Vinyl record fans celebrate new releases

Scratchy grooves are not a thing of the past. In fact, vinyl records are a popular again. Several local record stores are part of a nationwide celebration of the old-fashioned technology.

Record Store Day is like Christmas for vinyl lovers. Major artists and minor ones will release special vinyl-only records on Saturday, and many, like the Philadelphia-based Blood Feathers, will perform live in select stores.

Singer Ben Dickey says the band originally never intended to release anything on CD – just digital downloads for the masses and vinyl for the purists.

“The new Dylan came out last year. I have more than a dozen friends who say, ‘I can’t wait for it come out on vinyl,’ and it’s already out: you can get it on CD or download,” says Dickey. “But it’s very important for them to get it on vinyl, albeit more expensive.”

The fact that Blood Feathers ultimately did release a CD points to some of the many problems with vinyl, the pressing process is fraught with flaws, and it’s costs a lot of money.

But now there’s a market for it. Sort of. Surveys show vinyl sales have increased more than 50 percent last year in 2008 they increased 90 percent. But that doesn’t amount to much in actual units, vinyl accounts for less than one percent of all music sales.

Local stores participating in Record Store Day:

Main Street Music 4444 Main Street, Manayunk Featuring performances by Exit Clov Roadside Graves James Maddock Blood Feathers

 

A.K.A. Music 27 N. 2nd Street

Music Box Records 2713 W GIRARD AVE

Repo Records 538 South Street

Hideaway Music 8612 Germantown Avenue

Tequila Sunrise Records 525 w. girard avenue

JazSound 15 South 11th Street

Digital Ferret 732 S. 4th Street

Wooden Shoe Books and Records 704 South St

Beautiful World Synidcate – South 1619 E. Passyunk Ave. Featuring performance by: Kurt Vile

Beautiful World Synidcate – West 4801 Pine St.

Long in the Tooth 2027 Sansom Street