Tag: LP

Go Behind the Scenes of Citizen Vinyl, North Carolina’s First Record Press

Posted on by Editor

If you want to make an LP in NC, there’s a brand new vinyl destination: Citizen Vinyl, North Carolina’s first record press. Here’s some history about this landmark from North Carolina’s music campaign, Come Hear NC:

“Asheville, N.C., has long been viewed as a special place, funneling new sounds from the mountains to the world. In its heyday, the Asheville-based WWNC was one of the most popular radio stations in the country, and from its studios new bluegrass sound was presented for the first time to broad audiences across the country. It’s possible that Jimmie Rodgers (who lived in Asheville for a while) played ‘Carolina Sunshine Girl’ there, and the fiddles and banjos that have for so long rung out from the hollers and valleys of Western North Carolina found a way to the airwaves from the station’s studios.

“The building’s halls are full of history. Jim Lauderdale said of playing in places where great music has been made, ‘You get the feel about great music, it’s still livin’.’ No longer a radio station, it now houses Citizen Vinyl, North Carolina’s first record press. Mandolin Orange, based out of Chapel Hill, will be first off the press with a new double LP. Their music, full of guitar, fiddle, harmony, and a little twang, would have been right at home in one of WWNC’s old recording sessions.”

Check out the exclusive tour of the Asheville-based facility below:

Discover more about Citizen Vinyl and Come Hear NC here.

Photo courtesy of Come Hear NC

MIXTAPE: Jim and Sam’s Songs That Got Us Through Playing One Show Every Day for a Year

Posted on by Editor

“We discovered these songs right before we left home, while we were on the road, or soon after we got back from our 365-everyday tour. Each song is soaked in nostalgia and transports us right back into the wildest year of our lives. The songs of ours that appear on this Mixtape were born during or inspired by our tour.” — Jim and Sam, from the film After So Many Days

Jim and Sam – “After So Many Days”

On day 360, we were nearing Santa Barbara on our last cross-country trip of the tour. We were both feeling overwhelmed, sad, excited, and confused as we were inching our way back home to Los Angeles. We were listening to songs we had discovered while traveling throughout 14 different countries, when the last song came to an end. The car was quiet, tears were rolling down both of our faces, and we decided to pull over into a strip mall parking lot to take a break. We pulled out the guitar and a notebook, and this song came pouring out. We ended up using the original audio recording of this writing session as the soundtrack to the final moments of the film. When the tour ended, we tucked the song away for a while, and it ended up being the last song we recorded for the album.

Lucinda Williams – “Passionate Kisses”

This song captures so many of the simple things we want out of life and our career. Lucinda’s endless drive as an artist has always inspired us. “Is it too much to demand/ I want a full house and a rock-‘n’-roll band/ Pens that won’t run out of ink/ And cool quiet and time to think…”

Mulligan Brothers – “So Are You”

For 30 days we were on tour in Sweden with the amazing bluegrass band, The Mulligan Brothers. It took us all a few nights to get comfortable with each other, but once we did, the rest of the month felt like summer camp. Whether it was sitting on the stage after a show telling stories all night, late night fast food runs, discovering small Swedish towns together, or just listening to their amazing music night after night — having another road family for a month was a really magical and necessary part of the year.

Katie Melua – “Mary Pickford”

There was a week where we had to keep booking, cancelling, and rebooking our flight because our plans were changing. Every time we called up Norwegian Air, this song was playing in the background. What started out as an earworm became a song that traveled with us throughout the rest of the year and we now love. It’s also a beautiful song about the power of collaboration.

Jim and Sam – “Bloodstream”

The song is about trusting someone enough to let them see (and help you calm) your panic. It’s also about being there for the person you love in their most vulnerable moments. This song was co-written and produced by one of our best friends, Hustle Standard. HS had surprised us along the tour by attending several shows in LA, New York, and Houston. Knowing he had seen firsthand how we were struggling and changing during the tour, we knew we wanted to collaborate with him for the record.

