little fish big pond

Hello there
I called upon an old friend for some advice in reference to punk and she said to check out Ian Mackaye's label Dischord Records. Oh and I like the Germs and the Wipers and Wire. Also another label of interest...The Social Registry housing such bands as Blood on the Wall and Gang Gang Dance among others.
Ok well bye for a bit

Let My Burden Be

Abandoning my post for a couple days to soak up the hipsterism at the Pitchfork Festival. It should be condescenderific! Laying aside my differences with the vintage teeshirt set, it'll be nice to see some decent live music, and to slip from the sweet smothering embrace of the Ithaca summer.

I had kind of expected the cash register to show up in the mail today, but no dice. Going to swing by Staples and see if I can acquire a price gun, with which I will fire prices at innocent bystanders.

Talk to y'all Tuesday.

The Combination of Doing and Writing About Doing

If I were a smarter man, I'd have pictures for you. Alas.

Sorry there's been no action on ye ol' weblog, but that should not be taken to mean that I am sitting around on my couch. Although right now, I'm sitting around on my couch. And a lot of the work I've been doing involves sitting around on my couch.

The prototype shelving unit has been built and unbuilt. It is the type of thing you can build and unbuild very easily if you have special powers. Powers like a power drill. It's about four feet across and will hold around 450 cds. After a fair amount of hemming and hawing we've decided to seal it with polyeurethane rather than paint it. The stuff it's built out of, MDF, is like superdense cardboard and, like cardboard, will soak up any sort of moisture that gets near it.

Speaking of moisture, let's talk water staining! Yup, the ceilings need a little bit of love. The landlord has assured me that all those leaks have been fixed (somehow magically without disturbing the ceiling they were leaking onto), but a whole bunch of panels need to be cut and replaced.

Also, No Radio Records has its very first employee! Photog and fellow Gimme-vet Amy Pennington will be grinning at you from behind the counter on opening day, while I run around screaming.

Yesterday I managed to score a Bunn Pouromatic restaurant-style coffee brewer and an old dresser we'll be converting into an espresso counter, both on the cheap. All the purchasing for the coffee end of things is more or less done at this point, and the cash register should be on its way to my place even as we speak. Mostly what we still have to buy includes the stereo system, paint and cleaning supplies.

Painting starts next week. Who's in?

Learning the Hip Hop Music

Back on the waiting tip. Tick tock tick tock. On the plus side, we've got two shows lined up for in the store. Idatel will be playing in August and the Gunshy will be playing in September. Not sure on the logistics just yet.

This weekend, while many of you do a little spinning hippie dance out at GrassRoots, I will be trying my hardest to absorb massive amounts of hip hop. Dead Prez, Blackstar and Madlib are first on the queue.

Knocked down Touch and Go, K Recs, Jade Tree and Kill Rock Stars yesterday, but there are always more labels to get through.

Do You Realize?

Are you folks all aware of the sheer bulk of music that's out there? Did you know there are over twenty releases just by Black Flag? That's not even including whatever Henry Rollins is doing right now (I bet he's sitting at home staring lovingly at his muscles). And Zappa? The last four pages of the Rykodisc catalog are ALL Zappa albums, and who the hell needs the Japanese import version of Sheik Yerbouti anyways?

As stated last time, I'm slowly working my way through distributor catalogs. On the advice of Brian at Galaxy Music, I am limiting myself to about half an hour sittings. It's like driving through the Great Plains, your eyes just go all fuzzy and a little voice starts saying, "Yes, you will need all the Minutemen albums...you can't have a record store without them..."

So far I've waded through Merge, Matador, SST, Sub Pop, Rykodisc and Nonesuch. 4AD, Kill Rock Stars and Saddle Creek are on the docket for this afternoon. Input is greatly appreciated, especially in the fields of punk and hiphop, where I am completely ignorant.

Signs and Portends

Well, I'm back up and running on the computer of the esteemed Mr. Livingston while my own darling is shipped off to Appletown. But I wanted to update you all on the state of things.

