Cassette Store Day

Posted: June 11, 2014 | the scene | cassette, cassette player, cassette store day, tape, tape player, vinyl | 0 Comments

Cassette Store Day is coming. Yes, you read that correctly CASSETTE. With the resurgence of vinyl record popularity over the past few years it seems as though a nod to cassettes would be inevitable but is this going too far?

For the past few years Record Store Day has been wildly popular and has served as means to not only allow fans and collectors to get their hands on some limited edition records but it also helps vinyl stay relevant and sought after. The general feeling is that despite our technological capabilities with music sales and listening (digital formats) people still seem to enjoy having something tangible – something they can physically hold in their hand. Although somewhat outdated vinyl records fulfill the desire for a physical copy of an album, they’re still the preferred medium of DJs around the world, (even though you have to physically drop the needle) you can move between songs at will and they’re kind of a fun nostalgic item.

Cassettes though leave many wondering. Sure, they drum up a sense of nostalgia but a lot of music fans don’t give them the same love as vinyl and with good reason. Tapes don’t have the same rich, warm sound that vinyl does. Finding a good tape player isn’t as easy as finding a good turntable (thanks to DJs for keeping turntables modern). And perhaps the biggest drawback: rewinding. Geeez the rewinding. If anyone remembers having tapes when they were younger and how you had to hold that rewind button and guess what spot your favorite song was at only to guess wrong, try again, go too far back, fast forward, go too far forward, rewind again, go too far back, fast forward….(sigh) you get the idea.

The other glaring inconsistency is the name itself: Cassette Store Day. When is the last time anybody saw a cassette store? Seriously. It doesn’t take Stephen Hawking to deduce that this event will take place at participating record stores but come on.

So that leaves us with you, the music connoisseur, a member of the buying masses. What do you think? Is Cassette Store Day going too far with an archaic medium? Should we skip ahead to Phonographic Cylinder Day? Or is Cassette Store Day just another fun day for music fans to drop a little cash on some super limited goods from their favorite bands?