Grateful Dead – “Brokedown Palace”

We got invited to play a birthday party at a farm filled with alpacas and goats in upstate New York, and were asked to play any Grateful Dead song we knew. Not being too familiar with The Dead we asked a Deadhead friend of ours what song we should cover… with no hesitation they texted back, “Brokedown Palace.”

Lauren Ruth Ward – “Did I Offend You”

We met Lauren playing on the same bill at Echo Park Rising in Los Angeles. We were first to go on that day and no one was in the room except for Lauren and LP. We stayed to watch Lauren’s set and were blown away by her power on stage. Even in the quiet moments she took up all of the space in the room. We’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since… This is one of our favorites.

LP – “Lost on You”

We met LP the same night we met Lauren. About a month later we went to watch her at an intimate venue in LA. We heard her sing a song called “Lost on You” (before it became the global hit that it is now). Jim and I turned to each other as we normally do when we both hear a song we love. About a year later, she was touring all over Europe and asked us to join her for a few shows during our year. After so many days of small and strange venues, playing to a sold out room of 3000 people in cities we had never been to was insane.

Rayland Baxter – “Yellow Eyes”

Something about the sound of this song reminds of the lines on the road when we’re leaving a city we just played in.

Jim and Sam – “Cold Cold Blood” (feat. Good Harvest & Rob Lewis)

A good friend of ours, Jono Hart, was putting on shows in churches throughout the UK. We actually met him right before our tour began. He said to us, “Any time you’re in the UK let me know, and if you need a church or a show, give me a call.” He ended up booking us some of our favorite shows on the tour, and he also gave us the key to this gorgeous church in Stoke Newington, London, to record. In the pouring rain, our friend, composer and cellist Rob Lewis, kindly let us borrow his gear and talent and we recorded this version in about 45 minutes before we had to leave. We then asked one of our favorite duos from Sweden, Good Harvest, to contribute their incredible harmonies to the track about 200 days later in another church, this time in Falun, Sweden. Finally, we had Tyler Chester record guitars in a garage in LA and Ryan Lipman mixed the track somewhere in Highland Park.

William Fitzsimmons – “Second Hand Smoke”

A year after our tour we got invited to support William Fitzsimmons throughout North America and Europe in a few venues we had always dreamed of playing. Picking a favorite from William is hard, but even after 40 nights of hearing his set… we’d usually always stand in the wings to listen to this one.

Tom Petty – “Walls”

Tom Petty passed away during the last month of our tour and became the soundtrack of our final month while driving home. We still quote this song everytime we are having a bad day… “some days are diamonds, some days are rocks.”

Chimney – “Paintings Are the Only Place You Never Lied to Me”

Chimney (aka Dan Molad) is a longtime friend of ours and also the producer of our Yeah Whatever Young Forever EP as well as the soundtrack tracks, “Unravel” and “Saturday Night (Low).” Jim wrote this song with Danny about our mutual friend who passed away. A few months before the tour, Danny had Facetimed Jim asking to help expand on an idea he started. One hour later, the song was finished, and 48 hours later Danny had recorded the song for his debut record.

Indigo Girls – “Closer to Fine”

We often roll the windows down and unapologetically sing this song at the top of our lungs like two high school girls getting ready for choir practice.

Jake Hill & Deep Creek – “High & Low”

Jake Hill is one of our oldest friends and remains a songwriter who is constantly inspiring us with whatever he’s creating. During our tour he hosted us for an event called Supper & Song in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where he would prepare an incredible three-course meal for a room full of people in a building from the 1800s…he would then play a few of his amazing songs and introduce another artist to perform. This was easily one of our favorite evenings on the tour and this is one of our favorite Jake Hill songs.

