North Carolina has several great independent record stores: …North Carolina has a long tradition of folk and old-time music in Appalachia and the Piedmont, but the state also has a proud alternative music history. It played a huge part in the first rumblings of independent music in the South. Link Wray, who practically invented the power chord and guitar feedback with “Rumble,” was born in Dunn, N.C. Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem, which were breeding grounds for bands like Superchunk and the dBs, have been notable purveyors of the DIY sound since the ‘80s. The roots of alternative music can still be found in the state’s venues, labels, and independent record stores. These vinyl shops are still alive and well in the streaming era, and they remain cornerstones of North Carolina’s cultural landscape. A record store is a great place to shop for new music, get recommendations from knowledgeable staff, and engage with the local music scene. If you’re looking for something new or old to spin, point your feet in the direction of one of these stores.
Seattle, WA | And the Best Record Store in Seattle Is… …As someone who’s been frequenting record shops since the Carter administration, I obviously champion their cause. Sure, shopping for records online can be rewarding and streaming songs can be convenient and weightless/waitless, but the experience of rifling through bins in a brick-and-mortar emporium remains the gold standard of music consumption. Your chance encounters with other patrons, your interactions with clerks (who are not nearly as annoying as pop-culture depictions would lead you to believe; on the contrary, some are downright oracular—and full of kindness, to boot), your ability to check out the condition of the goods with your own damn eyes—all of these factors add up to a real-ass analog experience that’s more fun and vital than clicking an icon on a screen in your home. At their best, record shops are sources of aural pleasure that could last a lifetime and sanctuaries from the world’s bullshit.
New York, NY | The Pain of Losing a Local Record Store: Saying goodbye to a beloved brick and mortar business hurts. My friend Charles told me that June Records would be closing a few hours before the news was made public on the store’s website. June’s building was sold, and the new landlord was terminating the shop’s lease at the end of July. Ever since I spotted the sale sign in late April, I’d had a sinking feeling that this was where things were headed, but the shock of hearing that it was finally coming to pass was immediately replaced by a distinct feeling of sadness. “Damn it,” I told Charles. “That just sucks.” June Records wasn’t the oldest record store in Toronto, the largest or its best known. It was a small place, and opened only in 2012. But it meant the world to me for several reasons: it was a block from my house; the selection was eclectic and sweeping; the prices were fair; and its staff members were the kind of knowledgeable, highly opinionated music geeks that possessed a soulful recognition engine more powerful than any algorithm.
Lost Highway
Columbia, SC | Beloved record shop in Five Points rocks n’ rolls with the changes, celebrating 40 years in business: A renowned music store in Five Points celebrated 40 years in business a few weeks ago. The secret to its longevity just might be that the business has stayed true to its roots. In fact, when you step inside Papa Jazz Record Shoppe on Greene Street, it feels like you’re stepping back in time. You never know what you’ll hear playing on the speakers inside the eclectic music store. When we visited last week, instrumental rock n’ roll hits from the 1960’s like “Rumble” by Link Wray and “Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johnny could be heard overhead. When asked if he ever expected to stay in business for 40 years, owner Tim Smith said, “Honestly, I guess I didn’t think that far out.” But clearly his popular record store has stood the test of time. The store is filled with used CD’s and vinyl records of all genres, including rare and hard-to-find titles all at a discount.
Rush’s Clockwork Angels Tour set for 5LP vinyl set: Rush’s 2013 live album will be re-issued as a 5LP set in October – as new Cinema Strangiato trailer is released. Rush’s live album Clockwork Angels Tour is to be reissued as a 5LP set later this year. The record originally came out in 2013, documenting the band’s 2012 tour in support of their 19th and final studio album Clockwork Angels. A statement on the new release, which is out on October 9, reads: “Live 5LP set from the Clockwork Angels tour, pressed on 180-gram vinyl, and includes an etching on the flipside of the final album. “The set comes packaged in a two-piece telescopic box with a full-colour booklet, and a code to download a high-definition digital version of the album. “The band recorded concerts in 2012 in Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio for a live album, and this set includes all 31 tracks from those recordings.
Whitesnake: ‘Slip Of The Tongue’ 30th-Anniversary Edition Due In October: …”Slip Of The Tongue: 30th Anniversary Edition” will be available on October 4 for $74.98. The 6CD/DVD collection includes a newly remastered version of the album, plus unreleased studio recordings, audio and video of the band’s performance at the 1990 Monsters Of Rock festival, and a new interview with WHITESNAKE founder and lead singer David Coverdale. It comes in a 60-page hardbound book filled with rare memorabilia from the era. For a limited time, Rhino.com will offer the Super Deluxe edition paired with a lithograph signed by David Coverdale for $84.98. Other versions of “Slip Of The Tongue” will also be available the same day, including double-CD Deluxe Edition, which includes the newly remastered album expanded with a selection of rare and unreleased bonus tracks ($24.98) and a double-LP Deluxe Edition, which features the newly remastered album along with a selection of unique bonus tracks ($31.98).
Unreleased Album of John Coltrane and His All-star Classic Quartet Mastered from Original Analog Tape for Release by Impulse!/UMe: In 1964, John Coltrane and his Classic Quartet went into Van Gelder Studios and, in an unprecedented move for Coltrane, recorded new versions of some of his most famous works. This never-before-heard recording, Blue World, will be released on September 27 in CD, vinyl LP and digital editions via Impulse!/UMe. Early in 1964, the year he recorded A Love Supreme, Coltrane was approached by a Quebecois filmmaker, Gilles Groulx. Groulx was planning his film Le chat dans le sac, a love story set in Montreal with political undertones. A die-hard Coltrane fan, Groulx was fixated on having Coltrane record a soundtrack for his film. Groulx approached Coltrane via a personal connection with bassist Jimmy Garrison, and amazingly, Coltrane agreed. So right between the recording sessions for Crescent and A Love Supreme in June of ’64, John Coltrane brought Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner into Van Gelder Studios to do something virtually unprecedented in Coltrane world: revisit and record earlier works.
Beastie Boys are reissuing four of their classic records on colour vinyl: They’ll arrive in October. Beastie Boys have announced special limited edition reissues of four of their classic releases. Set to be released on October 4, each record will be pressed onto 180-gram translucent colour vinyl. The four Beastie Boys releases in question are ‘Paul’s Boutique’ (released in 1989), ‘Ill Communication’ (1994), the ‘Root Down’ EP (1995) and ‘To The 5 Boroughs’ (2004) — three of which are celebrating significant release anniversaries this year. As well as these limited edition vinyl, new Beastie Boys merchandise tied to each release is also being made available to purchase.
