R.A.D Vinyl

Trophy Wife 7” (Private Leisure Industries)

buy it here: http://www.privateleisure.org/

The low bass growl and a buzzing electric guitar lead the way on the killer “Stella,My Star” the a side off the new Trophy Wife 7”. The drumming is a minimal tribal tom and kick beat driving the song forward but never veering off course. The vocals are very reminiscent of Kim Gordon so one can’t help but think of Sonic Youth but it works great on this track. The b side forgoes the grit of the flip side and goes for a dark and dreamy synth pop sound that devolves as the track goes along . Both tracks are amazing and the fact that they are so different really make for a great 7”. Available on black vinyl with a great picture sleeve.

Nervous Curtains-Fake Infinity (Latest Flame Records)

buy it here: http://www.latestflame.com/

Latest Flame Records recently released the new Nervous Curtains record “Fake Infinity” on black vinyl with a printed lyric sheet. Nervous Curtains continue on this record to weave a strange web of dramatic synth based gothic post-punk. The tracks are cinematic in scope yet the three piece set up keeps “Fake Infinity” grounded and minimal enough to keep that post-punk edge. The album is soaked with buzzing analog sounds, angular riffs and propulsive krautrock drumming. The whole affair is dark and bizarre with lyrics that are intriguing and beguiling with some great hooks thrown into the mix. Nervous Curtains are nearing the end of their tour but Milwaukee you have a chance to see them 4/13 @Riverwest Public House w/Catacombz and IfIHadAHifi.

Axxess-Novels for the Moons (Medical Records)

Buy it here: http://medical-records.org/

http://www.forcedexposure.com/bin/search.pl?search_string=axxess&searchfield=keyword

 http://fabrica.bigcartel.com/product/axxess-novels-for-the-moons-lp-medical

 Medical Records has quickly become one of my favorite labels around today. Even though I am always hesitant to buy reissues, Medical Records easily erases my hesitancy with killer packaging, high quality vinyl and limited pressings of rare records. Medical Records focuses on the crazy world of synthesizer music back in the heyday of analog equipment. The newest release is Axxess Novels for the Moons. Axxess is the brainchild of French multimedia artist Patrick Mimran. Mr. Mimran was co-director of Lamborghini Motors (along with his brother) at the time and fittingly released the album on the imprint Lamborghini Records. Mimran commissioned the German engineer Andreas Bahrdt to build a custom complex synthesizer which eventually materialized into a sixteen voice analog synthesizer. Mimran then used the synth to record 15 sequenced instrumentals that are absolutely essential for fans of analog music, Kraut and Cosmic Disco alike. It’s hard to explain how amazing this record really is, the upbeat driving pulse, the circular rhythms, and the sick synth tones will leave you entranced. Think the offspring of Kraftwerk and John Carpenter and you’re starting to get the idea. Tracks like “Kissing the Desert Ghost” and “Slower Combing Eggs” blew my mind while the nature channel sounds of “Owls” had my two year old running around the house making monkey sounds. In reality there isn’t a bad track on here. Novels for the Moons is fun and unique and comes on a gorgeous 180g yellow vinyl in a limited pressing of 1000. Medical Records, like the original records they repress, tend to sell out so don’t sleep on this record. 

IfIHadAHiFi- Nada Surf EP +3 (Latest Flame Records)

Buy it Here: http://www.latestflame.com/

IfIHadAHiFi are a band that don’t take themselves to seriously yet they take the music they make very seriously. Naming the album Nada Surf +3 was little more than a chance to poke fun of Nada Surf who used If-I-Had-AHiFi for the title of one of their records. Full disclosure I have worked with the bass player of this band for over 5 years and our bands have played together once or twice. Every once in awhile I would hear a sneak peak at these tracks. It is great to finally sit down and hear the entire album. In typical HiFi fashion this is an upfront and in your face ordeal with songs littered with feedback, chaotic synth noise and effected vocals. All of the songs are teetering on the verge of collapse and the band is ready to go down with the ship. The best part about the HiFi is that behind the noise and the sound effects is a band that takes good hooks seriously. The lyrics may be quirky and the songs may have a circus like atmosphere of pandemonium but you will still find yourself singing along at some point. Pick up this record and be prepared for a whirlwind ride with a lot of crazy twists and turns. Pressed on black vinyl.

The Walkabouts (Fin Records)

Buy it Here: http://finrecords.com/store-t417/the-walkabouts.aspx

The Walkabouts are fresh off a successful European tour that saw them playing to sold out crowds in several countries. Fin Records has hooked up with The Walkabouts to  release a series of 7”s from the bands Travels in the Dustland. The “My Diviner” 7” is the first and is a pressing of 1,000 on clear vinyl with only the faintest tint of a greenish blue coloring. Song lyrics adorn the custom inner sleeve and the outer sleeve has a barren desert image that matches the music perfectly. “My Diviner” is an atmospheric ballad with swells of sound playing backdrop to strong lyrical content. The Walkabouts provide a hushed effortlessness to their dusty Americana. B side “Neu Death Valley” is a subtle wash of texture with an organic banjo plucking away alongside the flowing tones. The Walkabouts are a band that knows how to create a mood perfect for a desolate journey and they have provided a fine start to their series of 7”s for Fin Records. 

