Record Store Day 2012

It’s 4.15am and your night is winding down. As you’re leaving Camel Club, you’re likely to be the only ones around apart from the rest of the intoxicated folk staggering around Huddersfield and the lady who places herself on the step next to the shop with her ridiculously cute canine. But, if you were to look further down the road in the early hours of the 21 April, you’d have seen a few other souls outside Vinyl Tap. You may mistake them for sleeping rough but these are sights that are synonymous at this time and on this day across the country. The cold is bared and the sleep is sacrificed for one reason – Record Store Day.

Starting in the USA in 2007 with its inaugural celebration and now with the UK in its 4^th year of involvement, independent record shops become a thriving and vibrant point of activity. Record Store Day becomes awash with limited edition releases, an estimated number of 400 this year; coming from Abba, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys and Coldplay amongst a multitude of others.

Huddersfield’s resident Aladdin’s Cave is Vinyl Tap and with a queue meandering inside the shop as well as snaking outside the door at 9am, it was the David Bowie, limited release that was snatched up swiftly to the dismay of anyone who chose to have those extra hours of sleep. You may think that record shops are home to the most eccentric of characters,  I’m convinced that my new chum in the queue was Noel Fielding’s Dad; with his choppy black haircut and lanky frame.

There’ll always be the argument that vinyl is obsolete and that people won’t bother with an archaic format when we have digital downloads. But any sceptics just need to visit their local store and witness the hordes of devotees and the sheer jubilation when they get their hands on the Vinyl they’d been praying no one else got to first.  There’s nothing more thrilling than rushing home and examining the artwork, cautiously removing the LP from the sleeve and listening out for that initial hint of a crackle.

It’s a bona fide celebration and Record Store Day should be embraced. As long as you get the music aficionados prepared to camp out, then it’s a statement that there’s still a demand for Vinyl, for a way to be amongst like minded music lovers and not just a day for stores to experience a mass surge in sales. One enthusiast, who was second in the queue arrived at Vinyl Tap at 4.30am and by 10am had spent £400 and was gripping on to a can of Red Bull. I’m sure he’d agree that the sleep deprivation was worth it. See you next year Vinyl Tap; I’ll get the Red Bulls in.

Published in the June 2012 issue of the Huddersfield Student

Oops!...They did it again.

Discovering that your favourite song has been covered can be one of those disastrous moments. I’m talking the Kevin McCallister kind of reaction. Ok, I’m being slightly dramatic but that’s what you want to do. Unfortunately, the charts have been awash with crucified cover versions, with an abundance of them coming from The X Factor alumni, the most recent being from Marcus Collins with the reworked ‘Seven Nation Army.’ Being aware that this is a White Stripes classic, I listened with some trepidation. It’s aeons away from the original and that’s what a cover should be, but then I discovered that it was a cover of a cover; an emulation of Ben L’Oncle Soul’s take on it. Bad move Marcus - you should’ve put your own stamp on it instead of churning out someone else’s take on it.

Covers may be met with hostility and a grumble, but in a way aren't they advantageous by opening them up to a new listener ship? Just look at Glee who snatch up iconic tracks or ones that have been played to their death, quicker than a Malteser in a box of Celebrations. They may be annoying but they surely reach a vast audience. Even now, as I hear the opening ‘da da da da’ to Don’t Stop Believing, I get a headache as it’s emblazoned in my ear drums from the persistent airplay. Here’s a batch of artists who've revitalised and enhanced an original.

                                                          5. Lenka – Jump In The Pool

Originally by Friendly Fires

Lenka’s velveteen voice acts as a soothing symphony, flowing with nonchalant ease. She’s even mastered the art of articulating her words correctly too, unlike the original where it sounds oddly as if you’re being ordered to ‘Jump in the Poo.’ This is lovely and the twinkling of the Xylophone evokes an uncontrollable shifting of the head.

4. Johnny Cash – Hurt

Originally by Nine Inch Nails

 As the legendary Cash croaks; “What have I become my sweetest friend/ everyone I know goes away in the end”, you can hear the wavering emotion that seeps through the track.   It’s the accompanying video that is just as affecting, with clips acting as a montage to his life; slashing at the heartstrings rather than tugging on them. 

