Réunion Island | The world’s best record shops #150: Vinyl Run, Réunion: Never mind desert island discs. As the owner of Réunion Island’s sole record shop, Christophe has got you covered. Thanks to its geographical location, Réunion Island boast a unique mix of styles and cultures. Situated in the Indian ocean, with Madagascar to the west and the white beaches of Mauritius to the east, Réunion boasts a thriving scene of its own, with DIY parties such as The Primative Ö, Babani Soundsystem and Think LOUD. All are represented at Vinyl Run. Classic reggae, dub, zouk reissues and French language disco all provide a fitting soundtrack to the environment that lies on its doorstep. Releases that showcase the local sounds of Maloya – a genre known as the ‘musical soul’ of Réunion – and the heavily politicised island folk of séga (and the reggae-tinged sub-genre known as séggae) are aplenty, with artists like Danyel Waro, Kaya and Ziskakan filling the racks. “I try to introduce our music and culture to people all around the world. I want them to discover these new styles,” says Christophe. “These genres are like the blues of Réunion Island.”
Mystic, CT | Sweet sounds: Website names Mystic Disc ‘the best record store in Connecticut’: It’s no wonder Mystic Disc, the hole-in-the-wall record shop tucked away in an alleyway on Steamboat Wharf, was recently voted “the best record store in Connecticut.” Fans come from all over the Nutmeg State, from New York, from Hawaii, from Europe and from next door, to pore through the bins of records and to listen to owner Dan Curland talk — talk about music and records, of course, but also to listen to him talk about the importance of listening to young people, the importance of community and the importance of a lively downtown. Part father figure, part music man, part pied piper, and full-time storyteller, Curland has influenced the lives of music lovers from three generations, according to those who know him best. “He’s the most unique individual I’ve ever met,” said Rich Freitas, who works for Curland one day a week and has known him for much of his life. “And he’s one of the best people I know.”
New Lawsuit Claims Apple Is Part of a ‘Massive Music Piracy Operation’: Despite Apple’s laudable efforts at fairly compensating songwriters and the tight ship that it runs with the iTunes Store and Apple Music, it seems that at least one songwriter — or his estate at least — feels that the company not only hasn’t been doing enough to prevent piracy, but is actually actively engaged in it. A new lawsuit by the estate of Harold Arlen — the composer of classic songs such as the Wizard of Oz’s 1939 Over the Rainbow — is accusing not only Apple, but also Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Pandora of selling unauthorized recordings of some of the songwriter’s most famous music. According to Forbes, the lawsuit claims that the tech giants are involved in a “massive music piracy operation,” having joined with “notorious music pirates” to sell and stream thousands of pirated recordings, including over 6,000 unauthorized recordings of Arlen’s music. In fact, according to the lawsuit, digital music stores are now “flooded” with unauthorized copies…
The 28 greatest Best Of albums: Greatest Hits albums are a great introduction to an artist, but they’re easy to get wrong, too. Here are the essential ones for any music lover’s collection. Alan Partridge’s favourite album of all time is ‘Best of the Beatles’, which suggests you can’t really go wrong with a greatest hits collection. But don’t let Partridge fool you. Best of’s can somehow manage to ignore a band’s actual appeal, throwing in big-selling hits and ignoring the rest. Either that, or they have the distinct whiff of a record company cash-in. But without exception, you can trust in the below – best of releases which have every right to carry the classics.
