Canada | National record store chain marks 1st anniversary: Sunrise Records in Kelowna’s Orchard Park mall is joining a cross-country celebration of record stores still existing. Saturday, the 82 stores in the chain have food and giveaways, sales and discounts, and coupons for future use. Sunrise Records started in 1977 near Hamilton, Ont., but it became a national chain when it took over spaces previously occupied by HMV. That takeover was a year ago, so Saturday’s festivities are also a first birthday party. While record sales are miniscule compared to what they used to be, Sunrise has found a niche with those who still want to buy vinyl. Its stores also sell movies, games and pop culture items.
Wheeling, WV | Nail City Records Will Get You Into the Groove: Owner Sees Store As A Way to Preserve Culture and History. A new record store in downtown Wheeling isn’t just about the music, but also about local culture, history and making Wheeling a destination location for serious album collectors. Nail City Record opened last fall in Elm Grove, and has moved to the third floor of the McLain Building at 40-12th St., Wheeling. There are more than 100,000 pieces of recorded sound available at the shop, according to owner Jonathan Napier. He said the store is not just “about selling records, but archiving history.” …Napier said a major goal of the store is to get old records out of warehouses, basements and garages and back into circulation.
Des Moines, IA | Vinyl Cup, Des Moines’ newest record store, opens in Beaverdale this weekend: Luke Dickens started a Facebook group last summer to share his love for music with a few dozen friends. He posted the group’s first photo last August — a coffee mug placed on top of a turntable. “Vinyl Cup,” he called it. A nod to a collector’s familiar morning ritual of music and a morning cup. No price tag, no first-come, first-serve sales. Just a conversation starter with like-minded music collectors. That was until he posted a photo last September of a half-dozen or so albums and someone asked a question that would rocket-launch a business he hadn’t yet known he started: “How much?” So, he started buying and selling records. Fast.
Ann Arbor, MI | Unreleased Underground Resistance 12″ surfaces at Michigan record store: Two rare ’90s cuts from Jeff Mills and Mike Banks. Technical Equipment Supply – the Michigan-based record store operated by Ghostly International artist Todd Osborn – has announced that they are putting out an previously unreleased Underground Resistance record. The two-track 12-inch, titled ‘Electronic Emotions / Like That’, contains music that was produced between 1993 and 1994 by the seminal Detroit techno icons Jeff Mills and Mike Banks – the two founding members of Underground Resistance. This rare record is only available for purchase in the store, which is located close to Ann Arbor, Michigan in the town of Ypsilanti.
Treat Your Ears To This Stunning Okami Soundtrack Vinyl Boxset: To celebrate the release of Okami HD on Switch, Data Discs has partnered with Capcom to release a remastered version of the original soundtrack on vinyl, and it’s available to pre-order as we speak. Originally released in 2006 and composed by Masami Ueda, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Rei Kondoh and Akari Groves, the Okami soundtrack is known for suiting the game perfectly; the pieces act as a natural fit to the recurring themes of restoration and resolve. Using traditional Japanese instruments, and inspired by distant folklore, the score moves between peacefulness and danger effortlessly…This new release is presented as a quadruple LP box set, featuring over two hours of newly remastered music and a 40-page artbook. There is also a double-sided lithographic print featuring original illustrations from the Capcom archives in Japan. A lossless download code for the album is also included…