Jim and Sam – “Witch in a Window”

Upon returning home to LA from the tour we felt some whiplash; we had just emerged from feeling so inspired after having such intimate and real connections with strangers all around the world, then all of a sudden were thrown back into a city and industry obsessed with first impressions and fueled by small talk. Everything felt magnified. We began noticing people morphing into different versions of themselves to fit in or get ahead. We love LA; however, “Witch in a Window” is our tribute to the trickery and disguise the city perpetuates and makes us all believe we have to keep up with.

Rob Lewis – “The Sea”

We first heard this song from our friend Rob Lewis as a demo in his car on a rainy night in London. This song and all of Rob’s music is ethereal, calming, surprising and inspiring. Rob played cello on a few songs on our album and also contributed a few stunning score pieces to the film.

Starship – “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”

Self explanatory.

Photo credit: Mike Zwahlen

 

Back 2 School with John C. Reilly, Mandy Moore in Photographs

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

On Saturday, November 2, community-minded music fans from all across Southern California gathered at the Palace Theatre in Los Angeles for Back 2 School. The variety show, presented by Kensington Presents, the D’Addario Foundation, and BGS, benefited the D’Addario Foundation’s important work supporting music programs in underserved schools and communities. John C. Reilly, Jim James, Mandy Moore, Garfunkel & Oates, and many others took to the stage with our five-star house band — helmed by the Watkins Family Hour and Mike Viola — to share music, songs, and laughter to bolster the cause.

If you didn’t have the good fortune to be in attendance on Saturday night, check out the magic of Back 2 School (thanks in no small part to our stellar drum line) right here on BGS. Good news, too: You can give to the D’Addario Foundation at any time, wherever you are. Donate here.

Photos by Elli Lauren Photography and Harrison Pearl Photography as noted.
Lead photo: Harrison Pearl Photography

ANNOUNCING: BGS, D’Addario Foundation Plan L.A. Concert for School Music Programs

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Along with our partners The D’Addario Foundation, longtime champions for accessible music instruction, and Kensington Presents, BGS is proud to announce Back 2 School: Class of 2019, which will take place at Los Angeles’ historic Palace Theatre on November 2. The first event of this kind in Southern California, the money raised by the 501(c)(3) D’Addario Foundation will provide kids access to amazing music programs, provide college assistance scholarships, and encourage gender parity in music and guitar playing through D’Addario’s Girls In Music Initiative.

Back 2 School will feature house band and Los Angeles institution, The Watkins Family Hour, joined by acclaimed producer, songwriter, and artist Mike Viola. A world-class cast of musicians will join Sara and Sean Watkins and their collaborative Family Hour crew over the course of the evening. Prolific songwriter and My Morning Jacket frontman, Jim James, platinum-selling musician and Emmy-nominated actress Mandy Moore, silver screen troubadour John C Reilly, straight-shooting singer-songwriter LP, everyman Americana hero Langhorne Slim, Los Angeles’ own comedy-folk duo Garfunkel & Oates, six-string renaissance man Blake Mills, and one half of The Bird And The Bee, Inara George, will all take the stage to raise money for The D’Addario Foundation. Fans should keep an eye out for additional artist announcements in the coming weeks. Tickets, priced from $50 to $250, will be available on Friday, September 20th. Use code BACK2SCHOOL to purchase pre-sale tickets now.

VIP ticket options are also available for those who wish to upgrade their Back 2 School experience. VIP will include premium seating (center orchestra or first two rows of mezzanine), a VIP laminate, and a priority entry lane. Gold Circle VIP includes premium seating (first four rows of orchestra), a free drink/cocktail, an event poster, and the aforementioned VIP laminate and priority entry lane.

In addition to catching once-in-a-lifetime performances and collaborations among world-class musicians, Back 2 School attendees will be contributing directly to The D’Addario Foundation’s mission to put music education back in the forefront and into the lives of those who otherwise might not have these opportunities. “The bottom line is kids need lots more music as part of their education and your support makes that possible,” says D’Addario Foundation Executive Director, Suzanne D’Addario Brouder, emphasizing their mission statement. “We believe in the power of music to unlock creativity, boost self-confidence, and enhance academics. By making music education accessible, we can positively affect social change and foster better citizens of the world.” Purchase your tickets now.

