Vacation Vinyl Album Picks: Sept 7th 2011

1. Cult Of Youth - The Devil’s Coals b/w Sidestreets 7” on Blind Prophet Records (Neo-Folk/Spaghetti Western Rock)
2. Akira Sakata / Jeff Parker / Nate McBride / John Herndon - In A Babble 2xLP on PressPop Music (Live Free-Jazz Import album feat. members of Tortoise)
3. Mater Suspiria Vision - Inverted Triangle II LP on Phantasma Disques (German Import only pressing from the creator of Witch House)
4. Chelsea Wolfe - The Grime & The Glow LP on Pendu Sound (Haunting LA-based singer songwriting)
5. Brotman & Short - Heights LP on Cold Dick Records (Oakland based duo performing retro-minimal wave synth)

Vacation Vinyl
3815 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 666-2111

Grand Prize Winner of WaP Album Recommending Contest: Patrick Anderson

Album Picks:

1. The Socialite by Andy Clockwise
2. Be My Thrill by The Weepies

Congratulations to Patrick Anderson! And thanks to our friends at likeZEBRA for sponsoring our contest. If you haven’t checked out their backBEAT service, you should. backBEAT offers an amazing online solution for artists to play concerts and connect directly with fans via video streaming.

Current Listens: Shigeto (DJ-Remixer)

Recording under middle name Shigeto, Zach Saginaw (signed to dream label Ghostly) is quickly accumulating an impressive body of work over the last few years.

Several EPs on Moodgadget as Shigeto and with A Setting Sun, a pair of EPs under the alias Frank Omura (another family-name reference), and remixes for Worst Friends, Praveen & Benoit, Tycho, Mux Mool, Charles Trees, A Setting Sun, Beautiful Bells, Shlohmo, and more. The Semi-Circle EP will be his first release with Ghostly International; and then his full-length Full-Circle.

In addition to some of his music recommendations, we want to definitely highlight releases and remixes that he’s been a part of. Dig in!

1. Outer Galaxies: Dennis Coffey Reinterpreted. Remixes of Dennis Coffey’s recent self-titled release. Dennis recent release is funky at it’s best, can’t beat big horn sections.
2. Full-Circle - Shigeto (9 trk EP)

Listen to a track from Outer Galaxies here.

—-

Music to Watch Out For (Courtesy of Pulse):

1. Devonwho’s upcoming release on All City
2. Shlomo’s upcoming full length.

Enter WaP Album Recommending Contest. Support the Cause!! [Jul 18th - Aug 1st]

Why an album recommending contest?

Everyone can agree that music is a big part of our lives. Since the introduction of digital technology and Internet, music became an even bigger part of our lives. More artists can create music freely at low costs and distribute it to fans. A myriad of music services began to emerge, like Last.fm, Pandora, MOG and more recently in the US, Spotify.

Though these services are brilliantly designed, they encourage mass consumption of music at no cost to the listener. Nothing is memorable anymore. People’s appetite to purchase music significantly drops, taking a non-committal attitude towards music. So what is the big deal?

In order for an artist to make minimum wage in the US, they would have to obtain 4.5 million monthly plays on a site like Spotify, a figure that is non-realistic for most artists on a consistent basis. Bottom line is, artists cannot survive off music streaming sites, they need revenue from album purchases, in addition to touring and merchandise.

Music is a social product. People buy an album if they feel connected to it. They buy an album because a friend, a DJ or a local record store owner recommend it to them. They buy an album because they had their first kiss while listening to a song from a particular album. If you are reading this, you are probably among those who actively seek out music and are passionate about sharing music with your friends. While music companies are scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to make sense of the future of music, the answer actually lies within you.

This contest is just a fun way to encourage you to recommend music. But we encourage you not to stop here. Support music and artists that you care about. Help us make buying music hip again.

Prizes include a Dark Night of the Soul deluxe box set, LPs and CDs by artists like Danger Mouse/David Lynch, Radiohead and The Head and the Heart. Click here for more details.

Enter contest now and win some music!

Tokyo Police Club 2010 release Champ was probably one of the most under-rated albums of last year. Once a Hype Machine darling, Champ didn’t receive close to the same love as previous TPC albums did.

Music should be made for timeless listening, and though Champ is far from that category, this very young band deserves the attention of any grown up listener. Lead singer and bass player David Monk’s voice though not shy of any innocence, is showing some early stages of growl-iness. The lyrics contrasts the voice well by more introspective thoughts about growing up, life and death.

Internet allows for information to spread really fast, but does very little to forgive bands who are starting out. Much is expected of young bands in their late teens with a sophomore record. Champ to me proved that this band has graduated past the indie hype, and if they continue with the same song-writing discipline, I think they have a bright future ahead.

