Blake Ells

To say that the recent revitalization of Woodlawn is remarkable is an understatement. There are new kids on the block, like Sound and Page, a listening room created by Caleb Chancey of War Jacket. There are a few that have been around a while, like the rock club The Forge and Substrate Radio. And there are the forefathers that began moving the historic community into its current direction: Revive Birmingham, responsible for the recent Revive Woodlawn project, Audiostate 55 Recording Studios and Communicating Vessels, a Birmingham-based record label quickly becoming a tastemaker in the Magic City and beyond.

Several years ago, Jeffrey Cain founded Communicating Vessels by releasing a series of 7″ vinyls by Birmingham artists. The collection was more than music – it was art. And that has been the aim of Cain’s label from the beginning. This year, Communicating Vessels created a storefront at its Woodlawn recording studio at 55th Place South. There, customers can buy and hear music from every artist on the label, interact with other music fans and share an experience. The experience of music is the foundation of Woodlawn’s new face.

I sat down with Cain, former member of Remy Zero, in his studio and talked about his decision to begin his project in Woodlawn, the experience that he hopes to provide Birmingham’s music community and his time with the band from Alabama which once opened for Radiohead.