Archive for Roy Orbison

Record Store Day Buyer’s Guide

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2011 by 30daysout

Okay, this may seem really half-assed but today we’re going to piggyback on (steal?) a great article in Goldmine magazine where they rate the best and worst of the exclusive vinyl available on Record Store Day. That’s Saturday, at your friendly neighborhood record store.

You can read the Goldmine story here, but we just want to touch on a couple of their top picks … keep in mind, this is highly subjective. You really ought to check out the complete list of exclusive vinyl available on Record Store Day, and if something really appeals to you then plan to get up early on Saturday and line up outside your local record emporium so you have a better chance of getting your hands on what you want. There will be some music aficinados like you, but there will be a lot of jerks who just want to get hold of this rare stuff so they can put it up on eBay.

Goldmine is salivating most over a Jimi Hendrix 7″ single, “Fire”b/w”Touch You.”  The 45 has an alternate version of “Fire,” which appeared on the West Coast Seattle Boy box set. The real find is on the flip side: “Touch You,”  a previously unreleased 1967 studio recording made by the original Experience during sessions for what would become Electric Ladyland. Very cool, indeed.

The other cool stuff the magazine is anticipating seems mostly to come from vintage acts – a live LP from Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, unreleased Derek and the Dominos, live Roy Orbison, live Bob Dylan. It’s a record store nut’s dream come true.

A word here, too, about the “lost” single from the 13th Floor Elevators, which we in Houston can partially claim as our own (they cut many of their songs in Houston, at the famed Gold Star Studios). The record available on Saturday is a limited-edition green vinyl 7″ single – “Wait For My Love” b/w “May The Circle Remain Unbroken.” Roky Erickson and the group planned this as the band’s sixth single in 1968 but never released. The two tunes are remixed by ‘Sonic Boom’ (Pete Kember of Spacemen Three & producer of MGMT), and the single will come packaged in an International Artists Records label house bag.

Another choice cut is a complete LP by the Foo Fighters, performing 12 covers including “Band On The Run,” Baker Street,” “Darling Nikki” and others. There are many, many more releases, by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, R.E.M., ZZ Top, Phish, the Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam and more. The newer crop of artists will be represented by Peter, Bjorn and John, Regina Spektor, The Joy Formidable, Wild Flag and many more. Now keep in mind, these records are going into general release on Saturday and some of ’em may be available after Record Store Day but many are limited-edition releases and will likely get snapped up pretty quickly. Then, on Saturday afternoon, you can find ’em on eBay at double the retail price.

Goldmine singles out a handful of exclusive releases that disappointed them.  One of their offenders is the Bruce Springsteen offering, a 10″ LP featuring “Gotta Get That Feeling” b/w “Racing In The Street,” which will appear on his upcoming DVD Live From The Carousel. The magazine says “The ‘easy way out’ on Record Store Day: selling a sample from an upcoming release. This isn’t a special item for the fans. It’s nothing more than a promotional piece!!” Yeah, but we’ll probably buy this if we can get our hands on it.

Our suggestion to you for Record Store Day: Check out the list of exclusive releases, show up early (before opening time) and know what you want to buy when you get into the store. And please, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on an exclusive release: take it home, remove the wrapper, take out the record and play it. Call your kids into the room and play it for them. Dance if you want, or just listen to the music. Share it, talk about the memories conjured by this great old and new music and let somebody younger listen to it again and again. Don’t be one of those assholes who forces them to go find this stuff on eBay.

Record Store Day official website

Goldmine magazine “Top Ten Record Store Day” vinyl 2011 article

Dennis Hopper, R.I.P.

Posted in News with tags , , , on May 29, 2010 by 30daysout

Actor Dennis Hopper died today at the age of 74.  He was a movie star and a movie director, but he is important to rock and roll for his role in the creation of Easy Rider, from 1969.  He took the music that he liked and put it into his movie, and created the movie soundtrack album that we know and love today.  Pretty cool.

An appreciation of Dennis Hopper, from the Los Angeles Times

MP3: “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (from the Easy Rider soundtrack)

MP3: “Wasn’t Born To Follow” by the Byrds (from the Easy Rider soundtrack)

MP3: Easy Rider movie promo for radio

MP3: “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison (from Blue Velvet)

Review: “Lucky One,” Raul Malo

Posted in Review with tags , , , on March 3, 2009 by 30daysout

raul-front

We ease into springtime mode (and SXSW in Austin) with this fine new album from Raul Malo, Lucky One.  This is the first album of original material from the Mavericks front man in about eight years, and fans of the big guy with the big voice won’t be disappointed.  The songs wheel from country thumpers (“Lonely Hearts”) to swing with a little Latin flavor (“Moonlight Kiss”).  Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, the songs on Lucky One get a big boost from inventive arrangements and fine instrumentation (including Raul himself on guitar).  Malo is huge among Americana (alt-country, country-rock, whatever) audiences and Lucky One is a solid shot to the fence for these folks.  More casual listeners might find some of this a little sugary and schmaltzy, but to my ears the album’s highlights are surefire toe-tappers like the title track.  Raul’s big voice makes him the obvious heir apparent to Roy Orbison – if that sounds at all attractive to you, then check out Lucky One.

Raul Malo will perform at SXSW in Austin:  March 19, free in-store at Waterloo Records, 3 p.m.; and on March 20 at Auditorium Shores, free outdoor concert with Bob Schneider and the Arc Angels, gates open at 5 p.m.

MP3: “Lucky One”

Raul Malo official website

30 Days Out (From Christmas): Texas 2

Posted in 30 Days Out (From Christmas) with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 20, 2008 by 30daysout

dillo-xmas

Along the Trail of Lights, Austin (2008)

Day 24 –  Here are some more favorites from the Lone Star State.  From Roy Orbison’s classic “Pretty Paper” (written by Willie Nelson) to Robert Earl Keen’s modern radio favorite “Merry Christmas From The Family,” these homegrown holiday chestnuts are enough to keep you cool on a humid December Texas night.  And they’ll keep you toasty a few hours later, when the cold front blows through.

MP3: “Pretty Paper” by Roy Orbison

MP3: “Blue Christmas” by Kelly Willis

MP3: “Merry Christmas From The Family” by Robert Earl Keen

MP3: “Christmas Morning” by Lyle Lovett

MP3: “Please Daddy, Don’t Get Drunk ” by Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis

MP3: “I’m Grateful For Christmas This Year” by Hayes Carll

MP3: “Winterlude” by Joe Ely

MP3: “Rockin’ Winter Wonderland” by the Fabulous Thunderbirds

MP3: “Merry Christmas” by Lightnin’ Hopkins

MP3: “Please Come Home For Christmas” by Lou Ann Barton

MP3: “Jingle Bells” by Flaco Jimenez, Freddy Fender, Joel Nava, Rick Orozco & Ricardo Castillon

MP3: “She’ll Be My Everything For Christmas” by Los Lonely Boys

MP3: “Christmas Everyday” by Rosie Flores

MP3: “Merry Texas Christmas, Ya’ll” by Asleep At The Wheel