New York, NY | How major retailers and Covid-era nostalgia helped revive the vinyl records industry: Once considered a dying industry, the vinyl record business has undergone a remarkable multibillion-dollar resurgence in the past decade. It has been fueled by popular artists such as Taylor Swift and major retailers including Target and Walmart, along with a growing wave of consumers rekindling their love for the nostalgic format during the Covid pandemic. “…When Taylor releases a new record, there may be eight, nine, 10, different variants of that same record—different colors, different combinations, maybe there’s some unique tracks that weren’t included on the digital release, or the CD, but you get it on the vinyl,” Michaels explained. “There’s a lot of fans that say, ‘There are eight different variants. I want one of each, please.’ They’re very supportive.” “…You have the whole musical ecosystem here,” he said. “You have artists, producers, studios—it all works together in a highly symbiotic way. It’s the perfect place, and we’re very fortunate to be here.”
Cleethorpes, UK | Cleethorpes record store gears up to open on Christmas Day for third year running in bid to bring smiles to those in need: Howlin’ Jacks Record Store will be open to all on Christmas Day between 11am and 1pm. A Cleethorpes record store is gearing up to open its doors for the third year running to bring joy, smiles, laughter and mince pies to people on their own or experiencing hardship this Christmas Day. Located at 41A High Street, Howlin’ Jacks Record Store will once again open up on Monday, December 25 from 11am to 1pm, where visitors will be served food courtesy of local eatery The Grumpy Kitchen, along with hot drinks and mince pies, completely free of charge. Live acoustic music will also be performed by local artist Ian Thorpe from the band 3rd and Church, with regular customers at the shop also set to attend to provide a friendly face and a chat for whoever attends. Shop owner Matt Driver told Grimsby Live: “I’ve decided to do the Christmas Day Hang Out for the third year because for the last two years it’s grown slightly each year. Around 15 to 20 people turned up last year which was slightly up on the year before.
Redditch, UK | Shoppers’ sadness as Redditch record store set to close: Record shoppers in Redditch have expressed their sadness after a beloved store announced its closure. Vintage Trax owner Ros Sidaway has “reluctantly” decided to call time on her store, which is located off Church Green East in the town centre. She says that 2023 has been a challenging year for the business, with the cost of living crisis having an impact on trade. Mrs Sidaway, aged 63, said the income has not been covering the overheads for the past few months. In addition, a bad fall earlier this year kept Mrs Sidaway away from the shop for five months. Her husband David had to step in and keep things ticking over with her sister, Teresa, who has worked with her since Vintage Trax began trading back in 2013. Patrons shared their sadness at the news on social media, with one person calling it one of the best shops in the town. Juliano Dal Berto said: “Very sad news, my collection is mostly made up of records from here. Best shop by miles, I’m gonna miss it.”
New York, NY | Casa Amadeo, New York’s Oldest Latino Record Store’s Success is Thanks to 90-Year-Old Owner’s Secret Formula: Miguel Ángel ‘Mike’ Amadeo is a living legend in Latino music, and his legacy in New York City is priceless. At 89 years old, he insists he’ll never retire from a career that has brought him so much joy and satisfaction. In an interview with mitú, the entrepreneur and owner of Casa Amadeo music store since 1969, shared his secret formula for keeping the doors open, even as the business model has changed and records don’t sell like they used to. “My formula is a promise I made to myself that I’ll only leave this place [the store] to the cemetery,” he said. He added, “I’ve been in music for almost 74 years, and it’s given me a fantastic life and the chance to support my family. I don’t think about retiring, and I’ve never talked about it; I’ll leave here when God takes me.” Despite being almost 90 years old, Amadeo is on a mission to bring music to every corner of the world. Amadeo is the epitome of a hard worker. Six days a week, he runs his store, working eight hours each day. He’s going to be 90 in May 2024.
