After picking up the Bad Religion 12″ box set, then the Rancid 7″ box set, I’ve now picked up the NOFX 12″ box set. This means I’ve spent a small fortune on records, but feel it’s been well worth it. Haven’t yet had the time to spin any favorites, but should have the turntable going off all weekend. My favorite part of the set may just be the surprise “gift” in the box – a cheap lil’ coozie with the NOFX logo and the following gem of a statement: “I gave FAT $200 for the box set and the only thanks I got is this lousy coozie.” #truth

2012 was good for me personally, and for our beloved punk scene as well. A number of releases renewed my faith in the genre and solidified the deep love I feel for the music I can’t live without.

Here’s hoping 2013 brings more of the same. My only additional wish: more free time, so I can finally get this thing back on point.

Cheers!

Got my Rancid Essentials 7″ Box Set today. Impressed with the quality of the set, though I haven’t yet taken the time to play any of the records. Not much to review here aside from the aesthetics, and they are top notch indeed. Much love went into the design and execution, and it shows. If you’re a fan – it’s a no-brainer, really.

Things have come a long way since the Punk Planet days, even more so since the early PRR days. Especially when considering the equipment I use to enjoy music. Long gone is the Sony turntable and my trusty Panasonic Hi-Fi boombox. They’ve been replaced by equipment that reflects my undying love for music. Here is the current equipment on my rack:

Bryston BDA-2 (DAC) 
Bryston BDP-1 (Digital Transport) – FLAC/MP3/etc 
Pro-Ject Tube Box SE II (Tube Phono Preamp)
Rega Apollo (CD Transport) – CD’s
Rega P3-24 with TTPSU (Turntable w/ external speed control box) – Vinyl

All of the above are fed through a heavily modified tube amplifier:

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum w/ Metal Cover (vacuum tube integrated amplifier) – modified with KT120 power tubes and Mallard preamp tube.

It’s all fed into my floor standing speakers:

Golden Ear Technology Triton Two Towers 

There is also some head gear when the wife decides that the punk rock blasting in the living room is interfering with whatever it is she’d rather be doing:

Mapletree Audio Design Ear+ Super HD II (Tube Headphone Amp)
Grado SR-325is (headphones)
Sennheiser HD600 (headphones)

I only wish more labels/bands still sent in physical copies of their music. A ton of detail is lost when streaming… At least some labels make available for download uncompressed WAV audio for review consideration. 

After much learning and testing I think the website is a go. There are a few behind-the-curtain updates to perform yet, and then we’re live.

We’re talking days, not weeks.