Vinyl Alliance Bristles at Upcoming Changes to Indie Sales Reporting by Luminate: A change to how Luminate reports indie vinyl sales has the Vinyl Record Manufacturing Association (VRMA) and the Vinyl Alliance bristling. Here’s the latest. In Autumn 2023, Luminate announced a change to how it reports physical sales (vinyl, CD, cassette), relying on a direct representation of sales reported from indie retailers in the U.S. and Canada who have agreed to participate in Luminate data reporting. Historically and currently, indie sales are algorithmically determined due to the small number of record stores contributing to weekly sales activity. Both the VRMA and the Vinyl Alliance believe this shift will unfairly minimize numbers, creating a change in the true insight of indie sales at physical retail stores. “With less than 5% of independent physical retailers currently reporting directly to Luminate, the data collected will be a grossly inaccurate representation of the sales of physical products,” the group believes.
Glasgow, UK | Glasgow record store Palais de Danse moves premises: The shop reopened for business today in De Courcy’s Arcade on Cresswell Lane. Glasgow record shop Palais de Danse has relocated to new premises. The store reopened for business today, December 5th, in De Courcy’s Arcade on Cresswell Lane. Previously located on Sauchiehall Street, the shop opened in 2016 and will continue to stock second-hand house, techno, disco, soul, funk and 80s’ 12-inches and 7-inches. Since 2016, Palais de Danse has also been a label, putting out music by DSG and Lovejoy. Browse Instagram to see more photos of the new premises.
Chicago, IL | Vinyl record shops report surge in burglaries, shoplifting: Thieves are finding a new retail target across Chicago. Vinyl record shops are reporting a surge in burglaries and shoplifting. As Chicago police search for the culprits, record store owners have begun sharing information on the growing market of stolen vinyl records in an effort to deal with the wave of theft. “There are four other niche record stores within a couple of miles of here, you know, and they are doing the same thing I’m doing,” Meteor Gem owner Mikhail Fedyukov said. Fedyukov said he is devastated by last week’s break-in and is hoping that the local shops can work together to spot the stolen records. “There’s a store that actually had an attempted resale already, just two days later. They turned it down and got in touch right away,” Fedyukov said. Fedyukov told WGN News that he believed the thieves knew exactly what they were looking for. “I’m sure the shop got cased, first. Because they were in and out with a plan,” Fedyukov said.
Grand Rapids, MI | Meet the owner behind this Michigan city’s first Black-owned record store: She’s bringing a new community hub to Grand Rapids! Della Marie Levi can remember falling in love with music as a little girl, WOOD TV reports. Inspired by her late father, that passion stayed with her through adulthood, driving Levi to eventually become a DJ. “I’ve always loved music. My father was a record collector growing up. He loved vinyl records. He was in the special zone whenever he listened to his vinyl records,” Levi told reporters. As DJ Della Soul, Levi started learning on vinyl first, a feat of enormous proportion for any music professional. She then opened up a pop-up shop, selling the vinyl records she had collected with the goal of eventually opening up her own store. “I started collecting vinyl and I thought, ‘What is my next [endeavor] going to be?’ And I said, I’m going to own a record store,” said Levi. Now that dream has finally come true, with Levi opening the Della Soul Records shop on November 4th in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Jamaica Plain, MA | 47 Years Overdue: Someone Returned a Record to Jamaica Plain Library Due in 1976: While not a world record, someone recently returned a vinyl record to the Jamaica Plain Branch Library that was due in 1976! The vinyl record was left in the return bin in the front of the library and the staff didn’t see who returned the record that was due on October 27, 1976. Maybe the person was worried about being fined, but Boston public libraries no longer fine people for late items. For the record — the vinyl record was Junior Walker and The All Stars’ “Anthology”, which was released in 1974. The vinyl record wasn’t even in the system — maybe because the Jamaica Plain Branch Library doesn’t even have vinyl records to lend anymore — nor do other Boston branch libraries. JP’s branch librarians contacted the archival department at Boston’s Central Library to let them know about the record. The record was originally lent out by the Egleston Square Branch Library, which is seen on the due date card pocket in the back of the vinyl record. A punch card that was part of the BPL’s system to check out items was also with the album.
New York, NY | DJs Skillfully Curate Their Sets Solely Using Vinyl Records At This Hidden Lounge: The cozy, living room-like atmosphere and dim lighting has already captivated the hearts of music enthusiasts and cocktail aficionados alike, and it’s easy to see why. Between places like Studio 151, Honeycomb, 929, and BierWax, New York City isn’t unfamiliar with vinyl record bars. But why stop there? Because honestly, in our humble opinion, there’s always room for more! So naturally we can’t say we’re bummed that tucked behind this coffeeshop, also vinyl-themed, is a hidden bar where the music is curated by DJs spinning vinyl records, the cocktails are meticulously crafted, and the vibes are too captivating to miss. The cozy, living room-like atmosphere and dim lighting make for the perfect place to enjoy mouthwatering cocktails and shareable bites.
Nashville, TN | Peek inside the vinyl company that pressed Taylor Swift’s catalog: All fans know that Nashville is Music City, but have you ever taken a peek behind the scenes at the businesses that are the building blocks of the music industry? Next month, a new CNBC cross-platform franchise called “Cities of Success” will take a deep dive into the cities that have become industry power centers, and they’re kicking things off by putting the spotlight on Nashville and country music. One of the hubs that gets a spotlight in the one-hour special is United Record Pressing, which became the biggest vinyl business in North America by pressing the catalog of some of country music’s biggest artists. It was here that Taylor Swift pressed the bulk of her catalog of albums to date. Before the episode runs, Taste of Country readers can exclusively get a sneak peek at the company, as well as an interview with CEO Mark Michaels, who speaks about the daunting prospect of investing in vinyl in 2008, decades after the heyday of the format.
UK | Sir Robin Millar: the vinyl revival is exposing artists’ climate ‘hypocrisy: The producer and disability campaigner who made hits with Sade and Everything But the Girl says it’s time records were banned to save the climate. Robin Millar has made a career from records; now he wants them to be eradicated. The newly knighted music producer and co-founder of artist management company Blue Raincoat Music believes the resurgence of vinyl is exposing hypocrisy among labels and artists. “I am baffled that no large record company has had the backing of a big-selling artist to stop making physical records,” he says, angrily explaining how CDs and vinyl are manufactured around the world, packaged with “chopped-down trees and plastic” and shipped to customers. “How can anybody stand up and say ‘save the planet’? Artists are awful for hypocritical bandwagonery.” Millar says he is no “militant climate warrior”, but argues the quality of digital songs now matches vinyl, while artists’ global tours also contribute to harming the planet and could be screened online.
David Fincher’s Se7en Score Coming to Vinyl From Waxwork Records: The seminal thriller is getting a release in January 2024. While David Fincher’s debut feature film might have been Alien 3 in 1992, his experience on the project was so frustrating that he ultimately tried to distance himself from the project as much as possible. His follow-up film, 1995’s Se7en, allowed him to more fully deliver his true intentions for the unsettling serial-killer experience, which became one of the defining genre projects of the ’90s. In honor of the film’s accomplishments, Waxwork Records is releasing a vinyl pressing of the film’s score, as composed by Howard Shore. You can head to the Waxwork Records official website to order the album now before it is released in January of 2024. Per Waxwork Records, “Waxwork Records in association with WaterTower Music is thrilled to present the debut vinyl release of SE7EN Original Motion Picture Score by Howard Shore. Directed by David Fincher, Se7en is a 1995 gritty neo-noir film starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey.
