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Communist Daughter, jeremy messersmith release singles made from picnic plates at SXSW

Communist Daughter in front of the vinyl-making station at the Blackheart (all photos by Jay Gabler/MPR)
Communist Daughter in front of the vinyl-making station at the Blackheart (all photos by Jay Gabler/MPR)

by Jay Gabler

March 14, 2017

Yes, you read that headline right. Communist Daughter and jeremy messersmith are among eight artists having singles cut on picnic plates this week at SXSW.

It's part of the day parties co-presented by The Current at the Blackheart on Rainey Street. Clif Bar has brought Seattle-based Mobile Vinyl Recorders to the party to create limited-edition single records on their vintage disc cutting lathes — with reused materials, to demonstrate Clif Bar's commitment to sustainability. Communist Daughter's "Roll a Stone" and jeremy messersmith's "Merch Girl" are two of the eight songs being recorded; the others are "Dead Alien" by Naked Giants, "Learn to Listen" by Ben Sollee; Temples' "Roman Godlike Men"; White Reaper's "Judy French"; the Dig's "Jet Black Hair"; and the Secret Sisters' "You've Got It Wrong."

"We love all the other artists involved," said Communist Daughter's Johnny Solomon, sitting with bandmate Molly Solomon in the Blackheart courtyard while watching happy fans walk away with copies of the single. "When Clif Bar approached us, we were happy to participate."

How do the singles sound? "They're guaranteed to be the best-sounding picnic plates you've ever put on your turntable," said Mobile Vinyl Recorders' Michael Dixon, as partygoers pulled their phones out to capture the spectacle. Dixon has also made records from compact discs (playable in your CD player as well as on your turntable), on acrylic mirrors, and from other creative materials.

The singles are available for free today and tomorrow at the Blackheart. Here's more information on the Blackheart parties, and on what else to do today at SXSW. If you're not in Austin, watch The Current's Facebook page to see live interviews with some of the festival's most exciting artists.

Add thecurrentsnaps on Snapchat to see a view from a pair of Spectacles worn by Mobile Vinyl Recorders' Kris Dorr as he makes a record! You can also see Communist Daughter and jeremy messersmith IRL at the Blackheart.

Mobile Vinyl Recorders
Communist Daughter single SXSW
jeremy messersmith jade sxsw
Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.