Vinyl record music makes a return; new store opens

By: Owen Barnard

Records line the walls adding a touch of the classic to the environment.

Trends come and go in cycles, and it is the very same for music. A whole new generation is quickly adopting the vinyl fad.

In a time where most people are accustomed to iPods and iTunes, some have found room for a move back to the somewhat more nostalgic and tangible vinyl records.

 Pro Vinyl

According to freshman Ben Lilly, “you haven’t heard music until you’ve heard it on vinyl.”

Lilly said he has “about 75” vinyl albums in his collection.

“It’s more like a hobby than a music obsession; its just fun,” Lilly said

That seems to be the consensus in the newly opened local record store on North Lamar, The End Of All Music.

“The number of people who were there purchasing vinyl is more than expected,” Lilly said

Some people, however, are still more attuned to the digital MP3 format of music.

Pro-Digital

Sophomore Kevin Walker says convenience is the key for him.

“Portability – that’s what really does it for me,” Walker said.  “I would like to try vinyl as maybe a hobby, but being able to have music with you all the time is something that will always top vinyl to me.”

Vinyl has not become as widespread as digital music, although recently sales have increased by 39 percent according to Mixmag, an online music magazine.

Comparison 

Lilly points to the Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” as an example of how vinyl and digital compare.

“There is a better and more real sound from the vinyl compared to the digital,” he said. “The digital sounded almost restricted.”

It’s more to him than just a listening experience.

“The whole experience of changing the needle from song to song is something that you can’t understand until you sit there through an entire vinyl album,” he said.  “It’s an escape to the past.”