April 2013
4 posts
RSD13
‘hope everyone had a good Record Store Day. I waited in line at my favorite shop in town, Criminal Records. I picked up a few exclusives along with something one of the employees at the shop recommended to me. The crowd seemed much larger than any previous RSD and I’m hoping this means more folks will regularly visit the shop and buy records. This particular Record Store Day...
March 2013
3 posts
You should also be listening to this!...
February 2013
4 posts
With Grimey's Too ready to open, the indie record... →
This is AWESOME! Congrats to Grimey’s! I remember buying Tortoise’s “It’s All Around You” on vinyl in the original Berry Hill location shortly before the move to 8th Ave. Great to see them growing in this way. Go local business! Go inde record stores!
January 2013
1 post
It's not really for you.
I ran across some random post on tumblr the other day where some kids were calling RSD “Rookie Record Collector Day” and complaining about long lines and having to compete with other customers to get their hands on exclusives. While I’ll admit that there is a bit of that and that really every payday should also be “Record Store Day”, these kids are kind of missing the...
December 2012
1 post
My favorite 15 records of 2012
Well, Hello…
I stopped posting on this tumblr sometime in mid October and somehow the readership of this thing continues to grow. I’ve often wanted to pick back up with P&R in some fashion (definitely not the draining daily frequency I started with) but never found the energy (or time, really). I may still do so at some point… but I haven’t decided how… and the...
October 2012
9 posts
2012.10.12 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your...
Color: Black
Release Date: 2000, October 9
Label: Constellation
Let the posting of GYBE! records continue. This was actually my formal introduction to the band back around the time of it’s release. It also reminds of a friend’s apartment back in Chicago. It seemed like I making several discoveries and having many conversations about music in general in that apartment. I’m...
2012.10.11 Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Slow Riot...
Color: Black
Released:1999, March 8
Label: Constellation
You knew it was entirely inevitable that I would start posting a bunch of GY!BE records after expressing just how much I had enjoyed their recent show in Atlanta and the impact that their new recording has already left on me. This 2 song EP contains the more brooding nature of Godspeed’s music (I know, I know… you’re...
2012.10.10 Belong - October Language
Color: Black
Released: 2006, February 8
Label: CarPark / Geographic North (2009 Vinyl)
I’ve almost posted this record several times… but then I had get all weird about it and force myself to wait for the appropriate month. To be honest the music contained within pretty much dictates that. The album is called October Language for a reason. Beginning with “I Never Lose. Never...
2012.10.09 The Sea and Cake - Runner
Color: Transparent Green
Released: 2012, September 18
Label: Thrill Jockey
The Sea and Cake have been around for some time now, and I definitely have older records of theirs I could be writing about (although, they are extremely recent additions to my collection). But this new record is really something. I’ve stated this elsewhere, but Runner is the perfect collection of feel good jams...
Slowly but surely...
Finally back to posting. I’m going to pick back up with today’s date and, hopefully tonight, start backdating on the days I missed.
‘kinda feels like I failed on the whole project. The move (and putting my life back together after the fact) ended up being more time consuming than I anticipated. I thought I’d miss a day or two and catch up… but it’s been over a...
2012.10.08 Godspeed You! Black Emperor -...
Color: Black
Released: 2012, October 15
Label: Constellation
A tour from GY!BE in 2012 would have been enough. But then the ensemble went and blessed us with the announcement of a new recording. A recording that, for fans able to see them on said tour (or at least the first few dates), was available before the world at large knew it existed in completed form. So here it is - almost ten years...
Introducing CUT/SCREEN
I teased this a few days ago. So here it is… CUT/SCREEN is a joint venture launched between two friends of mine that compiles iphone wallpapers inspired by other design/print work they’ve created for various projects. Eventually, I’m sure they’ll create some for the sole purpose of this new project… but as of now they’ve repurposed some of their great work for...
Nothing new here... Move along...
Guys. I can’t even GET to my records right now. #dontevermove
September 2012
37 posts
2012.09.29 The Album Leaf - There Is A Wind
Color: Black
Released: 2010, April 17
Label: Sub Pop
The Album Leaf WERE a band (a band of one primarily - former Tristeza member Jimmy LaValle) I was heavily interested in circa 2003. I was on board for their debut on Sub Pop in 2004 and it’s follow in 2006. Those releases were pleasant enough. The latter wasn’t offensive… but neither did it thrill. From that point the band...
Moving sucks.
Gosh. Posts this weekend are gonna be a bit late again. My girlfriend and I are moving. Shit has been hectic lately.
You guys forgive me right?
Oh, Also! ‘fun little announcement coming up soon about a project some friends of mine launched that I’ll be helping out with a bit.
