What's Spinning?

Photo by Yoon Kim at Sluice Fest 2019.

Ashleigh Jackson writes Sluice Fanzine and orchestrates Sluice Fest, a mostly all-locals DIY music festival in Huntsville, Alabama that happens every year in August.

Name of record/artist:

Beauty and the Beat by The Go-Go’s was released in 1981 on I.R.S. Records

What emotion does this record invoke for you?

This record makes me feel nostalgic even though I didn’t start listening to it until a couple of years ago. It reminds me of running around town with nothing to do and nowhere, in particular, to be with my friends in high school, especially the track “This Town.”  

What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album?

The bass in particular is really strong. It plays a lot of key elements on this record that bring up a lot of emotion. If you try to listen to just the bass without the other instruments it could have been on a completely different record. Margot Olavarria played bass on this record and she had different intentions for the sound of the band, going more towards a sound that’s similar to Buzzcocks. It really shines through and I wonder what it would be like if the album as a whole had gone in that direction.

Does this record bring back any memories for you?

The track “Tonite” takes me back to driving my friends to shows at Excalibur in Decatur. Back then we were listening to a lot of No Cash, Descendants, and Black Flag, but that track reminds me of being in a state of excitement that comes about when you’re about to do something cool. “How Much More” reminds me of dating as a teenager. The song is cute and catchy but it’s also pretty sad. It captures the excitement of having a crush on someone and the heartbreak of it not being reciprocated. 

What are the highlight tracks?

Without a doubt my favorite song is “Automatic” – it’s such a cool song to me. It’s the most complex song on the album.

Describe the album artwork

The album artwork is all the girls wrapped in white towels with cucumbers over their eyes and face masks on with a blue and pink pastel gradient in the background that looks like a painting. It’s like having a big sleepover with your girlfriends. 

RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION - What is the FIRST word that comes to your head

Empowerment.

This record is the first time that you see an all-female band that wrote and played all their own songs. For myself, as a woman, that’s a really important thing to see, especially now that we have all these new bands popping up in town. 

Why should we listen to this record?

This record is honestly really cool and everyone should listen to it at least once. It’s way more than just “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips are Sealed.” Both of those are obviously good songs and stand out on their own, but there’s more to it if you dig a little and listen to the album in its entirety. 

 
 
 

What's Spinning? Mordechai by Khruangbin

Andy & Ashley Vaughn owners of Vertical House Records in Huntsville Alabama opened up their store in 2007 in historic Lowe Mill, an old cotton mill in West Huntsville. They moved into their current location which is approximately 3000 square feet in January 2019.

They are big supporters of the independent and local music scene!

Name of record/artist:

Artist: Khruangbin, Album: Mordechai, Released in June 2019 on Dead Oceans.

What emotion does this record invoke for you?

Is “chill” an emotion? Haha

What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album?

For a trio, they have a very big sound. There is a little bit of singing but the majority of it is instrumental. The drummer and the bassist are great as a rhythm section for the thai funk-inspired guitar riffs.

Does this record bring back any memories for you?

Not specifically since it just came out recently. I imagine it will invoke memories of the Summer time during future playings !

What are the highlight tracks?

#2 - Time (You and I), If There Is No Question, Pelota, So We Won’t Forget are a few of the standout tracks but really the whole album is great to listen to in its entirety.

DIBS: Describe the album artwork

Khruangbin is a Thai word that translates to “Flying Vehicle” or “Aeroplane”, so I feel like the album cover is a take on that. The cover has a colorful illustration of a winged animal taking flight. Kind of psychedelic design with earth tones.

RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION - What is the FIRST word that comes to your head

Funky!

Why should WE listen to this record?

Because it’s gooood! We’ve been selling a ton of their albums at the store and every time we play it someone asks what we’re listening to. That’s always a good sign!

