Beggars Can't Be Choosers

But a chooser can be a beggar. Or something. I'm going to beg at any rate.

If anyone out there in the music industry would like to send me some free CDs from some of today's Canadian rock artists, I most certainly won't say no. As much as I want to include everything, there is absolutely no way I can personally afford to buy every single new release by a Canadian artist, especially as I have a rather significant back catalogue to obtain. I know that I won't achieve my goal of arching Canadian music overnight, I just worry that by the time I'm in a financial position to obtain more of todays artists, a lot of albums by new and emerging artists might be lost into the winds of the past, and I would like to avoid that at any and all costs if I can.

So, if anyone out there can help, or can point me in the right direction, it would be fantastically appreciated.

I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

Not really, but developing creative and relevant titles for each blog post is proving far trickier than previously thought. Is it possible I'm not as on the cutting edge of pop culture cool as I had previously thought? No, that can't be it. It mustn't be it.

The previous seven days have been a very good start for me. Not only did I accomplish my goals I set out for the Record Show, but I made some excellent contacts and have a few records ready to add to the archive.

Last Sunday not only did I find my record cleaner, but I was able to find a great deal on plastic sleeves: 40 for $1. They're used, but that doesn't matter. They're in great condition, and work just fine. I'm quite happy with the deal. I also discovered the awesomeness that is the $1 bin. So many great musical finds in that $1 bin.

I also hit up Speed City Records here in town as well as The Village Idiot. If you're ever in the area and can make it down to Wortley Village, stop into The Village Idiot. Not only do they have a great selection, but some of the most amazing and knowledgeable staff you could ever hope to meet.

Now, onto the additions to the archive!

April Wine - Get Lucky
Band, The - Stage Freight
Band, The/Bob Dylan - Before the Flood
Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts - self titled
Beatles, The - Beatlemania! With the Beatles (Canadian Only Release)
Beatles, The - twist and shout (Canadian Only Release)
Beatles, The - Long Tall Sally (Canadian Only Release)
Diodes, The - Released (early Canadian punk, with a dig at Paul Simon. Great stuff.)
Lighthouse - One Fine Morning (great 60s rock)
Loverboy - Get Lucky
McKenzie, Bob and Doug - Great White North (some great Canadian comedy, a classic Christmas take off and it has Geddy Lee, eh?
Payola$ - Hammer on a Drum
Ocean - "Put your hand in the hand"
Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks - "Mr Dynamo"
Rough Trade - (for those who think young)
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire 12" single (produced by legendary Canadian producer Daniel Lanois


These aren't the only bits of vinyl I've picked up recently, but it is the vast majority, and they are the only bits that warrant including in the archive. Once I find a program I like for converting CDs into FLAC, I will have a larger number of albums in the archive as I digitize my CD collection.

This Place Smells of Chicken

What does the title have to do with music, and furthermore, this post? Not much of anything, however, I am at work, and this place smells of chicken at the moment.

I have successfully digitized all but 2 sides of vinyl from my collection of 45 records. However, I'm not wholly thrilled with the results. Perhaps it's the quality of the record player I am using (more on this in a moment), but far more likely is the fact that I didn't give the records a proper cleaning prior to recording them. I can do quite an admirable job cleaning up the clicks, pops and 60 cycle hum from the recordings using Adobe Audition, but I feel that having a better source going in, I'd have better material to work with. Garbage in, garbage out and all that.

I'm hitting up the CD and Record Show here in town tomorrow, and hopefully I can find some tips on cleaning vinyl. And while I'm there, I'm going to look for some storage sleeves.

As for my record player: I like it, for what it is and I don't regret buying it. However, I have recently learned that the weight of the tone arm on the Crosley player might damage some records on repeated plays, so for the time being I have to keep playing on the turntable to a minimum. I have started researching for a replacement turntable down the road, but it's a tough slough. I have found turntables are referred to in one of two ways: 1.) Use as a DJ turntable, or 2.) Use as an audiophile turntable. The first is obviously of no use to me, and the second causes me many problems.

Firstly is the cost. Turntables can range it price from $400 to $15 000, the low end of the scale is rather manageable as far as these things go. However, I've heard complaints that vinyl picked up used can sound fine in store, but on high end equipment it becomes unlistenable. If you can't enjoy vinyl unless it's brand new, then what is the point? I can understand the desire for ultimate fidelity, but if it comes at the cost of enjoyment then the fidelity becomes a hinderance and that is something I cannot put up with.