when he’s not playing with his family and their four cats, or writing, he enjoys traveling, strangling his guitar, and introducing others to obscure rock bands.

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The TVD Storefront

Graded on a Curve: Angel,
Helluva Band

Celebrating Frank DiMino, born on this day in 1951.Ed.

My favorite story about Angel, Washington, DC’s glammed-out, all-white spandex retort to Kiss, which seemed poised for superstardom in the mid-seventies (giant billboards on the Sunset Strip, selection by the readers of Circus magazine as the Best New Group of 1976, and tours of the great American arena circuit with the likes of Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, and Rush) is pure Spinal Tap.

The band, with some major financial backing from Casablanca Records mogul Neil Bogart, had developed one of the most elaborate stage shows in rock, a fantasia of smoke, magic, and mirrors that led one wag to suggest that the band might be better off staying home and sending its props on the road. One gimmick involved the band appearing magically on stage one by one in puffs of smoke, to be introduced by the face on the giant Angel logo—which none other than Ian MacKaye pointed out to me is ambigrammatic, meaning it reads the same when turned upside down as when viewed normally—that served as the band’s backdrop.

One night, as Punky Meadows, Angel’s guitarist and the most androgynous pretty boy in a band full of androgynous pretty boys, told me: “Of course, all we were doing was coming up through trapdoors from beneath the stage. Well, one night, the big talking head introduces [drummer] Mickie Jones, and Mickie isn’t there. We’re looking at each like, ‘Where the fuck’s Mickie?’ Turns out his trapdoor got stuck. And all those stoned kids in the audience are going [Meadows sucks on an imaginary joint], ‘That’s really weird, man…'”

Angel was ahead of its time as a hair metal band, but while publicity photos featuring Meadows sporting hair the females of the era would have died for and a pout that put Scarlett Johansson’s to shame helped increase Angel’s popularity amongst certain sectors—predominantly teenage girls—it didn’t win them any points with critics.

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TVD UK

UK Artist of the Week: NewDad

Irish alt-rock quartet NewDad are very hot on everyone’s lips in the UK (and of course Ireland) right now and we can see why. With their debut album Madra already gaining them critical acclaim, we’re excited to see what 2025 will bring for this young band.

NewDad’s latest single “Under My Skin” is a shoegaze-infused delight channeling the likes of Wolf Alice and Lime Garden. The song has been featured on the latest soundtrack of the game Life Is Strange, a game the band grew up playing themselves and consequently, a “real full circle moment” for them.

The irresistible appeal of songwriting is the opportunity to give voice to the ineffable. For NewDad singer/guitarist Julie Dawson, music has always served as a safe haven for articulating what she struggles to express elsewhere—a place where she can explore her deepest emotions without compromise.

“Under My Skin” and debut album Madra are in stores now.

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The TVD Storefront

Graded on a Curve: Dancer/Whisper Hiss,
Split

Stylistically complementary yet with contrasts in execution, the bands Dancer, hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, and Whisper Hiss, based in Portland, OR, each get a side on Split, a new LP that’s available October 18 (after a brief delay) via the reliable Athens, GA label Happy Happy Birthday To Me. It comes with hand-stamped labels in a handmade three-color screen-printed matchbook fold-over sleeve plus insert and a download card. Those with an unscratchable itch to hear these dozen tunes right now can snag a digital copy over at Bandcamp.

Split LPs span back nearly as far as the format itself, but the impulse to share sides really flourished as part of underground rock’s regional scenes in the years after punk’s big reset. Although not all split LPs featured contributors from the same or neighboring cities or towns, geography as a unifier was essentially the norm. But in these post internet days, long distance relationships are far more common and make far more sense as pairings, particularly when aligned by a record label majordomo who comprehends the value of close proximity over the release of two separate 6-song EPs.

Dancer’s side begins with “Priority Girl,” a bouncy, sassy, slightly new wavy dose of pop-rock that could’ve raised the eyebrows of an IRS Records scout circa ’82 or thereabouts, at least until the band lets loose with a little racket in the mid-section. “Didn’t Mean To” follows, delivering a more charged up strain of melodic clang with a solid undercurrent of post-punk.

The title “Paging Planet Earth” positively screams new wave, a scenario that’s aided by Gemma Fleet’s vocal timbre, a little bubbly but smart (shades of Debbie Harry and more so Claire Grogan). However, the cut has an arty edge (while still steadfastly pop) that deepens the appeal. So far so very old school, but “You Saint” brings a twist with prickly guitar lines giving the song a more contemporary spin.

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A morning mix of news for the vinyl inclined

In rotation: 10/15/24

The Vinyl Revival: Why Gen X and Z are driving the trend: …Aged 16 to 25, Generation Z grew up in a world where music was instantly accessible via streaming platforms. Yet, despite the ease of digital access, many in this group report feeling disconnected from the music they consume online. Vinyl offers a way to build a more meaningful relationship with the music they love, allowing them to physically own and engage with their favourite albums. For these younger listeners, vinyl is more than just a medium for music — it’s a form of self-expression. Limited-edition releases, coloured vinyl, and exclusive albums provide a sense of individuality. The retro appeal of vinyl also resonates with their love for vintage culture, blending old-school style with modern sensibilities.

Makati, PH | One Stop Record Fair spins into September with vinyl and art: Already feeling the cold breeze of “-ber” months? The quarterly music event “One Stop Record Fair 2024: Vinyl x Art” held at Ayala Malls The 30th on September 28 just made the air warmer with the rich sound that only vinyl can offer. From nostalgic collectors to exploring newbies, this gathering attracted music enthusiasts of all ages, scouring a treasure trove of endless music. Sari Osorio, the event organizer, said the occasion went well as usual with collectors flocking Ayala Malls The 30th as early as 10 in the morning. “We kicked off ‘ber’ months by giving them the best and rare vinyl from our featured sellers,” Osorio said. With 30 vinyl vendors offering an impressive array of records across genres, such as rock, jazz, soul, electronic and pop. Vinyl enthusiasts digged through crates filled with rare finds, limited editions and classics that spanned through decades.

Richmond, VA | The Richmond Record Riot! Over 15,000 LPs in one room! Sat October 19th at Stony Point Fashion Park: The Richmond Record RIot! It’s a MASSIVE vinyl record POP-UP sale at Stony Point Fashion Park! Sat October 19th. Over 15,000 vinyl records in ONE ROOM! Great music and family fun. LPs, CDs and 45s. A giant record store lands in Richmond VA! Dealers from far and wide converge for a giant music sale! Sat October 19th at Stony Point Fashion Park! LPs and 45s and CDs too. All types of music from punk to funk to country to classic rock, hip hop, soul/jazz and more. Dust off that turntable and come on down. Regular admission starts at 10 AM ($5) with early admission at 9 AM ($15). Don’t miss the BIG VINYL DIG!

Middletown, CT | WESU FM Brings Music Lovers Together at Fall Record Fair: I find it extremely hard to control myself around large amounts of vinyl records. It’s something about the moment of seeing a record I love, knowing it could be mine to take home and listen to on loudspeakers in the clearest quality possible, to stare at and read and play and replay, to scan for little differences from the version I may know from streaming (happens more than you’d think)…it’s impossible to pass up. As you can imagine, I was thrilled to hear that WESU 88.1 FM, the University’s radio station, would be hosting its annual Fall Record Fair in Fayerweather Hall on Saturday, Oct. 5. WESU Community Volunteer Liaison Chaim O’Brien-Blumenthal explained the process of publicizing the event to get the largest possible turnout from both students and the community.

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TVD UK

TVD Live Shots:
The Struts and
Barns Courtney at the Roundhouse, 10/6

If you haven’t seen The Struts live yet, what the hell are you waiting for? After catching them for the sixth time at Camden’s Roundhouse, I can confidently say they’re only getting better. This co-headlining gig with Barns Courtney wasn’t just another show—it was a goddamn revelation.

From the moment The Struts hit the stage, it was clear the road has been more than kind to them. They were loose, they were tight, they were fucking glowing. Opening with the cocksure “Primadonna Like Me,” they steamrolled into “Fallin With Me” (possibly their best track since “Kiss This”) and then “Body Talk.” Three bangers, no breathers—that’s how you start a rock show, kids.

The setlist was a masterclass in pacing: “Too Good at Raising Hell,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “The Ol’ Switcheroo”—hit after hit, with nary a dull moment. By the time they reached “Kiss This” and “Could Have Been Me,” the crowd was putty in their hands. Here’s the kicker: The Struts have outgrown their time slot. They need two-hour sets, minimum. There’s just too much gold in their catalog now.

But let’s talk about the revelation of the night: Barns Courtney. I’d stumbled onto him through his guitarist, Andrew Martin (Palaye Royale, LP), and holy shit, am I glad I did. Courtney’s bringing a fresh energy to the scene, blending bluesy, swampy vibes with high-octane singer-songwriter chops. Think Black Keys with a touch of Faces—it’s rootsy, it’s raw, and it’s utterly captivating.

