In rotation: 7/9/18

U.S. Vinyl Album Sales Grow, Led by Jack White: In the first half of 2018, vinyl album sales grew 19.2 percent in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, compared with the first six months of 2017. In total, for the tracking period of Dec. 29, 2017, through June 28, 2018, there were 7.6 million vinyl albums sold; up from 6.4 million in the comparable frame a year ago (Dec. 30, 2016, through June 29, 2017). Notably, the vinyl format’s 7.6 million albums sold in 2018, so far, represent 11.2 percent of all albums sold (68 million) and 18.7 percent of all physical albums sold (CD, vinyl, cassette, etc.; 40.6 million). In the full year of 2017, vinyl album sales hit another Nielsen Music-era record high, as the format sold 14.32 million copies (up 9 percent compared with 2016’s then-record haul of 13.1 million). Last year marked the 12th straight year of growth for vinyl album sales.

Will digital music kill vinyl anytime soon? …CD and LP album sales are still very significant. According to an IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) report, physical music formats account for 30 percent of music industry revenue, compared to 38 percent from streaming worldwide in 2017. Physical format shares vary country by country with much higher percentages of market share in countries such as Japan (72 percent) and Germany (43 percent). So while the report claims worldwide CD sales are trending down, they’re not anywhere near extinction. Vinyl sales grew by 22.3 percent, but make up just 3.7 percent of the total recorded worldwide music market in 2017.

Rap Is Leading the Music Industry’s Resurgence: …As big as it is, music streaming’s user base can’t grow infinitely, and some are already wondering if the surge in popularity might be approaching a slowdown. But Nielsen’s report also offers small flickers of hope to the non-streaming part of the industry: It reveals that this year’s Record Store Day helped independent music stores sell a record-high 733,000 LPs and that the slow-burning revival of vinyl continues, with sales up 19 percent in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Atlanta, GA | Atlanta gains another record store with new West End shop: Once frequented by in-the-know audiophiles, a record store has emerged from its modest basement beginnings into a West End brick-and-mortar. JB’s Record Lounge began in Jonathan Blanchard’s home about a year and a half ago, he explains in a GoFundMe video. This week, the business was made more accessible to all when it opened in the back of 640 West Community Cafe in Atlanta. Billed as an “old school record store with a new school flair,” the store offers thousands of new and used vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, record players and accessories. “The main purpose of JB’s Record Lounge is to provide a venue for independent artists who want to share their music, as well as sell their music,” Blanchard says in the video. “I also will be carrying some of the best vinyl this side of the Mississippi.” Blanchard adds that he intends on “employing people from the community.”

Oakland, WV | Flipside Sounds opening set for July 7 in Oakland: Those interested in browsing in the town of Oakland will have a new option this week with the addition of Flipside Sounds, a store offering over 1,500 vinyl records. A grand opening is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, July 7, at its 121 S. Second St. location. “I have always considered the historic building where Flipside is located to be of a unique character and appeal, and was fortunate to purchase it this past April,” said owner Pat Franc. “With two open retail spaces, I decided now was the time to invest in redesigning the space and open my dream record store.” Franc noted he has spent several months of intense work to bring the space to where it will retain its charm and optimize the browsing and buying experience.

Joliet, IL | Vinyl lovers are making their way to newly opened Audiophil’s Records in Joliet: Phil Johnson, of Joliet, has been hooked on vinyl since age 12 when he nabbed his mother’s record collection from her closet and set the needle down on Led Zeppelin’s eponymous 1969 debut album. “It’s the tangibility of vinyl and owning what the artists wanted you to have … the liner notes, the photos … what they put their heart and soul into,” he said. “Why would I want to listen to it on my phone?” While a younger family member may have been overheard saying “Because it’s convenient,” Johnson knows there are others who share his passion. He and wife Tiffany Johnson recently opened Audiophil’s Records at 17 E. Van Buren St. in downtown Joliet around the corner from the Rialto Square Theatre. Audiophil’s stocks about 4,000 titles, with the rarest piece being “The Gold Experience” by The Artist (Formerly Known as Prince).

