Citizen Vinyl, North Carolina’s first vinyl record pressing plant, is celebrating its second year in production, along with the successful growth of its manufacturing capacity. The company’s transformative approach to manufacturing is helping expand access to high-quality vinyl records for musicians, record labels and distributors... View Article
Your first steps inside Citizen Vinyl’s entryway are upon the surface of a colorful granite floor. The brass inlay outlines the counties of Western North Carolina that surround the mountain town of Asheville. It’s a reminder of the building’s past, but that history still remains... View Article
About three years ago, Armando Bellmas and his wife were partaking in a familiar, weeknight activity – cooking dinner, while listening to music on Spotify. But after playing a few songs recommended by the app, their passive listening session evolved into a critical conversation about... View Article
We’re kicking off our vinyl collector series with a local music lover who’s spun records at Citizen Vinyl and across town. Annelise Kopp, who also goes by DJ Lil Meow Meow, manages and does marketing for Harvest Records in West Asheville. She started collecting at... View Article
Over the past year, Wyatt Grant’s paintbrush has grazed the surfaces of brick, plaster, and concrete walls, across town and beyond. His latest mural, at Citizen Vinyl, is a soft and playful display of abstract shapes and bodies. Wyatt says he wants the artwork to... View Article
A film processing lab that opened during the pandemic is just one indication of a revived interest in analog photography, seemingly in spite of these digital, smartphone times. In February 2021, roommates Alex Cox and Bryce Alberghini started AVL Film Lab out of their basement,... View Article
Sooner or later, what’s old is new again. So goes the sentiment when it comes to trends in fashion (thanks for the cardigan, Nanny ♥), and as it turns out, in audio equipment. That’s what led me to Audio Service Co., a repair shop located... View Article
For a young person with aspirations in music, a recording studio can be an intimidating space – but a critical one. “Because there are so many important life lessons that can be obtained from the creative music process,” David Kennedy said. Kennedy is the... View Article
This month, Coda Analog Shop is adding a music-making device to its inventory. We’re excited to introduce the 0-Coast synthesizer, from Asheville-based manufacturer, Make Noise. In addition to stocking the groovy apparatus in the shop, we’ll also be hosting a series of live demonstrations, called... View Article
A new technology in the vinyl pressing world aims to take up a larger share of the industry. It has to do with blockchain – that’s the same technology used behind the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. It may seem ironic, even contradictory, that vinyl – an older... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Timelessness. It’s a rare quality found only in a select number of albums. They seem to be in constant communication with the present, wherever the record spins. Like the instantly recognizable clangs of conga and... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Vinyl records are having a bit of a revival, you might have heard. Sales have been rising steadily over the past decade. The pandemic drastically turned up the volume on that trend. In just the... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer A new space for experiencing live music is growing a following in Asheville. The series, called Open Folk, rises from the ashes of isolation and canceled shows, due to the pandemic. The nomadic event series,... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Asheville is a unique destination for artists, not just the musical kind. This month, we’re introducing you to three local artists whose work can be found at Coda. Amar Stewart Amar Stewart’s paintings often depict... View Article
from the desk of Cassidy Ann, Citizen Vinyl Staff Producer Music is the passing of a cultural torch. Every genre is laced with history and precedent. Bluegrass, arguably one of the most Americana of sounds, is no exception. At Citizen Studios, that time continuum lives... View Article
