JA/TDOT: 2-LP re-press available now (w/ expanded booklet)

Cups N Cakes Vinyl Unveil: The Willie Dunn Anthology

Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies on CBC's Q (Lawrence Dunn and Kevin Howes speak to Tom Power)

Today on CBC's Q... PEACE

22/43

"Half the World Away" or almost half of my life away. Any which way, this was me at 22, a little-big-skinny-tall drummer boy, an Oasis fan (well, I leaned towards Blur a bit more, I think), a gin and beer drinker (not in the same drink, silly), sometime amphetamine taker (or was it antihistamine?), where ecstasy filled the air at the club(s) where smokes were still smoked and we danced forever and held each other tight. Hey, does this transport card still work?

London and Tokyo (Konnichiwa, Ichiro!) were my personal meccas during this era (has anything changed? Well, yes, slightly...) and I took my first trip to England during the same week as the Gallagher brother's biggest gigs to date in the summer of '96, two days at Knebworth where over 2 million people applied for 250,000 available tickets. I decided to pass. Was I already over it? I'm listening to "Rockin' Chair" as I type, the emotional b-side of "Roll With It," and it's making me teary eyed, the distance, the innocence, and the naivety, simply seeking out and grooving on the beat and the beats and even some of the better words, wherever they came from: Manchester, New York, Paris, Kingston or Toronto.

I had just started playing records out to the universe (soul, funk, and reggae mostly w/ a little 60s jazz and other assorted mod gear), my dear mother, rest her soul, was still alive, and I worked full-time as a music clerk/buyer at HMV #852 in Coquitlam Centre after graduating from SFU. The store was MASSIVE, with more music than a fully loaded jukebox or a 160 gigabyte iPod Classic. It was our very own Youtube before that even existed (imagine that, eh!?), a library of sound, that is to say, we had almost everything, a bastion of culture in suburbia heaven and hell where the dogs ran wild at night.

I was sick during that first journey across the Atlantic (*More on that later!) and to be totally honest, I could barely understand a word that anyone was saying to me upon my arrival in the UK, from the airport staff commuting from central London to the old Liverpudlian at the chip shop down the road. "Sorry, do you speak English?" It took two more trips in 2000 and 2004 to finally get the swing of it and I feel that I'm ready to be here now once more. This time, there's a bit more of a purpose to the motion, Light in the Attic Records' sweet 16 anniversary festivities, a label that I've helped to shape for over 14 years.

Does anyone actually read liner notes? Well, don't tell LITA! ; ) And please note, my best notes were written for the 2006 re-release of the mighty Noel Ellis (Summer Records, 1983). On this go round, I'm traveling alongside and in support of Willie Thrasher and his singing partner Linda Saddleback and I'm sad and somewhat frustrated to report that certain outlets in the Canadian mass media have ignored my requests to cover this historic event, but trust me friends (yes, we're still friends), THIS IS A BIG F%CKING DEAL!@#$%!!!

Willie, who's been at it for over 50 years and is still rocking harder than yer latest and momentarily greatest buzz band of twenty-somethings w/ crass managers and sly booking agents and flash photographers and stylish stylists and posing press people and a full season of government sponsored festival dates (no diss, we'll see how many of you are still at it at 69, like Willie! Grassroots or not...), a residential school survivor, a Grammy nominee (Native North America represent!), and SO much more... Did I mention that this is Willie's first trip off of Turtle Island, singing his Inuvialuit heartbeat songs with his beloved partner on the doorsteps of the colonizer in one of London's most respectable and professional concert venues?

YES FRIENDS, THIS IS A BIG... F%CKING... DEAL...

So Canada, WAKE UP!!!

And in the meantime, London town, we're coming for YOU!!!

PEACE

Light In The Attic Presents: The Shaggs "Philosophy Of The World"

Willie Thrasher - Spirit Child (Future Days Recordings/Light in the Attic)

 Available: October 30th, 2015

Spirit Child is the debut LP from Inuk singer-songwriter Willie Thrasher. Thrasher was born in Aklavik, a hamlet located in the Inuvik region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1948. At five years of age, Thrasher was taken from his family and sent to a residential school where he was forbidden to practice his Inuvialuit culture, a shameful initiative by the Canadian government to assimilate Indigenous people into mainstream society. Music was a way for Thrasher to escape the pain and longing. In the mid-1960s, Thrasher drummed for The Cordells, one of the first Inuit rock bands. One evening, a stranger recommended that the group tap into their Aboriginal roots instead of the charts for inspiration. This prompted Thrasher to take up the guitar and write songs about his life, people, and the environment. Despite losing a portion of his left middle finger in a work accident, Thrasher became a musical vagabond, travelling across Canada and the United States throughout the 1970s and well into the 1980s meeting many other First Nations, Métis, and Inuit musicians. Spirit Child was released by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 1981 and provided a further opportunity for Thrasher to reconnect with his Native heritage and share this love and understanding with people from other cultures. “Silent Inuit” became a northern hit for Thrasher, but with limited commercial support and little promotion outside of northern communities, the album eventually fell to the wayside. Today, Thrasher lives in the town of Nanaimo, B.C., where he performs as a city sanctioned busker with his partner Linda Saddleback. The global attention garnered by Light In The Attic’s Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985 has led to recent performances at the Austin Psych Fest and Levitation Vancouver. Wherever he may be, Willie Thrasher is a trailblazing troubadour with an Indigenous heartbeat sound. Let Spirit Child open your ears, heart, and mind to a new folk-rock reality.

• Officially licensed reissue
• Featured on Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985
• Expanded gatefold edition with full lyrics
• Newly re-mastered

LITA.net pre-order edition:
- “Burnt Orange” Wax limited to 200 copies (2 per customer)



More info and pre-order links at http://lightintheattic.net/releases/2004-spirit-child

LITA 2nd annual Summer Spectacular

i made a list!@#$%!!!

; ) !!!

Native North America (Vol. 1) album trailer

Over the last four years, I put my heart and soul into curating and producing an archival music project for Seattle/Los Angeles-based Light In The Attic Records. The goal was to bridge generations, cultures, and eras of technology while helping to share some of the most engaging songs and stories I’ve ever heard. Do you know the music and words of Willie Dunn, Shingoose or John Angaiak? How about Morley Loon, Eric Landry or The Chieftones? Well, now is the time! Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, and Country 1966-1985 features 23 diverse Indigenous artists/groups in a lovingly assembled 3-LP/2-CD box set (also available through digital channels) w/ an extensive liner notes book including bios, original artwork, and period photographs. To me, music is about connecting with others in a positive way. It’s also about sharing and caring. If you like what you see/hear here, please spread the good word! 

BIG love, 
Sip

*more info, tracklisting, and audio samples at Light in the Attic Records

aadl.org

LITA NEWS

> read more...

soundtrack of my life

 re-post from light in the attic

It’s the very last day of 2012, and we’ve got a lot to look forward to, but we sure love lookin’ back. Stephen John Kalinich (poet/Beach Boys Lyricist) sent us this list of his top ten all time favorite songs, and it’s so very full of love and positivity that we thought it’d be a great thing to share as we head into 2013! So happy new year! We’ll see you all next year! (click the song titles to listen)

The Sound Track of My Life
By Stevie Kalinich

1. “Within You And Without You” (The Beatles’ “Sergeant Pepper”) (George Harrison)
I love the sitar and the lyric and the music together are one of the most inspiring moments in Pop Music to me. Alex and I were talking about the space between us all and the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion. My God that sums it up all the phoniness and false postures we put on to be popular, rich or famous. To strip them all off and be authentic. An amazing album and an amazing, moving song. A song I can play again and again. George was a major force and I like this song so much. It is a permanent Album in the Soundtrack of My Life.

2. “Imagine” (John Lennon)
The melody and the words together make me cry and touch me every day. The union and the force of the message is unsurpassed. It is like a hymn a calling to arms. It may be idealistic but the thoughts and ideas musically and lyrically inspire me deeply and are a corner stone upon a world that can bring forth transformation and peace. The melody flows through me like an inner cleansing. The words are like petals of lotus blossoms. They cleanse the heart and refresh the soul and the music plays in me every day. I imagine and it is calling forth without preaching like, consider this proposition for the world . Is within reach? Where does the ideal meet the reality?

3. “In My Room” (Brian Wilson)
Brian captures here a melody and lyric that is universal and so profound and touching in its simplicity. The simple fact is it may be one of the most meaningful songs ever written. It really grabs me. We all spend so much time in our rooms alone as a teenager especially. All our insecurities, our hopes, our friendships are expressed here. How we will build a future and so much of our later life. We are in our room too, but mostly at the ages of 13, 14, 15, 16. Those years we are formulating. Not yet having families and being married. A sweet moving tribute to loneliness, to go to a special place .The room is the place inside yourself where you can just be you. This is a track that will always be in my life.

4. “God Only Knows” (Brian Wilson)
Possibly the most beautiful love song ever written! The melody melts my heart again and again and the simplicity of the words just echoe in my heart and mind. The sheer beauty of the melody even alone, touches me so sweetly and brings tears of joy to me. It is music that can heal me and comfort me when I am lonely.

5. “Let It Be” (The Beatles – McCartney Lennon)
Wow! What a song, what notes – what sentiment. A simple touching, powerful melody, that has touched a generation. I love this song. What else can you do as life unfolds but let it be? Take it from where it is and continue. No matter what I go through, what trial, sorrow, loss, sadness. I have to let it be. It is the only viable option. I love this track so much.

6. “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” Don McClean
A story of a great artist, that in some ways reminds me of Brian Wilson, my sweet friend. It expresses the sadness of Van Gogh’s life, his inability to overcome his challenges and demons and still to produce this great moving human art. It expresses the struggle of an artist to create and how creativity does not always bring happiness and joy. The melody is breath-taking and beautiful. The words are wonderful and do not sugar-coat the reality. How the artist today mostly goes unrecognized and unacknowledged. When I hear the track I can feel the colours and the pain and the struggle. Yesterday I was with Brian and he said, “Stevie, I feel like an outsider”, and I felt sad that someone who has given the world so much beauty and inspiration could still be struggling and sad. He is courageous and still hanging in there but success has not been an easy path for him. True artists never know how much good they have done. If they could feel for themselves what they have put into melody for others and have compassion for themselves and be comfortable within their own skin that would be wonderful and this track does it for me very brilliantly.

7. “Whiter Shade Of Pale” Procul Harem (Keith Reid/GaryBrooker)
“We skipped the light fandango, turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor, I was feeling kinda seasick, but the crowd called out for more” - I love this lyric and melody by a great group. I know in England this song is huge. The melody is haunting and it captures a spirit and an age to me that I adore and love. It is a trip too. I love this song and in the movie “Withnail and I”, it captures a time of innocence and wonder before they fell apart and crashed.

8. “Let Me Be” The Turtles (P.F Sloan)
This track, this version defines my young days when I was trying to find my way and everyone was telling me what to do and be and I just wanted to be left alone and do my own thing. My parents bugged me, my friends and everyone. Let me be was like an anthem to me. I loved “Eve Of Destruction” that P.F wrote as a teenager but this one really took hold of my heart and the melody was singable and rememorable and I loved it. “Let me be, let me be, that’s all I ask of you”. I still feel that way.

9. “Mr Tambourine Man” (Bob Dylan)
I love this track. The melody is kick ass and really rocks and the words “One hand waving free”, that is me! England, France, Ireland, Italy, UK, Scotland! On the travel on the road, I love this track. It is a lot like life to me. The song of the open road, the Walt Whitman way I have lived, a lot of my life. This track is a major player and holds true. Bob captures a lot of what so many feel and for me this was the one. Wow! Music like this is from the Gods Divine. I love pouring through a human being. It is exciting and life is vital and alive and open still, the mind is open and expanding. A great track! “Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind, Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves, The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach, Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow. Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, Let me forget about today until tomorrow” – Bob Dylan

10. “Reign Over Me” (The Who – Pete Townsend)
“Only love, Can make it rain, The way the beach, Is kissed by the sea Only love, Can make it rain, Like the sweat of lovers, Layin’ in the fields Love, Reign o’er me, Love, Reign o’er me, Rain on me, Rain on me” I love this music. I love the Pearl Jam version in the new Adam Sandler movie. What a great feeling, touching, gut wrenching melody and lyric. I love, love, love this track. It really gets to me. When the world is falling apart at the seams, I think of this, or hear it and I am washed clean. It goes deep and gets at your soul.

These are the tracks of my life – Chapter One.

Love,
Stevie

Pick up Stephen’s record, A World Of Peace Must Come at LightInTheAttic.net

mo' mowest...

one of my BIGGEST thrills at light in the attic's 10th anniversary jam in L.A. was dropping an extended selection of tracks from the double LP, our lives are shaped by what we love: motown's mowest story 1971-1973. as a hub for music, TV, and film, los angeles is a city rich in history and feeling and i couldn't help but smile as the records played through the warm el rey sound system. today, such music has an extended global audience, far beyond the reach of the original records (thank you internet!@#$%!!! ). above is a scan of the japanese OBI (magnum cat/disk union) for the our lives are shaped by what we love CD... hope music heads there enjoy the music as much as we do here in north america (def time for another visit to the land of the rising sun!@#$%!!!). it was an honour compiling and annotating this release for LITA. here's to more fun ahead... PEACE!!!

lizzy labels

supreme la rock (aka mr. supreme)

i've known seattle-based supreme la rock for a few years, but the hommie mr. supreme for even longer. for a short while i knew a crazy dude named pappi panama, but i can barely remember his trip. one time, i even read about a cat named born supreme in a pacific northwest hip hop zine, but hell, that was likely over 15 years ago... what do all these nutters have in common??? they are the cultural brainchildren of danny clavesilla.

for those who don't know, supreme is a true enigma (trust me, i'm not exaggerating an iota here) and one of the deepest musical maniacs rolling. his record collection (see videos below, part 1 and 2) is the stuff of much-ballyhooed legend, but i've witnessed it live and direct so any haters, wet mouths or non-believers out there can simply fall back. to add to the insanity, supreme was also 1/2 (along w/ super producer jake one) of legendary break beat tape dons, the conmen. it was their series of self-released cassettes—that probed deep into the murky depths of sample archaeology (soul, funk, jazz, library, EZ, world, and whatever your imagine could create... and beyond...)—that turned me on to a new reality and musical attack... i remember visiting sea-town w/ my DJ partner kamandi to link w/ preme for a record deal while he and jake were recording a conmen mix (veteranos???) many moons ago (*unfortunately, their last mix dropped 10 years ago).

needless to say, these were different times, and there was serious secrecy in the air. break beats were highly coveted, gold-like commodities then, a producers or disc jockeys secret weapon, and not to be shared w/ canadian strangers like us. jake was making sure that we couldn't see any of the album sleeves they were using for the project. pure comedy.  in retrospect, this competitive nature and one-upmanship helped elevate these artists to the highest levels in their respective games. supreme, once a talented rap producer w/ his conception records label and as part of the pioneering sharpshooters duo w/ deejay sureshot, has now turned his attention almost exclusively to world-wide DJ work. jake's production track record on the other hand is truly mind-blowing. but back to the DJ...

after forging a musically-minded friendship w/ supreme, kamandi and i even tried to bring the record guru north to our weekly soulcial party at the chameleon urban lounge. of course, this was a big deal for us and we not only had our mate jay gundzik design a spot on ad-like flyer for the occasion (see above), but also bought a beautiful bottle of X.O. hennessey as something of a rider. well, the night arrived and the club was more busy than usual, brimming w/ electricity, but no supreme. "sally got a one track mind," "ring the alarm," and dusty soul and funk 7"s filled the air as we waited for the headliner. though we had hung around the hotel patiently for hours beforehand and tried calling numerous times, it was safe to say that supreme was M.I.A..

eventually, we heard from the man. he had been detained at the border and denied entrance. DAMN!@#$%&?!!! perhaps the sight of a grand, tattooed man driving a mercedes benz filled w/ vinyl records made the guards a little suspicious. hard to say. anyways, our club patrons eventually found out that our guest of honour wasn't able to make it, and we finished the night a little deflated after such anticipation. c'est la vie i guess. but the night wasn't over yet. likely more than half cut at this point, we decided to crack supreme's henne and between a couple friends, proceeded to finish the WHOLE bottle at various locations across town. we ended the evening on the beach after making our 15th utterly obscene phone message to supreme's cellular, cursing him for not making the date. safe to say, if he still has these messages recorded somewhere deep in his archives (*i wouldn't be surprised, this man has EVERYTHING!!!), they could be potentially libelous in a court of law. oops...

regardless of our youthful hijinx, the point of this post is to say that supreme has been one of my biggest musical inspirations (teaching me to dig D-E-E-P-E-R... and always w/ a sense of humour), partially responsible for my rewarding link w/ light in the attic records (*BIG props to a man like shane as well!!!), and an all-around rad dude... it's our utmost honour to host supreme la rock for an all-vinyl set at this week's history of dance event at vancouver's waldorf hotel! thankfully, proper paper work for his journey has been taken care of this time. couldn't do it any other way. see you at the club folks! along w/ dancing bear of ladyhawk fame, jason lev, the magical rahaan from chi-town, and yours truly, prepare yourself for a bonkers evening...

cool it