Hey,
This is the fourth installment of posts I am doing with my friends to promote my Kickstarter project. The idea is stolen from Jerry Seinfeld (Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee). Instead, I am riding bikes and drinking with my friends, talking about records. Enjoy, and if feeling supportive, please take a peak at my new record here »
MOBGB E04: Adam Cimino
I didn’t like Adam at all when I first met him in 1998. He just strolled into my KSUN radio class at Sonoma State and had all the indie girls talking about him, in between rumors of a new Modest Mouse or Elliot Smith album, or why they desperately wanted to move to Olympia. Remember those days?
I first hung out with him when I recorded his band, Desert City Soundtrack, at the Cotati Sound Machine (my recording studio), and I was floored by his style. He hits as hard as hell, but has this gentle jazz-like flow on the drums. It was an engineer’s worse nightmare, but a musician’s dream. Ever since then, he has been one of my favorite people to hang out with. He is freakishly artistic in everything he does, when he rides a skateboard, writes his blog, takes a photo, tells a joke. But the real friend crush came when I heard his solo music, called Namesake. I can say confidently that it’s my favorite music that any of my friends make, period. The albums come infrequently, but I listen to them always. They are one of the few constants in my collection.
My favorite thing about Adam is that he acknowledges that there are great and beautiful things outside of making music. Our conversation over lunch was 75% about climbing Mt. Shasta this year. At the same time, I am awfully damn excited to see his new band, Male Gaze, play in San Francisco this February.
Bar
Louie’s Bar, San Francisco. We met for lunch in business casual attire.
Bike
Adam has an old, black Maruishi that he paid $50 to have shipped out from Michigan by a family friend and has been commuting on it since 2002.
Beer
Beer at 11am? Why not, it was Friday. Adam had a Lagunitas and a strange grilled cheese sandwich. I had a Fat Tire and a salad.
Vinyl Releases
Adam has a long list so I’m gonna bullet point this sucker:
- The Mall Emergency at the Everyday
- The Mall First, Before & Never Again
- Family Band Miller’s Path
- N amesak E Hot & Cold Issue 1 Compilation
- Male Gaze COMING SOON!
Favorite Classic Records in his collections
Ahmad Jamal Live at the Pershing, Michael Hurley Hi Fi Snock Uptown
Favorite Contemporary Record in his collections
Gonzales Solo Piano, E*Vax Parking Lot Music, Sam Prekop Sam Prekop
Guilty Pleasure Record in his Collection
Jeffrey Osbourne Emotional, he is a really big fan of the “woo woo woo” song, called “You Should Be Mine”. He started singing it, and it got awkward.
Best Record Packaging in his Collection
“No Flashlight” by Mount Eerie LP, it holds the World’s Record for the longest record cover.
Favorite Local Record Store
No question, Aquarius on Valencia.
Adam on records
We didn’t really get to this part of the conversation because we had too much catching up to take care of for an hour lunch break, but we did follow-up by email. That is how I uncovered this gem:
“I’m not really sure why I enjoy listening to records. I feel goofy sometimes getting up from my computer to go put on an album that I have readily available in my iTunes. The poetic reason of why is somewhere in that nonsensical habit. I’m conveying it to you right now with my mind and you are totally understanding me.”
For all of you non-psychics out there, I apologize.
Big thanks to my good friend Adam Cimino! If this post has got you feeling warm and fuzzy about vinyl, please support the newest Parks and Records vinyl release, Identical Homes, Hydrophelia, below: