Record Store Day 2010 is a celebration of all things vinyl

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/04/16/2010-04-16_record_store_day_2010_is_a_celebration_of_all_things_vinyl.html
Record Store Day 2010 is a celebration of all things vinyl
Friday, April 16, 2010

Remember records?

Those giant, round things you could actually stare at and stroke, as well as play. Back when dodo birds roamed, people bought these things in something called stores — preferably ones festooned with posters of cool bands and jammed with ad-packed magazines celebrating them.

You’d think all that would have vanished years ago into the ether of digital “information.”

But it didn’t. At least not entirely.

In fact, sales of the “actual” in music have been soaring of late — especially in the seemingly dead-and-buried world of vinyl. According to the latest Nielsen SoundScan figures, vinyl sales rose 89% in the last year. In just the first few months of 2010, SoundScan has tracked the most vinyl sales since the company began accurate tallies nearly 20 years ago.

These days, more of those sales come from independent record stores, since the larger ones — Tower, HMV and Virgin — got trampled in the stampede to iPod-ville. Indie store sales have risen from 7% in early ’09 to nearly 10% now.

If all this strikes you as cause for celebration, someone already beat you to it. Two years ago, indie music sellers got together to create their own Record Store Day, which, this year, takes place Saturday. Fans can expect special in-store appearances from cult stars, along with new vinyl and CD releases. (snip)