Brooklyn, NY | Brooklynphono, vinyl record pressing factory in Brooklyn, brings the groove back to music: Groove is in the heart for husband-and-wife duo Thomas Bernich and Fern Vernon-Bernich. Tucked away in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, the two can be found hard at work pressing vinyl records at Brooklynphono. Catering to the indie music scene, Brooklynphono is a record-pressing factory that opened when the MP3 was king. For more, check out our video.
North Jersey, NJ | Happy 70th Birthday to the LP — and to think they declared vinyl dead: Progress, by definition, is forward movement. That’s why we speak of “The March of Progress.” That’s why the Walt Disney World attraction that spins viewers forward in time, from the carpet sweeper to the robot vacuum, is called “The Carousel of Progress.” Progress doesn’t go in reverse. Except in one case. The LP, or long-playing record, which turns 70 on Monday, is the outlier — the river that runs backward. “It’s made a big comeback,” says John Schlapak, the owner of Music Merchant, a Westwood New Jersey music store. He estimates that his business is two-thirds new and used LPs, and one-third CDs. Who’d have thought it? Certainly not the music industry, which embraced the CD format in 1982, and — somewhat less willingly — the MP3 player in 1997. Each one, in turn, was supposed to be the wave of the future. Each format was supposed to render the previous one obsolete.
Manahawkin, NJ | The “Red Rocker” to be Honored at the Red Rocker Record Fair on Sunday in Manahawkin: This man is a legend in Stafford Township! Bruce Ciangetti is primarily known as a music legend, but this writer also recalls him being a great softball and basketball player back in the day. Bruce was always enthusiastic, boisterous and spirited on the court and on the field. That is one part of the man’s life. Another is that he was a long time beloved Dial-A-Ride driver for Stafford Township. That is all good but Bruce Ciangetti is best known as the “Red Rocker.” Music lovers who grew up in the Manahawkin and LBI area in the eighties and nineties regularly shopped at the Red Rocker Records store on East Bay Avenue in Manahawkin. This was back in the day of vinyl records and cassettes.
This Bluetooth-enabled record player will play vinyl and online playlists seamlessly: Audiophiles can argue all day long which sounds better, an analog record player or a high-tech speaker system. But why not have the best of both worlds? At least, that’s the stance Jorlai takes. The audio company has created a Bluetooth-enabled record player that taps into the nostalgia of an old school record player, but also has more modern functionality so that you can stream your favorite playlists, sans discs…Other notable features include vinyl-to-MP3 recording, so you can transform your records into digital files, and a lithium battery that can work for up to two hours, in case you want to take your tunes outdoors. As an added bonus, the player is also incredibly stylish. Its retro design makes it more than just another ordinary speaker; it could become the centerpiece of your living room and bedroom setups.
Depeche Mode reissuing all their singles on 12″ in themed album box sets: Depeche Mode have announced a new 12″ box set singles reissue series. Each box set will be themed around a Depeche Mode album, and contain all of the singles from that record. All of the music has been remastered from original tapes and cut at Abbey Road, with box set artwork inspired by the original cover, and vinyl sleeves featuring replica single artwork. The series kicks off with Speak & Spell | The 12″ Singles and A Broken Frame | The 12″ Singles, out this August. All proceeds will got to non-profit organisation Water, which is dedicated to bringing clean water to people around the world.