2012.09.28 Dirty Three - Toward The Low Sun
Color: Black
Released: 2012, February 28
Label: Drag City/Bella Union
I was first introduced to Dirty Three by a good friend sometime in 2003, while living in Chicago. I liked what I heard just fine… but they weren’t an immediate favorite or anything. Like this friend, their music sort of drifted from me for a time. But earlier this year when the press machine began to roll out...
2012.09.27 Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country
Color: Black
Released: 2009, March 9
Label: Kranky
One of the many records in my collection that I fear no words can do justice. This evokes a certain feeling… a feeling of wordless emotion, a pulling at the heartstrings (to repeat a phrase from yesterday’s posting). There’s this prevailing feeling of something spiritual bubbling just beneath the surface of all the distortion and noise...
tgraph asked: Your blog is exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you
2012.09.26 Yo La Tengo - I Can Feel The Heart...
Color: Black
Released: 1997, April 22 (2009 Reissue)
Label: Matador
Favorite YLT album. First listened to this when I really didn’t know much about the band and had started with their most recent two full lengths before jumping to this. It became somewhat of a comfort during a pretty hard time in my life. It’s songs stuck harder than any other release of their’s I had heard up...
2012.09.25 Maserati - Maserati VII
Color: A&B - Clear w/ Gray Haze, C&D- Clear with Maroon Haze
Released: 2012, October 2
Label: Temporary Residence Limited
Moving is a pain in the ass. I’m just putting that out there. Moving (and packing up my records in order to move them) somewhat have forced my hand in to posting two records that I JUST got in the mail. But I don’t so much mind with this one. I’ve...
2012.09.24 Sleeping People - NOTRUF
Color: Black
Released: 2012, September 4
Label: Temporary Residence Limited
This is good. Real good. It’s only two songs… but it’s quality stuff and kind of a pleasant surprise that Sleeping People have returned. Some would dismiss this as music from a bygone era. It could easily be called “math rock” but there’s more depth than that for sure. First track...
Playing Catch-up
So I’m back from South Haven, MI/Chicago. I stood up in my friends Grant and Valerie’s wedding and it was a great time. So now I’m trying to catch up on this here blog and also begin moving into a new house as well as catch up on work and freelance projects. As a result “Today’s” post will probably go up tomorrow with “Tomorrow’s” at some...
2012.09.23 Shellac -1000 Hurts
Color: Black
Released: 2000, August 8
Label: Touch & Go
Ever since that Shellac show I caught in Chicago a few weeks ago, I’ve been taking that band even more seriously than I was before. I go to a decent amount of shows and it’s hard to remember details of a lot of those shows. But every now and then you go to a show and you walk away knowing you’re going to remember that...
2012.09.22 The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Color: Black
Released: 1987, May 25
Label: Elektra/Fiction
I’ll post this record today loosely in honor of my friends Grant and Valerie, who got married today. “Just Like Heaven” was played during their reception and I think going forward, listening to this record (at least when that song comes on) will remind me of them and the great time had at their wedding. Completing my...
2012.09.21 Retisonic - Return To Me
Color: Red /Black Splatter
Released: 2004, April 22
Label: SilverThree / Modern City
The band’s first full length and their overall most “poppy” collection. It wasn’t necessarily obvious until now, but there were always clever pop undertones bubbling beneath the music Farrell was putting out since the Bluetip days. And now with Retisonic, he’s wearing those...
Delay
Well folks, next few updates might be a few days late… In a spot where the wifi is nonexistent and so I might not be able to post. Seeing some good friends get married and taking part in it might be worth it though.
2012.09.20 Modest Mouse - The Moon And Antarctica
Color: Black
Released: 2000, June 13
Label: Epic / Matador
To me this record is somewhat of a modern classic. I know some people would argue that this album signaled their eventual decline, but this was my formal introduction to the band. I’m pretty sure I first heard this in the Uptown apartment of my friend Jessica Gockley - the same place where Built To Spill first came across this set...
2012.09.19 Obits - I Blame You
Color: Black
Released: 2009, March 24
Label: Sub Pop
Ok, I had to make sure I hadn’t already done this one. I loved (love - present tense?) Drive Like Jehu and then Hot Snakes, so naturally I would be curious about Obits, yes? Rock Froberg (and his raspy voice, that qualifies as one of the best in rock and roll)was probably my favorite things about those two previous bands. So I came in...
2012.09.18 Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Color: White
Released: 2012, June 5
Label: Polyvinyl
I guess sometimes you gotta be in the right mood. Right now, I’m not in the mood for this. Although, admittedly, I get in moods where I only want to hear certain things (*ahem* Juno … one of the greatest DeSoto Records bands… nay BANDS - period …ever). Anyway, I listened to this recently and wasn’t totally...
