In looking at what made this year’s list of the most popular reissues on Discogs against my own list of the best archival titles of 2020, there are several things that need to be considered, the first one of which is how vinyl is purchased these days. I’ve been collecting records since the eighth grade. […]
Several times a month, a familiar question pops up on a Discogs forum: “So, I finally bought a turntable and I have this killer home theater receiver but when I plug the turntable into the back I can barely hear anything. Is my brand new turntable broken?!?!?” Or: “Hey, I got my dad’s old speakers […]
As hard rock legends AC/DC have proven with their latest album, Power Up, solid (and vintage) rock ‘n’ roll never goes out of style, especially when it comes from a true original. Of course, not everyone keeps up with the new albums by their musical heroes. Many fans prefer to listen to the classic stuff […]
Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor belongs to an unusual breed in rock music: the kit player who also sings. It’s not an approach that came naturally at first. Rather, it manifested itself out of expressive necessity for songwriting and led to real contributions. Whenever Dailor had vocal ideas for Mastodon songs, he would go in and […]
I started the year in January getting a basal cell carcinoma about the size of a quarter hacked off my nose. The doctor let me listen to Alice Coltrane’s Journey in Satchidananda in the operating room, so it was appropriately chill. After two days of getting sliced and sewn back together (and using the doctor-mandated […]
Important artists die all the time. That’s the unwritten contract we sign as fans of music: Someday, the person that made that song or album that meant so much to us will no longer be walking this planet. Most years, we can accept that bargain. But in 2020, a 12-month stretch that has felt like […]
Some of the most iconic images of the 20th century can be found on album cover art, from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band to the stark minimalism of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures. What constitutes a classic album cover is, of course down to personal taste, but many collectors frame albums on their wall, […]
Every month, we take a closer look at the best-selling records on Discogs. The following ranking is determined by how many purchases were made in the Marketplace in November. In October, every single record on the best-selling list was a Record Store Day 2020 release. We’re seeing a little more variety in the November edition […]
Music from all countries existed for a long time as its own original culture. While the music of a certain time may not have been special to contemporaries, it can evolve into a valuable heritage for future generations. Just like the psychedelic rock of Korea from the 1960-70s, Korean music from the golden days is […]
I was recently hosting a Zoom webinar about the current state of the live events industry and what — if anything — would be a sufficient stand-in during these COVID-laden months, pre-vaccine and post-various lockdowns, to provide a safe alternative while we all hold our breath for things to return to (the old) normal. One […]
