The Best Vintage-Style Turntable + Some of My Favorite Vinyl Records
This past Christmas, my parents gave me one of my favorite gifts to date: a Victrola record player. The thing that I love the most about this one is that it’s not just your average record player; It’s an 8-in-1 Bluetooth turntable with a nostalgic look yet modern functions. No matter what source of music you’re looking to play, this turntable can play it!
Of course, the main reason why I wanted this machine was to be able to play records. Vinyl records are making a comeback and I love it! There’s something so timeless about listening to a record, from watching it spin to flipping it once the side is done. This turntable plays 3 speeds (33 1/3, 45, 78 RPM) at the flick of a switch, which makes it easy to switch between records of different speeds in a snap.
Beyond playing records, this turntable also has the capacity to play CD’s, cassettes, FM radio, hand-held devices, and wireless devices via built-in Bluetooth. While I don’t personally own any cassettes at the moment, it was really fun to play one of my mom’s old Randy Travis tapes on Christmas Day!
Overall, this turntable is just such a lovely piece to have in my home. It’s vintage facade is beautiful, but the quality of sound from the built-in stereo speakers is 100% there. I love throwing on a record or CD over dinner, or when I’m cleaning the house. Since it’s one of the first things you see when you walk in my front door, it has served as a great conversation starter as well!
Now, I want to share some of my favorite vinyl records I’ve received or purchased for the player so far. Without a doubt, Shawn Mendes’ Shawn Mendes LP tops the list for me. I feel like there’s something for everyone on this album, with notes from several genres and musical influences. Highly recommend checking this one out!
Two other more recently-released favorites are Ed Sheeran’s Divide album and The Greatest Showman Soundtrack. Ed Sheeran is just… incredible. There’s not one “eh” song on the album and his voice sounds SO good coming through the stereo speakers. The Greatest Showman is a favorite because it speaks to my musical theater roots. I was in awe of the film when it came out and it’s fun to put the soundtrack on and dance around the room!
My roommate recently went to Nuggets Records in Boston and picked up some classics that have been so much fun to list to. A huge nod to how my roommates and I became close friends, she bought the original cast recording for A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine – one of our favorite Emmanuel College theater productions! She also already owned the 1963 soundtrack to Peter Pan, and there’s nothing like hearing a slightly crackly “You Can Fly!”
Last, but not least, to speak to the versatility of this turntable, I wanted to share one of my new favorite CDs. One of my good friends, Jude Torres, is in a band! FuzzKill‘s debut album, Happen, is SO good. Formed backstage during a local production of Green Day’s American Idiot: The Musical, FuzzKill is a high-energy rock band with killer musicians and great lyrics. Check them out on Spotify and iTunes now!
What are you listening to right now? Let me know in the comments below!
