Elbow

I can't believe I'm intrigued by it but the Elbow player is a fascinating device. At the core of it, it's a tape deck, plain and simple. It clips on to a cassette and is able to activate the tape transport and playback the audio via a standard headphone jack. It's informed by the functionality of a vinyl tonearm and about as minimalistic as can be. Give a spin through the press packet for more in-depth insight on how it works.

My knee jerk is to write off cassette culture as outdated and a bit of a ridiculous endeavor for bands but that is firmly incorrect. Tapes are cheap to make, have a fidelity that is unique to the format and give fans an opportunity to buy something physical from a show. Like it or not, buying a download card just isn't all that satisfying.

So, with that in mind, I applaud the Elbow. It's clearly not for everyone but it's an excellent exercise in making something great for a particular audience.