For the Record
The Road to Heartbeat City Collector's Series
The Cars were formed in 1976 in Boston by Ric Ocasek (vocals/rhythm guitar) and Benjamin Orzechowski (known professionally as Benjamin Orr) (bassist/vocals). The original line up consisted of Ocasek, Orr, Elliot Easton (lead guitar), David Robinson (drums) and Greg Hawkes (keyboardist). The Cars were considered "New Wave" - which basically was power pop that included electronic music. In the 70's, New Wave was also called Post Punk. In the 80's, it had morphed into synth driven pop and in many ways dominated top 40 radio. It played a major role in early MTV. It includes bands like Blondie, Tears for Fears, Elvis Costello, The Talking Heads, The Go Gos, Duran Duran, The Bangles, Madness, The Cure, The Knack, The Pretenders and even The Police.
May's Record Store Spotlight of the Month - Brothers Osborne - Port Saint Joe (Seaglass vinyl)
John and T.J. Osborne make up the country rock duo Brothers Osborne. Mixing traditional and modern country & rock elements, T.J.'s baritone vocal delivery pairs perfectly with John's abilities on the guitar. Originally hailing from Deale, Maryland, the brothers have called Nashville, Tennessee home since the early 2010's when they signed a publishing deal with Warner-Chappell/King Pen Music.
May's Classic Rock Record of the Month - Poison - Open Up and Say... Ahh!
Hair metal legends Poison were one of the definitive bands to carry the torch for the genre from the mid-80's into the early 90's. Formed in Pennsylvania in 1983 by longtime friends Bret Michaels and drummer Rikki Rockett, the lineup was eventually rounded out by bassist Bobby Dall and guitarist C.C. Deville. Originally calling themselves Paris, the group soon changed their name and moved to Los Angeles with the intention of breaking through.
May Jazz, Soul, & Blues Record of the Month - Billie Holiday - Lady in Satin (Remastered, Ltd. Ed. solid-blue colored vinyl)
Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan in 1915. Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, she began singing in jazz nightclubs as a teenager. Eventually moving to New York with her mother, Holiday never learned to read music and had no professional training, however her prodigious talent quickly found her performing in Harlem's best jazz clubs. Discovered in 1933 by producer John Hammond, eighteen-year-old Holiday went from singing in Harlem to recording her debut on a Benny Goodman session. She partnered with saxophonist Lester Young in 1936. Young, who gained popularity as a member of Count Basie's orchestra, would be the source of Holiday's famous nickname, "Lady Day."
May Alternative Record of the Month - Lord Huron - Vide Noir
In early 2010, musician Ben Schneider returned from L.A. to his home state of Michigan and recorded 3 songs. Those tracks would end up serving as Lord Hurons's first EP Into the Sun. As the record began to gain traction, Schneider put a band together to take the show on the road. By the end of 2010, Lord Huron was steadily touring and had released a second EP entitled Mighty. The debut full-length, Lonesome Dreams, followed in 2012 after they signed to indie label Iamsound Records. The album rose all the way to #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart after selling 3,000 copies in the first week.
May's Rock Record of the Month - Metallica - The $5.98 E.P. : Garage Days Re-Revisited (Remastered, Ltd. Ed. 180g Red-Orange Colored Vinyl)
On August 21, 1987, Elektra Records released The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited By Metallica. The EP consisted entirely of covers of heavy metal and punk songs from the late 1970's through the early 1980's, and was recorded over a six day period in Los Angeles. Scheduled to play the '87 Monsters of Rock festival in England, the band's label in the UK, Vertigo Records, suggested that Metallica release an EP for the festival. This is the first recording to feature Jason Newsted on bass since the death of Cliff Burton. In many ways, it was this recording that put away any concern fans and critics had about the band's ability to recover from the loss of Burton.
May Singer Songwriter Record of the Month - John Prine - The Tree of Forgiveness (Ltd. Ed. translucent green colored vinyl)
John Prine's professional career began in 1970, when he signed with Atlantic Records and released his self-titled debut. Prine has always been an "artist's artist" and has constantly found himself surrounded by other artists that range from folk and country to rock and roll. He has influenced countless musicians throughout the years. In the 1970's, artists like Kris Kristofferson and Steve Goodman were drawn to his songs. Bob Dylan spoke of Prine fondly. In 1975, on his album Common Sense, his last record for Atlantic, he had guest contributions from Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Fry, Jackson Brown and Steve Goodman.
April's Record Store Spotlight of the Month - The Vaccines - Combat Sports (150G Vinyl)
The Vaccines formed in West London in 2010. After working for a while to craft their sound, the band uploaded a demo of one of their early songs, "If You Wanna" to Youtube. The song took off. BBC radio host Zane Lowe (who's show helped usher in the careers of bands like The Killers) wrote on the BBC website in August of 2010 that ''The Vaccines 'If You Wanna' is like some long lost pop gem." He went on to describe it as "an instant vintage classic."