It's that time of the month again. Buffalo's best all vinyl crew, the Vinyl Retentives, will be staging another one of their excellent attacks at Essex st. Pub. Whatever your pleasure chances are the Retentives have it, from soul, rock and funk to punk, new wave and alternative. It's free and it goes all night. If you're going to Andrew Bird or the Alice Cooper show you'll have plenty of time to stop by after so make it a Monday to count.

I like vinyl. It looks cool. It sounds good. And quite frankly, it's more interesting than shiny discs and compressed digital files. Vinyl has character, and so do the Vinyl Retentives for that matter, a collective of record loving dj's who've been spinning in these parts for a couple years now. Every third monday of the month the Retentives hunker down at a location and blast the hell out it. You can expect to hear just about anything from reggae to rock, Bowie to Buzzcocks, T Rex to Television (see below), you get the point. Tonight you can find the boys at Essex Street Pub, everybodies favorite west side dive bar. The drinks are cheap and the music goes all night. Stop by and smile.

The Vinyl Retentives are fast on their way to becoming the kings of the Buffalo vinyl scene. Most known for their Freeform Friday events, FREE all-vinyl showcases featuring every style of music under the sun, the three DJ's (King Eider, Needles Numark and Fjordan Turlingua) have been winning over Buffalonians with choice wax cuts and great live events. I was at Merge last week and nothing made me happier than to hear the Sugarcubes "Birthday". Tonight, the boys are holed up at the Bend. You'll be on Allen anyways so check it out. It's free.

Tonight at Merge (439 Delaware Avenue) the Vinyl Retentives (three DJs: Needles Numark, Fjordan Turlingua, and King Eider) will be spinning nothing but vinyl early into the morning. Now, I can't tell you what exactly will be played (as the invitation promises "wax from all genres past and present for your listening pleasure"), but I can say this:

I love Merge. It's one of those places where I always end up having more fun than I expected. Even if I wind up there without pre-planning, there always seems to be something dope going down ...  and tonight looks like no exception. It starts at 10pm, and, best of all: there's NO COVER. So walk on in, get yourself a drink (alcoholic or otherwise), and start wigglin' it!

Also, to avoid that awkward in-person moment, I've made a selection from my own record collection that I'd like to request in advance:

Much respect to the Vinyl Retentives, a collective composed of 3 dudes with an appreciation for good vinyl. DJ's Needles Numark, Fjordan Turlingua and King Eider have been doing their thing for a minute now, holdin' it down at North Bar and most recently Merge. Last month King Eider, known for having the "deepest collection of reggae 45's in upstate New York", released his mixtape 45 Shootout. The tape was mixed with 7inches on his two turntables and comprises the very best of reggae and dub, including cuts from Junior Byles to Junior Murvin. If you appreciate analog stylings or reggae culture, there is no better place for an education than this mixtape. I was especially impressed with the depth of the cuts and the transitions between tracks. You can download the tape in its entirety here. Check it out. Vinyl is final.




06 - Junior Murvin - Police And Thieves by malaspark