i am really digging the new kishi bashi album lighght. for those interested, you can find a super limited version on gold speckled vinyl with a bonus 7″ at your local independent record store (ie. criminal records & decatur cd).

the album is quite eclectic and worth checking out for sure. you can currently stream it on npr for free.

– ryan

we were in savannah this weekend for easter, which happened to coincide with record store day 2014. i was able to find a couple of locations that were participating though, so my dad and i decided to see what savannah had to offer. after a uneventful trip to rody’s (their shipment hadn’t arrived), my dad and i headed to graveface records & curiosities, which turned out to be awesome!

we didn’t get there until after noon, the joys of parenthood, so i missed out on the main items i was looking for (ie. chvrches, lcd soundsytem). it was still fun though. they were super packed and had a ton of great stuff, including a couple of items i found for my brother. i definitely plan on visiting graveface next time i’m in savannah!

i have to vent that although i still enjoy record store day, it’s definitely becoming overpriced. i really enjoy ultimate alternative waivers by built to spill and the first album by pinback, however i don’t need them on vinyl for $25.

next door to graveface was this adorable bakery & sandwich shop called back in the day bakery. their food looked really tasty and they had super fun gifts and notecards for sale.

– ryan

graveface records & curiosities

5 west 40th street
savannah, ga 31401
912-335-8018

back in the day bakery

2403 bull street
savannah, ga 31401
912-495-9292

the first new album by the afghan whigs in 16 years came out this week called do the beast via sub pop records. for those interested, you can find a super limited loser edition on white vinyl with free buttons, stickers, etc. at your local independent record store (ie. criminal records & decatur cd).

– ryan

we were able to find this amazing vintage sesame street record player for clementine! she likes when her papa plays records in the kitchen, especially charley brown, so we thought it would be fun for her to have her own player.

this one was under $10 after shipping, so even it gets broken it’s not the worst thing in the world. we also grabbed some sweet sesame street book & record singles from the early 70s. you can find sets of them on ebay for around $7-$8. they are perfect for kids to scratch up and learn how to use a record player. clementine loves taking her records in and out of their sleeves and also dancing to the 70s intro song.

– ryan

many years ago i decided that i wanted a piano in my house. i was alway envious of friends who had pianos growing up, so i thought it would be fun to have one for my kids. i looked around on craigslist and found lots of options, including many for free. i decided that i was fine investing a little money though, especially to get one in working order. low and behold i found a perfect match! i went with a 1950s piano that was owned by the same family since its original purchase. it looked and sounded great and fit perfectly in the house.

after many years of talking about it, i finally had the piano tuned this summer! i did a little google searching and found piano tuning atlanta by charity, who was awesome to say the least! charity came out and was able to get the piano tuned within a couple of hours. she also showed me the inner workings of my piano and answered questions i had, which was an added bonus. now the piano sounds beautiful, hopefully i will start playing it more!

if you find yourself looking for a piano tuner, i highly recommend piano tuning atlanta by charity!

– ryan

piano tuning atlanta by charity – 770-876-7340

the new washed out album paracosm came out today via sub pop records. for those interested, you can find a super limited loser edition on green vinyl with a free bonus 7″ at your local independent record store (ie. criminal records & decatur cd). the LP & 7″ also include digital downloads, so it’s quite the deal!

– ryan

the prince avalanche soundtrack came out today with new music from david wingo (aka ola podrida) & explosions in the sky. for those interested, you can find a limited white vinyl version of the soundtrack at your local independent record store (ie. criminal records & decatur cd). it comes in a gatefold sleeve and features a pretty sweet design from temporary residence. the LP also includes the digital download and a sticker!

– ryan

here are a couple of interesting covers worth checking out! the first is jessica jalbert’s rendition of the replacements song swingin’ party. it was my top jam last year! you can listen to it below or download the track here.

next up is damien jurado’s version of vince guarldi’s classic christmas time is here from a charlie brown christmas. this one definitely made my christmas mix! you can listen to it below or download the song from aquarium drunkard.

– ryan

damien jurado – christmas time is here

chairlift, who put out one of my favorite albums last year, have posted the demos from something on their website! click here to download the songs or you can listen to them below.

– ryan

here’s a list of my favorite concerts from last year. i have grand notions of putting up a list of my favorite albums as well, but i’ve had those goals before! as with recent years, there was a heavy mix of reunion concerts on the list. i guess that’s just what happens when you get older.

afghan whigs – sat, oct 20th – the masquerade
david byrne & st vincent – wed, oct 3rd – cobb energy center
chairlift – thu, apr 19th – the earl
frankie rose – tue, apr 10th – 529
grimes – mon, mar 5th – drunken unicorn
jeff mangum – wed, feb 1st – variety playhouse
the jesus & mary chain – thu, sep 6th – variety playhouse
neon indian & purity ring – mon, mar 19th – the masquerade
perfume genius – thu, mar 29th – the earl
radiohead – thu, mar 1st – phillips arena
tame impala – thu, mar 8th – drunken unicorn
youth lagoon – thu, mar 22nd – drunken unicorn

-ryan

– be sure to check out my favorite shows from 2011 and 2010 as well!