Needles & Grooves AotM /// Vol. 44 – February 2023 /// Pavement – Wowee Zowee

4080 said:
I just want to point out how amazing this record is!!!

I have always wanted to dig Into Destroyer but for some reason I just never did and this was the nudge I needed and DAMN, I mean DAMN, I can't stop listening to this and have started to dig into his other releases and he's amazing! I always dug his songs on The New Pornographers records but again just thought oh one song here or there is enough and boy I was wrong! Do yourself a favor and give this a listen! I know I'm just echoing most of what @hatfieldpdx said but they are on point and I feel like I've been missing out on something great for far too long!!

I was listening to another Destroyer album today and because my wife and I share a Spotify account when she was coming home from work it started playing in her car and she was like "what's this, it's really good" which for me is always lovely to hear and feels like a green light to go out and pick up a few of their records...
Click to expand...
You can get a really nice/cheap copy of this on wax too. Merge presses most of their albums at RTI and this one was cut by Kevin Grey. I was able to pick up a copy last year for like $15.

Not sure if it’s as affordable in the great white north but it’s still available for $17 at Amazon.

Streethawk: A Seduction

The Destroyer, Destroyer - Streethawk: A Seduction - Amazon.com Music

The Destroyer, Destroyer - Streethawk: A Seduction - Amazon.com Music
a.co
 
4080 said:
I just want to point out how amazing this record is!!!

I have always wanted to dig Into Destroyer but for some reason I just never did and this was the nudge I needed and DAMN, I mean DAMN, I can't stop listening to this and have started to dig into his other releases and he's amazing! I always dug his songs on The New Pornographers records but again just thought oh one song here or there is enough and boy I was wrong! Do yourself a favor and give this a listen! I know I'm just echoing most of what @hatfieldpdx said but they are on point and I feel like I've been missing out on something great for far too long!!

I was listening to another Destroyer album today and because my wife and I share a Spotify account when she was coming home from work it started playing in her car and she was like "what's this, it's really good" which for me is always lovely to hear and feels like a green light to go out and pick up a few of their records...
Click to expand...

I was introduced to Destroyer a number of years ago (maybe 2016) I randomly used VMPs Kapputt exclusive as a Swap...And loved it - Maybe because i only had that for a few years and liked it so much, ive never really immersed myself in the others I own :
Bought in this order
Ken
Streethawk
Labyrinthis (or whatever didnt google it :)

You have both tempted me to give Streethawk the attention it probably deserves.
 
Interlude #4: What Could Have Been (AOTMs that nearly made the cut)

The Walkmen – You & Me

Okay, so this really could have been the pick, but I figured it would just be too obvious (probably a good call, given how early @Indymisanthrope guessed it). The Walkmen are one of my all-time favorite bands, and You & Me is their high water mark. Probably best known for their blistering single "The Rat", there has always been a different side to The Walkmen: melodic, haunting and atmospheric, enveloped in a blurry nostalgia that feels like a dream. You & Me nails it with the opener "Dónde Está La Playa", and never lets up, with a sprinkling of anthems (scroll down for the video of "In the New Year") mixed in.

To borrow from the Pitchfork review, "This is the sound they've reached for since the very beginning, and they've never played it as gracefully or confidently as they do here." When I first heard the album, it was akin to meeting an old friend that I never knew I had. It's mostly a slow burn, but one that burns bright with confidence, pulling you in deeper with each listen. The album just flows, creating a cohesive atmosphere with that haunting, melodic tone a through-line. I could go on, but suffice to say that like all great albums this one rewards repeat listens. Okay, so now I kinda regret not picking this.

In any case, after 10 years of "extended hiatus", The Walkmen are getting back together for a 2023 tour. No west coast dates as of yet, so I am still contemplating an east coast trip in May. If they are coming to a town near you, don't miss the opportunity. Their side projects are also worth checking out – Hamilton Leithauser has put out a string of excellent solo albums, and Walter Martin has been prolific, even releasing a pair of albums geared toward the younger set. When my daughters were young, We're All Young Together was a roadtrip staple. I kid you not, every family member (yes, even my wife) singing along to every word. So good.

In any case, the Sun Studio edition from below includes alternate takes recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis (which led to the early guess).



 
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Clue #6

04XP-MONEY-superJumbo.jpg
 
4080 said:
I just want to point out how amazing this record is!!!

I have always wanted to dig Into Destroyer but for some reason I just never did and this was the nudge I needed and DAMN, I mean DAMN, I can't stop listening to this and have started to dig into his other releases and he's amazing! I always dug his songs on The New Pornographers records but again just thought oh one song here or there is enough and boy I was wrong! Do yourself a favor and give this a listen! I know I'm just echoing most of what @hatfieldpdx said but they are on point and I feel like I've been missing out on something great for far too long!!

I was listening to another Destroyer album today and because my wife and I share a Spotify account when she was coming home from work it started playing in her car and she was like "what's this, it's really good" which for me is always lovely to hear and feels like a green light to go out and pick up a few of their records...
Click to expand...

