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The Lake Erie Monster

A little over a year ago, local artists John G and Jake Kelly collaborated on an art show called TEN IMAGINARY MOVIES. For the show Jake created ten full size posters for made up films: z-grade horror flicks, 70’s sci-fi trash and giant monster movies. John was responsible for creating the phony ephemera that heightened the illusion of reality: movie stills, VHS boxes, action figures and comic book adaptations.

The fake comic book adaptations were for the Cleveland-set THE LAKE ERIE MONSTER, and once the show was over the pair decided to continue their collaboration and turn this imaginary comic book adaptation, of an imaginary film, into a reality. Jake scripted a toxic waste monster story set in 1970’s era Cleveland and John created appropriately dark and compelling artwork. They are serializing the epic tale over the fist five issues of the ongoing series, each also containing brand new supplemental horror stories by the artists. The result is a Rust-Belt horror anthology, complete with a cackling host (a zombified Commodore Perry) and presented in full, eye-gouging color.

To celebrate the release of the first issue, the duo are having a party at Blue Arrow Records (16001 Waterloo Rd.) on Saturday, March 31st from 6-9pm. There will be a limited edition art print for the first 30 who buy the book. John Neely (of “the BIG O” radio show, as heard on 89.3 WCSB) will be spinning Cleveland and greater Ohio punk rock records.

The Lake Erie Monster #1 will be available in area stores and for mail order online at the Shiner Comics Store in April.

Record Highlight — Delay

Delay are midwest rockers from Cleveland, Ohio. We were pumped when Shout Out Loud Prints and Ryan Eilbeck from the band contacted us about pressing their new LP, Rushing Ceremony.

The official release party is January 21, and you can catch their release show at Carabar in Columbus, Ohio with Annabel, The Dopamines, and Tin Armor. But, be sure to pre-order the LP from Shout Out Loud Prints now — pre-orders begin shipping January 18!

Customer Highlight — Lawrence English

Lawrence English‘s latest work, The Peregrine was realized in sound during the first half of 2011. Based upon J.A. Baker’s book of the same name, the album finds it’s structures through the descriptions of land, environment, and movement contained within the books’ chapters and further develops Lawrence’s experimentation with harmonic distortion and saturation.

Lawrence will be debuting two new works this October in Europe. Monolith, a piece based on his expendition in Antarctica at Musik Protokioll in Graz; and Lonely Women’s Club, a new project for Organ on an evening with Tony Conrad at Cafe Oto in London.

The Peregrine is being released strictly on vinyl, by Experimedia. Pre-orders are happening now, and they will ship around September 20.

December 24 – Frost’s Bitter Grip – Lawrence English from ROOM40 on Vimeo.

Announcement: New Machine Acquired!

UPDATE #1

09/01/11 — the extruder has been completely restored…..looks better than the day it was bought new!

Original post from 08/06/11 —

Wow, what a difference two years make! We are approaching our 2-year anniversary this month, and to celebrate, what better way than to move a “new” pressing machine onto our shop floor! (Well, we’d like to say we planned it that way, but in actuality, it’s just a happy coincidence).

On Thursday, we finished moving a Finebilt press and extruder to GGR from the former Boddie Recording Company pressing plant in Cleveland.

While this is certainly exciting news from the perspective of adding capacity, many of us here are perhaps even more excited about the back-story surrounding this machine.

Thomas and Louise Boddie founded the Boddie Recording Company during the 1950’s. Mr. Boddie brokered vinyl pressing through a handful of regional pressing plants throughout the 1960’s – mostly regional acts, but not of one specific genre.

In 1973, Mr. and Mrs. Boddie had the opportunity to purchase some of their own pressing equipment. They moved two Finebilt presses into their eastside Cleveland garage, and built the necessary electrical and water lines to begin pressing wax in-house. Throughout the 70s and most of the 80s, many 7” and 12” records were pressed in this small building. There is a fantastic compilation LP (and cassette/CD) set, along with a small series of 7” records released by the Numero Group which chronicle many of the recordings pressed at Boddie. The plant ceased operation in the mid 1990’s, and sadly, Mr. Boddie passed away in 2006.

Through a stumbled-upon 1960’s Billboard advertisement, and a tip by Cleveland music industry veteran Clay Pasternack, we were able to make contact with Ms. Boddie earlier this year. The presses were indeed still intact in the eastside Cleveland garage, and the Boddie Recording Company sign still adorns the front lawn of the adjacent home.

All of us Gotta Groovies are vinyl consumers and music fans – many even musicians ourselves. We are proud to be a part of what is not only a world-wide “vinyl resurgence” (as if records ever really went away); but perhaps even more excited to be a small part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame City’s resurging music movement. We were humbled and excited when Ms. Boddie agreed to sell us the equipment, and we look forward to breathing new life into a piece of what in many circles is a legendary local music imprint. Stay tuned as we rehabilitate this press into our operation…

Louise Boddie, 2011

Introducing The Vinyl District: Cleveland

We are pumped to announce that The Vinyl District (TVD) has asked GGR to be the editors for its TVD Cleveland network blog! TVD is the official blog of Record Store Day 2011, and features great reviews of vinyl releases, audio samples, and occasionally, free giveaways!

As editors, we plan on focusing upon the great releases, music establishments, and music news occurring in Cleveland and throughout Ohio.

Stay tuned at TVD Cleveland!

Customer Highlight — Exit Stencil Recordings

Ryan Weitzel of Exit Stencil Recordings came by to pick up his latest GGR-pressing — Cleveland’s own Like Bells new album Palma. Available on totally rad-looking (if we don’t say so ourselves) random color vinyl that goes with some very cool looking jacket art — you have to grab this album while you can!