My 23-year-old daughter Al bought her first turntable a week ago and I could not be prouder. We have been talking about this for a while now she finally pulled the trigger. We went to the Needle Doctor and had a few models in mind: a Pro-Ject RPM 1.3 (my main table) a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (my living room table) and a a Rega RP1. I was kind of hoping for the Rega as I was interested in having yet another table in the family. Fortunately I have raised my daughter right and her idea of buying a turntable is not a Crosley toy from Urban Outfitters.
Patrick from the Needle Doctor helped us and added to our list of possibilities the Music Hall mmf-2.2 le. We were intrigued. It appeared to be a Pro-Ject that had been hot-rodded (the Music Hall is manufactured in the same factory as Pro-Ject and shares some components). The Ferrari red color did not hurt its cause either.
As we were weighing our options we got some influence from Leland Leard (VP of Sales and Marketing) and Roy Hall (founder) of Music Hall who happened to be visiting the Needle Doctor that day. When Leland walked over to give us a pitch, Al had already dialed into the Music Hall and the only open question was if she was going to upgrade to an acrylic platter or not. The fact that the guys from Music Hall were there was too heavy of karma to deny – Al was hooked and so was I. She ended up going with the acrylic platter upgrade.
Once our decision was made the Music Hall guys invited us for a wee dram of Scotch (Roy Hall is a Scotsman after all). And this was no mere Scotch, but Lagavulin (a 16-year-old single malt Islay).
Al cashed out and we headed over to her apartment to set things up. I loaned her an old Yamaha bookshelf unit (her next purchase is an amp and speakers – but the Yamaha should buy some time).
A few weeks earlier Al had purchased a nice piece of furniture from Nadeu Furniture in Minneapolis. The piece was the perfect size to store vinyl LPs and the top was a good platform for the new turntable.
I set up the stereo and plugged in my iPhone and played some Lake Street Dive via Spotify (Al had turned me on to the band earlier this year). Now it was time to set up the turntable. Al unpacked it and I set it up. Pretty simple set up – assuming you have some familiarity with turntables – unlock the motor, level the table, drop on the platter, balance the arm and put a little weight on (1.75). Within a few minutes we were ready to play some wax.
I brought over some LPs from my collection and I presented Al with a table-warming-gift for the occasion: Ryan Adams Gold. This album has a lot of sentiment for us as we played it on repeat in the car for months when it first came out in the fall of 2001 – she would have been 10 at the time. The first concert she attended was about a year later and it was Ryan Adams – I remember it well. We got dressed up and went to dinner in downtown Minneapolis at the Cafe di Napoli which used to be across the street from the State Theater where Adams was playing. It was very special night.
We zipped through several selections as I demonstrated the tricks of pulling an LP out of its sleeve without touching the face, cleaning a record and dropping the needle in the groove. We were a little rushed for time so we moved on.
A few days ago Al emailed me to say how much she was enjoying the turntable and how much Adam’s Gold impressed her on vinyl. I find it interesting how music reveals itself on vinyl. Some of this is because it actually sounds better, but I think the biggest thing is “active listening.” Vinyl forces you to slow down and smell the roses vs. audio wallpaper that is most music we “listen” to.
Welcome to crate digging kiddo!
Here is an appetizer to the upcoming Toki Wright & Big Cats album Pangaea. My son turned me on to 2009’s A Different Mirror by Toki Wright when it first came out and I really liked it. Big Cats’ For My Mother was on my “best of” list in 2012. So I am really looking forward to this album later this year.
This past weekend I saw a partial set of Toki Wright and Big Cats at the Lyn Lake Festival. It sounded real good. I ran into Toki on the street and introduced myself – he offered me this EP and suggested I try it on my ears.
Well this little taste makes me want the whole meal. Great beats, nice flow and thinking man’s lyrics. Just what you expect from these gentlemen. Take a taste yourself.
I am not quite sure how I discovered St. Paul & The Broken Bones, but I think stumbled across the “Call Me” video (see below). I think it might have been a Saturday morning in bed. My wife asked me what I was listening too/watching and I told her. She wondered if they are coming to town. I Googled and found out they were playing in town within the next couple months. We just bought tickets out of the blue – that is way more spontaneous than normal.
After buying the tickets I listened to the band several times on Spotify. I loved this band, but I decided it did not want to spoil my appetite and was going to keep my chastity for the live experience. So I put it out of my mind with a promise to myself that I would pick up a vinyl LP at the show.
Fast forward to last night – it has been a long time since I have been at a show that has given me sustained goosebumps and completely separated me from my troubles for 90 minutes. Paul Janeway is an absolute force – a voice that channels Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam Cook and a body that …well doesn’t match. And the cherry on top is that Jameway has great stage presence – a true entertainer.
His voice on the LP sounds great, but to hear the instrument live is beyond belief. If he can sustain his soul scream for a couple of years he will be a star. It has the intensity of a fire hose and the agility of a butterfly. I am no expert on the neo-soul scene, but this guy has got be the shining star.
The LP is filled with soul classics – but it is not – it is all originals. You swear you know these songs. At the Varsity they played the album through with a few covers – and you could barely tell the difference between the originals and covers – it all sounded classic.
The show was 5 star, but the band took it up a notch when Janeway pulled Lizzo on to stage for a soulful game of volleyball via “Change Is Gonna Come.” They crushed it – but there was more – a Muscle Shoals version of “Hey Jude.” The sold out crowd at The Varsity was signed, sealed and delivered. This show reminds me why I love music – it was a soul kiss/pure bliss. Thanks to my lovely wife for suggesting the spontaneous purchase of tickets a couple of months back.
Check out the StarTribune/Vita.mn review here.
I have been a Coldplay fan since their debut Parachutes in 2000. At the time I was a big Radiohead fan who was confused by Kid A. Coldplay sounded more like Radiohead than Radiohead sounded like Radiohead at the time. Coldplay has never been a particularly original or innovative band, but man do they know how to execute. They may seem like Radiohead lite or U2 lite, but they do it so well it is impossible to criticize. They followed their debut with a masterpiece of pop: A Rush of Blood to the Head – every song on that album was perfect. If they did nothing else they would have a place in pop history.
Ghost Stories shows that nearly 20 years into the game they still have their pop chops. Coldplay is confident enough to step down from the arena stage and make a stripped down and simple affair. Less anthems, instead quite storms. It is cotton candy, a guilty pop pleasure.
“Always In My Head” starts the album in a in an atmospheric swirl. It is mellow and whimsical. It abruptly ends.
“Magic” mashes early pop Radiohead with John Mayer.
“Ink” invokes Peter Gabriel with lighter lyrics.
“True Love” is pure Coldplay with a rare guitar solo.
“Midnight” is Bon Iver only better – a true ear worm
“Another’s Arms” has a cool sample (Jane Weaver’s Silver Chord) which seems like it was designed for Coldplay. The female vocal is a very nice variation.
“Oceans” – Every alr-rocker want to be Nick Drake. Coldplay puts on that mask and spices up the acoustic strum with a sonic cherry on top (a sonar ping in the right channel). It is pretty damn beautiful. It ends with a cool instrumental coda.
“A Sky Full Of Stars” is classic Coldplay – the big epic single. It is arena ready. It has a bit of a hip hop feel begging for a rap over or Rihanna cameo. Close your eyes and see the confetti falling through the disco ball shards. This is a roll your windows down, turn up the volume summer single.
The album ends quietly with a piano ballad “O.” It is a sonic seagull floating in the wind. It thickens at the end.
The Target bonus CD has three more songs:
- “All Your Friends” which is a throw away.
- “Ghost Story” is the brightest add-on – a simple but elegant arrangement that is a true bonus. In an another era it would have been that obscure, but brilliant B-side single.
- O (Reprise)” gives us a fat surf guitar: it is dripping – it is soaking.
In summary this is not ground breaking stuff, but it is so perfectly executed you just need to appreciate it as the custard filled Bismark that it is.
There is nothing better in rock and roll than the break up album: anger, bitterness, regret and melancholy are great inspirations. The Black Keys’ Turn Blue is a great break up album in the grand tradition as Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. I am a long time Keys fan and I think this is their best album to date. It is a progression – the growth of their sound. As much as I like the Keys there has been a sameness to the sound of their albums. Turn Blue has their most diverse sound yet. Producer Danger Mouse is a full partner – his Spaghetti Western shtick plays well with the Black Keys. Dan Auerbach is no longer content with just cool riffs, he has discovered is inner guitar god and is squeezing out sparks with real guitar solos. Even better Auerbach has unleashed his vocals and it turns out he has an awesome falsetto among other voices he has been hiding in the mud.
The first cut is an epic Neil Young/Pink Floyd sounding mash-up: “Weight of Love.” Clocking in at close to seven minutes this psychedelic song sets the mood for the album: this is not going to be the usual Keys dirty riff rock, but an evolutionary – if not revolutionary – sound.
Next comes “In Time” which has the strong presence of producer Danger Mouse. Auerbach gives a great break up line:
“You got a worried mind
I got a worried heart”
“Turn Blue” his a mellow tune with a My Morning Jacket feel.
The lead single “Fever” is the most typical Black Keys song on the album. Although it is nice hit single, it does the album a disservice as a calling card to what grand progression Turn Blue is to the Black Keys resume. But you can’t beat the cheesy Farfisa organ.
“Year in Review” gives us the great break up lament: “Why you always wanna love the ones that hurt you?”
“Bullet in the Brain” reprises the sound of “Weight of Love.”
“It’s Up to You now” gives us another great jamming guitar solo. I am sure songs like this are what really pisses Jack White off about the Keys, but I am not sure how a music thief like Jack can every cry foul about getting ripped off.
When I first heard “Waiting On Words” I assume it was a guest vocalist. This is a beyond-belief falsetto from Auerbach. There is nothing false about this falsetto. This is what I love about this album – not a typical Black Keys song at all. A bonus is the line “My love for you is real, I….” Love the dangling “I…”
“10 Lovers” has that strong Danger Mouse feel. Vocally Auerbach echoing himself call and response and the lead voice is John Legend suave and soulful. Honey vocals and vinegar lyrics – A heartbreaking dagger at an ex-lover that that plays dirty by bringing the kid into the battle:
“The little girl can’t comprehend
She had another dream that her mama’s gone
She’s alright, but you’re all wrong”
If Paul McCartney where using the Black Keys for his back up band it might sound like “In Our Prime” Key line from the album: “We made our mark when we were in our prime”
The album ends with another atypical song “Gotta Get Away,” which would not be out of place on a 80s Rockpile album.
After successfully elbowing themselves into legitimate arena rockers, I think this is a pretty daring album. Not content to rest on their laurels, the Keys take a giant step forward – not by being weird, but by sharpening their pop chops. I love that Auerbach is spinning out long-winded guitar solos. I fully endorse Danger Mouse making the Keys a threesome. This is a great pop-rock album and should make a great summer soundtrack.
A great introduction to this album is the recent All Songs Consider interview/preview of Turn Blue.
Last Tuesday morning I dialed in the new Atmosphere album on Spotify for my morning run – I have been enjoying it every day since. I am a marginal hip hop fan, but got hooked on Atmosphere in late 2005 with their album You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having through my son (a true hip hop fan) and because they are from my hometown (Minneapolis).
Most people my age (55) find hip hop an abomination. I tend to come to music with a pretty open mind and being a fan of funk and soul jazz hip hop mostly works for me. I find the use of samples brilliant re-purposing and rapping is not that far a deviation from my musical heroes like Bob Dylan and Lou Reed.
Southsiders is resonating with me more than 2011’s The Family Sign, but that may have more to do with my current mood and receptiveness than anything flawed with that album (I re-listened to it yesterday on a bike ride and it sounded pretty damn good).
Southsiders is a return to a simpler Atmosphere – just Slug and Ant. One of the reasons that I have always liked Atmosphere is Ant makes amazing beats. They are simple, catchy and soulful. Southsiders has that classic Atmosphere sound.
Another reason I have liked Atmosphere is Slug tells stories with his raps. His stories are about real stuff you can relate to: falling in love, relationship troubles, dead-end jobs, having kids, loss, fucking up, etc. Atmosphere does not pander to youth culture, they define “keeping it real.” Southsiders is reflective without being mopey. It is anthematic without being dumb.
The sign of a good album is that it continues to reveal itself on repeated listens. I have listened to this album at least once a day for a week now and it continues to sound fresh. I notice new sounds, catch new lyrics, appreciate certain phrasing and just marinate in the nuances. Atmosphere is approaching 20 years at the game and they continue to amaze. I appreciate pop music flashes in the pan, but I truly love and respect a music career. Southsiders is another significant accomplishment in Atmospheres solid and proud career. The fact that I am a Minneapolis Southsider myself is a cherry on top.
PS – make sure you reach out for the bonus tracks – they are as good as anything on the main album.
Slug, Nux, Ant & Catchgroove
After several listens to Southsiders on Spotify I decided I needed to get the wax. I saw somewhere that Atmosphere would be doing a “meet and greet” at Fifth Element record store in Minneapolis, but did not give it a second thought. Saturday my wife (aka Nux) and I went to a craft show which turned out to be kind of a dud so I suggested we head over to Fifth Element to pick up Southsiders and meet the guys. Nux was game so we headed over.
How many guys are lucky enough in love to have their wife tolerate their hobby, let alone encourage and embrace it? Not many I am sure – but I am one of the lucky ones.
Just the other day I was reading that Avril Lavigne was extorting her fans $400 a piece at a meet and greet. The Atmosphere event could not have been more different. It was free and Slug and Ant greeted each fan like dear friends. The took time with each person, signed whatever was presented and posed for pictures. Fifth Element provided a staff member to take pictures with each fan’s phone. The staff provided security to make sure things were orderly, but did it in an unobtrusive and friendly way. The guy at the door letting people in could not have been nicer – he seemed genuinely happy for the fans to see their heroes. The event made you feel welcome and cherished as a fan. This event could have taken a third of the time, but Atmosphere was there to actually meet and greet fans. I was a fan before this event, but now I feel a bond with the group.
Nux is not an Atmosphere fan, but she is a good sport at things like this. I suggested that she join me for the photo and she at first declined, until I reminded her that our son (a huge Atmosphere fan) would get a kick out of it. She agreed and we approached the guys. Nux introduced herself to Ant and he could not have been more charming. He took her hand and said “Hi, I’m Anthony” and kissed her hand. We gave Ant a whysowhite CD (the band my son manages in Chicago) and then they posed for several pictures. Slug and Ant made you feel like more than a customer, but a truly cherished fan. Atmosphere, RSE and Fifth Element are doing it right in the new music industry – they are a class act.
I am very tardy on reviewing my Record Store Day 2014 booty – I apologize dear readers. As you know from my RSD post, Chocolate Milk was number one on my wish list (thanks again to Fifth Element for saving the day). I had never heard of Chocolate Milk prior to the RSD list coming out this spring. I am not sure what caught my attention (the list did not display cover art), but I did a little research and all I need to know was:
- Mid-70s funk
- New Orleans
- Classic cover art
- Produced by Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is one of pop music’s great Midas touches. He has a gift of putting Cajun spice into pop music without overpowering it. This album is Earth Wind & Fire album after a Bourbon Street bender. It has nice little New Orleans lilt, giving it a unique sound in the mid-70s funk landscape. It is grittier then EWF, but not quite P-Funk.
I can’t get enough of this jam. It has great grooves and beats. You can see why it would be a sampler’s dream (its titular track was used on Eric B. & Rakim’s classic Paid In Full album).
This RSD edition (originally slated for Black Friday 2013) is lovingly remastered and issued on chocolate-colored vinyl (of course). The recording quality and vinyl pressing is perfect. This is exactly what RSD is all about – discovering an unknown classic.
Record Store Day (RSD) is my very personal holiday – kind of like how some people celebrate their birthday – a day to pamper yourself. My whole family puts me at the center of this event which makes me feel a combination of loved and selfish.
It starts when the list is made available several weeks in advance of RSD. I study the list over and over trying to figure out what I want/need on the list. I try not to get my hopes up as you never know what is going to be available.
My wife makes sure RSD is on the calendar and there are no conflicts and she makes sure there is a generous budget available.
We hope for good weather – the third Saturday in April can be pretty dicey in Minnesota. We don’t hope for nice, we just hope for dry. This year we we’re blessed with good weather (dry and above freezing).
This year my daughter came over Friday night and slept over so we could get an early start. At my wife’s urging the alarm was set for 5:00am. We we were out the door by 6:00 and at the Electric Fetus by 6:20 (numbers for place in the queue are given out at 8:00 and doors open at 9:00 – so we are talking about a wait here). If this seems excessive, please note we were 60th in line (number one arrived at 7:00 the night before). Over the course of the next two and half hours another 300 people will show up. How great is that?
The Electric Fetus (or just Fetus) is my favorite record store on earth. It is 45 years strong. It has a great inventory, a knowledgeable and friendly staff and most of all great ambiance. That ambiance is punctuated by a creaky wood floor and incense. It has just the right lighting aided by east facing store front windows the full length of the store.
Despite having my list I started to call an audible based on previews, a final review of the list and on peering through the window. I am getting excited and kind of nervous.
RSD is the kind of event where strangers find it easy to talk to each other as we are all there for the same reason and share the same passion (music in its vinyl form). This year I made queue-friends with “Everly Girl” and Nick We exchanged wish lists, which revealed our musical interest, which in turn created conversation fodder. It is pretty easy to talk to fellow music heads in line for RSD. Turns out Nick and I had a direct connection via my boyhood best friend (small world).
My daughter was monitoring social media and discovered the Fetus had revealed some of their RSD inventory via social media conversations – unfortunately none of the items on my wish list were revealed (actually preferred – I like the reveal when entering the Fetus’s RSD bullpen). My daughter suggested I tweet my number one item (70s funk overlooked gem Chocolate Milk – ….). I proceed to tweet “… Hot Chocolate.” About an hour later my daughter said “you idiot it is Chocolate Milk not Hot Chocolate.” And the thus another catchgroove Malaprop was logged into family history.
Being 60th in line is kind of perfect. I could never be top 5 as that requires a sleep over. At 60 you have about a 30 minute wait once in the store which allows you to take in the moment, have some coffee and donuts and dig a little of the in store performance (Jeremy Messerschmidt is a perfect breakfast).
Fast forward and we are in the store. I have some time to kill. I had a nice little chat with the music department manager Bob Fuchs regarding my Miles Davis blog post and the success of RSD. Bob revealed that when he was first approached about RSD several years ago he was cynical, but now and is delighted to have been proved completely wrong. Despite being game day Bob was an easy conversationalist.
Then it was time to edge my way up to my position in line – they were in high 40s with the queue numbers. I could see that my audible (Minus 5) was a single copy with ten or so people in front of me. Shit was it going to make it? A guy picked it up and I willed him to put it down. I was nervous as all get out. Finally it was my turn to enter the bullpen and I immediately grabbed the Minus 5 – shit it was $90 – damn that would blow my budget! I held on – worst case I can catch and release. Then I started to work through my mental list – damn they had everything – this was going to be expensive day. After about 5 minutes my wingman (my daughter who had her own list and had been scouting for Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes for me – which was a no go) asked if I had Hot Chocolate – damn I had been distracted by Minus 5 and had totally forgotten my number one. I raced back to the “C-section” but it was gone – there was a placeholder suggesting it hard been there. Despite an armful of “finds” I was disappointed and pissed at myself for forgetting.
A guy notices I have Minus 5 and asks “Are you going to buy that?” Yes. “Are there any more?” Nope last one (I am feeling a little giddy now). “Are you going to keep it or flip it” Keep it. This is the exact same thing that happened on RSD Black Friday last year. Weird.
My daughter and I found my wife and she lovingly overlooked the expensive pile in my hands and I realized we had never discussed budget. I was getting a free pass! True love! We checked out and huddled over what the next step would be to try to fill out the list. We agreed to let to take the shortest path: Treehouse (which had what looked like 20 copies of Page/Crowes, but no Hot Chocolate), Cheapo (Minnesota’s largest and worst record store, but with a quality restroom which was necessary at that point) and finally Fifth Element.
At Fifth Element: the first crate I looked in had 5 copies of Chocolate Milk and I had just pitched a perfect RSD game. My wife inquired if MaLLy would be playing in store (unfortunately not – he had his album release party the night before). She reminded me we need to show MaLLy a little love and pick up his latest CD. I picked up a great T-shirt and took a gamble on an Eyedya reissue.
