Digital on the decline: Apple is ditching iTunes, but do music lovers care? Dave Anderson owns more than 1,500 vinyls, [Reminder: the plural of vinyl is in fact “vinyl.” —Ed.] and even more CDs. He likes the experience that owning digital music can’t offer. He likes to see his favorite vinyl of the Nine Inch Nails’ album “The Downward Spiral” spinning on his record player. “I like buying [records],” he said. “I like being able to look at the music as I’m listening to it.” Sales trends in the music industry show that Mr. Anderson is not alone. Maybe that’s why Apple’s recent announcement that it’s ditching the 18-year-old iTunes store didn’t seem to spur much of an outcry from music lovers, who have already pulled back hard on buying music digitally…“Nobody loves iTunes,” said Jesse Stiles, an assistant professor of music at Carnegie Mellon University who is also an electronic composer, performer and software designer. “It’s one of the most hated platforms.”
Review: Pro Ject Juke Box E is the future of retro hi-fi: Hi-Fi purists have long touted the supreme audio quality of traditional vinyl records and as a new generation of sound enthusiasts go hunting for premium audio quality sales of record players are taking off. But how do they stack up when compared to streamed content? We found out when we reviewed the all new Pro-Ject Juke Box E System, a combination offering that overcomes a problem for consumers demanding speakers or output from their turntable purchase. The big plus with this system is that it has Bluetooth capability built-in and this allows for a real test of the difference between good old fashioned vinyl and today’s streamed content from the likes of Apple Music and Spotify. The winner in this shoot-out between good old fashioned vinyl and streamed content was… we will tell you that later.
UK | How to be a more environmentally-friendly vinyl collector: Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that vinyl has been enjoying a resurgence in recent years. Good news, yeah? Well, there is a cost… …Just because streaming is no panacea doesn’t exonerate vinyl though. What can we actually do to reduce the footprint of a vinyl habit? Well, the very first thing to do would be to cut back on vinyl purchases. As a record shop we don’t want you to do this, obviously. This is our livelihood. But let’s be logical here. We are selling and you are buying oil, not lentils. As such, it is at least possible that your vast collection of vinyl won’t become the prized heirloom you imagine passing on to future generations but, rather, an embarrassing reminder of the plastic-obsessed lives we revelled in for so long. Next time you’re wondering whether you really need that third LP this week ask yourself, “What would Greta Thunberg do?” The next thing is to take care of the records that you do buy.
Ken Burns’ ‘Country Music’ documentary soundtrack detailed: Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, in association with Universal Music Group (UMG), will release Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) in a collectible 5 CD deluxe box set edition on Friday, August 30th. Legacy will release a suite of soundtrack products – including 2 CD, 2 LP and digital configurations of the multi-artist album – on Friday, September 13th…Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) showcases essential recordings, drawn from the nearly 600 music cues used in the documentary, covering the wide historic terrain of 20th century American country music. A tree with deep roots and ever-expanding branches, American country music evolved from songs passed down from generations of settlers and slaves until 20th century recording technology made it possible for hundreds and thousands (if not millions) of listeners to share the same musical experience on a record.
Songs for Screens: How Eric Church Teamed With Ram Trucks — and Five Tons of Vinyl — for ‘Solid’ Campaign: …when Church was prepping the April vinyl release of 2018’s critically acclaimed “Desperate Man,” the singer wanted to find a way to supersize his appreciation for his fanbase, whom he’s dubbed the Church Choir…The resulting campaign “Loyalty,” which debuted during the CMT Awards on June 5, doubled as a document of the unique journey for 28,000 pounds’ worth of Church’s “Desperate Man” vinyl, which needed to be transported from UMG’s mobile record press in Toronto to Nashville in time for Church’s fan club-exclusive show at Nissan Stadium. Ram’s 2019 3500 truck happened to be uniquely equipped to handle the massive vinyl press trailer, and created a soundtrack opportunity for “Desperate Man” standout cut “Solid” as the campaign’s anthem.
Joy Divison’s Unknown Pleasures is on course to enter the Official UK Albums Chart Top 10 for the first time, 40 years after its release: Joy Division’s debut album is often considered one of the best albums ever made. This week will see Joy Division’s debut album Unknown Pleasures make its Top 40 debut on the Official Albums Chart, exactly 40 years after it was released. The record – acclaimed from the moment it was released – came out on June 15 1979 has been re-released to mark its 40th anniversary. It’s often considered one of the greatest British albums ever made…Unknown Pleasures failed to chart upon its original release in the UK and later peaked at Number 71, in August 1980, shortly after the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. But its popularity has endured over the years, with retrospective reviews offering unanimous praise and its iconic artwork embedded in popular culture. The Unknown Pleasures re-release includes a ruby red vinyl (pictured above) “with an alternative white sleeve resembling the original design idea” of its iconic artwork, plus a new Unknown Pleasures white t-shirt.
Temples unveil details of intimate Liverpool record store performance: The psych rock outfit are back with a new album ‘Hot Motion’, which drops on 27th September. Psychedelic jammers Temples have unveiled details of an intimate in store performance at Phase One Liverpool on Monday 30th September, just days after the release of their third record Hot Motion on September 27th. The matinee show will take place between 12pm – 4pm, with the band delivering tracks from the new record, with ticketing options below giving fans the choice of a Vinyl, Cassette or CD edition of the album as well as entry to the show. It’s the first time the neo psych outfit have released via new label ATO Records and the record’s titular single has already been released, showing the band are most definitely on to something good with their forthcoming release.
