Experience Vinyl Brings You A-List Curated Vinyl
Subscription services have become all but avoidable these days, and they come in all forms: music, food, beer and wine, clothes, books, make-up, even vinyl. And on that last note, there’s a new wolf in town to curate your vinyl subscription service, and he’s the biggest and baddest. Experience Vinyl is a new subscription service with a twist: the curators are A-list musicians. Elton John, Quincy Jones, George Clinton, Talib Kweli, and Sean Lennon are among the roster of Experience Vinyl’s artist. The curator will rotate, and subscribers will get one of the artist’s favorite records along with personal commentary, access to the service’s store, a list of the artist’s top ten favorite albums of all time, and other various rewards including concert invitations and giveaway eligibility. Subscriptions starts at just under $30/month, and a portion of the sales will go to the current curator’s favorite charity. Elton John will first to bat and proceeds will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Photo: Jerod Harris,Andrew RenneisenEarl Gibson III
The Queen of Soul is Hanging Up Her Microphone
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, has announced her plans for retirement. The first woman ever to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Franklin told Detroit TV Station WDIV Local 4 this week that her new album out in September will be her last. Her album is a love letter to Detroit, composed, written, and recorded in the Motor City and featuring production by Stevie Wonder. Don’t worry though, Aretha teases she’s got big plans for her retirement, saying, “I’m not going to go anywhere and just sit down and do nothing. That wouldn’t be good.” She also hinted that her retirement may just be a severe pairing down of her commitments, noting she’ll remain open to doing some select things a few times a year.
Photo: Gilles Petard