At least some of the waiting referred to in the previous post (and the Tom Petty song) has ended. The final design for the sign is completed (you're looking at it) and thanks to Sarah's exemplary efforts at ladder-holding, the sign has been measured and sent to print. Which I guess means more waiting.

Also finished this weekend were the designs for the shelving units. Joel assures me that once they are cut, they'll be easy enough for a monkey to assemble. A monkey with a power drill, anyway. We loaded ten very heavy sheets of Medium Density Fiberboard out to his shop in Lansing yesterday in the blistering heat. MDF is kind of like superpacked cardboard, about an inch thick and cut into 4'x8' sheets. We're estimating it's going to take at least twenty sheets to build all the units. The first prototype is being built some time this week. Which I guess means more waiting.

But oh let me tell you about my new hobby. On Friday I set up distributor accounts with three companies, so I now have access to three fairly daunting wholesale catalogs. To give you an idea, the smallest of the three companies carries 22,622 items. Yesterday I picked out everything I wanted from Merge Records. Today I'm going to work my way through Matador. But here's your chance, folks. What albums do you absolutely need to see in No Radio Records. Sound off.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Hey kids. Oh the past two days have been an adventure. Part of the adventure I can't really talk about. Part of the adventure simply serves as proof that Tom Petty was right, the waiting is the hardest part. And part of the adventure is that my darling computer is once again on the fritz. Optimistically, the OS is "severely corrupted". Pessimistically, the hard drive is shot. Either way, the brains of No Radio Records are currently out of commission, leaving me to engage the spare Central Nervous System that is the Public Library. Luckily I still have my Portabrain and my Spare Brain, but without a monitor, these don't amount to much.

In other news, Steve G. will be operating the hi-fi at Kbar this evening. Steve's a deep catalog man. At least that's what I hear. I'll be rushing over there after I get back from the 'Cuse. I get to make two, count em two trips to the 'Cuse this week. Jealous?

Tomorrow, the meeting with Habitat of Ithaca to talk furnishing. Thursday, the meeting with the landlord to talk repairs. This weekend (fingers crossed) a look at the first assembled shelving unit. And more importantly, the return of the Professor! She will bring us secrets of the inscrutable East and we will bring her...beers, and possibly some chips!

Press! Barely!

Oh yes, my friends, raise your hand if you were peripherally mentioned in the local paper. Anybody? Anyone? Oh wait, No Radio Records was peripherally mentioned in the local paper! Page two of the local section, bitches!

Oh snap!

Ahem. You can click on the post title or the link on the sidebar thingie to read the article.

But who, you ask are these gentlemen here? Well, the gentleman on the left is Dr. Nick Hopkins, who six years ago today removed a fairly ugly piece of my spine, allowing me to continue activities such as...walking. So yeah, raise your hand if you've had one of the top neurosurgeons in the country get all up in your spinal column. Anybody? Anyone? Oh snap!

Anyway. Thanks, Dr. Hopkins.

Oh, and that other guy I'm sure is pretty swell also.

And no more "Oh snap"s, I promise.

Pretty on the Inside.

You know the Christmas tree in the Charlie Brown Christmas special? How at first it's kind of sickly, and Chuck's all depressed (Tough luck, Chuck!), and then someone says "It's not a bad tree, Charlie Brown. It just needs a little love." That's how I'd like you to view these pictures. The store just needs a little love. And like real love, in-store love starts with sledgehammers. Next week, we start hammering our store with love.

I was in the store for about a half hour yesterday before realizing the power was on, thus this Tunnel of Light shot of our front room, which will serve as the retail space. That blue door there leads to the basement, which we'll talk about later. It also marks about where the register and espresso machine will be.

Shot through a window that will soon cease to exist, this will be our listening room. We're removing about 10 feet of wall to open it up to the front room, and that countertop on the right side is not long for this world. Hopefully (details are working themselves out) this room will be furnished with swanky stuff from Habitat of Ithaca. Or my grandma's old couch. Time will tell.



