Album Cover Art

As we continue our look at album cover art, let's look again at the Gigwise list of controversial, weirdest, worst and best album covers as compiled by their crack staff.

Controversial


Arctic Monkeys: ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ - Featuring the band’s close friend and brother of The Reverend, Chris McClure, the Arctics landed into hot water after anti-smoking groups complained about the cigarette in McClure’s mouth.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is the debut album by Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys, released on 23 January 2006 and the album sold over 360,000 copies in its first week. It has since gone quadruple platinum in the UK. Its release in the United States on 21 February 2006 saw it become the second fastest selling debut indie album in history, turning over around 34,000 copies in its first week and achieving #24 in the album charts. The album also went to #1 in Australia and Ireland.

The image caused controversy when the head of Scotland's NHS criticized the cover for "reinforcing the idea that smoking is OK." The band's product manager certainly denied the accusation, and in fact suggested the opposite saying, "You can see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good." In March 2006, McClure announced that he would be giving up smoking, due to lack of funds.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weird

Coming in at #48 on Gigwise's list of weird album covers is the legendary Doors LP The Doors: 'Strange Days'


Strange Days was the second album released by the rock band The Doors (September 1967). The album earned the group a gold record and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 200. The record's producer, Paul Rothchild however, considered it a commercial failure, even if it was an artistic triumph.

"We all thought it was the best album. Significantly, it was also the one with the weakest sales. We were confident it was going to be bigger than anything The Beatles had done. But, there was no single. The record died on us." he said.

Against this view, one could argue that the album still sold well, managing two top 30 hits, a top 3 placing on the US charts and a platinum certification. "Strange Days" certainly did nothing to derail the overall success of the Doors, and this was evident by their next release, the chart-topping "Waiting for the Sun" album.

The cover photo was taken in Sniffen Court, a small residential suburb of New York City. Photographer Joel Brodsky originally wanted Jim Morrison and the band on the cover, but the frontman refused. However, most carnivals were out on summer tours so it was a struggle for Brodsky to find professional circus performers. The acrobats were the only ones he could find; the dwarf Lester Janus and his younger brother (not twins) Stanley Janus (who appeared on the back cover) were hired from an acting firm; the juggler was Brodsky's own assistant; the trumpet player was a taxi driver; and the strongman was a doorman at a club.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Worst


Logging in at #48 on the Gigwise list is an album cover by Freddie Mercury & Queen. It was the band's thirteenth studio album, released in 1989.

The striking cover art utilised then cutting-edge image-manipulation technology to combine photographs of the familiar faces of the four band members into one morphed giant four-faced head. The image was in line with their decision to dispense with individual credits and simply present their music as the product of Queen the entity. The album reached #1 in the UK, in Austria, Germany, in the Netherlands and Switzerland, and #24 on the American Billboard 200 chart.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best


Nirvana: ‘In Utero’ - ‘In Utero’ was an aggressively dark exploration of subject matters which had affected their frontman’s life thus far such as the dysfunctional family, cancer, privacy, and abortion. The imagery of the Transparent Anatomical Mannikin was originally meant for the single ‘Lithium’ or another track from ‘Neveremind’ but was scrapped due to copyright

In Utero was the third and final studio album by the grunge band icons Nirvana, and was released on September 21, 1993 by DGC Records. The album's abrasive and aggressive sound was a departure from the polished production of the band's breakthrough second album, Nevermind (1991), due in part to the selection of recording engineer Steve Albini. The subject matters of the songs included dysfunctional family, cancer, issues of privacy, and abortion.

The art director for In Utero was Robert Fisher, who had designed all of Nirvana's releases on DGC Records. Most of the ideas for the artwork for the album and related singles came from Cobain. Fisher recalled that "[Cobain] would just give me some loose odds and ends and say 'Do something with it.'"

The cover of the album is an image of a Transparent Anatomical Mannikin, with angel wings superimposed.

Austin Record Convention

The Fall 2008 show dates are October 3rd (early shopping*), 4th and 5th.
After a very successful Fall 2007 show with the most overseas buyers we have ever had, the Austin Record Convention schedule for 2008 is October 3/4/5.

There was no Spring 2008 show, but in 2009 we plan to try a twice a year schedule once again. The tentative dates for 2009 are April 3/4/5 and October 2/3/4. Please remember that "tentative" means these dates are subject to change, so please check back until we list the dates as "confirmed" later this year.

The upcoming Fall 2008 show will be held at the Crockett Event Center at 10601 N. Lamar Blvd. See the map for the location.

Regular Admission: $5
Good for 2 days - Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th from 10am-6pm

*Early Shopper Admission: $30 US residents, $15 International residents
Good for all 3 days - Friday October 3rd from 10am-6pm, Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th 8am-6pm. Early shopper admission and dealer set-up will start on Friday October 3rd at 10AM and last until 6 PM.

About the Austin Record Convention

The Austin Record Convention is the largest sale of recorded music in the USA. There is more music and related memorabilia available here, at one time, than anywhere else. Ranging from the 78's of the 1930s to the latest compact discs of today, over one million 78s, 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, posters and collectibles (probably even a few 8-track tapes!) are in the auditorium. Over 300 different dealers from all over the USA and Europe are spread out over 50,000 square feet of floor space. The show is so big that to see everything takes most of the weekend, so if you're in a hurry we have search announcements at 12, 2, and 4 o'clock from the concession area to help in locating specific items.

The show brings together collectors and dealers from all over the world for a weekend of activity in Austin. The event started in 1981 and has been held twice a year, in the spring and fall, ever since. It has grown steadily over the years and now uses all available floor space at the event center. The location in Austin, "Live Music Capital of the World", is a beautiful city that is great fun to visit has aided in the popularity of the event. If you attend the show be sure to save some energy for an evening visit to any of the many clubs around town and check out the live music scene for which Austin is world famous.

A Show Directory is printed and given away at the event. It lists each dealer attending the show, where they are from, a map with their location in the building and a brief description of their speciality. Larger ad space is availible in the Directory, anyone interested in ads please contact us for space and rate information.

