Marc West gets up at dawn to join the hardcore record collectors at Oxford's last dedicated record shop

No longer just the preserve of baby boomers, music-lovers of all ages are going back to black and once again snapping up the "old-fashioned" format that's defying the digital age. In much the same way books fought back against e-readers, a veritable vinyl revival is taking the business of show business by storm with the British Phonographic Industry proudly reporting that sales this year have once again increased (by an incredible 60 per cent) and are set to hit levels not seen since the late 1980s.

For (approaching) the last decade, the third Saturday in April has been pencilled well in advance into music collectors' diaries. Record Store Day is their annual opportunity part with those hard earned pennies and pounds to bag some seriously hot wax - with recording artists from across the board putting out hard-to-find rarities, b-sides and session tracks on a strictly first-come first-served basis worldwide.

With a no-reservations policy, fans have little choice but to join the back of the queue stretching halfway down the Cowleyfornia Strip since the crack of dawn - despite the seasonal showers and even some snow. With a hunter gatherer-like mentality, these hard core collectors circle like vultures around the piles of heavy boxes hoping to get their hands on titles from the likes of this year's Truck Festival headliners Manic Street Preachers, the late great David Bowie and Oxford's own legends in their lifetime, Foals. Or, there’s always an opportunity to take a lucky dip on Truck Monster’s Mystery Bundle - a hand picked selection of ten 7” singles for only a fiver.

Truck - along with its sister store Rapture in Witney - is bucking the (downward) trend and has been flying the flag for independent retailers in East Oxford for over five years to date. By stocking a wide range of CDs (remember them?), T-shirts and fanzines from local acts it’s become an integral hub to our city's creative community. More so, they’ve embraced the notion that added value and diversification in the market place is key to survival. As such, the coffee maestros at adjoining Mostro Cafe are today running at 78rpm to compose that perfect caffeine kick and you can regularly tap your toes to in-store sounds from local acts - with Jonny Payne & The Thunder's alt-Americana lullabies providing the perfect counter to all the commotion.

While digital platforms provide fans with instant and unlimited access to an ever-expanding cosmos of music, they simply can’t match the unique experience that going to your local specialist and purchasing vinyl gives you: holding that mini masterpiece in your hands whilst admiring the technicolor cover art in glorious twelve inches, before enjoying the ritual of carefully dropping the needle into the groove and savouring that little characteristic crackle before the rich high-fidelity sound floats on the breeze.

Located at 101 Cowley Road, this is one room I'd willingly be banished to until oblivion - to talk endlessly with others on the subject of our shared passion....music.

Visit truckmusicstore.co.uk for all details.