Listening to ‘Wait Up (Boots of Danger)’ showcases a triumphant hook, especially when switching to half tempo half way through, a moment Chris Martin himself would even be impressed. Yes, I mentioned Cold Play, get over it.

Albums I was listening to along side:

1. Codes and Keys by Death Cab for Cutie
2. Plantations by Arrange

Written by Darius Fong

In The Mountain In The Cloud - Portugal [period] The Man (Release 7/19/2011)

No question a timely release in time for the summer, with energetic high male vocals (frontman: John Gourley), in a shimmery pop-y fashion. Melodies though hooky and pleasing to the ear, are not really breaking any new grounds.

In The Mountain In The Cloud feels very much like a study of popular independent music with diffused indie-pop group vocal treatment throughout. It lacks a sense of continuity leaving listeners feeling disjointed. From the opening track quoting heavily from Radiohead’s OK Computer (Guess which track? Hint: guitar riff) to riffs in “You Carried Us” that came straight from the Cold War Kids’ (Another group with high male vocals) early bible, this record is seems like Atlantic Record’s attempt at an indie all around pleaser. I cannot hear the bands own personality poke out, though I suspect that the band’s music would translate better live.

I like how Pitchfork puts it re their previous release The Satanic Satanist:

The Satanic Satanist tailor-cut for indie approval, seems to throw everything on the table to make a groovy album with wide appeal.

So here’s your chance to judge for yourself, especially for you Angelinos. Below is from PTM’s site:

Portugal. The Man will be performing at an exclusive album release show at El Cid that is free to fans that bring proof of purchase of the album or download. Very limited space, first come first served, doors are at 9pm; you must be 18 or over to attend.

Fans can also pre-order the album at Fingerprints in Long Beach where the first 100 fans to buy the new album will receive a guaranteed entry ticket.

OR fans can win tickets by listening to KCRW next Tuesday (7/19) when Portugal. The Man performs on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Written by Darius Fong

Album: Seeds Artist: Hey Rosetta!

Recommended by Listen Before You Buy

Album: You Are All I See, Artist: Active Child [Release Date: 23rd Aug 2011]

Recommended by: Listen Before You Buy

Active Child on Soundcloud

John Szuch Album Picks (Deep Elm Records):

Owner of independent label Deep Elm Records, and brainchild of the infamous Emo Diaries series. Szuch resides in the most remote archipelago in the world, though he rarely sleeps. (Read interview)

Album Picks:

1. Selections for a Fallen Soldier - Windsor Airlift (ambient / experimental post-rock)

Influences:

• Helios
• Johnny Cash
• Mogwai
• Unwed Sailor

Synopsis:
Surviving a complete genre change is Windsor Airlift, whose debut album post transition is Selections for a Fallen Soldier. The group abandoned every aspect of their pop/punk genre and began writing wordless music inspired immensely by Unwed Sailor. With their ambient approach to a blurry line between math and experimental post rock, Selections for a Fallen Soldier quickly sold out, though was never re-released. Currently, with more electronic inflkuences, Windsor Airlift is working on their 2011 release titled The Meadows.

2. From Pelican Shores - Glacier Island (acoustic/electronic pop)

Influences:

• Owl City
• Thrift Stores
• Circuit Bending
• Dollar Movie Theatres

Synopsis:
Glacier island is siblings Tony and Andy Johnson. Having grown up writing music with Adam Young of Owl City under names like Windsor Airlift, Dolphin Park, and Left Lane (among countless others), Glacier Island inevitably has a similar flavor. In 2010, Tony and Andy took out their old guitars again, only to birth their debut album From Pelican Shores as Glacier Island.

Read full interview here.

Bio
John Szuch founded Deep Elm Records in 1995. Over the last decade and a half, he has nearly 200 releases, including seminal records by The Appleseed Cast, Moving Mountains, Latterman, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Carly Comando, Benton Falls. Szuch recently relocated Deep Elm’s headquarter to an undisclosed location on an island, he is more excited about the future of Deep Elm than ever before. He claims that if he can run the label here, he can run it anywhere. Deep Elm’s recent releases include Moonlit Sailor, Athletics, Dorena, Last Lungs, This Drama and The Lions Rampant.  Check out his album picks here.

Interview

WaP: Art and money have always been conflicting ideas in people’s mind. Quoting your website” …one that operates on principles other than the pursuit of earnings.”, how do you keep your label in check, putting out art and still run a successful business?

