I’m Shell Zenner, Leicestershire born and bred but now living and breathing Salford, Manchester and the North West.
I get my kicks from obscure instruments, flea markets, festivals, gigs and sharing the best new music around through my radio shows in the UK and US, single reviews I undertake for Manchester’s Chimp Magazine and in my online writing at shellzenner.com and also for Louder Than War and Mudkiss.
Whilst I don’t deny I legally download music online (I’m impatient!) and that I possess stacks of CDs which I upload to my iPod for listening on the move, I’m a staunch believer that there is no better format to enjoy a record on than vinyl, and tend to buy my favourite records on vinyl.
What makes it so special?.. Is it the crackle and warm sound that results as it turns? The beautiful look of the record with its stunning artwork and shiny vinyl or could it just be the shiny red colour of my 1960s Fidelity record player or the fact that it has a stacker that drops 7” records down one after another like I’m listening to a compilation…
…In truth, it’s probably a combination of all of those for me. But I’ll never forget the face of Andy from Local Natives when I asked him if he had a copy of their debut album Gorilla Manor on vinyl, and he excitedly said YES! I have it hidden in the bottom of my suitcase and no one is taking it from me! Our romantic side to vinyl still exists and you could say it’s having a bit of a resurgence with young bands seeing a limited 7″ release and download as the way to start out, not just a simple download.
So to this end, I’ll be writing about the vinyl I’m investing in and what makes both it and the music residing on it so special to me. I hope you’ll enjoy my posts and I hope they inspire you to go and support your local independent record store on a monthly basis and not just on Record Store day!
First up, a few of my favourite LP’s of the last year or so – I’ve pulled out a few for my header image above:
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart’s debut indie-pop smash, the quiet and almost bare sound of the XX, The lo-fi prowess of Dum Dum Girls, the 60’s garage rock tones of The Black Angels and the modern twist of Mark Ronson & The Business International all lying underneath my favourite album of 2010.
I love Beach House’s Teen Dream that much that I was first sent it on promo, purchased it on CD and then asked for the vinyl for Christmas off my folks.
What’s not to love? The artwork is simply that of a pink and white zebra, It’s a gatefold packaged with two sleeved vinyls, a dvd containing videos for all album tracks, a download code to be able to put the album on your iPod and a copy of the lyrics and some exquisite artwork in fold out form.
Bella Union have really spoiled us on this one, I wish other labels could be as thoughtful. The well thought out package complements the stunning nature of Beach House’s blissed out dreampop soundscape perfectly too, which works to make it a stunning album on every level.
Due to that 7″ stacker I mentioned earlier, I’m quite an avid fan of picking up 7″ singles from new bands and here is a couple I’ve picked up in the last couple of weeks that are well worth the investment:
Trophy Wife – ‘The Quiet Earth/ White Horses’ Double A Side
Oxford is the new hotbed of musical talent with bands like Foals, Chad Valley and Trophy Wife getting the musical world in a tizz. Having played former single ‘Microlite’ to death I made a special trip to Sheffield to see the latter in their live guise recently and was overawed. This double A-Side ‘The Quiet Earth/ White Horses’ is a diverse eclectic release that shows exactly what sets them out from the rest with its electronic ambient dance vibes, intensive drumming, strings and Jody’s almost dreamlike vocals, truly mesmerising.
Frankie & The Heartstrings – ‘Hunger’
The thing I love about Frankie & The Heartstrings is that they literally wear their hearts on their sleeves. Lead singer Frankie Francis just oozes emotion on new single ‘Hunger’ and you can’t fail to be entranced by his passionate lyrics and the sing-a-long antics from his heartstrings. With working class tales that we can all relate to and added brass to great effect, this could be their most defining moment.
Catch Shell on 90.3 WXLV Radio, US on Wednesdays at 12am ET (5am GMT), Saturdays at 8pm (wxlvradio.com) and on Thursdays at 9pm GMT and Sundays at 5pm on 94.4fm Salford City Radio, UK (salfordcityradio)
