A Tale of Two Record Stores and other Vinyl Musings

I am lucky enough to live in Orlando. Shopping in Orlando is not bad, you can find almost any kind of store you can think of. Now Orlando has more than two record stores many of them great places. I am picking out two not just for illustration purpose. Though many people will think these two stores are our best. The first store is Park Ave CD’s (http://parkavecds.com/). This is first record store I visited when I moved here back in 2005. Park Ave CD’s has been not only a staple album store, but also a staple for the local music scene. When I first started going there, they were actually on Park Ave in Winter Park. Now they are located Corrine Drive. This place really was amazing. It had great sections and Albums you couldn’t find anywhere else unless you went online. Or, at the time, to the huge virgin megastore which died the death a long time ago. In my early days with the store, they focused on CD’s but still had a good vinyl selection. Once they moved to Corrine Drive they had a bigger store and had lots of everything. I could buy my stuff and I didn’t even have to order. They have more new stuff, but maintain a reasonable selection of the old. Then sometime, I don’t know when for sure, something happened. They stopped carrying certain CD’s. Then certain sections started to disappear. Most all of the specifics started to be blurred in other categories and of course there CD section had begun, and is still, receding. Now also over the same time the following sections expanded: vinyl records, books and magazines, toys, snacks, other memorabilia, and in a strange insult to injury tape cassettes. Yes, tape cassettes the section went from non-existent to sizable. Now Park Ave CD’s is some sort of chimerical monster. Still better than nothing, but no longer offering what you’re really looking for, just stuff to spend your money on. Don’t get me wrong I understand Park Ave CD’s is a business and they have to respond to market trends. But markets also respond to them. If I can’t buy what I am looking for in your store I will regrettably go online.

Side Rant- I grew up with cassettes and vinyl, and I love vinyl. But cassettes are terrible. Having to rewind them, or fast forward them if it is not on the side you want. Then your tape player gets old and starts eating every tape you put in it. Most likely it is your favorite tape that gets eaten. Then you carefully extract it and wind it carefully up with a pencil trying not to damage it. Then it never plays right again. Most likely, it will also make other tape players become tape eaters as well. The quality on CD’s is also world’s above tape quality. I know tapes are cheap and easy to record and share. And there are somethings never released on vinyl or CD, but only on tape. Still, to think a return to tape cassettes is desirable I imagine you would have to be born after the tape era, or ether suffer from an illogical nostalgia for pain and tribulations. Don’t get me wrong, they were fine at the time. Technology has improved past tapes though, we can leave them with eight tracks. Vinyl is different, there is the whole audiophile thing to consider. Even though CDs have a cleaner kind of quality, there is a warmth from vinyl albums you just don’t get from other mediums. Like vacuum tubes over integrated circuits, it is a different sound. 

The second store is Rock and Roll Heaven (http://www.rock-n-rollheaven.com/). It is an amazing place. It took me longer to get there. I probably made it in 2006 or 2007 for the first time. Rock and Roll Heaven focuses on records, though they have their fair share of other categories. The have great and sensible sections for styles of music, and a big sized store. The have more of the older stuff, but a reasonable selection of the new. They also have all the typical Rock and Roll, and other types of, memorabilia you could think of. The place is like a music shrine. The place is great and I can find a lot of my stuff. Then nothing happened. Nothing happened to the store. They have lots of business and all the things I ever wanted from them, they still carry. They have not got rid of my sections. The have lots of stuff to dig through. Their cassette selection has not taken over any more floor space than it ever did. Somethings I can’t find there that I use to find at Park Ave CD’s. But it’s not because the store got rid of music that is still available, it’s because they sell a lot of used music that is not replaceable. The two stores use to have different focuses. One more of a CD store and one more of a Vinyl Store. Although the both always sold both. The difference is the store focusing on older music has succeeded in its mission, while even having some of the new stuff. While the Store with the newer stuff now sells older stuff, and doesn’t sell much new stuff that is good. Don’t get me wrong I love going in both stores and it used to be that I couldn’t go into ether store and not spend money. I still can’t go into Rock and Roll heaven without spending money. But now when I go in Park Ave CD’s it takes me longer, I find less, and then I leave depressed without buying anything.

I know a lot of people here may criticize me for not knowing what is going on. They may say things like everybody buys new music online. Peoples buying patterns have changed. I do understand this. I just don’t think it’s a one way street. All the other categories of products that they replaced their really diverse music selection with are also things people are buying online. Yes, they still have a great business and I still shop there. But it was one really interesting place where you could discover and find esoteric greats. They still really try to have a lot headphones for people to sample things. I can’t fault them that. And a lot of people come from a long way to shop there. That is not because it is so good though. That is because of the death of everything else. Park Ave CD’s is wonderful because they are one of the hold out music stores. Thankfully Rock and Roll heaven is one of the hold out music stores too. A lot of people still prefer to walk in somewhere and pick something out. It is becoming a harder thing to find though. If you enjoy them, support your local music stores while they are still here!

If any of this ranting makes you want to explore record stores listen up! There is an app that I am still experimenting with it is called “The Vinyl District” (http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/). Download it from your app store (iphone and android). You can then get a list of all the record stores in any distance of radius from the location you are standing. You can also get concert news and store news. You can use the program without an account, but if you sign up for one you can report new record stores and changes with existing record stores. I have tried it out in town. It has all of the stores I know and some I don’t. I think it would be great for traveling or if you are in a new city. Happy Hunting!