Chicago, IL | Signal Records Opens Wicker Park Store, One Year After Launching In Avondale: Owner Blake Karlson’s second location will include inventory from Dave’s Records, which closed last year in Lincoln Park. A record store that took over the former Bric-A-Brac space in Avondale last year has opened a second location in Wicker Park. Signal Records opened Friday at 1343 N. Ashland Ave. Owner Blake Karlson said in an email Monday he decided to expand after buying the inventory of Dave’s Records, which closed in Lincoln Park in 2022 after 20 years in business. Karlson needed the space to store the influx of vinyl records, and when the Wicker Park storefront was posted for rent online, he jumped on it. “We bought Dave’s Records’ stock back in December, which was about three times the amount of inventory we keep at the Logan store. Between that, the hundreds of boxes I had in storage and the collections I buy or bring in weekly, I just needed more space,” Karlson wrote. “So, I figured if I was going to pay for them to be stored anyway, might as well have it be shoppable… Just fell into place really.”
Makati City, PH | Bigger and better: Music in physical format reigns supreme at One Stop Record Fair. The One Stop Record Fair 2023 brought together music and art in one event for audiophiles and art lovers. The country’s best and biggest vinyl, audio equipment, and artworks were curated by more than 30 merchants gathered at the fair held at Estancia Mall in Pasig City last September 9. From classic rock to pop, music from the ’60s to 2020s, audiophiles dug through crates and piles of vinyl, CDs, and cassette tapes, scoring their “treasures” at a discounted price. Audiophiles were able to purchase interesting titles such as New Order Substance, Sybil Greatest Hits, Eraserheads Circus, Voltes V, Workshy, Queen The Platinum Collection, Julia Fordham, Plakatons, RSD Folklore Taylor Swift, 2Pac, Cocteau Twins Treasure (Japan pressing with OBI), Tatsuro Yamashita Spacy, Taylor Swift Speak Now, UDD Capacities, The Smiths 12″ Single That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, and The Wild Swan. Turntables, speakers, and other audio gear were also at a much lower cost, allowing first-timers and collectors to take their vinyl for a spin.
Philadelphia, PA | Brewerytown Records owner talks the ‘Sound of Philadelphia’ When the world thinks of soul sounds of Philadelphia, heads usually turn to the funky R&B of writer-composers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff and their platinum-plated work throughout the 1970s with Philadelphia International Records — the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin and more. However, there are local artists who have made their mark on Philadelphia soul, but have gone unheralded—until now. That is thanks in part to Max Ochester, owner of Brewerytown Beats record store on N. Bailey Street in North Philly. If you ask the longtime local what is more important to him — documenting great lost R&B and jazz or documenting Philly itself and the rich diversity of its people — his answer lies somewhere in the middle. “Telling the story of lost Philly musicians through re-releases, social media campaigns and trying to revitalize careers — the preservation of the sound that, in turn, builds a legacy by giving a voice to the people that time has overlooked.”
JP | Exploring Japan’s ‘jazz kissa’ cafe culture: Tokyo Jazz Joints documents these vibrant vinyl listening spaces – trending worldwide – in a photo project, podcast and new coffee table book. When was the last time you listened to music? We don’t mean piping lo-fi “focus beats” through your Bluetooth speaker, or jabbing at those misbehaving earbuds while swiping between windows on your morning commute – but really, actively listening? In response to the digital commodification of music, there’s a growing global trend of dedicated communal events and listening spaces, fuelled in part by the hipster-driven vinyl revival. But there’s truly nothing novel about gathering for reverent absorption of a spinning black disc. This fresh breed of audio fetishism is often directly – and always indirectly – inspired by Japanese jazz kissa culture, a rich tradition of audio nerdery with a 100-year history.
Asheville, NC | Watch vinyl records mashed into music at this Asheville, North Carolina, business, restaurant, bar: Music lovers who want a peek into the comeback of vinyl need only take a short drive from Greenville, South Carolina, to a spot where music history not only comes alive but is thriving. Citizen Vinyl, at 14 O’Henry Ave. in Asheville, North Carolina, operates in the historic Citizen Times newspaper building completed in 1939. The space is so unique that it’s featured in the Very Local streaming series called “Only In,” dedicated to the quirky spots and unusual people of Asheville. Citizen Vinyl smashes more than 2,000 records a day, a process that’s done in full view of daily tours. Visitors can buy a record at the factory store. You can even get a quote in case you’ve got the next Billboard chart-topper rattling around in your head. The cool thing about this factory is it’s also a restaurant and bar that Esquire Magazine listed as one of the Best Bars in America 2022.
Detroit, MI | Detroit has a new vinyl-only listening club in an urban garden: Foxglove pays homage to the sound of vinyl. A vinyl-only listening club in an urban garden: DJing with old-school vinyl and turntables comes with certain barriers to entry when compared to all of the easier-to-use digital software and gear available these days. However, if you hang around Detroit’s dance scene long enough, you’ll notice extra reverence given to those who create new soundscapes and blends using just two black, flat discs. It’s not only the technical aspect that Detroiters love about vinyl beat-matching, mixing, and scratching, but the texture, warmth, and depth that radiates from needle to speaker. The soul of vinyl is what’s appealing, and Foxglove aims to pay homage to exactly that. The new “listening garden” combines the founders’ love for dance music with urban garden design, hosting gigs in a beautiful space and garage.
Annual National Album Day announces special reissues of ‘90s classics from Blur, Bob Dylan, The Cranberries, Garbage, Fatboy Slim and more: Blur, R.E.M., Garbage, The Cranberries, Idlewild, Fatboy Slim, Bob Dylan, Wu-Tang Clan, and Jeff Buckley are just a few of the long list of decade-defining artists whose albums are to be reissued for this year’s National Album Day. First started in 2018, this year marks the event’s sixth annual edition and will take place on Saturday, October 14. This year’s theme is ‘90s, aimed to bring retrospective attention to the impactful and diverse range of musical voices of a decade the split the industry into tiny, glorious pieces. Special reissues of albums for National Album Day have been announced. Other artists to re-grace us with their sound include Dannii Minogue, S Club, Dinosaur Jr. and Jeff Buckley. This year’s National Album Day ambassadors are industry icon Gabrielle, young UK artist Declan McKenna, Tricky and Nuno Bettencourt. Last year’s ambassadors were none other than Sam Ryder of Eurovision and the imitable Franz Ferdinand.
Stir It Up Lux turntable review: When eco-friendly meets audio quality: Dive into House of Marley’s new Stir It Up Lux turntable, a blend of sleek design and functionality. Crafted for sound enthusiasts, this turntable offers Bluetooth connectivity, sustainably sourced materials, and easy setup. Discover the features, benefits, and the brand’s dedication to a greener future. The numbers are in, and the data speakers for themselves; vinyl has made its comeback, and if you aren’t up to speed, you’re already years late to the game. Because vinyl saw massive popularity over the last decade, it still shows no signs of slowing down. So much so that, wherein even five years ago, there was a massive deluge of entry-level record players on the market, there is now an ever-increasing amount of mid-range offerings as if the industry sees that the people who got into vinyl years ago have stayed with the hobby and are now looking to upgrade their setup.
