My other "used" vinyl

OK, so technically I have more used vinyl than I said before. But I don't consider it that because they were all my dad's. In this collection is every Beatles studio album, many solo albums by John, Paul, George and yes, even Ringo. There's The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, lots of Billy Joel, Chicago and more.

These all hold a special place to me, because my dad's love for music is what really made me into this music obsessed nerd that I am today. By the time I could read and write, I also knew most songs from the bands previously mentioned to bands like Led Zeppelin and The Police.

In fact, one of my favorite music moments ever happened regarding Led Zeppelin when I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. My dad and I were coming home from somewhere, where who knows. We were about a block away from our house when "Stairway to Heaven" came on. For the next 8 minutes or so we drove around and around so we could listen to the whole thing together, my dad letting me know exactly what instruments were coming in as the song builds from a whisper to the exploding Jimmy Page guitar solo to a whisper again from Robert Plant at the end.

While I still love classic rock, I eventually grew out into more modern things, and my dad was there to listen to it, even if he did call Green Day "morons," and was never too keen when I went through that dreaded nu-metal phase of my life. But if it was not for my dad, I may never have become so obsessed with music and then this blog would never have existed. And that would be no fun, would it?

Home Sweet Home part 3: Babylon, New York- Looney Tunes

Wow, what a semester away from school can make you miss. As I am going to find Looney Tune's site to link for you all, I find out that at the end of August it was destroyed in a fire.

Luckily, no one was injured, and they are rebuilding, aiming for a December 1st grand re-opening. Just this past summer I had my best moment at Looney Tune's when Straylight Run (remember they are Vinyl Revival's #1 album for 2007) was playing an acoustic show there. The deal was that you had to buy their new CD The Needles, The Space to get in.

So my friends and I went, bought the CD (even though I already bought it at Best Buy the day before for the bonus tracks they were offering exclusively) and saw the show. The experience was surreal. We were literally standing in CD aisles, browsing records with the rest of the band while lead singers John and Michelle Nolan put on a great half hour of acoustic tunes.

Then they filed us out to line up to get our CD's autographed. When we came back in, we were greeted with the biggest surprise of the day: Looney Tune's was giving away a free copy of The Needles, The Space on double vinyl to every person. If I wasn't stuck in the Stone Ages and actually had a digital camera I'd put a picture of my signed copy up, but I'm lame.

Anyway, If you are on Long Island this winter break, go check out the new store. I'm sure it will be bigger and better than ever. And for you Straylight Run fans here is a video from that acoustic show:

Home Sweet Home part 2: Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York- Academy Records

While last summer was technically the first time I lived in Brooklyn for any extended period of time (say for more than 2 weeks), I've always considered Brooklyn as one of my favorite places to be. Both sides of my family come from Brooklyn, my favorite pizza place (Frank's Pizza on Flatbush Avenue) is in Brooklyn.

I think the thing I enjoy the most about Brooklyn though is all the interesting people that live there. That is why I make the journey into Williamsburg (aka Hipsterville) to check out Academy Records. The place itself is nothing spectacular. Yeah, they have a decent record collection, but their two sister stores in Manhattan are bigger and better. It's just that in Williamsburg you get the delight of seeing middle to even upper class, mainly white folk, make themselves look like bohemian white trash.

Their styles make no senses. Their superiority complexes when it comes to the newest indie music is infuriating. Yet, there is a part of me that is dying to be a hipster too. Anyway, the last time I was at Academy Records I had a nice find. It was Lifetime's Hello Bastards, one of the pinnacle punk albums of the 1990's. The hipster behind the counter of course had to mention to me that he used to hang out with them in New Brunswick back in the day. I was both slightly annoyed and very jealous.

The Clash: The Only Band That Matters (...is also the only band I've bought used vinyl of)

Alright, so I have a confession. This past August while I was driving up to school, I stopped in Scranton, PA to visit one of my best friends who goes to school there. Since The Office is unfortunately only a TV show, Scranton is not a very exciting place. My friend did happen to live in an apartment above a record store, which name I am drawing a blank on at this current moment.

It was here that I gave into snobby ways and bought a used copy of The Clash's self-titled 1977 album. I did this because a) The Clash are in the top 5 greatest bands ever category, b) It was the UK version of the album, c) It came with a 7-inch single and d) I've wanted to say that I own this album for the longest time.

Now I know I typically have made fun of used vinyl, but I must admit this was one of my better purchases. I guess what I'm trying to say is that used vinyl CAN be alright, if you make sure it is in great condition. If the vinyl costs $1, you probably know what you are getting yourself into and deserve the skipping record from hell you bought. So choose wisely.

Home Sweet Home part 1: Fords, New Jersey- Vintage Vinyl

For reasons beyond our control, Vinyl Revival calls not one, not two but three different tri-state area places our home when we leave the Syracuse area. So in honor of New Jersey, Brooklyn and Long Island, we are going to give you guys a little info on where we like to pick up records in all three areas. We'll start off in Jersey. While Jersey is easily our least favorite of the three places, it makes up for it (sort of) with Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey.

Vintage Vinyl has become a staple of the New Jersey music scene for the past three decades. Rolling Stone and Esquire have both put them on their top lists of independent record stores. While their record collection is extensive, the real selling point of Vintage Vinyl is their instore performances. Bands from The Get Up Kids, to Saves the Day, to Cheap Trick have all performed there. The store provides for an intimate experience, a chance to buy some great vinyl and see some amazing bands perform.

Vintage Vinyl's best deal right now?
How about an exclusive Paul McCartney Live EP you won't find anywhere else? I'm down.

Go All or Don't Go At All

So some company thought it would be a good idea to come out with a CD/Vinyl combination. Pretty much it is a regular CD, but the other side of it is Vinyl and can hold 3 1/2 minutes of music. This is the dumbest idea in our opinion since Universal announced it would start putting music singles on USB drives. We know the music industry is in shambles, but they need to come up with some better ideas than these. Anyway, how in the world is this CD/Vinyl thing going to work? It does not make any sense to us. God people, just give in and realize vinyl is the best way to go.

Albums That Will Change Your Life (and Where To Buy Them): Weezer- Pinkerton

Last week, Weezer announced that they had completed recording their 6th full length album and that it would be released in April of 2008. It is amazing to think how long ago Weezer hit it big with "The Sweater Song" way back in 1994 on their most popular album, now known simply as The Blue Album.

If you want to hear Weezer at it's best though, you must get your hands on their sophomore follow-up Pinkerton. Pinkerton may have been an initial commercial flop, but in retrospect, it is now regarded as one of the best albums of the 1990's, up there with the likes of Radiohead's OK Computer.

Pinkerton was emo before anyone really knew what emo was. Rivers Cuomo opened his dark and twisted mind mainly on his trouble with girls, loneliness and self-loathing. Pinkerton reads as a chronicle of Cuomo's troubled life from the opener "Tired of Sex" to his obsession with an 18 year old Japanese fan in "Across the Sea" to falling in love with a girl that turns out to be a lesbian in "Pink Triangle." Pinkerton reads like a journal of self-doubt, but that is what makes it so personal to the fans that have embraced it. The sound is raw, emotional but still has that defining sound of power-pop at it's best.

Check out this site here to pick up Pinkerton on vinyl. Check out their video for our favorite song off the album "Pink Triangle" here (Rivers is sporting quite a beard in it):

Some self-depricating humor...

We here at Vinyl Revival usually take our love for vinyl very seriously, but we know when to laugh at ourselves as well. Enjoy this clip from the old 90's HBO series Mr. Show, where David Cross (the hilarious Tobias from Arrested Development fame) plays a character that is too cool for anything other than vinyl records. And yes, that is Chloe O'Brien from 24 as the girl behind the counter.

Action Jackson Soundtrack on loop

So, over the summer a bunch of my friends stored stuff in my house on campus because they could not move into theirs until the end of May. One of my friends happened to leave a large record collection lying around in our kitchen floor well into September. My roommates and I went through his albums numbers of times, but never took any of them out and actually played them.

One album in particular did catch our attention, mainly because the one and only Carl Weathers was on the cover. This album was the soundtrack for the unbelievable 80's action flick Action Jackson. The album had never even been opened, which we could not believe.

Our friend eventually took Action Jackson and all his other albums with him, until two weekends ago when one of my roommates stole the soundtrack from him. Since then the record has been played many, many times in our house. The album is not even good. I mean maybe if you like funk music it's OK, there are tracks from The Pointer Sisters and Sister Sledge. Yet, the power of Carl Weathers keeps us coming back for more.

