The Reverends at Penny Road Pub

The Reverends, who hail from right here in Elgin, Illinois, spit in the face any genre that you may try to categorize them in. Their Facebook page says, "Whatever You Think We Are" to describe their genre. They are a 5 piece band, sometimes augmented by a horns, play their music with a conviction you'd hard pressed to find it bands two or three times their age. By my last count, none of them are old enough to *even* buy a drink at Penny Road Pub. One of the members "other band" is a Marching Band at Elgin High School

They play their own original material from their 2010 self-titled CD release "The Reverends" (Find it by going to Rediscover Records and picking up a copy. It's also available on iTunes & their own website. Please buy your music). These songs capture the essence of the songs that they do cover. Excellent originals like "That Song" and "Red Dress" are driving R&B sounding songs. The songs they cover are done with such reverence that if Otis Redding was to hear them play "Shake", he wouldn't be rolling in his grave, he'd be rocking and rolling in it.

It doesn't matter that 70's rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose was at the Penny Road Pub only the night before. The crowd at PRP was there to see The Reverends. I had seen them a handful of times before and while they've always impressed me by playing music beyond their years, they've continued dazzle. Now, they switch instruments, lead vocalists, and incorporate other instruments. One moment their sound is so authentic you'll think you are on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and within a few songs, you are transported north up the Mississippi to the heart of Stax/Volt country in Memphis. There is little banter between songs, so after a little shuffling the next songs in the set may include original material like "Let Nothing Be Put to Rest", the bluesy harmonica of "Loose Hips", indie rock like Old Crow Medicine Show or the best cover of The Decemberists "O Valencia" you may ever hear. I think Colin Meloy himself would stand and applaud.

Due to band commitments, vacations, school, their dates are limited for the rest of 2011. Do yourself a favor and catch The Reverends at their next show. Throw away the genre tags. It's just great music. The Reverends are: Tanner Bednar, Wyeth Bednar, Brandon Couture, George Rapidis, and Chas Sirridge.

Rest In Peace, Big Man

"You want to be like him, but you know you can't"

--Bruce Springsteen

You never want to think of days like this, when people who influenced your life (even if you never knew them, let alone, met them) have passed on. Today is one of those days as we found out late last night the passing of Clarence Clemons. "The King of the World, Master of the Universe, Do I have to speak his name? Clarence 'The Big Man' Clemons!"

I didn't experience the wonder, the majesty, the fist pumpin' experience of a Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band show until Alpine Valley, Wisconsin 1984. While that is now 25 years further on down the road, I've always felt a little late to the Springsteen party. I'm so glad I got to the party and it's been a continuous party of memories ever since as I have seen Springsteen (a modest count relatively speaking to some Springsteen fanatics) 20+ times since that affirming show in 1984.

It's one thing that Springsteen himself is one of the more dynamic performers of any era, the fact that Clarence was his main foil, his rock n roll partner, and one of the best rock sidemen of all time, just added to the experience. To sit behind the stage and see the joy and exuberance of total strangers after Clarence plays the solo to "The Promised Land" are memories I will never forget. To see an entire section of an arena erupt as he kicks into solo of "Badlands" is something that has to be experienced, and sadly, experienced no more. He was just cool. I mean, *cool*. Look at this picture. It's cool. Period.

It's giving a total stranger at a Springsteen show a knowing look after the "Prove it All Night" solo that you both saw the *same* thing and have this same bond. It's Clarence going to one wing of the stage and Bruce going to the other wing as we pulled outta here to win during sax solo and coda of "Thunder Road" and meeting in the center in a joyous celebration with 20,000 of your friends are things I will never forget. I can't tell you how many times I just opened the gatefold of the "Born to Run" record and just stared at it. How many times did I go to a Springsteen show and see Clarence's saxophone's on the stage before the show and just countdown the moments til the house lights went down and we'd hear Clemon's first solo. On the "Tracks" tour of 1999, it was the song I have on now, "The Ties That Bind" from 1980's "The River". I saw the 1992 Human Touch/Lucky Town tour, just one show, with Springsteen and some other musicians not the E Street Band. This band, while good, was not the E Street Band. Imagine the aforementioned "Badlands" with no sax solo. Yeah, you get the idea. The show was just a shadow of itself. The main ingredient missing, the X factor missing: Clarence.

