Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

It's pretty lame that Bull Moose gets so much inventory for RSD. Like how many of the really limited things are they getting?

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

bn.com has a 25% off any one item coupon for today only, free shipping over $25. Their vinyl prices do not seem that bad, going to pick something up

GMONDAY14 is the 25% off code

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Well, the guy who came up with the idea of Record Store Day - Chris Brown - is from Bull Moose.

I wouldn't say they get more of anything than other places, though. At least not when you put it in perspective. They do have the advantage of having several stores, so they order product based on that. Most other businesses may only have one, or possibly two or three locations. Bull Moose has at least five stores within a 20 minute drive from me, and another six spread out over Maine and New Hampshire. So in comparison, yes it may seem like other stores get less, but on a store for store basis, it's likely the same. Because BM has more stores, they can pool their remaining inventory to sell online, or at their other locations.

Another plus for Bull Moose, though, is unlike some other businesses, they don't gouge people on RSD prices, or prices in general. In comparison to say Newbury Comics, who I've often found to be anywhere from $3 to $10 higher on pricing for the exact same RSD items.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

It's strange that an independent record store would have 10+ locations. It pretty much flies in the face of the concept (and their emails are like Best Buy ads or something). I have used them online in the past and I don't hold anything against them. But when my record store (arguably the best in PA :) and one that orders a TON of RSD stock) has no copies of Miles Davis Blue Xmas 7" or Long Tall Sally and Bull Moose has leftovers at EVERY location 3 days later, it seems strange.

Beware. BN packaging is nonexistent. It's basically a record flapping around in a box.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I see where you're coming from. I think the supply and distribution of the product also goes out by who get's their orders in first. I'm sure they try to keep everything fair, but somebody, somewhere is always going to get somewhat screwed. There's only so much to go around.

Independent these days just means still a privately owned and run company, not publicly traded and overseen by a corporation and stockholders. Newbury Comics is still considered an Indie company for this very reason, even though they have a larger chain, and most of their stores are located in Malls. I'm sure there are others around the country, too. Manifest Music in the Carolina's used to be one of them until they sold their business.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I'm just getting into Vinyl, and like most people in this thread, I think it's pretty awesome. I'm in my 20s, so I grew up as Vinyl was on the decline and CDs were on the rise, and all the albums I've owned were on CD (or even cassette).

Over the past few months I've found some pretty great finds in places like Savers and Goodwill, and there's even a family-owned record store 15 minutes from me. I've amassed dozens of records - most of which are albums I already own on CD - but I still don't have a player. Can anybody recommend a good player for beginners? I don't need anything too fancy or high tech - I found two that are made by Jensen, one is $40 and the other is $50, I'll update with links once I find them.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I'm surprised you remember, because vinyl was all but over by 1990. Cool you're getting back into it though. With a cheaper turntable, you're kind of going to get what you pay for. If you want anything truly decent, you're going to need to lay down around, at least $100. Unless you can find an older working unit, that maybe just needs a new cartridge and/or needle. Those cheaper models are workmanlike, at best, and will get the most basic of jobs done. If sound quality isn't an issue to you, and you just want to be able to spin some vinyl for the sake of it, they'd be relatively ok, but that's about it. If you're looking fir something more high end, there are plenty of folks here who can point you in the right direction.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I encourage people to spend at least $100 on a turntable and at least that much on a receiver. I usually recommend Technics turntables to people; they're a solid brand that's affordable.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Anybody else get a Waxwork Records 2015 sub?

It's not only a great deal, but now no more sweating it out waiting for pre-orders to drop. First four titles are going to be Phase IV, Nightbreed, C.H.U.D. and Starry Eyes.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

There was a record swap meet over the weekend I attended. There were fewer dealers than normal, which was OK 'cause I didn't really have a lot to spend. Other than some common titles, my most notable pickups were

Queen (debut LP, original pressing)
Last American Virgin S/T
Ramonetures - Johnny Walk Don't Run Paulene.

I snagged the LAV soundtrack out of a "all records $4 bin", which I thought was a steal as that soundtrack usually goes for $30-40 on E-Bay. Already have it, so this was gonna finance my day. Got it home and it was warped. Shit!

Ramonetures is Billy Zoom and DJ Bonebrake doing surf versions of classic X songs. Kind of a gimmicky thing, but some songs came out really well in the surf style.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Just got Joy Electric - Ministry of Archers in the mail. If you like synth music, this is an awesome record.
(for size)

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

If you can swing $179, this thing is a really good bang for the buck.

http://uturnaudio.com/

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Nice to walk into a record store and be surprised by a release. Had no idea Ministry 12" Singles would be coming out. 1000 copies on clear vinyl. I think it might be the only vinyl release besides the individual 12"ers

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I've gotten some cool stuff recently:

Finally, an original Velvet Underground & Nico LP. Peeled banana unfortunately but vinyl and cover in decent shape otherwise.

Mothers of Invention - Freak Out! (original)

Hawkwind - Space Ritual (been looking for this for a while)


Are there any corporate owned record stores anymore? (Other than the abomination known as FYE.)

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Scooped this up from Discogs for $18. That's a bargain. I've never been able to find this for less than 30$ new or used.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...xL._SX466_.jpg

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Subscribed to the Third Man Record vault to get the Bonnaroo set from Jack White. Wow, he put on a hell of a show that night. And the package is quite nice.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Nice!
I kind of hated the album when it came out, but I revisited the entire discography this year, and this album is WAY better than I gave it credit for.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Picked up a few Soundtracks. Natural Born Killers, Batman Begins from Hot Topic, and gave the wife Game Of Thrones Season One from RSD.

NBK packs a punch. Always liked the CD. Played throughout the winter of 1994.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Found a high-end stereo store that has a room of old (and new) vinyl. Mostly classical and jazz, to cater to their clientele, but some rock-and-roll too.
Got another copy of The Kinks' Arthur, but the sound quality is shit. Still looking for a copy of that album in good shape. However, the copy of Fleetwood Mac (S/T) is super clean.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I was involved in a discussion about this not too long ago (which didn't end well for vinyl :-(), I'm curious, beyond nostalgia, what is about vinyl which helps it endure when digital offer so much clarity perfection? I'm surprised that it seems to have endured, even in a small portion of the market? Said discussion makes it sound like digital is measurably better.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I visited that thread. There's a LOT of misinformation there. For one thing, digital sampling cuts off at a certain frequency. I believe it's 20500Hz for 41K sampling. That means that any part of the signal over that frequency, nope, it's not on a CD.

I do like the sound of vinyl, although I had to vastly improve my turntable in order to get that sound. And it's probably still not enough, as my amplifier is my HT receiver, and I'm using some low-end Klipsch mains. Really though, as a fan of 80s alternative and punk music, it's a lot easier to find that material on vinyl. Not all of it was ever pressed on CD, and if it was, it was only released once making it even harder to find than the vinyl.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I can't speak for everyone, but for me it was sort of a backlash against the intangible nature of digital music. After a few years of buying MP3 versions, I really missed owning a physical copy of my favorite albums. CD's felt like a waste of money, because I'd rip them & then file them away never to be listened to again.

Then I noticed that some really cool things were happening with vinyl. Almost all new releases were getting vinyl releases & the whole package was just a lot sexier than it's digital counterpart. Gatefold sleeves, large artwork, included posters, colored & splatter vinyl, etc. It just felt like you OWNED a piece of music in a way that's impossible otherwise.

And that's not to mention the whole ritual of dropping the stylus & listening as it slowly works it's way across the platter. It just feels like a more organic way to listen to music.

So for me, it's about almost everything but sound quality & nostalgia. Most everything I buy is new releases. Added to the value is the fact that every new release comes with a digital download, so you get the best of both worlds.

People can argue about which is better, but vinyl & digital co-exist very nicely in my world.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Kinda like Eddie just said, the main reason I love vinyl is for the tactile, active experience of it. It is inherently less convenient than digital and therefore forces you to be more engaged. I also have tons of music in digital format and enjoy the convenience of it, but to me those are two different experiences and there is room for both.

I'll leave it to the audiophiles to argue over what format sounds best. There's no doubt that there are numerous elements in the signal chain of a vinyl playback system that color the sound to varying degrees, so "complete accuracy" is not the format's main virtue. Whether or not that coloring is pleasing to the ear is rather subjective, but it's definitely pleasing to my non-golden ears.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

Yikes, that thread was painful. The snobbery is insane. I like the fact that they sound better and it focuses one to be engaged with the music. I have an automatic turntable, so I can't move the needle at all. It makes me listen to the entire side/album. I like being engaged to the music as opposed to "drive-by" listening.

Re: The VINYL Thread!
 

I agree wholeheartedly with the last three posts. I love music, and it's an important part of mine and my family's lives. I stream music all day at work and listen to vinyl at home. I like being able to fine tune my system at home with new stuff and I enjoy the vinyl experience. It makes the whole thing tangible.

Here's an example: last night we got back from Church, cleaned off the Mannheim Steamroller album my wife dug out of the bargain bins a few months back, and listened to it. I guess I could've steamed it, but the ritual of playing the album is something I just can't describe.