If this was to be rated on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of absolute, sheer excitement, this would merit a 15, possibly a 16:
The Black Angels will tour with Roky Erickson. Not only as his opening act, but also as his rhythm section.
You hit your head on your bong this morning and don’t know who Roky Erickson is? That’s okay, we’ll explain. Roky Erickson is the founding member of seminal Texas psych-rock band The 13th Floor Elevators. Roky Erickson is a pioneer, A PIONEER, of the psych-rock genre. Without Roky Erickson, there would be no Black Angels. Roky Erickson, in very simple terms, is a god amongst men.
And, we say again, THE BLACK ANGELS WILL BE OPENING UP FOR MR. ROKY ERICKSON, AS WELL AS PERFORMING AS HIS BACK UP BAND FOR A BRIEF TOUR UP AND DOWN THE WEST COAST IN THE FULL. This will blow your mind out the back of your head on to the fans behind you. It’s that awesome.
So, you’ve finished reading the Rodriguez Guardian article (numerous times, ’cause it’s just that good), you’ve beaten yourself up because you live on the East Coast and you’ll be unable to attend The Saturday Knights’ jaw-breaking set at KEXP BBQ, and you’re thinking to yourself, “What now?”
Here’s what, get of your slovenly keister and find a way to Liberty Park in New Jersey to see The Black Angels at THE ALL POINTS WEST FESTIVAL. Seeing The Black Angels in concert is an experience in itself, but here’s two reasons why East Coasters should stop hum-drumming about the cost, or the distance, or their broken hip, and get out there:
1. Radiohead, two nights for two hours. Girl Talk, CSS, Animal Collective, The Roots, and, seriously, the list goes on and on and on and on.
2. Concert producer Mark Shulman, said this about the location of the festival to The New York Times: ““There’s a magic to this site. When you’re here and the sun goes down and the statue lights up, and these light posts light up, and Ellis Island lights up, and the skyline lights up. There is no more beautiful place on the planet to be watching a concert.”
Watching The Black Angels at the most beautiful place on the planet to see a concert? Sounds like something you should get out and do, or incur the wrath of the sweet music gods.
Exciting news! We finally got back in stock vinyl copies of The Black AngelsPassover and Directions To See A Ghost LPs. 2010 was an exciting year for the band, what with that lil’ David Letterman performance and some killer live shows, and with this restock, 2011 is off to a great start!
Everything’s bigger in Texas, so the saying goes. But did you also know that everything is “more gooder”? That’s right! Case in point, our Record Store of the Week – Good Records (Dallas, TX)! Good Records is exactly that and then some–a great store with an amazing staff and a stellar curatorial sense. This week Chris Penn (one of the dudes that makes Good Records good) took time from his busy schedule to chat with us. So next time your checkin’ out the Dallas scene, make sure to swing by Good Records and try to find a bad record. We dare you!
So, tell us some stuff about Good Records. Do you really only sell “good” records (sorry, had to ask)? Boy does the shop look sweet.
Good Records was started February 7, 2000. We wanted to give people an adventure in listening. We wanted to create a store we would shop at. We decided to carry records we deemed to be good whether it be Alice Coltrane or Alice Cooper. We run the gamut of all musical genres but try to weed it out for our customers and only give them the bumper crop to choose from. I think our friend Jim Fairchild from Grandaddy/All Smiles/Modest Mouse said it best, “Good people, good ears, and good curatorial sense. Good Records.”
Photo by Brian Lopiccolo
You’ve hosted a lot of local and national touring acts at your in-store performances. Got a favorite? Any cool ones on the horizon?
Some of our past instore performances have included sets by:
Grizzly Bear, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Queens Of The Stone Age, Grandaddy, Death Cab For Cutie, Regina Spektor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, Black Angels, Starlight Mints, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Beachwood Sparks, Brightblack Morning Light, Enon, Califone, Black Lips, No Age, Ariel Pink, Old 97′s, Feist, Tegan & Sara, Great Lake Swimmers, Blitzen Trapper, Beach House, Centro-matic, Peaches, Dirty Projectors, The Mooney Suzuki, Danielson, Dark Meat, Fuck Buttons, Giant Sand, Heartless Bastards, Pinback, Ruby Suns, Toadies, Daniel Johnston, Demetri Martin, Of Montreal, The Polyphonic Spree, Kingsbury Manx, Long Winters, Mates Of State, Mountain Goats, Stardeath And White Dwarfs, Album Leaf, et. al. (Ed. – our jaws are on the floor!!!)
Picking a favorite is like picking your favorite offspring but if i was forced to pick one it would have to be Grandaddy. We sold so many copies of The Sophtware Slump that when they routed their tour they purposely left a day off in Dallas to reward us with a full blown instore. They played almost an hour and a half. People overflowed into the middle of the street.
Photo by Brian Lopiccolo
What’s your favorite record right now?
One of my favorite records right now is MalachaiUgly Side Of Love. I think a lot of people that needed to hear it didn’t.
What is the coolest/most prized record has come into your store that you never thought you’d ever see?
One of the recent used LP finds that has come in was an original pressing of Dennis Wilson’sPacific Ocean Blue in pristine shape. Needless to say that never made it to the sales floor.
What is your favorite Light in the Attic release and why?
I am going to pick two of my favorite Light In The Attic releases. From modern times The Black Angel’sPassover from modern times. A friend/manager came into the store and gave us a copy of the EP and we were hooked. We have been fortunate to have them play the store several times. From the reissue department I choose Like a Ship… (Without a Sail) by T.L. Barrett & The Youth for Christ Choir. This release typifies what I think Light In The Attic does best…find a killer release and give it a rebirth and allow it to find new ears. The first time we played it in the store I immediately earmarked Like A Ship for my deejay sets.
