Author Archives: TVD

TVD Radar: Time Has Come Today: Rock and Roll Diaries 1967–2007 from Harold Bronson in stores 9/27

By TVD | Published: August 21, 2023

VIA PRESS RELEASE | On September 27th, Trouser Press Books will publish Time Has Come Today: Rock and Roll Diaries 1967–2007 by Harold Bronson.

People who are born into a life of rock and roll either make music, collect it, write about it, sell it, or get into the record business. Harold Bronson has done all of those things. In Time Has Come Today: Rock and Roll Diaries 1967–2007, he recounts the fascinating adventure of his musical life.

Before he co-founded Rhino Records—America’s leading reissue label—and put decades of rock and roll history back into musical circulation, Bronson was just another devoted fan growing up in Southern California in the 1960s. But with boundless enthusiasm, a discerning ear, and a near-photographic memory, he channeled his passion into writing for the UCLA Daily Bruin and then Rolling Stone and other magazines.

After meeting and interviewing many of the era’s greats, he launched the Rhino label from the back room of the Los Angeles record store he managed. And in doing so he took on a new role, working behind the scenes with many of those same artists—in studios, offices, concert halls, and restaurants—to bring their old, and sometimes new, music to the public.

Completing a trilogy of books that began with The Rhino Records Story (2013) and continued with My British Invasion (2017), Time Has Come Today is a 40-year memoir in diary form that documents Bronson’s progress from student musician and journalist to label executive, where his fandom, wit, and creative imagination augmented and altered the course of many great careers.

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In rotation: 9/21/22

By TVD | Published: September 21, 2022

Fort Collins, CO | With resurgence in vinyl, record store opens in Old Town Fort Collins: A longtime Fort Collins disc jockey has fulfilled a long-held dream by opening Driver 8 Records in Old Town. Owner Charles Hale, currently a volunteer disc jockey, has been a DJ at KRFC and KCSU while attending Colorado State University. He said his love for records and collecting began in 2001 at Rocks Off Records, a long gone Fort Collins record store. “Much like every homebrewer wants to open a brewery to have their beers tasted, I’ve always wanted to have a record store where great music can be shared and heard,” he said. Driver 8 Records, 246 Pine St., stocks a selection new and classic vinyl across musical genres including Americana, punk, Indie rock, jazz and hip-hop. Hale said he noticed during the COVID quarantine in 2020 record stores across the country were doing well while other businesses struggled.

Madison, WI | Boneset Records, Madison’s newest record shop, is proudly woman-owned: Maggie Denman knew she wanted to open a record shop, but she wasn’t planning to do it right away. “It’s something that I thought about doing for a long time … but I wasn’t planning to do it for another couple of years,” said Denman, a musician who’s played in Madison bands No Question, Proud Parents, According to What and solo project Margerat Dryer. In February, Gary John Feest, her former boss at Sugar Shack Records announced that the 41-year-old shop’s final location at 2301 Atwood Ave. had been sold, forcing the business out. Rather than haul all the records, cassette tapes, CDs and VHS tapes to yet another location — the shop had already had six — Feest planned to retire. It was an opportunity Denman couldn’t pass up. She told Feest she could take the shop’s remaining inventory when it closed in April. Feest, who’d planned to donate what was left to a St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop, said he’d much rather give it to her.

Rhythm and Booze: Vinyl Bars Are Making a Comeback (Again): Prior to the pandemic, Japanese-style “listening bars” had a moment. Modeled after a bar style popularized in Japan following the Second World War, these establishments prioritized listening to vinyl records, often via stellar sound systems. They weren’t all hushed experiences—as anyone who ever visited NYC’s lively Tokyo Record Bar can attest—but it was definitely all about the sound, often accompanied by creative drink and food offerings. After a pandemic-induced hiatus, bars centered on vinyl experiences are back. Many are decidedly less formal, and they’re certainly not all “listening bars.” But they’re all welcoming spaces to enjoy music, drink in hand. “The vinyl market has gone up exponentially,” explains Zach Ashton, co-owner of In Between Days, a saké-focused listening bar that opened in August 2021 in St. Petersburg, Florida, in a breezy blue shack. “People are talking more about vinyl than they have in the last five years,” particularly Millennials who have nostalgic memories of their parents’ collections and Gen Zers getting back in touch with the analog format.