Selling and Buying Vinyl at the Austin Record Convention

The Austin show is the best marketplace to sell and/or buy vinyl in the USA. Whether it’s 45s, 78s or LPs this is the place to sell or buy them. We have an established base of buyers from all over the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia and elsewhere that have been attending our show for many years. If you have a vinyl collection and don’t want to go thru the long drawn out process of selling it on-line, Austin is the place to sell it fast and for reasonable prices. Due to this it’s also the best place to find sought after vinyl, whether it’s soul 45s, hard rock LPs or blues 78s. Either buying or selling vinyl, it’s all about the Austin Record Convention. For over thirty years, The Austin Record Convention has been your music marketplace.

Doheny Gets Its Groove on With Album Art

SOURCE: http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/15568.html

09/05/08

New exhibit showcases many of the iconic record jackets once used to market music to a mass audience.

By Diane Krieger

The exhibit features a wide range of iconic record jackets, including one for Led Zeppelin.

Back in the dark age of analog sound, before jewel boxes and error correction codes rendered them obsolete, quaint paper vessels were used to protect the delicate grooved vinyl our ancestors knew as the phonograph recording.

As the 20th century drifts ever farther in the rear-view mirror, cultural historians are taking a fresh look at such fading ephemera. That’s the idea behind a Doheny Library exhibition that opened Sept. 5.

“A Sound Design: The Art of the Album Cover” pays homage to a medium that charmingly wrapped utilitarian function in aesthetic expression. Co-curated by music library manager Robert Vaughn along with Tyson Gaskill and Andrew Wulf, the exhibit showcases 52 iconic record jackets – from jazz to rock, punk and hip hop – spanning the expressive potential and stylistic variety of this popular art form.

Indeed, Vaughn said, the exhibition underscores that for years, album cover art was the top vehicle for distributing popular art to a mass audience. An album that went gold or platinum would be handled, closely studied and cherished by millions of music fans who otherwise might not look twice at the work of Andy Warhol, Raymond Pettibon or Salvador Dali.

Maybe you didn’t know that Warhol was the cover artist on the Rolling Stones’ 1971 smash, Sticky Fingers, as well as the Velvet Underground’s eponymous 1967 album? And that Pettibon designed Black Flag’s 1982 recording, Six Pack, and Sonic Youth’s 1990 Goo? Or strangest of all, that the Spanish symbolist Dali designed the jacket for one of Jackie Gleason’s popular “mood music” recordings, Lonesome Echo?

The album cover movement started in 1939, when Alex Steinweiss, a Columbia Records graphic artist with an interest in poster art, decided to try something new. At the time, an album cover was a plain heavy wrapper with tombstone-style text, like you’d find on the cover and spine of an encyclopedia.

Steinweiss got creative with the music of Beethoven and Rogers & Hart … and bam. “It was night and day,” Vaughn said. “Album sales started to soar. There was nothing to think about.” Soon every record label was doing it. The Doheny exhibition features Steinweiss’ design for the Cleveland Orchestra’s 1941 recording of Showboat, and a jazz album, Continental Tango, for bandleader Marek Weber. At Columbia, designer S. Neil Fujita took up the Steinweiss mantle with a stirring design for the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Time Out (1959).

In the 1950s and ’60s, photography-design duo Francis Wolff and Reid Miles took jazz album covers to the next level – establishing a classy look that solidified the BlueNote label as the epitome of recording excellence.

The rock era produced amazing new collaborations such as the identity-defining, 30-year relationship between designer Roger Dean and the band, Yes. Sometimes it gave musicians a new creative outlet. The Doheny show features Brian Eno’s own design on his 1971 release, Ambient #1 Music for Airports, and David Byrne’s jacket for the Talking Heads’ 1983 album, Speaking in Tongues.

Other highlights from the exhibition include underground cartoonist Robert Crumb’s effort for Cheap Thrills, the 1968 LP by Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin’s early band) and Jimmy Grashow’s whimsical pop-up gatefold design for Jethro Tull’s (1969) Stand Up.

The exhibition – which features LP jackets, historical tidbits and a video kiosk juxtaposing album imagery with the audio it illustrates – also will have a Web component offering links to in-depth readings. In the music library – conveniently located adjacent to the Rotunda exhibition space – Vaughn will make CDs of featured albums available for use by curious listeners.

“A Sound Design: The Art of the Album Cover” runs through Dec. 15 in the Ground Floor Rotunda of Doheny Library.

Album Cover Art

Let's continue our look at controversial, weirdest, the worst and the best album covers (according to 'Gigwise') While certainly up for debate, the album covers represent how this visual medium that helped to sell the music that was made.

Controversial

Bloodhound Gang: Hefty Fine


The Bloodhound Gang is an American rock band from Trappe, Pennsylvania. Their songs typically have humorous and off-beat, often satirical lyrics. The group formed in 1992 and have sold a total of more than 5,000,000 albums. The band's album, "Hefty Fine," was released on September 27, 2005.

The title came about after Evil Jared Hasselhoff was fined during work on MTV's "Viva La Bam" (The Scavenger Hunt episode). Jared was fined $20,000, which Jimmy Pop allegedly had to pay (This is discussed in the "Uncommon-tary" Of the Viva La Bam DVDs). The CD's original title, Heavy Flow, was scrapped when it was noticed that fellow musician Moby had a song with the same name. All hail the fat man in the box!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weirdest

Ben Arthur: 'Edible Darling'


Ben Arthur is not your everyday folk-rock-country-blues singer-songwriter. After kicking around the college circuit and self-releasing two albums the previous decade, Ben Arthur shrewdly adds enough electro-nervous, street-cred-savvy production sheen (courtesy of producer/engineer Mike Shipley, whose performed similar alchemy for everyone from Aerosmith and Def Leppard to india.arie and Shania Twain) on this boutique label third release to lure even the most jaded adult-alternative fan. Naked emotion and ambiguous states of mind have long been the genre's oft-conflicting stocks in trade, but they make for a compelling balancing act here as Arthur's dry, wry vocal tack informs everything from the savory, psych-pop bounce of "Mary Ann" to the equally hook-rich "Broken Hearted Smile" and "Mercy." The quiet, acoustic charms of "Instrumental #3" represents a sort of mid-set respite as Arthur kicks off his musical shoes for the infectious country-folk sing-along "Keep Me Around," the spare beauty of "Jesus," and the dreamy dirge "Wake." The brash jangle of "Sight of Your Tears" pushes the "Alt" part of the equation a bit too aggressively, but Arthur's effortless knack for wedding memorable hook to opaque reflection shines through virtually everywhere else. --Jerry McCulley Amazon review

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Worst

MC Hammer – ‘Look Look Look’


Just one word says it all for me, Hammer. When my kids were young, they loved this guy- why does he keep trying to make "music." "You Can't Touch This" is about as big as he will ever get.

The song topped charts in 1990 and earned an estimated $30 million. At the top of the ride Hammer had a $12 million dollar mansion in Fremont, CA, 17 luxury cars and a staff of 250.

"Hammer-Time" was over by 1996, when $13.7 million in the red, he declared bankruptcy. After breaking his leg in 1996 and the murder of friend Tupac Shakur, Hammer experienced somewhat of an epiphany and went back to being "a man of God" (Hammer grew up in a religious envronment and was no stranger to spiritual endevours). Hammer is now an evangilist, his shows now consist of prayer, preaching and gospel singing. This album was released in 2006 and featured production from Scott Storch. The album featured a title single and would sell much more than his previous releases at 300,000 copies worldwide. Is "Hammer-Time" coming back? I doubt it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best

THE TEACHES OF PEACHES October 2002


As voted by the Gigwise family, this comes in at number 49 in their "best" album covers. Peaches: ‘The Teaches of Peaches’ is a nice cover, but 'best?', not even in my top thousand. Maybe I am missing something, but as hot as she is, maybe a picture of her face would have been better suited for the album cover.

The Teaches of Peaches is an album by Peaches, released in 2000 (see 2000 in music). It is her second album, but her first under the name Peaches. (Her debut album, Fancypants Hoodlum, was credited to her real name, Merrill Nisker.) Her indie-singer roommate Feist contributed vocals for the album.

On the album, Peaches combines elements of dance music, rock, humor, and casual sexuality in songs like "F**k the Pain Away" and "AA XXX". In 2002, XL Recordings re-released the album and as well put out an "Expanded Edition" featuring a bonus disc. The song "F**k the Pain Away" appeared on the Jackass Number Two original soundtrack and was played during the segment in which Johnny Knoxville dressed up as an old man with a pair of fake testicles hanging from his shorts.

It also was part of the soundtrack for the movie Lost in Translation, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

Tune in tomorrow as we continue our look at Album Cover Art!

This Date In Music History-September 10

Birthdays:

Joe Perry, Aerosmith's resident guitar god, was born in Lawrence, Mass in 1950.

Danny Hutton ("Roses & Rainbows" and a member of Three Dog Night) turns 66.

Cracker frontman Dave Lowry greets the world in 1960. The guitarist is also a founding member of Camper Van Beethoven.

José Feliciano ("Light My Fire") is 63. He also wrote the theme for TV's Chico & the Man. (A correction from Monday, Sept 8th post which incorrectly listed Jose’s birthday as the 8th of September)

History:

Waldo Semon was born in 1898. He invented vinyl in 1926, which was used to make LP and 45 records. He died on 26th May 1998 aged 100.

In 1964 Rod Stewart recorded his first single, "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl," with the Hoochie Koochie Men in 1964. It promptly disappeared from view, and Stewart would go on to perform with the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces before striking out in a solo direction.

In 1965, the Rolling Stones took over the British pop program Ready Steady Go! Not only did the band members host, but they also interviewed their special guests Manfred Mann, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and the Preachers. The last were booked because Bill Wyman produced their current single.

Kiss released their first live record, "Alive" in 1975. The double set also becomes their first top 10 album. and contained live performances from KISS' first three albums.

Bob Dylan released his live album "Hard Rain" in 1976.

Blues singer/guitarist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown died in 2005, at age 81, at his brother's home in Orange, Texas. Brown recorded with such greats as Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder and Frank Zappa.

In 1962, Britain's BBC banned Bobby 'Boris' Pickett's single, "Monster Mash", saying it was offensive. They eventually relented and the song went on to be a UK #3 hit in 1973.

The Byrds began recording "Turn! Turn! Turn!" in 1965. Unlike their first hit, "Mr. Tambourine Man,” members of the group itself were permitted to play instead of session musicians.

The Monkees' "The Last Train To Clarksville" was released in the US in 1966. By the first week of November, it will be the top tune in the nation.

The Supremes achieved their ninth US number one record in 1966 when "You Can't Hurry Love" topped the Billboard chart.

In 1977, David Bowie accepted Bing Crosby's invitation to appear as a special guest on Bing's annual Christmas television special. Bowie and Bing sang duets on "Little Drummer Boy" and "Peace on Earth". The songs were recorded for Crosby's album "Merrie Olde Christmas".

Guns N' Roses enjoyed a number one single in 1988 with "Sweet Child O' Mine" written for Axl Rose's then girlfriend, Erin Everly, the daughter of The Everly Brothers' eldest sibling, Don Everly.

In 2005, the 1967 Beatles track ‘A Day In The Life’ from Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was voted the best British song of all time by music experts. The survey by Q magazine called the track "the ultimate sonic rendition of what it means to be British.”

In 1991, Nirvana’s single ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was released in the US.

Album Cover Art

As I was trolling through the net, I found several 'lists' of controversial album covers. So everyday, I will be displaying some of these album covers, along with some history or tidbit about the cover. I want to thank 'gigwise' (www.gigwise.com) for the images and concept. We will explore the most controversial, the weirdest, the worst and finally the best album covers (according to gigwise).

Controversial

Here is an image of an album cover by the band James. The baby has a choice to make, the handgun-or the toys, my guess he would choose the toys.

