Author Archives: TVD HQ

London, ENG | Gilles Peterson to curate pop-up record and bookstore in London: Mental health charity Safaplace has enlisted Gilles Peterson is to curate a pop-up record and bookstore, Look Up, in Stoke Newington this September. Taking place at Stoke Newington’s Edwards Lane Gallery, the week-long event will open space to explore the positive connection between mental health and the arts, raising money for the charity in the process. Safaplace is an emerging charity that aims to support the positive mental health and wellbeing of students in Stoke Newington School and the wider community. Look Up will feature a line-up of talks including iconic UK artist Goldie, Mo’Wax founder James Lavelle, Classic Album Sundays’ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy and former Hacienda resident Dave Haslam.

Miami, FL | New Sweat Records Vinyl Label Features Local Bands That ‘Rise Through The Fray’: A new independent record label in town will feature talented undiscovered South Florida musicians. Sweat Records has been a space for music collectors in South Florida to find vinyl from their favorite independent artists and mainstream musicians for the past 13 years. On Sunday Aug. 26, the store embarks on a new adventure with the launch of its own record label: Sweat Records Records. Sundial spoke with Lolo Reskin, owner and founder of Sweat Records, about the musicians that will be featured during the launch party and why the record store decided to start a record label.

John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ Album to Receive Six-Disc Boxed Set Treatment: On October 5, Geffen/UMe will release a six-disc box set of John Lennon’s 1971 album “Imagine,” which many feel is the best of his solo works. Titled “The Ultimate Collection,” this remixed and remastered 140-track collection is fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon, who oversaw the production and creative direction…“Imagine” will also be released in concurrent multiple physical and digital configurations including as a 2CD Deluxe Edition, 1CD remaster, and 2LP 180-gram heavyweight black vinyl edition as well as 2LP limited edition 180-gram clear vinyl. The digital “Ultimate Collection” will include all audio from the four CDs and the Deluxe and Standard will also have digital equivalents.

Yamaha’s latest turntable streams multi-room audio via WiFi: Old-school music meets the newest tech. You can pair a turntable with a multi-room audio setup (Sonos even offers a bundle), but that usually means wiring your record player into that setup at some point. Yamaha thinks it can do better. Its newly launched MusicCast Vinyl 500 turntable uses WiFi to stream records wirelessly to MusicCast speakers in your home. If you don’t insist on that distinctive vinyl sound, the machine will natively stream digital services like Spotify, Pandora and Tidal. The player also doubles as an audio target for AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth devices, and you can steer both online services and multi-room playback through Alexa voice commands.

You Didn’t Ask But …: Vinyl record collection brings back memories: …Franklin’s death inspired me to take a look at my collection of vinyl 45s that dates back to my high school days. I bought most of the records and the small metal case I’ve been storing them in at Collier’s music store in downtown Freeport. Collier’s had everything from organs, pianos and band instruments to albums and 45s of the latest popular music. I thought that I might have Franklin’s mega-hit “Chain of Fools,” but I didn’t. Instead I found the hit “Love Child” by Diana Ross and the Supremes. My late sister-in-law gave it to me for Christmas the year before she married my brother. It is a nice keepsake from someone who was just getting acquainted with the rest of our family. It was a good gift because I only collected 45s, not albums.

Dundee, UK | ‘One of my favourite places’: Smiths legend Johnny Marr would be ‘saddened’ if Groucho’s closed: Rock star Johnny Marr has said he would be “saddened” if Dundee’s Groucho’s record store is forced to close. The legendary Smiths guitarist joined the Tayside music community and hundreds of locals in sharing their love of the iconic store as owner Alastair “Breeks” Brodie confirmed he will retire in August 2019. After the 64-year-old made the announcement in The Courier on Saturday, hundreds of people took to social media to express their sadness – with many determined to help find a buyer to keep the Nethergate shop going. Others also shared their favourite memories of the store, which has been a Dundee institution for more than 40 years.