Mariah Carey’s ‘Honey: The Remixes’ Getting Vinyl Release for the First Time: Naturally, the 2-LP set comes dripping on honey-colored vinyl. Ready for another taste of honey? On Sunday (Sept. 18), Mariah Carey unveiled a new vinyl for Honey: The Remixes in celebration of her seminal Butterfly album’s 25th anniversary. “More #Butterfly25 goodies!” the singer announced on Twitter. “Pre-Order Honey: The Remixes – for the first time on vinyl! 2LP’s on honey colored vinyl.” (For the time being, the new vinyl is available exclusively through Urban Outfitters and is expected to ship in February 2023, because production delays are still a very real thing, dahhling.) Across a dozen tracks, the album features different interpretations of Butterfly‘s smash lead single like the “Bad Boy Remix” with Puff Daddy, Mase and The Lox, the “So So Def Mix” with pals Da Brat and Jermaine Dupri, the extended seven-minute “Mo’ Honey Dub” and more. The brand-new remix by David Morales will also be included on Side C of the two-LP set.

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In rotation: 8/4/22

By TVD | Published: August 4, 2022

Bristol, UK | Bristol record shop Idle Hands announces closure, launches crowdfunder for new location: According to a post by owner Chris Farrell, the shop has struggled since Christmas due to issues related to Brexit and the pandemic. Beloved Bristol record shop Idle Hands is shutting at the end of August, with the aim of moving to a more central location. The plan, according to a social media post by owner Chris Farrell, is to close the current City Road store “until something comes up” and in the meantime launch a crowdfunder to help with overheads and the move to a new premises. “Since Omicron hit just before Christmas the shop has struggled, with less people popping in and Brexit making EU trade pretty much unworkable for a business this small,” Farrell wrote. “These are tricky times, but I do believe Idle Hands still has a future.” He added: “When I decided not to renew our lease I had hoped to make a smooth transition to a new location—although there have been options I’ve been pursuing, the retail rental market is also in a bit of a state and that hasn’t been possible.”

Milwaukee, WI | Lilliput Records officially takes over for The Exclusive Company: After much anticipation — and some public anxiety — Lilliput Records will officially replace The Exclusive Company this Saturday at the store’s longstanding lower East Side location at 1669 N. Farwell Ave. Founded in 1956, The Exclusive Company made the sudden announcement in April that it would close all its stores, which encompassed locations in Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Greenfield and Milwaukee. The announcement on Facebook garnered thousands of comments and reactions. But plans were already in motion for Lilliput, spearheaded by former Exclusive Company employees Brian Kirk and Tanner Musgrove. They launched a GoFundMe in March to help launch the new endeavor, raising more than $22,000. “There is no way we would be at this point in Lilliput’s journey without everyone’s support, donations, words of encouragement and excitement for the new store,” Kirk and Musgrove shared in a social media post Friday. “Our goal is to continually grow and help support our community and we feel so grateful to be given the opportunity to do so!”

Madison, WI | Boneset Records plans to open August 21 on the East Side: Musician Maggie Denman aims to create a cozy basement space full of vinyl and VHS. Madison’s newest record store, Boneset Records, will open its doors at 222 North Street. Owner Maggie Denman plans to be open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays, “with the goal of opening more, but for now that’s what I can do.” Denman, a visual artist and Madison musician (she’s played in bands including No Question, Proud Parents, and her Margerat Dryer solo project), is setting up shop in a basement space in an office building at the corner of North and East Johnson Streets; customers will enter through a door on East Johnson. (Full disclosure: Denman has also contributed editorial illustrations to Tone Madison.) Boneset Records joins a tradition of charmingly tucked-away record stores, including The Door in Monona and the much-missed Resale Records and Ear Wax. Boneset began to take shape when Denman took over the remaining inventory at Atwood Avenue’s Sugar Shack Records, which closed in April. With that collection as her starting point, Denman says she plans to flesh out the store’s selection to encompass “the kind of music that I like, which is kind of all over the place.