Hey Ma is the tenth studio album by Mancunian rock band James and was released on April 7, 2008. Before the album hit the shelves, the tabloid publication the Sun printed an article (March 13, 2007) calling for a ban on the use of the album art on billboards, relating to fears concerning the baby and the gun images found on the album's sleeve. While the ban still remains, the band still refused to change the album cover.

Later, Darren Hughes, the designer of the album art, went on to issue a statement on the ban:

"You need only to have a passing acquaintance with the headlines to be aware of the unfolding horror show of gun culture amongst kids in the UK. Whilst the media are quick to show condemnation and, in the governments barricading of not just our airports but now our train and bus stations and schools with metal detectors, armed police and dogs, their strong armed 'climate of fear-inducing' response.

But we seem less able, less curious to raise the vital question, as to what has brought our country, our culture our kids to be so taken with guns?"

Larry Gott, the lead guitarist of the band, has gone on to state that this will not affect the release and publicity of the album in any way, and an alternative has already been planned if such a situation did occur.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weirdest

Let's also take a look at some of the weirdest album covers (according to Gigwise) as well.

Wire "Take A Terrifying Trip To The Past" from 1980

Wire are an English rock band formed in London in October 1976, (and intermittently active to the present) by Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar), and Robert Gotobed (né Grey) (drums). They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on the Live at the Roxy WC2 album - a key early document of the scene, and were later central to the development of post-punk. And despite little attention in the beginning, Wire's first three albums are among the most influential on the postpunk era, cited by Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Robert Smith of the Cure.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Worst

At number 50 on the gigwise list is one from Prince. Although he gave us some fantatsic album covers, this is not rated to be one of his best.



In October 1979, Prince released his self-titled second album Prince, which reached #4 on the Billboard R&B charts, and contained two R&B hits: "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover." These two R&B hits were performed on 26 January 1980, on the TV show American Bandstand with this first backing band. Legend has it that Prince became annoyed when, during the interview segment, Dick Clark expressed surprise that Prince and his bandmates hailed from Minneapolis "of all places." At first Prince refused to speak, instead answering a question by gesturing with his hand. It was later admitted by Dez Dickerson that it was planned from the beginning as a way to throw Dick Clark off his game.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Best


Certainly up for debate, Gigwise starts off their list of 'Best Album Covers' with the iconic LP "In the Court of the Crimson King (an observation by King Crimson)," the 1969 debut album by the British progressive rock group King Crimson. The album reached #3 on the British charts and has been certified gold in the United States. The cover, a work by Barry Godber, is instantly recognizable to any rock and roll fan and would be certainly in my top ten. Here is a bit about the artist:

Barry Godber (1946–1970), an artist and computer programmer, painted the album cover. Godber died in February 1970 of a heart attack, shortly after the album's release. It would be his only painting, and is now owned by band member Robert Fripp. Fripp had this to say about Godber:

"Barry Godber was not a painter but a computer programmer. That painting was the only one he ever did. He was a friend of Peter Sinfield, and died in 1970 of a heart attack at age 24. Peter brought this painting in and the band loved it. I recently recovered the original from EG's offices because they kept it exposed to bright light, at the risk of ruining it, so I ended up removing it. The face on the outside is the Schizoid Man, and on the inside it's the Crimson King. If you cover the smiling face, the eyes reveal an incredible sadness. What can one add? It reflects the music."

'From The Capitol Vaults' Vinyl Campaign

Capitol/EMI's 'From The Capitol Vaults' Vinyl Campaign Continues With September 30 Release of Iconic Albums by Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon


Remastered Titles Presented on Limited Edition, 180-Gram Audiophile Quality Vinyl with Original Artwork and Packaging

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Capitol/EMI's high quality
"From The Capitol Vaults" U.S. vinyl campaign continues on September 30
with the limited edition release of two iconic rock albums. Jimi Hendrix's
incendiary 1970 concert album, Band Of Gypsys, will be issued on fiery red
180-gram vinyl, and John Lennon's chart-topping 1971 studio album, Imagine,
will be released on 180-gram vinyl.

Capitol/EMI launched its "From The Capitol Vaults" campaign on
September 2 with 13 classic titles, all previously out-of-print on vinyl.
Included in the series' debut were A Perfect Circle's Mer de Noms, The
Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, Coldplay's Parachutes, A Rush Of Blood To The Head,
and X&Y, Radiohead's Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A (two 10"
140-gram LPs), Amnesiac (two 10" 140-gram LPs), and Hail To The Thief,
R.E.M.'s Document, and Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-78.

All "From The Capitol Vaults" titles feature carefully replicated
artwork and packaging true to their original single or gatefold jacket LP
releases. More "From The Capitol Vaults" titles will soon be announced.

For more information, visit http://fromthecapitolvaults.com.

Collector's Report

August 31 to September 6, 2008

Collector's Report reviews the top selling 45's, LP's, 78's and CD's each week on eBay. The following are the top sellers for the week of August 31 to September 6, 2008.

LP's

Please, Please Me - Beatles - UK Issue - Parlophone PCS 3042 - $4,421.75

Soul Expedition - Soul Expedition - Lefevre Sound Records MLSP 3181 (VG+/SS) - $2,939.29

Waltz for Debby - Bill Evans Trio - Prestige RLP9399 (E/E) - $1,788.88

Fantastic Dee-Jays - Fantastic Dee-Jays - Stone SLP 4003 (VG+/VG+) - $1,715.00

Can You Mend a Silver Thread? - Sandstone - US-Private 1971 (M-) - $1,703.91


45's

Little Love Finds a Way/I Need Some Loving - Margaret Little - Genebro 230 G (VG-) - $7,400.00

This Won't Change/Go On - Lester Tipton - LaBeat 6607 17868 (M-) - $7,200.00

Set of 5 Sun 45's - Elvis Presley - Sun Records (VG+ to NM) - $6,999.00

Don't Play the Roll/Handy Andy - Tommy & the Derbys - Swing 1001 - $4,161.00

I Am Nothing/Brand New Love - Al Williams - La Beat 6602 (M-) - $3,220.00


78's

The One That I Love (Golden Gate Orchestra) / I Faw Down and Go Boom (Arthur Field Assasinators) - Edison 52553 (M-) - $635.55

