Ashington, UK | Independent record shop in Ashington celebrates its first anniversary: An independent record shop in Ashington is celebrating a year since it first opened. Timewarp Sounds, on North Seaton Road, sells a large selection of used vinyl records, as well as buying and selling CDs, tapes, DVDs, books, vintage HiFi, and retro clothing. Owner Alan Sandland said: “I moved to the area a few years ago and immediately saw the potential to fill a gaping vinyl hole. “With the nearest record shops an hour’s bus ride away for many of the locals, we have created a friendly local alternative to travel and faceless internet shopping. “With the new train connections and the cinema complex on their way, I see a bright future for the area and the small independent guys like ourselves.” Alan has bought and sold music throughout his adult life, but this is his first brick and mortar shop.
Houston, TX | Suburban Sweet Spot Audio & Records Keeps On Spinning In Clear Lake: In August it will be two years since long-time customer and music enthusiast Bart Roberts purchased Sweet Spot Audio & Records in suburban Webster from previous owners Steve Laufer and Stuart Skeeter; they were loyal patrons as well who had purchased the record shop from original owners Nigel and Cathy Harrison who founded it back in 2010. Roberts says that he was interested in buying Sweet Spot from the Harrisons the first time the store was up for sale, as he loved the idea of owning a record store even though he admits he thought the idea was a little crazy since he had never even worked in a record store before. When the opportunity arose a second time Roberts made his dream come true. “Two and a half years go by and they’re about to sell, or they announce that they’re going to sell and I decide, okay I’ve got to do it this time,” explains Roberts.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | Ranking the top 5 record stores in Minneapolis-St. Paul: Amid the resurgence of vinyl, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is home to some amazing independent record stores. Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to many great record stores for those who collect vinyl. Here are the top five best in the Twin Cities (not counting record stores in the suburbs, although Mill City Sound in Hopkins, Down in the Valley in Golden Valley and Solsta Records in St. Louis Park are great options outside of the heart of the Twin Cities): Extreme Noise Records – Located in South Minneapolis on Lake Street is Extreme Noise Records—a volunteer-run punk rock record store. Extreme Noise is a great store for vinyl heads who are particularly into punk rock, alternative rock and metal—as almost all of their inventory falls under one of the three categories. While this is a strength for fans of those genres, if you are in the market for hip-hop or jazz, this may not be the store for you.
Brixton, UK | Universal Roots Records store in Brixton is closing down: Brixton Buzz is saddened to learn that the Universal Roots record store in Reliance Arcade will be closing its doors forever on Sat 29th July 2023. Specialising in wonderfully curated reggae, roots, dub, ska, lovers rock, rub-a-dub rockers and songs ‘with a touch of soul’, the store will be very much missed. We regret to inform you Universal Roots Records will be closing its doors on SAT 29th JULY.. due to a multiple of reasons. It’s has been a challenging few years with cost of living crisis we have found it too much to continue in this present economic climate. The final straw has been a few bad mind grown men who seem to think they know better.. and want burn fyah on I which now has turned into personnel insults and some threatening behaviour.. i`m dun with that.. i am a peaceful man and don`t want to around such negative vibes…
Hexham, UK | Elev8 Records UK opens in Hexham: Hexham resident Matty Stokoe has opened his first business Elev8 Records UK on 16b St Mary’s Chare after seeing an increase in demand on his online shop. As well as running the business at the shop and online, Matty also spends his time as a Music Producer, DJ, Remixer at Statik UK, and Project Musician at Sage Gateshead. Here’s how our readers reacted. Artisan bakery business The Grateful Bread said: “Good luck Matty,” while Stuart Stokoe said: “Well done.” Charlotte Tom Robson Reid said: “Good luck with your new venture and a huge thank you from us all at Allendale Youth – we wouldn’t have had our Youth Stage at Allendale Mayfair 2023 without you.” Colin Walker added: “Right next to the back door of Woolworths where I used to buy vinyl. Good luck.”
Peckham, UK | Rye Lane Record Fair is set for its fourth edition: The event runs from 10.30am to 6.30pm on July 29. Rye Lane Record Fair is running a fourth edition in aid of Crisis at the end of this month. Held at the Shop From Crisis in Peckham on July 29, the fair will include both new and second-hand vinyl. Local DJs including DJ Ploy, Tara Mallen and Gordon Wedderburn will be performing onsite, playing “jazz, funk, soul, reggae and Latin tunes all day.” All proceeds from the event will go to Crisis.
Doncaster, UK | The Big Record Fair returns to The Dome in Doncaster: The Big Record Fair returns to The Dome in Doncaster on Sunday August 6. The original Dome room has proved to be a favourite area with vinyl fans and organiser are hoping this will become a permanent venue with great light, visibility and space. Next month dealers from around the UK will display a vast range of music genres including specialists in rock, jazz, blues, soul, funk, punk and pop. This is still the biggest vinyl record collectors fair in Yorkshire and traditionally a place that traders do business with each other along with the public. International buyers regularly attend this event from Japan, Poland and other locations, the British pressings are the most desirable, and there are bargains from £1 to ultra rare collectables. The entry cost is still a reduced £1 only and there is an all you can eat breakfast and carvery on site all day.
The 10 greatest forgotten albums unearthed by reissues: Popularity has never been an arbiter of quality in the arts, and these once-forgotten albums prove that with bittersweet aplomb. We are now graced with more music than ever before, but sometimes that content overload can leave you wanting something that stands aside from the norm—something with a bit of true grit. This has given rise to the treasured reissue amid the current vinyl renaissance. There are many ways a record might not make it; the truly magnificent Search for Sugar Man documentary showed that with stirring brilliance, and Rodriguez would’ve undoubtedly made this list if his re-releases had come before the movie. Some people might go into dentistry and ditch the trade, others might not be suited for the limelight, and some perhaps were never intended for release in the first place.
Orange County, CA | How Orange County’s Indecision Records is celebrating 30 years of hardcore punk: The Garden Grove-based independent label is commemorating its three-decade run with a pair of shows at Garden Amp on July 28-29. Hardcore punk music fan Dave Mandel wasn’t really planning to start a record label three decades ago. But the photographer and fanzine editor truly found his calling back in 1992, when he thought he was simply helping out a friend’s band release new music. “I was just someone who loved music and I wanted to put my fingerprint on the music I loved,” Mandel said during a recent phone interview. He’s definitely made his mark, especially in the Southern California hardcore and punk rock music scenes, when he launched his independent record label Indecision Records.