Squared Roots: LP on the Only, Lonely Roy Orbison

Posted on by Editor

Roy Orbison was the kind of artist who defied all qualifiers and quantifiers. His voice, alone, stops time. And his songs stand the test of it. Though Orbison had myriad contemporaries, he had no counterparts. Not really. His indelible talent and understated style collided to create a mesmerizingly mysterious allure. Across his more than 30 years in music, Orbison earned six Grammy awards, four inductions into various music halls of fame, and numerous hit records going all the way back to “Ooby Dooby” in the mid-1950s.

Similarly enigmatic, singer/songwriter LP has fun with both form and function. Taking cues from Orbison's operatic vocal timbre and cinematic lyrical bent, her latest release, Death Valley, finds her digging into her roots in a different way than on previous efforts.

There are several aspects of him that I want to get into, but give me the nutshell … for you, why Roy?

It's really the emotion. I strive to infuse the kind of emotion that he infused into his singing and his lyrics. That would be a benchmark for me. I can relate to him. He didn't look in the mirror and go, “I should be in show business. I'm fucking beautiful!” [Laughs] “The world should see me! I gotta a real face for radio.”

[Laughs] “I'm a STAR!”

Yeah. “I'm a star!” He was in it because he couldn't not do it. I relate to that, as well. I still hear stuff of his that I'm like, “WOW. What in the hell is that song?!” I always love it. He's a singer, for me, that I don't have to know the song. Besides the unbelievable songwriting, he's the kind of guy who can carry a 24-piece orchestra — or more. Or he can carry it off with just a guitar. There's just something about him. He strips you bare of expectation and artifice. He's a total rock star and he looks like one, but not your typical one. So many things … I could go on and on. There's a truth, an essential core of legitimacy and authenticity, that he gives that's impossible to argue with, in my opinion.

Let's break it down: the voice. His vocal range and control was staggering. I'm guessing you've studied him quite a bit, yeah? As a singer, is that intimidating or inspiring?

It's inspiring. I love singers who have several voices, that can do a bunch of different shit. That's always turned me on. I've always felt that was a cool thing to have. He could sing super-low or sing in falsetto. It's intimidating, for sure. But, if he were alive and I had to open for him, I'd be like, “Hell yeah! I'm excited.” [Laughs] He makes me want to sing. When I do covers of stuff, I look out for singers who make me want to sing. I almost can't control myself from singing.

That's a good segue into the songs. In terms of his structures, he blurred quite a few lines and pushed just as many envelopes. But everything was still accessible, though not necessarily immediately accessible. What do you think it was about that? He attributed his compositional eccentricity to never having learned the so-called “right” way to write. There's a certain freedom in that, I guess.

Like “Running Scared” … he had a bunch of different songs that I felt, like you said, defied structure, that were an ongoing …

Like an aria or something?

Yeah. They drew you in and were catchy on repeated listens, but were also, as far as the initial stab of the song, you were like, “Wow. I am enthralled by where this emotional content and this emotional arc is going to go.” That's not that common. It's not common at all. There's not anyone else I know who you can just fall back and say, “Wherever this guy goes, I'm going with him.” [Laughs] He forces you to go along, and I love that.

“Running Scared,” for sure, and “Crying,” as well, encapsulate what makes him so special as both a singer and a writer. What are some other Orbison tunes that really do it for you?

I love “It's Over.” That one … that's another one that just keeps going. It's a story, basically. You feel like you're right there. Then he manages — and I don't know how he does it — but on repeated listens of that song, you keep going, almost like you're watching a movie where you're like, “Oh my God. This is that part!” And you can see the part where it's his face looking at the other guy who he thinks might make his tenuous new relationship turn around and run back. Even though I know, ultimately, she's going to come with him, every time I listen to that song, I'm like, “Fuck! Is she going to go back to that guy?!” [Laughs] I don't know how he does it. That's what's so crazy!

