Shaun Hague (of Journeyman – A Tribute to Eric Clapton) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!
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J. Blake Fichera’s Passion Project: ‘Scored to Death’
BY JULIA CIRIGNANO
Throughout 2016, Limelight Magazine has spotlighted a number of great film score composers and the soundtracks they created, primarily in the horror movie genre. We think everyone would agree that classic films such as Psycho, Halloween and Friday the 13th just wouldn’t be the same without their memorable scores.
When we found out that J. Blake Fichera, of New York, recently authored a book called Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers, we couldn’t wait to interview him for a feature story.
In his book, Fichera interviewed 14 renowned film score composers who have created music for such films as The Beyond, The Conjuring, Friday the 13th, Halloween, Hellraiser, House of the Devil, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Supsiria and many more. Among the composers he interviewed are: Nathan Barr, Charles Bernstein, Joseph Bishara, Simon Boswell, John Carpenter, Jay Chattaway, Fabio Frizzi, Jeff Grace, Maurizio Guarini, Tom Hajdu, Alan Howarth, Harry Manfredini, Claudio Simonetti, and Christopher Young.
In our interview with Fichera, he spoke about why he chose to write Scored to Death, how he chose each composer, the format of his book, and a number of other interesting things.
“My favorite kinds of books are film and music-related non-fiction and horror film scores are a genre of music that I am passionate about,” Fichera said. “So the decision to write Scored to Death actually, kind of, came out of necessity. I really wanted to read a book like it but I couldn’t find one, so I decided to write it myself.”
Fichera explained why he felt confident about writing the book due to his experience interviewing artists.
“I have been interviewing musicians and film-related people for various publications and websites, off and on, for years,” Fichera said. “In my own mind, it didn’t seem that crazy at the time. Had I not had experience as an interviewer, I may have been too intimidated to actually go through with it but I knew that talking to artists about what they do was something I really loved doing. So I decided to just go for it and now, almost 3 years later, the book has been completed, published, released and luckily, the feedback has been pretty good.”
Fichera is obviously a skilled writer, editor, producer, and musician. Although his parents were not musicians, music has always been a big part of his life, starting with the influence of his grandfather.
“My grandfather was actually a dancer, singer and one half of a comedy duo called Fisher and Marks,” Fichera said. “They were the comic relief in a couple of forgotten music-themed movies in the 1950s and had a live act, etc. I guess music and performing may be in my DNA somewhere, but my grandfather died when I was pretty young so I don’t think he was a direct influence on my love for music and performing live.”
Although his parents were not musicians, they kindled Fichera’s love for music during his childhood that has continued into the present day.
“My parents and my older brother are all music-lovers, with pretty eclectic tastes and I think that is where my love for music, and so many different kinds of music, stems from,” he said. “Listening to music is just something I always did and then when I was in high school, I started playing guitar. Now as an adult, I perform live regularly in New York City.”
In Scored to Death, Fichera interviewed a variety of classic and contemporary film composers over the phone, with the exception of Fabio Frizzi which was done by e-mail because of the language barrier.
“I love horror film music so picking composers I liked and wanted to talk to was my first priority,” Fichera began. “That was really the most important thing to me, because this was a passion project. I didn’t have a publisher when I started. I was doing this on my own and for myself, so I wanted to enjoy the experience! Also, of course, featuring some composers of iconic scores from iconic horror films was important but I’d say even more important to me, was interviewing a diverse group of artists. I really wanted to cover as wide a spectrum of horror film music and artistry as I could.”
Scored to Death is a great read especially for anyone who is interested in horror film scores. One interesting thing about the book is the way it’s structured with self-contained interviews. This way, readers can jump from one composer to another without necessarily reading the book from beginning to end.
“I didn’t really have a format in mind when I started writing, because I didn’t know what I was going to get,” Fichera said. “I think one of the book’s biggest strengths is that the interviews feel very conversational. I think because of that, giving each of the composers their own chapter, seemed to be the best option. I really just wanted to do whatever would serve the book best and ultimately I decided that keeping each interview/conversation intact seemed to be the way I would want to read them.”
Fichera enjoyed interviewing all of the 14 composers. He said each of them had something interesting and unique to add to the book.
“I think all of the composers really opened up and had very insightful things to say about themselves, their work, their process, the business, etc.,” Fichera said. “What I will say though, is that I’ve had more than a few people tell me that they like how ‘raw’ the Christopher Young interview is and I think that is because Chris and I got a bit into the nitty-gritty, regarding the ups and downs of being a composer in the film industry, and he was extremely candid and honest about it. It seems that many readers are finding that part of his interview very enlightening and interesting.”
Despite being very happy with the composers he chose to interview, Fichera said there were some that he wanted to interview but wasn’t able to.
“Two of the biggest deciding factors regarding who actually ended up in the book were (1) could I find contact information for them and (2) did they get back to me,” he said. “Nobody declined to participate, but several people or their agents just never got back to me. Now that could be because the contact information I found was false or out of date, etc., but nonetheless, they are not in the book.”
Fichera doesn’t have a favorite horror movie composer but he did mention one of his biggest inspirations.
“The biggest inspirations for my pursuing the book were probably John Carpenter and the band Goblin,” Fichera said.
Due to Fichera’s passion for many horror movies, he couldn’t possibly pick a favorite.
“I don’t have one favorite horror film but I will say that one of my favorite horror films is John Carpenter’s The Thing,” Fichera said.
Fichera said he has been inspired and intrigued by the genre of horror for a while now.
“In one way or another, horror has always been a very big part of my life,” he said. “Although I didn’t get serious about horror films and really start to study them and explore all aspects of them until high school and then especially in film school/college.”
Fichera promoted the book with a signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA, on August 21, 2016. He talked about how he found out about the store.
“I took a trip to Los Angeles in the spring and had the great pleasure and honor of hanging out with a few of the composers featured in the book,” Fichera said. “While at dinner with Harry Manfredini and Joseph Bishara, they told me that I should check out this bookstore called Dark Delicacies while I was in town because they thought I would love it.”
One thing led to another and the store owners Sue and Del Howison ended up hosting Fichera for a signing at their store. While many of the composers whom Fichera interviewed attended the event, Fichera was surprised to see Charles Bernstein and Alan Howarth in attendance. This was Fichera’s first time meeting them. He talked about the experience and the support he received.
“I knew Harry, Joseph and Chris would come because those are three of the composers I spent time with during my spring trip to LA and they all expressed that they would definitely be there,” Fichera began. “Several of the other composers that live in the area expressed that they would love to attend, if their scheduled permitted, so that was the reason for the uncertainty regarding Charles and Alan. I knew they wanted to come but I wasn’t sure they would be able to. Thankfully they did show up!”
Fichera has been surprised by his own success and thrilled by the outcome at the Dark Delicacies signing.
“The signing was amazing! I had never done one before, so I don’t know what a ‘good turnout’ is for that kind of thing but the store’s owners seemed happy. So that made me happy,” Fichera said. “To me it was a bit like a dream. Before the signing, Joseph Bishara and I were standing around chatting and he commented, ‘Hey people are starting to line up already. That’s great!’ For some reason I replied, ‘Yeah, but they are all here to see you guys (meaning the composers, not me)’ and he looked at me and said, ‘Maybe, but we are all here because of you and to support your book. Don’t forget that.’ Which left me kind of speechless because I never really thought about it that way. For some reason, it hadn’t sunk in that five of horror’s most iconic composers were not only in the same room together but they were there, specifically to support the book and me!”
Fichera also spoke about how glad he is that many boutique labels, such as Mondo, Death Waltz and Waxwork Records, are now filling the void in the marketplace by releasing horror movie soundtracks on vinyl.
“I am extremely happy that these scores are having a renaissance and being distributed,” Fichera said. “It is about time that these composers and their amazing work are being highlighted and given their due. I do have to admit though, that I don’t love the ‘limited edition’ and ‘variant’ aspects of that business. It has been getting better because labels are now releasing less limited ‘standard’ editions of soundtracks in addition to the ‘limited editions’ but much like variant comic book covers and the way the DVD/Blu-ray industry releases a new-and-improved edition of beloved films every year or so, I can’t help but feel like it preys on and takes advantage of the loyalty and passion of the true fans and collectors.”
Most of the feedback that Scored to Death has received so far has been positive. Fichera talked about his surprise due to the positive reaction that he hadn’t expected but gladly accepts.
“There haven’t been that many formal reviews but the ones that have been written are favorable,” Fichera said. “The book was just included on a list of ‘10 Essential Books for the Horror Fan,’ which is amazing because it is in some very good company. The coolest thing though, and something I totally wasn’t expecting, is that people are sending me and posting pictures of their personal copies of the book on social media. I find that amazing and a bit surreal. That’s my baby popping up in pictures from all over the world! I love that and I’m grateful to everyone that has purchased a copy and has supported the book and I hope they enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed working on it.”
You can grab your copy of Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers on Amazon by clicking HERE and it can be ordered at most local bookstores.
“I’m hoping to do more signings and I will be selling and signing books at various horror conventions in the future,” Fichera said. “If people are interested in that kind of stuff or just want to keep up with all things Scored to Death, they can follow the book on Facebook and Twitter @ScoredtoDeath.”
Also check out one of Fichera’s other projects.
“I co-host a very fun and nostalgic movie-themed podcast called Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers,” Fichera said. “If you love movies and listen to podcasts, give us a listen when you get a chance. It’s available on iTunes and most other podcast sites and apps and people can follow that on Facebook and Twitter as well, if they like.”
Simon Fitzpatrick Congratulates Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!
Simon Fitzpatrick (of Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!
After 13 years, Fright Rags continues to produce the best horror T-shirts
BY JULIA CIRIGNANO
Ben Scrivens, President and CEO of the Rochester, NY, based business Fright Rags, recently spoke with Limelight Magazine. Scrivens founded Fright Rags in 2003 and has worked tirelessly since then to keep their mission of making the “best horror shirt designs period” intact while expanding and evolving in a positive direction.
“It happened pretty organically, really,” said Scrivens when asked about why he decided to open a horror-centered T-shirt shop. “I am a graphic designer by trade and was looking for something to do in my free time to let off some creative steam. I’ve always been a huge horror fan (and a fan of weird and interesting T-shirts) so I decided to combine the two because I never had any cool shirts to wear based on my love for the genre. Once I posted them on my friend’s forum (Justin Mabry of Nightowl Productions), people seemed to like them so I thought I’d start up a website and sell them.”
Over the past 13 years of business, the company has evolved in many different ways.
“What started out as just me with a couple boxes in the spare room of my apartment is now a business that employs eight people (six of whom are full time) in an office/warehouse (that used to be the old morgue) in downtown Rochester, NY,” Scrivens said. “Even though we are still a small company, it has grown bigger than I had ever imagined. However, the goal is still the same: make the best damn shirts and provide the best service, period.”
Scrivens also spoke about the ways in which he has grown as a business owner.
“I did not go to school for business so it has been all on-the-job training for me,” he said. “As we grow, so does the need to figure out how to handle that growth, lead people, and create the culture I want to have around me at all times. These are things I never thought about when it was just me sitting at my computer building the website from scratch.”
Fright Rags’ website states that it has the “best horror shirt designs period.” Scrivens explained the process of how he comes up with the T-shirt designs.
“The process differs depending on the artist, property, and other factors,” Scrivens began. “In general, it starts with us getting the license for a specific property. Once we sign the deal, we think about what we want to see on a shirt and who we want to work with to create the designs. Sometimes, we have very specific ideas that we give our artists; other times we tell the artist to run with it and only give them the limitations we may receive from the licensor. Then, we look at the rough draft and make notes, send for approvals, and eventually get to the final design. It’s a long but fun process and usually by the time the public sees them, we’ve been staring at them for a few months so it’s great to see everyone’s reactions when we finally reveal them.”
Many of the T-shirt designs at Fright Rags capture those favorite moments or scenes from a particular film. Scrivens said this is one of the main things that sets Fright Rags business apart from other niche T-shirt companies.
“Many companies tend to just slap images they are given from the licensor onto the shirt with the title,” Scrivens said. “While that has its place, we have always focused on the original art that we commission from artists as a cornerstone to what we do and I believe that it what helps set us apart from everyone else.”
Fright Rags recently launched some T-shirt collections with musicians such as Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie.
“Both artists have been pretty involved with the designs and we were given a fair amount of leeway when creating them,” Scrivens explained. “We worked through our licensor and Alice’s management to get approval. For Rob, I worked with him directly on all of our designs. He’s a great guy and has a lot of constructive input on our designs, which has made the process not only smooth but also very collaborative.”
A big part of Fright Rags’ success is due to their user friendly website. It has a lot of unique features such as the ability to request reprints of past T-shirts.
“We used to bring back a set amount of reprints each month but these days we only focus on the best-selling items and keep those in stock,” Scrivens said. “Like any product, there is a life cycle and we track sales on all items to see what is selling, what is not, and adjust. In general, we bring back four to six designs every month but that varies depending on what we are releasing at any given time. There is no guarantee that a shirt will be back, so it’s always good to grab it when you can because it might be gone for good.”
When asked what his favorite T-shirt design has been over the past 13 years, he said, “That is a tough one because I think of these shirts as my kids. However, a few of them are Chum Bucket, Halloween V1, and Kill Destroyers.”
Another unique trait of Fright Rags is their Midnight Madness T-shirt sales which have been quite popular. Scrivens talked about how he came up with this idea to release one-of-a-kind shirt designs for only 24 hours without the ability to ever purchase them again.
“I always liked the idea of releasing limited edition shirts that you had to jump on to get it in time or they were gone forever,” Scrivens said. “I wanted to do something that made me remember staying up late on Fridays and Saturdays as a kid, watching horror films, so releasing these late Friday to late Saturday seemed like a cool way to recall our childhood memories.”
Scrivens also talked about one of the horror conventions in Cherry Hill, NJ, that Fright Rags has been a part of for a while now.
“Monster Mania in Cherry Hill are the two shows (March and August) that we participate in on a regular basis,” Scrivens said. “It’s hard for us to get out to a lot of shows but we plan to add some more in the future. While they are great for marketing, I also love getting out there and meeting our fans and customers. They become the celebrities to me as I can finally put faces to the names we see on our screens every day.”
Besides conventions, Scrivens talked about the other ways in which he markets and promotes Fright Rags.
“We focus mainly on our email newsletters and social media for our advertising, as well as a few print ads,” he said. ‘We are extremely fortunate in that people like to share our stuff, so word of mouth has been instrumental to our growth.”
With the holidays coming up, Scrivens explained that this is definitely his busiest time of the year for him.
“Things pick up in September and are busy right through mid-late December,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with the types of things we release around this time of year but obviously Halloween and Christmas play a huge role in that as well.”
Scrivens would like to thank everyone who has supported and continues to support Fright Rags.
“I just want to say thank you to each and every person who has ordered from us, posted a pic of themselves in a shirt, tweeted us, liked us on Facebook, or visited us at conventions. Every person who has interacted with us in some way has helped make this company what it is today. That is something I do not take for granted, ever.”
For more info about Fright Rags or to purchase a T-shirt or any of the other products they carry, click HERE.
Paul Bielatowicz Congratulates Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!
Paul Bielatowicz (of Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!
Dan Masterson wins Last Band Standing Competition and plans next moves
BY JULIA CIRIGNANO
Dan Masterson is a Boston based singer/songwriter who is best known for his emotion driven, pop/rock music. On October 15th, Masterson won The Last Band Standing Competition, hosted by New England Music Awards that featured nearly 200 acts from across New England.
Masterson sat down with Limelight Magazine to discuss his recent win. He talked about the competition which was hosted at The Hard Rock Café in Boston and his gratitude towards his band, fans, and the judges.
“The band and I are really proud to have won and we’re excited for the opportunity that comes along with the prizes of studio time and promotion,” Masterson said. “Especially because so many great acts competed (not just at the final round but in the preliminary rounds) we feel lucky to have made it. A few judges who had seen us perform before said we were far more polished and comfortable at this show. I credit that to my bandmates who have been playing out with me now for around two years and to our friends who come through again and again, singing along at the show.”
Masterson spoke about how he met the other three band members Alec Gaston, Matt Silva, and Jamie Howell.
“I met Matthew Silva (bass, vocals) when he responded to a Craigslist ad,” Masterson said. “I’m always very specific in Craigslist ads for bandmates. I think I referenced James Jamerson and a few other bass players I really like so I could find the best match. It’s a tricky business using Craigslist but [Silva] knew all the names, understood the vibe, and was a great fit.”
“Alec Gaston (guitar, vocals) I met in the middle of one of his solo cover gigs in the basement of the Harvard Square Tasty Burge,” he continued. “I stumbled in just to kill some time and grab a bite. There were maybe five people in the room and he was laying it all out, like he was determined to melt those five faces. When he took a break, I introduced myself, asked him if he’d be interested in checking out my group and possibly joining up.”
“Jamie Howell (drums) came on board about six months ago after Alec suggested he join up. Alec and Jamie also played together in a Brooklyn-based group called Chameleon Culture so the transition was very smooth.”
These four band members form a tight knit band family and have continued to refine their music ever since meeting. Masterson spoke about the experience of playing with his band during the competition.
“The Hard Rock Café has one of the best sound systems in Boston and a great staff and vibe to go with it,” Masterson said. “I’ve had the pleasure of playing there five or six times in the last few years and every time our friends are excited to come to the show because they know it’s going to sound good.”
During the competition, Masterson performed several of his original pop/rock songs and a cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” He explained why he chose each song he performed, showing just how much thought really goes into picking a playlist.
“In a showcase/competition scenario, we have a relatively short amount of time to both entertain the crowd and impress the judges,” Masterson said. “We knew that ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ got great feedback from a recent benefit show we did at Oberon so we decided that would be the cover tune for both rounds. We also rolled out a brand new arrangement of ‘Helpless’ at the first round, which gave our fans something fresh and showed the judges we had some versatility to our sound.”
“For the final round, we went for all the crowd pleasers — the songs that have been popular on Spotify and Pandora like ‘Learn To Live’ and ‘Slow Burn’. We put ‘Atlas’ last at the final because it has a fun bridge that the audience likes to sing along with. These are all things we’ve learned by playing shows, watching footage from the gigs, and thinking critically about how we can constantly engage with the audience,” he continued.
Masterson’s prize for winning the competition included studio time at three recording studios. He talked about how excited he is to record especially at Rocking Horse Studio in Pittsfield, N.H., with producer Brian Coombes.
“We already had some plans in the works for recording new music so to some extent we’re planning to hold that studio time in our back pocket for when it’s most needed,” Masterson explained. “I have chatted with Alex Allinson at the Bridge Sound & Stage (in Cambridge, Mass.) about doing something really special for our biggest supporters but I don’t want to let the genie out of the bottle too soon. Your readers will have to jump on my e-mail list to find out!”
Masterson released his first album in 2011 title The Father Time. He explained the copious ways in which he has evolved since his debut album.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with several professional engineers and producers since that release and I’ve played tons of venues both solo and with my band,” he said. “I’ve played to audiences of all sizes on instruments of varying quality with sound systems of even more varying quality. All of those experiences reform how we arrange a song, how I play a song, and future writing. Most importantly, I think I’ve learned that the only way to really improve your craft is to work with musicians who are more talented than you, engineers that are more knowledgeable than you, and producers who are more experienced than you.”
Masterson released his most recent album Atlas in April of 2015 and has plans to work on new music soon.
“We’re definitely itching to get back in the studio and put some new tunes down,” he said. “I’m excited to be working through the preliminary stages of a new project with Boston Music Award winner Dave Brophy. I don’t want to let the genie out of the bottle too soon but we have some exciting plans that involve new music coming your way at the start of 2017.”
Masterson is known for his emotional performances both live and on his albums. His music is first and foremost piano driven pop/rock which is evident within his exceptional performances. Masterson said that his favorite part of performing is the “connection the music fosters between people and the ability of songs to reach people.”
“It’s great to look out from the stage and see friends meeting new people,” he said. “It’s energizing and inspiring to hear from fans after a set that a certain song helped them through a breakup or a tough move or some other life stressor. There are also these moments where the whole band vibes and plays off one another in a really indescribable, improvisational way. Those moments are thrilling and keep the songs alive.”
While Masterson’s ability to produce emotional performances has it pros, it also has its cons. He talked about how he deals with being open and honest all of the time.
“I always remember that even though I’m drawing on my personal experiences and personal emotions (which can leave me feeling exposed for sure) these are often universal feelings: rejection, existentialism, financial stress, jealousy, heartbreak,” he began. “Sometimes, I’ll start off writing a song that’s very personal but fictionalize or embellish the story to make it slightly more compelling or more relatable. Putting emotion into a performance is essential to me.”
“It’s great that fans turn to these songs because they are raw, open, and relatable,” Masterson continued. “It’s also great to perform the tunes with a full band because we can enhance the dramatic nature of the lyrics with our arrangements and that makes for a show that sticks with the audience.”
When writing songs, Masterson likes to challenge himself by starting with fictitious scenarios.
“It’s easiest to write about real life scenarios because I can draw on every thought and emotion I might have at the time but a good portion of my writing starts off with a fictional character or hypothetical situation,” he said. “I try to come up with a clear idea of what a person might feel or say or do in a given situation. Sometimes they relate directly to my personal experience. Other times, it’s purely an exercise in empathy and creative writing.”
Although Masterson takes on as much creativity as possible with his songwriting, it is also a therapeutic, self-healing experience for him.
“A good number of the songs off [my sophomore EP] Learn To Live were written after a particularly difficult time for me, when I was questioning my own character and dealing with the fallout of a failed relationship,” Masterson explained. “Sometimes it’s good to vent through songs. My priority though is on the craft of writing a good song. I really respect songwriters who choose each word carefully, consider the meter and placement of words, even how a word sounds on a certain note or how the melody helps augment the emotions of a certain phrase.”
Masterson is a perfectionist when it comes to songwriting. He is passionate about his writing but is also greatly aware of the world outside of emotions and rock n roll. Masterson explained his mission as a musician both on a micro and macro scale.
“I want to write songs that reach people and connect us to one another,” he said. “I strive to have a great, energetic live show and carefully crafted studio recordings. I treat songwriting and performing as a craft that I’m constantly working to improve. I also aim to support other artists, craftspeople, and small business owners who play an active role in their community and do amazing work while doing good. I buy USA made merchandise via locally owned and operated vendors like QRSTs in Somerville. I work with designers and photographers from the immediate area. At the Last Band Standing Final, we also raised $55 (which we are doubling) to donate to the Cambridge Health Alliance’s Haitian Mental Health Clinic. They offer culturally sensitive counseling for folks in our community who may be dealing with family loss or stress following Hurricane Matthew’s devastating impact on the people of Haiti.”
Off the heels of his Last Band Standing win, Masterson has some future plans that he can talk about.
“We’re looking toward a victory mini-tour around New England to celebrate the Last Band Standing win and bring our band to some cities we haven’t been just yet,” he explained. “We’re also starting in early on applications for summer festivals, hoping to get in front of new audiences and keep our momentum moving forward. The radio promotion campaign from Powderfinger Promotions (another Last Band Standing prize) has the potential to really boost our visibility across New England and we want to have some high profile appearances lined up so listeners who happen upon our new tunes have the opportunity to catch our live show too.”
Don’t miss Masterson live at The Common Man in Concord, NH on Nov. 3 and Article 24 in Brighton, MA on Nov. 18. Masterson’s music and complete list of upcoming shows can be found HERE. You can also check out Masterson’s email list which is the primary destination for updates on new music and performances HERE.
Louis St. August Congratulates Limelight Magazine on10 Years!
Louis St. August (of MASS) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!
Lindsay Seidel Congratulates Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!
Actress Lindsay Seidel offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!
Bruce Pilato Congratulates Limelight Magazine on 10 Years!
Bruce Pilato (of Pilato Entertainment) offers congratulatory words to Limelight Magazine on their 10th anniversary!
10 record store owners from New England talk about vinyl’s resurgence
BY JULIA CIRIGNANO
Over the past few years there has been a resurgence in vinyl records sales throughout North America. Hipsters are credited with bringing the trend back in the hopes of preserving the authenticity of vinyl. Now, this trend has become part of popular culture again.
In 2015, sales of vinyl records were up 32 percent to $416 million, their highest level since 1988, according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Unlike the 1980’s, records are now sold practically everywhere, not just in record stores but in places such as Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble and even Whole Foods Market. Businesses make decent money selling vinyl and continue to stock and advertise them.
Since people still appreciate the authentic, sweet sound of vinyl and hope to preserve it for generations to come, Limelight Magazine recently spoke with 10 record store owners throughout New England about the rise in vinyl record sales and why they believe this is happening.
Burlington Records (170 Bank Street, Burlington, VT 05401)
Jacob Grossi, owner of Burlington Records in Burlington, VT, believes that there has always been an interest in vinyl but it has recently risen due to the substitute not being good enough. Vinyl was replaced by CDs so that music could be more mobile but not everyone is looking for a mobile way to listen to music. Many people still love vinyl records and hope to savor their originality.
Grossi has personally seen an increase in vinyl sales at Burlington Records and talked to Limelight about what he has experienced.
“We’ve had a vinyl only store for ten years. The change over the last ten years though was that we got more new releases,” Grossi said.
He explained that people not only want vinyl records as collectables but they want new and upcoming albums to be available in vinyl format.
Grossi’s favorite album to listen to on vinyl is (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay by soul singer Otis Redding. Grossi also made sure to also specify that he’s talking about the original cut.
