Playlist Week of 2016-04-30

* La Sublime Porte: Voix d’Istanbul 1430-1750 (Hesperion XXI/Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Stockhausen: Ceylon/Bird of Passage (Chrysalis LP)

* Subotnik: Silver Apples Of The Moon (Nonesuch LP)

* Suzanne Ciani: Buchla Concerts 1975 (Finders Keepers LP)

* Keith Jarrett: Death And The Flower (ABC/Impulse! LP)

* Jayson Lindh: Ramadan (Metronome/CTI LP)

* Jayson Lindh: Cous Cous (Metronome/CTI LP)

* Spring Heel Jack: The Blue Series Continuum: Masses (Thirsty Ear CD)

* Tangerine Dream: Sorcerer OST (MCA LP)

* Lucifer: Black Mass (MCA LP)

* Gentle Giant: In A Glass House (WWA LP)

* Gentle Giant: The Official Live Gentle Giant: Playing The Fool (Capitol 2LP)

* Hatfield And The North: Hatfield And The North (Virgin LP)

* National Health: National Health (Visa LP)

* Kraan: Andy Nogger (Passport LP)

* Mainstream: Quiet Sun (Antilles LP)

* Heldon: Third: “It’s Always Rock’n Roll” (Urus 2LP)

* Heldon: Live in Paris 1975 (SouffleContinuum LP)

* Tortoise: A Lazarus Taxon (Thrill Jockey 3CD+DVD)

* Opeth: Throat of Winter (Roadrunner 7”)

* Electric Wizard: Electric Wizard (Rise Above LP)

* Yob: Catharsis (Relapse LP)

* Boris: Akuma No Uta (Southern Lord CD)

* Boris with Merzbow: Rock Dream (Southern Lord 2CD)

* Boris: Pink (Southern Lord CD)

* OM: Advaitic Songs (Drag City2-45RPM LP)

* OM: Ababa Dub (Alpha & Omega) (Drag City 12”)

* OM: Garden of Gethesemane (Alpha & Omega) (Drag City 12”)

* White Hills: Glitter Glamour Atrocity (Thrill Jockey LP)

* Wolf Eyes: I Am A Problem : Mind In Pieces (Third Man LP)

* Grails: Black Tar Prophecies Vols.4, 5 & 6 (Temporary Residence 2LP)

* Watter: This World (Temporary Residence LP)

* Krakatau: Water Near A Bridge (Trouble In Mind LP)

* Dahga Bloom: No Curtains (Captcha LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

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Commentary:

One of the most amazing things about the YouTube Vinyl Community -- a self-selecting group of record nerds who make videos about their obsession -- is the phenomenon known as "VCLT," which stands for the "Vinyl Community Love Train." This is what we call it when someone sends another VC-er records in the mail for no reason at all except to spread the vinyl love.

Now, believe me when I say that I did NOT get involved in the VC so that people would send me free records. No. I have plenty of records. In fact, one of the first things I did after I joined was to send stuff off to some of my favorite video-makers. It feels good to give a gift for no reason! Of course, I will admit that I also hoped that these folks would check out my channel, maybe give me a quick shout-out and help me get it off the ground. And, indeed, that did happen -- but it is this extraordinary spirit of generosity in the Vinyl Community that makes it so special and I have tried to keep the Love Train going over the years while also receiving numerous gifts from people all over the world. It truly is an amazing thing.

What's even more amazing is that the Vinyl Community is not just about the people brave enough to get on camera and babble about records. There is a huge group of folks who only watch and comment on videos -- but they also get in on the Love Train action. A guy who goes by the handle "MrTrendkill2" has been a faithful commenter of mine ever since I started and is a fellow Opeth fanatic. Not too long ago, he sent me their super-limited-edition seven-inch single from 2003, "Still Day Beneath The Sun" b/w "Patterns In The Ivy II" (Robotic Empire) -- a rare (and, needless to say, not inexpensive) slice of wax. I'm still blown away by this.

Then, yesterday -- totally out of the blue -- I got another package from MrTrendkill and dang if he didn't send me another hard-to-find Opeth seven-inch: "Throat of Winter" (Roadrunner) -- a Record Store Day exclusive from 2011, limited to only 1000 copies. But not only that, the sleeve is signed by the entire band! Holy cow! I am not worthy! He also sent me an interesting LP, No Curtains (Captcha), the latest from the heavy neo-psych band, Dahga Bloom. Favorite track (and title): "Adolph Hipster." Killer! Thank you so much, MrTrendkill, just amazing!

Anyway, here's a video:

Playlist Week of 2016-04-23

* Dowland: Lachrimae or Seven Teares 1604 (Hesperion XX/Savall) (Alia Vox SACD)

* Stockhausen: “Atmen gibt das Leben…” (Norddeutschen Rundfunks/Stockhausen) (DG LP)

* Sun Ra: Spaceways (Black Lion/ORG LP)

* Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi (Warner Bros. LP)

* Herbie Hancock: Crossings (Warner Bros. LP)

* Les McCann: Invitation To Openness (Atlantic LP)

* Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On (Motown/Mobile Fidelity SACD)

* Prince: Lovesexy (Warner Bros. LP)

* Alan Stivell: Live in Dublin (Fontana LP)

* John Renbourn: The Attic Tapes (Riverboat 2LP)

* Bob Dylan: "Melancholy Mood" + 3 (Columbia 7” EP)

* Van Morrison: Poetic Champions Compose (Mercury LP)

* Kevin Ayers, Eno et al.: June 1, 1974 (Island LP)

* Tony Conrad & Faust: Outside The Dream Syndicate (Superior Viaduct LP)

* Edgar Froese: Aqua (Virgin LP)

