LPs are hip again -- with youths
Maybe the older generation got something right, after all.
More young music buffs have turned their backs on the MP3 revolution to embrace the vinyl LP, a format that their parents (and grandparents!) collected back in the day.
Small, hip record labels, like Chicago's Thrill Jockey and Touch & Go, are leading the charge by offering new releases in vinyl format as well as CD.
The vinyl releases offer the warm sound that many music buffs believe CDs lack, as well as the old-school cover art, liner notes and other extras.
"It's still a niche market, but our vinyl versions sell out all the time," said Dave Halstead of Thrill Jockey Records, home to such indie bands as Freakwater, the Sea & Cake and Tortoise. "People appreciate the artfulness of vinyl, and the sound quality."
Older music fans aren't surprised that LPs have found a new appreciation among young people.
"A well-designed vinyl record is an art form in and of itself," said Chicago DJ and vinyl devotee Bob Stroud.