I'll still buy them if it's something I *really* want and can't find on vinyl, but I usually just end up ripping the songs to MP3 and listening to them on my iPod. Because of that, these days I pretty much stick to buying MP3s. I have two kids—very little time for much else! But I love eMusic and the fact that I can buy songs there for around 49 cents each. It doesn't mean I still don't love to buy the physical specimen (such as the vinyl LP), but the way that I *listen* to music nowadays is completely different than it was 30, 20, 10, or even five years ago. And ripping MP3s from vinyl is a PITA. I have to do it in GarageBand on my Mac and the importing/editing/exporting can take a while for each song. I don't have all the time in the world to sit around doing that, unfortunately, so a lot of my vinyl has yet to be ripped and sits on my shelves at home rarely ever getting played. :(

I think record stores will be all right. Like I mentioned earlier, vinyl sales continue to rise... so people have to buy them somewhere! And record stores will still be able to sell used CDs. Niche stores like Apop in St. Louis, Goner in Memphis, etc. will be OK, but if it's not a niche store like that, then they're going to have a harder time staying afloat.
Polyvinyl Craftsmen said:

I've more or less stopped buying CDs, they lost their appeal as soon as I could burn my own at home, much the same reason I never bought albums on cassettes in years gone by. Vinyl is still my format and with so many LPs coming with a download code too I won't mourn the death of the CD. Doesn't bode well for the record store though.

I've more or less stopped buying CDs, they lost their appeal as soon as I could burn my own at home, much the same reason I never bought albums on cassettes in years gone by. Vinyl is still my format and with so many LPs coming with a download code too I won't mourn the death of the CD. Doesn't bode well for the record store though.

A nice sentiment, Jamie. I too despise MP3's for their quality and am amazed by the sheer ignorance of not only normal people but the major labels that when you buy an MP3 you buy a crap product which is worth 0 and only has a lifespan of whatever harddrive it's on and nothing further. This isn't record collecting. I have vinyl and cds and I back my digital onto I-Tunes but enjoy listening to vinyl. Vinyl has a massive collectable factor which surpasses both cds and digital downloads.

This essence of collectability will keep vinyl thriving. I wished people would wake up to the digital streams but they haven't. Until 4G is recognised under our ISP's then we too won't have the speed required for instant glich free streaming of larger video files. Or audio. There is a lot of problems with relying on the Internet for streaming. Buffering. Capacity. Throttling from your network provider. How much the artist actually receives in compensation for their product. How does the artist receive it. Yet they are using this more and more over physical audio. 

I can't wait until the day we have a set standard where products last but largely due to money and poor long term gain understanding this isn't happening. I'd like more Blu-ray as I think the codec range on those for audio is stunning. I hope bands do work with them. I can only see an increase in vinyl sales when cds are left behind. There has to be something better than cds and scratch free.

The reason why I like going to the shop and buying CDs, is its a good way to stem the flow of the infinite music available on internet blogspots that i would never have the time to download and actually listen to. When so much music becomes instantly accessable, it loses its meaning, and its no longer possible to connect with it in the same way as when you were 15 years old and could only afford a few albums a year.

I hate having thousands of songs on an ipod. You put it on random and end up flicking through to the next song after about 30 seconds, impatient for the next one to come on, till eventually you just skip each song in the hopes that the next one will be better. Then you just sit there in silence admiring how good your taste is while reading your playlist.

I cant imagine paying money for an mp3 file. I don't feel that Ive actually bought anything by doing that. I might as well go onto youtube and listen to the song on there, while watching a video of it.

This future we are in now really freaks me out. Culture used to be a shopping list that you chose to buy from. Now it means even less.

The Poets were the masters of mood!! Check out 'I Love Her Still', beautiful chiming riff, utterly mizzog - perfect! Or the [originally] unreleased 'I'll Keep My Pride', another 'razor blade and hot bath' epic!

'Sad How Love Fades Away' Paul Messis. Dig the abject misery and resignation in Paul's voice when he sighs just before the organ solo - UTTER GENIUS!!

Did'ja know "That's The Way It's Got To Be" was the theme song to "Frankenstein Meets The Space Monster" ?

edmur said:

The Poets were a pretty moody band from Scotland - "I Am So Blue" is pretty somber stuff, but this one, "That's The Way It's Got To Be" (1965) has a sick bass hook and some jangly guitar underneath it's fairly depressing lyric:

 

This little thing,
http://tascam.com/product/dp-03/

is really cool.  Tascam dp-03.  Its a little digital 8 track, and has mix down options.

Do you already have the recording done or are you looking to start from scratch?

-Erika

So I posted a month or two ago about hitting the studio only to find out that many producers/engineers in my area don't get what I'm going for. If you want something done right, sometimes you just gotta do it yourself.

So, I purchase this 8 track monster, the Tascam 80-8, an analog 1/2" tape deck. The beast weighs at least as much as it's model number, maybe more. I then get a Tascam Model 5 mixer. Another monster, I now think I need a bigger house.

So, I'm looking at my setup only to realize I don't have a mixdown option. I've got a 2 track Teac mixdown deck but it's low on the IPS. So, I was wondering your opinion, if I could just run it into a digital recorder? I lack a good computer and figure that if I run stereo into a digitall recorder at a high sampling rate and bit quality that I may be on the right track. Tell me what you think...

GB City is one of my favorites of the past year.  Great LP.  Get it if you don't have it.

Cool, we're going to support them here in Tübingen/Germany in two weeks. I've never heard of them before, but I'm really looking forward to it! I checked their myspace page and really liked what I heard.

Wow, you guys have pretty much equipment, I feel a little inadequate, but still:

Guitars:

- An old black Fender Squier guitar (with that damn Floyd Rose Tremolo), I have no idea what guitar exactly that is

- My brand new sexy Höfner Galaxie reissue

Amps: An old Dean Markley 50 watt amp

Effects: A Behringer Blues Overdrive, the Marshall Guv'nor, the Danelectro Tuna Melt tremolo. And in my noise band I also use a Cry Baby wah wah.

Not especially garage stuff, but that's all I head or could afford to buy new...

I think you can purchase the mag in electrinic form too

Plus there's the side project 'Happening!' which appears to be an abridged bloggy version...

HAPPENING!

Does your amp have a tube power section?

If so, turn up your master volume, so you get your power section to distort just a bit. Keep your gain down, so you get a clean sound, but with some bite. Play with either the Dano, or the First Act that have single coils, and try to play with dynamics, so when you play loud your sound distorts.

Thank you for this awesome post.

ixnayray said:

George Formby is the fucking maaaaaan...

Homer Henderson

Atom & his package

See y'all at the bell house friday night, saturday too! I'm rested and ready for some high octane rock and roll. And beer drinking in twelve hour shifts.

Yeah , it's a damn shame. I thought this could have been a launching pad for The Real Kids' return to performing...I have'nt HEARD of them playing in 8 or 10 years , does'nt mean they were'nt......Roy and Cyril were already on the bill as special guests , but therewere no details as to what or when. I saw Roy a few months ago in San Francisco , and he basically just told me that they'd be there , that's all.....I've seen them twice , another old school act that will (Unintentionally , of course) make many the younger acts very , very nervous. They will CRUSH , KILL , DESTROY ! Be a-scared. 

yeah - Real Kids are not on the bell house website nor is Mark Sultan

but Black lips have been added tonite

& the website says this

"Norton honchos Billy Miller and Miriam LInna have been performing with The A-Bones since the 80's and keeping the spirit of rock'n'roll that can be found on all Norton releases very much alive. Tonight they will be joined by Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan of the fabulous Flamin' Groovies."

Have a great time , if you go , but , check this out. I don't know if it's true or not , but , I heard The Real Kids had to cancel. That's just what I heard, check WITH nORTON'S WEBSITE , OR ASK AT THE VENUE , if you're already there.

I predict The Figures of Light are going to blow the younger bands away.

I just noticed Black Lips has been added to the line-up tonte - nice!

Reigning Sound were great at Maxwells last nite

here's some footage (lighting wasn't real good though)

http://youtu.be/OvG9r5WfLqU

http://youtu.be/xCkQhIcPxno

Thanks for your recommendation on this. I've literally picked this book up twice at my Barnes & Noble here and debated on whether or not I should get it. I did read a review on it in either Shindig! or Ugly Things (can't remember), and it was mentioned that there was a large focus on Levy. The impression I got, though, was that it seemed to be more about him than Tommy James himself. Even though Levy played a huge role in James' career, what I'd like to know is do you feel like you get any insight into Tommy at all? I do like his music, especially his non-hits that oldies stations never played. (Do real oldies stations exist anymore?) I don't doubt this is a good read, but it may be one I'll be waiting to see if it hits the discount table.

Mat , It WAS amazing.

Mat said:

Aw man, that sounds amazing!

Aw man, that sounds amazing!

About 7 or 8 years ago (Maybe less , I forget?) we had a great AM Oldies station that did'nt last a YEAR...tHEY PLAYED ONLY 50'S AND EARLY 60's songs , their cutoff point was 1964 !

They played the Rock 'n'Roll hits , but , also the Country and Pop crossover hits . Anything that was a hit , so they played a LOT of songs the other Oldies stations would'nt touch , like "I've Had It" by The Bell Notes, "Tell Him No" by Bud and Travis , I even heard Sal Mineo , who , it turned out , cut some good Pop - Rockabilly sides. On Sundays , they had a 2 hour show hosted by Jerry G. Bishop , a Cleveland and Chicago Radio legend , now based in L.A.

He was friends with Ernie Anderson (Ghoulardi) , and picked up a lot of his gimmicks when he became Chicago's great Horror Host of The 70's , Svengoolie. He opened every show with "Rumble" which was his theme song as Svengoolie.He used alot of funny sound effects (Including one of Elvis laughing.) and still hada quick with , as he did in the 60's. Like Krispy Kreme ,it was too good to last in Chicago.