4.20.2008

Stuff I Got on Record Store Day

I really hit the jackpot yesterday at my local record emporium. First of all, to celebrate the purchase of my new turntable and in acknowledgment of my middle-age status, I picked up some used vinyl, all of it replacing cassettes I've owned since the mid-1980s: Peter Wolf's Lights Out, David & David's Boomtown, John Fogerty's Centerfield, and the Replacements' Tim. Woot! I also picked up R.E.M's latest, which is really as much a return to their former glory as most of the reviews have been saying, and a 2-CD compilation of Thelonious Monk (for the price of a single CD). All of my selections were 20% off, which was an added bonus.

Apparently, purchasing vinyl selections on Record Store Day was the right choice, because there were a number of vinyl-only freebies awaiting the discriminating music consumer. Once I brought my selections to the counter, the store owner, Tim, began loading me up with all kinds of schwag, including two full-length vinyl samplers from Columbia and Universal, as well as a Destroyer/Wye Oak split 7" from Merge. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Also bestowed on me were the following CDs:

Redeye Distribution sampler
Fontana Distribution sampler
Best of Indie Rock sampler
Best of Metal sampler
Black sampler
Vice Records sampler (a DJ mix)
Happy Birthday to Me: a Sub Pop 20th anniversary sampler
and an EP of Paolo Nutini's "Live Sessions" (I've never heard of him before.)

Now, whether or not these samplers contain any interesting music remains to be heard, but the sheer amount of free music being handed out was a pleasant surprise. I was also given a 2008 Rhino Records wall calendar and offered a bunch of free stickers and pins.

So, not a bad haul overall. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I will spend hours at a time in a record store, whether or not I'm being offered free schwag, but it was nice to see a lot of the record labels getting into the spirit of the day and providing so much free music. This doesn't do much to dispel the average record label's insistence on shooting themselves in the proverbial foot by refusing to adapt to their customers' preferences as far as digital accessibility, or their attempts to criminalize their most loyal consumer base, but at least the local indie joints had one day out of the year where the labels were helping, rather than hindering, their operations. Hopefully, they won't be entirely subsumed by Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or iTunes for many more years.

4.18.2008

Danny Federici


Danny Federici, keyboardist and organ player with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band for 40 years, died yesterday afternoon after a three-year battle with melanoma. Federici was a key component of Springsteen's sound and a versatile performer, able to evoke tenderness in Springsteen's ballads and hardcore thumping in the Jerry Lee Lewis style for the Boss' rock & roll numbers. The E Street Band patterned their sound in the style of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound," especially in the first half of Springsteen's career, and it is difficult to imagine the band without Federici and his contributions. A fantastic performer, Federici's musicianship will be sorely missed.

A more detailed outline of Federici's career, from UK music magazine Uncut, can be found here.

Of course, Springsteen's official site has posted a short tribute, which includes a video of Federici's last performance with the band on their current tour.
I don't know if this means the end of one of the greatest rock & roll bands on the planet, but it will certainly never be the same.

I Need That Record!

Tomorrow (April 19) is Record Store Day, initiated to celebrate and promote increasingly threatened independent music stores. In a time when iTunes and Wal-Mart are the top two music retailers nationwide, indie music stores allow one to experience the joys of spontaneity and browsing, but are gradually being driven out of business by high rent, gentrification, and, of course, digital music.

My local record store--Groovacious--is offering 20% off everything in the store, live music, and door prizes. If you are fortunate enough to still have an indie music store in your area, you should drop by and check it out tomorrow. You might be surprised what you can find, and whoever is running the counter probably knows more about music than the teenage chumps working at Best Buy.

The four-minute trailer here is from a recent indie film (that I have not seen) that explores the unique cultural (and occasionally obsessive) experience of indie music stores. Don't let chain stores dictate your access to music!

Sorry if I sound too much like a shill here, but I really cherish the little shops where I've discovered hidden musical treasures. You will, too!

4.17.2008

Obama on Last Night's ABC Debate

I've never heard a series of such useless, pandering, and partisan questions as the ones asked by ABC's "journalists" in last night's Democratic debate. Neither the public's nor the candidates' interests were served, unless that candidate is John McCain. Even Fox News has done a better job hosting debates than ABC's dismal, irrelevant hosts. Here's Obama to give you his take on the whole debacle. I love this guy.

4.10.2008

Fresh

4.09.2008

Goddamn Batman Image of the Week


Isn't this gorgeous? I love how Robin is depicted as a gangly pre-pubescent kid. The artist is Frank Quitely, who has done some great work on Grant Morrison's run of New X-Men, and is currently drawing the best version of Superman since Curt Swan.
The image above is a variant cover for issue #10 of All-Star Batman and Robin, one of my favorite comics of the moment. Quitely comments on the image here.
Super-cool ginormous HD version of the image here.
He's the goddamn Batman!