Friday, September 20, 2013

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

 
our friends at MusicRecordShop and a local radio station in st. louis (KDHX) are having a cool vinyl contest, head on over and get your entry in!
 
For The Record: A Giant Vinyl Giveaway Contest

Music Record Shop  in Kirkwood enjoyed our 2013 Mid-Year lists so much, they decided to donate the Top 10 national releases to KDHX from their giant collection. And we thought that was pretty cool, and that it would make a pretty awesome prize for you vinyl enthusisasts out there. And, hey, most of these include a digital download card as well, for the needle-impaired. They include:

1. Son Volt - Honky Tonk
2. Veronica Falls - Waiting for Something to Happen
3. Richard Thompson - Electric
4. Villagers - Awayland
5. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Specter At the Feast
6. Mount Moriah - Miracle Temple
7. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
8. The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow
9. !!! - Thriller
10. Big Boi - Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors

So, how do you win all 10 of these records? In the comments section, we're looking for the best story about the first album you ever owned -- be it record, cassette, CD or even (gasp) digital album purchase.

THE SIMPLE RULES

1. One entry per person, please.
2. This contest runs from Wednesday, September 18 to Monday, September 23 at 3 p.m. CST

Visit KDHX for all the details!

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what's hot on vinyl at amazon?

Amazon's Top 10 Best Selling Vinyl Records

1. Death Grips - No Love Deep Web
2. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
3. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
4. Artic Monkeys - AM
5. Daft PunkRandom Access Memories
6. MGMT - MGMT
7. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
8. Nirvana - In Utero
9. Paul McCartney - New
10. Adele - 21

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from our friends at Sundazed

A Vault of Vintage Psychedelia

The Strawberry Alarm Clock’s unique sound—full of beautiful, day-glo pop surrounding jagged, fuzzy guitars and organs, among other garage-rock influences—is explored through a number of dreamlike gems contained in these three volumes, all presented as originally issued! Their smash “Incense and Peppermints,” which reached #1 in late 1967 and remained in the Billboard pop chart for 16 weeks, is included on The Best of Strawberry Alarm Clock, and Wake Up...It’s Tomorrow and The World In A Sea Shell contain fan favorites (and ’60s psych gold) like “Love Me Again,” “Sea Shell,” “Barefoot in Baltimore,” “Sit With the Guru,” and many more—all mastered from the stereo UNI reels in definitive 180 gram editions!

Wake Up... It's Tomorrow

Wake Up...It’s Tomorrow, The Strawberry Alarm Clock’s second album, is what many fans consider the most ambitious musical statement of the band’s career. Includes “Tomorrow,” “Sit with the Guru,” and the haunting “Pretty Song from Psych-Out,” theme of the cult-classic film of the same name, on 180 gram vinyl.





The World In A Seashell

More gentle grooves and soaring voices! An adventurous mixture of psychedelia and lush pop, The World In A Sea Shell includes “Love Me Again,” a nod to their earlier, harder sound, plus “Sea Shell,” “Barefoot in Baltimore” and other day-glo psych masterpieces on 180 gram vinyl.




The Best of The Strawberry Alarm Clock

The Best of Strawberry Alarm Clock is a vintage collection from 1970 that includes key tracks from all four of the band’s albums—“Incense and Peppermints” among them—plus the rarely heard non-LP singles “Desiree” and “Starting Out the Day,” now on 180 gram vinyl.


Order your choice or all three at Sundazed!





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new releases from our friends at MusicOnVinyl

Clannad - Nadur

Clannad's brand new album Nádúr is the first release of new material since their 1998's Grammy winning Landmarks. At last, the five original members are back together for the first time since 1989's Past Present.

Celebrating a forty year recording career and over 15 million album sales, Nádúr finds Clannad back in their signature Irish mystical Folk sound. With a world tour planned in support of album, Clannad is back on the scene and have Nádúr as their weapon of choice when conquering the hearts of millions of new fans, while retaining the love of their loyal fan base. 180 gram audiophile vinyl and Insert


Alan Parsons Project - I Robot (Legacy) 

The art of the concept album, as developed and refined by the Alan Parsons Project over the course of their 10 albums released between 1976 and 1987, is celebrated with a Deluxe Edition release of I Robot (Legacy Edition). The first record of this commemorative package will comprise of a newly remastered version of the original album, which has generated multi-platinum worldwide sales and included the U.S. Top 40 single, "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You." The second record features 14 bonus tracks from the Sony Music archives, nine of which are previously unreleased.

The production of I Robot (Legacy Edition) has been personally overseen by Alan Parsons and Sally Woolfson, the daughter of APP songwriter, manager, lead singer and musician, the late Eric Woolfson (1945-2009). The accompanying 8-page booklet includes a new liner notes essay by Alan Parsons, plus the lyrics as published in the original LP, rare archival photography, and other memorabilia. 180 gram audiophile vinyl / 8 page booklet / Gatefold sleeve



Roger Mcguinn - Roger Mcguinn 

After leaving The Byrds, front man Roger McGuinn released a self-titled solo album to great critical acclaim in 1973. Going back to basics, McGuinn does what he does best: his unique recipe of energetic Folk Rock combined with his strong voice delivers a compelling album. His newfound artistic freedom didn't stop him from inviting friends like Bob Dylan on "I'm So Restless", frequent Dylan collaborator Jacques Levy as co-songwriter and his old The Byrds band mates on "My New Woman" to appear on his album. Even Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys joins in on "Draggin'" and David Crosby can also be heard on this album. Roger McGuinn hasn't been available on vinyl for over 25 years! 180 gram audiophile vinyl and Insert



Charles Mingus - Changes Two

It's been almost 40 years since Charles Mingus' Changes Two was released yet the album is still widely regarded as a timeless classic. Recorded in 1974 at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York between Christmas and New Year's Eve, the follow-up to Changes One contains definitive versions of the Mingus classic "Orange Was The Colour Of Her Dress, Then Slik Blue", trumpetist Jack Walrath's "Black Bats and Poles," and Sy Johnson's "For Harry Carney."

Finally available on newly glistening black 180 gram audiophile vinyl gold, this is the first vinyl re-issue since its original 1975 release!



Donovan - Barabajagal

British Folk singer Donovan found his creative peak on Barabajagal (1969), allowing him to open up the American Pop market to his unique brand of music. The album contains standout tracks like "Atlantis", "Superlungs My Supergirl" and the title track, the latter two being performed with The Jeff Beck Group as backing band. Furthermore, Donovan collaborated with Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and guitarist Big Jim Sullivan on several songs.   180 gram audiophile vinyl




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from ThrillJockey.com

Wooden Shjips - Back to Land

Wooden Shjips’ rise to prominence from the psychedelic underground to the rock and roll overground has been a steady sojourn. With each consecutive release, the band has found new ways of transforming heady psychedelic rock into minimalist masterpieces, bridging the gap between the woozy freeness of Les Rallizes Denudes and Crazy Horse and the tightly wound simplicity of Suicide and the Velvet Underground. Back To Land, the quartet’s follow-up to West, is the first Wooden Shjips record to be conceived outside of San Francisco. Ripley Johnson and Omar Ahsanuddin moved to Oregon, where the lush climates became a major influence on the songwriting. The band’s scope expanded to include more earthy, grounded tones, such as the acoustic guitar, without abandoning their modernist psych core.

There is an increased brightness to many of the songs on Back To Land, an easiness with which the band has flirted with in the past but never fully realized until now. The nervy urgency of West has evolved into an assured confidence, from the alliterative, interlocking guitar and organ groove of “Ruins” to the languidly compelling guitar solos of “Servants.” The addition of the acoustic guitar to the band’s textural palate is coupled here with some of the most melodically direct songs the band has written.

Still, there are still plenty of signature Shjips songs, with distorted riffs, modal keys, and a steady, crisp drum sound unfolding intensely while the elongated melodic guitar lines drift in and out of the foreground. On Back to Land this energy is captured in clear detail, designed as an immersive experience rather than a passive blasting. Back To Land was laid to tape at Jackpot Recording Studios in Portland by Kendra Lynn and mixed by Larry Crane. It was recorded over an 11-day session, resulting in some of the most detailed and spacious recordings of their career.

Back To Land is a breakthrough record for the Wooden Shjips: nuanced, varied and utterly addictive. The band will be touring extensively in the US and Europe November through February.

This is a pre-order for November 12th street date.  All orders containing Back To Land will ship close to the November 12th street date.

CD version is packaged in a 4 panel mini-LP style gatefold package with high gloss UV printing that is then inserted into a custom die-cut O-Card slipcase.