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The TVD Storefront

TVD Radar: The Charlatans, Up To Our Hips 30th anniversary expanded 2LP edition
in stores 11/8

VIA PRESS RELEASE | On November 8th, Beggars Arkive will release a 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition of The Charlatans third album Up To Our Hips. The edition features the original album in addition to 10 bonus tracks, all lovingly curated by Tim Burgess.

One of the truly special bonus tracks is “Don’t Let It Stand AKA Can’t Get Out of Bed (demo version)” released digitally. This version was recorded by Tim Burgess and Rob Collins when the rest of the band had the weekend off from the studio. They transformed what began as an instrumental into the classic which is known and loved today. Originally called “Don’t Let It Stand”, this was the version they presented to Jon, Mark and Martin whilst telling them it was the best thing they had ever done. They then recorded the song again with the full band for the album version. “Can’t Get Out Of Bed,” ended up being the first single from Up To Our Hips and remains a Charlatans’ classic to this day.

The Charlatans—easily recognized by their hallmark sound of driving Hammond organs, northern UK soul and house-influenced rhythms, swaggering guitars, and Tim Burgess’ sunny yet yearning vocals—are one of the most consistent Britpop bands of the past three decades. They’ve released an album every few years since 1989, each of which landed in the top half of the UK music charts, three of them hitting #1 and spawning 22 top 40 singles. The band have overcome obstacles from nervous breakdowns to addiction to victims of accountancy fraud to the heartbreaking deaths of two founding members, all the while adapting, transforming and producing new music in spite of it all.

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Graded on a Curve: Nazareth,
Hair of the Dog

Remembering Dan McCafferty, born on this date in 1946.Ed.

The Scottish clods o’ peat in this hard-working, hard-rocking man’s man band never won any originality awards, and weren’t exactly well-versed in the songwriting arts either, and given their high scunge factor, I doubt they’d even be allowed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as paying customers, much less as inductees.

They’re not going to be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame anytime soon, either. Hell, they only hit two homers over the course of their long career, and their lifetime batting average is in the .233 range. Forget about Cooperstown; these guys would be lucky to earn a spot on the bench of the 1962 New York Mets.

But I’ll say this for ‘em–way back in 1975 every badass or wannabe badass in my home town was blaring Nazareth’s Hair of the Dog out of their car 8-track speakers, whether that car be a GTO or a rusted-out Ford Pinto. The title track–with its “Now you’re messin’ with a son of a bitch”–was a blast of pure unbridled belligerence and without a doubt the orneriest cut of the summer, hell the whole year probably. Alice Cooper may have put out “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” but that was play acting; Nazareth’s Dan McCafferty came on like the Real McCoy.

As for the album title, me and my buddies prided ourselves on knowing what it meant even though we’d never cracked a beer (much less suffered a hangover) in our lives–it made us feel adult, worldly even, just as that “Now you’re messin’ with a son of a bitch” made us feel tough, when in effect we were probably the wimpiest band of geeks to ever gingerly trod the halls of Littlestown High School, on the lookout for the real sons of bitches.

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The TVD Storefront

TVD Radar: The Podcast with Evan Toth, Episode 162: Israel Nebeker of Blind Pilot

Sometimes, the only way to find yourself is by getting a little bit lost. Israel Nebeker—lead singer of the band Blind Pilot—experienced this first hand. The band came strongly upon the music scene in 2008, gaining particular media attention for their “bike tour” which brought them from Bellingham, Washington all the way to San Diego, California with nothing but their instruments and bicycles in tow.

Noteworthy activities like these—and two well-received albums—placed them in front of viewers of Last Call With Carson Daly, before audience members at Lollapalooza, and even all the way to Late Night with David Letterman where Dave mistakenly referred to the group as “Blind Spot.” It was a good time to be in an indie-folk band from Portland. However, after the release of their last album in 2016: radio silence. The band went on hiatus as they reconfigured their relationships, struggled with writing, and, of course, made it through that pesky pandemic where no one did much of anything.

However, after a trip to Scandinavia, Nebeker tapped into a well of creativity and inspiration leading him to write enough material for his first solo album and a brand new Blind Pilot record which has just been recently released, In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain. As they say, when it rains, it pours. So, join Israel and me as we dig into the long spiritual and creative journey he’s been on and how Blind Pilot regained their vision.

