** POSTPONED **

Please check back for rescheduling details.

Leslie Stevens is the latest roots-rocks sensation from the good folks at 30 Tigers Records (Avett Brothers, to name just one of their associations). Leslie and the Badgers, to their old fans, combine the right elements of retro country, California Canyons, and jangly jamboree (more street-party than the country bear variety). It's powerful, sultry, and just enough fun at the right time to make classic influences seem fresh and fun.

Here's a juicy quote from the Portland Tribune:
"Americana country-pop quintet Leslie and The Badgers hail from Los Angeles, but sound like they'd be just as comfortable, even more so, jamming on a back porch in Appalachia as a hip club on the Sunset Strip. Frontwoman Leslie Stevens is gifted with a lovely soprano voice."

Sample yourself silly at her myspace page. Leslie Stevens & the Badgers debut release, Roomful of Smoke, is out this coming Tuesday. Pre-ordr in advance, or purchase in front of the in-store gets you priority entry and a poster from the event.

I can hardly believe we're on the verge of Buskerfest, last year's fest was one of my favorite nights ever, so this year has a high mark to hit... and I'm not even worried about it. This year is feeling so spectacularly good already that it's like there is no pressure at all.

All we need for it to succeed is you, so please round up your friends and let's call it a date. This year's buskers are off the hook! How about Michael Silversmith, Korey Dane, Boris Smile, OO Soul, So Many Wizards, Sam Outlaw, 60 Watt Kid, New Fidelity, Chicano Batman, Fort Wife, We Barbarians, Jenny Stockdale, and Alicia Murphy? How about we add in a main stage featuring Jay Buchanan, Crystal Antlers, and a very triumphant return by Delta Spirit, who tore up the waterfront a few weeks ago?

It's like a sampler platter of all the sounds that make Long Beach great.

Buskerfest is another, and actually it's the final, free show of Summer and Music 2010.

We will begin distributing wooden nickels to attendees at 4:30 and the band who receives the most this year will receive a 5 day recording session at Long Beach's own Compound Recording Studio, which is something like a $5000 value. If they play their cards right, it's also enough time that we could be seeing a new album from any one of these bands in the very near-future.

If you're on facebook check out our event page for more info (and to let us know you're coming, which isn't required, but would be nice).

It's awfully tough to imagine a better way to spend a day than rocking ourselves silly with the canyon meets cosmic goodness of Everest. You may have caught them last year when they took the country by storm as Neil Young's opening band on his US tour (with Death Cab on the West Coast and Wilco on the East Coast). It was magical, and as good as this band has been for their run so far, playing big rooms and having to win them over every night has really brought it all together. This past week, the boys released their new album, On Approach, and the flurry of adjectives includes: bold, stratospheric, gorgeous, thumping, haunting, spacious, and rustic - and all of them are apparent on the first listen.

Currently on tour with Minus the Bear, Everest has generously agreed to come in for round two on our humble little stage. We've opened the guest list first come, first served. Purchase of On Approach gets you a poster and priority entry, but if you RSVP, we'll make sure you get into the event.

Please call or visit to RSVP - 562-433-4996

You can check out some samples at their myspace page.

Are you ready for the return of Summer and Music? We're prepping our media kick-off at Gladstones for this coming Thursday (5/27) beginning at 4:00pm. It's going to be an early-evening version of Derek Brown's Light Bulb Mouth Radio Hour starring last year's Buskerfest participant, Marika Dahlin and our latest local find, Korey Dane (see last week's emailer for a feature). Derek Brown will be the MC and Eitan Kadosh will be the Author/Poet (that's just changed). It's gonna be a swift kick of a cool party and we'd love to see you there. Space is limited, so if you'd like to join us please click over to SAM2010's facebook event page to RSVP.

Besides the great free entertainment, one of the things you'll hear about at this kick-off is our first event - Future Heroes. It hasn't been announced yet, but we'll tell you, because we know you'll help us get the word out. On Saturday, June 12, we (SAM) are super excited to report that we're going to officially kick-off the year with a show we're calling "Future Heroes" and it's gonna focus on a heaping helping of Local greatness. The bands for this little shindig are Deep Sea Diver (aka Jessica Dobson who plays with Beck, The Mystic Valley Band, and Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs), Jay Buchanan (of the honeyed pipes and aching soul, and the band Rival Sons), Korey Dane (who is an amazing local find), So Many Wizards (who've just release a stunning bound book of an ep, which is currently only available here at Fingerprints), and finally Boris Smile (featuring Avi Zahner-Isenberg of Avi Buffalo).

Both of these events are going to be fun (and free) evenings of music happening right here in our little corner of the Southern Cali landscape and they will both be better if you're there with us.

There is still a bit of room left for this event, but with their scheduled appearance on KCRW Monday morning we are expecting it to go up and over on the demand-o-meter. If you're thinking about it, you'll want to decide soon.

Coming out of Australia, Angus & Julia Stone have a warm and intimate folk sound; it's a bit of an off-season beach thing, mixed with a cabin thing, and maybe a bit of rain. KCRW has embraced them, as has Fran Healey of Travis, who let them record their second ep in his living room. Their music is straight forward, sturdy, calming, and exactly what you want when the lights go out or when the neighbors drop by unannounced. Their second full-length was released a couple of weeks ago and the early press has been great.

For example:
"She sounds edgy, all heartstrings; he's chilled, all ennui. Hung across minimal, beautiful songs, it's a powerful mix of gentle angst. " - BBC Music

Recommended for fans of Travis, Jose Gonzales, She & Him, & Al Stewart.

Samples available at their Myspace page.

Owen Pallett freaked the radar watchers when he lit the screen with his string arrangements on Arcade Fire's Funeral release (and Neon Bible, also Beirut, Last shadow Pupets, and F***ed Up). His solo work, until now released under the name Final Fantasy, finds him looping and weaving up a storm. Heartland, his latest, is an orchestral monster, designed to be played as one continuous 45 minute orchestral piece, or to be stripped down and looped for violin and voice, is a rare piece of music that works forward and backwards.

Owen is in the process of changing all his Final Fantasy stuff over to his own name and kicking this chrysalis off here at Fingerprints sounded like a good idea to everyone involved and we couldn't agree more. We're going to tell everyone who already loves Owen, and everyone who loves strings ala Funeral, to run to the phone and tell us you're coming. 562-433-4996

The rest of you; click here then run to the phone and tell us you're coming.

You've probably already run to the phone, but when you get back check out this Take Away Show from La Bogotheque for a little taste.

Fresh off an appearance at Coachella, this will be Owen's only LA area performance this time out.

Here's a little bit of press coverage:
"Hints of Kurt Weill. This stuff is rich with ideas, and they're offered in the kind of rich, warm sound that should be accessible to more fans than ever before. Those of you with the inclination to pick them up will find a lot to reward you." -Pitchfork

"Impressive in both scale and execution, Heartland succeeds not just due to Pallett's sizable talents, but his belief in his even larger ambition." - XLR8r

If you ask the folks at Sub Pop about Avi Buffalo, they start getting all giddy and excited. You see Avi is more than just a local kid done good, he's on the verge of becoming a phenomenon; he's already done sessions at Daytrotter and numerous radio stations, the blogs seem to be suitably excited, and the word we're hearing is they've got a Greek Theatre show this summer (we can't say who they're supporting, because it's not announced yet - but it's cool). Anyway, we are also very excited about Avi, so it is with great pleasure that we announce this Release Day Eve Party.

Musically, Avi Buffalo's influences run deep, somewhere in Avi's 18-year old head is an old guy that spent his whole youth listening to albums by mid-period Beach Boys and The Kinks, yet on a more visceral level it feels like he's digging Grizzly Bear and even some of the more experimental side of Nels Cline, and it's where those two parts meet that the mixture makes magic.

I believe the band all graduated from Millikan High, so the local connection is strong. You might have seen them playing The East Village on New Year's Eve, at Buskerfest last year, or sneaking in for a short set here at the shop prior to this year's Soft Pack in-store.

If none of those ring any bells, click over to the Myspace listening post or the Youtube virtual VCR and expose yourself.

The full album is also streaming here.
**Please note; through the generosity of our pals at Sub Pop, we will have the same bonus disc of extra tracks when you purchase Avi Buffalo here at the in-store, as well as a spiffy poster.

Call us to be added to the guest list at 562-433-4996. No purchase required.

RSD kicked off with Josh Ritter and a bunch of our closest friends coming together for RSD Eve to celebrate why the music industry is like no other; music as religion, music as celebration, and music as community. After a 75-minute set and a three-hour signing, we jumped into merchandising for 150+ new releases. After a couple of hours sleep we opened at 7am, reportedly the earliest on the West Coast and the word definitely got out. We had a line the length of the building (70-100 people) waiting when we opened the doors. Records that we thought would last into the mid-afternoon were gone by 7:30am. It was crazy.
One of the coolest things I heard all day was tsomeone who'd bought his goodies, then called his friend in NY who was still waiting in line for his local store to open, and he was over the moon that he was able to beat the time difference and claim bragging rights. It almost made 7:00am seem sensible.
Overall, it was an amazing example of people coming together to celebrate their love of music. It was great to see folks helping each other find stuff, chatting about what they were excited about, and planning the next stop on their quest for that elusive Flaming Lips playing Dark Side LP, which was our first sell out item.
We were fortunate enough to have several of our friends stop in, including Keith Morris of The Circle Jerks and Black Flag, who spent about 4 hours chatting about music and making recommendations to fans. Then Gary Calamar and Phil Gallo stopped by to sign their new book, Record Store Days, which is hands-down the finest book about record stores that I've ever seen. The last of our events was an in-store by Dios (formerly Dios Malos) that was fantastic. Their new album, a special Record Store Day release, is We Are Dios and it's a heady blend of Zappa, The Beach Boys, and the Band.
RSD10 was our biggest day ever and it was a true pleasure to see all of you who stopped by, to meet those of you who came by for the first time, and to be able to host such an amazing slate of talented friends for this special event.
I would be missing a huge opportunity if I didn't take a second to thank the staff for getting up early and working so hard to make sure everything went without a hitch - it did, and we are very lucky to have such an amazing crew - so big thanks to all.

If you missed it this year, scribble a little note about next April and stick it on your fridge.

Special RSD Hours:
Saturday, April 17th
7:00am - 11:00pm

This year we are buzzing about the fact that there are over 150 exclusive releases for Record Store Day. We've ordered all of them, but due to crazy demand and limited availability, we won't know in most cases what we're getting until the boxes hit the floor. If there is something you're determined to add to your collection, you're gonna want to get here early - so we're gonna open early. We'll brew up a little coffee and meet you at the very un-rock and roll hour of 7:00am. The thinking was if you've got the super elusive stuff on your list, and for some reason you get shut out here, you'll still have time to buzz over to either Rhino in Claremont, Freakbeat in the Valley, or Amoeba in Hollywood - all of them are also participants. Feel the indie spirit!

Below is our schedule of events and a mostly complete list of exclusives. We'll be back with our regular emailer next week, and there are some great shows in the works, so be sure to check in then.

Josh Ritter is coming back! We're working on some crazy ideas to make what will surely be an amazing night into something for the history books, so check your calendar. Josh's new release So Runs the World Away will be coming out May 4th, but as a special Record Store Day Eve treat we will have vinyl copies available at the in-store and they will include a full CD copy of the album! This will be your chance to get Josh's album over 2 weeks early.

If you are unfamiliar with Josh's music you should click over to his myspace page for a sample - Go ahead, we'll wait.

From a pure song-craft standpoint, there is no one currently working that does it better. Josh stands in my collection next to artists like Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash and he doesn't flinch. Sadly, the world (except for the savvy Irish) has yet to fully appreciate Josh. Happily, it allows us the opportunity to offer up nights like this.

We've opened the guest list for this event to those who pre-order the CD/LP combination of So Runs the World Away and it's getting dangerously close to full, but if space allows, we will open it first come, first served when we get closer, but if you want to be sure you're here when it happens, a pre-order gets you guaranteed priority entry, a copy of our poster from the event, and the chance to support a great artist.

Josh was Tuesday's featured artist on Daytrotter, so click over and make your ears feel like your headphones are the best friend they ever had.

Click to buy/sample So Runs the World Away

Courtney Love has resurrected Hole and it looks like she waited just long enough to catch everyone feeling a bit deficient in big riff rock. They were the talk of SXSW, Their shows here in LA and in NY have already sold out clean, and she's about to hit the Outdoor Stage on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.

Nobody's Daughter is coming out April 27 and to celebrate we've talked the good folks at Island Records into giving us a big pile of tickets to be in the crowd for this momentous TV moment.

There are a couple of qualifiers:

First, you'll need to either buy the 10" vinyl for Skinny Little Bitch (an RSD exclusive) or pre-order Nobody's Daughter to get a ticket.
Secondly, you'll need to have a government or School issued ID, and it needs to clearly show that you're over 16 years old.
Third you need to be able to be in Hollywood by 6:45 on Wednesday, April 21st.
There are a few other details, but it's mostly don't wear stuff that looks bad on TV and things like that. We'll print some out and have them ready for you on RSD.

Ticket distribution for this event will begin at 11:00am on Saturday and you'll have to be here if you want to go (no holds, phone or internet orders, sorry.)
Spread the word.

Before the days of digital downloads, there was THE RECORD STORE: a place where music lovers could go to indulge their passion, where friendships and romances began, where bands formed, and where information was shared. The history of the record store-whether a hot jazz emporium selling 78s or a psychedelic underground shop or a punk rock haven-parallels the history of recorded music itself. Record Store Days (Sterling Publishing; Hardcover;$19.95) traces the growth of an industry that became inextricably entwined in the fabric of American life in the twentieth century.

We are happy to bring our pals Gary Calamar (old pal) and Phil Gallo (new pal) in to sign copies of their new book Record Store Days. Way back in the days before Fingerprints, a couple of us worked at Moby Disc and Gary was a co-worker and a friend. Now days he's a KCRW personality and a Grammy Nominated Music Supervisor for the TV Shows Dexter, True Blood, House, and Six Feet Under.

Phil Gallo is a music journalist and entertainment editor who's worked for Billboard magazine and been a music industry authority for CNN and BBC. Currently the two of them are basking in the glow of their first book; Record Store Days, a photo rich story of the development of the Record Store in America (and I've heard we're in it!). Peter Buck from REM did the forward, however we've not heard he'll be here to sign (I'm thinking not).

Stopping in to kick off their new album release, Dios (formerly Dios Malos) are making their Fingerprints debut this coming Saturday. We are very happy to bring a boat load of trippy, stoney rock and roll in to celebrate RSD 2010, and we couldn't think of anyone more qualified to deliver than Dios.

"Dios coaxed me into a space somewhere between Hendrix's Electric Lady Land and the drugged out, fun sounds of The Butthole Surfers. They manage to not sound like either though, but also add a dark, Brian Wilson style vocal element." - Buddyhead

Sample yourself into a frenzy at their myspace page.

We Are Dios comes out on Record Store Day, so this seems like a huge win all the way around. We'll have a poster for those who step up and take a little Dios home with them. The Guest List is open now, so run on over to the phone and get yourself all sorted out. Our number is 562)433-4996

Keith Morris, of The Circle Jerks and Black Flag, will be manning the counter and helping you find cool tunes to help work through your teen (or middle-aged) angst. Aside from being a punk rock legend, Keith is a hell of a nice guy, so be sure to stop in, maybe ask him to sign one of his albums, and chat him up about the time you saw him at Bogarts when...

Keith and the Circle Jerks are currently doing a few shows around and about and we are very excited that him and our friends over at FYF Fest have kicked us five pairs of tickets for their May 1st show with Seven Seconds, Municipal Waste, and Ceremony at the Historic Fox Theater in Pomona.

We are also selling tickets here at the shop for all of you who are going whine about how you got to meet Keith, and he helped you pick some crazy cool record, but you know, you didn't win tickets to the show.

Fun. - Live at Fingerprints - Unbelievably good live set recorded right here at the shop. These guys aren't household names yet, but with smart _and_ clever songwriting, a live show that lives up to their name, and a sound that fits comfortably between ELO and Queen they deserve to be on everyone's playlist.

Various Artists - SP20: Casual Nostalgia Fest CD - Nineteen live performances from Sub Pop's 20th anniversary celebration, which took place in July 2008.

Peter Gabriel/Bon Iver 7" - Gabriel covers Bon Iver's "Flume" and Bon Iver covers "Come Talk to Me", a seven-minute song from Gabriel's 1992 Us album.

Pavement - Quarantine the Past - The tracklist for the RSD version of Pavement's best-of album was determined via a contest run by Matador, with the winner chosen by Pavement. Also features silkscreen cover art that the band themselves customized.

Velvet Underground's Live 1969 With Lou Reed, which consists of two separate albums, Volumes 1 and 2, both remastered and on 180-gram vinyl.

A special double-vinyl version of Sonic Youth's 2008 compilation, Hits Are For Squares. The 15 tracks were selected by other artists, including Beck, Radiohead, Eddie Vedder, Flea, Gus Van Zandt, and more. The 16th track is brand new and exclusive to this version!

A "super surprise" mystery white label 12-inch by the Beastie Boys. When it comes to surprises, the Beasties deliver the goods, so hunt this one down on April 17!

Two versions of Mastodon's major label debut, Blood Mountain - a regular single LP version and a super-deluxe double 180-gram version.

A pair of Joe Strummer LPs, never before available on vinyl - Streetcore and Global A Go-Go!

Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs box set on 10" vinyl, remastered and packaged in a slip case box with three double gatefold sleeves and the original booklet in 10" size AND a digital download card.

Soundgarden - "Hunted Down"/"Nothing to Say" - reissue of Sub Pop's first single - on orange vinyl.

A sweet 10" single by Bruce Springsteen, which includes two rare live tracks - "Wrecking Ball" (live @ Giants Stadium) b/w "Ghost of Tom Joad" (Live in Anaheim w/guest Tom Morello).

John Lennon Singles Bag. This numbered 7-inch box set includes three 7" singles, three postcards, a 24 X 36 poster, and a custom 45 adaptor hub. The songs? "Mother," "Why," "Imagine," "It's So Hard," "Watching The Wheels" and "I'm Your Angel."

The Black Keys' 12" vinyl single featuring two brand new songs - "Tighten Up" and "Howling for You!"

A 12" slab o' wax from Sub Pop sensations Beach House, featuring two new tracks, plus two alternative versions of songs from Teen Dream!

And there are so many more! Flaming Lips doing Dark Side of the Moon? Check. New Built to Spill trax on 7"? Check. Exclusive Drive By Truckers? Yup. Rare, live Jimi Hendrix 12"? You got it. Neko Case's Middle Cyclone on clear vinyl, a picture disc of unreleased Queens of the Stone Age tunes, a Rolling Stones 7" with an unreleased track from the Exile sessions, Wilco's 4-LP box, Kicking Television. All that and more coming at you on April 17 - Record Store Day!

For a more complete list, click over to the RSD offical site.