Whether on their own or backing Ms. Jenny Lewis, Leigh and Chandra, The Watson Twins' warm harmonies have long been favorites of ours here at TVD and we're delighted to say that they've braved the elements to join us in the TVD offices all this week to blog away with us. And it's a big week for them indeed: The Watson Twins are taking over The Vinyl District for the week of 2.9.10 as our new record [...]

Dire Straits: Romeo and Juliet [ purchase ] Indigo Girls: Romeo and Juliet [ purchase ] So... I was having a discussion with a friend recently about the song Romeo and Juliet - she prefers the Indigo Girls ' version and, much as I love them as a songwriting duo, I'm obsessed with the original by Dire Straits . The former is too urgently strident for my taste, while the latter is [...]
Welcome back to " Tied to the 90s ", a not-very complete guide to a decade that was. I’m your host, Yostal, and once more, I’ll be taking you through the pop culture landscape of the 1990s. If you have any suggestions for future columns, please email me at GoinYostal@gmail.com or leave me a comment. This week's post continues what is perhaps the most self-indulgent effort I have ever made with Tied to the 90s, which I know is saying something. I warn you again, because, well, it's what I do. I also want [...]
H ow about another batch of songs featuring great male/female vocal duets. Here you go! MP3 | Bouncing Souls - Wish Me Well (You Can Go To Hell) MP3 | Mates Of State - Fraud In The 80's MP3 | R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People MP3 | The Postal [...]

27 down and three to go. When we sent out the emails two months ago, we sent the survey questions to both Montpelier's City Manager Bill Fraser and the Montpelier CD shop, Buch Spieler without knowing what they had in common. Well, after hearing back from Fraser and Kevin Macneil Brown on behalf of Buch Spieler, we learned that they were both in a band called Rusty Romance . I had no idea about that but I like living in a town with a City Manager who rocks the guitar on weekends. I [...]

After weeks of agonizing (and despite a gnawing fear that tomorrow I will hear a record so good that I'll feel intense guilt for leaving it off), here's the list. I know 30 is sort of a weird number, but I really wanted to find a place for a couple of my favorite old-timers, and the line between 30 and everything below is a lot more clear than the one at 25. I may have put more work into this than I did for my thesis, so I hope you enjoy it. 30. [...]

Quick one today on an album from way back in the Spring. Mark Knopfler (one of my favorite artists ever) and Emmylou Harris teamed up to record All The Roadrunning . They don't really break much new ground, but these are two great artists so even their B material is still great. This Is Us Back-and-forth vocals, a great bluesy line, some classic Knopfler-guitar work, and a sweet-but-not-too-sweet story of two people and their shared life. It's also the song that best reveals how [...]
As a kid, my father exposed me to a lot of great music from artists like Squeeze and The Police, Little Feat, and Dire Straits. Those artists (as hard as I may try) will never become dislodged from my musical subconscious. With songs like "Sultans of Swing" and "Money for Nothing," Dire Straits was a favorite of mine. I bring that up because for the last few months, I've been regularly listening to the latest from former Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler , which just happens to be a collaboration with excellent Emmylou Harris [...]
I love Emmylou as a back-up vocalist. I think it was Elvis Costello that said she was the best there ever was to sing harmonies with. Her and Mark make beautiful music together. These are dedicated to Anonymous (who makes a ton of requests). Red Staggerwing All the Roadrunning If This Is Goodbye Details Buy Mark and Emmy Support World Café Other Converts ~ v1.0 Sigur Ros ~ v2.0 Imogen Heap