Cheapo Records (538 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139)
Allen Bay has owned Cheapo Records since the ‘70’s. Over the past few years he has seen a sudden increase in vinyl records sales.
“A few years ago I realized that we’re actually selling more vinyl than CD’s and now we’re selling a lot more,” he said.
Bay talked about the value vinyl records have and how this has changed over the years.
“Records were something you had to have 50 years ago or even 40 years ago. Now, I think it’s more of the fact there are so many young people with disposable incomes. It’s a great hobby. It’s not addictive and it doesn’t put people out on the streets. I think vinyl is great. Young people who are into analog sound, buying old used records, get to hear things the way they should have been,” he said.
Bay also gave his opinion of why he thinks vinyl sales have increased.
“It’s a fad,” he said. “50 years ago everybody who listened to music had to have records. Now it’s an upper middle class, mostly white male, trend. Although I do have some dieheard female customers.”
Bay also talked about another different between vinyl records now compared to what they used to be.
“Not too many people are just buying everything,” he said. ”They’re getting into this, they’re getting into that. I think the internet drives both the interest and the titles.”
Bay mentioned some of his favorite records to listen to on vinyl.
“I grew up as a teenager in the ‘50’s so I like what we called rock ‘n roll,” he said while giving examples, “Ladders, [The] Flamingos, and The Black Keys.”
In Your Ear Records (462 Main St., Warren, RI 02885)
Reed Lapplin, co-owner of In Your Ear Records spoke briefly about why he believes people are interested in vinyl again.
“They’re all bored with their computers,” he said. “They’ve all been staring at their screens too long.”
Lapplin said that he has noticed this rise in popularity within his store.
“Well it’s been going on for a while,” he said. “It’s not the first vinyl revival. It’s happened four or five times already.”
Joe’s Albums (317 Main St., Worcester, MA 01608)
Limelight Magazine spoke with Joe Demers, owner of Joe’s Albums, about the increase in vinyl record sales. He said that he has seen an increase, “Definitely over the last couple of years, especially the last year. There’s been significant increase that’s coupled with the customer age rang getting a lot broader than it used to be.”
Demers gave his opinion on why he thinks this resurgence in vinyl is happening.
“It might be a push back against downloading music and not physically having anything,” he said. “Vinyl is a bit more of a tangible experience to hold something, put it on the table itself, and maybe sit and read the record sleeve while you’re listening to it. Also, I think you listen a lot more rather than just having music as background noise if you’re streaming or just have something on shuffle.”
Demers had two more possible reasons for the increase in vinyl record sales and interest.
“People in their 40s and those age ranges who grew up with vinyl are now getting back into it,” he said. “Honestly, I also think that the industry is behind it a little bit and pushing it because I don’t believe they make much off a 99-cent or less download and vinyl records are kind of pricey.”
Demers said that his favorite record to listen to on vinyl is Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd.
Music Connection (1711 S Willow St., Manchester, NH 03103)
John Benedict, owner of Music Connection in Manchester, NH, has seen “a steady increase” in vinyl sales and he talked to Limelight Magazine about why he thinks this is happening.
“I think it’s the physicality,” he said. “I think the other reason is that it’s a way to get away from your device. It provides a comfort and solace away from all the other things that take up your time. It’s a getaway.”
Benedict believes that although CD’s once replaced vinyl, streaming music is becoming the most common way to listen now. With devices such as Pandora and Spotify, anyone can listen to a variety of music for free. Benedict talked about why experiencing vinyl is better than streaming music.
“You literally have to physically place it on the machine and be an active participant,” he said.” I think that’s something that’s a novelty to a younger generation. It’s a conscious decision. I mean, there’s the cool aspect but also if you’re on Snapchat or Instagram or any of those things you need a break and I think vinyl provides that break.”
Benedict talked about the relationship that vinyl creates between the musician and the listener that he believes can’t be replicated with streaming music.
“The other thing is, if you’re dealing with a larger graphic platform you have a 12 by 12 inch place to put artwork,” he said. “You can put little trinkets or extras. You can make the vinyl a different color. You can do glow in the dark covers. There are just so many things you just can’t do with a stream or a download that make it a little more special and make a statement from the artist to the listener.”
Benedict talked about his favorite albums to listen to on vinyl and why.
