Prepping Madly for Vinyl Road Rage #3

Been getting things ready for Vinyl Road Rage Three, the mad dash across six states to find the coolest indie record stores in the USA. There has been much to do, including a stop at the sadly going-out-of-business local Chicago stalwart Deadwax Records, where many New Order and The The 12-inch singles were scored for cheap. It is a real shame that my Lincoln Square neighborhood will be short a record store when Deadwax closes…they were a wonderful part of the community and I shall miss Deadwax greatly.

Back to Vinyl Road Rage. I shall be journeying out of Chicago come Thursday morning, iPhone in hand and behind the wheel of the Dreadmobile, a blue Ford Escape packed with all manner of beverages, empty milk crates for the vinyl finds, and an unhealthy collection of CDs to listen to on the long drives ahead. For anyone who cares about such things, the playlist will include a LOT of dub by Scientist, King Tubby, Super Ape, I Roy, Augustus Pablo…you name it. Plus a lot of Italian Lounge, Manic Street Preachers, Orb, Big Black, Hexstatic, Skinny Puppy, Perry & Kingsley and Pulp.

I’m planning plenty of updates on this trip–more than the previous two between here and  lots of Facebook posting from this trip. If you’re into the FB, join me there for the updates.

It’s going to be a hell of a journey. Join me! My insane six-state vinyl blogfest/roadtrip begins Thursday at 9AM.

–Joe Wallace

Vinyl Blog to Watch: Office Naps

I’ve been listening to a variety of mellow 45s on the excellent Office Naps vinyl blog, which features a nice collection of 45s uploaded for your listening pleasure. The genres on Office Naps include exotica/space age bachelor pad music, psych, post-punk and new wave, and many more.

Office Naps has been running since 2006 and there is an appropriately massive collection of 45s to listen to. These are obscure enough to make the rabid vinyl-phile collector happy and the music is top-notch regardless of genre. I have to say, this is my current favorite. Office Naps is a great way to spend an afternoon.

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Vinyl Blog to Watch: Get On Down with the Stepfather of Soul

Imagine my surprise to run across this first thing in the AM on a Friday. Get On Down with the Stepfather of Soul is home to not one, but TWO podcasts featuring awesome, off-the-beaten-track soul sounds originally pressed on vinyl, glorious vinyl. Get on Down and Stepfather of Soul are both very worthy podcasts that WILL act as your gateway drug to an obsession with collecting these sounds–possibly even an addiction to 45s. You have been warned.

This blog appeals to someone like me who, while enjoying the idea of the film Cleopatra Jones, was extremely annoyed with it because the soundtrack had the feel of some decidedly non-funky composer trying to mimic (unsuccessfully) the genuine article as you’ll hear in these two podcasts. I know that’s about as nitpicky as it gets, but I was immediately put off by the psuedo-funky sounds in that movie, especially when the real thing is so damn good in similar genre movies including Truck Turner. Hell, even Blacula had a more kickass score than Cleopatra Jones.

But I only babble about that because these podcasts are so inspired…the tracks are top notch. I particularly enjoyed Stepfather of Soul #37, the Soulful Allsorts show. Check it and see what I mean…this is superior podcasting, folks.

–Joe Wallace

Blog to Watch: Spy Bop Royale

Spy Bop Royale isn’t really a blog per se–it doesn’t have daily posts, but the owner, known only as The Mastermind, promises occasional updates when he finds new material. It’s a bummer that this site isn’t a more regular concern, but for the beginning collector (OK, let’s be honest and call them “obsessives”) of 60s spy soundtracks, this site is a gold mine of information.

There is a lot of detailed info on rare, probably now-out-of-print, and reissued sounds related to James Bond films, The Prisoner, The Saint, and film including Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and even The Thunderbirds. If you’ve recently seen Danger: Diabolik and have become hooked, or are looking for a new vinyl junkie obsession to try out, Spy Bop Royale is an excellent place to begin researching titles. And those album covers are delicious…

I do wish I could report that this site, which started in 2002, was more obviously updated (the site isn’t set up like most blogs you’re used to seeing–you have to check out the What’s New section to find out the latest), but The Mastermind IS on top of the news and the site reflects the recent releases of the Jerry Cotton soundtrack from Allscore Media and the recent Prisoner series. This site is lovingly maintained and it’s obvious The Mastermind is a true lover of these sounds from the 60s.

Vinyl Blogs to Watch: Egg City Radio

A blog that features posts on albums by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sonic Youth, AND Jim “Gilligan’s Island” Backus, Bobcat Goldthwait, plus Dee Dee Ramone in his rappin’ phase?  That’s a blog I personally think could be the greatest thing of all time. Egg City Radio has been at it since 2007 and I sincerely hope it never ever EVER stops. The image for the Jim Backus album alone made it worth the search–having searched through Egg City Radio’s archives I can say this is a work of demented genius.

I’m fully aware that there are other highly eclectic vinyl collector blogs out there, but I’ll be damned to Satan’s personal, private hell and have cocktail wieners jammed into my eyeballs for all eternity if Egg City Radio isn’t THE most delightfully insane collection of musical contradictions ever under one roof. Who else has the balls to run a review of PiL’s Commercial Zone LP back to back with a music library LP for The Price Is Right? This is someone I seriously need to read on a daily basis.

This is quite possibly my favorite blog of all that I’ve seen this year. Seriously.