Newport, UK | Newport record shop owner to leave Hey Jude’s after ‘incredible journey.’ A record shop owner whose business has been at the heart of the Newport community for more than 20 years is selling up next month after a ‘wonderful journey.’ Jude Paton started Hey Jude’s in Newport Indoor Market in 1999 before setting up in Stafford Street. But she confirmed plans to retire this week and revealed, as of September 1, the shop will be under the ownership of Frankie O’Connor. “It has been a wonderful 23-year journey for me,” said Jude. “I have met so many amazing and loyal customers and have made many new friends. “When I was 13 years old I wrote an English composition under the title, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ “I said then that my dream was to own a record shop and it’s been an amazing experience to have a job like that. It has been an absolute joy and, of course, I love what I sell. “I have had an instant connection with customers and have loved to chat to every single one of them, finding out about their different tastes in music. It has opened my eyes to other music interests.” Jude says she’s thrilled to be leaving the shop in Frankie’s hands.

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In rotation: 7/26/22

By TVD | Published: July 26, 2022

Eight Isle of Wight, UK | Eight Isle of Wight record shops for new and preloved vinyl: Record shops are the height of retro cool and where better to snap up vinyl than on the Isle of Wight? The industry celebrated its 14th consecutive year of growth in 2021 and records are flying off the shelves and onto our turntables – which these days come with helpful USB connections and built-in speakers. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), more than 5 million vinyl LPs were sold last year. It made 2021 the biggest year for record sales in three decades. Whether its for latest releases or preloved gems, the savvy shopper can be be found hunting through boxes of records, which range in price according to their condition. The Isle of Wight boasts perfect places to lose yourself among classic artwork and decades of music development. Here are eight Isle of Wight record stores to while away a few hours, as you search for your favourite 7″, EP, or LP…

St. Petersburg, FL | St. Pete artist Steve Madden is bringing flair to the bins at Daddy Kool Records: He’s brought life to the plain, white, thick plastic sheets the shop uses to categorize and separate its stock. If you’ve recently visited Daddy Kool, St. Pete’s premier record store located at 800 28th St S at The Factory, you’ve probably noticed some pretty eye-catching and artistic divider cards, colorfully indicating individual artists’ sections while browsing. The store’s manager and resident music expert, Manny Kool, enlisted the services of local artist Steve Madden to bring artistic flair to the plain, white, thick plastic sheets the shop uses to categorize and separate its stock. Madden, who is also a devout music lover, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay how the partnership came about and how he approaches each and every mini-art project he cranks out for usage around the record store.

Los Angeles, CA | Time Collapses In Dave Muller’s New Record Store Pop-Up: The artist has opened his second record store pop-up as the centerpiece of his recent solo exhibition. In the spring of 2017, the L.A.-based artist Dave Muller and local record purveyor-turned-music producer Ethan Swan created the P&B Records shop at The Meow, a pop-up exhibition-retail space for artist-run businesses located inside a backyard shed at the Mt. Washington home of Angeleno artists Lisa Anne Auerbach and Joel Kyack. “It was so popular it scared them. They were afraid too many people were gonna start showing up, so now it’s just a kind of yoga cottage,” Muller says with a laugh during a call from a road trip the week after he opened his second record store pop-up. This one is the centerpiece of his recent solo exhibition, Sunset, Sunrise (repeat) b/w The Record Pavilion, in the upstairs gallery of his L.A. dealer, Blum & Poe. “It’s kinda like the record store I’d like to go to, combined with an art installation that still works as a record store,” he says. “But I can paint on the ceiling, paint on the walls, all that stuff.”

Selangor Darul Ehsan, ML | Here’s an event celebrating music collector culture, vinyl lovers: The inaugural Kena Sound music collector culture event at Nero Event Space, PJPAC, 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya on Aug 6 promises a day out with a difference for music lovers who have not lost faith in physical music formats. It’s an event to celebrate listening to music via a physical format, notably vinyl, CDs, cassettes and more. Organised by the Kena Sound Crew (a collective of music lovers) and supported by PJPAC, the independent event aims to broaden and liven up the record-buying experience and give music collectors an opportunity to interact with kindred spirits and discover new developments in this niche music collecting scene, which is being propped up by independent record shops and online sellers nationwide. “…“Kena Sound is about bringing back the fun when it comes to music collecting. It will be presented in a laidback setting, with music conversations (on stage), pop-up music stalls, record shop storytelling, video screenings, open turntable sessions and more…”

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Demand it on Vinyl:
Andy Williams, Emperor of Easy—Lost Columbia Masters 1962–1972

By TVD | Published: February 27, 2020

VIA PRESS RELEASE | During his two-decade association with Columbia Records, Andy Williams chalked up more hit singles and sold more albums than any other pop crooner of the period.

