Ten Inches of Niche: A Sub-Subculture of Music Nerds GetsTogether

[JSngry]

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/ten-inches-of-niche-a-sub-subculture-of-music-nerds-gets-together-8932263?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email

 

[John Tapscott]

[paul secor]

Seems to be a bunch of outsiders who get together and try to outhip one another while sharing their collections. I guess I'm glad that they've found each other and have a part of society they feel comfortable in.

[Big Beat Steve]

Sounds familiar. There are collectors and DJs around here who have been doing 78rpm-only record hops at swing/lindy hop dancing events and, in a different part of that subculture, at "roots music" nights (featuring mostly a mix of 40s/early 50s R&B/Western Swing/honky tonk discs) for quite a few years, both on the Continent and in the UK.  I.e. programmed strictly within a coherent stylistic framework and not some "what have you".

I've even heard of some hardcore collectors who will do DJ programs for even more specialized tastes, including one collector who will vary his record programming as a DJ between "swing music for dancing" on 78s only (but limited to European pressingsbecause that is what this one's collection is (mostly) all about) or even "German/European swing bands on 78s only"!

Compared to this, those 50s rockabilly/real rock'n'roll (i.e. "real" meaning pre-c.1962, PRE-teen idols/pre-Beatles/pre-Brill building fare only) DJs who spin their wax using 45s on original 50s pressings only, are comparatively mild and moderate.

Could it be that Europe has had the edge of the U.S. in collecting nichedom again?

I've often found this kind of programming a bit too restrictive because hardly anybody could possibly have all that huge and wide a collection of originals that would enable him to cover the entire range of music (that DID get recorded in those favorite styles) that would deserve to be heard (again), not to mention all those recordings that remained unissued at the time and only saw the light of day in the CD era (and contain some real gems for these record hops). But there IS some special fascination to listening to those recordings coming from the REAL "period" sources. Not to mention the fact that back in the day the DJs could not handle such a huge range of recordings either that has become all too easily accessible in the CD and digital file era. And seeing a "DJ" (bit'n'byte-J, actually) doing his "DJ"ing via a laptop is just a total turnoff ...

Edited August 7, 2016 by Big Beat Steve

[paul secor]

As for 78 DeeJaying, a friend of mine told me about a guy in Burlington, Vt. who had a collection of 78s and a windup Victrola. Supposedly, he played requests (within the repertoire of 78s he had with him at the time) for passersby. I'd looked forward to hearing him do his thing, but by the time I got to Burlington, he evidently was no longer around.

[JSngry]

Seems like a nice place to visit.

[paul secor]

We found it a nice and relaxing city.

[JSngry]

And the shopping!

[tjluke68]

I was supposed to go with a friend back in May and July but other things came up.  My friend had a good time and was able to spin about 13-20 of his own records (about the average depending on how many people show up to contribute).  Hope to get over there at the end of this month or November.