Light In the Attic Records Hits the Road

In a time when music is most commonly transmitted through headphones or computer speakers, it can be easy to forget that vinyl records still have a place in many a music lover’s heart. Sure, you can easily purchase or download new tracks without even having to leave the house, but there is something so special about having a tangible collection of records to play.

The feeling you get when leafing through hundreds of vinyls at a record shop is one of nostalgia and excitement; when you purchase a record from a store, there is a delightful feeling of newness to be found in something old. This feeling is one of the reasons that Light In The Attic Records continues to produce albums on vinyl in the digital age, something they’ve been doing since they first opened shop in 2002. Light In The Attic is an independent record label that is known for reissuing classic musicians on vinyl as well as representing contemporary bands.

To pay homage to a culture of record-collectors and musicians, Light In The Attic takes takes an annual road trip, making stops at independent music labels and record shops across the country. Light In The Attic founders Matt Sullivan and Josh Wright explain,

“Sixty years ago, crafty salesmen hocked fresh pressed vinyl 45s from the trunks of their dinged Buicks, building hit records one hard-won sale at a time. Today, there is little left of the intensely personal and colorful record business of yesterday, however it still does indeed exist…This October, we will hit the road for our annual pilgrimage: The Light In The Attic Road Trip. Embarking from the Northeastern U.S., we will set out on a journey across America to sling records and meet the people, while each day documenting the trip live — as it unfolds,” of their annual trip.

This year, Light In The Attic will visit 80 record stores and labels along the east coast in just 14 days, documenting the adventure with Pitchfork TV. Their mission is to bring visibility to the spirit and vision of independent record shops, proving that vinyl still has a firm place in the music industry.

For more information about Light In The Attic Road Trip, visit the label's official website.  

Image 1: Light In The Attic Records
Image 2: Kendra K via Flickr CC

Mexican Summer Hits Up Brooklyn Flea Market

Independent New York music label Mexican Summer is enjoying the warm weather by setting up camp at the Brooklyn Flea Market. The label, whose parent company is Andres Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp’s Kemado Records, is part of a market featuring hundreds of local vendors selling their wares.

According to the New York Times, the Brooklyn Flea Market is “One of the great urban experiences in New York.” The year-round market (outdoors April-Thanksgiving, indoors Thanksgiving-March) features food vendors during the summer, an outdoor concert series, and much more.

Brooklyn Flea Market was founded in 2008 by Jonathan Butler (founder of Brownstoner.com) and Eric Denby. The two have operated it ever since. Not only does the market provide a venue for local independent businesses to sell their wares and therefore stimulates the local economy, but it is also known for having only the best. Mexican Summer Instagrammed a photo of their setup at Brooklyn Flea Market last week, the caption reading, “We're set up at the @bkflea record fair - open for biz at 11. Come see us!!”

Photo from Mexican Summer Instagram.

The independent music label was in the company of a multitude of other local vendor types, including arts/crafts, antiques/collectibles, vintage clothing, art, photography, food, jewelry, furniture/salvage, and many more. 

Brooklyn Flea Market has grown to include several locations in the five years since its inception. To are located in New York City, while one is in Philadelphia. Catch the next most convenient one to support local vendors like Mexican Summer:

Fort Greene Flea: 176 Lafayette Ave, Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Williamsburg Flea: East River State Park, Sundays 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Philly: The Piazza 1050 N. Hancock St., Philadelphia, Sunday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Starting June 2)

Print Your Own Records

One audio junkie may have found the solution to the ever-dwindling number of studios that still release LPs. Amanda Ghassaei is an assistant tech editor for +Instructables  and has developed a method for printing actual records (LPs) using a 3-D printer and resin.

To be fair, the method still needs a little “cleaning up,” as there is still significant white noise in the background. Ghassaei herself admits that the current quality of the LPs is low, but the idea is still incredibly innovative and stands to grow and improve in the coming years.

To create physical LPs out of her digital music, Ghassaei wrote a program to help. The program has three basic functions:

1.     Import raw audio data from the Mp3 file

2.     Perform calculations to generate the geometry of a 12-inch LP record

3.     Export geometric findings in a 3-D printable file format

When it’s time to print her records, Ghassaei uses an Objet Connex500 resin printer, which is able to create 33 RPM records. A regular turntable can play the records, which is good news for any music junkies who’ve held onto theirs through the years.

The quality will need improving before printing our own LPs really takes off, but if it is able to eventually match that of the original file, music lovers everywhere will finally be able to create their own mixed records, an ability we’ve only previously enjoyed with cassette tapes and CDs (we’ll leave iPods out because that’s fairly equivalent to plain old digital music files on a computer).

It seems like today, more than ever, people want a mix of vintage and modern. Printing our own LPs, then, sounds like a match made in heaven.