Khruangbin is a three-piece band from Texas, formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald Johnson on drums. Taking influence from 1960's Thai funk - their name literally translates to "Engine Fly" in Thai - Khruangbin is steeped in the bass heavy, psychedelic sound of their inspiration, Tarantino soundtracks and surf-rock cool.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Anna Ohio

Over the course of my life, I've learned to recognize the feeling of experiencing something at the ground level. That notion that comes through as "I'm with this at the moments before takeoff" - the ground swelling before an eruption. That's the feeling I got the first time I heard Vita and the Woolf, notably the song "Brett" off her debut album Tunnels. There is a power and assurance in her voice that sounds undeniably as though she's in this world to make sense of things through song. Vita and the Woolf (actually Jennifer Pague, of Philadelphia and living currently in LA) are on the eve of releasing her second full-length album, Anna Ohio on August 21. - Larissa Nemeth

Read below for her incredibly open and honest answers to some of Dibs' questions and catch a glimpse inside the mind of a pretty badass chick.

 
Vita and The Woolf, Anna Ohio Album Cover.jpg
 

What was your experience in Philadelphia - what did you take with you from that experience when you left?

I had an amazing experience in Philly. It meant a lot being surrounded by such a supportive music community. I honestly couldn't have kept the band going without the support of my friends, other local bands, local venues, and WXPN specifically.

What drives you to create music?

Music is an outlet for me when I'm feeling down. It helps me put those weird human emotions we all experience, into a body of work I can listen back to. When I'm feeling sad and lonely, there's no better feeling than to write a good sad ass song.

What is your earliest music memory?

My nanna had a piano in her house, so the first thing I would do once we got there was to hop on the piano and push down on the keys. She would sit with me and play songs while I accompanied her. My grandmother also played piano and I adored watching her play. She's an amazing piano player to this day.

What song of yours means the most to you?

That's a really good question. I think Confetti is really meaningful because I was really honest lyrically in the song. I try to stay away from being very literal but I decided to go against that rule.

What is your favorite song to perform live? 

Operator. I really like the steady groove of that song and it's just fun to play - probably because I don't have to sing really high belty vocal parts.

How has the current pandemic situation with COVID-19 impacted your process?

To be completely frank with you, I haven't written any new music. I'm pretty burnt out and unsure of where the music industry will go in the next 5 years. It's really scary especially when you've spent so many years working towards putting out a new record only to find out you can't tour while on record cycle.

What does “Anna Ohio” mean?

Anna Ohio is a fictional character who grew up in a mall in a small town in Ohio. She worked at Auntie Anne's Pretzels.

What makes you most excited about the new album?

Just having it out in the world. I've worked really hard on this piece of music and it represents a pretty intense time in my life. It's extremely personal and I tried to be very sincere in the writing.

You are a prolific music-video maker. Why are you drawn to this form of expression with your songs when many other artists have abandoned it?

I actually think music videos are becoming more and more important in the music industry. Especially with the continued rise of youtube. Visual media is very important. I like being able to potentially tell an alternative story to the song as well.

What was your experience coming up as a musician- any advice to those passionate about the craft and want to pursue it as a career?

You have to really be passionate about doing music. It's a fun ride, but there are a lot of ups and downs and there's a lot of competition. Also, the music industry is swiftly shifting due to COVID. I'm interested to see where technology goes as far as live streaming and being able to perform live.

What is your dream collaboration with a musician (living or otherwise)?

If I could write a song with Thom York, I would probably be a very content human afterwards.

What would you be if NOT a musician?

I've actually been considering becoming an Airbnb host. I think it would be fun to buy a property, decorate, brand, and meet people from all over. I have a lot of experience subletting my room/apartment because of touring, haha.

Check Vita and the Woolf ‘s Website

Social Accounts: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

What's Spinning? Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!

