Nantwich, UK | Nantwich independent record shop promotes local musicians: Nantwich independent music store Applestump Records has launched a new Youtube channel to help promote local artists, writes Jonathan White. The store, which sells new and second-hand vinyl records on Barker Street, is run by Steve Cook. He launched the Youtube channel last month and the sessions are all recorded live inside his Applestump store. A new Applestump Sessions episode is released every Friday and several local artists have already been recorded performing. These include Oli Ng, Cathy Jain, Ben Owen, Leon (aka Something Followed Me Home), Jonah Shaw, Abbie Ozard, Jonathan Tarplee and Nastee Chapel. There will also be future sessions from Tim Lee, Lisa T, Sam Lyon and Crowspeak.
Kansas City, MO | Westport’s It’s a Beautiful Day is more than just a simple music-politics-apparel-repair-art-queer-vintage shop: While many KC record stores have come and gone, one plucky shop on Broadway has stood the test of time for over thirty years. Fires, floods, and pandemics have all tried to derail the store, but to no avail. As you walk into It’s a Beautiful Day, you are instantly greeted by the familiar smell of incense, pro-choice and anti-hate bumper stickers, a Grateful Dead Mural, and so much more. It’s a Beautiful Day is a family-owned and operated record store and hippie boutique at 3918 Broadway Blvd. Co-owners Fran Stanton and Erik Branstetter have spent decades cultivating one of the coolest artistic pillars in an ever-changing city.
Springfield, OR | Best record store on Main Street in Springfield: Sure, Eugene has many great record stores, from the iconic House of Records to the hip Moon Rock Records. But Little Axe Records is Springfield’s answer to my age-old weekend question: Will I find a Steely Dan record for my collection? Usually, the answer is no, but whenever I’m at Little Axe Records, I always find something else to keep my spirits up, whether I’m looking for an affordable copy of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska or a rare John Coltrane pressing. The Springfield store was opened by the Portland-based Little Axe Records in 2019, and it’s more than just a place to grab the usual rock, blues, hip-hop and jazz records. You’ll also find international music released by the label; music that you can peruse through and take a trip around the world.
Athens, GA | Micky Dolenz to host in-store event at Wuxtry Records: Micky Dolenz, a former member of the pop rock band The Monkees, will host an in-store event at Wuxtry Records’ Athens location on Friday, Nov. 3. The event will celebrate the release of Dolenz’s upcoming EP, “DOLENZ SINGS R.E.M.,” that will come out the same day. Wuxtry Records was the meeting place of ‘80s rock band R.E.M. and a significant location in the history of Athens music scene. The cover art of the EP even features the storefront of Wuxtry Records in the background. Athens mayor Kelly Girtz will be present at the event and award Dolenz with a key to the city, according to a press release from 7a Records. “Micky Dolenz is part of the great circle of creativity that includes our beloved town of Athens, GA,” Girtz said in the press release.
Boise, ID | Happy (belated) 45th anniversary, RecEx: In 2022, combined new and used vinyl, the store sold over 75,000 records. All told, the tally for 2022 including new/used vinyl, CDs and cassettes sold was more than 115,000 And what about the legendary in-store concerts? The Record Exchange has hosted hundreds of in-store performances over the last decade, including: The Smashing Pumpkins, Built to Spill, Josh Ritter, Ben Harper, Bouncing Souls, Meat Puppets, They Might Be Giants, Camper Van Beethoven, Brandi Carlile, Nappy Roots, Luke Combs, Hayes Carll, Curtis Stigers and Ed Sheeran. One of the most memorable for this reporter was the David Bowie memorial concert that featured local musicians who organically came together to give tribute to one of their idols shortly after his passing in January 2016. The shindig-you-do-not-want-to-miss starts at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 2. And you are invited!
Idaho Falls, ID | Local 18-year-old collected records for years, and now he and his friend have their own store: Walking into Evan Johnson’s shop is like stepping into the 1970s. The 18-year-old Ririe man and his business partner, Traason Pruett, also 18, of Swan Valley, are the owners of One Stop Record Shop — a record, antique and memorabilia store at 675 Northgate Mile in Idaho Falls. The business, which opens Monday, includes a variety of products. “Right now, we have a lot of older, used records. We are signed up with a wholesale company to (sell) new records … in store soon,” Johnson tells EastIdahoNews.com. The business will also offer record players and replacement needles, 8-track tapes, cassettes, movies on VHS and other accessories, along with magazines, posters, incense, jewelry and more. Johnson and Pruett have acquired many of the items from estate sales and people who’ve had merchandise in storage for years. Collecting memorabilia is one of Johnson’s favorite pastimes.
Philadelphia, PA | Local listening bars put a new spin on an old idea: Throughout Philadelphia, a handful of new venues have emerged to put a new and unique spin on an old treasure. In the last two years, the city has seen the opening of four new vinyl listening rooms—old-school-style bars that feature music played on vinyl records. Modeled after “Jazz Kissa”—listening bars in Japan that feature high-quality stereo systems and a large vinyl record collection kept on-location—Philly’s Solar Myth, 48 Record Bar, The Vinyl Bar at Milkcrate Cafe, and LMNO’s Listening Room have all opened in the last two years, providing a novel experience for discerning music fans and patrons. While many record bars have opened throughout the country, Philly has put a unique spin on the concept as these new bars have dovetailed with the city’s rich DJ culture and live music scene.
Richmond, VA | Finding a Groove: Funk Trunk Records owner Quinn Cunningham on Crates, the semiannual record show series he’ll conclude on Nov. 5. The clock strikes noon. Vinyl record enthusiasts quickly fill the event space lining the back of Triple Crossing Beer’s Fulton location, and Quinn Cunningham can finally take a deep breath. “The stress of, ‘I hope it goes right and people are going to show up,’ I don’t think those things are ever going to go away,” says Cunningham, organizer of the Crates record shows and proprietor of online shop Funk Trunk Records. “But overall I do get to enjoy myself. Once the door opens and people come through the door, I’m chill and I can actually relax a little bit.” He’s not the only one who’s amped up when a Crates show kicks off. New album sales numbers are often cited as evidence of vinyl’s comeback, but stats fall short of conveying the nervous energy that wells up outside record fairs, or in a pre-dawn line on Record Store Day.
