This blog (when I have time to update it during my downtime working for Shure in the UK) is fast becoming focused on the resurgence of vinyl. So far, I’ve covered vinyls potential in the changing face of music retail, and I also went on to describe the benefits of vinyl in the well-documented loudness war. Taking this into consideration, I thought it … Read More
Music – You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your audience?
A short while ago, UK Prime Minister David Cameron declared himself a long term Smith’s fan when he chose the bands hit This Charming Man on Desert Island Discs. When news of this got back to the bands guitarist Johnny Marr, he reacted by claiming to “ban” him from liking the band on claims that they were “not his kind … Read More
Independent Film Documents the Rise, Fall, & Rebirth of Record Stores
While we’re on the topic of vinyl… A new independent film has just been released documenting the rise, fall, and rebirth of independent record stores. The film entitled Last Shop Standing was released on 10th September, and features music industry leaders as well as musicians including: Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Nerina Pallot, Richard Hawley and Clint … Read More
Vinyl vs CD In The Loudness War
In my previous post “HMV & The Future of Music Retail?” I briefly highlighted the loudness war and the resurgence of vinyl. I now want to explain exactly what I meant by the growing appeal of vinyl when taking the loudness war into consideration, and why I believe many people choose to buy vinyl over digital alternatives. So here goes: Many audiophiles have long … Read More
HMV & The Future of Music Retail?
I recently paid a visit to my local HMV, which is something I haven’t done for a while, but what really struck me was how much things had moved on from when I was a regular browser of the rock & pop section. I knew CD sales were in decline, but nowhere is this more strikingly obvious than in stores like HMV. … Read More
Musique Concrète – Pioneering Electronic Music – Part1
Introduction to Musique Concrète During World War Two the first tape recorder was used by the Nazi propaganda machine to broadcast material edited using a dextrous razor blade. The arrival of these machines into the rest of Europe after the war came as quite a shock and persuaded Britain to develop their own machines based on the German design. Although … Read More
The History & Development Of Magnetic Pickups
EARLY HISTORY: During the big band era of the 1930’s and 40’s, swing music began to incorporate larger brass sections. This prompted the need for an amplified guitar in order to be heard. Early attempts at producing a louder instrument came in the form of resonator guitars, which consisted of thin, cone-like aluminum resonators placed inside a metal body. Although … Read More
Top 10 Of The Nineties
‘Rolling Stone’ readers have chosen their top 10 albums of the nineties. Who would be your top ten?
Did The Noughties Have A “Scene”?
The past decade has brought about many changes to the way we obtain music. Beginning with Napster in the early part of the decade, and ending in a diverse range of legal & illegal formats for obtaining music. But how has the digital revolution affected the value of music, and the way it affects society?
