Anyone having read this blog knows that I love Lego and I LOVE vinyl. Well, holy rotating crap Batman!… some beautiful genius in South Korea has combined them to create this gorgeous working turntable.
So, I’m looking at my Facebook page and this video pops up.
Now, having watched the youtube video, it does sound like crap, but youtube has a whole bunch of working turntables built with lego… they also sound like crap.
The one from the video uses parts from an audiotechnica with Lego, and puts the sound out through speakers that are also built from Lego. I would be curious to hear it with real speakers. In fact, I would be curious to see a turntable built with Lego and really great parts from an old turntable that could be run through a stereo. To date it seems that the ‘master builders’ have been using Lego motors instead of the ones housed in a real record player. So, it might be a great project for someone to try using the Lego for buttons, switches and housing while getting the internals to work with genuine turntable parts. Having no electronics aptitude, it isn’t a good project for me, but someone could probably do a good job.
AND – when they do – I want one!
With a Lego instruction booklet so that I can put it together and feel like an eight year old genius who just built a turntable out of lego… first play would go to the White Stripes.
I had an awesome birthday last year. Small gathering of family, good conversation, and people who know me well enough to pick the most awesome of gifts… it was a great day!
My wife and kids got me this:
How cool is that eh!
It took almost ten hours to build which I did over several sittings and it now has a place where it is prominently displayed so that the world can see just how much of a geek I truly am. For any of you thinking about it, the original price tag is a hefty one, and the re-sale value is through the roof.
First thing to know is that the Lego store still has them priced at $229.99 Canadian. Unfortunately they also have marked it as ‘Hard To Find’ which means that it will soon slip into the Sold Out category.
Resellers on e-bay are already listing new & unopened sets at over $300.00 American. It is crazy, but once the set sells out some people will be willing to pay that price or more. Depending on how you see this (toy vs. collectible) it really isn’t surprising. The show has hit 25 years while still remaining popular, and the Lego set has 2523 pieces and is detailed from the garage right down to the ‘property of Ned Flanders’ barbecue. The original set was sold with six minifigures, while 16 others were sold separately in individual packages. Some kids at my sons birthday parties were getting up close and personal with the minifigures, even reading the little things that characters had in their hands.
In Fact, even the minifigures are going at crazy prices for the complete set of 16. The lowest price I spoted on kijiji was $90.00 while most people were asking well over a hundred. If you like them, but don’t want to pay those prices, a new set of Simpsons minifigs will be going on sale May 1.
Of course that is also the day that Lego releases the Kwik -E- Mart.
Direct from the Lego store it is also priced at $229.99, has 2179 pieces and includes minifigures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Apu, Chief Wiggum and Snake. It looks very cool.
I wonder if any album ever recorded for so little has returned so much?
If the myth is true, those “500 American dollars” have generated a whole frickin’ industry around one record.
Since it first hit the market in 1989, Bleach has gone on to sell 1.7 million copies and is Sub Pop Records biggest seller to date. So how much vinyl is out there?
Well, according to discogs, at least 60 vinyl versions have hit the streets worldwide since ’89. It is super easy to find a new copy at any time. However, recently some pretty cool editions have hit the North American market. Sub Pop released a Deluxe 180 gram double white vinyl gate fold edition back in 2009 that includes a live performance from 1990. Going through chat rooms, it seems that a few of these had complaints about skipping. Personally speaking, my own copy sounds fantastic, so I would just keep the receipts if you’re interested in pursuing one. Discogs has it listed at $34.10 and e-bay vendors are trying to get $100.00. Which is funny because it can be had brand spanking new for about $30.00 at Amazon and local retailers.
The other edition that has started selling for outrageous amounts of money is the most recent release that was put out in limited fashion by Newbury Comics just last year. Two editions of the re-mastered Bleach, one is a clear white splatter while the other is a maroon black splatter, were released in quantities of 750 each and hand numbered. Again, it sounds absolutely fantastic, but the re-sale market is crazy for these. Discogs has the clear/white selling for 61.43 and the maroon/black at 74.98. E-bay on the other hand is asking $100 for one or $150 for both.
Of course, if you are off your rocker nuts with money to burn… the coloured vinyl (specifically the aqua) released by Sub Pop in 1992 can and does sell for over $500 a pop.
Other colours can be had for less… which is kind of a relative term when you spend hundreds on a single collectible record.
Let’s face it, Modest Mouse is never going to get any better and cooler than they were a few years ago when Johnny Marr joined up for an album and tour, and every album subsequently will be judged against the success of We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Sure early albums like The Moon & Antarctica were great records that built their reputation, but both the commercial and critical success of We Were Dead… makes it the career highlight.