3. The Futureheads – Hounds of Love

Originally by Kate Bush

It was back in 2004 when we were exposed to the sound of Sunderland’s finest interpretation of Hounds Of Love. It’s probably considered sacrilege by many Kate Bush purists that anyone could even consider this to surpass the original, although it only takes a few seconds to confirm this. It’s punchier and the a capella ‘oh oh oh’ to start rockets this upbeat rendition off into another realm.

2. David’s Lyre – We Found Love

Originally by Calvin Harris ft Rihanna

It’s almost an impossible mission to choose one cover amongst the plethora that Paul Dixon, the man behind David’s Lyre has revamped. From the unrecognisable ‘No Light, No Light,’ originally by songstress, Florence and the Machine, to this, Rihanna’s dance anthem. But what is commendable is when an artist can take a song that you’d never listen to, ever, and make it not only bearable but enjoyable. David’s Lyre, I applaud you!

1. Kimbra – 2 Weeks/Head over Heels

Originally by Grizzly Bear/Tears For Fears

She’s most famed for providing the extra vocals on the infamous ‘Somebody That I Used To Know. ’This 22 year old New Zealander showcased her mash up of the Grizzly Bear and Tears for Fears tracks on Triple J, and does a sterling job weaving together the 2 that fit together surprisingly beautifully.

If my ramblings about cover versions has stirred the enthusiast in you; then check out this site of potentially 50 of the greatest covers.

Published in the June 2012 issue of the Huddersfield Student.

The Black Keys, 06/02/12, Manchester 02 Apollo

With the swagger of Liam Gallagher and the style of Alex Turner, the young teens swigged on their cups of Lemonade in between drags on their stream of cigarettes. As their bodies swayed and their words slurred; I was in sheer amazement. I had just witnessed 3 budding kids who’d wipe the floor with Penn and Teller as to become intoxicated off half a pint of bubbles is astounding. The Black Keys are rock and roll personified. As they took to the stage they showed these lads and the rest of the packed out Apollo how it’s done.

Vocalist, Dan Auerbach clad in double denim and drummer, Patrick Carney looking like a less dashing Clark Kent have such a stage presence yet they don’t say much, apart from the expected pleasantries, but they didn’t have to. As cliché as this is, the music did the talking for them.

The first strum of opening track ‘Howlin’ For You’ created a steady surge of convulsing bodies, then as it slithered in to ‘Next Girl’, there was an interminable reaction with the crowd chanting along which was maintained for the duration of their time on stage. But there was one song that shone more than the rest, ‘Lonely Boy’ created a moment of euphoria and delight as it triggered an outbreak of the illustrious Carlton-esque grooves. It was as if everyone had been anticipating this moment and just in case they’d been perfecting their moves in the mirror. It certainly seemed that way judging by the chirpy chap in front of me, who required maximum space to perfect his moves, sending his beer cup flying along with everyone else’s.  

Naturally their set was dominated by the breakout success of ‘Brothers’ and the critically acclaimed, ‘El Camino’, the songs from their latest offering being received just as rapturously as the rest. The infectious ‘Gold on the Ceiling’ and ‘Little Black Submarines’ started slowly then gained momentum to reach an eruption of sound proved to be other highlights.

When their touring band left the stage, it was monumental to see the duo alone where you really experience the furore they create. Carney attacking the drums as if he was bashing seven shades of shit out of Chad Kroeger and Auerbach possessing a powerful vocal that reverberated around the Apollo, clarifying that they are a phenomenally slick band both live and on record.

We’re constantly bombarded with the message that rock music is dead and apparently so is guitar music but if there were any cynics in crowd tonight, then the answer was here all along: hanging from the ceiling. ‘The Black Keys’ placed above the stage, emitted a golden glow as the gritty hooks of set closer ‘I Got Mine’ ended a solid performance from the Ohio-based twosome. I don’t think you could get a better wake up call.