“My first experiences with vinyl are some of my earliest memories.”
“As a kid crawling around on all fours, the bookshelf lined tight with my dad’s records may as well have been paint on a wall. Just part of the scenery. But seeing him legitimately stress out when the cat would use the bottom shelf as a scratching post clued me in to the fact that these skinny square book thingies actually meant a lot to him.
As I got older and more curious – and having learned what a record actually is – I found myself pulling them out one by one to inspect the artwork and see if I’ve heard of any of these ancient artists my dad was (is) so attached to. I wound up reading names for the first time that would wind up meaning a lot to me: Jazz legends like Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson… along with the Beatles, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits…
In the end, I came to associate the medium of vinyl not only with my father, as many people do with theirs, but specifically with good music. It didn’t occur to me that bad music could come in such a glorious format. My dad was (is) an incredible piano player and a world-class musician, and I slowly figured out there was a certain pedigree to that collection. You had to earn a spot on that bookshelf.
With the advent of digital media, the meaning and value of the vinyl LP has clearly shifted dramatically. But something about that bookshelf from my childhood has stayed with me. My record collection consists exclusively of my favourite albums, desert-island albums, the music I’ve loved the most. So for me, I will forever associate the medium of vinyl with quality.
No filler, just the good stuff.”
—Ben Fox, Lead vocals
Dinosaur Bones’ second full-length album, Shaky Dream is in stores presently via Dine Alone Records. Enter to win your copy on vinyl by telling us in the comments below who most influenced your taste in records. One enlightened winner with a North American mailing address will be selected a week from today, 11/25!
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Dinosaur Bones Tour Dates:
11/21 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen #
11/22 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry #
12/02 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
12/03 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
12/09 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
12/12 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room
12/13 – Houston, TX – The Studio @ Warehouse Live
12/17 – Raleigh, NC – Slim’s
12/19 – Washington, DC – Living Social House
12/20 – Brooklyn, NY – Cameo Gallery
# – w/ Brendan Canning from Broken Social Scene
