Hi, my name is Amanda. You might remember me if you stopped by the Pop any time between May 2004 and October 2004. Or if you were at the OP anytime after 10pm between May ’04 and October ’04. Or if you picked up Pretty and Nice’s first record. That’s me, the one awkwardly running though the ocean. I put in about five years in the record store circuit before moving to Burlington, so it seemed like kind of a no-brainer when I was hired. Pure Pop was without a doubt, the best, and not just because I’m guest-blogging (Ed note: We also paid her handsomely for this article). I left town with a heavy heart, leaving behind a ton of friends, the Pop, the Penny Cluse, City Market, Eye Spys, that thrift store in the basement of that church… In Burlington, I learned how to juggle, how to drink, how to ride my bike drunk, some key phrases in Serbo-Croation, and that there were more jam bands than I ever thought possible… One of my favorite memories from my short time at the Pop was when this guy, probably a UVM student, came by and said, I’m looking for this cd… it’s kind of a weird name… I gave him a, “How the hell would I know?” look, then said, “Devendra Banhart?” And he was like “YEAH!” It was awesome.
Since then, I’ve been living in Portland, Maine, which isn’t too far from where I grew up. Other than the quickly diminishing pool of normal, single guys to go out with, I love living here. You should visit! Up until this fall, I was working for a national non-profit, 9-5, as an administrative assistant. We had casual Fridays and dental insurance. It was weird, like I was an adult, or something. But I’m back in school full time, and working at a coffeeshop. Typical, right? Musically, I’m guessing I’m probably listening to most of the same things you guys are listening to. This public radio show, Sound Opinions, the world’s only rock and roll talk show, has sort of filled the gap where my old job as a record store clerk used to be. Emphasis on sort of. So when I was trying to come up with my list, I was thinking, “What could I make my list about and not look like a total d-bag??” The last album I bought was, ah, oh right, this band Lightning Dust, and I think before that was the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack (Patrick Swayze, RIP!)
So, we have this free, monthly alternative paper here called the Bollard. There is nothing comparable in Burlington that I know of, mostly because Seven Days is great and there is no need for an alternative, alternative paper. The Bollard recently made a list of the top ten local cds of the decade. It was pretty pretentious, but it got me thinking about our local scene here, and I thought maybe, I’d share my thoughts. Most of these people are my friends, frenemies, local bartenders, baristas, etc, and this is not by any means a complete list.
Top ten bands out of Portland, ME, According to Amanda Pleau
1. Cult Maze (see also: Metal Feathers, Brenda)
Cult Maze, although now defunct, except for an annual Homecoming Dance reunion, were really amazing, and I’m sad to say that no one will quite live up. I know they played in Burlington a couple of times, (with my bffs Pretty and Nice,) so you might have even had the chance to see them. Former members have gone on to play in Metal Feathers and Brenda, but neither are nearly as good as the original lineup. Isn’t that always the way?
2. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
I recently described Aly Spaltro, the 4’10″ 19 year old who goes by the moniker Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, as this teeny tiny white girl who sounds like a 50 year old black woman. Not entirely sure if that’s completely accurate, but she writes some amazing songs. The kinds of songs you can only write when you’re 19, because you’re still full of hope and love. You can download her album on iTunes, and if you decide to check her out on MySpace, I recommend a track called Walrus.
3. Ocean
(I actually don’t listen to Doom Metal, but I hear they’re pretty amazing, as far as that sort of thing goes?)
4. Spencer Albee and the School Spirit Mafia or, Spencer Albee and the Polyphonic Mafia,
This most recent Spencer Albee incarnation has like, thirteen members, all really talented, mostly involved in other music projects. They’re really fun to see live, and Spencer, former member of the Rustic Overtones, one of Portland’s all time favorite local bands, is like the godfather of the scene.
5. Phantom Buffalo
MOJO magazine voted Shishimumu (their first album, still under the name the Ponys) the 42nd best album of 2005. I think they have a real chance to make it out of this town, and seeing them is always a pleasure. This Halloween they did a bunch of Devo covers at the party I was at. I’d recommend checking out “Be the Boss,” if you have a second.
6. Honey Clouds Confession:
this is my best friend’s band. They are the band that Paper Castles played with when they came through town, and if you don’t totally hate the singer’s voice, you might really like them.
