April 18th is Record Store Day!

April 18th is Record Store Day!  I love the idea of Record Store Day. In my early years I would spend hours in small record stores, fingering through the bins, walking the aisles, going home again with a small pile of treasures. I spent my college years working in and managing an independent record store. Oh, the people I met, the music I was exposed to for the first time, the satisfaction found when introducing new music to someone, meeting the artists themselves when they wandered into the store while on tour.  I was fortunate enough to work in an area that was ripe with bluegrass and roots music and we also supplied albums for NPR’s international music radio show “Thistle and Shamrock” so I also got amazing exposure to fabulous British Folk, Irish, Scottish, Celtic recorded music and got a great education from DJ/curator Fiona Richie. Bela Fleck came through and did some shopping after just releasing his 2nd album. Doc & Merle Watson would come in on Saturdays to sit and listen to the new bluegrass albums released each week and lucky for us, Doc usually had his guitar with him. And there were so many others!  It was a terrific way to put myself through school. How lucky was I!
~ Bev

So what happens on Record Store Day? According to the founding organization’s website: “Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. There are Record Store Day participating stores on every continent except Antarctica. 

This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. 

A Record Store Day participating store is defined as a standalone brick and mortar retailer whose main primary business focuses on a physical store location, whose product line consists of at least 50% music retail, whose company is not publicly traded and whose ownership is at least 70% located in the state of operation.  (In other words, we’re dealing with real, live, physical, indie record stores—not online retailers or corporate behemoths).”

Find a participating store here.

Record Store Day specials fall into three categories: 

RECORD STORE DAY EXCLUSIVE RELEASES: Exclusively available on Record Store Day at Record Store Day participating stores. Will not be available anywhere else in the same format.  




RECORD STORE DAY LIMITED RUN/REGIONAL FOCUS RELEASES: Also exclusively available on Record Store Day at Record Store Day participating stores, but may not be distributed nationally, or the quantities of these titles are EXTREMELY limited. 1000 and under and WAY under 1000 in some cases. We felt it was only right to put them on a special sub-list, so that everyone is clear on the odds. 




RECORD STORE DAY FIRST RELEASE:  These are titles that you can find on Record Store Day at Record Store Day participating stores. So if you’re a fan of the artist, you get first listen. At some point in the future, generally four to six weeks, these titles will be available at other retailers. 

Here’s a list of special releases that will be available with more being added daily.

“I feel like I spent most of my life wandering the aisles of record stores. I used to love going to Amoeba when our guitar player Immy worked there and hanging out all day talking about records. I think that's what finally got him fired; there were always people trailing around after him cluttering up the store trying to soak up the Immerwisdom. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure it was when some kid came up to the cash register with a pile of records and Immy, who was sitting on top of the counter at the time, grabbed the pile, perused it, threw most of them to the side and said something like, "Forget these, you don't need them. These two are really good, that one is great. Now go to that rack over there and grab the new Gang of Four and the Pere Ubu album. That's all you need." It probably would've been cool if the manager hadn't walked up behind him just before he did it. Oh well. 

The great thing about the best record stores is that the people who work there, like Immy, love music. They love to listen to it and they love to talk about it and they love to introduce other people to it. My favorite record stores in the world reside together on either side of a tiny storefront in Blenheim Crescent, just off the Portobello Rd in London. Minus Zero and Stand Out Records face each other across a three foot aisle and Bill Allerton and Bill Forsyth stand on either side of the aisle enthusiastically competing to play some of the best music you've never heard for anyone who dares come inside. Immy and I were directed there by friends at Mod Lang records in Berkeley (another stellar shop). They're only open a few days a week and they weren't open when we got there. Still, Bill A let us in. Four hours later, we staggered out under the weight of shopping bags full of obscure records by bands we loved but mostly by ones we'd never heard of. Bill A just played us record after record after record of amazing music and we soaked it up. We came back the next day to meet Bill F and it happened all over again. We literally had to buy extra suitcases. Now we're junkies. We never go to London without leaving at least 4-5 hours free to visit Blenheim Crescent and we NEVER go to London without an extra suitcase. I heard half of my favorite bands for the first time inside that little shop. 

The fact is that there will always be good music. The only question really is how are we ever going to learn about it without guys like Bill Allerton and Bill Forsyth to play it for us.”    
~ Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)

"I don't know if I'd ever have had the exposure to the roots and world music...folk, blues, classic jazz, gypsy, celtic, African, Latin, had it not been for combing the racks of the local independent record stores in the Cambridge/Boston area when I was in college and the years since. Those 'mom and pop' stores and small chains, like radio,  provided the rich soil from which so much of my passion and education sprang. Having the ability to linger and talk about selections with a staff person who really knew their stuff and was able to illuminate why certain albums by a given artist  were better than others or steer me to new exciting finds I never would have discovered without their help, is another reason why preserving these independent record stores is so crucial. It's the personal connection, the vastly more extensive collections, and being part of the community of like minded music fans, that makes such a difference. I loved striking up conversations or just spending hours reading notes on vinyl record covers and  having the visceral experience of being surrounded by so much history and variety.  Nothing like it. So much of what I love about music of all kinds and eras was hatched by just this kind of discovery and choice. The decisions about what to carry and the overall service of these stores is what has made so many of us who we are as musicians and people. Indelible, irreplaceable...and a treasure to protect."    
~ Bonnie Raitt 

"I found my calling in the back bin of a dark, dusty record store. 

 

1975's K-Tel's Blockbuster 20 Original Hits by the Original Stars featuring Alice Cooper, War, Kool and the Gang, Average White Band and many more, bought at a small record shop in my suburban Virginia neighborhood, it was this record that changed my life and made me want to become a musician. The second that I heard Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" kick in, I was hooked. My life had been changed forever. This was the first day of the rest of my life. 

 

Growing up in Springfield, Virginia in the 70's and 80's, my local independent record stores were magical, mysterious places that I spent all of my spare time (and money) in, finding what was to eventually become the soundtrack of my life. Every weekend I couldn't wait to take my hard earned, lawn mowing cash down for an afternoon full of discovery. And, the chase was always as good as the catch! I spent hours flipping through every stack, examining the artwork on every cover, the titles and credits, searching for music that would inspire me, or understand me, or just to help me escape. These places became my churches, my libraries, my schools. They felt like home. And, I don't know where I would be today without them. 

 

More recently, I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to rediscover this sense of excitement, that magical feeling of finding something all one’s own, by watching my kids go through it. Let me tell you: Nothing makes me prouder than watching my daughters spin that first Roky Erickson LP one of them picked out for their very own on one of our weekend trips to the record store. Or to watch the reverence they have as they handle their Beatles vinyl. How carefully they replace the albums into their sleeves, making sure they’re placed back onto the self in the proper sequence. Watching them realize how crucial and intertwined every part of this experience is, I relive the magic of my earliest experiences with vinyl singles and albums, their artwork, liners notes etc. all over again and again. 

 

I believe that the power of the record store to inspire is still alive and well, and that their importance to our next generation of musicians is crucial. Take an afternoon (and some hard earned lawn mowing money) and please support them. You never know, it might change your life forever, too." 
~Dave Grohl

So mark your calendar, find a friend, go to your local record store, and feel happy about keeping these shops in business. There’s nothing is like an independent record store and buying music off the internet from a faceless giant just isn’t the same.

Rockin' For Research

On Saturday, April 11th, Graymatter will be joining close to 50 bands and a fantastic gathering of 30 artists and crafts people in a massive music festival in downtown Burlington. Local studio owner, Max Dearing has organized the event to benefit the NC Amaranth Diabetes Research Foundation, which is associated with the American Diabetes Foundation. The NC Amaranth Diabetes Foundation has NO administrative costs so all of the proceeds directly support diabetes research. All of the bands are donating their performances, which will be on stages at The Rusted Bucket Tavern, Lowes Vintage Instruments, Paramount Theater, Historic Burlington Amphitheater, Upmann's Cigar Bar, Front St Public House, and at Brewballs across town.   The music begins at 7pm at some of the venues on Friday night, then on Saturday the crafts fair kicks off at 10am and music starts rolling at 11:30am. Start and stop times vary for each venue so make sure to pick up a schedule when you arrive on Saturday. There will be food trucks as well as the downtown food establishments so no need to leave the area. You can stay all day! Make plans now to come see some of the finest music our area has to offer. There's something for everyone: classic rock, metal, funk, punk, blues, acoustic and country too.

