Madison, WI | Madison’s ‘Sugar Shack Records’ closing after more than 40 years: One of Madison’s oldest record stores, Sugar Shack Records, is closing its doors at the end of April. The store’s owner is holding two special celebrations beforehand to celebrate the end of an era. The store’s building is being sold, forcing the long-term tenant out. “The decision wasn’t really mine,” Store Owner Gary Feest said. “There’s two sisters own the building. They told me last September that they were thinking about selling and they let me know in January that they had had an acceptable offer and and I would have till April 30.” Feest has owned the store since 1981 and has been kept company by his wife, Susie. The store name “Sugar Shack” comes from combining the couple’s first names together (SUsie + GARy). Feest said that while he didn’t choose for the store to close this way, he’s accepting retirement, and holding two special sendoff celebrations before they close for good. They’ll be held on April 9 and April 23, the store’s last day open.
Cheshire, UK | New beer and vinyl record store set to open at Crewe Market Hall: The Doghouse will be the latest addition to the businesses open at the recently renovated market hall. A new beer and vinyl record store will be opening up in Crewe Market Hall next week. The Doghouse will be opened by the team behind craft ale bar The Crewe Dog on Wednesday (April 13). The new venture will sell around 170 different take away beers and ales, sourced from around the world, alongside both modern and vintage records. It will also offer music memorabilia and merchandise. The Crewe Dog was one of the the first traders to open in the newly-refurbished building. Since then, it has become one of the main attractions of the site and was recently received the South Cheshire Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)’s Special Award for New Real Ale Outlet. Louis Delaney, general manager of The Crewe Dog and The Doghouse, said: “Crewe has a strong craft beer scene and we just tapped into that. The support we’ve had has been great and could not ask for anything better. We are always asking what more can we do better, constantly tinkering and improving which is why The Doghouse was born.”
Green Bay, WI | ‘A sad day’: Green Bay customers reminiscing about The Exclusive Company before its closing: When he thinks of The Exclusive Company in Green Bay, Dave Fisher looks back at the days new records were released. “When the lines were out beyond the store winding through here like a snake, kind of like a 75-foot anaconda,” he said. Terrance Mapes recalls taking his family to the shop. “I’d bring my kids here when they were little,” he said. “I’d bring my grandkids here when they were small.” And some of 34-year store manager Tom Smith’s best moments came when Packers stars walked in the door. “Reggie White came in and he brought up a stack of CDs like this,” he said while holding his hands wide. “And we told him that we’d been preparing for him and he was very appreciative of it.” Now, there’s limited time to make more memories as The Exclusive Company announced it’s closing all stores. The news comes after the sudden death of founder James Giombetti, who started up in West Bend.
Fukuoka, JP | Japan’s vinyl record production in the groove amid pandemic, ‘city pop’ boom: The popularity of vinyl records has been picking up globally amid the coronavirus pandemic, and sales in the United States have surpassed those of CDs since 2020. In Japan, too, production output by value in 2021 was 11.6 times higher than a decade earlier. What is happening in the analog record market, which fell into a slump years ago? Sohki Takeuchi, the 31-year-old manager at a record store doubling as a bar in Fukuoka’s Chuo Ward in southwestern Japan told the Mainichi Shimbun, “About 70% of our customers are aged between 10 and 29. We may be seeing a reactionary backlash from them having been surrounded by digital technology since they were born.” Takeuchi started his record store Living Stereo in the city in 2017, and added a bar space equipped with a high-end audio system when he relocated his business to its current location in November 2021. Customers can enjoy selecting vinyl records and drinking there.
Toronto, CA | Sam the Record Man: a former worker spills store secrets: Jimi Donabie talks about working at Sam the Record Man in the ’80s and ’90s. Throughout the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, Yonge Street was ablaze with music. And perhaps no spot burned brighter than Sam the Record Man, pictured here in the Star in 1987. Jimi Donabie has limitless funny memories of the gritty, legendary shop. “There was this period between the heat being on in the winter and when the air conditioning came on in the summer, where for about a week there would be this smell of old socks and dead mice,” he says, laughing. “That’s when you knew the seasons were changing.” Donabie worked the floors of Sam’s at 347 Yonge Street from 1984 to 1995. “A wasted youth in a record store,” he says. “It was wonderful!” Founder Sam Sniderman saw potential in Donabie’s love of music and strong work ethic. “He said to me, ‘Jimi, I want to open a store in Stoney Creek. I want you to move down there and manage it,” Donabie recalls. “I said, ‘I’d love to Sam, but I’m only 15.’”