Los Angeles, CA | Amoeba Music Shop Fires Shots At “Lil” Rappers By Placing Them All Together: Amoeba Music has no time for rapper’s unoriginality with their names. Imagine making a section in your store for every single “Lil” rapper in the world. While not many people purchase physical copies of their music anymore, Amoeba Music still operates on a daily basis in Los Angeles, welcoming visitors from around the world to cop vintage records from the landmark. You may remember that one of the first golden Travis Scott heads that popped up in anticipation of Astroworld was actually atop the famous record store. The staff at Amoeba decided to have some fun today, echoing many people’s sentiments by calling for more originality with rap names as they classified ever “Lil” rapper in one section at the shop.

Austin, TX | Waterloo vs. Waterloo: Downtown Austin record store sues upstart music festival over name: Downtown store Waterloo Records has sued Waterloo Music Festival over its name, according to multiple reports. Waterloo Records, located at 600 N. Lamar Blvd. and in business since 1982, said in a statement it took legal action against Jam Fest LLC, the promoter of the festival, after the two sides failed to reach a solution, the Austin American-Statesman reports. The suit was filed Aug. 31 and is intended to protect the store’s trademark rights, Waterloo Records President John Kunz told KXAN-TV. In a statement sent to the Statesman, a spokesperson for Waterloo Music Festival said the lawsuit is without merit.

Cleveland, OH | Brittany’s Record Shop owner Brittany Benton chooses three albums you should check out: Looking for some new music to spin? Cleveland’s record store owners have their own thoughts about what they think you should be listening to–and it’s all available in their shops. Brittany Benton (aka DJ Red-I and one-half of hip-hop duo FreshProduce.) owns the newly-opened Brittany’s Record Shop, located at 6410 Fleet Ave., Cleveland. Previously, she ran the Young Kings record store along with Samantha Flowers. Here are her three picks of music you should check out…

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Orlando, FL | 5 places to find vinyl records in Orlando area: You can visit all these hot spots in about an hour. With all things digital taking over the world, it’s a bit more difficult to find some things we used to love, including vinyl records. Although vinyl has made a big comeback in recent years, a lot of stores only offer a limited selection. For many people, the hunt for that special memory is a big part of the fun. If you are willing to invest the time, you might even find that gem for as little as $1. News 6 has five hot spots where you can find almost anything you’re looking for — and a whole lot more. Here’s the best part: You can visit all the stores in just a few hours.

Kincardine, CA | COMICS: Lorenz Peter’s On Vinyl may be 2018’s best graphic novel: Lorenz Peter’s On Vinyl is my early pick for graphic novel of the year. This tale of a technologically challenged record-store owner who tries to ride the so-called “vinyl resurgence” into the future is as funny as it is thought-provoking. On Vinyl can be enjoyed as a narrative of retail tribulations, with our blundering hero Lenny dealing not only with psychopath customers, but also his own interior monologue. There’s also something else going on, a simultaneous commentary about how we’re not all thrilled to be living in the computer age. In that sense, it’s a book for those who are yearning for a deeper meaning, who desperately need to grab onto something permanent because their values are out of place in a world soon to be filled with self-driving cars. And then there are the album covers.

Buffalo, NY | Spotify all day, vinyl all night: How does Buffalo listen to music? In my teen years, I never left home without my music. At the time – the mid-’80s – that meant hauling a boom-box and a case of cassette tapes around to parties, bonfires and the like. More often, it meant carrying around an armful of vinyl records to be played at the home of whomever I happened to be hanging out with. Music was such a major part of my identity that I never wanted to travel anywhere without it. So much has changed since then, to the point where I look back at that kid carting his record collection around with him and I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. Yet, despite the abundant changes in technology over the past 30 years, that desire to carry our music with us remains. It’s now taken for granted you can fit your entire music collection in your pocket and, via Bluetooth or an aux cord, you can play it pretty much anywhere.

Taipei, CN | Yilan man promotes vinyl by sharing vast collection: Former Yilan County Government Department of Education commissioner Lu Chien-chi is making his private collection of vinyl records available to the public in an effort to promote the format. Lu said that he began his collection in junior-high school, and has accumulated more than 10,000 records and posters in the past four decades. When vinyl was at its most popular in Taiwan, a record sold for about NT$30, Lu said, adding that collecting and listening to records was his main form of entertainment when he was in junior-high school. “There was nothing else to do aside from listening to music, reading and studying,” Lu said. Comparing the audio quality of vinyl records with digital formats, Lu said that digital music has a harsher, flatter sound.

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Fort Worth, TX | Beloved Fort Worth Record Store Reopens: Record Town reopened its doors Saturday. The beloved store moved to a new location at 120 St. Louis Avenue in Fort Worth. “The old people want to come back. They’ve been calling for a couple months now wondering when we will open,” said Bill Mecke, one of the store’s co-owners. The original store on University Drive was open for 61 years, but the owners decided to move locations with the rent going up. At the store’s grand opening, there was a mix of new and old customers. “There’s so much old stuff and new stuff and a deep knowledge here…you can just tell there’s a lot of history in this store,” said Molly Davis, a new customer. Mecke said they hoped the new store would bring in more customers, and they planned to extend their hours.

Dundee, UK | Huge outpouring of love for Groucho’s as owner announces Dundee store may close: Hundreds of people have been reacting to the news that one of Scotland’s most cherished record stores may close next year. Groucho’s on the Nethergate could close its doors for good after owner Alastair “Breeks” Brodie announced he will be retiring in August 2019. He has decided to move on after the building in which the shop sits was placed on the market. His 20-year lease expires next year. Mr Brodie is also stepping aside from the store on health grounds but hopes to sell the business to someone who can “carry the mantle on.” Any potential new owner would have to negotiate a new lease or find an alternative home for the store. Mr Brodie said: “I have loved my time running the store. I just feel it’s the right time. I still enjoy it but I just have to be aware of my health…”

Lawrenceville, GA | Couple’s Lawrenceville vinyl shop a family affair: Back when they lived in New York, Stacey and Tony Seminara used to spend afternoons in college stocking vinyl and working behind the counter of a chain record store inside a mall. “We never thought we’d still be doing the same thing 30 years later,” said Tony, laughing. He and his wife now live in Gwinnett County and, together, they run Depot Records in Lawrenceville. It’s a bit different now for the Northern transplants, whose local record store has been open for three years (though not located in a mall) and recently expanded its sales floor. They’ve got two grown sons and a daughter. They’ve got careers: Stacey is an accountant, and Tony repairs printers. That’s why their store on North Clayton Street is only open weekends; it’s the only time the two aren’t working their day jobs or staying busy with family.

Las Cruces, NM | Eyeconik Records passes first year downtown, eyes bowling alley: One year after cutting the ribbon at his store downtown, Eyeconik Records and Apparel owner Justin Tyskewicz is feeling bullish about downtown development and locally-owned businesses. From his record store on the corner of Campo Street and Las Cruces Avenue, Tyskewicz has watched as other small businesses take root in and around downtown, new construction go up, and street work begin to redesign the flow of traffic downtown. “The construction’s hurting businesses downtown,” he said, “But it’s all necessary and when all is said and done, it’s going to be worth it.” Tyskewicz began selling vinyl record albums in Franklin, New Jersey 10 years ago, three years before he and his wife relocated to Las Cruces. He sold records at Big Daddy’s Flea Market for five years with plans to establish a brick-and-mortar store downtown. In 2017, he moved into his current space at 224 N. Campo.

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Wanganui, NZ | Vinyl is back in the groove: The attraction back to vinyl has occurred for many reasons and generally depends on the buyers’ preferences. Some people have rediscovered that the sonic qualities are a little different than the digital, compressed stuff. The visual element can play a big role with creative art work, inserts and posters. The use of vintage amplifiers and big speakers is an attraction for the sound folks. Some just like to “hold” their music, and the hunt for vinyl is and of itself an attraction as folks hit flea markets, independent retailers, second-hand stores and junk stores to find vinyl. And what’s essential to the collector?

London, ENG | London’s Kristina Records To Relocate: East London record shop Kristina Records is set to close. The shop opened in 2011, largely pre-empting the wave of vinyl outlets that have opened across the capital in the past few years. Paving the way, Kristina helped underline the commercial potential for Kingsland Road, and through its links to local labels helped build a real community round the shop. All good things come to an end, though, with Kristina Records set to close their East London hub with a view to relocating elsewhere in London. The final day is August 31st.

Lipstick Crush Records brings synthwave classics to vinyl: Lipstick Crush Records, a forthcoming synthwave vinyl label, is kicking off its launch this month by issuing some important earlier releases of the genre on wax for the first time. There’s Betamaxx’s crucial 2012 album Lost Formats, Vincenzo Salvia’s 2013 album Auto Radio, and synthwave pioneer and Girlfriend Records founder Sferro’s 2015 favorite Ornaments. Accompanying those releases is the 2017 album Static Shock from prolific Sellorekt/LA Dreams. (Keep reading for brief interviews with all of those artists.) Label founders Minneapolis-based Adam Black and New Orleans-based Matthew Weeks met in the Synthwave Vinyl Collectors Facebook group and in January 2018 started formulating the concept and mission for Lipstick Crush Records…

Five Classic-Era Yes Albums Get the Remix Treatment: The Steven Wilson Remixes Provide an Interesting Counterpoint to the Originals. …Wilson’s remixes of five Yes albums have made their way into a new vinyl box set, with each disc bearing reworked artwork from Roger Dean. These mixes were originally released on deluxe Blu-ray editions, for which Wilson rejiggered—in both stereo and 5.1 surround—the English band’s best-loved work, including 1971’s The Yes Album, 1971’s Fragile, 1972’s Close to the Edge, 1973’s Tales from Topographic Oceans, and 1974’s Relayer. This run of albums found Yes becoming one of the most successful prog bands of the era, as their song lengths swelled to 20-plus minutes and their lyrics embraced abstract and cosmic conceits. Close to the Edge is frequently lauded as the high-water mark for prog rock; the double album Tales from Topographic Oceans is often laughed at as its indulgent nadir.

Maxwell Announces Embrya 20th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue: The 1998 record has been remastered by Maxwell and Sade’s Stuart Matthewman. Maxwell has announced a 20th anniversary re-release of his 1998 album Embrya. The new edition is out September 28 (via Sony Music’s Certified Classics). The reissue, available as a 2xLP white vinyl, will include a 12-page booklet featuring previously unreleased photos from the Embrya photoshoot, taken by Mario Sorrenti. In addition, the record has been remastered by Maxwell and Sade’s Stuart Matthewman. It’s also been re-sequenced, with the original opening track (“Gestation: Mythos”) moved to the end. Maxwell heads out on a massive North American tour next month. He most recently released blackSUMMERS’night in 2016.

Sioux Falls, SD | Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan stops into Sioux Falls record shop: Billy Corgan was just a few hours away from rocking Sioux Falls on Tuesday with his band The Smashing Pumpkins. But first, he had to make a stop at Crosstown Vinyl. Owner Steve Zastrow was busy cleaning records and at first didn’t notice the afternoon visitor was Corgan. “I didn’t recognize him at first because I was doing something else, which I hate to admit — the guy is 6-and-a-half feet tall,” he said. “And all of a sudden I’m like, ‘I know who that is.'” Corgan picked up up a wide range of records including classic country and some 99-cent vinyl. “He was really cool,” Zastrow said. “He said he liked smaller record stores instead of big city ones or whatever.”

Belmar, NJ | Beat Goes On in Belmar for Popular Jersey Shore Record Store: Lofidelic Records, one of the Jersey Shore’s “vinyl only” record stores, has moved onto Belmar’s Main Street. Store owner David Hernandez packed up his shop in nearby Manasquan and relocated earlier this month to 904 Main Street, where die-hard collectors, newfound enthusiasts and the curious are stopping by to see the thousands of new and used albums that fill bins, shelves and walls of the former cupcake shop. To welcome Lofidelic to the downtown district, borough officials and Belmar Business Partnership board members held a ribbon-cutting on August 18. Those attending were Mayor Brian Magovern, and council members Mark Walisfer and Jennifer Nicolay, and BBP trustees Thomas Burke, Patricia Tecza and Christine Cardellino. The grand opening also was highlighted by a performance by local band Flourish and DJ Danny Stax who spun tunes the old-fashion way — on turntables.

Davenport, IA | Saturday vinyl record sale to benefit HAVlife: …The Big Spin, a sale of classic vinyl records sponsored by the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 230 E. 2nd St. Attendees are invited to browse through thousands of LPs and enjoy classic sounds spun by local DJs. Pizza by the slice will be available for purchase, courtesy of Mama Bosso Pizza. A VIP preview event will take place earlier in the day, from 9-11 a.m. At that time, shoppers can get a first look through thousands of LPs. Tickets for the preview will be available at the door for $20. All donations and proceeds during the sale will benefit the HAVlife Foundation, which works to prevent lost potential in youths by providing grants for participation in music, arts and athletics.