OK, now for the serious question. In mortal combat between Concrete Blonde and Blonde Redhead, which band would emerge as the victor?
Blonde Redhead would win hands down at Good Records. Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons came out the first year we were open. We still play it to this day and it elicits one of two reacions. ”Who is this?” or “This is such a great album.” We have sold tons of copy of this. It is one of our ‘High Fidelity/Beta Band’ type albums.
What’s the funniest/weirdest/strangest encounter you’ve had with a customer in the store?
Probably our best two celebrity encounters were with Glen Danzig and Luke Wilson. Glenn Danzig bought a used copy of King Crimson In The Court of the Crimson King and Luke Wilson came in on two separate occasions. On his second trip Luke was scouring for Bob Dylan bootlegs. I told him he should just ask Mr. Dylan as I think he was filming a movie with him at the time.
Photo by Sofia Retta
And lastly, how’s the scene down in Dallas? Any cool local bands we should be on the lookout for?
The music scene in Dallas is good. We have a little bit of everything going on. You should check out New Fumes, Leg Sweeper, True Widow, RTB2, Chameleon Chamber Group, to name a few…
Record Store Day 2011 (Yo! April 16th! Get with it!) is shaping up to be the best yet. There are literally hundreds of limited edition releases hitting record stores across the globe. Unfortunately for us, many of these releases we can’t seem to live without (Big Star Third test pressing box, Flaming Lips Heady Nuggs box, etc). I guess it’s Ramen and Natural Ice for the next month! Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Just like previous years, we have some heavy awesomeness for this year’s RSD:
The Black Angels Another Nice Pair (LITA 066)
Collecting The Black Angels’ first two EPs on a single disc, Another Nice Pair is as limited, cool and righteous as it gets. Presented as a vinyl “double EP,” the A side (The Black Angels EP) includes key tracks from the critically acclaimed debut album Passover in addition to the non-album jam “Winter ’68.” The B side flip presents the original Black Angel Exit EP which was available only as a limited edition bonus EP for those who pre-ordered the band’s sophomore Directions To See A Ghost LP. This side also includes tracks that were available only as bonus material on the limited edition 3-LP version of Directions To See A Ghost, in addition to the iTunes exclusive “Black Angel Exit/Shine,” and a ripping cover of Black Mountain’s “No Satisfaction.”
In case you need more encouragement!:
RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE (Go support your local record store!!)
First time collection of the band’s first two EPs & First time on vinyl!
Unique “Double EP” with original artwork and limited promo insert
Limited edition pressing on RED VINYL with “Old-Style/Tip-On” sleeve
Download card included
Original artwork by founding member/guitarist Christian Bland
100 inserts SIGNED BY THE BAND will be randomly packed through the pressing!
OK, I know you all blew your savings going to SXSW this year, but what’s coming up this weekend requires cashing in your Dad’s frequent flyer miles or a last minute road trip in your older brother’s van! WHY??? Well: Austin Psych Fest 4!
Our pals The Black Angels and Reverberation Appreciation Society proudly present Austin Psych Fest 4 | April 29 – May 1 2011 at Seaholm Power Plant.
Spanning the full range of the psych sounds, the festival honors the past while magnifying the modern vanguard of mind expanding music. The festival grounds will feature a multi-stage setup and live performances from the likes of:
Atlas Sound, Crystal Stilts, A Place To Bury Strangers, Radio Moscow, Prefuse 73, Spectrum, Indian Jewelry, and Bass Drum of Death and TONS MORE.
Weekend passes and day tickets are still available HERE. Check out their site and spread the word!
Sweet Tea featuring Alex Maas (The Black Angels) & Erika Wennerstrom / Jesse Ebaugh (Heartless Bastards)
“After Laughter (Comes Tears)” (2012) b/w Wendy Rene “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” (1964) | 7″ 45 RPM | LITA 45-022
Pre-order now at LightInTheAttic.net - Ships Tuesday October 23, 2012 | In stores October 30, 2012
Celebrating Light In The Attic’s 10 year anniversary in 2012, we are releasing a series of very special colored vinyl 7”s and digital downloads. The series features contemporary artists covering a track reissued by Light In The Attic on the A-side, plus the original version on the B-side. First in the series was Iggy Pop & Zig Zag’s heavy psych-punk cover of Betty Davis’ “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up”, out now here and at record stores world wide.
Second in the series we have Alex Maas of the Black Angels and Erika Wennerstrom / Jesse Ebaugh of Heartless Bastards (under the band name Sweet Tea) covering Wendy Rene’s ‘After Laughter Comes Tears’. Preserving the original song’s creepy organ and tortured soul, Sweet Tea adds deep dub bass and raw power. Wendy Rene’s original – beloved of Wu Tang Clan, who sampled it on ‘Tearz’ – was one of a handful of timeless soul songs she recorded with The Drapels and solo for Stax before retiring prematurely to raise a family.
A side is produced by Alex Maas / Brett Orrison and recorded at Out The Woodwork Studios, Austin, TX, July 2012. B side features the original Wendy Rene version as remastered by John Baldwin for our anthology of her work, After Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964-1965. Design by Henry Owings, Chunklet Graphic Control.
+ Limited edition 7″ series on colored vinyl with custom LITA juke-box style sleeve in a poly bag with custom die-cut sticker
+ Other artists in the series include Iggy Pop & Zig Zags covering Betty Davis, Mark Lanegan covering Karen Dalton, and Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band covering Rodriguez. More releases in the series to be announced.
