Heavy Rotation: Week Ending February 5, 2010

01. Deleted Waveform Gatherings – Ghost, She Said, (Rainbow Quartz.2009)
02. The Mary Onettes – Islands, (Labrador.2009)
03. Johnny Foreigner – Grace and the Bigger Picture, (Best Before.2009)
04. Holy State – Holy State EP, (Holy Roar.2009)
05. Swan Lake – Enemy Mine, (Jagjaguwar.2009)
06. The Fresh & Onlys – Grey-Eyed Girls, (Woodsist.2009)
07. Elusive Parallelograms – And Everything Changes, (Rainbow Quartz.2009)
08. “Bay of Pigs” by Destroyer, (Merge.2009)
09. Deastro – Moondagger, (Ghostly International.2009)
10. “I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked” by Ida Maria, (Mercury/Island.2009)

This past month I have spent nearly every spare moment either working into the wee hours at my real job (the curse of having remote access and a tendency towards workaholic-ism) or plowing through all the 2009 releases that I purchased. This is the first year where I downloaded more music than bought CDs or vinyl. I've been a late to the majority-of-music-purchases-being-digital phenomena. I love nothing more than the first listen of a new CD or vinyl LP – I put the record on, give the cover art/packaging a quick look, then sit back and listen. As I get into the record, I pick up the cover art/packaging and read every bit of type, examine every inch of artwork, and then re-read the words. “Ahh, I forgot that Jagjaguwar is based in Bloomington, Indiana.” “I really think Ida Maria could've done something more interesting with that cover photo.” I love thinking about that shit.

The rest of the records on this week's Heavy Rotation were downloaded from the most esteemed, kick-ass enormously great eMusic. The thing that is bugging me, nearly tearing at my insides, is my ritual is incomplete. I miss holding the jewel case, flipping through the CD booklet, reading/re-reading the insert … but I have succumbed. The $40.99 for 100 songs is budget friendly (I used to buy at least 10 CDs/LPs per month at well over $100) and I've got some great stuff I haven't seen at my local record store circuit. I fight as I may against becoming totally digital, but each year I descend deeper and deeper into the lossy compression format. It is kind of sad. It feels more than weird to this geezer. At least I have 2,000+ classic CDs/LPs that will stay with me and soldier on when the inevitable hard drive crash apocalypse strikes. Maybe I need to redo the budget.

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