Rediscover Records may not exist as we know it without the impact of a Bruce Springsteen concert. That's the power and the passion of rock n roll. That's the impact of a Springsteen show and it's influence of wide smiles, tears of joy, and wonderful memories. R.I.P. Big Man. Your work is done here, you're in a better place, and you made our world a better place.

"If I could take one moment into my hands"

New Arrivals

A few notable new arrivals:

MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (original release, uncensored)

The Beatles - Abbey Road (On Green vinyl!)

The Beatles - White Album (On White Vinyl with the poster and the fab four 8x10 pics)

The New York Dolls - Debut

David Bowie - Live (2 LP live set)

Love - Forever Changes (Original Elektra release, very clean)

This is just for starters, just as a quick blog post. Make sure to always stop into Rediscover Records for all your vinyl needs. Visit our webpage, "like" us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

A great selection of new and sealed vinyl is just waiting your peruse-al.

As always, thanks.

His name is Elvis Presley

There are times in the music world when we lose sight of the brilliance of an artist, an album, or a song due to various circumstances such as saturation of the market/over exposure, fodder for the tabloids, and our own repeated plays of an artist or a song ad infinitum. Sometimes the artists themselves bring this on to themselves by their actions on and, more particularly, off the stage. They've become a caricature or a cartoon of themselves.

Elvis Presley is one of those artists. Sure, we know him as the King, how he died, the way he died, his method of channel surfing, his weight, his drug use. We know he left the building years ago. Look, however, to the picture of his debut record here. This is the real Elvis Presley. A record cover so revered and hallowed even The Clash paid homage to it. This is Elvis.

Recently, at Rediscover Records we were able to procure a few Elvis Presley 78 speed records. These are on the RCA Victor label. We can only wish they had been on the Sun Records label. The 78 rpm record, by the 1950's, was becoming a thing of the past, the 8-track or cassette, or even CD of it's day.

When these 78's came out the ink was probably barely dry from The Colonel signing Elvis from Sun Records to RCA Victor. These are in super condition with some of them in original sleeves. Currently, they are not listed on the website but you can come into Rediscover Records and look through them, and other records. The Jerry Osborne Record Guide (for what it's worth) lists these records from $60 up to $150.00 each. We have them varying from $19.98 to 79.98. Here is what we have:

Mystery Train/I Forgot to Remember to Forget

Heartbreak Hotel/I Was the One

Love Me Tender/Anyway You Want Me

Milkcow Blues Boogie/You're A Heartbreaker

That's All Right/Blue Moon of Kentucky

Too Much/Playing For Keeps

I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/My Baby Left Me

Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog

Good Rockin' Tonight/I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine

Discover all your records and vinyl needs at Rediscover Records! Here is a great video with pictures of Elvis Presley singing "Good Rockin' Tonight". Have you heard the news?

Record Store Day Countdown

Hey, welcome to the Rediscover Records blog. A great place where you can read about all things Rediscover Records, read a review, find a link, and maybe learn a thing or two about a thing or two. Did you know that Records Store Day is almost upon us? Record Store Day in an international phenonomon with many independent artists as well as mainstream artists releasing special record releases specificially for RSD!

Let the countdown commence!

Thanks for listening!

Thanks to those who tuned into our Rediscover Records Radio Hour on Saturday Night on WRMN 1410am in Elgin. Despite some glitches, errors, or rookie mistakes we think it went pretty well. Special thanks to WRMN, our sponsors, Brandon Couture, and David Ham for helping to spin the records and make me sound at least, somewhat professional. As of this writing, this was a one-time shot on the radio. However, all indicators point to more Rediscover Records Radio Hour's in the future. Stay tuned! All the records we played are available for purchase at Rediscover Records. Please support the artists, buy your music.

Visit our "News" link on our website to see the playlist. We think we covered at least some musical ground in our maiden voyage. We hope to have more broadcasts in the future. Look to this page, our website, our Twitter Page, or our Facebook Page for more information.

Here is the link, by the way, to our playlist, scroll down a bit to see it all. We played the Reverend, Al Green, and we also played local faves, The Reverends, and had a special introduction by Brandon Couture, guitarist in the band. Check out the playlist!

Rediscover Records Radio Hour Playlist

Here is one song that we played dedicated to the "In the Neighborhood Deli". It's Tom Waits and "In the Neighborhood" off his 1983 record "Swordfishtrombones"

WRMN Radio Show Tonight!

