Vinyl Records Make A Comeback.

As last week’s debates and debacles prove, the world is getting way too complicated.

That’s why it’s time to head back to the cocoon, where we’ll gorge on comfort food like mashed potatoes, and warm chocolate pudding (with the skin on top), then go for the gusto with a retro Schlitz Classic, and finally, fire up the turntable to listen to our favorite (soothing) tunes.

On vinyl.

Yes, like ‘cocooning’, vinyl is back and spinning its way into living rooms everywhere. No longer do vinyl geeks have to mourn the loss of analog’s sweet, rich, natural sound. Vinyl lives. In fact, Vinyl thrives.

The Wall Street Journal reports some surprising new stats: World-wide sales of LP records doubled in 2007 (from three million to six million units) after hitting an all-time low in 2006, according to IFPI, the international recording industry trade association. At the same time, turntable sales in the U.S. increased more than 80% from 2006 to 2007 and continue to rise this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

In the meantime, global sales of CDs dropped 12% in the same period, after having fallen 10% the previous year.

It’s no wonder so many artists are now releasing (or re-releasing) vinyl versions of their music. From Madonna to Metallica to Coldplay to Tom Petty to the 250,000+ titles on Amazon’s Vinyl Records section, audio purists will discover a revival of a musical world many assumed had vanished due to the rise of CDs and America’s number one music retailer, iTunes, and its 5-billion downloaded songs. (June, 2008)

But we Americans are a quirky sort.  While most of us heartily embrace all things digital, there are spaces where sentimentality reigns. (It’s why it’s so tough to be 100% green and why Cheeseheads can be vegan, except while tailgating at Lambeau Field surrounded by the siren song of barbecued bratwurst)  That vinyl 12-incher represents more than mere quality, fullness or authenticity.  In this age of digital immersion, the vinyl retread feels slightly indie, almost bootleg. It’s slow food versus fast food.  It’s Brett versus Aaron.

Plus, being able to physically hold an oddly fragile Long Playing album creates a different experience of the music. A more complete experience. A more experiential experience.

So don’t be surprised if on your next Girls Night Out that guy on the barstool next to you leans over and slurs: ‘Wanna come up and feel my vinyl?’

Guru’s Note: Thanks to a site called Dinosaurs and Robots, for the bizarrely inventive mix of analog+ digital — the Mega Giant Wooden iPod pictured above.

New Media News: Daily Candy Sweetens Up Comcast. Microsoft’s Latest Attempt at Cool –CrowdFire — to Launch At Outside Lands Fest.

Media junky favorite, Cynopsis, reports the following tidbits this week:

Women’s fashion and lifestyle email newsletter DailyCandy was acquired by Comcast for a reported $125 million. The site sends out daily emails to some 2.5 million readers in 12 U.S. cities and London, England. Guru’s Note: This simple announcement does not do justice to Daily Candy’s pioneering role in spreading juicy new products, sites, styles, and do gooder causes to a vast network of lifestyle-hungry readers.

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Federated Media Publishing and Microsoft teamed up to launch CrowdFire, a social networking platform for uploading, sharing and remixing music and musical performances with the festival scene as a sweetspot. Federated Media CEO John Battelle describes his vision of it as a happening enabler of sorts. Users are encouraged to send SMS, email and uploads of media directly into the CrowdFire database and media jockeys will create streams of CrowdFire imagery in real time, sent back out into the festival grounds through a network of digital screens. Groovy.

Crowdfire will be on full display at the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco on Aug. 22-24. Guru’s Note: Naturally, Guru & company are already planning to attend Outside Lands (Favorites Andrew Bird and Wilco are playing on the 24th, and rumor has it that Beck may show up all three days) so uber-cool ticket holders (and me) have already been pinged by Crowdfire.

Granddaddy of web video news shows Rocketboom was acquired by Sony Pictures Television for a seven figure guarantee plus a share of future revenues generated from the show. Sony plans to distribute the show across multiple digital platforms including Crackle and its syndication network, the PS3, the PSP and Bravia internet video link televisions. Rocketboom is already one of the most widely distributed video blogs on the net, available via iTunes, Tivo, Apple TV, Pando, TVTonic and multiple web video portals including YouTube, Metacafe, blip.tv and Vuze.