UK | Record Store Day 2023 in Scotland: When is it, what exclusive records are available and how can I buy them? Last year vinyl outsold CDs for the first time in 35 years – meaning that this year’s event celebrating the reinvigorated music medium is likely to be more popular than ever. Record Store Day has become a major event for vinyl lovers since the inaugural event in the US in 2007 sold barely more than 10 different limited edition pressings by artists including Death Cab for Cutie, R.E.M. and Stephen Malkmus. Now over 200 independent record stores across the UK take part each year, selling thousands of copies of exclusive vinyl, from new releases to old classics. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event.
Lisbon, PT | A guide to Lisbon’s record stores: Russ Ryan takes us on a journey through the best record stores that Lisbon has to offer. Lisbon is a musical hotbed like no other, steeped in sonic history yet bold and progressive in its own dance floor-centric sound, with a broad range of record pushers championing its many layers. Since the 1970s, records have migrated back from Lusofonia–from Afrobeat to Bossa Nova, all laced with a tribal rhythm–founding Lisbon’s soundscape. Recent popularity in these genres has breathed new life into these records, with a plethora of represses, cross-genre remixes and, of course, sample culture reinforcing its surge. Today, Lisbon’s creative nature acts as a perfect platform for its sound to flourish, with one foot in the past and the other firmly in the future. Record shops in this beautiful city truly complement one another and enrich the scene, each holding individual specialisms, stocking and championing local releases whilst drilling down into what makes Lisbon musically so special.
Amarillo, TX | As half of all vinyl albums are sold through indie stores; how are local shops filling the impact: When it comes to consuming music, we all have preferences. It could be streaming or physical media that you listen to. But according to U.S. 2022 Luminate Year-End Music Report, vinyl sales grew for the 17th consecutive year in the U.S. Vinyl is that sleek black circle of music, and according to Luminate, which has been tracking music sales since 1991, vinyl sales comprised nearly 45% of all album purchases in the U.S. In 2022. And 48% of those were sold at independent stores, like Bitter Buffalo Records located inside Caliche. “I want people in Amarillo to have access to cool things. I want them to have access to music that they like, and they don’t have to go onto the internet and just buy everything, they can just come in here and get that personal touch,” said Lance Garza, Bitter Buffalo Records owner.
Tower Records returns to the UK and Europe: The legendary and once troubled music outlet Tower Records was reborn as a fully online retailer in 2020 and since then has operated from within the US, meaning international customers had to contend with shipping fees and lengthy delivery times as is common with any stateside service, but that’s not the case anymore for the UK and the rest of Europe as Tower has expanded its operations to the UK. In an email update this week Tower wrote “We are thrilled to announce that we have expanded our operations to the UK. We now have a new website and a whole new inventory for our UK customers. Products from our UK store will be shipping from our UK warehouse.” It’s a welcome return for Tower Records to the UK as European music fans and vinyl collectors from an entirely new generation get to experience a slice of the Tower Shopping experience, albeit from the comfort of their homes.
Edinburgh, UK | The magic of vinyl that took me round Edinburgh’s long lost record stores: My misspent youth centred around record shops where I’d flick through so many poly bag protected album sleeves I’d emerge with manky black fingertips—and a bag of vinyl. Stepping into the new Fopp store in Shandwick Place in Edinburgh last Saturday felt like squaring the circle. A trip to Edinburgh still isn’t complete without a mooch through its racks of CDs and quick browse of its book shelves. In my vinyl buying glory days, albums were £2.99, double albums £4;99. You can stick a zero in after the first digit these days. That said, there’s still something special about handling an album, flipping it over to see the track listings, and soaking in the artwork. I got into music in my mid teens. Punk was loitering on the street corners of Wester Hailes with a wee bit of menace – I can still picture the shock of my mate leaving school on the Friday as a normal kid and returning like a wannabe Sid Vicious with spiked hair, tartan breeks and a ripped t-shirt.
Wilkes-Barre, PA | Record and CD Fair pulls in crowd at the Woodlands: NY Record Fair’s Vinyl Records and CD Fair made it’s return to the Woodlands Inn & Resort Sunday, pulling in a steady crowd of interested buyers. While the event started at 10 a.m., shoppers were browsing and mingling with sellers from all over the Northeast well into the afternoon, the unmistakable smell of decaying cardboard and PVC permeating the air. For music lovers, it’s a welcome smell. “We’re usually competing with football this time of year,” said organizer, Jack Skutnik, of Binghamton N.Y., noting how the crowds usually clear out by 1 or 2 p.m. This year, business remained steady. The Facebook page for the event boasts of over 100,000 records, CDs and DVDs available for purchase. And indeed, the room was lined with rows and rows of boxes, packed with records of every genre of music imaginable. For collectors, its an opportunity to score some rare finds, such as a near mint copy of Joni Mitchell’s “Ladies of the Canyon” from 1970 or an original 1967 copy of ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico.’
Brisbane, AU | Brisbane City Mall Record Fair: Spend a Saturday searching for vinyl in the middle of the city — with a DJ-spun soundtrack. Is buying vinyl is part of your regular weekend shopping plans? Whether you’re scouring the racks for something specific or just generally looking for a bargain, make a beeline to the Albert Street Mall. The Queen Street Mall offshoot is playing host to a record fair — an event that marks Brisbane’s regular record-selling event’s big return to the CBD, in fact. Yes, you can bet there’ll be plenty of tunes waiting for a new home. Taking place from 10am–3.30pm on Saturday, March 4, the Brisbane City Mall Record Fair will bring vinyl galore to the CBD location. Expect a whole range of sellers keen to offload their records to avid shoppers and collectors. Rocking Horse Records is one of the organisers, too, so the event has a Brisbane music icon’s tick of approval.
