The folks behind Record Store Day have spoken, and declared Ozzy Osbourne as the official ambassador for Record Store Day 2011.
And that’s not all. For the Big Day, Ozzy plans to release a special 7” single (on vinyl) as well as full-length 180 gram vinyl versions of his classic albums, Diary Of A Madman and Blizzard Of Ozz, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.
Unheard studio work as well as historic live material will be added to Legacy Editions of these releases and a Deluxe box set – which will also feature a one-hour documentary, demos, a coffee table book, memorabilia reproductions and a replica cross – straight from Ozzy’s neck!
There is a great video of Ozzy summoning the masses to independent record stores across the nation on April 16th here.
BOBBYis bringing its quirky folk rock to the Sixth & I Historic Synagoguetomorrow night in support of The Low Anthem, and I’m intrigued.
Befitting its dreamy, fanciful tunes, BOBBY’s name’s origins have a similar mystique. Bobby, a “lethargic, sad dancer” and the namesake of the band, met Tom Greenberg (Twiglet), Molly Sarle (Mountain Man), and the rest of the band members after attending Vermont’s Bennington College. Hoping to escape the rotary club show rotation, Greenberg set up a Big Show, but at the performance, Bobby got sick all over Martin “Chunk” Zimmermann and fled the stage.
BOBBY the band soldiered on without Bobby the man, and the Big Show impressed Partisan Records, who signed BOBBY after hearing recordings from the show. The elusive Bobby was not heard from again, but the band decided to name itself in his memory.
Hear BOBBY the band’s capricious melodies tomorrow at Sixth and I. I’d like to imagine that Bobby the man will be lurking about.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Paul Corby of Corby’s Orbit – an open format radio show on CKLN 88.1 FM out of Toronto every Friday from 11 a.m. til 2 – when he interviewed good friend & tenfour publicity client Nick Teehan earlier this month before his show with The Jessica Stuart Few.
After hearing about Paul’s profile in Toronto’s music community and seeing first-hand his passion for and knowledge of good music of all kinds new and old, we thought he’d make perfect guest writer for TVD Toronto’s Black History Top Ten series.. and I was right.. Thanks Paul!
BlackHistory Month Top Ten
The virus of “best-ism” that is raging through blogs and journalism, especially since the recent turn of the decade can really only ever end in a trail of disagreeing and often disagreeable comments of “what-about’s” and “how-could-you-forgets.”
My reason for bringing my Black History Top Ten into the agonizing focus of public scrutiny is more for educational purposes. Black history on record speaks of a knowledge that is, at flashpoint moments, culturally advanced in a global sense. It bears study for its warnings, its influential powers of unification, and its unqualified equation of love with spiritual power. These ten records are all pivotal in the evolution of black people’s music, mostly for the good of the whole world, though some represent the end or the tipping point of the artist’s relevance, a pinnacle that could only lead to a slide. Yes, they are also often provocative, bewildering or severe. These are some of the ones that drastically altered my D.N.A.
Let’s count up and down. The list reads equally well backwards and forwards.
10) Abbey Lincoln’s Devil Got Your Tongue, Gitanes, 1992. With a voice almost frivolous in its freedom, the woman who was left out of the paternalistic mid-century American critics’ circle for her afro-radical and insistent relevance delivers a record of simple universal beauty. Sing-song choruses and profoundly healing lyrics on subjects of ancestry, race, the nature of music and spirit. “Dance before the mirror, reflecting holy fire.” Buy it when you see it and pay whatever they ask. Also: We Insist: Freedom. Now!
9) Burning Spear’s Marcus Garvey/Garvey’s Ghost, 1975/1976, Island. Echoing from hereditary depths of slavery and obscurity this cry of redemption rang from every shop and shebeen in Jamaica in the summer of ‘75 as Bob Marley began his conquest of the rest of the world. Horns that shout elephant, desiccated harmonies and Aston Barrett’s bass excavating low C’s while Winston Rodney calmly recalls the indignities and horrors of centuries: “We MUST pull it… With shackles around our necks.” Chilling. The “Ghost” dub version followed in 1976 with mesmerizing magnifications of the original’s murmurs. Also: Social Living.
Although TVD Austin contributor Mike Harrell (aka “Hammerhead“) is as pumped about SXSW as the rest of us are, he first wanted to let everyone know about this non-SXSW showcase going on during the same week. I think I now understand how he got that nickname.
