Laconia, NH | NH Vintage Vinyl opens in Laconia: For decades, Greenlaw’s Music was a social and musical hub of the city, until the beloved store closed its doors last fall. For nearly half a year, the storefront on the corner of Main and Canal streets sat empty and silent. Then Gilford musician Daniel McLaughlin took up the lease, and opened NH Vintage Vinyl on July 1, ushering in a new era of musical mercantile into downtown. “It’s going great,” McLaughlin said of his soft opening. “It’s pretty surreal, especially with it being a store in the past I wanted to do so much with.” During his three-year tenure as a record seller at Greenlaw’s, McLaughlin started forming his own visions for the business, but was initially unable to execute those goals. …McLaughlin’s store specializes in vinyl, both of the vintage and new variety, as well as turntables, stereos and other media players. Customers can also purchase cassettes and CDs. For the truly curious, McLaughlin sells media beyond audio.
Fresno, CA | New record store opens in River Park: For all the record enthusiasts in Fresno, there is now a new store in the River Park area. Ragin Records opened its second location right across Me N Eds Coney Island on Saturday. Their first location is in the Tower District next to Veni Vidi Vici, according to the owner they wanted a bigger space but did not want to give up their first store location, so the next best thing was to open another store. Owner Paul Cruikshank says the grand opening turnout was great and saw a lot of support from the community.
Rugby, UK | The coveted vinyl shop near Coventry collectors around the world are reading about: Just For The Record fulfilled a long-held dream for avid record collector owner Sally Wolanski. A Rugby record store which opened almost six years ago has gained international recognition. Just for the Record has been declared ‘shop of the month’ in the international ‘vinyl bible’ Record Collector magazine. When it opened its doors in 2016, Just For The Record, in Churchside Arcade, fulfilled a long-held dream for owner Sally Wolanski who has been an avid record collector for much of her life. And Sally admits she’s over the moon with the accolade. She said: “We all strive for the big wins in life to celebrate with our biggest supporters, so I’m immensely proud that Just For The Record has been featured in the Record Collector magazine as shop of the month. Record Collector is a British, monthly magazine which is distributed worldwide. “I’ve been a long-standing supporter of the magazine, having personally bought it since it was founded in 1980. So imagine my elation when they contacted me to feature my wonderful little shop.”
Kingston, JA | Rockers International Records Shop celebrates Int’l Reggae Day with new series Rockers Friday: There’s no denying the magnetism of reggae music to Orange Street. The beloved ‘Beat/Music Street’ has been consecrated as a cultural site for the development of Jamaican music with artistes including Dennis Brown being born there, and several recording studios and record shops started by reggae pioneers like Prince Buster, Bob Marley and Augustus Pablo. The latter’s Rockers International Records Shop has stood the test of time and operates at 135 Orange Street where music lovers and industry veterans gathered on Friday to celebrate International Reggae Day. As Brentford All Stars’ Blue Moon played on vinyl and permeated speaker boxes outside the store, manager and curator Ainsworth ‘Mitchie’ Williams shared that the occasion was initially conceptualised for a February/reggae month launch. Various factors led to the delayed, yet destined staging on International Reggae Day, and with the name Rockers Friday, Williams intends to make it a monthly event going from 12 to 6 p.m.
Johnstown, PA | Local shop reflects national vinyl resurgence: Record sales ‘strong as they were in the ’80s’ At George’s Song Shop, nearly every inch of the walls is covered with racks of records. There are five floors filled with them – more than a million 7-inch “45s” and 200,000 12-inch full albums, shop owner John George estimates. Shoppers are limited to the first floor for browsing. The hottest-selling artists are displayed in the front of the store. There, customers will find the time-tested Beatles as well as newer names including Billie Eilish in the mix. George has been running the business for 60 years. “Some people are here today and gone tomorrow,” George said. “You don’t know.” On a June afternoon, George sat in a chair with an electric fan blowing at him. Saturdays are his busiest days. “I’m selling a lot of records,” he said. “Record sales are as strong now as they’ve been in the 1970s or ‘80s.”
Athens, GA | Rock Nobster Records set to open in the fall: During the AthFest Music & Arts Festival 2022, a man holding two records reading “Rock Nobster” could be seen tossing the vinyls and dancing along wildly at every stage of the festival. The crowd was amazed and confused at what the record-holding man stood for. Jimmy Bryant, the dancing man, used the festival as a way to get the word out about his new record store, Rock Nobster Records. The name Rock Nobster originated from “Rock Lobster” by The B-52s. Bryant felt inspired by the Athens-originated band and felt it was a good name, so he added his own twist to it. Bryant will carry new and used record vinyl as well as CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes and cassettes. He will provide a large variety of genres, artists and bands and even pitch in some VHS tapes from his over 300 tape collection. Rock Nobster’s vinyl will come from sources all over, but Bryant will collect mostly used products through ads online, friends and local sources.
Portland, OR | New ‘Record Pub’ opening in Westmoreland this month: Got vinyl? It combines beer and other beverages with vinyl records and tapes, and the equipment to play them on. Some time this month, look for the new Record Pub to open its doors – every day but Monday – at 6034 S.E. Milwaukie Avenue, in the old Iron Horse Restaurant building. “The Record Pub”, a new Westmoreland business, opening in July, is the most recent tenant going into the old Iron Horse Restaurant’s building, at 6034 S.E. Milwaukie Avenue. And yes, it’s about old music recordings — perhaps accompanied by a beer or a soda pop. The three owners — Dave Charbonneau, Andy Clark, and Chris Metz — have been remodeling and setting up their space for the past few months, hoping it will attract both kids and adults. “We’ll serve all ages here in our new 1,500 sq.-ft. business,” said Clark. “We are a record store with a pub integrated into our space. The pub will feature six rotating Northwest beers on tap, and also canned beverages that can be consumed on-site or to-go. We’ll also offer wine, cider, seltzers, as well as non-alcoholic beverages and apparel.”
Asheville, NC | Record a song, take home a vinyl record in the same day at American Vinyl Company: Records are alive and well in Asheville, North Carolina! At American Vinyl Company, Ryan Schilling provides a way to record and take home a vinyl record—all in the same day. The bulk of the recording is done in a mobile studio parked out front. “It’s kind of a mock-up 1950’s studio,” said Schilling, and he’s not too far off. A lot of the equipment that he uses was made in the 60s and 70s, lending an authenticity to the recording process. Schilling has also converted a tollbooth from the 1920s into a recording booth. “Jump in the booth, record a song instantly—takes about 5 to 10 minutes,” he said. Not all the equipment there is vintage. American Vinyl uses current computers and software to master the records before production. They also use programs that monitor the depth and width of record grooves to assure a good sound and skip-free experience while listening.
Nashville, TN | Behind the scenes at Nashville’s United Record Pressing, the oldest vinyl producer in North America: Demand for vinyl has been on the rise over the last 20 years, and it has skyrocketed over the course of the pandemic. In fact, United Record Pressing, located in Nashville, is adding dozens of new pressing machines and two hundred new jobs over the coming year to keep up with consumers. The company is the oldest and largest record pressing company in North America, and it started right here in Music City in 1949. “We think it’s a privilege to be in Nashville,” says CEO Mark Michaels. “Nashville is one of the ultimate music communities. You have a wonderful ecosystem that embraces vinyl. Why would you ever want to leave it?” Michaels took me and This Is Nashville intern, Dereen Shirnekhi, on a tour of the United Record Pressing facility in South Nashville to learn exactly how vinyl gets made. The process starts in the cutting room.
