Spotlight: Anthony Fantano

SPOTLIGHT: ANTHONY FANTANO
Most likely if you know of Anthony Fantano it is from his work on The Needle Drop.  It began as a seedling in his college years and developed into a cross-platform media outlet for a radio show/podcast, reviews and more (I would miss out on at least one thing if I tried to list them all… uhh, like interviews for instance).
Anthony is also a local guy (living just a couple towns over from us) and has been involved in the local music scene (mostly as an attendee – don’t underestimate the power of that). We (Josh & Rick) decided to do an interview with him over email. Instead of emailing us back with answers Anthony hit record on an audio device and sent us that file back. I (Rick) then decided it would be pretty dry to just listen to that with no visual aspect so I made them into videos with some fun slide-shows over them. 

I’ll transcribe the full questions before each video (the videos contain a truncated version of each question on a title screen). 
Enjoy!

1. You grew up and still live here in Connecticut. What were your
early musical influences growing up here (bands, venues, family,
friends, friends’ older siblings…)?
2. What’s your perspective of the current local music scene? What are
some local artists you personally enjoy? Is local music important to
you?

3. Can you give us a brief history of The Needle Drop? How did you get
from Southern (SCSU) to the current all encompassing web presence you
have now?

4. You’re closing in on 40,000 Youtube subscribers and over 8 million
upload views. What’s it like being an internet celebrity? I must say,
that the fan art is not very flattering. Has anyone sent you creepy
fan-fiction yet?

5.  If you were a Cosby, which Cosby would you be and why?

6. What’s the deal with your NPR profile picture on their website?
It’s way dated!

7. Can you give us some vegan body building tips? We’re vegan, but way
too busy (making excuses) for the gym.

8.  You were involved on a panel at SxSW (South By Southwest Festival)
last year and we see you’re preparing to do it again this year. How
did that come about and how is it?  Who joins you on that panel?  How
is the general SxSW experience? Do you get to see even half of the
bands you intend on seeing before going down there?

9.  Getting recognized, it happens to you.  We’ve seen it happen here
in the store first hand.  We’ve heard second hand tales of train ride
recognition.  How is that generally for you?  Is it welcome?  Do you
get recognized a lot in CT (by fans rather than friends) or does it
happen more often at bigger events and concerts?

10.  You just crossed over at 10,000 likes on Facebook. Does that even
mean anything to you at this point?  What social media outlets do you
focus on and do you have an opinion on what the future holds for
these? Google+?

11. Are you a member of the Internet Celebrity inner
circle/illuminati/newsletter? If you were you probably couldn’t tell
us, but if there is anything you can hint at please use a series of
clicks and clacks.

12.  The future! What’s it got in store for you?  Do you have particular goals you’re currently working on both short and long term?

The Needle Drop is also in a heated contest to see “Who should win September’s On The Rise?” on YouTube – you can vote here. Hurry, it ends tonight.

Street Team/Meet Our New Intern

Street Team/Meet Our New Intern
Hey, I’m Liz and I’ve recently started to work at Redscroll as an intern for the fall semester. I go to the University of New Haven and will be graduating with a degree in Music Industry in the spring. I’m excited to be involved with this store, as I’ve been shopping here myself ever since I started going to school in Connecticut three years ago. 
Redscroll has a reputation for being one of the most accommodating record stores in the area and anyone who buys records in Connecticut knows that. I’d like to make even more kids aware of the store and everything it does to participate in the CT music scene, so Redscroll Records is starting a street team to make this possible. We want to get flyers out to local stores, colleges, high schools, coffee shops, and venues to promote sales and events we will be having in the future. 
Being a part of this street team will not only be fun, but will provide those who participate with valuable experience and networking opportunities. We’d love to see as many people get involved with this as possible, so don’t hesitate to contact us at redscroll@gmail.com for any questions or to get started!

[This is Rick now.  I’m going to add some incentives to this in list form below in case anyone might find that to be more motivating. :)]

Possible swag:
Redscroll T-Shirts
Promo Music (generally CDs)
Posters
Free entrance to many concerts (we work with promoters and distributors that love to give us little incentives like that which we’d happily pass along to anyone on our team)
Record Fair early entrance – this is contingent on helping us set up at them.
Fun outings with the Redscroll team! We like to do fun things from time to time.

