by Drew McKercher, owner, Morningbell Records

Yeah, really. That’s a question we get a lot.

I bought my first record from a pawn shop for 75 cents when I was 13 – Led Zepplin’s “Houses of the Holy.” I’ve been buying records ever since. At first, I was buying records because they were a cheaper alternative to CD’s in the mid-90’s. It took until my mid-20’s to start to recognize that what really kept me coming back to my records was sound quality. It somehow feels more real or live with vinyl. It’s like the band is in the room with you. That’s what you lose with the digital format and that’s what kept me coming back to my trusty old stack-o-matic my grandma gave me.

“But there’s no good music anymore!” Not true. Listening to music is not like trying to get the gist of a summer reading book by skimming the Cliff’s Notes a day or two before the test. You can’t expect to get into a band or genre by downloading everything you can find and trying to cram it all in your brain. Take your time! Get to know a record. It needs to get up in there, massage your soul and get next to your brain cells. That takes time and dedication. Vinyl slows you down and makes you pay attention. Give some new bands a chance.

“But I want to listen to it on my iPod.” That’s fine. Most new vinyl comes with a digital download or CD, so you’re squared away right off the bat. Beyond that, a lot of new record players have USB capabilities, allowing you to convert vinyl to .mp3 or .wav or whatever is your heart’s desire. Then when you get home, you can spend some nice quality time with your turntable and reassure it that it’s the only one for you.

“But CD’s are portable.” Refer to the previous paragraph. There’s nothing wrong with CD’s, but for the most part, don’t you end up ripping the CD into your computer and then stashing it in a closet?

“I buy CD’s for the Artwork.” VINYL HAS HUGE ARTWORK.

In summation, you should be buying records. Come see us soon.

Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year.

“There are tons of exclusive LP, 7″ and CD releases (and other merchandise) that are planned for Record Store Day on Saturday April 20,” McKercher says. The schedule, published this week, is as follows:

9am – Store Opens. First come, first served…we recommend getting there a little bit early if you’ve got something in mind you can’t live without. Quantities are limited!

11am – BOBBY RUSH Solo acoustic set. Witness one of the greats. Mr. Rush will be available to autograph his record store day CD & vinyl release “Southern King of Blues Funk”.  Limited quantities will be available.

12pm – Free BBQ from Jackson’s own Bullmoose Smokers. If you’ve had it at Morningbell before, you know not to miss it.

1pm – Taylor & Valley Hildebrand with Jamie Weems. Three of Jackson’s best.

Check out www.recordstoreday.com for the list of releases!

Morningbell is in the Shops at Duling School.