Crib Notes

RECORD STORE DAY: It’s a good cause.

On Saturday, April 19, Criminal Records celebrates the first annual Record Store Day along with hundreds of independently-owned record stores across the country. Record Store Day is a national movement that’s intended to raise awareness of record store culture and the mom and pop record shops across the country.

The day-long event at Criminal Records in Little 5 Points will feature performances by local acts, Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause, Andy Hull (from Manchester Orchestra), Bobby & the Soft Spots, the Bridges, the Coathangers, Club Awesome, Dead Confederate, Hope For Agoldensummer, Judi Chicago, Janelle Monae, Noot d’ Noot, Ocha La Rocha, Single Malt Solution, Suitcases and Trances Arc, as well as DJ sets from DJ Sars, Zano, Chris Devoe, Tommy Chung the Selmanaires, and yours truly, Creative Loafing’s very own music writer Chad Radford, between live sets.

Local indie labels Die Slaughterhaus, Douchemaster Records, International Hits, New Street Records, Rob’s House Records and Stickfigure Distribution) will be on-hand to sell their goods. The Girls’ Rock Camp (ATL) organizers will also have an information and registration table for their summer camp.

There will also be a vinyl record swap meet where folks can bring their unwanted albums and trade with others, in addition to the annual sidewalk sale.

Music starts at noon.
BAND SCHEDULE (subject to change)
Outdoor stage:
1:00 P.M. - the Bridges
2:00 P.M. - Ocha La Rocha
3:00 P.M. - Bobby and the Soft Spots
4:00 P.M. - Suitcases
5:00 P.M. - Judi Chicago
6:00 P.M. - the Coathangers
7:00 P.M. - Anna Kramer and the Lost Cause
8:00 P.M. - Noot d’Noot

Indoor stage:
2:30 P.M. - Trances Arc
3:30 P.M. - Andy Hull (Manchester Orchestra)
4:30 P.M. - Club Awesome
5:30 P.M. - Dead Confederate
6:30 P.M. - Single Malt Solution
7:30 P.M. - Hope for agoldensummer
8:30 P.M. - Janelle Monae

For further information look online at www.criminal.com.

Bookmark to:

Criminal Records in Little Five Points (466 Moreland Ave.) had a record year in vinyl sales in 2007 by remaining loyal to the local music scene. It proves independent record stores can still enjoy the potential for growth, even in the age of illegal downloading and the MP3.

In December 2007, Criminal Records sold nearly $15,000 worth of new vinyl. With total sales well over $100,00 for the entire year, the retailer reports a 43 percent increase in vinyl record sales over 2006.

Many local bands in Atlanta tend to release their albums on 7-inch vinyl records with hand-crafted covers, sometimes made with stencils and cut-outs. More than just music, vinyl records are priceless collector’s items because bands take the time to create the artwork themselves. Audiophiles prefer vinyl’s vintage sound as opposed to the digitally compressed sound of a CD.

“Whereas the younger generation is still utilizing digital download as their main source of purchasing [or obtaining] music, the average age of those purchasing vinyl at Criminal Records is probably early to mid-20s,” states Criminal Records’ Mel Pinson. “The cool kids have discovered the vinyl experience that their parents loved for so long. And though our increase in sales of vinyl hasn’t offset the downward trend in CD sales, I feel that both mediums will be around for a while and vinyl sales will just continue to grow.”

Criminal Records regularly includes tickets to local shows inside 7-inch releases, which gives their customers the chance to actually go and see their favorite bands perform.

The ticket giveaway promotion helped sales while helping to keep the local music scene alive. With Criminal Records’ dedication to local music, its increased vinyl record sales prove that independent retailers can remain viable in the face of big-box retailers (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target) and the struggling music industry.

Bookmark to:

BALLS TO THE WALL: Anna Kramer (left) and Shannon Mulvaney of Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause celebrate the release of The Rustic, Contemporary Sounds of Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause at Criminal Records Tues., Jan. 22.

(All kick-ass photos by Joeff Davis. See more below the jump.)

The Selmanaires and Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause throw a joint CD-release gig at the Earl Sat., Jan. 26. 9:30 p.m. $10. The Roy Owens Jr. and Noot D’ Noot will also perform as part of a label showcase for International Hits.

Stay tuned for Mosi Reeves’ story on International Hits in next week’s issue.

(more…)

Bookmark to:

Remember last year when the Athens-based jokesters at Chunklet magazine sponsored a concert featuring the Selmanaires, Deerhunter, Carbonas and the Coathangers at Whirlyball Atlanta — and sold tickets in the form of a 7-inch single featuring said artists? It was a genius idea so good that they’re doing it all over again. On Saturday, Jan. 19, the Black Lips, Gentleman Jesse & His Men, the Baby Shakes and Coffin Bound will congregate at Whirlyball. And yes, the only way you can get in is by purchasing a 7-inch vinyl disc showcasing these great bands.

You can only buy a ticket/record at Criminal Records for $10. That might be a bit expensive for a 7-inch single, but not if you consider how much you’ll be able to sell the soon-to-be collector’s item on eBay.com years from now.

