Now Hear This

I used to love making mixed tapes. It took hours to get the volume right, the segue perfect and have the tunes tell a story. It was the most intimate way to share thoughts and emotions with friends. It's a fact no mixed tapes were ever shared with people you didn't care about. With the impending death of the CD I'm up a creek. Sharing a playlist just doesn't cut it. The so-called death of physical media makes me miss going to record stores just to browse and converse with my fellow hunters. Record stores provided a social glue between friends and strangers who might soon be friends. We recognize there is a hole there and Rock Stamberg and I want to fill it for an hour or so on a regular basis. I have interviewed hundreds of musicians for various magazines and Rock is also a magazine editor and a major music enthusiast. Together we are stocked with backroom stories about musicians and endless tunes that most people have heard about — or not — but may have never heard. In each episode of NHT we'll wander into our own little record store, chat about music, and make you a mixed tape that will hopefully get you to where you're going. Everyone’s invited. And that's what we're talking about. —John Stix