OMG, People Buy Records? Vinyl In The News Thread

heh I bumped a different thread but this will do

Sorry, didn't see that!

Much like the squeeze in the run up to RSD, I'm sure it'll be the small labels who really get hit hard by this

man that is a bummer

i see copies of /dance/ going for $20+ these days

i see copies of /dance/ going for $20+ these days

https://www.stereogum.com/2111728/vinyl-just-had-its-best-sales-week-ever/news/

... in the SoundScan era

the guy at the local record store definitely thinks the pandemic has helped the vinyl resurgence...kinda one of the few hobbies you can have right now

Sadly, my favorite spot in Bushwick (Northern Lights on Lawton Street) appears to have closed indefinitely, I assume undone by the effects of long-term quarantine closure. Maybe they're still maintaining their online business, but I'm not sure where that is/was. It was a super solid spot where I bought all my first jazz acquisitions and a lot more besides that, and all at non-insane prices that put every other spot in the area to shame.

(thankfully, the hole-in-the-wall Rebel Rouser, on 'hipster alley' between Belvidere and Locust on Broadway, is still kicking. you don't find as many irresistible bargains, but essentially every single record is labeled as to its condition, genre, great deep cuts, "WOW," "Beat but plays great!" etc. has a solid niche in the vague but comprehensible Nuggets->power-pop->glam->punk zone.)

I love Rebel Rouser, always hit it when I'm in NYC. Been trying to support them online a bit since I'd be sad to see them go.

OTM re:irresistable bargains/labeling. A lot of my record collector friends are super bargain-obsessed and idk I guess I'm different in that, while I love finding a spot with cheap prices obviously, I also dont really mind paying a fair price a lot of the time - as long as I know what I'm getting, trust the grading, etc, plus just liking the store, which RR checks all the boxes for me.

https://djmag.com/longreads/pressing-issues-end-vinyl-revival
no surprises but a good read nonetheless

A month ago a label I like announced one of those "first time on vinyl" reissues....for September. Maybe. It's nuts out there. A lot of the things mentioned in that article don't seem like permanent trends - virtually every industry has been affected this way the last couple years. But the markets sure do seem to assume that a bunch of albums just aren't gonna get repressed. idk if this is gonna kill interest in the format - it seems more popular than ever - but something's gotta give

guess the big question is how many people actually expect to get the record on release day to listen to for the first time, as opposed to downloading/streaming it and then buying it later if they like it. I'm in the former category but I suspect I'm very much in the minority there.

haven't been buying much new vinyl but I'm still annoyed that all this results in a lot of people delaying the release of their new music by 6 months. the Vibe Shift might have already happened and I'm late hearing it!

lol

Not sure what thread to ask this on - does anyone press 140g vinyl anymore? Feel like everything that’s been pressed in the last 15 years has been 180g, which eats up the rubber rings in my spin clean. Is there a reason for this or is it just aesthetic?

180g pressings were originally done by boutique audiophile labels on the premise that a heavier pressing would be less susceptible to warping. I think I've seen more recent info that that's not actually the case. Regardless, it's just aesthetic/prestige at this point. Proper mastering and pressing is way more important.

180g records also have a tendency to put much more strain on the cardboard jacket in my experience, which leads to splits and tears much earlier. and anyway records are heavy enough as it is. not a fan.

yeah so weird considering vinyl pvc scarcity

https://www.washingtonian.com/2022/05/03/the-untold-story-of-the-white-houses-weirdly-hip-record-collection/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/08/05/mofi-records-analog-digital-scandal/

discussion here:

Awesome Audiophile Snake Oil