Top Ten Reasons Kate Loves Vinyl Records
1. They're Tactile
Let’s be honest, some of the greatest sensations in life are felt with our hands. I like something I can hold and collect. Collecting records is its own hobby, and the feeling of having a bookshelf full of my favorite novels is very similar to my cubby full of albums. They fill a living room with personality, and almost nothing describes a person better then the music they love.
2. Large Album Art
When you have music downloaded on whatever device, you really don’t pay as much attention to the art of the album. A lot of people don’t grasp that the album art is like the clothing to the personality of the album. Hell, there are some ugly record covers, but what’s more hilarious then looking at an '80s hair metal album cover? Beach Boy albums ask you on the back to send them fan-girl letters, and most punk albums get political and controversial, etc. Album art lets you see a musician as a visual portrayal of themselves. It shifts outside the lyrics and helps add perspective to who they are.
3. The Sound
Although digital mediums like CDs may technically have a more accurate sound, when you hear any vinyl album, old or new, through a tube like our popular Bellari Pre-Amp, it’s like listening to it in the recording studio. It’s warm and fills a room differently. Many audiophiles believe vinyl is the best medium for music…even with a few clicks and pops included.
4. A Gift Given With More Love
Never has receiving a gift felt so good. Giving a vinyl record is like making a homemade pie for someone. It’s thoughtful. The person who buys you a record has to not only think about the music you might like but also go out of their way to dig and find the record. Vinyl won’t die like flowers or be eaten like chocolate--it's a gift that lasts.
5. The Vinyl Community
The vinyl collecting community makes oceans smaller and cultures wider. Throughout my personal experience with records I’ve worked the Coachella record store, met people internationally involved in music, and found music I didn’t even know existed from other countries. This is where vinyl beats the internet. Rare bootlegs and oddball 45s from Europe usually don’t reach downloadable content online.
6. Conversation Piece
Call me a romantic but nothing seems more adorable than being with a loved one and going through each others vinyl. You see a whole other side of what they enjoy musically. It’s tactile and personal. Records are a conversation starter. Which Beatles Record do you prefer? What side of the record is the best? Where was the musician emotionally when recording this? I call dibs on what we put on next!
7. Investment
Like many other collectables, except Beanie Babies, records can be worth something. They vary in price and worth, but are still a personal investment. The record you might buy for $10 bucks today might be worth $50 in the future--just make sure to keep them in mint condition!
8. Supporting the Artists
When you buy a vinyl record you are giving back to the musician. You are buying their art. Local or national, you are making a point that you love their work, and are investing money into their future musically. Also when you buy records from local record stores you are promoting their business. Most record stores in Dallas are super community oriented and host local shows where you can buy vinyl from the musical acts after you watch their sets.
9. Vintage Vibes
Like anything done the old fashioned way, there’s a nostalgic feeling about vinyl records. Your parents and grandparents listened to them. They are an older form of experiencing an art form, like watching a movie at The Texas Theatre on 35mm film. The manual task of putting on a record is timeless, which gives it a feeling of effort and purpose. There’s something beautiful about that.
10. It's Sexy
I know this is a ridiculous reason, but bear with me. Imagine you are at someone’s place after a date and they make you a cocktail (preferably whiskey based), you sit on their mid-century modern couch, and then they put on a vinyl record… and not played on some cheap ass suitcase turntable--but a quality turntable. The needle drop pops, you hear a slight hissing from the speakers, it’s Curtis Mayfield's “Superfly”. It pops a bit, but warm sound fills the room. Now, If that isn’t sexy, I don’t know what is. The presentation of playing records is attractive. It’s sensual. By the time one side has finished it's suddenly quiet. It gives you a moment to pause and think before using your hands to flip over the album--unless you have your hands full with something else by then...
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