Turning to vinyl — Local shop to celebrate Record Store Day

The nostalgic value of vinyl records has rushed back like many decades-old trends that have returned revamped for the millennial generation.

Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 to celebrate more than 700 independently owned record stores across the country. Within this vast sea of local businesses, Guestroom Records rallies for the cause in Norman and Oklahoma City. The store has pushed for the celebration of Record Store Day since 2003 and invites people to come celebrate every third Saturday in April.

This year, Guestroom customers will find special releases from The Flaming Lips, Mastodon, Feist and Farside, said Joey Powell, store employee. Other artists with special Record Store Day releases this year include 311, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Childish Gambino, Coldplay, Janis Joplin, M83, Misfits and Regina Spektor.

Guestroom began with Justin Sowers and Travis Searle boxing up their own music collections and becoming the Norman store’s first compilation of used music. Two more stores have opened in Oklahoma City, and Guestroom’s small staff continues to pump life into the swelling music scene.

“I think [Record Store Day] is important because it allows independent music stores to kind of have a leg up on the big-bucks retailers,” Powell said. “Super exclusive stuff that is only available from us is immensely helpful because it narrows the choices of where they are going to shop.”

Record Store Day not only brings in special releases, but performances, too, he said.

“Last year, we probably had 200 people in this store,” he said. “At the end of things, Travis and I’s band — ‘Shitty/Awesome’ — closed it out, and I think that is the most people I have seen in this store, ever. It was pretty memorable.”

This year, celebratory music fiends can look forward to Student Film and Crown Imperial at the Bricktown location, DEERPEOPLE and Jacob Abello at the Western Oklahoma City store and Locust Avenue, Beau Jennings and Brother Bear in Norman.

Record Store Day intends to unite the art of music with the independent retailers who sell it in a world of Pirate Bays and Spotify. But, the novelty of physical music and old school music lovers has kept these music stores alive and thriving, Powell said.

“I know it is easy to go online or to iTunes, but there is nothing like having something tangible and being able to hold it and say, ‘I bought this straight from these awesome guys’, myself excluded of course,” he said.

Courtney Goforth

Courtney is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Life & Arts Reporter.