Welcome to the Black 2LP

We here at Vinyl Revival are not ashamed to admit we are fans of My Chemical Romance. Yeah sure, they have become immensely popular and most of their current fans are probably girls between the ages of 13-16 that think they are "emo" because no one understands them so they shop at Hot Topic and rebel by dying that one pink streak in their hair.

If you take the band away from their fan base, My Chemical Romance always has been and still is a great band. Their latest release, The Black Parade, indulges in the 70's theatrical styles artists like Queen and David Bowie and mixes it with their own sound they perfected with 2004's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.

Now they are re-releasing The Black Parade as a special edition double LP. Only 2,500 copies are being pressed, and while that may seem a lot for vinyl purists, remember how many more fans MCR has than most bands. This special edition can be pre-ordered at their website right here. Sure, $45 might seem a little pricey, but the packaging alone looks like it will be worth it.

And for people who bash My Chemical Romance, maybe you can appreciate one of their older songs of their first album I Brought You My Bullets...You Brought Me Your Love, "Honey, This Mirror Ain't Big Enough For The Two of Us":

Which came first, the music or the misery?

We here at Vinyl Revival are also big movie fans. It probably won't surprise any of you that some of our favorite movies have to do with music. There's That Thing You Do, which was mentioned in past posts. There's Almost Famous, which brings out our fantasy of writing about music for a living. But possibly our favorite out of them all of course comes back to vinyl records, with the 2000 John Cusack hit High Fidelity.

What makes this movie so great? Well first of all, we have always had a fantasy of running a record store, and we get to live our dream through Rob Gordon (Cusack) and his slacker friends Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black in his breakout role). The three spend their days waxing poetic on topics like the top five musical crimes perpetuated by Stevie Wonder in the '80s and '90s.

Cusack shares the innermost workings of a man obsessed with music, trying to create the perfect mixes tapes while figuring out what has gone wrong in every relationship he's ever been in. The biggest humor comes from Jack Black though. Not only is he hilarious, but he is a music snob we can all love. Take this interaction for example:


And yes, if you don't know who the Jesus and Mary Chain are, I demand you find out immediately. While you do that, watch this extra from the DVD of High Fidelity about the Top 5 Songs to Make Love to:

Amazon.com knows what's up

On October 17th Amazon.com launched a section of their online store dedicated solely to vinyl records, further proving the comeback of Vinyl. You can check it out right here. I really enjoy the fact that Amazon.com has added a vinyl section for a number of reasons.

First off, it will hopefully lead to more casual music listeners coming over to the side of vinyl records. Sure, there are ton of underground sites and stores to go to, but you need to know where to look to find them. Amazon.com's site has sections filled with new and used vinyl for alternative rock, classic rock, dance, punk, jazz and more. They also have cool sections for people who like to know what others are buying, listening Top record sales on an hourly basis.

The #1 Album on Amazon.com right now? One of my personal favorites- The Beatles- Abbey Road, which I own two copies of, one to listen to and one that is framed in my room at home. I'll even go on record and say that it is the best Beatles album, but that is an argument for another day.

R.I.P. Compact Disc

A few weeks ago, Wired ran a story entitled "Vinyl May Be Final Nail in CD's Coffin". We here at Vinyl Revival could not agree more. Compact Discs are so 1990's. Read the story and see for yourself. The best comment in the whole story comes about the fact that CD's over compress music to make it as loud as possible. This has unfortunately ruined the sound of many bands, but you'll never get that with vinyl.

Long Live Vinyl!

Overheard in Syracuse University

Something has been on my mind for a few days that I need to get off my chest. I was leaving my radio show (listen to WERW right here), when I overheard a few people talking music in the Schine Underground. Here's how the conversation went:
Girl #1: Yeah, I totally know. I used to be a huge fan of Against Me!, but then they went to a major label and with their new album they sold out and totally sound like Fall Out Boy shit.

Girl #2: I know what you mean. I'm from Scranton and I was a huge fan of Breaking Benjamin forever before they got famous and now everyone loves them even though their new music sucks.

Me: Walking away shaking my head in disgust.

