bluethumb

DJ Shadow is legit, the album Endtroducing... was my first introduction to him and I love that album. As a side note, there's a documentary called Dark Days in which DJ Shadow's music makes up the majority of the soundtrack. It's about the homeless community that was living in the NYC Amtrak tunnels back in the 90's - well worth the watch, extremely well made.

Yikes, the newest single sounds like a track out of the early 2000's nu-metal wave... I'm sure the new album will make a lot of people happy, but they certainly have lost their way in my opinion.

Same

New single is sick, I am so looking forward to this album

Such a killer EP, and in some ways it has strengths that they toned down for the full length. I've got an OG press of Welcome the Problems but will have to grab the repress, just because. An underrated band for sure.

Three pages of comments, and only a handful about the actual music. Ah, VC is reliable if nothing else

In a one-two punch, both Bear vs. Shark albums. As a result of my initial dislike, I missed out on one of their final shows with Fall of Troy in their prime (Doppelganger era). Right now... is now one of my all-time favorite records, and I was lucky enough to catch them in NYC a couple years back.

PM'd

I've been disappointed in their latest albums, it feels like they lost whatever creative drive helped them write their first couple albums. The music is still decent it just has no heart. Perhaps I should give this one another go.

I'm with you, alphabetical/chronological is easiest for me - I recently purchased some shelf dividers (every 3rd letter) and it has soothed my closet OCD. If I had a collection in the thousands I may feel differently, it can already be a pain to sort through my S's alone.

I would say start with your table as it will determine a lot of other links in the chain. At that entry/mid-level (I'm in the same boat) the cartridge can make the most difference for the money, but you'd need to balance that with the other equipment you buy. For example, a $400 cartridge wouldn't make sense paired with a $200 table and $25 Behringer pre-amp - get a table that will work well as is, but also has the ability to upgrade if you should want to in the coming years. The U-turn makes sense with your budget and has many upgradable features. A dedicated pre-amp can really improve overall sound, but if you buy a receiver that has that tech built in and does it well, you could get away without one (for a while). Be weary of turntables that come with built-in preamps however, they tend to be lower quality overall and the preamp capability is never that good. Lastly the "receiver" stage has the widest breadth of acceptable options in my experience, there is an abundance of new and used gear that could do the job just fine, ranging from entry level audiophile to . An alternative would be to get a power amp in the mix, but that might start to eat away at your budget. Speakers and headphones are so incredibly subjective (as this all is, really) that I would just say try a bunch out until you hear what you like. Be prepared to set aside a good chunk of your budget for that; perhaps in that budget range a solid pair of bookshelf speakers would do it. I'm sure others will disagree with some of this, but I'd say a good north star for budget would be roughly: 30% table / 30% speakers / 20% receiver - it won't get you in Audiophile magazine but it'll certainly sound decent to your average listener.

My black copy of C&L sounds pretty flawless as well

Thanks for the heads up, I ended up grabbing it!

They also left off "Gravity Hoarding" on the repress, kind of a bummer.

Amped for When Broken Is Easily Fixed - that was a core album in my emo/hardcore rotation back in the day.

I've heard great things about the Bugle, I'm curious to hear about your U-Turn experience as well )if you go that route). I have a Debut III (w/ acrylic platter) right now and am in the market for an upgrade. I've heard things all over the map about U-turn so I'm interested to hear what someone "downgrading" to it thinks.

Agreed with the piss poor status of the single they released, sounds nothing like the Underoath I like. People will still inevitably go wild over it so I'll keep my Acid Green order for now. Haven't checked out Sleepwave, thoughts?

Alchemy

PM'd!

Another option to consider is the Parks Audio Budgie. It may be at a bit pricier than others, but in my opinion it's just about the best you can get at that price point. The Exacta loading system makes it super versatile, and the builder has published suggested settings for various carts to try out. Small footprint, vacuum tube driven, nice clean sound. http://parksaudiollc.com/budgiepreamp.html

Snagged an Acid Green copy from the MerchNow store - I haven't heard any of the new music but ordered just to beat the rush.

Altered Carbon will be a crowdpleaser for any fans of sci-fi, fighting, nudity, and an "Old Boy-esque" storyline. In all seriousness, a great watch and highly recommended!

My local participating store(s) almost never have the items I am most interested in, not to mention the list has been lackluster in recent years IMO. Now, if I had some of the setups others were mentioning (food, beer, culture) I would be in like sin. Best of luck to those already pining after rumored releases

PM'd

I used to have an album by this great post-rock band called Sons Had Father, and I think a lot of people here might enjoy them. I'm not sure if they've changed their name but I can't seem to find a lot on them, and nothing about the album I used to have. They do however have an old Reverb Nation profile kicking around with a few killer tracks.