Friday, January 03, 2014

This Year (2013) in Vinyl

[A guestie from Squeaky]

So as some of you know I buy vinyl, sometimes always too much. In this day and age most people just buy a song here or there off iTunes and are happy. But I’ve always been an album guy. I listen to the whole damn thing. That’s probably why I have very few playlists and still cling to buying albums and not single songs.  People almost always ask me why vinyl.  It’s really a two-fold answer. To me the sound is better on vinyl. So I can hear the difference from any audio file when compared to vinyl. You don’t need a super-duper stereo system to notice the difference. Just get a halfway decent record player.  

Physical media is going by the wayside (CD sales at least) but the art of the LP package has been making a comeback over the last several years and some are pretty damn cool. And this leads me to the second reason, the actual LP sleeve and vinyl record. There are still good artists making some very cool limited edition records out there. And I’m a sucker for most of it.  So instead of rattling off a list of what I think some of the best albums of the year were, I’m going to list a couple of the coolest looking records I picked up this year. And as an aside, the best day of the year to get some limited edition vinyl is Record Store Day. Worth a trip to your local record store. It’s usually the third Saturday of April.

In no particular order:

Califone – Stitches – Good album if you are into them, otherwise only a couple of great tunes in on it. And they played a bunch of these songs in my house this year.


Jack White Plays the Brooklyn Bowl --  Definitely stretches the idea of bowling for this record.  Great live recording.





 The National – Trouble Will Find Me -- Clear vinyl. Big trend this year. I also got a single on Coke Glass clear vinyl. This album, like almost all National albums, grows on you over time.


The Raconteurs – Live at the Ryman Auditorium - butterscotch marble. Not a bad live set by the fellows.


Superchunk – I Hate Music – electric orange. Good punk-pop album.


Then there is my favorite 2 LP of the year. Willie Nelson and Friends - Live at Third Man Records.

LP 1 – Gray Smoke


LP 2 – Electric Green with an image of Trigger imprinted into the second side


Honorable mentions: Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight The More I Love You. Great album with the best production quality this year. Sonically an amazing album. Her voice is the highlight. Side D is an etched side with eels swimming around. The Joy Formidable – Wolf’s Law. Another great album of arty punk-rock. Side D is etched with wolves running.

And if you really need to run through a list of the best albums head over to blog.LargeHeartedBoy.com . He compiles a list of all the best records lists.  There is enough there to waste a day or two wading through all the best of lists for records and books.

58 comments:

T.J. said...

The Lego "holder" in each photo is a nice touch. Your kid probably wants that back.

zman said...

That's a quality guestie.

Danimal said...

that's good stuff. haven't touched a record forever. always liked that sound of the needle droppin. awww yeah. kudos to the artists that go this route. I wonder if it is profitable for them/their label.

Danimal said...

and also, lots of action here today.

Mark said...

Interesting that this post dropped today. As TJ can attest, I own a fair amount of vinyl. And the wife found this on Craigslist today for the new house.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/fuo/4270198736.html

We'll be picking this up.

rob said...

wind chills in the twin cities will be approximately -60 this weekend. gaaaah.

my boss will be headed there on monday.

i, on the other hand, will be taking his place at a conference in vegas. i win.

Whitney said...

Mark, that is awesome. I have an older, less quality version in my living room that needs rewiring. On my list of things do get done in 2014.

Along with Day 12.

Danimal said...

will that connect w/a sonos system mark? I grew up with that near identical jam system. that's tight.

Clarence said...

Does the Oak Ridge Boys LP convey with it?

Mark said...

Not sure about the sonos hookup. Wife just found it today as she was wasting time at work. Me? Oh no, I'm not working today.

Mark said...

Andy Staples dropped a De La reference in the title of a column about Tre Mason (Stakes is High) and of course somebody tried to call him out for improper grammar because Twitter.

Mark said...

Has everybody seen the clip of the crazy Alabama lady drop kicking Sooner fans at the Sugar Bowl last night?

http://fansided.com/2014/01/03/alabama-crimson-tide-fan-goes-ballistic-oklahoma-sooners-fan-sugar-bowl-stands-video/

Squeaky said...

That would be a nice pick up, Mark. There has to be a way to wire a bluetooth receiver to that thing for a Sonos.

Mark said...

I'm all ears on how do it if anyone knows or can direct where I can find out.

Clarence said...

And $150 for that console is a joke. Nice job, Mark's wife.

zman said...

My grandmother had a console very similar to that one, it could even flip the record after one side was done. She junked it when she moved in with my mother, natch.

zman said...

As to bluetooth, there must be some sort of in/out port in the back for a tape recorder. Maybe you can use the out jack to connect to your Sonos?

Danimal said...

was completely joking about the sonos question - didn't think there'd be a chance in hell you could do that. you guys are wicked smart.

Mark said...

Temps in the 50s today. What the fuck? I have no idea how you people live normal lives during the winter.

Mark said...

Starting to sound like hooking the new console up to sonos or something like it might not be a chore. Good times.

Squeaky said...

Google is your friend ... https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/can_i_use_sonos_with_vinyl_record_turntables

It might be a little trickier with a console but definitely do-able.

zman said...

You might need an analog-to-digital converter so don't get too fired up just yet.

Mark said...

Looks like its pretty doable. If so, definitely worth the effort.

Greg said...

Screw that! Get some vintage analog speakers.

rob said...

if you look closely, there are ghostly reflections of squeaky in the albums. spooky.

zman said...

I thought that was Trigger? But it's just a donkey?

Squeaky said...

Trigger was my stage name ...

Danimal said...

Buyer's remorse on my Osu pick.

Mark said...

I'd dint bet either of these games tonight because I don't feel strongly enough to warrant it but I did take the over on both.

Mark said...

Much of me picking against Ohio State is my total lack of belief in Braxton Miller as a QB. Great runner, meh passer.

Danimal said...

Interesting turn of events here.

Danimal said...

Who are these announcers? One of them I find annoying.

Mark said...

I'm guessing Matt Millen is annoying you?

Danimal said...

Was about to say "it sounds like Matt Millen". Yup, he's the perp. Get him out of there please.

Mark said...

He's better than Braxton Miller but I am not a Tajh Boyd fan. Inaccurate and once he has to go off his first read his success rate drops dramatically.

Mark said...

And he does things like that too. Gross.

Mark said...

Clemson is great at reminding you that they're Clemson.

zman said...

I've never heard of Dierks Bentley before but whatever it is it sounds awful.

rob said...

he holds on, z

Mark said...

The bottom part of the Tiger logo on the Missouri helmets looks like weed to me. There, I said it.

Mark said...

Ryen Russillo is boys with Dierks Bentley. He randomly mentions it on SVP & Russillo. First time I've actually heard the guy. Not so great.

Mark said...

Reports are Charlie Strong will be the new Texas HC. It's too bad he hadn't coached at Florida 5 different times AND been the DC when they won 2 national titles in 3 years.

rob said...

every time i watch sammy watkins play, i go 'damn' at least once

rob said...

getting a vibe here from mark that maybe he's jealous of texas

zman said...

This is why people hate instant replay. This call should take twenty seconds.

Clarence said...

Z, the only thing I know about Dierks Bentley is that Jason Isbell called him a douchebag for ripping off his song. That's enough for me.

Mark said...

Take Boyd? Why? (I bet the over so I'm not that sad).

That wasn't a bad read. It was terribly inaccurate. I no like Tajh Boyd.

Mark said...

Tajh, not Take. Yes, I'm kind of jealous of Texas.

Braxton Miller...

zman said...

Agreed Clarence. So Dierks Bentley is a guy with a dewshy name, not a band named after two members like Wilson Phillips?

Sloppy football! Huzzah.

Mark said...

Actually. Not jealous of Texas as a program or a state. Jealous that they (allegedly) have Charlie Strong.

Clarence said...

The Adam & Eve Catalog has a 100% return policy. That is really disgusting.

Marls said...

Better name...Charlie Strong or Charlie Pride?

Marls said...

Why the heck is the Tribe playing Western Illinois the first week in January? Did Shaver lose a bet?

zman said...

Clarence has the best non sequitur of 2014.

TR said...

Adam and Eve is great. Get something special to put on you or in you, or to put on or in somebody you love. Or somebody you like. Or somebody you just paid a couple hundred bucks.

Dave said...

can you listen to these records digitally and just look at the vinyl on gheorghe? i am going to do an experiment and see if it sounds ok . . .

Dave said...

it works! you can hear the music without a record player and you still get that hip vinyl vibe. thanks squeaky!

rob said...

wrenball post up. featuring poetry!