Monthly Archives: February 2011

TVD NOLA’s Weekend Shots – Carnival Edition!

By Jay Mazza | Published: February 25, 2011

Where do we begin as Carnival gets into full swing with a full weekend of parades and other activities? Perhaps the best place is in the historic district of the French Quarter.

Friday afternoon at 3 PM when the Krewe of Cork kicks off their annual parade. This wine-focused marching club hires some of the best brass band musicians and like most Carnival activities it’s free.

The group is led by drummer Frank Oxley and usually includes such stalwarts as Leroy Jones on trumpet, Lucien Barbarin on trombone and Dr. Michael White on clarinet. The parade winds around the French Quarter and features krewe members in wine-related costumes. Feel free to tag along even if you’re not a member- that’s what I do!

Friday night, the legendary guitarist Leo Nocentelli of the Meters returns to his hometown for a performance with his new band, which is called the Get Together. The group features two locals- CR Gruver on keys and Jamal Batiste on drums. Fellow member of the iconic funk band, Art Neville, is expected to sit in. Meters trivia lovers know that the name of Nocentelli’s group comes from a song in the original group’s repertoire.

Saturday night head over the Chickie Wah Wah on Canal Street for a performance by Shannon McNally and Hot Sauce. She is a singer and guitarist whose latest album was recorded right here in New Orleans at Piety Street Studios.

Check out this intimate performance by Shannon:

Posted in TVD New Orleans | Leave a comment

TVD’s On the Record
with Masterdisk’s
Scott Hull

By Special to TVD | Published: February 25, 2011

Mastering—transferring a recording to its final physical format—is literally the last artistic piece of a long process and one TVD is delving into over the coming months from a variety of angles with Scott Hull, mastering engineer and the owner of world-class and world-famous Masterdisk studios in New York City

Scott will be presenting a master class in mastering, from the fundamentals to the final product, as we count down to Record Store Day 2011 when a select few of you will be given the opportunity to win a personal tour of the record mastering process at Masterdisk.

Onward to Week #6 . . . ever feel that your turntable could be performing better?

If you’ve been following along this blog since week one, you now have a pretty good picture of how music gets recorded onto vinyl.

This seems like a good time to talk about record players and especially phono cartridges. I won’t even try to tell you what turntable is right for you; there are many factors to consider. But I can say for sure that you really do get what you pay for.

Not all records are “challenging” for the stylus. The least expensive cartridges will play back non-challenging grooves just fine. A $30 cart on a $150 table will probably have problems with higher levels and with high frequencies, whereas more expensive cartridges almost always provide much truer playback. But (there’s always a “but”) cartridges and turntables built for DJ use – even though expensive – are not the best at reproducing crystal clear music. It’s because the DJ cart has to be sturdy. It doesn’t give as easily and is weighted more; as a result it can distort on high frequency material. My favorite cart is one that balances all these issues. And since I don’t have an endorsement deal, you’ll have to ask your hi-fi shop what equipment suits your style and wallet best.

It’s interesting to note that the distortion we hear on sibilant vocal “esses” and cymbals is almost always NOT in the cut or the groove of the record. The distortion heard when playing back is a function of the quality of the cartridge, the condition of the record, and how squiggly the groove is. It’s the mastering engineer’s job to find the right compromise between level, brightness and playability. And it is always a compromise.

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

What’s Happening in Toronto? Feb 24 – 26

By Sebastian | Published: February 24, 2011

THURSDAY, FEB 24

Burner Thursdays w/ Lights Over LA & Barletta @ Andy Poolhall

Archi:textures&Dubslingers w/ Gremlins, Sidenote, Sylvermayne, Alex Brooks @ Augusta House

FRIDAY, FEB 25

Lick A Shot w/ Andrew Roti, Geoff Snack & 84.85 (DJ set) @ Red Light (all late 90s/early 00s hiphop, I highly suggest this party)

Make It Funky Presents: Big League Chew, Terror Tone, Mickey D and more @ Nocturne

ITZSOWEEZEE w/ Tom Wrecks and DJ DeMiggs @ The Drake

SATURDAY, FEB 26

The Pyramid Club Presents: Alexander Robotnik, The Makeover and Nitin @ Wrongbar

Jimpster w/ Dirty Dale and Irgo @ Footwork (event link)

Posted in TVD Canada | Leave a comment

TVD Concert Preview:
White Rabbits at
Rock and Roll Hotel,
Sun 2/27

By Olivia | Published: February 24, 2011

Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was a pretty decent runner. I was never especially fast, but whereas most people run a few miles a few times a week, I would regularly run 10+ miles, always at sunset, returning home right after the street lamps would come on.

