(Styluses at the ready...) Vinylinum Habitus

I've been told I have developed a spending habit.  Clearly not true, though over the last few weeks I've been augmenting my vinyl collection in various ways.  While this post proves, indeed, that I am more hipster than you, it also proves that I am nowhere near as hipster as this person.

Deliciously swirled, translucent, vinyl discus.

I've recently retrieved some old favorites from storage at my parents' house.  These gems have been in waiting, faithfully counting the days in the closet of my old bedroom until they see the light once again.  The most note-worthy among them are some original pressings: Master Of Puppets (Metallica - 1986), ...And Justice For All (Metallica -1988), The Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden - 1983), Powerslave (Iron Maiden - 1984), Sad Wings Of Destiny (Judas Priest - 1976), Blizzard Of Ozz (Ozzy Osbourne - 1980), and March Of The Saint (Armored Saint - 1984).  Listening to these classics has been a real treat of nostalgic delight.

I've also been hunting for some very particular titles...records that mean something special to me.  Comus' First Utterance is a very unique and inspiring album.  It's been repressed a few times since its first reralease in 1971, but always in short quantities; it sells quickly and immediately goes up in price when stock diminishes.  My 180g copy is from Rise Above Records (Relics).  I think it was a failure of a grey/white swirl, but I like it that way - it adds to the charm and oddness of this strange record.  As you can see the artwork is very 70's and just gorgeous.  The quality of the pressing is quite good as well; the audio sounds very clean and robust.

In a previous post I linked to a Youtube rip of Song To Comus.  Here's Drip Drip...

Lou, oh, Lou.  I would love to track down a vinyl copy of Beloved One if such a thing exists, but in the meantime I have managed to snag a copy of Lou Rhodes' One Good Thing.  It still seems to be floating around on the internet in various places for around $16...get yours while you still can.  This record sounds quite a bit different from its digital counterpart - perhaps partly the product of vinyl mastering.  The end result, to my ears, is a more smooth and mellow mix; the additional instrumentation and reverb feel more organic.

Opeth's Deliverance and Damnation...I purchased both of these at In The Moment Records, a locally-owned shop in Brattleboro, VT that specializes in vinyl.  These two albums were recorded at the same time, July through September of 2002.  I was a Senior at Ithaca College when they were first released and I very much associate that time of my life with these records.  They inspire within me creation and excitement for new opportunity.  Here and now they are found on 180g double LPs.  The first disc of Deliverance only contains two songs (one per side)...now that's how you do it!  The 1970's prog/psych vibe of Damnation is a wonder to observe on vinyl.

Baroness finally rereleased their first two EPs, First and Second, on vinyl in the form of one 12" disc.  This is Baroness before the multi-part harmonies...in fact these two EP's are more abrasive and metal than anything else they've done.  That said, while they lack some of the signature characteristics of Red Album and Blue Record, they do contain the necessary elements that make Baroness what they are...brilliantly awesome.

In my last post I mentioned Barn Owl...my order from Thrill Jockey Records came in.  Along with Ancestral Star I also ordered Eternal Tapestry's lastest, Beyond The 4th Door.  Both of these records are guaranteed to chill you out rather nicely.

Ancestral Star, Barn Owl's third album, is a lush and layered drone, teaming with minimalist beauty.  Here's a sample that I believe speaks that which my words cannot...

Beyond The 4th Door has been my introduction to Eternal Tapestry and I am quite satisfied - their third record provides a vibrant soundscape of psychedelic garage ambiance. These guys do what many other bands try to do, but they do it right...and rather fantastically well.  The disc is a really cool translucent yellow/black swirl that can be seen in detail in the first image of this post.

Last Saturday, April 16th, was Record Store Day - a true holiday for us analog music fanatics.  Rosie and I woke up early to drive out to In The Moment for when they opened specially at 9am.  I had three titles as my top priority, all of which I am very happy to report are now within my possession.  This first is the new Between The Buried And Me, The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues, which I shared in my last post.  The RSD exclusive pressing of 1000 copies were 180g colored vinyl records (mine is clear, as you can see below).  According to an interview with Paul Waggoner, Hypersleep Dialogues is part one of a two-part concept.  No word yet as to when BTBAM plan to release the second volume or if it has yet been recorded.

The next disc on my hit list was Neurosis' Sovereign rerelease, limited to 600 copies.  The vinyl is a 180g disc in a light violet (pink?) swirl.  Sovereign, which has been long out of print, was originally released in 2000 as an EP - though its four songs, recorded in the same sessions as Times Of Grace, clock in at around 33 minutes.  It will be released again shortly on regular black vinyl and CD by Neurot Recordings.

Finally, what would RSD have been without an Opeth single containing a song that has only ever been released in a video game soundtrack?  The Throat Of Winter is not what I was expecting at all.  The song is an acoustic jam with a 70's vibe, and offers quite an interesting listening experience.  Hear for yourself...

The 7" disc (yes disc) contains just the one song on one side.  What's on the other side?  A laser etched Opeth logo of course!

So with all of these recent purchases you may ask what's still on my vinyl short list?  The new Storm Of Light for sure, some Decemberists, the new PJ Harvey, Bloom by Lou Rhodes if I can track one down, Obscura's Omnivium, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, Isis' Wavering Radiant, and lots and lots of Patti Smith! Oh..and this.  ...so...styluses at the ready..."Vinylinum Habitus!"

Comes the sunlight summer day...

As I write this extremely belated post I am sipping a hemp shake and enjoying the sounds of the new Mogwai record, "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will"...both are quite good.  I've been neglecting my hipster duties for a few weeks now on account of life being a bit more hustley and bustley than I'd have deliberately intended.  I've been thrown into an interesting whirlwind of excess stress at work, part of which left me unexpectedly stuck in Detroit for two days.  A warning to potential air travelers: avoid Delta.  The good news is that while I sat at DTW for hours on end, I fell in love.  Patti Smith's Just Kids is a powerful and beautiful testament: a loving memorial to her friend, lover, and soul mate Robert Mapplethorpe.  It begins with a heart-wrenching memory, and even though the reader presumably knows not of the history to be described on the next couple of hundred pages, it makes quite an impact...it is raw and unmistakable.  You can absolutely feel Patti's emotions shape-shifted into words, vessels of her transmuted energy; they reverberate with the part of yourself that is ever-present, the core of your being.  The book is lush with treasures of poetry.  Even in a narrative Patti's way with words is astounding, as I suppose one would no doubt expect coming from one of the greatest rock-and-roll poets of all time.  As cliche as it might sound, she doesn't bring her history to you but rather brings you into her history; you become part of it through the experience of the book.  The focus of Just Kids is to tell the story of Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, as only Patti can...but it also somewhat serves as a general autobiography.  Patti leaves out large portions of her own experience that are separate from Robert's, which is OK since this thread can found and picked up elsewhere (interviews and other books).  She fills in nearly all the gaps left by other sources by detailing the journey on which she and Robert embarked: two somewhat shy but inspired kids becoming two successful, powerful, and matured artists.  It is a story that constantly tugs on your heartstrings whilst simultaneously inspiring you as a creator in the world to stop seeing what you are doing as a risk and to realize your true calling.  If you are an artist you must read this book.

Other than reading in airports and coming home to a very broken car, I've finally set up my turntable again.  It's an old belt drive Technics hooked up to a pair of vintage Sony speakers via a Realistic stereo amplifier.  I've been spinning alot of Isis, Opeth, Jethro Tull, and Blue Oyster Cult.  Rosemary sometimes brings over her Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, and Joni Mitchell records, which are always welcome.  It is really nice to see many new albums are being released on vinyl with free digital downloads.  It's a perfect blend for those of us who adore the nostalgia and quality of vinyl records, but also embrace the portability of the digital audio era.  I am excited to do a bit of vinyl hunting when my tax return comes in.  On the hit list are The Doors' self-titled, Patti Smith's Horses and Easter, Lou Rhode's One Good Thing, and Comus' First Utterance.  If you've never heard Comus you're missing out on some very interesting and inspired stuff.  Here's a tasty psychedelic treat for you...ripped from vinyl of course...

...so...fucking...good...

Outside of my analog indulgance I've been spinning some Nick Drake, the new and very lullaby-like Radiohead record, the new Mogwai, the The Fountain score/soundtrack, the last couple of Do Make Say Think records, and the Isis/Aereogramme colaboration.  I also just found out yesterday that William Fitzsimmons will be playing at The Starving Artist in Keene, NH - a small, homey artists' studio.  It is going to be a wonderful, intimate show.  If you are in the area I'd highly recommend getting a ticket ASAP.  Here's a track from William's forthcoming record...

What's next...
A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Myke Havoc of Dorian Gray, a new New England metal band.  They recently released their first EP, which I will be reviewing in my next post with some excerpts from the interview.  Hopefully, the fact that I am updating this blog now is a sign that my life is making its way back on track.