Believe it or not, the vinyl record isn't dead. Sales of vinyl, after a steep decline through the 90's, are rebounding with youth. The growth is mostly in 7-inch singles, a favorite among the indie and underground set. The recent White Stripes release "The Denial Twist" sold 5500 copies on 7-inch vinyl, helping the single break into the UK top ten.

If you've fallen under the spell of vinyl as a functioning collectible media, this is a passe notion for you. However, most readers are scratching their heads wondering why anyone would continue to purchase a format that was supposed to be dead and buried a long time ago. Chris Stevens of CNet offers a reason, "It's likely that the tactile joy of owning a physical object that represents your attachment to a band is infinitely more enjoyable than entering a credit card number into iTunes. Not to mention the fun of manipulating turntable technology to play vinyl, that sense of physical control of the medium. Sales of record decks appear to bear this out -- turntables had disappeared from high street stores but now we're beginning to see major retailers stocking these antique wonders."

I'll agree with his sentiment. My own Bang and Olufsen turntable has long been a prized possession and, the magic of a spinning record with its little pops and clicks and fantastic sonic range, is a mesmerizing and satiating experience that CD or mp3 will never be able to match. How can you not love a mechanical device of such grace? The unit pictured above is a $3,000 orgy of engineering mastery, available from Progressive Engineering.

[via CNet Crave]
[Photo courtesy of Progresive Engineering]