5 Unexpected Insights About Vinyl Record Buyers: The return of vinyl records is arguably one of the biggest comeback stories of the 21st-century music world. Just one example is artist Travis Scott, whose vinyl record sales recently pushed his album into first place on the Billboard charts. CivicScience data show that 20% of U.S. adults purchased vinyl records this year alone, up from 14% in 2020 and just 11% in 2015, with Gen Z leading the consumption craze. Nearly 40% of Gen Z adults aged 18-24 report they’ve made a vinyl purchase this year. The format almost went completely extinct with the rise of digital music distribution. Yet now, vinyl records are in the spotlight once more, as music buffs crave the nostalgia, and perhaps the aesthetic, embedded in each fragile disk. As a result, it may come as no surprise that vinyl record buyers display unique consumer habits. Keep reading to see what sets these music fans apart from the rest.
Evanston, IL | New old record store opens downtown: “I’m a Believer.” The sounds of that mid-1960s hit from The Monkees fill the store. But the music is not coming through Spotify, or Apple Music, or any of them newfangled purveyors of pop. Rather, it’s playing the way it was intended … back when Mickey Dolenz and colleagues laid down the tracks in 1966 … on a 33 1/3 rpm record, spinning on a phonograph. “The Monkees Greatest Hits” is one of about 40,000 records (yes, 40,000) that Evanstonian Greg Allen has collected over the years, records which Allen plans to make available at his new shop, Animal Records, which just opened at 624 Grove St. “I always wanted to open a record store,” Allen says, “but like everyone else, I had to earn a living.” But now that his kids are off to college, Allen says “my wife gave me the green light. I gave notice to my employer. I said, ‘hey guys, I’ve got to take this chance.’” Allen, and his sole employee, Aden Levine, are busy filling shelves and racks with all sorts of albums, from all musical genres.
Cottonwood, AZ | The Queen B Vinyl Café (fka Puscifer The Store) to Open in New Location: Previously operating under the name Puscifer The Store, cafe/record shop, The Queen B Vinyl Café, is set to open its (new) doors in Old Town Cottonwood at 102 E. Pima St. on Oct. 23. To celebrate, they present a week of events including comedy from Rory Scovel, a Q&A and book signing by Chet Zar, musical performances from Thou, Galactic Empire, and Night Club, and a special Gospel Brunch with The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers. …“Relocating and renaming Puscifer The Store to Queen B Vinyl Café is about more than just a change of location—it is about seizing new possibilities,” Jennifer Keenan, co-owner of the Queen B Vinyl Cafe. “With our new location, we’re able to bring more live events to the community, while expanding our food offerings with the addition of both a coffee roaster and ramen.”
El Cerrito, CA | Historic Bay Area record store has to pony up millions to stay in business: SFGATE contributor Jessica Lipsky reports on Down Home Music’s efforts to stay in its El Cerrito location. Situated along a mixed-use stretch of restaurants, groceries, housing and bars in El Cerrito, the building at 10341 San Pablo Ave. is something of a museum. Or museums, to be more precise. The two-room storefront houses the legendary Down Home Music, a 48-year-old record store dedicated to the sale and preservation of global roots music in its many forms. Upstairs is Les Blank Films, while an annexed home attached to the building is the site of the Arhoolie Foundation and its archive. The unassuming beige facade may not catch the eye of a driver speeding down San Pablo, but the building is an essential archive of art and cultural history. As of Oct. 11, it’s also up for sale.
Oakville, CT | Unique Oakville Cafe Announces It Will Close Permanently: A cafe located in an eclectic record shop will close its doors for good. Undergrounds Record Cafe in Oakville will close its doors permanently, according to a Facebook post from the store. “It is with a heavy heart that we write this message to share some difficult news,” the cafe posted. “After much consideration and with deep regret, we have made the decision to close our doors for good. We believe it is the best path forward at this time.” A closing date was not revealed. The unique shop serves breakfast, lunch, and coffee in a dining room situated in an eclectic record shop. The cafe is located at 206 Main Street in Oakville. Along with espresso and coffee drinks, the cafe offers pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, soups, salads, and more. The restaurant recently announced it will be holding a raffle to benefit the Watertown High School Theater Program and their latest production. …One patron recently wrote: “How could I not love a place that not only serves food, you can purchase records at!!!”
