I didn't appreciate physical albums when I was younger but now I find it difficult to throw them out, especially if they were bought in a store. Just looking at them reminds me of the time in my life that I bought them, who I was with and where I was.

I think it's meaningful to surround yourself with objects that remind you who you are, and your ability to shape your world. I do not get this sense with Spotify or Apple Music or Youtube. I still use those services but there's a sense of detachment, like listening to an song in a store.

My son has also gotten into vinyl and more recently... cassettes! I think part of the fun is going to the used record store with his friends. It's a pretty harmless hobby -- most of the tapes tapes are a buck apiece.

Another aspect might be just being different than his dad. I got my first hi-fi system in the early 80s. Today, my "home stereo" is an old cell phone and a bluetooth audio adapter board that powers a pair of bookshelf speakers.

I've got a friend (who, yes, is a Brooklyn hipster) who puts out his new music in two formats: FLAC and cassette.

Oddly enough, cassette might be a better business model. For second-tier and small time musicians, monetizing recorded music via digital distribution is nearly a bust. This is one reason why, even in this day and age, a traveling band will still lug a suitcase full of CDs around with them. There is still something about having a physical deliverable that makes people willing to pay for it.

"Free download code with every t-shirt" is a surprisingly effective model for indie artists.

You can get 200% markup on a decent T-shirt and not make it feel like it's gouging either.