Brighton, UK | Couple overcomes hardship to open Viva Vinyl record shop in Brighton: …Brian has been collecting vinyl records since he was a boy and there are 10,000 records in the shop. The couple have been married for 39 years. They met when they were work colleagues at British Steel in London. They have two sons, Daniel and Brett. Brian and Julie built up the Voucher Shop from zero to a £28 million turnover between 1991 and 2006. After they sold the business to Sodexo they went on to manage and work at another two companies, SVM Global and Flexitconsultancy, which advised customers on voucher schemes. Julie said: “Originally we were going to open Viva Vinyl in a garage but luckily this property became available.”

Label Of Love: Fuzz Club Records Is Building A Global Community: Fuzz Club – in our opinion – is simply one of the greatest record labels in the world. Founded by Casper Dee in rural Norway during the 24-hour darkness of the Arctic winter, quite a lot has happened since then. In 2018 Fuzz Club is hosting a two-day festival in The Netherlands. Taking place at the Effenaar in August, Fuzz Club Eindhoven might just be the labels ambitious project to date, with two full days of live music, DJs, visuals and a record fair. Those playing include: The Black Angels, APTBS, Spectrum, The Limiñanas, Holy Wave, The Underground Youth, Josefin Ohrn, Ron Galo and a bunch more. Looking ahead, meanwhile, this year will also see the label launch the Fuzz Club Magazine and open a physical record store in East London.

Cleveland, OH | Blue Arrow Record Store owner Pete Gulyas chooses four albums you should check out: Looking for some new music to spin? Cleveland’s record store owners have their own thoughts about what they think you should be listening to–and it’s all available in their shops. Pete Gulyas has owned and operated Blue Arrow Records for nearly a decade in Cleveland’s hip Waterloo neighborhood. The store is well-known for its shop cats, its vintage selection and its flooring–made of a collage of old record covers. Gulyas chose four albums, all by Northeast Ohio bands, that he thinks you should be listening to. They are all available in his shop, located at 16001 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland.

Washington, DC | Booze & Vinyl Listening Party: Join us for a vinyl listening session! Come meet André Darlington, co-author of Booze & Vinyl, and sip cocktails while listening (and dancing!) to classic records. Named as one of the most anticipated books of the year by Esquire, Imbibe, Tasting Table and more, Booze & Vinyl shows you how shake, stir, and just plain pour your way through music from the 1950s through the 2000s — with a Side A and Side B cocktail made by Chantal Tseng. There will be drinks pouring and vinyl spinning — plus crate digging with $5 and $15 vinyl bins courtesy of Upshur Street Books. B&V book will be available for purchase — get your copy signed!

Aretha’s Greatest Albums: ‘Lady Soul’ (1968): Remembering a 1970s used-record-store encounter with one of Franklin’s finest full-lengths. I bought my copy of Lady Soul in the mid-’70s at my neighborhood record store in Queens for $2 – used but in perfect condition, a heavy black disc with the iconic red, white and green Atlantic label I knew from Led Zeppelin records. The front cover image was a concert close-up, soft-focus and regal: Aretha, bejeweled, with a mic in her manicured hand and a mighty up-do crown, so tall that the photo crops off the top. On the back cover were notes by Jon Landau, identified as a writer for Crawdaddy! and Rolling Stone, a magazine roughly two months old when the album dropped in January 1968. She was, he announced, “bringing the soul message to new mass audiences.”

Deadpool 2 soundtrack gets first vinyl release: On red and black striped LP. The original soundtrack for Marvel superhero film Deadpool 2 is being released on vinyl for the first time, this August via Mondo. Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds in its titular role as anti-hero Wade Wilson aka Deadpool. Its original score was created by composer Tyler Bates, best known for his work on John Wick, and Atomic Blonde, both of which were also directed by David Leitch. Deadpool 2 follows Mondo’s release of the Luke Cage Season 2 soundtrack, as well as the Speed Racer original score.