Glens Falls, NY | Old technologies, new customers: New shop features records and books: A new records and books shop has opened in the Shirt Factory Annex on Curran Lane, celebrating the physical and sensory appeal of art forms that can also be found, disembodied, online. The Bookhouse and Sweet Side Records offer used records and used and new books to a clientele that still appreciates vinyl and paper. Despite predictions those customers would vanish with the proliferation of new listening and reading technologies, they are still around, and a trickle of them has been finding the way to Curran Lane. Matt Funiciello (books) and Ed Martuscello (records) are hoping the trickle becomes a stream as more Shirt Factory shops open for the summer, crowds come to the Thursday night food truck corrals and visitors use the Warren County Bikeway, which runs near the building. Funiciello is the owner of Rock Hill Bakehouse, running a breadmaking business and a cafe out of a space around the corner in the Shirt Factory Annex.
Lockport, NY | Vinyl is back — and it’s spectacular: In decline for years, by 1988, the sale of vinyl records had taken a deep dive. The CD, or compact disc, had been introduced to the mainstream and it was easier to handle and carry around. However, that meant the production of vinyl also slowed, and today any record albums from that era are solid gold. These are the threads of conversations that take place all over the world, especially in record shops where music fans flock to get a piece of what was once obsolete. In Western New York that includes places like Hi-Fi Hits Records in Williamsville, Music Matters in Niagara Falls, Bob the Record Guy in Depew, Revolver Records in Buffalo and The Record Baron in Kenmore. Vinnie’s Vinyls in Lockport and Niagara Records in Sanborn come to mind, too. There are countless other places that sell vinyl records, from big corporate giants like Barnes & Noble to small shops such as Gutter Pop Comics, as well as thrift shops, yard and garage sales and online.
Carlisle, PA | Carlisle man’s collection takes up an entire warehouse, music to record hunter’s ears: This is Dennis Gotthard. “It’s a mess but I don’t apologize for that,” Gotthard said. This is his stuff. “It is what it is. People love to go through stuff like that,” he said. Warehouses and garages can barely contain it and there’s no containing Dennis’ enthusiasm for things. He used to own hardware stores. Now he owns everything. “I have like a thousand mannequins. I’m known as the mannequin guy,” Gotthard said. But those plastic bodies are no match for Dennis’s vinyl. “There’s about 50,000 albums in here and they are categorized,” Gotthard said. He has 45’s and 78’s, which match his age. “Rolling Stones, they’re as old as me and one of these days when they stop, this will be real collectible,” Gotthard said. But there’s no stopping Dennis, who buys records every week and has a warehouse that’s an international hit.
Denver, CO | Opening Soon: Edgewater Tiki Bar Promises to Keep It Weird: “We want to pay tribute to the world of weird,” says Lexi Healy, co-owner of the The Electric Cure and Velvet Lounge. The bar is slated to be the latest addition to the vibrant Sloan’s Lake neighborhood when it opens mid- to late July at 5350 West 25th Avenue, adding another must-see libation destination into the mix that includes favorites like Joyride Brewery and Edgewater Public Market. Healy and her business partner, Veronica Ramos (or, as they describe themselves, “the short one and the tall one,” respectively), are veterans of the service industry and were friends and co-workers before deciding to go into business together. They met at the now-closed Bushwacker’s Saloon on South Broadway, a street that has since became a second home to the pair. Later, they worked together at Bowman’s Vinyl and Lounge, where Healy was the general manager. Taking inspiration from their experiences, the concept for the Electric Cure took shape.
Orlando, FL | Florida on a Tankful: Jazz musician keeps vinyl alive: Off the busy streets of Parramore, just a block or so from Camping World Stadium, a vinyl and record lover’s dream can be found. Ed Smith owns and operates Re-Runz records, a vintage vinyl store specializing in jazz, soul, funk, and rock and roll. Smith himself has collected and listened to vinyl since he was a teen back in the 1950s and he also has played in jazz bands around the country in every decade since the 1960s. He opened Re-Runz vintage vinyl shop three years ago in hopes that he could share his love of vinyl and music with the community. And even though in the past year he and other small-business owners were dealing with the pandemic, he says his customer base has remained strong. He has a large collection the music lovers can check out in his store four days a week. Just head to his website to see more on store hours.
Move The Record supports independent record stores with a four-week event series: The streaming initiative will take place for four consecutive Thursdays across July. Move The Record is back for a second year to support independent record stores that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The organisation will be broadcasting events across four weeks in July from different record stores, with performances from an eclectic range of DJs. The initiative takes place every Thursday from 1 July to 21 July, with each broadcast lasting six hours. Every event will take place in record stores across the globe, with residents and special guests DJs performing. Move The Record hopes that these events will “drive online sales and footfall to shops that can open, and encourage customers to invest in their local spot”. Last year, Move The Record hosted shows in Phonica London, KMA60 Berlin, Deficit, Halcyon, Hâus and more. Performers included Bradley Zero, Dana Ruh, Steffi, Prins Thomas, Josh Cheon, and Fred P.
London, ON | Brews News: Craft brewery, record shop give collaboration a spin: It was a ritual. Flipping through bins, spending your $3.99 and taking a carefully selected vinyl LP home to open and place on a meticulously dust-free turntable. London was once a leader in the manufacturing of vinyl albums, thanks to Sparton Records, which pressed records by the likes of Paul Anka and Merle Haggard in the Forest City from the 1930s to 1960s at 99 Ash St. near Silverwoods Park. The spirit of Sparton — now a desirable label among collectors — is being kept alive for a new generation by used record shops such as Speed City and a local-loving craft brewery. Forked River and Speed City — London’s oldest craft brewery and London’s oldest record shop — have combined talents to create a timely summer beer called Sparton Press Pils. Giddy at the possibilities like a small town teen making his first trip to Sam the Record Man after years of buying records at Stedmans, Forked River and Speed City got busy.
