September 2008 (PDF) - Antigravity Magazine

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COVER FEATURELOCAL BUSINESS THE IRON RAIL The Iron Rail Bookstore & Library is located at 511 Marigny St. in New Orleans. For more info call 504.944.0366 or go to ironrail.org. Just out of earshot of the French Quarter, on the other side of Elysian Fields sits a large brick building with a sign out front that welcomes any and all passersby to the Iron Rail Bookstore & Library—though don’t let the name fool you. In addition to its ever-expanding zine library, book collection and other resources, the Iron Rail also offers a good selection of punk and hardcore, metal and local records. But what makes their selection really pop is the small but caredfor used record section, which has become a swapping ground for some of the city’s DJs. This means that in addition to stocking up on Ebullition’s latest release or a Bikini Kill album, you can score classics like Herman Kelly & Life’s Percussion Explosion. One of the Iron Rail’s best features is its mobility; you can catch the Iron Rail at most book fairs and some shows around town as well, usually at the Big Top or the Dragon’s Den, with promoter Bryan Funck scowling at you from behind the table. This also means if you missed getting a CD from a touring punk band you can probably get it through the Iron Rail. AG talked briefly to Funck about the Iron Rail, which he explained is completely volunteer-run and in keeping with its revolutionary spirit, is governed collectively. When asked about the records the Iron Rail carries, Funck responded: “We want to destroy Capitalism, but until then, we just try to keep the prices as cheap as possible.” —Dan Fox; Photo by Dan Fox LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY PEACHES The demise of the Virgin Megastore and Tower Records soon after Katrina was a disappointment to a lot of music-buyers in town, so who would guess that a longtime staple of the city would resurrect itself to take their place, providing not only a high-profile shop on a French Quarter street but a locally-owned one to boot. Upon entering their new location, where one of the original deep blue Peaches signs stands triumphantly overhead, it’s clear that owner Shirani Rea is ready to revive this New Orleans institution. Operating for thirty-seven years, Peaches has long been a champion of local musicians (its last remaining location at Gentilly and Elysian Fields was widely known for its healthy stock of local bounce rap), and with the new location comes new opportunities to promote local music. In addition to stocking CDs and records from all types of acts (A quick browse turned up the new Hellkontrol 7” as well as a VHS copy of Cash Money’s iconic Baller Blockin’—how’s that for NOLA variety?), Peaches is also setting up to be a live show space and music distributor. This multimedia, multidimensional approach, or as Rea puts it, “cultural experience” is part of a business plan to stay relevant during the music industry’s transitional times. The front of the store, with its trademark floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking South Peters, features book racks and a cafe that will stock Liuzza’s gumbo and host a “coffee hour” with live performers. With such a fresh layout and ambitious plans, the new Peaches is making us all quickly forget about those other two stores. —Dan Fox; Photo by Dan Fox Peaches Records is located at 408 N. Peters St. in New Orleans. For more info, call 504.529.4411. Before Katrina, I bought a vinyl copy of Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced? from the Louisiana Music Factory for three dollars. It had a number of scratches on it, but damn if it didn’t play perfectly. Since Katrina, the sixteen year-old store has emphasized vinyl less because of limited space, but at the same time they have more rock vinyl on display since Tower Records and Virgin Megastore closed, and they were known for their rock selection. The Music Factory has removed the older vinyl, kept the high quality selections and welcomed the opportunity to sell new vinyl. According to owner Barry Smith, the Music Factory has “by far the most thorough and complete collection of local music in the city.” Who’s to argue? Their bottom floor is now completely local. Upstairs, you’ll find a new DVD section, a ceiling lined with t-shirts, a back wall lined with posters, national and international CDs, and the afformentioned soul, R&B, rock, and jazz vinyl. Local vinyl releases are also up there. A treasure trove is their collection of .45s, which, according to the sign on the shelves, is “mostly traditional jazz, dance bands, banjo players, some classic blues--good stuff.” Since the store’s beginning, local artists have played at the Music Factory on Saturday afternoons. Back in the day, Kermit Ruffins or Tuba Fats and the Chosen Few Brass Band might play every Saturday during a month. These days you’ll find Jimmy Robinson playing alongside 007 or Little Freddie King. Their JazzFest live schedule, which showcases at least sixty bands, has become almost as comprehensive as the actual JazzFest lineup. “It’s one of the few times when I can step back and appreciate the store from a different angle,” Smith said. “It’s easily the most rewarding time of year. The store gets packed with people from different countries.” Do yourself a favor and click the link to the YouTube videos from the 2008 Jazzfest in-stores at the Louisiana Music Factory website. After the interview I descended the stairs and saw Coco Robicheaux chatting with the clerks about Burning Man and how well his CDs are doing. “This is what it’s about,” I thought. “Local artists having a home for their music.” —Jason Songe; Photo by Zack Smith Louisiana Music Factory is located at 210 Decatur St. in New Orleans. For more info, call 504.586.1094 or go to louisianamusicfactory.com. 16_antigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative
COVER FEATURELOCAL BUSINESS THE MUSHROOM The Mushroom might look like it grew from hippie roots, but its birth is a far more extreme story than their subdued black light posters may lead you to think. As legend goes, the Tulane student body became radical with protests of Vietnam in 1969, occupied the university center and burned down the ROTC building. During negotiations between the protesting student body and the upper crust at the university, a settlement was reached where the students would receive their own book store and thus the Mushroom was born—in a back room of the Phelps dorm, selling books, comics, incense and soap, with music not coming until later. But when it did the place blew up quickly, inviting many non-students to the campus shop to talk and trade. Soon it swelled to where the Mushroom became the largest vinyl record store in the southern United States, but they got kicked off the university campus in 1971 and set up shop above Eddie Price’s, now known as the Boot. The Mushroom has been there ever since—right on what has become Frat Row, within walking distance to two of the city’s major universities while selling everything: new and used CDs, vinyl records, movies, posters, incense, jewelry and a plethora of pipes that allow you to cleverly and creatively smoke tobacco. It’s hard to be a college music store when the majority of the college kids are strictly downloading songs, both illegally and through legit means. Only about 30% of the Mushroom’s business comes from the Tulane and Loyola crowd. The rest comes from locals—collectors who will show up week after week, looking for something. The Mushroom is one of those places that decided to eschew the technological dawn of the twenty first century, with its internet-based sales and corporate chains—they come from a time where a record store was something much more than a place to simply buy a CD or an album, and the Mushroom’s owner, Tim, stresses this. “We believe its gotta be worth the trip. We gotta give them something to find. The collectors gotta be able to hunt, They gotta come here and walk away with treasure.” That’s what makes the Mushroom worth it, the idea that people can leave with something worth coming out for. And, as Tim said, “They got something that means something to them.” —Caroline DeBruhl; Photo by Dan Fox The Mushroom is located at 1037 Broadway St. in New Orleans. For more info, call 504.866.6065. JIM RUSSELL’S In the late ’50s and early ’60s, James Russell was a local concert promoter who was put in jail again and again for booking white musicians in black clubs and vice versa. Russell, who invented the term “sock-hop,” was also a manager who represented Deacon John, Eddie Bo, the Dixie Cups, Ernie K- Doe and many others. He was selling records out of his car when he decided to get more serious about distribution and in 1967 opened a wholesale store at 1837 Magazine Street. He closed and re-opened in 1969 as a retail store in the same location. This was the beginning of Jim Russell’s Records, which is now the longest-lasting music store in New Orleans. Walking into Jim Russell’s is overwhelming. Countless boxes of .45s are stacked high and hundreds, maybe thousands, of ten-inch vinyl records line the bottom of the CD aisles, out of sight. That’s just the beginning. There’s a side room where vinyl is stacked with no particular reason, a scavenger’s wet dream. The back room is the rock room, which easily wins the prize for the largest selection of rock vinyl in the city. During a tour of the store by co-owner Denise Russell, wife of Jim Russell, Jr., she led me past the rock room to what looked like a dead end. Then she pushed open a door and there was another huge room full of vinyl that could be a store unto itself. And then to know there’s more upstairs! Russell said she and her daughter are constantly rummaging through the unseen back room and selecting quality vinyl to bring to the front. Jim Russell’s had a particularly good JazzFest in 2008. The record players used for listening were always manned, usually by foreign DJs in New Orleans to attend the festival. Unfortunately, the store seems to be better known internationally than locally. Russell said locals frequently walk in and say, “I’ve never been here before. How long has it been here?” She said one time a local woman even apologized to her for not having visited the store sooner. Despite the JazzFest sales, the store is struggling. The city raised her property tax from $1600 per year to $5400, and her regulars from before Katrina have either not returned or understandably don’t have the disposable income for records. So we have to be careful not to lose this internationally known treasure trove—if you’ve got a turntable at home, swing by Jim Russell’s because you’ll likely find a couple, or ten, quality records to load onto your deck.—Jason Songe; Store photo by Dan Fox; Denise Russell photo by Zack Smith. Jim Russell’s Records is located at 1837 Magazine St. in New Orleans. For more info, call 504.522.2602 or visit jimrussellrecords.com. antigravitymagazine.com_17
Page 2 and 3: PHOTO BY MANTARAY PHOTOGRAPHY
Page 4 and 5: STAFF PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF: Le
Page 6 and 7: COLUMNLOCAL MUSIC LIVE NEW ORLEANS
Page 8 and 9: COLUMNMEDICINE DR. FEELGOOD CAN YOU
Page 10 and 11: COLUMNLEGALESE SOUND ADVICE HOW TO
Page 12 and 13: FEATUREMUSIC THE SILVER JEWS’ DAV
Page 14 and 15: FEATUREMUSIC WHAT STYLE? OUR STYLE:
Page 19 and 20: BEST SAINT EVER? PLUS: SEASON PREDI
Page 21: HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGEGAME PREVIEWS SU
Page 25 and 26: FEATURE REVIEWMUSIC ANTIGRAVITY: Yo
Page 27 and 28: REVIEWSBOOKS CHUCK PALAHNIUK SNUFF
Page 29 and 30: REVIEWSCOMICS GREGG HUR- WITZ, LAUR
Page 31 and 32: REVIEWSMUSIC THE REVIVALISTS THE RE
Page 33 and 34: EVENT LISTINGS Black Primer, Black
Page 35 and 36: EVENT LISTINGS of just over a year
Page 37 and 38: EVENTS/CONTINUED... Live New Orlean

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