Vinyl isn’t dead — in fact, it’s making a bigger scratch in album sales.
Despite overall album sales dropping, vinyl sales in the United States spiked in early 2015, according to Billboard.
New record shops have opened around the city to better serve the demand, but it’s the independent shops — not your local Urban Outfitters — that sold about 57% of vinyl records purchased in the United States in 2014, the website reported.
Here are the five most popular independent stores:
BLEECKER STREET RECORDS
This West Village staple had a close call in 2013, when the site of their original location at 239 Bleecker Street faced a rent hike.
But the shop was eventually able to relocate and carry on the tradition of dishing out vinyl to music lovers from the city and beyond.
Although no longer in their historic location, the shop is a short walk away at West 4th St. between Jones and Barrow streets.
And be sure to look for Creeper, the shop’s house cat that’s typically spotted meandering about the store.
ROUGH TRADE NYC
Catching on to the vinyl revival wave was Rough Trade NYC, the Williamsburg record store which opened in 2013 as the city’s largest store.
A lot of newer records line the many aisles of this old HBO prop warehouse.
The shop is also half music venue and hosts live performances nearly every day of the week. For some of the shows, the purchase of the artist’s new vinyl is your ticket in.
Between the rows of vinyl and concert space, Rough Trade takes up 15,000 square feet .
ACADEMY RECORDS
This one’s so good there’s more than one.
Academy Records located in Flatiron features used classical, rock and jazz discs.
The “almost” original location is located at 12 W. 18th St., right next door to where the business originally opened in 1977.
Then, there is the Academy Annex, a larger space in Greenpoint coined by Academy as the “#1 buyer of used vinyl records.”
The Brooklyn spot has everything from soul, jazz, rock, disco, techno, rock, metal, punk and beyond to genres such as avant-garde and experimental.
OTHER MUSIC
Other Music opened in the 90’s to battle the major chain across the street, Tower Records. Now, Other Music is still cashing in on vinyl, while Tower Records closed its doors. The East 4th street boasts their specialty in rare underground and experimental music.
GENERATION RECORDS
This metal, punk and hardcore heavy shop is less than a 10 minute walk from Bleecker Street Records. So if you have hours to kill, it might be worth hitting up both.
New and used vinyl is available at this at Generation Records, a Thompson Street veteran. New vinyl mostly lines the first floor and the basement hides the older stuff.
For those looking for a steal, it’s good to know, Generation’s records are not selling for $2 — records are closer to $15-a-pop.
And don’t be surprised if you see one or two stray cats roaming the shop.
Honorable mention: Black Gold Records
This gem in Carroll Gardens is serving up coffee, antiques and used vinyl all at once. The Brooklyn establishment is cashing in on the revival in a tiny Court Street address. Black Gold also opened a second café location earlier this year within Gowanus’ Morbid Anatomy Museum.