This is the creepy surgical steel tattoo chair left by the former tenants. If anyone knows anyone who needs one of these, we promise to not ask what for. Otherwise, this billy is ebay bound, cause it gives me the howling fantods.


Here we see nature introducing itself to the inside of our store via the space between two window sections. Part of me want to say, "Way to go, nature!" Part of me wants to smoke cigarettes and cry. All things considered, a minor intrusion of nature is pretty minor, and could be seen as a good omen. Somehow.


Lastly but not leastly, here is the kindly and psychedelic visage of Brian Wilson (thanks Erik!), watching over it all like machines of loving grace.

For Your Achy Breaky Heart: Sampler #2 Tracks 16-20

Been listening to a truly daunting amount of 70s rock these days, in anticipation of tonight's premiere Twice Shy Thursday. There's only so much Yes a man can take. Later this afternoon, I'll post some pictures from the inside of the store, since me and Chi are supposed to scope things out this afternoon. But for now, here's the last bunch of tracks. If I haven't already, I should mention that the credit for the cover photo goes to Sarah Schendel, from her Bonaroo Adventure.

Brandenburg- Beirut
Zach Condon is an unfairly talented 19 year old, who is the newest member of the "Compared to Jeff Mangum Club". While the muted horns on "Gulag Orkestar" may bring back Neutral Milk Hotel memories (NMH vet Jeremy Barnes also contributes to the album), Condon's vocals and guitar work seem more like a gypsified version of the cinematic country practiced by 16 Horsepower or the Pinetop Seven.

Dr. Monroe- Casey Dienel
Does she sound like a less self-absorbed Tori Amos? A girl Randy Newman? Casey Dienel writes little storysongs and sprinkles them with jazz lounge piano and croon, and her debut full-length, "Wind Up Canary" is by turns melancholic and funny, while avoiding the hokey pitfalls often encountered by folks who bring their baby grand out on tour.

Queen of the Rummage Sale- Bishop Allen
Nothing says summer like garage sales and this is the best tribute I'm aware of to that stately institution. Bishop Allen are one of the great unsigned bands out there and are currently in the middle of my favorite weird ambitious project in the offing. The band is self-releasing a four sond EP for every month of the year 2006, which is way more reasonable than a 22-song epic for every state (there are only 12 months, after all). Halfway in, the Brooklyn popsters have shown a diversity their album only hinted at. if these guys don't have a record deal by the end of the year, there is no justice in these united states.

This Heart's On Fire- Wolf Parade
Wolf bands are so last year, true, but this non-Spencer Krug track from "Apologies to the Queen Mary" sees the Quebeckers in top form, turning essentially one line into an emotional bludgeon, Dan Boeckner's smooth Shins-like vocals degenerating into a beautiful raw rasp by the end.

Woman- Wolfmother remixed by The Avalanches
It’s just so nice to see something be utterly destroyed! I’ll freely admit that I’m not swooning over Wolfmother. The vocals sound too much like Led Zeppelin, the guitars sound too much like Led Zeppelin, the drums, well you get the idea. Which is why listening to the Avalanches reduce the bombastic guitars to sparse piano parts and off-beat blurts of noise is pretty spectacular. Maybe the song is frustrating, ultimately unsatisfying and annoying, but it feels like a perfect deconstruction of a metal band to me.

Pictures later! I'm off to pick out which walls must be destroyed.

All Your Summer Songs

Happy Blowing Up of Things Day. Putting up music seems too labor intensive, and the combination of heat and Smog (the band, not the weather phenomenon) has reduced me to a heap on the couch, waiting for his pie to bake. Question put forth: what are the truly awesome summer albums? Not of this year, but in general. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville, Jefferson Airplane's Volunteers, The Dirtbombs' Ultraglide in Black and The Sea & Cake's The Biz. Tiajuana Moods by Mingus is in there as well. Sound off, what rocks in July?

