Showing posts with label record store day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label record store day. Show all posts
, , , , , — 1 comments

buffaBLOG's Record Store Day Black Friday Preview



Let's face it, America is totally jumping the shark with this whole Black Friday thing. It's gotten entirely out of hand so badly that Thanksgiving has become meaningless for far too many Americans, for both the bargain hungry consumer and the poor souls who have to serve them instead of being with their families. It really is disgusting. There is however a wonderful silver lining to the blight of Black Friday, and that's the Record Store Day sequel that lands yet more goodness in our local independent record shops for our joyful consumption. 

 Once again a tremendous bevy of artists are offering special artifacts and goodies for sale only at record stores to support these vital music outlets and the communities of music fans they serve. It's capitalist consumerism you can feel good about, and frankly if you value the physical article that is vinyl (and to a less extent CD) it's another smorgasborg of music fan enjoyment. Here's a brief look at what's going to available Friday and where you can get in on the fun after elbowing your fellow man in the head for a discounted HD TV.
Black Friday Special Releases Of Note:

 Band of Horses, Live At The Ryman, 7" vinyl
Charles Bradley ft The Budos Band and the Bullets, "Changes," 7' vinyl. Super 
Daptacular goodness from everybody's friends at Daptone Records.
Civil Wars, Between The Bars, 7' vinyl. A posthumous release from this late and lamented band.
The Clash, their whole catalog on CD. Available until January 14, 2014.
The Doors, Curated By Record Store Day, LP vinyl. Rarities and mono mixes picked by record store owners. Sounds boffo.
Bob Dylan, Side Tracks, LP vinyl. A mother-lode of never before released tracks on 3 LPs. There might be some Bob Dylan fans jostling for this one. Watch out.
Elvis Costello & The Roots, Wise Up: Thought Remixes and Reworks, CD. A companion to their excellent Wise Up Ghost (reviewed here) from two of the biggest musicheads ever.
The Flaming Lips, Peace Sword, LP and CD. The physical release of their Peace Sword EP Ender's Game companion pieace (reviewed here) featuring a new song and more super awesome handmade vinyl. I'm gonna get my ass out of bed and snag this early.
Foals, CCTV Sessions, LP vinyl. 
The Grateful Dead, Family Dog At The Great Highway, LP vinyl. Live acoustic Dead from 1970.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Fire/Foxy Lady," 7' vinyl.
John Denver & The Muppets, A Christmas Together, 12" picture disc. Nuff said.
Nas, Halftime, 12' vinyl. 
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Live At KRCW, Vinyl LP.
Nirvana, In Utero 2013 Mix. LP vinyl.
Roy Orbison, The Monument Vinyl Box, 4 vinyl LPs. 3 of his biggest albums plus an album of unreleased tracks.
Puscifer, Puscifer's 8 Ball Bail Bonds--The Berger Barns Live in Phoenix, LP vinyl.
Queens Of The Stone Age, ... Like Clockwork (Black On Black), LP vinyl. Limited edition apparently.
Silversun Pickups, "Let It Decay/Working Title," 10' vinyl.
Skaters, "Deadbolt," 7" vinyl. Lead single from their upcoming debut.
Sly & The Family Stone, "Sexy Situation/Mother Is A Hippy," 7" vinyl.
Tegan & Sara, "Guilty As Charged/Running On Empty," 7' vinyl.
Josh Tilman (aka Father John Misty), The History Of Caves (soundtrack), LP
Truth And Soul Records Presents The Soul Fire Boxed Set, 7' vinyl boxed set.
U2, "Ordinary Love," 7' single. Their contribution to the Idris Elba Nelson Mandela biopic Long Walk To Freedom, and quite possibly one of the band's last 7' singles if you believe the hype (I kind of do).
Uncle Tupelo, "I Wanna Be Your Dog/Commotion," 7' vinyl. UT + Stooges and Credence covers = yeah.
Various Artists, A Musical Tribute To The Songs Of Shel Silverstein. Vinyl LP.
Zabriskie Point soundtrack, Vinyl LP. A vinyl pressing of the legendary soundtrack to the legendary Michelangelo Antonioni film featuring Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead.
The complete list of goodies available Black Friday can be found here.
And once again a bunch of local stores will be participating, almost forming a dragnet of musical joy to cover Western New York:

 Black Dots
223 Lafayette Ave (at Grant St), Buffalo
M&B Record Exchange
207 Delaware St, Tonawanda
Music Matters
527 Cayuga Dr, Niagara Falls
Record Theatre
1800 Main Street (at Lafayette Ave), Buffalo
3500 Main Street (in University Plaza), Amherst
Spiral Scratch Records
291 Bryant St, Buffalo
Big sale going on in addition to the Black Friday releases thru Saturday when WBNY broadcasts from the shop in honor of Small Business Saturday.


The south towns are apparently out of luck (another reason not to live there). Happy Thanksgiving, and happy record shopping.

 To get you in the mood to love your fellow man Black Friday, here's the beginning of the end of U2. Sorry ladies, no footage of Idris Elba.

Cliff Parks
, , , , , — 0 comments

Listener's Digest: Grizzly Bear - "Sleeping Ute" (Nicolas Jaar Remix)


Record Store Day 2013 is in the books, and hopefully you grabbed a couple goodies yesterday.  While I did not purchase any exclusive RSD releases, I did pick up a copy of Stereolab's Dots and Loops for my collection so I left happy. One of the more interesting releases from yesterday was Nicolas Jaar's remix of Grizzly Bear's "Sleeping Ute." Jaar's nearly 8 minute remix sees Daniel Rossen's jagged riffs delayed as his now distant vocals suspend over a warm haze. Just as quickly as the riff appears, it fades into the background as a steady groove takes over. Rossen's vocals return while various percussion and beats guide the tune to it's end. Chances are you didn't grab a copy of this single yesterday so feel free to enjoy it endlessly below.




, , , — 3 comments

The buffaBLOG Guide to Record Store Day 2013


Super Bowl Sunday is a totally lame quasi national holiday, ruined utterly by the big corporations who couldn't help but ruin it once they realized that it was a quasi national holiday. Big commerce does that. Tomorrow's Record Store Day, however, is a wonderful quasi national holiday: the corporations haven't ruined it, it's for a good cause (preserving and strengthening the endangered species that is your local record store), and it's totally by and for music lovers. Even though money changes hands, Record Store Day, now in it's sixth year, feels pure, beneficent, and good for the soul.

There's a palpable feeling of joy and bonhomie at the record store on Record Store Day because there's no substitute for laying your hands on that vinyl 7' or LP that you read about as part of your pregame research. Perhaps this celebration of the physical article is why Record Store Day has taken off and grown with each successive installment in this age of digital ephemera. The love of music is real and tangible on Record Store Day, and here's your guide to what's going around locally. A complete list of the special RSD 2013 releases can be found HERE.


Record Theatre

Both Record Theatre locations will be opening at 9 AM and offering a 20% off sale til noon. The Main and Lafayette location will be featuring DJ Cutler 9AM to 1 PM and the R&R BBQ Truck from 9AM to 2 PM. The University Plaza location will be featuring live music all day starting at 9 AM:

9:00 AM: Sleepy Hahas
10:00 AM: Sonny Baker
11:00 AM: Tony Flaminio
12:00 PM: Pine Fever
1:00 PM: The Flat Five
2:00 PM: American Stories
3:00 PM: High Flyin' Babies
4:00 PM: Mooses
5:00 PM: Kamikaze LTD.
6:00 PM: Merchants
7:00 PM: Johns
8:00 PM: Flood Drinker
8:30 PM: Big Classic


Spiral Scratch Records, 291 Bryant St.

Spiral Scratch will once again be going all in with deals, Amy's Food Truck in front and a killer lineup of live music:

11:15 AM: Tired Iron
12:00 PM: Space Wolves
12:45 PM: Mark Norris
1:30 PM: Word Girls
2:15 PM: Matt and the Immediates
3:00 PM: The Returners
3:45 PM: Failures Union
4:30 PM: White Whale
5:00 PM: The GOOD

For our readers in the North towns, RSD is being observed at these fine record stores:

M&B Record Exchange, 207 Delaware St., Tonawanda
Music Matters, 527 Cayuga Dr., Niagara Falls

Now as a matter of practice I highly recommend checking out the official Record Store Day list to get an idea of what could be waiting for you when you get to your local store. Quantities and availability vary, so the early bird definitely gets the worm. And don't worry if you're not a vinyl aficionado, there are some cd and cassette releases this year; plus April has been a heavy month for great releases (Caveman, Black Angels, Charles Bradley, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Iron and Wine, The Flaming Lips, The Besnard Lakes, etc) so there's definitely stuff to get tomorrow.

Here's a brief list of a few RSD 2013 items that caught my attention:

The Band, The Last Waltz 12" vinyl.
Best Coast, Fear Of My Identity 7'"vinyl
Big Star, Nothing Can Hurt Me 12" vinyl
The Black Keys / Stooges, No Fun 7" vinyl
Blitzen Trapper, Blitzen Trapper Deluxe Reissue, 12" vinyl
David Bowie, Drive-In Saturday Night, 7" picture disc
Brian Eno, Brian Eno x Nicholas Jaar x Grizzly Bear, 12" vinyl
Built To Spill, Live, available on 12" vinyl and on cd
Gary Clark Jr., Hwul Raw Cuts Vol 2, 12" vinyl
Cream, Royal Albert Hall May 2-3-4-5-6 2005 vinyl box set
The Cure, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, 12" vinyl
Cut Copy, Bright Like Neon Love, 12" vinyl
Cyprus Hill, Black Sunday, 12" vinyl
Ani DiFranco, Buffalo (Official Bootleg), 12" vinyl
Bob Dylan, Wigwam, 7" vinyl
Foals, Holy Fire, 12" vinyl
The Gaslight Anthem, Handwritten Deluxe, 12" vinyl
Grateful Dead, Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966, cd
Grizzly Bear, Horn Of Plenty, 7" vinyl
GZA, Liquid Swords Chess Box, vinyl box set
Robyn Hitchcock, There Goes The Ice, 12" vinyl
The Hold Steady, Criminal Fingers 7, 7" vinyl
Fela Kuti, Sorrow Tears And Blood, 12" vinyl
MGMT, Alien, cassette w/ digital download *NEW SONG*
Willie Nelson w/ Snoop Lion, Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die, 7" vinyl
Old 97's and Waylon Jennings, 7" vinyl
Shuggie Otis, Introducing Shuggie Otis, 12" vinyl
Van Dyke Parks, Song Cycle, 12" vinyl
Phoenix, Entertainment, 7" vinyl
The Pink Floyd, See Emily Play, 7" vinyl
Portugal. The Man, Church Mouth, 12" vinyl
Public Enemy, Planet Earth: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Greatest Rap Hits,
12" picture disc
Pulp, After You, 7" vinyl *NEW SONG*
Pussy Galore, Groove Hate ____, 7" vinyl
R.E.M., Live In Greensboro EP, cd
The Roots, Things Fall Apart, 2 x 12" vinyl
Ty Segall, Ty Rex, 7" vinyl
Shearwater with Sharon Van Etten, Stop Dragging My Heart Around, 7" vinyl
Sigur Ros, Agaetis Byrjun, 12" vinyl
Sly and the Family Stone, I Want To Take You Higher, 10" vinyl
Snapcase, Steps, 12" vinyl
Super Chunk, Void, 7" vinyl
Swedish House Mafia, The Singles, 12" vinyl
Tame Impala, Tame Impala EP, 12" vinyl
Tegan & Sara, Closer Remixed, 12" vinyl
Titus Andronicus, Record Store Day, 12" vinyl
Paul Weller, Sonik Kicks The Singles, 7" vinyl box set
The xx, Jaime xx Edits, 12" vinyl


And instead of Jack White, the official Ambassador of Record Store Day (who I don't particularly like), here's Robyn Hitchcock talking about the joys of albums on vinyl. Oh, and my first vinly record was Kiss: Alive!, their legendary 1975 live double album, purchased at the Main and Lafayette Record Theatre back in 19__. Still have it.



Cliff Parks
, , , , — 4 comments

RIP Storm Thorgerson

Pink Floyd, Animals, 1977


As if this week wasn't bad enough we've also lost famed visual artist and graphic designer Storm Thorgerson at age 69. Childhood friend of Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett and Roger Waters, Thorgerson became a member of the graphic arts collective Hipnosis and is the man responsible for some of the most iconic album art of all time.

Seriously, the number of joints rolled on record sleeves designed by Thorgerson has to be incalculable; also incalculable- his impact on rock music and rock history. I highly encourage you to check out some of his work tomorrow while celebrating Record Store Day 2013, especially if they're on vinyl, so you can truly appreciate Thorgerson in his original medium.


Here's a gallery of his major designs:


Pink Floyd, Ummagumma, 1969


Pink Floyd, Atom Heart Mother, 1970


Pink Floyd, Dark Side Of The Moon, 1973



Led Zeppelin, Houses Of The Holy, 1973



Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here, 1975



Led Zeppelin, Presence, 1976



Black Sabbath, Technical Ecstasy, 1976


Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel, 1977



Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel, 1978



Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel, 1980




Also, some of Thorgerson's more recent designs:


Audioslave, Audioslave, 2002



Biffy Clyro, Folding Stars, 2007



Muse, Uprising (single), 2009



And here's a video Thorgerson directed for Pink Floyd in 1987. Yes, it's Roger less Pink Floyd and therefore suspect, but this video isn't entirely objectionable. So long Storm Thorgerson, thanks for everything.





Cliff Parks
, , , , — 2 comments

Still Digging: My Vinyl Weighs a Ton


(Ed. Note: This entry in our "Still Digging" Record Store Day series was penned by Patrick Simons, Editorial Assistant for Block Club magazine. Photo Credit: P. Simons, with a look at some of the goods discussed below.)

 The first record I ever bought was Less Than Jake’s Hello Rockview on 12” picture disc. “Pezcore” and “Losing Streak” were pretty good, and despite being a total ska nut growing up, Less Than Jake never really did it for me. I just bought it because it looked cool.

 That was at Sit and Spin Records, the now-defunct punk and hardcore record store that made its home on Transit Road in Depew. My visits there probably began in 2001. Maybe 2000. I used to nag my father to drive me the 15 minutes because I was only 12 or 13 years old.

 Until then, I remember having to special order CDs from Media Play because they never had what I wanted. That all changed when I discovered Sit and Spin. Aus-Rotten’s Not One Single Fucking Hit Discography: check. A Taang! Records music video compilation on VHS, complete with Negative FX fight scene: you bet. Reagan Youth, Bright Eyes, Conflict, Waxwing, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Saves the Day: they had me covered.


After nearly eight years, a couple bumps in the road forced Sit and Spin to vacate their home in Depew. Shortly before the move, I remember landing myself a decent chunk of someone’s old emo collection. The City of Caterpillar self-titled 12” and their split 7” with Pg. 99; an Orchid/Red Scare split 7”; Yaphet Kotto and Bread and Circuits LPs; Angel Hair’s Pregnant with the Senior Class on CD. A righteous bounty indeed.


 I never made it to Sit and Spin’s new location after the store relocated to North Buffalo in 2007. Rest in peace. I did, however, end up moving in to the building next door to Spiral Scratch just a few months before Dave opened it. It should come as no surprise that this new living arrangement would prove to be both a blessing and a curse.

My first real lasting memory at Spiral Scratch came when I decided I needed a copy of Tommy James & the Shondell’s “I’m Alive.” I walked over, slightly optimistic but mostly doubtful, to dig through towers of loose 45s. I told Dave what I’d come for and asked if he knew if there was a copy laying around. My best bet was to search the stacks of wax. You already know your boy jumped like a little girl when I saw that “I’m Alive” was the very top record on the very first pile I looked at. I went upstairs and listened to that track probably 10 times in a row.


I even met Scott Mancuso for the first time at Spiral Scratch on Record Store Day in 2010. I brought him a donut. We’ve been bros ever since.

My last visit to the old Spiral Scratch location is a vivid one, for some reason. Although rather uneventful, it sticks out quite a bit. I stopped by in passing, just to browse. My search ended abruptly, in the “A” section. Adam & the Ants’ Kings of the Wild Frontier was screaming at me.


 Two days later, a fire forced Spiral Scratch to close its doors on Delaware. Thanks to a massive outcry of support, Dave was able to reopen only a few months later, in August, 2010. 

Since then, there have been two visits that left a pretty lasting impression. The first came early in 2011 when I received a paycheck from the Buffalo News. It was the first time that I’d been paid to write something. It felt good, and it felt like I needed to treat myself. You know - spend it on something I’d remember. At that point in my life, my compensation could have, at any given time, gone toward any combination of shitty food, 40s and half-eighths, so I had to make that stop at Spiral Scratch count.

As luck would have it, a copy of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Xtra-Acme was stocked earlier that day. So now every time I dig through my crates and I see that Blues Explosion album, I remember how I paid for it: with the first stack the kid made as a writer. That’s forever, man.


 The second [impression] came a few months later, on my birthday in the summer of 2011. Took a stroll over to the Bryant Street location from the old Block Club offices on Elmwood, with no agenda in mind. Left shortly after entering with a first pressing of Pedro the Lion’s Winners Never Quit for $25. I’d been browsing eBay at the time, and considered paying nearly $100 for that album. Happy birthday to me.

So, with all this being said, it’s clear that I can rant and ramble. It just so happens that I think I do it best when it involves music. 

This is what I collect. This is what I search for. These items, these albums, these songs - all have a story. I remember when and where I got them, and most of them mean something special. So days like Record Store Day and places like Spiral Scratch: these are important to me.

To quote the old homie, Peanut Butter Wolf: “My vinyl weighs a ton.”

I’m getting there.


Other notable records that strike an in-store chord:

J Dilla’s Donuts on double LP, Raekwon’s “Glaciers of Ice” 12” single and Prince’s Purple Rain for $6 from Book Outlet and More on Main Street near Lafayette. I think it was before the store came under new ownership. I dropped in on a whim and the records were barely organized. I had some time to kill, so I started digging. A couple hours later I came out with those gems. The digging is almost always worth it.

Juelz Santana’s From Me 2 U on double LP from some vendor at the old Super Flea. $0.50 for that beaut.

The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper on double LP from Record Baron on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. My dad used to play me Mike Bloomfield records all the time when I was growing up. If it wasn’t for my pops, music wouldn’t be the same.


Upcoming Record Store Day anticipations:

I’ve never gone super crazy on Record Store Day in the past, and don’t foresee it happening this year, but these are the releases I’m most excited about this year:

Codeine – What About the Lonely

Hanni El Khatib – Skinny Little Girl / Pay No Mind 7”

GZA – Liquid Swords Vinyl / Chess box set

Pussy Galore – Groovy Hate Fuck

Ty Segall -  Ty Rex 2 7”
~ Patrick Simons
, , — 1 comments

Still Digging: It All Started With Led Zeppelin


Since I was young, I was fascinated with record stores. The poetry of walking around, flipping through, being mesmerized by the artwork ranging from obscure to classic. For years and years, I put "record player" on my Christmas lists, birthday lists, and would inconspicuously drop hints here and there. For the longest time, I wanted to start building a vinyl collection but thought it purposeless until I actually had something to play them on. A crate of records with no player is the equivalent of that fresh out of the oven pie sitting on a windowsill that you happen to notice, and you're hungry. An outdated metaphor, but a solid one at that.

 My 21st birthday came and went: no turntable. I made a mental note that if I didn't get it for Christmas, I would just take one of my unbelievably low work-study paychecks and make the big purchase. While at a Tragically Hip show with my family in my hometown, Syracuse, my Dad turns to me and asks if my little brother, Vincent, told me what he got for his birthday. "No," I replied. A turntable. Brushing off the oncoming vibes of my Middle Child Syndrome, I shrugged. "Guess what vinyl he got?" Knowing my Dad's occasional instigation indulgences, I knew I wasn't going to like the answer. "What...?" He told me. My heart dropped. Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy. Was I happy that Vincent finally started listening to Zeppelin after years of me playing him songs and him saying "eh, it's okay, I guess" with a shrug? Yes, proud of his graduation of music taste. Maybe this was my struggle as the 'only girl, middle child' ordeal in the Greco household. I still tell myself it's a matter of passionate principle. I used to envision the day that I'd be walking around in a record store, and see the orange sky landscape, the naked blonde children climbing rocks to the top of a cliff. I'd run to the counter, dig for the money out of my purse, and finally buy the album that changed my life.

 Christmastime came around. Alas! I opened a beautiful red Crosley turntable. Along with it was a $20 gift certificate to Sound Garden, Syracuse's finest music shop. I opened my gift from my little brother: Houses of the Holy. I'm not going to lie, I literally cried tears of joy. And nearly suffocated him with a hug.

The day I bought my first vinyl was a pivotal moment for me.  I spent a long time flipping through. Making mental notes of which ones I wanted so when I got to the end of my search I could decide. I went home with two: an album I loved, and an album to explore. Sleigh Bells Reign of Terror has been an obsession of mine for about a year now. The other, Raven in the Grave by the Raveonettes.

 Just a couple days later, Vincent and I went back to Sound Garden together. It was a Sibling Night Out, sifting through vinyl followed by a $2.50 showing of Killing Them Softly at Mattydale's "finest" Hollywood Theater. While at Sound Garden, Vincent and I talked. The atmosphere, the vibe of the place...it inspired conversation of music, life, and laughing about the hometown hum-drum of 'Cuse.

 I am an avid multifaceted listener of music. The technology to listen to music today is incredible; Spotify is one of the best creations. But (as any passionate lover of anything) there is something to the physicality of music that should remain alive and intact. Book enthusiast I'm sure can vouch that statement. It's sad that people already find me outdated when I tell them I want to "burn a mix CD." In a matter of four years I went from being the girl that would carry around a CD in her purse to play in peoples' cars as we cruise, to just plugging an AUX cord into the headphone jack of my iPhone.

My collection is slowly growing. Quite honestly, the fact that vinyl stores have survived this long is a godsend. Cheers to hoping it stays that way. If you haven't explored a record store, do it. Regardless of whether you own a player or not. You may find that one record that has you digging into your bank account.

Alicia Greco
, , — 0 comments

Still Digging: About Me


I’ve had nightmares where all my records are stolen, more real and terrifying than those filled with monsters and Batman villains. Looking at my collection, it’s not only albums and singles, but also my last five years, alphabetized on a shelf. It tells more than any “about me” section could ever do, or at least I hope it does. I want it to reflect the parts of me I can’t communicate, a wanderlust in sound, a love of the sonic.

The record store has always been a home for me, a place filled with possibility and discovery, the tactile pleasure of flipping through albums between your fingers bettered only by the brief flashes of color of their covers.  I have my favorites outside of Buffalo, the electronic sections at Rotate This and Sonic Boom in Toronto providing me something I can’t get here, but Spiral Scratch is really my favorite place to buy records. Whether it’s walking into the store and hearing a Thai Psych compilation blasting through the speakers, or getting a record for five dollars cheaper than at Record Theatre (I see you new Kurt Vile), it’s something I’m proud to have in Buffalo. It’s also the only place that’s worth checking the used bin, like the day I stumbled on someone’s 70’s and early 80’s Brian Eno records, or finding Remain In Light at the old location.

I’m sure Record Store is going to be crazy this year, with longer lines, a little too many limited edition remix albums, and needless reissues of classic rock albums, so go in on a weekday sometime. Take your time, talk to Dave at Spiral Scratch about garage rock or fantasy baseball or something. It’s fun; it could be your haven.




, , — 0 comments

Still Digging: Mike Makes a New Friend


I think (hopefully) that it is almost a cliché to reiterate just how important record stores remain, even with many commercial transactions shifting to the internet. For many of the writers on this site, our music taste evolved as a result of regularly going to record shops, looking around, trying to find that release you heard about online or from friends, talking with the clerks, and maybe even buying something based on their recommendations. It is, again, another cliché to note that there is a distinct nostalgia for physical cultural products today, or at least an understanding that digital media cannot totally supersede these formats. Finally, in the end, nothing can really surpass the simple pleasure of looking through piles of records and coming home to play your new purchases.

 With all of that in mind, we are kicking off a short series in anticipation of Record Store Day, which will be this coming Saturday, April 20th.  It is ultimately our goal to write these not as eulogies for a passing format and model (because that simply is not the case) but a celebration of something we see as remaining vital and necessary, even with the internet and the explosion of digitally distributed music. Record stores thankfully endure despite their thinning numbers. Consider this buffaBLOG’s yearly reminder that your local record store is still a great place for buying, selling, and learning about new music as well as the classics you didn’t know existed.

 Over the years, Buffalo has seen some great record stores come and go. While I miss Home of the Hits and New World Records , there is still Record Theater, Spiral Scratch, and a host of smaller shops specializing in used records scattered throughout WNY. With so many places, I am actually having some trouble trying to pin down a specific memory to speak to all of the others. However, in a strange way, one stands out as being emblematic of the particular community that can only arise in record stores.

The Summer of 2003, directly following my freshman year of college, was one of constant discovery, filled with new books, new movies and new music. Much of it was not actually new thoughn, but it was new to me. One particularly warm day in July, I was bored and decided to New World Records on Elmwood to add to my then nascent vinyl collection. On the recommendation of a friend, I purchased Big Black's seminal LP, Songs About Fucking. The proto industrial classic, featuring songs like "Columbian Necktie," and, in my opinion, the best version of Kraftwerk's "The Model," had a rather distinct cover...it looked like this:

So, I was not particularly surprised when, while in line at the adjacent Spot Coffee, I was being eyed by a father accompanying what looked like his little league team. I was rather nervous that I was about to offend this man and be yelled at for  carrying around this record in public. It was then that he said one of the the most surprising things I have ever heard, "Big Black...that is a great album man." I agreed and we briefly discussed my excitement about taking it home.

 I think this story points to something great about record stores, the opportunity for community, for sharing your passion for bands and albums with other people, especially when it is most unexpected. Whether it be the clerks recommending you something based on your taste or being as excited about your purchase as you are. There is the serendipitous opportunity to  grab something on a whim or because it happens to be near the record you came for and then coming home to learn you found something great. Finally, there is the pleasant conversation with a stranger over a shared favorite record at the adjacent coffee shop. It is nearly impossible to duplicate these experiences online.


Michael Torsell

, , , , — 0 comments

Listener's Digest: The Men - "B Minor"


Just over a week to go til Record Store Day and the exclusive tracks continue to leak. The Men, who continue their great 2013 following the release of their latest album, New Moon, will have an unreleased tune from the recording sessions featured on Sacred Bones RSD compilation, Todo Muere Vol. 3.  Titled "B Minor," the song carries on the reckless, full throttle garage rock found on New Moon standouts like "I Saw Her Face" and "Supermoon." Todo Muere Vol. 3 will be available, in limited quantity, on April 20th. 





, , — 0 comments

Black Friday Record Store Day Preview


I'm not going to lie to you. Black Friday is ass. People want to talk about the decline of America and I point to how we're actively ruining the Thanksgiving holiday weekend: people running around like animals and behaving badly in the name of commerce and sales sales sales, with retail workers caught in the melee and worse, called upon to get up earlier and earlier to deal with the mobs until this year, when we've moved Black Friday to Thanksgiving and ruined that too. Thanksgiving, and the day after Thanksgiving used to be great, but now they're both rubbish. Indeed, the only genuinely good thing about Black Friday at this point is the Record Store Day Black Friday sale at locally owned independent record stores. Like the Record Store Day holiday in April, there's an amazing bounty of cool (and weird) exclusive releases. To give you time to properly get your lists ready here's a probably incomplete list of stuff hitting stores this Friday (a complete list can be found at the handy Record Store Day site):
Beach Boys  Surfin' Safari Capitol 10" black vinyl
David Bowie Jean Genie Virgin Records 7" picture disc
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band 7" singles
Gene Clark Echoes/I Found You Sundazed 7" single
Coheed and Cambria The Afterman Ascension 12" clear vinyl
Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley Hallelujah 7" split single
Dr. Dog Wild Race 12" etched vinyl
Bob Dylan Duquesne Whistle  Columbia 7" single 5000
Fat Boys  Fat Boys Pizza Box LP 12" vinyl picture disc
Gaslight Anthem Hold You Up 10" red Vinyl
Grateful Dead Live at Winterland (5/30/1971) double LP 
CeeLo Green/Donny Hathaway This Christmas 7" red & green vinyl
Merle Haggard Capitol Rarities 10" black vinyl 1200
Mayer Hawthorne KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic 10" black vinyl
Lee Hazlewood You Turned My Head Around: Lee Hazlewood Industries 
1967-1970 (11 x 7" Box Set)
Wanda Jackson Capitol Rarities 10" black vinyl 
Bert Jansch Blackwater Side Spiritual Pajamas 7" single 
JEFF The Brotherhood Dark Energy 7" vinyl 
Jellyfish Stack-a-Tracks Double CD set 
Joan Jett Bad Reputation LP w/ bonus CD 180g clear vinyl LP
Ethan Johns Whip Poor Will 7" single 
Norah Jones Little Broken Hearts Remix EP 10" black vinyl 
George Jones United Artists Rarities 10" black vinyl 
King Diamond No Presents For Christmas 12" picture disc 
Bettye LaVette More Thankful, More Thoughtful EP
Love Forever Changes  180g vinyl w/bonus 7"
Lucero Live at Sun Studios  7" single 
Lumineers Winter EP 10" vinyl 
M83 Reunion remix 12” LP 
Mad Season "River of Deceit"/"I Don't Know Anything" (live) 10" colored vinyl 
Biz Markie  The Biz Never Sleeps 12" picture disc
John Mayer The Complete 2012 Performances Collection 12" vinyl 
Mogwai A Wrenched Virile Lore double 12" colored vinyl
My Morning Jacket "It Makes No Difference" (Live Ft. Brittany Howard) 10"
Nirvana 20th Anniversary Edition of Incesticide 45RPM Edition 
Buck Owens Buck Sings Eagles 10" black vinyl 
Primus Green Naugahyde 10"
Tyler Ramsey  "Raven Shadow"/"Black Pines" 10" vinyl  
Reservoir Dogs Soundtrack 12" colored vinyl 
Rockabye Baby Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of The Flaming Lips LP
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones (EP) 7" single 
Asobi Seksu/Boris Split 7" single
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros/Aaron Embry Community Vagrant 7" 
Joe Strummer Live at Acton Town Hall double 12" vinyl 
Teddy Thompson Window Up Above 7" single 
Tomahawk Stone Letter 7" single  
Toro Y Moi  So Many Details  7" single 
Various Artists Death May Be Your Santa CD 
Various Artists Moonrise Kingdom (Original Score) 10" black vinyl 
Various Artists Obscure Giants of Acoustic Guitar trading cards
The White Stripes “Hotel Yorba” (Live at the Hotel Yorba) b/w “Rated X” (Live 
at the Hotel Yorba) 7" red opaque vinyl
The White Stripes “Fell in Love With a Girl” b/w “I Just Don’t Know What to 
Do With Myself” 7" red opaque vinyl
The White Stripes “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” b/w “Stop Breaking 
Down” 7" red opaque vinyl
Lucinda Williams / Michael Chapman "That Time of Night" 10" vinyl 
Link Wray and The Raymen "Big City After Dark", “Hold It,” “Dance 
Party Pts. 1 & 2”  7" single
Frank Zappa Why Don'cha Do Me Right, Big Leg Emma 7" single
There's even more, but I can't ruin the surprises and child-like wonders that will still await you when you hit up your local record stores, I just can't. Which stores are participating?

Record Theatre (both locations), 1800 Main St. Buffalo and 3500 Main St. Amherst
Spiral Scratch Records, which will also be featuring live music and Amy's Food Truck. 291 Bryant St. Buffalo
M&B Record Exchange, 207 Delaware St. Tonawanda
Music Matters, 527 Cayuga Dr. Niagara Falls
No matter where you are in WNY, there's a record store for you this Friday, where people are nice, everything's copacetic, and the music is going to be good. To hell with that other noise. Sleep Thanksgiving off (cuz you tied one on- like your supposed to) and hit up a local record store to snag some neat stuff and do some holiday shopping. It's good for the soul.

Cliff Parks
, , , — 0 comments

Flaming Lips RSD Album Getting CD / Digital Release



One of the absolute treats of this year's Record Store Day was the limited edition vinyl Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends which featured collaborations between the Lips and Ke$ha, Bon Iver, Nick Cave, Yoko Ono, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Erykah Badu, Tame Impala, Prefuse 73, and Neon Indian. These collaborations were originally released in a variety of wacky formats throughout 2011, and the band took the best of them and assembled them into a remarkably cohesive and sprawling double album masterpiece that debuted on Record Store Day on limited edition handmade vinyl albums, and will be getting wide release on cd and digital download from Warner Brothers on June 26. 






With a new album slated for the fall, Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is an excellent tour of the modern music universe with the Lips as tour guides/instigators, as well as an excellent introduction to this legendary American band. Every now and again people talk about "the American Radiohead" and they always go with Wilco even though the American band that's really pushing the sound has consistently been The Flaming Lips, something underlined repeatedly on Heady Fwends. 






There are currently no area tour dates scheduled, but with a new album on the way you never know (if not this year, maybe next year). Even if you're not a big Flaming Lips fan, you've still got to have seeing them on your "to do" list because they have to be experienced to be believed. I still think a Rocking the Knox with the Lips and an exhibition of Wayne Coyne's art would be dope...






Cliff Parks
, , , , — 3 comments

Some Thoughts On Being A Music Fan In Buffalo In The 21st Century



This post really isn't for the well informed and tasteful regular buffaBLOG reader, this one is for friends of regular buffaBLOG readers, the folks who went "huh?" when the 2012 Thursday At The Harbor line-up was released, or say that no good shows ever come to Buffalo. I love when people say that, I just laugh when I hear that because right now there's good shows going off in this city on a regular basis, and this year's Thursday at the Harbor is clearly continuing that trend. 





The issue at hand really, is that the good shows aren't "mainstream." The thing is, mainstream is rubbish. Mainstream is boring. Very boring, and I hate boring. Boring music sucks, it wastes your time, and deep down you know this is true. That feeling you get when you start to notice that a lot of stuff all sounds the same, or goes in one ear and out the other and doesn't move you in any meaningful way, yes, that's mainstream, and that's rubbish. People who love music and give a shit about music by definition cannot be down with that, and they're not. Some go into their music collections and enjoy the storied past, occasionally enjoying an old favorite when they pass through town, and that's cool. That too is a vital part of the Buffalo music scene. Others however soldier on in the present.


Buffalo radio, by and large, sucks. American Idol sucks. All of these tv talent shows suck. MTV? MTV sucks. Let's face it. Another white goofball, this time with two first names is "our new American Idol?" Come on. But wait. The new Beach House album debuts at number 7 on the Billboard albums chart and get ripped off in a  tv commercial, like LCD Soundsystem and the Black Keys. Meanwhile, 2012's edition of Record Store Day was the biggest yet, with music fans flocking to shops to enjoy music and spend cash on stuff old and new they love. There are interesting cross currents going on in American music: a tidal wave of rubbish with a concurrent surge in under the radar good stuff, and the ad guys and girls on Madison Avenue are taking advantage of this (by hook or by crook it seems). What's feeding this incongruous yet pleasing surge of goodness? The fact that the internet is the new radio.


At first, it seemed like the internet would destroy music. The instant gratification and disposability of downloaded music for a while encouraged disposable music, and while that is certainly an ongoing trend, it isn't the only trend happening. In addition to keeping fans hip to what their favorites were up to, the internet is also disseminating good music in a variety of ways, including Record Store Day. Websites and blogs not only unite music fans, they've in some ways become radio stations. With a click of a button you can listen to song in a few seconds. Youtube has become a great way to test drive music. The first time I heard Best Coast on last.fm on my Xbox I immediately went and watched more of their stuff on Youtube, and that was that, in the matter of minutes. Conversely, you can tell pretty quickly if it's not doing it for you, and move on. In many ways it's better than radio because you can saw through stuff until you hit something that hits you, and then you can go for it. Buffalo radio? Not when you can plug an mp3 player into your car and listen to something you like or something that you discovered. Ah yes, the joy of discovery.




That's why the 2012 Thursday At The Harbor line-up is good, and that's why looking at the music ads in Artvoice is fun. You'd be amazed at the stuff going on in Buffalo if you plugged a few names into the Youtube/Pandora/Spotify search bar. Yes, the internet isn't just for pornography and Pinterest. Nostalgia is all well and good, but the now is doing all right, all things considered, even in Buffalo (which of course is were buffaBLOG comes in). There seems to be something for just about everybody. 


But you already knew that, buffaBLOG readers. You've got other ways to stay on top of the situation. Again, this post wasn't strictly speaking for you. But if you want to share this via social media, I won't stop you. In fact I'll thank you.


And have a good Memorial Day. Thanks to all who've served.


Cliff Parks
, , , , , , , — 0 comments

Monday Odds and Sods



Today has to be an Odds and Sods post because my last 3 have been about Record Store Day, and a fourth would've been too much.
  • A few quick thoughts about Record Store Day- it was the best yet, and seeing our record stores modestly crowded made my heart sing. Also, The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is for my money the best RSD exclusive release yet. I felt an unbearable lightness of being just snatching my copy out of the bin, but to get home and see and hold the handmade albums and inspect the hand etched notes on the albums themselves... I genuinely felt and feel the love that went into making them for Flaming Lips fans. And the music on them is fantastic and perfectly sequenced to create a whole and coherent work that actually makes it a significant Flaming Lips album and a contender for one of my albums of the year.


  • The same cannot be said for Animal Collective's Transverse Temporal Gyrus RSD exclusive. It's.... uh.... interesting, and it comes with a great diagram/flow chart that sort of communicates what their Guggenheim Museum installation was about, but it's certainly not a follow up to their last proper release Fall Be Kind or anything that's going into heavy rotation. 
  • As for the rest of my RSD swag: The Black Angels single was swell (nifty retro packaging plus intriguing signals about future Black Angels sounds), the Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at the Legendary Sun Studio cd was nice but not earthshaking, and that Mynah Birds single featuring Rick James and Neil Young circa 1966 was a revelation- sunny California rock mixed with Motown harmonies and soulfully fronted by an explosive young Rick James... yeah music history missed out on that one when circumstances scotched it's release (see VH-1's Rick James: Behind The Music).

  • The Black Keys were profiled on CBS Sunday Morning, and it was a mighty nice piece. Not only am I partial to their music, but these dudes are all right. Far from being wankers, they are Rust Belt salt of the earth... like us, perhaps explaining our area's rapidly growing affinity for the Keys (the Town Ballroom one year, Artpark the next). And I don't want to hear about how they've gotten "too popular" after 10 years of work, or "sold out." I'm tired of hearing that wanky shit. In addition to offending my blue collar ethos let's face it, everybody but Radiohead (and R.E.M.) has sold out and allowed their music to be used in commercials. The Flaming Lips. M83. Sigur Ros. The New Pornographers. GRIZZLY BEAR. Etcetera etcetera. They all did it, they all had to do it (because the MTV's and VH1's suck), so let's get over it. Now are the Black Keys overexposed? Now that could be a different story.


  • I read this article yesterday in the Guardian about Manchester's (UK) late 80's music scene and I thought of you Buffalo because of our growing electronic music scene, and because I always think about Buffalo when I think about Manchester... being that they're both faded, industrial cities in the north of their respective countries, although Manchester isn't as faded as it used to be, offering possible lesson for our fair city.
  • And now a word about health and well being (because we love you here at buffaBLOG): be sure to dress warmly and appropriately when heading out to tonight's Cults and tomorrow's Death Cab For Cutie and Portugal. The Man shows. The Buffalo concert scene is heating up (ST Vincent! M83!) while Buffalo's weather is concurrently going bonkers, and now is not the time to get sick. Be sure to take your vitamins and eat your vegetables!
Cliff Parks
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)