My favourite records: Rob Kent #2

So after discussing how I got into buying vinyl in my last article, I'll now list my all time favourites!

· Have Heart – Songs To Scream At The Sun (2008). This record turns ten this year and it is still one of the most unique sounding, fierce and well written releases from the hardcore genre to date. At a rapid but lively twenty one minutes, 'Songs to Scream at the Sun' is a fantastic achievement that tells stories through thumping rhythms, poetic lyrics and post – metal guitars that give the listener an experience that turns the whole hardcore genre on its head. If you were ever around to experience one of the bands furious live shows, remember it forever.

· Converge – Jane Doe (2001). The word loyalty comes to mind when thinking of this album. Tattoos, t-shirts and artwork on my bedroom wall is something I, and I’m sure many others, have done to add permanence to this record on a personal level. The band finds its true character on this release, with the artwork as tempting as the opening riff to Concubine, this album is iconic before it has even begun. The record is covered in destructive riffs, gritty un-directional screaming, amazing drumming and a never end surge of bass. Jane Doe is a masterpiece. The knowledge, skills and intensity that goes in to every track deserves nothing but respect. The album, then and now, showed hardcore didn’t have to be pigeonholed and shows that bands in the genre can genuinely do whatever they want.

· Tigers Jaw – Tigers Jaw (2008). A modern emo classic that also turns ten this year. This self-titled effort from the Pennsylvania outfit has remained an eye catching release for the atheistically pleasing artwork and for the lively songs this album is filled with. This record is effortlessly timeless. Every song begs you to shout along, with Tigers Jaw pouring their hearts out from start to finish orbiting raw genuine emotions in to songs that are lively and meaningful. These songs are nod to 90’s emo legends such as the Get up Kids and The Promise Ring with Tigers Jaws’ own crunchy mid tempo instrumentation making this album an accomplishment that is full of originality.

· Black Flag – My War (1984). The sophomore record featured just a three piece line up, quite a decrease from the five piece that recorded the band’s debut “Damaged”. Using local lads Black Sabbath as the main influence for the record and moving away from their punk roots. My War had a huge impact on the sludge, grunge, math rock and the hardcore punk genres in later years. The record is laced with high powered hardcore songs, solos and heavy riffs. This record is historic, pushing boundaries experimentally so far ahead of its time that what the band were doing on this album was potentially impossible and the riffs all over this album could still get a pit going to this day. Black Flag had a vision and they stuck to it, everything about this record is hardcore.

With millions of vinyl records sold each year, there are many pros and cons to purchasing vinyl records, here are a few of them.

Like I said earlier, going to a record store and flicking through the stacks of releases is a great way to spend your time on the earth. Especially seeing your favourite records four times larger than what they would have been sized in CD format. Record players are also a great furniture purchase, I don’t know if Ikea sell them, but they probably will one day. Vinyl also offers a unique sound giving the crackle and the warmer tone, something digital files can never achieve. Also your taste in music will improve! Going to old used record stores, giving you exposure to some the best albums ever made. Making them so cheap to buy and easy to hear timeless original material that pioneered genres for years to come without going out of your way through the internet, you can be exposed to legends by just asking over a counter and being recommended albums that you never even knew existed and actually changed music as we know it today.

However with vinyl being so great, it does mean that you have stretch your wallet more or pull out a few more notes with queen Elizabeth’s face on them. An album on vinyl costs, on average, around 15 pounds. They are around twice the price of a CD or digital download, sometimes even more, which can make purchasing them sparse and frustrating so due to the extra price you may have to put the record back on the shelf and come back next pay day. Also you can’t listen to albums on vinyl everywhere you go, like you can with digital versions of music. You can’t walk down the street holding your record player and put your headphones in, all you can really do is purely sit in your room and have the record playing. However this probably isn’t a negative for most people as it adds to the uniqueness of vinyl and makes the record special, as it gives you the chance to simply just sit and hear the album, which is probably why you chose to purchase the album in this format in the first place! Furthermore, a vinyl is a fragile item. Handling the record takes knowledge and patience. For starters just touching the record anywhere but the edge creates wear and tear due to the natural oils from your fingers, so just touching the album can be a crime. There is also a lot of care that needs to be done for vinyl such as dusting and not damaging the record sleeve and making sure it doesn’t warp in warmer weather, but this is all comes with the responsibly of owning records on vinyl and since they are probably albums and possessions you care about, this maintenance and worries will be taken in to consideration as is all part of the fun of record collecting.

In conclusion vinyl is here to stay. Each day it is becoming more mainstream with new, old and classic records being added to shelfs all over the world every day. The local independent record store is the place that should be supported and remains iconic, but with the landscape of vinyl being huge, and the popularity of records being sold increasing, so have the people who sell it. With Amazon and HMV now making it a few clicks away from a fresh LP at the door step the convenience of record collecting is now at an all-time high. I have even seen vinyl in my local Sainsbury’s. Vinyl may just possibly be a trend, but it is definitely is an item that was once niche and now isn’t and it will always be valuable to the listener in some format. As appreciation for a record on a physical LP get more absorbed than ever, confidence in places such as Ignite and bands being able to sell vinyl with stability and frequency won’t slow down anytime soon.

BY Rob Kent