*Throwback* Weezer's Pinkerton Unboxing
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Tuesday, March 27, 2018
About two years ago I unboxed and discussed Vinyl Me, Please's May member release - Weezer's Pinkerton. Enjoy!
vinyl
Showing posts with label vinyl. Show all posts
Queen of Jeans - "U R My Guy"
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Friday, March 9, 2018
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| Queen of Jeans - Photo from Facebook |
COMING IN HOT! A NEW SINGLE FROM QUEEN OF JEANS! TAKE A LISTEN:
When trying to explain the sound of South Philly's female fronted band, Queen of Jeans, one would say (according to bandcamp) they're a "2016 revival of a 90s throwback to the 60s". As confusing as that may sound, it's terribly accurate. Yesterday the band released their second single titled "U R My Guy", from their upcoming debut album 'Dig Yourself'. The album, releasing March 31st, will be pressed on a Clear w/ Black, Blue & Green Splatter Vinyl LP pictured below:
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| Dig Yourself - Photo from Bandcamp |
They're a band I'm constantly wanting to hear new material from. Last summer I had the pleasure of checking them out when they came to Boot and Saddle and opened for Palehound last summer. They closed out the show with a cover of Aaliyah's 'Are You That Somebody' and I was sold. If you know me you know that Aaliyah is my GURL, and I'm very critical of anyone that attempts a cover. They drew me in with hypnotic harmonies and their self proclaimed "crockpot pop". After the show, I managed to nab a copy of their Self-Titled EP that night on this beautiful Pink and Baby Blue Splatter paint pressing.
I remember being surprised that it was a colored pressing when I got home that night, which was a delight. Paralleling my evening I saw them preform, they were a present surprise, and a band that puts on one hell of a show. I suggest you take a listen to the new single, and find out when you can catch them when they come to town. The tour kicks off in Philly with an album release show on 3/31 at Underground Arts and to find the remaining dates head over to their site.
Ayalèw Mesfin - Hasabe (My Worries)
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Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Happy Last Day of Black History month Y'all
Let me put you on to this beautiful release from Vinyl Me, Please. The February Record of the Month 'Hasabe' also known as 'My Worries' is the first official compilation of Ayalew Mesfin's music. In the 70's Ayalew, an Ethiopian Funk legend, was jailed and banned from creating music. He was seen as a threat to the country's communist regime, his music along with Ayalew was locked away. Now after more than 40 years, his music is now being released to the world thanks to Vinyl Me, Please.
Coming home to the slightly marble looking raspberry pressing was a delight. Everything about this package is spectacular. From each track having been pulled from Ayalew's own collection of singles, to the in-depth photo booklet and liner notes. You can tell that the contents of this month's record were thought out. Spinning this for the first time I focus mostly on the emotions it invoked. Not because I had no clue what Ayalew had been singing (which was valid), but because I wanted to be fully submerged into an album generated in an entirely different era. One of my favorite tracks from the album is probably Libe Menta Hone (My Divided Heart). It's a track so funky you can't help but to bob your head or move your feet. To be honest this entire compilation is captivating.
I am appreciative of the fact that a record like this, which holds so much historical and cultural value, was released on Black History Month. Looking back at past VMP releases for February, 'Hasabe' shares great company. Main Source's 'Breaking Atoms' and Big Bill Broonzy's 'Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs have been the releases years prior. These releases have shed light on albums that have been overlooked yet culturally significant. Sure, they could have just dropped some ol' regular degular shmegular (shout out to Cardi) hip-hop release, but they didn't. For black history month for the past three years, they've put time and effort into these releases, and they have been handled with TLC.
As a member month becomes exciting to see Vinyl Me, Please try and outdo themselves. Check out their site here if you haven't already.
