Birkenhead, UK | Birkenhead record shop announces Adele boycott over vinyl row: A Birkenhead record shop will boycott the new Adele album over claims the hit singer’s release is affecting the availability of vinyl. Ben Savage, of Skeleton Records on Oxton Road, said the shop will not stock Adele’s 30 which is released on November 19 following reports that over 500,000 vinyl copies of the album have been pressed. Many smaller artists and labels have claimed that by pressing up so much vinyl Adele is causing their own albums to be delayed or released in limited numbers pushing up the sale costs for fans. “I think it’s important to stand up for independent bands,” said Ben. “By pressing up 500,000 copies of her album, Adele has monopolised all of Europe’s pressing plants. “There have been massive vinyl shortages this year meaning there has been a long waiting list for new releases. “I know a couple of artists whose albums are now seven months late because they just can’t get them pressed.”
Los Angeles, CA | A Store Visit with Barry Perlman of L.A.’s Supervinyl: “…I thought, when I open up Supervinyl, it’s going to be friendly and easy. I’m here almost every day, seven days a week. And when I or anyone else who works here, including my son Jesse, see someone come into the store, we always say hello, but not in a canned “how can I help you” way. It’s very relaxed; we have comfortable chairs in the store. We’re here to help people and talk anybody through any of the turntables and the McIntosh stuff; we know them all pretty well now. Let’s say it’s someone’s first time buying something, and they want to step up to a McIntosh. I’ll have somebody go to their house and install the whole thing, show them how to work everything. I get letters and texts and emails from customers who have bought them from us. One lady said she started crying because it sounded so good...”
McKinney, TX | Woman-owned music shop Red Zeppelin Records offers eclectic selection in downtown McKinney: When customers enter Red Zeppelin Records, among the first things they see are posters of musicians like Queen, Dr. Dre and the Lemonheads. That range of musical styles is indicative of the store and its customer base, owner Katie Scott said. “A beautiful thing about it is there isn’t one set demographic for us because everybody loves music,” Scott said. “We pride ourselves on our [selection’s] diversity.” Located just off the downtown McKinney Square, Red Zeppelin opened in July 2020. Scott said she opened the shop after seeing the interest in the vinyl she stocked at her other downtown McKinney business, the vintage boutique The Groovy Coop. Thanks to Red Zeppelin’s success, Scott recently took over the space next door to the shop and expanded its floorplan. That allowed her to add more records, CDs and cassette tapes for now, but Scott said she has further plans for the added space in the future.
Evanston, IL | Vintage Vinyl makes grooves in Evanston for 42 years: The “King of Rock and Roll” launched Steve Kay’s interest in music at the age of five. Several decades later, pink and black — Elvis’s favorite colors — adorn the walls of Kay’s record store, Evanston shop Vintage Vinyl. “I had an aunt who got me my first record player and my first 45s, and that was it,” Kay said. “They were records by Elvis Presley. And that just changed the world.” A New York native and avid music lover, Kay came to Chicago in the 1970s to complete his master’s degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1979, he opened Vintage Vinyl in Evanston because he felt the city lacked a business that served a “specialized” community of record collectors. “…We’ve always specialized in looking for records that are long out of print, but also in top condition,” Kay said. “We’ve never tried to appeal to mainstream taste.”
Bristol, UK | Shall Not Fade opening new record shop in Bristol: Stocking its own records, as well as releases from affiliated artists. Shall Not Fade is opening up a new record shop by the same name in Bristol this December. The shop will focus on stocking releases from the label and its subseries, as well as records from affiliated artists, and merch. Adopting a rounded approach to what a record store can be, the Shall Not Fade space will host regular livestreams, as well as running courses in DJing and label management (with 50% of places made available for free to disadvantaged young people). The Shall Not Fade record store will share its space with a new specialist plant shop, called Plant Works, which was founded by label founder Kieran Williams and his gardener partner Bailey Brice. Alongside the shop, Shall Not Fade is also releasing a 3xLP compilation in celebration of its sixth anniversary this December. Shall Not Fade will open on Saturday 4th December.
Miami, FL | Behind this secret black door in Wynwood is a new listening lounge where vinyl is king: Your musical journey begins with the Thelonious Monk Quartet, accompanied by a refreshing cocktail served in a green glass boot. The light is dim, the atmosphere so chill you can feel your shoulders soften and relax. The sound system pumps so exquisitely you want to throw your Air Pods in the trash. But Monk is only the beginning. Your vinyl horizons are about to be expanded in a way that will keep your Shazam app busy — and maybe even flummox it. Welcome to Dante’s HiFi. TOP VIDEOS WATCH MORE × Miami Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz says “The guys found a way to win.” The intimate Wynwood bar and listening room rises from the imaginations of five co-founders — Sven Vogtland, Jourdan Binder, Arturo Nuñez, Alan Drummond and DJ Rich Medina — united in the desire to create something unique in Miami nightlife. Not just another nightclub playing the same songs you hear everywhere (no offense, Tiesto), but a haven for “listening at a higher level,” as music director Medina says.
JP | Demand for analog music records surging: Demand for analog music records has been surging in Japan, in contrast to declining demand for CDs stemming from growing online music distribution services. The Recording Industry Association of Japan says production of vinyl records has increased 12-fold in the past 10 years. The association says the value of analog record production once dropped to about 1.5 million dollars in 2010, while demand for CDs rose to replace them. But production of oldies came on track for recovery and reached about 18.6 million dollars in 2020. The recovery is partly due to the increasing releases of new records by popular artists. A Sony Group company resumed production of vinyl records three years ago for the first time in 29 years in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The company says the volume of orders it received this year is twice that of last year.
Huddersfield, UK | Huddersfield vinyl nerd hosting ‘wildly wrong’ display of worst record album covers of all time: And the public will get the chance to vote for their three favourites following the week-long show in Huddersfield town centre. An eccentric vinyl enthusiast is putting on an hilarious display of 200 of the worst ever record covers and 100 CDs in Huddersfield town centre. Steve Goldman, a computer programmer from Golcar has been collecting bad record covers for several years, and they’re finally on display in the Piazza Centre, Princess Alexandra Walk, opposite Huddersfield Library until November 14, from 10am-4pm. They cover the whole range of music- from hip hop to classical, from the 1950s to contemporary. Admission is free. One truly excruciating cover features a semi-naked couple canoodling complete with a strategically placed cauliflower preserving her modesty while another one has a man sitting on the loo strumming his guitar. Steve, 55, said: “What makes a bad cover? It must be unintentionally funny – enough to make me laugh.
Qrates & Fat Beats Establish Press-to-Order Global Vinyl Distribution Network for Retailers: …Rather than guesstimating the total number of records to press and distribute, Fat Beats will promote selected vinyl projects from Qrates directly to its retail network, soliciting firm, pre-paid orders and working with Qrates to eliminate waste by pressing only the agreed-upon number of records. This eliminates financial and inventory risk for independent labels and artists, who need not put any money down for the pressing or store unsold records in their basements, while Fat Beats’ strong presence and influence in the hip-hop market ensures their music is featured in some of the most influential record stores in the world.