Perhaps that’s why we see an 8 year wait between records, although, it really doesn’t seem like that long ago, but I digress…
Modest Mouse has always balanced themselves on a thread between ambitious and eccentric. At their best they have this quirky genius thing going on and the other side of the coin is this pretentious arty bullshit that isn’t nearly as smart as they seem to think it is.
So, which side of the line did the coin land on?
Thankfully, they landed face side up with Issac Brock finding that sweet spot between trippy stories and letting his top notch band find the grove to emotional resonance. Yes it is quirky and full of quick turns and humour, but it also has musical lift that keeps things moving.
Take their first single “Lampshades on Fire”, one could easily look at it as more of the same from Modest Mouse, a simple next step from their previous offerings. However, this first look at the new record is more like a statement that grounds the band. It pulls a funky grove and lyrical twist without things drifting off into a world of self-absorption. The rest of the record takes shape around that idea. Brock & co. Never allow things to get out of hand which I found to be a bit of a deterrent on earlier records.
Ask either of my boys (7 &11) who the coolest person living on this planet is, and the answer might surprise you. It isn’t an athlete, movie star, or world leader… although he does go by the moniker of “King Of Cameos” in movies, but has never been the star – Yep, that’s right – Stan Frickin’ Lee – the creator of almost every character Marvel hold near and profitably dear to its corporate Disney heart.
My kids are Marvel fans in a big way. Comics, video games, television and movies, and their favorite part of all of these are when they spot Stan doing one of his “EPIC” cameos. Each of us can debate the most hilarious or heroic moment Stan has had.
Anyway, after my older son Rowan and I had finished our nightly comic book read, he asked about Fan-Expo Toronto. Of course, when my younger overheard, ran over to say he was going as well. All this before I had even said a word about the when and where. So now my wife and I are looking at a family day out to Fan-Expo with the hopes of getting something cool and collectable for the family. I mean, sure these guys, including Stan, sign their own headshots, but let’s face it, that wouldn’t be as cool as
Regardless, the whole family is wondering which wall will become the Stan Lee shrine. Funny thing is, of all the cool collectable things I would like – this one is probably not only the most realistic, but far more about the family in general.
Recently I saw an article about Record Store Day and how very small independent labels aren’t seeing a benefit. One owner said that if every day was treated more like RSD than perhaps it would get better results. The other complaint is that big labels waiting to release on Record Store Day squeezes the smaller labels out in terms of printing the records to begin with.
From a record buyer point of view, I’m not sure I get the complaints about big vs. small labels, but I do get that treating all releases like they are part of Record Store Day may pay dividends. In this world where many people just don’t see the value in paying for something they can download or stream for free, music has the feeling of being as disposable as the toys you get for free with the kids menu at the fast food chain. Play with it for a week than toss it, because if you didn’t pay for it, it just doesn’t mean shit anyway.
BUT…
Instead of offering some downloadable shit sounding garbage, you offer a unique product that plays on multiple formats of a listener’s choice.
OR
Musicians make a product that is collectible, so that fans don’t just want to hear your song, but also feel they must have what you’re selling. Give it colour, give it flash, and make it really damn cool.
On Black Friday/Record Store Day back in November 2014, I missed out on J. Mascis doing a cover of the 90’s cult classic “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star. It is a phenomenal song that you have probably heard play in the background of some moving scene from a number of various movies and TV shows. Seriously, a quick internet search came up with 39 instances in which it was used.
Anyway, Mascis released a very limited amount as a 7” inch single and every record store in the city was sold out of their few copies by the following day. I was able to eventually find a copy, but that was after months of searching. Now yes, I could hear it on Spotify, or buy it from itunes, but I’m a fan. J. Mascis and his band Dinosaur Jr. They are not some disposable artists who I toss on a mix and forget about, they are legendary artists who continue to make relevant music and deserve to make a living from it. In turn, they have not only supplied great music and performances, but done events and created product that their fans believe in. Some of it is released on RSD and some not, but it is all very cool.
Hell, Mascis and fellow Dinosaur Jr. member Lou Barlow signed a poster for my 5 year old son after an acoustic show a few years back, which is the kind of gesture that can help to create lifelong fans who are vocal about purchasing the music of the bands they love. (It also had nothing to do with RSD.)