I ran in a few races: a couple of 5, 10, and 12Ks, and finally, a half marathon, and I did alright. Any runner or other athlete knows that the music that you play while in the zone can directly affect your performance, and I was lucky enough to always compete in races that allowed portable music players.

The first song that was at the top of every playlist of every race that I ran was White Rabbits’ “Percussion Gun.”

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 2 Comments

Grand Mal Makes A Cool Video

By Pavla | Published: February 24, 2011

I just came across this gem from Brooklyn’s veteran indie-rocker Bill Whitten’s band, Grand Mal.

Directed, shot, edited, AND animated on super-8 film by the experimental underground filmaker Kenny Curwood, the video follows Whitten in his attempts to win over love by foot, bike, and even record player. Hey, we’ve all been there, right? Remind me to try the thing with the record player next time, though.

The video’s track, “Guitars Strum in Dejection” can be found on Grand Mal’s most recent release, Clandestine Songs, out now on Groover Recordings. You can pick it up here and here.

Posted in TVD New York City | Leave a comment

OC Music Awards Acoustic Showcase Finals TONIGHT

By Ash Eliot | Published: February 24, 2011

This is where I will be tonight…rooting on five Orange County acoustic artists competing for the title of Best Acoustic at the 2011 OC Music Awards as well as a four-day recording session at Red Bull Studios, $1,000 Best Buy gift card, an Ernie Ball endorsement and a chance to perform at the big event on March 5th at The Grove of Anaheim.

Tonight’s show is taking place at the Fullerton Museum at 7:30 p.m. It’s all ages. And you get free popchips, first 50 people get tacos from Wahoo’s, and Bud Light is sponsoring the event as well. No cover.

LINEUP:
Danny Maika – (7:30)
Canvas (8:15)
Parker Macy Blues (9:00)
Micah Brown (9:45)
Stacy Clark (10:30)
DJ Velvet Touch

The 2011 OC Music Awards Best Live Band Finals Showcase takes place at The Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana tomorrow night.

Posted in TVD Los Angeles | Leave a comment

Hey DJ … Keep Playing That Song

By Bobby Leath | Published: February 24, 2011

From TVD staff writer and local DJ Charles Jordan:

I have considered myself a DJ for about 8 years now. I’ve DJ’d house parties, NYC lounges, weddings, and as of late had the occasional set at Mellow Mushroom on campus. This morning I received an e-mail from the booking guy at Mellow Mushroom and was told that “Corporate” only wants singer-songwriters and musicians. Damn the man!

Austin is the live music capital of the world and countless bands can be seen playing anywhere and everywhere. Lost in the mix is the DJ, who at times can only been seen or heard if he is playing Top 40, has a following, or is being told that this isn’t the scene for that.

As a DJ you have to support each other, so here are a few of my favorites in Austin:

Posted in TVD Austin | 2 Comments

PEARL JAM – Superb New Reissues On The Way

By Laurence | Published: February 24, 2011

In keeping with the deluxe edition of the band’s debut album ‘Ten’ a couple of years ago, Epic/Legacy commemorate the band’s 2oth Anniversary by issuing expanded versions of the band’s second and third albums, Vs. and Vitalogy, respectively. March 28th sees each album given the remastering treatment, and the track listings break down as follows:

Definitive Legacy Editions of each album, each including the full original albums, with additional relevant era bonus tracks, will be made available on CD and digital:

The Definitive Legacy Edition of Vs. has three bonus tracks – a previously unreleased acoustic version of ‘Hold On’; an otherwise unavailable studio outtake, ‘Cready Stomp’, and Pearl Jam’s unique version of Victoria Williams’ ‘Crazy Mary’.

The Definitive Legacy Edition of Vitalogy also tacks on three bonus cuts: a guitar/organ only mix of ‘Betterman’; a previously unreleased alternate take of ‘Corduroy’ from the album sessions, and a demo of ‘Nothingman’, recorded in Seattle on October14th 1993, featuring Richard Stuverud on drums.

Posted in TVD UK | Leave a comment

RSD Newswire: Vanguard Records’
Lost Psychedelic Era,
Lost No Longer

By Jon Meyers | Published: February 24, 2011

Our in-box is filling up with a cache of special Record Store Day vinyl releases, but this one stuck out today from our friends at Vanguard Records. Some official details:

“Deep within the Vanguard Records vaults lies a curious story framed by some of the craziest and most mysterious green and purple paisley’d rock music to come out of the mid-to-late-sixties. On April 16th, Vanguard will unveil these releases for the first time in celebration of Record Story Day!

Follow Me Down: Vanguard’s Lost Psychedelic Era (1966-1970), co-produced by Vanguard staffer Stephen Brower and Birdman Records founder David Katznelson, is a double gatefold, 18 track vinyl compilation that encompasses hand-selected tracks from Vanguard’s best “lost” records and 45’s. Many of the bands featured here only released one record, or a smattering of singles, before drifting into obscurity, though many of the artists went on to greater fame after their stint at Vanguard was done. And while they are stylistically varied, there lies a common thread of musical proficiency and integrity that represents the trademark of quality Vanguard strived (and still strives) to uphold…no matter how bombastic, fuzz-soaked or outer-worldly the music may have seemed.

Some of the artists on Follow Me Down include: The 31st of February (A Nickel’s Worth of Benny’s Help) – Originally forming in 1965 under the moniker The Bitter Ind – short for Independents, this Florida band recorded one album for Vanguard Records. The band disbanded shortly thereafter, and drummer Butch Trucks was invited to join the Allman Brothers as a permanent member. Circus Maximus (Travelin’ Around) – The band recorded two albums for Vanguard, a self-titled 1967 outing and 1968’s follow-up Neverland Revisited. Each album is driven by the dual songwriting contributions of the band’s leaders and co-founders, Bob Bruno and Jerry Jeff Walker, with the band gaining most of its still-modest notoriety from Bruno’s 8-minute epic “Wind,” which became a minor hit on FM radio at the time.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

Going Rogue In The Name Of Rock With Titus Andronicus

By Angie Sugrim | Published: February 24, 2011

Named after Shakespeare’s most gory and least popular play, Titus Andronicus is a fine four piece Rock & Roll act that hails from Glen Rock, NJ. They’ve been hard at work amassing a following the old fashioned way–touring, putting out records, and the band even has an appearance on Jimmy Fallon under their proverbial belt. And last Sunday, Titus and I got together for a quick-and-dirty afternoon. It didn’t start out that way. I thought they just wanted to hold hands and maybe talk. But before I knew it, we had thrown the language of rules and regulations asunder with polite abandon. Then we got intimate, as the grown-ups call it. Very intimate. With about 60 of their friends. In public, for everyone to see. Can you imagine?

I am a bit ashamed to say that I had not heard of this band before I was put in touch with director Tom Sharpling. (You guys might know Tom as the director of the latest New Pornographer’s video for the single “Moves.”) Tom and his crew were looking for an AP location to feature in Titus’s forthcoming video for “No Future Part III: Escape From No Future.” Being as how the fates have bestowed unto me a moderate amount of power in Asbury, we chose a location, the Casino Building, which is basically a big open breezeway at the South end of the AP Boardwalk. Cool. Tom came by to scout it out with some of his super nice crew. While we were there, we also took a look at the adjacent Carousel House, which is a big, closed off private space my company owns, too. We discussed getting in there after the main shoot to get some footage of the band while the sun was setting. Rad. Being that I’m in a band myself, I am always trying to lend a hand to fellow artists, and that location is pretty sick.

