33 45 2014

An autobiographical journey explored via my record collection through stories and images associated with it.

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At the Drive In "Vaya" 10"

I'll begin by saying that I've never been a major fan of ATDI, that this is the last release I was excited to get. I had a few prior 7" releases from the band, before their breakout hit on Grand Roayale ("Relationship of Command"). 

Probably the funniest memory attached to this record is picking it up at my local record shop, not knowing what was inside. Not only was the 10" format new to me, but I was surprised by what was inside... the record was... WHITE.

This was the first colored vinyl record that I ever got.

After purchasing it from the shop, I walked with my high school girlfriend to the local 24 hour donut shop, only a couple blocks away. Living in a smaller town (San Luis Obispo) meant that we didn't have much to do. I was lucky to have a paycheck at the competing record store, so I was able to buy both records for myself, and donuts (as well as chocolate milk) for my girlfriend. 

One of my favorite parts of record collecting is bring purchases home, and opening them. Unlike the digital purchases of today, records are typically filled with all sorts of surprises... posters, catalogs, stickers, and in this case; colored vinyl, which It blew my mind. I still can't wrap my head around the preference of purchasing digital media. 

As for the record, this is my favorite At the Drive In album. Truly sentimental, and very raw compared to ATDI's next release(s). It's weird that they went to form The Mars Volta. That band is shit. Except for their first EP. A bit of snobbery there.

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Asterisk* "Dogma I" LP

One of my favorite kinds of music is metal, and as a subgenre, grindcore definitely takes the cake. Rarely has there been a grindcore album that remains on the back of mind for over decade. One of them is this album. I think next to Discordance Axis' "Inalienable Dreamless", it's my favorite.

Presented in "boring" grey packaging with a die-cut "*" on the sleeve, Dogma I is anything but (for the record, I'm a major fan of minimalist design). The label who released it, Three One G, is really awesome. They really put a lot of love into their releases, especially when it comes to the artwork side of things.

Since this is an album that been a big part of my life so long, I have a lot of memories associated with it. It's hard to pick one to write about.

The first that comes to mind is during my latter days of working at CD Baby in Portland, OR. I was intent on moving back to San Luis Obispo, CA, but didn't really have the money to do so. I was more than heartbroken with the fact that the only way I could make some money was to sell records from my collection, but I was somewhat relieved to send them off to good homes, and trust that they're still in the hands of my friends. I hope the albums bring them as much joy as they did for me.

Luckily, I've been able to re-acquire a lot of those albums. This particular album is the same pressing as what I had before, but the idea of not having the particular piece of music that I grew with still kind of bums me out. I guess that how record collecting goes... you buy some, you sell some. 

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Armatron "Mutation Programming" EP

Alright. So this record... I've actually bought three times. The first two copies were given away to friends because I wanted to share it so badly. If anyone wants a copy, I will find you one and send it to you (No guarantees). At the time, this was something that I considered a "weird" album. It was recorded in 2000, and released a couple years or so later. A really amazing blend of grind, ambient electronics, synths, two bass guitars, and who knows what else...

Released on one of my then favorite labels, GSL, this records came as something of a surprise to me. I had never heard of the band, and only ordered it because of the label it was on. The first time I bought it, I was working at a record store here in San Luis Obispo, CA, called "Cheap Thrills". I had been working there since the age of 16, and had become familiar with the catalogs where I would find new music that I'd like.

Basically, record distributors would send monthly catalogs, about 50 pages or so of upcoming releases. Certain distributors carried certain kinds of genres. So every month, my friend Craig (who was the guy who would order all of the stock for the store) would let me know when the new "Mordam Distribution" catalog arrived in the mail (snail mail, not email... the catalogs were printed on PAPER!). This announcement usually lead toward a half hour break, where a couple of co-workers and I would stand around, checking out what was about to become available.

Keep in mind that this is a time before iTunes, or digital music distribution as a whole (as we know it today). Napster was in it's (first) infancy, and there wasn't really a reliable way to find music outside of record stores, zines, and concerts. Music collecting, at this point, was somewhat archaic. A lot more chances had to be made when buying music; relying on label brands, suggestions from friends, or whatever your local record store clerk had to recommend was essential. It was easier to take risks, considering records were a lot cheaper back then. On average, a new 7" record cost $3, and an LP around $12 (vs. the $8 for a 7" and $25 LPs, today). They were cheaper than CDs, which typically sold for around $17! And for the most part, musicians only released on a single format, so vinyl releases had a certain amount of exclusivity, as did CDs. If you weren't able to afford a new release, you'd have to cross your fingers that one of your friends would buy it, and either let you borrow it, or tape it for you (music pirating in one of it's earlier forms). If you were really lucky, someone might make you a mixtape (on a cassette) that included a personalized compilation of tracks from artists you might like.

I felt very lucky being in a position where I could be someone who influenced what sort of music came through my town. Being a record store clerk had its advantages... getting music at cost (I think this particular Armatron 7" cost me $2) and being able to influence what other people would discover (record store clerks used to be something of a cross between gatekeepers, trend-setters, and arrogant bastards that people were intimidated by... I tried my hardest not to be latter two). 

I also met a couple of girlfriends because of my job... an experience I guarantee 99% of iTunes employees don't get to experience.

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Acre "A Shield of Air" 7"

This album is really great in too many ways.

Acre / Aaron is a really awesome guy from Olympia, WA, who I met through my friend Daniel. When hanging out with the both of them, I couldn't help myself from laughing hysterically for hours on end. I remember one night when the answer to every question we asked each other was "Does the Pope huff Jenkum?" Don't try to figure that one out...

The record was released by Daniel on his (then) label, Eolian. I love the minimalist packaging that compliments Acre's drone music. It reminds me of the numerous noise shows I attended in Portland, OR, when I worked for a small venue called "The Foodhole" which was, at the time, a venue that hosted a million independent noise and punk shows... Too many to recall. 

Good times.

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Aerosols "Aerosols" EP

One of the things I’m hoping to highlight in this series in addition to memories associated with particular releases if my love for the physical medium. I’ve always been taken by how a package completes an album, adding a certain cohesiveness to the release as a whole. Something a bit more than downloading a digital album.

One of my favorite record labels is Youth Attack! Records — not only because they release incredible music but because of the amount of effort they put into the packaging for their releases.

I was actually lucky enough to work for Youth Attack! way back in 2005 or so, when the label operator, Mark, put out a request for help creating a website. I had never made a website before, but still volunteered my services. I basically lied my way into the position (sorry, Mark!), but it seemed OK to me since I wasn’t charging anything. I sent some design work that I had done, which was given the thumbs up, and the ball got rolling from there.

This was one of the first times I got to work with with one of my idols, with Mark being a legend in the punk and hardcore scenes. He’s been in a million bands, including Charles Bronson, Das Oath, Holy Molar, and a bunch more. I nearly threw up every time I talked with him on the phone about the site out of nervousness. 

Anyway… back to this record…

It’s basically 5 tracks of harsh, distorted hardcore, fronted by Mark, which I’d definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of the genre.

Aside from the shredding music, the packaging is really beautiful:

Hand printed sleeves

Clear vinyl and hand cut insert in the shape of a can of spray paint

Insert opens to reveal lyrics

I’ll probably be talking a lot about Youth Attack! release, as the label as a whole has influenced me in many ways.

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Anamanaguchi "Dawn Metropolis" LP

I think this is the first chipmusic record I was able to acquire. Something a bit monumental to me, to be honest, since most chipmusic is released for free, digitally. 

I bought it at one of their shows in Portland, OR, at a venue called Berbati's Pan in 2010 or so. It was a pretty weird show, considering the strange lineup, and the fact that I was attending the show with my neighbors who I didn't know that well. The night was spent making small talk with people who were essentially strangers (but who I later got to know better) and listening to bands that I wasn't interested in while waiting for Anamanaguchi to play.

One of the highlights of the show was meeting my friend Matt, who makes chipmusic under the moniker of Mechlo. We only hung out for a second, but it was really awesome to meet him. He's gone on to do some really cool stuff that I admire.

This show was around the time that I was thinking that I was ready to move away from Portland. At the same time, I wanted to stay, as the chipmusic scene was starting to grow in the area. I had earlier helped set up a show with 2 Player Productions (one of the first encounters I had with them) for Nullsleep and another couple of amazing acts. Somehow I knew that once I moved away, the scene would grow... the chipmusic scene being something that I really wanted to be a part of, but had a hard time doing so because the majority of it was based on the east coast.

This album is pretty awesome, and is an amazing precursor to the incredible music that Anamanaguchi has gone on to produce in the past 5 years (namely their 2013 release, "Endless Fantasy"... more on that in a bit.)

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Agoraphobic Nosebleed "Frozen Corpses Stuffed With Dope" 12"

One of my favorite grindcore albums, even though the use of a drum machine replaces a human drummer. Something about this art really cements this album for me, making it something I've always cherished (only 1,000 copies pressed!). 

This was actually my first introduction to the band, and helped solidify my love for grindcore.

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First on the shelf: !!! / Outhud split 12".

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My turntable.

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Part of my record collection

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33 45 2014

I’ve always thought that new years resolutions were a bit silly. It’s strange to me to set arbitrary dates to begin improving one’s self, or to meet some sort of goal only deemed worthy of accomplishing in a specific year. I’ve tried pressuring myself into meeting resolutions in the past, many of which I didn’t meet, ultimately making me a loser (I still haven’t started an alpaca farm). So, this year, I’ve decided to do something relatively easy, and much more fun that running a mile every day.

My family is big into genealogy -- digging up records of long forgotten relatives. I’ve never been into it myself, but upon thinking on the matter, I wonder if my future descendants will be doing the same. It makes me wonder what my Facebook, Twitter, and other social media feeds will tell future generations about me. I don’t think they’re going to understand the dry humor, or the cultural references. So I figured I should leave something a little more personal, and a bit more interesting for them to dig through:

My music collection.

I once saw a movie (that I can’t currently remember the name of) whose protagonist was a record collector. Instead of storing his collection in the standard alphabetical order, he organized them in a way that represented the timeline of his life. I definitely wouldn’t go to such lengths to do the same, but the idea of holding specific feelings that connect to an album is something I can definitely relate to. I remember the first album I ever got, and can recall a story for nearly every album I have. To me, there is an emotional connection to almost every piece of physical music media that I have. My goal is to share some of those stories, and instead of leaving descriptive records for others to enjoy, I’ll be describing records that I’ve enjoyed.

Long story short: My resolution for 2014 is to listen to all of my records (I’ll save my CDs and digital collection for 2015 and 2016), and to blog about one every day. I’ll also include photos, videos, samples and more. I’m generally going to go through the collection in alphabetical order, with random albums thrown in here and there.