My point of course though, isn’t just about RSD. Earlier this year the Posies re-released their debut record Failure on vinyl for the first time. It was put out by Omnivore Records as a limited print on yellow 180 gram vinyl. Failure had been long out of print and highly sought after by fans. So now, a person can test drive this record on Spotify if they don’t know the music, but if like me, you are a fan, here is a very cool copy in your hands, and a download card so you can take your music on the road to play on your ‘whatever’ device. Again, it is very cool product that doesn’t wait for a special day to be released.
Each week I see new releases on vinyl being put out in cool new ways, and when an artist I love matches up with product I can hold in my hands for a great listening experience, then I drop some coin and pray they sell enough music to continue making a living off this crazy music biz. The only difficulty for people who like vinyl is finding all the cool things out there, but then again, that is also part of the fun.
Here is this weeks playlist. I will update the song stuff as I go.
March 22/15 Playlist
1. “Bottle Of Fur” – Urge Overkill
Saturation is one of my all time favorite records, which I am really wanting to find on vinyl, at a reasonable price…
2. “Three Women” – Jack White
Yeah yeah, Lazaretto, great record… not much more you can say.
3. “Freak Scene” – Dinosaur Jr.
From Bug, because Spotify doesn’t have Bug Live, “Freak Scene would kinda be considered the hit, if such a thing really existed for a cult classic. You can pick this up at some of the better record stores out and about, but the special purple splatter vinyl is sold out.
4. “In The Clear” – Foo Fighters
Great record that keeps finding its way onto my turntable.
One of the hardest things about getting those limited edition… well, anything, is waiting. If you want that 1 of “500 copies” or “1000 copies” only on some blue translucent vinyl with green polka dots – you will either wait in a line on Record Store Day, pre-order from the artist and/or label, or take part in a crowd funding campaign that promises you product in the end. Any way you slice it – there is going to be a wait.
This also doesn’t take into account the waiting list that exists to produce vinyl. In many cases CD and digital downloads are available months before an artist can get their vinyl produced. The reason for this is that only so many vinyl print machines are left since the demise of vinyl record sales back in the early 90’s. No one expected the resurgence of vinyl in the last few years, so now everyone is going to those few places that produce records with all their jobs. Both major labels with extensive back catalogues and indie labels trying to produce cool new product for vinyl collectors are fighting for time at the press.
So here we are in 2015, and the Juliana Hatfield Three have released Whatever, My Love for us music fans. In fact, if you want the CD copy or digital download you can get it right now. Hell, you can stream it for free on Spotify. It just that my preference is vinyl, so I’m now waiting until summer nears conclusion for my pre-order to arrive in the mail.
Now the vinyl edition comes with a download card and offers a choice between clear or purple marble, and it looks really awesome, so from my collector viewpoint, I’m getting something really cool. The album itself sounds like the natural follow up to Become What You Are from back in 1993 (which it is) and has a really easy going feel that I think has been missing from her music in the last few years. However, the record company might have done me a favor by giving me a download code now, so that I’m not without owning the tunes until August. Guess I’m stuck streaming for now.
Sitting uncomfortably on a fence is not a pleasant place to be. It isn’t that I’m worried about outside opinions at this point in my life. My friends and relations will still be the same regardless of my commentary on the Eagles. Although, I know that many would be in shock to find me not coming to the defence of my once favorite band and side with critics on many levels… but still…
I spent a decent amount of cash to buy this limited (5000 copies) edition copy of the Eagles Studio Albums all of which have been re-mastered for this 180 gram audiophile vinyl re-release of their six albums proper. Six studio albums that were inspired by the sounds and formula laid out entirely by others and turned from coal into diamonds by the combo of Henley/Frey and associates.
The best explanation for why a large group of people hate the Eagles was best represented in the Big Lebowski by “the Dude” himself. On the other hand, the cab driver in that same scene shows exactly how much a ‘real’ Eagles fan wants to hear that… not only can a ‘real’ Eagles fan not comprehend your criticism, but they could resort to violence just to get you to “shut the fuck up.”
So about this fence… well in one previous blog I spoke about my past and reviewed Eagles Live… sort of. It’s just that those thoughts and feelings come from a decade when I had my head stuck up the ass of classic rock. While it wasn’t called “classic rock” in the 80’s, it was a genre type that most people recognize today that encompasses a large amount of bands that rose to prominence in the 60’s, 70’s and a bit into the 80’s and then stopped cold. In the world of ‘Rock Radio’ it was if music stopped being made one day. I’m not sure what day that was. Maybe it was the death of John Lennon or John Bonham; maybe it was when Van Halen became Van Hagar; maybe it was the release of one too many Asia records; whatever the reason… “Rock Radio” became “Classic Rock Radio” and the airwaves became filled with, well – crap. That is when the fence went up.
