Let’s move on to the physical world: physical media

I always thought the whole idea of ​​“it sounds better on vinyl” was nonsense. Why should I give up my day to listen to your music when I can just download it to my phone in its mixed and mastered glory?

One day I picked up a broken 1970s copy of “Brain Salad Surgery” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. When I listened to it, I understood it. It didn’t sound better, but that was never the point – I heard every cog in the machine, I heard Emerson tearing it up on the Moog, Lake’s clever lyrics and Palmer’s spacey drums – but not as “ELP”, but as three men They recorded their biggest record at London’s Olympic and Advisory studios.

Now I buy all kinds of records and CDs just to try to recreate the albums I’ve listened to death in my head. Where this journey has taken me is about $500 in the hole and a respectable collection of 100 LPs, ranging from a broken “Focus 3” to a freshly unboxed “To Pimp a Butterfly.”

That being said, I’m a music journalist who has collected too many Skylanders Since I’m an adult, my reasons for purchasing physical media tend to be on the “collector” (hamster) side, but it’s fair to say that there’s something special about holding a collection of albums you like in your hands . Every morning I wake up in my room and see Miles Davis and Clairo on my wall, which prepares me for the day.

While I love seeing Tyler Childers’ toned face during “Country Squire” every day of the semester, my love of vinyl doesn’t do justice to my taste in music. This goes out to friends, family and my lover – my Spotify account.

This is the reality of music discovery in 2024 – almost all major releases can be found on streaming services of any kind; I’m talking about the ability to organize your saved albums in different ways and order your favorite songs in the form of this month’s cute track along with your best Pinterest board image (normal people call this a playlist).

But the best thing about these streaming services is arguably not the aesthetics of your account, but the access to new music. With your monthly payment you can send any recipient a song you like and they can listen to it with just one click.

It sounds cliché, but we take modern luxury for granted. Tim Riley, music journalist and professor at Emerson College, shares his experiences with FM radio growing up listening to new music.

“You tuned in at 3 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon because that’s when your DJ was there and (they) played whatever you wanted – you liked their vibe,” Riley says. “They put tracks together in a way that makes it really fun. You paid attention to certain DJs on these FM stations and that’s how you found out things and learned about things… the DJs had knowledge.”

Riley says that modern DJs can’t do it and that DJs in the past knew their craft well.

“DJs used to be intelligent and able to express themselves creatively when putting together sets,” says Riley.

If you browse the radio today, you will notice that the most listened to stations are at the end news based or sports based; However, music-based radio stations seem to be about the money for Riley – as more and more people are switching to them Streaming.

In addition to convenience, streaming has its own system to help listeners discover new music. Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” or Apple Music’s “Personalized Radio” try to follow in the footsteps of the DJs Riley is talking about. These services use their extensive music database to determine what you want to listen to based on your current tastes.

“Now I’ve found (streaming services), but I’m not as impressed with this algorithm as I think I should be,” Riley says. “So for a die-hard person who’s really into music, a lot of these things don’t impress me and I think they should probably impress me more.”

Dylan Jack, a percussionist, improviser, composer and educator at Emerson College who also performs in his creative circle Dylan Jack QuartetHe also thinks the algorithm is a lackluster companion.

“(I go to) Spotify, it says you might like this band, I was listening to a song (and it doesn’t sound like the band I like at all),” Jack says. “But when I’m with someone in a If you talk to a record store or a friend who knows music, they’ll say, ‘Hey, check out this band.'”

Jack’s opinion highlights the key difference between the human element in music discovery and the algorithm that delivers you content.

“I think when you talk to individuals you become more passionate about a particular band,” says Jack.

With our new streaming services, we’ve seen a decline in DJs leading us to new music. Jack’s approach sounds more appealing; It’s no surprise that human interaction with other music lovers leads us to a wealth of great tracks. However, if your friends are uncultured and losers, look no further than the music library that sells CDs and records: the record store.

In Brookline, Massachusetts, Village Vinyl & Hi-Fi is located on Harvard Street in the bustling, iconic Coolidge Corner neighborhood.

Inside are narrow hallways full of people flipping through thousands of records. Younger shoppers gasp as they find alternative covers to their favorite projects, while older folks chat with staff and search for coveted musical grails.

Jonathan Sandler, the shop owner, quickly assesses the long line of customers as he engages in friendly banter with each of them, commenting on their choice of pins to a young woman’s choice of “When the Pawn.”…” by Fiona Apple.

Sandler and collaborator Jake Moody discuss their musical origins while dealing with the onslaught.

“My first physical media as a child was a Beatles CD, ‘White Album,’” says Moody. “I listened to it until it was so scratched it didn’t work anymore. It definitely had its uses.”

Despite the surroundings, the excitement of sharing their love of music is real and present in their voices.

“When I was in fourth grade, my aunt from Minnesota sent me ‘Freedom of Choice’ by DEVO,” Sandler says.

While music lovers don’t have the time to list all of their favorite projects and songs, their knowledge of the temple they work at proves their oracle status.

In the one moment when Sandler manages to free himself from the chaos, he makes it clear that starting a record store is not an easy – nor a cheap – task.

“It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun, but you need money. You can’t start with nothing to do this. They need support,” says Sandler. “Kids thinking about opening a record store with five grand in their bank account – good luck.”

Even if the average person isn’t able to build their own Village Vinyl & Hi-Fi retreat, they can still pay the greatest tribute to music fans by purchasing a vinyl record or CD.

If you’re not yet convinced, the perspective of those who founded their religion out of an undying love of music might tempt you to empty your bank account.

“I think owning a CD or a physical product is important, it was some kind of event,” says Jack. “When you open the packaging, you don’t just look at the actual picture, then you see the cover, and then you open it, and then there’s this brochure, you open the brochure, and then sometimes you see people for the very first time Just .”

Jack emphasized the childlike discovery of figuring out what each band member was playing.

“Oh, wow, that’s the guitarist? Who is the guitarist? “Who is this person?” says Jack.

Anna Huynh, a music education major and composition minor at Berklee College of Music, believes physical media is easier than discovery.

“People just like having physical objects. I feel like a lot of people also use them out of nostalgia because they have a record or a CD,” says Huynh. “A lot of people I know don’t really listen to records or CDs, they just listen to them for the mood.”

Sandler finds listening to vinyl more intimate.

“I think streaming just makes everything seem so homogenous. I like things to stand out from each other, I like physical media, I grew up with it,” Sandler said. “It’s about things like the liner notes and just the tactile experience. I don’t sit down and actively turn on Spotify and really get in the mood, but when I put on a record at home I do that – it’s a special physical thing.”

No matter your attitude, next time you have a little extra money, buy a record you love on vinyl and take the time to immerse yourself in the musical dogma of the singers you imitate in the shower. Look at the song lyrics as the needle guides you, look for the random name you’ll forget the next day that happens to play flute on track 6, and display your new work of art next to your bedside table for the world to see You will experience uncompromising love.