Taylor Swift Is My Hero + Songs By Rich Ruth, Frankie Valli Singing Dylan, Jeff Parker and Scorpio!!!
How is everyone doing?
First, RIP Bill Withers. I realized this week that I have a few of his 45s but none of his LPs. Something to keep an eye out for when we’re back out shopping again.
Secondly, I’ve been enjoying Questlove’s nightly DJ sets streaming on the Roots’ YouTube page. He’s also on IG and Twitch but I can’t speak to the audio quality there. We have a smart TV so I can pull YouTube up and stream there which sounds much better than listening through my phone. It’s not something we watch for long periods of time, but it’s a nice break from switching through Netflix hoping something will look interesting.
I’ve compiled a new batch of songs for everyone to check out this week. A couple of these are songs I’ve found digging through 45s trying to determine what to keep and what to sell. A couple are items I’m catching up on while home during quarantine. And there’s even a shout out to Taylor Swift who saved the day near the end.
Let’s jump in and if you’re interested in reading more about my audio projects and a books I’m reading, keep going…
1) Rich Ruth - Quarantine Sync 9
Nashville based Rich Ruth has released three EPs on Bandcamp since this quarantine began. Highly recommended for fans of ambient background music you can work to. This song in particular keeps the synths upbeat and moving along, giving you a feeling of motion in a time when most of us are stuck at home. These EPs can be purchased by naming your own price. I’d suggest $5 each and picking up all three! Be sure to check out his full length album, Calming Signals as well. I purchased the LP a couple weeks back and love it.
1. Bandcamp
2) The Wonder Who? - Don’t Think Twice
In 1966, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons released a 45 under the moniker, The Wonder Who?, covering this Bob Dylan classic. This was a 45 I found while organizing my collection and threw on the turntable just to hear the Dylan cover. This is a strange fast upbeat song sang in a very high falsetto by Valli that’s something any Dylan fan just needs to hear.
3) Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band - Scorpio
I’m sure I’ve heard this funky jam before but it wasn’t until I found the 45 of this song in the stack of 1,000 I bought over the holidays and put in on the turntable did it really sink it how great of a song it is. It’s all about the bongo breaks throughout the songs. I think Young MC sampled them for Bust A Move? Regardless, when scanning through piles of 45s, these are the ones that easy to look past but the “Detroit Guitar Band” on the label grabbed my eye and I knew I had to hear it. Play this one loud during quarantine and shake some dust off the couch you’ve been sitting on for weeks now.
4) Jeff Parker - Go Away
I loved Jeff Parker’s 2016 album, The New Breed and was excited to see a new LP released entitled Suite for Max Brown. This new LP is a wonderful blend of jazz meets sampled/looped instrumental jams that can get you up and moving. Near the end of the LP sits this song, Go Away, that as soon as it ended playing on my turntable, I moved the needle back to the beginning of the song and listened again. It’s upbeat, it’s funky and it moves with Jeff’s subdued guitar work that flourishes in the background instead of in your face while the occasional chant of “Go away” pops in and out. I cannot wait to throw this song into a DJ set.
5) Taylor Swift - Out of the Woods
News broke in Nashville this week that Taylor Swift donated enough money for one of our local record stores, Grimey’s, to cover their rent and pay their employees during this time of quarantine when the store cannot be open. What an amazing idea and thing for her to do. This donation might seem small but it’s such a cultural gift to Nashville to be able to keep a record store alive during these times of quarantine. Think about it, she could’ve just made a regular large donation to some charity and the impact would’ve helped people but this donation is something smaller, more direct, impacting lives immediately and keeping a small business alive that makes Nashville part of what Nashville really is. Kudos to Taylor. Now is a good time to mention that I always loved her 1989 album and this song title feels most appropriate now, more than ever.
READING:
This week I finished reading a pulpy detective novel by Ed McBain called Til Death. It’s a classic whodunnit cop novel written in 1959. I’ve had it on my shelf for years and finally pulled it down to read.
I also read the 33 1/3 book on J Dilla’s Donuts LP by Jordan Ferguson. I read the whole thing in two days and it’s quite the page turner as Ferguson does a good job equating the creation of Donuts to Dilla’s impending death. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of sampling, Dilla, etc.
I have The Expanse arriving this week and can’t wait to dive into that sci-fi wonderland.
AUDIO PROJECTS:
Okay, I have a huge stack of gear to work on and I’ve been reorganizing the piles into a new room giving me more space to work. I found two Pioneer SX receivers that I gave up on early on when I was learning how to repair these units. I believe I have both issues identified now and have parts ordered.
I’m also working on a Marantz 2216 that lost sound on the left channel. I believe I traced the issue to a bad output transistor. The parts should arrive this week and fingers crossed I will get it back and up running soon.
My personal Marantz 2270 has begun losing sound in the left channel, a common issue for these units. I need to rebuild the amp and phono boards and recap the power supply. Before I can start that, I need to finish these other small ones. That’s led me to subbing a Yamaha bluetooth receiver into my main system which has been interesting. I joked we’re currently living the streaming life. Not quite sure how I feel about it.
I set up a DJ rig with two turntables and a Numark mixer I bought over the holidays so I can start recording mixes. The device I need to record onto my computer arrives Wednesday. I do hope it works as I already have a mix ready for Easter. If I can figure this out, I’ll email a link to the mix here when ready.
I hope everyone is staying safe and staying home.
Hartley