With Vinyl Records Enjoying a Resurgence, Flashlight Vinyl Opens a Two-Story Independent Record Shop in Northeast Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MN--(Marketwired - January 13, 2016) -

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Flashlight Vinyl opens its doors in an era where digital streaming is pushing CDs to the sideline. Yet at the same time, recording artists are once again pressing vinyl albums. Why? It seems that consumers want the high-quality sound and feel that only vinyl can deliver. With sales up 38% in the last year, vinyl records are riding a comeback wave that has prompted Raoul Benevides of Flashlight Vinyl to open a two-story independent record shop in Northeast Minneapolis for music purists and nostalgists alike. Flashlight Vinyl is located at 1519 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, and is open daily from noon to 6:00 p.m.

The 3,000 square foot two-story store will have more than half a million records once the second floor has been fully renovated. "I bought six collections recently, one with over 26,000 records, and we've been cleaning and sorting out about 5,000 records a week," says Benevides. "I'm guessing that as I continue to acquire collections, I'll have over 200,000 records just in storage as I won't be able to put them all out at once."

An accomplished photographer, Benevides originally wanted to open a photo gallery, but felt the art gallery model was no longer viable in today's market. So he turned his artistic vision to creating a record shop that also acts as a gallery for music culture. For example, one of the shop's walls features a series of black-and-white photographs from Mark Seliger from his days working for Rolling Stone.

"There is a physical thing about vinyl. It's so much more tactile than streaming music. It's analogous to the hands-on approach of working in the darkroom," says Benevides. "Playing a record keeps me in the moment; I stay connected to the music because I know that the record is going to end and I'm going to have to physically move the needle and place the record back in its record sleeve."

About Flashlight Vinyl

Specializing in the fundamentals of Rock, Funk and Hip Hop, Flashlight Vinyl stocks a wide range of obscure and amazing music ranging from old country to new punk, as well as local releases. As an independent record shop with over 3,000 square feet on two levels, the store has been tailored to vinyl enthusiasts who grew up listening to punk and early hip hop. For more information about Flashlight Vinyl, visit www.flashlightvinyl.com.