FEATURE:
Dressed to Impress
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As Record Shops Reopen: The Beauty and Tactile Wonder of the Album
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ON Monday (15th June)…
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non-essential shops will open and, happily, this means that some record shops will open their doors. You will have to check online to see if your local record shop is going to be open but, as the Government have announced that non-essential shops can trade, it will bring a lot of relief for record stores. I know that Rough Trade have announced they will be open from Monday. This NME article explains more:
“Rough Trade have announced that they will be re-opening all four of their UK record stores next week.
The record stores will re-open next Tuesday (June 16) at 11AM, ending the coronavirus-enforced closure of the business which began back in March when the UK lockdown was first ordered. Rough Trade have been operating solely online in the interim.
In a message to customers, Rough Trade said that they were “very pleased” to resume business across their four stores, and advised customers that safety measures will be implemented in line with the latest government guidance.
All four stores will also observe limited opening hours (Tuesday to Saturday, 11AM-5:30PM), while the stores will be closed on Mondays and Sundays”.
At the moment, record stores have been relying on online orders, and I think some are delivering to people’s doors; others are allowing customers to come to the store and collect their order from outside. It has been a strange time, and over this weekend, I am going to address how music has provided such inspiration and motivation for people – perhaps more than at any other time.
We are very pleased to announce that Rough Trade East, Rough Trade West, Rough Trade Bristol and Rough Trade Nottingham will be reopening on Tuesday 16th June, at 11am.
— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) June 9, 2020
More info at the link 🙂 https://t.co/Zl09ggEblU
I have been missing the community and unique buzz that you only get from record shops. My favourite, Resident in Brighton, have been doing well with online orders, and they will look forward to welcoming customers in – although I am not sure whether they are opening next week. I guess we will all have to distance, and there will be queues outside of shops; contactless payment and less of the feel we are used to. Things will eventually get back to how they were, but at the moment we are going to adapt. The reason I wanted to write this feature is, even though we are going to see fewer people under one record store roof, I think there will be this new appreciation for vinyl. It has been great streaming albums but, more than ever, I am keen to hold an album and see a selection of great albums together. One reason why vinyl thrives and record shops carry on is because people want that physicality and tactility. Rather than write a piece about the album cover, I wanted to generally speak about the record shop as a whole. Of course, the beauty of picking up an album and being able to own this very special thing is hard to put into words. I have a list of albums I want to buy, and there is that sense of satisfaction one gets when holding vinyl.
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Perhaps the buying experience will be a little better. Whilst fewer people will be allowed to browse together, it provides more room for those in the store, and one can still converse with the record shop staff – albeit, from a safe distance. People have asked why vinyl sustains and it is still popularity. Record shops provide something you cannot get from streaming. There is that community feel, and I think you come across great discoveries more in a shop than you would online. There is a special buzz and feel you get from being in a record shop, and I feel you are more invested in an album if you buy one, rather than stream it – more likely to come back weeks and months down the line. There is the sound quality that one gets from vinyl; one that is superior to the digital alternative, and the listening experience is different with a vinyl record. Rather than listen through earphones and sort of let the music pass you by, vinyl forces someone to sit back and listen in a very connective and immersive way. All of this makes the reopening of record shops all the more needed and welcome. To me, it is about the physical nature of vinyl, and the stimulating and mesmeric effect album art has. Those who love record shops want to be able to hold an album and get something from this thing that is like a work of art. One gets so much more from a physical album than they would the equivalent on streaming sites. I long to browse through the racks and grab those albums I have been desperate to own for months. I also think buying a record is more rewarding when you are in a store. It feels like you are giving something back, and that exchange is really satisfying. Conversing with fellow record-buyers and shop staff will still be allowed, and that is a big reason why record shops are so valuable. It has been a tough few months for the music industry, and record shops have had to switch to the online and try and keep their tills ringing. Next week will allow many record stores to open and, for me and so many music lovers, it comes as…
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A blessed relief.