7. Dead End Armory Further confession:
I can’t stand the singer of this band, but t hat doesn’t change the fact that he writes really good songs. The whole tortured-artist thing really works for this guy. They’re on hiatus at the moment, and part of me wishes he’d just go back to wherever the hell he came from.
8. Sontiago Sontiago
won the Portland Phoenix’s best hip hop artist for like five years in a row, until on she pulled her name out of the running. I think I was officially won over at her cd release, she brought Aly from Lady Lamb and Dilly Dilly (another Portland person) on stage and did a cover of Say My Name. It was SICK!
httpv://www.youtube.com/v/SiW1WLcMVgA&hl
9. Samuel James
Self-taught blues guitarist. Enough said. Worked at the video rental store for years, and all of a sudden, he’s like, touring now. Always an entertaining, fulfilling performance from Sam James.
10. Pete Kilpatrick
I only feel compelled to put this guy on the list because he’s actually touring, and because people in Burlington might actually know who he is. You know, the UVM people who are fans of Guster, Barenaked Ladies and Dave Mathews Band… that sort of sh- I mean stuff.
11. Feel It Robot
(are actually based out of Bangor, Maine… which might be the like the White River Junction of Maine?) They sing songs about dancing, riding bikes, robots and awesomeness. If there was a band comprised of things I daydream about, Feel It Robot would be it. I think the singer is a used car salesperson, and I have the biggest lady-crush on her. Seriously, she’s really hot. Something looks a little weird on their MySpace page, but MySpace is weird, so take their advice, and shut up and dance.
And just to put things into perspective, here’s a link to a blog all about how much the music scene in Portland sucks. Peapod Recordings is a local record label that a bunch of really great local musicians are on, including South China, Brown Bird, Huak. The Enchantments are another of my favorites, but they’ve been broken up for a long time now, and talking about them would make me feel sad. Marie Stella probably would have made the list, if I would’ve been able to get off my couch and actually make it to one of their shows one of these days. There’s a lot I didn’t cover here, but if you have any questions, or want to talk more about it, send me an email at amandajennifer@gmail.com
I’m Leah. I’m 22, now currently residing in Portland, Oregon. I’m vegan, straight edge, and very active in the punk community. I currently work at a record store that is actually like a 5,000 square foot Pure Pop. In my free time I volunteer at a collectively run bookstore. I am an aspiring bike mechanic and I would love to learn how to play the cello. I love kitties.
I worked at Pure Pop for over a year until I moved to Portland in February 2008. I really loved everyone I worked with. I especially loved my catty friendship with Herb and drawing weird things with Julia. I miss working there very dearly and if I ever end up moving back east, I will be begging Mike to rehire me. My favorite memories involve Herb asking me strange questions on our downtime like “Leah,
why do you hate me?” and “Who would you rather make out with…”
My list: (Sorry there’s three! I couldn’t decide!)
Top 5 Anarcho Punk Records Nobody Knows About:
1. Alternative – If They Treat You Like Shit, Act Like Manure
–Anarcho peace punk. Known as the Scottish version of Crass.
2. Liberty – The People Who Care Are Angry
–Anarcho peace punk, on Conflict’s record label Mortarhate.
3. Flowers In The Dustbin – Freaks Run Wild In The Disco
–Weird colorful 80′s anarcho-goth.
4. The Mob – Let The Tribe Increase
–Very dark, depressing anarcho punk. One 7″ on Crass Records.
5. Omega Tribe – No Love Lost
–A Crass Records classic. Anarcho punk along the lines of Alternative
and Flux of Pink Indians.
Top 5 Folk Punk Albums You Should Hear
1. Rosa – I, Mississippi, you
–Plan-It-X records cute sing-a-long folk punk.
2. Blackbird Raum – Swidden
–Awesome Santa Cruz anarcho-gyps-folk punk
3. Andrew Jackson Jihad – Issue Problems
–Yet another catchy Plan-It X folk punk band.
4. Nana Grizol – Love It Love It
–Folky indie punk with members of Neutral Milk Hotel. Also listen to their new album “Ruth”
5. Pat The Bunny (Vermont Local!)- Burn The Earth, Leave It Behind
–Gritty acoustic folk punk from Vermont. Member of Wingnut
Dishwasher’s Union and Johnny Hobo and The Freight Trains.
