_Records are still alive
_Story and photo by Andres Aguila
There are people in this country who spend their lives digging and digging. They use their bare hands to try and uncover these gems for their own personal collection.
The places where they dig are hard to find but the atmosphere is perfect for them. The music makes them comfortable and the smell takes them back in time. Back to a time when people loved music and these gems, better known as records, were vital.
The record business has had its ups and downs throughout its years, but according to Nielson SoundScan, vinyl record sales went up 33 percent and two out of every three vinyl albums were bought at an independent record store.
There are dozens of independent record stores around the Los Angeles area and plenty of them are opening up around the country as well.
The most popular record store in the Los Angeles area is Amoeba records. Followed by smaller records stores like Rockaway records in Silverlake, Backside records in Burbank and fat beats in Los Angeles.
And one noticeable thing surrounding the record store business is that most records stores either have a blog or website to help keep in touch with their customers and keep up with the times.
These places sell everything from shirts, CDs, DVDs, magazines and of course records.
Yet, the one thing that makes record stores like these stay alive is the love for the music and appreciation of vinyls.
JoJo Baghdasarian is cleaning records he had just bought in his store called Backside Records.
When buying records, Baghdasarian looks for anything he can preserve and save. And if the record is damaged, he hopes he can revive something that will most definitely be enjoyed by a music fan.
“You wanna get a good story out of a vinyl while just holding and looking at it,” said Baghdasarian, ”we just picked up 20 vinyl’s today because there was a good story to them even though I never played them or heard of them and that’s why its good to share.”
Baghdasarian is one of the partners at Backside and has always learned something new the 15 years he has been around vinyls.
He believes in sharing his records with the community and thinks that if someone is just collecting large amounts of records to keep to themselves, “then its not worth it.”
And while many people may believe that vinyls are for the older generation, John Kang, who is also a partner for Backside, says that many of his customers that buy these vinyl’s are kids, sometimes as young as 14, but the overall age range can vary.
Then there are music fans like Harold Eaks, who is 66 years old and a self-proclaimed “veteran collector,” who likes to go to any record store at least once a week.
“Artist and album art is important to me when it comes to buying a record,” said Eaks.
The most popular vinyl’s that record stores carry are the LPs, singles, and 45s. The price range for these vinyls can vary on the condition, the value and the overall demand of the record.
Eaks was the only person in Backside digging for records and had found a Buffalo Springfield LP that was priced at $10 to satisfy his record store visit.
He owns around 3,000 records and doesn’t even know if he has any valuable ones.
He is however upset that so many record stores are closing up and have closed up over the years.
“I buy things that I like,” said Eaks. “I have so many [records], I don’t get a chance to listen to them all.”
“Some customers have spent as much as one hundred dollars a single, couple hundred on a full length LP. There’s always been a market for vinyl. Vinyl always increases in value and the compact discs decrease in value,” said Baghdasarian.
Some of the popular artist that had the most sales in vinyls in 2009 were Radiohead, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Metallica.
But one album Eaks does listens to a lot is Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and even though he didn’t buy it the day it came out, he was able to find it last year.
Then there are “diggers” like Robert Goddard aka Davey Rockit, 26, and has been a DJing for 14 years. He’s done music for Quicksilver and Burton Snowboarding commercials and digs for records twice a month.
“I wont break the bank over a record. The most I’ll spend is 30 bucks,” said Goddard, who owns around 5,000 LPs and 1000 45s. “If I see a record for 100 bucks, I know I can at least look for it for a year and its like an adventure and find it for like a dollar.”
Goddard also works at Astro in Glendale, where they sell audio, video, and video equipment; among the audio equipment are the turntables.
“We probably sell 20 something technics[record players]1200s a month,” said Goddard.
But who exactly is buying them?
“Everywhere from your record collector to your rock n’ roll kid that just wants a great turntable. Electro DJs, hip-hop DJs, and then you always got your scratching DJs. Its all around, its hard to pin point a demographic on who’s buying the turntables but I would say 50 percent are DJs,” said Goddard.
In the 1990s, records started to get replaced by compacts discs, otherwise known as CDs. But while CDs were getting popular, two groups of people may have the saved these vinyls from going extinct like the dinosaurs: the collector and the DJ.
And as time progressed, technology did as well.
“You can tell that technology is defiantly gonna take over. Your probably gonna have a guitar that will have turntables. These weird things that are gonna happen and we’re gonna be involved in them,” said Baghdasarian.
In 2004, two New Zealand software developers came up with Serato. A program that lets deejays play their sets on a computer; resulting in deejays to stop buying vinyl’s and start getting rid of them.
“I’m kind of saddened by it because there [DJs] not digging for records anymore, they’re actually selling them because they don’t need them anymore. It kind of takes away the role of the DJ. Anyone can do it now,” said Annette Ovanessian, who also works at Backside records.
Ovanessian owns 2,000 records, in which was a big surprise to her co-worker who said, “2,000 records? That’s awesome. I didn’t know you had a big number like that, that’s great.”
“Once you buy your tables, there’s no end to buying records. You always want your favorite album on vinyl,” said Ovanessian.
Yet, while some music fans may not like programs likes Serato, many deejays are taking advantage of the new technology.
“When I travel, I definitely bring my laptop with Serato just for the simple fact that it cost like $150 to check all my crates of records,” said Goddard. “It’s a little more budget friendly and it doesn’t eat up my records.”
And while DJs like Goddard admit that Serato is indeed helpful, it doesn’t stop him or many other deejays from their favorite sport – digging for records.
“Its an experience, its so fun. You never know what your gonna walk out with you know,” said Goddard. “It seems like the dirtier the places, the better the records. So you know you gotta get a little dirty, shed a little blood to get a gem. I’ll always do it,”
So will vinyls ever go the way of the dinosaurs?
“You know why vinyl’s will never die, its actual vibrations, it’s the only type of recorded media that truly vibrates and it’s the closest thing to actually being right next to the band playing,” said Goddard.
But while vinyls seem to be getting more popular, many record companies have taken advantage of this by reprinting old records and selling them in store like Best Buy for less than the value of the original vinyl.
“Some records that are being made right now are only being made as a souvenir. They don’t give a crap about the quality,” said Goddard while shaking his head. “They just hope someone could put them on the wall, so that type of stuff I don’t like.”
But while major record companies are making copies of old records, independent record companies like Stones Throw and Rhymesayers have been more creative by releasing vinyl’s for their artists that were either heart shaped, green, marble colored or four inch singles and “that’s what’s cool about the independent scene, there music nerds and they like vintage equipment.”
Nonetheless, there was a time when record companies wouldn’t even go close to wasting their money on making records.
But as 2010 approaches and vinyl sales are going up, the independent record stores are dusting the dirt out of their vinyl’s and making music fans happy with great music that “is much more warmer and allows you to be there.”
“There should never ever be death to anything, just like life and death are partners, there not enemies and you gotta look at it within the music too you know,” said Baghdasarian, “…and vinyl is something that will never ever disappear.”
There are people in this country who spend their lives digging and digging. They use their bare hands to try and uncover these gems for their own personal collection.
The places where they dig are hard to find but the atmosphere is perfect for them. The music makes them comfortable and the smell takes them back in time. Back to a time when people loved music and these gems, better known as records, were vital.
The record business has had its ups and downs throughout its years, but according to Nielson SoundScan, vinyl record sales went up 33 percent and two out of every three vinyl albums were bought at an independent record store.
There are dozens of independent record stores around the Los Angeles area and plenty of them are opening up around the country as well.
The most popular record store in the Los Angeles area is Amoeba records. Followed by smaller records stores like Rockaway records in Silverlake, Backside records in Burbank and fat beats in Los Angeles.
And one noticeable thing surrounding the record store business is that most records stores either have a blog or website to help keep in touch with their customers and keep up with the times.
These places sell everything from shirts, CDs, DVDs, magazines and of course records.
Yet, the one thing that makes record stores like these stay alive is the love for the music and appreciation of vinyls.
JoJo Baghdasarian is cleaning records he had just bought in his store called Backside Records.
When buying records, Baghdasarian looks for anything he can preserve and save. And if the record is damaged, he hopes he can revive something that will most definitely be enjoyed by a music fan.
“You wanna get a good story out of a vinyl while just holding and looking at it,” said Baghdasarian, ”we just picked up 20 vinyl’s today because there was a good story to them even though I never played them or heard of them and that’s why its good to share.”
Baghdasarian is one of the partners at Backside and has always learned something new the 15 years he has been around vinyls.
He believes in sharing his records with the community and thinks that if someone is just collecting large amounts of records to keep to themselves, “then its not worth it.”
And while many people may believe that vinyls are for the older generation, John Kang, who is also a partner for Backside, says that many of his customers that buy these vinyl’s are kids, sometimes as young as 14, but the overall age range can vary.
Then there are music fans like Harold Eaks, who is 66 years old and a self-proclaimed “veteran collector,” who likes to go to any record store at least once a week.
“Artist and album art is important to me when it comes to buying a record,” said Eaks.
The most popular vinyl’s that record stores carry are the LPs, singles, and 45s. The price range for these vinyls can vary on the condition, the value and the overall demand of the record.
Eaks was the only person in Backside digging for records and had found a Buffalo Springfield LP that was priced at $10 to satisfy his record store visit.
He owns around 3,000 records and doesn’t even know if he has any valuable ones.
He is however upset that so many record stores are closing up and have closed up over the years.
“I buy things that I like,” said Eaks. “I have so many [records], I don’t get a chance to listen to them all.”
“Some customers have spent as much as one hundred dollars a single, couple hundred on a full length LP. There’s always been a market for vinyl. Vinyl always increases in value and the compact discs decrease in value,” said Baghdasarian.
Some of the popular artist that had the most sales in vinyls in 2009 were Radiohead, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Metallica.
But one album Eaks does listens to a lot is Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and even though he didn’t buy it the day it came out, he was able to find it last year.
Then there are “diggers” like Robert Goddard aka Davey Rockit, 26, and has been a DJing for 14 years. He’s done music for Quicksilver and Burton Snowboarding commercials and digs for records twice a month.
“I wont break the bank over a record. The most I’ll spend is 30 bucks,” said Goddard, who owns around 5,000 LPs and 1000 45s. “If I see a record for 100 bucks, I know I can at least look for it for a year and its like an adventure and find it for like a dollar.”
Goddard also works at Astro in Glendale, where they sell audio, video, and video equipment; among the audio equipment are the turntables.
“We probably sell 20 something technics[record players]1200s a month,” said Goddard.
But who exactly is buying them?
“Everywhere from your record collector to your rock n’ roll kid that just wants a great turntable. Electro DJs, hip-hop DJs, and then you always got your scratching DJs. Its all around, its hard to pin point a demographic on who’s buying the turntables but I would say 50 percent are DJs,” said Goddard.
In the 1990s, records started to get replaced by compacts discs, otherwise known as CDs. But while CDs were getting popular, two groups of people may have the saved these vinyls from going extinct like the dinosaurs: the collector and the DJ.
And as time progressed, technology did as well.
“You can tell that technology is defiantly gonna take over. Your probably gonna have a guitar that will have turntables. These weird things that are gonna happen and we’re gonna be involved in them,” said Baghdasarian.
In 2004, two New Zealand software developers came up with Serato. A program that lets deejays play their sets on a computer; resulting in deejays to stop buying vinyl’s and start getting rid of them.
“I’m kind of saddened by it because there [DJs] not digging for records anymore, they’re actually selling them because they don’t need them anymore. It kind of takes away the role of the DJ. Anyone can do it now,” said Annette Ovanessian, who also works at Backside records.
Ovanessian owns 2,000 records, in which was a big surprise to her co-worker who said, “2,000 records? That’s awesome. I didn’t know you had a big number like that, that’s great.”
“Once you buy your tables, there’s no end to buying records. You always want your favorite album on vinyl,” said Ovanessian.
Yet, while some music fans may not like programs likes Serato, many deejays are taking advantage of the new technology.
“When I travel, I definitely bring my laptop with Serato just for the simple fact that it cost like $150 to check all my crates of records,” said Goddard. “It’s a little more budget friendly and it doesn’t eat up my records.”
And while DJs like Goddard admit that Serato is indeed helpful, it doesn’t stop him or many other deejays from their favorite sport – digging for records.
“Its an experience, its so fun. You never know what your gonna walk out with you know,” said Goddard. “It seems like the dirtier the places, the better the records. So you know you gotta get a little dirty, shed a little blood to get a gem. I’ll always do it,”
So will vinyls ever go the way of the dinosaurs?
“You know why vinyl’s will never die, its actual vibrations, it’s the only type of recorded media that truly vibrates and it’s the closest thing to actually being right next to the band playing,” said Goddard.
But while vinyls seem to be getting more popular, many record companies have taken advantage of this by reprinting old records and selling them in store like Best Buy for less than the value of the original vinyl.
“Some records that are being made right now are only being made as a souvenir. They don’t give a crap about the quality,” said Goddard while shaking his head. “They just hope someone could put them on the wall, so that type of stuff I don’t like.”
But while major record companies are making copies of old records, independent record companies like Stones Throw and Rhymesayers have been more creative by releasing vinyl’s for their artists that were either heart shaped, green, marble colored or four inch singles and “that’s what’s cool about the independent scene, there music nerds and they like vintage equipment.”
Nonetheless, there was a time when record companies wouldn’t even go close to wasting their money on making records.
But as 2010 approaches and vinyl sales are going up, the independent record stores are dusting the dirt out of their vinyl’s and making music fans happy with great music that “is much more warmer and allows you to be there.”
“There should never ever be death to anything, just like life and death are partners, there not enemies and you gotta look at it within the music too you know,” said Baghdasarian, “…and vinyl is something that will never ever disappear.”