All this Music; French Toast, Bacon and Tops 'Sugar at the Gate'

Imagine if you can, the weekend. You're sitting in your new found favorite record store enjoying a heartly place of French Toast with a slathering side of bacon. Suddenly, the record store clerk slides in a CD and your already over stimulated senses go into overload. You jump from your stool to see just what has stimulated that part of your brain, but for the life of you. No matter how many sprints you take the counter. Your shorter than usual attention span can't remember the badly chosen band name or it's instantly forgettable title. Luckily, after entirely clearing my plate of any tangible evidence. I was able to focus my energy and attention to finding out and acquiring what had me tripping over my feet just moments ago. That band, Montreal's  Tops and their third proper album 'Sugar at the Gate' initially caught my attention with it's lush, chill and laid back vibe. In recent years, I've found my myself drawn to the more atmospheric charms of genres like dream pop, slow-core and shoegaze type stuff. Tops and their 2014 release 'Sugar at the Gate' fall into that realm rather nicely.

TOPS

Pitchfork Review

All this music; Vinyl Score at Seattle's Spin Cycle

Earlier today I headed up the hill to Broadway East where I accidentally came across "Spin Cycle" records. The store features an abundance used and new records, gaming and DVD's. As I got familiar with the stock and worked my way through the bins of vinyl. I picked out a vinyl reissue of Superchunk's "No Poky  for Kitty". A record that, more then twenty five years since it's original 1991 release, remains a favorite. After some serious digging, being left alone in the shop and being rightfully mistaken for an employee. I came across what would be my choice record of the outing. Ebullition Records #43 Yaphet Kotto's - "The Killer was in the Government Blankets". Perfectlly fitting the Ebullition blue print. San Jose, California's Yaphet Kotto (Named after the African American actor of the same name.) played great emotive Hardcore with sociopolitical lyrics. Released on both CD and LP. The LP came on green vinyl and was limited to a mere 1,000 copies. And while the cover of the copy I found was a bit beaten up the record and the inlets include show no wear, whatsoever. I'm glad I decided to stop in at Spin Cycle. They have a great stock, the prices are reasonable and the employee I chatted with was very friendly. I can't say enough about how he went  out of his way to point our some off the radar spots to catch live music.

Ebullition Records

Yaphet Kotto

 

Spin Cycle 

 

 

 

Dust & Grooves - Adventures in Record Collecting

For close to a month now, I've been going back and fourth about ordering a copy of 

Dust & Grooves "Adventures in Record Collecting". The debate, if you want to call it that,

is more of a "When will I?" than a "Should or shouldn't I?" As much as I've become an avid collector again in recent years. I tend to be more interested in what other collectors have in their bins, boxes and monumental structures. Being that I've yet to see a copy in any book or record store. The video below went a long way to further my need to have it. 

After viewing this, I felt the need to share it. If not to provoke more interest. 

To further position myself to order my own copy.  So after a lot of hard work and due diligence. I give you Dust & Grooves. Enjoy. James Damion

The Heavyweight Champion of Record Blogging

In 2013 and going as far back as 2012 I quickly became obsessed with you tubes bottomless pit of record diggers, vinyl junkies and just about anything involving record collecting. There are many, many people who share the love, passion and obsession of crate digging and vinyl hoarding. After over a year of searching and viewing numerous people talk about and share their record collections. I finally struck video blogger gold. After watching a single video post from this gentle giant I was hooked. His laid back nature, natural vibe and selection of diverse music from various genres led me from one post to another. Here is a man who seems to have a unique and interesting story to tell. One I'd be very interested in hearing. Without further ado, I give you, Dereck Von. James Damion