Boosted by the popularity of his Emmy-winning television series The Andy Williams Show, the personable singer bridged the classic American Songbook of standards and showtunes with the modern pop-rock songs of the 1960s and 1970s. His widespread popularity saw Williams become the host of the Golden Globe Awards in the 1960s followed by annual duties fronting the Grammy Awards in the 1970s. All of which begs the question: why haven’t we seen (and heard) a rarities collection from this iconic vocalist?

Now, for the first time ever, Andy’s immense archive of Columbia recordings has been combed through to dig up a bounty of previously unreleased tracks from his peak 1962-1972 era, including covers of familiar tunes such as “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “This Guy’s in Love with You,” “Homeward Bound,” “Too Young,” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Her.”

Andy also offers his warm and romantic renditions of Henry Mancini’s “Two for the Road,” the summer of love anthem “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair),” and a rare, never-before-heard Burt Bacharach-Hal David composition, “A Question of Love.” And, as a bonus, rare, rare Spanish versions of Andy’s smashes “Love Story (Where Do I Begin)” and “Love Theme from The Godfather” lend the collection some hit power.

With notes by Joe Marchese, rare photos, and mastering right from the tapes by Mike Piacentini at Sony’s Battery Studios, this 20-track Real Gone Music release offers a long-overdue coronation of one of the most successful and beloved balladeers of the late 20th century, the “Emperor of Easy”—Andy Williams.

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TVD Radar: SQÜRL, The Dead Don’t Die: Original Score in stores 9/13

By TVD | Published: June 18, 2019

VIA PRESS RELEASE | The Dead Don’t Die is writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s unique, semi-comic take on the zombie apocalypse genre. As with his recent efforts Only Lovers Left Alive and Paterson, the film’s score was composed and performed by SQÜRL, the band Jarmusch and producer Carter Logan founded in 2009. Sacred Bones Records, the same label that released the band’s EP #260 in 2017, is releasing the LP edition of the score.

The score to the The Dead Don’t Die is a true expression of where SQÜRL stand at the center of a decade of sonic exploration. It is the culmination of their passion for analog synths, with guitar violence reverberating from the darker corners of Americana. It is at once a tribute to the classic sounds of horror and sci-fi, as well as a decapitation of traditional film scores. It is naturally supernatural. From their arsenal of tools, Jarmusch and Logan pulled electric guitars and basses made by Rick Kelly and Cindy Hulej at Carmine Street Guitars, an acoustic resonator, Moog Minitaur and Theremini synthesizers, Fender Rhodes electric piano, an old Ludwig drum kit, cheap vintage Casio and Yamaha keyboards and new synths from Critter and Guitari — all sculpted through a collection of effects pedals, notably from Earthquaker Devices.

The inspiration for SQÜRL’s score for The Dead Don’t Die came from some of the most iconic soundtracks of the past half-century of genre cinema — Tangerine Dream’s Sorcerer, Bebe and Louis Barron’s Forbidden Planet, Ennio Morricone’s The Thing and Once Upon a Time in the West, Goblin’s Dawn of the Dead, and all things John Carpenter. The singular Theremin work of Samuel J. Hoffman on films like Spellbound and The Day the Earth Stood Still also made its way into Jarmusch and Logan’s consciousness. The result is a new horror soundtrack that stands shoulder to shoulder with the great works of its genre.

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TVD’s Firefly Music Festival Must-Sees

By TVD | Published: June 13, 2014

BY OLIVIA UNG and NICK NEMPHOS | In less than a week, thousands of festival-goers will descend upon The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway in Delaware to attend 2014’s Firefly Music Festival.

