{"id":496,"date":"2022-11-25T15:07:50","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T20:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/?p=496"},"modified":"2022-11-25T18:55:26","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T23:55:26","slug":"vinyl-revival-scratching-the-itch-for-human-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/2022\/11\/25\/vinyl-revival-scratching-the-itch-for-human-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Vinyl revival scratching the itch for human connection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong>By: Rey Zinck<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">When Josh Greenberg bought a collection of used vinyl records this fall, he found more than worn albums inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The long-time analog music collector and Carleton University media professor opened his used copy of The Doors\u2019 <em>LA Woman<\/em> to discover annotations from the previous owner dating back to 1971.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The notes, stuck to the record\u2019s inner sleeve, explained when the original owner bought and played the record, how they felt about it and where they played it in their house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had this strange connection to this person I had never met before through the notes they left about their record,\u201d Greenberg said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t buying a used record at a store; I bought that guy\u2019s collection: a bunch of records that belonged to him that were part of his history and his experience. &#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s interesting in a way that no digital format could afford.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While Greenberg is one of a small but devoted cult following that has stuck with vinyl over the last few decades, record stores are seeing a new generation of collectors sifting through the stacks, breathing new life into a nostalgic hobby that peaked in the 1970s. Despite digital media saturating the music market, the demand for analog is only increasing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Proponents of the vinyl revival, including store owners and collectors, say it has an element of human connection other mediums lack. The desire for media that is tangible and engages all five senses is now driving record sales in a way that hasn\u2019t been observed since the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"alignnormal\"><div id=\"metaslider-id-515\" style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-62-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-515 ml-slider ms-theme-default\" role=\"region\" aria-roledescription=\"Slideshow\" aria-label=\"Rey\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_515\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_515\">\n            <ul aria-live=\"polite\" class=\"slides\">\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-516 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"slide-516\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-1-1302x732.jpg\" height=\"1080\" width=\"1920\" alt=\"A note left on the inner cover of a used copy of The Doors&#039; &quot;L.A Woman&quot; vinyl record describes when the album was played at the previous owner&#039;s home.\" class=\"slider-515 slide-516\" title=\"Photo-1\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">\u201cNow I listen to those records and feel this sort of kinship with this person,\u201d Greenberg says. (Submitted by Josh Greenberg)<\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-517 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"slide-517\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-2.jpg\" height=\"1080\" width=\"1920\" alt=\"Notes inside a used copy of The Doors&#039; &quot;L.A Woman&quot; vinyl record reads &quot;bought in Sept. 1971 for $5.09.\" class=\"slider-515 slide-517\" title=\"Photo-2\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Greenberg finds annotations dating back to 1971 inside a used record he bought this fall. (Submitted by Josh Greenberg) <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-518 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" aria-label=\"slide-518\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-3-scaled-1920x1080.jpg\" height=\"1080\" width=\"1920\" alt=\"Josh Greenberg sitting in front of a large shelf containing his record collection.\" class=\"slider-515 slide-518\" title=\"Photo-3\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\">Greenberg and his record collection, which has been accumulating for about 15 years. (Submitted by Josh Greenberg) <\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A surging market<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on<a href=\"https:\/\/www.riaa.com\/reports\/2021-mid-year-music-industry-revenue-report-riaa\/\"> data from the Recording Industry Association of America<\/a> (RIAA), vinyl record revenues shot up by 94 per cent in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2020. They reported continued growth in the first half of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Red-Modern-Line-Chart-Diagram-Produt-Data-Graph-2-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-502\" width=\"735\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Red-Modern-Line-Chart-Diagram-Produt-Data-Graph-2-edited.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Red-Modern-Line-Chart-Diagram-Produt-Data-Graph-2-edited-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Red-Modern-Line-Chart-Diagram-Produt-Data-Graph-2-edited-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 735px) 100vw, 735px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Recording Industry Association of America reported vinyl record revenues in the United States increased again in the first half of 2022, by about 22 per cent compared to the first half of 2021. (Rey Zinck\/Reloading News)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/entertainment\/vinyl-popularity-softens-decline-of-canadian-album-sales-industry-report-1.5730325\">The Canadian Press<\/a> reported that 1.1 million vinyl records sold in Canada in 2021, breaking the 2019 record of 1.03 million records.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ian Boyd has owned the record store Compact Music on Bank Street since 1991. He said he has seen record sales climb in the last few years. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to him, streaming services became mainstream in Canada around 2012, prompting customers to abandon their CD players and turntables altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c2013 and 2014 were the toughest years probably since I had opened,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then in 2016, Boyd said record sales started to pick up with Adele\u2019s <em>25<\/em> and Jack White\u2019s <em>Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016<\/em> and have continued to grow since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a very exciting time to come and work in the record business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the resurgence of vinyl predated the beginning of the pandemic, Greenberg and Boyd both said that the COVID-19 pandemic helped accelerate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boyd said when people couldn\u2019t attend concerts, listening to vinyl was the next best thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnlike other activities that you really can\u2019t do during lockdown, listening to music is something you can do,\u201d Greenberg said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenberg\u2019s current research looks at something he calls &#8220;vinyl culture,&#8221; which includes the history and experiences of record store owners and their patrons.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Greenberg, record collecting has historically been dominated by men between the ages of 25 and 50. However, his research suggests the new wave of record collectors looks a bit different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe shop owners I\u2019ve spoken to refer to a more diverse consumer population,\u201d Greenberg said. Namely, more women and young people are getting into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boyd said selling records now dominates his business, and he sees young people in the store looking at their phones with their Spotify apps open as they decide what to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have kids coming in who are walking in with the same sense of excitement that we walked into record stores with when we were their age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/chart-beat\/taylor-swift-midnights-sales-record-breaking-start-1235159835\/\">Billboard reported<\/a> that Taylor Swift\u2019s <em>Midnights<\/em> sold over 400,000 vinyl copies worldwide in its first week of release this October, shattering the record for single-week vinyl sales since 1991.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTaylor Swift is an incredibly important artist for the record business,\u201d Boyd said, adding the artist has brought younger people into the record stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@oldmanintherecordstore\/video\/7155681538842053894\" data-video-id=\"7155681538842053894\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;\" > <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@oldmanintherecordstore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@oldmanintherecordstore?refer=embed\">@oldmanintherecordstore<\/a> <p>Grab a copy @ 785 Bank St, Ottawa, ON! <a title=\"taylorswift\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/taylorswift?refer=embed\">#taylorswift<\/a> <a title=\"vinyl\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/vinyl?refer=embed\">#vinyl<\/a> <a title=\"vinylcheck\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/vinylcheck?refer=embed\">#vinylcheck<\/a> <a title=\"ottawa\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/ottawa?refer=embed\">#ottawa<\/a> <a title=\"recordstore\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/recordstore?refer=embed\">#recordstore<\/a> <a title=\"rsd\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/rsd?refer=embed\">#RSD<\/a> <a title=\"midnights\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/midnights?refer=embed\">#midnights<\/a> <a title=\"taylorsversion\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/taylorsversion?refer=embed\">#taylorsversion<\/a> <a title=\"taylorswifttok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/taylorswifttok?refer=embed\">#taylorswifttok<\/a> <a title=\"supportlocal\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/supportlocal?refer=embed\">#supportlocal<\/a> <a title=\"ottawacanada\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/ottawacanada?refer=embed\">#ottawacanada<\/a> <\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c som original - leh \ud83d\udc8b (Taylor's Version)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/som-original-7049760332616633094?refer=embed\">\u266c som original &#8211; leh \ud83d\udc8b (Taylor&#8217;s Version)<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Collecting to connect<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexa Elser, 28, began collecting records 10 years ago after finding some of her dad\u2019s old vinyls in their garage. Since then, she has accumulated around 100 vinyl copies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Elser, collecting used records is interesting because of each record\u2019s physical history, something she discussed with a friend while shopping for used records recently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were just talking about how interesting it is that every vinyl you go to has a \u2026 history of how it got from being purchased to now being at this used record store,\u201d Elser said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In line with thrifting and recycling, collecting used records also reflects young people\u2019s desire to live sustainably and connect to the past, Elser explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Elser, the pandemic increased the desire for connection that records and antiques offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRecords are the oldest form of music communication we have, and there\u2019s something so special about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A record collector shows her vinyl collection - Rey Zinck\" width=\"735\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/trcn30KTWEE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alexa Elser explains her record collection, some of which was inherited from her father. (Rey Zinck\/Reloading News)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenberg said sometimes when younger people get into vinyl, they also get to dig into their parents&#8217; or grandparents&#8217; collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo it\u2019s a way of \u2026 connecting yourself to other generations, whether within your own family or an imagined community of other record listeners,&#8221; Greenberg said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kris McCormack, 24, started his record collection just a few years ago. \u201cI knew that my dad collected them when he was younger, so I always thought they were neat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCormack said his collection is a social thing. \u201cWhen friends come over, they\u2019re way more interested in it than I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For McCormack, records make him feel more connected to the artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou feel like you\u2019re supporting them more than streaming,\u201d he said. \u201cFor all of my favourite artists, I try to collect their whole discography that I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCormack said the hunt for specific albums also adds to the appeal. He said when he finds a rare record, \u201cit\u2019s pretty dope. &#8230; You feel like a true fan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The sensory experience of analog<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Greenberg, young people are also shifting toward analog to consume something tangible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYoung people generally grew up in an age of media ephemera, non-material media that exists on the cloud,\u201d Greenberg said. \u201cThere is this longing of connection to materiality of media, and vinyl allows for that in ways that capture what you can hear, see, touch, taste and smell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCormack also talked about the physicality of analog music as part of what makes it so compelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so crazy to me. Every time I use it, I\u2019m like, this is a piece of plastic with a groove in it and a needle,\u201d he said. \u201cI just can\u2019t wrap my head around how someone figured that out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-4-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A record spins on a record player\" class=\"wp-image-503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-4-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Photo-4-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">As a record spins, the needle receives vibrations that turn into electrical signals. (Submitted by Josh Greenberg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For Boyd, the way analog music functions changes the music listening experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I put on a CD, it\u2019s really easy for me to miss the whole thing,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen I put on a vinyl, I\u2019m really engaged. There\u2019s something that happens to my body that says, \u2018I want to hear this.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce you get analog, you kinda get hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Greenberg, part of that difference has to do with the way playing vinyl forces the listener to be intentional about how, when and where they listen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-soundcloud wp-block-embed-soundcloud\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Josh Greenberg Clip by Reloading\" width=\"735\" height=\"400\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?visual=true&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1390470502&#038;show_artwork=true&#038;maxheight=1000&#038;maxwidth=735&#038;secret_token=s-hOqnxZK8I5R\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Josh Greenberg explains the relationship between vinyl records and their owners. (Rey Zinck\/Reloading News)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEach record becomes an extension of the person who owned them. It is entwined forever in their personal story and personal experience,\u201d Greenberg said. \u201cThe record itself can be the medium that connects you to all these other people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Record stores are seeing a new generation of collectors sifting through the stacks, breathing new life into a nostalgic hobby that peaked in the 1970s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"Ian Boyd, owner of Compact Music in the Glebe, holds a vinyl copy of The Tragically Hip\u2019s \u201cLive at the Roxy\u201d album on Tuesday. (Rey Zinck\/Reloading News)","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,44,1],"tags":[63,59,9],"ppma_author":[29],"class_list":["post-496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-front-page","category-home","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-culture","tag-ottawa"],"authors":[{"term_id":29,"user_id":9,"is_guest":0,"slug":"reaganzinck","display_name":"Rey Zinck","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_20221115_124202_221-scaled-e1668556723171.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/IMG_20221115_124202_221-scaled-e1668556723171.jpg"},"user_url":"","last_name":"Zinck","first_name":"Rey","description":"Rey hails from Brockville, Ont. and enjoys writing about politics and arts &amp; culture. During the pandemic, she taught herself how to knit and used songwriting as a way to cope with the lonely lockdowns. Rey's new normal includes spending time with Wilbur, her six-stringed best friend, and watching an unhealthy amount of political commentary."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":570,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496\/revisions\/570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/reloading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}