Vinyl Records Have Their Day

Dust off your old records. Today is ``Vinyl Record Day."

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph on Aug. 12, 1877. With all of the compact discs and MP3s available today, you might be surprised to know that records are still popular and still being made.

``More than ever, in fact the record-pressing plants are completely backed up right now because of the high demand for vinyl," said Lyndsay Kates of Stinkweeds Records in Phoenix.

Many of the new records come with digital components, she said.

``So whether it's a CD version of the album or a download card with MP3 or wave files on it, that comes with the record. So, for the same price, you get the vinyl and digital formats to put on your iPod or whatever."

Many people prefer vinyl to CDs and MP3s, Kates said.

``That was exciting for a time and now they're starting to realize that the sound quality of the MP3 files sounds nothing like a record. It sounds bad, especially if you're listening to it on your headphones."

Kates added, ``I would say a majority of new releases coming out are often delayed because of the backlog of all of the labels wanting to press vinyl right now."

Stinkweeds' biggest sellers ``are probably the Hold Steady, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Wolf Parade. They all have new releases on vinyl."


source: Bob McClay/KTAR