Valentine’s Day is for Vinyl Lovers

Vinyl enthusiasts, listen up! If you’re looking for something different to do this Valentine’s Day, why not take your sweetie to The Black Cat for the D.C. Record Fair?!

That’s where me and my boy will be tomorrow. We’ll be armed with our wish list ready to rifle through crates and more crates of vinyl. Dealers from all over the east coast are making the trek to D.C. to sell their wares and there’s sure to be more than a few gems.

The fair is being sponsored by Som Records on 14th street (love that place) and the blogs The Vinyl District and DC Soul Recordings.

Things kick off at noon and go until 6. Admission is $2. Don’t miss out!

Let the End-of-Year Best-in-Music Countdowns Begin!

It might as well be known that I’m a big music fan. I collect vinyl, new and old alike, and I try to attend as many shows in DC as possible.

Every December, my favorite online radio station, WOXY, puts together its 97 biggest hits of the year and it started today. It’s playing right now.

Here’s a little about how the list is put together:

As in previous years, the 97 Best is determined by airplay. We tabulate all of the DJ’s airplay during our live broadcasts to come up with the list, and feel that’s the best way to accurately reflect the sound of WOXY in 2009. So, make sure you carve out the whole day to listen and see where your favorites land on the list.

When I’m at home I’m usually tuned in to WOXY. Now based in Austin, Texas, the online-only independent rock radio station started out as a terrestrial radio station in 1983 in Ohio. They’ve been playing some of the best and newest rock music ever since.

In 2004, the station went online-only. It was probably one of the smartest moves the station could have made. After all, way more people log on than turn on their radios, if they even have one.

Be sure not to miss one of the web’s best annual events.

Oh, and while I’m at it, you might want to check out NPR’s  “Best Music of 2009″. It was just published today. There are some other cool lists there, too, so you’re sure to find something you like.