Margate, UK | Music venue and record store set to open in Margate – but your help is needed: Cliftonville based music promoter Art’s Cool has teamed up with Canterbury store Monkey Boy Records to open a new premises in Margate. ‘Elsewhere’ is a new basement music venue and ground floor record store at 21-22 The Centre. The site, which has previously been a Carphone Warehouse shop, a grocers’ and part of Rosebury’s furnishings, will also have a café and in-store events. Planning permission for the premises was granted on June 6…Art’s Cool and Monkey Boy Records have now launched a crowdfunder, offering live music fans and vinyl aficionados the chance to bag themselves some bargains and perks in order to help fully realise the joint venture. The fundraiser has a target of £15,000 to help towards the cost of layout changes, build the stage, purchase new sound equipment, repair some of the equipment we already having a stage, making the space accessible to people of all abilities and most importantly building the bar!

Berlin, DEU | Inside the Bikini Waxx Shop, Berlin’s Best-kept Record-digging Experience: It’s easy to see why people love to hang out at Bikini Waxx Records, even if they’re not there to dig. It sits hidden in a courtyard, just meters from the commotion of Kreuzberg’s Skalitzer Strasse. After ringing the bell at the entrance and walking through the quaint, Berlin-style inner courtyard, it sits in a friendly, banana-colored yellow box. Considering the mythical popularity of other Berlin record shops, it’s one of the city’s best-kept secrets…“If you have a physical space, you’re responsible for how the experience goes,” says Tammist. “From ringing the doorbell to paying and going out; the service, how we treat people—it’s all one big experience, and it has to be positive.”

Carmel, CA | Carmel’s Do Re Mi Music & Video preparing to close its doors after 41 years: For 41 years, Carmel’s Do Re Mi Music & Video has been the go-to place for locals looking for vinyl records and viewing material not easily found elsewhere. Now the shop, with its inventory of CDs, DVDs, books, guitars, ukuleles, turntables and vintage posters and goods, is going out of business and to clear out its inventory, items are 25 to 35 percent off. “We’ve been swimming against the tide for many years already,” said co-owner Nancy Costanza. “It’s kind of a miracle we’re still open.” Like many other mom-and-pop stores, Costanza, 61, attributed the shop’s decline in sales to technology and the increase in the online shopping habits of consumers. “It’s thanks to Amazon, Napster, Spotify … where you don’t need me anymore,” said Costanza, resigned to the fact that she and her husband/co-owner Charlie Costanza were moving on to the next phase of their lives.

South Lake Tahoe, CA | The return of vinyl: Tahoe business confirms record sales on the rise: Inside Keynote Used Records and Books in South Lake Tahoe, owner Ray Hadley is putting The “5” Royales 1958 vinyl album “Dedicated To You” on eBay. After consulting “Goldmine Record Album Price Guide,” which says the record could sell for $800 to $1,000, he opts to start the bidding at $400. “If it wasn’t worth so much, I’d keep it for myself. No one here would buy it, just eccentric collectors like myself,” said Hadley. “People think of The Beatles and The Grateful Dead as rare, but there are thousands of copies of those for sale. This probably only sold 10,000 copies in the ’50s — and it’s great music.” …Over the last five years, he’s noticed an uptick in record sales as younger generations jump on the bandwagon. It’s a trend that’s going on around the country.

Best Buy no longer selling CDs, but will continue selling vinyl: Did you ever think that a store would stop selling CDs but continue selling vinyl records? That’s exactly what Best Buy is doing. The retailer stopped selling CDs at its stores on Sunday. As digital streaming services continue to dominate, CD sales have fallen in recent years. According to CBS News, CDs only brought in $40 million annually at Best Buy. Target has also threatened to pull CDs from its stores in coming months. However, in a twist, Best Buy will continue selling vinyl records for the next two years as vinyl enjoys a comeback. Last year, vinyl record sales hit a 27-year-high, according to Billboard.

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