Virginia Plain 7” (All Hands Electric)

Buy it here: http://allhandselectric.com/virginia_plain.html

Virginia Plain deliver a sprawling synth pop odyssey on their 7” for All Hands Electric. Drawing on vintage 80’s analog sounds and epic production this is a 7” you don’t want to miss out on, which could be easy since it is limited to 200 copies on black vinyl. All Hands Electric say this is just a teaser for a full album to follow so get to know Virginia Plain before they blow your mind with a full-length. Both tracks are amazing with the B side being slightly darker straddling the lines between synth pop and shoegaze. If your a fan of the CHROMATICS or Soft Metals you will find yourself loving Virginia Plain.

Red Jacket Mine 7” (Fin Records)

find out more here:  http://finrecords.com/ARTISTS/REDJACKETMINE.aspx

Release date feb 21st

Limited to 500 copies on puke colored vinyl to go along nicely with the puke lyrics on the b side. The Red Jacket Mine 7” is brightly mixed and polished nicely for radio. Both tracks clock in under 3 minutes and are heavy on the pop rock side of the equation with a little soul mixed in and maybe even a bit of a vintage Steely Dan vibe. Throw in (or up) a little puke humor and you have the new single from Red Jacket Mine. below is a track by the band from their bandcamp site.

Private Leisure Industries

http://www.privateleisure.org/

Why start a label?

I’ve been pretty obsessed with music since a very young age, and releasing records is something I’ve been interested in as long as I can remember.  Around age 15 I discovered punk rock (and vinyl) and realized anyone could do it, and decided one day, I would too.  Since around 2004 I’ve been involved in the founding and operations of a more communally run label called High-Density Headache (on which I released a 7” and two LP’s for my band at the time, Big Nurse).  While I enjoyed working with High Density (and still do), I still desired to start a label that I could call my own.   I always figured there would be a time when I would know I was financially and mentally prepared to start my own label.  When I realized last year (2010) that I was soon turning 30 and that time still hadn’t come, I figured I’d just try to do it with no real money or preparation.  So far, it’s worked out okay thanks to tax returns and student loans (shhh); it also helps that I have a “real” job now.  Beyond that, I feel like the reason anyone starts an independent label out of their own pocket and runs it on their own spare time is probably because they feel like they know about incredible music that no one else is releasing that they want to promote and share with others.

When and how did it start?

I started the label in the summer of 2010 with our first release, a double LP compilation of bands from the town I live in (Murfreesboro, TN) and bands that toured through often.  I learned a lot of lessons with that first release, like it’s a lot cheaper to source all the different jobs through different specialty manufacturers than it is to pay someone a lump sum to handle it all for you, and that not a ton of people wanna pay $20 for a double LP comp full of bands they’ve never heard of, so you shouldn’t press 500 of them…As far as operations go, several of my friends helped me out with many different tasks very early on, and then within a few months, it sort of solidified into me and two other friends doing the majority of the planning and work.  One of those friends left the label a few months back, so now there are just two of us, myself (Michael) and my partner, Jessica.  Jessica does all the filing and bookkeeping, I handle the manufacturing side, and we both work on promotions and work with distributors.  Our friend Rob maintains the website, and approves all art work before it’s sent out to print.  Whoever happens to be around will help us with grunt work like folding covers or stuffing inserts or whatever.

What labels inspire you?

There are two labels that inspired me early on in different ways.  The first was a very tiny operation run by two guys that booked punk shows at the all ages venue I frequented as a teenager.  Their label was called House O’ Pain and they primarily released 7”s by regional punk bands.  I bought all their records and still have them to this day.  They inspired me in the sense that here are these two guys, leading basically normal lives for the most part, but also dedicating all their spare time and energy to facilitating and documenting this little scene that so few people knew about, but they didn’t care because it was important to them, and they believed in what they were doing and the artists they were releasing.  I remember how exciting it was when they’d get a test press in for something new and spin it at the venue and ask people what they thought about it.  I always enjoyed talking to them about how to put out records and even though I was just a kid, they were always willing to answer my questions and treated me with respect.  Through them I realized early on that helping and documenting artists that you believe in is intrinsically rewarding, and not to expect much in the way of an external payoff; in other words if you’re gonna release records, you had better really WANT to do it, otherwise, it would will likely be very unrewarding.