Remember to tune into WRMN 1410 A.M. on your radio dial *tonight* from 7 to 8pm to listen to the first ever Rediscover Records Radio Hour. Please don't let the Radio Shopping banners on WRMN's site scare you. This'll be a music show! While we love the Radio Shopping Show and we have spots running on it, we're gonna push those radio shopping show shopping carts way out past the cart corrals and way out into the middle of the parking lot. Instead......we'll be spinning records, talkin' music, and having a great time. Please join us, won't you? Also, in on the action will be Brandon Couture of the legendary local band, The Reverends.

We'd be remiss in not thanking the people who helped sponsor us and make this radio dream a reality. Please consider clicking these links for more information for each business. Thanks again, we are very grateful!

Elgin Antiques & Uniques

The Two Doors Down Shop

Kirktpatrick, Jones, Herzog Insurance Agency

Ravenheart Cafe

Elgin Jewelers

Elgin Books

Elgin Boca Jump

They'll be no genre left unturned, no genre left unsoiled, well, as least we'll play as much music as we can in a one hour time slot. Hopefully, this will grow into a much larger project.

Rediscover Records today!

Rediscover Records....Living the Dream since June.

WRMN Radio Show

We'll have more details to follow in the coming days, but we are excited to announce we will be appearing live on a one hour radio show on WRMN 1410 here in Elgin!!

Look for more information soon! It'll be on the a.m. dial in the p.m. of your evening. Look for the best of new releases and also since we'll be on AM radio, look for some of those great A.M. hits of the 60's and 70's that you may remember from your transistor radios! We may need to bring one of these 45 inserts (pictured left) for all the great singles we'll be playing!

Always look to our live website for the best in new vinyl, info, and other record related news!

http://www.rediscoverrecords.com/

Keep 'em spinnin!

New & Sealed Records

We just got in a shipment of new & sealed records this week. Come down to our World Headquarters at 207 E. Chicago Street to see them. Here are just a few of out titles that you can find in the store. Just as a reminder, all of our new records come in a 2 mil. plastic sleeve. We also offer the sleeves for sale in a package of 100. Look to our website for other record related products like cleaners and 45 inserts. www.rediscoverrecords.com/

We have:

Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Morrissey - Years of Refusal

Nada - Lucky

A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory

Midlake - Courage of Others

Misfits - Collection

Eels - End Times (with a bonus 7" single)

Weezer- Red Album

Gentlemen Jesse and his Men - Introducing

Phosphoresent - Here's to Taking It Easy

Califone - All My Friends Are

My Morning Jacket - At Dawn

Man or Astroman? Is It...Man or Astroman

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme

Sleater-Kinney - The Hot Rock

Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Japandroids - Post-Nothing

Handsome Family - Honey Moon

The Stooges - Fun House

Also, just call us Bloodshot Records West. We are, afterall, on Chicago St., which is Irving Park Road, a.k.a. Route 19. So just down the street from Bloodshot's World Headquarters 3039 Irving Park Road is Rediscover Records on that very same Route 19.

We have on the Bloodshot Label.

Whitey Morgan and the 78's - s/t

Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues and Midnight At the Movies

Jon Langford - Old Devils

Gore Gore Girls - Get the Gore

Bottle Rockets - Lean Forward

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - And the Horse You Rode In On

Graham Parker - Imaginary Television

Deadstring Bros. - Sao Paulo

Andre Williams - That's All I Need

Detroit Cobras - Life Love Leaving

Ha Ha Tonka - Novel Sounds. . .

Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker

All the Bloodshot Records are available on our website at: Rediscover Records. The other records will be listed soon. Bookmark our site, visit it often. Thanks for reading.

Did Google Bring You Here?

Hey, welcome to the Rediscover Records blog. Here you'll here stories, updates, photos, and perhaps some reviews. If you came here looking for a website, we have a live website now.

It's at: www.rediscoverrecords.com/

Bookmark us, visit us often, look to the "Vinyl" link just to the left of the homepage to buy records or at least get a glimpse of what is in our inventory at the store. We will add records frequently so visit the site often. We may not have the biggest square footage in the land, but we do try to make use of space the best we can. There is all kinds of information about the store and things to do in downtown Elgin.