sureshot

I took these guys up on their "pay what you want" special offer last year (yes, I did it for free. sue me). I'll be honest, I wasnt impressed with the mag. I'd often flip through it in under 15 minutes, and just found it to be lacking in a whole lot of areas, many of which were mentioned above. I dont like seeing music mags die, but this one dosent seem particularly special, and on a more personal level, their focus (adult/commercial alternative) dosent appeal to me at all. It felt like they were trying to be all things for all people, which is usually a recipe for disaster. And yes, if nothin

Not to get too far off topic, but the "village" also is in the process of demolishing an entire block of vintage walk-up buildings east of Harlem on Lake...its heartbreaking. Like you said, they got all star crossed during the boom, and now they are going to have an entire once-vibrant urban streetscape converted into surface parking because all the plans for the development have fallen through. Im envisioning this will turn into a suburban "Block 37" boondoggle http://blogs.pioneerlocal.com/thenewspeg/2..._in_downto.html I always expected more out of OP, but they've really let me down big

The thing about Vals is you're not going to find your latest P4K band, or rap, or hip hip, or electronica/dance...or anything remotely hip. But if you're looking for vintage rock, folk, classical, jazz, and little random gems, theres good stuff to be had. But you do have to dedicate time to sifting through the junk. I found a pristine copy of Steve Reich's "Drumming" (3LP set) for $15 the other day...the same album goes for $60 on ebay. Also picked up a mint re-press of Miles Davis' "In A Silent Way" for $5, and a Velvet Underground/Lou Reed italian import for $8. Whats the place in Forest P

Bingo. I think this is the point most people miss when they move to a big city. The apartment is where you eat occasionally, sleep at night, maybe hang out and watch a little tv, and store your stuff. The city is your backyard, living room, etc. If you don't let go of the sprawl mentality (and comparing apples and oranges re: sq footage and prices) you'll always feel cramped and beaten down.

The new shop is not that bad all thing considered, although of course it dosent have the character of the old joint (what place would?). She definitely has more room to spread out though The Harrison District is a nice little slice, although I doubt she gets the foot traffic and walk-ins she used to. Whats even more sad is they pushed her out, and I still dont think the city even followed through on the redevelopment.

There are dicks in every single retail industry out there; why does everyone single out record stores? Personally, I've never had anything but positive experiences with my indie shops.

Bullshit; especially after seeing Steven go through his heroin battle I highly doubt he would touch anything like that In his own words: http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews...ps-060901.shtml

I really dont get this perception. I mean, do clerks honestly give you a hard time? I shop at a couple stores; Vals Halla in Oak Park is one, and Val is one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met (besides being an encyclopedia of music knowledge and a treasure trove of stories, having worked for Capital Records in the 60s). If anything shes a hair overbearing if all you want to do is browse. Another shop is Permanent Records on the west side of Chicago, and the owners there too are super friendly, and I almost always get a complimen on some record I've picked out (which if nothin

It depends on what record it is. If it something really common, its usually not hard to find for cheap. I just picked up a copy of Born In The USA for $5, and it was mint, You do have to dig around for it though.

Well, I think it goes without saying that comes with the territory. If you're looking for a pristine skip/pop/crack/hiss-free recording, then vinyls probably not your thing. I think those who really like the format tend to embrace those imperfections. Also, at least at the shops I frequent, they usually dont even buy vinyl off people unless its at least in Very Good condition, or something thats rare. Almost 60% of my record collection is used, and I dont have anything that I would say is unlistenable. the only record I have that is pretty beat up is an original pressing of the Doors' LA

My point is vinyl is a niche market, and Best Buy is trying to market it as a mass market product, which its not and never will be again. Maybe it will be good for people who live in non-metro areas away from good record shops (although 8 sq feet of retail is hardly a substitute). But besides the fact that I hate BB with a passion and would never step foot in one, I see zero reason why I would get a new vinyl there as opposed to any of the outstanding independent shops I have at my disposal, run by people who care about the product they're selling and are deeply entrenched in the local musi

Dream on. It was and will continue to be an incredibly niche market. Growing, sure, but realize how relative that statement is. There were a little under 2 million vinyl records sold in 2008...a very respectable number for sure, but far from the savior of the recording industry. To put it in perspective, there were over a billion legitimate digital downloads over the same period. Again, I think the "8 square feet" of retail exemplifies exactly how much of an opportunity this will be for a big box retailer (not much, especially considering the diminished profit margin on vinyl). Further, the

I could be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that Airiel has since broken up oh yea, and sorry for digging up the old thread, but figured this was easier than starting a new one

Really enjoying 93 Million Miles From The Sun. Crappy band name, but some of the best "nu-gaze" I've heard. TONS of Slowdive influences here...but that is certainitly not a bad thing http://www.myspace.com/93millionmilesfromthesun Dig it.

Theres no way in hell the would just plan a mission to mars, without several prior trips to the moon. All the plans I saw under Bush's watch included some sort of "halfway" base to be built on the moon. In any case, I think any of that is incredibly unlikely in any of our lifetimes.

Yes the Millenium Park calender is shockingly good this year. Black Moth Super Rainbow is playing a show too (!)

Im seeing Isis and Pelican play in June. yea yea, "metal for people who dont like metal"...whatever. its gonna be great.

Then I would certainly advise not watching this

Who needs glass, you could just pull a Christian Bale ala Dark Knight... (no it was not done digitally or with a stunt double) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/17/...in4268568.shtml

Well, the leak is out, and I must say...its pretty fricking amazing. 6 tracks, the shortest of which is 7 minutes. Lots of epic-ness. If possible, its even more "luxriant" sounding than the debut, although not quite as minima. Lots of krautrock influences floating around on it as well. Perfect stuff to play while driving down the expressway on a warm spring evening. I am going to be deriving a lot of pleasure from this in the months to come...

If Im going to go to a tourist trap, Id rather spend my $15 on an overpriced cocktail at the Hancock bar

A lot of people say "for all intensive purposes"...instead of intents

New single just leaked http://pitchfork.com/news/35152-premiere-t...i-do-mp3stream/ I've had it on permanent repeat all afternoon...just about everything I had hoped for. I can already tell Im going to play the hell out of this album. He's also touring with The Juan Maclean in May/June. Any other fans?

Its weird, even Trek and Schwinn are now selling fixed gear bikes trying to cash in the craze (after years and years of trying to squeeze as many gears onto a frame as possible)

Reminds me of the custerfu*ck that is Block 37 here in Chicago (aka the single most cursed piece of real estate in the country) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/108_North_State_Street