Tag Archives: writing
Rad ad promoting the Book!
“The Vinyl District launched in 2007 as an homage to the vinyl medium and Washington, DC’s remaining record stores. In its second year, The Vinyl District (or TVD) partnered with Record Store Day (itself in its second year) as the “official blog” of the event, and with this partnership TVD’s audience became both national and international.”
Ad featured on VinylDistrict.com
Check out the Vinyl District’s dope web site, here.
Hyponik, an online music resource based in the UK, featured “The Record Store Book!
Hyponik.com featured “The Records Store Book” on their web site today!
Hyponik is an online music resource based in the UK!
“The Record Store Book looks at some of the city of Angels’ finest digging spots.”
Read it here.
Filed under Journalism, Music
Book featured in Lenscratch blogzine
Female customer digging at Vacation Vinyl in Silver Lake, Calif. Photo by Mike Spitz.
By Aline Smith:
Photographer Mike Spitz takes us back a few decades when listening to music meant visiting a local record store, flipping through the bins, purchasing a record because of an interesting cover photograph or design, bring home a particular sound and letting the needle hit the vinyl. His new book, The Record Store Book, published by Rare Bird Books, takes us on a vinyl journey visiting the places and people that celebrate records. The book is enriched by interviews and text by Rebecca Villaneda and it will be sold at Urban Outfitters (US & Europe), bookstores, and select record stores with worldwide distribution. On April 18th, Mike and Rebecca will be signing books (on Record Store Day!) at Jackknife Records (11-1pm) and Record Parlour (2-4pm) in Los Angeles, ending the day with a big party and book signing at the Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
Read the entire piece by Smith, here: http://lenscratch.com/2015/04/mike-spitz-the-record-store/
Filed under Life
Signing books at the Publisher’s office — Rare Birds Lit
WOW!!! I’ve never signed so many books or that many of anything for that matter! What a beautiful, exhilarating rush! I feel so blessed to have this opportunity in my life. I brought my 14-year-old niece, Anna, with me to experience this milestone moment and she was such a great supporter. Julia, Rare Bird’s Director of Marketing and Publicity, was on hand to help Mike and I get through the stacks and stacks of “The Record Store Book” that will soon be delivered to the record stores and book stores that will be selling them in the near future! Here’s some photos of the great day in Rare Bird’s downtown Los Angeles office.
Filed under Life
My heart is so HAPPY
I received an email today from the Norwalk Records store manager, Edie Gonzales, and it warmed my heart. I anticipate that this is the first of many emails to get from people featured in the book:
Hello Rebecca,
Just received our book from Amazon and what beautiful work you and Mike did. It certainly is a Beauty and looking forward to meeting you on RSD at Rockaway Records. And also picking up a few more copies. Thank you sooo much for considering us to be in this gem of a book it certainly is an “Honor”. I have been employed here for over 31 yrs and I’ve seen the rise of vinyl and fall and now pretty steady. It made our day today and we can’t stop looking at the book were all taking turns.
Again Thank you for all you did to put together this amazing piece of art.
PS. Is there a special link for our customers to buy the book anyone in particular I am gonna post it up on our IG & FB and would like to provide a link.
Edie Gonzales, Store Manager
This is Richard Sneed, Norwalk store owner:
Photo by Mike Spitz
Filed under Journalism, Life
“The Record Store Book” Salon at the private home of Tami Zweig Macala in Santa Barbara
This past Sunday, March 29. I was invited to a salon at the home of Tami Zweig Macala in Santa Barbara, CA. Also invited was author David Kukoff, who just released his first novel, “Children of the Canyon” — also under Rare Birds Books — my publisher. It was my first introduction to a salon, so naturally I had to get a good definition of the type of event: A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation. (Wikipedia) Awesome, right?! I hope for more of these in the future.
In an intimate setting, David and I both spoke about our respective books and then received questions from our lovely audience. I made it a point to talk about the human-interest aspect of “The Record Store Book,” because the book is not only about vinyl records — each store owner has a story about how they came to be business owners and how they have survived this economy.
David’s book, a fiction novel, is loosely based on his upbringing in Laurel Canyon — “L.A.’s fabled neighborhood as the 1960s counterculture is coming to an end,” according to his web site. I got a copy because I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but mainly because David is amazing!
It was great afternoon, and I am so grateful to my friends who came out to support me and witness me holding my book for the very first time! It was overwhelming and emotional — in good ways!
Afterwards, I followed my publisher, Tyson Cornell, to his car to sign 3 to 4 boxes of book from his trunk! It was so perfect and grassroots! I loved everything about this day!
Here are some photos taken that day:
Photo by Julie Simpson Jennings
Photo by Julie Simpson Jennings
Photo by Lauren Warfield
Photo by Julie Simpson Jennings
Photo by Lauren Warfield
Filed under Journalism, Life, Music
Record Collector gives ‘The Record Store Book’ a shout-out
“The Record Store Book” got a mention in the April issue of Record Collector
The writer calls the book an “unbelievably superb coffee table book of Los Angeles Record Stores.”
Check it out here.
Filed under Journalism, Music
Jason Mraz at the SB Bowl
September 2, 2013
Labor Day
Just saw Jason Mraz for the first time in Santa Barbara, Calif., for a benefit concert to benefit Life Rolls On, which is an organization that helps people surf the ocean who may not otherwise.
Jessie Bauller (SP)? Who created Life Rolls On because 17 years ago he caught a wave badly became a parapalegic and tied to a wheelchair. Thanks to countless volunteers and musicians like Jason Mraz, Life Rolls On allows a ride on a wave for people who can no longer do it on their own.
Bauller came on stage and thanked volunteers, his friend Mraz and especially his girlfriend. People who have benefited from Life Rolls On also were in the audience enjoying the hot, hot Santa Barbara weather.
Every age was present today. Newborns, teens and their parents, and us 30 year olds dancing by ourselves.
It was a perfect night with brass instruments,
and Mraz constantly with his guitar – except for the one time he played drums. He sat behind the backbone of the stage and left the usual drummer sing a song he wrote about employment. It was bluesy and he played the hell out of a silver guitar.
If you weren’t a Mraz fan you ould have easily missed one of his, if not thee first hit, “The Remedy.” A whole new backdrop was set behind the lyrics – – but those words still came through, and still mean much to this writer.
“I won’t worry my life away – – hayyyyyyyyy -ohhhohhhh” sing it as you please, and Mraz encouraged that anytime he could. He liked sing-alongs, and hand dance-athons as well. Jazz hands appeared a substantial amount this fine evening. May make this an anthem. He gets it, why can’t we all. Let it be.
LYRICS
Well, I saw fireworks from the freeway And behind closed eyes, I cannot make them go away ’Cause you were born on the fourth of July, freedom ring Well, something on the surface it stinks
I said, something on the surface It kind of makes me nervous To say that you deserve this And what kind of God would serve this We will cure this dirty old disease
Well, if you you’ve got the poison, I’ve got the remedy The remedy is the experience, this is a dangerous liaison I says the comedy is that it’s serious This is a strange enough new play on words
I said, the tragedy is that you’re going to spend The rest of your nights with the light on So shine the light on all of your friends Well, it all amounts to nothing in the end
I won’t worry my life away Say, I won’t worry my life away
Well, I heard two men, talking on the radio In a crossfire kind of new reality show Uncovering the ways to plan the next big attack Or they were counting down the ways to stab The brother in the be right back after this The unavoidable kiss, with a minty fresh death-breath Is sure to outlast this catastrophe dance with me
Well, if youve got the poison and baby I’m your remedy The remedy is the experience, this is a dangerous liaison I says the comedy is that it’s serious This is a strange enough new play on words
I said, the tragedy is that you’re going to spend The rest of your nights with the light on So shine the light on all of your friends Well, it all amounts to nothing in the end
Oh, Lord I won’t, I won’t worry my life away Say, I, I won’t worry my life away
When I fall in love now I take my time, there’s no need to hurry When I’m making up my mind You can turn off the sun, but I’m still going to shine And I’ll tell you why
Because the remedy is always the experience And it’s a dangerous liaison I says the comedy is that it’s serious And is a play on words
I said, the tragedy is that you’re going to spend The rest of your nights with the light on So shine the light on all of your friends Well, it all amounts to nothing in the end
Oh, Lord I won’t, I won’t worry my life away Say, I, I won’t worry my life away
Not today, I wont, I wont, I wont Worry this life away Oh, ain’t worrying this no more I said I wont, I wont, I wont Worry this life away tonight, tonight ’Cause we got to feel more, oh
Filed under Journalism, Life, Music
Becky from Gardena 