Photo by Linda Wildemann

For this edition of the 7-inch Corner, Stephen Brodsky (of Cave In, Pet Genius, The Octave Museum) shares a story regarding beloved indie rock label Caulfield Records. Be sure to check out Stephen’s new full-length (under the moniker Stove Bredsky), Black Ribbon Award, out now on Hydra Head Records.

SIDESHOW “CAMP SUNNYSIDE/POOR PAUL” 7″ SINGLE.

Sub Pop’s mail order catalogs from ten plus years ago featured a label called Caulfield Records in their extensive distribution of kindred music. I was intrigued, enchanted even, by the descriptions in these catalogs. No matter how cryptic their words appeared to be, I explored as many things Sub Pop-related as I could afford back then. In addition to my impressionable nature, a mighty infatuation with the mail order process came with it. After stuffing loads of paper route money into envelopes, I waited for them to provide me with musical glimpses into other parts of the world. My initial gateway to Caulfield Records came in the form of a Sideshow’s 7-inch for “Camp Sunnyside/Poor Paul.”

Read more after the jump.

Spinning it gave me imaginary visions of sun-cooked dust patterns blowing in vacant fields, behind rickety old barns-turned-recording studios. Particles from dirt roads cluttering the vinyl grooves with pops and crackles, and dusty feet without shoes stepping on A/B boxes.

Many Caulfield purchases later, I sent away for a copy of the Giants Chair Purity And Control album. Within weeks, the package showed up seemingly intact, but only after opening the box did I discover the record to be cracked in half. I found a phone number listed in the enclosed Caulfield catalog, which prompted me to call and leave a message explaining my situation.

The next day after I got home from school, I discovered a message had been left on my answering machine. It was from Bernie of Sideshow, the head of Caulfield Records. The message started out with him saying “Heeey, well, I heearrd your record got thraaashed in the mail!” Not used to hearing such a thick and jovial Midwestern drawl, I laughed out loud. He cursed the Postal Service and promised to send me another LP. When the message ended, I called him back almost immediately. We spoke for a good while, long enough for me to extensively convey the local excitement for a select few of his label’s releases.

I’d like to assume this was his first peek into Merrimack Valley musical fanaticism. That’s what brought Giants Chair into my old hometown for a stop on their tour later that year. Sure enough, a couple of weeks after that phone conversation, another copy of Purity And Control came to my door, this time packaged twice as sturdy as the first.

Steve Brodsky
June 2008

Tags: 7-Inch Corner, Caulfield Records, News, Stephen Brodsky //