Record Store Day 2021 Drop #2 Saturday, July 17th

Posted on July 1, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

Saturday, July 17th will be the second of two Record Store Day 2021 “Drop Dates” happening this summer. The first one in June was an overwhelming success for us, and we are excited for this next one coming up – we will have even more in store this time than just the exclusive releases!

Of course, we will have all of the exclusive releases being released by Record Store Day. There are close to 200 of them coming out for this specific date, and you can check out the full list at recordstoreday.com. Note: some of the releases originally planned for the first drop date last month got pushed back to this one coming up. And as usual, we can not place any holds on these items. They are first come, first serve.

One thing we are doing differently with handling our store right when we open at 8:00 am: to avoid a chaotic stampede, we will be letting in people 12 occupants at a time to our store at the start of the day. There will likely be a line when we open at 8:00 am, so come early if you want to guarantee a good spot!

In addition to all of that we have a few other goodies for you. We will have free coffee provided by Redbud City Coffee Roasters. There will also be some sales! We will be running a 10% off sale on everything in the store that is not RSD releases, and also 50% off dollar records. AND for the first time in over a year, we have live music in our store! Performances will be Idle Oath at 5:00 pm and Jessica Knight at 6:00 pm.

Hopefully we’ll see you there! The store is open that day from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Check out a facebook event right here!

Forest Saints: “Orenda Dimension”

Posted on July 1, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

With all of his different recording projects, Mark Schwartz (End Times Trio, Forest Saints, Demons on Wheels, Tin Ghost, etc) is putting out albums at a faster rate than we can post about them! Today we bring you a brand new album by his psychedelic recording project Forest Saints. It’s a fifteen-track release entited Orenda Dimension and you can find it streaming on the player below. This would be the follow up to Forest Saints’ Pensive Innocents from late last year, and also is the 13th release from that project alone going off of what’s listed on the bandcamp page. You can also head on over to the Forest Saints bandcamp to stream all of that projects releases as well as purchase the downloads of all of the albums.

Mark was also a part of the project “Splendid Flunkys” along with Scott Faingold, which also put out an album at the start of June. We’ve got both of these releases on our Springfield album archive page now for 2021.

Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series Tonight: The New Orleans Jazz Ramblers and Kevin Hart Trio

Posted on July 1, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

How about kicking off the month of July with a free concert, buncha fireworks, and a whole lotta JAZZ? Whoop! That sounds like a nice time, and that’s what’s going on tonight for the next Levitt AMP Springfield Music Series free concert happening tonight out on the y-block. This is concert number 5 in the 10 part series that goes until August 5th, so we are pretty much halfway there!

The headlining act tonight is The New Orleans Jazz Ramblers. “Famous in the Crescent City for their musicianship and performance history, the New Orleans Jazz Ramblers are “the real deal.” Then the opening act right at 6:00 pm is The Kevin Hart Trio – a group from right here in Central, Illinois.

The concert tonight kicks off at 6:00 pm, goes until 8:30 pm, and there will be a firework display to see on Capitol Avenue and from the y-block directly afterwards. Continue checking the Levitt Amp Springfield site for the concert schedule for the following weeks!

August 16th at Dumb Records: End It, Shackled, Bitter Truth, Prevention, Barosa

Posted on June 30, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

Holy smokes, we gotta show. We are announcing a show. The first show we are announcing to happen almost a year and a half after our last show in March of 2020. We might have more shows to announce soon, we will see. This one is happening Monday, August 16th.

Okay, for this show, we’ve got… the band END IT from Baltimore, Maryland on tour. You can check out a short song of theirs streaming on the player below. End It will be on tour with Shackled from Howell, New Jersey. Both of them are heavy hardcore bands. Then coming from a different direction of the country is Bitter Truth from Grand Rapids, Michigan! In the middle of all of this we do have the EP release show for local hardcore band Prevention! You know, the four song EP they released earlier this month. Opening things up is a band called Barosa. They might loosely be based out of Decatur, IL.

You can check out a facebook event for this show right here. Looks like we gotta go back and re-boot our Dumb Records show page now!

Gang Nem 123: “Go Mode”

Posted on June 30, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

And now, it’s time to get back into the local hip hop. There’s a new trio of local rappers who have teamed up to create the new “Gang Nem 123” – a group featuring Killa Marion, Lit Jxt, and Dizzy Vibez. They have came out with their debut seven-track release entitled Go Mode. You can stream one of the songs “Spaceship” off of that release down below. You can also find the whole thing streaming on Youtube Music or iHeartRadio by clicking on those links.

We have also added Go Mode to our Springfield Album Archive page for 2021, bringing us to 15 local releases we have had featured so far this year.

New Arrivals This Week At Dumb Records

Posted on June 29, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

Good morning. Happy Tuesday. We have a fresh batch of records for y’all again today of course. As per usual, this is a fresh stack of new and used LPs and 12″ singles that have been hitting the shelves at our store over this past week. This isn’t even everything either. And there are 7″s, cassettes, and CDs we are not even listing too. There is so much good music. There is just too much to list though, off! Sorry! But you get this nice taste. And our store is open every day from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, so come visit us downtown. Did you know that this Saturday we will have a pop-up shop by “Sketbort” skateboards?

New LPs
Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
Clouds – (The Mixtape)
DMX – Greatest Hits
Foo Fighters – There Is Nothing Left To Lose
Garbage – No Gods No Masters
Gym Class Heroes – As Cruel As School Children
The Lion King – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Loretta Lynn – Icon
Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder
Melvins – Nude With Boots
Minus The Bear – Menos El Oso
Mother Mother – Inside
My Morning Jacket – It Still Moves
The Mountain Goats – Dark In Here
The Murlocs – Bittersweet Demons
Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks
Playboi Carti = Playboi Carti
Sesame Street – Grover’s Greatest
R Boyd & Dusk – High Country Skyway
Tenement – Smother Me
Tenement – Music Composed For The Motion Picture Proxy
Tenement – Predatory Headlights
Tim Buchanan With Dusck – …And On His Own
Wild Flowers of America – Lost In The Salvation Army

Used LPs
Al Martino – Mary In The Morning
Alan Mills – Christmas Songs From Many Lands
Amy Grant – The Collection
Anne Murray – Together
Basin St. Saloon Band – In Concert
B.B. King – Live In Cook County Jail
B.B. King – Blues N’ Jazz
B.B. King – Friends
Bee Gees – Cucumber Castle
Bellamy Brothers – Restless
Big Twist And The Mellow Fellows – Playing For Keeps
B.J. Thomas – Reunion
Black Oak Arkansas – The Best Of
Cameo – She’s Strange
Champion Jack Dupree – Mercy On Me
Chuck Mangione – Disguise
Coleman Hawkins – Reevaluations: The Impulse Years
Conway Twitty – I’m So Used To Loving You
Count Basie – Blues By Basie
Crusaders – Street Life
Dave Mason – Alone Together
David Houston – Almost Persuaded
Deep Purple – The Book of Taliesyn
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Let The Sunshine In
Dionne Warwick – Reservations For Two
Dionne Warwick – Here Where There Is Love
Doug Kershaw – Devil’s Elbow
Ella Fitzgerald – The Best of Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Rodgers and Hart Song Book
Elmore James – Original Folk Blues
Eric Carmen – Change of Heart
Floyd Tillman – Floyd TIllman’s Greatest
Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage Act 1
Frankie Laine And Buck Clayton – Jazz Spectacular
Friendship – Shock Of The Season
George Benson – Weekend In L.A.
George Harrison – The Concert For Bangladesh
Great Northwest Music Company – History of Northwest Rock Vol. III
Grand Funk Railroad – Grand Funk Lives
The Grateful Dead – Live / Dead
Hank Williams, Jr. – Sweet Dreams
The Hollyridge Strings – The Beatles Song Book
Homer & Jethro – Songs For The Out Crowd
Ike & Tina Turner – In Person
Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
J. Geils Band – Live: Blow Your Face Out
Jerry Garcia – Garcia
Jerry Jeff Walker – Walker’s Collectibles
Jimmy Dean – Speaker Of The House
Joanie Greggains – Total Shape-Up
John Prine – Diamonds In The Rough
Johnny Winter And – Live
Johnny Winter – Captured Live
Les Brown And His Band of Renoun – Revolution In Sound
Little River Band – Greatest Hits
Loretta Lynn – One’s On The Way
Lou Rawls – The Way It Was, The Way It Is
The Manchesters – Beatlerama Vol. 2
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Superstar Series
The Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group
Midnight String Quartet – The Look of Love
Muddy Waters – “Unk” In Funk
Neil Diamond – His 12 Greatest Hits Vol. II
Otis Skillings – Christmas… In Splendor & Majesty
Paul Winter & Friends – Living Music Collection ’86
Placido Domingo – Christmas: Listen To The Joy
Randy VanWarmer – Warmer
The Ritchie Family – American Family
The Robert Shaw Chorale – Joy To The World
Robert Goulet – Hollywood Mon Amour
The Rolling Stones – Out of Our Heads
Rufus – Rags To Rufus
Seals & Crofts – Year of Sunday
Smith – A Group Called Smith
Songhoy Blues – Meet Me In The City
Steve & Eydie – Together On Broadway
The Steve Miller Band – Brave New World
Teddy Wilson – Mr. Wilson And Mr. Gershwin
Ten Years After – Watt
Tom Jones – Live! At The Talk Of The Town
Tom Jones – It’s Not Unusual
Valentina Levko – A Russian Folk Recital
Various – The Golden Age of Movie Musicals
Various – The Great Folk-Country Hits
Various – Love Country Style
Various – Sweet Summer Love
The Village Stompers – More Sounds of Washington Square
Wanda Jackson – Tears At The Grand Ole Op’ry
The Who – Happy Jack
Wishbone Ash – Argus

12” Singles
Artist Formerly Known As Prince – I Hate U
Big Mike – Hustlers
Cam’Ron – Feels Good
Dimples D. – Sucker DJ’s
N.E.R.D. – Lapdance
Nice & Smooth – Old To The New
N.O.R.E. – Grimey
Ozomatli – Cut Chemist Suite
Petey Pablo – Club Banger
404 Soldierz – Walk Like A Soldier

Abe Fest July 9th & 10th At BoS Plaza Featuring Flock of Seagulls, Starship, & More

Posted on June 28, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

As we mentioned earlier, there are three major outdoor music festivals happening downtown in the month of July. This includes Legacy of Giving Festival this upcoming weekend, Downhome Music Festival at the end of the month, and Abe Fest the weekend of July 9th and 10th.

Abe Fest might feature the fewest bands out of those three, however the festival might be bringing in headliners which might be the heaviest hitters when it comes to national acts. The festival is being held at the Bank of Springfield Center Plaza, and features headlining act Flock of Seagulls on Friday, July 9th and Starship (featuring Mickey Thomas) as the headlining act on Saturday, July 10th. Tickets for each of those dates can be purchased in advance on the Bank of Springfield Center website. For the complete lineup and also more info on the festival, be sure to follow the Abe Fest facebook page.

We might be updating and re-launching our Springfield shows page soon…

Splendid Flunkys: “Throne Room”

Posted on June 28, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

We just caught word of a new Springfield musical project that put out an album at the start of this month… They are called “Splendid Flunkys” and feature recording artist extraordinaire March Schwartz and also Scott Faingold (Epsom, Heptanes, etc.) as a duo. The two have released a debut album called Throne Room and you can stream all 14 tracks of that on the player below! Also head on over to the Splendid Flunkys bandcamp page where you can purchase the download of the album. And a description from their page:

“Splendid Flunkys is the raw, loud, punkish garage rock brainchild of veteran rockers Scott Faingold (Backwards Day, Epsom) and Mark Schwartz (Forest Saints, Tin Ghost, End Times Trio). With a combination of rib-tickling humor and brutal self- and societal observations, their music is not for the faint of heart. Take a deep breath and enter into the company of the Splendid Flunkys.”

Splendid Flunkys don’t have any plans for any live shows as far as we know. We’ve added this one to our Springfield album archive page, where we definitely have some catching up to do!

Prevention: “What Do You Say No To”

Posted on June 27, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

Today we bring you a hot new release from Springfield hardcore band Prevention! Four new tracks of heavier than ever hardcore. This new release is entitled What Do You Say No To and you can find it embedded on the player below. Head on over to Prevention’s bandcamp page to download the EP at your own price. Prevention also released Your Bad Habits in 2019. They don’t have any shows announced for right now but we hear they will very very soon. What’s that? No, we don’t know anything about them playing anywhere in town last night either.

We have added this one on to our Springfield album archive page and have a lot of catching up to do for 2021, whoops.

Legacy Of Giving Music Festival July 2nd & 3rd Downtown Springfield

Posted on June 27, 2021 by blacksheepspringfield

Between Legacy of Giving, Abe Fest, and Downhome Music Festival there are THREE major outdoor music festivals happening here downtown in July that we know of! Plus there is still the Levitt AMP Music Series out on the y-block still every Thursday night through August 5th! That’s a lot of outdoor live music happening here downtown.

The Legacy Of Giving Music Festival is happening here downtown this upcoming weekend Friday and Saturday July 2nd and 3rd. As you can see on the poster above, there are too many bands playing for us to even list off here. The headlining acts look to be Enamel, The Longmeyer Band, The Station, and This One’s Pink. There are probably about 50 bands listed on that poster playing throughout the weekend. Update – there are actually 60 bands playing 5 different stages for 10 different charities! The festival also features food trucks, a kids area, a vendor fair, a disc golf tournament, and much much more.

We are told to be on the lookout for a band schedule to be released any day now on the Legacy of Giving facebook page. You can also find more information on the festival at logmusicfest.org.