“I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I wanted to say in this article.”
“I’m embarrassed to say that my introduction to vinyl was less than romantic. If I remember correctly, the first vinyl I listened to was a compilation of Ella Fitzgerald songs. I know for certain that the record player was from Urban Outfitters. In other words, it was a piece of shit. The sound quality was terrible. I must have been 15 or 16. Now, I’ve always been a big fan of Ella. I attribute much of my vocal quality to listening to hers for so long. But when I put that record on for the first time, I wasn’t transported back in time, I wasn’t mystified by the turning of the black disc, I wasn’t thrilled. I didn’t understand the hype.”
Over the years, I fiddled around with buying records for my small collection. But I rarely chose to listen to them over my iPod. I’ve always always always been obsessed with and deeply devoted to music. My mother used to make fun of me for falling asleep with my headphones on every night. Every morning I’d ride my bike to school listening to my yellow hand radio in elementary school. I’ve gotten in trouble for listening to music at every single one of my day jobs.
Music has always been my life. Even now, I usually end every night by blasting music in my headphones while I dance. For me, I need the good mix, the high volume, and the cleanness that digital offers. I want to hear everything. I just couldn’t understand why someone would want to listen to the old and therefore lesser quality when it came to vinyl. It wasn’t until this last Christmas that my relationship with vinyl completely changed. And it’s all because of Linda Martell.
My boyfriend had introduced me to Linda about a year ago. I’ve been very into ’60s folk for the past 2 years and when my he showed me Linda, I was instantly in love. Let me explain her sound first. Her musicality, so effortless and delicate. The tone of her voice is incredibly impressive. She has a lovely little twang in the bass of her voice that gives us the country, but the ability she has in every section of her range cradles the listener when she sings her rich little tunes. It just feels oh so nice to play her music at night once the day has settled down and you’ve tucked in. But above all, her story is what brings tears to my eyes.
Leesburg, VA | Leesburg record store finishes renovations, expands vintage clothing collection: After a trying year that included a three-month closure, downtown Leesburg’s Dig! Records & Vintage has put the finishing touches on a recent remodel. The store — located at 212 C Loudoun St. SE — has added an interior staircase leading to its second level, which it took over in December 2019 in order to expand its vintage clothing collection. “A lot of people didn’t know we were even up there,” co-owner Kevin Longendyke told the Times-Mirror. He added that visitors to the shop could previously access the upstairs only by an exterior staircase, leading many to believe the upper level belonged to a separate business. While Dig! has always included two or three racks of vintage clothing, the second level allows Longendyke and his fiancée, Kelly Hughes, to significantly expand the collection. “[Selling clothes has] always been something we were into, but the records always take over; they take up more space,” Longendyke said. “It opened up a whole other room for us, so now we have more space,” Hughes said of the remodel. Colorful accoutrement ranging from woven ponchos and floral-print dresses to jackets of denim and camouflage now fill the upper level, as well as 
Manchester, UK | How Affleck’s became home to the last cassette tape shop in Britain – and the centre of a national revival: Following hot on the heels of the vinyl revival—three music fans believe another piece of our musical heritage is about to make a comeback—the cassette tape. We all know about the vinyl revival. However, in one corner of Manchester city centre—three music fans believe another piece of our musical heritage is about to make a comeback. The humble cassette tape. Affleck’s Palace is home to what is believed to be the last remaining dedicated tape shop in the UK. We all remember taping songs off the radio, or shoving cassettes we had saved up to buy into our Walkman or Hi-Fi’s and rewinding our favourite tracks during the medium’s heyday. And despite them now being seen as a by-word for outdated in many people’s minds – the store’s owners say they believe they could well be the future, as people move back towards physical music, and bands look for alternatives to streaming platforms. They have already upgraded to a bigger space at Affleck’s, the Northern Quarter’s iconic indoor market, and say they are now doing 
Wigan, UK | Try out Scalextric and vinyl at Wigan pensioner’s new businesses: Peter Thompson, 73, from Ashton, has set up Ashton Slot Car Racing and Revolving Records at Greensway Shopping Centre. A Wigan pensioner has combined his love for music and cars to open two unique businesses. Peter Thompson, 73, from Ashton, has created Scalextric car racing tracks and a cafe in an upper floor unit of Greensway Shopping Centre in his home town. The business, known as Ashton Slot Car Racing, is due to open its doors on May 19 when lockdown measures are hoped to be eased further. It comes after Peter also opened Revolving Records, a music shop selling vinyl, in July on the ground floor of the same premises, 
UK | Record Store Day & Classic Album Sundays spotlight the UK’s independent record shops in new series: Exploring how they’ve survived throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Record Store Day and Classic Album Sundays, in partnership with Bowers & Wilkins, are re-launching their Behind The Counter series to spotlight the UK’s independent record stores. In doing so, Behind The Counter will also explore how these spaces bring music fans together and 
His grandfather was a popular and successful producer during the latter half of the 20th century, Enoch Light. Light was known for his exciting and fun recordings on his own Command Records label. Often his productions were worthy of an audiophile’s discerning ear. Light was also known for the groundbreaking abstract and minimalist album art that graced the covers of many of his recordings: some the designs that artist Josef Albers created for Light are now on display at the Museum of Modern Art.
Brookeville, PA | Main Street Revolution; records, music, and more: Main Street Revolution is a recently opened record and music store on Main Street, also offering some extra treats for its customers. Main Street Revolution is the culmination of Michael Phillips’ dream to own a music store. He began collecting records two years ago to build up his inventory to eventually open a shop. Finding a space for the shop was the hard part. He finally found the opportunity in 2020, when the chance to start his own business presented itself as a positive out of the pandemic. This is his first time working in retail at all. “Music was more of a hobby, but I’ve bought and sold music since the 90s,” Phillips said. His main focus in the shop is on records, but there are also collections of tapes and CDs to choose from. The music ranges from vintage to modern starting as far back as the 50s, and covers all genres. “
Sorry, “Wrong Number.” Alana Shor’s heartbreaking 1965 anthem is still largely unknown even to diehard music collectors. …When the single came out as a 45 rpm 7” it was packaged in a pink/burgundy tinted picture sleeve. Its central image was a photo of the teenaged Shor sporting a semi-formal style similar to that of Leslie Gore, Patty Duke, and other early-1960s fashion icons. She’d yet to adapt the glammed-out flash that’d be her signature during the 1970s and 80s. The record’s connection to New York is also a big reason why it’s remained so elusive. Shor’s base of support has always been strongest in the Baltimore area, and other recording credits attributed to Satellite, Dismond, and Millstein reveal no association with any other Maryland artist. Years later, when unsold stock copies turned up in local record store bargain bins, fans of Maryland music probably thought this was some other random preppy “Alana Shor” from up north and not their flashy heroine from the Paper Cup. The dynamic intensity of “Wrong Number” could’ve come from any number of sources, but deciphering this element mostly requires a simple 