Incidentally, a compromise has been reached in the legs vs. cabinet debate. Detente!

For Your Achy Breaky Heart: Sampler #2 Tracks 11-15

Happy Monday, folks. Busy business on the plate for today. Before I get to enjoy watching the City of Ithaca's premature Blowing Up of Things Day fireworks, I have to get through a meeting with my shelf-builder to discuss the cabinets vs. legs issue (that is, should the cd racks have cabinets or legs underneath them. I'd been leaning towards cabinets, just in the interest of storage space, but it involves a lot more wood, and after watching the Other Music clerks video on You Tube this morning, I kind of like the openness of just legs. Anyone else care to ring in?), followed by a meeting with The Talent to discuss the upcoming release of No Radio Records catalog item #001. Long, involved conversations about lumber followed by long, involved conversations about fonts. Also, today I'll be calling in the order for the first batch of No Radio stickers.

More tracks!


Mornings Eleven- The Magic Numbers
"Mornings Eleven" is a terribly cute mini-epic of a song (although according to the rules, a mini-epic must clock in at under five minutes. Prime example: "Alec Eiffel" by the Pixies). Unimpressed by brother/sister duos like the Fiery Furnaces, the Magic Numbers decided to be a brother/sister/brother/sister quartet, believing this would make them exponentially superior. Next they locked themselves in a house in England and listened to everything ever recorded by the Mamas and the Papas, including demo tapes and home movies. Finally, they unleashed their self-titled album onto US shores like a quadripedal pop monster. With harmony claws!

Shame- Devendra Banhart
Remember when Devendra Banhart recorded his albums on people's answering machines? If I was surprised by the quiet, tongue-in-cheek goodness of "Rejoicing" and "Nino Rojo", I was stunned when I first heard "Cripple Crow" and found that the Reigning Lord of the Wizard Beard Set had reinvented himself as Marc Bolan fronting the Coasters. This b-side from the "I Feel Like a Child" single plays around with the more rollicking elements of the album, Mr. Banhart and the kids prancing and sprightly.

Diary- Saturday Looks Good to Me
Technically, this is not a new song, but the massive SLGTM compendium, "Sound on Sound" is, so I'm allowed to include it here. I don't have enough superlatives on hand to talk coherently about Saturday Looks Good to Me, so I'll just mention that this is yet another of Fred Thomas's perfect pop songs, a straight-ahead rocker with few of the accoutrements common to Saturday tunes, just Fred's vocals barrelling through.

The Party's Crashing Us- Of Montreal
Is it even possible the same band that laid down the low-fi jangling accoustic guitars of "Cherry Peel" are also responsible for the disco-synth of "The Sunlandic Twins"? Of Montreal manages to surprise with every album while remaining unmistakably the same band. I heard they married a whole audience at a show. I'm incredibly enamored of the upsweep in Kevin Barnes's voice on the chorus's dizzying last word.

The Henney Buggy Band- Sufjan Stevens
I know it's way cooler to bash Sufjan than praise him. I know "The Avalanche" is not going to be radically different from the material that made it onto the stunning "Illinois" album and probably won't complete the album the way the plaintive hymns on "Seven Swans" completed the odes to urban planning on "Michigan". But I also believe Stevens crafts these songs with a savant-like belief that the songs NEED trumpets and glockenspiel and a backing chorus, and that he's written nearly fifty songs about the state of Illinois because that's how many songs about the state of Illinois he had in him. This little confection doesn't have the sheer weight of some of the pieces on "Illinois", but it does have that dash of glockenspiel that's been lacking in your life.

Enjoy the Blowing Up of Things Day festivities, all. I am going to attempt to make the fabled "Bloobarb" pie suggested to me last night, using the fresh rhubarb I found in my mailbox this morning. It probably goes without saying, but "bloobarb is my new favorite word. We'll see if it becomes my new favorite pie.