Monthly Archives: July 2012

TVD’s Press Play

By Jon Meyers | Published: July 16, 2012

It’s our weekly Twitter #MusicMonday recap of the brand new tracks from last week that the folks in the press offices want you to be hearing. We post, you download.

Kid Smpl – Escape Pod
Lightouts – The Big Picture
The Raveonettes – She Owns The Streets
The Young Evils – Dead Animals
Daddy Lion – Disconnected
Rubedo – Give My Heart a Break (Radio Edit)
My Great Ghost – Plain Sight
Zechs Marquise – Lock Jaw Night Vision
California Wives – Marianne
Turtle Giant – We Were Kids

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Romans – Mystery Girl

Eternal Summers – You Kill
Sean 0’Sean – Arch Envy
Jonathan Byerley – Catherine in the Grass
Shigeto – Huron River Drive
Outer Minds – We Are All Stone
Michael The Blind – Who Is She?
Slim Twig – Priscilla
Zulu Pearls – Magic Trucks
ERAAS – Fang
Jim Coleman – Rain

39 more FREE TRACKS after the jump!

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TVD’s The Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel

By Jon Sidel | Published: July 13, 2012

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Three things come to mind this week—it’s Friday the thirteenth, Summer is in full effect, and I’m back to work.

It’s actually fairly cool in the Canyon, but over the valley it’s a different story—at least 20, maybe 30 degrees hotter! I’m not as yet yearning for the days of Summers past, but I sure as hell understand there were Summers in my youth when I partied all night and woke up whenever I wanted without a care. Now, that’s what I call a real “independence day!”

To celebrate the coming and going of July 4th last Wednesday, I’m calling this week’s Idelic Hour “free to roam.” It’s dedicated to “Indie Rock” and the “nine to fivers” who took the opportunity to spend this week “independent” of the responsibilities, routines, and rituals of their normal daily grind.

I’ve always dug being “indie,” so I enjoyed last week relaxing with friends and family and digging of the sounds of indie old and new. So, let’s fuck off and go back to our indie roots for least one Idelic Hour!

The Idelic Hit of the Week:
Julia Holter – Für Felix

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TVD Recommends: Guided By Voices at Bunbury Music Festival

By Amber Patrick | Published: July 13, 2012

Of the record Class Clown Spots a UFO, drummer Kevin Fennell says,”You need to hear it. It kicks ass. You need to hear it repeatedly. I mean, it’s like everything we do. Our music takes repeated listenings; the more you hear it the better you like it.”

Guided By Voices are at it again with its classic lineup of Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Kevin Fennell, and Greg Demos since 2010 when they played Matador’s 21st anniversary bash. Many love the band so much that they made the trek to Bunbury just for GBV. Get to know a bit of the band from drummer Kevin Fennell.

Why did you guys decide to record lo-fi originally?

It was kind of out of necessity. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had a lot of ideas that we felt like we needed to get down on vinyl at the time. We couldn’t really afford to go into a big studio, so we figured Tobin had a four-track recorder, and he was pretty good at that, and we kind of liked the sound. Initially it was out of necessity, but when we heard the finished product, it reminded us a lot of the music that we were hearing growing up in the sixties.

A lot of that stuff was done on four-track, and it sounded more raw; it wasn’t slick and polished, and we kind of prefer it that way. It has a more real sound to it. Of course, we got criticized a lot for it.

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Weekend Shots!

By Amber Patrick | Published: July 13, 2012

Well, Cleveland, you were not forgotten, even though I left the city for Cincinnati this weekend. If you’re not making the trek to a festival this weekend (Pitchfork, Forecastle, or Bunbury), shame on you, but I still have love for you. And there’s still a ton of music going on this weekend in Cleveland.

Our suggestion? Head on over to the Grog Shop tonight for mewithoutyou. They’re playing with a great Philadelphia-based band called Buried Beds, and both prove to be a lot of fun and a good experience for your ears!

If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, here’s the best of the rest to keep you musically satiated this weekend!

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Weekend Shots!

By Charles Gray | Published: July 13, 2012

What’s up Memphis? This weekend is set up to rock your face all of the way off and then rock your faceless face some more.

With a long list of hardcore axe weilders, you’ll be reeling all week long from the head banging you won’t be able to resist this Friday and Saturday.