Two Picture Disc Set - Art Mooney - $610.01

That's All Right/Blue Moon of Kentucky - Elvis Presley (G+) - $550.00

Folk Music of the United States (5 discs) - Alan Lomax Compiled - Smithsonian (E-/VG+) - $499.00

Falling Rain/Baby What Else Can I Do - Lonnie Johnson Trio - Acetate - $482.00


SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 08/16/2008


1) 78rpm - Five Sharps "Stormy Weather" / "Sleepy Cowboy" Jubilee - $5,200.00

2) 45rpm - Nirvana "Love Buzz" 7" - $2,500.00

3) 78rpm - Robert Johnson "Crossroad Blues" / "Rambling On My Mind" Vocalion - $2,345.00

4) 45rpm - Brooks Bros "Lookin' For A Woman" / "Two Great Lovers" Tay - $2,247.22

5) 45rpm - Eddie Cochran "Mean When I'm Mad" / "One Kiss" Liberty Picture Sleeve - $2,225.00

SOURCE: http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com/

This Date In Music History- September 8

Birthdays:

Born on this day in 1979, Pop diva Pink.

Aimee Mann, US singer songwriter, member of Til Tuesday was born in 1960.

Latin guitarist Jose Feliciano, who had a top three hit with his interpretation of the Doors' "Light My Fire," was born in Puerto Rico in 1945. He also wrote the theme for TV's Chico & the Man.

Cathy Jean Giordano ("Please Love Me Forever" with the Roomates) is 63.

Benjamin Orr, bassist for the Cars, and vocalist on their biggest chart hit, “Drive," was born in Lakewood, OH in 1947, with the name Benjamin Orzechowski.

History:

Singer Patsy Cline, country singer and the first female country singer to cross over as a pop artist, was born in 1931 (1961 US No.19 single 'Crazy'). Cline was killed in a plane crash on 5th March, 1963.

Jimmie Rodgers, singer/songwriter and the first country music star, was born in 1897. Rodgers sold well over 12 million records and he was the first person to be elected into the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Rodgers died on May 26, 1933.

Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Atlanta in 2007.

In 1965, an ad appeared in Variety announcing auditions for "The Monkees" TV show. Sorry, Mr. Stills, your smile was just not good enough (never mind that you had talent).

Elvis Presley first appeared on the cover of TV Guide in 1956.

Ron McKernan was born in San Bruno, California in 1945. Deadheads know him better as "Pigpen," the keyboardist for the Grateful Dead. He died on March 8, 1973 from cirrhosis of the liver at age 27.

Two generations of entertainment come together as Elvis Presley picked up the Bing Crosby Award in 1971. The award is given to recording artists who "during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic or scientific significance to the field of phonograph records." Elvis joins an elite group of honorees. Only five had previously received the award: Bing (of course), Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Irving Berlin.

In 2003, the Record Industry Association of America initiates legal action against 261 people accused of sharing music files on peer to peer networks. The group included a 12-year-old who downloaded the Family Matters TV-theme song. Yeah, the 12 year-old was a criminal.

Radio personality Alan Freed began broadcasting on New York's WINS in 1954. Although the phrase "rock and roll" had been around for a while, Freed is generally given credit for making it popular.

The Allman Brothers started a five week run at the top of the US album chart in 1973 with "Brothers And Sisters", the group's only US #1 LP.

Marvin Gaye enjoyed his second #1 hit on the Billboard Pop chart in 1973 with "Let's Get It On". He would place 7 more records on the list by 1982, giving him a total of 40.

'In Through the Out Door,' Led Zeppelin's first album of new material in over three years, was released in 1979. Topping the chart for seven weeks, it turned out to be their swan song.

Disco band Wild Cherry's self-titled album, which includes their number one single, "Play that Funky Music", was certified gold in 1976.

Derek Taylor the publicist for The Beatles died in 1997 at age 67. Taylor had been responsible for many of the legends surrounding their career and had also worked with The Beach Boys and The Byrds.

More New LPs

NEW LP's

18th Dye - Amorine Queen (Crunchy Frog)

A Flock Of Seagulls - Space Age Love Songs [180 Gram Vinyl] (Lilith)

Bee Gees - Early Years [180 Gram Vinyl] (Get Back)

Calexico - Carried To Dust [LP] (Quarterstick)

Curtis Mayfield - Love Songs Vol.2 [180 Gram Vinyl] (Get Back)

Damien Jurado - Caught In The Trees [LP] (Secretly Canadian)

Damned - Nasty Damned [180 Gram Vinyl] (Lilith)

Daniel Johnston - Fear Yourself [180 Gram Vinyl] (Coppertree)

Dinah Washington - I Was Born Ruth Lee Jones, But I Am Singing As Dinah [180 Gram Vinyl] (Get Back)

DJ Andy Smith - Diggin' In The Bgp Vaults (BGP)

Horse Feathers - House With No Home [LP] (Kill Rock Stars) -

Kimya Dawson - Alphabutt [LP] (K Records)

Maxine Sullivan - On Tour With The Allegheny Jazz Quartet (Jump)

Michael Franti & Spearhead - All Rebel Rockers [LP] (Anti/Epitaph)

Mogwai - Batcat Ep (Matador Records)

Natalie Cole - Still Unforgettable [LP] (in Gatefold Jacket with insert) (Atco/DMI Records)

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins [2LP] (Jagjaguwar)

Shaky Hands - Lunglight [LP] (Kill Rock Stars)

Tricky - Knowle West Boy [LP] (Domino)

Various Artists - Under The Sun Soundtrack [2LP] (Ubiquity)

Who - The Who By Numbers (150 Gram) (Classic Records)



NEW 12" SINGLES

Donnie Klang - Take You There (ft. P Diddy)/Dr. Love (Bad Boy)

Grouch - Artsy (Legendary Music)


SOURCE: http://dj-spyder.blogspot.com

SuperNova Records

As of September 15, 2008, SuperNova Records is changing its retail format. SuperNova Records will be releasing its artists' music via digital downloads and vinyl records. We have put a lot of thought and time into this very important and cutting-edge change. After being in the record business for 20 years, we have decided to take a bold new step into the future of selling records.

For a long time we have seen the music climate changing. People are changing the ways that they buy, listen and discover new music. The record companies have tried to stop it and they cannot. They have not adapted to the current market and thus are dying off by trying to stop something that is impossible to stop rather than profit from this new way of buying and selling music. So, we choose to move forward into the future with digital downloads.

At the same time, vinyl is the best listening format of any audio medium. We respect the vinyl album and are going to offer all SuperNova releases in limited edition vinyl formats.

Our final reason for this change is the environment. Between the plastic, paper, and fuel that go into manufacturing and shipping CDs, we will be making our contribution at saving the environment as we help lead the music industry into the 21st century.


SOURCE: http://www.scenepointblank.com/home/

New Vinyl Releases

Get those wallets and charge cards ready, lots of great new and reissued vinyl record releases for September!:


FRIDAY 9/12/08 RELEASE DATE


Metallica - Death Magnetic [2 LP] (in Stoughton jacket) (Warner Bros)

Metallica - Death Magnetic [Deluxe Edition] [5 45-RPM LPs] (180 Gram Black Vinyl in a Stoughton box that includes a lithograph and bonus audio CD) (Warner Bros)


9/16/08 RELEASE DATE


Boston - Boston [1 LP] 180 Gram Vinyl (Columbia / Legacy)

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um - [1 LP] 180 Gram Vinyl (Columbia / Legacy)

Chemical Brothers - Brotherhood [2 LP] (Astralwerks)

James - Hey Ma [LP] (Decca U.S.)

Johnny Cash - 16 Biggest Hits [1 LP] (Columbia / Legacy)

Judas Priest - British Steel [1 LP] (Columbia / Legacy)

Lindsey Buckingham - Gift Of Screws [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl includes Bonus CD) (Reprise)

Marc Broussard - Keep Coming Back [2 LP] (includes Bonus CD) (Atlantic)

Ne-Yo - Year Of The Gentleman [2 LP] (Def Jam)

Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It [LP] (includes download insert) ((Columbia)

Yelle - Pop-Up [2 LP] [Contains Bonus 12'' ft. 4 Thundering Dancefloor Remixes of her hits] (Astralwerks)

Murs - Can It Be (Half A Million Dollars And 18 Months Later) / Me And This Jawn [WHITE VINYL in Special Jacket) (Warner Brothers)

Wink - Stay Out All Night (Todd Terry / HCCR Remixes) (LIMITED EDITION WHITE LABEL) (Ovum White Label)

Ace Hood - Ride (ft. Trey Songz) (Def Jam)

Cassie - Official Girl (feat. Lil Wayne) (Bad Boy)

DJ Danny Diggs - Ladies Anthem [Part 1 & 2] (AV8 - AV783)

DJ LBR ft. Fatman Scoop - One More Time (prod. by DJ LBR] b/w Serato Scratch Live digital time coding [Picture Disc] (AV8 - AV784)

Fatman Scoop - Where Them Big Dogs At [prod. DJ Illynoize] (AV8 - AV782 / AV8782)

Laura Izibor - From My Heart To Yours (DJ Premier Remix) ( (Atlantic)

Jack's Mannequin - The Resolution [7 inch Single] (Sire)


9/23/08 RELEASE DATE


All That Remains - Overcome [2LP] (Razor & Tie)

Allman Brothers Band - Live At The Fillmore East [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Mercury)

Anne Briggs - Anne Briggs (180 Gram Vinyl) (4 Men With Beards)

Anne Briggs - The Time Has Come (180 Gram Vinyl) (4 Men With Beards)

Bauhaus - Burning From The Inside (180 Gram Vinyl) (4 Men With Beards)

Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out (180 Gram Vinyl) (4 Men With Beards)

Belle And Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress [2 LP] (in Gatefold Jacket with MP3 Coupon) (Rough Trade)

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Burnin' [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Island)

Buckcherry - Black Butterfly [2LP] [Includes Bonus CD] (Atlantic)

Cat Stevens - Teaser And The Firecat [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (A&M)

Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty [2LP] Double Gatefold (Downtown)

Common Market - Tobacco Road [2LP] (HYN)

David Gilmour - Live In Gdansk [5 LP Box] (180 Gram Vinyl and Includes Digtal Download Card) (Columbia)

Dead Can Dance - Dead Can Dance [180 Gram Vinyl 2LP] (VIN)

Dead Can Dance - Garden of Arcade Delights Ep [Deluxe Edition 2LP 180 Gram Vinyl] (VIN)

Def Leppard - Pyromania [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Mercury)

Derek & The Dominos - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Motown)

Earpeace - Earpeace Ep (X) (Porter Records)

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Mercury)

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (printed sleeves) (Interscope)

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Geffen)

Heartbreak - Lies [2LP] (Lex Records)

Jackson Browne - Time The Conqueror [2LP] (Inside Recordings)

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue [2 LP] (includes Bonus CD and one-etched sided vinyl) (Warner Bros)

Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash Remixed [2LP] (Music World Ent)

Kiss - Alive! [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Gatefold Jacket and printed sleeves & booklet) (Mercury)

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Geffen)

Mogwai - The Hawk is Howling [2LP] 180 Gram Vinyl includes MP3 coupon (Matador)

Motorhead - Ace Of Spades [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Sanctuary)

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Nothing)

Peter Bjorn and John - Seaside Rock [LP] (Instrumental Album on WHITE Vinyl with Download Insert Card) (AG Star Time Intl)

Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl in Gatefold Jacket) (A&M)

Pixies - Bossanova [LP] (4AD)

Pixies - Trompe Le Monde [LP] (4AD)

Police - Synchronicity [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (A&M)

Pretenders - Break Up the Concrete [2LP] (Shangri-la music)

Santogold - Santogold [2LP] w/ Digital download Card (Downtown)

Steely Dan - Gaucho [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Gatefold Jacket) (Geffen)

Stephen Stills - Just Roll Tape (April 26th 1968) [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl Analaog Mastering in Gatefold Jacket with Insert) (Rhino Records)

