The other day a box of Brasilian 78s and LPs was dropped off unannounced.   While many of the 78s were rare – like the first Dorival Caymmi release – the condition was so-so.  But some of the generic label and store sleeves… read more >>

ARC celebrated Labor Day with long drives and short stops, adding a great many wonderful items to the library. Here’s a few.   Uptop, the Clash patch.  A mere buck and on the back label the news that “The Clash” is a registered… read more >>

In 1986, when the ARC began, the very first visitor was Brian Eno. He trekked up three flights to the loft at 110 Chambers Street to hear a record.  He said it was something he’d been looking for for many years. I… read more >>

Great day @ the Recycling Center and the Booth Library Book sale in CT.  Of note in this list is the Mancini tome containing 3 seven inch 45s -gotta love the Peter Gunn theme and the rare Tin Pan Alley book with… read more >>

  What better way to commemorate our 250th anniversary than to honor one of the most essential people who made it all possible.  It doesn’t hurt that he (pardon my pronoun) has a remarkable association with popular music of the era.  Of… read more >>

ARC was recently given a great donation package by Tony Fletcher—DJ and founder/editor of the now-defunct UK magazine Jamming. One item that caught our eye was a framed ink-on-paper ad, seemingly signed by “Parley” or Porley.” In actuality, it was signed “Porky,”… read more >>

Today received a swell box of 43 Golden Records, 6″ Children’s 78rpm discs from Ms. E. Schneider.  My favorite, the one from Tomorrowland with the rocket on the label.  And over the weekend removed some nasty tape from a lovely 7″ forty-five… read more >>

As someone who frets over misspellings and is often outsmarted by self-correcting aps, it’s fun to discover a genre named by a slip of the pinkie, one line up on the keyboard.  Filk music is a loosely defined music exploring themes of… read more >>

Holdings from the library at the Goddard Space Flight Center, which includes unique documents from the early 20th century to the Soviet space race, will be warehoused or thrown out.   • Good thing we’re saving all them Space Helmet discs! Please help… read more >>

A big thanks to the cast of Christmas In July for a Seasonal reminder of who we are and perhaps why you should consider offering support. ARC has been preserving our audio cultural heritage for 41 years now.  And with your help… read more >>

As we prepare our year-end review we realize we never posted an important new Special Collection that came in at the beginning of the year. The Erik Brady Music Collection is a vast group of primarily new and somewhat unheralded music that… read more >>

Well it’s Giving Tuesday, and once again we ask you to consider ARC.  Please donate to causes that save lives, then consider saving music.  As we move towards building our new home upstate, sure we need funding.  But holding money is not… read more >>

This double spread of newspaper front pages above are part of a Beatle-based treasure trove of clippings donated by ARC supporter Rob Atwood.  Included in six small binders, two folio sized scrapbooks and a box of loose clippings and photos are more… read more >>

Now that we’re actually living on the wild side of life thought it would be good to thank a very generous donor who has been delighting us with his donations for the past few years.  The photo above is the latest from… read more >>

After a day visiting yard sales, the recycling center and a major flea, well, things just add up.  So while relocating the ARC is an overwhelming concern, I took the day to once again go a’huntin.’   This batch is not a crazed… read more >>

No one hurt, 2 months to clean the dust @ ARC. Latest interns were not even born.  b.

Here are a few recent things both seen by and donated to ARC that are quirky and wonderful. Like the Sid Vicious jewelry display above I saw at the fleamarket! How about these proto-Devo covers by the Spotnicks? This instrumental surf band… read more >>

Well a great many of very nice things, curiously most of them colored like a Donovan song, have been donated or rediscovered lately…  Above is our 17,643th book we just catalogued, first US edition. Below is a matchbook donated from a close… read more >>

OK, so maybe our Second Poster Post since 1993 when the web thing became real, but still, these deserve to be honored.  It’s just one of the 217 amazing posters that ARCtivist Tim Broun donated today from his personal collection.  They’re mostly… read more >>

Well it was chilly last night night and 77 this afternoon, so that means it’s Spring and time for a trip to the dump and a book sale. The result is a curious number for our title of today’s post, telling you… read more >>