The other label that really inspired me when I was younger was Kill Rock Stars.  As a teen I was obsessed with KRS.  After having been exposed to so much bizarre music at this point, it may seem strange, but during the mid to late 90’s for a label that claimed it was ‘punk’ KRS was completely out there.  You can see this obviously in bands like Witchypoo, OOIOO, Mocket, godheadsilo, Free Kitten, Huggy Bear, and early Deerhoof, but even the more traditionally ‘punkier’ bands like Bratmobile, Universal Order of Armageddon, the Peechees, Bikini Kill, Unwound, the Mukilteo Fairies, and the Frumpies were all very unique and always way more interesting than anything coming out on any of the other bigger punk labels of the day.  I loved that KRS was willing to attach the label of punk to what they were doing even though they never released anything that sounded like the Clash or the Germs or Minor Threat or whatever.  When ordering records by bands you hadn’t heard on their label, you were never quite sure what you were gonna get.  It was through KRS that I first realized that punk rock wasn’t about rehashing hardcore over and over again, but that instead it could and should be constantly evolving and challenging.  The name ‘Private Leisure Industries’ was actually inspired by the essay on the back of the KRS compilation ‘Rock Stars Kill’.

A few current labels that I’m into that press vinyl are: Cephia’s Treat, Deathbomb Arc, Sebastian Speaks, Blossoming Noise, Feeding Tube, Realicide Youth, Badmaster, Isle of Man, De Stijhl, and Night People.

What is the goal and purpose of your label?

Simply stated, the goal of the label is to promote and document music by artists living and creating in the southeastern U.S. and surrounding areas.   I don’t have anything against artists from other places, I just think there are a lot of artists around here that don’t get their due because they’re so isolated.  I wanna help change that. 

How do you find new artists?

Most of the music we’ve released and are planning to release at this time is by artists we knew personally prior to starting the label.  Although, as previously stated, I may not have felt quite financially prepared to start the label when I did, I certainly wasn’t worried about having any shortage of artists to release.  I feel very lucky to have a good number of extraordinarily talented friends who are making amazing music.  Aside from that, there’ve been a couple of artists that we’ve been moved enough to track down and offer to release a record for.  I also have a wish list of about 20 of my favorite bands and artists from the south, past and present, that I’d like to release, some completely unknown, others somewhat notable.  We’re of course always interested in hearing new music, so bands from the southeast are definitely encouraged to get in touch.

Why vinyl?

In a word: aesthetic.  I love the way vinyl sounds, love the way it looks, love the large artwork, the fact that it’s not easily stored, that it requires care and space, that it’s not portable…I guess it’s pretty tough to explain it to someone who doesn’t already kind of understand it; I’ve talked to people who don’t get it at all, and only have mp3 players, and to them it all just sounds like a pain in the ass…and don’t get me wrong, I have an mp3 player like everyone else and I like to walk around with my headphones on and everything, but nothing can ever take the place of vinyl for me.   I appreciate the fact that you have to put it on and then just kind of sit there in one place and listen to it, as this demands much more attentive listening than if you were, say, on a walk or in the car.  I guess in a way it just seems much more personal and intimate to me, and I really dig that. 

How important is packaging to you?

It’s pretty important, we want the releases to look as good as they can, and we do everything we can to facilitate that, but we’ve also found that you can get great looking covers printed for fairly cheap, so we haven’t really gone all out with packaging yet; we’d certainly like to so in the future though.  As far as artwork, the artists have complete creative control over their art.

What are your future plans?  

Our next release will be the second Trophy Wife 7” which should be out in January or February of 2012.  After that is a split 7” between DJ mdmHEY! and Sperm Snake.  And beyond that, we’re also working on or planning releases for: Social Junk, Taiwan Deth, Cycles, Salt Swan, Larva Lou, the Most Amazing Century of Science, and T. Rust. 

Do you collect vinyl?

I do, but I’m much less serious about it now than I used to be.  Most of my music collection is on vinyl, but I got rid of about a third of my records a few years ago.  It was a tough decision, but I really needed money so I did it.  The records that mean the most to me in my collection are either by artists that I have a personal connection with or that blew me away when I saw them live.

How big is your collection?

Including all sizes, I probably have somewhere between 700 and 800 records.

What are some of your go to records over the years?

I really love compilations.  My favorites in my collection are the first Kill Rock Stars comp. and the Population Problems 7”, Cramped Quarters 7”, and Everything is a Theory LP comps all on Cephia’s Treat.  Other steady go to faves from my collection over the years include:

David Bowie- Station to Station LP

Cabaret Voltaire- Hai! Live in Japan LP

 Flipper- Gone Fishin’ LP

No Doctors- Hunting Season LP

Xiu Xiu- Knife Play LP

Black Dice-Miles of Smiles 12” EP

Gaybomb- collab 7” with Occasional Detroit and split 7” with Hentai Lacerator 

Taiwan Deth/Unicorn Hard-On split 7”

The New Flesh collab 7” with Robert Inhuman

Bird Names- Sings the Browns LP 

Mythical Beast- split LP with Pocahaunted

Blues Control- split 7” with Heavy Winged 

the Cherry Blossoms- self titled LP