Record stores have always been a hub for music enthusiasts to sift through vinyl records, gain knowledge of music's past and present, and meet fellow music aficionados in the process.
Exciting news came to Buffalo this past August when one of Buffalo's only vinyl shops re-opened on 291 Bryant St. after it caught fire at its old North Buffalo location.
Spiral Scratch suffered the catastrophe as a result of a faulty neon sign that set fire to nearby curtains and damaged the storefront. Although the store experienced minimal structural damage, the fire sparked many other complications, including water damage to the stock.
After the fire, saving the future of Spiral Scratch became a story of support amongst local vinyl and music collectors who pitched in to help re-open the store.
News of the store's disaster quickly spread through message boards and blogs. With the help of several benefits, local shows (including one at Mohawk Place on June 3) and donations from across the country, owner Dave Palumbo was able to get the vinyl store back up and running.
"Everyone was helpful, and I don't think we would have been able to re-open [without their help]," Palumbo said.
Spiral Scratch embodies the charm of the Elmwood strip and is heavy in foot traffic, which continues to help the small local business. Inside the new store are vibrant neon green flyers, and eccentric posters cover the windows.
Elmwood Avenue has seen a number of record stores come and go in the past, including Home of the Hits and New World Records, which lost a stable consumer base with the rise of digital music sales and illegal file sharing.
Spiral Scratch has filled the role that those stores couldn't make it in the Elmwood Village as an intimate, old school record store that has become a new meeting place for record junkies. Palumbo has a laid back attitude, and customers often find themselves caught up in an authentic music exchange that could never occur over a music blog.
Palumbo has been known to remember the faces of the customers that he encounters in the store and offers passion for old and new music alike.
The name Spiral Scratch is derived from a 1977 release by the Buzzcocks, a British punk rock band.
The vinyl store offers music selections in rock, punk, hardcore, indie, jazz, and country. Everything from Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg to bands like Sonic Youth and Black Flag can be found in the store. For customers who can't find what they're looking for, Palumbo is always willing to take special orders for rare record material.
"I sell what people want, but the real joy is turning people on to something they haven't heard yet," Palumbo said.
Recently, there has been a resurgence of vinyl, especially among the indie and punk crowds. Vinyl records offer a raw, rich and vibrant sound that CDs or compressed MP3 files are unable to capture.
"I'm drawn to the physicality [of it]," said Nick Torsell, a senior English major.
Torsell is a co-host of the "Jeff Torsell Project," a talk show on Monday nights from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on UB's streaming radio station at WRUB.org. He has been a patron of Spiral Scratch for several years.
"[Vinyl records] become more real, something you just have to pay attention to [that are] not just a folder on the computer," Torsell said.
According to Palumbo, not everyone in the music community has joined the vinyl record movement.
"[Popular CD stores] haven't caught on to the vinyl explosion," Palumbo said. "For me, [vinyl records] never left."
Although downloading MP3 files and ordering online media have become the most convenient way to acquire new music, more people are treating their ears to a richer sound by buying music on vinyl.
Paul Weingart, a senior media studies major and a local DJ under the name DJ Wallnuttz, was unaware of the reopening of the store.
"I [have to] check this out," Weingart says. "There's music out there that I have trouble finding online and vinyl is great quality."
Weingart says he is attracted to the novelty of vinyl and experiments with a vinyl turntable.
Spiral Scratch maintains an online blog along with a small circulation ‘zine' called "Scratch and Sniff." The store is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
For more information, check out the Spiral Scratch blog at http://spiralscratchrecords.blogspot.com/.
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
