Geek with Family

Vinyl playback in the 21st century is the most inconvenient geek hobby but also the most sonically satisfying. Vinyl can sound vastly superior to MP3s and AACs and even better than CDs if you’re willing to invest the tremendous time and effort. You can capture that emotional connection to your favorite music again by getting back into vinyl. Remove the digital filters from your brain.

If I want to enjoy my newest vinyl buy, Calexico|Iron and Wine In the Reins, this is the procedure I have to follow to keep my status as an aspiring audiophile.

Continue reading Vinyl LP Playback Inconvenience - An Audiophile’s Burden

Popularity: 7% [?]

Most morning and evening commutes I cannot think a single album or artist I want to listen to, so I fall back on my shuffled "Geek Alt" playlist. Once in a great while TV on the Radio will play. I only have their Young Liars EP on the iPod though I listened to their full length, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes and loved the second song Staring at the Sun. This morning the title track, Young Liars, made the shuffle usually dominated by Built to Spill, Pavement and Elliot Smith (my shuffle seems to prefer those bands, somehow). This is one indie masterpiece. It has everything I love: a mix of complementary electronic and analog instrumentation different than standard guitar/bass/drums, obscure, mythical lyrics sung in three-part harmony, and an eery, driving drone of keyboards giving you just the right amount of dread to make you feel special that you’re not listening to Maroon 5. "Thank you for takin’ my hands…" TV on the Radio.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Nothing gets my head bobbing embarrassingly on the commuter train like these three songs with crazy indie slide style:

1. Nub on "Goat" by Jesus Lizard
2. Red Rain on "Get Behind Me Satan" by The White Stripes
   
3. Things Never Shared on "Doug Martsch" by Doug Martsch

I think Led Zeppelin may have a song like this too but the wife listens to them more than me, so I don’t remember.

Popularity: 50% [?]