CASSIE BROWN
Considering the range of the latest and greatest technology available to us, who would want to move backwards? The music industry has especially made considerable gains throughout the past several decades.
Vinyl has been making a comeback in recent years, and record stores are becoming increasingly popular. Co-owned by Rex Herrick and Bryce Jensen, Buffalo Records has been sharing the love of vinyl since it opened in 2015.
When beginning, the owners amassed a large inventory by purchasing two collections numbering over 10,000 records each, as well as including vinyl from their own collections.
Buffalo Records has a wide variety of music available. They stock everything from The Beatles to Bob Dylan, Prince to Ted Nugent, and Billy Joel to Billie Eilish. Buffalo Records also features more obscure genres such as folk punk, and if a customer is looking for a specific album that is not in stock, they take the time to search for it elsewhere. Additionally, Buffalo Records sells new and used record players.
Herrick asurred that the revival of vinyl can greatly be attributed to the large number of current artists whose music is now on vinyl.
Thanks to his 7-year-old daughter, Herrick knows what younger kids are listening so they can order music that will bring her generation into the store. Records that are manufactured now come with a download card so the customer may listen to the record itself or digitally, which is beneficial for those who do not own a player.
Another cause for vinyl’s comeback is the idea of owning music. Herrick understands the drawbacks of paying for subscriptions to streaming services.
“If it goes away, you don’t own the music; you’re just renting it,” Herrick says. “You can’t hold an MP3.”
Having something tangible is also attractive to record users. It can be interesting to examine the art on the album cover, read the song lyrics, and enjoy the occasional poster included with the album.
Both owners of Buffalo Records have other primary occupations, but they greatly enjoy sharing music through their store.
“This is just a labor of love,” Herrick said.
Stores like Buffalo Records have helped expose a new generation to this method of music listening. Some UNK students are among those attracted to vinyl. Cal McClung, a freshman, is an example of one of those students.
McClung was first drawn to vinyl when his father bought him a record player and The Beatles’ album, “Abbey Road.” Soon after, he began purchasing albums by artists such as The Rolling Stones and even rap artists Kanye West and Dr. Dre. McClung demonstrates that it is not necessary to be a serious collector to enjoy the music found on vinyl.
“Just because it’s on vinyl doesn’t mean I’d get it,” McClung said. “It has to be a really good album.”
In addition, he said that one can fully experience the music by listening to it on vinyl. He explained that it is a powerful experience to see the needle placed on a spinning record for the first time.
“It’s something that’s really cool to watch, and it’s also making music,” McClung said. “It’s not the same as looking at it on your phone.”
Technology always marches forward, but lately records have been bridging a generational gap through the timeless enjoyment of music.