* Edgar Froese: Macula Transfer (Brain LP)

* Harmonia: Documents 1975 (Groenland LP)

* Harald Grosskopf: Synthesist (Sky/Bureau B LP)

* VCSR: Tape #4 (Permanent LP)

* Pere Ubu: “30 Seconds Over Tokyo”/”Heart of Darkness” (Nearpan/Fire 7”)

* DNA:  “You & You”/ “Little Ants” (Superior Viaduct 7”)

* Arto Lindsay: Encyclopedia of Arto (Northern Spy 2LP)

* Guided By Voices: Please Be Honest (GBV, Inc. LP)

* Boris & Merzbow: Gensho Part 1 (Relapse 2LP)

* Boris & Merzbow: Gensho Part 2 (Relapse 2LP)

* The Sword: "John The Revelator" (Razor & Tie 7”)
* Zombi: Spirit Animal (Relapse 2LP) †/‡

* Lower Dens: “Batman”/ “Dear Betty Baby” (Gnomonsong 7”)

* London Grammar: If You Wait (Columbia 2LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

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Commentary:

2016 is turning out to be a bad year for rock stars (and famous musicians in general). But it was shock to hear of the sudden passing of Prince at the age of 57 -- that's only a few years older than me! 

Coming of age in the '80s it was impossible not be captivated by Prince's unique brand of funky pop music and while I lost track of him as the '90s wore on (and his draconian stance on copyright didn't help), I always had tremendous respect for his outsized talents. 

Of course, there is is lots of speculation right now about the actual cause of death -- and rumors are swirling around of serious opiate abuse -- but none of that really matters. The music will live on.

So, who's next to leave the planet?

+++

As promised, here's another record collecting video. The Vinyl Community Love Train stopped by my house this week!

Playlist Week of 2016-04-16

* Tasavallan Presidentti: Milky Way Moses (Janus LP)

* Jukka Tolonen: Tolonen! (Janus LP)

* Osibisa: Osibisa (Decca LP)

* Spirit: Farther Along (Mercury LP)

* Emmylou Harris: Wrecking Ball (Deluxe Edition) (Nonesuch 3LP)

* David Sylvian: Dead Bees On A Cake (Virgin CD)

* Edgar Froese: Epsilon In Malaysian Pale (Virgin LP)

* Harmonia: Musik von Harmonia (Brain/Grönland LP)

* Harmonia: Deluxe (Brain/Grönland LP)

* Tim Blake: Crystal Machine (Egg LP)

* Tim Blake & Crystal Machine: Blake’s New Jerusalem (Egg LP)

* Heldon: II “Allez Teia” (Urus LP)

* Heldon: Third (Urus 2LP)

* Heldon: IV “Agneta Nilsson” (Urus LP)

* Richard Pinhas & John Livengood: Cyborg Sally (SouffleContinuum 2LP)

* Clearlight: Visions (Polydor LP)

* VCSR: Tape #4 (Permanent LP)

* Steve Roach & Byron Metcalf: The Serpent’s Lair (Projekt 2CD)

* Pete Namlook & Bill Laswell: Psychonavigation (Subharmonic CD)

* Pete Namlook & Bill Laswell: Psychonavigation 2 (FAX CD)

* Ulver: Bergtatt (Century Media LP)

* Ulver: Kveldssanger (Century Media LP)

* Ulver: Nattens Madrigal (Century Media LP)

* Zombi: The Zombi Anthology (Relapse LP) †/‡

* Zombi: Cosmos (Relapse LP) †/‡

* Zombi: Surface To Air (Relapse LP) †/‡

* Nothing: A.C.D. (Relapse 12”)

* Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker: Cannots (Dead Oceans LP)

†=iPod/iTunes

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Commentary:

Big week for the record-collecting nerd this week with a record show on Sunday at a hotel out by the airport (and, holy cow, what amazing records I found!) but Saturday the 16th was also Record Store Day. 

Every year I tell myself I don't care -- but then wind up going out to a couple of the smaller stores after the crowds have thinned. And, what do you know? I found some cool stuff. Hope you all had a good one! A video is forthcoming...

Playlist Week of 2016-04-09

* Eddie Henderson: Realization/Inside Out (Capricorn/Soul Brother CD)

* Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith: A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke (ECM CD)

* Vijay Iyer Trio: Break Stuff (ECM CD)

* The Out Louds (T.Fujiwara/B.Goldberg/M.Halvorson): The Out Louds (Relative Pitch CD)

* Ingrid Laubrock & Tom Rainey: Buoyancy (Relative Pitch CD)

* Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series Vol.8: Tell Tale Signs 1989-2006 (Columbia 2CD)

* Van Morrison: Wavelength (Polydor CD)

* John Martyn: Solid Air (Island LP)

* Tim Buckley: Dream Letter: Live In London 1968 (Enigma Retro 2CD)

* Silver Apples: Silver Apples (Kapp LP)

* Tangerine Dream: Phaedra (Virgin LP)

* Tangerine Dream: Sorcerer OST (MCA LP)

* Tangerine Dream: Exit (Elektra LP)

* Pierre Moerlen’s Gong: Downwind (Arista LP)

* Pete Namlook: Air I & II (FAX 2CD)

* OM: Live (Outer Battery LP)

* Kylesa: Exhausting Fire (Season of Mist LP)

* The Sword: High Country (Razor & Tie 2LP) †/‡

* Syd Arthur: On an On (Harvest LP) †/‡

* Syd Arthur: Sound Mirror (Harvest LP) †/‡

†=iPod/iTunes

‡=car

Commentary:

The Moogertron 3700 is complete (for now). Can't wait to really dive in deep! Here's a taste: