In conjunction with the festivities going on this Saturday for the 5th Annual Tomato Art Fest, The Groove will be having a store-wide sale! ALL MERCHANDISE in the store will be 10% off. Plus, there will be further discounted records and CDs outside, give-aways from Warner and Universal Music, a drawing for 2 tickets to My Morning Jacket at Riverfront Park and some of Nashville’s best DJs providing the music throughout the day!!
MEEMAW in-store this Friday @ 7pm — with guests CAVE (Chicago, IL), SKAREKRAU RADIO (Chicago, IL), HEAVY FLOW (Jacksonville, FL) & FRUIT MACHINE (Gainesville, FL)!!!
First and foremost, we would like to thank those of you that came out last Saturday for National Record Store Day despite the gloomy weather! Without you, the day couldn’t have happened as well as it did - and we appreciate it greatly. Don’t just celebrate record stores one day out of the year - stop by any time in this beautiful sunny weather and check out our new stock on Vinyl! We’re open 7 days a week to meet your vinyl needs.
Kimya Dawson - Knock Knock Who?
Free of polished production and conventional lyricism, Kimya Dawson is raw yet tender, gripping yet childlike. Previously only available from Dawson herself, Knock-Knock Who? is another home recording that rightfully receives a proper release. Here, the Moldy Peach establishes herself as an eccentric songwriter, focusing on some of her most lo-fi creations. With her offbeat approach, Dawson’s not quite an outsider, but with lyrics such as “it’s your birthday, drink your pee, take off your shirt day” or “remember the time we saw Kenny G? He wanted to hump you that’s what he told me,” she borders on one. Sometimes the found-sounds get irritating or in the way, like the television background on “Great Crap.” For other moments, such as “For Boxer,” she’s weeping or close to an emotional breakdown. On the anti-romantic “So Nice So Smart,” she whispers “you’re such a good friend I have to break your heart/I’ll tell you that I love you then I’ll tear your world apart.” Tragic.
Kimya Dawson - My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess
Kimya Dawson can sing “I can spoon a guy and still be his friend” with no abashment. It’s almost as if she was never taught what’s indecent. Sometimes that’s what makes her so unique. Although given a simultaneous release, this solo entry (the more pensive and respectable of the two) was recorded a year-and-a-half after Knock-Knock Who?. Unlike the lush arrangements on her counterpart Adam Green’s Friends of Mine, Dawson is content with lo-fi anti-folk. She’s cute and lewd, sometimes within the same song, making clever pop culture and New York City references within her quick-witted rhymes. Sesame Street meets Ani DiFranco and Bob Dylan on shy songs such as opener “Chemistry,” while Dawson even has a little girl to sing backup vocals on “Everything’s Alright.” Rarely does she add anything else, aside from something such as a twinkling toy piano in “Will You Be Me?” Whether she’s expressing suppressed memories or feelings about relationships, there’s plenty of leftover childhood angst. And that makes for something unyieldingly genuine.
Palace - Viva Last Blues
This incarnation of Palace, one of its more impressive, sees frontman Will Oldham turning out some of the strongest bleak country-rock in his career and taking the music in a few intriguing and even upbeat directions. With a great supporting cast that includes, among others, Sebadoh’s Jason Loewenstein on drums and Oldham’s brother Ned on bass, the group busts out laid-back twangy tunes that can really rock when the opportunity comes up. Most notably, tracks like “Work Hard/Play Hard” and the opening “More Brother Rides” are brimming with energy that may not overwhelm, but certainly provides a hefty backbone. Alternately, slower brooding tracks like the longing “New Partner” see the band proving their chops in a more refined setting. Oldham’s cracking backcountry voice may be a bit of an acquired taste, but it’s worth the time, as his inflections are capable of powerful feelings and certain honesty. The Palace team has put out many a record, but as far as accessible and slightly upbeat musical ruminations go, Viva Last Blues certainly sees the players near the top of their game. Things are a little thicker and dirtier than on the more laid-back acoustic records this prolific artist has put out, but the rock approach adds worlds to the delivery and creates a powerful palette for the equally important lyrics. Oldham is a truly underrated American talent, and this is among his best work, so take the time to find it.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy - I See a Darkness
Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s album I See a Darkness seems to pick up where Will Oldham’s 1997 album Joya left off; a more melodic style than the veteran Palace listener might be used to. Oldham definitely hasn’t abandoned his foundation of mordant lyrics and minimalist arrangements, but he has built a variety of different layers that make this album an emotional and pleasurable listening experience. In “Nomadic Revery,” Oldham draws upon his classic Appalachian sound; it’s the kind of song that begs you to join in. Oldham has always given the kind of energy to his character’s voices that most people are afraid to relate to. This is all too evident in “Death to Everyone,” Oldham punches out his bitter poetry in his most somber voice. The album takes its most surprising turn on “Madeleine-Mary,” a Celtic-style folk song set to a Rastafarian guitar sound. “Today I Was an Evil One” introduces a horn section that drives home his morbid words in a strangely elegant manner. The album closes with a short and rare love song called “Raining in Darling”; Oldham stretches his voice to its most impressive limits, and the number is touching and hopeful.
Television - Adventure
Television’s groundbreaking first album, Marquee Moon, was as close to a perfect debut as any band made in the 1970s, and in many respects it would have been all but impossible for the band to top it. One senses that Television knew this, because Adventure seems designed to avoid the comparisons by focusing on a different side of the band’s personality. Where Marquee Moon was direct and straightforward in its approach, with the subtleties clearly in the performance and not in the production, Adventure is a decidedly softer and less aggressive disc, and while John Jansen’s production isn’t intrusive, it does round off the edges of the band’s sound in a way Andy Johns‘ work on the first album did not. But the two qualities that really made Marquee Moon so special were Tom Verlaine’s songs and the way his guitar work meshed with that of Richard Lloyd, whose style was less showy but whose gifts were just as impressive, and if you have to listen a bit harder to Adventure, it doesn’t take long to realize that both of those virtues are more than apparent here, and while one might wish the sound had a bit more bite on “Foxhole” or “Ain’t That Nothin’,” the quieter, more layered sound is just what the doctor ordered for “Glory” and “The Dream’s Dream.” Sure, Marquee Moon is a better album, but Adventure has one of the greatest guitar bands of all time playing superbly on a set of truly fine songs, and albums like this come along far too infrequently for anyone to ignore music this pleasurable simply on the grounds of relative evaluation; it’s not quite a masterpiece, but it’s a brilliant record by any yardstick.
Boscoe - Boscoe
Though little known outside of their hometown of Chicago, the short-lived soul-jazz ensemble Boscoe were a musical bridge between the Windy City’s R&B scene and the politically conscious and musically adventurous work of Sun Ra and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Boscoe consisted of six young men who had cut their teeth in Chicago’s blues and R&B clubs — James Rice on guitar, Darryl Johnson on sax, Reg Holden on trombone, Harold Warner on trumpet, Ron Harris on bass, and Steve Cobb on drums. Originally known as From the Womb to the Tomb, Boscoe were a regular attraction at Chicago’s Green Bunny Lounge and frequently appeared at the High Chaparral, where local heroes such as Syl Johnson, Garland Green, and Tyrone Davis would sit in with the band. Boscoe also backed up a number of vocal acts, including Johnny Moore, Glenda Dove, Little Johnny Williams, and the Sequins. By 1973, Boscoe were playing original music that dealt with the realities of the African-American community, combining funky grooves with tight, expressive horn work, and the group cut a self-titled album featuring seven of its most potent compositions. Not wanting a major record label to dilute their message, Boscoe released their sole album on their own Kingdom of Chad Records label; sales were sparse and the bandmembers parted ways a few years later. However, the Boscoe album somehow became a favorite of Japanese record collectors interested in idiosyncratic funk and soul, and the group’s reputation began to filter back to the United States. In 2007, Asterisk, an offshoot of the soul reissue label Numero Group, re-released Boscoe’s album, with the disc hailed as a lost classic by critics. Following the breakup of Boscoe, Ron Harris and Steve Cobb played with jazz keyboardist Ramsey Lewis, and Cobb later released an album’s worth of songs for the celebration of Kwanzaa, Seven Principles.
(all these descriptions came from allmusic.com)
RECORD STORE DAY LINE-UP!
This is the tentative performance schedule (times subject to change)
- 12:30 - Wes Charlton
- 1:00 - DJ Rate
- 1:20 - Biscuits and Gravy
- 1:50 - DJ Wick-it
- 2:10 - Space Capone
- 2:40 - Coolout
- 3:00 - Aaron Robinson
- 3:30 - Bowls
- 3:50 - Eureka Gold
- 4:20 - DJ Kidsmeal
- 4:50 - The Nobility
- 5:20 - Sanchez & the Shockers
- 5:50 - Meemaw
- 6:20 - JEFF
This past Tuesday, February 26th - we lost a legend. The great drummer Buddy Miles passed away at age 60 at his Austin, TX home. Miles was known for his work with Hendrix during the Band of Gypsys period, but before that, he also appeared on sessions from the Ink Spots, The Delfonics, and Wilson Pickett.
After the passing of Hendrix, he found himself on stage with everyone from David Bowie to Bootsy Collins to Stevie Wonder. He had a short run in with the law in the late 70’s and 80’s where he found himself in jail for drug charges. The following statement was issued on Miles’ website following his death:
” It is with tremendous sadness that we must share with all Buddy’s fans around the world that Buddy passed away peacefully and quietly at his home last night (Tuesday, February 26, 2008) in Austin, Texas surrounded by his family. Buddy will be greatly missed as a wonderful person and as a truly gifted musician who gave so much to so many through the years.
The family ask for your prayers and that you respect their privacy. A tribute show will be announced within a short period of time and all are welcome to come and share in the magic that was Buddy Miles.
Fans, friends and family will all join in a celebration of the life and music of this talented and big hearted musician, so we hope everyone can be a part of this fond farewell.
God Bless each of you, Buddy truly appreciated EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU. ”
Rest in Peace Mr. Miles, hopefully we can quiet those machine guns in your honor.
Record Store Day is quickly approaching and in celebration we’ve got some great things lined up, so be sure to check back soon for details!! This is an excellent opportunity to support your local independent record store and all that they have to offer their community.
