Vinyls and record players are back! In recent years, the sales of record players and vinyls have skyrocketed. Vinyl just sounds better because records have more peaks and valleys than compressed compact discs.
“Records have a more omni-dimensional sound that really fills the room a lot better” says Andrew Schaer, owner of Hear Again Music & Movies in Gainesville, Florida. According to Billboard, 43.46 million vinyl albums were sold in 2022 (up 4.2% from 2021). Newer artists are selling vinyls along with their albums streaming on Apple Music and Spotify. According to a report by Statistica, four out of the top five records sold in 2022 were new releases. These four are Taylor Swift’s Midnights, Harry Styles’s ‘Harry’s House’, Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Sour’ and Kendrick Lamar’s ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’. The outlier was Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors from 1977. If vinyl records are something you love or if you just want to start getting into it, here are some local shops in Orange County you can visit.
Melted Vinyl Coffee
580 S Brea Blvd Brea, CA 92821
Go back in time to the 1980’s, enjoy some coffee, listen and buy some records. Melted Vinyl Coffee has that 1980’s feel to it. With the Day-Glo bright colors, neon lights, and spray paint on the brick walls, it feels like you stepped out of a time capsule. The drinks there are top-notch with the best iced chai that is to die for.
Black Hole Records
115 S Harbor Blvd Fullerton, CA 92832
Black Hole Records is right here in our own backyard. Black Hole Records feel like you’re in a hazy garage watching a punk band practice. There’s a lot going on. It’s a thrift store as well as a vinyl shop. With the rock music playing as you shop, it really sets the tone. Arguably, rock could be considered their speciality, but music lovers of other genres could still find a gem here. In addition to that, they sell CDs if that’s more your style.
White Rabbit
645 S State College Blvd Ste A Fullerton, CA 92831
White Rabbit is also a few paces from home. You can spend your time deep in the crates at White Rabbit’s very wide variety. They carry acts such as Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Out
kast, Lana Del Rey and Olivia Rodrigo to name a few. White Rabbit not only sells vinyl records but they also sell CDs and cassettes for others looking for a throwback experience.
Port Of Sound Record Shoppe
1500 Adams Ave Ste 104B Costa Mesa, CA 92626
In the Southern Orange County Area, Port Of Sound is economical with its small space. Don’t gloss over any of the tight corners because there’s always a surprising find. These days, a lot of the shelves are emptier than they used to be because they sold their deep inventory to inquiring buyers. As they rebuild and restock, their curation is still on point.
