Old Is New Again In Missoula, Vinyl For the Holidays

My high school aged son asked me for a turntable and records for the holidays this year. That is all he wants. For me it was one of those "proud parent" moments. There has been a big resurgence in vinyl over the past decade, and even more recently with Covid. For an old "rocker" like me it gives me hope for a new generation.

New Music

To see new musicians embracing vinyl is fantastic. Taylor Swift's new release "Midnights" was a case in point about introducing vinyl to a new generation. I spoke with Scott Storer from Rockin' Rudy's Record Heaven about this particular album. He said,

There's a big push for colored vinyl and color variants now... it lends itself to that, kind of limited edition color variant... the new Taylor Swift album came out it has at least four if not five or six different colors to it. There's four different covers for it and the back covers if you put them all together it is a clock...so that as an interesting take on variations.

It is also a way to get people to buy the album 4 times to make sure they get the entire collection. King Gizzard are embracing variants too, Scott continued, "They released and album last year, the music is the same, but the cover had like eight different variations that were all different languages." That is another great way to get people to collect your albums.

Collecting Vinyl

It is a great time to be a collector of records. I spoke with Collin Pruitt from Slant Street Records about the vinyl resurgence. He said,

The trend has been going on for a while and it was definitely exacerbated by the pandemic where people had a lot of time at home... before it was kind of a crusty dork kind of thing to be a record collector, but now it is pretty hip.

We also talked about collecting albums. He said, "The people who listen to records are already susceptible to collecting." Supporting the artists is also important too. He continued, "The difference between you loving an artist and listening to them on Spotify versus buying their album, it is a lot more financial support if you buy their album."

Hunting For Vinyl

There is something special about finding a record that you have been searching for, there is a victory in finding that collectible. We are so very lucky in Missoula to have multiple record stores. Ear Candy Music is another locally owned independent record store that has "been slinging the wax since 1997". They can order the hard to find vinyl, you want an import, let them know and they may be able to help you out.

A Great Time For Music

There is so much to choose from in the world of music, it doesn't matter what genre you listen to, old, new, rock, country, classical, jazz, the world is yours to explore. Listening to a record takes effort, and for a lot of people it is a personal experience. So start collecting but beware, it could become your new obsession.