Fifteen years after influential stoner rock act Kyuss disbanded, two of its original members — John Garcia and Brandt Bjork — went on to form Kyuss Lives! They’ve since taken legal action to perform under the original band name, which has former Kyuss members — Queens of the Stone Age‘s Josh Homme and Kyuss live stand-in Scott Reeder — fighting back. The two recently filed a federal lawsuit against their former bandmates to protect the Kyuss name.
Saint Vitus, Probot, Warhorse/The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand, Shrinebuilder — you name it, heavy-rock legend Scott “Wino” Weinrich probably had a hand in it.
Each Tuesday, Behind the Counter speaks to an independent record store to ask about its recent favorites, best sellers, and noteworthy trends.
This week, we spoke with Neal Becton, owner of Som Records in Washington, DC. The small, well-curated record store is a staple in the DC community, and Becton is the force behind a number of events like the annual DC Record Fair and the monthly Brazilian Rhythms party. Having made three trips to Brazil primarily for the purpose of digging crates, there’s no question that Becton is committed to his craft, and Som’s diverse selection reflects his unequaled passion for music.
Neal holds The Beatles' Revolver
What can someone expect when visiting Som for the first time?
A small but tight shop with the best selection of used vinyl in DC. Being fairly small forces me to curate instead of just throwing everything out in the bins. I dig for records four to five days a week, so there’s always new stuff in here. I do sell new releases and touch a few genres that the other local stores don’t touch.
Masters of Reality has been creating art and music for nearly 20 years, with plenty of musical accomplishments collected along the way. The duo has worked with Rick Rubin, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, and collaborated with Stone Temple Pilots, Twiggy Ramirez, SOULWAX, and many others.
Straying from the emphasized improvisation and rhythm of its previous albums, Masters of Reality’s new full-length album, Pine/Cross Dover (out September 14 on Cool Green Recordings), combines elements similar to the punk-rock playfulness of Public Image Limited and the technical mastery of Mahavishnu Orchestra.
