Monthly Archives: February 2012

TVD Live: The Darkness at the 9:30 Club, 2/8

Well, I thought it was just me but a sold out and packed to the rafters 9:30 Club Wednesday night proved me wrong: The Darkness has certainly been missed.

The reunited British rockers left it all on that stage Wednesday, hitting all the hight points from their debut Permission to Land and its follow up, One Way Ticket to Hell and Back. New numbers featured throughout the set from a forthcoming release did nothing to slow the pacing.

We sent photographer Dave Barnhouser to capture it all for us, and as we’ve got some plans afoot for the band and TVD, we’ll let his shots alone convey the energy in that room Wednesday night.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

The Line Up with Deal Me In, Royal’T, Joe Lynn Turner, and more!

If you’re half as ADD as I am, you’re going to need… (Hey, so what about that new Earl Sweatshirt?) Wait, what was I saying? Oh yeah, if you’re half as ADD as I am, you’re going to need your weekends to be a Swiss Army knife of musical genres. Well, here in the 901 area code, we’ve got your back on this Friday/Saturday combo with some fantastic hip hop, hardcore, and country music to give you a chance to show off those $150 jeans you bought on impulse. 

Read More »

Posted in TVD Memphis | Leave a comment

Weekend Shots!

It’s time for another edition of Weekend Shots, but this weekend is not like the others. No, this weekend is something special, friends.

This weekend, we tip our hats to music clubs that are hosting a Defend Music Night show on Friday, February 10th, in an attempt to raise awareness and gain support that will ultimately make the small music venues exempt from Cleveland’s 8% admission tax.

This is a huge deal, Cleveland, so head out and support your local venue! There are ten venues gearing up for shows on 2/10 in support of this effort—Beachland, Brothers Lounge, Happy Dog, Now That’s Class, Prosperity Social Club, Peabody’s, Rockstar, Roc Bar, The Garage Bar & The Harp.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Cleveland | Leave a comment

Weekend Shots!
Carnival Edition, Part I

Mardi Gras is coming and it won’t be long! Now’s the time to get your stamina primed by practicing for the big week ahead. Besides all of the parades on St. Charles Avenue, a favorite venue is reopening, a favorite guitarist is jamming and the dogs are on parade. Here’s where you’ll be.

The Bingo! Show is taking over the cabaret formerly known as Le Chat Noir all three nights this weekend. Led by maestro/maniac Clint Maedgen, the troupe put on some truly memorable shows at the St. Charles Avenue performance space before it was shuttered last year.

Read More »

Posted in TVD New Orleans | Leave a comment

Weekend Shots!

Looking for some live music in Chicago this weekend? We’ve got you covered. Check out this weekend’s featured show along with a more extensive weekend list below!

A LULL @ Schuba’s, 2/12

Chicago quintet A Lull, takes experimental rock to a whole new place. By combining organic and electronic sounds on top of endless layers of percussion, A Lull is able to blur genre lines and create something as unique as it is beautiful. Recording everything themselves, the band is allowed to create without any restraints. It’s how all music should be. Check out the music video for the track “Some Love” from the 2011 record Confetti, below.

You can pick up Confetti on vinyl through Lujo Records.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Chicago | Leave a comment

Show of the Week: ELECTROCITY at Senses, 2/11

ELECTROCITY is throwing a vampire Valentines party this Saturday night, the 11th. This event, Love Bites, from the now monthly dance party with local DJs, will be at Senses. 

ELECTROCITY has been growing like crazy and if you look at any of their pictures or videos on Facebook, you can tell these parties are chock full of energy and sweat.

The regular ELECTROCITY guys, plus guest Myrryrs, will DJ the night. You can check out the promo mini-mix for the event here and the flyer below. And don’t forget, it’s vampire themed!

Read More »

Posted in TVD Memphis | Leave a comment

Cygnets: New album Dark Days and free download “Teenager”

Cygnets (Logan Turner – Vocals/Bass/Guitar; Dan Snow – Synth/Vocals; Chris Bruce – Guitar/Bass/Vocals) is a 3 piece from Edmonton, Canada. Their sound is a retro mix of guitars and synths that could easily have been torn from the pages of the ’80s style magazine, The Face.

Founding member Turner had previously written and recorded a wealth of material alone prior to bringing in close friends Chris Bruce and Dan Snow to establish Cygnets officially as a trio. The pair brought more depth and texture to their sound by adding a flourish of melodies which complimented Turner’s darkly personal lyrics and singular vocal style.

Last year the boys self-funded their debut album Bleak Anthems, which was released on CD, and the digital version was given away (and still is) free from their website. Their forthcoming follow up album Dark Days, is due for release on March 6th and will also be free and available digitally.

Posted in TVD UK | 1 Comment

Gold Leaf Studios,
A Retrospective

by Cesar Perdomo and Lauren Goddard

This week, The Vinyl District will be looking back at some of the bands that called Gold Leaf home and the music they produced during their stay, as a reminder of the importance DIY spaces provide within a creative community and as an impetus to keep the existing spaces thriving.

As more artists began to settle into Gold Leaf Studios, word spread among the citizens of D.C. about a unique haven for creative individuals. As residents started to host more events, the popularity and notoriety around the studio grew.

It was during this period in 2007 when Alex Clarke from Fffever (from Day 1 of the retrospective, along with Laughing Man) was introduced to the newly formed group Ra Ra Rasputin. The group, which consisted of Brock Boss (vocals, guitar, keyboard, programming, percussion), Anna Rozzi (vocals, keyboard, percussion, guitar), Ken Quam (drums, percussion), and Patrick Kigongo (guitar, bass, percussion), soon landed their first gig at Gold Leaf in November of 2007, playing alongside Fffever. Later, Anna Rozzi left the band and was replaced with Joshua Shepard.

Ra Ra Rasputin soon became regulars at Red Door, an event space within Gold Leaf that was curated by the members of Laughing Man. With their unique sound of ’80s dance-based, post-punk rock and their energetic performances, Ra Ra Rasputin quickly gained popularity. In the summer of 2010 the members acquired their own studio space, and later that year they released their first self-titled album. Through the next year of their stay at Gold Leaf, Ra Ra Rasputin threw numerous memorable shows within the studio and just recently released two new singles. Check out a few memorable moments that Ra Ra Rasputin was able to bring us before the closure of iconic Gold Leaf Studios.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

TVD Live: Shit-Box Jimmy and The Very Knees at The Beachland Ballroom, 2/3

The Beachland Ballroom served as charming host to a couple of rollicking acts this past Friday night. I was mainly in the house to get a second look at Shit-Box Jimmy, who romanced me last week at Now That’s Class.

The thing about last week that was on my mind was that Shit-Box played in a cramped, intimate setting, and it worked really well. This time out they had the more airy environment the Ballroom offered, and while I prefer to see them in overcrowded dungeons personally, they still put on a great performance. The whole she-bang was for the benefit of the 3rd Annual Waterloo Alley Cat Project Fundraiser, with headliners The Very Knees. They’re another story entirely, and I’ll get to them in a moment.

First, Shit-Box Jimmy went on, in all their lowdown twangy-ness, and stomped their way through 11 songs. When I hear this band I feel like we’re getting the best version of what was going on in 1976. They came out firing with a garage pounder, and I can’t emphasize enough how much lowdown twang is in every song. It’s this kind of sound, complemented by romantic Enchantment-Under-The-Sea-Dance-melodies that make up the brunt of what they do. They can draw out a song this way and then give you an exploding chorus no problem.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Cleveland | Leave a comment

TVD Live: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at the 9:30 Club, 2/7

The Mothership emerged ever so gloriously Tuesday night at the 9:30 Club. George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, the pioneering psychedelic funk collective, played to a diverse crowd ranging from college-age Funkensteins to grey-haired devotees.

The scene was sexy, uninhibited, and orgiastic. When the music started, it didn’t stop. Since the Collective’s inception in the late ’60s, Clinton and his bandmates have forged a camaraderie whose impact is part of the roots of popular music. At 70 years old, Clinton is living, breathing, musical history.

What stood out the most when Clinton first appeared on stage was that there were no multi-colored stream dreadlocks. He banished his ‘do in exchange for a slick double-breasted suit. The horn and rhythm sections joined forces to form an imminent groove. They were warming the crowd up, and we were going with it. Then the bass, drums, and keyboards took us to the land where few ensembles dare to go together. The journey began.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

Maps and Atlases, Japanther to Headline Foburg 2012

The alternative music festival, now in its third year, announced its preliminary lineup yesterday. The three-day festival is scheduled at venues in and around the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood on March 9-11, 2012. TVD contributor Ariane Trahan of Easy Apple is a local programming partner.

Other acts that are confirmed to appear include J Roddy Walston & The Business, Big Freedia, Shayfer James, The Men, Aunt Martha, Black Taxi and The Pharmacy.

Local and regional acts are also featured including Sun Hotel, Caddywhompus, Rotary Downs, Big History, Brass Bed, Katey Red, Sissy Nobby, Jean-Eric, King Rey, Royal Teeth, Prom Date and others.

Read More »

Posted in TVD New Orleans | Leave a comment

TVD Recommends: Cate LeBon and Marian Fahey McLaughlin at DC9, 2/12

And Ms. Marian Fahey McLaughlin has why you should come out indeed:

After spending the afternoon in a crazed hunting state crouched over crates of records at the DC Record Fair, wind down the day with dark and delicate folk music from Cate Le Bon and Marian Fahey McLaughlin. Sure, you might be excited to give your finds an immediate spin, but in case you want to extend your musical experience into the evening, come over to DC9 by 7:30 for a bill of two girls with guitars.

Or rather, to be more appropriate, women with guitars. Because the phrase “girls with guitars” has such a connotation to it. For instance, there’s that Wyonna Judd song. Cate and I follow parts of the lyrics, as in that at an early age we loved flipping through record collections, went to shows to pick up on riffs and chords, and admired Hendrix. But here we are, years later with lots of listening under our belts, and we’ve got something to say, and play.

And our music, however, has no resemblance in tone to Judd. I myself make what my friends call “fractal folk”, based on the fact that my lyrics bounce around the English language with internal rhyming (the feminine ryhyme scheme), playing off of multiple permutations of words and following similar patterns that later recur at smaller scales, as a fractal would.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment

Graded on a Curve: Treepeople Something Vicious for Tomorrow / Time Whore

Everybody who recognizes the name Doug Martsch knows the man from his long and fruitful tenure as leader of Built to Spill, but that’s not the only notch on his guitar strap.

And if asked to cite Martsch’s “other band,” a considerable number of those who know him would likely offer up the name Halo Benders like the total smarties they fancied themselves to be. And they’d not be incorrect. But in addition to Martsch’s involvement, that fine group also featured ex-Beat Happening/K Records honcho Calvin Johnson and longtime producer, solo artist and ex-Pell Mell member Steve Fisk; Halo Benders are in fact most accurately described as an indie supergroup/side-project that sorta dwindled out not long after Martsch’s principal unit made the big jump to Warner Brothers.

But back before Built to Spill trod the soil of this globe on endless tours Sir Doug played guitar and shared vocals in Treepeople, a Seattle via Boise Idaho four-piece that strangely lacks the retrospective attention they deserve.

Read More »

Posted in The TVD Storefront | Leave a comment

Introducing:
Daisy McCrackin

Born and raised in San Francisco, Daisy McCrackin moved to Los Angeles to further her career as an actress. Whilst appearing in films such as 3000 Miles to Graceland alongside Kevin Costner, and co-starring in Halloween alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Daisy found herself stretching her artistic horizons with music, playing guitar and writing songs between acting.

It was during her two years living in the Topanga Canyon artist colony The Rodeo Grounds where she started to redefined her artistic identity. At the behest of a close friend she finally jumped full-time into music, playing her first live show in 2006 where she was dubbed ‘an instant rock star’ in an LA Weekly review.

In 2009, following the release of her live acoustic soundtrack album Til Death Do Us Part, Daisy paired up with renowned musician/producer Alain Johannes (Eleven, Them Crooked Vultures) to record a collection of six original songs entitled “The Rodeo Grounds”. The EP was an homage to the Topanga community that she had become such a part of.

Read More »

Posted in TVD UK | 1 Comment

Gold Leaf Studios,
A Retrospective

by Cesar Perdomo and Lauren Goddard

For the past two decades, Washington D.C. has seen some drastic changes. From streets over-run with crack to new high-rise high-priced condos punching through every open street corner and skyline available, D.C. is in a constant cycle of transformation. For the creative-minded person living in D.C. during this time of transition, it was difficult to find an inexpensive venue where artists could thrive in a city that is ubiquitously known for its landscape of Government buildings and National museums.

Enter Mike Abrams, the man behind Gold Leaf Studios. In 1998, Abrams, a local painter and sculptor, set out to create an alternative place that would cater to anyone who wanted to create. Abrams converted a rundown building in the northern outskirts of Chinatown into a sanctuary for artists and musicians alike to call home. In the past fourteen years, Gold Leaf Studios has hosted many of the top local musicians and has held countless shows, but at the beginning of February, Gold Leaf’s doors were shut for good.

Over the next few days, The Vinyl District will be looking back at some of the bands that called Gold Leaf home and the music they produced during their stay, as a reminder of the importance DIY spaces provide within a creative community and as an impetus to keep the existing spaces thriving.

Read More »

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | Leave a comment
  • SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL INDIE SHOPS SINCE 2007


  • Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text
  • Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text Alternative Text