Lawsuits, big-money licensing, and declining sales: these were what lead to the inevitable end of the Guitar Hero game series. Earlier this month, Activision, the game’s publisher, released a statement that it would cease producing Guitar Hero and its spinoff game series DJ Hero due to poor sales. How this extraordinary role playing game rose to a marketing phenomenon is a story of interest. Heck, since November 2005, its fans waited annually for a new release in the same way bibliophiles yearned for the next Harry Potter book.
Within the record sales industry there was a wholesome revival of rock album purchases. Nickelodeon-generation kids were thrashing and burning to “Killer Queen” and snapping strings on “Billion Dollar Baby.” With the cool selection of songs as well as that Rickenbacker-shaped joystick, Guitar Hero had quite an influence bridging the gap between these kids and the rocker generation that preceded them.
By 2008, Hero’s competitor Rock Band had picked up some steam, and its legal team was negotiating like mad to license songs from record companies. Apparently, the average payout to use a master recording was $25,000, and it was $10,000 to secure the rights of a cover. With all the dozens of Guitar Hero games requiring this exchange of money, it didn’t take a business analyst to say this could be seen as wasteful spending or largess.
I just received the what’s-up from my buddy Miguel Hinojosa (who is the director of marketing and special events for Friends of Sound/Backspin Records)about an awesome soul dance party being held this Sat., Feb. 26 at the Art Authority called The New Day.
The special guest for the evening is none other than famed NYC producer/DJ/record collector David Griffiths of Daptone Records. Here are the full deets from Miguel:
Twenty-two-year-old U.K. singing sensation Adele is about to have a huge year. As lead single “Rolling in the Deep” climbs the charts worldwide, the already two-time Grammy winner’s second album, 21, was released yesterday on XL Recordings/Columbia and is a safe bet to land at the #1 spot after its first week of release.
Since you will need to familiarize yourself with her new material before her sold-out June 12th date at Stubb’s, head on down to Waterloo Records today at 5pm for the Adele listening party and have some free pizza courtesy of Austin’s Pizza. Be sure to pick up a copy of the new album (LP comes with a download card) while you are there. It’s TVD Austin approved!
A few years back a lament began being heard around certain precincts in NewOrleans–why aren’t there any new MardiGras songs? It seemed all of the songs associated with our unique celebration where written decades ago. The roots of this complaint were found to be among aficionados of Carnival music in other places- particularly Trinidad and Brazil.
Overseas Carnival has many similar cultural traditions to those in New Orleans save one big exception. In those places, new music is part of the celebration. The Carnival in Riode Janeiro features a massive samba parade in which clubs compete in several criteria including best new song. In Trinidad, they have the annual road march, which includes a song competition as well.
Lately new Carnival songs have been released in New Orleans and this season, J. the Savage offers one of the best. It is called, “Skippin’ at the Mardi Gras” and is available here for free.
Capitol Hill’s the Highline, home to Tuesday night tantrum Cakearoke, is also on occasion home to the fuzziest show in town. Pretentious pet enthusiasts need not leave their sequined seats as the Highline typically hosts bands of a distorted rock nature (e.g. Thunder Buffalo, playing the Highline on March 9th for Seattle Weekly’s Happy Hour for Hope).
This Thurs, Feb 24th, Siegfried Vs. The Giant paint the stage with post-prog primer, grooming the Highline for a dangerously dancey bill of technicolor time signatures and undoubtedly minor keys. In other words, those still hanging out ‘at the drive in’ arguing the distance from Sparta to Mars will certainly want to cab it out on Thursday, and apart from the ambient vocals (circa Anthony Green) of front man James Weber, Siegfried Vs. The Giant begin to fill an empty grave left by the ‘pretty girls’ of Seattle.
Sharing the stage will also be Smooth Sailing, Noise-A-Tron, and Aurellian. Show starts at 8pm and is 21 and over with $5 admission.
Pap Shirock (Vocals, Keyboards) | Why is it that no matter what new modes of listening to music people come up with, there will always be something special about hearing the artists you love on vinyl? For me, it goes back to moments, and the feel of certain memories as a kid, and the way I heard recorded music for the very first time. I’ll never forget lying on pillows on the floor with my sister, listening to Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’ (narrated by the wonderful Mia Farrow), wondering if the duck would somehow escape this time!
And later, as a teen, inheriting my mom’s vinyl collection, and looking at the Beatles’ ‘White’ album, Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’, and countless other albums that were huge markers in music history, and picturing her at the record store the moment they arrived. Lately, I pick up my own old favorites to add to the collection at the usual- yard sales, thrift stores, and flea markets, and for new vinyl, Grimeys, in Nashville…the story continues!