LP version is pressed on opaque pink vinyl and packaged in a heavy duty old-style tip-on gatefold jacket with an artworked flood on the pocket (ala Neil Young "On the Beach").  The jacket also features high gloss UV printing and is housed in a deluxe die cut slipcase. A free download coupon is included. For a limited time all mailorder customers ordering the vinyl LP edition will receive a bonus 7" featuring two non-album tracks : "Colours" and "These Shadows (Acoustic Version)". The pink vinyl edition is ONLY available through Thrill Jockey mailorder and the band's merch table.

In addition to these deluxe packages ALL mailorder customers who pre-order the CD or LP edition will also receive a free download of the non-album 7" track in advance.  "These Shadows (Acoustic Version)" will be released on ITunes on Sept 16th.  At that time all pre-order customers will begin receiving a complimentary download of the track.

Pre-Order at ThrillJockey

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from north of our border, a new record store is branching out!

Press Release:
KOPS RECORDS COMMITS TO FUTURE OF VINYL WITH 2ND LOCATION

At a time when the music industry struggles to monetize music and record stores are either closing or focusing on DVD's and memorabilia, Kops Records is expanding. Toronto's oldest independent record store in business since 1976 on Queen West is opening a second location in the Annex on September 28, 2013.

What sets Kops Records apart from most other record stores is the commitment to the history of recorded music. Time spent in the store most often results in discovering new (or old) music or learning about obsolete recording formats such as Edison wax cylinders from the late 1800's.
Nick and Martin Koppel run the family owned business and its their passion for music of all genres that keep them looking to the future. "Although there have been much anticipated albums re-issued, there are many more that haven't been," says Nick. "The history of recorded music is primarily on vinyl and Kops Records prides itself with presenting and preserving the history of music."

Kops is a leading source of deep roots-based music across all genres with sections dedicated to rock, jazz, hip hop, blues, country, soul, comedy, soundtracks and more including an extensive Canadian collection representing a century of recorded music. In addition to the beloved LPs, the store also stocks 78s and the largest collection of 45s in Canada.

With the new location, Kops will continue their tradition of hosting live performances with a jam space in the basement and a performance space in the garage at the back of the store. Many activities are planned for opening day with performances to be announced soon.

KOPS RECORDS OPENING DAY: Saturday, September 28, 2013 at 592 Bloor West.

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more vinyl news from the great state of illinois!

Record store grand reopening in Bloomington






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food and vinyl - why not?

From This Week’s Billboard: Why Target, Whole Foods Are Making a Play For Vinyl






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wonderful perspective from a man who is busy loving his vinyl!

The Indoorsman: Veni, vidi, vinyl: Life’s soundtrack, one disc at a time

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from the land down under, more vinyl love

Boronia shop could be one of Melbourne's oldest surviving mainstream music stores

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from the uk, a new record store!

New independent record shop opening in Birmingham this weekend

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Universal Music Re-Releasing Vinyl Versions Of Classic Albums From 50 Cent, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Slick Rick & More

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Watch a mini-documentary about seminal Chicago house label Sunset Records

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Jimi Hendrix planned two-band future in last interview

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The Art Of Metal Book Set To Be Released On October 15










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Where to start with Thelonious Monk






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GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 9/09 - 9/15, 2013

Vinyl Top 25:
1. Arcade Fire - Reflektor 12"
2. Arctic Monkeys - AM
3. Moon Taxi - Mountains Beaches Cities
4. Neko Case - The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight...
5. Drive-By Truckers - Alabama Ass Whuppin'
6. Man Man - On Oni Pond
7. Diarrhea Planet - I'm Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
8. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City
9. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
10. Bob Dylan - Another Self Portrait
11. Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze
12. Goldfrapp - Tales Of Us
13. Body/Head - Coming Apart
14. Jacuzzi Boys - Jacuzzi Boys
15. Belle & Sebastian - Third Eye Centre
16. Okkervil River - The Silver Gymnasium
17. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
18. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
19. Jason Isbell - Southeastern
20. Birthday Party - Live 81-82
21. Rayland Baxter - Feathers & Fishhooks
22. Old Crow Medicine Show - Carry Me Back
23. Rodriguez - Cold Fact
24. Ben Folds Five - Live
25. Father John Misty - Fear Fun

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and if you near nyc, check the record fair out!