In its third year, Firefly has expanded from a three-day to a four-day festival and features more than 100 acts over seven different stages, including headliners Foo Fighters, Outkast, and Jack Johnson. The schedule is filled with exciting new artists as well as several who have been making music for over twenty years, and each day from Thursday, June 19 to Sunday, June 22 has notable musicians that you just can’t allow yourself to miss. Here are just a very few of our favorites.

Still touring behind last year’s excellent Hummingbird, Local Natives are performing the final set on Thursday’s opening night of Firefly, and they are being given a good length of time, from 10:45 PM to 12 AM on the Backyard stage, to stretch their legs. They should be able to incorporate a mix of some of the jauntier songs from Gorilla Manor with some of the more mature offerings from their most recent release, which should make for a great set of music. We think they have the potential to be the highlight of Firefly’s first evening, as well as one of the best acts of the festival.

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By TVD | Published: July 5, 2011

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Thao & Mirah: The TVD First Date and Vinyl Giveaway

By TVD | Published: June 10, 2011

Friends and first-name-only ladies Thao & Mirah have joined forces and will be stopping by Black Cat tonight, along with BOBBY and Led to Sea. TVD Chapel Hill is also currently running a ticket giveaway for their show at Local 506 tomorrow night.

Mirah took a little bit of time out of their busy touring schedule to go on a First Date with us and reminisces about another famed collaboration, Maurice Sendak and Carole King’s Really Rosie.

When I was in first grade, I played the role of Pierre’s mother in our elementary school production of Really Rosie. My floppy hat and oversized dress, barely held up from under the heels of my clompy boots by the wide sash gathering all the extra material at my waist, made me look every bit the part of the Maurice Sendak drawing I was to bring to life. Thus began my life-long adoration of this album.

Seriously, what better collaboration could there be? And I love that it was between an illustrator/author and a songwriter. I like collaborations that cross-pollinate between mediums.

Thao & Mirah | Eleven (ft. tUnE-yaRds)

I still have my copy of Really Rosie on vinyl from back then and recently bought a vinyl copy for my five-year-old nephew. Gotta pass on the good stuff.

We’re trying to pass on the good stuff as well. For a chance to win a copy of Thao & Mirah’s self-titled LP, tell us your favorite musical collaboration in the comments below. Other than, of course, Thao & Mirah!

The winner of the vinyl will be chosen next Friday (6/17) and must have a mailing address in the continental United States or Canada.

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TVD Recommends: Alessi’s Ark at Bella Cafe, 6/11

By TVD | Published: June 9, 2011

Last Fall we spent a week here at TVD with our friends at Yep Roc Records and in doing so, introduced you to Londoner Alessi Laurent-Marke, she of Alessi’s Ark. On Saturday, Alessi will introduce herself in person when she plays DC for the very first time at the U Street Corridor’s Bella Cafe.

Thus, a rerun of our aforementioned feature seems in order and we’ve got a brand new track for you to preview prior to your attendance on Saturday, right?

The musical avatar of Alessi Laurent-Marke, Alessi’s Ark might begun as homework but the 20 year old’s quirky, blade-sharp folk pop is mature far beyond her years. Required to play an instrument in school, Laurent-Marke took up the drums at age 11 and by her 17th birthday she had quit school to focus on music, become a Myspace sensation and signed with Virgin Records. Her debut album Notes from the Treehouse was produced by Bright Eyes/Monsters of Folk member and Rilo Kiley producer Mike Mogis, and was released on Virgin in 2009. Alessi reaped word-of-mouth support and acclaim, touring relentlessly and receiving plaudits for some stand out appearances at South by Southwest in Texas. Following parting ways with Virgin, Alessi signed with UK indie label Bella Union in 2010. Her new EP Soul Proprietor signals a new beginning for an already unusually experienced young artist.

“I’m afraid I missed the vinyl boat growing up. Cassettes, CD,s and listening to the chart show on the radio every Sunday night are what I remember best.

When I started secondary school I picked up playing the drums and joined the school bands. Discovering live music and being excited by it, I started a zine inspired and encouraged by my family’s love of music.

A special memory I hold close is of the afternoon my parents dug out old records from a cupboard under the stairs and showed us (patiently) how to lay the needle down carefully on their record player.

Alessi’s Ark | On The Plains

Seeing their hands handle records with such ease was lovely. I could imagine them playing these very same records in their bedrooms and it was such a warm feeling.