Tell us in a couple of sentences about you/LV Girls Rock

 Salutations! My name is Ty McMaster and I am a trans feminine songwriter, guitarist, bassist, and vocalist from Bucks County, PA. I’ve been a part of Lehigh Valley Girls Rock for about a year now. LVGR is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls, women, and trans & nonbinary folks through music and art.

 Name of record/artist

 Being that it was recently the five-year anniversary of the record, I have been revisiting Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!

 What emotion does this record invoke for you?

 Apprehension, teetering on excitement. I was not out as trans when this album was released. In fact, I didn’t entirely know what the trans experience truly was UNTIL Laura Jane Grace came out in 2013. It was a completely new state of experience, and I felt so proud of her for living her truth. Unbeknownst to me, this album planted a seed in the back of my brain that would slowly flourish over the course of two years. I adore this record, but at the time I simply thought the euphoria I was feeling was a form of empathy towards Grace herself. I couldn’t truly connect to this album because I wasn’t trans, right? Right…? The apprehension and excitement were a dichotomy I couldn’t understand at the time. Now I feel full-fledged euphoria when I blast this in my car.

What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album?

I have two. The opening guitar riffs to tracks 6 and 10 are two of my favorite Against Me! riffs of all time. Though they both convey wildly different emotional dynamics, I get so pumped up whenever I hear them. Also, those tones??? MA’AM????

Does this record bring back any memories for you?

I’ll never forget my initial listen to this album. Hearing the opening lines of the title track clobbered me square in the jaw. I was genuinely breathless for a few moments. I always recall the power I felt, hanging onto every word Laura sang. Once I realized and named my own gender dysphoria, that power grew exponentially, and many of these songs became the anthems that comfort me when I am at my most dysphoric. It also makes me think of the drives I would take with my best friend Charles, replaying this album full blast.

 What are the standout tracks?

My knee-jerk reaction is to say the whole album, because it is truly a masterpiece, start to finish. However, I will concede and state that “Black Me Out” is my absolute favorite song. Not only is it the perfect closer, but it is the song that has always been most empowering to me. One of my favorite pastimes is howling the chorus at the top of my lungs. There is a specific kind of rebuke in cursing out the people who seek to demoralize, oppress, and erase you. I also can confirm it is 200% what many trans people want to shout at bigots on a normal basis. Aside from that song, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” “True Trans Soul Rebel,” and “Two Coffins” are definite standouts for me as well.

 Describe the album artwork

Oh my, excellent challenge. The cover is completely white, with what appears to be a graphic black and white image of a breast that is likely being observed and scrutinized. I’ve taken it to be representative of our society's obsession with basic biology, coupled with the insistence that secondary sexual characteristics determine gender/femininity. It stands as an excellent criticism of the trans misogyny and sexism that trans women face every day. There is also a subtle theme of violence against trans women, which is still a widespread issue, especially for trans women of color.

 RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION- what is the FIRST word that comes to your head when this album comes on?

 Power. Power expressed; power reclaimed; power reborn. Nothing but pure power.

 Why should WE listen to this record?

 This album was released during a time where trans voices were still underrepresented in all media. We were just on the precipice of wholly screaming our existence into the cultural conscience. We were just meeting Laverne Cox on Orange Is the New Black and Janet Mock had released her groundbreaking memoir, Redefining Realness. In the mainstream punk world, trans representation was virtually non-existent. Laura Jane Grace introduced many young punks to a life outside of restrictive gender expression. I know that for me, as well as many young queers who grew up loving punk music, her coming out was the spark, the moment of realization that we all needed. She snarled a new way of living and expressing into a genre that was rife with misogyny, offering an aggression that many of us felt, but weren’t sure how to express. This album deserves your time because trans voices deserve to be heard. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is a visceral look into the trans experience, offering emotion, language, and stories that deserve to be treated as valid. There’s a lot to learn from these lyrics. That being said, Laura’s is only one voice, and a white voice at that, so be sure to listen to other trans voices as well, such as Jackie Shane, Vivek Shraya, Shea Diamond, Anjimile, and so many more. There is a rich and vast cornucopia of intersectional trans experiences. Let them color your life with love.

 

What's Spinning? Très Oui - Poised to Flourish

Shamus McGroggan Co-Founder / Producer of Tape Swap Radio located right here in in the Lehigh Valley chats with us about What’s Spinning? In this record of the month series.

First of all, could you tell us a little about Tape Swap Radio?

Tape Swap Radio is a music series that I started with musician/recording engineer Matt Molchany. Our goal is to spotlight all the great DIY and independent music happening in the Lehigh Valley. We record live sessions with bands either at Matt's Bethlehem recording studio Shards or on the roof of the historic Cigar Factory building in Allentown. We then release the sessions on our bi-weekly radio show on WDIY 88.1 FM, along with putting audio and video online. Since launching Tape Swap on the air in 2013, we've expanded to include things like a concert series and an annual punk rock flea market.

Name of record/artist
Très Oui - Poised to Flourish

What emotion does this record invoke for you?

Surprise and anticipation. This album puts me in the mood to take whatever the world is going to throw at me. If you listen to it, right off the bat, it's bristling with energy. But it's not a break-neck erratic energy. It's more of a sustained steady burst. For that reason, it's a go-to choice for car rides. The lyrics also have a sense of figuring out your place in the world, so there's a bit of self-reflection wrapped up in there as well. But it's definitely a living in the present album.

What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album?

If I had to pick one part, it would be when the horns lightly creep in on "One Track Mind." Up until that point, you don't hear them at all, so they kind of catch you off guard. This is on song 4 out of 10, so it's still early enough in the album. It's the moment in the album that made me go, "OK, they aren't just sticking to the same formula on every song here. They're really creating their own world." Along with the lazy pace that the song takes, it creates an almost film noir-esque atmosphere.

Does this record bring back any memories for you?
Seeing them play most of these songs live comes to mind. We hosted the band at Lit Roastery in Bethlehem as part Tape Swap's concert series last year. They floored me and I immediately had to get the record. My only regret was that we didn't get to record a session with the band since they were on tour from Austin, TX and on a tight schedule.Since I've gotten the record, I've mostly come to associate it with driving around the Lehigh Valley. This is a perfect driving album.

What are the highlight tracks?

Since I've already mentioned "One Track Mind," I'll talk about "Red Wine & Dry Ice," the second song on the album. When they played this song live, I remember guitarist Nate Cardaci hitting his pedal for the start of the chorus, and a wall of sound just wrapped around me. It was an amazing feeling. It makes me want to listen to this song as loud as possible just to recreate it. "Red Wine & Dry Ice" is probably one of the catchiest moments on the album too, so it's an ideal starting point for anyone trying out the band. "Séance" is another ear worm that will stick with you. "Off the Rails" stands out for the interplay of instruments. The band members' dynamics are a lot of fun to follow. When they add in some keyboard to this song, it sounds like the most natural choice in the world. It's almost like they can do no wrong.

Describe the album artwork

From the liner notes, I know that the artwork was done by Russell Etchen who is a Los Angeles-based artist, I really don't know anything about him except this seems to be his signature style. The front cover is a red square enclosed in a deep blue blue border. Inside the red square are fragmented blue lines. It almost looks like when you tried to create a design out of text, so my mind goes to those old dot matrix printers or message boards in the early internet days. This is more abstract, though, like you're looking at a flowing river. It also vaguely reminds me of those Magic Eye designs.

RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION- what is the FIRST word that comes to your head when this album comes on?

Jangle. I mean, they do bring the jangle pop, and bring it well.

Why should WE listen to this record?

It's well made, has great songwriting, and has plenty of replay value. The band is based in Austin but some of the band members have a connection to the Lehigh Valley, so there is a local connection as well. Band members Nate Cardaci and Seth Whaland had previously played in the band Literature who was on Slumberland Records, so if you enjoyed that band, you'll definitely enjoy Très Oui. Even if you've listened to other Slumberland bands like the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Weekend, or Veronica Falls, Poised to Flourish will be up your alley.


