How to Justify Buying Records When You Don't Need Them

When a single reason to buy a record exists, you buy it, even if you don't need it.  Need of course is relative.   Who really needs records (the VVers obviously)?  Isn't it nice to have a little extra push when it comes to trying out new music?  Even better is a trifecta of reasons.

In this case, two weeks out from Inauguration this past January, the VVers were feeling pretty down about the state of the world.  In response to the White House travel ban, online music community Bandcamp, announced they were donating 100% of their proceeds to the American Civil Liberties Union to support its work for immigrants and refugees.  [Reason #1: Your money goes to a good cause.]

While using Bandcamp rather frequently (usually to stream albums from new artists), the VVers recently noticed that you can actually buy vinyl from them (WHOA!).  In the meantime on social media, Savannah's Graveface Records & Curiosities also posted about the Bancamp/ACLU event.  This got VVer #2 thinking that there was new music on Graveface's label that looked interesting.  Since going to the label tour last year, the VVers have followed Graveface a bit.  They are a plucky little label that not only puts out interesting music, but also oddball horror soundtracks from yesteryear, and even the occasional zine.  [Reason #2: Supporting a small, indie label.] 

Coincidentally, Closeness, which is a collaboration of Todd Fink (The Faint) and his wife Orenda Fink (Azure Ray) released their debut EP, Personality Therapy, this month on Graveface.  With no idea what they sound like, what risk is there when you are sure that you like half a band's music (The Faint)?  In this case, the 50/50 chance paid off.  Personality Therapy is a strong, six-song set of driving, well-produced tunes.  The EP has a nice blend of romance, darkness, and even a hopeful streak.  There is a very atmospheric quality running throughout several tracks.  "End of the Maze" is a standout that mixes the duo's futuristic, distorted harmonies and pairs them with doomsday synths.  [Reason #3: Familiarity with half the band.]

Boom! Added bonus, it's a limited edition color 12", buttttt .... this one nearly breaks the Naked Butt Rule in the House of VV.  You see, there is an awesomely horrific cover to this EP, which is not full-on butt nakedness, but comes damn close.   This VVer heroically overlooked this arbitrary rule to support a few good causes (and the vinyl is good stuff too)!  "Need" fulfilled.

Community Service vs Self Service

VVer #1 spent a recent Sunday doing a solid for local community radio WOWD-LP 94.3fm in Takoma Park by helping the new, nonprofit station organize piles of donated vinyl.  With friend and fellow enthusiast along for the ride, VVer #1 culled through the mountain (not an exaggeration), throwing away the moldy stuff (more than you want to know), and cleaning anything salvageable.  The goal was to make a pile of "the good stuff," so the station could make some bank at their next fundraiser.

Here are four that looked interesting enough to "borrow" and write about:

Elton John S/T 1970
This uncharacteristic looking album, his second LP, immediately stood out from the crates.  First of all, Elton is serious, dark, moody...   Knowing him mostly from his more flamboyant 70s' persona and the modern, more refined bloke, this appeared very different.  It sounds different as well, hedging closer to James Taylor (most of the album) or Leonard Cohen ("First Episode at Hienton") in tone, with a few pop numbers and a pretty spot on Rolling Stones sounding number ("No Shoe Strings on Louise").  Some tracks even call Led Zeppelin to mind ("Sixty Years On"), minus the ripping guitars of course.  Heavy?  Yeah, Elton gets heavy.  Side B has a few clunkers, but nothing that will make you poke your own ears out.  Thankfully the final track is strong and encourages a bit of repeat listening.

The Sprouts of Grass Ring the Bells for the Federals, Washington Federals Official Bluegrass Fight Song 7" 1984
Yes, there was a time when the Washington D.C. area had two professional football teams.  The USFL Washington Federals played for two pathetic seasons, 1983-84.  Apparently somebody actually was excited enough about this and decided to spread that excitement using the power of bluegrass.  And... it's awesome.  A straight ripping tune, singing the praises of the new team.  It's a dark sound with lyrics far too optimistic for how bad the team actually was.  It shouldn't work, but dagnabit it does!  This VVer likes it, he does!  Fun fact, the USFL lasted only three years and was more or less destroyed by the overzealous business acumen of President Orange-head McDipshit.  "There's a new force a risin' on DC's horizon!"  One lyric you'll wince at: "Hurrah for the Feds, fly their banners overhead!"

Adding to the appeal of this curio is the quick pickin' second song, "East West Highway Blues."   These VVers have been living on or near East West Hwy for years and years.   This ode is a nice little ditty about a cabbie just barely scraping by running fares up and down "Montgomery to Prince George's, just to pay this taxi's dues."  It gets a little surreal at the end, but that's probably just the driver being tired from a long shift. 

Of the four-song 7" three of the tracks are pretty sharp.  The final song, "Winter Storm" is dark and resonant with beautiful instrumentation and some delicate banjo pluckage.  There is something the VVers never have typed before.

Michael Jackson Dirty Diana 12" 1987
Laser beams!!!  Really not much needs to be written about this song.  Michael yelps through it and the production values are a little ridiculously of the era.  At least the back cover picture gives us something special.  Wow!

The Fugs S/T 1966
Weirdo freakshow music from people that need a bath!  This is the sound of the counterculture in full on revolt against USA hypocrisy of the 60s.  Most of the album is not the sort you would ever enjoy to hear, except "Kill for Peace," a pleasant hippie hootenanny about Vietnam, replete with racial slurs and a gun-riddled finale.  Things get even more un-groovy during the eleven minute album closer, which definitely inspired "The End" by the Doors except that this is entirely unlistenable.  Says VVer #2, "I'll be totally fine not hearing that last song again."  The liner notes on the back of the sleeve are by Allen Ginsburg; so there's that.  There is also a note on the back cover written in Esperanto to send $5.98 for a copy of the record.  This is confusing and made even more confusing by the fact that it is in Esperanto.  Apparently the record label, ESP-Disk, was primarily a label supporting Esperanto music.  So now you know that.

Looking forward for another opportunity to dig through a mountain of totally random vinyl (for a good cause of course).