Aboard the vinyl bandwagon
The year is 2007 and in the existence of music being “in print,” the physical format of what music can come in has gone through many changes from vinyl records to 8-track tapes, cassettes, compact discs, and the now the ghost form of music: MP3. Yet of all the changes to make music to have at all times more convenient, vinyl still lives.
Many bands still release albums on vinyl, and the fun part is that they are usually limited, eventually making them out of print and hard to find.
Vinyl is the best format of music by default. The sound quality is great and doesn’t sound over-produced.
Another perk about vinyl is that it can be pressed in any color and into many different shapes. Sometimes vinyl covers will have different artwork than the CD release of the same album.
For those who use MP3s but still want to collect vinyl, bands like Blonde Redhead and xBxRx with their latest releases have special codes inside the sleeves of the records to go online and download the album too. It’s a great way to have people more inclined to buy vinyl and keep it alive. Hopefully more bands and labels will pick up the idea and do the same.
Depending on what kind of music you’re into, there are different places to find what you want. If you want classic rock and older stuff then garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores are the way to go. Thrift stores are a favorite due to people constantly donating boxes full of their collection over the years. For obscure bands and genres, shows are a great place to find records. People who either need money or just want to get rid of their records bring them to shows and sell them for cheap.
If students are willing to make the drive, they should go to Amoeba in Hollywood off of Sunset.
For those who have never been there, Amoeba is heaven on earth for all vinyl enthusiasts. Several hours can easily be spent fingering through records and no one ever leaves empty-handed.
Speaking of sound, what about the noise heard when strategically placing the needle and watching it spin? Great, isn’t it? When it comes to quality, vinyl is better than CD’s because it doesn’t scratch as easily.
Unlike MP3s, vinyl provides a physical form of the music. Also, it’s harder to lose a record, while with MP3s, a computer can crash and what music that was once downloaded is now lost. Vinyl is superior and the revolution continues.