Carpark Records

I emailed Carpark Records about getting a review copy of Greg Davis’ album, Curling Pond Woods. The message came back, “I know this is kind of a strange question, but did you go to Northwestern University?” Turns out that Carpark Records is owned by my college freshman year roomate, Todd. We were both Radio/TV/Film majors, and he is obviously still pursuing this field full time. How cool to discover this, to reconnect after 10 years.

10 years earlier, Todd had often encouraged me to broaden my horizons musically. He had a ton of great music that he’d play in the room, exposing me to so many things. He would encourage me to go to the basement of some off-campus apartment house, a basement that was more like a cellar, where there’d be a band playing loud, challenging music amid the dust, dirt, and clutter.

Now 10 years later, through Carpark Records, Todd is still encouraging me to listen to music that goes beyond my normal Spectrum of listens. Trying to ride along and see into this music is a bit like when I purchased the solo albums by members of the band, the Church. Marty Wilson-Piper had some basic songs, but also spoken words and experimental pieces. Steven Kilbey had one album of songs that stretched the boundaries and another album of instrumental tracks with companion poetry book (which I never did get around to sending away for).

I bought those albums based on the strength of the band’s music, the Church’s excellent albums. I went to Onopa Brewing Company to listen to Greg Davis based on the strength of a friendship with Todd. Todd has taught me so much about music, and I knew that I would come and discover something more about music through following his lead. That’s the kind of trust you want to have in a label manager, an ear for something that might be different, but music that will nonetheless influence and change your ear