Use Wood Glue to Clean Old LPs

You know... I'm just going to add a "Vinyl" tag / category to this blog. I don't know if more and more information is coming out about vinyl, or if it's just that I'm paying more attention. I do know that I'm seeing much more vinyl being sold at shows now...

Here's a little tip for your not-so-new vinyl... like the stuff you're Mom just gave you, from when she was so excited to hear that you're playing vinyl and wanted to resurrect her collection. Just sayin'.

Use Wood Glue to Clean and Restore Old LPs

Cleaning LPs with a bottle of wood glue is hardly an intuitive way to get more mileage out of that bottle of glue in your workshop or clean a beloved LP. The results, however, are quite impressive.

Over at the music and audio-gear enthusiast site Audio Karma, one industrious user decided to test the old rumors in the audiophile community that you could clean a record with wood glue. The photo above shows a before and after shot of a record he cleaned using the technique. Why would you want to use this method? The before photo shows the results of using a commercial cleaner at home—not very impressive—and getting LPs professionally cleaned can cost $2-3 and up per album.

[From Use Wood Glue to Clean and Restore Old LPs - Music - Lifehacker]

Enjoy the music. :-)

The Pursuit of Happiness Continues...

Worthy of a re-work and re-listen.

Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness" With MGMT and Ratatat Gets Another Video

"Pursuit of Happiness", Kid Cudi's spaced-out MGMT/Ratatat collaboration, already had a video. It involved both Drake and slow-motion champagne spillage, and it wasn't that good.

But an alternate video for the same song made its way onto the internet earlier this week, as New York magazine points out. And hey! This one is way better! Director Megaforce brings out some gravitational weirdness that could well make you nauseous, and Ratatat actually show up in this one. Watch it below:

[From Pitchfork: Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness" With MGMT and Ratatat Gets Another Video]

Grooveshark on Jailbroke iPhones

I'm really trying hard to not want to jailbreak my iPhone... Help me out Apple.

Rejected By Apple, Grooveshark Releases App For Jailbroken iPhones On Cydia

When Jason Kincaid tried out the iPhone app online music streaming startup Grooveshark built and showed off in July 2009, he wrote that it was great but that he “wouldn’t expect this to pop up in the App Store any time soon”. He was right on both counts.

Grooveshark now says it has given up on its ambitions to get approved for the official App Store, claiming that Apple has been “ritually rejecting” the app for “primary selfish reasons”. We’ve heard that song before.

The startup says it spent many months developing the iPhone application, and on occasion went months without a hearing a peep out of Cupertino.

Denied access to the App Store, Grooveshark decided to head underground and is today releasing the app on Cydia, enabling people who have jailbroken their iPhone and iPod touch devices to enjoy it – and it is actually pretty cool.

[From Rejected By Apple, Grooveshark Releases App For Jailbroken iPhones On Cydia ]

We Will Prevail

Clevelanders have had their panties all up in a bunch because of this "miserable cities" Forbes article... Rather than address the lameness of the article directly, I thought I'd post a response from Cleveland's own Mr. Gnome.

Cleveland: My Home Sweet Miserable Home
Hello Friends,

Hope your winter has been treating you wonderfully. It seems to never stop snowing here in beautiful northeast Ohio, which forces us to hibernate, participate in substance abuse, experiment in group sex, and write schizophrenic music. Sounds like fun, right? Well, according to Forbes.com, Cleveland is not so fun. Check it below - Cleveland is America's Most Miserable City for this year:

http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/11/americas-most-miserable-cities-business-beltway-miserable-cities.html?boxes=Homepagemostpopular

This is mean and untrue and us Clevelanders do not appreciate these harsh accusations...so as we're busy slashing our wrists and drinking ourselves into alcohol-induced comas we will laugh at what the rest of America thinks of us, because in the end, we will prevail!

[From mr. Gnome's Sweet-Ass Blog: Cleveland: My Home Sweet Miserable Home]

They have a great visual message to Forbes on their blog.

eMusic Adds Warner Music Group To Catalog

Despite all of eMusic's messing with their download plans (not for the better), I'm still a fan. It's a great legal supplement for stuff that you can't easily find elsewhere online - and if you refuse to pay $0.99 per track on iTunes (like myself).

eMusic Adds Warner Music Group To Catalog
In Talks To Add Streaming

(UPDATED) Digital music download subscription service eMusic has added the Warner Music Group family of labels to its offering in the US. The agreement includes Atlantic Records, Rhino Records and Warner Bros. Records as well as indies distributed through WMG’s ADA. Sony signed with eMusic last year, but thus far Unive rsal and EMI have not.

eMusic sells monthly memberships starting at $11.99 for 24 tracks making the effective single track price $.50 or less under some plans; significantly less than many of its competitors eMusic says it has has sold more than 350 million downloads under its current ownership.

[From eMusic Adds Warner Music Group To Catalog - hypebot]

Right Back Where He Started From

A story... for something a little different.

The Indie Rock Fag: Right Back Where He Started From
This post was submitted by zack

Of all the things one gives up to be in a relationship — loneliness, social freedom, guilt-free farting in bed — the changes I least expected was visited up my music library. As I compile a checklist of domestic benchmarks like cohabitation and dog ownership, last night I took a plunge into life-sharing that was so scary I couldn’t even give it to much thought. I just made the decision, hit the button, and kept large piles of salt around to remind me what happens when a person looks back.

I decided to combine my music library with my boyfriends on one external hardrive. I did not do this as any symbol of unending love, as I refuse to conflate romance and Apple products, but I was sick of having my music split between two computers and wanted to consolodate it. But an unexpected side effect of this was that I have lost all my playlists. Every car trip, every college weekend, every mixtape I labelled with the name of the friend who recieved it have now been retroactively silenced by my desire to move forward.

[Continued... The New Gay » Right Back Where He Started From ]

Digital albums, vinyl made a comeback in '09 while CDs slide [Article]

More numbers on album sales, countering some of the doom and gloom from the industry. Click the link below for more graphs...

Digital albums, vinyl made a comeback in '09 while CDs slide
Physical CD sales continued their slide into oblivion in 2009, but online sales remained strong, even if not quite as strong as 2008. Nearly everything online was up and everything physical was down—except for vinyl, which continues to have a fierce following.

By Jacqui Cheng | Last updated January 7, 2010 7:33 PM

2009 was a decently strong year for music—as long as you look at digital online sales and ignore the sinking ship that represents physical CDs. The US numbers are in from Nielsen SoundScan, and they are mostly a less-extreme version of the 2008 numbers, due in no small part to the struggling US economy. Still, the sales of physical media was way down while online media was way up, though vinyl enthusiasts are still bent on keeping their little niche alive—and are largely succeeding at it.

According to Nielsen's numbers for 2009, overall music sales were up a very modest 2.1 percent over 2008—this is a far cry from the 10.5 percent growth between 2007 and 2008, but growth nonetheless. When you split the numbers out, though, they are much more telling: music lovers bought nearly 1.16 billion digital tracks in 2009 (up 8.3 percent from 2008), and 76.4 million online digital albums (up 16.1 percent).

[From Digital albums, vinyl made a comeback in '09 while CDs slide]

App Watch: HD Radio for Apple's iPhone - Digits - WSJ

I haven't thought much about HD radio, but this gets me thinking.

App Watch: HD Radio for the iPhone
By Lauren Goode

Third time’s a portable charm — at least, that’s what iBiquity Digital, the company behind HD Radio technology, is hoping with its new app.

The first portable HD Radio device hit shelves through Best Buy’s Insignia brand in July, followed by the launch of Microsoft’s Zune HD in September. At the time there were no HD Radio options for Apple’s iPhone or iPod touch.

Now, there’s an app for that.

[From App Watch: HD Radio for Apple's iPhone - Digits - WSJ]

Old Crow Medicine Show is Tomorrow Night!

Old Crow Medicine Show: Old-time music for a new age
By Dan Kane

At first listen, Old Crow Medicine Show could be one of those backwoods combos that would sometimes venture out of the sticks near Mayberry on “The Andy Griffith Show.” Heck, there’s even a guy named Critter.

The five-piece acoustic band includes fiddle, harmonica, banjo, guitar and upright bass, and lots of close vocal harmonies. Words like alt-country, Americana and bluegrass are routinely used to describe Old Crow’s sound, but band member Ketch Secor prefers “old-time music.”

For all the band’s vintage trappings, there’s an energy and attitude that is borderline punk rock. And Old Crow’s lyrics, often tongue-in-cheek, regularly celebrate extreme living.

A song titled “Humdinger” on the latest Old Crow album, “Tennessee Pusher,” includes this colorful verse: “Naked horseshoes without care, body surfing on a river of beer, all the neighbors are saying their prayers, we’ll lift our glasses high in the air.”

Old Crow Medicine Show will appear in concert at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Kent Stage as part of the 43rd Kent State Folk Festival. Tickets, $30, are available at www.kentstage.org.

Secor, who sings and plays fiddle, harmonica and banjo, talked about the band in a recent telephone interview from his Nashville home.

Q. How does your live show compare to your records?
A. The live show is real high-energy, and we put a lot of passion into what we do. Acoustic music sounds best on the stage, and there’s a whole visual component to delivering it. It’s a very physical event playing violin the way I play it. Playing banjo the old-time way means you have to beat on it. When you play this kind of music, you’ve got a whole wave of history you’re dragging onstage with you.

Q. Your music sounds very traditional, but then there are these lyrics about meth, coke, weed and assorted wildness. I imagine that surprises some people.
A. There were some festivals we played when we were coming up where there were some great conservative elements and a lot of gospel music, and we sort of learned to tailor our show for those venues. But, you know, there’s always been a mischievous element to this kind of music. They called it the devil’s music for good reason. That song, “Cocaine Habit,” that we do is 85 years old. People like us because we’re outside the box — and you can sing along to it.

Q. The lyrics of your songs are terrific, so vivid and often funny.
A. Thank you. We learned a lot about songwriting from Gillian Welch, who has an uncanny knack for storytelling. The thing is, you’ve just got to keep writing songs, even though the great ones might have all been written.

[From Old Crow Medicine Show: Old-time music for a new age - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com]

A Graphic Look At The Rise Of Digital Music - hypebot

[From A Graphic Look At The Rise Of Digital Music - hypebot]

The Album Reinvented Digitally?

While hanging out at my house with some friends this weekend, some music questions came up and at several points I pulled out vinyl to for the answer (and to just look at the artwork). It was a very nice visual and tactile experience. This is something that I don't think can be recreated digitally, but I do think a similar concept can still be viable and succeed. I think the concept of the album is important to the art of music (any joe schmo can release a single), so anything being done to preserve it in my eyes is warranted.

Apple working with record labels to resurrect the album
The rise in digital music has seen a corresponding drop in album sales. Now, Apple, which has played a huge role in digital music sales, is reportedly working with the record labels to prop up the album.

By Chris Foresman | Last updated July 27, 2009 1:12 PM CT

Industry insiders say that the big four record labels are working with Apple to boost full album sales, as individual songs have come to dominate digital downloads. A project called "Cocktail" is reportedly underway and set to launch this fall, which will bundle interactive "booklets" including artwork, liner notes, and other content with a full album purchase. Another interesting twist is that the new content may be launched alongside a long-rumored Apple tablet.

Apple has worked with labels and bands in the past to promote digital music. Many albums are now available with digital booklets, a PDF file that includes cover art and liner notes. A few artists have released a "digital box set," most notably U2, which released a package that contained every song that band ever recorded—it could also be purchased alongside a special edition U2 iPod. Most recently, Apple unveiled what's called an iTunes Pass with the release of Depeche Mode's latest album Sounds of the Universe. iTunes Pass gives purchasers access to exclusive remixes, b-sides, videos, and other content leading up to the release of a new album.

The "Cocktail" project would see a further evolution of such ideas. "It's all about recreating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music," one executive familiar with the plans told Financial Times. The problem is that most of today's digital music audience has little or no recollection of the album's heyday.

"It's not just a bunch of PDFs," said one executive. "There's real engagement with the ancillary stuff." One reported feature is that songs can be played directly from these interactive booklets without going into iTunes to play the tracks—though it's not clear if iTunes must be running for the magic to work.

[From Apple working with record labels to resurrect the album - Ars Technica]

Severe Disappointment in eMusic Changes

So eMusic is changing their pricing plans at the same time they're adding the Sony back catalog. I've heard that eMusic said the two are not related, but obviously that's hard to swallow. I checked on my plan and I'm losing 20 of my 50 downloads per month... all for music I never plan to download from eMusic anyway, and isn't the reason I signed up for the service.

I wrote them an email expressing my disappointment and that I was planning on canceling my membership as a result. The responding email was cold and stated that they cancelled my plan. WTF? I quickly responded back saying that I did not ask to have my plan canceled and that I plan to do so when I'm ready, not to have it done for me. I find this shocking. It seems like with the acquisition of the Sony catalog, they also are adopting the arrogance of the major label corporations.

eMusic Adds Sony, But Could Pay A Price

eMusic was founded as a fierce supporter of independent music and has continued to maintain that stance...until now. Soon eMusic's 400,000 monthly subscribers will have access to the music of Michael Jackson, Billy Joel and the others artists from Sony's deep catalog of labels including Arista, Columbia, Epic, Jive, LaFace, Legacy and RCA. The offering will be restricted to rleases more than two years old.

But the addition of Sony to eMusic comes at a price. As part of the deal, eMusic will raise prices and reduce the number of downloads on some of its plans, according to reports. It is unclear if the deal will effect eMusic's use of 25-75 free tracks to entice subsribers.

[From hypebot: eMusic Adds Sony, But Could Pay A Price]

Article: New Flexibility at Music Labels Aims to Help Web Start-Ups Thrive

Another (small) step. (thanks Philip)

Music Labels Cut Friendlier Deals With Start-Ups
By BRAD STONE
Published: May 27, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO — With CD sales dropping fast, it is not hard to imagine how the major music labels could benefit from the growth of Web start-ups like Imeem. The company’s service lets people listen to songs, discover new artists and share their favorites with friends. And in return, Imeem owes the labels licensing fees for use of the music.

But two months ago, Imeem’s founder, Dalton Caldwell, was ready to pull the plug. While 26 million people a month were using the service, Imeem owed millions of dollars to the music labels, and income from advertising was nowhere close to covering expenses. “It reached a point where it was not even clear it was worth doing any more,” Mr. Caldwell said.

Then the ground shifted. This month, Warner Music Group forgave Imeem’s debt, and both Warner and Universal Music agreed to relax the terms of their licensing deals with the site. That allowed Imeem to raise more money from investors and plan for a profitable future.

Imeem’s amnesty is one sign that a new accommodation is being forged between Web music start-ups and the companies on which they are almost wholly dependent, the major music labels. The recording industry is considering an all-digital future in which it needs popular Web services like Imeem, both as sources of revenue and as supplements to older channels of promotion like radio and MTV.

As a result, music labels are now striking more favorable terms with Web companies, and the start-ups have come to realize they cannot rely on Web ads to support themselves. For example, as part of its new plan, Imeem will try to push users into buying more T-shirts and concert tickets, and will soon add its own MP3 download store similar to iTunes, sharing revenue with the labels.

It is not yet clear whether any of this is enough to produce sustainable online businesses — or even to help mitigate the chronic pain of the music industry. But it is offering some hope.

More... [From New Flexibility at Music Labels Aims to Help Web Start-Ups Thrive - NYTimes.com]

Article: Are record shops worth saving?

Record stores have a soft spot in my heart. I spent 5 years working at Finders Records in Bowling Green, OH while I was in college (and afterward). So I'm very biased and my answer is a resounding YES! I think they provide a "space" where people can get together to experience and discuss new music. Very similar to what libraries are going through, where yeah, you can get a lot of information online, but you can't beat having a space to experience the information searching and gathering process with face to face assistance.

I believe record stores need to reinvent themselves. Not so much about having as many CD's as possible (though that is a nice feature), but more about creating a comfortable and inviting space. Music Saves is going in this direction with their Alley Cat series and in-store performances.

Are record shops worth saving?
by Donald Bell

Last Saturday, independent music retailers organized a national Record Store Day, complete with in-store freebies and exclusive releases from dozens of bands who want to see these business survive. As someone who spent two of the best years of my youth working at an independent record store, I have a nostalgic attachment to these mom-and-pop shops.
I don't know if I was motivated more by sentimentality or pity, but I felt an obligation to honor the spirit of the day and visit my local music store. The shop was ripped right out of "High Fidelity," and contained all the requisite elements for an indy music store: aloof, yet knowledgeable staff; equal ratios of vinyl and CDs; postered walls; a selection of local music; and a lazy pet cat. But nostalgia aside, I couldn't shake the reality that stores like this can't last much longer.

It's a shame, because some aspects of shopping in a record store haven't (or can't) translate into the world of online music. I'm not delusional enough to think that everyone should go back to buying CDs or LPs, but at the same time, my gut tells me that music consumers (and our culture in general) may realize all too late that there's something worth preserving about today's endangered music shops.

continue reading... [From Are record shops worth saving? (Part 1) | MP3 Insider - CNET Reviews]

Article: Study says P2P thieves buy more music

I would have to say that I agree. I mean, any civic minded person who uses P2P should also be going to shows, buying merch, vinyl, etc... unless you're a total douchebag. I'm sure they exist, but I'm of the mindset that there are more good people in this world than bad. And if record companies would drop this asshole, protectionist stance - and just stop being "the man", they'd probably be doing even more business.

Study: P2P thieves buy more music
by Matt Asay

While the music industry desperately searches for ways to stem the tide of piracy that threatens to engulf it, new data from the BI Norwegian School of Management suggests that music pirates actually buy more music than others. A lot more.

As Ars Technica reports, When it comes to P2P, it seems that those who wave the pirate flag are the most click-happy on services like the iTunes Store and Amazon MP3. BI said that those who said they download illegal music for "free" bought 10 times as much legal music as those who never download music illegally. How can this be explained? I've written before that piracy is a great way to help the music industry gauge the tastes [From Study: P2P thieves buy more music | The Open Road - CNET News]