Posted in TVD Asbury Park | 9 Comments

Black Books Release Ltd. Ed. Green Vinyl 10″

By Olivia | Published: February 24, 2011

The Black Books in their home studio

What started as an informal jam session between friends in Manor, Texas, has blossomed into a fully formed indie-pop outfit which celebrated the release of its four-song EP, An Introduction To, last Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Beerland. Signed worldwide to Shifting Sounds records, the fivepiece Black Books create lush soundscapes most easily (and lazily) compared to My Morning Jacket and Grandaddy.

The group features guitarist Kevin Butler who is a sound engineer at Test Tube Audio (where the EP was recorded), the dual keyboard attack of Meg and Clarke Curtis, Mike Parker on bass, and Rossco pulling double duty on drums and reverbed-out vocals a la Don Henley and Levon Helm. The EP is available on CD, iTunes, and the beautiful limited-edition-of-300 10″ green vinyl record.

Get the vinyl while it lasts at Waterloo Records, End of an Ear, BackSpin Records, and other fine retailers. I’m expecting big things for this outfit and you should expect to hear more about them right here on TVD Austin in the near future. Like they say on opener “The Big Idea,” “If you’re not sunburned, you’re not having fun.”

Head on over here for a listen.

Posted in TVD Austin | 2 Comments

TVD Austin:
Waterloo Records SXSW
Parking Lot Shows

By Jon Meyers | Published: February 24, 2011

Aside from that ever expanding list of cities in the TVD Network over there to the right, from time to time we’re going to share the best or most informative posts from the network as a reminder that this big tent continues to expand.

Knowing too that many of you will be heading to Austin for SXSW, the boys at TVD Austin got the low down earlier this week on the free Waterloo Records Parking Lot Shows with a lineup that’s blowing up our vinyl-centric craniums.

(We’ve got our own FREE TVD showcase at SXSW too. Killer line-up to be announced very, very soon…) —Ed.

Waterloo Records just released their schedule for SXSW, and man, it’s a doozy! If you’ve never been to one of their parking lot in-stores, I highly recommend it. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Schedule after the jump. More acts to be announced soon.

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

TVD NYC: Ozzy Osbourne Speaks To Record Store Day Fans Everywhere

By Bobby Leath | Published: February 24, 2011

Although TVD Austin is gearing up for non-stop coverage of SXSW, we also want to keep you informed on the latest of what’s going on with Record Store Day 2011. Luckily, our compadre over at TVD NYC posted this awesome bit of news yesterday. It makes our job a bit easier!

Read Pavla’s post after the jump:

Read More »

Posted in TVD Austin | Leave a comment

Keller Williams at the House of Blues

By Jay Mazza | Published: February 24, 2011

He’s been called the closest thing to the one-man band of days of old. The singer/songwriter was one of the first artists in recent history to use loops to enhance his sound. His music dips into a variety of genres including bluegrass, folk, funk and electronica.

By creating multiple parts during each song Williams has become a darling of the jam band scene. This is a pretty amazing accomplishment since most of the artists that fall into that genre are not solo performers.

For music lovers who are not familiar with Williams’ technique, it is similar to how Theresa Andersson performs her solo act. By using an echoplex, Williams can play a riff or lead guitar line and then record it and play over it as it plays back. This creates a huge sound that is very compelling.

Here’s a video of him doing his now classic song, “Freaker By the Speaker.”

Posted in TVD New Orleans | 1 Comment

31 Bits Spring Line Launch Party Featuring Marc B., Anna Nelson and Jayme Dee

By Ash Eliot | Published: February 23, 2011

If you do one new thing this week, it better be to check out 31 Bits. For those of you unfamiliar, this is what the group is all about:

31 Bits is a community based organization, based out of Gulu, Uganda. They work with displaced women who use their talents to create beautiful jewelry made from recycled paper. 31 Bits is centered around using the creative art and entrepreneurship already present in the women, which empowers them and enables them to have a sustainable income.

This Thursday, 31 Bits launches their spring line of necklaces, bracelets and headbands. Expect musical performances by singer-songwriters Marc B., Anna Nelson and Jayme Dee, plus DJ Flo with be spinning all night. The event is located at The OC Mart Mix on 3313 Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa.