Category: Music

Record Store Day – The Teenage Duckling

Windy Weber of Stormy Records posted this on Facebook and (with her permission) I’m reposting it here because it’s encapsulates many of the mixed feelings I have about Record Store Day (and by extension the culture of limited indie releases).

Record Store Day was modeled after FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (the first Sat in May – it is about to have its ninth anniversary), and because we are in the upstairs of Green Brain, we know all about the grandeur of this day.

Here is how the it works: Many comic publishers create special FCBD editions of popular comic books. Everyone along the supply chain from the publisher, to the distro, to the retailer takes a bite out of the cost. Every comic store around the world who uses this main comic distributor is offered the opportunity to purchase these special editions, usually about 2-3 dozen different titles, at a nominal cost. Thousands and thousands are printed and stores can buy as many of each title as they want and can afford. Although, they are required to purchase a certain amount to be considered an “Official Participant” which gets them extra promotional material.

THEN they plan – they contact comic book writers and artists, DJs, offer prize drawings, take donation for non-profits, and they arrange for free snacks or soda, usually sponsored by someone who wants to get in on the exposure. As an Official Participant they are required to offer at least one FCBD comic to anyone who comes in that day with no string attached. However each store can make the event as big as they want and decide how many more HONEST TO GOD FREE COMICS each person who comes in the door is going to receive, and they LET THEIR CUSTOMERS CHOOSE WHICH ONES THEY WANT.

Honest. See for yourself at www.freecomicbookday.com

And, what do stores get from this? well, how about – ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE coming through the shop in a single day. the last two years here at Green Brain – one thousand people in a single day. and for any of you who foolishly think comic books are just for kids – man alive, are you wrong. the folks who come through here are at least 2/3 adults, and they have money to buy stuff. so they come in for a couple of free comics (GB usually does 3 per person for coming in plus ways to get more), and 4 out of 5 of those adults SPEND MONEY on other items in the shop. free comic book day is the single largest sales event the shop has. it’s like a week’s worth of Christmas sales in one day. they have award winning, totally killer people come in to sign books and draw for folks, and the day rocks. added bonus for us – 1/2 those people come upstairs and see us, AND SPEND MONEY!

Maybe even more important than the sales that occur, free comic book day is a joyous occasion. The people who come out for it are excited and happy about free comics, esp in the current economic state we deal with. Sure, it is only a few items, but it is really more about the celebration of the medium and art than about commercialism. It’s about enjoyment and not making money. It’s a thank you to all the customers who come in, not just a day to get them out to open their pocketbooks. the energy is just a lot cleaner.

So RSD is kinda sucky because the “product” is so limited, (for instance – there are over 700 stores participating this year, and only 1000 or less of most titles produced, which has lead our distros to warn us we may only get ONE copy of each thing we ordered). because shops are already hurting so bad they are going to put them on eBay ahead of time (at least that is what happened last year, and hoard them instead of selling them, and the customers are often times only buying the item to resell on eBay to someone who has no shop by them. It sucks – it is all about commercialism and capitalism, and not so much a celebration of music, or of indie stores. for a day modeled after the glory of free comic book day, it has rather turned into a monster.

And, this year, after it is all done, i will write the RSD orgainzers and express my feelings. this could be done with so much more grace and have such incredible results, and so i’m hoping (i know i hope too much everyday) that as RSD moves into the future, it will mature and become the graceful swan that the ugly duckling just is not.

– written by Windy Weber, with help from Katie Merrit, co owner of Green Brain Comics.

Running The Numbers: 2009 in Music

Albums released in 2009 that I listened to more than once and still have a non-trivial number of songs in my iTunes library as of today. Best way I can think of to describe what I liked last year without resorting to an arbitrary top ten/whatever list.

  1. Aarktica – In Sea
  2. Adam Franklin – Spent Bullets
  3. Aidan Baker – Colorful Disturbances
  4. Air – Love 2
  5. Alasehir – Torment Of The Metals
  6. All India Radio – A Low High
  7. Ariana Delawari – Lion Of Panjshir
  8. Asobi Seksu – Rewolf
  9. Asobi Seksu – Transparence
  10. Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound – When Sweet Sleep Returned
  11. Au Revoir Simone – Still Night, Still Light
  12. Bardo Pond – Volume 7
  13. Barn Owl – The Conjurer
  14. The Black Ryder – Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride
  15. Blues Control – Local Flavor
  16. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Smoking Acid
  17. British Sea Power – Man Of Aran
  18. Broadcast & The Focus Group – Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age
  19. Caethua – The Long Afternoon Of Earth
  20. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
  21. Candy Now! – Candy Now!
  22. Céu – Vagarosa
  23. Charlotte Hatherley – New Worlds
  24. Cheval Sombre – Cheval Sombre
  25. The Church – Untitled #23
  26. The Clientele – Bonfires On The Heath
  27. Clint Mansell – Moon (Soundtrack From The Motion Picture)
  28. D.A. – Odeon
  29. Dakota Suite – The End Of Trying
  30. Dakota Suite – The Night Just Keeps Coming In
  31. The Dead Sea – The Dead Sea
  32. Dean & Britta – 13 Most Beautiful… Songs For Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests
  33. The Dolly Rocker Movement – Our Days Mind The Tyme
  34. Dot Allison – Room 7½
  35. Doves – Kingdom Of Rust
  36. Emeralds – The Overlook
  37. Emily Loizeau – Pays Sauvage
  38. Engineers – Three Fact Fader
  39. Epic45 – In All The Empty Houses
  40. Espers – III
  41. Eternal Tapestry – The Invisible Landscape
  42. Evangelista – Prince Of Truth
  43. Expo ’70 – White Ohms
  44. Fell – Incoherent Lullabies
  45. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
  46. The Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away
  47. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
  48. Floorian – More Fiend
  49. The Flowers Of Hell – Come Hell Or High Water
  50. Fog In The Shell – Private South
  51. For Against – Never Been
  52. Gareth Davis & Steven R. Smith – Westering
  53. Girl In A Coma – Trio B.C.
  54. Great Northern – Remind Me Where The Light Is
  55. The Green Pajamas – Poison In The Russian Room
  56. Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
  57. Holly Beth Vincent – Minnesota-California
  58. Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions – Through The Devil Softly
  59. Howling Bells – Radio Wars
  60. Iggy Pop – Preliminaires
  61. Imogen Heap – Ellipse
  62. Jack Rose – The Black Dirt Sessions
  63. Jack Rose & The Black Twig Pickers – Jack Rose & The Black Twig Pickers
  64. Jackie-O Motherfucker – Ballads Of The Revolution
  65. Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
  66. Jasper TX – Singing Stones
  67. Jasper TX & Anduin – The Bending Of Light
  68. Jeniferever – Spring Tides
  69. Jets Overhead – No Nations
  70. John Doe & The Sadies – Country Club
  71. Julianna Barwick – Florine
  72. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds – Dracula Boots
  73. Lady GaGa – The Fame Monster
  74. Lamp Of The Universe – Acid Mantra
  75. Les Terribles – Ils sont formidables
  76. Lhasa – Lhasa
  77. Lindstrøm & Christabelle – Real Life Is No Cool
  78. Loscil – Strathcona Variations
  79. The Lovetones – Dimensions
  80. LSD March – Under Milk Wood
  81. The Madd – The Madd Are Pretty Quick!
  82. Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs – Under The Covers Vol. 2
  83. Maxïmo Park – Quicken The Heart
  84. Messer Chups – Heretic Channel
  85. Mia Doi Todd – Morning Music
  86. The Morning After Girls – Alone
  87. The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come
  88. A Mountain Of One – Institute Of Joy
  89. Múm – Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know
  90. MV & EE – Barn Nova
  91. Natural Snow Buildings – Shadow Kingdom
  92. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
  93. Nite Jewel – Want You Back EP
  94. Nouvelle Vague – 3
  95. Noveller – Red Rainbows
  96. Nudge – As Good As Gone
  97. The Observatory – Dark Folke
  98. Olivia Ruiz – Miss Météores
  99. Oneida – Rated O
  100. Paul Westerberg – PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys
  101. Peter Wright – An Angel Fell Where The Kestrel Hover
  102. Peter Wright – Snow Blind
  103. Phantogram – Eyelid Movies
  104. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
  105. Pocahaunted – Passage
  106. The Postmarks – Memoirs At The End Of The World
  107. Psychic Ills – Mirror Eye
  108. The Raveonettes – In And Out Of Control
  109. Robin Guthrie – Carousel
  110. Robyn Hitchcock – Goodnight Oslo
  111. Rowland S. Howard – Pop Crimes
  112. Sahara Hotnights – Sparks
  113. Sally Shapiro – My Guilty Pleasure
  114. Sam Phillips – A Piece Of My Brightside
  115. Sian Alice Group – Troubled, Shaken, Etc.
  116. Simon Wickham-Smith – A Seventh Persimmon
  117. Six Organs Of Admittance – Luminous Night
  118. Sonic Youth – The Eternal
  119. SPC-ECO – 3-D
  120. Speck Mountain – Some Sweet Relief
  121. Spectrum – War Sucks
  122. Spiral Joy Band – Little Sparrow
  123. Stela Campos – Mustang Bar
  124. Stella Peel – Stella Peel
  125. Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy – Unseen Music Unheard Words
  126. Steven R. Smith – Cities
  127. The Submarines – The Honeysuckle Remixes
  128. Sun Araw – Heavy Deeds
  129. Sun Araw – In Orbit
  130. Tannhäuser – Para Entonces Habrás Muerto
  131. Tara Jane O’Neil – A Ways Away
  132. Tiny Vipers – Life On Earth
  133. Tom Waits – Glitter And Doom Live
  134. U2 – No Line On The Horizon
  135. Viva Voce – Rose City
  136. Vivian Girls – Everything Goes Wrong
  137. The Warlocks – The Mirror Explodes
  138. White Hills – Dead
  139. White Rainbow – New Clouds
  140. William Basinski – 92982
  141. William Fowler Collins – Perdition Hill Radio
  142. Windy & Carl – Monolith: Earth
  143. Wye Oak – The Knot
  144. The XX – XX
  145. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
  146. Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs
  147. Zak Sally – Fear Of Song

Things I Like – August (it’s been three years since the last one) 2009 edition

1. Bruce Sterling’s closing talk at Reboot 11. First half is the standard Sterling mix of favela chic, distrust of hairshirt environmentalism, and what the next ten years is going to look like. The talk’s last half is a practical guide to getting rid of the unnecessary clutter in your life. If you’ve read the last Viridian note, the talk pretty much reviews it a year down the line. Plus it offends a non-trivial segment of the nuTechologist/Boing Boing crowd which makes me love it more.

2. Speck Mountain’s Some Sweet Relief. I dislike using “x meets y” metaphors, but the “Mazzy Star meets early Spiritualized” description is so spot-on here. Good enough shorthand, but it’s more descriptive of the band’s approach than any overt aping. Best of all, it sounds remarkably current. One of my favorite albums of the year so far.

3. Being Human. I’m the last person that would consciously seek out a vampire TV series, much less a vampire/werewolf/ghost one, but Being Human is well-written, funny when it needs to be, scary when you least expect it, and actually compelling. Superior to all other paranomal shows currently running.

being_human.jpg

4. Cowboys And Turbans. Indian food served vaguely Mexican-style. Amazingly great and within walking distance of our apartment. Epic win!

5. Enormously large flat-screen televisions. We’ve been resistant to them because of what it represented, especially in a sinking economy (we’re in foreclosure, but we have a giant SUV and a flat-panel TV!) but after a couple of run-ins with annoying theater crowds it was time to throw in the towel and just get one. DVDs do look fantastic.