Guildford, UK | How Ben’s records got the ‘winning formula’ to selling vinyl: One record shop owner spills the secret to Guildford’s most sought after tunes. If you know about music in Guildford, there is no doubt you will know about Ben’s Collector’s Records. It has been a pivotal part of the town’s music scene since 1993, and is still going strong. With vinyl back in the mainstream, SurreyLive had a chat with the shop’s owner to see what Guildford was dancing to. Inside the shop it is a maze of records, CDs and cassette tapes, all piled high and ready to rifle through. Ben Darnton who owns the store believes this kind of ordered disorder is what keeps people coming back. He said: “People like coming in for a dig, they say ‘I don’t know what I’m gonna find next.’” They could find anything, the Tunsgate shop sells a complete assortment of music styles including classical and jazz . With so much to choose from, the clientele is as eclectic as the stock, and growing all the time.
Nottingham, UK | ‘Quirky’ vinyl and clothing store opens in Nottingham city centre: The St James Street shop has a huge range of clothing items and records. A new ‘quirky’ shop filled with vinyl records, clothes, and vintage pieces has opened in Nottingham. Fac1968 is the latest shop to open on St James Street, in the city centre. Since opening their doors on November 9, last year, owner Gary Prail and his partner Cheryl Marshall say they have had a ‘wonderful’ first couple of months of trading. The couple shared that their main focus was to make a ‘comfortable’ environment for customers to shop in. With upbeat music playing in the background, unique artwork on the walls, bursts of colour, and different decorative pieces, the couple have created quite a ‘quirky’ space. “[It’s been received] incredibly positively. The amount of people who come in and say ‘we love the shop’ has been beautiful,” said Gary, who is from West Bridgford. The 55-year-old continued: “They comment on loads of things. It’s been a positive reaction so it’s been great.”
IE | A guide to Ireland’s record stores: Crate-digging spots across Ireland. We travel to Ireland to highlight the best record stores out in the community selling new and used vinyl for all tastes, from record megastores to the “smallest record shop in Ireland.” All City Records Address: 4 Crow Street, Dublin, Ireland D02 AF84. Nestled in Dublin’s tourist centre of Temple Bar, All City Records is home to one of Ireland’s most comprehensive hip-hop and electronic offerings. Operating since 2001, All City boasts its own label and series of sub-labels including Arís, Jheri Tracks and First Second Label. A hub for local DJs, graffiti artists and vinyl enthusiasts.
South Surrey, BC | Vinyl Vibes to close after owner faced with $4,300 rent increase: Adrian Clements says he’ll pivot to online auctions after rent increase of 172 per cent. A local record store is closing after the owner faced an astronomical rent increase. Vinyl Vibes, a staple on 176th for more than eight years, is closing near the end of January because of a $4,300 increase in rent. Owner Adrian Clements said t0 sign his new lease, he had to agree to a 172 per cent increase. He was paying $2,500 a month and was notified at the beginning of December his rent would increase to $6,800 per month. “The lease came up and the landlord wanted to almost triple the rent,” Clements said. “They said it was way below market value.” Clements explained that he doesn’t even make that in a month and can’t possibly pay it. As such he’s shutting down the record shop sometime around Jan. 26. “I was prepared to go up to $4,500, but they wanted more.”
Whitchurch, UK | Shropshire: Music lover to open vinyl store in Whitchurch: Decades after closing its doors, a vinyl shop is set to reopen in Whitchurch, bringing a combination of new and vintage tunes to the town. The freshly reborn store is the brainchild of local music enthusiast Mark Fulton. He started selling records, tapes and CD’s in the Antiques Emporium in Green End – and after seeing how well it was going, he ended up taking on the former home of Luke’s Cafe Wine Bar, in High Street. Mark said: “Luke’s used to be a record shop before, in the 70s or 80s. “I’ve played in bands my entire life, and I recently lost my job. “Then I decided to start selling some things in the Antiques Emporium—and the new-found popularity of the vinyl is what facilitated this move. “It’s done exceptionally well.” Now Mark is transforming the space into The Vinyl Countdown, which is set to bring vinyl, CDs, tapes, T-shirts, and more merchandise to town. He is planning on opening the shop on Saturday, February 3.
Cincinnati, OH | Greater Cincinnati record shop moving to Chicago after 10 years: A new and used records, CDs, DVDs and memorabilia store is moving to Chicago after serving the Tri-State for nearly a decade. Torn Light Records, which found its first home in 2014 in Bellevue, Ky., and then moved to Clifton’s Gaslight District in 2019, will celebrate its final day in the Queen City on Saturday, Jan. 13. Owned by Cincinnati natives Alex York and Dan Buckley, Torn Light first outgrew its 60-square-foot digs before moving adjacent to the Esquire Theatre on Ludlow Avenue. There, 2000 square feet of bins bustling with jazz, soul, hip hop, experimental, punk, and metal LPs and CDs drew in music lovers of discriminating tastes, from both the Tri-State and worldwide. And once again, the store’s owners say they are looking for a change of scenery and room to grow. “We’ve always only had one location, and it’s always been, ‘We need more space,’” co-owner Dan Buckley explains.
Rockford, IL | Suspect wanted for burglary at Rockford record shop: Rockford Police have shared photos of a suspect in a burglary at Toad Hall Books and Records in hopes that the public can identify him. Police shared the photos on Friday, in relation to a burglary that reportedly occurred at the business, at 2106 Broadway, on January 2nd. Authorities did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the burglary, or the amount of merchandise or cash taken. On Facebook, Toad Hall accused the thief of stealing comic books. Anyone with information is asked to contact Rockford Police at 815-966-2900 or by leaving an anonymous tip with Rockford Area Crime Stoppers at 815-963-7867.
Just 12.8% of independent artists say they have released music on vinyl, new report claims: Wax sales rose to their highest level in 16 years in 2023. Just 12.8% of independent artists say they have released their music on vinyl, new data from Ditto Music has revealed — despite 2023 vinyl sales in the UK reaching their highest level since 1990. In a new survey conducted by the global music distribution company, 1000 independent artists were questioned whether they release music on vinyl. Under an eighth of respondents said they have published their musical via wax, with 54% labelling the main reason for forgoing vinyl records being high production costs. On top of this, 28.7% said they do not release on vinyl due to their fan bases not being interested in the format, and 9.9% chalked it up to long lead times. Despite this, over half of participants said they themselves buy vinyl records regularly. In a report from The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) earlier this month, it was revealed that vinyl sales in the UK had risen for the 16th consecutive year.
The Music Industry Needs a New Growth Story: After years of a streaming boom, record labels are searching for their next big win. …For the last several years, Universal Music Group Chief Executive Officer Lucian Grainge has gathered hundreds of music industry heavyweights on the Saturday before the Grammys to tout his company’s rising stars. Acts from across the Universal family play a few songs for technology executives, advertisers and the press. Past participants include Migos, Maggie Rogers and Stephen Sanchez. The star-studded event is a showcase for rising talent, but it has doubled as a testament to Grainge’s power and a declaration that the music industry, once crippled by piracy, is again flush. But Universal is skipping the showcase this year, opting for a slimmed-down affair tailored to brands. The optics of throwing such a lavish affair aren’t great when you are about to fire hundreds of employees, the largest bloodletting at the company since it went public a couple years ago.
