Oshkosh, WI | Oshkosh’s time capsule: The Exclusive Company: The Exclusive Co., located in downtown Oshkosh, creates an old-time atmosphere for music and entertainment lovers to purchase new and used records, DVDs, DJ equipment and much more. “You don’t see many local record stores anymore, and we offer things that you can’t find at Target or Walmart,” said Isaac Lamers, the record store manager. “The store creates a vibe and it is almost like stepping into a different decade.” According to their website, The Exclusive Co. is America’s oldest full-line independent record store. Owner James Giombetti, who died on Nov. 13, was known to many as Mr. G and for his catchphrase, “Say it with me.” Giombetti started his career selling records out of the trunk of his car and at flea markets. He opened the first store in 1956 in West Bend, Wisconsin. He sold records and then slowly expanded his inventory to include other things like turntables, portable audio equipment, TVs and stereo systems.
Northampton, UK | Christmas shopping: Iconic Northampton record store reveals secret behind 21-year success and the ‘desirability’ of vinyl: “A 12″ record sleeve is like a piece of art, a lot of people put them up on their walls. There’s a desirability about them.” An iconic Northampton record store which has been in business for more than two decades is calling on residents to support the High Street this Christmas. In the run up to Christmas, the Chronicle and Echo is celebrating and promoting the best of local businesses in a bid to get more people out shopping locally. The second shop in our coverage is Spun Out record store in Gold Street, which is owned by Chris Kent and has been in business for 21 years now. Chris said: “We started in 2000. We realised there was nothing on the street for young people’s interest, so we started up as a clothing and record shop to have a local focus point for that sort of thing.
San Jose, CA | East Side Record Swap at Mexican Heritage Plaza: Music nerds of all stripes can agree: vinyl is how music is meant to be heard. The gorgeous campus of the East Side’s Mexican Heritage Plaza is set to host a daylong celebration of the most durable format, with a plethora of vendors hawking records across genres, and DJs spinning great hip hop to show the digital natives what’s up. The guest of honor is producer Domino of Bay Area rap legends Hieroglyphics, who will be spinning vinyl himself as well as guesting on a live taping of San Jose’s excellent Dad Bod Rap Pod.
Corpus Christi, TX | Back to Business: Why Hybrid Records is more than music, it’s about community: Owner Carlos Cooper’s vision for his business was for it to become a staple of Corpus Christi. Growing up in the Sparkling City by the Sea, he wanted a record store where people could congregate to discuss music, art and the community. With no business background, Cooper took a risk and opened up his small shop and figured things out as he went. “If I sat too long and thought about it, I’d talk myself out of it at some point,” Cooper said. Knowing his regulars on a first-name basis, he is able to make that connection with the community and help people discover new music they might not have found on their own. “…Hybrid Records. It’s a record store first and then a cultural community hub second. We hope to create an environment where people can gather and discuss all types of art. Plus support the local artist scene.”
Ashland, OR | An Audiophile’s Dream: Calling all music lovers! Ashland has the place for you, and it’s a little slice of heaven. The Music Coop, an independent record store located next to Bloomsbury Books on 268 East Main Street, is fully stocked with vinyl, cd’s, and the warmest atmosphere we’ve ever experienced. They offer various new and collectible vinyl, and it is also the perfect place to find colored vinyl! They sell genres from all across the board, from classic rock, new and indie rock, punk, and pop, to hip-hop, electronica, R&B and soul, blues, jazz, folk, and country, even offering music from decades such as the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The Music Coop originally opened in Petaluma, California in 1975. Owners, John and Trina, moved the Music Coop to Ashland in 2001 after falling in love with the area. John and Trina are a bright and refreshing light in the dark, gritty world of small businesses, “If we wouldn’t put it on our turntable, we don’t expect you to put it on yours.”
Nashville, TN | East Nashville Record Store The Groove Remains Determined to Stay in Place: Talking with co-owner Michael Combs about the campaign to purchase the shop’s building, which will soon be up for sale. Even as they work to raise enough funds to purchase the property The Groove resides on, co-owners Michael Combs and Jesse Cartwright want their supporters to know they are “pursuing all options available” in their efforts to save the record store. The shop’s owners, who took over the longtime East Nashville staple from founders John Moore and Louis Charette in 2017, found out at the end of October that their landlord will be selling the Calvin Avenue building that has been The Groove’s home since 2010. Combs and Cartwright are certainly not the first to experience this challenge — especially in Nashville, where real estate prices have been skyrocketing for an extended period of time.
Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records sequel film to stream exclusively on the Coda Collection. The Coda Collection has announced the forthcoming streaming release of Accidents and Outtakes the rarely seen bonus film to the acclaimed documentary Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records, which tells the story of Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher who in 1978 opened a Chicago record store called Wax Trax!, catering to a community of misfits and turned it into the launching pad for the rise of industrial music. Featuring bonus footage, anecdotes and interviews with Trent Reznor, Al Jourgensen, Groovie Mann and more, this sequel film digs deeper into the label’s history and sheds extra light on the Wax Trax! scene and how it became a global movement. The companion film will be available to stream exclusively via The Coda Collection beginning December 10th, 2021, and an official trailer can be seen at CodaCollection.co.
Limited Edition Acetates To Be Released Of John & Yoko’s ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’: Half of the acetates will be given to music venues and other grassroots organizations, and the others will be available at select record shops across the UK. A very rare and collectable limited edition is being made available by Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon of 50 12-inch vinyl acetates of John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s festive staple “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” (with the Plastic Ono Band and The Harlem Commmunity Choir). It will be released on December 5 to mark the 50th anniversary of the original recording and release in 1971. The first 25 acetates will be given to hand-picked music charities and non-profit and grassroots organizations who do great work across the UK music scene. They range from venues and music education programmes to initiatives that promote gender equality, music therapy and more. Yoko and Sean Ono Lennon have gifted these specially-produced discs to enable each of the organizations to sell or auction them to assist their own funding.
