The Telegraph: Encoding a Message Well Received

You’d be hard-pressed to find a music lover in the New London area who wouldn’t revel in the atmosphere of The Telegraph Record Store on Golden Street in New London. Unsurprisingly, the shop—where listening is the main attraction—acts as a seminal gathering place for musicians, collectors and music connoisseurs. The three-year-old store is co-owned by a musically talented couple, Rich and Daphne Martin. Inspired by the business model of the renowned London-based Rough Trade Records, they have cultivated a space and ambiance that excites and promotes the meditative leisure that distinguishes a vinyl listening experience from contemporary alternatives.

While the store’s collection includes well over eight thousand records, some of which date back 70 or 80 years, even the newest releases act as cultural artifacts, referencing an era defined by analog technology. Rich and Daphne stock their shelves with classics from all genres, while indulging their personal taste by showcasing many records that were produced by small or independent labels. In addition to the impressive and ever-changing vinyl collection, the store sells a variety of posters, music-related publications and CDs. The Telegraph, however, is much more than just a store.

Rich and Daphne have set aside space in the store to host live performances that promote local and traveling musicians. The record shop has become an intermediary between Rich’s record label, The Telegraph Recording Company, and the public. With the record shop, he can advertise music borne from the label, including that of Daphne Lee Martin, Pocket Vinyl and Elison Jackson.

A fan of live music, Rich organizes an annual music festival downtown called The I AM Festival that embodies his passion for bringing music buffs together. The store is also a regular stomping ground for many of the town’s local radio DJs including Marko Fontaine, Mike Pratt and Mark Freeburg, better known as DJ Sir Round Sound. Rich said of himself and Daphne, “We are both musicians first and so our love of that art form is what really drives us… It’s important to have spaces like The Telegraph in our community where people can gather and share knowledge and learn from one another’s experiences, be it musically, politically or socially.”

When asked about Connecticut College students’ apathy towards New London’s artistic community, Rich became noticeably dispirited. He expressed regret at the notable absence of Camel traffic in his store and similar social spaces due in large part to the College’s geographic isolation. While the daunting barrier between the college campus and downtown New London—that is, Route 95—is certainly in part to blame, Rich feels confused by the lack of student involvement in social aspects of our college town. “I don’t understand it, really,” he lamented.

Bank Street and the rest of New London are home to a diverse variety of venues, including Oasis Pub, The 33 Golden Street Night Club and, until very recently, the L n’ G Club. Rich’s enthusiasm for the success and personality of New London’s music scene, which thrives in these spaces, is something he wishes would rub off on the students at Conn. The tendency for students to navigate their four-year college experience without giving a second thought to the city, and to the eclectic company we are surrounded by, is tragic. This detachment mimics a phenomenon that Rich described as he expounded upon his love for vinyl.

“CDs suck,” he joked. Not to discredit the accessibility of music as a result of technology like CDs and streaming music, Rich emphasizes his desire for a more tangible listening experience. CDs are fragile; vinyl lasts for the ages, and their cases are typically decorated with substantial and lasting works of art. Applications like “shuffle” on an iPod and streaming music on sites like Pandora make our listening experience, as Rich would say, “kind of lazy.” With vinyl, there is an appreciable connection between the listener and the sound. Rich articulated this sentiment keenly: “I like how vinyl forces you to get up and pick out a title. The physicality of pulling the record out of the sleeve, placing it on the turntable, and placing the needle into the groove is just a beautiful and sexy process.”

Rich’s wish for every music lover to share this intimacy is evidenced by his commitment to The Telegraph, which indulges the creative spirit of New Londoners. We could all give the city a little more credit for the simple pleasures it has to offer. Whether it be turning out for the I AM Festival next fall or tuning in to WCNI to hear compelling music and conversation, the opportunities are endless. The Telegraph and the wonderful people behind its success are valuable resources for music aficionados and dilettantes alike.