Yakima, WA | Taking Another Spin at Off the Record: …Browsing through Off The Record is like taking a trip down memory lane for me. Gary and Twilla have worked hard to preserve a piece of Americana known as the independent, hometown music store. For me it felt nostalgic but with a very real new energy. Walking up and down the aisles at Off The Record with posters, record album covers and groovy music-themed T-shirts lining the walls, and seemingly endless records, CDs, games and movies to sift through, I felt like a teenager again and knew there was no way I was leaving the store without some music. A new release of a Roy Orbison collection of greatest hits and a vintage double CD by Wilco went home with me that day. The addiction continues and I’ll be back for more.
Guadalajara, MX | La Perla Records & Books in Guadalajara: a passion for great literature and music. A booklover and a musician rescue ‘technology that has been left behind.’ Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of its proprietors, La Perla Records & Books may be the biggest and best used book and record shop in Latin America. Some 15,000 books in English line the shelves of this establishment and touring them with their owner, Gerry Smith, is quite an experience…La Perla Records & Books is located in the middle of Guadalajara at 1530 Calle Pedro Moreno. The entrance is small and unassuming, but as you climb the stairs you are greeted by the faces of Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills and Nash and other rock legends. These posters and album covers make it clear that at La Perla you will find not only books, but an extraordinary collection of vinyl records as well, owned by Ernesto “Bola” Domene.
Chicago, IL | Customers, friends pack Oak Park record store to pay tribute to beloved founder Val Camilletti: This year’s Hallapalooza on Saturday at Val’s Halla Records in Oak Park was as busy as it always had been. People streamed in and out of the store, sorted through bins of used and new vinyl albums and CDs and walked away with a few. Others bought a T-shirt bearing the logo of the storied Oak Park institution. Others stopped by to grab a beer or listen to music. But the 46th event at Val’s Halla Records was missing one key element: store founder Val Camilletti. Her death on July 24 after a two-year battle with breast cancer brought many long-time friends and supporters to the store for the annual celebration to pay their respects and reminisce about the owner and a cultural institution.
Chicago, IL | Dedry Jones, South Side record store owner, dies at 64: Walking into his store, gold and platinum-certified records and CDs would engulf you. On any given day, Dedry Jones, the owner of The Music Experience, might be there, too. Jones had a particular presence about him. Did he know he was a big deal? He sure did, friends said. But as much as Jones understood his value to and impact on Chicago, he was also accessible. “You could stop by his store and sit down, and he would help you,” said Terisa Griffin, a singer and local philanthropist. “He had a wealth of knowledge, and if he didn’t know something, he’d say, ‘Well, let me call somebody.’” …A passionate fan of music but no artist himself, Jones was a vocal critic of new industry trends. While online streaming and the sudden drop of digital albums affected his sales, friends say Jones was more offended by his inability to support artists he respected.
Lenco’s latest turntables with USB recording are great options for vinyl collectors and DJs: The Lenco L-400 vinyl turntable is ideal for professional DJ’s or avid vinyl collectors. It is a direct drive turntable with an integrated stereo pre-amplifier that can be switched on or off and premium Audio Technica moving magnetic cartridge delivering a rich vinyl sound; no need to spend money on an additional amplifier. With an RCA Output, the L-400 can be plugged straight into any existing home sound system or studio monitors (RCA cables included). The L-400 has two speed settings of 33 RPM and 45 RPM and features a mechanical arm lift to add that extra element of quality that Lenco has become renowned for. With a stylish black and chrome design, the L-400 looks great as either the centrepiece of a room or ideal whilst DJ’ing at home or on tour.
UK cassette sales grew by 90% in first half of 2018 with almost as many sold as in all of 2017. Cassette tape sales in the UK have grown by 90% over the first six months of 2018, reports Official Charts. Over 18,500 cassettes have been sold between January and June, an increase of 8,747 tapes over the same period in 2017. Kylie Minogue’s Golden took the top spot, with Guardians Of The Galaxy: Awesome Mix 2 Original Soundtrack – which also topped the best selling vinyl charts – and Snow Patrol’s Wildness rounding out the list. Last year, cassette sales reached record numbers in the UK as well as in the US, where 174,000 copies were sold.
How to Release a Vinyl Record: 7 Things I Wish I’d Known: Vinyl records are magical, but releasing vinyl introduces a lot of unexpected complexities. Here are a few tips from someone who learned the hard way. Alandis Brassel is a music industry attorney and former audio engineer. He also dedicates his energies to product releases for artists, including vinyl LP releases. On Thursday, Brassel hosted a quick webinar with Music Business Accelerator, and broke down some hard-learned lessons about releasing a vinyl record successfully…Tip #1: Know your production timeline. Basically, rush jobs don’t exist in the vinyl manufacturing world, unless you’re a massive buyer like Universal Music Group. “Most vinyl manufacturers don’t do rushes as we traditionally know it,” Brassel told webinar attendees.