[Laughs] Part of that, potentially, is his style. You touched on that earlier. Music aside, there was something about his persona … he was a blank slate, so the listener could project anything on him. His style didn't get in the way of him being a storyteller.

Yeah, totally. He told all these different stories, but there was inherent pain in his voice. And, when you delved further into him and read about his life, there was a lot of pain in there. It definitely came through. But he wasn't often, at least to my knowledge, literal. He skirted and told stories that got his pain across. A lot of his songs are also inherently lonely which his life was very indicative of, and he sang a lot about being lonely, in general. That's an emotion that 99 percent of the world — from the most successful to the least successful person — can relate to.

Sometimes you're in a relationship and you're lonely, which I just went through with my last relationship. And I think a lot of people can relate to that, too. You can be lonely for a lot of things. You can be lonely for a good life, a good love … all kinds of things. And he managed to loop them all in together so that, whether you were having love problems or life problems, you could sit down and commiserate.

LP photo courtesy of the artist. Roy Orbison photo credit: nico7martin via Source / CC BY.

BGS Class of 2015: Songs

Posted on by Editor

What an overwhelmingly fantastic year for roots music! We couldn't fit all the greatness into our album list, so we picked another 21 of our favorite songs.

Anderson East, Delilah, "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em, and Forget 'Em"


A song from the heart of Southern soul music, AndersonEast found this little George Jackson/Rick Hall gem hiding down in Muscle Shoals and made it his own.

Brandi Carlile, The Firewatcher's Daughter, "The Stranger at My Door"

While "The Eye" would be the obviously outstanding song to pick, this little ditty is sneakily special and captures so much of what is great about Brandi Carlile.

Dave Rawlings Machine, Nashville Obsolete, "The Weekend"


It's always a good year when we get new music from Dave Rawlings Machine, and this opening track from Nashville Obsolete expresses a sentiment we can likely all relate to: hitting the weekend like a freight.

David Ramirez, Fables, "Harder to Lie"


This is one of those tunes that absolutely rocks you back on your heels with its unabashed forthrightness. Good luck getting past it to hear the rest of the record.

Drew Holcomb, Medicine, "American Beauty"


Drew Holcomb captured lightning in a bottle with "American Beauty" — a love song for anyone who has had to let go sooner than they wanted.

Glen Campbell, I'll Be Me, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"


One of Campbell's final recordings, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" may, at first listen, sound like a kiss-off to a former lover, but it was actually inspired by the legendary songwriter's ongoing battle with Alzheimer's, a fact that makes the depth of the lyrics and quality of the song all the more impressive.

HoneyHoney, 3, "Big Man"


Never did a song about the death of a "Big Man" sound so sweet. Suzanne Santo's voice is just about perfect … and the fiddle-laced song ain't too shabby, either.

Indigo Girls, One Lost Day, "Fishtails"


Amy Ray crafted some mighty fine tunes for the latest Indigo Girls' record, including this stunner that shows how powerful a well-placed horn part can be.

JD McPherson, Let the Good Times Roll, "Head Over Heels"


This Oklahoma boy knows how to rock ’n’ roll! Under the production guidance of Mark Neill, “Head Over Heels” sounds like the Flamingos went on an extended acid trip. Vibrato Fender dreams oscillate behind McPherson’s crooning, a chorus of handclaps, and a tack piano from Hell. Oh yeah, it’ll make you dance, too.

Julien Baker, Sprained Ankle, "Sprained Ankle"


“Wish I could write songs about anything other than death,” Julien Baker sings within the first seconds of this crippling ballad, led by an electric guitar and tritone anxiety. Having grown up in Memphis, the songwriter has the lyrical talent of a serious Delta blues player, but her music is darker and more daring than much of what Tennessee knows.

Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material, "Good Ol' Boys Club"


Less outwardly biting than the album’s title track, this cut from Pageant Material stands out in a year dominated by a ridiculous question: Just where do women belong in the salad that is country music? Plus, that inside baseball slap-in-the-face to Big Machine is pretty rad.

LP, Muddy Waters, "Muddy Waters"


LP really knocked this darkly plodding one out of the park. Elements of it echo back to her pop past, but her bluesy roots are also showing.

Mavis Staples, Your Good Fortune, "Fight"


A collaboration with Son Little, this groovy track from Mavis Staples' EP snaps and snakes, using gospel-inspired backing vocals to drive it all home.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, S/T, "S.O.B."


Ladies and germs, Nathaniel Rateliff has finally arrived. The Midwestern singer was bound to hit a new level of popularity with each year that passed — but that moment never seemed to arrive. That is, until Rateliff traded folk music for soul. Now you simply can’t escape that "S.O.B." This Stax-approved prison pen jam gets in its licks early, and washes it down with dirty bourbon.

Rayland Baxter, Imaginary Man, "Freakin Me Out"


We’re all losing our minds … some of us are just more freaked out by it than others. Rayland Baxter provides the sing-along anthem for those of us on the “more” end of the spectrum.

Rhiannon Giddens, Tomorrow Is My Turn, "Black Is the Color"


Rhiannon Giddens is known for her work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but she is also a formidable solo artist. This cover of an Appalachian folk tune — the excellent accompanying video for which was shot at historic Fisk University — shows off all Giddens has to offer: her soulful voice, knack for finding a groove, and ear for interpretation.

Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, It's About Tyme, "Brown County Red"


This Kyle Burnett-penned tune is filled with danger, bootlegin’, and cold-blooded murder on the banks of the Ohio River. When a moonshiner emerges from his secret corn liquor corner, he has an unfortunate run-in with the law, killing dead a few deputies. It’s the bluegrass equivalent to Juice. Kid just can’t stop killing! The best part about “Brown County Red,” is that it’s cast upon a major key backdrop. Surreal does not begin to describe it.

Ryan Culwell, Flatlands, "Flatlands"


Hailing from the great expanse of nothingness known as the Panhandle of Texas, Ryan Culwell speaks fondly of his childhood home and its understated beauty. “Take me back where I can see miles of dirt in front of me,” he sings. It’s something every God-fearing Midwesterner/Southerner knows to be true: Life is easier in the heat and emptiness of the flatlands … but we left them anyway.

Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell, "The Only Thing"


The sonic equivalent of David Foster Wallace’s “Good Old Neon,” the important distinction being that Stevens’ narrator sees Perseus twinkling in the clear night sky just in time to correct the steering wheel. 

The Weather Station, Loyalty, "Way It Is, Way It Could Be"


From the mind of Canadian songwriter Tamara Lindeman comes this tune, “Way It Is, Way It Could Be” — a meditation on the other side of the fence. The place where the grass always seems to be greenest. The song, off the fabulous Loyalty, has the snowy imagery of an Edith Wharton novel and the leary suspicion of Virginia Woolf. Lindeman sings in falsetto equanimity: “Was it a look in your eye? I wasn’t sure. The way it is and the way it could be both are.” Painted with images of frozen Quebec, this opening track sets the mood for the Weather Station’s best album yet.

Wilco, Star Wars, "Random Name Generator"


Wilco’s surprise album also had a few surprise hits, like “Random Name Generator.” Like the song’s “flame creator” protagonist, this tune packs plenty of dirt and burn. “I think I miss my family I found,” Jeff Tweedy laments, resigning himself as a father who simply names things. It is one of recent Wilco’s most affecting songs.

For more musical goodness, check out the full Class of 2015. Follow the playlist on Spotify and add your own favorite songs to it: