I grew up in Santa Cruz, a then-sleepy beach town in Northern California that had a severe hippie hangover well into the 1970s and ’80s. The soundtrack of the 1960s was omnipresent, as were reminders of Vietnam. I clearly recall the father of my best friend in third grade; he had lost a leg fighting […]
The legacy of Elliott Smith spans haunting lyrics, fingerpicking chops, and a variety of musical influences. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of his self-titled album’s release, the label, Kill Rock Stars, has released a special set that includes a photo book featuring “previously unseen” photos by JJ Gonson, as well as other heartfelt memorabilia and […]
Long live rock’n’roll, and long live Spoon. The Austin, Texas, quartet is one of those rare acts that live outside of time and in its own universe. Led by singer/guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer/producer Jim Eno, Spoon creates from an inner space of curiosity, caring little for the sounds of the world around it, consequently […]
Discogs is back with another round of the Top 50 list. Every month, we take a closer look at the records that were purchased the most in our Marketplace. A few brand-new May releases popped up in this edition, including Jason Isbell’s well-received Reunions, the most recent full-length Kanye West (Jesus is King was released […]
If you wanna talk pop in 2020, you’ve got to speak a little Spanish. According to music analytics platform Alpha Data, Latin music was 2018’s fifth most popular genre in the U.S, surpassing country and EDM while making up 1% of all song consumption. The most-streamed song on Spotify for all of 2019 was “Señorita” […]
Earlier this week, we made an announcement about upcoming updates to the Discogs Marketplace, including the requirement for sellers to have Shipping Policies set up for all orders by October 1, 2020, and make adjustments to payment options. Understandably, as with all change, this prompted a lot of questions and concerns from sellers and buyers […]
Since I was about 18 years old, I can honestly say that I have compared every man I dated to Jarvis Cocker. I have every one of the LPs by Pulp, the band he started as a precocious 15 years old. I have his solo albums. I remember going to see him on the first […]
Shortly after the suicide of Joy Division’s singer, Ian Curtis, their label owner called their graphic designer, who literally had a grave realization. “We’ve got a tomb on the cover of the album,” Peter Saville told Factory Records’ co-founder Tony Wilson. “Oh, fuck,” he replied. The cover of the band’s second and final album, Closer, […]
In 2020, music fans saw concerts and stadium tours replaced by living room live-streams and increased record sales. The future of the live music fest may still be in flux, but we know what the present looks like: online festivals. From Monterey Jazz Festival to Tomorrowland, big-name events have pivoted to offering digital experiences for […]
Nate Nelson surveyed the record landscape more than a decade ago and saw closed-mindedness. “When we started before streaming was robust, you would think of labels as pockets of niche,” he tells Discogs. “[People would say,] ‘I like that one for the electronic music it puts out, I know that one for indie hip-hop, that […]
