Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Article: Pressed to the Edge: Why Vinyl Hype is Destroying the Record

I was just talking with someone about this… where the big guy comes in and steps on the little guy - and a whole industry can pay the price. 

"But there are indicators that the majors are actively trying to secure substantial vinyl production capacity at the remaining pressing plants. How? By paying in advance. There might even be presses completely reserved for certain companies. That techno EP can wait – Led Zeppelin can’t. In the course of researching this article, we received emails that confirm such requests by the majors.

If this is the case – and the pressing plants are denying it – it would mean that the majors are attempting to buy their way into an industry that they played a significant role in destroying. And they are attempting once again to starve the indie labels, the very labels that never gave up on vinyl. On Record Store Day, when the shops are full of specially-made vinyl records and customers wait in line for these limited editions, the pressing plants have already had many hard weeks of work leading up to it. Who knows how many machines were quickly patched-up in lieu of a proper repair? Nobody has time to take a breath. The next releases are already on standby, and the machines continue to run at a furious pace."

(Via Pressed to the Edge: Why vinyl hype is destroying the record.)

Monday, December 28, 2015

Video Day #tzaupbeat

Let’s get this last week of 2015 started off right.  Teen angst is displayed on a gorgeously shot backdrop by CHVRCHES on Empty Threat.  Miike Snow goes Matrix with his Heart is Full.  Lastly is a beautiful video by Tuskha with The Program.

Bonus:  Panda Bear goes kaleidoscopic with their trippy new video for Crosswords.

Columbia House - Then & Now

With Columbia House in the news lately, announcing their vinyl initiative (details below) - I was reminded of this film I wanted to share about the height of their CD business!  What a superb look into a bygone world.

"Filmmaker Chris Wilcha captured what it was like working at Columbia House during this boom time in a low-key, first-person documentary called The Target Shoots First. Wilcha—who started off in the marketing department as an assistant product manager and was soon promoted to product manager—took a camcorder to work and captured the absurdity and mundanity of the company at that moment in time. He filmed scenes not just in the company’s New York offices, but also at the massive Terre Haute, Indiana, manufacturing, customer service, and distribution center (which employed 3,300 people in 1996) as well as an amusing Aerosmith in-store appearance and a trade-show rendezvous with David Hasselhoff."

(Via Four Columbia House insiders explain the shady math behind “8 CDs for a penny” · Expert Witness · The A.V. Club.)

 And then going forward… 

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"To put it mildly, Columbia House has seen better days. The mail-order service went bankrupt this summer, and it's hard to see the allure of regularly buying movie discs when downloads and streaming are within easy reach. The company thinks it has an answer, however: it's restarting the Columbia House Record Club with a focus on vinyl records. It's betting that the resurgence of the old format and the popularity of subscription services (think Birchbox or Lootcrate) will draw in a younger audience. Columbia hasn't nailed down the launch details yet, but it'd return to the outlet's roots with membership and steep discounts."

(Via Columbia House hopes you'll come back for vinyl records.)

Monday, December 21, 2015

Video Day #tzachill

This new Tame Impala caught me by surprise, with it’s smooth groove and sexy video for The Less I Know the Better.  Eleanor Friedberger has a great new song and video for He Didn’t Mention His Mother.  Saintseneca performed in a Columbus drainage tunnel for How Many Blankets Are In The World?

 

 

Bonus:  Laura Cantrell is back with a Rolling Stone premiere for her new Bewitched-inspired video for Can’t Wait.

Article: How Indie Rock Changed the World

Cleaning up some older articles I wanted to share - this one with a Cleveland reference!

"Unlike hip-hop, that other Gen X art form, which originated in New York and later developed regional variants, indie got its start in emphatically local and often unlikely settings. Its fertile crescent was provincial American cities and college towns. Indie rock took off in places such as Athens, Georgia; Olympia, Washington; and my own hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, though most big cities also had a scene, and each had its own distinctive ecosystem. In Cleveland and New York City, for instance, where thrashy, locomotive hardcore music had a long reign, white boys predominated and girls were scarce. In Olympia, as in Boston, there were sympathetic college radio stations, more women, and more of an art-school atmosphere to the enterprise."

(Via How Indie Rock Changed the World - The Atlantic.)

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Video Day #tzaupbeat

NEW ROBYN with La Bagatelle Magique for Love is Free ft. Maluca (and the video was directed by SSION!).  Missy Elliott finally presents WTF with Pharrell, and Grimes gets weird with Flesh without Blood/Life in the Vivid Dream.

 

 

Bonus:  Peaches tears it down with I Mean Something

Article: Cleveland Museum of Art Wins Award for ‘Adventurous Programming’

Great stuff happening over at the Cleveland Museum of Art (glad I’m a member!).

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"Throughout the year, the Cleveland Museum of Art presents a slew of terrific music and arts-related performances. Several exotic groups play its annual Summer Solstice party, and the museum regularly brings avant garde groups to perform at the Transformer Station in Ohio City.

All that additional programming hasn’t gone unnoticed. The museum has recently won the 2016 Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. According to the press release announcing the award, the annual awards recognize ‘U.S.-based professional ensembles and presenters for distinctive programming of music composed within the past 25 years.’ "

(Via Cleveland Museum of Art Wins Award for ‘Adventurous Programming’ | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog | Cleveland Scene.)

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Video Day #tzachill

The Tallest Man on Earth shows off some of his moves in the Darkness of the Dream!  Saintseneca has some Bad Ideas in this new video.  Jon and Roy bring the vintage winter for Come Again. 

Bonus:  With 

Sunday, December 6, 2015

PWR BTTM (12/5/15)

This would be the third show, in three nights, in three cities that weren’t Cleveland.  This show was worth the drive, though a stop at Fat Heads Brewery helped.  Opening was Joey Nebulous from Chicago, though from his interaction with the crowd - I feel like he was of local kin. 

Joe Nebulous (12/5/15)

PWR BTTM has been a recent favorite - from the moment I started listening to Ugly Cherries. Their last-minute announcement of their show was pretty exciting, and seeing it in Oberlin topped off the night. Their post-gay punk pop sound is refreshing.  

PWR BTTM (12/5/15)

PWR BTTM (12/5/15)

Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas (12/4/15)

Same said Columbus friend also had recommended Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas a while back - but I wasn’t able to make it until this past Friday at Musica.  What a stunning performance by a power house band.  Jessica has an out of body on stage energy that you can’t help be be mesmerized - and forced to dance.  Superb.

Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas (12/4/15)

Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas (12/4/15)

Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas (12/4/15)

Woody Pines (12/3/15)

A quick work trip to Columbus for work meant I was able to spend the night with some friends.  They had an excellent night planned with live music and some superb coal fired pizzas.  This place called Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza and Live Music operated somewhat like the Music Box Supper Club where you’re served dinner with the music - and they’re serious about their music with a full of performances.  We got to see some great bluegrass, and Woody Pines really put on a great show.  Check them out:

Woody Pines (12/3/15)

Michael Glabicki (11/25/15)

My friend in Kent had seen Michael Glabicki (the lead singer of Rusted Root) before, and had high praises for his performance.  It was the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving - so why not, I love a good night out in Kent.  A great dinner at Rays beforehand, we showed up and really were able to pick whatever seats we wanted in the venue (eek).  Overall - I enjoyed the Rusted Root songs, which has looking forward to their upcoming show at the House of Blues!

Michael Glabicki (11/25/15)

Michael Glabicki (11/25/15)

!!! (11/20/15)

You couldn’t have asked for a better show for a Friday night in Cleveland.  !!!’s last show at the Beachland was a total dance party - and expectations were high for this one.  Opening was local DJ called p.stoops who was quite good!  Would love to catch him around town again!

p.stoops (11/20/15)

!!! did a short opening set as a Stereolad, which was basically the band covering Stereolab songs - which was entertaining.  But this really heated up when they got down to their own business.

!!! (11/20/15)

!!! (11/20/15)

Dan Deacon (11/18/15)

Dan Deacon is quite the frenetic performer, with dense, luscious electronic music.  A great performance.  Check it out:

Dan Deacon (11/18/15)

Dan Deacon (11/18/15)

Lily & Madeline (11/14/15)

I’ve been loving everything that Lily & Madeline has been producing, and this was my first chance to see them headline a show (I saw them open for Over the Rhine).  Luckily I got there a little early, because they took the middle lot of the night.  Their simple folk harmonies are captivating… Check them out:

Lily & Madeline (11/14/15)

Video Day #tzaupbeat

MO’s new song Kamikaze is great, the video… well, judge for yourself.  Not too dissimilarly, Chairlift has a new song & video for Ch-Ching.  Painted Palms has dark video for Refractor.

Bonus:  Big Freedia has a new video for Crazy.