“My relationship with vinyl is really new, but I kind of jumped into it head first. This time last year I didn’t even own a record player. And then a little spot called Jupiter Records opened up a quarter-mile from my house, in Wilmington, Delaware.”
“I walked up there one day and copped a copy of Dinosaur Jr.’s Bug before I even had a table to play it on. In the next few months my roommate got a job there, and as soon as there was another opening I jumped at the chance. I’ve been working at the shop for four months now.
My roommate and I got our system set up and then started handing a majority of our paychecks right back to our boss Steve, in exchange for records. That store, and vinyl itself, really changed the way I explore music. My coworker Jamie has been collecting vinyl for years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy that likes his job so much. He loves hooking people up with music that they’ve never heard before. He threw on Fresh Fruit For Rotten Vegetables one of my first days at work and I’ve been hooked on ’80s hardcore and punk ever since. He found out I never heard Minor Threat and was visibly pissed off. Now he spins a punk or hardcore record I’ve never heard of every one of my shifts.
There are just certain bands who are more popular among record junkies—certain shit I don’t think I would’ve ever stopped to listen to on Spotify or YouTube. We’ve always got Television playing at work, they have this sweet 180 gram reissue of Marquee Moon out right now. And rare records come through all the time that I’ve never heard of. I bought a copy of McDonald and Giles the other day that I love. There is just no way that I would’ve discovered that album if it wasn’t for vinyl.
It’s like you’re not on your own anymore when it comes to music. Instead of just relying on the radio or some marketing campaign to tell you what’s good, you have a group of people, some who are a lot older and more knowledgeable about music, showing you around. It feels really good, to get a little guidance. The vinyl community provides that.”
—Jeff Marvel
Fiancé’s debut release, “EP1” is on store shelves now and available for purchase here. On vinyl.
