After a visit to Urban Outfitters, Norman B’s son James, asked if he could have a “cassette”. Perplexed because he hadn’t seen any sign of “cassettes” on display, Norman asked his son, to describe what a “cassette” was. “It’s those big round plastic things you put on a “cassette” player”, James announced with an exasperated sigh, because his dear old dad obviously didn’t quite grasp modern technology. “You mean a record player and a vinyl record? Norman asked. “Yeah! Whatever!” replied James. It turns out that the hip clothing and nic-nac emporium sells cheap, but apparently efficient, turntables along with 12” vinyl platters of trending indie artists. James, although growing up with a dad who has a warehouse crammed full with mountains of plastic discs and two treasured Techniques 1200’s
, was unaware of the correct names of such things. Apar
t from that, as a budding teenager James doesn’t care or see the relevance to the old gear his dad has stashed behind alarm-rigged doors and the cool hot shit that UB has on display. From somewhere, he and his posse had decided upon “cassette” as the name for the bits of plastic they now coveted. Although James and his tweenie pals could care less about the correct name, are they being lured into another must-have, along with all the other gadgets and gizmos marketed so deliberately to their age group? Is this the return of vinyl? We explore the possibility with Andy Zax, Grammy nominated producer, writer and musicologist.
Detective Stephen Moran has been waiting for his chance to get a foot in the door of Dublin’s Murder Squad. He sees an opportunity when a sixteen year old girl from an elite private school brings him a curious photo. Moran has to team up with an unlikely partner, the abrasive Antoinette Conway a Detective who is proud of her rough working-class background. So begins The Secret Place, the intriguing new novel from Tana French, Norman B talks with the author from her home in Dublin, Ireland.
This week’s Hit That Never Was, selected by a jewelry designer, is Two Apples In A Cherry Tree by Gathered Ghosts. If you would like to get your Hit That Never Was played on Life Elsewhere, send your selection to hitthatneverwas (at) lifeelsewhere (dot) co
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“I’m very aware that when you take a chance on one of my books, it’s not just your money that you’re putting on the line; it’s your time, which is probably even more precious. I want to thank you, so much, for taking that chance; for your wonderful support, which never stops taking my breath away. Here’s to all of you. I’ll do my absolute best not to waste your time.” The humble words of author Tana French on her website. The Dublin-based writer captured our attention easily with her latest novel, 
Vinyl with Norman B. The conversation was prompted by Norman’s son James recent request for a “cassette”, after a visit to hip, Urban Outfitters. The hip clothing emporium sells cheap, but apparently efficient, turntables along with 12” vinyl platters of trending indie artists. Although James has grown up with a dad who has a warehouse crammed full with stacks of plastic discs and two treasured Techniques 1200’s