THANKS TO THE OKC GAZETTE FOR THE 5/31 REVIEW - WE REOPEN WEDN 6/14.
ONLINE MUSIC AND AUDIOPHILE LINKS
Music Listening
Whether you are looking for ways to listen to music on the go or at home, for simple relaxation or to discover new music, here are some wonderful online resources you should know about:
Subscription Streaming Services:
Each of these services have their particular strengths and weaknesses, as well as pricing plans, but all let you pick what you listen to, give you suggestions for new music/releases based on your listening profile, and all offer the option of taking music with you “on the fly” (off-line listening) depending on your subscription level. All offer trial periods to let you see if their services/interface meets your needs. If you are serious about expanding your listening and don’t have a subscription (or two), give one a try. (The first three offer the highest quality audio signal, but not everyone can hear the difference depending on your ears, your gear, and where you are listening. We use Tidal for our streaming at ListenUpOKC.)
Free (ish) Streaming
These services offer a huge assortment of curated online music (programmed for you, like radio but generally without the commercials).
https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/eclectic24 - LA’s leading NPR station is noted for its musical programming and programmers (many of whom are music coordinators for film/TV and club DJ’s themselves). This is a 6-hour stream of what’s playing on KCRW’s various music shows. It runs 24/7 and is updated weekly. Great music from one of the world’s great music capitals.
https://folkalley.com/ - Channels for Irish, mainstream folk and Americana.
www.soundcloud.comand www.mixcloud.com – These were built to accommodate indie artist and music discovery, but I use them to follow some of the best music series/podcasts on the air, including John Pizzarelli’s “Radio Deluxe” when we can’t listen to Sunday evening’s broadcast on KGOU.
www.radioparadise.com – An ad free hifi digital classic rock radio service with well curated rock genre channels.
http://www.radiooo.com/(and app) – Pick a spot in the world, pick a decade, and pick a mood/tempo. Radioo’s a musical time machine that lets you hear what would have been playing on the radio then and there.
www.shazam.com – What’s that I’m hearing? Shazam (app available) lets you instantly identify what’s playing in the car, the bar, the store, and more. Like the name says - SHAZAM.
Records
Links that can assist you in starting or maintaining your collection, and learning about records and recording generally:
https://www.allmusic.com – Premiere site for records reviews and news – all genres.
www.yoursoundmatters.com – Stuff for sale, but lots of good info on building a collection, and on playing and preserving your records.
www.discogs.com – Catalog your collection for free, with option of joining world of record buying and selling
www.analogplanet.com – Records and gear news and reviews.
As a footnote, you can discover lots of interesting music by reading gear reviews and seeing what the writers are listing too when they test equipment for review.
Gear
Whether you are looking for new gear, or want to simply to learn more about the world of audiophile listening and how to optimize your home listening experience, here are links for you:
This first group includes online magazines (some with print counterparts) that offer gear news and reviews (some of which is hopefully affordable, with others un-apologetically aspirational):
If you know what you are looking for, or want a better idea of what’s out there in your price range for buying/selling, the following sites - featuring gear from both private sellers and professional audio shops - may be for you:.
The next group are online audio businesses (some with brick-and-mortar operations). Although more expensive than the Ebay type sites, they can often be more reliable, offer manufacturer warranties (even for open box and sale gear), and almost always have someone knowledgeable available to you at the other end of the phone. And even if you aren’t buying, their listings can be very informative for both the new and experienced audiophile shopper.
And let’s not forget HEADPHONES – The entry drug for many who love great sound, and sometimes essential for those with big sound systems who still sometimes need to listen privately (whether for work, home, travel). Here are sites which focus on “personal audio” (headphones, and portable DACs/Amps), with gear and prices from entry level to end game:
www.Head-fi.org - Reviews
The rest are retailers:
Vinyl Bars
ListenUpOKC is of course not the first, and certainly won't be the last, Vinyl Bar – but we do hope to be your favorite!. Check out more on Vinyl Bars around the US and the World:
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=vinyl+bars
Other Music Sites
Here's where we post some of our other favorite websites and blogs with music industry news, reviews and insights:
https://www.npr.org/sections/altlatino/
https://www.classical-music.com/ (the BBC's online classical magazine)
And two quintessential Jazz magazines online:
FAQs
Our patrons' questions help inspire us to improve our services and knowledge. Talk to us when you visit, or send questions to us via our "contact" page. We'll try to share our responses to FAQs (whether about ListenUpOKC, records or gear) with you here - and in our BLOG.
COMING SOON!