Vinyl record shop has more to offer

Between the smell of cigarette smoke and a library of vinyl records, indie record stores still seem to offer a lot more than iTunes.

Buying music online can be annoying. For one thing, the artwork comes in an attached file. What’s the fun in that? The art should be in hand.

With the digital age becoming ever-present, there’s still nothing like buying and taking home a new or used vinyl. Vinyls are special. They are big, and it is fun to go through the artwork outside and inside the album.

It’s amazing that we have gone from a 12-inch record to a digital file. At least when CDs came out, there was a booklet of art and lyrics to scan through.

There is something personal about taking a record out of its sleeve, putting it on the turntable, dropping the arm and hearing the pops and crackles before the actual music starts.

A connection between a fan and an artist can be lost buying from online stores.

Getting the music is only half the fun in buying an album. The other is seeing all the art chosen for the album.

Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs said on recordstoreday.com that those in the music business should unite against the digital revolution.

“To the record stores, artists, labels, DJs and journalists, we’re all in this together. Show respect for the tangible music that you’ve dedicated your careers and lives to and help it from becoming nothing more than disposable digital data,” White said.

To help to keep vinyl and independent music stores alive, a group of six people have started “Record Store Day.”

The group’s Web site states, “This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music.”

This year, Record Store Day will be April 17. So go to a place like Good Records or Bill’s Records in Dallas, Forever Young in Grand Prairie or Doc’s Record and Vintage in Fort Worth.

All these shops have their own vibe and are unique in a way that iTunes could never parallel.