North Fork, LI | Hidden North Fork: The record store that’s only open on Sundays: Although Sunday Records has been going strong since 2017, we suspect this might be your first time hearing about it. It’s doubtful that you’ve ever stumbled upon it, unless you were walking around downtown Riverhead on a Sunday between noon and 6 p.m. — the one time of the week this spot is open. I was told about the neat little record store by my husband, who had heard about it from his barber, who learned of it from his son. Needless to say, Sunday Records is a word-of-mouth kind of place, and I find myself thankful for my husband’s barber’s son nearly every Sunday as my family and I browse the well-curated, highly organized shop. The store, at 125 Roanoke Ave., stocks new and used albums sorted by genre: classic rock and metal, mainstream rock and new releases, new wave and alternative, jazz and more — just ask. The chalkboard on the wall helpfully lists the local radio station names and channels where you’d hear these tunes, making the whole experience pretty foolproof and very enjoyable.
Brooklyn, NY | New record store is a blast from the past: Industry City is getting in tune. Its latest hit is HiFi Provisions Record Shop, which opened April 15 and offers a variety of vintage vinyl records and HiFi equipment. The store, at 237 36th St., will also buy new and used vinyl records. “I want the store to have a wide variety of genres,” said owner and Brooklynite Matthew Coluccio. “HiFi Provisions isn’t just for avid collectors and enthusiasts like me but is an open and welcoming place for anyone who loves music.” Coluccio, who used to sell records on stoops and at flea markets in Carroll Gardens, hopes the store will be a place where vinyl-lovers can meet to talk about their favorite bands. “[I want the store to feel] like my living room, except that everything’s for sale,” he said. “I want people to feel comfortable enough to hang out, play music and chat.”
Asheville, NC | Harvest Records: an intersection of art, culture and community: Nestled at the apex of Haywood Road’s winding streets lies Harvest Records, a pillar in Asheville’s music collecting community. “Going to or playing shows in Asheville, we always set aside two hours just to scour that place for every record it has. It’s just always got so much good stuff,” said John Harn, a vinyl collector from Augusta, Georgia, who regularly drives five hours to visit Harvest Records. In a predominantly digital age of music, owning a vinyl record captures a tangible nostalgia that has refueled the industry. Adding a physical element to the music allows the listener to form a deeper connection with the record. The magic of record collecting enchanted the hearts of many, as vinyl sales went up 30 percent in 2020, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. “Vinyl for me is sacred. You have to sit and listen. It makes me pay attention more. You got iTunes, everything is in your hand in a second. But with records, you form a deeper ingrained bond with the music,” Harn said.
AU | Some vinyl records can be worth a fortune — others are just worthless old records: Have you heard this tune? A collector is fossicking through some old, dusty records in an op shop and stumbles across a rare album that’s worth a small fortune. This type of “Eureka!” moment does happen but it’s extremely rare. Old records are big business for collectors and dealers — fans are willing to spend what they can to get that one LP (or even a CD) that completes a set. Music enthusiast and record dealer Mark Lumley, who convenes record and music fairs in Essendon, Ballarat and Geelong, said the number of potential buyers had swelled as collectors aged in their 20s follow in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents. “There’s genuine interest in ‘what’s old is new’,” Mr Lumley explains. “I’ve noticed young people, especially during lockdown, were listening to a lot of old music, maybe their parents’ collections. “They had heard the Rolling Stones or the Beatles, but hadn’t really listened to them before. “So, we’re seeing 22-year-olds, 23-year-olds, 24-year-olds making their own collections.”
Play it again, Sam: From vinyl records to digital downloads and back again: Last year in Australia, vinyl records outsold CDs. In the year of Covid-19 — in the digital age — it seems a younger generation has re-discovered the world of black plastic fantastic. I asked a (much) younger colleague why he was into vinyl records. “It offers a richer sound than downloadable digital songs, and they’re beautifully packaged,” he explained. “It’s something you can hold in your hands and admire.” Records are entirely different from digital downloads. They take up a lot of space, play on bulky equipment, scratch easily and sometimes develop surface noise. I sat down with my young friend and reminisced about an era when you would hear a song on the radio, head off to the local record shop to buy it, only to discover it was a new recording and not available in Australia yet. You would then order it, wait weeks for it to arrive, and when it finally landed, take it home and play it over and over again on a big piece of furniture called a radiogram, which was connected to the wall with an electric cord.
10 Great Album Covers, Chosen by Tinu Mathur of VRX Studios: The Smashing Pumpkins, Jay-Z, Roxy Music and more. Ahhh… the smell of vinyl, the hug of shrink wrap, carefully managed record liners, the delicate handling between my palms—all of it elicits a dimension in the deconstructed fabric of my youth. As Indian immigrants, we had music playing in our home all the time. Through the tinny, inexpensive speakers of a stereo set purchased from the local department store, the soundtrack of my early childhood was in range with what my parents could afford. For their passion of music, I am grateful. The multi-stacking record player kicked out melodious sounds of 1970s Bollywood intermixed with classic albums like the first pressing of Revolver by my mom’s beloved Beatles. Dad would be constantly singing along to “We Will Rock You” from Queen’s News of the World, among other landmark titles that lived on our shelf. Thus, my love of music was born.