I had done enough damage and was of officially gorged – I had spent an embarrassing large amount of money and my loving wife was not making me feel guilty about it – she had even cheered me on like race support at a marathon – I am one lucky dude.
The day was not over – my wife and I have become a little too much of a pair of homebodies and so our daughter reminded us of how cool a town Minneapolis is. We went out to lunch in Nordeast (Rusty Taco), lady shopping (I Like You and Bibolet) and after some downtime at home we went to an early gallery opening (accented by bicycle snobs and 612 beer- Adam Turman presents “Enjoy the Ride – A Year’s Worth of Cycling Art.”). We topped off the night with visit to Izzy’s for ice cream (black licorice). A very grand day indeed.
Next on the agenda is to try to review some of the RSD gold I found. Thanks to my lovely wife and perfect daughter for all their support every day and especially on RSD. Next year we go earlier!
Many years ago a buddy of mine turned me on to this album. I picked it up as a CD and have enjoyed it for many years. I was recently at Agharta and picked up a near mint vinyl edition of this gem.
Agharta is a fresh vinyl-only record store in St. Paul Minnesota. I only had 15 minutes to crate dig and survey the store (I only had two quarters for the meter and I was way past my feeding time) so I did not get to study the place too hard. But what little I saw was impressive. It has some nice ambiance. Looks like it could handle a in-store performance. There is some free street parking in front of the door and meters near buy if you can’t snag a free spot. It has a good location at the corner of University and 280 – easy to get to for both Minneapolitans and St. Paulites. The inventory is small, but high quality (both in selection and grade). Prices are appropriate (e.g. the Albert King LP I picked was right in line with Discogs for a near mint edition). I look forward to seeing this store prosper over the next few years. Thanks for my twitter buddy Ali (@egyptoknuckles) for tipping me off to this new store. There website is still under construction, so rely on Facebook for now.
Albert King is one of the great bluesman of his generation (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992). He was great guitar player and singer. Visually he was a giant of a man (built like defensive lineman) and he played a Gibson Flying V guitar left-handed (an upside down right-hand guitar just like Jimi). He was often cited by Stevie Ray Vaughan as having been his greatest influence and Clapton credits him as influencing his Cream era work.
This album has a mid-70s pop (borderline disco) aesthetic which will either turn your stomach or turn you on. Personally I dig it. I can get bored by blues purists. This is a great merger of soul music and the blues. This album has horns, back up singers and strings – but Albert’s stinging guitar and soulful blues voice keeps it cool. There are some great songs on here too (wry and sexy). Stand out tracks for me are “Cold Women With Warm Hearts,” “Sensation, Communication Together,” and the titular track “Truckload of Lovin’.” The band is top-notch with players like Joe Sample, Wa Wa Watson and Charles Rainey. The recording has a great sound – with Albert’s guitar and vocals out front on top of a solid pop foundation (great separation of the instruments). If you are a fan of soul-fusion music with that mid-70s vibe you will dig these grooves.
Well I was a day one Kickstarter supporter of Pono. But after much consideration I am pulling out. I am a true believer in high rez downloads as the future of audiophile listening, but the Pono device just does not make sense for me. Here are my reasons:
- When I am listening to a portable device (for me that is my iPhone with Spotify) convenience is more important that quality.
- When I am listening to a portable device quality gets lost because it is typically fighting with background noise – in the gym, riding my bike, running, in the car, etc. My iPhone and Spotify is going to be “good enough” in these situations.
- When I am listening at home – I am going to be listening to vinyl, CDs (because I have thousands and can’t afford to replace them all) or digital downloads. In the case of digital downloads I won’t be using the Pono device in my audiophile system – I will be using my Mac and a DAC.
- Finally – I have a better place to spend my $300. Friday night I accidentally knocked my turntable’s needle and bent the cantilever. I am using that as an excuse to upgrade my $125 cartridge for a $300 one. How am I going to fund this? By canceling my Pono backing 40 hours before the campaign was going to hit my credit card.
I am not cynical about the Pono concept – as you can see it just does not work for me. I hope the Pono project kicks the industry in the nuts – and it looks like it might be working – rumors are coming out of Apple that they will have high rez downloads later this year. That would be victory and would make Neil proud. Good luck Pono – I will be rooting for you!.
Axl's Catch Groove 