Younger Crowd Digging Vinyl
In the age where MP3s and iPods have become the dominant musical formats, 33s, 45s and turntables are in the midst of a renaissance. Vinyl is back. The old medium is attracting new crowds for a variety of reasons. Some people like the physical experience of holding a record, others argue that music played with a needle sounds crisper, and some see it as a countercultural revolution against digital music. “Vinyl is the new CD,” said Walter Quadrato, who has run Brass City Records off Meadow Street for more than 25 years. Quadrato said customers are looking for something tangible, and records are providing that outlet. While he hasn’t seen flocks of newcomers to his store, he said there have been a few curious younger customers who want to dig through cardboard boxes looking for Beatles and Pink Floyd albums. “It’s fun to play records. We get to flip it over, we get to look at the liner notes and it’s more like a piece of art,” he said. “You have to be more involved, it’s more active listening than listening to your iPod. You have to do something to enjoy it.” Vinyl records are again appearing everywhere from retail chains like Best Buy and Target to smaller independent record stores. Independent labels had frequently pressed their artists’ newest albums on vinyl, even after many considered the format dead, but today even major record labels are recognizing the shift. Capitol Records has reissued British rockers Radiohead’s “OK Computer” on vinyl as well as The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds.” Bruce Springsteen’s latest album, “Working on a Dream” can also be found as a record. The prices for the new albums can range from as little as $10 to more than $50, depending on whether the album contains extra gatefold-style artwork or is pressed on superior 180-gram vinyl. Rick Sinkiewicz, co-owner of Redscroll Records in Wallingford, has noticed the shift. He said that when the store first opened two years ago, about 30 percent of its sales were in records, with the remaining 70 percent in CDs. That trend has reversed, and the store’s shelves have expanded into a former backroom office, which is now full of used AC/DC and David Bowie records, among others. While staunch record advocates have argued for years that CDs dampen an album’s potentially rich sound, Sinkiewicz said vinyl-lovers have also embraced the digital age to a certain extent. “With coming of the Information Age, there’s also the rejection of the Information Age,” Sinkiewicz said. “MP3s are popular, but what satisfaction can you get from that? Getting the album with the MP3 is awesome, and that’s what a lot of the new releases are doing. That, or you’re given a CD with the record.” Despite the surge in record interest and a 14 percent drop in CD and digital album sales, digital remains the dominant sales format, with more than 428 million units sold in 2008, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Vinyl sales climbed close to 89 percent in 2008, up from slightly under 1 million to 1.8 million. In the midst of the economic recession, Insound.com, an online music retailer, experienced its best sales month ever in December. Patrick McNamara, general manager for Insound, said a majority of the Web site’s customers are between 23 and 30 years old, a group that for the most part didn’t grow up listening to records. “It’s been really crazy,” McNamara said. “There’s been almost too much demand and not enough supply. Some of the vinyl pressing plants are backlogged. It’s definitely not just for older people looking to get in touch with their youth anymore.” ——
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