Though you'll want to stroll and catch a variety of bands thoroughout the day, make sure to pop into The Rusted Bucket Tavern at 7:30 pm on that Saturday evening to catch Graymatter's 90 minute set! 

Diabetes effects nearly 1 in 6 people and is the 7th leading cause of death in our country. It effects people of all ages and ethnicities, and more research needs to be done. Come out, enjoy the event, and support the cause!    
 

You Power Us Along!

Some Warm Weather Inspiration

Oh my, what a Winter we've been having! 2015 has been brutal, weather-wise. The east coast has really been slammed this year and I know that we're all yearning for Spring and warmer weather. A bit of daydreaming...

Flashback: It’s 1966 in New Providence, NJ and I’m spending a lazy summer afternoon in one of my frequent, favorite pastimes. I’m leaning up against the huge old willow tree in our yard, my prized AM transistor radio in hand. I’ve got WABC on the dial and listening to Dan Ingram, Cousin Brucie, Ron Lundy or Harry Harrison spin some tunes and I spend (what seems like) hours listening to the fabulous music of the day. One of my favorites was Summer in the City, and since I’m looking for warm weather inspiration today, I’ll pull this one up. My transistor radio is long gone, but YouTube has all those favorite summertime songs of my youth archived for me. Here ya go!     (~Bev)


The Lovin' Spoonful

The Earliest Origins of Graymatter

A Completely True Story by Dave Gude


Once upon a time there was a boy who saw The Sound of Music and thought, "That is exactly what I want—to be part of a singing family, just like Maria and the von Trapp Family Singers. How grand that will be, tripping through yellow flowers and singing to the mountain tops!"

Photo from the 20th Century Fox film, The Sound of Music, 1965

But lo, the boy was not born into a singing family. It was true that his mother liked to sing, but all her notes came out somewhat deflated, like sad tires. His father liked to sing also, but his bass notes were so low that only hippos could hear them. His sister liked to sing, but only along with her Monkee’s albums behind closed doors in her room. So the boy had no one to sing with. He could only dream of being part of a singing family.

One year in high school the boy learned to play 3 slightly odd chords on a guitar, and because of this achievement, had an opportunity to meet a girl who also played guitar. However, she knew all the chords, and sang like an angel.

A year went by and the boy and girl began to go on dates. Things were going pretty well for the boy, what with having a girlfriend and everything, but all the time the boy was wishing he was part of a singing family, gathered in a close circle and blending their voices together.

Photo from the 20th Century Fox film, The Sound of Music, 1965

One day, to his surprise and delight, the girl casually said to the boy, “Come and meet my singing family.”

“What, you have a singing family??” said the boy. “Get out of here!”

“Oh yes, we all play and sing together every day.” said the girl calmly, as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

So the boy came to dinner at the girl’s house. Sure enough, after dinner, the dad and mom and 5 children cleared away the plates and everyone grabbed guitars and ukuleles and pairs of drumsticks to pound on the dining room table and suddenly a great whooshing of harmonies rose up in the room and filled the boy with delirious wonderment.

That boy was me, Dave, and that girl with the voice of an angel was Bev, and that singing family was the Grays, including younger brothers Barry and Brad. This really happened, circa 1974, and that is the completely true story of the earliest origins of our band, Graymatter.

And now you know.

Photo from Graymatter's session for the "Cloud 9" video, 2015, videographer: Bev Gray Gude

Something New: Graymatter Notes!

