Galway, IE | How Vinyl Became the Gold Standard for Music Enthusiasts: In a digital age dominated by streaming services and MP3 files, the resurgence of vinyl records as the gold standard for music enthusiasts might seem surprising. However, the allure of vinyl goes beyond nostalgia; it’s a testament to the enduring appeal of analog sound and the tangible connection between music and its listeners. Aesthetic Appeal: Vinyl records are more than just audio recordings – they are physical artifacts with intricate artwork, cover designs, and liner notes. Holding a vinyl record in your hands and admiring its artwork creates a multisensory experience that digital formats can’t replicate. Warmth and Depth of Sound: One of the main draws of vinyl is its analog sound. Vinyl records produce a warm, organic sound that many audiophiles find more immersive and authentic than the often compressed sound of digital formats. The analog process captures subtle nuances and imperfections, giving the music a depth that resonates with listeners.
Brooklyn, NY | Best of Brooklyn: Top 5 Record Stores. Find your groove in Brooklyn. Hey there, vinyl lovers! From hidden gems in cozy neighborhoods to iconic destinations for collectors, these five record stores stand out as the absolute best in the borough. Whether you’re a seasoned vinyl aficionado or just beginning your analog journey, this guide will take you through the must-visit record shops that define Brooklyn’s musical heartbeat. Check out Brooklyn’s top 5 record shops. 1. Symphony Music: Get ready to rock ‘n’ roll through aisles of vinyl paradise! This place is a music mecca where you’ll find everything from indie gems to classic hits. Bonus: They’ve got killer live shows, too. Located at 64 N 9th St. 2. Blue-Sun Record Store…
Chicago, IL | Billy Corgan’s Tea Shop Will Celebrate Halloween Early Dressing Up as Tower Records: The suburban tea house owned by Smashing Pumpkins and wrestling aficionado Billy Corgan and partner Chloe Mendel is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Pumpkins’ breakthrough album, Siamese Dream, this Halloween season. They’re transforming their Highland Park space into Tower Records, a tribute to the music chain that was the cool place to hang out in the ‘90s. The pop-up begins on Thursday, September 14, and concludes on Sunday, September 17. They’ll sell exclusive Tower Records merchandise and more. Fans of ‘90s nostalgia may remember the famous Tower Records’ “No music, no life” slogan was slapped on t-shirts, hoodies, and bumper stickers. Tower Records in Lincoln Park was also where the Pumpkins 30 years ago delivered an 8-song acoustic performance, playing mega hits from Siamese Dream. An adoring crowd of about 3,000 crammed into the second-level store at Belden and Clark to hear hits like Today, Cherub Rock, Rocket, and Disarm.
New Orleans, LA | ‘Let’s Talk’ with DJ Soul Sister: crate-digging, not taking requests, why vinyl rules: The WWOZ “Soul Power” show host presents her 17th annual birthday jam at Tipitina’s on Sept. 16. For more than 25 years, DJ Soul Sister has hosted the Saturday night “Soul Power” show on community radio station WWOZ 90.7 FM, spinning rare groove funk, R&B, soul and disco culled from her vast collection of vinyl records. As a performing deejay, she has shared stages with many of her musical heroes and presided over countless late-night dance parties at venues around town. Her 17th annual birthday jam at Tipitina’s on Sept. 16 includes a performance by Washington, D.C., go-go music legends E.U. featuring Sugar Bear. The following interview, edited for clarity and length, is excerpted from this week’s episode of “Let’s Talk with Keith Spera” on WLAE-TV. “…You know what? I am not a vinyl snob. I love vinyl, I collect it. It’s almost like a sickness. I can’t stop buying it. Where will it go? Do I have more room in my house for it? I don’t know—I’ll figure it out once it gets there.”
UK | Volunteers wanted to create ‘The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History’ Volunteers are being sought to take part in a truly unique and exciting heritage project. ‘The Record Store & Black Music, A UK History’ starts soon, and will culminate in a celebration as part of Black History Month 2024. It will explore the cultural impact of UK independent record stores that specialised in Black music from 1950 onwards. The project will enable volunteers to research and conduct interviews with artists, DJs, store owners, customers and music fans that shaped this fascinating history. The project will see the creation of a film, publication, podcast series and educational resource. Volunteers, who will receive full training, will conduct interviews and research the topic across the Midlands, North, and London and The South.
Indianapolis punks Pat And The Pissers are releasing the most disgusting vinyl record ever made: it’s filled with maggots: Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the record store, Indianapolis punks Pat And The Pissers have come up with the most disgusting vinyl album we’ve ever seen: It’s filled with real maggots. The album, which is scheduled to land on September 30, is actually two albums in one, with previous Pissers’ releases America’s Dream (2019) and SOIL (2022) providing the musical sandwich for that delicious maggoty filling. The album arrives mere months after Australian band Private Function released a urine-filled version of their new album 370HSSV 0773H, so this is clearly a thing now, and can only get worse. It will be released by serial offenders Romanus Records, who have built something of a reputation at the adventurous end of the market.
Vinyl copies of Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’ include four bonus tracks: Fans who have purchased the LP have discovered a bonus track on each of four vinyl variants. Fans who have purchased copies of Olivia Rodrigo‘s ‘Guts’ on vinyl have discovered a series of bonus tracks across different colour options. The new album was released on Friday (September 8) on digital and vinyl formats, and fans who have purchased vinyl copies have discovered a bonus track on each of four vinyl variants of the LP. The purple vinyl variant of the album features a bonus track called ‘Girl I’ve Always Been’, while a song titled ‘Obsessed’ is available on both the black and red coloured vinyl. Elsewhere, ‘Scared Of My Guitar’ is on the white vinyl version, and a song titled ‘Stranger’ on blue vinyl.
Forget Record Players, Sam’s Club Has Vintage Style Bluetooth Boombox That’ll Help People Party Like It’s 1999: The 90’s charm with the aughts technology. There is plenty about the eighties and nineties that we’d rather leave back in those days, but there’s also a lot that many of us miss – that’s the whole point of nostalgia! And plenty of businesses are taking advantage of our desire to return to our youth by creating all sorts of things that remind us of the old days, including this really cool Bluetooth boombox from Sam’s Club that was recently shared by MusicJunkie247! Boomboxes were HUGE in the eighties. Pretty much any teen movie or rom com from the days featured them heavily, but they obviously fell out of use with the rise of cd players and iPods. After all, why would anyone want to lug around a giant boombox, which was usually five pounds or more, when you can just have something in your pocket instead?
Salt Lake City, UT | Can too much music be bad for your mental health? It’s time to face the music. Experts share their insights on the impact music has on your mental health—good and bad. Utah’s oldest independent vinyl record shop, Randy’s Record Store, is sandwiched between a local cafe and a neighborhood barbershop. It doesn’t get more classic than that. Vinyls—hanging from the ceiling, pinned to the wall, slid neatly between one another on tables—are both the decorations and the merchandise of Randy’s, along with CDs. It is a time capsule of sorts. The inside walls are neither lined with flashy strip lights and framed “art works” of abstract shapes or stripped bare to please the modern minimalist. But records and CDs have long since stopped being the preferred method of music listening, according to CBS News. So what keeps the business going? “I think there is something really special about having a physical copy of music; especially our favorite music,” says Sam Stinson, the owner of Randy’s Record Store. Some people keep vinyls for the memories from their youth, “keepsakes from concerts or even travel” because “we want a physical medium of things we love.”
