Monthly Archives: February 2011

As we’ve pointed out over the past few weeks (rather broken record-like) one of the happy coincidences of being The Official Blog for Record Store Day 2011 is that we’re afforded the opportunity to underscore one of our main themes—namely that vinyl is a contemporary medium which is thriving and more vital than it has been in some time—DJ’s, purists, and collectors notwithstanding.

So, to that end, we’re spending the next eleven weeks straight putting records into the hands of TVD readers as we count down to April 16, 2011—Record Store Day. We’ll have a giveaway for you each and every Tuesday as well as sporadic surprises throughout the forthcoming weeks.

This week, we’ve got a reissue copy of Tom Waits’ 1976 LP, “Small Change” for your late night, alcohol-infused brooding.

Via allmusic, “The fourth release in Tom Waits’ series of skid row travelogues, Small Change proves to be the archetypal album of his ’70s work. A jazz trio comprising tenor sax player Lew Tabackin, bassist Jim Hughart, and drummer Shelly Manne, plus an occasional string section, back Waits and his piano on songs steeped in whiskey and atmosphere in which he alternately sings in his broken-beaned drunk’s voice (now deeper and overtly influenced by Louis Armstrong) and recites jazzy poetry.”

The rules can’t be any easier to enter our Eleven Weeks of Record Store Day Vinyl Giveaways: simply leave us a comment in the comments section to the contest letting us know why you deserve to win that particular LP. Be creative, funny, incisive—whatever it takes to grab our attention.

Winners of our Tuesday giveaways will be notified upon the launch of the next giveaway and must have a mailing address within the US and Canada.

Our friends over at Record Store Day have announced that the ambassador for RSD2011 is none other than the Godfather of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osbourne!

He has a special video message for you so click on over to RSD’s website and do as the man says!

It seems like it’s been awhile since there has been one of these festival-esque shows down on Elliston Place (or maybe I’ve been living under a rock which is more likely). In any case, tonight, Tuesday, February 22nd, The End and The Exit/In are hosting a free night of Nashville rock’n’roll. Please click the links below to sample some of the wares of these talented musicians. I know that listening to them definitely made me want to head over to Elliston Place tonight. My top pick at Exit/In is Evan P. Donahue. Top pick at The End would have to be Casa Castile. Support Live Music!

Exit/In

Reid Magette

Samantha Harlow

Dylan Rowe

Dylan Jones & Your Friends

Evan P. Donohue

The End

The Inscape

Conestyle

Nineteen Eighteen

Casa Castile

Paper Machete

Staff Writer Leah Henry attends the “Yawn Tiersen” show.

“Incredible Musical Talent”
—Clash

“Ingeniously Catchy”
—Mojo

“Unconditionally Beautiful”
—Artrocker

Yann Tiersen may be everything proclaimed on his website’s homepage (see quotations from Clash, Mojo, Artrocker above), but at the stroke of midnight, Tuesday, February 15th at 815 V Street, he was not an unconditionally beautiful, ingenious musical talent. Tiersen clambered on stage buzzed and/or stoned, and most notably, late. Having been to late shows at the 9:30 Club before, I know that doors open at 10:00, the opener goes on just after 10:00, and the main act saunters into the limes around 11:00.

In my poor attendance of late weeknight shows, I’ve never seen a musician so heavily hyped (album Dust Lane two years in the making), with a background as rich (soundtracks, studio and live albums, with over fifteen years of musicianship) as Guillaume Yann Tiersen’s, keep the crowd waiting only to have rendered himself too polluted to blow into his melodica. After multiple attempts — I counted five botched blows, then threw my hands up in frustration — and empty apologies for giggling too violently to hold the tube in his mouth, he tossed the song intro behind him and began again. On his wikipedia page, they state that “His live performances vary greatly.” Well, I hope so, and I am 100% certain this is not the variety they had in mind.

Thoughts prior to the show: “Man, I am tired, but this is worth it. A French composer, with a post-punk influence, whose music is more often called “avant-garde” than anything else — this guy is going to be a diamond!”

All of that aside, I would like to thank Monsieur Tiersen for collaborating with Shannon Wright on an album. I felt privileged to have her on the DC leg of this tour. Unfortunately, not everyone in attendance felt the same good fortune. “Could you talk just a little less loudly!? That would be great! Thanks!” Wright’s shrill cry quieted the chatty, disrespectful Tuesday night crowd.

I commend her for carrying creepy, loud, indie-rock songs all on her own, “With Closed Eyes” (from 2004’s Over The Sun) being my immediate live favorite. Her frenzied performance style combines soft whispers with raging screams inspiring nostalgia for the indie-folk I find so familiar and the ”coolness” of punk I envy. Wright was an unexpected surprise on whom Tiersen did not capitalize.