The vinyl boom: What does the sales surge mean for artists and indies? As vinyl sales outstrip CD for the first time since the 1980s, Adam England speaks to music creators and industry figures to find out about the impact on the market. It’s been hard to avoid discussion of the so-called vinyl revival for over a decade now. Even back in 2011, the Official Charts Company reported that sales of the format were up 40% year-on-year, thanks to releases from the likes of Radiohead, Adele, Beady Eye, and Arctic Monkeys. More recently, albums from Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C., Sam Fender and Taylor Swift have been among vinyl’s biggest sellers, alongside classic albums like Fleetwod Mac’s Rumours and Nirvana’s Nevermind. But while it’s often been written off as a fad, it shows no signs of letting up. In fact, in January this year the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) released data showing that vinyl had overtaken CD in terms of sales for the first time since 1987.
New York, NY | Still spinning: NYC music-lovers keep coming back to vinyl records, both old and new: “I put something on the vinyl and it’s a totally different relationship to it,” says Kamaal Ibn John Fareed. Fareed, famously known as Q-Tip, is one of the most influential hip-hop figures of all time. From co-founding one of rap’s most progressive groups, A Tribe Called Quest, to sustaining a prosperous solo career, Q-Tip’s success in music has transcended multiple eras. The 52-year-old rap legend, who grew up listening to vinyl, entered A1 Record Shop in the East Village neighborhood of New York City with a kind of jubilant energy that electrified an otherwise rainy Thursday evening. From the looks of it, he seemed at home in a space he knows all too well, among a niche and growing community of record collectors — or “cratediggers” as they’re often referred to. Cratediggers come in a variety of forms including, but not limited to: lifelong collectors, millennials merely looking to use records as decor, sample-based producers looking for sounds to rip, and junkies in love with music in its purest medium.
Baton Rouge, LA | LOVE, 225: Record store holds nearly half a century of music and BR memories: From 90’s R&B singers Montell Jordan and Jon B to R&B group Shai and to comedian Mike Epps, tons of performers have made stops in Baton Rouge, specifically to visit a local landmark that has been open for more than 40 years. The man who started it all has left quite a mark on the city. Buddy’s Rock Shop, the mom-and-pop record store on North Acadian Thruway, has a storied history that starts and revolves around Buddy Stewart. “He had his band, and Buddy was making plenty money at one point because he only played, at that time it was segregation, white clubs,” said his nephew and driver, Ronald Smith. “When integration set in, he stopped making the kind of money he used to make.” Stewart first earned his reputation as a musician, performing in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Natchez, and more in the 1950s and 1960s. “He and I put placards or whatever advisement,” Smith said. “We’d go all over to different clubs and when his band was out there I used to drive for him.”
UK | The Lathums to play intimate record store shows in Blackpool, Preston and Blackburn: The group, who hail from Wigan, are set to play shows at Blitz in Preston, Bootleg Social in Blackpool and King Georges Hall in Blackburn. Indie rock band The Lathums have announced three intimate gigs in Lancashire as part of their upcoming record store tour. The group, who hail from Wigan, are set to play shows at Blitz in Preston, Bootleg Social in Blackpool and King Georges Hall in Blackburn. Announcing the news on March 1, the band will be playing some of their biggest hits, such as Fight On and The Great Escape, as well as songs from their up coming album, From Nothing to a Little Bit More. In recent years, The Lathums have continued to grow. In 2022, the band were a support act for The Killers and this year, the outfit performed on national TV for the first time on Sunday Brunch. The Band expressed their excitement at the shows, saying: “Wow. Even more shows this May!!! The Lathums never stop, the show will never stop.”
The 15-Year-Old American Pickers Collector Who Owns 3,000 Vinyl Records: “I’ve heard people say that too much of anything is not good for you, baby,” Barry White tells us on an album probably owned by this kid named Nick who showed up on a bonus episode of “American Pickers.” “But,” Barry White continues, in all likelihood echoing the sentiments of that same kid named Nick re: collecting vinyl records, “I don’t know about that.” But here, let’s backtrack. It was Season 19 of History’s hit series “American Pickers,” and the shop was serving as a temporary home to a Victrola phonograph. If you don’t know phonographs, just imagine a record player that runs on elbow grease and a can-do attitude. If you don’t know record players, don’t worry; you’re probably smart about other things.
‘Pachinko’ Gorgeous Vinyl Release Highlights Kim Min-ha’s Sunja: The soundtrack for the Apple TV+ series hits shelves in mid-April. For fans of Emmy-nominated series Pachinko, you will soon be able to listen to the soundtrack in a whole new way. Collider is excited to exclusively reveal the artwork for the upcoming LP, which is a clear vinyl record and features stunning, full-color images of the cast on both the front and the inner sleeve. The LP hits shelves on April 14. The soundtrack was composed by Nico Muhly, who previously wrote music for movies like How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Kill Your Darlings, and Academy Award winner The Reader. Muhly also composed for British series Howard’s End. Highly respected, the composer has received commissions from The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Tallis Scholars, and King’s College, Cambridge, among others.
These vinyl records are worth as much as $9000: Central New York is plowing through the end of winter with spring just around the corner which means spring cleaning. It’s a northeastern tradition as people try to get rid of the stuff in their homes that sadly collects dust and takes up space. But, be careful about throwing things out, you might be putting cash in the trash. Vinyl records have made an incredible comeback win the last 10 years and values for those records considered collectible have skyrocketed. If you have vinyl records packed away in your basement or attic, here’s a list of 10 that might inspire you to rummage through the dusty boxes because there might just be a hidden gem there. Mighty John the Record Guy, a regular guest on the Keeler in the Morning Show, is the expert we rely on when it comes to the value of records. Recently, John came up with a list of “10 Records Worth $100 or More,” plus he added two bonus records valued in the thousands that he calls “Records You Should Know about.” If you owned those two records you could sell them for as much as $15,000.
