Breaking Beats: Why I love vinyl
Vinyl sales exceeded profits from free music streaming services like Spotify and YouTube in 2015. The data for 2015 shows that vinyl LP/EP sales rose 32% over last year, netting $416 million, the highest since 1988. Sales for on-demand, ad-supported streaming only made $385 million, but that’s also a 31% jump for it’s category. These numbers don’t take into account how much the labels or artists received from the sales.
A lot of artists have spoken out against streaming services. Most famously, acts like Adele and Taylor Swift keep their music off the services because they feel it devalues their work. In a major jab to streaming services, the RIAA chairman Cary Sherman said, “Some technology giants have been enriching themselves at the expense of the people who actually create the music.”
But consumers today drop dough for music in a lot of different ways — going to live shows and festivals, buying a stacked stereo systems and vinyls or, like most of us, settling on one streaming source and paying $10 a month for a nearly infinite catalog of music. I’m an insane music junky so unsurprisingly, I do all of those things, but getting into vinyl is a recent endeavor and I must say, listening to LPs is pretty dope.
My dad is a big music collector and got me into vinyl, so I started my collection with a few classics he sent me. Even though I grew up with a lit stereo setup I never really knew how my dad got it all together. Who knew you needed an amp and speakers to get your record player to work?! But the whole point of vinyl is getting to hear every little detail created by the artist, so you need to have a sufficient sound system.
So what’s so special about listening to records vs. just plugging in an auxiliary cord to your phone? Sound quality from Spotify and other digital sources is debatably not as good as vinyl because of the compression quality. But what really gets me into this ultra-hipster trend is the layers in the production and subtleties of the needle, like the ripples and cracks.
While most people associate listening to records with old school classics like Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac, I want to share some new classics I’ve been rocking.
Jessie Ware — Devotion
One of my favorite debut records of an artist ever, Jessie Ware’s Devotion is a beautifully-crafted collection of soulful progressive R&B cuts. Once you hit “Sweet Talk” on the B side you know you’re onto an instant classic.
Tame Impala — Currents
Currents is an album about breakup, missed connections and overall self consciousness. He sings a lot about awkward social interactions, but layers his lyrics over a trippy, yet funky epic production. This is the perfect record to zone out to after being rejected, forgotten or if you’re just feeling lonely.
Neon Indian — Vega Intl. Night School
I’ve written a bit about Neon Indian’s most recent album Vega Night School for its unique mix of chillwave and electronica. The colorful art and neon yellow vinyl make this the best 45pbm album to add to your collection.
Lana Del Rey — Born to Die
As cliché as a Lana record is, Born to Die is just so epic you can’t help but love it. No one does it like Lana.
Toro y Moi — Anything In Return
Toro y Moi is my favorite ambient record vibe. It’s perfect to throw on after work, while cooking or just decompressing after a long day. Anything In Return is full of layers and special sounds that remind you how great Toro y Moi really is.
King Krule — 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
King Krule has a sound unlike a lot of his imitators. The LP was a must for my collection and is a major go-to for anyone looking to build a collection of indie classics.
Grimes — Visions
Still my favorite Grimes record. Genesis sounds amazing on vinyl.
Twin Shadow — Confess
The epic love stories painted in Twin Shadow’s music is comparable to Lana but with a more bad boy/sad boy touch. The optimistic lyrical style pairs well with Twin Shadow’s whining guitar rifts and deep and brooding synths.
Chairlift — Something
A mix between city cool and ethereal sweetness, Chairlift has made big strides into indie pop circles. Something is still my favorite album of theirs. It’s worth turning your speakers all the way up and dancing around your room to “I belong in Your Arms.”
For those of you who want to streaming some songs from each of these artists, here’s a Spotify playlist of these sweet jams:
