Record Store Day: April 21, 2012!

 

April 21st marks the 5th year of Record Store Day, a day for supporting your local record stores. All over town, St. Louis’ record stores and local labels will be presenting live music and purchase specials.

Euclid Records, Vintage Vinyl, and Apop Records will all feature bands over the weekend.  At Euclid, Doom Town and Magic City kick off the weekend on Friday night, starting at 7pm.   Saturday – Record Store Day proper – sees This City of Takers playing bright and early at 10am at Vintage Vinyl, followed by a showcase from Tower Groove Records all afternoon.  Bunnygrunt, the Skekses, and Warm Jets USA will all play, starting at 1pm. Later that night, Catholic Guilt plays at 5pm at Apop and Sleepy Kitty at 7pm at Euclid Records.

Beyond the live music, Record Store has been embraced by anybody who really matters in music these days. Bands recognize more and more the importance of physical places for consuming music and of supporting the independent businesses who have always supported musicians. Accordingly, there are more exclusive releases this year than any year yet. It’s not just records either: Special-released CDs, DVDs and even cassettes are also available.

Look for exclusive releases from The Misfits, 311, Potugal. The Man, Lou Reed, Uncle Tupelo, Thievery Corp., Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, Artic Monkeys, Otis Redding; Aretha Franklin, Phish, Bruce Springsteen, Common, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Devo, Jay Farrar, Wilco, and many, many more.

For a complete list, check out the website: http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

This entry was written by Scotty, posted on April 19, 2012 at 2:03 pm, filed under New Music, Upcoming, Vinyl and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Review: Water Liars ‘Phantom Limb’ Release at Off Broadway 02/24/12

Review and photos by Tara Pham
(click to enlarge photos)

 

Friday night saw the release of Water Liars’ much anticipated Phantom Limb at Off Broadway. Opening for the slow alt-country duo were Fred Friction and Bob Reuter’s Alley Ghost.

At roughly 9:15 with a mostly empty venue, Fred Friction took the stage. Clad in a white-on-white tie and shirt tucked into jeans on a skinny frame, Fred Friction seemed fittingly drunk to deliver his sad Western ballads, mostly about – you guessed it – scorned love and cheap sex. A few Stag bottles, lyrics forgotten, and song mistarts later, Fred Friction had established an audience split equally between charmed and bored. Fred Friction’s classic country songwriting became overshadowed by a likeness to the drunken depression of a truck stop open mic, seeming at once laughably entertaining and uncomfortably authentic.

 



By the time that Bob Reuter’s Alley Ghost was setting up, the Off Broadway crowd had filled out a bit more. A five-piece, including (of course) St. Louisan-to-the-bone and Bob’s Scratchy Records KDHX DJ Bob Reuter and Rum Drum Ramblers’ Mat Wilson, BRAG (fitting acronym?) exudes cool. The guys pull off sunglasses, cuffed jeans, dreadlocks, and old school hats – that is, paperboy hats and fedoras. BRAG achieves that brand of rock ‘n’ roll that you and your parents want to dance to; so, it didn’t take long for swing dancers to hit the dance floor. While Reuter belts a clear, melodic vox with rough edges in all the right places, his bandmates provide those choral echoes and spectacular instrumental solos that remind you what makes rock ‘n’ roll rock. Their set finished with a roar of cheers and whoops from a plenty lubricated audience.

 

After a teasing soundcheck from members Justin Kinkel-Schuster and Andrew Bryant, Water Liars began on the same feedback-laced, almost guttural guitar and drum blasts that kick off album Phantom Limb, on track “$100.” From that point on, the show was pure, creating that sense of connectedness between people that make these alt-country ballads so resonant. Much like he did in Theodore, Kinkel-Schuster performed a gut-wrenching, raw set that recordings can hint at but rarely capture.

 


Water Liars performed “Dog Eaten” and “Low & Long” to a dead silent, totally captivated audience. Through some of the harder, faster tracks like “Short Hair” and a cover of Hasil Adkins’ “Moon Over Madison,” the band hit every note and earned new fan after new fan.

 

The partnership between Kinkel-Schuster and Bryant is palpable. K-S has clearly found a platform that showcases his superb songwriting and haunting vocals. Quite frankly, he is demonstrating a skill that was always apparent with Theodore – but with Water Liars, it is not diluted by other members (who were powerful in their own right). K-S doesn’t need to share the stage with additional guitarists, bassists, horns, what have you. That said, there is a perfect balance with Bryant. Even at the back of the stage soaked in an anonymizing red light, Bryant commands a presence by way of his total passion for the songs. His committed snare and tom bangs punctuated graceful backing vocals and recurring grimaces wrought with the truth embedded in these songs. As they embark on a midwestern/southern tour, it’s safe to say that Water Liars will propel the national reputation of St. Louis music forward.

 

See it for yourself, when Water Liars plays an in-store at Vintage Vinyl on February 28th, at 6pm. The band will also be recording a Daytrotter Session on March 2nd, with a publication date TBA.

 

This entry was written by Tara, posted on February 26, 2012 at 8:30 pm, filed under Live, New Music, Photo Gallery, Review and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

ReWrite #7/8/9: The Lost Tracks

Sorry for the hiatus there, noble Eleven readers, but have no fear, I’m back to hit you with a triple pack of hot wax from The Record Exchange and Vintage Vinyl.

First up, a timeless dance floor groove from Gary’s Gang, “Keep On Dancin’.”  While the first half this 1978 track may have moments that boarder on cheese, the whistles, raw toms and top to bottom synths keep it stylish after the breakdown (cocaine may or may not authenticate experience).

 

This next track, “Dancin at the Disco,” by Lax from 1979 on legendary disco label Prelude turns up the energy.  Switching back and forth from smooth and dreamy to punchy and bright, Lax hooks you in with a huge, driving sound full of brass, synths, percussion and feverish vocals.

 

Jumping ahead about 10 years to a release from iconic Chicago house label Trax, artists Marshall Jefferson, Curtis McClaine and Rudyard Forbes deliver a pounding, deep track in “Let’s Get Busy,” and we’ll be taking a look at the dub mix.  Featuring a dark four on the floor filled in with machine gun claps and snares, as well as a rubber band bass line that pushes and pulls your body along, the trio bring soul and house into one raw, heart-stopping groove.

 

 

 

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on November 3, 2011 at 6:18 pm, filed under The ReWrite and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #4: Shine On

Working my way through the “Soul” section once again at hometown staple, Vintage Vinyl, I unexpectedly stumbled across this cosmic/tribal (I know, it sounds like these descriptors should be antagonistic, but trust me, it works oh so well) disco track by Instant Funk, “Bodyshine” mixed by Tee Scott. The first few bars lay down a crisp, dark groove, accented with sizzling a 4×4 hi-hat laid over a syrupy, popping bassline. Seeing as this single comes from the album Witch Doctor, one could imagine an entranced tribe moving in synch as the rhythm pounds and percolates through the night air. Then, as if taking a quantum leap towards the stars, the earthbound sounds are set ablaze with an incendiary synth that reaches higher and deeper than humanly possible. Now, enter the chant chorus, and the tribal/comsic marriage is complete. Rich in textures, flowing seamlessly from full arrangements to sparse breakdowns makes this track a compelling one that will surely keep your bodies shining through even the darkest hours of night.

In the case of this track, the mixer, Tee (Toraino) Scott, stands as almost more historically important than the artist. As the resident DJ at the legendary NYC club Better Days, he was responsible for not only popularizing the sounds and aesthetics of modern dance music, but also developing and crafting the role and techniques of the modern DJ. Without icons like Tee Scott, Larry Levan, Frankie Knucles, etc., there would be no 2720, no Upstairs Lounge, no Urban Lounge, no nightlife as we understand it. This piece of vinyl and its creator represent the birth of a culture, whose influence can be seen and felt on any given night of the week, yet garners little respect in most music circles today. Ok, that feels like enough history lecturing for now. Time to shine.

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on August 20, 2011 at 3:59 pm, filed under The ReWrite and tagged , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The ReWrite #3: Orchestral Nastiness

In this week’s ReWrite, we’re hitting up a St. Louis institution for some classic 1970s American disco-funk. After a fruitful day of digging through the vast crates at Vintage Vinyl, I came up with “Nice n Nasty,” a swagged out and laid back 1976 cut from the Salsoul Orchestra. Opening up with a minimal, but nonetheless driving drum rhythm, then quickly layering up with bass and horn lines fit for the swankiest of pimp struts, this track wastes no time getting you on your feet. After establishing control over your body, dreamy and seductive strings and vocals let your mind drift into unspoken realms of nastiness, dripping with sexual overtones that bar nothing and encourage everything. Good for a party starter or a late night jam, this track offers something for everybody. Be sure to stick around through the sax solo for a breakdown that will stop hearts and make the floor shake. With production by Vincent Montana Jr., who worked with sensational acts such as the O’Jays, First Choice, The Delphonics and the Jackson 5, “Nice n Nasty” delivers a raw, yet full sound guaranteed to get your party patrons nasty on the floor.

The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing group for the iconic 1970′s disco/funk/latin label Salsoul Records and included many players from MFSB, who comprised the house band for the Philadelphia International Records label and were instrumental in creating the “Philly sound” that dominated the early part of the decade and the hi-hat driven sound of the latter part. Also associated with Salsoul Records was visionary (read: fucking insanely talented) producer Tom Moulton, credited with developing not only the 12″ single format, but also the “breakdown section” of a song and…….and the remix. Think to yourself, where would dance music, let alone the music industry as a whole, be without remixes?

 

 

This entry was written by Scott Trausch, posted on August 4, 2011 at 11:42 pm, filed under The ReWrite, Vinyl and tagged , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Record Store Club Thursday: LP3

This week’s Record Club entry was taken from Eleven’s Private Stock.

This week, we threw on our copy of Ratatat’s LP3, which is always a good call.

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This entry was written by Eleven Magazine, posted on August 5, 2010 at 1:18 pm, filed under Vinyl and tagged , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Record Club Thursday: The Shadows of Knight

 
This week’s Record Club entry was mailed to us (figuratively) by Phono-Mode

“Finish reading these liner notes, or you’ll be cursed.  You have in your hands a collectors item—the first album of The Shadows of Knight.  One day you may want to bronze it, put it in a time capsule or give it to your heirs.  Right now you’ll begin to lose part of your  mind if you play it.”

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This entry was written by Julia Trabulsi, posted on July 7, 2010 at 6:43 pm, filed under Vinyl and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Record Store Day: 4/17

Record Store Day is here again!  Get set for a monster afternoon and evening of music of the live, vinyl, and compact disc varieties (among many, many others).  Here’s an up-to-date schedule of events for three of St. Louis’ biggest & baddest record stores:

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This entry was written by Josh Petersel, posted on April 15, 2010 at 6:39 pm, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Photos: Titus Andronicus @ Vintage Vinyl, 3/14/2010

Photo by Louis Kwok. More on Flickr

This entry was written by Eleven Magazine, posted on March 17, 2010 at 5:00 pm, filed under Live and tagged , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.