It isn’t that I hated the music I had once loved. That couldn’t happen. But I did get bored. Seven thousand, nine-hundred and thirty-seven listens to the same songs by the same bands just made me search for something new instead of being fed the same old shit. So, my cassette copies of the Eagles sat in plastic racks by the stereo gaining dust while I listened to Dinosaur Jr. Boston sat quietly in a box while Nirvana (yes I know what you’re going to say) was spinning on a nice carousel CD player. And… Uncle Tupelo had me searching out the influences to the band I once loved (the Eagles), because they offered those similarly influenced groups praise where the Eagles rarely did.
Here’s the thing, I never heard Henley or Frey once refer to Gram Parsons. Sure they dropped the names of the Burritos and the Byrds, but… not the guy who convinced them to go in that country direction. That’s just something that, to quote Homer Simpson, “grinds my gears”. Then there is the soulless nature of the music. Sure Frey can turn a phrase, and Henley can go all epic about the death of the American dream or environmental causes… BUT, it all seems very manufactured. Manufactured in a way that manipulates an emotional response like so many animated Disney films that would rather create your response than allow a story to ‘move you’ by a true emotional connection to the subject matter.
Oh… I hear ya. You want a better example. OK, I can do that.
“The Long Run” is a classic boy meets girl, boy might lose girl cliché driven song. It is harmony gold sung by a great vocalist and given power by an amazing band. You can hum, sing along and even play air guitar to it, but in the end it says shit-all about the truths of being in that relationship. “We can handle some resistance, if our love is a strong one…” is hardly what one would see as depth.
“Thirteen” is a classic boy meets girl, boy might lose girl song. It is driven by the desperation of young person who hasn’t got a clue how the world works and just wants to be with the girl he has fallen for. The first two lines as sung by Alex Chilton blow the crap out of the tired cliché by giving it desperation and emotional resonance. Without the benefit of harmony vocals and big honkin’ guitar solo (which they were quite capable of doing), Big Star stick to an acoustic guitar and a singer who places himself in the part.
In the end, what has me buying Eagles records is nostalgia, what has me buying Big Star records is a connection with the music.
Anyway…
I’m not regretting buying the box. In fact, I was rather blown away by the quality of the recording to vinyl. Using “Witchy Woman” from the debut Eagles record and listening to my old cassette, a CD, Spotify, and the 180 gram vinyl, the wax wins by far. It has a clear and crisp detail that just doesn’t even come close on a digital transfer, and seeing as my tape was 30+ years old, and crossed the country a couple times over, its best days were left behind a few miles back.
If you’re a fan, you will love the box, I do, but at the same time, I love discovering new things even more, and the Eagles didn’t offer that even when they were one of the biggest bands on the planet.
A lifetime ago I sat in a hospital bed and listened to the Pernice Brothers Over Come With Happiness. It was my introduction to all things Joe Pernice – Scud Mountain Boys, Chappaquiddick Skyline, and the already mentioned Pernice Brothers. Possessed with one of the most extraordinary voices since Matthew Sweet, he can move you into different emotional levels in just a few notes.
Sitting on the table beside it was Songs From Northern Britain by one of my favorite bands, Teenage Fanclub. Of course Teenage Fanclub could boast having several great voices in the same band, but the one that always stood out to me was Norman Blake. “Can’t Feel My Soul” takes on a whole new meaning when the lights of your eyes flicker with the synergy created by multiple prescription pain killers.
Of course, at that time I had no idea that both would end up living in my fair city and start creating music together. Talk about synergy, while both had been putting out really good records within the context of their own careers, the combination is stellar. Into the Lime is at times folksy, and others full of power pop bliss, yet overall it creates an atmosphere of perfect harmonized glory.
Sometimes it can be hard to find music that speaks not to the person you were in decades past, but the person in the now. The hardships of everyday living as a regular dept paying adult in relationships long past the honeymoon stage of life, but Pernice and Blake pull it off in dark heartbreaking details. Take “A Very Sorry Christmas” with lines like “I’ve hurt so many people along the way” and instead of going into Beatles-esqe sentimentality, crush you with “some are dead, and some they really hate me.” All the more fascinating is the fact that the music feels so damn light with subjects that are so damn heavy.
Finding this on vinyl is going to be a little work if that is your format. They only printed a 1000, and their website sold out… but if enough people ask, I’m sure they’ll re-print.
I’m just hoping this record will be followed by others, lots of others. This is a combination that works.
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