Sacramento, CA | Sacramento’s first hi-fi bar debuts with tracks pressed to vinyl: It’s a quarter to 2 p.m. when Purple Disco Machine’s “Devil in Me” fills a bar on the corner block of 4th and L Streets in Downtown Sacramento with a rhythmic funk-house beat. The sound is crisp, enveloping a growing crowd with a quality and precision rivaled by live music. Abs One is at the decks of the newly minted booth where 14 DJs — including DJ Fooders, Vinyl Honey, DJ Epik and others — set to spin vinyl records until midnight at the grand opening of Legend Has It, the city’s first hi-fi bar, on Sept. 14. Short for hi-fidelity audio, hi-fi bars are spaces that prioritize the listening experience, particularly of pressed music, over all else. Popularized in Japan during the 1940s and ’50s, these intimate venues made use of postwar goods entering the country by sourcing top-notch audio systems and curating “cultural lifelines” for audiophiles and community alike to gather in the wake of a shortage of social events and the shuttering of businesses forced by World War II.
Asbury Park, NJ | Asbury Park West Side legacy grows with Al’s House of Hits record collection, new museum: The Hits are coming back to Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park. Joanne Cinter and Carolyn Giovanniello, daughters of the late Alfred Cinter of Al’s House of Hits fame, have donated more than 2,000 vinyl records to the Asbury Park African-American Music Project to honor their dad’s legacy and ensure that once again the music will be played on the Ave. Al’s House of Hits stood at 1006 Springwood Ave. from 1963 to 1970. “It’s emotional for me and my sister,” said Joanne Cinter on the phone from her home in Hawaii. “We’re trying to keep the legacy of my dad’s store a little bit alive. He loved being a part of that. He loved music and he loved being a part of the scene.” Al’s House of Hits had a speaker in front of the store that played the hits of the era, and he’d often feature the city’s local talent on his shelves, said Jennifer Ward Souder, president of AP-AMP.
Porno For Pyros To Release Vinyl Only Best Of: Porno For Pyros will release a best of titled ‘Pyrotechnics: Porno for Pyros’ Latest & Greatest’ on 25 October 2024. The album features songs from the two Porno for Pyros albums ‘Porno For Pyros’ (1993) and ‘Good God’s Urge’ (1996) and the three new songs ‘Agua’, ‘Pete’s Dad’ and ‘Fingernail’. …Reflecting on one of the wildest creative journeys in music history, alternative rock luminaries Porno For Pyros excitedly present their first-ever greatest hits collection, Pyrotechnics: Porno For Pyros’ Latest & Greatest, out exclusively on vinyl, October 25. Limited to only 5,700 copies, the record will be pressed on special 1-LP clear vinyl with orange splatter and new artwork. Speaking to every era of the band, Pyrotechnics notably collates classic songs alongside new material.
Van Halen Plan Special Record Store Day Release: Van Halen will be celebrating this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday event with the release of a special vinyl live recording entitled “Live In Dallas 1991” that will be presented on double red vinyl with an etched fourth side. The live was captured during the band’s December 4, 1991 stop of the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour in Dallas at the Westend Market and features performances of “Judgement Day” and “Poundcake” from that album, as well as 5150 and OU812 tracks “Best Of Both Worlds” and “Finish What Ya Started”). The live album will also features a performance of the David Lee Roth era hit “Panama”, as well as Sammy Hagar’s solo hits “I Can’t Drive 55” and “There’s Only One Way To Rock.” The concert was previously released as part of the Expanded Edition of the “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” Extended Edition that came out in July that featured the live show on CD as well as a video of the concert on Blu-Ray. This special vinyl release will be available via participating independent music stores in the U.S. on November 29th for the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day.