With shaky hands I persevered and eventually felt more comfortable choosing tracks and setting up the songs to play. Every detail is so special. Even slipping out vinyls from their sleeves and being able to read album credits and see the artwork on a bigger scale in the big booklets got me excited. CD booklets are minute in comparison!

Together, we got through a big stack of their favourites but the discoveries that really stuck with were ‘On My Mind’ by the Marine Girls (chosen by Dad) and ‘Trouble’ by Lindsey Buckingham (chosen by Mum.)

Parents know the good stuff!!

Though still more comfortable handling CDs and cassettes, I look forwards to sharing favourite albums with friends and family in the future, sat on the floor around the player with albums stacked around us – a picnic of sounds.”

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The New Face of Vinyl: Youth’s Digital Devolution

By TVD | Published: June 8, 2011

TVD: Cleveland took a look at The New Face Of Vinyl, a project hopefully coming to Chicago this year!

And you thought vinyl records were dead? Not so fast.

The New Face Of Vinyl is a project that explores why young people across the United States have started a digital “devolution” by buying and listening to vinyl records. Throughout the country, young people are buying more and more vinyl, thus getting back to the analog roots of listening to music. Collecting and listening to vinyl has become a unique experience for many teens and young adults throughout the world who have chosen to explore the once forgotten black wax. Photographer Ben Meadors and writer Owen McCafferty are setting out to discover what vinyl means to these people, and will create a full color photo documentary book to tell the story.

The project at its core, explores and focuses on the cultural changes occurring as a result of this new found interest in vinyl. The reasons why vinyl has become so popular now are vast; Owen and Ben want to set out to New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, Portland and San Fransisco and talk to young record collectors, store owners and occasional vinyl-lovers to find out what keeps bringing them back for more.

After collecting all the pictures and interviews, the team will compose a 180+ page full color photo-documentary-book to tell the story, and share their experiences with the world.

Owen and Ben have chosen to use the popular organization Kickstarter to help collect donations in order to cover the traveling and printing expenses of the project.

The project won’t receive funding if $6,500.00 isn’t raised by July 31st 2011, so visit the site and make a donation to help Ben and Owen make this exciting project a reality.

Keep an eye on their site for updates, photos, and stories. You can follow the project on Twitter via @newfaceofvinyl.

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The New Face of Vinyl: Youth’s Digital Devolution

By TVD | Published: June 6, 2011

Check out this cool project that was covered by TVD Cleveland. I definitely think they should add Seattle to their list of cities to visit…but without your help they may not be able to get this project on the road, so read up and help them out! – Steph

And you thought vinyl records were dead? Not so fast.

The New Face of Vinyl is a project that explores why young people across the United States have started a digital “devolution” by buying and listening to vinyl records. Throughout the country, young people are buying more and more vinyl, thus getting back to the analog roots of listening to music. Collecting and listening to vinyl has become a unique experience for many teens and young adults throughout the world who have chosen to explore the once forgotten black wax. Photographer Ben Meadors and writer Owen McCafferty are setting out to discover what vinyl means to these people, and will create a full color photo documentary book to tell the story.

After collecting all the pictures and interviews, the team will compose a 180+ page full color photo-documentary-book to tell the story, and share their experiences with the world.

Owen and Ben have chosen to use the popular organizationKickstarter to help collect donations in order to cover the traveling and printing expenses of the project.

The project won’t receive funding if $6,500.00 isn’t raised by July 31st 2011, so visit the site and make a donation to help Ben and Owen make this exciting project a reality.

Keep an eye on their site for updates, photos, and stories. You can follow the project on Twitter via @newfaceofvinyl.

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TVD SF: The Ultimate Summer Playlist and The Stories Behind The Songs

By TVD | Published: June 1, 2011

I hope everyone survived Sasquatch/Folklife and enjoyed a weekend with some sunshine. Luckily we have ample time to recover for Block Party and Bumbershoot. I’m hoping sharing this post from TVD San Francisco will send Seattle the message that we are ready for the sun to stay! I love Jason’s summertime picks and I hope you do too! – Steph

Summertime and the livings easy…

Now that Memorial Day weekend is over, it’s time to pull together my ultimate summertime playlist. I find myself thinking of songs that remind me of my favorite summertime activities, which include, but are not limited to; drinking beer by the pool, drinking beer while grilling by the pool, and drinking beer from a keg by the pool while grilling and playing lawn darts or as they are more commonly known, “Jarts”. (Yes I am originally from the Mid-west) Now instead of giving you a clichéd list of summertime favorites put together for your next pool party or cookout, I decided to dig a little deeper and find out the stories behind a few summertime staples. The results speak for themselves.

