vinyl

14 Stories

'80s Group Had One Single. Now, a Record Deal

Zenana's 1986 single, 'Witches,' is finally getting traction after DJ found it in a UK record shop

(Newser) - A rare record-shop find has launched an obscure British '80s band into the spotlight. Zenana was formed in 1983 and released one single, "Witches," in 1986 (give it a listen here ). The synth-pop dance song never charted, the BBC reports, and the group disbanded the following...

2021's Big Record Scratch: Vinyl Takes the Edge Over CDs

For first time in 30-year tracking history, the analog medium outpaced compact discs

(Newser) - Streaming seems to be where it's at these days, but music formats of yesteryear haven't given up the ghost quite yet. MRC Data, which has been tracking music data since 1991, has released its annual report , and it notes that 2021 was a "game-changing" year. First,...

The Last Time This Happened in Music, Mr. Mister Was Hot

Sales of vinyl records overtake those of CDs for first time since 1986

(Newser) - If there's no sound in the world sweeter to you than the comforting scratch of a record player needle making contact with a 12-inch LP, you're not alone. The Recording Industry Association of America has released its midyear revenue stats, and in what Bloomberg calls "a key...

In Unlikely Corner of World, a 'Guru' Clings to His Vinyl

Kenya's last record store is thriving

(Newser) - Tucked into a busy market in Kenya's capital is arguably the country's last record store, reports the AP . "Real Vinyl Guru" has been open for 28 years and now enjoys the growing interest of music lovers who want to look beyond sleek digital offerings and return to...

Sony Helped Kill Vinyl. Now It's Doing an About-Face

Vinyl production to begin again in 2018

(Newser) - In a sign that the vinyl revival isn't a flash in the pan, Sony Music has announced it will return to making vinyl records for the first time since 1989. Crediting a huge demand, a spokesperson says vinyl production will kick off at a factory near Tokyo by next...

Music's Vinyl Revival Is Getting Ridiculous
Music's Vinyl Revival
Is Getting Ridiculous
OPINION
Mar 19, 2013 4:40 PM CDT

Music's Vinyl Revival Is Getting Ridiculous

Jason Heller: This movement may have 'jumped the shark'

(Newser) - Jason Heller loves vinyl albums, so much so that he accumulated 6,000 LPs at the height of collecting frenzy. He's done now, though, he writes in an essay headlined "Has the vinyl revival gone too far?" at AV Club . Consider that Kenny Rogers is coming out with...

Remastered Beatles Coming to Vinyl

14 albums will be available in November

(Newser) - The Beatles' remastered albums have been released on CD, USB , and iTunes , and now they are coming to ... vinyl, reports Paste Magazine . Fourteen albums—the 12 UK releases plus Magical Mystery Tour and Past Masters—will be released on Nov. 13 in the United States on 180-gram vinyl, either individually...

Screw 'Fascist' iPods, Get Vinyl
 Screw 'Fascist' iPods, Get Vinyl 
opinion
Jun 13, 2012 12:07 PM CDT

Screw 'Fascist' iPods, Get Vinyl

Author of 'Go the [bleep] to Sleep' says analog is still king

(Newser) - Some things have never been improved upon, and if you ask Adam Mansbach (author of the hit book Go the f--- to Sleep) one of them is the vinyl record. "Vinyl is democratic, as surely as the iPod is fascist," Mansbach declares in Salon . "Vinyl spins like...

Vinyl Breathes Life Into Dying Music Sales

Independent record store owners see a way forward

(Newser) - The last decade was not kind to the independent record store owner, as digital downloads—legal and illegal—and online retailers cut deeply into sales. But there's hope on the horizon, and it comes from the past—vinyl albums. Nielsen SoundScan says 2.8 million vinyl records were sold in...

Vinyl LPs Make a New Sound: Cha-Ching!

Record sales spike 90% despite digital music, recession

(Newser) - The crackling, old-fashioned sound of vinyl LPs is back, the Los Angeles Times reports. Defying the digital music craze, record sales spiked nearly 90% last year and fueled a boom in brick-and-mortar music stores across LA. Why the uptick in a bad economy? Majestic artwork, the fun of LP-flipping, and—...

Autism Linked to Household Vinyl Flooring

(Newser) - Vinyl flooring has been linked to the development of autism in children, Scientific American reports. A joint US/Swedish study looking into the effects of household contaminants stumbled upon the result, which the researchers and others stressed was preliminary. It “turned up virtually by accident,” said one scientist. He...

The 5 Priciest Albums of All Time

Got $200K for Quarrymen vinyl? Too bad, Paul's not selling

(Newser) - As old vinyl gets hipper, Matthew Shepatin of Esquire charts the five most expensive albums in today's market:
  1. That’ll Be the Day/In Spite of All the Danger, The Quarrymen (1958): Features John, Paul, George, and some guys who aren't Ringo. Could sell for $200,000, if Paul would sell.
...

Musicians Plug Upgrades to Flat-Sounding Digital

'Unacceptable quality compromises' key move to improved downloads, CDs

(Newser) - Musicians dissatisfied with the sound of digital media are releasing albums as higher-quality downloads, on high-definition DVDs and even on vinyl, USA Today reports. Last year, Amazon and iTunes agreed to boost the quality of their MP3s, but some groups are using even better versions to eliminate what Neil Young...

Vinyl Back for Another Spin
 Vinyl Back for Another Spin 
Jun 2, 2008 12:25 PM CDT

Vinyl Back for Another Spin

Seemingly obsolete, format is seeing increasing—even 'unbelievable'—sales

(Newser) - It might seem unlikely in an age where the CD’s obituary has already been written, but vinyl records are making a comeback as younger fans fall for the big artwork and warm analog sounds, the Boston Globe reports. Music stores report big yearly sales increases, and big-box stores like...

14 Stories