Yes, we live in a streaming world. But if you’re longing for the more tactile listening pleasures of yore — hey, cassettes are making a comeback! — here are five new ways to feel the beat.
By a Hendrix-inspired phone
Marshall, whose amps are synonymous with rock ‘n’ roll, just got into the phone game. Dubbed The London, their handset features two front-facing speakers, a dedicated button for one-click access to music and a graphic equalizer, two headphone jacks and a gold scroll-wheel. It looks loud.
By cast-iron turntable
We’re already fans of Fern & Roby, Virginia husband-and-wife makers of beautiful and pedigreed kitchen tables and small-machined goods. Now, they’ve crafted the world’s manliest turntable, forged from cast iron and bronze and built to limit distortion.
By nerdy music box
Working under the motto “A creative adult is a child who survived,” outre art studio MB&F just released MusicMachine 3, an aluminum/lacquer TIE Fighter that doubles as a retro music box, pre-loaded with iconic themes from Star Wars, Mission Impossible and James Bond, among others.
By vinyl subscription
This isn’t your dad’s “11 cassettes for a penny” deal. Singles Club is a subscription-based record club that pairs a limited-run, custom-packaged 7″ vinyl single (new song on one side, interview on the other) from an of-the-moment indie band with a digital music journal. Bonus if you’re in New York: each issue gets a release party.
By smart radio
Apple’s new Beats 1 eschews the rigidity of modern radio: it runs on a nearly free-form, anything-goes format, with tunes curated by top global tastemakers (like ex-BBC DJ Zane Lowe) and artists themselves, including St. Vincent, Run the Jewels and Queens of the Stone Age. Think of it as a free 24-7 music discovery engine … outages aside.
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