Why I Love Vinyl: A Collector’s Confession
The Dig
I have been a collector my entire life. You name it: baseball cards, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, starting lineups, wrestling figures, ticket stubs, etc. In many instances I have taken this collector’s mentality to ultra-obsessive measures. I am completely aware that this is self-incriminating, but during the seventh year of my life I had my mother scour the aisles for over a year to find me The Nasty Boys tag team dual pack from Hasbro. I would not stop until the Nasty’s were mine. Ten months passed and with the help of a dedicated mother my gems were found at Children’s Palace (now Best Buy). Looking back, this was the collector’s pinnacle in my life. So much hard work, I should haven given them the tag team titles, started reading books and ended this sick obsession right there. Unfortunately, those are not the next steps of a self-diagnosed addict.
Music has always been my first and most important obsession. I give my dad credit for this. When I was a youth we would listen to the oldies radio station and he would always name the song, band, and year of any song that were to blast through the ’88 Oldsmobile factory speakers. My dad’s obsessive attention to historical detail made me think that this was how everyone was supposed to be introduced to music. Knowing that Spiral Starecase’s “More Today Than Yesterday” was the best one-hit wonder of 1969 at age 12 was normal, right?
My obsessive compulsive relationship with music coupled with my collecting, for many years, caused me to refrain from starting to collect vinyl. It was like opening the door of the local brewery on free sample day to a broke, deadbeat, recovering alcoholic. My dad enabled. He offered me his collection with the understanding that they would not be sold. The downward spiral into the deep, dark, grooves of the record began.
My dad’s collection was the fantastic beginning to my digging journey. Chicago, Beach Boys, America, Barbara Streisand, The Guess Who, The Grass Roots, early disco, Motown, I could not ask for a better foundation. I took these 70+ records and decided to build a vinyl skyscraper that I hope is never finished.
I love digging for vinyl because it is always an experience. If you are a dedicated digger, then you have the opportunity to discover something as rare as the Nasty Boys every trip. I love that most record stores give you the chance to dig through boatloads of 99 cent bins. Sure, a bad back and sore knees might result but it is completely worth it when you are on a mission. The justification for buying new releases on vinyl is elementary. It gives you a tangible item, cool sleeves, and a digital download along with your purchase. Why would you buy Dum Dum Girls latest release ‘Only in Dreams’ on iTunes when you can get a kick ass record along with it?
Playing a record is more intimate. All my attention is focused on the artist and their songs when I am spinning. Listening to songs in iTunes has become the norm in this new listening era. While it is convenient, easy, and the shuffle feature is fun, it does not completely suck me into the artist’s work like vinyl. The digital listening experience is flawed because of that very convenience and functionality. We are an impatient society and iTunes makes it to easy to expose this human flaw. The skip, shuffle, and search features enable us to enjoy what we already know we like, however, it does not challenge us to explore new listening opportunities. Listening to a 12″ LP forces us to hear it all. This is why I love vinyl.
This forced engagement has given me an expensive, but satisfying new hobby. I knew my addiction was in full force when I stepped off a U.S. Airways jet in LaGuardia airport. Instead of looking for directions to my hotel I pulled out my iPhone and searched “record stores + Manhattan.” My initial experience in the Big Apple was not visiting Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, or visiting my hotel. No, it was spent walking 30 blocks to a store to talk and buy records. John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, I needed this record. I needed it not because it was one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, but because I needed to bring back a piece of NYC with me. Vinyl currency is always the most valuable. Thank you Academy Records & CDs. You guys were great and feel free to reach if you ever follow through on your planned excursion to Richmond, Indiana.
A collector will always be a collector. I have met new friends, expanded my musical interests, and enjoyed many lonely nights since I began collecting records. While it can be an expensive obsession it rewards the listener. Why not pay for something that will last forever? If you’re on the fence I would recommend you to hop over to the other side. The hours will pass along with the soreness in your knees, and the grooves will get you. The recovery from your new nasty addiction will not be easy. I’m okay with being your enabler. Jump in.
Written by Brett McGrath
Daytrotter Unveils New Design, Live Listening
One day, if there is any justice in this world, Daytrotter will have an entire room at the Smithsonian. I truly believe that Sean Moeller’s contribution to music is every bit as significant as the museum’s non-profit record label Folkways. With each passing day, and subsequent recording, Daytrotter moves closer to cementing itself as a living, breathing library of modern music.
Daytrotter began with a single mission: Record one band a day, every day, then give it away. It sounds so simple, but when one factors in the sheer magnitude of this mission it becomes maddening. At the time of this writing, 1321 artists have stopped by The Horseshack studio. Every post includes original artwork, Moeller’s writing and at least four tracks. When you include multiple appearances, the number of “sessions” grows exponentially. This volume of work is staggering.
The Horseshack is located in the abysmal, albeit convenient, armpit of Illinois that is Rock Island. Part of the Quad Cities, Rock Island is one of a handful of industrial towns straddling the Mississippi River at the Iowa-Illinois border. For decades, the city’s lifeblood has remained Rock Island Arsenal: the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing facility in the United States. Not exactly a hotbed of creativity.
Nonetheless, Moeller’s decision to make the Quad Cities the home of his burgeoning enterprise proved a critical one. Interstates 74, 80, 88 and 280 all converge here, along with nearly a dozen Illinois state highways. Thus creating a hub for travelers headed to every corner of the continent. As such, Daytrotter found itself a welcome stop for bands looking to break up the grueling voyage across the country. While we may not know about the Quad Cities without Daytrotter, we can be certain that we would not know about Daytrotter without the Quad Cities.
Yesterday, the website unrolled its latest redesign. Along with an updated look and more intuitive functionality, Daytrotter announced an exciting new feature: live listening. For a small price, listeners can now stream sessions as they are being recorded. Just when you thought the site couldn’t possibly get any sweeter, it did. For years I have dreamt longingly of a life as a fly on the wall of The Horseshack. Now, that opportunity is mine.
Another change involves subscriptions. Daytrotter’s free downloads will not be available for much longer. The site is moving toward a $2/month subscription fee. This is a small price to pay for 365 artists and 1300+ songs per year. Not to mention, I would rather pay two dollars than have my listening experience interrupted with annoying ads like many other free music services.
For those that have yet to visit Daytrotter, you may think that I am over-selling yet another music blog. I promise you, without a shred of doubt, that my words can not begin to do justice to the greatness that is this musical juggernaut. My only hope is that the site will outlive everyone that stumbles upon this post. Daytrotter is an invaluable institution. To all those whose daily grind makes our enjoyment possible, we are forever indebted. Thank you.
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 
Video: Alabama Shakes “Hold On” & “You Ain’t Alone”
The Alabama Shakes will be playing at Radio Radio on Wednesday, December 14th. Tickets are $10. I suggest you act swiftly Indianapolis, as this will likely be the last time you will ever have the chance to see this band for such a moderate price. And it’s sure as shit the last time you’ll ever see them in a venue as small and intimate as Fountain Square’s Radio Radio.
This Athens, AL quartet is winning over crowds all over the country of late. Their performance at Jack White’s Third Man Records during Next Big Nashville’s Soundland music festival in September was a consensus critic favorite. A couple of weeks ago, they followed suit by knocking the socks off of a packed Bowery Ballroom as part of CMJ Music Marathon in NYC. The New York Times’ Jon Pareles had this to say:
“But some of CMJ’s best moments this year looked even further back: toward roots-rock, far away from laptops, concepts and surface cleverness. The Texas bluesman Gary Clark Jr. played sets that were simply incendiary, following bleak sentiments with slashing guitar solos. And a band called Alabama Shakes, led by a bespectacled songwriter and guitarist, Brittany Howard, harked back to the fervor and smoldering drama of 1960s Southern soul and left its audience screaming for more. They were working CMJ the old-fashioned way: making converts with sheer live impact, now letting the Internet multiply the word of mouth.”
Pareles drives home the point that this band is beyond buzzworthy. This is whiskey drenched, headboard rattling, soulful rock n’ roll. Watch below for evidence. The top video was recorded at Pegasus Records as part of the Live from the Shoals video series. Watch “Hold On”:
Below is a music video for the song “You Ain’t Alone” featuring footage from The Alabama Shakes’ performance at Chattanooga’s Track 29. The video was directed by Joshua Shoemaker. Both songs are featured on the band’s debut self-titled EP: Album Stream – Alabama Shakes. Do not sleep on this show Indianapolis. Get to Fountain Square on December 14th or risk kicking yourself come Christmas.
Written by Rob Peoni