Kid Dakota "The West is the Future" 2XLP
In the early 2000s, I was utterly obsessed with Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's project LOW and their record label Chairkickers' Union. The duo and their label were based in Duluth, Minnesota; given the proximity to Chicago, they sent virtually all of their artists there to play, and I went to as many of those shows as possible. One of the most memorable shows was Kid Dakota in 2004 at the Abbey Pub (RIP). I had heard one song off their new album, The West is the Future, and loved it, and was even encouraged by a positive Pitchfork review, which was rare for music I liked. I had assumed Kid Dakota was a 4-piece band, but when only two people took the stage, I was slightly bummed thinking it wouldn't be the show I was hoping for. Instead, it ended up changing my life. Darren Jackson's voice is flawless live, his guitar playing is somehow very simple yet wildly effective, and the live drummer was one of the best I had ever seen. The show was missing nothing, and with this bit of inspiration, I went home and made my 3-piece band a 2-piece. Darren and I met that night and hit it off. Graveface has subsequently released every single piece of music he's recorded after that show. We've always talked about releasing The West is the Future on vinyl, since it was my introduction to him. I'm elated that after 20+ years, I get to do just that, and yes, the record still holds up. The incredible songwriting is accented by performances by Mimi Parker (RIP) & Alan Sparhawk, and some of William Schaff's best artwork for the album cover. Available as: Bespoke (Each completely different - LTD to 50) Retail (Shimmer Black Swirls - LTD to 125)