TenderLovingKiller® said:
You can get a really nice/cheap copy of this on wax too. Merge presses most of their albums at RTI and this one was cut by Kevin Grey. I was able to pick up a copy last year for like $15.

Not sure if it’s as affordable in the great white north but it’s still available for $17 at Amazon.

Streethawk: A Seduction

The Destroyer, Destroyer - Streethawk: A Seduction - Amazon.com Music

The Destroyer, Destroyer - Streethawk: A Seduction - Amazon.com Music
a.co
Click to expand...

@4080 Definitely get that pressing if you see it. Great album made even better because the vinyl sounds so good.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Click to expand...

I thought about the Sufjan 50 states project when @Hemotep listed the 5 states. Sufjan had said that Oregon was next in line after Illinoiise, but he then abandoned the project. Still, there are quite a few Oregon references on Carrie & Lowell.

Sufjan Stevens' new record is an ode to Oregon (interactive map)

We're not so sure. Whether writing about his home state or the expressway that cuts through his adopted borough of Brooklyn, place seems to have a persistent pull on Stevens, who headlines Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on June 8. His latest record, "Carrie & Lowell," finds the...
www.oregonlive.com www.oregonlive.com
 
hatfieldpdx said:
Interlude #3: What Could Have Been (AOTMs that nearly made the cut)

Mali Obomsawin - Sweet Tooth

Discovered this one at the end of 2022, but have had it on repeat ever since - it's a mesmerizing blend of jazz, folk, rock and spoken word/chanting. Mali is a songwriter, bassist and composer now based in Portland, Maine. Sweet Tooth is billed as a “suite for indigenous resistance,” and it draws on both her lifelong musical training and her Wabanaki heritage as a citizen of the Abenaki First Nation at Odanak. It features original compositions paired with ancient Wabanaki songs written by her ancestors. The album has been out for a few months, but the vinyl won't be available until February. Highly recommended.
Click to expand...


I'm loving it. Thanks!
 
Interlude #5: What Could Have Been (AOTMs that nearly made the cut)

Richmond Fontaine - Post to Wire

Richmond Fontaine is one of those bands that never really made it big in the U.S. Heck, even in their hometown they had a difficult time selling out venues. I was at many of their early shows in the late 90's, and they would take the stage at 1 am with maybe 10-15 people in the crowd. For whatever reason, the band became a much bigger deal in Europe, routinely selling out much larger venues in the UK and beyond.

I could have picked any of their earlier albums, but Post to Wire is their most cohesive and approachable album, and likely the one that garnered them a modest but devoted following in the U.S. I briefly wrote for No Depression back in the day, and Richmond Fontaine was right in that wheelhouse. Their early releases are more country punk, but Post to Wire is classic Americana with a literary bent. Lead singer Willy Vlautin is a master storyteller, and has gone on to have a successful career as an author (start with Don't Skip Out On Me). Channeling Raymond Carver, his novels – much like his songs – capture the ennui and occasional desperation of working-class characters down on their luck.

Fans of Uncle Tupelo (or even Son Volt / Wilco) that missed out on Richmond Fontaine will likely have a great time digging into their past discography – in some ways, it may feel like discovering a treasure trove of lost demos. If you want to sample the country punk, check out Obliteration By Time, a re-recording of their early material from Safety and Miles From). Winnemucca is another great one if you dig Post to Wire. All are difficult to find on vinyl, though Decor Records in the UK occasionally re-presses a few.

Willy is also an active member of The Delines, a country soul outfit that has put out three solid albums (keep an eye out for Colfax in a future interlude). Willy writes the songs, and Amy Boone of the Damnations sings.



 
I'm just watching along with zero to add. I think that's Daniel Jones of the New York Giants. He played American Football at Duke. He's getting sacked (maybe?) by some guy named Watt who plays for the Steelers, who (hails from and) went to Wisconsin.

Nice work so far Hatfield. I can't wait to see how these all neatly tie together.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
Possible that there's a connective thread in here about light? I can come up with something light-related for 5/8 clues:
Beale St - neon
Nuts - not sure
Date - candle light
Javits center - not sure, but the lighting is prominently featured in this photo, and there's an architectural/commercial lighting convention called Lightfair hosted there
Taos/Pueblo - no idea
Brinks - also the name of a lighting company
Rose City Vintage Market - no idea
Watt - speaks for itself
Click to expand...

There's an artist from Canada named Lights but I can't make anything non light related work..
 
Indymisanthrope said:
This was one of the first dozen or so records I bought when I started collecting. Years later, I couldn't remember why I had it or how I had even heard about it in the first place. Looking forward to this writeup.
Click to expand...
Do you enjoy the album? More to come on The Delines, but for now, the interview with Amy and Willy starting at 0:57 sheds light on the band's origin. Some nice live footage too.

 
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