Stevie Wonder - Music Of My Mind [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Motown)

The Who - Who's Next [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Geffen)

Traffic - The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Island)

TV On The Radio - Dear Science [LP] (DGC)

Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground & Nico [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Polydor)

Apologist - Revolution EP (Wave Music)

Big Boi - Sumthin's Gotta Give ft. Mary J. Blige (Jive)

Danny Tenaglia - Space Dance [Remixes] (2x12'' in Glow In The Dark Jacket) (Tommy Boy)

Ican - Pa' Mi Gente (includes Carl Craig Dub) / Chiclet's Theme (Planet E)

Nina Sky - Curtain Call ft. Rick Ross (J Records)

Nobody Presents Blank Blue - Dive EP (Ubiquity)

Steve Lawler - Femme Fetale (includes Ripperton Remix) (Ovum)

Frank Fairfield - I've Always Been A Rambler [48 gram 7''] (Tompkins Square)

Rachael Yamagata - The Resolution [7 inch Single] (Warner Bros.)


9/30/08 RELEASE DATE


9th Ward - I Ain't Looking Back [2 LP] (Island)

Anberlin - New Surrender [2LP] (Universal Republic)

Ben Folds - Way To Normal [2LP 180 Gram Vinyl Gatefold jacket w/digital download card] (Epic)

Ben Folds - Way To Normal [Super Deluxe Box Set] [2LP 180 Gram Vinyl includes 2 CD + 1 DVD + Poster in Foil-Stamped Box] (Epic)

Big Brother & The Holding Company (Janis Joplin) - Big Brother & The Holding Company [LP] (Mono Edition) (Sundazed)

Bleeding Through - Declaration [2LP] (Trustkill)

Blue Oyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune [1 LP] (Columbia/Legacy)

Boz Scaggs - Speak Low [2LP] (Decca)

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club at Carnegie Hall [2 LP] [180 Gram Vinyl w/ 2 Bonus CDs] (Nonesuch)

Colby O'Donis - Colby O [2LP] (Geffen)

Dead Confederate - Wrecking Ball [2LP] w/ Download Card (Razor & Tie)

Delbert McClinton - Live [LP] 180 Gram Vinyl (New West)

Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown [LP] (w/bonus download) (Roadrunner Records)

Earth Wind & Fire - Gratitude [2LP] (Legacy/Columbia)

Innerpartysystem - Innerpartysystem [2 LP] (Island)

Jack's Mannequin - Glass Passenger [2 LP] (Sire)

Jimi Hendrix - Band Of Gypsys [LP] (180 Gram RED-Colored Vinyl) (LIMITED EDITION) (Capitol Records)

John Lennon - Imagine [LP] (180 Gram Vinyl plus poster and postcard) (LIMITED EDITION) (Capitol Records)

Lou Reed - Berlin [1 LP] (Columbia/Legacy)

Michael Jackson - Thriller [LP] [Picture Disc] (Legacy/Epic)

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition [LP] (180 Gram BLUE Vinyl plus 2 CD's/1 DVD/Book/Poster in custom Gatefold Media Jacket) (Columbia/Legacy)

Murs - Murs For President [2 LP] [Red & White Colored Vinyl] (Warner Bros.)

Nikka Costa - Pebble To A Pearl [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl in Gatefold Jacket) (Stax/Fantasy)

Nina Simone - Remixed & Reimagined [LP] (Legacy/Columbia)

Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship - Blows Against The Empire [LP] (Legacy/Columbia)

Plain White T's - World [2LP] (Hollywood)

Sam Cooke -One Night Stand-Live At The Harlem Square Club [LP] 180 Gram (Legacy/Columbia)

Sublime - Sublime [2 LP] (180 Gram Vinyl) (Geffen)

T.I. - Paper Trail [2 LP] (VERY LIMITED) (single vinyl) (Grand Hustle/Atlantic)

Trio Of Doom - Trio Of Doom [LP] 180 Gram (Legacy/Columbia)

Various Artists - Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Atlantic)

Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger [LP] (Legacy/Columbia)

Kevin Rudolf - Let It Rock (feat. Lil Wayne) (Cash Money)

Ludacris - What Them Girls Like (feat. Chris Brown & Sean Garrett) (Def Jam)

Mariah Carey - Migrate (feat. T-Pain) (Island)

Ne-Yo - Miss Independent (Def Jam)

Polly Scattergood - Nitrogen Pink [10 inch vinyl] (Mute)

T.I. - Live Your Life (feat. Rihanna) (Atlantic)

Beck - Gamma Ray b/w Gamma Ray (Jay Reatard Version) (7 Inch Single) (Interscope)

Beck - Gamma Ray b/w Bonfire Blondes (7 Inch Single) (Interscope)

Jack White & Alicia Keys - Another Way To Die (7 Inch Single) (RCA)

Madlib - Go! (feat. Guilty Simpson) b/w Gamble On Ya Boy (feat. Defari) (LIMITED EDITION 7'') (Rapster/BBE)

Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It [7 Inch Box Set] (Columbia)

SOURCE: http://dj-spyder.blogspot.com

More New Artists Are Kicking It Old School

By Ani Vrabel


Even as recently as five years ago, there were only two places where turntables were commonly found: in attics, buried under dusty boxes of other family relics or else in clubs under the fingers of DJs. Long-playing albums, most commonly known as LPs, were often little more than pieces of nostalgia for the baby boomer generation.

But today, vinyl is making a comeback — and it’s a big one.

It’s not a secret or a surprise that CD sales have dropped steadily in the era of iTunes, file-sharing and music piracy. A little more surprising, however, is that sales of the old-fashioned standby, the LP, are increasing simultaneously.

Last year, CD sales dropped 19 percent from 2006 and the first quarter of 2008 showed similar results. But in the meantime, LP sales have gone up 10 percent.

This national trend has hit hard in Atlanta. Mel Pinson, manager of Criminal Records, a nationally recognized independent music store in Little Five Points, says that vinyl sales have increased 20 percent at his store in the past year, and that there are no signs of vinyl’s popularity peaking anytime soon.

“There have been significant increases over the past two to four months,” he said in an interview with the Wheel. He said that CD sales at the store have been decreasing slightly, but not as rapidly as LP sales have been increasing.

Eliot Johnson, who is in charge of the vinyl department at the Decatur CD Store, says that LP sales have increased since the store started carrying vinyl a year and a half ago.

Pinson and Johnson both said that with the exception of an occasional re-issue release like a recent Radiohead compilation, the majority of the vinyl they sell is newly released by modern artists, such as this summer’s Modern Guilt by Beck, rather than classic rock staples.

As for the reason behind the increase in sales, Johnson and Pinson both just offer speculation.

In large part, vinyl’s popularity boils down to what should be most important in music: the sound. No matter what, digital music is going to have a compressed sound that music on LPs doesn’t. LPs, Pinson says, have a sound that is “bigger, warmer, fuller” than anything digital could ever provide.

“Sure, there’s the little pops and crackles, but for some that adds to the audio experience,” Rich Friedman from the marketing department of EMI Music wrote in an e-mail to the Wheel.

Pinson also sees the production and consumption of LPs as an act of rebellion. Usually, anything from our parents’ era isn’t considered essential to teens who want to act out. But real audiophiles — especially those in what Johnson calls the younger, “kind of indie, kind of hipster” crowd — can view buying LPs as a way of striking out against the era of mass-produced digital music that people rip from illegal Web sites.

This rebellion doesn’t simply last as long as it takes to purchase an LP rather than navigating over to iTunes. Friedman also mentioned that listening to an LP is an experience that puts emphasis on the entire album, including album art, song order and composition, rather than on a popular single.

“Vinyl consumers usually don’t put a record on for a single song; the record gets played through,” he wrote. “You just put the LP on the table and let it play through until it’s time to flip sides.”

Some artists have taken to including CDs or codes for digital downloads with their LPs.

“You get the best of both worlds,” Pinson reasoned. “You get the sound quality of vinyl, but if you want to throw something in the car” you can.

And ironically enough, the CD is being viewed as a dead art form by many, headed in the direction of the cassette and VHS tapes. LPs, on the other hand, have the reputation of being more timeless.

Pinson credits DJs with keeping the vinyl alive and for re-introducing — and in many cases introducing — a new generation to LPs.

The argument of whether vinyl is any better than digital sound is not going to wrap up anytime soon, and there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that. But in the meantime, there’s no way to ignore the cold, hard facts: vinyl records, once considered the dinosaurs of the music world, are still relevant in today’s pop culture world.

SOURCE: http://www.emorywheel.com

Off the back shelf

I love stories about finding vinyl records and wanted to share one that I found. I hope you enjoy it:


Alleyway display provides Syracuse with an extensive collection of classic vinyl

By Kelly Outram

SOURCE: http://media.www.dailyorange.com



A white poster with a picture of a record and the words "Funk 'n Waffles Records" leans against the side of Hair Trends on South Crouse Avenue. The names of various music genres are written on it in black block letters, along with an arrow pointing into an alley. No flashy colors or gimmicks adorn the board, just simple words.

Further down the alleyway, a lone cart sits holding five cardboard boxes. In the boxes lie original vinyl records of some of music's greatest artists: The Beatles, The Doors, Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra - all for less than $10.

Reading the sign, it might be easy to assume that Funk 'n Waffles, a local coffee shop known for its music performers, might be selling records. But even though its name is on the sign, the restaurant has nothing to do with record sales. Rather, a local man sells them himself.

The man, known simply as Jim, has been buying and selling records for years, according to Adam Gold, co-owner of Funk 'n Waffles. As a Syracuse University alumus, Gold remembers buying records from the very same alley when he was a student.

"We've been buying records from him since we were freshman," said Gold. "He finds them at garage sales and travels to boutique record stores, unique fairs, markets, anywhere he can find records."

Gold and the restaurant's other owner, Kyle Corea, got their business' name on the sign after they helped Jim out of a dilemma.

"He used to sell them outside of Syracuse Taxi during the day, and they would let him keep the records in their store at night," Gold said. "But then they lost their lease."

Gold and Corea estimate that Jim has sold records for about 15 years. They know that he has been selling them in the alley for at least six.

At one point, the business was moved outside, toward ZJ's Pizza, but Jim apparently missed the feel of the alley. Gold and Corea offered him a new location to sell his records, and while Funk 'n Waffles receives no monetary profit from the record sales, the duo does get a few perks.

"He gives Adam and I good record deals, helps around the shops and keeps a general eye on the alley in general," Corea said.

The money gained from record sales gets towards buying more records to sell and also supports Jim. Corea said that although Jim uses the money to support himself, that isn't his main motive in selling the records.

"He knows everything about records," Gold said. "He's got a very good memory when it comes to dates and times and stuff. He can hear something and know the band, the year - everything. He even knows if a sticker label has been changed on an album."

Gold feels Jim doesn't want to see the art of vinyl records die.

"Records are beautiful," Gold said. "They are almost like a form of art."

Sophomore international relations and communications and rhetorical studies major Chloe Van Hoose has seen the cart, but never noticed that the records were actually on sale. Rather, she thought it was a showcase of some sort.

"I thought it was weird that they were outside," Van Hoose said.

As it seems, vinyl records seem to be doing the exact opposite from becoming extinct. A new trend seems to be starting. As CD stores carry more records and stores like Urban Outfitters sell record players, the once-defunct medium seems to be shaking off the cobwebs and creeping out from the back of the closet.

Some bands have even released their new albums on vinyl as well as on CDs. Coldplay, Slipknot and Portishead are among the highest-profile artists to release albums this year in both formats.

"One of my friends only buys music on vinyl," Van Hoose said. "The sound is more authentic because you get that scratchy sound."

Van Hoose said that if she owned her own record player she would listen to original records more often. However while the old format resurrects itself, not everyone is ready to turn back the clock.

"I listened to a vinyl before, and I didn't like it that much," said freshman business major Bruna Barreto. "I'd rather listen to an iPod. It's more practical because you can just plug it in your computer and take it everywhere."