Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Smokler and Boone Invite Viewers to Visit ‘Vinyl Nation’

Cinema | March 13th, 2022

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Filmmakers Kevin Smokler and Christopher Boone have added a worthwhile document to the group of movies devoted in one way or another to the world of record collecting. “Vinyl Nation” will appeal principally to those already familiar with the activity, but the directors make clear a desire to reach beyond the hobby’s traditional demographic of middle-age white men by including the voices of those who have been marginalized for a long time. Additionally, Smokler and Boone strive for a genuine big-tent inclusiveness that avoids the “boys club” elitism sometimes associated with old-school, know-it-all record collectors.

Better yet, they manage to do all this while retaining enough insider content to please longtime crate-diggers and discerning audiophiles – the latter of which, Third Man’s Ben Blackwell humorously acknowledges, are “the worst.”

A trip to Salina, Kansas breaks down the process of making a record as narrated by the great Gary Salstrom, general manager at Quality Record Pressings. The entirety of the tour through QRP, a company known for the introduction of fresh techniques, improvements, and innovations that have enhanced the manufacture of records, plays like one of the classic factory visit shorts seen via Picture Picture on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

In one sense, “Vinyl Nation” is the B-side of Puloma Basu and Rob Hatch-Miller’s 2019 feature “Other Music,” which focused on the final days of the beloved East Village record store of the title. But while “Other Music” was about endings, “Vinyl Nation” looks ahead with optimism and excitement. The little girl who scores the teal-colored edition of Weezer’s corresponding LP at Kansas City’s Mills Record Company doesn’t care about the opinions of dismissive fossils eager to explain that black vinyl is acoustically superior. Later in the movie, music critic Eric Weisbard cuts right to the heart of the matter, identifying the way in which “consumer culture [welcomed in] large groups of people who previously were not affluent enough to be targeted.”

That populist sentiment guides “Vinyl Nation,” which understands how the mass consumption of music as physical media communicates the format’s charm not only through the remarkable and life-changing sounds conjured from within the grooves but through the tactile and visual elements embodied in the way records and their sleeves look, feel, and smell. Graphic design nerds will drool over the packaging tutorial by Stoughton Printing’s Rob Maushund in California. Smokler and Boone cram a huge amount of thoughtfully considered material into their movie, which invites us on their coast-to-coast road trip.

“Vinyl Nation” accentuates the positive, but the movie can also be commended for at least raising questions about industry downsides to the record boom. Profit-driven major labels risk the future of vinyl by rushing mass-produced titles to market without quality control standards. Environmental impact, rising prices (that put collecting new music out of reach of many buyers), equitable artist compensation, and plant backlogs that fast-track reissue pressings ahead of unknown artists are a few of the existential considerations addressed in the film.

And yes, toward the end of their movie, Smokler and Boone brave the thorny question of whether or not vinyl sounds better. The answers, provided by many voices that now feel like old friends, are almost as satisfying as listening to your favorite song.

______________________________________

“Vinyl Nation” screens at the 2022 Fargo Film Festival on March 15 and March 19.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…

August 28, 6-8 p.m.Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N., Fargo See this major exhibition firsthand and hear about Rimer Cardillo’s work from the artist himself at 7 p.m. Cardillo is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I’m going to go ahead and say it. I have trust issues with a lot of things and artificial intelligence (AI) is one of them. Yes, it’s a tool that can sit shotgun and make your everyday tasks…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comTrump: the new man for all seasonsFive hundred years ago, Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas More of England refused to write a letter to Pope Clement VII of the Roman Catholic Church asking that he annul…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com There seems to be a renaissance in Italian restaurants in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. It’s a welcome change from just sporting an Olive Garden as a lone option. No offense to Marilyn Hagerty’s…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Bluegrass is a genre of music that is often associated with the American South. Many people would express incredulity at being told there is a thriving bluegrass and folk music community…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com There are so many memorable moments in the short life of musician Jeff Buckley that filmmaker Amy J. Berg could easily have gotten lost in an endless highlight reel. The veteran documentarian,…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks three years of the Annual Vergas Area Backroads Art Crawl. The art crawl is sponsored by the Vergas Arts Club. The Arts Club also happens to be part of the Vegas Community Club and both…

Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comPenn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Dr. Marc Sapir, MD, MPHjessica@pellienpublicrelations.com Across America, families are quietly struggling with a rising challenge: how to care for aging parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and friends. Most seniors want…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…