Friday (7/13) isn’t fucking around when it starts the weekend off on a heavy note. The New Daisy will play host to some great local acts, showing off how hot Memphis can get in the summer. (Seriously, it was 108° the other day.) Local rock acts 714, Collide Over Me, Pangea, and Chicago Skyline are all set to play. With lots of Memphis love going down, this is definitely a great way to start your weekend.

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TVD Giveaway: The English Beat, Keep The Beat: The Very Best of The English Beat

By Jennifer Carney | Published: July 13, 2012

We are such big fans of The English Beat that we thought our fellow big fans would love to get their hands on their newest “Best of” album — Keep The Beat: The Very Best of The English Beat — from Shout! Factory, even though it is (sadly) vinyl-deficient. In fact, this is our very first CD-only giveaway!

So here’s the low-down on your shot to win a free copy of this definitive collection.

On Day 2 of The English Beat Week, Dave talked about why he thinks the Keep The Beat: The Very Best of The English Beat sums up The English Beat best:

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Dave Wilkinson of
Wax Trax Records:
The TVD Interview

By Mike Searle | Published: July 13, 2012

For over 30 years, Wax Trax Records has provided Denver with a caring and passionate home for music lovers and vinyl enthusiasts alike.

Wax Trax began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado opened by Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher. They sold the store in 1978 and, in November of that year, opened a new one under the same name in Chicago, Illinois in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. This store would become the center of the New Wave, punk rock, and industrial music scenes in Chicago. Though the original owners moved their idea for Wax Trax! Records to Chicago, Dave Stidman and Duane Davis bought the Wax Trax record store in Denver and have kept it alive since for 34 years. Wax Trax, then and now, is one of the greatest music stores in all of Colorado.

I spoke with long time Wax Trax employee Dave Wilkinson to ask about his store and the state of the record scene here in Denver. Dave is an important part of the Wax family, and is one of the many factors that make Wax Trax worth visiting.

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Weekend Shots!

By Marissa Cetin | Published: July 13, 2012

It may be Friday the 13th but this weekend D.C.’s music scene is far from unlucky. That is, unless you wanted to attend Saturday’s sold-out Best Coast show at the 9:30 club. In that case, you actually are unlucky.

Suiting the day’s spooky theme, Murder By Death, the gloomy rockers from Indiana, play the Black Cat main stage Friday, 7/13 with support from Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons and Ha Ha Tonka. Over at the Red Palace, Girl In A Coma will be showcasing their Morrissey-meets-Joan Jett jams.

For a less morbid Friday night, check out U Street Music Hall for Spoek Mathambo’s banging Afro-electro-rap fusion at 7 p.m., and stay for U Hall’s Friday night staple Red Fridays at 10 p.m. This week’s installment brings Tim Green and Simon Baker with Beaner and Lxsx Frxnk.

Hip-hop takes over the 9:30 club tonight, with La Coka Nostra headlining the night and Jedi Mind Tricks opening. At the Rock & Roll Hotel, ‘90s pop meets ‘70s disco in the form of Wynter Gordon, who is bringing The DTQ and Beyond Modern along as support.

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Weekend Shots!

By Eric Slager | Published: July 13, 2012

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!

OLD LIGHTS at the Beat Kitchen, 7/15

St. Louis’ indie-rockers, Old Lights, started as the passion project of multi-instrumentalist David Beeman. After a ton of turnover, Old Lights has gotten to a place where they consider themselves a “real band.” The group released Like Strangers last year, and the record Every Night Begins the Same in 2009. Check out the video for the ENBTS track “Losing My Mind,” below.

Old Lights will be headlining the Beat Kitchen this Sunday with Stolen Bones, Scuttlebugs, and Little Midnight. The 21+ show kicks off at 8:00 PM, and will only set you back $8.

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Weekend Shots!

By Jay Mazza | Published: July 13, 2012

The announcement was made yesterday afternoon. “Uncle” Lionel Batiste will be laid to rest next Friday, July 20, 2012, at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. There’s a second line this afternoon to honor his memory. Here’s a look at this weekend.

It’s Bastille Day and another excuse for a party. The Pair-A-Dice Tumblers will be hosting a parade of their own Saturday night through the French Quarter. It begins at “dark-thirty” in front of the Blue Nile on Frenchmen Street.

Over in Faubourg St. John, there’s an all-day block party at Ponce de Leon and Esplanade sponsored by Café Degas and other businesses in the area. Zazoo City, Ukulele Jake and the Creole String Beans are providing the musical entertainment.

