What CD’s To Go Out and Grab This Week: Decemberists to Dillinger

The Decemberists - Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series - Volume 1

The Decemberists write so many songs, that they just can’t fit them all onto one release. So instead of just letting them sit around collecting dust, the band has decided to release a Singles series over the next couple of months. The first of the It’s Always A Bridesmaid series is being released Tuesday on Jealous Butcher Records. It features “Valerie Plame,” and “O New England”. Decemberists and other lo-fi Indie lovers who go bat-shit over vinyl should definitely be running out to their local record store for this one. Read more

At The Atlantic Antic (Not Pickin’ Pockets)

Well, yesterday was Brooklyn’s famous Atlantic Antic street festival, the absolute best of all the New York street festivals because it’s massive, it’s the last gasp of organized outdoor fun before the cold weather kicks in, there’s live music, the food is amazing, there are plenty of adult beverages to enjoy, and it’s in Brooklyn! And, for me, it’s right outside my apartment door.

I didn’t get out there till about 3:30 because I was nursing a pretty hefty hangover from a late Saturday night, but quickly grabbed myself a bloody mary and a yummy Vietnamese sandwich and was on the up and up. I met up with a couple friends and ran into some others, but mainly spent the next couple of hours first with Red David and then just with my hazy hangover-headed self.

It was really nice to see all the Obama frenzy at the Antic this year. Everywhere I looked were people of different races, colors, religions, sexes, sexual preferences, musical tastes, and ice cream flavor preferences banding together in support of positivity, hope, and America’s future. You could get your picture taken with a life-size cutout of Barack, you could order an organic Obama burger, and even order Biden gelato. It reminded me of New Yorkers inate ability to see through bullshit, and it’s easy for us to see that there is only one presidential campaign right now which is running on truth and honesty…and it ain’t McCain/Palin. Read more

CD-Recycled 45rpm - Making CDs into LPs

Vinyl records died decades ago and the CD is on it’s way out, leaving the music industry in shambles. However, a project by Aleks Kolkowski uses a vintage record cutter to carve grooves into CDs and DVDs, creating a playable record. At the 2008 Futuresonic Festival, Aleks invited visitors to bring digital tracks (mp3, etc) to have carved into these playable CD-Recycled 45s. Pretty neat. Now all I need is a vintage record cutter!

(via MAKE)