Twittering Machines

check out the In The Groove Records blog

The world, specifically Raleigh, NC, welcomes a new Record Store! I think I’ll celebrate this evening with a nice cold Dale’s since there’s no better excuse for celebration than a new record store except perhaps actually visiting one and buying records. Twittering Machines reader and now record store proprietor Greg Rollins sent me an email to let me know he’s taking the plunge, “As the following posts show, I have done what many said I shouldn’t. I believe in this…I’m going all in.”

Here are a few articles on the opening:

On Glenwood Avenue, a new, old-fashioned record store for Raleigh, INDYweek.com

In the Groove Records Opens for Vinyl Lovers on Glenwood South, New Raleigh.com

Let’s all wish Greg and In The Groove Records the best of luck. And stop by next time you’re in Raleigh. Road Trip!

In the Groove Records
Specializing in Used LP’s
Buy Sell Trade
14 Glenwood Ave South, Raleigh NC 27603
Suite #22, In the Carter Building

W-F: 11am – 6pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm – 5pm

Remember this picture? I snapped this with my iPhone at the Disney store in DisneyWorld when we were there in November. Turns out Disney pulled this puppy from their shelves when they realized all kinds of shit was wrong with it in Disney World terms (possible copyright infringement issues aside, the Joy Division reference isn’t exactly your standard issue Disney image material). Now its selling for $200+ on eBay.

Winterpills
All My Lovely Goners

For their upcoming release, Winterpills is looking to offer a lovely vinyl-version. Here’s why from the band:

Why vinyl, some of you fans may ask? Aside from the obvious plus in terms of artwork, and arguably the sound, releasing our music on vinyl brings the wispy, ephemeral nature of digital music these days back down to earth in something of real, tangible value. Something to see on a shelf or a table from across a room and it catches your eye. Something you hold in both your hands and open up, and explore, while the music plays. Those that love vinyl already know this; those that have forgotten may like to be reminded; those that have never known are in for a treat. Also, did you know that vinyl sales rose 39% last year – more than any other part of the music business?

If you’d like to help make this happen, go to the Winterpills Kickstarter page and pre-purchase your very own copy. $20 will get you the LP + download, $25 and the band will sign your LP, $50 adds a limited edition silk-screen poster (I happen to know that lead singer/songwriter Philip Price is also an amazing visual artist – don’t you hate people like that?), and it goes up from there which gets you more and more up to and including an in-house performance (within a reasonable distance from where the band calls home).

Samuel Carthorne Rivers (September 25, 1923 – December 26, 2011)

I had it in my head that I’d drive over to see Sam Rivers in Orlando during one of our Florida visits. I never did.

Cut Hands
Afro Noise I (Volume 1)

William Bennett of Whitehouse takes a solo outing by way of Africa namely by adding driving percussion sourced from his collection of Congolese and Ghanaian drums to a lovely crushing noise-infested soundscape. The perfect soundrtack to a dark vision. Sounds essential.

cut hands – afro noise (album preview) by experimedia

Cut Hands
Afro Noise I (Volume 2)

Volume II sounds like more.

Art Zoyd
Symphonie pour le Jour où Brûleront les Cités

Originally self-released in 1976, Symphonie pour le Jour où Brûleront les Cités (Symphony for the Day Cities Will Burn) zounds zorta like madcap Prog Rock with a much-needed (Dada dark) sense of humor injected with a dose of Boulez. Re-issued by Sub Rosa with new artwork , this is the re-recorded 1980 version along with Deux images de la cité imbécile 1975-76 (Two Pictures of the Stupid City) on side 2. Features Thierry Zaboïtzeff (cello), Alain Eckert (guitar), Gilles Renard (saxophones), Jean-Pierre Soarez (trumpet), Frank Cardon (violin) and Gérard Hourbette (alto violin). A Rock In Opposition classic.

Lydia Lunch & Philippe Petit
In Comfort

Lydia doing vocals telling stories speaking dreams over Philippe Petit: synths + electronics, with Perceval Bellone: tibetan bowls-sanza, Joseph Budenholzer: piano (original composition), Bela Emerson: cello, James Johnston: harmonica, Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello, and Manuel Zurria: Flutes. Ms. Lunch’s voice is getting Burroughs-like in its tragicomic gravitas. From Comfortzone Records on picture disc. Yum.

Lydia Lunch & Philippe Petit: BLACK SPRING by philippepetit

Laura was preparing a bag of clothes to drop off at Value Village, and encouraged me to look for contributions of my own.  Things I no longer wore, that might be serviceable to someone else.  Make a little space for myself.

(more…)

Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides
Low Fired Clay Escape

I’m still loving this for its otherness.

(more…)

Tantra Song
Selected & With Writings by Franck André Jamme
(112 pages, over 50 color illustrations)
$39.95

French poet Franck André Jamme traveled to India in search of these beautiful and minimal paintings and he eventually found them (after suffering but you have to read all about it in that linked page). I have an older, smaller book from the 1994 Paris Agnes b exhibit of Jamme’s Tantra paintings where they were first shown and I find them beautiful, simple, calming, soothing, meditative+sexy and oh so modern (even though they’re not).

(more…)

My eyes were clearly bigger than my budget. Yes, I drove down to PREX the night I received the email and came away with a number of lovely LPs. O da joy!

From the top/left:

(more…)

Even though PREX had a copy of Gunther Schuller’s Seven Studies On Themes Of Paul Klee with a reproduction of Klee’s Twittering Machine on the cover, I did not buy it at $39 instead opting for quantity. More to follow.

Hubert Robert Weber (1/21/1925 – 12/9/2011)
The best grandfather a son-in-law could ask for. RIP.