Szuch: When I started the label, I fully embraced the notion of “if you build it, they will come.” Now that may sound naive and perhaps it was for an upstart label with absolutely no connections whatsoever in the music business, but I firmly believed then, as I do now, that great music is impossible to keep off the radar.  Fans want great music, they want to discover new music and those who are really into music know where to find it…on labels like Deep Elm.  And I figured I might as well do something that I loved and potentially fail, rather than doing something I hated and being successful. Life is short, so you gotta try. Like that quote from Jerry Macguire “that’s how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there!”  And I did risk it all….every penny I had saved for nearly 10 years.  At the beginning, dozens of people told me it would not work…that I would fail.  Well, none of those people are still in the music business and look at us, we’re still here.  A true indie label like Deep Elm puts out music because we love it and we think it’s important for people to hear it. And maybe the listener will feel the same things we feel when we listen to it. It never crosses our mind “will this sell or not” because that’s not why we do this. Thankfully, a lot of people happen to like our taste in music and support Deep Elm and our bands and buy our releases. There are certainly much bigger labels out their with more funding, but no label has more heart, more integrity and more respect for music than we do.

WaP: Obviously you are not afraid to be associated with the term “Emo”, how did the ‘Emo Diaries’ come about?

Szuch: I’ve always thought the fear of using any term to describe music was just plain ridiculous. It’s simply a descriptor.  To us, using the term “emo” was no different than describing music as punk, post-rock or hardcore — all of which have different sub-genres and styles within them. Our main function as a record label is to expose and promote the music of the bands we work with. So if using the term “emo” will help describe a record we are releasing, the style or main influence of a band we work with, then we’ll use it. At the end of the day, we think people should focus on listening to music and discovering what it means to them, not what to call it.  Our first compilation, which featured Jimmy Eat World, was titled “The Emo Diaries” and really got a lot of people talking about the early 90’s emo-core scene. Goal accomplished…and then it really took off from there with fans asking for more. Basically, we wanted to find a way to help expose bands we thought were great without spreading ourselves too thin by putting out a complete album for each of them.  So I had the idea for a compilation of exclusive songs from great artists that we wanted to support but could not sign for one reason or another. 

Besides selecting all the music, “The Emo Diaries” has a lot to do with me on a personal level. It’s been more than just a showcase for amazing songs, it’s literally been the soundtrack to my life over the past 15 years.  Each chapter is part of an overall storyline which I thought was obvious from the titles, but the deeper meaning has gone unnoticed. It’s been a monumental art project, creating a story with songs instead of words or images. Every song I’ve selected for the series resonated with what I was feeling at the time…in that stage of my relationship.  If you read the chapter titles, you’ll understand…and if you read the lyrics of each song, you’ll understand even more. This music inspires me, consoles me and many times it’s the only friend I can count on.

WaP: What motivated you to resume the ‘Emo Diaries’ after you retired it?

Szuch: After we released Emo Diaries 10 in 2004, we decided to unofficially end the series, citing the bastardization of the term “emo” in pop culture, as well as mainstream’s stranglehold and subsequent commercialization of the genre, which placed the focus squarely on the aesthetic…not the music, the energy or the passion. Even to this day, I hear more emo references with regards to fashion vs. music. But fans and bands kept asking when the next chapter was coming. After all, the purpose of the series was to bring attention to songs we loved and we just couldn’t say no…submissions just kept coming in. We put out Emo Diaries 11 in August 2007 and titled it “Taking Back What’s Ours.” And we just released the next chapter in The Emo Diaries saga…Chapter 12 “I Love You, But In The End I Will Destroy You” in early 2011. Our fondness for emo has never abated, and we still work with many emo-influenced bands like Les Sages. Their album “Share This” is one of the best emo albums of all time. Crazy good.

WaP: What’s the first album that really did it for you when you were growing up? How did it affect you?

Szuch: Pink Floyd “The Wall” did it for me.  It showed me that you could have a deep emotional connection to music, that it could be more than a catchy chorus, that it could affect you on the inside, that it could become a part of who you are, that it could console and inspire. That is what I still hope we are doing with the music we release.

WaP: What’s the favorite record you ever put out? And how did you get the record on your label?

Szuch: I don’t pick favorites. I have a connection to every record we’ve ever released. Lately we’ve been releasing a good number of post-rock bands, and before that we had a lot of post-hardcore, punk and indie rock releases. Our taste isn’t shifting, it’s the music that is submitted to us that does. Here’s our secret: we only sign bands that send us their music (http://www.deepelm.com/submit). Our entire roster is comprised of bands that sent us their music because they wanted to work with Deep Elm. We do not contact or go after bands because of hype or press or sales or marketability. That’s nonsense to us. It’s all about the music. And if we fall in love with the music, it’s a match. We get a ton of demos and completed records and we listen to them all. It’s always exciting to listen because you can find the coolest bands. So we decide what we are releasing based on what is sent to us. And that we don’t really control. It’s a very natural process…and the way we think it’s works best. I mean, we’re still running after 16 years.