Rockford, IL | Do you remember these 10 northern Illinois record stores? For music fans like myself, shopping for music is my hobby but unfortunately, many of my favorite record stores in Illinois are no longer around so let’s flashback to some of those amazing places. #1 Media Play: I absolutely loved this place. I spend a lot of time and money shopping there. Whenever I drive by that location it brings back lots of memories. #2 Appletree Records: I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of their run in Rockford. Another great former record store that was located in the Edgebrook Center. #3 The Record Mart: Unfortunately, it was long gone before I moved to town but I’ve heard some great stories about the place. It was in downtown Rockford. How cool would it be to have it nowadays? #4 Musicland: It was a record store chain that was in most malls including in Rockford. It wasn’t my first choice for buying music but still picked up many releases there…
Silver Spring, MD | Mojomala Book And Record Store Opens In New Silver Spring Location: Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff held a grand reopening on Saturday for its new location in Silver Spring next to Silver Branch Brewing. Mojomala Books, Records & Cool Stuff held a grand reopening on Saturday for its new location in downtown Silver Spring. The shop’s new location is near Silver Branch Brewing Co. and steps from the Silver Spring Metro Station in the Silver Spring Metro Plaza building at 8401 Colesville Road. At Saturday’s grand reopening, customers were lining up at the register, purchasing vinyl records, books, comics and other merchandise. “Silver Spring Metro Plaza is a great location for us. We are thrilled to be neighbors with Silver Branch brewery and 9Round gym and hope we can further make the plaza a destination point,” Mojomala owner Michael Abate told Patch. “There’s a natural connection between our audience and Silver Branch’s.”
From punk roots to vinyl heights: Rough Trade’s ongoing legacy and expansion: In the resounding resurgence of vinyl within mainstream music, Rough Trade emerges as a defining force, seamlessly fusing a love for music with operational expertise. With iconic locations in London, New York, Bristol & Nottingham and a new frontier in Berlin, Rough Trade’s stores stand as cultural epicentres where music enthusiasts of every persuasion come together. In this exclusive interview with UK Managing Director, Lawrence Montgomery, we dive into the art of orchestrating engaging customer experiences, building purposeful collaborations that transcend music, and embracing a multichannel approach that echoes the diverse beats of its vibrant community. “…Music is at the heart of our culture. We embrace a wide range of genres but maintain a particularly close connection with the independent music sector. Many who have worked with us have gone on to make significant contributions to record labels or even pursued careers as musicians.”
South Bend, IN | ‘The biggest one-day record store’: South Bend hosts record show: The South Bend Record Show took place this Sunday at the Gillespie Conference Center at the South Bend Hilton Garden Inn. Organizer Jeremy Bonfiglio said he has been planning the shows for five years. “We hold the show actually six times a year,” Bonfiglio said. “Every other month — and so we bring in dealers, record vendors from all over the Midwest.” The show has been going on for more than 30 years, Bonfiglio added. “So it’s been over 30 years that the show has been granted, and I think I’m the third or fourth owner now of the show,” Bonfiglio said. “It’s been going on for a long time. And so it’s great to kind of be able to carry on that tradition and to grow it as much as we have.” Greg Stuart, a vendor from Indiana, said he thinks it’s good to own records. “I think a lot of the new releases—the things [released] now—aren’t the same sound because it’s digitally recorded and then printed onto the record,” Stuart said. “It used to be all analog and a lot of people like their background noise in older records.”
5 reissue record labels giving new life to rare Classic Soul: Though there are more than five, these independent record labels are doing music collectors justice, by finding and reissuing Soul originals that most of us could never dream of owning. The popularity in reissuing legacy music is not a new thing. In fact, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi for short), has been an ‘official’ reissue record label since 1977, and is ‘the master’ at reimagining, remastering and reissuing classic records. But since the resurgence in the popularity and mainstream manufacturing of the vinyl record format, there has been an heightened interest within already-existing independent labels, as well as, a sprouting of new ones, who either make the reissuing of hard or impossible to find records a great part of their operation and practices, or have made that practice the entire premise of their company’s existence.