Foundation Free Fridays continue tonight at Tipitina’s. Gypsyphonic Disko opens for Good Enough for Good Times. Tips is also selling vintage logo T-shirts, baseball jerseys, tank tops, posters and more at low prices.

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TVD Recommends: Pomegranates at Bunbury Music Festival

By Amber Patrick | Published: July 12, 2012

It’s time to check out the lineup for Bunbury again and introduce you to another band that’s making waves. Another great band you’re going to need to check out is an “art pop” four-piece hailing from Cincinnati.

The band is called Pomegranates and comprises Isaac Karns (vocals, guitars, keyboard), Joey Cook (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dan Lyon (guitar), and Jacob Merritt (drums). Get to know the band—courtesy of drummer Jacob Merritt—and be sure to slate them into your schedule for Bunbury!

How did the band form?

Isaac and I were in different bands when we first started off four and a half years ago. We both knew that we both wanted to do music full-time, so we got together to see what would happen, jammed a little bit, and things kind of just clicked at that first little practice. That was the first time that we met Joey. We called him up and invited him over, and yeah, we’re still doing it almost five years later.

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TVD Ticket Giveaway:
KISS & Mötley Crüe, 7/20 at Jiffy Lube Live

By Jon Meyers | Published: July 12, 2012

I believe there was a point in the late ’70s/early ’80s where if you asked me to name my top five favorite records, they could have easily been KISS (s/t), KISS Hotter Than Hell, KISS Dressed to Kill, KISS Alive, and KISS Destroyer. (Right, in order of release.)

I mean, I practically lived inside KISS Alive with its gatefold cover and four color booklet adorning my walls.

Which is why it pleases me no end to say, “Holy shit, kids – we’ve got some (more!) KISS tickets to give away!” And not just KISS…”The Tour” as it’s been named is a double-barrel, double-bill pairing KISS—the beast from the East—with the titans of LA’s Sunset Strip, Mötley Crüe!

Posted in TVD Washington, DC | 7 Comments

Festival Fast Talk
with Toubab Krewe

By Charles Gray | Published: July 12, 2012

Another band hitting up multiple festival stops this year are Toubab Krewe. The jam aficionados are a collection of incredibly knowledgable and talented musicians (as well as men with great taste in tequila).

Their music is best digested in a live setting, were foreign instrumentation is brought to life through their unique take on jamming out. Fueled by great intentions for community growth (both musically and socially), Toubab Krewe’s music has a charm and charisma to it that is only matched by their off-stage activities and projects.

We caught up with Toubab as they closed their set at Wakarusa to talk a few festivals of their own.

I see you tour constantly, What have you guys been supporting this year?

Supporting habits.

No, but seriously, we’re always supporting [Toubab’s sophomore album] Tk2. Currently we’re supporting Carnavalito—a two-day festival we’ll host in Asheville on July 13th and 14th. Also, Manifestivus in Vermont in August on the 17th & 18th. Those two productions of ours are definitely getting a lot of our attention.

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TVD Recommends: Pitchfork Music Festival: Day 3, 7/15

By Alyssa Welch | Published: July 12, 2012

Last but not least, Sunday boasts a great line-up of bands, with Vampire Weekend headlining in the evening. After two days of non-stop festivalling, as well as the numerous after-parties held by local venues, we hope you’ve got the energy to make it out to Day Three.

Milk Music | 1:55PM | Blue Stage

Fresh off a European tour in support of their debut EP Beyond Living, Milk Music bring their brand of mid-90’s pacific-northwest rock to Pitchfork ‘s Blue Stage Sunday afternoon. Hailing from Olympia, PA and picking up where bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Husker Du left off, Milk Music’s debut sounds like an old grunge favorite right from the start.

Singer/Guitarist Alex Coxen tries to stray away from the obvious comparisons to the Seattle sound of the 90’s hoping to transcend the “grunge” label and make something different. Coxen’s howling vocals and screaming guitar solos deliver a sound that is both fresh and retro all at once.

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TVD Live: Def Leppard, Poison, and Lita Ford at Merriweather, 7/10

By Dave Barnhouser | Published: July 12, 2012

July 10th, 2012 marked the return of rock and toll to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. The show featured ’80s hard rock heavyweights Def Leppard and Poison, with the Queen of heavy metal, Lita Ford opening.

The bill featured all original members of Poison and nearly all original members of Def Leppard. Each of the set lists ran like a greatest hits record. There would be no filler for any of the bands on the bill. Pure unrelenting rock and roll the way it is meant to be played. LOUD!