2012.09.17 Collections Of Colonies Of Bees -...
Color: White
Released: 2004, October 26
Label: Polyvinyl
This is me working my way backwards after discovering Collection Of Colonies Of Bees right when they released Birds. This record is very different from that record but it marks the gradual change CoCoBees made from two-man side project to full fledged band. The are motifs buried in some songs that later appear on Birds. But Customer is...
2012.09.16 Juno - Magnified And Reduced By Inches...
Color: ”Coke Bottle”
Released: 1997, February
Label: Jade Tree
Man, I miss Juno. I’m also incredibly bummed that I don’t own more by the band on vinyl. This and the band’s final full length are all I currently have. I make it a point to always search for their first full length whenever and wherever I shop for records. I miss Juno for a lot of reasons - one of them...
2012.09.15 Joy Division - Amsterdam
Color: Translucent Pink w/ Pink Marbling
Released: 1980(??)
Label: Bootleg
I was living in Nashville when I first started to actively buy vinyl. Sure, I had purchased the occasional record here or there, mostly at show and sometimes from a record store. But I’m pretty sure I can thank the wonderful selection of vinyl at Grimey’s for the early stages of my vinyl buying habits. So, I...
2012.09.14 Zoroaster - Matador
Color: Black
Released: 2010, July 13
Label: E1 Entertainment
I’m not totally familiar with Zoroaster. But this record was recommended to me by a good friend and so I decided to give it a listen. Out of the gate, I was pretty keen on the doom-laden sludgy assault the band tempered with atmosphere that bordered on shoegaze but veered just to side of eery and psychedelic. More importantly,...
2012.09.13 Bundy K. Brown, Doug Scharin, James...
Color: Black
Released: 1996 (2012 Reissue)
Label: Thrill Jockey
Yes. Yes. YES! Thank GOD for Thrill Jockey reissuing this on vinyl! This is classic Chicago “post rock”. Not the “post rock” that you may be thinking. But the kind of innovative stuff that was coming out when the term was first being kicked around. We all know that labels are silly… but bands like...
2012.09.12 Mogwai - Batcat EP
Color: Black
Released: 2008, September
Label: Matador
I’m always interested in whatever Mogwai puts out… even the B-sides and random one-off tracks. Not that they’re always successful or the most groundbreaking things. But it’s Mogwai… so they’re always worth listening to. But this release in particular is nice because of its final track. The band’s...
2012.09.11 Electric Hawk - Electric Hawk
Color: Black
Released: 2011, December(?)
Label: Listening Grade Music
Currently my favorite thing, musically. I just barely missed their set opening for Shiner in Chicago a few weeks ago, but at the insistence of my friends from there, I gave this record a shot. Like the True Widow record, I was pleasantly surprised. Except, with Electric Hawk, I can’t stop listening. Especially the track...
2012.09.10 Metavari - Studies Vol. 1: Loosen The...
Color: Gray w/ multi-colored marbling
Released: 2010, March
Label: Crossroads of America
This is one of the coolest looking records in my collection. Aesthetically - before even exploring some of the printing techniques or opening the record - things are off to a great start with the beautiful imagery of the expanse of outerspace and excellent typography on the front. Look closer… that...
2012.09.09 Hank Mobley - Mobley's Message
Color: Black
Released: 1956, July 20
Label: Prestige/Status
I’ve shied away an awful lot from including the jazz records in my collection on here. I don’t feel informed enough to intelligently comment on jazz as a whole. I just know that one time I walked into Chicago’s famous Jazz Record Mart (as I often would from time to time as it was in walking distance from a job I...
2012.09.08 Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lenses Alien
Color: Black
Released: 2011, August 30
Label: Barsuk
I never bought into the hype surrounding this band with their first release. I tried to really like them… and they just sort of seemed “OK”. On a whim, I listened a song from this record that was floating around the interwebs at the time. Suddenly I was hooked. But could the rest of the record be this good? Yes. Yes it could. Seemingly more...
2012.09.07 True Widow - I.N.O.
Color: White
Released: 2011, October 4
Label: Kemado / Mexican Summer
A recent acquisition and band newly recommended to me by a good friend in Chicago. I’m hesitant to take new recommendations these days because I feel like I am let down more often than not. The way the band were described to me by this friend, though, made this impossible to pass up. While browsing the racks at the...
2012.09.06 The Cancer Conspiracy - Omega
Color: Black
Released: 2008, February 12
Label: Radar Recordings / Gilead Media
Score one for the cheap-used-bin-find category! These are sometimes the most rewarding finds. ‘Like the time I found The Mercury Program’s All The Suits… for 4 bucks in the back of some random bin at a record show. I found this for 4 bucks at the Wicker Park Reckless in Chicago. Cancer Conspiracy...