Derbyshire, UK | Way Ahead, HMV and Virgin: Pictures from Derby’s lost record stores: How many of these stores do you remember visiting? It’s hard to believe now, but in a bygone pre-digital age, Derby really did boast a fantastic array of record shops. From wonderful little independent outlets such as Oasis Records in The Strand Arcade and BPM, in The Strand, to the big boys such as HMV, Our Price and Virgin. HMV used to have its store up near The Spot before moving to the corner of Albion Street and East Street, until it closed in 2014 and moved to its current home at the Derbion. The former incarnation of the much-loved brand saw many iconic releases over the years, with perhaps the most recent memorable one being the launch of Oasis’s third album Be Here Now in the summer of 1997. Many of us eagerly queued up early to bag our copy, with the store even laying on croissants and other assorted pastries to keep the ravenous fans happy. Of course, we now know the fervour was not really warranted, as it wasn’t long before Be Here Now was wildly lambasted as being bloated, overblown and not a patch on Oasis’s previous work. But for those fans queuing up in 1997, it meant everything. Whether the album was good or bad did not actually matter.
London, UK | lorenz Taps London-based Next Door Records for Slow Sipping Graphic Capsule: Contemporary lifestyle imprint lorenz has linked up with London-based record store and wine bar Next Door Records for a collection inspired by the slow-sipping nature of the London summer ahead. Born out of Bologna, Italy and London, it’s fair to say that lorenz has garnered quite a reputation in recent years. Launching with the goal to “create a global community in celebrating the more obscure things in life” the brand is best known for its heavy graphic garments which are fused with high-quality fabrics and fits. Renowned for its eclectic references, the collaborative project comprises a trio of garments, including a “Cherry Red” rayon shirt—dressed with a wine pouring motif—two heavy-graphic cotton tees and a playful tote bag made from natural cotton.
London, UK | The DJ taking a record player on wheels to every London Underground station so passengers can play vinyl: People can stop by for 30 seconds or two hours to enjoy Street Soundsystem. London is full of entertainment on the streets, from guitarists and beatboxers to dancers and artists – but Street Soundsystem is one of a kind. Using a trolley on wheels, music man Nick Garcia has built a portable record player and sound system, looking to bring this new music scene to every Tube stop in London. And there’s no catch – he doesn’t ask for money or followers (although he does livestream on Instagram ). At its core, the initiative just plays vinyl in the street for the benefit of people passing by, and he even lets others bring along their records to play. “I think people really like it because they haven’t really seen anything quite like that before,” Nick said. “It’s a strange thing to see this kind of alien object on the pavement.” Based in Slough, Nick began building the trolley in lockdown – he’s been a DJ at bars and other indoor places around London, but he has always had an interest in playing outside and bringing his record collection with him.
War Child re-release classic albums to raise money for children in Ukraine, Afghanistan and more: “We are delighted to make this fantastic collection of music available to a new generation of fans.” War Child have re-released several classic albums to help raise money for children whose lives are affected by ongoing conflicts in areas like Ukraine and Afghanistan. They’re re-releasing, ‘1 Love’, ‘Hope’, ‘Help! A Day In The Life’ and ‘War Child Presents Heroes’ via War Childs Records. The albums are available on limited black, yellow and red vinyl for the first time from today (April 8) and can be ordered here. All proceeds from the sale will go towards supporting children whose lives have been affected by war in areas such as Ukraine and Afghanistan. The classic albums, released between 2002 and 2009 feature artists including Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Coldplay, Radiohead, Gorillaz, Manic Street Preachers, Beck, Oasis, Lily Allen, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many more. In a statement, War Child said: “By purchasing these classic albums fans are supporting War Child to reach children in Ukraine and conflict zones around the world and give them the vital protection, education and psychosocial support they require.”
