Can someone just help me understand why vinyls are still used, at least in the household? Are they collector's items, have a more mellow sound, etc? I know DJs still use them because they can find certain loops along the track, but I don't know what good they are for in the house...
They sound a lot better than a CD and a billion times better than the audio from a computer ever could.
Of course most argue that this is subjective but I argue it's actually not, since there ARE scientific and technical reasons behind it.
Digital sound has a lot of technology behind it to smooth out the sharpness and harshness of the sound. Where analogue (Vinyl) is naturally very warm and smooth.
I won't get into the super technical depths of it, but coming from an audio engineer who works in the music recording industry, trust me when I say that we still can't beat the fidelity of analogue music.
An a analogue is just that; as close a representation of what we'd hear in real life as we can get.
Considering sound only exists with in our ears and not in the outside world, vinyl records so far are the best format for us to mimic the compression in rare fraction that occurs that is then interpreted by our ears as sound.
Not to mention; if you're serious about music the benefits of vinyl are abound. The sound, the smell of new records, the quality and workmanship that goes into the record, the DIY aspect that allows a band to produce their own records and press into vinyl, the fact that it is a tangible object you can hold in your hands. There is nothing more exciting to me then on pay day when I sit down and order up a bunch of records; which by the way a single album can be had for 8.00 bucks. You tell me where you can buy something for 8.00 dollars now a days? And then I sit at home and a couple times a week a courier drops of a record here and a record there.. I get to open the box like it's Christmas 10 times a month! It's amazing. Plus most bands hand out extras with them. I just donated to the Tom Waits fund to help support an old theatre and he sent me a personally hand numbered 78rpm LP and a replica 78rpm record player.
You can't beat that kind of connection and it is EXACTLY why the music industry in the corporate world is dying while all the independent guys are thriving.
I never liked CD's and I've never really bought them. I have lots of mp3's for my mp3 player and I've accepted their awful quality but I continually order vinyl records and almost 100% of the new bands that are worth their salt are releasing on vinyl. In fact vinyl record sales in some genre's out pace CD's even at their peak/markets.
Anyways;
OP. I know of -no- Canadian based 12"/7" LP/EP retailers at all but these are the sites I use for all my music, I do also go to the local record store and buy my vinyl. They order in anything I want.
The Best Source for Hardcore, Punk and Independent Music. :: RevHQ.com
No Idea Records
yoyorecords
Fat Wreck Chords
Keep in mind that most bands release their vinyl independently so some times it's easier to go into a physical store and ask questions. A band name or label they are on is enough to help the guy at the store get it for you. Also keep in mind that most bands will release it via their own website as well so if you're looking for a specific band - google them, see if their myspace or their website has a link to where you can buy their vinyl.
Twitter is amazing too; when I can't find a piece of vinyl I want I tweet the band themselves and they almost always reply, and tell me either where I can get it or make arrangements to send it to me directly.
**** I love music collection in the 2000's!
