Oxford Record Stores

Right now I'm posting from my favorite holiday island, Antiparos in Greece. I've been vacationing here for many many years, always very late August or early September to avoid the big crowds. I only have one more item left in my drafts folder, so I may have to take time off from my "busy" holiday schedule and write. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, this is about a previous trip, about a month ago. My girlfriend was supposed to be in Oxford on University business twice in the last years, but the trip kept getting cancelled: the first time due to a snow blizzard and the second time due to the pandemic. So now that we can travel freely once again, we decided to visit even though we don't have business there any more. We got around, seeing the medieval buildings and visiting historic pubs, and cafes. The free tour took us to some interesting places, mostly staying at the yards or entrances. You see, the colleges charge tourists quite a lot for a peak at their famous halls: We paid £7 for a 15-minute visit of Duke Humfrey's Library a.k.a. the library of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. And you can't wander around its halls, or even take a photo with your mobile. They just take you to a corner and tell you a few words about its history. And that's only one of the rooms of the old Bodleian library, if you want to see more of it you'll have to pay £18. Now I get that these are educational institutes and that they must do something to curb the flow of tourists, but they could restrict visiting hours instead of this. Every college in Oxford has similar connections to history or pop culture, which they use to attract tourists. I doubt that any of the bright minds that taught in Oxford throughout the centuries would consider the dining hall of Christ Church college to be of equal standing to the Acropolis of Athens, yet visiting them costs the same because the former "inspired" Harry Potter.

But, anyway, the town is well worth visiting - think only of the great fantasy works it inspired: Tolkien (Lord of The Rings), C.S. Lewis (Narnia), Lewis Carroll (Alice In Wonderland), Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials) all lived here. Alas, with a lesser writer like yours truly, you can only aspire for a rather realistic description of the town's record shops. I nevertheless hope that there is a little value in that, too. The first one I visited was the only one that stays open until late (22:00 on Fridays, which was the first day of our trip). That's because Big Scary Monsters Social Club (98 Cowley Road) also doubles as a purveyor of artisanal beer - and triples as a meeting place. Just a few tables and benches to relax, listen to good music, and chat with friends. Nice ambience and a youthful crowd. Its record collection isn't vast, just a few racks of alternative rock bands (new vinyl, mostly £17-22). Just around the corner, there's a beautiful art cinema called The Ultimate Picture Palace. So glad to see a movie theatre that's not a multiplex and plays something other than Marvel movies! On the opposite side of Cowley Road (nr. 101) you can find a regular record store, called Truck Store - although this also doubles as a café, one of a few places that will serve you decent coffee in Oxford. But you'll go there, of course, for the records - and you will find a good selection of vinyl and CD's, both new and "pre-owned" (apparently the word used isn't politically correct any more). New CD's around £12, except for a few offers. New LP's £20+, used ones (classic rock, jazz, funk, indie) usually £4-15. The collectible items aren't cheap, but there are still bargains to be found: good albums that you will enjoy listening, but are just not that valuable or rare. Truck Store also sells concerts tickets, and hosts artists for signings etc. Charity shops are a good place to get CD's (£0,5-5) but LP's are overpriced - once they were the place to dig for vinyl treasure, but that time has passed. 

Worth a visit though, not just for CD's and DVD's but also for books and other items. Plus, you know your money will help a worthy cause. There are some OXFAM shops scattered around the city (17 Broad St, 135 Cowley Rd, 15 Turl St) as well as a British Heart Foundation one (32 Saint Ebbe's St) that you may want to check. At the most commercial street in the city center (52 Cornmarket St) you can find the last survivor of the megastores era, HMV. This stores chain also deals in electronics, DVD's, books, clothes, and all kinds of pop culture items. So not a proper record store, but it still houses the biggest selection of new LP's and CD's in town, on its 2nd floor. Many LP's are on offer 2-for-£40, while there are also some cheaper selected titles (both on vinyl and CD).

A bit to the north (153 Walton Street, in the Jericho district) you can find another independent record shop called Riverman Records. It may look small, but there's a big variety across many genres (jazz, punk, indie, folk, classic rock, world music etc.). New LPs from £15, used starting from £2. You can expect to find some good LP's around £8, although real rarities are expensive. Here you'll also find some cheap 60's originals (rock'n'roll/ British Invasion stuff). Also, during my visit, they had a lot of African records - e.g. around ten different albums by Nigerian Juju artist King Sunny Ade, when bigger shops rarely even have one in their inventory. A couple of other places on the same street that we liked: The Last Bookshop and Opera Café. We quite loved this city, and not just for the record shops; mainly for its history, architecture, atmosphere, pub food etc. If you're ever in London, you should certainly consider an Oxford detour for a day or two.

Los Bitchos "Let the Festivities Begin!" 2022***

I know that for many of you the summer is almost over, but my summer has just begun... and I have declared this CD to be the official soundtrack. It's fresh, and fun, and - OK, a bit repetitive, but did I mention it's fun? With a title like Let the Festivities Begin!, the band has made their intentions clear from the start, and  all I can say is "mission accomplished". Talking about the band, this is comprised by four young ladies from all around the world: guitarist Serra Petale comes from Australia, keyboardist Agustina Ruiz from Uruguay, bassist Josefine Jonsson from Sweden, and finally drummer Nic Crawshaw is a local (English) girl. So, three different continents and an island that's unsure as to where it belongs. We shouldn't also forget to mention the 5th -honorary- Bitcho, producer/co-writer Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand fame. He's the one who "discovered" the band and ushered them into the studio in order to record what he heard as soon as possible. The album was ready to hit the stores by January 2020 - and then the pandemic hit, so with no chances of promoting the CD with live shows, its circulation kept getting postponed until the first half of 2022. Then, in the summer of the same year, I chanced upon it during a visit to England, and brought it home. The moment I heard the first song, I got a clear idea of what I was in for: "The Link Is About to Die" is not just a strong opener, but also a perfect introduction to the band: this combination of surf guitars, 60's psychedelia, funk, and Latin rhythms (with the occasional oriental flourishes) is what Festivities... is all about. The group have described their sound as "a retro-futuristic blend of Peruvian chica, Argentine cumbia, Turkish psych, and surf guitars" - so precise that they are robbing music critics of the chance to come up with a description of their own. The album is completely instrumental; if I'm not mistaken that's a novelty for girl bands, but the four Bitchos are profficient enough musicians to pull it off. The guitar is, as usual, the prevailing instrument: Serra Petale is now my favorite female guitarist not named after a Batman supervillain. But the synths add a different dimension, introducing an electronic/disco influence, the bassist ups the funk, and drummer proves quite agile in handling crafty tempo changes. These changes being among Los Bitchos signature moves: they make a 4-minute song like "Las Panteras" sound like a mini prog epic comprised of many smaller pieces expertly stitched together. "FFS" ([not] coincidentally the name of a supergroup comprised of Alex Kapranos and The Sparks' Mael brothers) ups the oriental touches with a Greek bouzouki intro - courtesy, I believe, of half-Greek Kapranos. "Try the Circle!" marries oriental guitar licks with a backtrack out of cheesy 70's crime TV shows. "Tropico" sports a comparatively hypnotic reggae beat, but the overall mood is upbeat, celebratory, and more than a little silly. All in all, this may not be a great album, but it sure is a fun one - which obviously has been the point all along. If you haven't succumbed to the ease of streaming playlists, and still play CD's at parties, you're going to need this one! 

**** for The Link Is About to Die, Pista (Fresh Start), FFS, Las Panteras, Change of Heart

*** for I Enjoy It, Tropico, Good to Go!, Tripping at a Party, Try the Circle!, Lindsay Goes to Mykonos

The Last Internationale "We Will Reign" 2014****

Apparently The Last Internationale have been around for more than a decade, yet I first heard of them just last month: I got tickets for Kiss' concert in Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, and wanted to check the support band to determine what time to arrive. I liked what I read about them, as well as the clips on youtube. It also turned out that they had already supported another classic rock band I saw live: The Who, in 2015. I missed them then, because I had finished working late and got to Ziggo Dome just before the headliners came onstage. This time I made sure to be on time (only missed a few minutes of their show), and was really impressed by their performance: a very dynamic garage/ hard rock band, whose confident and energetic frontwoman sounds like a mix of Patti Smith and Aretha Franklin. How the fuck did that band miss out on rock stardom? 

It seems that, when they released their major label debut We Will Reign, they were on their way to wider international recognition: Having paid their dues playing their rebel songs for smaller audiences, the New York duo of singer/bassist Delila Paz and guitarist Edgey Pires had become increasingly self-assured, moving from folk protest songs to MC5-inspired maximum rock and soul. They came to the attention of another radical musician/political agitator, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who linked them to former RATM drummer Brad Wilk and producer Brendan O' Brien. With Wilk joining on drums, and with O' Brien and (Jack White associate) Brendan Benson producing, they recorded this CD for a major label (Epic/Sony) and went on tour supporting rock legends like Robert Plant and The Who. Then something must have gone wrong. Being an incendiary live act (I can testify to that), their exposure to large audiences should have taken them on the road to stardom. Instead, they left Sony and went back to releasing the rest of their (difficult to find, now) albums independently. Was it a belated crisis of conscience about working for a multinational? RATM never had such problems: they broadcast their anti-establishment messages loud and clear, never fussing over who it is that distributes them to the masses. Anyway, The Last Internationale are still quite active as a live act - if you have the chance to see them play, don't miss it. This album opens with one of their strongest songs "Life, Liberty, And the Pursuit of Indian Blood". Reminding us that the U.S. were built on the backs of Indian genocide and black slave labor, they call for a new beginning that's not based on injustice. Musically there are echoes of The Who, Led Zeppelin, and The Patti Smith Group. "We Will Reign" is slightly slower and groovier with chanted backing vocals. "Wanted Man" is the album's most commercial track, which isn't a bad thing: a rhythmic piece with soulful vocals and twangy guitar, it was rightly chosen as lead single: easy on the ears, with a video that's easy on the eyes, it made for perfect promotional material. It's followed by a tougher beast called "Killing Fields" - here the RATM connection becomes more evident, especially on the drums and guitars. The next songs turn down the decibels just a bit: mid-tempo "Battleground" and "I'll Be Alright", 60's cover "Baby It's You", and acoustic ballad "Devil's Dust" are immaculately produced, with Paz's soulful delivery on full display, but the explosiveness of their live performances is absent. "Fire" 's harmonica and heavy blues riffs bring some of the fire back. The album closes just as it started, with a politically charged punk soul dynamite. This one's called "1968". The band used it to close their set at Ziggo Dome, giving Pires the chance to let rip on guitar, briefly stealing the spotlight from his charismatic bandmate: while the band all have a good onstage presence, it's Paz's moves that attract all the attention - even when she's abandoned the stage, joining the audience and singing from among the crowd. It's a pity that the excitement of their live concerts can't come across in their recordings. O' Brien and Benson are excellent producers but in this case they may have erred on the side of caution, "cleaning up" the band's sound too much. Or maybe they tried to distinguish The Last Internationale from other female-fronted hard rock/garage/soul bands: if the record was a bit rowdier, you might mistake it for The Bellrays. A bit bluesier, for the Alabama Shakes. But what really sets this band apart from the others in their niche, is their lyrics: although they've moved away from it sonically, Pires and Paz's songs are still deeply rooted to the progressive American folk tradition of the 60's. The new incarnation of the band has won me over: the addition of second guitar and keys makes for a fuller sound, there's a bigger R&B influence in the vocals, and -despite losing Wilk who returned to RATM- the overall sound is more dynamic than on the CD. I look forward to seeing them play again, and to listening to more of their recordings. 

**** for Life Liberty And the Pursuit of Indian Blood, We Will Reign, Wanted Man, Killing Fields, Fire, 1968       *** for Battleground, Baby It's You, Devil's Dust, I'll Be Alright