Rainy Daze

Well, it's kind of cold and rainy in Washington, has been since Thursday and looks to stay that way until Tuesday. And what better way to spend a day inside avoiding the rain than spinning some great music -- and perhaps even blogging about it.

I've already spent plenty of time extolling the Broken Bells release, and if you've seen any of the reviews you'll know that most have come down on the side of great, but not life-changing or earth shattering, record. Most discuss its subdued production, smooth mix of Shins and Danger Mouse tendencies. Well, one more thing: it's great for a relaxed day inside avoiding the rain.

Then it was Vampire Weekend's Contra, which sounds as good as the first day I brought it home. I switched it up a bit and put on my recently acquired Led Zeppelin IV, which is admittedly a different sound than I'd been going with, but what the hell? It's got Black Dog and Rock N' Roll, not necessarily relaxed music. But it's also got Stairway to Heaven and When the Levee Breaks, the latter of which is perfect for this rainy, flood-warning filled day in Washington.

In short, I can imagine worse scenarios to have to deal with on a Saturday afternoon.

On new vinyl... or down with the CD!

Going off my post in re: the Broken Bells release, I thought it was time for something about new vinyl. This whole adventure started with some old records in a basement, and then some used records from Cheapo in the Twin Cities. But eventually, I started buying all my new music on vinyl, assuming it's released in such a format.

It's been great discovering new albums, new music, new bands, and having the first listen be on wax rather than some downloaded MP3 or CD format. My latest purchase was Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion which, in my mind, was the album of the year in 2009 and one of my favorite records ever (criticize if you must). Naturally, I had been wanting to get this for almost a year, and last week I finally did. I've now bought this album TWICE: One on CD and one on vinyl. But I don't care about that.

Another nice feature is most of these records come with a free download, so really, you get this great physical/visual record, with the album art and everything, and the digital version for your MP3 player, which is essentially all you'd buy a CD for anyway, right? Not to mention, these are almost always high-quality, 180-gram-plus records, and they sound great.

Frankly, I don't think I'll ever buy another CD, if I can help it at least. For me, I'll buy it on vinyl if it's available, and then use the free download. It's what I did with Vampire Weekend's Contra, and it's what I did with Broken Bells, and what I'll do with the Black Keys due out next month, and on and on and on. Definitely recommend it.

This also reminds me of a post I read somewhere (I'd link to it, but I don't remember where it was) about someone was going to buy the new Beach House for a friend's birthday (which I haven't heard yet... worth a purchase?). Rather than buying the CD, they got the vinyl, even though said friend didn't have a record player. The record was visually appealing, and they got the MP3 download (legally), which is all they'd use the CD for anyway. Genius.

Really, this goes to the whole music industry. In a time when iTunes runs the show, and people are just buying songs instead of listening to whole albums (gross!) here's your chance. Vinyl has aesthetic value, it's nice to look at, it's part of a past that a lot of people like, but it also comes with this download card for your iPod. It's a win-win-win, and hopefully will get people back in the habit of experiencing albums as a whole, not just random songs in some kind of mix tape.

Go buy Broken Bells on Tuesday

The genius who brought us The Grey Album (Jay-Z's Black Album mixed with The Beatles' White Album) is back, and I for one couldn't be happier. This time, we get Danger Mouse teamed up with The Shins' James Mercer and the result is sonic joy.
Anyone familiar with Danger Mouse's work knows what to expect out this album. Orchestral, synth-y, pop beats with pronounced drum lines at times. James Mercer's voice fits perfectly with the sometimes-restrained, subdued melancholy production. The second track has some organ work that's out of this world. Frankly, I already love this album. One of my favorite of the year so far.

I was lucky enough to find it on vinyl a few days before the release (March 9) at one D.C. record shop that will remained unnamed -- wouldn't want to out the supplier. And I won't go on and on trying to review the record because I don't think of myself as a particularly strong music critic, but I know what I like, and this album is pure gold.

It's a joy to listen to on wax, and the copy I got came with a small poster and a code for a free download of the album in digital format. Unfortunately, the site isn't live yet, but assume it will be Tuesday. What could be better?

In short: Go buy Broken Bells on Tuesday. Support this music -- it's a great record.

Diggin' now... Tickley Feather

I just found out the name/artist of a great track I heard during a Geologist set at this past DC record fair. Above is Tickley Feather's "Trashy Boys." And I think it an amazing track. The foreboding musical back drop, the catchy drums, and those vocals. Makes for some great music.

Anyway, that's all. Thought I'd share, because I'm glad I found this track, and look forward to picking up the album. This is just the second release from Tickley Feather, and I haven't heard all that much, but I'm loving this track, and expect to feel the same about the rest. Hope you like it as well.

Also: after my Atmosphere post and this one, I'm thinking this will be a regular feature, named "Diggin' now.." or something else. But I'll probably just highlight some new stuff of the moment.

In praise of the Needle Doctor... or my first record player

Thanks to a comment on my Smash! Records endorsement post, I realized I completely neglected to explain where I got my first (and only) record player, an embarrassing oversight on my part.

Anyway, where did I get it? In historic Dinkytown, Minneapolis, Minnesota, right near the U of M campus. The shop? Pictured: Jerry Raskin's NeedleDoctor.

Now, I didn't just buy my record player there. I had an early window into the culture of vinyl enthusiasts that set the tone for my entire foyer into this world. As fate would have it, I got an early insight into how helpful a fellow vinyl head could be.

I had been looking for a record player for a month or so, since I raided my parents' basement collection and accumulated a few choice selections in the meantime, notably Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" and the album Velvet Underground and Nico. In short, I had incredible music I wanted to listen to, with no means to play it.

Enter: NeedleDoctor. In looking for a respectable place to buy a record player, I found that there was a world-renowned shop just blocks from my Dinkytown apartment. As it turned out, the shop was essentially just their local store for their global activities. They ship everywhere, as they should. It's a great place for... pretty much everything.

Through the Web site I found a cheap player ($150, but $120 in-store). It was the low end, but I was just starting out. I just wanted to play records. A top-of-the-line turntable wasn't all that important at the time. So I set out one Friday evening after working at the Minnesota State Capitol for the Minneapolis Star Tribune to pick up my turntable of choice -- it was the only time I could meet the shop's 9-5 operating hours.

Eventually, I got my record player home, set it up, and prepared for bliss, in more ways than one. In a nod to my girlfriend Emma, I queued up Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" that she had bought for me. The result? Instant satisfaction. I felt like I had never heard it before. Every note and instrument was so pronounced. Dylan's voice was so... Dylan. (Fans know what I mean.)

Spring's springin' (Sprung?)

I don't think this will be any kind of regular feature, but I was inspired to post a kind of "song of the day" for today at least. This one is "Los Angeles" from Atmosphere's Seven's Travels.

I don't even have this album on vinyl, so it's off the main topic of this blog, but with the temperature in D.C. approaching 50 degrees and the sun peeking through the window at work (I see blue sky!) I got to thinking about this song. Partially because it's about L.A. where it doesn't snow, and it just makes me think of warm, nice weather. It's a great one.

Spring is coming -- I hear they can see the grass in Minnesota -- and that's reason to celebrate.

That is all.

Crate diggin' in the new world

In the first post on this blog I touched on the irony of blogging about collecting vinyl records. Today, another very 20th-21st-century moment.

Sitting at this evening I saw on Twitter and Facebook that Silver Spring, MD's CD/Game Exchange had some new vinyl in stock. In this case? Unnamed Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

Being that the store's a short walk/bike/drive away from Wax Fanatical World HQ here, I decided I had to check it out. I'd been regretting passing up on the Led Zeppelin since I was at Smash! on Saturday. On I went. Short story shorter, I got Led Zeppelin II and IV in perfect (I mean perfect) condition for $8 and $12, respectively. That's what I call a good deal.

This case just shows a strange scenario: For me, vinyl is great, and I dislike MP3s except for their ability to catalog and mobility. But that doesn't mean technology hasn't had been a huge help with the collection. I've been back in touch with a friend from high school who collects vinyl and blogs about it. I follow various vinyl/music blogs and record shops on Twitter such as the Vinyl District, Music TAP and D.C.'s Crooked Beat records. Not to mention, it can help find some great records.

Now, go get your Twitter/Facebook/social media/crate digging on.