Barrow, UK | Barrow’s award winning TNT Records reflects on growth during lockdown: AN award-winning record shop in Barrow has garnered great success since the pandemic and turned the lockdown into an advantage. TNT Records, located on Duke Street, was named as the UK’s ‘Record Shop of the Year 2019.’ This incredible achievement came just after one year of trading. Owned and founded by Dave Turner, the store has seen great success in the community and is looking forward to hosting several upcoming music events. Dave said: “It was December 22, 2019, when we first opened. “Lockdown was hard as we weren’t able to see people and that’s what they like with a record shop. People want to come in and see what we’ve got. “But we did really well online during the lockdown, and we got our website up sharpish. It really accelerated us going forward with that manner of business. “When it got up it went crazy and we have been shipping all over the world since then.
Philadelphia, PA | No Duh! South Philly Store Latchkey’s Da Bomb for ’80s and ’90s Nostalgia: The newly opened East Passyunk shop carries classic vinyl records, pop-culture collectibles, upcycled clothing and more. It doesn’t matter if you grew up listening to Wu-Tang, Britney or Nirvana; children of the ’80s and ’90s universally unite over a shared love of the culture of their youth. Gen Xers and millennials look back on the era before iPods and wi-fi through rose-colored Oakleys, longing for those simpler days. But you don’t need a DeLorean to relive it all. Just stop by Latchkey on East Passyunk Avenue, where not only are the ’80s and ’90s alive and well, but you’ll be able to replace all the mementos once stashed in your childhood closet that your parents tossed away as soon as you moved out. Owner Marc Faletti took inspiration for his shop from his prior career as a DJ. “There was always that certain set of songs that would pack a dance floor,” he says. “Blondie or Biggie or Britney, it all came back to the ’80s and ’90s. That was always at the heart of what people would enjoy. I wanted to design a whole store around that feeling and extend it to other forms of pop culture as well.”
Philadelphia, PA | Forever Changes: Phoenixville record store transcends generations: “Nothing better and more personal than taking the record out of the sleeve, putting it on the turntable, turning it on, and putting the needle on,” said Shawn Cephas, owner of Forever Changes record store in Phoenixville, Pa. Forever Changes is a Mom and Pop record store located in downtown Phoenixville which welcomes anyone who loves music, would like to discover new artists, or would just like to chat and enjoy the day sifting through bins of LPs. “People have said that it’s a very welcoming place and it has just opened up a lot of conversations that aren’t even about music itself” Shawn said. His goal for opening Forever Changes was to open a record store for everyone which promotes hope and healing.
Nairobi, KE | Benga vinyl records disco show in Nairobi: Fans of Benga music and other Kenyan oldies in Nairobi have an opportunity to listen to the best of benga collection during a special vinyl records only disco show set for next Friday at the legendary Melodica Music Stores on Nairobi’s Tom Mboya Street. Veteran benga music producer George Ouma (Jojo) of Jojo Records, speaking to Saturday Nation earlier this week, said it was through requests from some Benga fans that he had planned the show. “With fewer vinyl records still in use or available, it was my intention to arrange a show that could give music vinyl music fans hope that this kind of records were still available,” Ouma said. …Jojo pointed out that they settled on Melodica Music Stores as the venue considering it is among the few music stores still stocking vinyl records in Kenya.
Vancouver, CA | Q&A: Kevin Finseth paints musical images on Herzog: Making music is something that just has to happen for local record store owner Kevin Finseth. Nestled next to Italian coffee bars and tailors, Highlife Records and Music on Commercial Drive has been an East Van fixture since 1982. Selling a wide selection of global music, unique instruments, concert tickets and more, the store has long been a meeting point for local musicians, and one of them is the owner. When he isn’t behind the counter providing expert advice on the store’s signature selection of sounds, owner Kevin Finseth can be found making his own music. A composer with a knack for haunting and melancholic instrumentals and occasional hushed singer/songwriter laments, he has released two albums in the past two years. Both the five-song EP, Herzog, and the longer The Idea Of East, offer up mostly instrumental compositions showcasing his atmospheric piano studies.
New York Magazine: The Very Best Turntables The world of vinyl records, like any niche hobby, can be intimidating to the uninitiated. Terms like preamp, platter, and cartridge can make listening to vinyl seem like an overly complicated pastime (especially since turntables and records aren’t exactly cheap). But that’s not true, according to the experts we spoke with — including DJs, record-store owners, and general vinyl geeks — all of whom assured us that you don’t need more than a turntable with a preamp, a few records, and speakers to get started. Each of our experts recommended different turntables for beginners, but they all advised avoiding one very popular all-in-one record player that comes in a suitcase: “Whatever you do, don’t get a Crosley,” says DJ Prestige of the DJ-focused website Fleamarket Funk, who claims that if you’re serious about your new hobby, you should look for machines with better sound quality — and with needles that won’t “eventually ruin your records.”
Ikea will finally release its own turntable. This is… terrible news for vinyl fans: Like it – after all, the greater the choice, the better for the consumer. Theoretically yes, but now the vinyl market is so pumped up it resembles a crowded bus. Thanks to Ikea, another large number of passengers will get into it, which will probably mess with the industry. The Ikea movement is certainly not surprising for two reasons. The furniture giant was already planning to release its turntable in 2018, but then the idea was not realized. The second excuse is that the sonic line is very rich. So much that the network sells music playing picture if a garden lamp which is a wireless speaker. The lack of a turntable in this offer is quite an oversight. …The problem is not with the equipment itself or with Ikea, but with the market. The fashion for vinyls has led to the fact that today almost all premieres depend on the largest labels. There is not enough room for others in the pressing plants because you have to press Adele’s records, Queen reissues and other veterans.
Bobbie Gentry Collection ‘Highlights From The Capitol Masters’ Announced: The collection is drawn from all of her studio albums supplemented by the best rarities from the boxed set. The huge acclaim for Bobbie Gentry’s 2018 boxed set The Girl From Chickasaw County has prompted the August 5 release of the new compilation ‘The Girl From Chickasaw County’ Highlights From The Capitol Masters. After that eight-disc set was repressed three times and became a collector’s item, continuing demand for the work of this unique entertainer and distinctive songwriter leads to the new set, again compiled and produced by Andrew Batt. The collection is drawn from all of her studio albums supplemented by the best of the previously unreleased recordings from the Grammy-nominated boxed set. The Girl From Chickasaw County was named reissue of the year by both The Times and Mojo. These include tracks from the “lost” jazz album The Windows Of The World, which was issued in a limited edition on vinyl for Record Store Day 2021; the deluxe edition of her classic album The Delta Sweete; other outtakes, demos, and rarities; and live performances taken from her BBC TV series.