Natalie Prass - "Short Court Style"
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Monday, February 26, 2018
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| Photo from Bandcamp |
Natalie Prass is back ladies and gentlemen, with
a song that makes me want to get up and dance. Today she dropped the first single, vinyl pre-orders and a new video for
“Short Court Style”. The track is from her upcoming sophomore album, The Future And The Past , that drops this summer on
June 1st. The single, which feature’s Prass’ soft and soulful voice,
feels like a 70’s pop/funk throwback. I am very excited for this album and upcoming tour she’s
going to bless us with. You can also pre-order vinyl on her website, which includes a choice of Bronze or Red pressing in the form of a single record or a bundle:
But back to this video she dropped, it's an absolute
delight to watch. Would doesn’t want to watch her frolic in the woods in a
green jumpsuit? Thank you Ms Prass for making my Monday morning a whole lot
better. Make sure you take a listen and see when she’s coming to a venue near
you.
Watch and listen to 'Short Court Style' below.
Check out her tour dates and where you can find pressings of her new album here
Drunk Unboxing - Moby's 'Play
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Thursday, February 1, 2018
"Vinyl Me, Please" Drunk Unboxing - Moby's Play
Be sure to watch below. Comment. Like + Subscribe!
Vinyl of the Day: Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
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Wednesday, January 10, 2018
I was fortunate enough to snag this album this past weekend while shopping in Amoeba. It's not something I had actively been searching out for, but it was something I'm happy to come across. When I popped into the soul selection of the store, the goal was if something screamed out at me I would buy it. Little did I know it would be Barbara Cheeseborough, on the cover of Maggot Brain screaming at me while digging for records.
Can we talk about an album cover that matches the record so well? This album is timeless. Every time I put it on I can help but shake my head in disbelief at how well it aged, and how I find something else to love about it. It kicks ass. I mean George Clinton is a genius, (and everyone involved is as well of course) the production is superb. I cannot fathom that when this album came out, there were people who were critical of the record. Usually, I would suggest a couple of tracks to listen to but this is something I find is best played from start to finish. No skipping, no interruptions, just an album played how it was meant to be.
I would describe this album best as funk-rock. It's so much more and very difficult to pin into any one genre. Weaving in and out of each song you'll hear multiple guitars, a keyboard, a cow, a fox and a variety of percussion instruments. I'm not even kidding, 'Wars of Armageddon' holds a mixture of those sounds and some. My favorites from this album, if I had to choose, would be 'Can You Get to That' and 'Super Stupid'. This album like I said this is timeless. I would love for a another pressing of this to be re-released with something that reflected how crazy this album is. Maybe like a spatter or marble design would be perfect, something similar to the multicolored label it comes with. If this were released today, it would be applauded as innovative and fresh. Its sound is distinct, and I'm happy to have it added to my collection finally.
VMP x Ready to Die x Super Poor Kids Art Collective
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Thursday, December 14, 2017
This past week I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking to The Super Poor Kids. They’re an art duo, bothers Lu and Jay Reyes, that come from Camden, New Jersey. As artist they’ve become a jack of creative trades with their paintings, digital works and even create custom clothing. The most prominent thing they’ve been recognized for is their The Saddest Story on Repeat exhibition. A series of work in which they recreate Dr Seuss works to reflect influential moments in Black Lives Matter movement.
They’ve recently focused their talents on a new project, custom hand painted Ready To Die covers. Last month Vinyl Me, Please released the September record of the month, Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 classic Ready to Die. The Super Poor Kids decided to put their own spin on the package, which features the original artwork for the first time in over a decade
Desuana: I know you tend to do socially conscious pieces, things that make a statement or shed light on things happening in your community. What are some of the things that’ve influence your work as artist?
SPK Lu: A ton of things influence me personally as an artist. The one that sticks out the most to me is probably fashion. A lot of the art that we create is on actual clothing pieces, I enjoy when fashion designers step outside the box because it encourages me to look at art and clothing differently. I’m also a huge fan of children books illustration, I’m a sucker for a cartoony illustration style. Obviously other artist are always an inspiration as well. On Instagram we follow a ton of artist that also help us push ourselves harder to continue to grow as creators.