“Feel Good Hit of The Summer” – Queens of the Stone Age– Conceived after a three-day Millennium party, backing vocals by the metal god himself Rob Halford, and a drug cocktail reference that would make Nikki Sixx blush, here’s my vote for all-time best Summer anthem.

“I Fought The Law” – The Clash – Much-covered classic originally recorded by Sonny Curtis and The Crickets (post Buddy Holly) in 1959 and famously covered by Bobby Fuller Four in 1965. Just as the song became a top ten hit, Bobby Fuller was found dead in a parked automobile near his Los Angeles home. The police considered the death an apparent suicide; however, many people still believe Fuller was murdered. The song was later covered by The Clash and then again by Green Day. The Clash version reigns supreme as it turns out that Green Day had never in fact fought the law, having only brushed up against it.

“Doin’ Time” – Sublime – “Doin’ Time” is a loose cover of “Summertime” by George Gershwin, composed for the opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics tell of a cheating girlfriend, whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he is in prison.

“Schools Out” – Alice Cooper –What’s the greatest three minutes of life asks Alice Cooper? “There’s two times during the year. One is Christmas morning, when you’re just getting ready to open the presents. The next one is the last three minutes of the last day of school when you’re sitting there and it’s like a slow fuse burning.” Cooper says, ‘If we can catch that three minutes in a song, it’s going to be so big.’” On a seperate note; the greatest three minutes of my life during high school can be attributed to the first time I, um, never mind.

“California Girls” – The Beach Boys – The music for the song came from Brian Wilson’s first LSD experience. According to Brian Wilson himself, shortly after taking LSD, he ran up to a bedroom and hid under a pillow, shouting “I’m afraid of my mom, I’m afraid of my dad.” Randomly, he got up, said “That’s enough of that” and went to a piano. David Lee Roth would later cover the song while suffering a different form of LSD referred to as Less Significant and Disappointing.

“Song #2” – Blur – The first time this song was played live lead singer Damon Albarn stated that “This one’s called ‘Song 2′, ‘cos we haven’t got a name for it yet”. The working title ended up sticking and the number two eventually became associated with the song. Other fun facts: it is the second track on the album, the second single from the album to be released, it reached #2 on the UK singles chart, is exactly two minutes long, and Woo-Hoo are the only 2 words you remember.

“Born To Run” – Bruce Springsteen – The prior year, Springsteen had released two albums to critical acclaim but with little commercial success. The lyrics to the song are appropriately epic for his last-ditch, all-or-nothing shot at the stars, yet they remain rooted in the universal desperation of adolescence. There is a rumor that the drums and cymbals are on separate tracks because the drum track was recorded and played backwards (the sound is consistent with backmasking and ‘tape flip’ can be heard during the middle of the first verse). Springsteen has so far offered no comment about the track’s backwardness.

“Dancing in the Streets” – Martha and the Vandellas – Written by Stevenson and Marvin Gaye, the song highlighted the concept of having a good time in whatever city the listener lived. The idea for dancing came to Stevenson from watching people on the streets of Detroit cool off in the summer in water from opened fire hydrants. The song was recorded in two takes. While produced as an innocent dance track, the song took on a different meaning when riots in inner-city America led to many young black demonstrators citing the song as a civil rights anthem to social change. The British press aggravated singer Martha Reeves by putting a microphone in her face and asking her if she was a militant leader. The journalist wanted to know if Reeves agreed, as many people had claimed, that “Dancing in the Street” was a call to riot. To Reeves, the query was patently absurd. “My Lord, it was a party song”, she said.

“Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina and the Waves – Estimates are that the song will have earned $1 million per year for the decade ending in 2010. According to a former employee of EMI, “Walking on Sunshine was the crown jewel in EMI’s catalog,” and it was one of EMI’s biggest earners from advertisers. The song is very popular in commercials and advertisers typically pay $150,000 to $200,000 per year to use the song. To put it in perspective, advertisers can get “Walking On The Sun” the mid nineties hit song from Smashmouth for about the same price as a bag of Skittles.

“Hot Fun In The Summertime” – Sly And The Family Stone – The single was released in the wake of the band’s high-profile performance at Woodstock, which greatly expanded their fanbase. It reached #2 on the U.S. pop chart and #3 on the U.S. R&B chart. Thematically, the song is a dedication to the fun and games to be had during the summer, although it has also been analyzed as a commentary on the race riots of the late-1960s. On a lighter note, if the riff sounds familiar it’s because the members of Toto have also cited it as the inspiration for “Hold the Line”.

What songs are essential to your ultimate Summertime playlist? Please join the conversation in the comment section below.

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TVD Portland: Pancakes And Pop Served Up For A Good Cause

By TVD | Published: May 13, 2011

Check out this show happening in Portland Sunday, May 22. The $1 pancakes and music combo, I’m into it. Who’s up for a little road trip? – Steph

The New York-based artist Dara Greenwald has some sturdy NW roots, having brought her stirringly political and personal work to Portland in February 2010 when she helped co-curate an exhibit at PNCA entitled Signs of Change: Social Movement Cultures 1960s to Now. Soon after that, Greenwald was diagnosed with cancer, which she is in the midst of treatment for as you read this. While she does have some healthy insurance, it’s hardly enough to cover the expenses she has incurred as a result of this diagnosis. So, her fellow arts community is raising up arms to help raise money to help stave off the piling up bills.

The first such event here in Portland is taking place on Sunday May 22nd at the art center Disjecta on 8731 N Interstate. For a sliding scale fee ($8 – $100), you can partake in a pancake breakfast and special performances by Stephen Malkmus and Rebecca Gates. The whole thing is going down from 11am until around 2pm with the music starting at noon. Screw this lazy Sunday nonsense, get up and get out for a good cause.

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TVD Portland: My First Record with Stephanie Schneiderman

By TVD | Published: May 12, 2011

Enjoyed reading this My First Record coming from Portland, check it out and enjoy. -Steph

Stephanie Schneiderman, former member of the folk-pop trio Dirty Martini, has just released her 7th solo album, Rubber Teardrop. It continues in the downtempo sexy electronica vibe that she cooked up with collaborator Keith Schreiner on her previous effort Dangerous Fruit but manages to turn up the heat and the intensity throughout.

I grew up in a house full of music. I have two older sisters and when we weren’t practicing on piano, French horn, clarinet and flute, we played records. We had this tiny little record player with horrible sounding speakers that kept cutting in and out. The first songwriters that stood out to me were Paul Simon, Pat Benatar and Billy Joel.

I used to play the album Glass Houses for hours while roller skating around the perimeter of my (tiny) basement absorbing the melodies and lyrics. I think what pulled me in were the stories told in the songs and Billy Joel. I loved his bravado. I loved his voice. I loved his band. And if I hear that album now I can remember the smell of my basement.

Another album that made an impact on me was Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young’s So Far. I discovered it when I was about 14 and I couldn’t get enough of the harmonies and listened to the whole album over and over again. I liked the feeling that I was taken on a ride from the beginning to the end. And I was drawn to the darker melodies which I think influence my writing to this day.

Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years is still one of my all time favorite albums. It’s an album that my parents played a lot and my earliest musical memories involve being at the beach listening to it. His songwriting is clean and poignant and creates so much room to breathe. The melody lines become that much more potent because they’re surrounded by space. Every word feels important. And then there’s so much ease about the whole thing. Most of my favorite songwriters have these same qualities.

Pat Benatar was and still is a huge inspiration for me. I’m part of the generation of young girls who stood in front of their mirrors singing her songs trying to emulate her foxiness. In The Heat Of The Night was the album I listened to a bunch. She brought such a different angle to rock and roll, a more feminine but equally bold approach. Her songs were punchy little gems and so easy to sing along to. I recently had the opportunity to open for her this last summer, and she’s still amazing.