26 Essential Albums You Might Have Missed in 2020: From Anz to Yaya Bey, these under-the-radar releases deserve more love than they got. We all had big plans for 2020. But instead of gathering with your friends and taking in live music, you’re on the couch watching reruns of Frasier, trying out weird new hobbies, and eating way too many hot dogs. You’d be forgiven if you’re not checking out as much music as you would be in normal times, but we’re here to help. Things are bleak, but they aren’t totally hopeless. Music is still happening even as the world seemed to have temporarily stopped. Without the physical music community of shows, band practices, and regular recording sessions, people have been scrappy in finding connections in the digital space through live streams, fundraisers, and supporting artists directly. If any of these acts give you a sense of comfort in their songs, consider returning the favor on Bandcamp or at your own independent record store.
St. Petersburg’, FL | St. Pete’s Bananas Records says they didn’t know they violated city’s mask mandate: Bananas was listed in other media outlets’ coverage over the weekend. Michelle Allen is pissed. Much to her dismay, St. Pete’s Bananas Records is a part of the City of St. Petersburg’s list of small and major businesses that needed to be inspected twice by local code enforcement. The list surfaced in full via local Fox affiliate WVTV a few weeks ago. The Tampa Bay Times also listed Bananas among several local businesses that were fined. But Allen recently wrote that her record store, located at 2887 22nd Ave. N, was never fined, never warned verbally or in writing and never told it was in violation of any mask ordinance. Allen also told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that code enforcers said nothing to anyone in the establishment about a violation. She also said that inspectors were told that they were not obligated to say anything to owners or employees, which probably means that there most likely wasn’t even a violation to begin with.
Cambridge, MA | Planet Records owner in Cambridge among others accusing bookkeeper of fraud: A record store owner in Cambridge is claiming he’s been defrauded by a bookkeeper who is facing charges for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from two other small businesses through her payroll services firm. Patricia Lindau, 60, Newburgh, Maine, is facing two counts of larceny and embezzlement by a tax preparer, the Essex District Attorney’s Office said in a press release. Lindau allegedly stole $60,300 from companies in Danvers and Haverhill by failing to pay their state taxes through her company Northeast Abacus Inc. She faces up to five years in state prison for larceny, three years for embezzlement, and a fine of up to $100,000, according to the release. The investigation into her alleged crimes is ongoing and more charges are possible. John Damroth, owner of Planet Records in Cambridge, said Lindau handled his payroll for more than 30 years and they had a cordial relationship over the phone. “She knew the name of my kid and would ask after him and stuff like that,” Damroth said. “So, basically in retrospect, maybe that was a way of getting my guard down.”
Vinyl record collecting has come full circle: The world of recorded music evolves in a circle, a small black one. Much like the vinyl records that have made a huge resurgence over the past few years. It all began in 1901 when the Victor Company released its Red Seal line, which played 10-inch, 78-rpm records. The technology was bare and they could only play for a few minutes but the seed was planted. You could now enjoy music that was previously recorded in the comfort of your own home. The 1940’s saw the first Long Play records that could hold 22 1/2 minutes of music per side this was a game changer that saw an explosion of recorded music and artists to record it. With the release of Compact Discs in the 1980’s there was a steady decline in vinyl sales. Online streaming would take it even further away from owning vinyl records. Computer convenience overtook the beauty of listening to music in a warm analog style. The world wanted to move forward with technology but forgot the heart and soul of music.