SPK Jay: To piggyback off my brother, I also get influenced by fashion. Loved it since I was a child. When I told my mother as a youngster to buy me a pink polo button down, that’s when I knew I fell in love with fashion. Just the thought of being different and customizing your own clothes makes me happy. I get influenced by a lot of other things as well. Just walking down a street, I might see things that make my creative juices flow. Being around people on a day to day basis, and seeing how different people react to certain things influence me. Women influence me a lot as well. The female body is art. Women are beautiful, emotional, passionate, strong, and I can keep going on and on. I tend to paint a lot of nude women with flower heads, symbolizing growth, strength, beauty, and emotion. Other things that get my juices flowing are scenic places, shapes, and colors. I can go on and on about what influences me so I’m going to shut up now. Ok Bye.
Desuana: No no, I l love hearing about that. You guys are so passionate about the work you do.
Now can you tell me about this VMP x Super Poor Kids collaboration you’ve decided to do. What’s the background on this, were you fans of Biggie at all growing up?
SPK Lu: When the opportunity was brought to the table to work with Vinyl Me, Please we were super excited. Then we found out that we’d be working on a Biggie vinyl and that was the cherry on top. As kids we would hear our older cousins blast Biggie all the time, of course we were too young to understand what the music was about but we would bop along to the music just to look as cool as our cousins. It wasn’t until we got older that we could see the impact Biggie left on the world of hip hop and music in general.
SPK Jay: I was excited to hear that Vinyl Me Please wanted us to hand paint exclusive Biggie records. We love to paint on different things instead of painting on canvas all the time. Just having a unique project such as this one is a breath of fresh air. I feel like me and my brother grew up similar to Biggie, but just going in two different paths. All of this is just so nostalgic to me simply because I remember as a youngster hearing my older cousins play Biggie. Working on this project just brought back some memories.
"Then I just go in! Most of the time I don’t sketch anything, I just paint whatever I’m feeling."
Desuana: Can you tell us a little about how your creative process works? Where’s your point A in starting and how are ending up at these grand intricate finished pieces?
SPK Lu: When creating art, we usually tend to freestyle most of the work. We’ll generally have an idea of what we want to do or how we want the piece to look but there isn’t much planning when creating. We sort of just dive into the art and let everything fall in place. We’ve worked like this for so long that it’s kind of how we operate when creating anything. There isn’t much sketching or pre-planning we just get to work and await the finished product.
SPK Jay: Like Lu said we just freestyle a lot of times. Most of the time when we working on something together we will have a little creative meeting. We shoot out ideas and when the right ideas come to play that’s when we execute! We argue a lot and I might curse him out, but that’s just how we operate (laughs), I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The final product always turns out to be impeccable. When I’m working alone, sometimes I just stare at my canvas for a long time before i start painting. Then I just go in! Most of the time I don’t sketch anything, I just paint whatever I’m feeling.
Desuana: Final question, I’m curious about the music you guys listen to. What did you grow up listening to? And is that any different from what you’ve been listening to today?
SPK Lu: Jay and I have similar and different taste in music, as weird as that sounds. I grew up listening to rap music because of our older cousins, however when during my preteen/early teenage years I started to branch out of listening to just rap. I’d listen to everything from N’Sync to Fall Out Boy, from Usher to Dipset, but hands down my favorite artist during that era of music was Eminem. Although I don’t listen to much Eminem now I found myself drawn to Tyler, The Creator. Maybe due to the fact that he was another artist who was “anti-establishment”, and spoke whatever came to mind but I couldn’t get enough of it. I listen to Tyler, Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, Toro Y Moi, Lana Del Rey, A$AP Rocky, and Bruno Mars just to name a few.
SPK Jay: Besides my mother blasting Marc Anthony throughout the house on a Saturday morning, my older cousins AJ and Jason definitely had an influence on our music selections. Growing up they would listen to a lot of Bad Boy. Diddy and Biggie was definitely on rotation. JayZ started to become a part of my rotation as well. Hard knock life was my SH*T! I also had the soft side where I would listen to Usher haha. As the 2000’s approached I started to like Fabolous, Dipset, Kanye, and Lil Wayne just to name a few. I still listen to them until this day. Now I can listen to almost anything that sounds appealing to me. From Lil Uzi and Young Thug to Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean, and the Weeknd. I’ve gotten into Soulection and Kaytranada lately. I listen to their mixes all the time now. I like to say my ears has matured in the last couple of years.
Watch below on how this collab came into effect:
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