WaP: Definition of Independent label has changed over the past 15 yrs. Labels such as “A&M Octone” still claims to be independent, while striking hybrid deals with major distributors. What is your definition of an Independent Label?

Szuch: You don’t really hear “indie” that much any more because the “true indie” labels can pretty much be counted on one hand at this point. But it still means the same to me - if a label is “dependent” on a major record label or a major-affiliated entity for anything — be it funding, distribution, marketing, sales, anything at all — they are NOT independent. Most so-called indie labels are really “faux indies” and have ties to the corporate music machine for dollars and distro. And once that happens, the line between commerce and art is crossed and all that matters is the bottom line. They don’t really care about the artist, developing them, giving them time to grow…it’s all about marketability and profitability, or you get dropped from their roster. We don’t think music should be handled like that.

WaP: Where would you like to take “Independent Label” in the future?

Szuch: Deep Elm will continue to be run as a true indie on our own terms. I refuse to sell out.  We’ve had offers, but I’ve turned them all down.  And I like where we are at.  If we get much bigger, too many people are gonna find out about us and it’s all gonna be ruined. Deep Elm is like a best kept secret to many of our fans. My ultimate goal is to have an internationally roaming record label, where we move from one location to the next for maybe a couple of months at a time. It’s entirely possible since we’re all digital now. It’s our chance to connect even more with our music, fans and bands. We recently relocated after 12 years in North Carolina and we’re currently operating from an undisclosed location on an island in the most remote archipelago in the world. If we can run the label here, we can run it anywhere.  I’m more excited about the future of Deep Elm than ever before. Now let’s just pray that the Mayans were wrong…

Flying Lotus “Zodiac Shift” - Remix by Sonnymoon.

Sonnymoon, two mystical beings, also known as Anna Wise and Dane Orr, has just begun their musical imprint on Earth with Plug Research. Sonnymoon now presents us with an intergalactic remix to Flying Lotus’ “Zodiac Shit,” from the acclaimed Cosmogramma album. This one is sure to leave a mark. - Plug Research

http://sonnymoon.bandcamp.com/

Video: “The Body” by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Flashbacks reflecting on youthfulness and it’s bliss, over this symphonic indie pop track “The Body” by The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. This video was originally found on mtv.co.uk.

Trey Many Album Picks (Billions):

A drummer-turned-booking agent, Trey Many reveals the challenges facing up-and-coming bands.

Album Picks:

1. Life of Leisure - Washed Out
2. Fun and Laughter - Land of Talk

Read full interview here.

Peter Harper Album Picks (Artist):

A bronze sculptor, ardent music fan, and brother to Ben Harper. He’s thankful that his grandfather talked him out of being a lawyer.

Album Picks:

1. The Luxury of Time - Shelby
2. Love Ethnic - Michael Chandler

Reiko Kondo Album Picks (Eenie Meenie Records):

Founder of Eenie Meenie Records. Kondo is not shy from experimenting distinctive sounds, and is on a constant mission to present quality music.

Album Picks:

1. Remind Me Where the Light Is - Great Northern
2. Sensuous - Cornelius

Tyler Hayes Album Picks (Liisten.com):

Founder of TheAlbumProject.net and his new venture Liisten streaming one unsigned band’s album a week.

Album Picks:

1. The Ladder - Andrew Belle
2. Share This - Les Sages

Robert Shahnazarian Jr Album Picks (Feudal Records):

President of Feudal Records, Shahanzarian has done it all in the music biz.

Album Picks:

1. Polichinelle - The Prayer Boat
2. Solo Piano Diary - Christian Lindquist

Our Cause

Did you know that in order for an artist to make minimum wage, they would have to obtain 4 million monthly plays on music streaming services, a figure that is non-realistic for most artists.

Bottom line is, artists need revenue from music purchases.

If you are reading this, you are probably amongst those who care about artists and music. The future of music actually lies within you.

Music is a result of social interaction. People buy an album because they feel connected to it. They buy an album because a friend, a DJ or a local record store owner recommend it to them.

Online music streaming services encourage mass consumption of music at very low to no cost to listeners. It is extremely difficult for great music to break through the noise. By recommending music and buying music, you are doing a great favor to artists you care about. You are showing your friends that you care, which in turn causes them to care.

So what are you waiting for? Recommend some music. Let your friends know about us and join the cause. Subscribe to our mailing list and join the WEarePANEL army.

Vacation Vinyl Album Picks »

3815 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 666-2111

Origami Vinyl Album Picks »

1816 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026-3227
(213) 413-3030