Lost Weekend Records turns 15: Kyle Siegrist opened Lost Weekend in 2003, offering weekend-only hours and stocking largely used vinyl. Gradually, the shop’s open hours increased, and its stock of new LPs grew, first with two, three, four crates against the front counter, and eventually to the handful of racks that now line the walls of the low-ceilinged store. Despite the concerns of friends, business at Lost Weekend has increased every year it’s been open, allowing Siegrist to expand his staff. (He now employs two workers, in addition to the odd helper during busy times, such as Record Store Day, a single day in April where sales can equal an entire month’s business.)…Not bad for someone who didn’t have much of a fallback in place once he shifted to the store full-time in August 2003 after leaving his job at the print shop. “My backup plan was bankruptcy,” he said, and laughed.
Moondance closing its doors after 46 years as a downtown Peterborough fixture, Owner Mike Taveroff is retiring after running Canada’s oldest independent record store since 1972: …To walk into Moondance — the store took its name from Van Morrison’s 1970 song of the same name — is to take a trip back in time to when independent record stores were king. Row upon row of vinyl albums, CDs and DVDs greet customers, lined up neatly in hand-made wooden bins. Then there are the numerous posters, band T-shirts and music industry magazines, all serenaded by a non-stop soundtrack of hit music, new and old. As such, a visit to Moondance was, and still is to some degree, an escape from life’s daily demands as much as it is a music shopping opportunity…“Right at the start, I made it very clear to people — ‘Come in, hang out. If you don’t buy anything, it doesn’t matter.’ A lot of the fun of this place was a result of the people that came in and the amazing conversations that took place.”
Homeless Sexual record-shop owner keeps the faith. “Cassettes have come back really big but I didn’t see it coming.” When Jeff Clark was hit by a train in Little Italy last June, the 20 employees at his Thrift Trader stores in PB and North Park immediately lost their jobs. The used records and retro clothing from his PB and North Park stores were put in storage. “He worked his whole life, then all of a sudden it was just gone,” says Davit Buck, who knew Clark back when he owned some 16 Music Trader used-CD stores (which predated Thrift Trader). “I heard he recently went to see his stuff in storage and he was happy it was still there. I heard the security guard was selling some of his stuff and giving the money to Jeff.” (A former employee says Clark continues to undergo physical therapy. “He’s learned to walk again. He has his sense of humor back.”)
It’s the vinyl countdown: Record fair coming to Toowoomba: Toowoomba’s growing community of vinyl lovers have a rare opportunity to get their hands on a huge number of LPs at this year’s annual record fair. With a wide selection of more than 200 crates of LP records, preloved and new, as well as magazines, cassettes and CDs, there will be something for everyone at this year’s fair. The fair has been held annually for the past six years, however organiser Jason Woodward plans for there to be two to three this year because of community interest. “There is a surprising number of people in Toowoomba who appreciate vinyl. We are expecting 300 to 400 people there,” he said…The fair will return to its original home at St Thomas More Hall, 71a Ramsay St, South Toowoomba on Saturday, February 17.
Vinyl is Hip and Happening on a Sunday! Joburg`s premier monthly Vinyl Fair returns to The Beer Yard at 44 Stanley Avenue in trendy Auckland Park on Sunday 4th February 2018. The Fair, which takes place on the first Sunday of every month, brings together 12 of Joburg`s top record dealers offering the best in new and pre-owned rock, soul, pop, jazz, folk, blues and world records including many rare and collectable discs plus a range of top quality audio accessories. Join the vinyl revolution on Sunday 4th February at The Beer Yard at 44 Stanley, Auckland Park from 10am for a day of music, beer, food, and more music. For those of you who aren’t vinyl junkies (yet), there will be a craft Gin and Tonic Bar as well as a delicious array of food and craft beer from Stanley Beer Yard. Doors open at 10am until 3pm.
Vinyl World Congress announces Brighton launch: Calling record labels, managers and investors: Vinyl World Congress is a brand new conference launching in Brighton with demonstrations of the latest manufacturing machines and talks from labels about the vinyl industry. Set up in response to the vinyl boom which has increased lead times and the need to facilitate trade and co-operation within the industry, the conference takes place from 15 to 16 May at the Hilton Brighton Metropole. The event is sponsored by manufacturers Pheenix Alpha, Viryl Technologies, Newbilt Machinery, Dugdale and CAF who will be demonstrating the latest vinyl manufacturing machines on the day…Event Director Connolly Mellon said: ‘Demand for vinyl is higher than it’s ever been with lead times between two to six months for some to get it manufactured.”
This new DJ device could mean the end to timecode vinyl: hase is a new device from MWM that allows users to control DVS software without the need for a needle, cartridge or even timecode vinyl. The device sits atop any 12” vinyl record and sends signals wirelessly to a USB receiver that converts the data to a readable signal by the compatible DJ software. By removing the vinyl and needle from the equation, MWM hope to eliminate rumble and interference issues from defective equipment or less-than-ideal surroundings…How this works in practice we’ll have to wait and see, but Phase is a very promising product for those who still require the tactile feel of vinyl.
