Passing this along…pretty cool concept, enjoy!!
From the pen of Kristian…
Today, along with the incense burning on the porch, and pancakes for breakfast, and the sweet smell of a day off, I am starting something that I have been meaning to start for a while: Day off Record Club.
It consists of me scouring through my collection of vinyl and discovering (or rediscovering) music in its complete album form. Scratches, record sleeve, liner notes, album cover front and back, side one, side two… all of it. I want to get lost again in music.
This idea started on Saturdays when I would show my kids what a vinyl album was and let them pick one to put on the record player. We would listen and they would dance or draw or color while I drank coffee. They started asking questions about the music and looking at the record covers. They got interested in what they could hold in their hand.
Music can change my day, and my days off are always like unwritten pages of a story. I found this old comic strip online that sums up how I feel:
Here’s how Day Off Record Club is going to work:
I will choose a record, any record, from my stash or from the store — smething that matters to me. I’ll listen to it, and write a blog post telling you why it matters. At the end of the post, I’ll write some questions or things to think about… and then leave it open to you.
Important rule: During Day Off Record Club, we listen all the way through, no matter what — no skipping allowed — and just let the music play and help teach us, remind us, or show us something new. You can go back later and wear out your favorite songs, but at least once, you must listen top to tail.
If you don’t have the record we’re playing, go and buy it, or borrow, or download, or seek out these albums on the interwebs and join in. There truly are many many ways to find music now, so don’t be shy — and I’ll try and make links or tracks available when I can.
Once you’ve listened, use the comments or the Day Off Record Club Twitter feed (@DayOffRecords) to tell me what you liked or didn’t like. Discuss it like a book club. And maybe down the road we’ll find a way to all listen to the same record at the same time.
Stay tuned. Every so often, when a day off happens, I will be here listening and writing and sharing with you. Who knows? You might end up finding something you never knew you loved.
– Kristian