TED TALKS PRESENTS: TED LISTENS EP. 3

THE SONG: "Shut In"
THE BAND: Strand of Oaks
THE ALBUM: HEAL
THE LABEL: Dead Oceans

I’ve had the distinct privilege of attending college in a forest. I say this because Strand of Oaks will forever be inseparable from mornings, half-asleep stumbling headlong into cold, reluctant jogs on the forest trails. Stuffing Leave Ruin (Strand’s first album) into my ears is what kept me going. The album’s introspective folk rock turned out to be the ideal soundtrack.
Enter HEAL, Strand’s fourth album. The tracks here were dredged from a fevered songwriting binge (30 songs in three weeks) by frontperson, Tim Showalter after coming off tour. The content is more upbeat and rock-centric (compounded by the help of J Mascis on “Goshen ‘97”)– portraits and vignettes of life’s intimacies abound.
So let’s talk about this week’s track, “Shut In.” As the title alludes, we are met with lyrics that construct a sort of universal internal contest– “How much do I care and how much do I try?” When Showalter opens with, "I was born in the middle, maybe too late, everything good had already been made," he encapsulates the existential struggle of many of us Americans in our 20's and 30's, staring down the supposed banality of our generation, oft proclaimed by our elders -you know...the ones who invented rock 'n roll. At the same time, the chorus works as an uplifting mantra, forcing us onward, into activity. "We try in our own way to get better, even if we’re alone."
The tune is built upon the simple oscillation of two chords strumming consistently, with the induction of an icy synth organ in the second verse that gives us an almost Springsteen vibe (makes sense from Showalter – an unabashed fan of older dad-rock). What really gets me is the guitar solo that comes tearing in around the two-minute mark - distorted, incredibly loud, overpowering. It’s a riff with such sing-song predictability…you can’t help but latch on. I’m not saying it’s out of place…but it is a definite statement, and a mystifying one at that. The question is, why? You’ll listen to it again and again regardless.
ANYWAY, I’m done. Pick up HEAL HERE!

OV PRESENTS: The Times w/ Chris Ziegler & Neil Schield TONIGHT @ Ace Hotel!

It's Friday dude, and you know what that means, The Times is back Upstairs @ Ace Hotel! On the slate this week is Chris Ziegler & Neil Schield, lookin' to get your groove going all night and weekend long!

The brainchild of our glorious leader, Neil Schield, ‘The Times’ brings together a diverse group of LA artists, musicians, writers, and DJs to share their favorite musical gems at the ‘creative mothership’ that is The Ace Hotel in Downtown LA. This weekly Friday event’s rotating cast includes Neil Schield himself, The Gaslamp Killer, LA Record founder Chris Ziegler, graphic artist/designer Steve Harrington, radio DJ and photographer Mukta Mohan, co-founder of dublab Mark ‘Frosty’ McNeill, rhythm & blues musician/producer Nick Waterhouse, and DJ/musician Clifton aka DJ Soft Touch. With a line up this diverse, the sounds are sure to run the gamut of nearly every genre and style created in the last one hundred years or so. These are THE TIMES!

The party gets started at 9PM dudes, so you better get all snappy looking quick!

ALBUM PREMIERE PARTY: Ryley Walker TONIGHT @ 7PM

Join us this afternoon for an album premiere party with Ryley Walker!

Coming all the way from Chicago, singer/songwriter Ryley Walker is currently touring on the release of his newest album All Kinds of You. Armed with his guitar, Walker brings an incredible energy with his unique twist on folk music and elaborate fingerpicking thats sure to make you're jaw drop to the floor. This afternoon we're going to hang out, have some pizza and dranks, and play the album in the shop with Ryley Walker himself, who will be stopping by before his show later tonight at The Echo!

So come on down tonight to hang and check out Ryley Walker's awesome new album! Wanna taste of the music before tonight? Check out All Kinds of You's track "Rollin a Top" below!

 

JUST ADDED: The Coathangers signing 8/6 @ 7PM

THIS JUST IN! The Coathangers will be coming into the shop on August 6th from 7-8PM to do a signing before their show later that night at The Echo with The Bots, White Fang, & Cobalt Cranes (event info HERE). We're super excited! There will be pizza and drinks, courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records. So come hang out and get your grub on with us and The Coathangers August 6th!

You can reserve your copy of their newest record, Suck My Shirt, on our online store HERE and pick it up the day of the event! Also, pick up tickets for their show are being sold in the shop for $12, cash only.  Check out this track from their latest album "Follow Me".

THIS JUST IN: Donut Friend Takes Over Record Club TONIGHT!

Tonight at Record Club, we're adding to our repertoire of round things by bringing in Highland Park bakers extraordinaire Donut Friend in to spin some vinyl with us! Already amazing purveyors of everything 90s alt-rock donuts, we fully expect their curation to both taste good and rock our damn socks off!

If you haven't heard of Donut Friend, well you need to hear about Donut Friend. Founded by Mark Trombino, who you may know as that dude who played in Drive Like Jehu and produced just about every 90s alt-rock gem you can think of, Donut Friend is where your love of Mineral meets your love of cake-bagel yumminess. Featuring beautifully titled donuts like "Rites of Sprinkles" and "Fudgegazi," Donut Friend both mashes up names like a boss (we like to think our punning inspired them), but also mixes flavors like you've never seen. We're talking bacon donuts, Sriracha donuts, goat cheese donuts, the works!  On top of that, in proper DIY fashion, Donut Friend allows you to describe your perfect donut, and watch it appear right before your eyes! It's actually the best thing ever!

As part of their curation of Record Club tonight, Donut Friend will be providing as many donuts as you can handle, high fives aplenty and a couple surprises that'll have you licking your lips. To keep in line with their 90s alt-rockness, we're hoping y'all can scrounge up a couple Jawbreaker records for us to spin too. Either way, it's gonna be pretty damn awesome and we can't wait to get our hands on your LPs and on Donut Friend's delicious donuts! The party gets started at 9PM at El Prado, so you better grab some napkins and get here quick!

NEW RELEASES ENTER...AND ANTICS ENSUE!

Joyce Manor - Never Hungover Again (PRE-ORDER w/ Signed Poster)

Goat - Commune (PRE-ORDER Loser Edition w/ Bonus 7")

Reigning Sound - Shattered

Liars - Pro Anti Anti

The Clean - Anthology | Box Set

Circulatory System - Mosaics Within Mosaics

Plastikman - EX (Live @ The Guggenheim, NYC)

The Acid - Liminal
Cabaret Voltaire - #7885 (Electropunk to Technopop 1978-1985)
Anna Calvi - Strange Weather EP
Cush - SP3
Miles Davis - The Musings Of Miles (Reissue)
Dot Hacker - How's Your Process (Work)
Jon Hopkins - Collider
Jon Hopkins - We Disappear
Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Expensive Shit (Reissue)
Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - He Miss Road (Reissue)
Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Live With Ginger Baker (Reissue)
Landlady - Upright Behavior
My Brightest Diamond - None More Than You EP
Nikki Sudden & The Jacobites - Texas
Anand Wilder & Maxwell Kardon - Break Line: A Musical
Woman's Hour - Conversations (White Vinyl)
Xeno & Oaklander - Par Avion

THIS JUST IN: Spoon Pre-Order w/ Vinyl Gratification

This just in: Beginning 7/15 we will be taking pre-orders for the new Spoon album They Want My Soul (release date 8/5) and in return you will receive instant gratification in the form of an exclusive 10'' vinyl with 3 unreleased tracks from their upcoming album! These records are exclusive to independent record stores as a part of Record Store Day and we are super stoked to be a part of the campaign! So make sure to pre-order your copy in the store on 7/15!

In the meantime, check out They Want My Soul's first single "Rent I Pay" below!

OV WEEKLY: This Week Is A Big Ball Of Fuzzy Wonderfulness!

It's true. Once you get past our tough-guy exterior, OV just loves puppies. We think it's a decent store philosophy. Enjoy the weekly below like you would a fluffy Golden or a silly looking Pug. 

Monday, July 14th
Corners Residency @ The Echo!

Now that all that nasty June Gloom has passed, it's high time July kicked into full gear! To help get the summer going, The Echo has recruited L.A locals Corners to get your beach towel out and get them beach-punk feet moving! Lolipoppers and garage maniacs through and through, Corners bring, raw licks, lo-fi production and general troublemaking with each hi-hat smash and wall of reverb. It's perfect for some sweaty July nights and we hope to catch you in the fray every Monday night! See you soon!




Tuesday, July 15th
This Week's New Releases Will Not Chew Holes In Your Socks!

As always, OV's got the hookup on the new release side, looking ahead, looking behind, generally keeping an eye out for ya dude. This week, we've got our Joyce Manor pre-order (check out the premiere party this Saturday!), new stuff from Liars & Anna Calvi, plus an awesome couple of reissues we'll keep a secret for now. If you wanna catch 'em all, check the blog Tuesday morning and get your hands on some shiny new vinyl!

Once you've got all the LP goodies you can handle, come on down to El Prado tonight for Record Club! As a special treat, tonight's edition of Record Club is co-sponsored by the confectionary geniuses over at Donut Friend! Mashing together the best of 90s alt-rock and stupidly good donuts, these Highland Park homies will be helping OV curate the evening's entertainment and will have plenty of surprises coming your way. It's gonna be the greatest combination of circular objects with holes in the middle you've ever seen! Check the blog for future deets!




Thursday, July 17th
Ryley Walker Premiere Party @ 7PM!

Coming all the way from Chicago, singer/songwriter Ryley Walker is currently touring on the release of his newest album All Kinds of You and will be performing at OV tonight! Armed with his guitar, Walker brings an incredible energy with his unique twist on folk music and elaborate fingerpicking that's sure to make you're jaw drop to the floor. So come hang out, have some pizza and dranks, and enjoy the album in the shop with Ryley Walker himself, who will be stopping by before his show later at The Echo!




Friday, July 18th
OV Presents The Times w/ Chris Ziegler & Neil Schield TONIGHT @ Ace Hotel!

Even though Neil has like, totally abandoned us, we still think he's pretty cool. One of the cool things he does is curate a weekly vinyl DJ extravaganza Upstairs @ The Ace Hotel featuring Chris Ziegler, DJ Soft Touch, Frosty, Mukta Mohan, Nick Waterhouse, Steve Harrington, The Gaslamp Killer and himself! It's a awesome night of music and partying and if you're looking to get your rooftop bar on this Friday then look no further! Tonight's wax spinners are Chris Ziegler and Neil Schield! See you there!

Saturday, July 19th
Joyce Manor Album Premiere Party @ 3PM! Guides In-Store @ 7PM!

Oh man. You know we love Joyce. OV buds, alums and just about our favorite people, we are so, so excited to premiere their newest album Never Hungover Again today at 3PM! While 2012's Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired might have hinted at the depth of sounds Joyce was playing with, nothing really can prepare you for Never Hungover Again. Taking a new shining to Brit-pop guitars and Smiths jangle, this Torrance group's newest LP explores pop-punk from top to bottom, bringing together the stupidly catchy riffs of Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired with the raggedly repeatable choruses of their self-titled to make an LP for the masses. We absolutely adore it and hope you'll stop by to join us for a night of Joyce awesomeness! Speaking of awesomeness, there might just be a surprise coming your way as well. But you donut hear it from us..



To top off the night, stick around for an awesome in-store performance from Guides! An LA-based experimental rock trio, Guides are fresh off the heels of their debut release, a 3-song 7'' that gives a short, yet powerful taste of what is to come from this rock trio. With vague melodies and distorted guitars, Guides create an immense wave of sound, unique enough to captivate any audience and likely to leave you with your mind blown! So come on down to OV for a new music marathon!

Giveaways This Week!
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Troubadour 8/7 - 1 ticket comes with the purchase of CYHSY's newest LP Only Run!

Keep an eye on our Twitter/Facebook for future giveaways!


Now that we've planned your week, I'm off to Canada for a bit. I'll send a postcard.

IN-STORE: Yellow Ostrich TODAY @ 3PM!

Today at 3PM, Yellow Ostrich will be performing in our loft!

From their practice space in the heart of Brooklyn, Yellow Ostrich frontman, Alex Schaff, studied astronomers and stargazed from his tiny window, in search for songwriting inspiration. The result was their newest album, Cosmos, a  dreamscape of astral guitar rock and electronic ambience that makes you feel like your floating through space! Building off there alt-rock backgrounds, Yellow Ostrich fused their modern sound with the a classic 70's psychedelic rock, creating a dense soundscape that might just make you see some stars on a gloomy LA night!

So come down to OV today at 3PM to see these Brooklyn rockers in support of their third album Cosmos! If you can't wait til tonight to have a listen check out their single "Neon Fists" Below! See you there!

IN-STORE: Greys TONIGHT @ 7PM

Come through tonight a 7PM to see Greys in the loft!

Strap your shoelaces tight and get ready for a raucous night of grungey punk rock with Greys! Coming all the way from our favorite neighbors to the north (Canada) Greys is touring on the release of their new album "If Anything" off of Buzz and Carpark Records and it kicks some serious butt. Self described as "loud rock" these guys sound like a mix between The Ramones and Wavves putting new-age twist on the classic punk rock sound with distorted guitars, shouting vocals, and catchy riffs that are sure to get you jumping all over the place.

So come on down and support these Canadian rockers! If you can't wait until tonight to rock out, check out there track Guy Picciotto of their new album "If Anything" below.

OV IN-STORES: THIS WEEKEND!

Hey, how's it going?
Oh, not so good?
Wait what, you need weekend plans?
Why didn't you say so! We've got you!
We're bringing you two killer in-store performances this weekend.

Check'em out:

Saturday, July 12th Greys In-Store @ 7PM!
 Strap your shoelaces tight and get ready for a raucous night of grungey punk rock with Greys! Coming all the way from our favorite neighbors to the north (Canada) Greys is touring on the release of their new album If Anything off of Buzz and Carpark Records and it kicks some serious butt. Self described as "loud rock" these guys sound like a mix between The Ramones and Wavves, putting a new-age twist on the classic punk rock sound with distorted guitars, shouting vocals, and catchy riffs that are sure to get you jumping all over the place.

Sunday July 13th: Yellow Ostrich In-Store @ 3PM!
Yellow Ostrich's latest release, Cosmos is different. Perhaps it’s the loss of band co-founder, Jon Natchez or maybe it’s the use of big name mixers and engineers. Regardless, I recall an interview with front-person, Alex Schaaf who asserted that if his records didn't sound different from one to the next - they probably weren't worth releasing at all. Word. The resulting collection of tracks (apparently inspired by spacehead extraordinaire, Carl Sagan) is often just as deep and nebulous as its subject matter. Hints of psychedelia butt against dark synths with lyrics that induce twice as many questions as they answer - the great unknown! Sure to be a stellar set.

OV PRESENTS: The Times w/ Nick Waterhouse & Mukta Mohan TONIGHT @ Ace Hotel!

It's Friday dude, and you know what that means, The Times is back Upstairs @ Ace Hotel! On the slate this week is Nick Waterhouse & Mukta Mohan, lookin' to get your groove going all night and weekend long!

The brainchild of our glorious leader, Neil Schield, ‘The Times’ brings together a diverse group of LA artists, musicians, writers, and DJs to share their favorite musical gems at the ‘creative mothership’ that is The Ace Hotel in Downtown LA. This weekly Friday event’s rotating cast includes Neil Schield himself, The Gaslamp Killer, LA Record founder Chris Ziegler, graphic artist/designer Steve Harrington, radio DJ and photographer Mukta Mohan, co-founder of dublab Mark ‘Frosty’ McNeill, rhythm & blues musician/producer Nick Waterhouse, and DJ/musician Clifton aka DJ Soft Touch. With a line up this diverse, the sounds are sure to run the gamut of nearly every genre and style created in the last one hundred years or so. These are THE TIMES!

The party gets started at 9PM dudes, so you better get all snappy looking quick!

OV PRESENTS: The Parlour Suite @ Downstairs at Fifty Seven July 30th

THIS JUST IN!

OV presents the Parlour Suite and My Hawaii on July 30th at Downstairs at Fifty Seven! This is a new spot in downtown that we're super stoked about. Definitely check it out, its going to be a ton of fun! Tickets are only five bucks and they're available HERE. The event is 21+. Hope to see you there!

THIS JUST IN: Purchase Los Globos tickets @ OV

THIS JUST IN!

OV is now selling tickets for events held at Los Globos! Come on down to the shop to pick up tickets for any of the events listed above!

THIS JUST IN: Spoon Pre-Order w/ Vinyl Gratification

This just in: Beginning 7/15 we will be taking pre-orders for the new Spoon album "They Want My Soul" (release date 8/5) and in return you will receive instant gratification in the form of an exclusive 10'' vinyl with 3 unreleased tracks from their upcoming album! These records are exclusive to independent record stores as a part of Record Store Day and we are super stoked to be a part of the campaign! So make sure to pre-order your copy in the store on 7/15.

Check out this song from their upcoming album "Rent I Pay"