16th Of September 2011

16th Of September 2011 Update of New and Key Restocked Items
at Redscroll Records

LPs & 12″s
______________________
Acrylics    “Lives And Treasure”
Andrew Jackson Jihad    “Knife Man”
Angel    “26000”
Anthrax    “Worship Music”
Asshole Parade / Slight Slappers    “Slight Slappers / Asshole Parade (+ D/L)”
Barr, Mick    “Coiled Malescence”
Bataan, Joe    “Gypsy Woman”
Big Business    “Big Biz Quadruple Singles”
Big Kitty    “Florence (+ D/L)”
Black Kites / Convulsions    “Convulsions / Black Kites “
Caravels    “Floorboards / The Earthling Sessions”
Chamberlain    “The Moon My Saddle”
City And Colour    “Little Hell “
Clem Snide    “The Ghost Of Fashion”
Colon, Willie    “Willie Colon”
Deftones    “Around The Fur (Orange Vinyl)”
Disconcerts    “A. Medic (/300)”
Donoso, Ricardo    “Progress Chance”
Electricity In Our Homes    “We Agree Completely”
Expo 70    “Awakening”
Flower Travelling Band    “Made In Japan (180 Gram)”
Golden Retriever    “Light Cones”
Johnson, Robert    “The Complete Collection”
Kirby, Leyland    “Eager To Tear Apart The Stars”
Ladytron    “Gravity The Seducer (Ltd. Ed. Hand Numbered)”
Landlord    “Beneath The Wheel (+ D/L)”
Le Tetsuo    “Your Elbow” 10″
Los Destellos    “Constelaticion (+ D/L)”
Maria & The Mirrors    “Travel Sex EP”
McGuire, Mark    “Get Lost”
Mirror Mirror    “Interiors (+ D/L With Bonus Remixes)”
Modern Life Is War    “My Love. My Way. (Reissue)”
Naysayer    “Laid To Rest”
New Found Glory, A    “Nothing Gold Can Stay”
Nurses    “Dracula (+ D/L)”
Oblivian, Jack    “Rat City (+ D/L)”
Oiltanker    “The Shadow Of Greed”
Opeth    “Heritage (180 Gram Double LP Set)”
Pere Ubu    “The Modern Dance”
Primal Scream / MC5 (Davis, Kramer, Thompson)    “Music From The Film “Black To Comm””
Project:Komakino    “Project:Komakino”
Radio People    “Hazel (Ltd. Ed. + D/L)”
Ragan, Chuck    “Covering Ground (+ D/L)”
Robedoor    “Too Down To Die”
Saviours    “Death’s Procession (Ltd. Ed.)”
Thundercat    “The Golden Age Of Apocalypse (Ltd. Ed. + D/L)”
Thunders, Johnny & The Heartbreakers    “L.A.M.F. Demos, Outtakes And Alternative Mixes”
Trans Am    “Futureworld”
Trophy Wives    “Old Scratch”
Tuma, Scott    “Not For Nobody”
Vacant State    “Fill The Void”

Electronic LPs & 12″s
______________________
Biome    “Space”
Boman, Axel    “Lucky Tiger EP”
Damu    “Ridin EP”
Dub War    “The Funky Deal / To The Depths”
Fixmer, Terence    “Le Terrible”
Flugel, Roman     “Fatty Folders (2LP)”
Kieran, Phill & Paap, Jochem    “Workshops Vol. 01”
Modeselektor     “Monkeytown (2LP)”
Plastikman    “Arkives 1993-2010 (6 × Vinyl, 12″)”
Runaway    “Indoor Pool”

Hip-Hop 12″s & LPs
___________________
A Tribe Called Quest    “Hits, Rarities, & Remixes”
A Tribe Called Quest    “The Love Movement”

7″s
______________________
Brass Caskets / Cold Snap
Diet Cokeheads “Ocular”
Diet Cokeheads / Neon Blud
FocusedXMinds “Stay Focused”
Hex Disp. “Razor”
Le Tetsuo
Maria & The Mirrors
Modern Life Is War
Skinjobs
Worriers “Past”
X-Ray Eyeballs “Sundae”
Young Offendors “Razor”

CDs
______________________
Atomic Bitchwax “Spit Blood”
Elder “Dead Roots Stirring”
Goatvargr “Black Snow”
Hawkwind “Leave No Star…”
Opeth “Heritage”
Orquesta Del… “Dos”
Project:Komakino “The Struggle For Utopia”
Thrice “Major:Minor”

Cassettes
_____________________
Environmental Youth Crunch “Vicious Fishes”
Living Laser “Ragged Glory”

Magazine
______________________
Wire #332 October 2011

Reviews
______________________

Batillus Furnace LP
(Seventh Rule Recordings)
“Play at high volume.” That’s the command that this Brooklyn doom-metal quartet gives in this album’s liner notes. They manage to nail a monolithic sound with a combo of chugging guitar, earth-shaking bass and punctuated drumming. To keep up the uneasy atmosphere, there’s also an emphasis on noise, with lots of feedback that grinds and sizzles. Still, the experimentation doesn’t reach the point that the album becomes inaccessible: the riffs keep it from straying too far from a tried-and-true metal sound (“Deadweight” is a good example.) In fact, despite the prevalence of suffocating bleakness in many parts of this album, some moments feel strangely uplifting: “What Heart” contains a radiant-sounding synth-line, and the other instruments join by sounding downright triumphant. Still, this album, as a whole, provides a bracing slam.
[Reviewer: Mark]


Diet Cokeheads / Neon Blud 7″

(West Palm Beotch Records)
Neon Blud plays some sweet psychedelic grunge rock, squealing guitars and some fun effects.  Female vocals that are sort of just spoken, but it works for them. The song builds into a fury. The liner notes say this is the 7″ edit of the song, I’d love to hear the full jam. On the other side we’ve got, Diet Cokeheads who I’m sure don’t do coke, if they’re into drugs, they’re way into downers. Layered echoing guitars, slow beats just barely holding it together, towards the end it sounds like haunted house music. I dig it.
[Reviewer: Josh]


Maria & The Mirrors Travel Sex EP 12″

(Parlour Records)
With a name like Maria & The Mirrors you might expect some sweet rock and roll ditties. You’d then probably be completely jarred when you started this record up and you were greeted by wave of noise or maybe you’d expect some sort of artsy intro to go into some more rocking jams or maybe you’d adjust your expectations to await some Sleigh Bells take. You’d then hear some tribal drums and think you were right on the money with that assessment. You’d then hear the chanting and perhaps come to the conclusion that this isn’t going to turn into any yelling hook filled jam. You’d be right. Maybe you wouldn’t think any of that all. Maybe you’d just take in the hypnotic tribal drumming and repetitious phrases (are they even using actual language? I don’t think so). This isn’t meant for Ibiza (as the EP name might imply); this is carnality of a different sort. Primitive, but with modern twists – noise. Layers of noise and interjections of sound pollute both sides in repetitious fashion. Enrapturing primal hypnotics.

Brass Caskets / Cold Snap 7" OUT NOW!

Brass Caskets / Cold Snap 7″ OUT NOW!
(RSR011)
You probably didn’t even know this was coming out.  We’ve been working on this quietly in dark corners of places we dare not speak. Two of Connecticut’s current bearers of the torch in the hardcore tradition. Conspiracy theorists and intergalactic heathens join forces in sonic exploration and unraveling of ancient mysteries. Limited to 300 copies.
Available in the store right now. If you can’t make it into the store you can buy it online right now here.
Oh, and we may even be working on more releases right now.

Live Music: Dead In The Dirt, Canvas, Iron Hand

Live Music: Dead In The Dirt, Canvas, Iron Hand
Monday, September 19 · 6PM
 
 DEAD IN THE DIRT 

(vegan straight edge warriors from GA with a 7″ coming out on Southern Lord Records)

 

(new record out now on Get Young Records)
(crushes all)

Meet at Redscroll Records to be directed to the secret location.
24 North Colony St., Wallingford, CT
6PM $5 minimum donation

NO DRINKING

UNDERGROUND MUSIC & CULTURE