Shaw, IL | Records Department: At Woodstock’s Old Courthouse, new retailers get a head start in city’s business incubator. …“The Committee reviewed numerous business plans from applicants and selected the two that seemed ready to take the next step to open a store. When our businesses are women-owned or minority-owned, it is another reason to celebrate,” Tracy wrote. Kempf said she and her business partner, Michael Sacco, have been in business since mid-August and had a grand opening celebration around Labor Day. “Everyone was ready for a record store,” Kempf said. Kempf said she sees a lot of traffic from Wisconsin and other areas to the store. “CDs are dying quickly,” Kempf said, and added that people are interested in vinyl records. Kempf added that the Records Department primarily sells new records, and while they generally focus on punk, grunge and indie music, they stock all genres. “Taylor Swift fans deserve to be seen as much as Metallica fans deserve to be seen,” Kempf said.
Leeds, UK | New specialist vinyl record store opens in Leeds from ex-Mercury Prize nominee: A brand-new specialist vinyl record store has opened at Sunny Bank Mills, the award-winning mill complex in Farsley, near Leeds. Managed by vinyl obsessives Choque Hosein, Colin Richardson, Jamie Styan and John-Paul Craven, Record Plant opened its doors on National Album Day. Choque was a member of the Leeds band Black Star Liner, whose album Bengali Bantam Youth Experience was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 1999, alongside Blur, the Chemical Brothers, the Stereophonics and the Manic Street Preachers. Choque commented: “While we had an amazing time at the Mercury Prize awards ceremony, rubbing shoulders with icons like Damon Albarn and the Manics, I think I am more excited by our new shop. This is a dream come true for me. “Vinyl is a massive, massive part of my life and the Record Plant is a celebration of this.”
Murfreesboro, TN | Crying Cat Books: The place for audiophiles and book lovers alike: Slow jazz playing softly in the air. Grouped together by genre, from wall to wall a mixture of both used and new books line the shelves. Off in one corner of the store, vinyl records. In another, DVDs and Blu-rays can be found. And in-between the two there is a small collection of VHS and cassette tapes. Decks of Tarot and various incense can be found by the front door. All are welcome to venture inside this little gem and hopefully walk away with a book or two. Since 2021, Terri Delong has owned and operated Crying Cat Books and Records. Located on the corner of East Bell Street and North Maney Avenue in Murfreesboro, roughly a mile from Middle Tennessee State University, stands Crying Cat Books and Records. A fantastic bookstore for any booklover and audiophile looking to buy gifts for the holidays.
Dallas, TX | Digging Through the Josey Records Co-Owner’s Personal Vinyl Collection: Josey Records co-owner Luke Sardello has a story about every record in his collection. All 50,000 of them. Like many babies of the family, Luke Sardello’s youth was set to the soundtrack of his older sibling’s albums. For him, that meant classic rock, Journey, and the like. It all changed in junior high when a friend played for him Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. “The way it sounded was like nothing I’d ever heard,” says Sardello, who now co-owns the Josey Records retail shops, record label Skylark Soul Co., and the recently launched Tuned In Grading, a biz that grades vinyl records and encapsulates them in tamper-proof packaging. “That record was one of the first that really threw a bunch of stuff at the wall with sampling. It almost had some punk elements to it. It was very loud. And it changed the way rap sounded.” He got a job at Bill’s Records and Tapes while in high school. “That’s when the bug really caught me,” Sardello says. The “bug” being record collecting.
Carrboro, NC | Carrboro show sells and celebrates CDs and records: Inside the Carrboro Century Center on Sunday, community members and music buffs alike browsed through containers spread across 42 display tables, featuring music ranging from 1950s R&B to Psychedelic Rock and New Wave music. This was the Carrboro CD and Record Show’s 33rd sale — a way for attendees to browse through thousands of albums. The show started in 2004 after founder and promoter Gerry Williams introduced the idea to the Town of Carrboro Department of Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources. …Williams said the record show is a great source of records and CDs of wide-ranging music genres. “There’s everything, there’s every style of music you can think of,” he said. “There’s not a lot of classical, maybe, or operas, but in terms of popular music, it’s all over the floor. Punk music and New Wave stuff from the 90s, current records, 50s and 60s rock and roll and R&B. I mean, it’s all in one place, it’s a good source for finding a lot of different things.”
Chilliwack, BC | Chilliwack record fair will be ‘best record store in town for 1 day only’: 25 vendors expected at inaugural Fraser Valley Record Fair at Princess Armouries in Chilliwack. An upcoming vinyl record fair may very well be the first of its kind in Chilliwack. The Fraser Valley Record Fair, organized by record collectors Ryan Wugalter and Evan McDowell, will take place on Sunday, Nov. 19 at the Princess Armouries in Chilliwack. They’re calling it the Fraser Valley’s largest LP, CD and music memorabilia fair, and a “must-attend event for vinyl junkies and music enthusiasts.” Approximately 25 vendors from across the province will be there, including record stores and private collections from peoples’ basements. Prices will vary greatly from boxes full of $2 records right up to rare collector items that could sell for hundreds of dollars. “It’s going to be the best record store in town for one day only,” Wugalter said. “If you are a music fan, you don’t want to miss it.”
Sweet music: Hunting down the best collectable vinyl: The crackle of the needle, the smell of the record, the fabulous artwork of the sleeve. There are many reasons why vinyl remains a popular music format and one that seems to be growing in popularity as people continue to want a physical product in the digital age. As a sign of the rise in vinyl popularity, a recent report has found that vinyl sales are up 13.2 percent in 2023, partly thanks to vinyl LP sales from artists such as Taylor Swift, Blur and Kylie Minogue. …The vinyl resurgence is good news for the independent music industry in particular, the more records that are made means more will likely be discarded. As Christmas approaches, rather than shop for new vinyl many consumers will look to buy and sell second hand. Louie Newlands, Used Vinyl Manager at Rough Trade explains the optimal approaches to buying and selling vinyl records.
I test hi-fi for a living and these are the 4 Black Friday turntable deals I recommend: Decks appeal. Yes, there are dozens of turntables on sale for Black Friday. Some, I wouldn’t touch. These are not those decks. I want to draw your attention to four solid deals. Even if these players haven’t featured in TechRadar’s best turntables buying guide, I’ve been in this game for quite a while now and (whisper it) I used to be on the review team for TechRadar’s sister publication, What Hi-Fi?. What I’m saying is, this is my career and I know quality, performance and value when I see it. I also love the vinyl music experience; I love sticking on an LP and actually listening to it from beginning to end. There are no ads in a vinyl record, just glorious analogue audio quality with all its trademark warmth and fullness – and yes, those occasional pops as the needle tracks in my various imperfect presses. But I digress. These are the turntable deals worthy of your time and energy.
Take Your Vinyl Experience To The Next Level By Taking These Steps: With their warm analog sound and tangible presence, Vinyl records offer a unique and immersive music-listening experience. For enthusiasts and newcomers alike, there’s a world of possibilities to explore beyond simply placing a record on a turntable. This comprehensive guide will delve into various steps to elevate your vinyl experience, from caring for your records and optimizing your turntable setup to exploring the world of custom vinyl and building a curated collection. …Customizing your vinyl collection is one way to take your vinyl experience to a personalized level. Many vinyl enthusiasts enjoy the tactile and visual aspects of records as much as the auditory experience. Consider creating custom album art or labels for your favorite records. Some online services even allow you to create custom vinyl pressings with personalized labels, adding a unique touch to your collection.