PREVIEW: FloydFest 2019 - “Voyage Home”

Words of Cristina Byrne

With a plethora of festivals to choose from all across America this summer, the one DIBS will be packing up and driving 421 miles to take part in is FloydFest. We are excited to pitch a tent in the Blue Ridge Mountains (which is considered to be one of the most beautiful and iconic parts of American landscape ) of Southwest Virginia for the five-night festival in Floyd, Virginia that is promising to deliver a celebration of music and art from July 24th to July 28th.

What caught our eye was not only the location and it’s scenery, but also the varying music genres of Americana, roots, and rock and roll, sprinkled with bluegrass, R&B, soul, funk, country, newgrass, reggae, blues, and indie as well as a lineup that features over a hundred artists on more than 8 stages. Appearances will include The String Cheese Incident, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, Grammy Winner Kacey Musgraves, Grammy Winner Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, Grammy Nominee Margo Price, Grammy Winner Fantastic Negrito, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real and a whole lot more. Check out the full lineup here.

“We care deeply about attention to details, and wait until you see our stages, timber-framed structures designed to meld with the high-mountain landscape,” explained Sam Calhoun, the COO of the Festival and treasurer of it’s non-profit arm, Blue Cow Arts. “Our foundation is live music, outdoor adventure, and craft beer, but we are so much more than that.”

With outdoor adventures such as on the water cool down, mountain biking, a trail running race, hiking trail, and disc golf and a vibrant and varied vendors, quality brews and grub, healing arts, workshops, art installations, and even activities for the kiddos. Calhoun says, “You should expect the unexpected.”

With this year’s theme as the Voyage Home, Calhoun explains, “We feature new onsite art installations and surprises built around that theme.”

“It speaks to the journey to this point and underscores the culture of community created on that mountain,” says Calhoun. “This really is a voyage home for many of our patrons. This really is their festival; this is their home; and that catalyzes our energy toward making this the most indelible FloydFest ever. To boot, this voyage is about the music, and how some of our headliners are ‘voyaging home’ to their roots … back to where it all began,” Calhoun continued.

With this event being nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the “home” vibe will have it’s own homage paid on the very stage the artists perform on. FloydFest centers around culture and community, and we look forward to seeing that cultivated by the picture-esque scene on the mountain. “Our culture is about family,” said Calhoun. “We have had our children grow up on that mountain, and, after 19 years, they are now adults and stewarding a new generation of FloydFest Family. FloydFest is a place where children can run free, and parents feel safe letting them roam, as there’s an unspoken collective responsibility for all. Our culture is also about camping and outdoor adventure, discovering new music and being one with nature. It’s about meeting new friends and having an annual sanctuary to reconnect with old friends.”

We hope to see ya’ll at the mountain for music and magic!

Want to partake in the “Voyage Home?” Purchase your ticket and get for more information about FloydFest here. Rules and packing list for FloydFest here. Also, if you want a preview of what to expect check out FloydFest19 Voyage Home on Spotify.

Check out their social media Facebook | Instagram | Twitter for all their latest updates and information.

What's Spinning? The Great Unwashed - Clean Out of Our Minds

Chris, is the owner of Quattro Music Company located in scenic Thomas, West Virginia, he specializes in used and vintage instruments.  He fills DIBS in about his record of the month and if you are in the area make to check out his cool shop.

