On the Record Player

I'm the proud owner of a Technics SL-1700 Direct Drive turntable, which should've been on my recent "Things I Use a Lot" list. Because it's quartz-driven, unlike those crappy cheapo belt-drives the hipsters buy at Urban Outfitters and are about as durable as a Yugo , it offers consistent rotation and, like its brother the 1200 (the industry standard for DJs) it is also beautiful. I don't sell these, honest!



Here's my summer playlist:

The Wedding Band - The First Dance EP

The lads from Mumford & Sons perform as part of a folk ensemble on this hard-to-find, four-song EP.



Frank Sinatra - Sinatra's Sinatra

Ol' Blue Eyes picks his favorites from his back catalog - my four-year-old son knows I've Got You Under My Skin from the first bar.



Mumford & Sons - Hold On To What You Believe (b-side to Winter Winds single)

Possibly their best song to date, and not on the platinum-selling album Sigh No More for some reason. These guys KILLED IT at Crossroads in KC this summer, playing alongside Cake and Matthew and the Atlas (the best band you've never heard of).



Johnny Cash

All manner of different records. Both my sons love "The Orange Blossom Special", while Nicole is digging "Jackson" (feat June Carter Cash)



The New Pornographers - Together

Not as controversial as the band name would suggest - in fact, just great power pop from A.C. Newman, Neko Case, Dan Bejar and co.