For the record, vinyl is in

By Isabel Kraby

Isabel Kraby/Tower Yearbook

Though Gainesville is largely comprised of tech-savvy students who seldom roam the halls without their headphones, the community is still acting to preserve a nostalgic and vintage way to enjoy music.

Gainesville is home to several record stores that celebrate many music mediums of the past. With National Record Store Day on Saturday, locals have a handful of options regardless of the age or genre of music they seek.

One store off 8th Avenue is Sunshine Records. Employee Quinn Messner said that despite having only been open for two years, regulars frequent the store and know the layout front to back.

“There’s a lot of people that are in here once or twice a week looking through everything in the store,” Messner said. “It’s cool to see that.”

Sunshine Records is known for its abundance of used vinyl and fair pricing, according to Messner. The store stocks up weekly and is always looking to buy from Gainesville residents just as passionate about tangible music media as he is.

“If you put on an album on Spotify, you don’t have any connection to it,” Messner said. “It’s nice to be able to hold a physical piece of music.”

Hear Again Records, located downtown and founded in 1994, sells more than just what major record labels are releasing, according to owner Andrew Schaer. The store’s variety attracts a range of people, from teens to those who were teens at the height of turntables.

Regardless of generation, Schaer said listening to vinyl is an unmatched experience anyone can enjoy.

“When you listen to records, it’s more of an active form of listening than a passive form that people do with digital platforms,” Schaer said. “You’re going to listen to the whole thing and hopefully tune out the world while you do it.”

Though Schaer’s and many others’ stores appeal to an older audience, Hear Again Records carries plenty of current music to attract the college student demographic.

“It’s great that newer artists are pressing their stuff on vinyl,” Schaer said. “It increases the longevity of record stores.”

Another store, Portal 4 Records, was first started by Luis Gonzalez simply to help sell his friend’s music collection. Several years and location changes later, his shop has grown into much more.

Not only does Portal 4 Records feature music that, according to Gonzalez, “you wouldn’t find at a normal retail spot,” the most recent location is also a DIY venue in collaboration with recording studio Pulp Arts. The space holds shows and dance parties meant to uplift underground music and local DJs.

“It’s easy to make friends, and that’s why I’ve always liked DIY spaces,” Gonzalez said. “They feel like they’re a bit more driven by the community.”

Gonzalez also understands the importance of listening to records as opposed to Spotify and similar platforms.

“I do find that a lot of people are hungry for physical mediums,” Gonzalez said. “I really appreciate the ritual of sitting down with an object, whether it’s a cassette or vinyl record or VHS, and making space for that experience.”