Bookmark to:

THE PIPETTES AT VINYL: Singer Gwenno Pipette can’t believe how much parking costs in Midtown. (Photo by Perry Julien)

The Pipettes are a British group whose sound and matching polka-dotted look harks back to the era of the so-called girl groups — artists like the Ronettes and the Crystals whose popularity peaked after Elvis was drafted, but before the Beatles played “Ed Sullivan.”

In support of their debut album, We Are the Pipettes, the Pipettes played a proper gig at Vinyl in Midtown on Friday. A couple of hours earlier, though, they marched into Criminal Records in Little Five Points and played a fantastic three-song acoustic set to a roomful mostly of men – many of whom were, presumably, like me, there to find out if they would look and sound as good in person as they do on YouTube and CD.

The answers: yes and yes. The Pipettes are cuter than puppies in toilet paper commercials and their three-part harmonies are as lovely live as they are in-studio. They sounded so good, I almost bought a second copy of their CD. No joke.

Bookmark to:

Criminal Records
466 Moreland Ave.
404-215-9511

Top 10 best sellers for the week ending 09/15/07

1. Black Lips Good Bad Not Evil
2. Animal Collective Strawberry Jam
3. Kanye West Graduation
4. Okkervil River The Stage Names
5. Minus the Bear Planet of Ice
6. M.I.A. Kala
7. Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs
8. New Pornographers Challengers
9. The Go! Team Proof of Youth

Decatur CD
356 West Ponce de Leon Ave.
404-371-9090

Week ending 09/20/07

1. Kanye West Graduation
2. Mark Knopfler Kill to Get Crimson
3. Ben Harper Lifeline
4. The Coathangers The Coathangers
5. Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs
6. Brandi Carlile The Story
7. Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (three-disc deluxe reissue)
8. Mary Gauthier Between Daylight and Dark
9. Liars Liars
10. Akron/Family Love Is Simple

Earwax Records
565 Spring St.
404-875-5600

Week ending 9/18/07

1. Kanye West Gaduation
2. 50 Cent Curtis
3. Common Finding Forever
4. Emily King East Side Story
5. Talib Kweli Eardrum
6. Ledisi Lost & Found
7. Self Outside Project Jewels
8. Madlib Beatconducta 2
9. Christine Michelle I AM
10. Ne Yo Because

Wax N’ Facts
432 Moreland Ave.
404-525-2275

Week ending 09/17/07

1. Tiger! Tiger! The Kind of Goodnight
2. Donny Hathaway Collection
3. The Coathangers The Coathangers
4. Kanye West Graduation
5. Minus the Bear Planet of Ice
6. Animal Collective Strawberry Jam
7. Great Northern Trading Twilight for Daylight
8. 50 Cent Curtis
9. Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs
10. Simple Kid 2

Bookmark to:

WILD MAN: With a new limited-edition 7-inch single, the Black Lips marketing blitz continues.

(Sleeve art by Andrew Jeffrey Wright)

In case you haven’t noticed, Creative Loafing — like most media outlets, whether they be New York Times-big or blog-small — has its favorites. One of the bands we tend to cover over and over again is the Black Lips. The thing is, the biggest acts tend to lead busy lives. And since signing with Vice — which is pulling out all the stops to convert the band’s early buzz into actual record sales for its upcoming album, Good Bad Not Evil — the Black Lips have been all over the place.

Last month the Fader, the cool hunting magazine/marketing company, pressed up a limited-edition 7-inch single. It’s a double-A record; the A-side is a Black Lips cover of “Wild Man,” while the B-side is Yacht’s “No Favors Policy.” Near the end of the Black Lips side, there’s a brief snippet of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The “Wild Man” 7-inch is only one of several Black Lips singles this year; others include “Cold Hands” and U.K.-only single “O Katrina!”

If you haven’t seen the Black Lips perform live, then your chance arrives on Tuesday, Sept. 11, when the band holds a CD release party at MJQ Concourse before heading out on a two-month national tour. (The band is currently touring in the U.K.) Advance tickets aren’t available, and you can only gain admission from buying a presale copy of Good Bad Not Evil at Criminal Records. In addition to the CD, you’ll be put on the guest list for the show and get a DVD, Black Lips Live in Israel, as well. Appropriately, presale copies of the package will cost $11.11 ($12 with tax).

If you’re unable or don’t want to participate in the Black Lips presale, Vice’s online video channel, www.VBS.tv, has been showing clips of the Black Lips’ time in Israel that you can view. There’s also the chance that MJQ’s guest list won’t be full by Sept. 11; if that happens, you can get into the show by buying a copy of Good Bad Not Evil for $13 at the show (DVD not included).

Bookmark to:

This may be old news for some of you, but for those of you who have yet to hear, say, from word of mouth, word of telepathy, or Cable&Tweed and the various other voices of the Atlanta music blogosphere, there’s a free show you should probably go check out. Boston’s Marissa Nadler, the Americana gothic singer/songwriter, is playing Criminal Records at 7 p.m. Friday.

Give her MySpace a listen, and I guarantee you’ll get hooked — hook (a grand total of two hooks), line and sinker. Her voice, somewhere between contemporaries Joanna Newsome and Cat Power (a la “Baby Doll” off You Are Free) — without the harp, without the nerves — is accompanied by a lithe acoustic plucking that compliments the fragile vocals so very well.

So, what the heck are you waiting for?! Get hoppin’!

Bookmark to: