Dear Record Company Big Wigs,

I love vinyl. I really do. I cant quite explain it. Maybe it reminds me of my childhood. I had a Chipmunks Christmas record that I used to rock on my portable record player as a kid. When I first started to discover my love of music the world had already moved on to the cassette tape. My first tape? Well, it wasn't mine. My older sister had a Midnight Oil tape that she kept in a drawer in her jewelry box. I was attracted to it because it wasn't the pop music of New Kids on the Block that all my friends were listening to. I used to sneak it from her room over to my best friends house across the street and return it later. I wonder if she ever knew? Good thing she doesn't read my blog. She would probably still kick my ass for stealing (ahem, borrowing) her stuff, just like the old days. The first tape I ever bought on my own was a New Order tape, shortly followed by Depeche Mode, which happened to be my first concert in 1989, I believe. But, I digress.

I read in Rolling Stone that "Though overall album sales dropped 13 percent in 2010, sales of vinyl increased by 14 percent over the previous year, with around 2.8 million units sold. This is a new record for vinyl sales since 1991". No pun intended, I am sure.

I can't explain it. I could go into the whole 'tangible item' reasoning. In a world where everything is a digital download, some people appreciate the art, the lyrics, the photography of a real album that you can hold in your real hands.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love my iPod. It is really inconvenient to jog with a record player strapped to your back. When I drive to work with my record player on the passenger seat, it always skips. A real pain, I tell you.

So, I will finally get to my point. Please, Mr. Record Company Executive, When you have a vinyl record for sale in year 2011, please offer a one time only digital download included with the purchase. I am willing to sign a promissory note that I won't share it with my friends. Well, only with my REAL friends. I wont share with all those people on Facebook. I promise. It all comes down to the fact that I don't like to buy my music twice. Because it is HIGHLY unlikely I am going to walk into my local record store and steal an album from them, you force me to download a torrent file of the vinyl I just purchased.

Let's just make this easy on both of us.

Your skeptical friend,

Lea