Perks of Having a Record Player

Remember when you first saw records popping up at Urban Outfitters? Your mom probably laughed, because vinyl went out of style years ago, right? Your dad might have thought it was cool, but someone in your life definitely mocked the "hipsters" for claiming an old trend.

Technology advances for a reason. DVDs last longer than VHS tapes, maintaining the quality of the content. Streaming services take away the need for tapes and discs, helping the planet. Smart phones playing music, too, gives you one less device to carry around. Yet, vinyl is a trend that came back years ago and is clearly here to stay.

Having a record player is more than just a blast from the past or another "hipster fad" As one of my favorite artists, Ashton Irwin, puts it, holding a record is holding art in your bare hands. There really is something special about owning your favorite album on vinyl, but there are many other benefits to investing in records, too.

Listening to something on vinyl forces you to actually sit and listen. Theoretically, you could play an album off your phone, but I'm the kind of person that's always skipping through to find my favorite. When you put a record on, you're less likely to be changing the song every two seconds. This helps me find my new favorites, and gain an appreciation for the album as a whole. As much as I loved folklore this summer, I only recently fell for "exile", all because I really listened to it on vinyl this week.

Something else that happens when you listen to an album on vinyl is that you hear the transitions between songs. Artists do this less often now, as without cassette tapes, CDs, and vinyl, you're less likely to listen to an album in its original consecutive order. But if you find an album with incredible transitions, you'll live for it as much as I do (my personal favorite being between "20 Dollar Nose Bleed" and "West Coast Smoker" on Fall Out Boy's 2008 album Folie à Deux).

Putting on a record is a calming experience for me. There's something about having music playing that fills my room with good vibes. I don't have a huge vinyl collection, but my go-tos when I'm anxious or stressed include Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers's Greatest Hits or Superbloom by Ashton Irwin (who's surprised).

Vinyl, in many ways, also just sounds really, really good. Anything that sounds good live, like Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High or Save Rock and Roll, makes for a perfect dance party in your bedroom. When I need a mood booster, I'll throw on 1989 by Taylor Swift, or when I want to scream lyrics I'll break out Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer.

There is a wide variety of music out there waiting to be enjoyed on vinyl. Sometimes you have to hunt for it, but investing in a record player and starting a vinyl collection is a rewarding experience.

Here are some of my favorite places to purchase vinyl! Where do you get yours from?

Support Indie Stores! Visit https://www.bullmoose.com/

Mainstream media: visit https://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Unique finds: visit https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/vinyl-records-cassettes