At some point early in your journey as a record collector, you’ll be faced with a decision: You’ll be holding in your hand a record by an artist you like and it’s filled with great songs, and yet you are not sure if you should buy it. It’s not that it’s too expensive or in […]
Take a moment to learn more about some of the women of jazz who revolutionized instrumentation and performance during the height of the genre’s popularity. Mary Osborne Mary Osborne (1921-1992) is a celebrated guitarist who regularly performed and recorded with her fellow jazz greats of the era. She would go on to co-found the Osborne […]
“You may think I’m small but I have a universe inside my mind.” — Y.O. I have openly, blissfully, and shamelessly loved Yoko Ono for a while now — but it wasn’t always this way. It took years of personal growth and cultural deprogramming, followed by a yearlong deep dive into her work as part […]
I am feeling pretty grateful right now. We’re exercising caution, we’re still masked up and social distancing, but we are finally seeing some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. We are welcoming back local customers, some of whom haven’t stepped inside our store in over a year. We’re selling more vinyl. We’ve expanded […]
Making music in this YouTube era may not be considered as special or mysterious as it was in the past. Nowadays, anyone can make a track or imitate playing music, and there are a whole lot of tips and references from experts that you can rely on. With entry barriers lowered, the difference in output […]
Every spring for the past eight years, I’ve been sharing a mix series dedicated to spring and the universal feeling of gratitude and rejuvenation — a timeless theme that can be found in music of all cultures, eras, genres. I select about 30 to 40 records that have a spiritual quality without necessarily being religious […]
I met Dan Sartain at the merch table after his November 8, 2004 show at the Magic Bag in Ferndale, Michigan. I bought two copies of Sartain Family Legacy 1981-1998 and we made small talk. He complimented me on the suit I was wearing (I’d come straight from my grandpa’s funeral) and me saying I […]
Article by Matt Kumma Neil Finn has been my king of rock n’ roll for nearly 35 years. He’s written some of the best songs I’ve ever heard, has several slots on my top-albums-of-all-time list, was invited to join one of the greatest rock bands ever, and always has good hair. I was a Split […]
The Oscar-winning 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom shone a light on legendary backing vocalists such as Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and Judith Hill, all of whom have collaborated with some of music’s biggest names. Another vocalist that could’ve easily been profiled in the film is Venetta Fields. Born in 1941, the Buffalo native spent […]
Take a moment to learn more about some of the women of punk who pioneered the style in the 1970s and ‘80s. Jayne County Jayne County (b. 1947) is a queer and trans punk trailblazer who is often considered the first openly transgender singer in rock. Although she is a rock legend, she is also […]