We’re doing something new for you in 2015! Graymatter Notes is a brand new way to get the latest news and info about Graymatter. Subscribers to Graymatter Notes will hear directly from us, hear what we’re up to, will receive exclusive 1^st peek at new music, sneak peek at hidden music videos, Q&A and direct communication with the band, occasional give-aways and more. We love Facebook and the other popular media outlets, but let’s face it, the algorithms they use often result in missed posts you might wish you’d seen in your newsfeed. With Graymatter Notes you’ll receive all the good stuff right in your e-mail inbox. Rest assured, we won’t spam you, pester you, share or sell your addresses with anyone else. So subscribe to Graymatter Notes today and get ready for some fun! Just enter your e-mail address in the box in the upper right column on this page and we’ll take it from there…and thanks! It’s going to be a great 2015!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2014 from Graymatter!

A video gift, from us to you:



Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from Graymatter!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Why Covers?

"I was about 25 before I ever heard the idea that rock and roll was meant to be disposable. To me, the great songs have lasted." Jackson Browne

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been approached at the end of a gig, by someone who exclaims something like: “I loved that song when I was a kid!” or “I’d forgotten all about that song and how much I loved it!” Remembering, passing along and keeping alive a great song is actually a strong part of folk and roots music tradition. For generations, songs were sung and played at gatherings, and with any luck at all, they were recorded, and in this way they lived on.  It’s really interesting to see how a particular song changes as it moves along this path, taking on the characteristics of the person performing it. Through the years lyrics may be slightly altered, harmonies added, maybe even a bridge or verse included that wasn’t in the original. The song is a living, growing organism. 

An extreme example of this practice are the ancient songs She Moved Through the Fair and Black Waterside. These tunes can be traced back to medieval times and the earliest lyrics to She Moved Through the Fair were penned in 1916. There are many, many people who have performed these songs, passing them along through time, but look how Jimmy Page morphed these songs and made them his own. 

There’s also the haunting song  Molly Ban which can be traced back to 1796 and has been passed on through the generations. Here’s a version leaning towards the traditional.  Peter Paul and Mary fans probably know it as Polly Von, which they recorded in 1963 and made unmistakably their own. Bob Dylan also recorded it in 1992 and Chris de Burgh in 2002, among countless others throughout the decades.

The idea of the importance of the cover song really hit home for me personally, when I heard the news that Linda Ronstadt could no longer sing now that she is stricken with Parkinson’s Disease.   Now Glen Campbell is losing all memory of the songs he wrote and is unable to recall or even play most of them. Sadly, there have been several of our heroes who have passed away in recently years and we’ll lose even more as our own generation ages. What occurs to me is that if people aren’t singing their songs live to an audience then does the great work done by these artists just disappear? Do these songs just die too? Certainly, the majority of the radio stations aren’t sharing them, so when the original artists aren’t around to perform them for us then it’s up to musicians who are currently on the road, to keep these great songs alive. The icing on the cake is that current performers are likely to, just like in the folk and roots traditions, be adding some spit and polish and breathing new and different life into the old songs.

Does this mean we shouldn’t strive to be singer/songwriters and support the working artists of our time? Absolutely not! We need to keep populating the world of music with more new songs, more new music. We should however, pay attention to and support the performers that are working hard to keep the older songs alive. 

Magic: via Alfonso Tobar

Monday morning, after a two gig weekend, we woke to find this amazing post from Alfonso A Tobar. It's the reward for all the hard work we put into our performances, all the study, practice, time, expense, energy and effort that goes into the shows you see. Thanks Alfonso, for your kind words and beautiful photos!

Magic...
In order to see magic, you must believe in it. Every day I ride my bicycle in or around Alamance County, NC.
Saturday night, I decided to go around at night time. Burlington was empty and silent. As I continue to move through the streets, I discovered an unusual echo of some noise and I followed into it. In the middle of the street nocturnal lights, I found what I was looking for, some crowd, something nice, real people....
Graymatter, a local band, was performing live and playing great music. Their audience were relaxed, chatting quietly. And you could see friends chilling out with some beer.
These are the first days of autumn down here.
The sound of Graymatter's music was simply cool and magic. I stayed there, enjoyed the moment, grabbed a couple of shots with my camera. Then, I faded back into the night. (Thank you guys. I had a wonderful time).
That was Saturday, the last week end of September...