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

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The TVD Storefront

Graded on a Curve:
The Sonics,
Here Are the Sonics

It says something about the Generation Gap or lack thereof in Our Year of the Lord 1960 that when the larval version of The Sonics, who would go down in history as the founders of punk rock, came up short at practice, guitarist Larry Parypa’s mom would fill in on bass. We’ll never know if she helped influence their primal, pounding sound. I like to think she did.

Some five years and mucho line-up changes later The Sonics, a Tacoma, Washington quintet who look like nice wholesome boys on their album covers and most likely were just that, were in a recording studio in Seattle tearing the soundproofing off the walls and complaining to the sound engineers when the needle WASN’T in the red. Years later, The Stooges would go red too.

But here’s the thing. I can easily imagine—although I could be dead wrong—these guys retreating to the nearest pharmacy lunch counter after sessions to drink malted milks. With straws. The Sonics may be credited by many as punk’s originators, but they weren’t punks. They were just kids making an unholy din in a musical backwater, playing mostly well-known covers in place’s like Olympia’s Skateland and St. Mary’s Parish Hall, and their story is no different from the stories of so many other bands doing the same thing in rock ’n’ roll nowheres across the United States.

The Sonics had one regional hit and dreams of making the big time, but when they finally drove South in (I’m fantasizing here) a battered Beach Boys woodie station wagon with Bob Bennett’s drum kit roped to the roof to Hollywood the town ruined them, or rather they ruined themselves, because they had nothing to sell that anybody wanted (cover of “Money,” anybody?) and no choice really but to slicken up their sound and record the more restrained material that appeared on 1967’s Introducing the Sonics, which they hoped would get them radio play but didn’t. Later they’d dismiss it as “the worst garbage.”

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A morning mix of news for the vinyl inclined

In rotation: 10/14/24

5 Unexpected Insights About Vinyl Record Buyers: The return of vinyl records is arguably one of the biggest comeback stories of the 21st-century music world. Just one example is artist Travis Scott, whose vinyl record sales recently pushed his album into first place on the Billboard charts. CivicScience data show that 20% of U.S. adults purchased vinyl records this year alone, up from 14% in 2020 and just 11% in 2015, with Gen Z leading the consumption craze. Nearly 40% of Gen Z adults aged 18-24 report they’ve made a vinyl purchase this year. The format almost went completely extinct with the rise of digital music distribution. Yet now, vinyl records are in the spotlight once more, as music buffs crave the nostalgia, and perhaps the aesthetic, embedded in each fragile disk. As a result, it may come as no surprise that vinyl record buyers display unique consumer habits. Keep reading to see what sets these music fans apart from the rest.

Evanston, IL | New old record store opens downtown: “I’m a Believer.” The sounds of that mid-1960s hit from The Monkees fill the store. But the music is not coming through Spotify, or Apple Music, or any of them newfangled purveyors of pop. Rather, it’s playing the way it was intended … back when Mickey Dolenz and colleagues laid down the tracks in 1966 … on a 33 1/3 rpm record, spinning on a phonograph. “The Monkees Greatest Hits” is one of about 40,000 records (yes, 40,000) that Evanstonian Greg Allen has collected over the years, records which Allen plans to make available at his new shop, Animal Records, which just opened at 624 Grove St. “I always wanted to open a record store,” Allen says, “but like everyone else, I had to earn a living.” But now that his kids are off to college, Allen says “my wife gave me the green light. I gave notice to my employer. I said, ‘hey guys, I’ve got to take this chance.’” Allen, and his sole employee, Aden Levine, are busy filling shelves and racks with all sorts of albums, from all musical genres.

Cottonwood, AZ | The Queen B Vinyl Café (fka Puscifer The Store) to Open in New Location: Previously operating under the name Puscifer The Store, cafe/record shop, The Queen B Vinyl Café, is set to open its (new) doors in Old Town Cottonwood at 102 E. Pima St. on Oct. 23. To celebrate, they present a week of events including comedy from Rory Scovel, a Q&A and book signing by Chet Zar, musical performances from Thou, Galactic Empire, and Night Club, and a special Gospel Brunch with The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers. …“Relocating and renaming Puscifer The Store to Queen B Vinyl Café is about more than just a change of location—it is about seizing new possibilities,” Jennifer Keenan, co-owner of the Queen B Vinyl Cafe. “With our new location, we’re able to bring more live events to the community, while expanding our food offerings with the addition of both a coffee roaster and ramen.”