“It’s Revolver by The Beatles,” he said. “To me, it’s one really great listen. I never get tired of it. I always hear something new and fresh. I hear attention to detail. The songwriting is strong. There’s experimentation. The cover’s black and white and it’s a pen and ink drawing with photos. I just think it’s pretty amazing.”
Nuggets Records (486 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215)
Stewart Freedman, owner of Nuggets Records in Boston, MA, spoke with Limelight Magazine about why he thinks vinyl has had a sudden comeback. While he has definitely noticed this trend, he isn’t sure why this is happening. Here are his thoughts.
“It could be the movie High Fidelity,” Freedman said. “Also, some customers think that it might be Jack White the guy from The White Stripes because he has his own record store and really pushed it. I thought that was a little far-fetched but maybe. Also, a lot of kids come in here and tell me that a few years ago they were finding their parents albums in the attic or something.”
Freedman talked about his personal connection with vinyl records.
“I don’t know specifically why but I always thought they were cooler than CD’s,” he said. “When I was a kid you’d have your friends over to look at an album and you would pass around the cover and play the record. I don’t know if people really did that with CD’s. I don’t think they would pass around the booklet because they are so small you can’t really read them.”
When asked what he favorite vinyl album was, he answered, “I like the older stuff like [The] Beatles, [The Rolling] Stones, [Bob] Dylan and there are a lot of good bands out now too that I like such as The Decemberists.”
Round Again Records (278 Wickenden St., Providence, RI 02903)
http://www.roundagainrecordsri.com
Limelight Magazine spoke with Steven Kotler who has owned Round Again Records for 36 years. His store has had great success, although he described it as, “a little 600 foot mom and pop store.”
Kotler doesn’t know exactly why people are suddenly interested in vinyl right now but he has a clear idea about why vinyl has lasted as long as it has.
“Vinyl records sound better,” he said. “They’re tactile. It’s something you can actually hold in your hand. It’s got a great cover.”
Skeletone Records (50 N Main St., Rochester, NH 03867)
http://skeletonerecords.limitedrun.com
Todd Radict, the owner of Skeletone Records, talked to Limelight Magazine about the rise in vinyl popularity and why he thinks this is happening.
“Because it sounds better,” he said. “CD’s always have a high tone pitch that to me is very irritating. Vinyl has a warmer feel. It’s also that you can see the artwork. With CD’s you can’t really see what’s going on. It’s more of a luxury than a CD is. You have to take care of it. If you don’t take care of the record you might not be able to get another one because it might sell out.”
Radict explained the rise he has been in vinyl sales at Skeletone.
“That’s our biggest seller in the store. We have over 100,000 records in the store,” he said.
Spun Records (6 Grove St., Dover, NH 03820)
Mark Matarozzo owner of Spun Records, spoke about his opinion on why there has been a sudden interest in vinyl records again. Matarozzo said that he has seen both an increase in vinyl sales and an interest in vinyl again at Spun records
“I think there’s a couple different levels of it,” he began. “There’s an interest through the kids that are hearing about it more and then there’s an older generation that hears ‘oh, the thing that I liked when I was younger is back’. I’ve actually have people here in their mid-forties getting back into vinyl.”
Matarozzo explained a common reason why people prefer vinyl: it’s physical qualities.
“I also think that part of it is that people like to have something tangible,” he said. “Something you can actually hold and unless you get into buying new records, the price for used records is actually pretty reasonable. You can come in with twenty bucks and walk out with six or eight records.”
Matarozzo also talked about his favorite album to listen to on vinyl.
“I usually go with something like Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs. I really enjoy that record and also some of the stuff I listened to when I was in school and younger. I’ve always liked Tool too.”
Sunset Records (1232 Wilbur Ave., Somerset, MA 02725)
Bob Boyer, owner of Sunset Records, spoke about the current resurgence in vinyl sales. He talked about how this sudden vinyl popularity is within many different generations. Because of this, he gets many young people experiencing vinyl for the first time instead of older generations revisiting vinyl.
“A lot of my customers are kids so it’s new to them,” he said. “They’re listening to things that were pre-digital like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles.”
Boyer’s personal favorite vinyl record is an acoustic album by the late Sandy Bull titled Inventions. Bull is a folk singer who Boyer believes has created some amazing music even though he was never very well known. Although he wasn’t a big act, Boyer explained that his music sells well to this day, possibly due to the quality of the acoustic sound on vinyl.
Limelight Magazine 