Picking out the right Holiday Gift for a tech-savvy college student can be a chore. Street makes it simple with the most cutting edge products for "rocking out" to that new Seattle sound.
The Mini Disc Player
Price: $35-$100 new; $20 on Ebay
Song Capacity: 74 minutes of high fidelity jams
Portability: With most designed as perfect 3x3 inch squares, the Minidisc can fit into the smallest of pockets. Skinny jean tested, hipster approved.
Design: Its variety of blues and silvers are timeless. Optional optical cable ensures blazing-fast rips at 2x speed.
Overall Evaluation: As portable as Mini Disk players may be, if you tend to move (at all) when you dance, the anti-skip feature on these won't cut it. It won't be long before you'll see your favorite albums exclusively on Minidisc at your local Tower Records. The future is here.
Player Piano
Price: $250
Song Capacity: Only a few songs at a time, but you can always replace the ones you have with new rolls if you get bored.
Portability: You'll need some movers and a van; this one is in your living room to stay.
Design: Truly elegant.
Overall Evaluation: Become competent on the piano without years of practice. Great for parties, if your guests are drunk enough they won't know that you aren't ACTUALLY playing.
Mariachi Band
Price: A trip to Las Cazuelas.
Song Capacity: The infinite variations of the Spanish language (read: the same song over and over again)
Portability: Guitarróns can be difficult to lug around at times, but the addition of maracas and tambourines means you're only one egg shaker party favor away from Spanish delight.
Design: Combines the elegance of a sombrero with the rugged machismo of a young Antonio Banderas.
Overall Evaluation: Whether it's a quinceañera celebration, a wedding or a desperate attempt to win a lover's affection, a Mariachi Band is the way to go if you're looking to impress.
Gramophone
Price: œ250 (or 350 Euros)
Song Capacity: Eight songs, 45 minutes for Long Play records, 52 minutes for Extended Play records.
Portability: The RCA corporation plans to buy the patent from Mr. Edison, stating that they plan to "release a portable model within the next half-century...we call it the Victrola." We'll wait to see how it works in practice before coming to a verdict.
Design: The sensuality of its curves echoes its rich, full-bodied sound. Sultry as fuck.
Overall Evaluation: Nothing beats slipping a record out from its manila envelope, nor equals the husky sound radiating from a gramophone. Nothing compares to the soothing rhythm of the needle on vinyl at the end of a side in the moments before you get up to flip it, nor matches the ability to change the speed and meet the chipmunks or reverse the record to learn that "Paul is dead". The gramophone, a wonderful new device from the legendary Thomas Alva Edison, will revolutionize your music-listening experience.
