Unified Groove has vinyl for audiophiles of all ages

On National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” in Tampa, Fla., host John Sepulveda said, “CD sales are declining, but there has been a resurgence in vinyl. Audiophiles are drawn to records because there aren’t anti-piracy restrictions and people claim they just sound better than their digital counterparts.”

This is the kind of news Tony Brown likes to hear.

Brown, owner of Unified Groove Merchants, has been specializing in and selling vinyl records in the Spokane area for the past eight years and recently opened a fourth location on Government Way in Coeur d’Alene.

According to Brown, vinyl records are the most-proven format of recorded music, the only one that holds its value.

“CDs, once thought to be the end-all to listening pleasure, are losing their appeal as more people are downloading from the Internet onto iPods,” he said.

“There is a misconception among many people,” he continued, “that needles for turntables can no longer be bought or that the moment you listen to a vinyl album, it gets scratched and is ruined.”

Not true, according to Brown.

“In fact,” he said, “needles can be purchased at many music stores, and with the proper care of vinyl albums, they can last a lifetime, as many collectors are finding out.”

Brown points out that artists such as Bob Dylan continue to record first on vinyl, as do many hip-hop artists, because they believe it delivers a better-quality sound.

The moment you walk into Unified Groove Merchants, you’ll find Brown wearing his customary Converse All-Stars and cool Bing Crosby-style chapeau, cataloging albums and adding new ones to the bins.

Brown doesn’t have a precise count but says he has a selection of more than 100,000 vinyl albums, representing all genres of music from the 1940s to today.

It’s easy to catch the vinyl-record bug as album covers, both vintage and new, decorate the walls and a turntable plays familiar tunes from an early Beatles album.

That’s what brought customer Paula Howell in from Bonners Ferry. She was looking for The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” vinyl album.

She said she and her husband listen to CDs while in the car, but at home, they prefer listening to music on their turntable.

“It’s not just the nostalgia of it,” said Howell, “but the sound really is better, warmer – not tinny.”

“Unified Groove Merchants has so many albums to choose from – one of the largest selections I’ve ever seen. At good prices, too,” she continued.

“I’ve been to the location in Spokane, but this one is much more convenient for us audiophiles living in North Idaho.”

Terry Evan of Sandpoint agrees. He has been collecting vinyl albums since he was 15 in the 1960s and says he has approximately 6,000 in his collection.

He says he likes all kinds of music and stopped at Unified Groove Merchants to look for easy-listening albums. He found several.

“I like all types of music,” said Evan, “and enjoy listening to it on vinyl. For me, it’s all about the sound and experience.”

When asked how he chose the name of his store, Brown said that when he got into the business eight years ago, he thought of it as a community effort, unifying vinyl collectors so they could bring in their albums to trade or sell.

And the “groove” in the business name represents the grooves in vinyl albums.

“The truth is,” said Brown, “I still operate with the collector in mind, trying to present albums, including covers, in quality condition at fair prices.

“I get excited when I see an older collector get excited at finding that special vinyl album he’s been searching for, or a new younger customer get excited about buying his first vinyl album.”

Brown said that while he has sold albums to people from 12 to 80 years old, younger customers are becoming more commonplace.

“Many teenagers and young adults come in wanting to buy turntables,” said Brown.

Unified Groove Merchants sells turntables for every budget. “We have something for everybody,” he said.

When asked why there is a new interest in vinyl albums, Brown offered several reasons.

One is that certain music can’t even be found on CDs.

“So many artists from the 1950s to the present have only a greatest-hits CD,” said Brown, “meaning that many of their songs that were included on a vinyl album can’t be heard.”

He also said album artwork is much more interesting than the plastic case of a CD.

And, he quickly added, “What audiophiles have been saying for years – the sound is warmer, better on vinyl.”