Chuck Shirock (Lead Vocals, Guitars, Piano) | The two things I love most about vinyl records are the sound and the design. I love the concept of putting on a record and listening through it the way the artist intended. Growing up overseas I didn’t have a lot of access to vinyl. One of my earliest vinyl memories is going to a garage sale with Pap in Columbus, OH, and seeing this bin of old records. There were Beatles albums, a Michael Jackson album, Bruce Springsteen…It was amazing to open them up and see the artwork how the artists had intended, in the medium they had actually released it in.
Until then, I had only seen variations of the artwork for CD packaging. The design and creativity that artists put into their packaging is always interesting to me. Especially when someone comes up with a way to create something unique, even while using an industry standard. The Beatles’ ‘White Album’ was that for me. The packaging was brilliant. Simple embossed letters crooked on the front cover was genius! Little things like that inspire me in our packaging design. We’re looking forward to releasing some limited pressings of Vinyl soon. Like Pap said, Grimeys is the best place for vinyl here in Nashville.
SHIROCK’s 20-track release ‘Everything Burns (Deluxe)’ hit store shelves . . . yesterday, 2/22!
Few budding artists are really willing to expose themselves to their fans. They wait patiently as they shine in the limelight and then discuss their rise to success. But JRDN (that’s Jordan for those unfamiliar) prefers to take a different route. With one smash single, ‘U Can Have It All‘ already under his belt, he decided to let his fanbase get a sneak peek into what really goes into becoming such a star. He’s released IAMJRDN, a short documentary shot beautifully by Melanie “eMCee” Chung. With short glimpses of our lovely city, a bit of studio work and describing what really made him want to get into this music thing, we get more of an appreciation for the hard work that an artist puts into his craft.
Keep your eyes on this guy. And bonus points if you can point out TVD’s Theresa in this vid somewhere (she’s in there a couple times!).
TVD Austin staff writer Charles Jordan kicks off the start of our picks for SXSW:
After meeting on the Okayplayer.com message boards in 2002, North Carolina rapper/singer/songwriter Phonte Coleman of Little Brother fame and Dutch producer Nicolay began recording and sharing music via AOL Instant Messenger. They eventually formed The Foreign Exchange even though they had never met one another and lived in two different countries. In 2004, they released Connected, an album that is still in heavy rotation on my turntable to this day. This album showcased Nicolay’s smooth, soulful beats that could easily draw reference to J Dilla and Pete Rock and Phonte’s more than adequate singing voice, free spirit, and thoughtful and clever punch lines that channel the Native Tongue movement.
Three albums, a Grammy nomination for the single “Day Keeper” off of 2008’s Leave It All Behind, and various solo and side projects later, The Foreign Exchange are still honing their craft and will be showcasing their talents at SXSW this year. These days, Phonte has been singing more than rapping, which proves true on the 2010 release Authenticity. But never lost in the mix is the artful blend and sound of hip-hop, soul, and electronica that leaves you wanting more.
If you like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Little Brother, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Roots and J Dilla, I urge you to check them out. I might be jumping to conclusions but I think that this show will make my Top 5 after SXSW. Hopefully it will be one of yours ….
The Foreign Exchange is scheduled to play SXSW Thursday, March 17. Location TBD.
*Editor’s note (3/1/11):The Foreign Exchange are no longer listed on the SXSW schedule. Bummer.
Jonathan Richman will be hitting the stage at 9:30 Club this Saturday, and TVD is giving you a chance to win a pair of tickets to see the man whose influence has been stamped on modern punk music. His latest album, Oh Moon, was just released last fall, but he has been inspiring musicians such as The Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop for over twenty-five years.
Also today, as part of our Eleven Weeks of Vinyl Giveaways counting down to April 16, 2011—Record Store Day, we’re giving away Tom Waits’ 1976 LP Small Change. Oddly enough, both Jonathan Richman (with The Modern Lovers) and Tom Waits have songs entitled “Ice Cream Man.”
“Jojo” is a bit of a recluse, shying away from the internet and notoriously difficult to obtain an interview with. To win the tickets, simply comment below, how you would hide from the press if you were famous.
The winner will be chosen Thursday (2/24) at noon.
The folks behind Record Store Day have spoken, and declared Ozzy Osbourne as the official ambassador for Record Store Day 2011.