El Cerrito, CA | Historic Bay Area record store has to pony up millions to stay in business: SFGATE contributor Jessica Lipsky reports on Down Home Music’s efforts to stay in its El Cerrito location. Situated along a mixed-use stretch of restaurants, groceries, housing and bars in El Cerrito, the building at 10341 San Pablo Ave. is something of a museum. Or museums, to be more precise. The two-room storefront houses the legendary Down Home Music, a 48-year-old record store dedicated to the sale and preservation of global roots music in its many forms. Upstairs is Les Blank Films, while an annexed home attached to the building is the site of the Arhoolie Foundation and its archive. The unassuming beige facade may not catch the eye of a driver speeding down San Pablo, but the building is an essential archive of art and cultural history. As of Oct. 11, it’s also up for sale.

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TVD Los Angeles

TVD’s The Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I was a city child with a dead-end smile / And a worm’s-eye point of view / Oh I knew my way, I was a back-street stray / And I had my eyes on you

Now I got this friend and he’s a screwdriver-jiver / You know, some kinda automobeat on the street / And he has converted me to rock ‘n’ roll

I just want to dance to / Honaloochie boogie yeah / Get in time, don’t worry ’bout the shirt shine / Honaloochie boogie yeah / You sure started somethin’

Now my hair gets longer as the beat gets stronger / want to tell Chuck Berry my news / I get my kicks outta guitar licks / And I’ve sold my steel-toed shoes

“My hair gets longer as the beat gets stronger.” I would have thought it was obvious that I used to tag band names and lyrics on the desks at Trinity School in NYC. It’s truly incredible that was a half century ago.

I’m almost in shock looking at my last sentence. I’m back in LA sitting at my desk in my cozy canyon garage office. Monday and Tuesday found me walking the streets of the Big Apple. The weather and combo of old and new friends was perfect. I took it all in like a rocker.

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The TVD Storefront

TVD Radar: Björk, Cornucopia: The Book
in stores 11/15

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Björk has announced Cornucopia: The Book, a 480-page, high-quality picture book that chronicles her celebrated Cornucopia Tour—an ambitious live experience featuring imagery and projections by director Tobias Gremmler, performed with The Hamrahlíð Choir, alongside other musical and visual artists.

The book is 22x30x4cm approx. and features 313 colour images. Softcover with flaps, sewn sections, printed in HUV-offset and fluorescent colours on hi-gloss paper with gloss varnish. It includes a 16-page booklet. Björk says; “I’m proud to announce the release of Cornucopia: The Book. This book documents my five-year tour, Cornucopia, designed by M/M Paris, with images shot by photographer Santiago Felipe.

Before this tour, I spent a decade working with 360-degree sound and visual software in virtual reality and animation, creating Biophilia, the first app album, and later Vulnicura as a VR album. I was deeply inspired by the idea of a fully-immersive experience, spending a spring in an Icelandic lighthouse, spreading Utopia into fully surround speakers. My intention was to bring what we had created for 21st-century VR into a 19th-century theatre—taking it from the headset to the stage.

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The TVD Storefront

Graded on a Curve:
Daryl Hall,
Sacred Songs

Celebrating Daryl Hall on his 78th birthday.Ed.

While by no means an unknown work, it also seems fair to say that Daryl Hall’s first solo LP Sacred Songs gets nowhere near enough retrospective attention. This is mainly due to the inclusion of what many might consider to be an odd associate (at best) or an irreconcilable collaborator (at worst) in art-rock maestro Robert Fripp. Blue-eyed soul meets Frippertronics? Yes, indeed.

If the team-up of Daryl Hall and Robert Fripp remains an unlikely pairing from seemingly disparate areas of the ‘70s rock landscape, after some consideration their creative union shouldn’t really be designated as a case of strange bedfellows. The key to understanding how these two ended up in the same studio lies in getting beyond the surface perception of Fripp as a prog-rock outlier and Hall & Oates as simply a hit machine.

But folks who know Fripp’s contributions to Blondie’s Parallel Lines and especially Bowie’s “Heroes” have surely already comprehended that there’s more to the guy’s output than just King Crimson and (No Pussyfooting). And any fan of Hall & Oates that’s travelled back in their discography to their Atlantic Records period has been greeted with the unusual doozy that is Abandoned Luncheonette.

That 1973 album, their second after the pleasant but far from earth shattering debut Whole Oats, can be aptly described as a particularly ripe example of the commercial ambition of its decade. Not only does it include what’s maybe their best single, the sleeper 1976 hit “She’s Gone,” but the record’s second side heads into all kinds of unexpected areas, including the well-integrated use of electric violin on “Lady Rain” and even some fiddle and banjo on the seven minute album closer “Everytime I Look At You.”

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  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


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