Top 5 Crust Bands You Should Hear
1. Fall of Efrafa (UK)
–Slow heavy crust all based around the book Watership Down.
2. Garmonbozia (Seattle)
–Female fronted crust, members went on to start Oroku
3. Agrimonia
–Swedish Crust Punk
4. Raw Nerves (Portland, OR)
–Awesome hardcore crust. Members of Squalora, Duke Nukem Forever.
5.Initial State
–When Antischism broke up, Initial State was born.
You + me = something
I worked for Pure Pop after many years of distracting its employees from doing that very thing…so it’s only fair.
Pure Pop was one of the last of my iconic Burlington jobs…and although I was fairly certain I was unqualified for all those previous positions, I was least qualified of all for Pure Pop. I mean, sure…I was cynical, sarcastic, and opinionated and with a soupcon (Ed. – You mean soup can, right?) of misanthropy…but what Vermonter isn’t? Of all those employable assets, last on the list was musical knowledge. I couldn’t tell my Pete Zorn from John Cage (Ed – Never even heard of John Zorn…) …I just liked drawing pick cards, eating chips and salsa and putting on my fair share of Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. After work I would join those fabulous co-workers at Metronome or Higher Ground to just shut the fuck up and listen…and that was rapture.
My whole lifetime in Burlington feels like one gigantic rock show…my memories from the years 2000-2006 smell like cigarettes and beer…but they have a great soundtrack. I wasn’t a fan of music before I moved out east, but a few accidental friendships turned into a backstage pass to the thrill of a live show.
I miss those shows. Now that I’m back here in Cincinnati (Doing great! Working here! Doing this!)
I wish I’d taken better notes and taken more pictures…So my list for this article are some of the top shows I saw in those days and with those people.
Beginning with Casey nearly dragging me to the Frank Black in-store at Pure Pop – I had no idea who Frank Black OR the Pixies were…and most of what I remember from that show was that I was standing in the midst of about 40 people that were all just staring at Black Francis…I felt the appreciation in the tiny cavern of Pure Pop…and seeing those people who were becoming my friends openly thankful of the opportunity to be in such a tiny audience lit the flame of being a fan in me.
When I was unemployed, I traded a bootleg copy of Photoshop for a space on the list of The Beta Band show at the Winooski Higher Ground. For that show, I went by myself, ran into a crush who was making out with another girl…and then the band came on the night exploded. I had seen them before in Olympic Park, but being in a club on a freezing February night felt so much more intimate…
The Coral – first in Montreal and second in Boston – Although I would never be so presumptuous to say that I discovered The Coral, I felt like I got in on the ground floor with these guys. The first time, Mia and I drove to Montreal with only the Skeleton Key EP to listen to. The Coral was the opening act that night…and we knew all the words even then…six months later, Mia and I drove to Boston to see them headline, with Jet as the opener. I skipped Jet (unfortunately) but was back in time to make my way to the front and watch this 6 piece band from Liverpool command the room.
Did you know that Sue Norton can defy gravity? That’s what happened during the Interpol show…again at HG in Winooski. It was during NYC that Mia and I looked over and Nortie was full on floating. If you know Sue, you know that’s a true story.
I first saw the band Tarantula at 242 (I think….this is where the better notes come in) and I can’t remember who turned me on to them, but I remember seeing them at least 2 more times in rapid succession…at Metronome and in the new Higher Ground’s second stage. I loved them from the first moment because the crowd they drew was fabulous…they pulled members of ever musical fandom…although the audiences were sort of small, it still felt like everyone was there.
I can’t leave out the local bands…but I can’t narrow down even my top ten shows…I will however say that if it wasn’t for Carrigan, The Cancer Conspiracy, Brett Hughes, Neil Cleary, Missy Bly, Charles (Dead or Alive, Swale, Led Loco, The Interior, The Magic is Gone, The Jazz Guys, Barbacoa, The Smittens and a million others, my life would have been so boring.
Howdy.
I’m Sue and I popped it purely for about 2 years, from may 2004 until august 2006. I had just graduated from UVM and, go figure, wanted nothing to do with a profession that directly related to my degree in art education. Instead of trying to deter young children from eating paste or sticking crayons up their noses, I decided to earn my money by selling indy kids the latest pitchfork recommendation, hocking coldplay albums to soccermoms and getting overly excited upon the discovery of a nicely-saturated sharpie in the artists’ card’s art box.
A normal day consisted of working at PP, band practice, walking a quasi-retarded beagle around town and consuming grilled meat products flipped to perfection by one Michael Crandall.
My days of working at pure pop have been the highlight of my occupational history thus far, and if it weren’t for my undiagnosed case of extreme wanderlust I would most surely be a lifer behind that stickered counter. Like most everyone that works or has worked there, my musical knowledge and tastes became enhanced and refined thanks to the Pop. It was an exciting time for me. A normal day consisted of working at PP, band practice, walking a quasi-retarded beagle around town and consuming grilled meat products flipped to perfection by one Michael Crandall.
During those 2 years I may have lost half of my hearing and spend 2/5ths of my net income on vinyl special orders, but I also met some of the most interesting and musically knowledgeable people I know.
I left Burlington 3 years ago for Berlin, Germany with the hopes of becoming a go-for at Morr Music or the coffee girl at Monika Enterprises. Unfortunately all I got was a waitressing gig at an American Restaurant and a job teaching art to spoiled German children. Oh, sweet irony. My time in Berlin has been ‘wunderbar’, but this summer I left the Haupstadt and its neon clad minimal techno kids behind for greener pastures, literally. I have been travelling throughout Europe by bike for the past three months and am currently working on an organic farm outside Warsaw, Poland. Perhaps my 6 years of secondhand patchouli smoke inhalation is to blame.
So here are the ways being a music geek has helped me have fun so far on the trip:
Denmark: I pedaled into Kalvehaven, Denmark and found myself stopped outside a rawkus sailor bar. It wasn’t even dinner time and the place was packed with people singing and bells a-ringing. My kind of place. I found a hostel and quickly went back in hopes of joining the party. They had a jukebox and the dude next to me put on the Kinks.
I told him I liked his picks. He thought I said I liked his pigs. Hilarity ensued.
Norway: I once asked Chris Miller to explain to me the difference between black and death metal. He used the term ‘Cookie Monster’ somewhere in the explanation, but I can’t for the life of me remember in what context. Anyway, while in Oslo i got hit on by a drummer who was going on tour with Dimmu Borgir. When I said I knew of the band I think he peed himself a little. Aren’t they filed right next to Cattle Decapitation?
Pure Pop was my society for a couple of years when I was in grad school. Better than the Masons, more selective, and with its own share of bizarre rituals. I feel lucky to have been inducted, because I made some very close friends there, including my husband.
Back then, I spent almost all of my time writing, only leaving the house for my shifts at Pure Pop. This meant all of my social interactions took place in that basement, with co-workers and customers. It was an odd way to live. If Luke was living out The Machinist at the time, I’d say I was living an as-yet-unwritten Mike Leigh film. I miss the people I got to know there, though it’s nice not having having to inhale the surely cancerous shrink-wrap fumes anymore. (Herb informed us that as far as he could tell it only caused erectile dysfunction. – Ed)
A few albums that come to mind when I think of that time:
Morrissey – All albums.
Morrissey is an evergreen presence in my life. You knew things were going downhill when Rose, Casey and I went on collective Morrissey benders.
Lenny Kravitz – Baptism
There was some deal with CIMS, I think, that compelled us to have to play a few new releases every day, and this was one of those. It was one of many crashingly bad titles, but the lyrics were what set Kravitz apart, and I loved to make fun of them. One of the songs was called Sistamamalover, which should give you a sense of the awfulness.
Sigur Ros – ba ba ti ki di do
This was closing music for most of a winter when Chris and I were working together. It set the tone for my walk home. Could alternate with the soundtrack for Nói Albínói by Slowblow.
The Dresden Dolls – The Dresden Dolls
This album had some wonderful, over the top rage mixed with stylized vocal acting that hit the spot.
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter – Oh My Girl
This lovely album came out towards the end of my time there, and it fit my mood perfectly. It was a sad late fall sound, and felt as intimate and isolated as a dark empty bar late at night.
–
There was some video mixed in, too. I got to order the After School Specials box set, shaped like a school bus (I think it was Herb who tipped me off to its existence), and it led to one of the best finds ever…Ace Hits the Big Time. I’m still not sure what the message of this film was. Don’t join a gang? Don’t run from men stalking you in limousines? The hallucinatory fight/dance sequence in this film is required viewing for friends, well worth the cost of the set.
