Hard News by Russell Brown

I'm less fussed by the nature of the RSD releases than I am about the impact they have on pressing plants. Labels like Numero deal with it all the time with the majors clogging up production by repressing oodles of bullshit no-one needs.

And I it's hard to enjoy the middle-aged elbows and knees you have to contend with for releases few people would raise an eyebrow over at other times. It's like there's blood in the water.
Yeah I know, first world etc and so on, whatever.
Still, a pint and a rummage at Groovy will be grand after the annual crush at Southbound - it's the baking innit. And I'd like to finally see Wax Chattels.

I am with you, it's a day I go out with the whānau and listen to some music and maybe buy a few old lps. It's become a bit of a family tradition now to head off to Galaxy and Penny Lane. This year it's cool to report there is a new record shop in Christchurch - Lyttelton Records (in Woolston). I also discovered Christchurch's Vinyl Cafe.
Put together a blog post with some deets of 2018 RSD in Chch. https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/blogs/post/record-store-day-saturday-21-april-2018/
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Every Friday, ABC Sydney radio have a section called "vinyl democracy" before the 7:45am news. Three record tracks (often along a theme - this morning's was "fruit") are put out to a public vote. This morning of course, much was made of tomorrow being RSD.

R.E.M's "orange crush" won and the DJ went to take it out of the sleeve to play it - only to realise he'd left it on the turntable at home.

However it was played, only from the digital catalogue....

I'm bemused about vinyl 2.0 but on balance I'm glad. The prices are getting heinous but it's so nice to hold new music in your hands again. And there's the hilarity of finding immaculate $50 re-pressings of records you last saw in the dollar bin at Silvio's.

Here's a song that's probably never been on vinyl in its life:

This digital poster just arrived in the Flying Out mailer. They also have a limited run of t-shirts bearing the old Alec Bathgate-designed Flying Nun logo in in the style of Sun Records.

Put together a blog post with some deets of 2018 RSD in Chch.

Thanks! I've added that to the post too.

Chur from Chur Chur!

I'll be departing the Garden City for RSD in AKL. It could well be the final RSD held at Galaxy Records, at least as we know it. It's up for sale

Whole thing is a sham...everyday should be record shopping day, or looking for new music day...that said...I did actually buy a RSD release one year on special at the Book and Record bar in West Norwood long after RSD...it's a limited 45 by Dexter Romweber and Jack White doing a ripping duet on Geeshie Wiley's 1930 classic "Last Kind Word Blues" and it fucking rocks....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M2mZxa2UYE

for sure, prices for new vinyl are now taking the piss. $70 is mad.

Apropos this came today with the new Hop Along album (recommended) from Saddle Creek Records in the States. Imagine getting this with Frampton Comes Alive in 1976. It's verging on pathos.

Well that was fun!

I played some records at Marbecks, then used the Queen's Arcade escalator to get a video of Sandy Mill and band.

Actually a fan of cds.......I know, an outcast these days.....but also a victim of the record companies war on vinyl in the late 80s. Before you know it, the collection is cds.....and to be honest for the most part they sound great, are fairly robust, and maintain their quality. But I realise I'm in the minority here.

Definitely can't understand the tape revival though - they were rubbish the first time around!

Nope, I'm with you on CDs or non-lossy digital. Vinyl is a PITA. You need space and a stable environment to keep records halfway decent and expensive gear to play them on - nice if you're well-off.

Analogue does sound better if the vinyl is in pristine condition (how often is that the case) and is played back on nice kit.

However, CDs sound fine for the average quality of recorded sound, particularly electronica, which is generally created in a digital format.

It's certainly easy enough now to record analogue sound using high sample rates and encoding methods. Most CD players have relatively crappy DACs for playback, but there are players with high quality DACs and it's not a problem for high quality unlossy digital formats. I personally can't hear any difference in high quality lossy formats either, if the original was sampled at a high enough rate.

I spent many hours in my youth literally lying between the speakers of my uncle's very high-end stereo system to get the best sound - top of the line amp, turntable, speakers, the works. It sounded amazing with well-produced vinyl (there was a lot of shit vinyl, remember - there were some very ropey pressings from iconic kiwi labels). But I don't have much opportunity to do that now, and I truly doubt I'd hear any difference if the production values were of similar quality.

These discussions remind me a bit of the difference between people who love books and people who love reading. They're not exactly the same (although obviously the overlap is massive). I love ebooks because I literally have scores of them wherever I go. Other people can't bear not having the physical object. I won't buy art or architecture books in digital format, and there are a few hardcover novels I own that are genuinely beautiful objects I love having. For 99% of my reading, though, digital is great.

I certainly get why people love vinyl - the production values now are awesome because it's expensive and relatively rare now, it's fun fiddling with the gear (the amount of hours I've spent balancing tone arms and getting those red lights on the turntable synched perfectly), and the sleeves and inserts can be amazing art objects.

But there is a lot of exaggerated hype that a lot of older recordings don't really merit (unless it's something out of print that hasn't been digitised). I'm a philistine who often prefers the remastered version (assuming it's done with a delicate touch) of things like Stones or Beatles recordings. I've tossed up getting a turntable to play my 6 remaining vinyl records (one being a 1969 pressing of The White Album, in its original sleeve). But I can't quite justify it - even if I go out and buy more albums that merit it, it'd only be a tiny percentage of the music I own. Hardcover books don't require additional gear to be enjoyed.

But if you already have the gear and a ton of vinyl, all the new stuff coming out must be great.

weren't it just - I spent well over the odds I was expecting and still had to walk away from real wants. Pleased I got out early.

But jesus, some air conditioning in some of those stores would be good. Odour de goat gets a bit on the nose after an hour or two.

went to Dr JCC as well, but for mine the PA was too bassy/ mid range and you couldn't make out the bleeding words when he got his dander up. Still, his between poem stand up was amusing enough.

These discussions remind me a bit of the difference between people who love books and people who love reading. They're not exactly the same (although obviously the overlap is massive). I love ebooks because I literally have scores of them wherever I go. Other people can't bear not having the physical object. I won't buy art or architecture books in digital format, and there are a few hardcover novels I own that are genuinely beautiful objects I love having. For 99% of my reading, though, digital is great.

Yeah, nearly all my home listening is digital, AirPlayed from devices to where I want it. I really only buy vinyl, new or used, that I might DJ with. My favourite thing really is finding old records – there's nothing like having a dig. I'm amazed at how the 12" I found recently of Herb Alpert's 'Rise' sounds – I've played it out a couple of times and it's deep and loud af.

It sounded amazing with well-produced vinyl (there was a lot of shit vinyl, remember – there were some very ropey pressings from iconic kiwi labels).

So true – although it wasn't the labels, it was the pressing plants. Funny thing is, some of those records now fetch ludicrous prices from obsessive European collectors :-)

it was the pressing plants

Dodgy metal mothers!

Chchch punters may want to get on down to the Chchch Art Gallery tomorrow night (Star Wars day - May the Fourth).
They celebrate their 15th birthday (at the new site) with a free party (starts 7.30pm) including the opening of a Tony de Lautour retrospective, free cake & tattoos, food trucks – music by Into the Void, Motte, Astro Children and many others…

see:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1006220196198688/

Image: detail from Tony de Lautour 2018 painting

Chchch punters may want to get on down to the Chchch Art Gallery tomorrow night

Interesting lineup! They're groovy fuckers at that gallery.