Why Vinyl?

I own a record player. Why? because I'm better than you.

No, not really. It just sounds great. I have it hooked up to two Bose computer speakers and let me tell you, iTunes cannot come close to producing a digital copy of a song that sounds as good as that.

With digital, recordings sometimes get muddled. Details get hard to pick out and too much middle register sound comes through. Though not bad by any stretch, it's not perfect.

Vinyl produces a much clearer tone. Details become very easy to pick out and the songs sound much closer to the original studio mix. Why is that? Because sound gets lost in the translation from the studio to digital recording. Vinyl is an analog method so virtually nothing gets lost in the transition from studio to copy. I'm not really a tech guy, but it's explained so that I could understand it here.

Also, buying a record is so much more satisfying than buying songs on the internet. You get a physical package with large artwork on the case and the sleeves. Often times it comes with a small poster/lyric sheet. Some vinyls, like the Postal Service's Give Up, come with a full lyric/artwork booklet (20 or so pages) and a poster--not to mention a full second record with 2 b-sides, 2 covers, and 2 remixes.

I would rather pay $10-20 for a physical record and packaging than $10 for digital information--but that's just me. Most record players today also come with digital converters so if you want the album on your digital library, its easy to do so. Some records also give a code for a free digital download.

There's something religious in putting a record on, laying down and listening through, turning it over and changing the record. It's a great way to sit back and relax. It's just not the same with an ipod. I own an ipod, and my iTunes library is imense. Digital allows for easier on-the-go listening and I appreciate it. But the listening experience that comes with vinyl is so much better. Instead of scrolling through your library, picking a song, not being satisfied, scrolling again, picking, getting bored, scrolling again you just sit back and appreciate what's playing, knowing that it's the best possible listening quality outside of the studio. It's a really good de-stresser.

Vinyl has its downside. Records are big, clunky and easily damageable. That's exactly the reason why sound quality was sacrificed in the transition to CDs and digital--it's easier, safer and more portable. But when it gets right down to it, I want the best quality possible and I'm willing to be a little more careful with my music to do so.

If you don't believe me, take your favorite album and find a way to play the vinyl copy. I think you'll like what you hear.

Passion Pit - Manners

Passion Pit, a Boston-based electronic band, delivered their first full length, Manners, in may of '09. With Manners, the band has taken Boston by storm. They played the Best Music Poll Concert at City Hall (I was there, it was awesome) in August and their show at the Boston House of Blues on January 6th is sold out and the $25 list-price tickets are going for upwards of $150 on other sites.

Manners' fourth song "The Reeling" came in at #29 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the album's 9th track, "Sleepyhead," is featured on a commercial for the new Palm Pixi.

The hype is well deserved. Manners is an incredibly fun, energetic album with surprising depth. The band has a distinct sound. Multiple layer of synth and digital effects, driving drum beats and bass lines give support to Michael Angelakos' distinct voice and searing, energetically catchy melodies.

It's hard to apply the term 'badass' to electro-pop but a few songs on Manners have truly badass electronic hooks. The start of the album's second track, "Little Secrets," is a fine example. A solo synth piano starts the track with a catchy line and when the rest of the band kicks in it's almost impossible to stop yourself from jamming out. Try to resist. I dare you.

"The Reeling" has a similar effect. Try again. Not to mention, its video is really cool.

There are a few tracks with layering and use of effects Radiohead would be proud of. "Sleepyhead" layers a vocal loop, multiple synth lines, a neat arpeggiated guitar part over an always-solid base and drum line. The vocal loop and Angelakos' melody pair nicely and the overall product is a damn catchy and just as complex song.

This album is a gem, a great summer soundtrack. But it makes me nervous for Passion Pit. It's a debut album that presents a unique sound. How good it is took a lot of people by surprise. But now that Passion Pit is an established presence can their next work provide something just as fresh and entertaining, or is this a one-time deal? Manners shows a lot of promise. It shows that Passion Pit has style. I hope that they can come through with a few more albums that prove they have substance.

Currently Reading

Everything is Illuminated- Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a fantastic book, I read it over the summer and loved it. I couldn't put it down. It packs a powerful message while remaining a fun, sometimes really funny, read. Part of that is due to his prose. I'll let you see for yourself, but it's one of the most unique and powerful styles I've come across. I'm hoping his first novel (the one I'm reading) shows the same prowess. In any case, I suggest both books. Foer is young (32) and full of promise; a good author to look out for.

Guns, Germs and Steel- An understanding of the world around us is important. What better way to do so then to read a book that takes an analytical look at the last 13,000 years of civilization?

Though I haven't read it yet, I know that Jared Diamond's book takes a look at the underpinnings of European society (maybe

guns or steel?) and how it allowed for the subjugation of nearly the rest of the known world (I'm going on a limb, but germs may have played a part).

I always love reading something that doesn't sugar coat history. Time to read up on the society my ancestors were a part of and the horrible things that society did. Oh boy!

Wilco - Yankee Foxtrot Hotel

If I were a good blogger my posts would deal with timely and relevant things, but not today! For my first post I'll be winding back the clocks to 2002 and the release of Wilco's Yankee Foxtrot Hotel.

The band's fourth studio album walks the fine line between keeping a congruent sound and theme throughout the album and providing the listener with a variation from song to song. And, in my opinion, it walks it well.

At points, the album is very catchy. Take, for example, "Heavy Metal Drummer." It's pure fun; the kind of song you can get up and move to. The verses and chorus are really catchy and the lyrics paint great mental images. "Shiny, shiny pants and bleach-blond hair/ A double kick drum by the river in the summer...I miss the innocence I've known/ Playing KISS covers beautiful and stoned." I hear that and imagine a few guys just getting together and having a blast. That coupled with the up-beat, catchy tune makes this song one for a fun day under then sun. But, hey, don't take my word for it, listen here.

But with the fun songs, Foxtrot delivers some downright sad ones. Wilco has always done a great job of achieving sadness while being reserved. Nothing is over the top or comes off contrived. It's just honest, genuine sadness. In this regard, "Ashes of American Flags" takes the cake. Tweedy sings of a man caught up in the American machine and powerfully so. Its something anyone in the good ole' U.S. of A. can relate to. Digital and analog effects used make the song feel expansive, making Tweedy's voice sound smaller.

Over that, Tweedy's lyrics are a sad cry of desperation, for help even. "All my lies are always wishes/ I know I would die if I could come back new," he sings. "I would like to salute the ashes of American flags/ And all the falling leaves filling up shopping bags."

The moment in the song where he sings "I would like to salute..." is, in my opinion, a moment of musical perfection. Listening to it is like ecstasy. The effects cut out and a sad piano comes in over a soft bass line with a few earnestly played chords. Its an incredibly sad but incredibly beautiful moment--it makes the whole song. But again, don't take my word for it, listen here.

Though the songs vary on subject matter and feel, the album is very congruent. All the songs seem to belong together. None of them really stick out in that sense. The instrumentation helps to create that. Pretty much every song features the standard drums, bass and either acoustic or electric guitar--it's what keeps the album grounded. But many songs also feature additional instrumentation, like the awesome string arrangement in "Jesus, etc." or digital and analog effects highly evident in tracks like "I am Trying to Break Your Heart." The added production is not over the top, its just right and it affords the album interesting texture while allowing it to remain genuine.

If I had to pick a word for this album it'd be genuine. Every song is honest and true. The album has ups and downs and a variety of styles but it all feels like it's coming right from Jeff Tweedy and Co.--no one else. So pick up the album and give it a go.