Smooth, Chilled & Talented.

There’s something about Bruno Mars that sets him apart from many others in his genre of music. At only 23, this young man has an exceptional amount of talent and thankfully it’s being put to good use. While many follow the commercial and generic route, Bruno Mars sets a standard that really does showcase what he’s capable of doing.

Firstly his song writing ability is quite refreshing, and shows plenty of maturity along with class. Mixing together elements from hip hop, funk, pop, soul and a dash of alternative, it shows how diverse he can be leaving many avenues open for him to explore and take advantage of musically.

His 4 track EP titled “It’s Better If You Don’t Understand”, was greeted with very positive reviews after it’s release in May this year. It showcases all the elements this guy is about and his diversity (and I’m not talking about the old old wooden ship either).

If you find yourself hooked after listening to the EP and want more, don’t fret. He’s expected to release his debut album in October. So make sure to keep an eye out, it shouldn’t disappoint.

Otherwise this talented singer songwriter is one cool cat to keep an eye on.

Keep It On Wax

There is something that always appealed to me about having a record collection. CD’s always felt meaningless to me; I’d rip them to my hard drive and then store them in a display box rarely actually listening to the disc. Records always felt like something you should put on display, something that was a worthy possession, music in its truest form. The problem for me was getting access to vinyl records; living in a rural town with one music store and living two hours away from Melbourne made it seem an impossible task, not to mention that vinyl music was simply “the shit your parents used to listen to” according to most young people. Thankfully in the past five years things have changed dramatically.

It wasn’t until my first overseas trip in April 2010 that I realised just how popular records were among young people. In Southern Mississippi I discovered that most people only listened to vinyl. I was shocked every time I went to someones apartment they would bring out the crates of records and we’d be hitting the piss and listening to old and new recordings alike. After a month of listening to vinyl and only vinyl I knew I couldn’t go back to my digital collection.

So right away after a fifteen and a half hour flight I went into my local Dick Smith Electronics and handed over $100 and bought the only record player I could find. I then walked around the corner, taking a gamble that maybe, just maybe my local music store would have SOME kind of vinyl. They had one small shelf with literally 25 records for me to choose from. I purchased the debut from “Them Crooked Vultures” and went home, setup the player and treated myself to the glorious sounds that would come from the speakers.

Those who hang around Melbourne area can find record pretty easily; places like Dixons is great for picking up second hand and old school sounds that are always great. One visit had me spending a cool $150 and adding some Prince, Skyhooks, The Angels and Michael Jackson to my collection. Another great alternative to getting some great deals is Ebay, more often than not records from the USA are a lot cheaper than here locally. This is mainly due to the fact we no longer have a large capacity vinyl pressing plant.

Four months after purchasing my first record I am now the proud owner of 37, ranging from Billy Joel to Glassjaw. Now it is refreshing to walk into my local music store and rather than only having 25 records they now have over 60 to choose from with new stock coming in every week. It seems the vinyl craze is finally catching on with the younger generation which hopefully will increase the availability, selection and price.

So next time you think about buying that album off iTunes, next time you think about buying that CD why not take a second to think about how that album would sound on vinyl. Nothing compares to the sound quality, the warmth and the joy of owning that glorious peice of wax.

Some Interesting Facts

* In 2003 there were roughly 30 legal download services for music. Today there are more than 500.

*Digital Music now makes up 15% of all music sales, approximately $3 Billion USD last year.

*In 2003 customers could only buy an artists release typically on CD, Justin Timberlake’s album Future Sex/Love Sounds was released in 115 different formats and product bundles. 19 million units were sold and only 20% of these were CDs.

Related Articles

• Who’s still listening to vinyl? (cnn.com)

The Red Shore Stream New Album

Melbourne metal gods The Red Shore are streaming their highly anticipated album “The Avarice of Man” on their MySpace page for the next four days. Fans can begin listening to the album in its entirety until the official release this coming Friday.

Check it out at here

Pendulum – Immersion

The latest release from these Drum ‘n’ Basss heavyweights truly is something special. Building on their established sound which is heard on previous records; (Hold Your Colur & In Silico), Immersion incorporates a number of different elements which make this a delight to listen to.

Track 4, ‘Set me on Fire” was a personal highlight, fusing dub step roots into a modernised sound. Your Logitech computer speakers won’t do it any justice, so treat yourself, and listen on a bigger system. You’ll hear every drop and every wobble, along with a bassline so dirty it makes you want to vomit.

Another favourite, is “Self vs. Self”; co written with metal guru’s, “In Flames”. It is a beautifully structured track, which brings forth a heavier sound, and something totally different than the Perth boy’s predecessors. (Not including Voodoo People!)

Overall, the album is a winner as each of the tracks bring forward a different sound, than your avergae D’n’B record, and all in all, just makes you wan’t to PARTY.

4/5