Louie Shanom
Special to the Globe

Vinyl records and cassette tapes, once relegated to the dusty recesses of thrift stores and garage sales, are making a comeback and no, is not just to make cool looking wall clocks.

But what’s behind this revival? Have we realized that streaming music is just a fancy way of renting tunes without actually OWNING them? Or are we just nostalgic for the good old days when music came with a physical artifact that you could hold, touch, scratch or break?

Let’s face it: there’s something magical about the warm, fuzzy sound of FM radio, the rich, analog sound of vinyl records and the convenience of recording your tunes on a cassette… It’s like comparing a juicy, grilled burger to a skinny, compressed MP3 – which one would you rather sink your teeth into?

Whatever the reason, one thing’s for sure: physical music formats are back! Record are popping up left and right in stores, and cassette tapes are now hip.

But it’s not just about the sound (although, it’s pretty great). It’s about the experience of holding a vinyl record, admiring the cover art, and carefully placing the needle on the track. It’s about the joy of making mix tapes – the ultimate expression of love and friendship in the pre-napster era. Yes, I said Napster.

So, if you’re feeling nostalgic for the good days of music or just want to experience the joy of physical music formats for yourself, now’s the time! Dust off those records or buy the new releases, dig out those cassette tapes, and get ready to experience music in a whole new… well, a better sounding way.

*Louie A. Shanom is the media production director for the Kansas Broadcast Company in southwest Kansas in charge of imaging and commercial production and is the creator and program director of the “La Fiesta” radio station on 93.9 FM, the first bilingual radio station in Kansas.