LISTEN NOW!

---

"I was prepping a new episode of VINYLLY!!!, a weekly 2-hr program of all-vinyl music on WDNF-Philly.com, and listening to new music submissions for another weekly program MUSIC SO NEW IT STILL HAS THE CHORD. I clicked play on the next submission - "human nature machine" from a California artist, Stel Furet. Track 1: "33-1/2" begins. The pick-up drum intro leads immediately to a distinctive, emotive, somewhat smoky voice that immediately grabs my attention. Next, the lilting rhythm and deliberately paced tempo of the melody: "Andante" ("at a walking pace") would be the tempo marking in a score. 

Then come the words. "I feel like I traded all those days away. I need one more chance to find a better way, and to drop a needle in a groove. Let my record play...."

It was at this point, surrounded by records, like I was at the age of 2, some 55 years ago, my hair began to stand on end. Enter the "OohsandAhhhs" as we lovingly call those gospel-choir backing vocals that signal the coming of the moral of the story, which is usually found in a well-written chorus:

"I keep going round and round, like a record. Flip it upside down".  

Chills were now complete. I couldn't imagine a song more appropriate to convey what effect records, vinyl, albums, music, mean, and have meant to me. Records are tactile. Physical. Get scratched, damaged, dirty, cleaned. Or not cleaned. But the music remains. And it's easy to find:

"Drop the needle in a groove. Let my record play".

Thank you to Stel for graciously allowing WDNF-Philly the use of his song.

Jim Lopardo

WDNF-Philly.com

Sandbox Music Group