Name of record/artist:  The Great Unwashed - Clean Out of Our Minds

An About: “The Clean is an indie rock band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1978, and have been described as the most influential band to come from the Flying Nun label, whose repertoire included many major components of the "Dunedin Sound".[1][2] Led through a number of early rotating line-ups by brothers Hamish and David Kilgour, the band settled on their well-known and current line-up with bassist Robert Scott.[1] The band name comes from a character from the movie Free Ride called Mr. Clean.[3]”

What do you do when you’re a little independent rock band that suddenly writes a hit song?  The Clean managed to do just that.  Their single “Tally Ho” is still were guarded among audiophiles as being one of the better pop songs ever written. Probably the best song that ever came out of New Zealand for sure. But the pressures and the expectations placed upon the small band became too much and pretty quickly.

They took a break, Robert Scott started the amazing band The Bats but David and Hamish keep working.  Enter The Great Unwashed.

DIBS: What emotion does this record invoke for you?

CHRIS: Pure inspiration.  The idea that it takes good equipment, money, a perfect voice, flawless talent and a marketable face is what it takes to make music is such a farce.  This is the sound of thrift store guitars, grandma’s autoharp, cheesy keyboards, a cheap tape recorder, a little reverb, a great dose of boredom and the need to create. Those are the true elements of lasting music.  The lack of expecting a return on the investment one makes to write music.

DIBS: What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album? 

CHRIS: I mean... all of it.  I just think it’s a spare sounding record, all the pieces are important.  If I have to choose one thing it’s the low fidelity of it. There is so much constant texture (especially on vinyl) that its the instrument that isn’t being spoken of but it would be missed if it wasn’t there.

DIBS: Does this record bring back any memories for you?

CHRIS: Mostly it takes me to the place of when I first started writing music.  It’s not off-putting.  It doesn’t say to the listener “hey, you can’t do this, kid... leave the rock stardom up to the gods among humans”.  I feel like so much music is regarded as otherworldly, as stars aligning and making a once in a lifetime achievement.  Music should be more terrestrial than that.  We all can make music if we want to.

DIBS: What are the highlight tracks?  

CHRIS: I could name my favorite tracks, but I won’t.  We live in an age of the “Single” of rapid disinterest and instant gratification.  This a record to listen to from start to finish.  On a little bit of too early morning with coffee and a book, maybe slightly hungover, and let it be the way it was meant to be heard.

DIBS: Describe the album artwork

CHRIS: Ambition is not a word I would use to describe this records art.  It’s almost an afterthought.  Also a hands-on design.  The “outside the lines” flowers and the old school punk collage back cover just says “we did this” from back to front and start to finish.  A true independent record.

DIBS: RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION - What is the FIRST word that comes to your head when this album comes on?  

CHRIS: Boredom. This is the sound of people with time on their hands, maybe it’s a gen x thing.   The need to create while also destroying.  Knowing that this isn’t going to be played on the local rock station but there is a need to make in spite of a bleak outlook at the world. 

DIBS: Why should WE listen to this record?

CHRIS: Being from 1982/1983 as far the song writing and recording goes it’s important.  We have a preconceived notion of what the 1980s sort of felt and sounded like as far as music goes. I think we know, there’s always music in the scenery, the periphery. But I think there are some records that really doesn’t sound of their time. This is certainly one of them.  I certainly would think that Pavement probably wouldn’t be quite Pavement without this record, as well as a lot of other indie acts certainly knew and owe a great deal to The Brothers Kilgour.   It just displays a record collection that I don’t believe was being overly represented at this time. Now, I think we all agree how brilliant some of the middle era Kinks records were, Syd Barrett, The incredible string band, The Byrd’s county records and the post-punk scene as a whole... bands like Television Personalities, Swell Maps, Young Marble Giants and The Undertones specifically.  Just the fact that this is the New Zealand band.  If you aren’t aware, there has been an incredible underground music scene in NZ for many many years. I’m always fascinated by What small pockets of a community can create independently of the world as a whole. It’s definitely something that doesn’t happen as much anymore because we're all interconnected.  But there was a time region cities and entire countries developed unique fingerprints of sound based solely on the fact that they were isolated. It’s an important lesson to learn, live where you live.