I worked at the Pop for close to two years (I think… those days are a bit hazy) back in 2003 to the summer of 2005. At the time, I was studying Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics at UVM as well as being the lone student tech in the Votey engineering machine shop. It was quite possibly the busiest period of my life; I was either studying or on the clock at one of my two jobs. I didn’t sleep much and I think I weighed a whopping 119 pounds when I graduated.
I felt like Christian Bale in The Machinist and Pure Pop was my Jennifer Jason Leigh, though I never flipped out and accused the Pop of sleeping with my imaginary arch enemy. But the Pop was the one place I could go and finally feel like I was getting to take a break. I don’t mean to imply that working at the Pop is not work, rather that it was always a great time and I was always surrounded by awesome people.
Every now and then, Michael would contract me to stay overnight and build new display racks or a small portable stage for an upcoming in-store performance. Ultimately, the stage completely lacked portability and it’s probably still in the boiler room taking up way too much space. In any case, the Pop gave me a very positive outlet for my sometimes completely unreasonable OCD and I found myself volunteering for back room duty a lot; filing back stock, organizing outdated merchandise and generally feeling like I was adding my own little bit of logical efficiency to the Pure Pop machine. (I wonder how the back room is looking these days, maybe I could pick up some hours…) Anyway, although I miss those days, fortunately I’ve found another positive outlet for my “attention to detail.”
I still live in Burlington and work at an amazing local company called SoundToys. We develop software based creative music production tools for use in any music/audio production environment. Check us out, we rock. (had to stick in one shameless plug). Most of my day consists of sitting at a computer writing code or analyzing vintage recording gear. I get a lot of time to put on a pair of headphones and rock out while I work, which brings us to the topic of my list: the top seven albums to geek out to while writing computer code.
The albums that work best tend to be on the instrumental side (or at least vocally sparse), a bit dark, and sometimes very repetitive. Ultimately, it’s all about that point when you stop listening to the music and begin feeling the music and you find yourself completely in the zone and all of sudden you realize that four hours have passed and one album has been on repeat the whole time. Now that’s what I call productivity.
Pink Floyd – Animals
This is normally reserved for lead off. It’s like running the test sequence in your shuttle before launching into outer space. It’s the unnerving calm before the storm. It lays the foundation for the skyscraper of work you have in front of you. When I hear this, I know I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
Shpongle – Tales of the Inexpressible
Goa psy-trance at its best, done by Simon Posford and the Raja Ram himself. If I’m not feeling it already, at 4:05 into the second track, StarShpongled Banner, my mind takes over and I’m a goddamn horse with blinders on. All I see are 1s and 0s.
Boards of Canada – Music has the Right to Children
I’m not really sure what to say about this one, nothing I can say will really do it justice. Easily one of greatest electronic albums ever, I’d like to think most Pure Poppers and Poppettes are familiar, if not, do yourself (and the Pop) a favor and buy it (from the Pop).
Kinski – Airs above your Station
Listen to this cranked with headphones on. Great example of use of rhythmic tremolo. It makes my brain oscillate at an entirely new frequency, which feels great. You should try it sometime.
Kraftwerk – Autobahn
no speed limits here. just put it on and drive.
Portished – Dummy
Dark, brooding, beautiful. I almost consider this an instrumental album. I’ve listened to it hundreds of times and know almost none of the lyrics. Beth Gibbons’ voice makes me feel like I’m watching myself fall forever alongside a million blood red feathers. It’s a strange sensation and yet very conducive to getting serious work done. Plus it makes me feel like a secret agent, which is always a plus.
Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Talk about attention to detail. This album is so meticulously constructed, it’s absurd. Plus the production is impeccable, definitely a benchmark to strive for in electronic music production. It feels best right at the end of or even right after a long coding session. Sleep appears on the horizon, you can finally see it, and this album is there to shuttle you the rest of the way in. Sweet dreams.
Hey y’all, I’m Josh. I worked at Pure Pop a couple of years back, right around the time Sue Norton was packing up for NYC. As was the case with Sue and Casey, the time I spent in that dingy basement broadened and refined my musical knowledge more than I ever would’ve expected. It seemed like I was constantly discovering some new, mind-blowing album through one of my co-workers or a Pure Pop patron, and I’ve got nothing but love for the place because of it.
