Author Archives: TVD HQ

A note to vinyl subscription clubs who think competing paradigms can coexist: “After 35 years in business, [San Francisco’s] Streetlight Records on Castro will close this year due to declining sales, Hoodline reports. Streetlight Records manager Andrew Shadgett tells the site “The store was quite successful up into the end of the ’90s and early 2000s… We just can’t compete with places like Amazon and iTunes.”

However, a seriously welcome return. “Deal Real Record Shop Returns To Carnaby: Set to return on Record Store Day…a rejuvenated Deal Real is set to occupy 14 Newburgh Street…”

“Opening their doors this month, A Love Supreme Records is a natural progression of a number of ventures by brothers Ben and Nick Chiu, the team behind Ben’s Burgers and Brisbane clothing store Apartment. This time they’ve teamed up with Alex Intax and Paul Marinos to open A Love Supreme, a stylishly quaint record store specialising in quality vinyl..”

Lord of the Singles: “Digging through the comprehensive selection at New York City’s A1 Records, a treasure trove of vinyl excellence, Elijah Wood and Zach Cowie are enthusiastic to talk about their love of music. For nearly three years, the duo have been DJing various events under the name Wooden Wisdom and decided to kick off a tour this year, spanning nine dates throughout North America and Europe…”

“A dedicated analog guy, Tom Scholz should have been thrilled that Boston‘s most recent album – 2013′s ‘Life Love and Hope‘ — is arriving on vinyl. Instead, he’s infuriated. Seems Scholz actually rejected the mix for the vinyl reissue, only to see it sent out for pressing anyway.”

“The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has released its wholesale figures for last year and, putting it simply, 2014 was a good year as far as vinyl album sales (up to $6.4 million) and subscription services income ($23 million) were concerned; both more than doubled last year’s figures.”

It’s Leeds vs. London: “The record shops in Leeds have got it all, but the same can be said of London’s—so which should you visit while you’re down South?”

It is sexy: “Matt Felegy, 32, of Berea, Ohio, has more than 2,700 digital downloads on an external hard drive that fits in his pocket. He says no one is impressed with that, but plenty of people are astounded when looking at the vinyl record collection he keeps in what he describes as his ‘record room.'”

Aw, they say “vinyls.” “On a small scale, it may feel like everyone around you has suddenly picked up a record collecting hobby but the bigger picture shows that vinyls still make up a very small percentage of overall music sales.”

Books and records, perfect together: “The Record Store Book—Fifty of Southern California’s Most Iconic and Legendary Record Stores, will be the first photography book about independent record stores. Published by Rare Bird Books, this soon to be released coffee table book will blend colorful imagery from more than 45 record stores and in-depth interviews with store owners to capture the lively experience of the independent record shop and how it provides a communal gathering place for human interaction, exploration and discovery.”

“The question isn’t just how many total vinyl units are being sold. It’s how are those units being distributed across the range of musicians selling them,” one reader commented on Digital Music News‘ website. “For some musicians, the revenue gained from 500 vinyl sales on tour may be the difference between having a tour in the red or in the black.”

“Unique vinyl record mastering engineer moves into 78th street studios: Considering only about 30 people across the nation do what Clint Holley does, Cleveland is very lucky to have him and his small business Well Made Music.“

Never truly a sound option, but: “The 8 Best Portable Record Players Around”

The DC Record Fair returns to Washington’s Penn Social this coming Sunday, January 25. Our friends at the Fillmore Silver Spring shot the vid below a little while back as a primer. See you there?

New rule: the Washington City Paper needs to rename its morning “Arts Roundup” its morning “Punk Roundup” and cop to it already.

In London? “‘Peckham 33-45-78 RPM’ is an exhibition celebrating the history of record shops in Peckham presented by The British Record Shop Archive.“

“If Spotify was an ’80s record store, it might’ve looked something like this“

A HMV? “HMV surpasses Amazon to regain spot as UK’s No. 1 physical music retailer”

A FYE? “End of an era: Fayetteville’s last record store, FYE, closes Jan. 28″

Hang Your Head: “Metalhead record shop Black Mess Records is closing its doors at the end of the month”

“The Tiny Record Shop is a boutique venture, occupying a leased 9-by-14-foot space in the back of the gift shop Token, at 804 Queen St. E., just east of Broadview Avenue. Where the city’s popular vinyl stores (Sonic Boom, Rotate This) are funkier, bigger and louder west-end concerns, this east-side counterpoint is tidy, bright and part of a family-oriented neighbourhood.”

Swoon: “…But for all the predictions, a different story appears to be on the page. In a twist straight out of an Agatha Christie novel, this month booksellers reported that physical books are back in vogue.”

“It’s just months away from completion and once it’s finished it will be one of a kind in Canada. Canada Boy Vinyl is set to open a pressing plant right here in northeast Calgary, complete with a recording studio and record store.”

“Rock music is more popular than any other genre in the US, according to latest figures.”

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After a long battle with bladder cancer, legendary record producer Kim Fowley has died.

Sundazed prepares 180-gram vinyl reissue of Eric Burdon and The Animals’ 1968 MGM Records release, The Twain Shall Meet.

Admit it, yours can use an upgrade: “Two classic albums from the ‘70s are about to get reissued on vinyl. March 3 will see the release of Foghat’s 1977 Foghat Live and the J. Geils Band’s 1973 breakthrough, Bloodshot.“

Oregon and punk rock, perfect together. “Grab your Chuck Taylor’s and order up some pizza. There is a new punk rock record label in town and they are having a record label showcase January 17 at the Sandy Hut. May we introduce to you, Pizza Shoe Records and its founder Joel Hixon.”

“Germany’s recorded music retail value finally overtook the UK in 2011…One factor is the resilience of its physical market; CDs and vinyl accounted for around 75% of all revenues in Germany in 2014. The decline of all physical formats slowed—down just 1% on 2013.”