As you saw in our Top 10 albums of 2007, we put Against Me!'s new album New Wave at #6 for the year. That is because it is a great record. Against Me! was able to keep their political punk roots and mix it in with some catchy, but credible music. Against Me!'s new album sounds nothing like Fall Out Boy, and if it did there would still be nothing wrong with that. People need to learn to grow up and realize that their favorite bands are not going to make the same album every time around. And as for Girl #2, well Breaking Benjamin always sucked.

End rant.

Mixing the Old (and Better School) With the New School

If you remember in our very first post we linked you readers to a NPR segment that discussed the rise in sales of vinyl records. The segment mentioned that one reason for the rise in sales was because of a new USB turntable that can convert your vinyl records into MP3s.

Normally Vinyl Revival would tell you to stay away from MP3s, especially ones that you can buy on sites like iTunes that have poor sound quality. However, this idea is actually pretty cool. Plug your turntable into the computer and you can have vinyl quality sound to put on your iPod when you leave the house and must part with your record player. It's reasonably priced, and it sure looks a lot better than the old record player we currently use. In fact, this and a quality pair of speakers just topped our Christmas wish list.

Top 5 Punk Songs Involving Records

We here at Vinyl Revival love punk music. It is even better when songs mention records, whether it be in the song titles or the song lyrics themselves. So we came up with a list of our Top 5 Punk Songs that involve records in one way or the other:

5. Bouncing Souls- Broken Record (Thinking about records being broken is sad, but luckily the Bouncing Souls are awesome)
4. Lawrence Arms- Like A Record Player (More people should listen to the Lawrence Arms, they are one of the most under appreciated punk bands out there today)
3. Alkaline Trio- Jaked on Green Beers (One of our favorite song titles ever, by one of our favorite bands, but it is unfortunate that Matt Skiba's friend stole his records to sell them for dope)
2. Lifetime- Records At Nite (Lifetime has influenced in one way or another every band that calls themselves punk over the last decade)
1. NoFX- Two Jealous Agains (A song about realizing you and your significant other are right for each other because of your similar record collections=a thing of beauty)

R-E-C-Y-C-L-E RECYCLE

Warning: Vinyl Revival does not condone the buying of used vinyl.

Something just does not feel right about used vinyl. Records are a personal thing to us, and to know that someone else owned the record before we did rubs us the wrong way. Not to mention the fact that most used vinyl has been worn out to some extent.

Still, old vinyl records can serve a purpose thanks to some creative companies. Take these bowls for instance. Need a coaster to keep your coffee table ring free? Now you can spruce up your house in style with these recycled vinyl products.

And while you are at it, sing this song while using these recycled products:

Top 10 albums on vinyl of 2007

2007 is quickly coming to an end. That means it is time to recap all the best of this year's music and there has been a lot. It was tough for us to do, but we created a list of what we think are the top 10 albums of 2007 that were released on vinyl. Sorry to some bands that just missed the cut like Yellowcard, Modest Mouse and Jimmy Eat World. 2007 has been a great year for music. So without further ado, here is Vinyl Revival's Top 10 albums on vinyl of 2007:

10. The White Stripes- Icky Thump ( Jack and Meg do a good job at getting back to the rock n' roll that was missing from their last album Get Behind Me Satan.)
9. Kanye West- Graduation (Kanye may be the best rapper around besides his "Big Brother," Jay-Z)
8. Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (People say this album is a sophomore slump, but we strongly disagree)
7. Bright Eyes- Cassadaga (Conor Oberst can do no wrong)
6. Against Me- New Wave (Surprise album of the year. It's both catchy and meaningful)
5. Every Time I Die- The Big Dirty (I think our previous post on ETID summed up our love for them)
4. Enter Shikari- Take to the Skies (British technocore, if that's a real genre, at it's finest)
3. Radiohead- In Rainbows (Thom Yorke and company did it again with their most personal album to date)
2. LCD Soundsystem- Sound of Silver (New York, I Love You might be our favorite song of the year)
1. Straylight Run- The Needles, The Space (This is what I knew John and Michelle Nolan were capable of)

So there's our list. What do ya'll think about it?

Take that iTunes!

While it may seem like we here at Vinyl Revival only listen to rock music, we are also big fans of rap and hip-hop as well. That is why we would like to applaud Jay-Z and his decision to not allow iTunes to sell his new album American Gangster.

The Def Jam President and rap legend looks at his album as a work of art that must be enjoyed in its entirety. We stand behind Jay-Z on this and tell you that the best way to enjoy Jay's new classic is to go here and pre-order the vinyl which will begin shipping this Tuesday.

On a side note, everyone should go check out the movie American Gangster, which Jay-Z's new album draws creatively off of. Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe should definitely get Oscar consideration.

One more thing. Syracuse basketball fans, PLEASE stop throwing up the Jay-Z Roc sign during games. Most of you probably don't know what it means anyway. Thanks.

Leopard Print Color Vinyl? Hell Yes.

I just made one of my best purchases in a while and wanted to share with you the same opportunity. This website is offering Every Time I Die's The Big Dirty on 4 different color vinyls. I chose the Leopard Print yellow with brown splatter. Or if you want, they are offering ALL 4 together for only $40.99.

Here's how Every Time I Die described their new album:
"You want ironically distasteful rock and roll pretenses? You got em. You want riffs so filthy they should have a moustache and wear elastic work out pants when they go out to eat at the Olive Garden? Right here, boys. You want mosh parts so brutal it could star opposite Charles Bronson in ANY of the Death Wish movies? Come get some."

If that does not convince you of ETID's greatness, possibly nothing will. However, before you go, try this on for size:

Albums That Will Change Your Life (and Where to Buy Them)- Neutral Milk Hotel- In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

So, as promised in the last post, although about a half a day late, our third album in the Albums That Will Change Your Life (and Where to Buy Them) series is none other than Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane over the Sea. It is no surprise that Blender would place it in the #32 slot on their top indie-rock albums ever list. Ever since it was first released in February 1998, In The Aeroplane over the Sea has received critical acclaim.

So what makes the album so important? The fact of the matter is that Neutral Milk Hotel's frontman Jeff Magnum was able to carve out a lo-fi masterpeice surrounding a concept of the life and tragic death of Anne Frank. Does this topic sound a bit heavy for a rock n' roll album? Yes. But it works because of Magnum's mastery of the lyric. Take "Holland, 1945" for instance:

"The only girl I've ever loved/Was born with roses in her eyes/But then they buried her alive/One evening, 1945/With just her sister at her side/ And only weeks before the guns All came and rained on everyone/Now she's a little boy in Spain Playing pianos filled with flames/On empty rings around the sun/All sing to say my dream has come."

Magnum sings with a fiery passion throughout the albums 12 songs and is accompanied by a plethora of instruments (from trumpets, to organs, to flugelhorns and even a zanzithophone) that give the album it's unique sound that Pitchfork Media described as "blending St. Pepper with 90's lo-fi."

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has become a cult classic in the indie world, garnering a reissue in 2005. While many record stores around the country make sure to stock their vinyl sections with Neutral Milk Hotel, your best and easiest bet is clicking right here paying your measly $10.99 plus shipping and thanking Vinyl Revival for letting you in on one of the most influential, yet unfortunately overlooked bands ever.

Now enjoy some favorite artists of ours, Kevin Devine, Manchester Orchestra and Brand New collaborate together live playing Netural Milk Hotel's "Holland, 1945."

The Top 100 Most Pretentious, err...I mean Indie-Rock Albums Ever

So, our friends over at Blender put together a list of the Top 100 Indie-Rock albums of all time. We here at Vinyl Revival are big fans of the indie-rock genre as the indie-rock genre are big fans of the vinyl record. Check out the complete list here. Some people might not be fans of the list, but notice anything interesting at #52? Oh yeah, thats Vinyl Revival's first pick for Albums That Will Change Your Life: Bright Eye's LIFTED or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground. And #32? Look for a post about that album in all of its indie-rock glory later tonight.

Now let the music nerd's debates begin!

You know you are obsessed with vinyl when...

You wish you were this guy:

Ok, so maybe we don't wish to be this guy, but we here at Vinyl Revival sure are jealous of his bad ass record collection (not only the color vinyl but Fraggle Rock AND The Wonders from that Thing You Do). My new goal in life personally is to find a new copy of No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom on that sweet blue vinyl. Vinyl Revival <3's Gwen Stefani.

Albums That Will Change Your Life (and Where to Buy Them): Brand New- Deja Entendu

I must preface this post by mentioning that Brand New is my favorite band ever. Brand New's second LP, Deja Entendu may be my favorite album ever. I grew up not far away from the members of Brand New on Long Island. Jesse Lacey dated a girl from my high school. Brand New was the band for my friends and I in high school, and remain that way today.

My bias aside, Deja Entendu is a fantastic record. The album was critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the top records of 2003. From the moment the dreamlike opener "Tautou" begins with the lyrics "I'm sinking like a stone in the sea/I'm burning like a bridge for your body" to the acoustic closer "Play Crack The Sky " which is actually about a sinking ship off the coast of Long Island, Deja Entendu marks a more mature, mood, angst driven sound from Brand New.

And it couldn't be better. There are amazing song titles ("Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't" and "Good to Know That if I Ever Need Attention All I Have to Do Is Die"). Lacey manages to fit into just under 49 minutes, songs about the troubles of touring, dealing with the emotions of sex, love and fear of loss (with the personal "Guernica" dealing with his grandfather's lung cancer). Deja Entendu is french for "already heard", but with this record, Brand New set themselves apart from their counterparts and created a near perfect album.

Finding Deja new on vinyl is no easy task. Triple Crown Records released a limited amount of the album on vinyl less than a month ago, but within mere minutes they sold out. When times become desperate, there is of course only one place to turn to: eBay. Many of the people who bought the new pressing of the album have put the albums up for bidding. Just make sure you are buying from a reliable person and that the album is in fact new, and you are good to go. It may cost you anywhere from $17 to upwards of $40 bucks before shipping and handling, but I will assure you it is money well spent.

While you are waiting for your new vinyl copy of Deja Entendu, enjoy an amusing video rendition of "The Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows," filled with stick figure emo kids, misinterpreted lyrics and, of course, Lou Bega:

Japanese people are crazy, yo

I love Japanese people. They never let me down. Without a doubt, they are always there, coming up with some absolutely bizarre but incredibly creative, funny and interesting way to do things. Take Japanese television for example:


If you can tell me what in the world is going on there...you deserve a gold star. But try to tell me its not amusing and you'd only be lying to yourself.

Or take the way Japanese people help teach their kids go to the bathroom:


Why was I never able to become a Pants Man as a little kid or learn to go to the bathroom from a talking toilet?

So, now you are probably asking yourself two questions: 1. John, why are you crazy? and 2. What does any of this have to do with records?

Well, while I can't answer exactly why I am weirdly obsessed with absurd Japanese pop culture, I can tell you that a Japanese company called Hokkaido Industrial Research has created melody roads. In other words, this company has essentially made certain roads in Japan like big records by carving grooves into the road and having the cars driving over the grooves act like a needle causing the people in the car to hear a certain tune. I can't make this shit up. Even like a record player, where you can change the speed from 33 to 45 or 78, the speed you drive over these grooves effects how the song the car creates sounds.

So, once again the Japanese win the award for craziest idea ever and also get props for turning the earth into a giant record player. Hopefully videos will pop up of these magical melody roads soon...and if they do you know you'll find them right here.

MeWithoutVinyl= me sad

If news on new color-run vinyl from The White Stripes wasn't enough, indie rockers MeWithoutYou have announced the preorders for not one, but two of their albums, 2002's A--->B Life and 2004's Catch for Us the Foxes, both on Tooth and Nail Records. This is a special, limited edition deal with only 500 brown vinyl of A--->B Life and 500 blue vinyl of Catch for Us the Foxes being pressed.

Go here and act fast before all the other vinyl geeks gobble them up. If you are new to MeWithoutYou check out their myspace. Their lead singer Aaron Weiss is one of the best lyricists around, giving his singing a spoken poetry feel. MeWithoutYou are currently opening for two of my favorite bands around Brand New (who we will be visiting later in our Albums that Will Change Your Life Section) and post-hardcore perennials Thrice (check out their new album The Alchemy Index Vols I & II).

Jack and Meg and...Beck? Oh My.

Waking up to the news of The White Stripes collaborating with Beck on a new 7-inch single package is like Christmas come early. After The White Stripes canceled their world tour earlier this fall, I expected little from them for the rest of the year, but I'm glad I was wrong. This concept of 3 vinyl singles, one on black, one on white and one on red vinyl, for the song "Conquest", with brand new b-sides co-produced by Beck makes a vinyl lover like myself giddy. And that's not all! Possibly the best part of the whole package is the fact that there will be trading cards of "legendary, near-mythical matadors"-El Sloth, El Blanca Rosa (shouldn't it be La?) and El Perdedor (I wonder who that could be?).