These days I’m involved in a few different music projects, which are all tied to Aether Everywhere, the experimental label and online resource I help to run with Pure Pop lifer, Tanner McCuin, and the drumtastic leader of The Le Duo, JB Ledoux. Feel free to check out the website, which has been lovingly constructed by Tanner, and join the discussion forums for music updates and general shenanigans. www.aethereverywhere.com
I’ve been asked to write about a few ambient and drone albums I feel deserve some recognition. If you’re reading this, then you’re probably already familiar with the highlights of these genres, like Brian Eno’s ambient releases, Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works, Vol II, Biosphere’s Substrata, and Stars of the Lid’s The Tired Sounds… (and if you’re not, get on ‘em!), so I’m providing a chronological list of seven albums you may not be aware of, but are definitely worthy of your attention.
1) Klaus Schulze – Irrlicht
(Ohr; 1972)
Cosmic drones from Ash Ra Tempel and Tangerine Dream ex-member, Klaus Schulze. Using an organ, electronic effects, and a heavily-processed orchestra, Schulz created three colossal monsters that catapult you into the deepest recesses of space. Sharing many attributes with Tangerine Dream’s masterstroke, Zeit, any lover of early ‘70s German music has a gaping hole in his/her album collection without this one.
2) Tetsu Inoue – Ambiant Otaku
(Fax; 1994)
Relatively unknown, but highly touted by hardcore ambient fans, Inoue has been producing a steady stream of quality albums over the past couple of decades. One of his biggest fans, John Zorn, has released several of his servings on the awesome Tzadik label. Ambiant Otaku is most often cited as Inoue’s masterpiece, as well as one of the genre’s landmarks, and for good reason. Equally delicate and heady (which isn’t easy to pull off), you could easily spend weeks with this and his slightly darker offering, Organic Cloud, which was released a year later.
3) Pete Namlook – Air II
(Instinct Record; 1994)
Despite the fact that he’s released more than 100 albums, founded the venerable German ambient label, Fax, and collaborated with the likes of Klaus Schulze, Bill Laswell, Biosphere, Richie Hawtin, and Higher Intelligence Agency (to name a few), not many people seem to know much about Pete Namlook. I haven’t even begun to put a dent in his massive discography, but from what I’ve heard so far, Air II stands above the rest. Namlook deftly mixed shimmering synth pads, a barrage of exotic instruments, and plenty of interesting rhythms to create 11 pieces that work wonderfully as a unified whole, and take on almost a gothy feel in some spots. It remains one of those albums that always seems to find its way back to my ears before too long, and it’s usually one of the first to spring to mind when I’m asked to recommend an awesome album.
4) Thomas Koner – Nuuk:
(Big Cat Records; 1997)
Dark ambient really doesn’t get any better than this. Koner, who’s one half of Chain Reaction alum Porter Ricks, created a stunning album that perpetually evokes the barren, frozen landscapes of Greenland. Here’s a link to the Dusted review of Nuuk’s 2004 reissue, seeing as how it was penned by another Ghost of Pure Pop Past and all.
5) Hazard – Wind
(Ash International; 2001)
B.J. Nilsen, aka Hazard, hit a roadblock while trying to effectively capture the sounds of the wind, so he did one better by borrowing sound clips from field recording maestro Chris Watson. He then subjected these recordings to extensive digital processing and came out the other side with drones harrowing enough to recall Eno’s On Land. Highly textural and trippy as hell, this one’s not nearly as academic as it sounds on paper.
6) Christopher Bissonnette – Periphery
(Kranky; 2005)
For Periphery, sound artist Christopher Bissonnette weaved together snippets of piano and orchestral samples and stretched them into the unrecognizable, leaving only a ghostly blur where the source material once was. Bissonnette’s skillful patchwork summoned the sounds of barnacle-encrusted pianos and violins sighing from the recesses of an arctic sea, getting swept up by the currents, and gently floating back down to the ocean floor.
7) Lusine ICL – Language Barrier:
(Hymen; 2007)
I can’t stress enough that you should give this one at least five loud headphone spins before you make any decisions. All of the parts that initially sound elementary become deeply resonant and flat-out gorgeous with each subsequent play. Ambient or not, this is the perfect album to cue up when you’re taking a mellow drive on a sunny autumn day. Or to put it another way, if you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to hear The Field’s Sublime sounds on a morphine drip, skip right to track 3 and press play.
I worked at Pure Pop for exactly a year. My favorite part of the job was grading the condition of the used vinyl. My least favorite was selling concert tickets. Anyway, the music you hear when you shop there is an employee’s pick. You get to pick one album and then you have wait for the other employee’s picks to run through before you get play another. These days I’m a bartender at The OP, which means I can play whatever the fuck I want all day long. Sometimes people will make suggestions or requests (one customer got really steamed when I skipped over Donna Summer‘s 18-minute rendition of “MacArthur Park.” Um, sorry…NO), but I usually ignore them. Also, there are 10,000 songs on my iPod. I have lots of music to choose from on any given day for any kind of shitty mood I might be in. So, this is The OP top five.
1> The Rolling Stone 500 Songs playlist and The Pitchfork 500 Songs playlist.
People on the internet are crazy. Somebody actually took these lists of great songs, spent time compiling them, and then put them on the internet as a bit torrent file. The Rolling Stone one is great for the older patrons, who sometimes look very surprised that I know who Little Richard and Bill Haley are. The Pitchfork one is for the younger folks. Either way, all I have to do is open the playlist up, hit shuffle, and it’s great songs all day long. Also, it’s like radio. When a song you dig comes on the radio, it’s different than playing it at home. It’s more fresh because it’s unexpected. The Rolling Stone playlist will make you realize how many songs are about losing the one you love. I’m gonna go with 98%.
2> LCD Soundsystem, “Sound Of Silver”
Whenever I put this on at least five people will come up and ask me who it is. I’m pretty sure by the time they sit down they’ve already forgotten. No matter. I’ve watched old drunk people dance to it. On multiple occasions. Sounds like silver to me. It’s a lot like the Beta Band scene in “High Fidelity” except nobody goes out and buys it.
3> Pavement, “Grounded”
I never get tired of this song, but every time I play it at the bar at least one person locks eyes with me and nods. They know. I know.
4> Sinead O’Connor, “Nothing Compares 2 U”
Playing this makes the girls in the bar very happy, especially when it’s late and they’re all drunk. It makes me happy, too.
5> Silence.
The first example of silence I’ll use is its use at the end of the night when you want people to leave. Lights bright, music off. Usually effective. The other example occurred yesterday, during Beatles Day. When I worked at restaurants if the customers talked too loud (sometimes it’s deafening) I’d simply turn the music down a bit and they’d get a little quieter. Yesterday, a few drunken patrons were shouting their opinions over horse racing at increasing volumes. I tried the quiet trick. It didn’t work. Oh, well.
Tanner has asked me to write a lil sumpin sumpin for the Pure Pop blog, alumni employee that I am. I worked at Pure Pop for about five years, from the time I graduated college to the time I moved to New York. My hours at the store have been among the wackiest and most fun in my working life, not to mention probably the most valuable ones in my overall education. The management and staff there have always been supportive and enthusiastic, creative and smart. (ed. this is no longer true) I’m still in contact with many people I worked with at the store, and we often collaborate on creative projects, share music, and even work together from time to time.
I have been to record stores all over the world, and Pure Pop remains at the top of the list for quality per square inch. The vast and diverse selection at the store is exceptional, and the prices are fantastic. I never visit Vermont without stopping in.
As I am known to be a raving RnB fan, it was suggested that perhaps I do a “Top 5 Greatest Albums” post on the genre. However, RnB does not focus on albums as much as other categories of popular music – it tends to be single-driven, it’s avid collectors digging for dusty 45s and such. The thing I love about RnB is that it is meant to capture a pulse, an immediate feeling, and that it is supposed to reflect and illuminate common experience. RnB is about radios, jukeboxes and dance floors. It’s about the right song at the right time, bringing people together.
“The thing I love about RnB is that it is meant to capture a pulse, an immediate feeling, and that it is supposed to reflect and illuminate common experience.”
A person can build a decent soul collection by buying “Greatest Hits” and singles collections, which generally have pretty low price points and can also be found used for excellent prices. The Stax, Motown, and Atlantic labels are particularly important to get your “major arcana” artists such as Isaac Hayes, the Four Tops, and Aretha Franklin. I suggest familiarizing yourself with an artist or label’s major works before exploring their catalogs, which can be very prolific and varied. There is somewhat of a consensus about “Greatest Albums,” with records like “Songs In the Key of Life” etc. ranking justifiably among many people’s favorites. But because RnB is so personal and sensitive, I prefer the idea that people find those cuts that hold specific meaning to them on their own.
The wonderful thing about shopping at Pure Pop is that you can count on that one unfamiliar studio album in an artist’s section to be the mind-blowing piece which stood the test of time. The store has been around long enough to know the men from the boys, as it were, and not to be swayed by whatever a label or distributor is trying to inject into the general consciousness. So I say go for it, that Al Green album, the trippy Curtis Mayfield record.
There are many RnB artists, songs, and records that are very important to me. I am enchanted with the lore surrounding these recordings, as well as my own personal stories of finding and enjoying the music. Any time you might want to talk to me about it, I am game (and probably nerdy and obnoxious). I highly recommend soul-sides.com for news about beat-based recordings.
But whoever you are, just go ahead and get a copy of Sly and the Family Stone’s “There’s A Riot Going On.” Until you have this record in your life you are like the alcoholic who hasn’t found your Higher Power – you’re living in your body and your mind instead of in your heart and spirit. So yeah, get free.
About Me:
A deep-generation Vermont native, I now live in Brooklyn, New York. I am an Illustrator/live music Girl Friday with an interest in absurdity and creativity. You can count on me to burn a hole in a dance floor. Find out more about my musically-saturated visual work/ethos by visiting nortonanalog.blogspot.com.
Ah, Pure Pop… hard to believe it’s been nearly three years since I’ve been inside you.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t think of you nearly every day. As you may have heard, Brooke and I live in DC now, which is a goddamn thrill-a-minute. I work as the Communications Director at a think tank called Future of Music Coalition. But what does that mean in the day-to-day? Well, I examine and translate issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law, while keeping the message on point. In Washington, there’s a lot of stuff that happens behind closed doors that actually impacts musicians. For a decade, FMC has given artists a voice on the issues that affect their livelihood. We fight for better media like radio, research and evaluate emerging business models, advocate for smart internet policy, ponder copyright in the digital age and so on and so forth. It’s all rather fascinating and has resulted in cool opportunities I could’ve never envisioned as a self-educated nutter. In my “spare time,” I operate The Contrarian Media, where my indentured servants and I write about all manner of things. Oh, and I still record music. Actually, I’m about halfway through a new record. I’d tell you more, but this is about you, not me. Besides, the feral cats who raised me told me that it’s impolite to boast. (By the way, and Brooke says hi. She’s a fundraiser for another public interest group that deals with telecom policy and copyright reform, so we get to go to the same cocktail parties!)
I’ve been tasked with compiling a list of some kind, so I figured I’d make mine about what I miss about ye olde record store. It’s by no means complete, but cut me some slack — I’m writing this at 1 AM, having spent the earlier part of the evening publicly shaming conservatives on Twitter. So this is what you get.
Things I miss about Pure Pop (in no particular order):
1. My co-workers. It might seem kind of weird, but the majority of my lasting adult (ha!) friendships were forged in the crucible of this little shop. So many great conversations, so many bizarre shared experiences. I love all you weirdos.
2. Turning people on to music. I’ll be honest, I’m not one for customers. (I hear Crandall’s voice in my head: “Shocker!”) Still, I got a special thrill helping to break a new band, or knowing what a particular regular was into and pointing them towards stuff I knew would blow their minds. It’s an feeling I’ve yet to replicate in my post-Pure Pop gigs.
3. Getting drunk after work, usually with the folks from the shop; sometimes with customers! It’s not like there’s much else to do in the frigid embrace of a Burlington winter.
4. Making fun of hippies. It simply never gets old. I hope someone at Pure Pop is carrying on that noble tradition.
5. Ordering records for the store. I’ve also made lasting friendships with some of the cool people who provide Pure Pop with such a unique selection of music. It saddens me to think that the indie distributor/indie retailer ecosystem is threatened. I’d say fuck progress, but you’ll have to pry my iPhone from my cold, dead hands.
