News

Vinyl Me, Please (VMP) announced today The Story of Vanguard anthology, limited to 1000 copies on six 180g colored vinyl box set pressed at GZ Media. The mono box set was cut by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, Nashville from original master tapes.

SME Loricraft recently announced upgraded versions of its PRC4i and PRC6i "thread type" vacuum record cleaning machines.

"Today, Ghostly International, Numero Group and Secretly Group record labels Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and Secretly Canadian all join forces to announce Paved Paradise, a traveling expo bringing their music to parking lots this fall. Over the course of September 9th-26th, a 24-foot Penske truck helmed by several of Secretly's sonic specialists will visit 15 cities in the eastern United States. From the birthplaces of Secretly, Ghostly and Numero in Bloomington, Detroit and Chicago, to Third Man Records in Nashville, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and a community of breweries, flea markets and independent venues in between, Paved Paradise will take the record store experience outdoors, with special guests and local collaborations set for every stop."

Third Man Records recently announced this 4 LP box set containing 42 tracks not available on the Sony/Legacy 2 LP set edition of Bob Dylan-Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 (1980-1985) (the tracks will be included in the deluxe 5 CD box set). To purchase this set you must subscribe to Third Man Records Vault ($65/quarter) and you'll automatically receive it.

Sumiko and Pro-Ject USA just introduced the handsome new Debut PRO turntable. Cosmetics are based around a satin black and brushed-nickel color scheme. Beyond the clearly great looks, there's a new 8.6" arm featuring a one-piece carbon fiber wrapped aluminum arm tube said to produce excellent rigidity and to reduce resonances.

JFH.

Jon F..king Hassell.

That’s what (guitarist) Gregg Arreguin and I called him. I realize as I write this that it sounds like we were always annoyed with him – and we certainly were, at times – but actually we said it in order to build him up, to encourage him. As in, “Hey! You’re Jon Fucking Hassell! You don’t have to put up with this shit!”

Thirty years on, it’s even more true. The coverage of his death is worldwide – so many languages, so many obituaries. The reach of his voice, his music, his trumpet, is across generations and without borders, and I think fully as he intended. He did it.