Houtzdale, PA | MoValley Records in Houtzdale: A Must Stop for Music Collectors: Hidden away in a shop on Hannah Street in Houtzdale is a time capsule where vinyl records are still king. Walking into MoValley Records is like walking back in time to a record store from the 1970’s or a collectable shop from the 1980’s. Owner Steve Roe is a vinyl record lover who has changed his hobby into a store where other vinyl groupies can gather and swap both stories and records. The renewed interest in vinyl has been growing steadily since 2007, Steve explained on my visit to the store. He doesn’t know what has triggered this trend but suddenly vinyl is “cool” again. The Seattle native and his pastor wife, Christine, moved to Clearfield County in 2017 when she was sent to attend to the flocks at the Faith Lutheran Church in Houtzdale and the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Philipsburg.
New York, NY | Vinyl revival: A new generation of music lovers are bringing back ‘a relic from the past’ Like many people in his generation, Vijay Damerla finds most of his new music online – but the 20-year-old is slowly becoming a vinyl junkie, amassing records in his room. The student says he doesn’t even own a turntable, saying for him, “it’s the equivalent of, like, getting an artist poster, or like even an album poster on your wall.” “Except, like, there’s actually kind of a little bit of a relic from the past.” For Celine Court, 29, collecting vinyl – she says she owns some 250 records – is about the nostalgic, warm sound that many listeners say digital copies chill. “If you listen to music on vinyl, it’s so different,” she told AFP as she perused the stacks at New York’s Village Revival Records. “It has like this authentic kind of feeling to it.”
Seattle, WA | Love for vinyl comes around — and around — again after sales spike: …“We have so much new stuff. It’s crazy how much new stuff,” said Kay Redden with Sonic Boom Records in Ballard. “We’ve got the new Paramore [record], the new Steve Lacy, Beyonce, of course,” she said, walking among rows of new albums, reissued classics, and vintage original records, all on vinyl. Aficionados will tell you the grooves on a vinyl record allow for a more open, resonant quality versus their digital counterparts. Redden described it as “warmth.” “I think for me, personally, it’s a way to just ‘be’ with music and actually pay attention to what you’re listening to,” she added. After all, a little more effort is required to pick a record, select a side, and carefully drop a needle on what you’d like to play. Customer Devan Schupp agrees. He said that although he can access a lot of music on his phone, he prefers vinyl.
Jack White says Metallica buying a vinyl pressing plant is “outstanding.” “We’re psyched to follow in your footsteps!” the band told Third Man Records owner White. Jack White has responded to Metallica buying their own vinyl pressing plant, calling it an “outstanding” move. This week, the metal icons purchased a majority stake in Furnace Record Pressing in Alexandria, Virginia, one of the largest pressing plants in the United States. White, who owns the Nashville-based Third Man Records and last year, wrote an open letter to major record labels urging them to build their own vinyl pressing plants, has welcomed the news in a message directed to the band. “Welcome to the cause gents!” And thank you for putting your money to amazing creative use!” White wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Metallica. “Here’s hoping the major labels will also see this as further proof, and finally start investing in themselves,” he added. “Outstanding.”
Austin, TX | On vinyl collecting: Be warned, collecting vinyl is not for the weak at heart. As soon as you start, you’ll find yourself unable to resist the chance of getting your hands on record after record. Whether it’s an original pressing or an exclusive one-of-a-kind edition, you won’t be able to fight against the urge to buy! I started collecting vinyl six years ago and now I have around 90 albums to call my own; I own a bit of everything from The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds to Elliott Smith’s Either/Or. Certain albums are meant to be enjoyed on vinyl, and this isn’t exclusive to the classics either. One of my favorite albums I have on vinyl is Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights, it’s my go-to listen to unwind! So, if you have or want to start a collection, be sure to buy it second-hand. Not only to save money, but to support smaller, or independently owned music shops! Best of luck at scoring your favorite album on vinyl folks!
Charity shop vinyl tells the story of our musical journey: Charity shop record-hunting is cheap, uncomplicated fun and a nice history lesson too, says avid collector Jonathan Scott. I recall parental horror at my spending £7.99 on The Story of the Clash Vol 1 in 1988, so I dread to think what they’d make of Mr Morale & The Big Steppers [by Kendrick Lamar]. Today a new LP, admittedly often pressed in beautiful, heavyweight vinyl, is likely to set you back anywhere between £15 and £50. Charity shops and record fairs remain happier hunting grounds for more frugal delights, but rarity and condition cost. The thing I discovered while researching Into the Groove, my book about the story of recorded sound, is that the ten-a-penny fodder that flood our charity shop shelves have a value that is harder to quantify. In the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, you don’t have to curtail your thirst for vinyl, just tailor it to the moment. These are a personal selection of LPs that I have chosen to represent critical points in vinyl’s origin story.
The CD turns 40: Inside the meteoric rise and fall of the shiny disc that changed music: The compact disc gave us our first taste of digital music – and we liked it. Upon its arrival in the U.S. in March 1983, the sleek 4.7-inch plastic and aluminum disc – about the size of a drink coaster – promised crisp, clean digital music reproduction without the pops heard on vinyl LPs or the hiss from tapes. The CD did have some drawbacks. Vinyl’s coffee table-sized artwork and text were lost because of the new format’s size. And, initially, CDs were sold in not-so-eco-friendly cardboard long boxes to prevent theft. The plastic cases also had pesky little metallic tape seals called dog bones, which required a razor-edged tool to slice through.
