Remember that record that changed your life all those years ago? Try putting it on now. If it truly meant something to you, you’re probably signing along like you just don’t care. Isn’t it amazing how you can remember lyrics to songs you haven’t heard in five years? Perhaps it’s something you’re embarrassed to admit you like. No matter, we all have those! Maybe it’s a record that you think is tremendously underappreciated. That’s what Record (Re)Collection is all about. So, let’s talk! This is your column too and we want to hear some of your stories. Seriously people, if you’ve got a story about a record you love and the mark it has left on you, send it to us! We’d love to post it.

First up, we’ve got Robert Suchan, lead singer/guitarist for indie rockers Koufax. Be sure to check out the band’s new record Strugglers when it drops on September 23rd via Doghouse Records.

Band: Mercury Rev
The Album: Deserter’s Songs (V2)

This 1998 record by the upstate New York rockers certainly has found a lot of play over the past decade for me. It is a beautifully arranged record with strings, Wurlitzers, glockenspiels, orchestral drum, set drums, electric guitars, choirs, and a character vocal with hooks but all done in good taste.

Read more after the jump.

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Today, we have a guest column from Keith Gibbons, bassist for Southeastern, PA-based rock band Sincerly Monroe. In it, Keith outlines some problems he has with the mechanics of benefit shows. While there will always be a need for them, in some form, he provides some first-hand insight into how these shows might be causing more damage, more specifically, to the bands involved than thought.

The point of this column is to spark conversation about the matter. This is not a column that expresses the views of everyone here at LNWF. We want to create a discussion, so people can voice an opinion about this matter. Leave some comments and hit up Keith if you’ve got something to say. His contact info is at the bottom of the column. Read on after the jump.

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