Bon Iver + Kanye West + Jay-Z = Hell Yeah!

OK, OK, So you probably already heard all the rumors/hype via Stereogum, Pitchfork and your cousin’s music blog too, but now there’s finally some evidence.  Yes, Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver, aka your favorite Appalachian folkster, and Kanye West, aka Kanye West, aka your favorite loud-mouth rapper, have collaborated on and laid down an unknown number of tracks to be released in the coming months.  The first to surface via Yeezy’s blog is titled “Monster” and will be featured on the forthcoming West/Jay-Z collabo EP, Watch The Throne.  Take a listen/download here.  While Vernon’s vocal is certainly the novelty of the track, it turns out that Nicki Minaj’s dub hall sarcasm steals the show, even from the kings themselves.  If you dig this, let me know.  If not, let me know.

Vinyl Is Forever

Asked today…

…”where can I get a good portable turntable?”

Well sir, depends on what you’re in the mood for.  Portability? Sound? Budget? Vintage authenticity?  Of course, you can find many different turntables that meet some of these criteria, but you’ll be hard pressed to find one that meets them all, so we recommend prioritizing your needs.

If portability is a must, keep in mind that you’ll be sacrificing sound quality (and vice versa).  The same is also true if you’re looking for a deal.  And as for vintage authenticity… it’s out there, but you may spend a lot of time looking through some real duds along the way.

For best results, we recommend having two turntables.  First, get yourself a decent portable.  Don’t spend too much cash as this is the one that you’ll be banging around in the trunk of your car, but be sure to get something that reflects your personal style.  After all, this is kinda like a new pair of shoes, right?  Also keep in mind that while all portable turntables should have built-in speakers, they don’t all have outputs, e.g. you can’t hook them up to external speakers.  If you plan on connecting to a bigger system, be sure to check for this feature.  As for brands, we’ve had good experience with Crosley.  Locally you can pick one up at The Beat, globally we recommend ordering from our pals at InSound.

The second unit is your home system for which we recommend a three piece, consisting of turntable, receiver and speakers.  Portability is not a consideration in this case, just sound quality.  Spend the dough to get a new deck from a company like Stanton or Numark.  (Sadly, the Technics brand is no longer in production.)  Then, scour antique fairs, yard sales and thrift stores for a vintage receiver and speakers.  Make sure that the receiver has a phono input (if it doesn’t you’ll have to pick up more gear to make it work) and be sure that your speakers can handle the output of the receiver.  Why vintage?  It’s just sounds right.

Lastly, get yourself some good music.  There’s nothing worse than having a killer setup and no vinyl to play.  Happy Hunting!  Let us know what you find.

And remember, digital is temporary but vinyl is forever.

Beginning Of A New Age… (too)

Ah, how true ring the words one Mr. Lou Reed, as sung on The Velvet Underground’s final album, Loaded.  ”It’s the beginning of a new age.”  What age you ask?  This age.  The very one in which we stand.  How?  How can this be the beginning?  Aren’t we already there, hasn’t the new age already begun and we’re just trying to keep up with it, y’know the latest trends and gossip and all?  No!  It has not already begun.  In order for the new age to begin, the old age, had to first die.  And die it did, this past weekend in the lonely cowtown of Sacramento, California.  “Sacramento?” you ask.  “Where?  How?”  How could you have missed it?!?  Well, miss it you did, unless you were one the hundred or so folks gathered not far from the town’s only stoplight at the corner of 16th and Broadway.  It was a sight to behold.  There was cake and ice cream and champagne served for all of the guests and the man of the hour himself, was none other than Mr. Russ Solomon, founder and CEO of Tower Records, champion of the record industry, champion of the people, a champion who would change the world forever.  The kind of champion this one-cow town needed.

What does this all mean?  Did this Tower Records guy die?  Well, now, calm your horses, as they say in towns like Sacramento, no one said anything about people dying, just ages dying.  And when we say age, we mean like the aforementioned old age, and when we say old age, we don’t mean like “yer old,” we mean like “yer old age,” I mean… shit!  What I meant to say was that the old age, as in old era, died last week, not that Russ Solomon, in his old age died or anything like that.  The man’s in great health, best shape of his life.  He evened climbed on top of the ol’ Tower Theatre last week to prove it.   But I digress.  Where was we?

Of course!  Last week was the day the music died.  What?  Somebody, already used that one.  OK, last week was a death at a funeral?  What?  That too?  A day in the life?  No?  OK last week was the day that the final brick of Russ’s once massive music empire fell.  And all in all it was just another brick in the wall.  Dammit!  OK, what good phrases haven’t already been used as song lyrics?  How about this?  Last week Russ’s Solomon’s R5 records was ceremoniously shuttered and in it’s wake stands a stalwart of a burgeoning new industry, Dimple Records.  OK, that makes no sense.  How is an era ending if one record store is just being replaced by another?  Um, well, you see, Tower Records was a major player in the international industry and Dimple Records is just kind of a player Sacramento, which is kind of just an ol’ cowtown anyway.  OK, but still, where did an era die?  I don’t get it.  Isn’t this just kind of shifting of the guard?  Y’know, out with the old, in with the new.  And when I say new, I don’t mean new era.  Like the hat?  No like the new age, I don’t mean to say in with the new age, I mean to say in with the new guard.  Oh, OK, well maybe you just don’t see that to old timers, losing something they held near and dear to their heart is the end of an age.  Youngsters don’t give a shit about anything anyway.  What does that have to do with Russ Solomon and Tower Records?  Well nothing I guess, because it’s really the old timers that don’t give a shit about anything.  I mean if they still bought music, their near and dear Tower Records would still be around.  But they don’t.  Old timers just listen to the same ol’ records over and over again, and reminisce about how they used to be a part of something, man… and how they we’re gonna change the world, man.  Well, the world’s just the same as it used to be, in fact, it’s a little more fucked up than usual right now, so you old timers can just stick all that nostalgic bullshit up your ass, ‘cuz you didn’t do shit.  You stopped buying records and you stopped caring about the world, so go fuck yourselves.

Umm… where we’re we?  This is starting to get a little too schizo for me.  Let’s try to wrap this up.  Basically, last week R5 Records closed and it’s kind of interesting because it used to be Tower Records, which was about the only international thing to come out of Sacramento besides Dr. Cornel West.  Does that work?  Just one more question.  Where do we go from here?  Who knows?  “Buy the ticket, take the ride.”  That’s what I say…

Shit, it’s getting late.  Especially in a one-cow town like this where everything closes after 7pm and the only thing to do on a Saturday night is sit in front of yer computer, rambling on about Russ Solomon and remembering the coin he used to charge you for that Godzilla Soundtrack that you spent all your allowance on.  Good.  Night.

It’s The Beginning Of A New Age… (one)

New Turntable Needle (via Guitar Center).   We know, we know… Guitar Center is total corporate shit, but Sactown’s only indie turntable shop, Turntables Unlimited, is temporarily closed due to a fire and we needed a fix.  Sounds great!  Keep your ears tuned for the re-open of  TU sometime this Rocktober.

Getting Crazy to…

…Sleigh Bells, Treats.

Hands down the best album of 2010 thus far!

Get your ears around this one, seriously.

Color. Full.

Tonight, Tonight

Sactown, get your ass down to Townhouse tonight for a rip-roarin’ time with John Vanderslice, Doom Bird and Sea Of Bees.  Tix are like 5 bucks or something and it all goes to charity, thanks to our buddy Clay.  First band goes on at 9:30.  Boom!

First Ever…

Airbag Radio is proud to present our first ever homespun music video. Here’s to our favorite things, Pavement, Coffee and Records. Hope you enjoy watching this as much as we enjoyed making it!

BEST Take Away Show EVER!!

Megafaun changed my life, now let them change yours…

Megafaun – His Robe | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Jesus Saves!

Happy Birthday To Us!!!

That’s right, Airbag Radio celebrated it’s 3rd Birthday this past Sunday.  We may be 3 days late for our own birthday, but better late than never.  In traditional Airbag fashion we are prepping a mix CD to mark the occassion.  Look for it by the end of this month.

PS, If you’re considering buying us a gift (which you really should), click here.

Here’s to many more!