In an unrelated to vinyl, but still equally excellent White Stripes bit of news, has anyone seen the trailer for the new movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story? Well take a look below because Jack White is playing none other than The King himself, Elvis Presley, karate-chopping and all, in this Judd Apatow satire.

Mommy, where do records come from?

Vinyl Revival is proud to announce our first class on vinyl: LP 101- The Origin of Vinyl Records. We all love going out to our favorite record store, purchasing some new albums, coming home and putting those big circles of vinyl down on Side A, dropping the needle and enjoying the music. But have we ever thought about how the music gets from the master recordings onto the typical 12-inch LP or 7-inch 45?

Well thanks to none other than YouTube, (I know it shocks me just as much as anyone else to actually find something educational on it), we can learn just how vinyl records are made. So sit back, get your notebook out and get ready for these videos, which are both highly informative and amusing because they will undoubtedly remind you of every cheesy science video you were ever forced to watch in high school (especially the unbelievable awesome music and that one woman who must seriously do the voice-overs for every educational video ever made).

Part One
Part Two

And here's a bonus video for extra credit of some guy explaining how a vinyl record works. While he does know what he is talking about, it is great to here him say how the groove goes around and around the record "like a bazillion times" and making sure to tell people not to touch the record with their screwdriver.

Albums That Will Change Your Life (and Where to Buy Them): Bright Eyes- LIFTED or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

We here at Vinyl Revival deeply love music and want to share with you important albums that are on vinyl for your listening pleasure. That is why every day we will have a segment on an album that will change your life and where you can find these albums new on vinyl.

So to start, we offer to you the 2002 indie/folk classic LIFTED or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground by Bright Eyes on Saddle Creek Records. For anyone unfortunate enough to never have heard Bright Eyes, they are the brainchild of lead singer Conor Oberst, who began the band in 1995 at the age of 14. Oberst has often been praised as the next Bob Dylan, no small task to live up to.

While there have been a number of album released by Bright Eyes since Lifted, it remains their most acclaimed work and a benchmark for Oberst as a song writer. Lifted is an album that was meant for a record player. It has an earthy, home-recorded sound which resonates on vinyl as Oberst's strained voice spits out some of his most personal lyrics about love, loss , family and a sense of hopelessness. The inside of this double LP contains lyrics in the style of a novel, with each song acting as a chapter in the story. We recommend sitting down, reading the lyrics throughout the album's hour and 13 minutes and enjoying what the full experience has to offer to you.

If you live in Syracuse like myself and want to purchase Lifted, I recommend checking out The Sound Garden at 124 Walton Street (keep it tuned in here for a full look at The Sound Garden in the coming days). If you are not from Syracuse, or are afraid to go out in public, you can click right here and buy the album from the official Saddle Creek store. This is a reissued album on 180 gram virgin vinyl (instead of the typical recycled plastic), which means it will have a higher sound quality and also will be tougher to wear out. Also, Saddle Creek is kind enough to offer a free digital download of the album with the purchase of the double LP for those of you who are iPod friendly. So what are you waiting for, get on it and enjoy Bright Eyes and while you wait for your album to arrive here's the music video for the first single off the album, Bowl of Oranges.

Spin the Black (or Blue, Red, Paint Splattered, Photo, Purple, Orange and more!) Circle

A blog about vinyl records. At first glance the idea reeks with irony. You've got this new-wave, 21st century media outlet where people can speak there minds on almost anything, and then a music format whose demise was believed to be ushered in the 1980s by the creation of the compact disc. But not so fast. While cd sales continue to plummet, bringing on an armaggedon-esque feeling for the music industry, record sales are up 10% this year (click here for an interesting NPR segment on why they believe this trend is occurring).

Vinyl Revival is your spot for the latest news, reviews and everything else interesting that is going on in the world of new, limited edition and color-runs of vinyl. Want to know where the best places are to buy new and interesting vinyl? Check in here. New to vinyl? Come here to learn more about the best way to enjoy music without going to a concert.

Bands all across the indie/punk world from Brand New, to Every Time I Die, to Mars Volta, to Arcade Fire to Rancid are pressing their music on vinyl, giving us audiophiles things to constantly look forward to... if you know where to find them.