HomeVinyl Lives celebrates the independent record store as an essential and valuable part of our musical culture; and the site promotes vinyl --in all of its forms (LP, 45 and 78)-- as art. What You Will Find HereVinyl Lives provides an inside look at the contemporary, independent American record store. This website includes several of the Interviews included in the book, Vinyl Lives: The Rise and Fall and Resurgence of the American Independent Record Store (Aventine Press, 2010), available at many independent record stores and through Amazon. Many popular and well-known record stores thrive in some of America's most musically rich cities (New York, Chicago, New Orleans and Austin, to name a few). They exist as valuable resources--both within their communities and within the larger culture. This website and the book Vinyl Lives celebrate independent record store owners everywhere. The Vinyl Lives website will also take an appreciative look at the record album as an art form, and will include coverage of important recordings, including 45s and 78rpm records. IntroductionIn 1988, when the record was declared obsolete, the era of the Compact Disc (CD) and digital sound changed our cultural landscape. To adapt, independently owned record stores (which might include small or sizable chains, like Tower or others) converted their retail spaces to accommodate the smaller medium. Record collectors sold off their collections. The music buying public embraced CDs. Vinyl (supposedly) became unwanted, no longer deserving of our attentions. Within the next twenty years, particularly in the first several years of the new millennium, the number of record stores in the United States declined by more than half. Vinyl records were still being produced, even though sales scans tracking the number of records sold each year had --for many years-- remained close to flat. Then, in 2006, the vinyl format began to experience the beginnings of a comeback! Many record store owners remained unconvinced, while others --who had never stopped believing in vinyl all along-- welcomed the renewed attention. How these record stores began and how they continue to survive and thrive sheds an important light on this underappreciated and often maligned part of our musical culture. Despite all the negative chatter surrounding vinyl, it had never really entirely disappeared. Records remained collectible (albeit to a reduced audience) while advances in analog technology continued. Then, having skipped a generation, college kids, hip-hop artists and the next wave of notable musicians helped to revive interest in this once marginalized format. Record store owners who had been able to remain prudent and relevant had done so with the help of collectors from Europe and Asia; many of these owners purchased their vast inventories inexpensively; they benefited by continuing to develop their customer base, whether through changes in musical styles or through more specialized or niche items. By necessity, these store owners found ways to profit from the ebb and flow of trends. Some expanded their product lines to include everything from candy to lifestyle items --a wide ranging category that might include toys, gadgets and the occasional Gargoyle! One way or the other, they remained determined to maintain their retail presence. A few retailers never succumbed to the dilution of their product mix. Fewer still sold nothing but 100% vinyl--record albums only! Supportive communities contributed heavily in the equation. Nowadays, records appear in music videos and as cool interior decor in movies; and turntables, old school-styled record players and vintage all tube amplifiers and other analog gear are fashionable again. Throughout it all, rare and collectible LPs, 45s and 78 rpm discs have continued to command top dollar. Recently, major record labels have taken notice and have been getting back into vinyl. They're bringing out splashy vinyl reissues of some of their most successful releases. Record stores still have something that the frontier of cyberspace does not: the ability to captivate the senses of new and old music fans. Unlike the internet, these physical places bring people together to shop and interact --in person. Often, these stores make every effort to appeal to as wide an audience as possible --from casual browsers to the most passionate record collector. Record stores function on a variety of different levels. Not only are they places to shop for music, they are also places where the culture of music can be seen, heard and held in your hands. They are so called third places, a valuable community crossroads and gathering place. Record stores also serve as cultural showrooms--places where trends are launched and where new forms of music can be debated, explored and assimilated. Record stores also often serve many touring musicians seeking out musical outposts wherever they can. To their many avid fans, record stores are shrines, they are places where beliefs can be validated. There, the great creative source can be felt, often in stark contrast to what we like to call mainstream culture. Without independently owned record stores, our world would be a sad place indeed. May those that currently thrive continue. And may future generations come to understand the important and meaningful place that record stores hold in our world's musical culture. Vinyl Lives! The Vinyl Lives website includes several of the Interviews found in the book Vinyl Lives: The Rise and Fall and Resurgence of the American Independent Record Store (Aventine Press, 2010). New material--and additional sections not included in the book--will be periodically added to the website. © James P. Goss, 2009. All rights reserved. Website by FCE Web Design. |
