The Hunt for Vinyl in the Hottest 100 Aftermath

So picture this. It’s Saturday night. The footy’s on the TV. We’re Crows tragics through and through. Laptop’s open on my lap. Our schnauzer is curled up beside me. And I’m not watching the game, not really. I’m trawling through every single supplier, wholesaler, and distributor I can access, trying to find even one or two records from the Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs that we could add to our collection. (see here for my recollection of earlier that night) And I am pretty sure I wasn't the only record store owner doing exactly this.. minus the footy and schnauzer maybe. 

Some of the albums I knew we wouldn’t find. Like Down the Way by Angus and Julia Stone. We’ve had it before. Sold it more than once. And it’s on backorder but I genuinely have no clue when it’s coming. The Veronicas were my personal chase. That album? It’s a memory in itself. My daughter singing in the back seat. Little voice. Belting it out like her life depended on it. That album and early Taylor Swift were her entire soundtrack for a while. I wanted it for the store... but also for me. I don’t even know if it’s available on vinyl right now. I think I just needed to try.

Hilltop Hoods are another one. We’ve just got their new one in fresh of the press....   but The Nosebleed Section isn’t on that. The one you’re looking for is The Calling from 2003. If you’ve got a copy of that one, hang on to it. It deserves the love.

Making Mirrors by Gotye? That was another rabbit hole. I had to double check it ever came out on vinyl. Turns out it did. A 2011 pressing. If you’ve got that one in your collection, protect it. It’s going up in value. Not many around. Same with Blue Sky Mining by Midnight Oil. We’ve had people ask about it and it’s just... not out there right now. Not brand new, anyway.

Here’s the thing. Customers often ask us if we can get something and we always say the same thing. Not everything is available all the time. Sometimes it’s out of press. Sometimes it’s delayed. Sometimes the rights are a mess and no one’s issued a vinyl pressing. Sometimes it’s a cost thing. But if there’s something you want, always ask us. We’ll check every supplier we’ve got, both in Australia and overseas, and let you know what’s possible.

When something you’ve been waiting on finally arrives... it’s a dopamine hit. I know that’s dramatic but it’s true. Especially when it’s something you’ve had on CD or cassette for years and now you’ve finally got the player and the album you loved most. That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we stock what we love. We don’t chase trends. We chase connection.

There’s nothing quite like hunting for a specific record. Especially when the whole country’s just voted that album into the most iconic list of all time. It adds a bit of pressure. But also a bit of magic.

So that’s where we’re at. The list is public. The votes are in. And we’re on the hunt.   Keen to get your hands on some Aussie Music on Vinyl ... check out this selection here.