Andy & Ashley Vaughn owners of Vertical House Records in Huntsville Alabama opened up their store in 2007 in historic Lowe Mill, an old cotton mill in West Huntsville. They moved into their current location which is approximately 3000 square feet in January 2019.
They are big supporters of the independent and local music scene!
Name of record/artist:
Artist: Khruangbin, Album: Mordechai, Released in June 2019 on Dead Oceans.
What emotion does this record invoke for you?
Is “chill” an emotion? Haha
What is your favorite instrumentation part on this album?
For a trio, they have a very big sound. There is a little bit of singing but the majority of it is instrumental. The drummer and the bassist are great as a rhythm section for the thai funk-inspired guitar riffs.
Does this record bring back any memories for you?
Not specifically since it just came out recently. I imagine it will invoke memories of the Summer time during future playings !
What are the highlight tracks?
#2 - Time (You and I), If There Is No Question, Pelota, So We Won’t Forget are a few of the standout tracks but really the whole album is great to listen to in its entirety.
DIBS: Describe the album artwork
Khruangbin is a Thai word that translates to “Flying Vehicle” or “Aeroplane”, so I feel like the album cover is a take on that. The cover has a colorful illustration of a winged animal taking flight. Kind of psychedelic design with earth tones.
RAPID WORD ASSOCIATION - What is the FIRST word that comes to your head
Funky!
Why should WE listen to this record?
Because it’s gooood! We’ve been selling a ton of their albums at the store and every time we play it someone asks what we’re listening to. That’s always a good sign!
Khruangbin is a three-piece band from Texas, formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald Johnson on drums. Taking influence from 1960's Thai funk - their name literally translates to "Engine Fly" in Thai - Khruangbin is steeped in the bass heavy, psychedelic sound of their inspiration, Tarantino soundtracks and surf-rock cool.