For this month’s “best of” blog we asked our super-friendly pals over at Polyvinyl to come up with a playlist that they think best represents their many fun releases. Sure, everyone around the office loves Polyvinyl, but Derek? He LOVES Polyvinyl. So I thought I would give him a chance to say a few words:
You know how your mom would make a meal or dessert and say something like, “I made it with my secret ingredient: love”? At home, you can try and make the same thing with the exact recipe and it just doesn’t quite taste the same, and you start to think…maybe she’s right? Well it turns out a very special magic happens when some of the genuinely nicest people in the music industry work with some of the nicest artists in the biz. Its a love fest on both ends and somehow that energy just bleeds into the music that comes out of Polyvinyl Records. There’s a secret ingredient there that just makes every release they put out hit me in a very sweet spot. This is a team of people who truly love music and have fun with the entire process of putting out an album. After all, who else sends Airheads with every order they ship out!? Was I bribed by my sweet tooth’s never ending desire for candy to adore Polyvinyl as much as I do? Of course not! (But it helps) Amazing people putting out great music by true talents. Thats the recipe. The secret ingredient is definitely love. And that is not something you can just duplicate.
Derek Pierce
Bank Robber Music
Thanks Derek! Couldn’t agree more! Now, let’s hear from Michael Thies of Polyvinyl Records.
I remember hanging out with the Bank Robber crew at SXSW a few years ago. Our partnership had started long before, but I was excited to finally find myself in a position where I might be able to ask Lyle the question that had been burning in my mind for some time. I didn’t need the answer I got to know that they are a great group of people, but when he confirmed that, yes, the company was indeed named after The Clash song, I knew without a doubt that Bank Robber made a perfect fit for us at Polyvinyl.
The Clash are the band that helped me to fully realize everything that I look for in a band. They maintained the courage of their convictions while making music that was adventurous, energetic, and fun; the same traits would come to define what I love about the bands on our roster. I knew that working with someone who was passionate about The Clash would likely mean that they would know how to effectively work with our bands. I haven’t been disappointed.
Polyvinyl Records
Thanks Michael. Now please check out the awesome Spotify Playlist he curated. If you’re looking for some great tunes to listen to during your cookouts next week, you can’t do much better than these tunes. (Spoiler alert: Airheads not included). Enjoy!