Indie Record Labels

Though the mp3 is the most popular musical medium these days, my heart still belongs to vinyl. I own not one, but two, record players - a turntable hooked up to a stereo system, and a portable, suitcase-style player - that together can handle any size or speed of black wax discs I place on their platters. I've got twelve-inch, 33 1/3 rpm LPs and seven-inch, 45 rpm singles, and even antique, ten-inch, 78 rpm records! What I love about these vintage vessels of sound are their depth of tone, the... More

Though the mp3 is the most popular musical medium these days, my heart still belongs to vinyl. I own not one, but two, record players - a turntable hooked up to a stereo system, and a portable, suitcase-style player - that together can handle any size or speed of black wax discs I place on their platters. I've got twelve-inch, 33 1/3 rpm LPs and seven-inch, 45 rpm singles, and even antique, ten-inch, 78 rpm records! What I love about these vintage vessels of sound are their depth of tone, their papery packaging's musty aromas, and their history. Imagining the experiences that other people had with these same records, like what emotions washed over them as they delicately dropped the needle into the grooves and heard those initial hisses, crackles and pops, and then the opening notes of the first song, just as I do nowadays, adds to the mystique of this means of listening to music. But I know not everyone romanticizes records like I do, and I can understand and appreciate the convenience of digital formats. So the next time I want to share some tracks with friends and go to burn a mix for them, I'm going to use this set of six CD labels - and their accompanying cardboard sleeves - that resemble miniature vinyl records. It will tickle my neo-Luddite fancy to give the contemporary carriers of compositions a classic complexion, all the while accommodating modern technology! -Richard, Fashion Writer

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