Hey,
This is the first installment of posts I am doing with my friends to promote my Kickstarter project. The idea is stolen from Jerry Seinfeld (Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee). Instead, I am riding bikes and drinking with my friends, talking about records. Enjoy, and if feeling supportive, please take a peak at my new record here »
MOBGB E01: Benjamin Winter
I had the pleasure of meeting Benjamin while on tour with Built for the Sea in Holland. We instantly hit it off, you see, we share a certain northern California redneck sensibility that is rare in the music world. He played football in college, yes, but this dude is driven by art. He writes and records powerfully sincere folky/alt country jams under the name Benjamin Winter and the Make Believe,
and is a talented photographer as well.
I have always loved hanging out with Benjamin cause he reminds me of people I grew up with, but also because he has this very respectable fatherly side that comes out when you talk to him. He is constantly dropping gems of wisdom
about family life that I tuck away for the future.
Bar
Lucky 13 in Alameda (right around the corner from his photography studio)
Bike
Benjamin shows up with a sturdy GT commuter bike. “It holds a baby seat nicely. I have something a little more hip at home, but when you have a family, safety is primary, and all other considerations are secondary.” (Gem #1)
Beer
I select the Rasputin Imperial Stout. Benjamin goes for the Scrimshaw Pilsner. “I needed something a bit lighter,” he explains,”yesterday me and the wife indulged a bit.”
Vinyl Releases
Benjamin has one release on vinyl to date, Diamonds and Dust. The record is beautifully recorded and packaged. The record itself is clear vinyl, one of the coolest records I have seen.
Favorite Classic Records in his collection
Emmylou Harris, The Everly Brothers
Favorite Contemporary Records in his collection
The National, The Middle East
Benjamin on records
“I had a record player when I was a kid, we broke up for about 20 years, but our passion has been renewed.” He has collected an all 1970s pioneer stereo system, divides his collection by classic and contemporary (just like me), and listens to records almost every morning with the family.
“This is a tradition I want to pass down to my daughters. Listening to records is something we do as a family.” It’s a daily routine, Benjamin and his wife, Saskia, play DJ, their daughters dance, and he lets the oldest daughter, Daisy, flip the record.
“I think a record communicates how much work goes into making an album, which mp3s just don’t do. I released my record partly as a kind of resistance to the way music is heading.”
On this point, I couldn’t agree with Benjamin more.
Big thanks to my good friend Benjamin Winter. If this post has got you feeling warm and fuzzy about vinyl, please support the newest Parks and Records vinyl release, Identical Homes, Hydrophelia, below (hint: click the “K” at the top to get to the project homepage):